Mindset

This was a forward email, but liked the message....

As my friend was passing the elephants, he suddenly stopped, confused by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front leg. No chains, no cages. It was obvious that the elephants could, at anytime, break away from the ropes they were tied to but for some reason, they did not. My friend saw a trainer nearby and asked why these beautiful, magnificent animals just stood there and made no attempt to get away.

"Well," he said, "when they are very young and much smaller we use the same size rope to tie them and, at that age, it's enough to hold them. As they grow up, they are conditioned to believe they cannot break away. They believe the rope can still hold them, so they never try to break free." My friend was amazed. These animals could at any time break free from their bonds but because they believed they couldn't, they were stuck right where they were.

Like the elephants, how many of us go through life hanging onto a belief that we cannot do something, simply because we failed at it once before? So make an attempt to grow further.... Why shouldn't we try it again?

"YOUR ATTEMPT MAY FAIL, BUT NEVER FAIL TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT."

Tukaram

I was given this good site on Tukaram by my friend Medha. Do check this out.
You can also download gatha from here.

|| Maharashtra Dharma Vadhavava||

Rashi and Horoscope

Few days back I read a book on Punarjanm (Rebirth), by P. V. Vartak. I found answers to some of my questions, may not be fully satisfactory but which can lead to new thinking. Today I came across one news in sakal about Rashis and horoscope. A lecture was given by Pro. Prakash Parekh of "Andhashraddha Nirmulan Samiti".

It is nice to have discussion about such topics and try to investigate on this. But what I found in news is they just ridiculed about the subject. I am believer of Rashis/ Horoscope. I believe this is a science though it is not established like science. There are many proofs if you want to verify which can proove this science.

Though I use to believe this is a science I could not relate why and how exactly it is related to Grahas (Planet) and Nakshatras. My friend told me that earlier there were only Nakshatras and Grahas which vedic people used for predictions. There were no Rashis. It was later when it was hard to explain and figure out formation of Nakshatras, Rashis were created. They consist of 2.25 Nakshatras. Still I could not find reason how Grahas can impact anyone's life.

Well I could find two good reasons for this. First is, Moon and Sun even being at such vast distance affect on sea, which is huge. It cause high tide and low tide, on perfectly regular interval. This cycle is never missed. We are leaving on same earth why is it hard to believe they can also have impact on our body. After all, all communication within out body is done using low electric pulse, isnt it? It can be affected by extenal factors.

Second reason is written in the book I read, which I meantioned at begining. This thought can be digested only by those people who believe in rebirth or reincarnation. Whaterver are our deeds or Karmas in current birth are getting transmitted in atmosphere... it just gets reflected by the planets.

Though this sounds incomplete explanation I think if we investigate more about this we can definitely find some proof of relevance in horoscopic science. We may not rely on what our horoscope but definitely we should not discard it.

Dubai: Land of opportunity in East

Laid-Off Foreigners Flee as Dubai Spirals Down

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/12/world/middleeast/12dubai.html?_r=1

Bryan Denton for The New York Times
Published: February 11, 2009

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Sofia, a 34-year-old Frenchwoman, moved here a year ago to take a job in advertising, so confident about Dubai's fast-growing economy that she bought an apartment for almost $300,000 with a 15-year mortgage.

An abandoned car in a parking garage in Dubai. One report said 3,000 cars were
sitting abandoned at the Dubai Airport.

Now, like many of the foreign workers who make up 90 percent of the population here, she has been laid off and faces the prospect of being forced to leave this Persian Gulf city — or worse.

"I'm really scared of what could happen, because I bought property here," said Sofia, who asked that her last name be withheld because she is still hunting for a new job. "If I can't pay it off, I was told I could end up in debtors' prison."

With Dubai's economy in free fall, newspapers have reported that more than 3,000 cars sit abandoned in the parking lot at the Dubai Airport, left by fleeing, debt-ridden foreigners (who could in fact be imprisoned if they failed to pay their bills). Some are said to have maxed-out credit cards inside and notes of apology taped to the windshield.

The government says the real number is much lower. But the stories contain at least a grain of truth: jobless people here lose their work visas and then must leave the country within a month. That in turn reduces spending, creates housing vacancies and lowers real estate prices, in a downward spiral that has left parts of Dubai — once hailed as the economic superpower of the Middle East — looking like a ghost town.

