Tuesday, October 31, 2006
British Govt wins Iraq inquiry vote
The UK government has defeated a House of Commons motion that would have forced them to launch an inquiry into the war in Iraq.
I listened to Margaret Beckett's speech about Iraq and, rightly or wrongly, she did a fine job. But what are we really going to get now? Is it not all rather a charade, like we are now told the British invasion of Suez was? (I knew Anthony Eden's brother slightly and Anthony Eden himself actually sounded like a nice guy and a good P.M., but for health). If there is now a charade, it is a charade for the USA along Suez lines and once the US has its forced deals with Iraq it could be "Pull up the ladder, Jack! America (and its stolen $200 billion) is on board". USA needs the money from its own standpoint, others won't agree. In US eyes, wogs certainly begin at Calais, or more likely at the UK by the sound of it. I do not exaggerate: In the US I have frequently seen and been offered car bumper stickers showing an Arab with a GI shoving a bayonet in his guts and the slogan "What price the oil now?". I will not concoct a slogan for Arabs, they can do their own and plenty come to mind.
I listened to Margaret Beckett's speech about Iraq and, rightly or wrongly, she did a fine job. But what are we really going to get now? Is it not all rather a charade, like we are now told the British invasion of Suez was? (I knew Anthony Eden's brother slightly and Anthony Eden himself actually sounded like a nice guy and a good P.M., but for health). If there is now a charade, it is a charade for the USA along Suez lines and once the US has its forced deals with Iraq it could be "Pull up the ladder, Jack! America (and its stolen $200 billion) is on board". USA needs the money from its own standpoint, others won't agree. In US eyes, wogs certainly begin at Calais, or more likely at the UK by the sound of it. I do not exaggerate: In the US I have frequently seen and been offered car bumper stickers showing an Arab with a GI shoving a bayonet in his guts and the slogan "What price the oil now?". I will not concoct a slogan for Arabs, they can do their own and plenty come to mind.
The teenage face of Bush and Blair
The world’s leaders have hijacked a popular teenage character to give voice to their flawed views on global poverty. It seems like the authentic voice of a teenage girl confronting the sudden recognition of the terrible scourge of world poverty. The video is about as authentic as teen dramas such as One Tree Hill and The OC. It was made by Young & Rubicam, one of the world’s largest advertising agencies. Despite the teenage face, Lonelygirl15 is only a puppet. The words she speaks in her anti-poverty videos are not hers but those officially sanctioned by the world’s leaders. The real voices behind the face are those of George W Bush and Tony Blair.
IMO: There are a lot of bogus sites now on the internet and I made this clear before. Beware of these sites. They mean to steal any freedom as remains to you and to do you harm !
IMO: There are a lot of bogus sites now on the internet and I made this clear before. Beware of these sites. They mean to steal any freedom as remains to you and to do you harm !
High radiation levels said to be found after Israel's Lebanon bombing
Scientists studying samples of soil thrown up by Israeli bombing in Lebanon have shown high radiation levels, suggesting uranium-based munitions were used, a British newspaper reports. The samples were taken from two bomb craters in Khiam and At-Tiri and have been sent for further analysis to the Harwell laboratory in Oxfordshire, southern England, for mass spectrometry used by the Ministry of Defence, The Independent said. ... There was no need for Israel to use these weapons, just as there was no need for them to drop cluster bombs just before the truce.
The 34-day Israeli offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon left at least 1,287 people, nearly all civilians, dead and 4,054 wounded, according to an AFP count based on official Lebanese figures. At least 1,140 civilians -- 30 percent of them children under 12 -- have been killed along with 43 Lebanese army and police troops in the offensive, the state High Relief Committee said.
"The Bastards Nuked Lebanon" was one recent, perhaps only mildly OTT headline
IMO: Most countries are prone to behave badly during war and Israel is certainly no exception. I also bear in mind the oil pollution in coastal areas due to the Jewish bombing. These things can hardly be in the interest of longterm peace or even medium term Zionist aims. Some blame the lack of current experience of Israeli politicians and jobsworths in wars.
The 34-day Israeli offensive against Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon left at least 1,287 people, nearly all civilians, dead and 4,054 wounded, according to an AFP count based on official Lebanese figures. At least 1,140 civilians -- 30 percent of them children under 12 -- have been killed along with 43 Lebanese army and police troops in the offensive, the state High Relief Committee said.
"The Bastards Nuked Lebanon" was one recent, perhaps only mildly OTT headline
IMO: Most countries are prone to behave badly during war and Israel is certainly no exception. I also bear in mind the oil pollution in coastal areas due to the Jewish bombing. These things can hardly be in the interest of longterm peace or even medium term Zionist aims. Some blame the lack of current experience of Israeli politicians and jobsworths in wars.
'Royalty' insult British troops
The Duchess of Cornwall was accused of insulting British servicemen yesterday after removing a Remembrance Day poppy. A Royal British Legion officer said "The poppy symbolises not only all the men who fell but the great work that is done by the Legion. To snub us for the (muslim) headscarf is an insult from anyone, let alone someone in her position." Also, a lot of Indian soldiers, of whatever faith or no faith, fought for UK in WW2, it is said over 500,000. Obviously, many people from the subcontinent are nowadays not altogether sure that it was such a good idea to ever support the UK at all.
I was just reflecting last night, after hearing a BBC broadcast about how badly innocent people are treated in Pak jails, how like the UK Pak is becoming. Because in the UK their adversarial criminal system is getting so bad it is almost worse than if it were run by some Judge John Deed with very bad Alzheimer's syndrome. Perhaps it is. Though to replace it with an inquisitorial system would only make bad worse, and UK already has a disproportionate number of innocent people in jail, whilst people like so-called 'royalty' behave so badly it is intolerable. Anyway after what Al Fayed claims about Princess Diana, you'd have thought Al Fayed or his relatives would have had the simple guts to kill off Camilla. After all 'it is said' that she squeaks like a frog in bed. Why not squash the frog, one might say.
A trip to the northwestern city of Pakistan city of Peshawar by the 'royalty' was cancelled over security fears. The trip to the 'moderate' Markaz-ul-Uloom-ul-Islamia was billed as a way to promote interfaith harmony.
IMO: And UK taxpayers have to pay for 'royalty'. One assumes that the trip to the 'moderate' madrassa was cancelled as the Pak Govt had just had to bomb a 'not so moderate' madrassa, and Islam being what it is, it was felt that a stand would be taken to blow up the 'non-Diana royalty' at the 'moderate' madrassa.
I was just reflecting last night, after hearing a BBC broadcast about how badly innocent people are treated in Pak jails, how like the UK Pak is becoming. Because in the UK their adversarial criminal system is getting so bad it is almost worse than if it were run by some Judge John Deed with very bad Alzheimer's syndrome. Perhaps it is. Though to replace it with an inquisitorial system would only make bad worse, and UK already has a disproportionate number of innocent people in jail, whilst people like so-called 'royalty' behave so badly it is intolerable. Anyway after what Al Fayed claims about Princess Diana, you'd have thought Al Fayed or his relatives would have had the simple guts to kill off Camilla. After all 'it is said' that she squeaks like a frog in bed. Why not squash the frog, one might say.
A trip to the northwestern city of Pakistan city of Peshawar by the 'royalty' was cancelled over security fears. The trip to the 'moderate' Markaz-ul-Uloom-ul-Islamia was billed as a way to promote interfaith harmony.
IMO: And UK taxpayers have to pay for 'royalty'. One assumes that the trip to the 'moderate' madrassa was cancelled as the Pak Govt had just had to bomb a 'not so moderate' madrassa, and Islam being what it is, it was felt that a stand would be taken to blow up the 'non-Diana royalty' at the 'moderate' madrassa.
Monday, October 30, 2006
First time in the history of Indian Railways that DMU is running on the road
The train will run on the highway from Jammu to Budgam via Srinagar. The 36-wheeled train is pulled by a 460-horse power special engine. The only difference is that this train is equipped not with normal iron wheels but with 36 wheels with special truck tyres.
Hundreds of people who came to watch this unique spectacle stood dumbfounded
IMO:I hope the service is a success, it was a difficult enough trip from Jammu to Srinagar in a normal bus.
Hundreds of people who came to watch this unique spectacle stood dumbfounded
IMO:I hope the service is a success, it was a difficult enough trip from Jammu to Srinagar in a normal bus.
Global warming's likely effect on India
The massive resurgence of dengue fever in various parts of India is a vicious fallout of the increased temperature brought about by the unchecked global warming which for many years has been at the centre of an intense international debate and discussion. For earlier research studies have correlated the increased malarial cases to the proliferating growth of the mosquito population due to global warming.
Experts from the University of Reading have estimated that mean summer rainfall in India will increase by 10% — along with rainfall intensity — and this will be accompanied by more regional variations. This is likely to affect agriculture and, therefore, GDP growth. 10% increase may not sound much but overall the effect will be substantial, and will get much worse over the years.
Regional climate models suggest 2.5-5 degrees Celsius rise in mean surface temperature. Regionally within India, northern India will be warmer. 5 degrees in a hot place like Delhi is obviously a lot but things are much worse as that is only an average effect, and things will get worse.
All states will have increased rainfall except Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu where it will decrease. Extreme precipitation will increase, particularly along the western coast and west central India
Drought and flood intensity will increase. Krishna, Narmada, Cauvery, Tapi river basins will experience severe water stress and drought condition and Mahanadi, Godavari, Brahmani will experience enhanced flood.
Coastal agriculture suffers most (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka), Punjab, Haryana, Western UP will face reduction in yield; West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh will gain marginally.
Frequencies and intensities of tropical cyclones in Bay of Bengal will increase particularly in the post-monsoon period and flooding will increase in low-lying coastal areas.
Malaria will continue to be endemic in current malaria-prone states (Orissa, West Bengal and southern parts of Assam north of West Bengal). It may shift from the central Indian region to the south-western coastal states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala. New regions (Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram) will become malaria prone and transmission duration window will widen in northern and western states and shorten in southern states.
Experts from the University of Reading have estimated that mean summer rainfall in India will increase by 10% — along with rainfall intensity — and this will be accompanied by more regional variations. This is likely to affect agriculture and, therefore, GDP growth. 10% increase may not sound much but overall the effect will be substantial, and will get much worse over the years.
Regional climate models suggest 2.5-5 degrees Celsius rise in mean surface temperature. Regionally within India, northern India will be warmer. 5 degrees in a hot place like Delhi is obviously a lot but things are much worse as that is only an average effect, and things will get worse.
All states will have increased rainfall except Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu where it will decrease. Extreme precipitation will increase, particularly along the western coast and west central India
Drought and flood intensity will increase. Krishna, Narmada, Cauvery, Tapi river basins will experience severe water stress and drought condition and Mahanadi, Godavari, Brahmani will experience enhanced flood.
Coastal agriculture suffers most (Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka), Punjab, Haryana, Western UP will face reduction in yield; West Bengal, Orissa, Andhra Pradesh will gain marginally.
Frequencies and intensities of tropical cyclones in Bay of Bengal will increase particularly in the post-monsoon period and flooding will increase in low-lying coastal areas.
Malaria will continue to be endemic in current malaria-prone states (Orissa, West Bengal and southern parts of Assam north of West Bengal). It may shift from the central Indian region to the south-western coastal states of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala. New regions (Himachal Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur and Mizoram) will become malaria prone and transmission duration window will widen in northern and western states and shorten in southern states.
Al Gore to Advise British on Global Warming
Gordon Brown, who commissioned a report, said former Vice President Al Gore, who has dedicated much time to warning of the effects of global warming, would advise the British government on climate change. Sir Nicholas Stern, a senior government economist, said that acting now to cut greenhouse gas emissions would cost about 1 percent of global GDP each year. Australia has been pressured to join a climate change plan.
IMO:Many factors, here's a few.
1. Its has been all talk and very little effective action so far.
2. Its truly folie de grandeur to think much notice will be taken of what the UK says nowadays on global warming or indeed anything at all. Years ago, 'the map was mostly pink' (i.e. British) but not now. UK looks like a mousehole and counts for little. Little country, so likely little say on global warming. Still, best efforts must be made as
3. If at least as much action is not taken as in the Stern report, and hopefully very much more, we'll all die and thats it for mankind.
IMO:Many factors, here's a few.
1. Its has been all talk and very little effective action so far.
2. Its truly folie de grandeur to think much notice will be taken of what the UK says nowadays on global warming or indeed anything at all. Years ago, 'the map was mostly pink' (i.e. British) but not now. UK looks like a mousehole and counts for little. Little country, so likely little say on global warming. Still, best efforts must be made as
3. If at least as much action is not taken as in the Stern report, and hopefully very much more, we'll all die and thats it for mankind.
Sunday, October 29, 2006
Pak army strikes at compound housing militants
KHAR (Pakistan): Pakistan Army helicopters carried out a strike on Monday on a compound housing 70 to 80 militants on the border with Afghanistan, Pakistan military spokesman Shaukat Sultan said. Sultan said no prominent militant was believed to be in the compound in Chenagai village, 10 km (six miles) north of Khar, the main town in the Bajaur tribal region. "Military training was going on there as per our information," he said. Witnesses said the target of the strike was a madrasa and said they saw casualties, but Sultan could not confirm that.
IMO: Lets hope things are improving in this regard.
IMO: Lets hope things are improving in this regard.
Zoo with a view at Mumbai
The BMC has allocated Rs 25 crore this year to give Mumbai's only zoo at Byculla a complete makeover — cages and shackled animals will be replaced by wildlife enclosures and botanical gardens. Veermata Jijabai Udyan is to be turned into a tourist attraction of international standards.
The garden has a splendid green cover of various rare varieties of plants. Presently, the zoo houses 212 mammals of 21 species, around 400 birds of 41 species and 54 reptiles of 10 species. It also has a veterinary clinic.
The garden has a splendid green cover of various rare varieties of plants. Presently, the zoo houses 212 mammals of 21 species, around 400 birds of 41 species and 54 reptiles of 10 species. It also has a veterinary clinic.
Blair entrusts policy to peace, love and harmony
A top-secret memo seen by The Sunday Telegraph, reveals Tony Blair and his senior officials have drawn up an extraordinary "wish list" of how they would like to see the world looking just 10 years from now.
IMO: The 'Sunday Telegraph' has a moderately good reputation for accuracy. Blair's previous record, locally and internationally, would suggest that this 'wish list' has only faint hopes, even if it were wanted in the first place. All this casts strong doubts over Whitehall and the Govt, even bearing in mind that the paper in which it was found can in fairness be considered often almost maliciously pro-Tory. Read it here and weep.
IMO: The 'Sunday Telegraph' has a moderately good reputation for accuracy. Blair's previous record, locally and internationally, would suggest that this 'wish list' has only faint hopes, even if it were wanted in the first place. All this casts strong doubts over Whitehall and the Govt, even bearing in mind that the paper in which it was found can in fairness be considered often almost maliciously pro-Tory. Read it here and weep.
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Dixie Chicks Say NBC, CW Rejected Ad - free speech issues?
NBC and the CW networks have reportedly recently refused to accept commercial spots for the new Dixie Chicks documentary which opens in theaters today. Natalie Maines' (of the Dixie Chicks) public criticism of President George W. Bush on the eve of the 2003 invasion of Iraq led to considerable controversy for the group.
