Thursday, July 31, 2008
ISI accused by US
Pakistan says its intelligence agents have been accused by the US of alerting al-Qaeda linked militants before the US launches missile attacks against them. Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said members of Inter-Services Intelligence were accused of "tipping off" militants before strikes in the tribal areas.
The US no longer gives Pakistan advance notice when it targets militants in tribal areas, correspondents say.
IMO: A lot of people having been saying this for years.
American unhappiness with Pakistan's recently-elected civilian government could also embarrass President Musharraf and the Pakistani army, in addition to raising new concerns about the stability of the nuclear-armed state.
IMO: If the Paks cleaned up their army and ISI it could help peace locally and ideally benefit everyone, other than mainly the troublemakers. I'd like to see Pakistan join the India Free Trade Area in the long term.
Pakistan says its intelligence agents have been accused by the US of alerting al-Qaeda linked militants before the US launches missile attacks against them. Defence Minister Ahmed Mukhtar said members of Inter-Services Intelligence were accused of "tipping off" militants before strikes in the tribal areas.
The US no longer gives Pakistan advance notice when it targets militants in tribal areas, correspondents say.
IMO: A lot of people having been saying this for years.
American unhappiness with Pakistan's recently-elected civilian government could also embarrass President Musharraf and the Pakistani army, in addition to raising new concerns about the stability of the nuclear-armed state.
IMO: If the Paks cleaned up their army and ISI it could help peace locally and ideally benefit everyone, other than mainly the troublemakers. I'd like to see Pakistan join the India Free Trade Area in the long term.
Eco-Nano proceeding
The Eco-nano is still proceeding, Electric car fuelled by compressed air, mentoned earlier in this blog. Tata Motors also announced earlier this year it is in talks with Chrysler on developing electric vehicles.
In India, there are seven motorcycles sold for every car, according to the World Bank. An all-electric or efficient diesel option would certainly decrease from those concerns. However, with India being coal powered, and lagging on emissions standards, it's not clear how much greener these cars really will be.
But for the first time since the project got under way in January last year, Tata Motors recently signalled they may be reaching the end of their tether."Well, we are continuing as long as our patience lasts," says Ravi Kant, MD, Tata Motors. The Tata Motors' project has been said to be the biggest feather in Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's cap. But that is showing dangerous signs of getting mired in deep trouble.
IMO: Lets hope a less polluting vehicle succeeds. But the Marxists at any rate, seem to have been handling the Singur and Nandigram projects badly and on the face of it, it looks like bad use of fertile delta land for an industrial project which presumably could have been built on non agriculatural land. Also what about the peasants and will India ever get clean electric power, 123 and all that, they still do not seem to have made best use of Mumbai track quadrupling, many partly blame lack of electric energy - and undoubtely there is that.
The Eco-nano is still proceeding, Electric car fuelled by compressed air, mentoned earlier in this blog. Tata Motors also announced earlier this year it is in talks with Chrysler on developing electric vehicles.
In India, there are seven motorcycles sold for every car, according to the World Bank. An all-electric or efficient diesel option would certainly decrease from those concerns. However, with India being coal powered, and lagging on emissions standards, it's not clear how much greener these cars really will be.
But for the first time since the project got under way in January last year, Tata Motors recently signalled they may be reaching the end of their tether."Well, we are continuing as long as our patience lasts," says Ravi Kant, MD, Tata Motors. The Tata Motors' project has been said to be the biggest feather in Buddhadeb Bhattacharya's cap. But that is showing dangerous signs of getting mired in deep trouble.
IMO: Lets hope a less polluting vehicle succeeds. But the Marxists at any rate, seem to have been handling the Singur and Nandigram projects badly and on the face of it, it looks like bad use of fertile delta land for an industrial project which presumably could have been built on non agriculatural land. Also what about the peasants and will India ever get clean electric power, 123 and all that, they still do not seem to have made best use of Mumbai track quadrupling, many partly blame lack of electric energy - and undoubtely there is that.
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Odd behaviour in Nottingham
University of Nottingham: Grad students researching terrorism aren't allowed to look at terrorist documents on US anti-terror gov't sites.
University of Nottingham has decided that its students and staff have 'no "right"' to possess terrorism-related materials for the purposes of research, such as al-Qaeda training manuals freely available for download from US Government websites. You may know that one Nottingham postgrad student and a clerk were held under the Terrorism Act for doing just this earlier this year, before being released without charge (though the clerk now faces deportation)- the uni has now made it clear that it fully supports these actions, and says that the student has no reason to possess such material. He's researching Islamic terrorism. A letter from the Uni.warned the student that he risked re-arrest if found with the manual again
IMO: This seems bizarre behaviour by the Uni. as how can he study terrorism there without the documents. Sounds like usual logrolling perhaps from another group or Uni Department. Maybe he has a legal case for damages against the Uni. who wasted his time.
Uni is now being called "The University of Too Stupid to be Believed." on major blogs like Boeing-Boeing.
IMO: There may be a reason and this should be examined. For example the student may have been drawn into believing the presumably alleged propaganda or it may even be true. For example, on 9-11 a lot of people must have had genuine grievances against the World Trade Centre and that is often forgotten, But any student of economics must be aware of these ethical misgivings and be competent to bear them in mind. The same may not be true of Uni administrators and that is the rub. But Gordon Brown, who didn't lose an eye for no reason, should be competent enough to ensure an investigation into the matter if it is needed, which could be valuable if it gives us further ways to handle such incidents in the future with a view to less loss of life
University of Nottingham: Grad students researching terrorism aren't allowed to look at terrorist documents on US anti-terror gov't sites.
University of Nottingham has decided that its students and staff have 'no "right"' to possess terrorism-related materials for the purposes of research, such as al-Qaeda training manuals freely available for download from US Government websites. You may know that one Nottingham postgrad student and a clerk were held under the Terrorism Act for doing just this earlier this year, before being released without charge (though the clerk now faces deportation)- the uni has now made it clear that it fully supports these actions, and says that the student has no reason to possess such material. He's researching Islamic terrorism. A letter from the Uni.warned the student that he risked re-arrest if found with the manual again
IMO: This seems bizarre behaviour by the Uni. as how can he study terrorism there without the documents. Sounds like usual logrolling perhaps from another group or Uni Department. Maybe he has a legal case for damages against the Uni. who wasted his time.
Uni is now being called "The University of Too Stupid to be Believed." on major blogs like Boeing-Boeing.
IMO: There may be a reason and this should be examined. For example the student may have been drawn into believing the presumably alleged propaganda or it may even be true. For example, on 9-11 a lot of people must have had genuine grievances against the World Trade Centre and that is often forgotten, But any student of economics must be aware of these ethical misgivings and be competent to bear them in mind. The same may not be true of Uni administrators and that is the rub. But Gordon Brown, who didn't lose an eye for no reason, should be competent enough to ensure an investigation into the matter if it is needed, which could be valuable if it gives us further ways to handle such incidents in the future with a view to less loss of life
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Current Indian Bombings
It is said that recent bomb escapades were hatched in Vadorada . A month ago there was a SIMI meetig there. 18 bombs defused so far.
On June 25, five SIMI activists were detained after a meeting in the house of one Altaf Sheikh in Vadodara's Yakubpura area.
The police say that stolen WagonRs have entered the city of Vadodara not once but twice. The forged number plates of the two seized WagonRs belong to two Vadodara two-wheelers.
Also, the bombs were wrapped in newspapers with Vadodara datelines. The newspapers were dated May 13, June 11 and June 30, suggesting that Vadodara was the base where the bombs were assembled and that too a month ago.
Sources claim the police have detained an RTO agent from Mumbai in connection with the serial blasts, but it may be Vadodara that now holds the answers that the Gujarat Police is desperately looking for.