No one knows how bad things have become, though it is clear that tens of thousands have left, real estate prices have crashed and scores of Dubai's major construction projects have been suspended or canceled. But with the government unwilling to provide data, rumors are bound to flourish, damaging confidence and further undermining the economy.

Instead of moving toward greater transparency, the Emirates seem to be moving in the other direction. A new draft media law would make it a crime to damage the country's reputation or economy, punishable by fines of up to 1 million dirhams (about $272,000).

Some say it is already having a chilling effect on reporting about the crisis.

Last month, local newspapers reported that Dubai was canceling 1,500 work visas every day, citing unnamed government officials. Asked about the number, Humaid bin Dimas, a spokesman for Dubai's Labor Ministry, said he would not confirm or deny it and refused to comment further. Some say the true figure is much higher.

"At the moment there is a readiness to believe the worst," said Simon Williams, HSBC bank's chief economist in Dubai. "And the limits on data make it difficult to counter the rumors."

Some things are clear: real estate prices, which rose dramatically during Dubai's six-year boom, have dropped 30 percent or more over the past two or three months in some parts of the city. Last week, Moody's Investor's Service announced that it might downgrade its ratings on six of Dubai's most prominent state-owned companies, citing a deterioration in the economic outlook. So many used luxury cars are for sale , they are sometimes sold for 40 percent less than the asking price two months ago, car dealers say. Dubai's roads,

usually thick with traffic at this time of year, are now mostly clear.

Some analysts say the crisis is likely to have long-lasting effects on the seven-member emirates federation, where Dubai has long played rebellious younger brother to oil-rich and more conservative Abu Dhabi. Dubai officials, swallowing their pride, have made clear that they would be open to a bailout, but so far Abu Dhabi has offered assistance only to its own banks.

"Why is Abu Dhabi allowing its neighbor to have its international reputation trashed, when it could bail out Dubai's banks and restore confidence?" said Christopher M. Davidson, who predicted the current crisis in "Dubai: The Vulnerability of Success," a book published last year. "Perhaps the plan is to centralize the U.A.E." under Abu Dhabi's control, he mused, in a move that would sharply curtail Dubai's independence and perhaps change its signature freewheeling style.

For many foreigners, Dubai had seemed at first to be a refuge, relatively insulated from the panic that began hitting the rest of the world last autumn. The Persian Gulf is cushioned by vast oil and gas wealth, and some who lost jobs in New York and London began applying here.

But Dubai, unlike Abu Dhabi or nearby Qatar and Saudi Arabia, does not have its own oil, and had built its reputation on real estate, finance and tourism. Now, many expatriates here talk about Dubai as though it were a con game all along. Lurid rumors spread quickly: the Palm Jumeira, an artificial island that is one of this city's trademark developments, is said to be sinking, and when you turn the faucets in the hotels built atop it, only cockroaches come out.

"Is it going to get better? They tell you that, but I don't know what to believe anymore," said Sofia, who still hopes to find a job before her time runs out. "People are really panicking quickly."

Hamza Thiab, a 27-year-old Iraqi who moved here from Baghdad in 2005, lost his job with an engineering firm six weeks ago. He has until the end of February to find a job, or he must leave. "I've been looking for a new job for three months, and I've only had two interviews," he said. "Before, you used to open up the papers here and see dozens of jobs. The minimum for a civil engineer with four years' experience used to be 15,000 dirhams a month. Now, the maximum you'll get is 8,000," or about $2,000.

Mr. Thiab was sitting in a Costa Coffee Shop in the Ibn Battuta mall, where most of the customers seemed to be single men sitting alone, dolefully drinking coffee at midday. If he fails to find a job, he will have to go to Jordan, where he has family members — Iraq is still too dangerous, he says — though the situation is no better there. Before that, he will have to borrow money from his father to pay off the more than $12,000 he still owes on a bank loan for his Honda Civic. Iraqi friends bought fancier cars and are now, with no job, struggling to sell them.

"Before, so many of us were living a good life here," Mr. Thiab said. "Now we cannot pay our loans. We are all just sleeping, smoking, drinking coffee and having headaches because of the situation."

A New York Times employee in Dubai contributed reporting.