IMO: It seems that Ian Hislop got sacked from some US Network (possibly NBC) because he had wanted to state the obvious, that the then President, (Reagan) was an "asshole". Hislop has done quite well (with editing 'Private Eye' and TV work) in the UK since then. I do not know if it is cause and effect. The two situations on examination (Hislop and the Dixie Chicks) do not seem quite the same, but the high level of real censorship in the US in a perverse and effectively covert way, as compared to the stated US tolerance of free speech, is quite striking.
IMO: It seems that Ian Hislop got sacked from some US Network (possibly NBC) because he had wanted to state the obvious, that the then President, (Reagan) was an "asshole". Hislop has done quite well (with editing 'Private Eye' and TV work) in the UK since then. I do not know if it is cause and effect. The two situations on examination (Hislop and the Dixie Chicks) do not seem quite the same, but the high level of real censorship in the US in a perverse and effectively covert way, as compared to the stated US tolerance of free speech, is quite striking.
Some progress with Indian space program
India became the sixth member of the exclusive club to have developed a cryogenic stage in rocketry when it successfully tested a full-fledged cryogenic stage for 50 seconds at the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre (LPSC) at Mahendragiri in Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu on Saturday evening. The engine in the stage produced a thrust of 7.5 tonnes. It was a fully indigenous effort
The others who have so far used cryogenic stages in their rockets to put heavy satellites in orbit are the U.S., Russia, European Space Agency, China and Japan.
A "registration of intent" to send an Indian astronaut into space on a home-made space capsule using an Indian launch vehicle from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh was made before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on October 17.
IMO: The proposed manned mission may cost about Rs.20,000 crore, and it may take 5 to 10 years to get an Indian astronaut into space. This is quite a lot of money, but it could be worth it. Geosatellites are used for a lot of things and reentry and quite a lot of other knowhow is probably important, for example for proposed moon missions.. It would be nice if Mumbai had a few less potholes and a bit more was done about the dengue, for which the death toll is now 144.
The others who have so far used cryogenic stages in their rockets to put heavy satellites in orbit are the U.S., Russia, European Space Agency, China and Japan.
A "registration of intent" to send an Indian astronaut into space on a home-made space capsule using an Indian launch vehicle from Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh was made before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in New Delhi on October 17.
IMO: The proposed manned mission may cost about Rs.20,000 crore, and it may take 5 to 10 years to get an Indian astronaut into space. This is quite a lot of money, but it could be worth it. Geosatellites are used for a lot of things and reentry and quite a lot of other knowhow is probably important, for example for proposed moon missions.. It would be nice if Mumbai had a few less potholes and a bit more was done about the dengue, for which the death toll is now 144.
BBC abandons science ?
"The Register" hits back, in great detail. Particularly telling is "The number of applicants to higher education courses in physics had dropped to a third,.... perhaps because scientists were portrayed (by the BBC ) as ludicrous, misanthropic self-publicists, and science itself merely a sequence of unsupportable claims."
Somewhat similar points about scientific accuracy or the lack of striving for it, have also been made about the "New Scientist", though a more positive note was striven for in the n-category (Corfield/Baez) blog.
IMO: Lets face it, both "New Scientist" and BBC publish a lot of crap. Unfortunately some sensible people believe it. I have also frequently commented in my blogs about the high degree of corruption in the Western media, presumably often on behalf of Western Governments. Maybe it is best if they are frequently told that at least some people know that some of it it is crap. Certainly the BBC sometimes seems to be little more than a mouthpiece for the UK Government. Maybe it would take a conspiracy theorist to suggest that the so-called 'faith schools' will soon try to climb even further onto the bandwagon. Ironically in this regard, bearing in mind Kurzweill and de Garis (both of whom would rank at least at Muslim cleric or even RC cardinal level in faith school terms), schools which proclaim themelves as 'secular faith schools', if we ever get them, could even turn out worse than the regular kind. A sobering thought.
Somewhat similar points about scientific accuracy or the lack of striving for it, have also been made about the "New Scientist", though a more positive note was striven for in the n-category (Corfield/Baez) blog.
IMO: Lets face it, both "New Scientist" and BBC publish a lot of crap. Unfortunately some sensible people believe it. I have also frequently commented in my blogs about the high degree of corruption in the Western media, presumably often on behalf of Western Governments. Maybe it is best if they are frequently told that at least some people know that some of it it is crap. Certainly the BBC sometimes seems to be little more than a mouthpiece for the UK Government. Maybe it would take a conspiracy theorist to suggest that the so-called 'faith schools' will soon try to climb even further onto the bandwagon. Ironically in this regard, bearing in mind Kurzweill and de Garis (both of whom would rank at least at Muslim cleric or even RC cardinal level in faith school terms), schools which proclaim themelves as 'secular faith schools', if we ever get them, could even turn out worse than the regular kind. A sobering thought.
Friday, October 27, 2006
India/Pak Good news and bad news?
Ahead of crucial foreign secretary-level talks, the Centre on Friday decided to restore cargo shipping services with Pakistan after a gap of 35 years to substantially bolster sea trade. The Union Cabinet, which met under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, approved a revised protocol between India and Pakistan that will allow lifting of cargo between the two nations by third country vessels. It will also permit lifting of third country cargo by India and Pakistani flag vessels from each others’ ports, which is expected to enhance tonnage under both the flags and also result in competitive shipping rates.
But the BJP on Friday demanded that India snap diplomatic relations with Pakistan if it did not stop supporting terrorist activities. “The Centre should immediately call the Pakistani High Commissioner and ask him to ensure that the terrorist activities in India stop within one month, or else diplomatic ties with Islamabad will be snapped".
IMO: It would be a good thing to improve India/Pak relations and I for one would favour this. I deeply concur with the BJP worries but without trying to be brash, Pak is a failed nation and up to a point a puppet of the US and some off colour Wahabis. So it all needs balance, at least the ISI kingpins seem to be being caught. Anyway I hope for the best and a good deal of vigilance. At least, the BJP seems to be trying to fill the important role of opposition party in a democracy.
But the BJP on Friday demanded that India snap diplomatic relations with Pakistan if it did not stop supporting terrorist activities. “The Centre should immediately call the Pakistani High Commissioner and ask him to ensure that the terrorist activities in India stop within one month, or else diplomatic ties with Islamabad will be snapped".
IMO: It would be a good thing to improve India/Pak relations and I for one would favour this. I deeply concur with the BJP worries but without trying to be brash, Pak is a failed nation and up to a point a puppet of the US and some off colour Wahabis. So it all needs balance, at least the ISI kingpins seem to be being caught. Anyway I hope for the best and a good deal of vigilance. At least, the BJP seems to be trying to fill the important role of opposition party in a democracy.
Theft of Iraq's oil now nearly complete
Three years into the occupation, after an evolving series of deft legal maneuvers and manipulative political appointments, the oil giants' takeover of Iraq's oil is nearly complete. Some details here.
A key provision in the new laws is a commitment to using production sharing agreements (PSAs), which will lock the government into a long-term commitment (up to 50 years) to sharing oil revenues, and restrict its right to introduce any new laws that might affect the companies' profitability. Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and ConocoPhillips seem to be the bigger players.
Since less than 20 of Iraq's 80 known oil fields have already been developed, if Iraq's government commits to signing the PSAs, it could cost the country up to nearly $200 billion in lost revenues.
A key provision in the new laws is a commitment to using production sharing agreements (PSAs), which will lock the government into a long-term commitment (up to 50 years) to sharing oil revenues, and restrict its right to introduce any new laws that might affect the companies' profitability. Chevron, ExxonMobil, Shell and ConocoPhillips seem to be the bigger players.
Since less than 20 of Iraq's 80 known oil fields have already been developed, if Iraq's government commits to signing the PSAs, it could cost the country up to nearly $200 billion in lost revenues.
Turkey: Attempted Kurdish genocide this time?
It appears that the government of Turkey was spectacularly successfully in compromising FBI, CIA, DEA, DIA and DOS operations, and was also able to mount other espionage programs that allowed Turkish interests to obtain assorted military and WMD technology know-how, and garner US and Israeli military support for its bloody internal struggle against its significant and much maligned Kurdish population/opposition.
Details here, but very briefly I mention "The illicit drug trade provided an endless source of funds to pay for WMD components"
IMO: I take all this as confirmation of previous suggestions that both Turkey and the EU have far too many problems for moves to Turkish membership or affiliation to be furthered at this time. For a start there is the dodgy airbus and its new links to French arms deals with China.
Details here, but very briefly I mention "The illicit drug trade provided an endless source of funds to pay for WMD components"
IMO: I take all this as confirmation of previous suggestions that both Turkey and the EU have far too many problems for moves to Turkish membership or affiliation to be furthered at this time. For a start there is the dodgy airbus and its new links to French arms deals with China.
Five 7/11 suspects get judicial custody
October 27, 2006 The five accused — Mohd Majid Mohd Shafi, Shaikh Mohd Ali Alam Shaikh, Mohd Sajid Ansari, Abdul Wahid Din Mohd Shaikh and Naveed Hussain Khan — were transferred to judicial custody till November 9 from the custody of ATS. Another accused, Asif Khan Bashir Khan alias Junaid was remanded to Nov 1 for narco-analysis. Police say "The bombs were assembled at Mohammed Ali's residence at Govandi by a specialised team of Pakistani and Indian nationals. Majid facilitated the movement of six Pakistanis who crossed over to India from Bangladesh in 24 Paragnas district of West Bengal." Confessions of four accused — Mohammed Ali, Naved, Sajid and Majid — have been recorded. Sajid Ansari is a mobile expert who helped the Pakistani nationals in assembling the electronic circuits used in the bombs and Naved served as the local guide for the Pakistanis. Junaid, arrested from Belgaum on October 3, handled the entire support system and logistics and was among the masterminds, Raghuvanshi said.
IMO: So we seem to be making progress with 7/11 . Junaid of course is believed to be ISI’s operations chief for India.
IMO: So we seem to be making progress with 7/11 . Junaid of course is believed to be ISI’s operations chief for India.
Series of police raids on AIADMK members.
Chennai: Raids were conducted on October 27, at the residences and business establishments of former AIADMK ministers Nainar Nagendiran and SM Velusamy in Tamil Nadu, on Friday.
In 2006 in Tamilnadu, AIADMK was pushed out of power owing to big sweep by the DMK
Ms. Jayalalitha, a longime leader of AIADMK, has been accused of arrogant behaviour and not respecting colleagues and opposition leaders, amd of corruption. When in office she undertook economic reforms and took many unpopular decisions such as banning of lottery tickets, restricting the liquor and sand quarrying business to government agencies and banning of tobacco product sales. She also took ruthless action against gangsters, trouble makers, striking government employees and brought discipline and law and order to the stage.
IMO: One has to have great sympathy for some of the aims of the AIADMK but it is inevitable that such aims will not be popular with the corrupt. However, what the raids were about, we do not yet know. There is now a DMK Government, and it seems that heroin worth 10 crore was seized in an earlier raid involving a relative of former AIADMK minister Jeniffer Chandran about 11 Oct, and a tax raid on Thangaiyan, an AIADMK activist, of Karukkadipatti near Orathanadu in September.
In 2006 in Tamilnadu, AIADMK was pushed out of power owing to big sweep by the DMK
Ms. Jayalalitha, a longime leader of AIADMK, has been accused of arrogant behaviour and not respecting colleagues and opposition leaders, amd of corruption. When in office she undertook economic reforms and took many unpopular decisions such as banning of lottery tickets, restricting the liquor and sand quarrying business to government agencies and banning of tobacco product sales. She also took ruthless action against gangsters, trouble makers, striking government employees and brought discipline and law and order to the stage.
IMO: One has to have great sympathy for some of the aims of the AIADMK but it is inevitable that such aims will not be popular with the corrupt. However, what the raids were about, we do not yet know. There is now a DMK Government, and it seems that heroin worth 10 crore was seized in an earlier raid involving a relative of former AIADMK minister Jeniffer Chandran about 11 Oct, and a tax raid on Thangaiyan, an AIADMK activist, of Karukkadipatti near Orathanadu in September.
Militants captured in Karnataka
Two suspected militants were arrested in Mysore late on Thursday when they were trying to attack the Infosys campus..The militants were intercepted at Vijayanagar extension, around a kilometre from the Hebbal campus of the software giant.
The militants fired from an AK-47 rifle at a police party when intercepted. Initial interrogation revealed that Fahad, a chemical engineer with an MSc degree, hails from Karachi, while Ali is from Manesara in Sindh province. A satellite phone, which they were using to communicate with Pakistan and Kashmir, was also seized, besides some documents from them. "They (the militants) were here on a definite plan," police said.
The militants fired from an AK-47 rifle at a police party when intercepted. Initial interrogation revealed that Fahad, a chemical engineer with an MSc degree, hails from Karachi, while Ali is from Manesara in Sindh province. A satellite phone, which they were using to communicate with Pakistan and Kashmir, was also seized, besides some documents from them. "They (the militants) were here on a definite plan," police said.
No to humorous socks
Health bosses have been accused of putting their foot in it - by banning doctors, nurses and other health staff from wearing novelty socks.
Front line staff in uniform will face disciplinary action should characters like Donald Duck, Wallace and Gromit and Homer Simpson adorn their ankles after they were labelled "unprofessional."
It has also been suggested that staff wearing comical socks could put people off going to local hospitals for surgery, now they have the choice to go elsewhere.
IMO:Having encountered treatment worthy only of Donald Duck at major London teaching hospitals, it seems to me a pity that doctors won't be wearing socks to match their ability. But presumably they will continue to be shielded by the corrupt judiciary, again at the expense of the public purse.
Front line staff in uniform will face disciplinary action should characters like Donald Duck, Wallace and Gromit and Homer Simpson adorn their ankles after they were labelled "unprofessional."
It has also been suggested that staff wearing comical socks could put people off going to local hospitals for surgery, now they have the choice to go elsewhere.
IMO:Having encountered treatment worthy only of Donald Duck at major London teaching hospitals, it seems to me a pity that doctors won't be wearing socks to match their ability. But presumably they will continue to be shielded by the corrupt judiciary, again at the expense of the public purse.
Thursday, October 26, 2006
Tesco condemned for selling pole dancing toy
Tesco has been forced to remove a pole-dancing kit from the toys and games section of its website after it was accused of "destroying children's innocence". The Tesco Direct site advertises the kit with the words, "Unleash the sex kitten inside...simply extend the Peekaboo pole inside the tube, slip on the sexy tunes and away you go! Soon you'll be flaunting it to the world and earning a fortune in Peekaboo Dance Dollars." The £49.97 kit comprises a chrome pole extendible to 8ft 6ins, a 'sexy dance garter' and a DVD demonstrating suggestive dance moves.
IMO: Sodom and Gomorrha again and not a beep yet from the taxpayer-subsidised faith schools lobby, now well bribed by Tony B. Liar. Doubtless such kits will help train kids for junior sex work at Tessa Jowell's casinos. B. Liar is sure giving us "corruption, corruption and corruption."
IMO: Sodom and Gomorrha again and not a beep yet from the taxpayer-subsidised faith schools lobby, now well bribed by Tony B. Liar. Doubtless such kits will help train kids for junior sex work at Tessa Jowell's casinos. B. Liar is sure giving us "corruption, corruption and corruption."