Addul Halim, a suspected member of the outlawed Students Islamic Movment of India (SIMI), arrested in connection with the serial bombings in Ahmedabad was on Monday remanded in 14 days' police custody.
In Tamil Nadu, the police have arrested two suspected terrorists in connection with the blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Qazi Rahim, 31, and K Abdul Kader, 27, were being taken to Tirunelveli for further questioning.
It is said that recent bomb escapades were hatched in Vadorada . A month ago there was a SIMI meetig there. 18 bombs defused so far.
On June 25, five SIMI activists were detained after a meeting in the house of one Altaf Sheikh in Vadodara's Yakubpura area.
The police say that stolen WagonRs have entered the city of Vadodara not once but twice. The forged number plates of the two seized WagonRs belong to two Vadodara two-wheelers.
Also, the bombs were wrapped in newspapers with Vadodara datelines. The newspapers were dated May 13, June 11 and June 30, suggesting that Vadodara was the base where the bombs were assembled and that too a month ago.
Sources claim the police have detained an RTO agent from Mumbai in connection with the serial blasts, but it may be Vadodara that now holds the answers that the Gujarat Police is desperately looking for.
Addul Halim, a suspected member of the outlawed Students Islamic Movment of India (SIMI), arrested in connection with the serial bombings in Ahmedabad was on Monday remanded in 14 days' police custody.
In Tamil Nadu, the police have arrested two suspected terrorists in connection with the blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad. Qazi Rahim, 31, and K Abdul Kader, 27, were being taken to Tirunelveli for further questioning.
Raj must see India beyond Maharashtra : SC
DELHI : The Supreme Court on Monday gave a go ahead to the Jharkhand Police to prosecute Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for the alleged inflammatory speeches which had caused widespread attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra.
Thackeray had moved the Jharkhand High Court which dropped the charges under Section 153 A and B of IPC but maintained the charges under Section 504 of IPC against the MNS chief.
It deals with intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace. The MNS chief had challenged high court order in the apex court.
IMO: Therefore the court just seems to be denying Thackeray's claim of lack of territorial jurisdiction. Raj seems to have said he wanted North Indians cut to pieces and sent home in boxes, and suchlike. The Americans are saying this about people all the time, in fact I have read 6 blogs in the last 5 minutes where US people suggest such things. And what is more USA does it, and often do not even supply coffins.Those I read about being internationally threatened were often Indians. Hard to draw the line, evidently. The courts should obviously make it clear where the line is to be drawn. The UK people are trying very hard to do so and encounter many comments that freedom of speech is being stifled thereby. Years ago such matters were simply the province of pipesucking intellectuals but perhaps today it is all a genuine problem and puts one in mind of the Weimar republic.
DELHI : The Supreme Court on Monday gave a go ahead to the Jharkhand Police to prosecute Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray for the alleged inflammatory speeches which had caused widespread attacks on north Indians in Maharashtra.
Thackeray had moved the Jharkhand High Court which dropped the charges under Section 153 A and B of IPC but maintained the charges under Section 504 of IPC against the MNS chief.
It deals with intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace. The MNS chief had challenged high court order in the apex court.
IMO: Therefore the court just seems to be denying Thackeray's claim of lack of territorial jurisdiction. Raj seems to have said he wanted North Indians cut to pieces and sent home in boxes, and suchlike. The Americans are saying this about people all the time, in fact I have read 6 blogs in the last 5 minutes where US people suggest such things. And what is more USA does it, and often do not even supply coffins.Those I read about being internationally threatened were often Indians. Hard to draw the line, evidently. The courts should obviously make it clear where the line is to be drawn. The UK people are trying very hard to do so and encounter many comments that freedom of speech is being stifled thereby. Years ago such matters were simply the province of pipesucking intellectuals but perhaps today it is all a genuine problem and puts one in mind of the Weimar republic.
Monday, July 28, 2008
ISI: A state within a state
Pakistan Tribune said on 29 July: The way in which memorandum for transferring the control of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) from the Cabinet Division to the Interior Division was issued and then withdrawn in less than twenty-four hours in the absence of the prime minister is yet another example of the ISI’s being a state within a state. The memorandum, issued the day the prime minister left Islamabad for Washington, said: “In terms of Rule 3(3) of the Rules of Business of 1973, the prime minister has approved the placement of the Intelligence Bureau and the Inter-Services Intelligence under the administrative, financial and operational control of the Interior Division with immediate effect.”
Pakistan Daily Times says: "A typical Taliban commander is a warlord with fewer than a hundred armed men. He pays them with money earned from drugs or extortion. He takes over an area, ruthlessly imposes taxes, administers summary and brutal justice, and declares himself the ruler. He murders his opponents and kidnaps others for ransom. Any Pakistani soldiers captured are slaughtered in the most barbaric way”.
IMO: Some feel that Pakistan should do something useful and constructive about the ISI (like killing or jailing all of them) or face an end to Pakistan as even a token state. And if the Pakistani army do not like it, they may be fools to themselves, deserving of fool's teatment. But basically better internal Pakistan politics may be the key.
Pakistan Tribune said on 29 July: The way in which memorandum for transferring the control of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) from the Cabinet Division to the Interior Division was issued and then withdrawn in less than twenty-four hours in the absence of the prime minister is yet another example of the ISI’s being a state within a state. The memorandum, issued the day the prime minister left Islamabad for Washington, said: “In terms of Rule 3(3) of the Rules of Business of 1973, the prime minister has approved the placement of the Intelligence Bureau and the Inter-Services Intelligence under the administrative, financial and operational control of the Interior Division with immediate effect.”
Pakistan Daily Times says: "A typical Taliban commander is a warlord with fewer than a hundred armed men. He pays them with money earned from drugs or extortion. He takes over an area, ruthlessly imposes taxes, administers summary and brutal justice, and declares himself the ruler. He murders his opponents and kidnaps others for ransom. Any Pakistani soldiers captured are slaughtered in the most barbaric way”.
IMO: Some feel that Pakistan should do something useful and constructive about the ISI (like killing or jailing all of them) or face an end to Pakistan as even a token state. And if the Pakistani army do not like it, they may be fools to themselves, deserving of fool's teatment. But basically better internal Pakistan politics may be the key.
China's human rights
Promises broken and Olympic values betrayed, says new Amnesty report, details and URL to pdf download here.
Amnesty say: THINGS ARE WORSE THAN THEY WERE BEFORE CHINA PROMISED TO CLEAN UP THEIR ACT FOR THE OLYMPICS.
IMO: Hitler's Olympics at least was a promise to help Germans, however bad and badly conceived. On the basis of Amnesty, China's Olympics is just an appalling cover up and tolerance could be truly disastrous, worse than Hitler.
The Chinese authorities have broken their promise to improve the country's human rights situation and betrayed the core values of the Olympics, said Amnesty International in a new report published today, marking the 10-day countdown to the Games.
China is a very poor country and what is worse, extremely corrupt.
We should be looking at China's human rights record. In the long term to improve this may improve things for China as well as everyone else
I believe Royal Bank of Scotland bought 5% of Bank of China. I should think that in some ways, Barings (I presume the rump of Barings if there is one is with ABN-Amro; I cannot remember when there were NOT security complaints about that wretched Bank) must have looked a better deal.
IMO: Anyway, if you are into protesting, Amnesty seem to think that this is a good time to complain aboout China.
Promises broken and Olympic values betrayed, says new Amnesty report, details and URL to pdf download here.
Amnesty say: THINGS ARE WORSE THAN THEY WERE BEFORE CHINA PROMISED TO CLEAN UP THEIR ACT FOR THE OLYMPICS.
IMO: Hitler's Olympics at least was a promise to help Germans, however bad and badly conceived. On the basis of Amnesty, China's Olympics is just an appalling cover up and tolerance could be truly disastrous, worse than Hitler.