JaagoRe... Register

I have registered on JaagoRe site... though you wont be able to vote immediately because voter registration is closed, I advise to register on http://jaagore.com/SmartForm/smart_registration.php.

Make difference.

Christian Conversion in Bharat

This is after long time I am again writing something on blog..... Lots of thoughts were whirling in mind but could not put them together on time. Today I found this video on YouTube... This talks about conversions going on in Gujurath, Bharat. Till this point of time I have only heard or saw news that such things are happening across Bharat but did not think it was something worrying. But this video here shows the ground reality. This video is not complete and looks like is a cut from big story.

The video is telling stories which are not new but what is in news circulation already but with faces to remember. Normally when we read something listen something we tend to forget. It doesn't seem so important to us when it is some vague concept. But just relate the story to known face and it makes impact. Though faces are not known to us in the video but it makes a point in what is going on around us.

Christian missionaries are pouring money from all sort of mechanism for conversion. Villages are being converted. One of the man in this video who is some political leader narrates that if anyone starts church he can simply ask for donation from west and it is provided without question. There are many illegal activities being carried out in the name of god. Hindu god/ goddesses are being blackened. People are made to believe in Jesus saying he will cure there diseases, pain and he can do miracles. Well ignorant people are ready to accept anything without questioning and that is what is happening. Families are christanised by offering money. To any integrated mind this will not feel right. But still this is happening. This is a problem in North-East since long, Vivekanand Kendra and other people are working together there to stop this. They are converting people back to hinduism from christanity.

I feel this is high time since everyone objected talked about this, government needs to inturrupt somewhere and stop conversion happening in Bharat. When talked about this issue, government puts some figures showing there is actully declining of number of christians in Bharat. Well if that was the case then why are these things still happening here? Who are these people who wants to convert masses? But no wonder, since an italian christian person is running our contry with unquestioned authority, these sort of things are happening.

If I look deeply into issue, I can put two points here.

• First point is even though such vast amount of money is poured in for christanising, on larger grounds I feel they are still loosing. All this money, if I can say so, was once our's. British and other invaders looted it from us. They are just returning it back in some way or other :-). Even though people are getting coverted to Christianity, they are also converting back on their own to Hindism. No religion can remain on this earth if forced upon someone by any means.
• Secondly by some way it is our, hindu's fault that these christians are able to convert people from hinduism. Who are these people getting converted? Those all are mostly poor , illeterate, ignorant people. What do they need? Some help to survive, some help to feed their families, some education, some work and some pride. A person wont bother if he is praying to Rama, Krishna, Allah or Jesus as long as he is not able to survive. If getting converted earns him some money for leaving why will not he do it? I had discussion about this with my friend (Yogendra) recently. He was aguing that it is the fate of those people who face these problems. I agreed to what he was saying. But I had another point, it might be their fate, or previous Karma that made them face all the problems in this life. But as a human being, is not our duty to help these people? Rather for any organism? Why are we human, why do we are given ability to think? Because we can do something special than others... we should use that ability to help others.

All of us in these days, largely contended with our own world, including me. What do we do to help other people or rather I will say organism? I am currently reading a book on Punarjanm (Re-birth). It talks about our relation between our all janmas and karmas. I will talk about it later because I am eager to write about it... my few questions were answered in that book. But there is need to do something "good" without expectations and that is "now". This is not for anyone but for me, for my future.

Sat-yam Scam

Commerce minister Kamal Nath is stating Satyam Scam to be an isolated case.... As I read it here. But I am sceptical about this. How this scam can be isolated?

Rs 7000 Cr. are lost or may be we can say are in wrong hands. But how would we identify where that money is gone? Today TOI has published a NEWS saying, Raju family members are involved in 40 different companies beside Satyam. That means there are lot more transactions than initially thought as with Maytas.

Ramalinga Raju has also taken loan 52 lacs some decades back which he did not pay and sold the company with out paying the loan. I think we can safely point out his personal interest above anything else from this. I am sure it is not only him but many more political, non-political persons involved with Ramalinga Raju. It is the time which can prove me right or wrong.

Yuga's

Yuga's.... I had serious mis-information or mis-understanding of Yuga's. I thought first yuga was Saty-yuga then Dwapar-yuga, Treta-yuga and final Kali-yuga. I could not get the clue about treta-yuga and where to place it in order exactly. Well I don't go into my mis-understandings. I will put the facts which I found.