You think the UK Health Service is bad, here is what happens in L.A.
L.A. hospitals dump patients on Skid Row
Los Angeles residents concerned about the sprawling human dumping ground that is Skid Row ("the Nickel" on Fifth Street) have (apparently) found that some hospitals routinely drop off patients there -- eject them from a van, dazed or drugged and sometimes still wearing hospital gowns, left to wander the streets and fend for themselves. Some do not even know they are discharged, etc.
It seems Skid Row staph, or, more technically, a strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus that is sickening dozens of police officers, firefighters, health-care workers and homeless people
IMO:It took an old friend of mine, not a doctor, to stop unintentional suicides at one major London hospital. Some tales I have heard about London hospitals could make your hair stand on end. Usually individuals are watching their own interests and 'don't want to know' about such things in UK unless there is money in it. What a vile, selfish society.
Los Angeles residents concerned about the sprawling human dumping ground that is Skid Row ("the Nickel" on Fifth Street) have (apparently) found that some hospitals routinely drop off patients there -- eject them from a van, dazed or drugged and sometimes still wearing hospital gowns, left to wander the streets and fend for themselves. Some do not even know they are discharged, etc.
It seems Skid Row staph, or, more technically, a strain of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus that is sickening dozens of police officers, firefighters, health-care workers and homeless people
IMO:It took an old friend of mine, not a doctor, to stop unintentional suicides at one major London hospital. Some tales I have heard about London hospitals could make your hair stand on end. Usually individuals are watching their own interests and 'don't want to know' about such things in UK unless there is money in it. What a vile, selfish society.
Good news on Expert Witness procedures
GMC wins expert witness battle over Meadow case so now the GMC have the right to discipline medical experts.
IMO: Extremely good news as at least one senior Judge who previously took a contrary opinion is believed to be the head of a active pedophile rapist gang. I know the name of the Judge but do not wish to involve myself in libel or slander. I guess these guys will die off in due course but the UK is guilty of even worse, and of course it all matters..
IMO: Extremely good news as at least one senior Judge who previously took a contrary opinion is believed to be the head of a active pedophile rapist gang. I know the name of the Judge but do not wish to involve myself in libel or slander. I guess these guys will die off in due course but the UK is guilty of even worse, and of course it all matters..
Wednesday, October 25, 2006
Are Aussie women to be left in the street to be eaten by cats?
The Australian mufti Sheik Taj al-Din al-Hilaly compares women to meat left out in the street, attracting predators. His exact words seem to have been "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it ... whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat ? The uncovered meat is the problem. If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab, no problem would have occurred."
IMO: Knowing Australian women as well as I do I feel it difficult to comment tactfully, but can point out that I think that in those circumstances the cats might wind up losers. Perhaps the Sheik has sincere and worthy aims but his comments remind me of some Catholic rantings of yesteryear although I think that even the great Catholic apologist Dr. Rumble might not have gone so far. The Sheik's words are of interest if they are not simply propaganda motivated and up to a point I take the view that changes in moral code are simply going too fast for all of us. Problems as in my TV blog can easily emerge and it is best for no-one to be hasty or over-judgemental. For instance, what if in Iraq the 'gay bomb' were followed by the 'SM bomb' and then what some would see as the ultimate horror, the 'FD bomb'.
IMO: Knowing Australian women as well as I do I feel it difficult to comment tactfully, but can point out that I think that in those circumstances the cats might wind up losers. Perhaps the Sheik has sincere and worthy aims but his comments remind me of some Catholic rantings of yesteryear although I think that even the great Catholic apologist Dr. Rumble might not have gone so far. The Sheik's words are of interest if they are not simply propaganda motivated and up to a point I take the view that changes in moral code are simply going too fast for all of us. Problems as in my TV blog can easily emerge and it is best for no-one to be hasty or over-judgemental. For instance, what if in Iraq the 'gay bomb' were followed by the 'SM bomb' and then what some would see as the ultimate horror, the 'FD bomb'.
Tuesday, October 24, 2006
Solution to Iraq's problem: the "behaviour modification bomb"
The Pentagon examined the possibility of developing an aphrodisiac bomb that would cause enemy troops to find one another sexually irresistible, newly declassified documents reveal. A £5 million six-year research project suggested "One distasteful but completely non-lethal example would be strong aphrodisiacs, especially if the chemical also caused homosexual behaviour." Detailed PDF account here.
It seems "that people in many areas of the world do not find faecal odour offensive since they smell it on a regular basis". Sounds like Washington D.C. all right, metaphorically at least. The Pentagon told the BBC: "It's important to point out that only those proposals which are deemed appropriate, based on stringent human effects, legal, and international treaty reviews are considered for development or acquisition."
IMO: Many republicans are apparently homosexuals. So perhaps USA has a hard choice. Is it best, as generals are now suggesting just before US elections, to send in yet more troops, or to unleash a behaviour modification bomb. The first alternative may lead to the loss of yet more Iraqi and US lives. It is said that the strict but widely varying Islamic practices in Iraq could live with the latter prospect, but is such behaviour modification morally justified. Clearly the US have been toying, at least, with various SM and FD techniques, and worse, in Guantanimo Bay, but anyway will the so-called "gay bomb" be widely available on time. It could change the face of Iraq completely and indeed turn the place into even more of a sick joke.
It seems "that people in many areas of the world do not find faecal odour offensive since they smell it on a regular basis". Sounds like Washington D.C. all right, metaphorically at least. The Pentagon told the BBC: "It's important to point out that only those proposals which are deemed appropriate, based on stringent human effects, legal, and international treaty reviews are considered for development or acquisition."
IMO: Many republicans are apparently homosexuals. So perhaps USA has a hard choice. Is it best, as generals are now suggesting just before US elections, to send in yet more troops, or to unleash a behaviour modification bomb. The first alternative may lead to the loss of yet more Iraqi and US lives. It is said that the strict but widely varying Islamic practices in Iraq could live with the latter prospect, but is such behaviour modification morally justified. Clearly the US have been toying, at least, with various SM and FD techniques, and worse, in Guantanimo Bay, but anyway will the so-called "gay bomb" be widely available on time. It could change the face of Iraq completely and indeed turn the place into even more of a sick joke.
Interesting interview with KP Raghuvanshi
A thousand queries are aimed at KP Raghuvanshi every day on Mumbai’s security-related issues. Especially, after the recent bomb blasts that rocked the city. In an exclusive chat with Anupam Dasgupta, the Anti-Terrorism Squad chief talked about police claims that they had cracked the 11/7 blasts riddle and contents of the dossier to be submitted to the Centre ahead of the crucial Indo-Pak foreign secretaries’ meet in New Delhi in November
The blasts probe is not over yet. They are also looking into some aspects of the larger blasts conspiracy and efforts are aimed at acquiring a holistic picture of the entire 11/7 plot. They are seeking expert technical help (from Yahoo and others) to crack the personal email accounts belonging to the accused. The new patterns reflected in the July terrorist strike could be mentioned. That the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) came together to execute one single act of terror is a relatively new phenomenon in the Indian context. The “terrorist financing” angle, too, will be incorporated.
Zuber Mohammad and Mohammad Sohail (arrested from West Bengal) said that they were to the city on suicide missions. Also four other (the duo’s associates) Jaish operatives had sneaked into India. It is worrying since Jaish is an organisation specialising in executing suicide attacks.
Mumbai has earned the dubious distinction of being the “most-attacked city” in the world. What are future plans to ward off such terrorist strikes? Some new security models are being put in place. But they can’t be disclosed now. The security architecture of vital installations (like the BARC and the ports/airports) are also being reviewed.
IMO: There are quite a lot of new faces from Bangladesh, for example around Nalasopara.
The blasts probe is not over yet. They are also looking into some aspects of the larger blasts conspiracy and efforts are aimed at acquiring a holistic picture of the entire 11/7 plot. They are seeking expert technical help (from Yahoo and others) to crack the personal email accounts belonging to the accused. The new patterns reflected in the July terrorist strike could be mentioned. That the Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) came together to execute one single act of terror is a relatively new phenomenon in the Indian context. The “terrorist financing” angle, too, will be incorporated.
Zuber Mohammad and Mohammad Sohail (arrested from West Bengal) said that they were to the city on suicide missions. Also four other (the duo’s associates) Jaish operatives had sneaked into India. It is worrying since Jaish is an organisation specialising in executing suicide attacks.
Mumbai has earned the dubious distinction of being the “most-attacked city” in the world. What are future plans to ward off such terrorist strikes? Some new security models are being put in place. But they can’t be disclosed now. The security architecture of vital installations (like the BARC and the ports/airports) are also being reviewed.
IMO: There are quite a lot of new faces from Bangladesh, for example around Nalasopara.
Monday, October 23, 2006
ISI kingpins in India must be nailed
“It is a matter of extreme concern that ISI is trying to infiltrate and subvert our armed forces,” defense minister Pranab Mukherjee said on the sidelines of a Coast Guard function on Monday. “It appears the racket is operating from Delhi and from Kathmandu. So, the other kingpins involved have to be found out and detailed investigation is necessary.” “We are aware of the fact the ISI is active and sometimes we catch the moles, which they have established in different organisations. But if it is in the Army, naturally we shall have to ensure this type of things do not happen."
Of course, they seem to have caught some already.
.
Of course, they seem to have caught some already.
.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
China will not inspect cargo in and out of North Korea
China has made clear that it does not intend to inspect cargo moving in and out of North Korea across their long common border to ensure it does not contain items prohibited by Resolution 1718..
The potential of growing cross-border trade with North Korea will make it hard for Hu Jintao to back effective sanctions. IMO: Basically looks like "greed and fear"
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has told a Chinese envoy his country has no immediate plans to conduct another nuclear test but that US policy toward Pyongyang will determine the future.
IMO: N.Korea just another world nuisance. But they will trade anything and it looks as if both US and China appear singularly shortsighted with regard to nuclear proliferation. Decent enough report on options, here. But more constructive thought is essential or things will get worse. possibly very much worse.
The potential of growing cross-border trade with North Korea will make it hard for Hu Jintao to back effective sanctions. IMO: Basically looks like "greed and fear"
North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has told a Chinese envoy his country has no immediate plans to conduct another nuclear test but that US policy toward Pyongyang will determine the future.
IMO: N.Korea just another world nuisance. But they will trade anything and it looks as if both US and China appear singularly shortsighted with regard to nuclear proliferation. Decent enough report on options, here. But more constructive thought is essential or things will get worse. possibly very much worse.
Mobile phones and child slavery
People bluster pompously about pedophilia in the UK, reasonably perhaps, but neglect the fact that by needlessly purchasing mobile phones and consoles they are supporting quite directly, slavery and death. Excellent report here.
As Labour MP Oona King put it to an Independent journalist in May 2006: "Kids in Congo are being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms."
As Labour MP Oona King put it to an Independent journalist in May 2006: "Kids in Congo are being sent down mines to die so that kids in Europe and America could kill imaginary aliens in their living rooms."
India to share intelligence with Pak. only at a later stage
New Delhi, Oct. 22 (PTI): India will share intelligence with Pakistan under the joint anti-terror mechanism only if New Delhi sees a "great deal" of cooperation from the neighbouring country, National Security Adviser M K Narayanan has said evidence of ISI (Pakistani murders of Indians) was as good "as we can possibly get in terrorist cases".
IMO: Very much later, I hope. You can't do better than that for proof, but then the corrupt decadent Western Press then say that therefore it is "not clinching". Maybe, but it sure does not suggest Indian intelligence should be shared with Pakistan right now, probably quite the reverse in the light of actual events. Some might dispute that the Western Press is corrupt and decadent, but it got the West into accepting the massacre of almost a million Iraquis and keeping George Bush in his job. USA-wise, you can only trust a few blogs etc.but which and when. Of course the Democrats may very likely be even worse than Bush. I might have voted for Ralph Nadar had he been competent for the job, and some but not all of Al Gore's views are up to standard. But they won't get US votes, actually Arnie is possibly a (bizarre) hope.
IMO: Very much later, I hope. You can't do better than that for proof, but then the corrupt decadent Western Press then say that therefore it is "not clinching". Maybe, but it sure does not suggest Indian intelligence should be shared with Pakistan right now, probably quite the reverse in the light of actual events. Some might dispute that the Western Press is corrupt and decadent, but it got the West into accepting the massacre of almost a million Iraquis and keeping George Bush in his job. USA-wise, you can only trust a few blogs etc.but which and when. Of course the Democrats may very likely be even worse than Bush. I might have voted for Ralph Nadar had he been competent for the job, and some but not all of Al Gore's views are up to standard. But they won't get US votes, actually Arnie is possibly a (bizarre) hope.
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Race boss warns of ‘fire’ on UK streets
The head of Britain’s race relations watchdog has warned today there will be “fire” on the streets unless growing racial tensions can be resolved. Trevor Phillips, chairman of the Commission for Racial Equality, says divisions created by the recent row about Muslim women wearing the veil risk becoming “the trigger for the grim spiral that produced riots in the north of England five years ago. Only this time the conflict could be much worse”.
In Sicily I should think the old women still wear veils and black dresses, so they look like Muslims. They certainly used to in recent memory. In UK, Catholic women used to have their heads covered in church. These things are simply out of date rituals insisted on by religious extremists and tolerated by the credulous. Today in Afghanistan, in some areas the men get meals, and the women eat scraps like dogs.
IMO: All this nonsense should be stopped. It is not religion but foolish anachronism.
In Sicily I should think the old women still wear veils and black dresses, so they look like Muslims. They certainly used to in recent memory. In UK, Catholic women used to have their heads covered in church. These things are simply out of date rituals insisted on by religious extremists and tolerated by the credulous. Today in Afghanistan, in some areas the men get meals, and the women eat scraps like dogs.
IMO: All this nonsense should be stopped. It is not religion but foolish anachronism.
Autism: Is there a link to watching television?
Some scientists seem to relate TV to autism. As recently as 30 years ago, it was thought one in 2,500 people had the condition. Today the figure is one in 166, a 15-fold increase.
The researchers recommend that parents follow the American Academy of Paediatrician's recommendation of no TV before age two, and no more than an hour or two of TV a day for older children.
Is this just another silly newspaper report? Here is a PDF link to the actual research, which none of the papers have bothered to do . Based on the autism rates across the US, there should be several hundred autistic Amish, but fewer than 10 were found.
Obviously the work is of serious psychological interest, apart from the kids. Further research suggestions are made within the paper and obviously while links may be merely correlational they may suggest some real effect.
The researchers recommend that parents follow the American Academy of Paediatrician's recommendation of no TV before age two, and no more than an hour or two of TV a day for older children.
Is this just another silly newspaper report? Here is a PDF link to the actual research, which none of the papers have bothered to do . Based on the autism rates across the US, there should be several hundred autistic Amish, but fewer than 10 were found.
Obviously the work is of serious psychological interest, apart from the kids. Further research suggestions are made within the paper and obviously while links may be merely correlational they may suggest some real effect.
Home Office plans floating jails
HMP Weare, off the Dorset coast, closed last year. The government has advertised for contractors to provide up to 800 places on ships.
Prison charities said the ships would not meet inmates' needs and Mr Reid would be to blame for people coming out of jail and committing more crimes.