The Chinese authorities have broken their promise to improve the country's human rights situation and betrayed the core values of the Olympics, said Amnesty International in a new report published today, marking the 10-day countdown to the Games.
China is a very poor country and what is worse, extremely corrupt.
We should be looking at China's human rights record. In the long term to improve this may improve things for China as well as everyone else
I believe Royal Bank of Scotland bought 5% of Bank of China. I should think that in some ways, Barings (I presume the rump of Barings if there is one is with ABN-Amro; I cannot remember when there were NOT security complaints about that wretched Bank) must have looked a better deal.
IMO: Anyway, if you are into protesting, Amnesty seem to think that this is a good time to complain aboout China.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Current Indian bombings
The.intelligence community believes the serial blasts of Bangalore and Ahmedabad were executed by a network of Wahabi fundamentalists masquerading as Indian Mujahideen
This terror network started by organizing blasts at holy places of rival Barelvi Muslims like the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Over the past five years the Wahabis, who are heavily funded by so-called religious puritans in Saudi Arabia, have been conducting a high-intensity propaganda war within the Muslim community against so-called un-Islamic practices.
Thousands of publications have been brought out by them to convince Muslims to follow the path of "true Islam". Members of several front organizations also visit homes to convince people to abandon "non-Islamic rituals".
IMO: There has been for many years in the UK a suggestion that if you want to be a successful criminal, become a Muslim. That is not well known in the non Muslim community, or probably indeed to lawful people anywhere. It is true enough, but very unfair by implication to many non-criminal Muslims. The suggestion is that the next phase of bombings may be in Kerala. I am very sorry for the killed and injured and the bombings seem outside the spirit of ANY of the major organised religions, all of whom, mainly Muslims and Hindus, seem to be getting hit by these bombs. One would guess Wahabis are responsible of course, but who knows. One thing is sure, I have heard some of this Wahabi stuff and I would stick to regular worship of whatever kind, Muslim, Hindu or Christian, or indeed agnostic or atheist rather than Wahabi just because it is Wahabi. Indeed good Wahabis themselves have said to me that of the three major reasons to become a (presumably Wahabi) Muslim - by force, for personal gain, or because of faith, that faith is definitely uncommon and this suggests a lot.
The.intelligence community believes the serial blasts of Bangalore and Ahmedabad were executed by a network of Wahabi fundamentalists masquerading as Indian Mujahideen
This terror network started by organizing blasts at holy places of rival Barelvi Muslims like the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, Rajasthan. Over the past five years the Wahabis, who are heavily funded by so-called religious puritans in Saudi Arabia, have been conducting a high-intensity propaganda war within the Muslim community against so-called un-Islamic practices.
Thousands of publications have been brought out by them to convince Muslims to follow the path of "true Islam". Members of several front organizations also visit homes to convince people to abandon "non-Islamic rituals".
IMO: There has been for many years in the UK a suggestion that if you want to be a successful criminal, become a Muslim. That is not well known in the non Muslim community, or probably indeed to lawful people anywhere. It is true enough, but very unfair by implication to many non-criminal Muslims. The suggestion is that the next phase of bombings may be in Kerala. I am very sorry for the killed and injured and the bombings seem outside the spirit of ANY of the major organised religions, all of whom, mainly Muslims and Hindus, seem to be getting hit by these bombs. One would guess Wahabis are responsible of course, but who knows. One thing is sure, I have heard some of this Wahabi stuff and I would stick to regular worship of whatever kind, Muslim, Hindu or Christian, or indeed agnostic or atheist rather than Wahabi just because it is Wahabi. Indeed good Wahabis themselves have said to me that of the three major reasons to become a (presumably Wahabi) Muslim - by force, for personal gain, or because of faith, that faith is definitely uncommon and this suggests a lot.
Bullying kids may lead to suicide choice
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found signs of an apparent connection between bullying, being bullied and suicide in children, according to a new review of studies from 13 countries. Results complex.
IMO: UK schools may cause more deaths than knife crime. In Australia, teachers used to be called "kidwhackers". Too true.
Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found signs of an apparent connection between bullying, being bullied and suicide in children, according to a new review of studies from 13 countries. Results complex.
IMO: UK schools may cause more deaths than knife crime. In Australia, teachers used to be called "kidwhackers". Too true.
Max Mosley again
By dragging his sex life through the courts he only made it more painful for his family. Justice Eady, who handed down the judgement, has effectively championed the right of the rich and famous to carry on however they like, without any decent code of morality. It's like turning the clock back to the days when the Establishment looked after itself - go hang the rest of us.
IMO: Eady should have to pay for this. My blog, 'Private Eye' and others have often written about Eady and his ilk You'd think the Mirror or some other popular paper could make it hot for him and/or similar Judges.
By dragging his sex life through the courts he only made it more painful for his family. Justice Eady, who handed down the judgement, has effectively championed the right of the rich and famous to carry on however they like, without any decent code of morality. It's like turning the clock back to the days when the Establishment looked after itself - go hang the rest of us.
IMO: Eady should have to pay for this. My blog, 'Private Eye' and others have often written about Eady and his ilk You'd think the Mirror or some other popular paper could make it hot for him and/or similar Judges.
More Thoughts on Religion 2.0
Quick and perhaps unclarified notes:
A podcast on BBC Forum at http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/forum/forum_20080725-1700.mp3 goes a short way, almost certainly wihout that intent, to breaking ground on the contentious topic of Religion 2.0, an idea which must obviously relate to science, as in essence the existence of Religion 2.0 depends on the existence of science for it to be there in the first place, and for many individuals Religion 2.0 can be a contender with science for prime place. That is something which appears totally obnoxious to some people in all camps, and a fact which can also obviously lead to facile, immature and irrelevant suggestions, or can seem to do so.
By the way I do not accept or agree with many of the comments in the podcast. But the podcast seems relevant to Religion 2.0 and is thus of interest.
Be that as it may, the first section seriously has worries with modern Islam (as I do too) and I am certainly saddened by the large sums of money which have led the way into what looks like the beginning of the disintegration of a great faith. But unfortunately I see the thrust of Mona Siddiqui's argumentation as in itself leading closer to a sort of 'God of the Gaps' idea or indeed to hypostatisation. Certainly Siddiqui moves, but, as is so often the case, not altogether in the right way.
In later sections I am somehow reminded of D.H. Lawrence's book 'Kangaroo'. Fine ideals but so out of tune with the true local context, often almost laughably - though Parkes has doubtless written a fine book nonetheless. There seems to be misplacement of identity more like anomie than anything we would really benefit from. The idea "If you think too much you go mad" certainly fits in with what is happening though of course that is not to say that we should not think a lot.
Then of course there is "passionate rationalism" but my feeling is that the trend of the discussion is more towards anomie than syncretism, and syncretism is something which I have always seen as useful and rational though the participants of the group all seem to lack the qualities of self-denial that can make syncretism truly work. That is not a criticism - we may reasonably argue that such a discussion must pertain very closely to the academic and analytic, expecially where science is concerned. But to bring the matters down to such factors as neocolonialism - which certainly exists - is probably to nice down the discussion unduly.
Then almost inevitably there is a discussion of Plato's 'Symposium'. When I was a schoolkid, the more intellectual children used to read Plato's 'Symposium' a lot and enjoyed it for some reason, but the panel almost looked at it through Jungian eyes. Given the 'Symposium' is effectively almost being used as an analogy, it is quite good but a more modern approach, rather like a modern version of Jung's histological idea of Freud's 'Oedipus Stain' might have worked better, I do not know. But by this time they have truly oversimplified from the viewpoint of Religion 2.0 IMO. But they are clearly looking for 'something' - flux ? the human state ? something missing ? even Allah as 'God of the Gaps' ? I think none of these, but I would like to see Religion 2.0 take its true position some time, as an analytic computer tool perhaps. But then the tendency is for all to say 'but NOTHING MORE than an analytical tool'. Why not ? An interesting question, for which we should perhaps not seem to look to soon for an answer, positive or negative.