Saty-yuga was first one but second was Treta-yuga then Dwapar-yuga and final Kali-yuga. Vaman, Parashuram and Ramachandra were avatar's (incarnation) of Vishnu in Treta-yuga. They were not incarnation in Saty-yuga as I had earlier thought. Currently we are in Kali-yuga.

I have to read more about Kali-yuga but I could find attributes of Kali-yuga on wiki which says, rulers will become unreasonable. Rulers will no longer see it as their duty to promote spirituality, or to protect their subjects, they will become a danger to the world. If this is one of the attributes of Kali-yuga, then we can explain our current leaders and what they are doing.

My interest has increased in Yuga's.... Nice to know own culture, past and history.

Gaza Conflict

I use to read Palestine, Israel, Jews, Arabs and war between them. I am embarrass to say I knew nothing about this before. Even when Gaza strike started I was quite ignorant about the facts and history. Since Israel started war in Gaza stripe I was wondering what is that this little country so aggressive about? As shown in media, why are the killing innocents. I wanted to know. I wanted to know what has triggered this conflict. What happened in past that made created this issue? I was searching on internet and then I came across an article on BBC which depicts the changes on world map since 1940's. So now I finally know, there is no country name Palestine since 1993 atleast.

Middle East conflict: History in maps

Palestine was among several former Ottoman territories placed under British control by the League of Nations. The mandate lasted from 1920 to 1948. In 1923, Britain granted limited autonomy to Transjordan, now known as Jordan.

The United Nations General Assembly proposed dividing Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem as an international city. The plan was accepted by Jewish leaders but rejected by the Arabs and never implemented.

After Britain withdrew and the Jews declared the state of Israel, war broke out with neighbouring Arab nations. Eight months later an armistice line was agreed, establishing the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the control of Jordan and Egypt.

Israel made huge territorial gains in the Six-Day War. It captured the West Bank - including East Jerusalem - Gaza Strip, Golan Heights and the whole Sinai Peninsula. The Sinai was handed back to Egypt in the 1979 peace deal.

Since 1993 there have been several handovers of land to differing degrees of Palestinian control. Jewish settlers in Gaza were withdrawn in 2005 but the West Bank is still dotted with settlements and a controversial security barrier is being built there.

Satyam Bang....

Satyam chairman Mr. Ramalinga Raju, who made few disastrous decisions over last few weeks have not only taken down company only but have impacted more.

Satyam management which was always criticised by its employees (I know few guys from there) is receiving bash from all over now. After four of its independent CEO resigning last week and everyone looking forward to the board meeting on 10th, Satyam Chairman have dropped last straw. He admitted that he manipulated balance sheets of company, shown false figures and profit. Satyam's share which was trading at around Rs.600 months ago has been hit badly and now have tumbled to way below expectations to Rs.50. This is not good for the number 4 IT service company of India.

But its not only Satyam's share which is affected but it is credebility of Indian Company which is hit. All over world India is known for IT outsourcing. Years of hard work of many have earned reputation for this Industry and now it has been hit. Any foreign company before dealing with an Indian IT company will surely question it's credibility now.

Any company before outsourcing will surely want to know if it is safe with Indian company or not.... This is surely going to affect the business, market and Indian jobs. World bank, Merrylynch have already terminated their contracts with Satyam. Satyam management has set very wrong example but atleast it has opened the eyes proving that whatever is shown on saurface may not be real. Time to wake up and learn the reality.

One of the Best article I have read: "The Next World Order"

This article I received in email forward. This is one of the best article I have read on Bharat and our Cast system. All propaganda created by politicians about cast system not being good, dalits are being targeted is mere to take political mileage. No doubt there are problems in areas for lower casts but so is problem with upper casts in other areas. No one will try to put that forward and support upper casts as it seems taboo these days.

Read the mentioned article here and one of the comment on this article here. I am even pasting the article here for my collection.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The Next World Order

By GURCHARAN DAS

Published: January 1, 2009

New Delhi

CHINA and India are in a struggle for a top rung on the ladder of world power, but their approaches to the state and to power could not be more different.

