Sunday, July 16, 2006
Shuttle Diplomacy
Shuttle Diplomacy was a term that became popular when Henry Kissinger was the Secretary of State. It means that a third, disconnected, party is used to mediate or negotiate between two parties that do not want to talk directly (but still want to negotiate). This third party Shuttles back and forth between the two parties conveying information (questions, answers, and the mediator's own take on reaching a faster resolution) privately and indirectly. Sometimes direct communication between the two warring parties might be counterproductive. These are the situations where shuttle diplomacy has shown to work a great deal. Eventually, this shuttle diplomacy might lead to a direct negotiations between the two primary warring parties.
Backdoor to Iran?
Well, Israel is in the news again! This time, in a tiff with the Hezbollah. Israel has been fighting wars for so long that it doesn't even phase me anymore. Granted, being surrounded by 5 or so Arabic states hell-bent on Israel's destruction will illicit that response. I don't know the whole history of the region. I should really read up on that and reserve my interpretations till later. But hey! We've all pretended to know things we really didn't one time or other!
In short, here's the latest tiff-starter: Palestine kidnaps couple of Israeli officers and demands that Israel release some prisoners. Israel refuses and basically says "F@#k you guys! We are not releasing the prisoners. You give our officers back before we bomb the crap out of you.....again!" Guess what happened? Israel bombs the crap out of Palestinian gourds....again! Well, few days later Hezbollah follows in the footsteps of Palestine. Now Israel is bombing Palestine and Hezbollah strong holds.
Now, Hezbollah is said to have backing of Iran (not to mention Lebanon). Tony Blair is reportedly pressuring our cowboy president, good ole G.W., into sending our illustrious Sec. State Rice for Shuttle diplomacy (See post titled "Shuttle Diplomacy" for more info on it). I'm thinking that we will end up invading Iran now. Our excuse will be "well, they are supporting Hezbollah which is attacking Israel and we don't like our friends attacked by a bunch of terrorists!" And there, folks, will be our justification for going into Iran. It won't be failed Nuclear talks. It will be something bold, chivalrous, and noble! After all, defnding friends against their enemies is bold, chivalrous, and noble! We will not only invade Iran, we will also destroy their infrastrucutre, and be attacked by insurgents. Wait, this all sounds eerily familiar! Don't get me wrong, I support our tropps over there whole heartedly. I just don't agree with the reasons the administration gave before seding off those brave souls to fight.
Let us hope that we only do the negotiations and the fighting will subside.
In short, here's the latest tiff-starter: Palestine kidnaps couple of Israeli officers and demands that Israel release some prisoners. Israel refuses and basically says "F@#k you guys! We are not releasing the prisoners. You give our officers back before we bomb the crap out of you.....again!" Guess what happened? Israel bombs the crap out of Palestinian gourds....again! Well, few days later Hezbollah follows in the footsteps of Palestine. Now Israel is bombing Palestine and Hezbollah strong holds.
Now, Hezbollah is said to have backing of Iran (not to mention Lebanon). Tony Blair is reportedly pressuring our cowboy president, good ole G.W., into sending our illustrious Sec. State Rice for Shuttle diplomacy (See post titled "Shuttle Diplomacy" for more info on it). I'm thinking that we will end up invading Iran now. Our excuse will be "well, they are supporting Hezbollah which is attacking Israel and we don't like our friends attacked by a bunch of terrorists!" And there, folks, will be our justification for going into Iran. It won't be failed Nuclear talks. It will be something bold, chivalrous, and noble! After all, defnding friends against their enemies is bold, chivalrous, and noble! We will not only invade Iran, we will also destroy their infrastrucutre, and be attacked by insurgents. Wait, this all sounds eerily familiar! Don't get me wrong, I support our tropps over there whole heartedly. I just don't agree with the reasons the administration gave before seding off those brave souls to fight.
Let us hope that we only do the negotiations and the fighting will subside.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Offbeat news of the day
Well folks! I've scoured the net going over 10s of offbeat stories and only one has the honor of receiving the FSA (Final Sudhir Approval) stamp! Without further delay, here it is:
Inmates Sue to Overturn Nude Magazine Ban
Two inmates, currently enjoying the Indiana Department of corrections' hospitality, sued to have the ban on nude magazines overturned. The law suit seeks a "Class Action" status on behalf of more than 20,000 state prisoners.