IMO: I will not bring out the usual boring statistics but UK has a lot of people in prison, as does USA. More than one would expect at their alleged level of civilisation. I could probably think of things to do but is there any gain from doing so ? With any likely Govt. in either country, I do not think so.
Prison charities said the ships would not meet inmates' needs and Mr Reid would be to blame for people coming out of jail and committing more crimes.
IMO: I will not bring out the usual boring statistics but UK has a lot of people in prison, as does USA. More than one would expect at their alleged level of civilisation. I could probably think of things to do but is there any gain from doing so ? With any likely Govt. in either country, I do not think so.
Iranian director honoured at film fest
Pune, Oct. 20 (PTI): Iranian filmmaker Majid Majidi was given the second Zenith Asia Honour here today on the concluding day of the fourth Asian Film Festival, which showcased some 80 movies from 22 Asian countries. Majidi, the only Iranian director to have been nominated for an Oscar in 1998 for his film "Children of Heaven", said after accepting the award that he was a great fan of Satyajit Ray and would make a film on the children of Jammu and Kashmir in the next two years. He said he was fascinated by the people and culture of Kashmir. Majidi also talked about the cultural similarities between India and Iran and the need for people of the two countries to understand their shared heritage. There are vivid descriptions of Kashmir in Iranian poems.
As the event came to a conclusion at Plaza Theatre, Dadar, the organisers expressed hope that the festival will be back next year on a bigger scale
IMO:India/Iran ties sound a good idea. Let's hope for the best about the Kashmir film and trust it is not political but cinematic poetry as Kashmir can make it be. Kashmir is or can be sheer poetry in the hearts of those who know and love it.
As the event came to a conclusion at Plaza Theatre, Dadar, the organisers expressed hope that the festival will be back next year on a bigger scale
IMO:India/Iran ties sound a good idea. Let's hope for the best about the Kashmir film and trust it is not political but cinematic poetry as Kashmir can make it be. Kashmir is or can be sheer poetry in the hearts of those who know and love it.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Clare Short leaves Labour benches
She revealed the frustration and disillusionment with Tony Blair which had led her to quit after a "lifetime of service to the Labour Party" and 23 years in the House of Commons.
Miss Short, 60, was reprimanded by the Labour chief whip for breaching Labour's code of conduct by calling for a "hung" Parliament — in which Labour would not have an overall majority — and effectively calling for the defeat of Labour MPs at the next election. She had received additional warnings about her "lack of attendance" in the Commons. Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, said that for some time she had not been voting with Labour.
She was now a "convinced social democrat". (pity about people like Charles Kennedy).
She (responsibly IMO) cited the cash-for-peerages affair (where IMO Blair (this blog, "Loans for peerages", July 17th) seems to have publically but unintentionally admitted fraud) , the "endless" reorganisation of public services and the "debacle" in Iraq as a few reasons for her disillusionment.
IMO:Hope she brings more news about "new Labor". The UK is getting like the traditional view of a South American republic. "new Labor" is no good and Tories are even worse than no good, they are (as Poe would have said) 'the vile quintessence of all that is abominable'. No wonder people will not vote at all as they are clearly totally disillusioned.
Miss Short, 60, was reprimanded by the Labour chief whip for breaching Labour's code of conduct by calling for a "hung" Parliament — in which Labour would not have an overall majority — and effectively calling for the defeat of Labour MPs at the next election. She had received additional warnings about her "lack of attendance" in the Commons. Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, said that for some time she had not been voting with Labour.
She was now a "convinced social democrat". (pity about people like Charles Kennedy).
She (responsibly IMO) cited the cash-for-peerages affair (where IMO Blair (this blog, "Loans for peerages", July 17th) seems to have publically but unintentionally admitted fraud) , the "endless" reorganisation of public services and the "debacle" in Iraq as a few reasons for her disillusionment.
IMO:Hope she brings more news about "new Labor". The UK is getting like the traditional view of a South American republic. "new Labor" is no good and Tories are even worse than no good, they are (as Poe would have said) 'the vile quintessence of all that is abominable'. No wonder people will not vote at all as they are clearly totally disillusioned.
Tata/Corus steel deal
Probably Tatas looked at buying Corus so that they can take their semi-finished products to the plants in the UK and convert them to specialty steel. The deal also gives Tata Steel access to high-end market in the UK. Both companies have great synergies as Tatas are integrated backward and Corus has good forward integration and competitive marketing network.
Tata is now the 5th largest steel firm in the world and looks forward to the possibility of further acquisitions. I know Jeremy Clarkson did not have a high opinion of the Indian involvement in Rover, but would you have wanted Jeremy Clarkson to take over Corus. I don't think so.
IMO: Tata is a great firm, and has a good attitude towards its employees. Corus is very fortunate indeed.
Tata is now the 5th largest steel firm in the world and looks forward to the possibility of further acquisitions. I know Jeremy Clarkson did not have a high opinion of the Indian involvement in Rover, but would you have wanted Jeremy Clarkson to take over Corus. I don't think so.
IMO: Tata is a great firm, and has a good attitude towards its employees. Corus is very fortunate indeed.
Man crushed by traffic near Jogjeshwari
Late on Wednesday night, a speeding BEST bus crushed a 50-year-old man to death on the Western Express Highway near Jogeshwari. An angry mob of nearly 1,200 people blocked the highway and SV Road causing a traffic jam up to Santa Cruz till late in the night. The furious mob pelted stones at police personnel, when they tried to stop the agitation. There were also demands that the Shankerwadi subway near the place of incident be opened for public use with immediate effect.
MMRDA say “There were several proposals to construct subways at various sites on both the highways but public resentment to use the stepped subways has prevented them from materialising. This is also the problem with construction of foot over bridges."
IMO: Road safety is paramount. But there are frequently long delays when you have to wait, which encourages people not to wait and risk it. And sometimes you never seem to find a gap in traffic. The mob are right, insofar as there should be more subways and bridges and if there were, people would hopefully use them more. This would help drivers too as while they are usually not hurt in such cases, they certainly don't want the possible results of accidents. But even potholes in Mumbai are not filled in though the court has ordered them to be.
MMRDA say “There were several proposals to construct subways at various sites on both the highways but public resentment to use the stepped subways has prevented them from materialising. This is also the problem with construction of foot over bridges."
IMO: Road safety is paramount. But there are frequently long delays when you have to wait, which encourages people not to wait and risk it. And sometimes you never seem to find a gap in traffic. The mob are right, insofar as there should be more subways and bridges and if there were, people would hopefully use them more. This would help drivers too as while they are usually not hurt in such cases, they certainly don't want the possible results of accidents. But even potholes in Mumbai are not filled in though the court has ordered them to be.
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Invisibility Discovered
A cylinder has apparently been hidden from electromagnetic waves. This works by using metamaterials, which allow scientists to control the path of electromagnetic radiation very precisely. The cloak acts as if you've opened up a hole in space. All light or other electromagnetic waves are swept around the area, guided by the metamaterial to emerge on the other side as if they had passed through an empty volume of space.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Tories slated for 'watering down' Companies Bill
The bill has at least 655 amendments.
My understanding is that this bill is to be the biggest bill ever put to the Parliament of little old England. In fact it is nearly 6 feet tall. The Tories should not be making it unnecessarily longer . Even worse, Julian Oram of ActionAid says 'The Conservatives are trying to weaken a bill that could serve to improve the lives of poor people around the world. The Tory position on the Companies Bill is at odds with its new compassionate credentials. Cameron has said he doesn't want to be a mouthpiece for big business, but these amendments make him just that.' Labour MP Jon Trickett said: 'At precisely the same time that the Conservatives are asking the British public to "Vote Blue, Go Green", their MPs are demanding that businesses be given a legislative blank cheque to ignore their impact on the environment.'
IMO: I hope that all this stuff is at least easily and cheaply available on CD. CDs only cost pennies and are easily copied. And I suspect it is true that as they say in Sierra Leone it is 'dog na dog', that is the habits of a dog will not change and we still have the same bad old Tory party. We can only hope that there will in future be a lot of scope for computerised judgements and that lawyer's fees will get less, and the legal process made cheaper and more easily accessible to the general public. There are plenty of horror cases around already. I recall one business case where a small businessman destroyed the company vehicles and made heavy threats against a much larger competitor and when the matter came to court, far from being reprimanded by the judge, was apologised to by the judge as he could be seen to be made a victim of the existing ponderous process. (This was not a very public interest matter or a green matter, just a commercial one where he was being unfairly squeezed by the larger firm). Bad law can lead to violence and computerisation should help.
My understanding is that this bill is to be the biggest bill ever put to the Parliament of little old England. In fact it is nearly 6 feet tall. The Tories should not be making it unnecessarily longer . Even worse, Julian Oram of ActionAid says 'The Conservatives are trying to weaken a bill that could serve to improve the lives of poor people around the world. The Tory position on the Companies Bill is at odds with its new compassionate credentials. Cameron has said he doesn't want to be a mouthpiece for big business, but these amendments make him just that.' Labour MP Jon Trickett said: 'At precisely the same time that the Conservatives are asking the British public to "Vote Blue, Go Green", their MPs are demanding that businesses be given a legislative blank cheque to ignore their impact on the environment.'
IMO: I hope that all this stuff is at least easily and cheaply available on CD. CDs only cost pennies and are easily copied. And I suspect it is true that as they say in Sierra Leone it is 'dog na dog', that is the habits of a dog will not change and we still have the same bad old Tory party. We can only hope that there will in future be a lot of scope for computerised judgements and that lawyer's fees will get less, and the legal process made cheaper and more easily accessible to the general public. There are plenty of horror cases around already. I recall one business case where a small businessman destroyed the company vehicles and made heavy threats against a much larger competitor and when the matter came to court, far from being reprimanded by the judge, was apologised to by the judge as he could be seen to be made a victim of the existing ponderous process. (This was not a very public interest matter or a green matter, just a commercial one where he was being unfairly squeezed by the larger firm). Bad law can lead to violence and computerisation should help.
Baboon gangs terrorize suburbs
Roving gangs of big baboons are terrorizing suburbanites in Cape Town, South Africa, brazenly breaking into homes, cleaning out refrigerators, and shitting all over the place. It is sometimes said that in USA the baboons go around with guns and kill people, but there they are termed 'cops'.
IMO: In Delhi, the monkeys are usually simply annoying and are rather cute, except when they are drunk and then they even attack police stations in the hope of confiscated moonshine.
IMO: In Delhi, the monkeys are usually simply annoying and are rather cute, except when they are drunk and then they even attack police stations in the hope of confiscated moonshine.
USA legalises torture as well as murder
As you would expect, USA has now legalised torture
By signing into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Bush has made it legal for the C.I.A. to continue operating torture facilities in undisclosed, foreign countries, and for the writ of habeas corpus to be suspended for individuals who are designated "enemy combatants" against the U.S. (Designated by whom? That question remains unanswered.) The law also "establishes military tribunals that would allow some use of evidence obtained by coercion [that is, torture], but would give defendants access to classified evidence being used to convict them."
The provisions of Bush's new torture law mean that Americans have lost the key, constitutional right on which Anglo-American criminal law (and criminal-law procedures in true democracies in general) is founded; that's the basic right of an individual to know why he or she is being apprehended and detained. Now, technically, as in Stalin's Soviet Union, Hitler's Germany, Mao's China or Pol Pot's Cambodia, anyone labeled an "enemy combatant" - again, by whom; by Bush? - can be whisked away and never heard from again. That kind of authority, in the hands of corrupt or untruthful politicians, may or may not be an effective tool in some kind of "war on terror," but it certainly can be a useful tool when it comes to silencing their opponents.
This move has already been condemned by China which comments "The indefinite detention of others has been condemned by human-rights groups as violating international law."
IMO: It must suit Tony B. Liar, who has allowed USA to remove UK citizens to take to the USA without proven cause. Now, it seems, USA can "legally" torture them too. But it calls into grave question the international repute of the USA law.
By signing into law the Military Commissions Act of 2006, Bush has made it legal for the C.I.A. to continue operating torture facilities in undisclosed, foreign countries, and for the writ of habeas corpus to be suspended for individuals who are designated "enemy combatants" against the U.S. (Designated by whom? That question remains unanswered.) The law also "establishes military tribunals that would allow some use of evidence obtained by coercion [that is, torture], but would give defendants access to classified evidence being used to convict them."
The provisions of Bush's new torture law mean that Americans have lost the key, constitutional right on which Anglo-American criminal law (and criminal-law procedures in true democracies in general) is founded; that's the basic right of an individual to know why he or she is being apprehended and detained. Now, technically, as in Stalin's Soviet Union, Hitler's Germany, Mao's China or Pol Pot's Cambodia, anyone labeled an "enemy combatant" - again, by whom; by Bush? - can be whisked away and never heard from again. That kind of authority, in the hands of corrupt or untruthful politicians, may or may not be an effective tool in some kind of "war on terror," but it certainly can be a useful tool when it comes to silencing their opponents.
This move has already been condemned by China which comments "The indefinite detention of others has been condemned by human-rights groups as violating international law."
IMO: It must suit Tony B. Liar, who has allowed USA to remove UK citizens to take to the USA without proven cause. Now, it seems, USA can "legally" torture them too. But it calls into grave question the international repute of the USA law.
Free Journals
The Royal Society Digital Journal Archive, dating back to 1665 and containing more than 60,000 articles, is now available online at www.journals.royalsoc.ac.uk and is FREE to access until the end of November 2006.
'What a treasury! I just looked at some of the earliest records from 1665 in PDF format - crystal clear. Thanks very much to the Royal Society...' an impressed librarian
IMO: FYI. Subscriptions from that point seem to be big bucks,
'What a treasury! I just looked at some of the earliest records from 1665 in PDF format - crystal clear. Thanks very much to the Royal Society...' an impressed librarian
IMO: FYI. Subscriptions from that point seem to be big bucks,
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Neutron Bombs
Here are just some brief semi-lay style comments about these weapons concerning their potential use in Iraq. The most obvious advantage is that the most important effect tends to be on living creatures, somewhat less on buildings or geographical features. Thus they could be important if oil and gas are required from the area. A possible disadvantage is that common types contain a lot of tritium which has a half life of only 12.3 years. Thus they are not readily stored for long periods.
Sam Cohen, the inventor, said of the Vietnam war "I believe that considerably less than 200 neutron bombs could have ended that war (in Vietnam)". Unlike Vietnam, the US desire for victory in Iraq is not ideological or long term but immediate, urgent and practical - the US wants the oil/gas right now. Advantageously, as China is now using the Sudan for much of its oil and is presently allowing genocide in that area, China is not on good grounds for a diplomatic protest. US and China would be just two weak fat men squabbling, whilst the Grim Reaper looks laughingly on. There tends to be a distaste in some circles for the use of neutron bombs in Asia, but it should be remembered that Iraq is more of a Western country than an Asian one and the presence of Iraqi religions like Islam in the East in the first place is only because of Arab colonialism hidden under the guise of a religion. Far easier to tell people that you are bringing them God than that you are taking away their country and enslaving them.