Quick and perhaps unclarified notes:
A podcast on BBC Forum at http://downloads.bbc.co.uk/podcasts/worldservice/forum/forum_20080725-1700.mp3 goes a short way, almost certainly wihout that intent, to breaking ground on the contentious topic of Religion 2.0, an idea which must obviously relate to science, as in essence the existence of Religion 2.0 depends on the existence of science for it to be there in the first place, and for many individuals Religion 2.0 can be a contender with science for prime place. That is something which appears totally obnoxious to some people in all camps, and a fact which can also obviously lead to facile, immature and irrelevant suggestions, or can seem to do so.
By the way I do not accept or agree with many of the comments in the podcast. But the podcast seems relevant to Religion 2.0 and is thus of interest.
Be that as it may, the first section seriously has worries with modern Islam (as I do too) and I am certainly saddened by the large sums of money which have led the way into what looks like the beginning of the disintegration of a great faith. But unfortunately I see the thrust of Mona Siddiqui's argumentation as in itself leading closer to a sort of 'God of the Gaps' idea or indeed to hypostatisation. Certainly Siddiqui moves, but, as is so often the case, not altogether in the right way.
In later sections I am somehow reminded of D.H. Lawrence's book 'Kangaroo'. Fine ideals but so out of tune with the true local context, often almost laughably - though Parkes has doubtless written a fine book nonetheless. There seems to be misplacement of identity more like anomie than anything we would really benefit from. The idea "If you think too much you go mad" certainly fits in with what is happening though of course that is not to say that we should not think a lot.
Then of course there is "passionate rationalism" but my feeling is that the trend of the discussion is more towards anomie than syncretism, and syncretism is something which I have always seen as useful and rational though the participants of the group all seem to lack the qualities of self-denial that can make syncretism truly work. That is not a criticism - we may reasonably argue that such a discussion must pertain very closely to the academic and analytic, expecially where science is concerned. But to bring the matters down to such factors as neocolonialism - which certainly exists - is probably to nice down the discussion unduly.
Then almost inevitably there is a discussion of Plato's 'Symposium'. When I was a schoolkid, the more intellectual children used to read Plato's 'Symposium' a lot and enjoyed it for some reason, but the panel almost looked at it through Jungian eyes. Given the 'Symposium' is effectively almost being used as an analogy, it is quite good but a more modern approach, rather like a modern version of Jung's histological idea of Freud's 'Oedipus Stain' might have worked better, I do not know. But by this time they have truly oversimplified from the viewpoint of Religion 2.0 IMO. But they are clearly looking for 'something' - flux ? the human state ? something missing ? even Allah as 'God of the Gaps' ? I think none of these, but I would like to see Religion 2.0 take its true position some time, as an analytic computer tool perhaps. But then the tendency is for all to say 'but NOTHING MORE than an analytical tool'. Why not ? An interesting question, for which we should perhaps not seem to look to soon for an answer, positive or negative.
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Drunk British women homicide
Two drunk British females, 26 and 27, put air passengers at risk by trying to open the plane doors at high altitude. One of them was lashing out with a vodka bottle after being refused more booze and the other went to the emergency exit yelling "I want some fresh air". Flight attendants grappled with the drunken pair and they were evenetually cuffed.
A spokesman at Frankfurt Airport said: "This was a most serious situation. If that door had been opened at 30,000 feet probably everyone on board would have died."
IMO: These women will probably get accolades from their drunken peers when they return home. It is true that high altitude can sometimes enhance alcohol problems, but both airline and crew should be able to deal with this, easily and in advance. I would seriously consider cancelling any flights on XL Airways and any similar carrier until Gordon Brown gets this problem sorted out. In the meantime, emailing the appropriate authorities and ringing the airline may improve British sobriety and security on these flights. The British (or so-called Balaraki Baradery) are notorious for their drunken behaviour and need firm handling.
Two drunk British females, 26 and 27, put air passengers at risk by trying to open the plane doors at high altitude. One of them was lashing out with a vodka bottle after being refused more booze and the other went to the emergency exit yelling "I want some fresh air". Flight attendants grappled with the drunken pair and they were evenetually cuffed.
A spokesman at Frankfurt Airport said: "This was a most serious situation. If that door had been opened at 30,000 feet probably everyone on board would have died."
IMO: These women will probably get accolades from their drunken peers when they return home. It is true that high altitude can sometimes enhance alcohol problems, but both airline and crew should be able to deal with this, easily and in advance. I would seriously consider cancelling any flights on XL Airways and any similar carrier until Gordon Brown gets this problem sorted out. In the meantime, emailing the appropriate authorities and ringing the airline may improve British sobriety and security on these flights. The British (or so-called Balaraki Baradery) are notorious for their drunken behaviour and need firm handling.
Orlin Grabbe
The great American Orlin Grabbe, now sadly deceased, of course lives in all our hearts.
But it was with great joy that I recently discovered that there is now a tribute site (perhaps unsuitable for workplace, depending where you work) at http://www.orlingrabbe.com/homepage.html There is a mission statement on the site, describing its aims..
IMO: I certainly hope very much that it continues. Obviously no-one will agree with all the stuff on the site, but overall it is a great site
The great American Orlin Grabbe, now sadly deceased, of course lives in all our hearts.
But it was with great joy that I recently discovered that there is now a tribute site (perhaps unsuitable for workplace, depending where you work) at http://www.orlingrabbe.com/homepage.html There is a mission statement on the site, describing its aims..
IMO: I certainly hope very much that it continues. Obviously no-one will agree with all the stuff on the site, but overall it is a great site
Friday, July 25, 2008
MI5 Outsourcing Torture
July 16: MI5 is allegedly outsourcing the torture of British Nationals to Pakistani Agencies. John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, and Andrew Tyrie, Conservative member for Chichester, have said that the reports of abuse must be examined by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which oversees the security agencies. A student was allegedly whipped, beaten, deprived of sleep and threatened with execution..
The student had been held as part of investigations into the suicide attacks in July that year, and claims he was questioned by British intelligence officers after being tortured by Pakistani agents. He was then released to his father.John McDonnell said: “I believe there is now sufficient evidence from this and other cases to demonstrate that British officials outsourced the torture of British nationals to a Pakistani intelligence agency.”
July 16: MI5 is allegedly outsourcing the torture of British Nationals to Pakistani Agencies. John McDonnell, Labour MP for Hayes and Harlington, and Andrew Tyrie, Conservative member for Chichester, have said that the reports of abuse must be examined by the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), which oversees the security agencies. A student was allegedly whipped, beaten, deprived of sleep and threatened with execution..
The student had been held as part of investigations into the suicide attacks in July that year, and claims he was questioned by British intelligence officers after being tortured by Pakistani agents. He was then released to his father.John McDonnell said: “I believe there is now sufficient evidence from this and other cases to demonstrate that British officials outsourced the torture of British nationals to a Pakistani intelligence agency.”
Virar-Vasai commuters stall train services, damage railway property
Corrupt central Government has been very frequently apprised of the bad services, and despite the track quadrupling, much of the time only two tracks are used. Usual train problems set passengers on a trail of destruction and vandalism at Nallasopara railway. Nallasopara Municipal Council President Umesh Naik said a crowd of around 100-150 protestors ransacked the office at 11 am. “They damaged windowpanes and a civic official’s car,” he said. Railway and police staff could do little to stop the protestors who blocked the tracks with cement slabs and rocks. At Virar, angry commuters then blocked the tracks of the 8.54 am Churchgate local and the 9.02 am Dadar local, refusing to budge. A few hundred protestors were on the tracks for hours, eyewitnesses said.