Apparently, the ban on adult magazines and other printed materials that of the nude/sexual origin went into effect on July 1st. It gets even more ridiculous: this would mean that National Geographic magazines could be selectively banned! And let's forget about any artwork from the renaissance period!
I guess one could make the case that butt-piracy will be even more prevalent because of the influence such materials can have on our complacent and obedient inmates. I say if they want their nudie magazines, let them have them! These people have nothing else to do! They might go stir-crazy if they don't see some action, no matter what form it is in, once in a while! Testosterone build-up in a facility like that could not be good!
Inmates Sue to Overturn Nude Magazine Ban
Two inmates, currently enjoying the Indiana Department of corrections' hospitality, sued to have the ban on nude magazines overturned. The law suit seeks a "Class Action" status on behalf of more than 20,000 state prisoners.
Apparently, the ban on adult magazines and other printed materials that of the nude/sexual origin went into effect on July 1st. It gets even more ridiculous: this would mean that National Geographic magazines could be selectively banned! And let's forget about any artwork from the renaissance period!
I guess one could make the case that butt-piracy will be even more prevalent because of the influence such materials can have on our complacent and obedient inmates. I say if they want their nudie magazines, let them have them! These people have nothing else to do! They might go stir-crazy if they don't see some action, no matter what form it is in, once in a while! Testosterone build-up in a facility like that could not be good!
Tuesday, July 11, 2006
7/11 is not a good day for trains
If you have seen the news, you know one of the biggest stories of today already: The train blasts in Mumbai (Bombay) killing hunderds. More on this later.
What you might or might not know is that there were a total of 4 incidents involving trains today around the globe:
I said that the biggest story was the blasts in India. I do not mean to diminish the tragedy that took place in Bangladesh. It is regrettable. But, in the end, that was an accident as opposed to the events in India.
The Bombay blasts were carefully orchastrated to conincide with the evening rush hour commute. For those who don't know, Bombay's commuter rail system (Western Railway System) shuttles 4.5 million passengers each day. Some go to work, some go to schools, while some use it to just get around. This incident is being condemned by world leaders - including Pakinsatni Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf - as a "despicable act of terrorism".
Eventhough there has so far been no claim of responsibility for the blasts, U.S. officials said the blasts followed a pattern initiated by the two main Islamic Kashmiri separatist terrorist groups. Adding support to this statement is the fact that earlier that same day, there were grenade blasts in Inidan-controlled Kashmir that killed at least 4 people.
My heart goes out to the families of those killed in both the Bombay blasts and the Bangladesh tragedy. Terrorism has become an everyday happenstance in our society. How many days go by before there is a terrorist attack in Israel, or Iraq, or Kashmir, or somewhere equally charged geographical location? Not many. Terrorist attacks have become as frequent as people sneezing. What has this world come to when innocent persons are being butchered for the pleasure, stubbornness, and inferiority complex of a small group? The term "despicable act of terrorism [or cowardice]" is being thrown around as casually as you say "Good Morning!" to your neighbor. It is easy to commit the act, but infinitely harder to counter it. Those who fight terrorism will be criticized and their persons and families will be put at risk.
One of the biggest problems of India storming all Islamic Fundamentalist groups is that some of them are not terrorists. India's second larget population is Muslim and any wrong step will create severe civil unrest. So, we bear it as a nation of one and move on. I'm not saying that we don't root out the terrorist camps. We do. But the need to tread carefully hampers the results. Some say we should take the route of Israel and just bomb the heck out of any suspected terrorist camps. But, intelligence always carries with it the risk of wrong analysis. How does a government balance this? How does a government choose between it's civic duty and ethical matters? What do you think? Let me know.
As a closing thought, I would like to ask the following: Did the attacks take place on 7/11 because so many Indians in the U.S. own 7-11 stores? Before you get sensitive on the matter, know that I am merely proposing a conspiracy theory much like the theory of Al Qaeda choosing 9-11 for the coincidence with U.S. Emergencies phone number, 911.
Let us all hope that these acts of terrorism will go into global decline as the War On Terror progresses.
Please pray for the victims of the attacks.
What you might or might not know is that there were a total of 4 incidents involving trains today around the globe:
- BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit, the subway system used in the San Francisco Bay Area) reported earlier today that one of the trains got stuck in the Trans-Bay tube (the part that goes under the water across the bay from SF to Oakland). Smoke was reportedly coming out of one of the cars. Thankfully, there were no fatalities.