Not all targeted troops will die or be incapacitated immediately. After a brief bout of nausea, many of those hit with about 5-50 Sv of radiation will experience a temporary recovery lasting days to weeks. Then they will die so they may fight fanatically for the interim, without the usual regard for their own well-being. A satisfactory neutron bomb would admittedly be likely to destroy many or all 'civilian' buildings in the area but that is probably minor. Corpse removal is probably also a minor matter and even flame throwers might do to help round the matter off.
Cohen's design: Cohen came up with a design for a warhead about one-tenth as powerful as the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. If it was detonated at 3,000 feet above ground level, its blast effects would be negligible while its neutron radiation would be powerful enough to cause death within a circle about one mile in diameter. As one can easily see, the interesting variants on that are almost endless.
China of course, first constructed atmospheric neutron bombs about 1995-6 and one presumes that one intended use would be internal pacification within China. The US gave China the technology to build these bombs.
By the way, on sellouts Sam Cohen said "Every president (of the USA) since Truman, with the possible exception of Eisenhower, would have sold the country out if it came down to a nuclear confrontation".
The Chinese neutron bombs were first built in the mid 1990s with the help of the USA. It is said that such bombs could be used by China for nuclear blackmail of the USA, e.g. to regain Taiwan.
Sam Cohen, the inventor, said of the Vietnam war "I believe that considerably less than 200 neutron bombs could have ended that war (in Vietnam)". Unlike Vietnam, the US desire for victory in Iraq is not ideological or long term but immediate, urgent and practical - the US wants the oil/gas right now. Advantageously, as China is now using the Sudan for much of its oil and is presently allowing genocide in that area, China is not on good grounds for a diplomatic protest. US and China would be just two weak fat men squabbling, whilst the Grim Reaper looks laughingly on. There tends to be a distaste in some circles for the use of neutron bombs in Asia, but it should be remembered that Iraq is more of a Western country than an Asian one and the presence of Iraqi religions like Islam in the East in the first place is only because of Arab colonialism hidden under the guise of a religion. Far easier to tell people that you are bringing them God than that you are taking away their country and enslaving them.
Not all targeted troops will die or be incapacitated immediately. After a brief bout of nausea, many of those hit with about 5-50 Sv of radiation will experience a temporary recovery lasting days to weeks. Then they will die so they may fight fanatically for the interim, without the usual regard for their own well-being. A satisfactory neutron bomb would admittedly be likely to destroy many or all 'civilian' buildings in the area but that is probably minor. Corpse removal is probably also a minor matter and even flame throwers might do to help round the matter off.
Cohen's design: Cohen came up with a design for a warhead about one-tenth as powerful as the atomic bombs dropped on Japan. If it was detonated at 3,000 feet above ground level, its blast effects would be negligible while its neutron radiation would be powerful enough to cause death within a circle about one mile in diameter. As one can easily see, the interesting variants on that are almost endless.
China of course, first constructed atmospheric neutron bombs about 1995-6 and one presumes that one intended use would be internal pacification within China. The US gave China the technology to build these bombs.
By the way, on sellouts Sam Cohen said "Every president (of the USA) since Truman, with the possible exception of Eisenhower, would have sold the country out if it came down to a nuclear confrontation".
The Chinese neutron bombs were first built in the mid 1990s with the help of the USA. It is said that such bombs could be used by China for nuclear blackmail of the USA, e.g. to regain Taiwan.
Monday, October 16, 2006
Disestablishment
Nowadays it is obvious that, as Tessa Jowell might say, it is only a "toss up" which of the Christian churches in the UK is the most corrupt. But with unelected but taxpayer subsidised "Prince" Harry apparently planning to live with his girlfriend, the apparent acceptance of 'gay' clergy, gomorrhy and stumping even being officially accepted in Canada, and all the rest of it, surely the idea of an 'established' Christian church is going by the wayside. Sodom and Gomorrha, here we come.
IMO: Stumping will certainly provide a welcome relief for some, once we are run by the Mullahs. But I did prefer the old days before corruption, Islam and Tony B. Liar were upon us.
IMO: Stumping will certainly provide a welcome relief for some, once we are run by the Mullahs. But I did prefer the old days before corruption, Islam and Tony B. Liar were upon us.
Tibetan refugees shot by PRC forces, witnesses silenced
From The Independent: "Chinese diplomats in the Nepalese capital of Kathmandu are tracking down and trying to silence hundreds of Western climbers and Sherpas who witnessed the killing of Tibetan refugees on the Nangpa La mountain pass last week. This ominous development comes as fears grow for the safety of a group of Tibetan children, aged between six and 10, who were marched away after at least two refugees including a nun, were shot dead."
The activist group "International Campaign for Tibet", in a written statement, said the video proves Chinese troops fired at unarmed Tibetans and disproves Beijing's statement this week that its forces acted in self-defense after being attacked. Here's a link to the video.
IMO The Chinese seemed to have been killing unarmed kids. What's the Dalai Lama doing, or anyone else for that matter.
The activist group "International Campaign for Tibet", in a written statement, said the video proves Chinese troops fired at unarmed Tibetans and disproves Beijing's statement this week that its forces acted in self-defense after being attacked. Here's a link to the video.
IMO The Chinese seemed to have been killing unarmed kids. What's the Dalai Lama doing, or anyone else for that matter.
Winston Churchill's great-grandson held on £5m drug trafficking charges
In Australia, of course.
In the corrupt criminal regime of Tony B. Liar in the UK, presumably as a descendent of Winston Churchill he and his toadying NZ cronies would have been let off.
Winston Churchill's best remembered phrase: "Singapore shall not fall" (just before he surrendered it to Japan) and best battle "Gallipoli" (a useless battle which he lost with needless casualties). Many Indians best remember Winston's alleged perpetration of the Bengal genocide which left four million innocent Bengalis dead.
Perhaps the crooked Tony B. Liar is Winston Churchill's most approriate successor. What a pity that Winston's drug baron descendant was too stoned to take the job.
Anil Chawla remarks "Given a choice, I would rather die in a gas chamber than die of starvation begging on the streets. Viewed from this perspective, Hitler appears humane and even angelic, while Churchill puts even the devil to shame."
IMO: Well, I do not know that I would go quite that far, either death sounds bad and we do have to live with Europe and America, hopefully in peace and harmony as 'they are not the same people today'. But given the apparently bloodthirsty nature of UK and America you really would think they could solve the Iraqi problem. Certainly, in the UK there were millions on the streets urging no war. What we have had is seemingly almost a million dead so far and nukes probably needed to sort it out effectively. How many more innocent people need to die before neutron bombs are used? After all, America needs the oil to run its flash cars. And so does China now.
In the corrupt criminal regime of Tony B. Liar in the UK, presumably as a descendent of Winston Churchill he and his toadying NZ cronies would have been let off.
Winston Churchill's best remembered phrase: "Singapore shall not fall" (just before he surrendered it to Japan) and best battle "Gallipoli" (a useless battle which he lost with needless casualties). Many Indians best remember Winston's alleged perpetration of the Bengal genocide which left four million innocent Bengalis dead.
Perhaps the crooked Tony B. Liar is Winston Churchill's most approriate successor. What a pity that Winston's drug baron descendant was too stoned to take the job.
Anil Chawla remarks "Given a choice, I would rather die in a gas chamber than die of starvation begging on the streets. Viewed from this perspective, Hitler appears humane and even angelic, while Churchill puts even the devil to shame."
IMO: Well, I do not know that I would go quite that far, either death sounds bad and we do have to live with Europe and America, hopefully in peace and harmony as 'they are not the same people today'. But given the apparently bloodthirsty nature of UK and America you really would think they could solve the Iraqi problem. Certainly, in the UK there were millions on the streets urging no war. What we have had is seemingly almost a million dead so far and nukes probably needed to sort it out effectively. How many more innocent people need to die before neutron bombs are used? After all, America needs the oil to run its flash cars. And so does China now.
Sunday, October 15, 2006
N Korean bomb : more views
Russia said from the start the bomb looked like it could be a fizzle, but for a number of reasons that did not detract from the enormity of the matter.
Later:
Anonymous (1) said... "Kim Jong Il specifically instructed the scientists to produce a low yield so as not to shake sacred Paekdu mountain unnecessarily. The low yield was due to Kim's request, and no one disobeys him in North Korea."
Anonymous (2) said... "Pu 239 as opposed to Pu 240. The latter emits naturally and tends to "poison" the process...old stuff. The longer you "cook" the Pu the more 240 you get. Power reactor by product 240 is not good "poot" My "bet" is that they know what they're doing, but it's just a bet."
IMO: As someone who once thought of working at AEC Lucas Heights, Sydney, I remember the first disclosed British test in Australia and I can recall mentioning to people that IMO it looked like a dud or a fake, or at best not excellent, but of course I was not there. ('we could do better'). N. Korea's test was not atmospheric but similar comments are coming back. I do not think these are just wishful thinking but, like Russia seems to be saying, even if the test did not work well, it had importance and substance. In fact IMO N. Korean bombs sound eminently 'hackable' (as per my earlier blog), a virtual hacker's paradise.
Later:
Anonymous (1) said... "Kim Jong Il specifically instructed the scientists to produce a low yield so as not to shake sacred Paekdu mountain unnecessarily. The low yield was due to Kim's request, and no one disobeys him in North Korea."
Anonymous (2) said... "Pu 239 as opposed to Pu 240. The latter emits naturally and tends to "poison" the process...old stuff. The longer you "cook" the Pu the more 240 you get. Power reactor by product 240 is not good "poot" My "bet" is that they know what they're doing, but it's just a bet."
IMO: As someone who once thought of working at AEC Lucas Heights, Sydney, I remember the first disclosed British test in Australia and I can recall mentioning to people that IMO it looked like a dud or a fake, or at best not excellent, but of course I was not there. ('we could do better'). N. Korea's test was not atmospheric but similar comments are coming back. I do not think these are just wishful thinking but, like Russia seems to be saying, even if the test did not work well, it had importance and substance. In fact IMO N. Korean bombs sound eminently 'hackable' (as per my earlier blog), a virtual hacker's paradise.
Catalogue of US dead. Time to leave Iraq soon?
Updated October 12, 2006. Total 2,968 US Dead (2,750 in Iraq, 217 in Afghanistan and 1 at Guantanamo
IMO: Well intentioned but badly planned. Time for US to leave soon ? It is important to think beyond current Rep/Dem politics in taking a view.
IMO: Well intentioned but badly planned. Time for US to leave soon ? It is important to think beyond current Rep/Dem politics in taking a view.
Saturday, October 14, 2006
Alleged Mass Conversion: hundreds only.
It is notable that the BBC (which nowadays seems to be habitually acting as a puppet and tool of the criminally corrupt Blair government) has tried once again to obscure the many real problems which a large country like India inevitably has. My own relatives are Brahmin and I am proud of that. Equally, as a person who through no fault of his own has come by a nominally Christian identity, I would be proud if not exactly glad to be a Dalit as I love India. I accept many of the tenets of Hinduism and as example point out that I am a vegetarian on the basis of Hinduism. I accept that there are great problems that anyone of any religion can have in India and I do not feel that firms like the corrupt BBC help things for any religion. Were I by accident or fate a Muslim I would still love India, though I feel that monotheism is not in my blood or to my liking, nor has it ever been.
It is noteworthy that of the first 10 articles in Google India I turn to today on the 'alleged mass conversion', 8 are from the BBC or BBC 'shills' like the Gulf or Australian reports, though I assume the Indian press will have their say. But 2 reports only so far are Indian.and the one I quote points out that far from 'hundreds of thousands' of conversion the BBC were talking about expecting there have been at most a few hundred out of several million. It is interesting that one Dalit leader said "I won't convert till made PM'. I am afraid hard words about any religion usually do not help. Christianity in the UK has been hijacked by the wrong types, though it is sometimes great in India. Certainly the Roman Catholic church in the UK, for example, comes over as a bunch of lunatics (my first wife was an RC so you can be sure that I know - and we think of the Magdelene Sisters style sweatshops they have had in Ireland and the genuinely high amount of RC priest pedophilia which is fact not simply propaganda) but in India there are some very good people.who are RCs and the RC seems like a different, and in some ways genuinely saintly church in India for those people who want it like that. I favour fairness to all. I would point out that the historical records which have not been destroyed by the RCs suggest that the Christian church may have been in fact founded NOT by St. Paul but St. Thomas but even so the RC church today in India seems OK AFAIK. On Dalits, law should allow fair treatment of Dalits and I find them generally speaking people, as good as anyone, who should get a fair deal.
In fact it is frequently said in India that Dalits get better treatment than Brahmins nowadays, but as with so many things in India you cannot generalise. In India, everyone but the very rich has problems, but at least India largely lacks the kind of rotten corruption and greed so much a hallmark of the BBC and regrettably, of much of English culture. All you can say for the BBC is at least its better than Sky in program terms and attitude.And I know what to think of Buddhism - the Dalai Lama sounds OK but his politics is not up to scratch. Hinduism is great and I like it. Well who cares - I am afraid that this blog post is a non event about a non event.
It is noteworthy that of the first 10 articles in Google India I turn to today on the 'alleged mass conversion', 8 are from the BBC or BBC 'shills' like the Gulf or Australian reports, though I assume the Indian press will have their say. But 2 reports only so far are Indian.and the one I quote points out that far from 'hundreds of thousands' of conversion the BBC were talking about expecting there have been at most a few hundred out of several million. It is interesting that one Dalit leader said "I won't convert till made PM'. I am afraid hard words about any religion usually do not help. Christianity in the UK has been hijacked by the wrong types, though it is sometimes great in India. Certainly the Roman Catholic church in the UK, for example, comes over as a bunch of lunatics (my first wife was an RC so you can be sure that I know - and we think of the Magdelene Sisters style sweatshops they have had in Ireland and the genuinely high amount of RC priest pedophilia which is fact not simply propaganda) but in India there are some very good people.who are RCs and the RC seems like a different, and in some ways genuinely saintly church in India for those people who want it like that. I favour fairness to all. I would point out that the historical records which have not been destroyed by the RCs suggest that the Christian church may have been in fact founded NOT by St. Paul but St. Thomas but even so the RC church today in India seems OK AFAIK. On Dalits, law should allow fair treatment of Dalits and I find them generally speaking people, as good as anyone, who should get a fair deal.
In fact it is frequently said in India that Dalits get better treatment than Brahmins nowadays, but as with so many things in India you cannot generalise. In India, everyone but the very rich has problems, but at least India largely lacks the kind of rotten corruption and greed so much a hallmark of the BBC and regrettably, of much of English culture. All you can say for the BBC is at least its better than Sky in program terms and attitude.And I know what to think of Buddhism - the Dalai Lama sounds OK but his politics is not up to scratch. Hinduism is great and I like it. Well who cares - I am afraid that this blog post is a non event about a non event.
Christianity to be forbidden in British Airways ?
A British Airways worker said on Saturday that she planned to sue her employer after being sent home from work for refusing to remove a necklace bearing a Christian cross.
Liberal Democrat politician Vincent Cable, who represents Eweida's home area of Twickenham in west London, said it was "absolutely mind-boggling that Britain's flag-carrying airline could treat its employees in such a disgraceful and petty manner".
"Nadia is a devout Christian who was displaying her faith, but in a modest and totally unprovocative manner," he said.
"It is absolutely right that other religious minorities be allowed exemption from the dress code, but why can't a Christian be treated in the same way?"