RN Sharma, professor and dean at the School of Social Sciences, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) says the mob fury at the railway stations was a manifestation of their rage, a reaction that was an outlet for their frustration. “Day to day life is full of struggle and urban life has become hostile in metropolises like Mumbai. Tolerance limits are declining,” Sharma said. “People are just not willing to suffer any more.”
IMO: This is very understandable. In the West they are living in a different world, and the vile, worthless Western troughies can only expect scorn and condemnation from those of us who have to tolerate such conditions - often due to bad Western politicians acting 100% for their own good. I complained to a UK politician about murder attempted in Fulham, London four times in total - I was nearly killed - and so far have had no acceptable response. Many UK people deserve to be strung up.
Corrupt central Government has been very frequently apprised of the bad services, and despite the track quadrupling, much of the time only two tracks are used. Usual train problems set passengers on a trail of destruction and vandalism at Nallasopara railway. Nallasopara Municipal Council President Umesh Naik said a crowd of around 100-150 protestors ransacked the office at 11 am. “They damaged windowpanes and a civic official’s car,” he said. Railway and police staff could do little to stop the protestors who blocked the tracks with cement slabs and rocks. At Virar, angry commuters then blocked the tracks of the 8.54 am Churchgate local and the 9.02 am Dadar local, refusing to budge. A few hundred protestors were on the tracks for hours, eyewitnesses said.
RN Sharma, professor and dean at the School of Social Sciences, Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS) says the mob fury at the railway stations was a manifestation of their rage, a reaction that was an outlet for their frustration. “Day to day life is full of struggle and urban life has become hostile in metropolises like Mumbai. Tolerance limits are declining,” Sharma said. “People are just not willing to suffer any more.”
IMO: This is very understandable. In the West they are living in a different world, and the vile, worthless Western troughies can only expect scorn and condemnation from those of us who have to tolerate such conditions - often due to bad Western politicians acting 100% for their own good. I complained to a UK politician about murder attempted in Fulham, London four times in total - I was nearly killed - and so far have had no acceptable response. Many UK people deserve to be strung up.
Labor's loss in Glasgow East
The Guardian newspaper has quite a collection of twee quotes on this, here.
IMO: I take a different view. Keep Gordon Brown a few months and then get him sacked as PM, if necessary frogmarching him out of No 10 - and replace him with a Labor Prime Minister, probably without an election or a vote. But are Labor strong enough to do this ? And who can replace him ? Some say Hilary Benn or Milliband, others McDonnell or Meacher. But will this help anyway ? Royal Bank of Scotland said in the Daily Telegraph on June 19th that we are heading for a serious global crash very soon, ('keep your money in cash not shares etc'.) hardly Brown's fault and we do need a Labor Govt at such a time. I'm the grandson of a hardworking miner (not from UK) and I see all the above MPs simply as toffs, and probably unacquainted personally with what is going on - except in some spirit of abstract idealism, and/or looking for 'bungs'. Well I see David Cameron has had his bicycle allegedly stolen from outside of Tesco's. I also see he has a large estate and loadsamoney (not obtained by hard work) and believe that somebody has perhaps actually set this theft up as Tory 'spin'. I would feel tempted to give the Libdems a try next time, but it could help if Brown goes in a few months - perhaps back to the Treasury.
The Guardian newspaper has quite a collection of twee quotes on this, here.
IMO: I take a different view. Keep Gordon Brown a few months and then get him sacked as PM, if necessary frogmarching him out of No 10 - and replace him with a Labor Prime Minister, probably without an election or a vote. But are Labor strong enough to do this ? And who can replace him ? Some say Hilary Benn or Milliband, others McDonnell or Meacher. But will this help anyway ? Royal Bank of Scotland said in the Daily Telegraph on June 19th that we are heading for a serious global crash very soon, ('keep your money in cash not shares etc'.) hardly Brown's fault and we do need a Labor Govt at such a time. I'm the grandson of a hardworking miner (not from UK) and I see all the above MPs simply as toffs, and probably unacquainted personally with what is going on - except in some spirit of abstract idealism, and/or looking for 'bungs'. Well I see David Cameron has had his bicycle allegedly stolen from outside of Tesco's. I also see he has a large estate and loadsamoney (not obtained by hard work) and believe that somebody has perhaps actually set this theft up as Tory 'spin'. I would feel tempted to give the Libdems a try next time, but it could help if Brown goes in a few months - perhaps back to the Treasury.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Max Mosely
Mr. Justice Eady awarded the 68-year-old £60,000 damages, dwarfing all earlier privacy ruling damages and prompting fears over the future of legitimate journalist investigations.
IMO: I would not like my private life to be infringed on in this way, and the Eady ruling certainly could prompt papers to seek smaller beer than Max Mosely. NoW itself seem not to have paid off the girls involved as much as they promised to do either, and I gather that this is so typical of Rupert's gutter press and similar publications. At the same time some of the S & M does seem to have involved Nazi style stuff and Mosely is the son of actual anti-Jew fascist Sir Oswald Mosely, a disciple of Adolf Hitler it has been said. In fact I feel more sympathy (not a lot !) for Adolf Hitler, a smart ranting populist politician with clear though unfortunate intent, than I do for an apparent spare time clown like Max Mosely. A bad show all round, and for reasons I now give, still to be taken very seriously.
The ruling was one of a series of findings Justice Eady and other High Court judges have made in recent years in privacy cases against British newspapers under a provision in the 1998 European Convention on Human Rights. Legal experts say the rulings have shifted the balance in Britain in favor of celebrity plaintiffs and against newspapers and other media organizations in invasion-of-privacy cases.
IMO: I would go much further than that.
Claims (including probably by NoW) that the UK judges are now simply sucking up to the Parliament and taking away peoples civil rights and handing them over to faceless corrupt bureaucrats at the request of the PM and troughies like Levy seems to ring true. It is probably for the judges' own benefit as well as because of their incompetence. It seems that Dr. Peter Gauweiler MP (Munich South in Bavaria, Germany), member of the Bavarian conservative party (CSU), filed a constitutional complaint citing the unconstitutionality of the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon. This follows an earlier complaint filed against the rejected Constitutional treaty in 2005. In effect, the process ratifying the Lisbon treaty in German is at a standstill pending the constitutional ruling.
IMO: It does now appear that many judicial rulings in the UK are now bad in both law and fact. I refer specifically to Dr. Dietrich Murswiek's comments to the effect that the Lisbon treaty and the European Constitution treaty are the same, something both I and the Irish voters noted very early on. The UK judges have become total crap on that one as they said the opposite, presumably because Gordon Brown wanted them to do so... In Eady's case this does seem to tie in with other of his rulings, for example the Ehrenfeld ruling which is presently causing much disputation in the USA and could alter the tenuous link between US and UK law adversely. I'd hate to have anything to do with NoW but if I did, I would feel tempted to look into the personal private lives of Judges like Eady.
Mr. Justice Eady awarded the 68-year-old £60,000 damages, dwarfing all earlier privacy ruling damages and prompting fears over the future of legitimate journalist investigations.
IMO: I would not like my private life to be infringed on in this way, and the Eady ruling certainly could prompt papers to seek smaller beer than Max Mosely. NoW itself seem not to have paid off the girls involved as much as they promised to do either, and I gather that this is so typical of Rupert's gutter press and similar publications. At the same time some of the S & M does seem to have involved Nazi style stuff and Mosely is the son of actual anti-Jew fascist Sir Oswald Mosely, a disciple of Adolf Hitler it has been said. In fact I feel more sympathy (not a lot !) for Adolf Hitler, a smart ranting populist politician with clear though unfortunate intent, than I do for an apparent spare time clown like Max Mosely. A bad show all round, and for reasons I now give, still to be taken very seriously.