- Many were reported dead (at least 33 at the last count) in a train crash in Bangladesh. The train reportedly plowed through a bus at an unmanned railway crossing (Source: CNN)
- Chicago subway train derailed and fills the subway with smoke. Dozens were taken to hospitals to be treated for smoke inhalation. Once again, thankfully, there were no fatalities reported.
- Finally, the biggest story of the day: 7 (some reports say 8) bomb blasts rip through commuter trains in the Indian financial center, Bombay, within 11 minutes of each other. Death toll has reached 174 according to latest CNN reports at the time of this blog, not to mention hunderds more injured (464 at the time of this blog). The death toll can be higher as time goes on.
I said that the biggest story was the blasts in India. I do not mean to diminish the tragedy that took place in Bangladesh. It is regrettable. But, in the end, that was an accident as opposed to the events in India.
The Bombay blasts were carefully orchastrated to conincide with the evening rush hour commute. For those who don't know, Bombay's commuter rail system (Western Railway System) shuttles 4.5 million passengers each day. Some go to work, some go to schools, while some use it to just get around. This incident is being condemned by world leaders - including Pakinsatni Prime Minister Pervez Musharraf - as a "despicable act of terrorism".
Eventhough there has so far been no claim of responsibility for the blasts, U.S. officials said the blasts followed a pattern initiated by the two main Islamic Kashmiri separatist terrorist groups. Adding support to this statement is the fact that earlier that same day, there were grenade blasts in Inidan-controlled Kashmir that killed at least 4 people.
My heart goes out to the families of those killed in both the Bombay blasts and the Bangladesh tragedy. Terrorism has become an everyday happenstance in our society. How many days go by before there is a terrorist attack in Israel, or Iraq, or Kashmir, or somewhere equally charged geographical location? Not many. Terrorist attacks have become as frequent as people sneezing. What has this world come to when innocent persons are being butchered for the pleasure, stubbornness, and inferiority complex of a small group? The term "despicable act of terrorism [or cowardice]" is being thrown around as casually as you say "Good Morning!" to your neighbor. It is easy to commit the act, but infinitely harder to counter it. Those who fight terrorism will be criticized and their persons and families will be put at risk.
One of the biggest problems of India storming all Islamic Fundamentalist groups is that some of them are not terrorists. India's second larget population is Muslim and any wrong step will create severe civil unrest. So, we bear it as a nation of one and move on. I'm not saying that we don't root out the terrorist camps. We do. But the need to tread carefully hampers the results. Some say we should take the route of Israel and just bomb the heck out of any suspected terrorist camps. But, intelligence always carries with it the risk of wrong analysis. How does a government balance this? How does a government choose between it's civic duty and ethical matters? What do you think? Let me know.
As a closing thought, I would like to ask the following: Did the attacks take place on 7/11 because so many Indians in the U.S. own 7-11 stores? Before you get sensitive on the matter, know that I am merely proposing a conspiracy theory much like the theory of Al Qaeda choosing 9-11 for the coincidence with U.S. Emergencies phone number, 911.
Let us all hope that these acts of terrorism will go into global decline as the War On Terror progresses.
Please pray for the victims of the attacks.
Monday, July 10, 2006
A Joke
A new monk arrives at the monastery. He is assigned to help the other monks in copying the old texts by hand. He notices, however, that they are copying copies, not the original books. So, the new monk goes to the head monk to ask him about this. He points out that if there were an error in the first copy, that error would be continued in all of the other copies.
The head monk says, "We have been copying from the
copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son." So the head monk goes down into the cellar with one of the copies to check it against the original.
Hours later, nobody has seen him. So, one of the monks goes downstairs to look for him. He hears sobbing coming from the back of the cellar, and finds the old monk leaning over one of the original books crying. He asks, "What's wrong?"
"The word is celebrate," says the old monk.
The head monk says, "We have been copying from the
copies for centuries, but you make a good point, my son." So the head monk goes down into the cellar with one of the copies to check it against the original.
Hours later, nobody has seen him. So, one of the monks goes downstairs to look for him. He hears sobbing coming from the back of the cellar, and finds the old monk leaning over one of the original books crying. He asks, "What's wrong?"
"The word is celebrate," says the old monk.
Attacked by a giant snail
I had a dream of being attacked by a giant snail last night. It freaking ran me over and slimed all over me. Here's the conversation (at least, what I can remember) between me and the snail. The snail had a deep, thundering voice.
Me: Why did you do that to me?!
Snail: Because you freaking stepped on me and killed me earlier, you moron!
Me: That's it? That's all you are going to do to me?