IMO: Seems a bit strange to me. Apparently Sikh turbans and Muslim hijabs are OK. On the same basis, maybe Muslim women for the BA should be veiled also. What next? Is BA going to be handed to Turkish Airlines in compensation for France not approving the Armenian genocide? I think it is appalling if we are to be driven to think that BA is staffed by the wrong people or in the wrong hands, like in Hitler's Germany the Jewish firms had to be handed over to the Nazis. Maybe now the Christian firms will be given to Muslims, and doubtless Tony B. Liar and his cronies will take a fee. Harrods is a case in point where a firm has already been handed over to people, one of whom may well be criminally insane, who has threatened the Royal Family and is not permitted a UK passport. All this is no joke. BA has not done as well as it should in recent years and maybe the management should be investigated thooroughly.
Liberal Democrat politician Vincent Cable, who represents Eweida's home area of Twickenham in west London, said it was "absolutely mind-boggling that Britain's flag-carrying airline could treat its employees in such a disgraceful and petty manner".
"Nadia is a devout Christian who was displaying her faith, but in a modest and totally unprovocative manner," he said.
"It is absolutely right that other religious minorities be allowed exemption from the dress code, but why can't a Christian be treated in the same way?"
IMO: Seems a bit strange to me. Apparently Sikh turbans and Muslim hijabs are OK. On the same basis, maybe Muslim women for the BA should be veiled also. What next? Is BA going to be handed to Turkish Airlines in compensation for France not approving the Armenian genocide? I think it is appalling if we are to be driven to think that BA is staffed by the wrong people or in the wrong hands, like in Hitler's Germany the Jewish firms had to be handed over to the Nazis. Maybe now the Christian firms will be given to Muslims, and doubtless Tony B. Liar and his cronies will take a fee. Harrods is a case in point where a firm has already been handed over to people, one of whom may well be criminally insane, who has threatened the Royal Family and is not permitted a UK passport. All this is no joke. BA has not done as well as it should in recent years and maybe the management should be investigated thooroughly.
MTNL-IPTV Mumbai service will give local cablewallahs a difficult time
State-owned Mahanagar Telecom Nigam Ltd (MTNL) is the first service provider that will enter the IPTV (Internet Protocol Television Space). MTNL will show channels initially in association with Mumbai-based IOL Broadband Ltd. MTNL hopes to show as many as 250 channels in future. Tariffs would be around Rs300 per month for IPTV irrespective of channels and video on demand for initial months. Local cablewallahs have already started slashing monthly cable rates in Prabhadevi and Worli. Apparently IPTV is to be all over Mumbai. Registration starts Monday and service would be on first-come first-serve basis. IPTV so far has 2 million subscribers world wide. Through the system, subscribers will get many options: Control and choose TV channels, real-time interactive television, music on demand and time-shifted television viewing. Sounds a good idea but still expensive, particularly for the occasional and not so keen viewer.
Rodents
RAUF DENKTASH once famously said that the only true Cypriot was the donkey, the others were Greeks and Turks.
The real Cypriot it turns out is a mouse, Mus cypriacus. I like mice. There is one which lives next door who sometimes comes round to pay a visit. But next door they have a cat. I hope to capture the mouse soon in a mouse-safe trap and then release it in a nearby park
Would that the EU could solve its problems so easily, and my story is perhaps a warning not to let more rats and cats into the EU yet.
"Genocide, massacre, deportation: Turkey's definition of peace"
Thousands of Lebanon's Armenians rallied in Beirut Thursday against Turkish troops taking part in a U.N. peacekeeping force there, on the same day France moved to make denial of the Ottoman genocide of Armenians a crime.
Armenian political and religious leaders attended the demonstration, which came just two days after the first contingent of Turkish peacekeepers arrived to police a ceasefire between Israel and Hizbullah.
The rally took place on Beirut's downtown Place des Martyrs, which honors six Lebanese nationalists who were hanged by the Ottomans during World War I.
The crowd, drawn from an Armenian community of about 140,000 people, held high banners denouncing the presence of Turkish troops as "an insult to the collective memory of the Armenian people", while waving Armenian, Lebanese and French flags. "Genocide, massacre, deportation: Turkey's definition of peace," read another banner.
IMO: Turkey clearly will not face reality yet. The EU has enough problems right now without even considering the admission of Turkey as being currently remotely possible. We must assume that USA had some good intentions over the Iraq war. So far there apparently have been 650,000 (UK figure) or 50,000 plus (US figure) casualties. Let the volatile, badly run and oversubsidised Turkey join the EU anytime soon ? Only if we want the EU to become the new Iraq, not something anyone would want, including Turkey.
Armenian political and religious leaders attended the demonstration, which came just two days after the first contingent of Turkish peacekeepers arrived to police a ceasefire between Israel and Hizbullah.
The rally took place on Beirut's downtown Place des Martyrs, which honors six Lebanese nationalists who were hanged by the Ottomans during World War I.
The crowd, drawn from an Armenian community of about 140,000 people, held high banners denouncing the presence of Turkish troops as "an insult to the collective memory of the Armenian people", while waving Armenian, Lebanese and French flags. "Genocide, massacre, deportation: Turkey's definition of peace," read another banner.
IMO: Turkey clearly will not face reality yet. The EU has enough problems right now without even considering the admission of Turkey as being currently remotely possible. We must assume that USA had some good intentions over the Iraq war. So far there apparently have been 650,000 (UK figure) or 50,000 plus (US figure) casualties. Let the volatile, badly run and oversubsidised Turkey join the EU anytime soon ? Only if we want the EU to become the new Iraq, not something anyone would want, including Turkey.
Armenians rally to support genocide bill
Yerevan October 14, 2006
"Thank You France!" and "Hail French Justice!" read two of the placards held up by the students from a nationalist youth group, who waved flags of Armenia and France as they marched through central Yerevan. Participants at the rally laid flowers by the French embassy building.
"With this march we want to express our gratitude to the French parliament and the French people," said Aik Asatryan, head of the Dashnaktsutyun group that organised the march. "We want to say thank you. Despite threats from Turkey, they were not afraid and took the right decision," Mr Asatryan said.
Participants at the rally presented France's ambassador to Yerevan, Henry Cuny, with a letter that read: "With this step France has once again shown its support for defending human rights and freedom of speech."
"Thank You France!" and "Hail French Justice!" read two of the placards held up by the students from a nationalist youth group, who waved flags of Armenia and France as they marched through central Yerevan. Participants at the rally laid flowers by the French embassy building.
"With this march we want to express our gratitude to the French parliament and the French people," said Aik Asatryan, head of the Dashnaktsutyun group that organised the march. "We want to say thank you. Despite threats from Turkey, they were not afraid and took the right decision," Mr Asatryan said.
Participants at the rally presented France's ambassador to Yerevan, Henry Cuny, with a letter that read: "With this step France has once again shown its support for defending human rights and freedom of speech."
Friday, October 13, 2006
Iraq: how soon can UK get out with Bliar still in charge ?
Arab sources claim:
· Nine huge transport planes ferry American casualties to al-Habbaniyah airbase from devastating Tuesday night Resistance strike on US Falcon arsenal, indicating heavy American losses. US claims "no casualties," but Iraqi regime evacuates 90 injured puppet troops to ar-Ramadi hospital.
· Remains of US Falcon arsenal described as "burned out wasteland with no buildings." US helicopters continue to dump water on site Wednesday to extinguish last flames. Puppet officials estimate US losses could exceed US$1 billion. Iraqi puppet army orders two regiments to move to southern Baghdad to fill gap left by decimated American troops.
· Resistance bomb blasts US vehicle near al-Baghdadi, reportedly killing four US troops late Wednesday night.
· US air strike kills Iraqi family north of al-Fallujah Wednesday.
· Three US troops reported killed in Resistance bombing in ar-Ramadi Wednesday morning.
· Three US troops reported killed in Resistance attack in Baghdad’s al-A'zamiyah district late Wednesday night.
· Four US troops reported killed in bold Resistance attack near "Green Zone" Wednesday afternoon.
· New study in The Lancet reveals 655,000 Iraqis killed by US war in Iraq.
IMO: Anyway "The Lancet" figures could be right. There were always problems with the US-led Iraq invasion, due to the presence of varied ethnic groups and nationalities in Iraq and other factors. Without taking a view myself, it does seem that military advice is to leave NOW. The whole invasion plan was not thought out clearly enough, regardless of its merits or otherwise (I and others made this plain beforehand), and the UK can still cut its losses and could if necessary concentrate on getting some level of success in Afghanistan. The US could use nukes in Iraq if they think they need to, or find out how successful neutron bombs prove, given the presence of oil. Iraq's present Govt sound sincere at this distance but the US originated the action. Certainly Australian sources suggest 2010 as a likely last departure date. I think UK should keep its cool but get out as soon as possible from this essentially US-based war to allow a serious attempt in Afghanistan, which is surely more reasonable than replaying the (disastrous) Charge of the Light Brigade. Better to be a live coward than a dead hero, but UK is heading simply to become a dead coward which is far worse than either.
· Nine huge transport planes ferry American casualties to al-Habbaniyah airbase from devastating Tuesday night Resistance strike on US Falcon arsenal, indicating heavy American losses. US claims "no casualties," but Iraqi regime evacuates 90 injured puppet troops to ar-Ramadi hospital.
· Remains of US Falcon arsenal described as "burned out wasteland with no buildings." US helicopters continue to dump water on site Wednesday to extinguish last flames. Puppet officials estimate US losses could exceed US$1 billion. Iraqi puppet army orders two regiments to move to southern Baghdad to fill gap left by decimated American troops.
· Resistance bomb blasts US vehicle near al-Baghdadi, reportedly killing four US troops late Wednesday night.
· US air strike kills Iraqi family north of al-Fallujah Wednesday.
· Three US troops reported killed in Resistance bombing in ar-Ramadi Wednesday morning.
· Three US troops reported killed in Resistance attack in Baghdad’s al-A'zamiyah district late Wednesday night.
· Four US troops reported killed in bold Resistance attack near "Green Zone" Wednesday afternoon.
· New study in The Lancet reveals 655,000 Iraqis killed by US war in Iraq.
IMO: Anyway "The Lancet" figures could be right. There were always problems with the US-led Iraq invasion, due to the presence of varied ethnic groups and nationalities in Iraq and other factors. Without taking a view myself, it does seem that military advice is to leave NOW. The whole invasion plan was not thought out clearly enough, regardless of its merits or otherwise (I and others made this plain beforehand), and the UK can still cut its losses and could if necessary concentrate on getting some level of success in Afghanistan. The US could use nukes in Iraq if they think they need to, or find out how successful neutron bombs prove, given the presence of oil. Iraq's present Govt sound sincere at this distance but the US originated the action. Certainly Australian sources suggest 2010 as a likely last departure date. I think UK should keep its cool but get out as soon as possible from this essentially US-based war to allow a serious attempt in Afghanistan, which is surely more reasonable than replaying the (disastrous) Charge of the Light Brigade. Better to be a live coward than a dead hero, but UK is heading simply to become a dead coward which is far worse than either.
Iraq : If you want an opinion on a war, you ask a soldier
Britain's army chief said his troops should be withdrawn from Iraq soon as their presence was making security worse.
Why not start today and pull them out NOW? The corrupt Tony B. Liar suggested he would do all he could in Afghanistan, so why does he not live up to that ? A lot more troops in Afghanistan could, one supposes, help things a lot. Then, with the English-speaking allies, hopefully finish the job.
IMO: Tony B. Liar may be making big bucks personally for keeping the troops in Iraq. How long will it take the peaceniks to figure out that ? We could even reasonably expect to win thanks from Musheraff if we could sort out the Afghan situation a bit, and even some of the many problems in Waziristan. It is a question of existing troops available for jobs, and I suspect that even Bliar will not want to risk the alternative, the big C. (conscription).
Why not start today and pull them out NOW? The corrupt Tony B. Liar suggested he would do all he could in Afghanistan, so why does he not live up to that ? A lot more troops in Afghanistan could, one supposes, help things a lot. Then, with the English-speaking allies, hopefully finish the job.
IMO: Tony B. Liar may be making big bucks personally for keeping the troops in Iraq. How long will it take the peaceniks to figure out that ? We could even reasonably expect to win thanks from Musheraff if we could sort out the Afghan situation a bit, and even some of the many problems in Waziristan. It is a question of existing troops available for jobs, and I suspect that even Bliar will not want to risk the alternative, the big C. (conscription).
Siddhivinayak Temple wall to be demolished.
The Bombay High Court on Thursday ordered the demolition of the wall erected around the Siddhivinayak Temple by November 30. The wall was part of the security arrangements suggested by the police after the 2005 Ayodhya attack. Residents of buildings in the area had complained that the wall blocked their access to three important roads — Kaka Saheb Gadgil, S K Bole and Veer Savarkar roads. Of these, the first two are fully blocked and the third is partially blocked. The temple trust plan to take further legal advice.
IMO: Can't someone do something about all the potholes in the roads anyway. There is still no end to them.
IMO: Can't someone do something about all the potholes in the roads anyway. There is still no end to them.
Dengue cases in Delhi touch 1,186
In Mumbai, on Thursday there were 160 cases. In Delhi the government decided not to impose till Sunday any challans on the owners of premises where mosquitoes were found to be breeding. "The citizens should act responsibly and take initiatives to control the breeding of mosquitoes in their areas and surroundings," Health Minister Yoganand Shastri said.
Common symptons are with fever, body ache and cold. At this time avoid if at all possible, being bitten by mosquitos. Try if available tropical strength repellent containing the chemical DEET (diethyltoluamide or diethylmethylbenzamide) or repellents containing the chemical picaridin. Always read the label.
When you’re sick with dengue you can spread dengue to mosquitoes that bite you:
(i) You can stop dengue being transmitted by wearing repellent while you’re sick.
(ii) It takes at least three days after you become infected before you will feel sick.
(iii) Dengue also occurs in Queensland, Australia. The last outbreak in Queensland ceased on 9 September 2006.
Common symptons are with fever, body ache and cold. At this time avoid if at all possible, being bitten by mosquitos. Try if available tropical strength repellent containing the chemical DEET (diethyltoluamide or diethylmethylbenzamide) or repellents containing the chemical picaridin. Always read the label.
When you’re sick with dengue you can spread dengue to mosquitoes that bite you:
(i) You can stop dengue being transmitted by wearing repellent while you’re sick.
(ii) It takes at least three days after you become infected before you will feel sick.
(iii) Dengue also occurs in Queensland, Australia. The last outbreak in Queensland ceased on 9 September 2006.
Thursday, October 12, 2006
Armenian genocide deniers to face 5 years jail
Well, the French have finally done something Martel would have been proud of - at last. I would really like to see Turkey in the EU, but they need more political maturity. The Turkish prime minister, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, reacted with indignation to the French proposal, asking: "What would you do if the Turkish prime minister came to France and denied that the genocide had taken place? Arrest him?"