The ruling was one of a series of findings Justice Eady and other High Court judges have made in recent years in privacy cases against British newspapers under a provision in the 1998 European Convention on Human Rights. Legal experts say the rulings have shifted the balance in Britain in favor of celebrity plaintiffs and against newspapers and other media organizations in invasion-of-privacy cases.
IMO: I would go much further than that.
Claims (including probably by NoW) that the UK judges are now simply sucking up to the Parliament and taking away peoples civil rights and handing them over to faceless corrupt bureaucrats at the request of the PM and troughies like Levy seems to ring true. It is probably for the judges' own benefit as well as because of their incompetence. It seems that Dr. Peter Gauweiler MP (Munich South in Bavaria, Germany), member of the Bavarian conservative party (CSU), filed a constitutional complaint citing the unconstitutionality of the ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon. This follows an earlier complaint filed against the rejected Constitutional treaty in 2005. In effect, the process ratifying the Lisbon treaty in German is at a standstill pending the constitutional ruling.
IMO: It does now appear that many judicial rulings in the UK are now bad in both law and fact. I refer specifically to Dr. Dietrich Murswiek's comments to the effect that the Lisbon treaty and the European Constitution treaty are the same, something both I and the Irish voters noted very early on. The UK judges have become total crap on that one as they said the opposite, presumably because Gordon Brown wanted them to do so... In Eady's case this does seem to tie in with other of his rulings, for example the Ehrenfeld ruling which is presently causing much disputation in the USA and could alter the tenuous link between US and UK law adversely. I'd hate to have anything to do with NoW but if I did, I would feel tempted to look into the personal private lives of Judges like Eady.
N-deal to get a move on
July 23: India today expressed confidence that the India-specific safeguards agreement will be cleared by the IAEA Board of Governors at its meeting in Vienna on 1 August.
Indo-US nuclear deal is expected to unlock a whopping 20 billion-pound investment in the power sector. The landmark nuclear deal, which is now assured, will allow India full access to civilian nuclear fuel and technology.
IMO: And maybe much more investment than 20 billion pounds. Let us hope it is honest and not mainly 'bungs'. Hmm.... Probably best if it does go through, at least it gives India a chance to obtain some relatively non-polluting power.
Supposedly the US will "convince" Pakistan not to vote against it. Pakistan, a member of the IAEA board, has already raised objections to the proposed safeguards agreement that India has sought with the UN nuclear watchdog. India has therefore stepped up its diplomatic efforts to ensure that Pakistan and other sceptics like Ireland do not force voting in the IAEA on the India-specific safeguards pact. The voting in the IAEA, which only happens rarely - the last one being the vote on the Iranian nuclear programme two years ago, may embolden sceptics in the NSG to air their opposition. That is why India wants to doubly ensure that Pakistan’s designs do not succeed and the board approves the safeguards pact unanimously.
IMO: But the Paks obtained illegal nuclear weapons and nearly plunged the world into nuclear crisis. They should not be on this or any other relevant committees as far as I can see. West Pakistan is virtually run by Al Qaeda and the Taliban, using approaches which historically gave Islam its early successes in the Arab world, and which ran against existing culture there. Now we effectively have enemy armies outside Peshawar in a way which Arab historians should see as familiar. Pakistan is a bankrupt rump state, and a Saudi/AlQaeda puppet. (In theory a puppet of the ugly, grossly obese Americans too). But Saudi Arabia will not gain from its presence on such committees and neither will anyone else.
July 23: India today expressed confidence that the India-specific safeguards agreement will be cleared by the IAEA Board of Governors at its meeting in Vienna on 1 August.
Indo-US nuclear deal is expected to unlock a whopping 20 billion-pound investment in the power sector. The landmark nuclear deal, which is now assured, will allow India full access to civilian nuclear fuel and technology.
IMO: And maybe much more investment than 20 billion pounds. Let us hope it is honest and not mainly 'bungs'. Hmm.... Probably best if it does go through, at least it gives India a chance to obtain some relatively non-polluting power.
Supposedly the US will "convince" Pakistan not to vote against it. Pakistan, a member of the IAEA board, has already raised objections to the proposed safeguards agreement that India has sought with the UN nuclear watchdog. India has therefore stepped up its diplomatic efforts to ensure that Pakistan and other sceptics like Ireland do not force voting in the IAEA on the India-specific safeguards pact. The voting in the IAEA, which only happens rarely - the last one being the vote on the Iranian nuclear programme two years ago, may embolden sceptics in the NSG to air their opposition. That is why India wants to doubly ensure that Pakistan’s designs do not succeed and the board approves the safeguards pact unanimously.
IMO: But the Paks obtained illegal nuclear weapons and nearly plunged the world into nuclear crisis. They should not be on this or any other relevant committees as far as I can see. West Pakistan is virtually run by Al Qaeda and the Taliban, using approaches which historically gave Islam its early successes in the Arab world, and which ran against existing culture there. Now we effectively have enemy armies outside Peshawar in a way which Arab historians should see as familiar. Pakistan is a bankrupt rump state, and a Saudi/AlQaeda puppet. (In theory a puppet of the ugly, grossly obese Americans too). But Saudi Arabia will not gain from its presence on such committees and neither will anyone else.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Liberal churches have 'spiritual Alzheimer's', claims Vatican cardinal
Liberal churches that have abandoned traditional teachings on homosexuality are suffering from "spiritual Alzheimer's", a senior figure in the Vatican has warned the Lambeth Conference. Cardinal Ivan Dias also told hundreds of Anglican bishops gathered in Canterbury that churches who take important decisions without the authority of their leaders have "ecclesial Parkinson's". His outspoken comments will add to the pressure on liberal American and Canadian church leaders who have driven the worldwide Communion to the brink of schism by electing an openly gay bishop and by blessing same-sex unions, in defiance of centuries of tradition and guidelines agreed at the last Lambeth Conference.
IMO: Surely he is basically depending on the naivety of most non-Catholics in these matters. As the truth is that the RC church itself contains more blocs and political groups than even the Anglicans have ever had. The RCs tend to hush things up more and have a cleverer format and management structure, which may well be related to the particlar state of the RC religion. I was first warned about this by a RC priest whom I had had reason to consult many years ago about some personal matter, as many people do. And I have to say that perhaps the 'best' branch of the RC church which I have been obliged to deal with is the Indian branch, which, to an outsider, differs enormously - as a church - from say the UK, US or Australian RC church. OM GANESH.
IMO: For this reason I think these Christians who are being lured into Catholicism in the UK because of the crazy gay lobby are almost being conned, though I dare say many of them feel they have good reasons for a change anyway. I suspect if you did a head count at say the Colherne pub, if it still exists, you'd find a higher relative proportion of RCs than Anglicans, none being unduly worried about these matters. But that is conjecture. The gay lobby and many others seem to be trying to make marriage a foolish thing and a game in this country and marriage seems to hold little value at all here. This seems bad, and is almost reminiscent of long disgarded aspects of the Israeli kibbutz system. You could blame New Labor but not to blame the Tories as well is really to behave like ostriches allegedly do and hide your head in the sand. Anyone who has been to Young Cons meetings should know that. (Someone said: Gay Bishops just sound ridiculous ).
Liberal churches that have abandoned traditional teachings on homosexuality are suffering from "spiritual Alzheimer's", a senior figure in the Vatican has warned the Lambeth Conference. Cardinal Ivan Dias also told hundreds of Anglican bishops gathered in Canterbury that churches who take important decisions without the authority of their leaders have "ecclesial Parkinson's". His outspoken comments will add to the pressure on liberal American and Canadian church leaders who have driven the worldwide Communion to the brink of schism by electing an openly gay bishop and by blessing same-sex unions, in defiance of centuries of tradition and guidelines agreed at the last Lambeth Conference.