Two days after last month’s terrorist attack on Mumbai, I met with a Chinese friend who was visiting India on business. He was shocked as much by the transparent and competitive minute-by-minute reporting of the attack by India’s dozens of news channels as by the ineffectual response of the government. He had seen a middle-class housewife on national television tell a reporter that the Indian commandos delayed in engaging the terrorists because they were too busy guarding political big shots. He asked how the woman could get away with such a statement.

I explained sarcasm resonates in a nation that is angry and disappointed with its politicians. My friend switched the subject to the poor condition of India’s roads, its dilapidated cities and the constant blackouts. Suddenly, he stopped and asked: “With all this, how did you become the second-fastest growing economy in the world? China’s leaders fear the day when India’s government will get its act together.”

The answer to his question may lie in a common saying among Indians that “our economy grows at night when the government is asleep.” As if to illustrate this, the Mumbai stock market rose in the period after the terrorist attacks. Two weeks later, in several state elections, incumbents were ousted over economic issues, not security.

All this baffled my Chinese friend, and undoubtedly many of his countrymen, whose own success story has been scripted by an efficient state. They are uneasy because their chief ally, Pakistan, is consistently linked to terrorism while across the border India’s economy keeps rising disdainfully. It puzzles them that the anger in India over the Mumbai attacks is directed against Indian politicians rather than Muslims or Pakistan.

The global financial crisis has definitely affected India’s growth, and it will be down to perhaps 7 percent this year from 8.7 percent in 2007. According to my friend, China is hurting even more. What really perplexes the Chinese, he said, is that scores of nations have engaged in the same sorts of economic reforms as India, so why is it that it’s the Indian economy that has become the developing world’s second best? The speed with which India is creating world-class companies is also a shock to the Chinese, whose corporate structure is based on state-owned and foreign companies.

I have no satisfactory explanation for all this, but I think it may have something to do with India’s much-reviled caste system. Vaishyas, members of the merchant caste, who have learned over generations how to accumulate capital, give the nation a competitive advantage. Classical liberals may be right in thinking that commerce is a natural trait, but it helps if there is a devoted group of risk-taking entrepreneurs around to take advantage of the opportunity. Not surprisingly, Vaishyas still dominate the Forbes list of Indian billionaires.

In a much-discussed magazine article last year, Lee Kwan Yew, the former prime minister of Singapore, raised an important question: Why does the rest of the world view China’s rise as a threat but India’s as a wonderful success story? The answer is that India is a vast, unwieldy, open democracy ruled by a coalition of 20 parties. It is evolving through a daily flow of ideas among the conservative forces of caste and religion, the liberals who dominate intellectual life, and the new forces of global capitalism.

The idea of becoming a military power in the 21st century embarrasses many Indians. This ambivalence goes beyond Mahatma Gandhi’s nonviolent struggle for India’s freedom, or even the Buddha’s message of peace. The skeptical Indian temper goes back to the 3,500-year-old “Nasadiya” verse of the Rig Veda, which meditates on the creation of the universe: “Who knows and who can say, whence it was born and whence came this creation? The gods are later than this world’s creation. Who knows then whence it first came into being?” When you have millions of gods, you cannot afford to be theologically narcissistic. It also makes you suspect power.

Both the Chinese and the Indians are convinced that their prosperity will only increase in the 21st century. In China it will be induced by the state; in India’s case, it may well happen despite the state. Indians expect to continue their relentless march toward a modern, democratic, market-based future. In this, terrorist attacks are a noisy, tragic, but ultimately futile sideshow.

However, Indians are painfully aware that they must reform their government bureaucracy, police and judiciary — institutions, paradoxically, they were so proud of a generation ago. When that happens, India may become formidable, a thought that undoubtedly worries China’s leaders.

Gurcharan Das is the author of “India Unbound.”

Sensible "The Dawn"

I am really please to read "The Dawn". This is a Pakistani paper internet edition. I had read articles from this news paper before but today I found it really sensible and realistic. Whatever stated in paper is with the facts available, situation is analysed and no one is blamed for anything, writer's thoughts are rational....

You can read the post Taking stock after the Mumbai Attacks. Writer is aware that there is pressure from India (Bharat) and America. Writer knows there may be envolvement of elements from Pakistan, Laskar - i - taiba leader might have admitted the facts of there envolvement. Article doesn't deny anything, it doesn't say Pakistan is innocent and no it is being targeted. Writer accepts that there is possibility that all of this might have planned well in Pakistan. It asks government to disclose if there is any acceptance of Laskhar - i - taiba's role by his leader and in case if he has accepted. It asks for explanation and same time states that if those elements are Pakistani then we need to take steps to eradicate the problem of terrorism from Pakistani soil.