IMO: If I were the relative of ANY genocide victim anywhere I think I would want to say "fair enough" - put the bastard in jail. Pity they can't put him in jail now anyway, as in his own statement, Erdogan has made a strong case against Turkish entry into the EU. If Recep Tayyip Erdogan really does not know better, in his place he should. I have known a lot of relatives of genocide victims. But it is such a pity. It could have been significant to allow Turkish entry to the EU. Now the Turks are asking for the door to be firmly closed for ever. But the EU is a serious matter and its time can't be wasted in this way by the Turks. Now it is clear that enthusiasts of 'free speech' at any price will be horrified at the idea that France may be right. But surely in any case France has the right to accept the wishes of its bona fide voters. I admit there are many sides to the problem of free speech and there is room for debate as to whether we should be obliged to debate various aspects of it But the French are a practical people and have expressed a general wish at this time for a firm view, and for truth, as any sane Westerner sees it, to prevail over time spent on lies about history. My own personal memory does go back as far as the trial of Adolf Eichmann, which many Westerners seemed at the time to wish to avoid or forget, even after he was seen to be clearly guilty, as clearly as anything is very clear historically.. Perhaps it is as well that the French have voted for what they believe to be truth rather than for a dubious additional liberty, in this case at least.
IMO: If I were the relative of ANY genocide victim anywhere I think I would want to say "fair enough" - put the bastard in jail. Pity they can't put him in jail now anyway, as in his own statement, Erdogan has made a strong case against Turkish entry into the EU. If Recep Tayyip Erdogan really does not know better, in his place he should. I have known a lot of relatives of genocide victims. But it is such a pity. It could have been significant to allow Turkish entry to the EU. Now the Turks are asking for the door to be firmly closed for ever. But the EU is a serious matter and its time can't be wasted in this way by the Turks. Now it is clear that enthusiasts of 'free speech' at any price will be horrified at the idea that France may be right. But surely in any case France has the right to accept the wishes of its bona fide voters. I admit there are many sides to the problem of free speech and there is room for debate as to whether we should be obliged to debate various aspects of it But the French are a practical people and have expressed a general wish at this time for a firm view, and for truth, as any sane Westerner sees it, to prevail over time spent on lies about history. My own personal memory does go back as far as the trial of Adolf Eichmann, which many Westerners seemed at the time to wish to avoid or forget, even after he was seen to be clearly guilty, as clearly as anything is very clear historically.. Perhaps it is as well that the French have voted for what they believe to be truth rather than for a dubious additional liberty, in this case at least.
Will S.O.T. feel the pain next ?
The recent raising of the matter of the trial of George Fernandes for corruption and the subsequent decline of Tehelka, apparently caused by BJP pressure, brought two futher issues to my mind. Firstly the resulting feeling of less faith in the BJP, not because some politician had found himself with a problem, but because the party had stooped to bullying a newspaper known to be widely read, just because it did not suit the current party line. At what point does this become serious suppression of a widely held public view, leaving open questions as to a suitable means of recourse. All very well for pipesuckers like the English or Americans, one may say, but in fact in the new information age of the 21st century perhaps it becomes sadly more relevant to a modern India. After all, one ideal of terrorism is to suppress free speech and should one not therefore concern oneself with such factors as its attempted suppression by the BJP?
The second issues concerns 'Signs of the Times'. Now that is a paper I have read casually for many years. As a scientist I feel and am very aware that there are parts of it which certainly appear too New Age (sort of watered down Brian Josephson stuff) but I do accept that it tries to live by its premises and could become a source of new understanding and new angles on the unknown which one may eventually explore in quite different directions. Unfortunately on or about Oct 11th, 2006 it put out a podcast, available free onsite, which implies that it, too, is soon likely to disintegate. So it seems to need more money and/or subscribers now, a common complaint with magazines. This paper does regularly supply interesting political as well as scientific links (the name of Arkadiusz Jadczyk is of course well enough known to the cognoscenti).
Winston Churchill (or his speechwriter) once said something like "The lights of Europe are going out - we shall not see them again in our time". SOT would go further, and in a podcast for example claim there is in progress an intentional cull of the poor of the world by the rich, worse than genocide.
IMO: I suppose that makes it poorocide not genocide, but certainly there are groups in (of course) Texas and elsewhere who actively recommend poorocide. Whether George Bush is of their number is not known.
The second issues concerns 'Signs of the Times'. Now that is a paper I have read casually for many years. As a scientist I feel and am very aware that there are parts of it which certainly appear too New Age (sort of watered down Brian Josephson stuff) but I do accept that it tries to live by its premises and could become a source of new understanding and new angles on the unknown which one may eventually explore in quite different directions. Unfortunately on or about Oct 11th, 2006 it put out a podcast, available free onsite, which implies that it, too, is soon likely to disintegate. So it seems to need more money and/or subscribers now, a common complaint with magazines. This paper does regularly supply interesting political as well as scientific links (the name of Arkadiusz Jadczyk is of course well enough known to the cognoscenti).
Winston Churchill (or his speechwriter) once said something like "The lights of Europe are going out - we shall not see them again in our time". SOT would go further, and in a podcast for example claim there is in progress an intentional cull of the poor of the world by the rich, worse than genocide.
IMO: I suppose that makes it poorocide not genocide, but certainly there are groups in (of course) Texas and elsewhere who actively recommend poorocide. Whether George Bush is of their number is not known.
Pakistan and its ISI said to continue terror attacks on India
Security has been stepped up at 13 airports, including Delhi, Kolkata, Lucknow and Patna, after intelligence inputs warned that terrorists may attempt to hijack an aircraft. A high alert has been sounded at airports, all falling in northern parts of the country, as the inputs have suggested that the hijacking target could be a plane either coming from Kathmandu or going there, highly-placed sources said.
Intelligence input suggested that Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba could attempt hijacking a plane. CISF, which is guarding all these airports, stepped up vigil and deployed additional personnel after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security sounded the paramilitary force about the danger.
The airports where security has been beefed up include Varanasi, Gaya, Guwahati, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Chandigarh, Shimla, Bhuntar, Delhi, Kolkata, Patna and Lucknow, sources said.
IMO: It seems a pity as there is no sense or good reason for such alleged behaviour of ISI and it will slow down genuine agreements which both countries need, to protect themselves and each other from many obvious foreign aggressors. So the ISI or whoever is doing this, is wrong and misguided.
Intelligence input suggested that Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba could attempt hijacking a plane. CISF, which is guarding all these airports, stepped up vigil and deployed additional personnel after the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security sounded the paramilitary force about the danger.
The airports where security has been beefed up include Varanasi, Gaya, Guwahati, Amritsar, Bagdogra, Chandigarh, Shimla, Bhuntar, Delhi, Kolkata, Patna and Lucknow, sources said.
IMO: It seems a pity as there is no sense or good reason for such alleged behaviour of ISI and it will slow down genuine agreements which both countries need, to protect themselves and each other from many obvious foreign aggressors. So the ISI or whoever is doing this, is wrong and misguided.
Wednesday, October 11, 2006
CBI books Fernandes, ex-Navy chief, Jaya
"FIR says they were guilty of irregularities in purchasing the Barak missile system from Israel in 2000; accuses Jaya Jaitley of getting Rs 2 crore in the deal
New Delhi: In a significant development in the Tehelka expose on defence scams, the CBI has registered an FIR against former defence minister George Fernandes, his associate Jaya Jaitley, accused of receiving a bribe of Rs 2 crore, and former Navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar for alleged irregularities in purchasing the Barak missile system from Israel in 2000."
Both were concerned with the previous Govt and it does us all good for the Augean stables to be cleared occasionally, though I liked some BJP (or anyway Sena) policies.
IMO: I'm mainly sorry about the fact that because the BJP therefore did not like Tehelka, it seems you now have to pay for Tehelka online. Great scoop of course, though many people considered George Fernandes a nice guy and the bribes proffered were not high AFAIK. In UK I heard unfavorably about Jaitley but it certainly should not happen. OK, in the UK Tony B. Liar has defined his policy by three words "Corruption, corruption and corruption" (think of Jowell still pushing online gaming for example, even after that exposed Mafia connection with the NHS). Well, call it "Cronyism, cronysim, cronyism" if you want. We do not want that in India. In Afghanistan, perhaps due to Blair being Berlusconi's crony, the Italians and French soldiers have a great time partying at Kandahar airport whereas the UK soldiers die. Some war. Some EU. Lets hope India does not go down that road like it did in the Tamil wars which really ought to make Congress think. Or perhaps a pop group named like 'The dead Kennedys' but with Gandhi in the title, would help all parties remember that the poor old public do not like corruption in high places.
New Delhi: In a significant development in the Tehelka expose on defence scams, the CBI has registered an FIR against former defence minister George Fernandes, his associate Jaya Jaitley, accused of receiving a bribe of Rs 2 crore, and former Navy chief Admiral Sushil Kumar for alleged irregularities in purchasing the Barak missile system from Israel in 2000."
Both were concerned with the previous Govt and it does us all good for the Augean stables to be cleared occasionally, though I liked some BJP (or anyway Sena) policies.
IMO: I'm mainly sorry about the fact that because the BJP therefore did not like Tehelka, it seems you now have to pay for Tehelka online. Great scoop of course, though many people considered George Fernandes a nice guy and the bribes proffered were not high AFAIK. In UK I heard unfavorably about Jaitley but it certainly should not happen. OK, in the UK Tony B. Liar has defined his policy by three words "Corruption, corruption and corruption" (think of Jowell still pushing online gaming for example, even after that exposed Mafia connection with the NHS). Well, call it "Cronyism, cronysim, cronyism" if you want. We do not want that in India. In Afghanistan, perhaps due to Blair being Berlusconi's crony, the Italians and French soldiers have a great time partying at Kandahar airport whereas the UK soldiers die. Some war. Some EU. Lets hope India does not go down that road like it did in the Tamil wars which really ought to make Congress think. Or perhaps a pop group named like 'The dead Kennedys' but with Gandhi in the title, would help all parties remember that the poor old public do not like corruption in high places.
Tuesday, October 10, 2006
Pakistan Human Rights Concerns
There is a persistent pattern of human rights violations occurring in Pakistan. Arbitrary detention, torture, death in custody, and extra-judicial execution are rampant. The government of Pakistan has failed to protect individuals - particularly women, religious minorities and children - from violence and other human rights abuses committed in the home, in the community, and while in legal custody. It has failed to ensure legal redress after violations have occurred. Since 9-11, individuals suspected of having links with "terrorist" organizations have been arbitrarily detained, denied access to lawyers, and turned over to U.S. custody or to the custody of their home country in violation of local and international law. In addition, Pakistan continues to impose the death penalty on persons convicted of crimes.
But that's just the beginning - it gets worse. For example, official child executions, gang raped women with little or no recourse (perhaps something for those UK protesters in favor of the veil in the UK to spend their time on instead), and enforced disappearances of the innocent, over 800 of those that I know of and often to receive US bribes, sectarian violence often to innocent decent Muslims. Even that is just the beginning of the story and I have not even got around to mentioning the state assassination of the Bugti, a fine and noble man and almost Beluchistan's Mahatma Gandhi.
IMO: It is worse than the UK run by Tony B. Liar. People really should do something. When I hear a Pakistani praising Pakistan, I wonder how thay can do so without shame. Without enormous provisos, they can only be badly deluded people. And it is not just a few things like earthqake charities acting as a cloak for shady 'jihadi' murder, just rotten corruption through and through. Yeah, Pakistan could be a great place - if only....
But that's just the beginning - it gets worse. For example, official child executions, gang raped women with little or no recourse (perhaps something for those UK protesters in favor of the veil in the UK to spend their time on instead), and enforced disappearances of the innocent, over 800 of those that I know of and often to receive US bribes, sectarian violence often to innocent decent Muslims. Even that is just the beginning of the story and I have not even got around to mentioning the state assassination of the Bugti, a fine and noble man and almost Beluchistan's Mahatma Gandhi.
IMO: It is worse than the UK run by Tony B. Liar. People really should do something. When I hear a Pakistani praising Pakistan, I wonder how thay can do so without shame. Without enormous provisos, they can only be badly deluded people. And it is not just a few things like earthqake charities acting as a cloak for shady 'jihadi' murder, just rotten corruption through and through. Yeah, Pakistan could be a great place - if only....
The 'bomb' yet again.
An article in the Asia Times suggests that N. Korea bungled their timing. Present superficial international reactions agree with this idea. e.g. the article says "anti-Americanism may be falling out of fashion in South Korea" but in the longer term my "North Korea again ?" post of Oct 5 suggests that this may simply be wishful thinking. But we will have to wait and see, and hope for the best in concrete terms in the longer term. There are many ways things might get put right, but unfortunately less hope of that than one might expect.
Sunday, October 08, 2006
Tessa Jowell
Tessa Jowell is UK Culture Secretary, a minor but important and potentially lucrative post in Bliar's goverment. She was formerly Minister of State for Public Health at the Department of Health. Now her husband, (nominally now estranged subsequent to scandal she could not avoid) is apparently a Mafia associate (I do not claim this, others seem to).
"Sitting in a warehouse along with ice-cream and frozen cow brains was £5m worth of old blood, some of it infected with who knows what, [seemingly HIV and hepatitis C] . Suddenly it had become worthless because of the new law. It should have been destroyed. But it's not." In fact it seems to have been involved in health work on hitherto healthy people. And Jowell's husband appears to have had clear involvement with this blood and to have lied about this.
IMO: Unfortunately nobody really expects UK politicians to be squeaky clean but this is beyond a joke. I have used the UK medical services, and rather hoped they will keep me well, not make me ill. Insofar as Jowell was concerned, perhaps "Minister for Illness" would have been more appropriate than "Minister for Health".
"Sitting in a warehouse along with ice-cream and frozen cow brains was £5m worth of old blood, some of it infected with who knows what, [seemingly HIV and hepatitis C] . Suddenly it had become worthless because of the new law. It should have been destroyed. But it's not." In fact it seems to have been involved in health work on hitherto healthy people. And Jowell's husband appears to have had clear involvement with this blood and to have lied about this.
IMO: Unfortunately nobody really expects UK politicians to be squeaky clean but this is beyond a joke. I have used the UK medical services, and rather hoped they will keep me well, not make me ill. Insofar as Jowell was concerned, perhaps "Minister for Illness" would have been more appropriate than "Minister for Health".
Saturday, October 07, 2006
Universities, IITs are neglecting research: PM
MUMBAI: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has criticised the country’s universities and IITs for not creating an environment conducive to research. Singh said there is an acute need to rekindle interest in science and technology to keep India at the forefront of research. Singh cited examples of the advances in science made by newly industrialised nations such as China and South Korea, and underscored the rapid privatisation of research in developed economies.
IMO: Of course he is right that more money is needed for research. It is important that it should be spent in correct and often crucial areas. Almost certainly, much more in Government funding and/or incentives should be used. As a true democracy, India has the responsibility to ensure that a lot of money for this work comes via the Government. It would be unrealistic to deny the importance of large corporations in this too, for example and in simply social terms one need only compare the marvellous Telco settlement in Pimpri to the Port Sunlight experiment in Liverpool, the latter now sadly in effect largely disgarded, to show the importance of private investment for social good. This has helped to lead to Tata becoming one of the world's largest steel firms. (The old GE experiment going right). But unfortunately, the world today seems to have become a haven of capitalism of the wrong sort, i.e. that of UK 'New Labor' which is simply neoThatcherism. In the UK, there was some excuse because of appalling Trade Union greed but in India, all actual workers are poor. What there is absolutely no excuse for, is to emulate the America of George Bush which is simply based on everlasting war (as the US even admits in the case of Iraq), lies, planet resource exhaustion and impossible medical bills for the poor. India can't afford any of this! Simply, more money is needed for genuine basic research from Government to keep the country in the 21st Century. And this money must be carefully directed. A brain drain can be fairly readily avoided if real effort is made to do so.