IMO: Surely he is basically depending on the naivety of most non-Catholics in these matters. As the truth is that the RC church itself contains more blocs and political groups than even the Anglicans have ever had. The RCs tend to hush things up more and have a cleverer format and management structure, which may well be related to the particlar state of the RC religion. I was first warned about this by a RC priest whom I had had reason to consult many years ago about some personal matter, as many people do. And I have to say that perhaps the 'best' branch of the RC church which I have been obliged to deal with is the Indian branch, which, to an outsider, differs enormously - as a church - from say the UK, US or Australian RC church. OM GANESH.
IMO: For this reason I think these Christians who are being lured into Catholicism in the UK because of the crazy gay lobby are almost being conned, though I dare say many of them feel they have good reasons for a change anyway. I suspect if you did a head count at say the Colherne pub, if it still exists, you'd find a higher relative proportion of RCs than Anglicans, none being unduly worried about these matters. But that is conjecture. The gay lobby and many others seem to be trying to make marriage a foolish thing and a game in this country and marriage seems to hold little value at all here. This seems bad, and is almost reminiscent of long disgarded aspects of the Israeli kibbutz system. You could blame New Labor but not to blame the Tories as well is really to behave like ostriches allegedly do and hide your head in the sand. Anyone who has been to Young Cons meetings should know that. (Someone said: Gay Bishops just sound ridiculous ).
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
USA again
A photo leaked from a military computer shows a detainee held by the US, his lips are sewn shut and he had wires shoved through his cheeks. The facial wiring is clearly non-medical. (wikileaks.org)
A photo leaked from a military computer shows a detainee held by the US, his lips are sewn shut and he had wires shoved through his cheeks. The facial wiring is clearly non-medical. (wikileaks.org)
US praises India's Singh over nuclear pact
253 deputies backed the government, 232 voted against and two abstained, according to results from electronic voting displayed by the parliament's official channel.
IMO: What difference does this make to the ordinary Indian ? Maybe no blackouts, but after the continuing supercrush conditions on Western Region after track quadrupling I have some doubts. I have had to travel in the ladies compartment to come home in one piece. The main thing is that it is nice to be on good terms with USA, but not so nice to be their dupe or stooge, as the UK seems to have been over Iraq. Countless billions of dollars also went missing there, which makes one suspect Tony B. Liar and his cronies. And if you need to know whether people like George Fernandes are nice fellows, ask Tehelkha who may have a clue. At the same time Mrs. Gandhi must already have suffered because of activities during the Tamil wars. Not a nice situation, but could be worse.Billions of Indian money to be spent in America ? I will not make a quip and say that at least it will not be on Bofors guns, as history has an unpleasant habit of repeating its failures.
253 deputies backed the government, 232 voted against and two abstained, according to results from electronic voting displayed by the parliament's official channel.
IMO: What difference does this make to the ordinary Indian ? Maybe no blackouts, but after the continuing supercrush conditions on Western Region after track quadrupling I have some doubts. I have had to travel in the ladies compartment to come home in one piece. The main thing is that it is nice to be on good terms with USA, but not so nice to be their dupe or stooge, as the UK seems to have been over Iraq. Countless billions of dollars also went missing there, which makes one suspect Tony B. Liar and his cronies. And if you need to know whether people like George Fernandes are nice fellows, ask Tehelkha who may have a clue. At the same time Mrs. Gandhi must already have suffered because of activities during the Tamil wars. Not a nice situation, but could be worse.Billions of Indian money to be spent in America ? I will not make a quip and say that at least it will not be on Bofors guns, as history has an unpleasant habit of repeating its failures.
Enemy will be vanquished at dusk: Lalu
Minister Lalu Prasad "The rakshasas are always vanquished at gau bela. But the voting should take place just after dusk, at 6 pm, at gau bela."
IMO: But what if the cows have to travel by Western Railways, Mumbai. Maybe they will want a bandh.
Minister Lalu Prasad "The rakshasas are always vanquished at gau bela. But the voting should take place just after dusk, at 6 pm, at gau bela."
IMO: But what if the cows have to travel by Western Railways, Mumbai. Maybe they will want a bandh.
Indian confidence vote
Unheard of political alliances. Accusations of vote-buying to the tune of more than $6 million an MP. Criticisms of shady corporate lobbying with one of the world's richest men. With the fate of the government dependent on a confidence vote on Tuesday, mudslinging and deal-making are in full swing and even sullying the relatively clean image of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. PM Manmohan Singh believes he will survive the vote after securing support of Samajwadi Party.
"The government will not survive the trust vote even when it's indulging in large-scale horse trading," Vijay Kumar Malhotra, senior BJP leader, told The Indian Express. He estimated the government only had 250 votes of the 272 needed for a majority.
Indian Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram urged lawmakers to back the government in today's confidence vote so the nation can emulate China's "superpower'' status and use nuclear energy to drive economic growth.
IMO: Certainly a clue as to why the communists oppose the bill. The naxals may well believe they are winning anyway. And ham-handed USA may end up with one major enemy, an aggressive and poor China/India coalition which will certainly 'take no prisoners'.
Opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani said ``We are not at all opposed to a relationship with America but we would never like India to be a party to an agreement which is unequal. My charge is that this deal makes us subservient.''
IMO: Sounds reasonable, but NRI Americans will generally not care for that. In any case the situation is bleak for the USA, which should have been more reasonable right from the start.
Unheard of political alliances. Accusations of vote-buying to the tune of more than $6 million an MP. Criticisms of shady corporate lobbying with one of the world's richest men. With the fate of the government dependent on a confidence vote on Tuesday, mudslinging and deal-making are in full swing and even sullying the relatively clean image of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. PM Manmohan Singh believes he will survive the vote after securing support of Samajwadi Party.
"The government will not survive the trust vote even when it's indulging in large-scale horse trading," Vijay Kumar Malhotra, senior BJP leader, told The Indian Express. He estimated the government only had 250 votes of the 272 needed for a majority.
Indian Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram urged lawmakers to back the government in today's confidence vote so the nation can emulate China's "superpower'' status and use nuclear energy to drive economic growth.
IMO: Certainly a clue as to why the communists oppose the bill. The naxals may well believe they are winning anyway. And ham-handed USA may end up with one major enemy, an aggressive and poor China/India coalition which will certainly 'take no prisoners'.
Opposition leader Lal Krishna Advani said ``We are not at all opposed to a relationship with America but we would never like India to be a party to an agreement which is unequal. My charge is that this deal makes us subservient.''
IMO: Sounds reasonable, but NRI Americans will generally not care for that. In any case the situation is bleak for the USA, which should have been more reasonable right from the start.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Cash bonuses for surgeons
Plans to pay surgeons bonuses linked to their performance on the operating table have come under fire.
The largest hospital trust in the country said it plans to run a pilot scheme in which doctors are rewarded financially for operations that are particularly successful. A spokesman for the Imperial College trust would not say which operation the scheme would apply to, but he added: "It's about rewarding excellence."
Katherine Murphy, from the charity the Patients Association, said: "Patients will be horrified."
IMO: This seems to me to illustrate the fallacy of the idea that there is some genuine ultimate virtue in socialism, on the one hand (the humble working man telling the expert how to do his job - Stalin or Robert Maxwell preaching their own agricultural program or a rather stupid Hitler type trying to win a war by astrology) or capitalism on the other (as if anything we might have been more likely to expect this sort of foolish stunt from the Tories). If you don't see the point don't worry, just hope the scheme doesn't affect you. (Someone said: Does this mean that a lot of operations are going wrong, so the surgeons get a bonus if the patient doesn't die or become incapacitated as a result of the op. It is beginning to sound like that and we know the NHS is already obliged to pay a lot when they make a mistake and are found out and it is believed)
Plans to pay surgeons bonuses linked to their performance on the operating table have come under fire.