While targeting there own government it also put up questions like why Bharat is not directly sharing the facts or investigation details with Pakistan. Why is that some intermediaries like FBI is put in between. Well this was the same question I had in my mind which I posted in earlier blog post. Why is that we are not acting direct by giving proofs if we have or is it that we have no proofs and we are just point finger to Pakistan assuming it must have come from there....

Why do we rely on US of A

Why do we rely on US for everything? Why is that we want US to do everything for us? Is that our leaders don't have guts or they are so busy in doing politics that they can not do any work for country? Pranab Mujharjee said that US has given evidence to Pakistan and now it should act on it. Why? Does that mean we didn't have any evidence before? We can not produce anything to prove Pakistan's element's involvement? We had no courage to stand against attack? Or we were not sure about anything?

"India on Thursday said the US has provided "strong evidence" to Pakistan about involvement of Lashkar-e-Taiba in the Mumbai attacks and that Islamabad should now hand over the culprits for which no Extradition Treaty is required. " In the same news there is one more comment from him (Pranab Mukharjee) "On whether the US pressure on Pakistan was working, Mukherjee said "tangible" results about Pakistani cooperation on the Mumbai terror attack is "yet to be achieved". "

Just to add more to this immediately after this Pakistan denies any international pressure on Islamabad... May be US is not considered outside :-). Before this there was news published on Wall street journal about Lashkar top commanders Zaki-ur-Rahman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah confessing there role in Mumbai attacks but as always allegedly denied by Pakistan. If they really want peace in South Asia, I think this is high time for Pakistan to come forward and co-operate with Bharat rather than keep denying the facts. Saying that even we, Bharat should also talk on some matured level, have some concrete requirements and plans and should stick to it.

Benzir Bhutton wins UN Human Rights award

This is a old news now though, I read it recently here. First when I read, I was surprised. How can a person who is responsible for thousands or lacs of humans can be awarded with human rights award? I initially though its only India where people are given award posthumously wrongly, but no it is not the case with India. Even UN proved by announcing this award to Ms. Bhutto. She was the one who started massacre of Kashmiri Pandits by provoking local muslims, which has left over 60,000 dead in the area.

This is a paragraph from another news website "But at a press conference following the ceremony, Zardari had to defend his mother's human rights record during her two terms as Prime Minister from 1988-1990 and 1993-1996, during which time Amnesty International documented hundreds extra-judicial killings by government forces and the jailing of human right defenders, including journalists."

After all I am sure it is not only me who thought this was wrong or rather not justified.

26th December - New deadline for Pakistan

After Mumbai attack there were so many rumors, so many actions, reactions. Everyone pointed to Pakistan saying this is where all the problem is... no doubt there is something wrong. What is done about that? Washington exerted some pressure on Pakistan... New Delhi as usual threatened and then gave deadline of 2 days....

Now this seems all long time ago.... everyone forgot most of these finger pointing, deadlines and today there is again news saying Pakistan is given new deadline 26th December to wipe out all terrorist camps from its area and POK. In a bulletin zeenews says "The Indians have had a month to prepare their military operations against Pakistan, and Indian defense sources have revealed that these plans are ready to go into effect". Our military required 30 days to prepare itself for an attack? Isn't that sounds rediculous?

Is someone attacks on the country what will be the situation in that case? Isn't this time, if just bought for preparation of Army, too much? Washington doesn't have much effect on New Delhi, but saying that we will not like to spoil our relations with US of A. If we start probing in Pakistan, US military operations in Afaganistan will be affected severely for sure.

US will not like that certainly and that is the cause for delay as per my understanding. There might be something more than what is seen on surface. I am hoping to see some concrete action though I myself will not be on the side of war. War will not solve the problem but will create many more. Some surgical operations is required by Bharat. I hope to see some matured and intelligent action by Bharat rather than calling War on Pakistan, the way US did on Afaganistan and Iraq.

Maya Raj

This looks like some Aaj Tak news title, but after reading the news I was tempt to have this title.... I think this aptly suit the news.