Snail: That is acidic slime! It's slow acting, but it will melt you down, baby!
Me: Ah-ah! But I know how to counter the acid! I just need some base!
Snail: Good luck, buddy! I brought you to the desert! You can't find any base here!
Me: How do you survive in the desert?
Snail: I'm dead, stupid! I'm a ghost!
Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! (Imagine me screaming like the girl about to be iced by Freddy or Jason).
At this point I woke up and had to think back to earlier that night and sure enough, I did step on a snail as I was leaving my friend Brian's B-Day BBQ at his house!
Was I really subconciously that traumatized over stepping on a snail, or am I just crazy?!
Me: Why did you do that to me?!
Snail: Because you freaking stepped on me and killed me earlier, you moron!
Me: That's it? That's all you are going to do to me?
Snail: That is acidic slime! It's slow acting, but it will melt you down, baby!
Me: Ah-ah! But I know how to counter the acid! I just need some base!
Snail: Good luck, buddy! I brought you to the desert! You can't find any base here!
Me: How do you survive in the desert?
Snail: I'm dead, stupid! I'm a ghost!
Me: AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!! (Imagine me screaming like the girl about to be iced by Freddy or Jason).
At this point I woke up and had to think back to earlier that night and sure enough, I did step on a snail as I was leaving my friend Brian's B-Day BBQ at his house!
Was I really subconciously that traumatized over stepping on a snail, or am I just crazy?!
Monday, July 03, 2006
Sunday, July 02, 2006
Saturday night and sitting home
Anyone that knows me also knows that it is hard to find me home on a Friday or Saturday night. But guess what! It's Saturday night and I'm at home! I have to say, this is new territory for me. I never realized how boring and yet at the same time strangely relaxing it is! I guess when you go out every weekend, staying home once in a while will give you time to just be lazy and not do anything. No pressures to keep conversing, to be social, to be upbeat, to be....well, to be more than you really care to be sometimes. I think I'll do this more often. Nah, who am I kidding! I love going out and having fun! But an occasional stay at home is nice.
Saturday, July 01, 2006
Yo!
So, it's 3:30 A.M. on June 1st, 2006 - my parents' 34th anniversary - and I thought to myself "what better day than today to jump on the blogging bandwagon!"
I just got back from hanging out at the spot that my friends & I are frequenting these Friday nights. It's called Dragon Bar on Broadway in the glorious city of San Francisco. Now I'm watching a Hindi DVD as I type and talking to my friend on AIM. Apparently some sleazy guy tried to dance with her and buy her a drink. I tell her that she should've taken the drink and left him! You know what her response was? She said "nah, i would have felt bad". I say, ladies, take my advice. If a random guy at a bar/lounge/club offers to buy you a drink, take it! If the guy looks sleazy, leave him! If he gives you trouble, find the security guy or have a friend watch your back! If all else fails, just tell him that you are not into guys and proceed to dance with a drunk chick just to reassure the guy. The chick probably won't mind on the account that she is drunk. If that girl has a boyfriend, trust me! He won't mind you dancing with her either!
If that guy that bought you the drink is still after you, tell him that you only talk to people that live in your head. That is probably enough to run any guy away! Just to make sure that you have a crazed look in your eye and say to no on in particular "what was that? you think I should do what? Do you think that's a good idea?"
Hope everyone has a FANTASTIC weekend!
I just got back from hanging out at the spot that my friends & I are frequenting these Friday nights. It's called Dragon Bar on Broadway in the glorious city of San Francisco. Now I'm watching a Hindi DVD as I type and talking to my friend on AIM. Apparently some sleazy guy tried to dance with her and buy her a drink. I tell her that she should've taken the drink and left him! You know what her response was? She said "nah, i would have felt bad". I say, ladies, take my advice. If a random guy at a bar/lounge/club offers to buy you a drink, take it! If the guy looks sleazy, leave him! If he gives you trouble, find the security guy or have a friend watch your back! If all else fails, just tell him that you are not into guys and proceed to dance with a drunk chick just to reassure the guy. The chick probably won't mind on the account that she is drunk. If that girl has a boyfriend, trust me! He won't mind you dancing with her either!
If that guy that bought you the drink is still after you, tell him that you only talk to people that live in your head. That is probably enough to run any guy away! Just to make sure that you have a crazed look in your eye and say to no on in particular "what was that? you think I should do what? Do you think that's a good idea?"
Hope everyone has a FANTASTIC weekend!
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