IMO: Of course he is right that more money is needed for research. It is important that it should be spent in correct and often crucial areas. Almost certainly, much more in Government funding and/or incentives should be used. As a true democracy, India has the responsibility to ensure that a lot of money for this work comes via the Government. It would be unrealistic to deny the importance of large corporations in this too, for example and in simply social terms one need only compare the marvellous Telco settlement in Pimpri to the Port Sunlight experiment in Liverpool, the latter now sadly in effect largely disgarded, to show the importance of private investment for social good. This has helped to lead to Tata becoming one of the world's largest steel firms. (The old GE experiment going right). But unfortunately, the world today seems to have become a haven of capitalism of the wrong sort, i.e. that of UK 'New Labor' which is simply neoThatcherism. In the UK, there was some excuse because of appalling Trade Union greed but in India, all actual workers are poor. What there is absolutely no excuse for, is to emulate the America of George Bush which is simply based on everlasting war (as the US even admits in the case of Iraq), lies, planet resource exhaustion and impossible medical bills for the poor. India can't afford any of this! Simply, more money is needed for genuine basic research from Government to keep the country in the 21st Century. And this money must be carefully directed. A brain drain can be fairly readily avoided if real effort is made to do so.
Humanlike robots available for rental
You'll be able to rent this lovely humanoid robot, made by a Sanrio subsidiary, for $3500 for 5 days.
If these are truly realistic they will save corporations large sums of money.
Milky Way is packed with earth-like orbs
More than 200 extrasolar planets have already been discovered. Based on the number of planets identified and the number of stars in the Milky Way, the scientists estimated that as many as 6 billion Jupiter-size planets exist in our galaxy.
IMO: The possibilities are endless, and some may be favorable to humankind
IMO: The possibilities are endless, and some may be favorable to humankind
Thursday, October 05, 2006
Straw's veil comments
Does multiculturalism encourage integration? Commons leader Jack Straw has suggested women wearing veils can make relations between communities more difficult, and revealed that he asks women visiting his constituency surgery to consider removing them.
In France, of course, they have banned schoolgirls from wearing head-scarves in schools - a determined move to impose a French secularity on the education system.
IMO: Never mind just headscarves, if a Muslim woman wanted to get a job in some firms in the South of France my understanding is that she was not allowed to wear any knickers and indeed obliged automatically to expose herself personally when a director of the firm required it, which was often. Plenty did, it seems, as they needed the work. This appeared in the foreign Press. But up to what point, when foreign mores conflict with local mores in any country do disagreements have to respect the HOST country? One of my relatives spent some time in the Gulf states and he found he was not allowed to bring his idols, which he worshipped, to that country. He returned home with enough money to support his family for awhile but died a broken man, to say it short. His case was certainly genuine but I don't know about the situation of Muslim women, probably born in the UK, who for god knows what reasons decide to wear a veil because their grannie in Pakistan did, and possibly because of the onset of puberty etc. I think the real problem, and the problem that I am sure many UK people have, is that local religious values in the UK are being hijacked by a bunch of militants with grievances. It is like the gay clergy issue. Apart from a few gloomy 'gay' clergy, some of whom I have met, that whole thing was started by some 'gay' militants with chips on their shoulder who had no true interest whatever in religious observances. The Anglican commination (or cursing) service sounds a good remedy for those types, and in the past I have heard both the commination and at least one reasonable rumoured permanent expulsion of a churchgoer. MCC don't seem to do a lot of business, and that is your answer there. Effectively these so called religious 'gays' were and are simply malicious. Each case should be dealt with sympathetically and individually and to do so could help us all to make the UK a country where anyone can reasonably be proud to live in. On the basis of the 'gay clergy' problems results so far, this is not going to happen. I am not anti-anything usual, just looking at facts.
In France, of course, they have banned schoolgirls from wearing head-scarves in schools - a determined move to impose a French secularity on the education system.
IMO: Never mind just headscarves, if a Muslim woman wanted to get a job in some firms in the South of France my understanding is that she was not allowed to wear any knickers and indeed obliged automatically to expose herself personally when a director of the firm required it, which was often. Plenty did, it seems, as they needed the work. This appeared in the foreign Press. But up to what point, when foreign mores conflict with local mores in any country do disagreements have to respect the HOST country? One of my relatives spent some time in the Gulf states and he found he was not allowed to bring his idols, which he worshipped, to that country. He returned home with enough money to support his family for awhile but died a broken man, to say it short. His case was certainly genuine but I don't know about the situation of Muslim women, probably born in the UK, who for god knows what reasons decide to wear a veil because their grannie in Pakistan did, and possibly because of the onset of puberty etc. I think the real problem, and the problem that I am sure many UK people have, is that local religious values in the UK are being hijacked by a bunch of militants with grievances. It is like the gay clergy issue. Apart from a few gloomy 'gay' clergy, some of whom I have met, that whole thing was started by some 'gay' militants with chips on their shoulder who had no true interest whatever in religious observances. The Anglican commination (or cursing) service sounds a good remedy for those types, and in the past I have heard both the commination and at least one reasonable rumoured permanent expulsion of a churchgoer. MCC don't seem to do a lot of business, and that is your answer there. Effectively these so called religious 'gays' were and are simply malicious. Each case should be dealt with sympathetically and individually and to do so could help us all to make the UK a country where anyone can reasonably be proud to live in. On the basis of the 'gay clergy' problems results so far, this is not going to happen. I am not anti-anything usual, just looking at facts.
Substantial lumps of matter teleported.
The experiment, at the Niels Bohr Institute at Copenhagen University in Denmark, involved for the first time a macroscopic atomic object containing thousands of billions of atoms. They also teleported the information a distance of half a meter but believe it can be extended further. This has often been done for single atoms but AFAIK this is the first time a lot of matter has been moved.
Quantum theorists often use many-worlds theory as an explanation of this phenomenon. The effect has been realised to exist for many years now.
IMO: Don't beam me up yet Scottie, you go first.
Quantum theorists often use many-worlds theory as an explanation of this phenomenon. The effect has been realised to exist for many years now.
IMO: Don't beam me up yet Scottie, you go first.
Stiff prison penalties for bad web coding in USA
Meta tag abusers face 20 years in prison
"Whoever knowingly embeds words or digital images into the source code of a website with the intent to deceive a person into viewing material constituting obscenity shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 10 years," says the bill.
IMO: So now you know. But this could also have a substantial effect on search engine firms and commercial advertisers. Obviously it could also unreasonably infringe civil liberties, and even personal bloggers and practical jokers. I suppose we have to wait to see how the law is applied. 'Hard cases make bad law' but US case law seems full of that. Bear in mind also varying definitions of obscenity. I am not sure whether pictures of the 'great prophet' qualify.
"Whoever knowingly embeds words or digital images into the source code of a website with the intent to deceive a person into viewing material constituting obscenity shall be fined under this title and imprisoned for not more than 10 years," says the bill.
IMO: So now you know. But this could also have a substantial effect on search engine firms and commercial advertisers. Obviously it could also unreasonably infringe civil liberties, and even personal bloggers and practical jokers. I suppose we have to wait to see how the law is applied. 'Hard cases make bad law' but US case law seems full of that. Bear in mind also varying definitions of obscenity. I am not sure whether pictures of the 'great prophet' qualify.
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Steam-powered laptops ?
Hopefully the power unit is to be built on a silicon chip at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the engine is about the size of a 50p piece. It basically consists of a compressor, a combustion chamber and a spinning turbine. Etched silicon is used to construct it. The resulting microengine is made up of six silicon wafers piled on top of each other and bonded together. To bring down costs, up to 100 components are made on one large wafer and cut into individual units. The process begins with a tiny combustion chamber where fuel and air mix and burn at the melting point of steel. Turbine blades spin at 20,000 revolutions per second.
A mini-generator produces 10 watts of power and a tiny compressor raises the pressure of air in preparation for combustion. The cooling process is managed by sending the compression air around the outside of the combustor.
Separately it has apparently been proved that all the parts work so the challenge now is to test an integrated chip and it is hoped that a successful model, which may eventually lead to a steam powered unit, will be available by the end of this year.
A mini-generator produces 10 watts of power and a tiny compressor raises the pressure of air in preparation for combustion. The cooling process is managed by sending the compression air around the outside of the combustor.
Separately it has apparently been proved that all the parts work so the challenge now is to test an integrated chip and it is hoped that a successful model, which may eventually lead to a steam powered unit, will be available by the end of this year.
N. Korea again
From "Asia Times" Korea Oct 5, 2006
"The "isolation" of North Korea that most experts predict would probably not last beyond the first round of shrill denunciations and recriminations, after which China and South Korea would resume business as usual, while Japan and the US would follow through on threats to tighten their own sanctions. Militarily, nothing much would happen beyond "states of emergency".
In terms of the actual security of the region, however, a test could put surrounding nations on a terrifying trajectory of a nuclear arms race. Japan, besides giving up all pretense of a "peace constitution", could rev up as a military superpower facing not just North Korea but China. North Korea, moreover, could increase exports of nuclear technology and components to Iran and other likely markets."
IMO: However it works, if China is not a bit less casual with its external relations it faces the real possibility of a real nuclear attack. And we need to remember that the clampdown on trade by the 'ugly Americans', too dishonest even to pay their embassy car parking bills in London, will certainly include an attempted clampdown on all those phony N. Korean made $100 bills, narcotics and weapons. Iranian druggies will tremble, literally !
"The "isolation" of North Korea that most experts predict would probably not last beyond the first round of shrill denunciations and recriminations, after which China and South Korea would resume business as usual, while Japan and the US would follow through on threats to tighten their own sanctions. Militarily, nothing much would happen beyond "states of emergency".
In terms of the actual security of the region, however, a test could put surrounding nations on a terrifying trajectory of a nuclear arms race. Japan, besides giving up all pretense of a "peace constitution", could rev up as a military superpower facing not just North Korea but China. North Korea, moreover, could increase exports of nuclear technology and components to Iran and other likely markets."
IMO: However it works, if China is not a bit less casual with its external relations it faces the real possibility of a real nuclear attack. And we need to remember that the clampdown on trade by the 'ugly Americans', too dishonest even to pay their embassy car parking bills in London, will certainly include an attempted clampdown on all those phony N. Korean made $100 bills, narcotics and weapons. Iranian druggies will tremble, literally !
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
China calls for calm over N Korea
North Korea announced that it planned to test a nuclear bomb. There have been protests in South Korea against the announcement. China has appealed for calm. The US said such an action would be "provocative", while Japan said it would be "unacceptable".
IMO: Surely what is needed is an element of guile. For example, when North Korea fires a missile, simply hack it to arrive in, say, Shanghai and ensure a very large dirty nuclear detonation. After all, the North Koreans are talking big so lets help them in that way like the Brits helped the Russians with 'Concordski'. I am sure China's 'calm' might then subside. Maybe even more guile is feasible - I would hope so - but at present everyone, including North Korea, appears to be thinking moronically.
IMO: Surely what is needed is an element of guile. For example, when North Korea fires a missile, simply hack it to arrive in, say, Shanghai and ensure a very large dirty nuclear detonation. After all, the North Koreans are talking big so lets help them in that way like the Brits helped the Russians with 'Concordski'. I am sure China's 'calm' might then subside. Maybe even more guile is feasible - I would hope so - but at present everyone, including North Korea, appears to be thinking moronically.
Corrupt USA: Unpaid diplomatic parking tickets as index of national corruption
Cultures of Corruption: Evidence From Diplomatic Parking Tickets," is a paper by Columbia's Ray Fisman and UC Berkeley's Edward Miguel that investigates the number of unpaid diplomatic parking tickets by country to formulate an index of each country's corruption. Diplomats don't pay parking fines, so the only reason for diplomats to follow the law is conscience and respect for the rule of law.
"The worst offenders are the Kuwaitis, whose nine diplomats have racked up 246.2 violations each; then Egypt, with 139.6 violations for 24 diplomats. Canada, Israel, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have no violations at all."
IMO: ""The US Embassy in London now owes £891,000 (that is $1.6 million)., simply for recent ecologically essential vehicle congestion charges. Go figure.
"The worst offenders are the Kuwaitis, whose nine diplomats have racked up 246.2 violations each; then Egypt, with 139.6 violations for 24 diplomats. Canada, Israel, Norway, Sweden, and Denmark have no violations at all."
IMO: ""The US Embassy in London now owes £891,000 (that is $1.6 million)., simply for recent ecologically essential vehicle congestion charges. Go figure.
Sunday, October 01, 2006
How to avoid pollution in Thane during Ganesh festival
Thane is perhaps the only city in Maharashtra where immersions during the Ganpathi festival will be done without any damage to the natural lakes. This prevents nearly 2.5 lakh kg of Plaster Of Paris from entering and contaminating the lakes along with 35000 kg of colour. This is not biodegradable Trenches about 15 feet deep have been dug next to the six big lakes in the city, which are usually used to immerse the idols. This allows immersion of the idols and should be used wherever possible for a happy Ganesh festival.
Aparat from this, Mumbai air is practically unbreathable. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared that those living in areas like Worli, Khar, Andheri, Bhandup, Borivli and Maravli have to watch out because what they are breathing in are poisons like sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3), nitrogen dioxide (NO3), suspended particulate material (SPM) and lead. Nitrogen dioxide levels were exceeded at Khar and Maravli (near Borivli). Ammonia levels were exceeded at Maravli and the level of SPM levels were exceeded at all sites.
Generally, air pollution levels are lower during monsoon and high during winter.
Thane Creek is highly polluted. BOD level increasing by almost five times to 640 mg/lt between 2004-05 and this year. This poses a severe threat to aquatic life in these waters.
SPM (suspended particulate matter) contains dangerous chemicals like Benzo pyrene and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), considered to a potent carcinogenic compound.
Beyond Mumbai, highest SPM levels have been recorded at Pune (very high), Chandrapur, Nashik and Solapur.
Aparat from this, Mumbai air is practically unbreathable. Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has declared that those living in areas like Worli, Khar, Andheri, Bhandup, Borivli and Maravli have to watch out because what they are breathing in are poisons like sulphur dioxide (SO2), ammonia (NH3), nitrogen dioxide (NO3), suspended particulate material (SPM) and lead. Nitrogen dioxide levels were exceeded at Khar and Maravli (near Borivli). Ammonia levels were exceeded at Maravli and the level of SPM levels were exceeded at all sites.
Generally, air pollution levels are lower during monsoon and high during winter.
Thane Creek is highly polluted. BOD level increasing by almost five times to 640 mg/lt between 2004-05 and this year. This poses a severe threat to aquatic life in these waters.
SPM (suspended particulate matter) contains dangerous chemicals like Benzo pyrene and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH), considered to a potent carcinogenic compound.
Beyond Mumbai, highest SPM levels have been recorded at Pune (very high), Chandrapur, Nashik and Solapur.
Subscribe to Posts [Atom]