Chief Minister Mayawati have set the target of Rs 1000 Cr. to her party MLAs, MPs and ministers for her birthday which is in next month, as said by Shivpal Singh Yadav (Samajwadi state president). All these party workers were involved in extortions to collect money from various sources with the help of police. During such incidence executive engineer M. K. Gupta was seriously bitten by BSP MLA Shekhar Tiwari and his two associates Manoj Tyagi and Bhatia, which happened to be mortal. He was demanded sum of Rs 50 Lac.

I am surprised that, an FIR was registered for this incidence against those who were involved in this act by police promptly. No one tried to suppress this incidence and it came to news as well. Now this is unlike Bharat.

Normally all such news are taken care and public is never made aware of such incidence. Something is wrong somewhere, strangly, which is good. I guess I can now guess how BSP is able to put the candidates in each and every election across Bharat and on all seats where it doesn't even have chance of securing deposit. If people start thinking, I believe no one from current parties will be able to win in any election.

Car Industry Bail-out

Bush announced a plan to bail-out car industry major, popularly called Detroit - 3, today. $17.4 billion will be pumped in for saving of these falling giants. As of now $13.4 billion will be passed to General Motors (GM) and Chrysler. Ford is not to get anything right away as government do not think it is necessary.

Government has asked to make these firms viable by 31st March which is surely difficult. When the economy is down and all the industry looks weak, people are less interested in buying cars of course. Unemployment rose to pick in last two decades.

I have a question in my mind... if unemployment is at pick, even if these car makers survive for the time being by pumping billions of dollars, how will people afford to buy when they are not employed?

Bailout Cartoons

Everyone is hearing about USA sub-prime mortgage crisis, federal bailout plan and all, someone interestingly put all these thoughts in cartoons.... I like it... excellent. US citizens will be feeling this.

Mobile phones under being secured

DOT has announced today that all service providers have to verify International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number before connecting the call. Now this is good news from security point of view, but might frustrate users. It is said that there are as many as 25MN cell phones which have no or illegal IMEI number.

These cell phones are either bought in grey market mostly China make or have came from overseas by air or sea route. Switches which route the call from call point A to contact point B will need upgrade as well as software will also require change. All cell phones having no IMEI number or IMEI number consisting of all zeroes will be filtered.

Well saying this, the requirement seems pretty clear and straight forward but it's implementation will not be that easy. Only three months are given to make this change and since there are lot of combinations which are required to check for valid IMEI number, if setup is not good enough call getting thru might become nightmare.

Interesting point

Interesting Point

Some deviation from the normal political talk to make a point....

A teacher teaching Maths to seven-year-old Arnav asked him, "If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"Within a few seconds Arnav replied confidently, "Four!"

The dismayed teacher was expecting an effortless correct answer (three). She was disappointed. "Maybe the child did not listen properly," she thought. She repeated, "Arnav, listen carefully. If I give you one apple and one apple and one apple, how many apples will you have?"

Arnav had seen the disappointment on his teacher's face. He calculated again on his fingers. But within him he was also searching for the answer that will make the teacher happy. His search for the answer was not for the correct one, but the one that will make his teacher happy. This time hesitatingly he replied, "Four?

The disappointment stayed on the teacher's face. She remembered that Arnav liked strawberries. She thought maybe he doesn't like apples and that is making him loose focus. This time with an exaggerated excitement and twinkling in her eyes she asked, "If I give you one strawberry and one strawberry and one strawberry, then how many you will have?"

Seeing the teacher happy, young Arnav calculated on his fingers again. There was no pressure on him, but a little on the teacher. She wanted her new approach to succeed. With a hesitating smile young Arnav enquired, "Three?"

The teacher now had a victorious smile. Her approach had succeeded. She wanted to congratulate herself. But one last thing remained. Once again she asked him, "Now if I give you one apple and one apple and one more apple how many will you have?"
Promptly Arnav answered, "Four!"
The teacher was aghast. "How Arnav, how?" she demanded in a little stern and irritated voice.
In a voice that was low and hesitating young Arnav replied, "Because I already have one apple in my bag."

"When someone gives you an answer that is different from what you expect. Don't think they are wrong. There maybe an angle that you have not understood at all. You will have to listen and understand, but never listen with a predetermined notion."