The largest hospital trust in the country said it plans to run a pilot scheme in which doctors are rewarded financially for operations that are particularly successful. A spokesman for the Imperial College trust would not say which operation the scheme would apply to, but he added: "It's about rewarding excellence."
Katherine Murphy, from the charity the Patients Association, said: "Patients will be horrified."
IMO: This seems to me to illustrate the fallacy of the idea that there is some genuine ultimate virtue in socialism, on the one hand (the humble working man telling the expert how to do his job - Stalin or Robert Maxwell preaching their own agricultural program or a rather stupid Hitler type trying to win a war by astrology) or capitalism on the other (as if anything we might have been more likely to expect this sort of foolish stunt from the Tories). If you don't see the point don't worry, just hope the scheme doesn't affect you. (Someone said: Does this mean that a lot of operations are going wrong, so the surgeons get a bonus if the patient doesn't die or become incapacitated as a result of the op. It is beginning to sound like that and we know the NHS is already obliged to pay a lot when they make a mistake and are found out and it is believed)
Global warming is a brutal truth
Monbiot says : Channel 4's dismissal of Ofcom's damning verdict about its flawed programme is the usual professional self-deception. In Monbiot's words "the programme was 90 minutes of nonsense". The Royal Society would also appear to hold this view.
IMO: This is far worse than the Nazi-Gate results. It is deliberate, dangerous and harmful. For this program UK Channel 4 is worth a straight 10/10 on the Nazi-Gate scale.
Monbiot says : Channel 4's dismissal of Ofcom's damning verdict about its flawed programme is the usual professional self-deception. In Monbiot's words "the programme was 90 minutes of nonsense". The Royal Society would also appear to hold this view.
IMO: This is far worse than the Nazi-Gate results. It is deliberate, dangerous and harmful. For this program UK Channel 4 is worth a straight 10/10 on the Nazi-Gate scale.
The Press and Nazi-Gate
Nazi-Gate was a recent investigation by some Goan journalists as to the dilatory and incompetent behaviour of the Indian Press, and important related factors. It concerned a fictitious and invented person called Bach, who had recently been allegedly arrested as a Nazi war criminal in India. He did not exist, nor did his arrests.
Various papers were awarded marks out of 10 for honesty, idleness, etc. (High marks bad). Details here and here.
IMO: I am sure the UK Press would have come off as bad, and the US Press worse.
Deccan Herald. 3/10 Honest but dumb. IMO: That's believable.
Calcutta Telegraph. 9/10 Cocky and crooked. IMO: Makes me think worse of that paper.
Daily Times Karachi and Sri Lankan Herald. 5/10 Attribute to invented sources, some fake detail.
New Indian Express. 7/10 Their story was ridiculous and they looked phony even if they had simply been stupid.
Times of India. 2/10 Simply tried to quote story, and even tried to check -but didn't get far. IMO: With Indian Express, possibly the best of a diabolically bad lot.
Asian Age 5+/10 Wrote pure fiction. IMO: what you'd expect from them
Indian Express. 2/10 Tried to be sensible and courageous. IMO: Actually tried to be a proper newspaper.
Rediff.com 9/10 They must have a great career, in fiction but not news. Total crap.
Nazi-Gate was a recent investigation by some Goan journalists as to the dilatory and incompetent behaviour of the Indian Press, and important related factors. It concerned a fictitious and invented person called Bach, who had recently been allegedly arrested as a Nazi war criminal in India. He did not exist, nor did his arrests.
Various papers were awarded marks out of 10 for honesty, idleness, etc. (High marks bad). Details here and here.
IMO: I am sure the UK Press would have come off as bad, and the US Press worse.
Deccan Herald. 3/10 Honest but dumb. IMO: That's believable.
Calcutta Telegraph. 9/10 Cocky and crooked. IMO: Makes me think worse of that paper.
Daily Times Karachi and Sri Lankan Herald. 5/10 Attribute to invented sources, some fake detail.
New Indian Express. 7/10 Their story was ridiculous and they looked phony even if they had simply been stupid.
Times of India. 2/10 Simply tried to quote story, and even tried to check -but didn't get far. IMO: With Indian Express, possibly the best of a diabolically bad lot.
Asian Age 5+/10 Wrote pure fiction. IMO: what you'd expect from them
Indian Express. 2/10 Tried to be sensible and courageous. IMO: Actually tried to be a proper newspaper.
Rediff.com 9/10 They must have a great career, in fiction but not news. Total crap.
Religion 2.0
Anyone who has read the early O'Reilly article on Web 2.0 can probably see that the idea of Web 2.0 is of potential use. Going further and considering experimental philosophy, we can see that this is a very serious academic discipline, and indeed one that a good many people conceive as realistic.
I thought: We have Philosophy 2.0 and Psychology 2.0 - and indeed I probably was the very first serious person to conceive these ideas but am still struggling to get them onto arXiv. So would Religion 2.0 help a lot of people - and I fear I speak mainly of agnostics, would be atheists and the like. So I did a Google search - and yes, it is there. Religion 2.0 exists.
Religion 2.0 has a long way to go, however, and bears some of the feelings of Californian cultism. Now Richard Feynmann seems to have seriously considered Californian cultism and if he had persisted he may have done useful things, but at the moment it is at best hardly banausic - in fact Californian cultism is probably best ignored for those without personal or cash interests, as some of Feynmann's rough comments seem to indicate.But Feynmann seems to have been a serious fellow, in fact he even published his first work on Quantum Computing in a scientific journal I founded and ran for 7 years.
A typical comment in Religion 2.0 might read "We are seeing a paradigm shift in collective consciousness to our true essence. You are now part of the great intention experiment."
IMO: Religion 2.0 has a very long way to go yet, and whether it will ever get there at this rate is perhaps vey doubtful. At best it is probably still rather Betty Shine in its appearance, but that can't be bad.
Anyone who has read the early O'Reilly article on Web 2.0 can probably see that the idea of Web 2.0 is of potential use. Going further and considering experimental philosophy, we can see that this is a very serious academic discipline, and indeed one that a good many people conceive as realistic.
I thought: We have Philosophy 2.0 and Psychology 2.0 - and indeed I probably was the very first serious person to conceive these ideas but am still struggling to get them onto arXiv. So would Religion 2.0 help a lot of people - and I fear I speak mainly of agnostics, would be atheists and the like. So I did a Google search - and yes, it is there. Religion 2.0 exists.
Religion 2.0 has a long way to go, however, and bears some of the feelings of Californian cultism. Now Richard Feynmann seems to have seriously considered Californian cultism and if he had persisted he may have done useful things, but at the moment it is at best hardly banausic - in fact Californian cultism is probably best ignored for those without personal or cash interests, as some of Feynmann's rough comments seem to indicate.But Feynmann seems to have been a serious fellow, in fact he even published his first work on Quantum Computing in a scientific journal I founded and ran for 7 years.
A typical comment in Religion 2.0 might read "We are seeing a paradigm shift in collective consciousness to our true essence. You are now part of the great intention experiment."
IMO: Religion 2.0 has a very long way to go yet, and whether it will ever get there at this rate is perhaps vey doubtful. At best it is probably still rather Betty Shine in its appearance, but that can't be bad.
Sunday, July 20, 2008
God Bless America
A prisoner was forced to lie in his own urine, then was sodomized by a broomstick, and later was urinated upon by a US soldier. But remember. "We do not torture".
From a new report by the "Physicians for Human Rights".
A prisoner was forced to lie in his own urine, then was sodomized by a broomstick, and later was urinated upon by a US soldier. But remember. "We do not torture".
From a new report by the "Physicians for Human Rights".
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Chidambaram: Hyde Act can’t bind India
Three days ahead of the trust vote in Parliament, the lawyer in the finance ministry P Chidambaram blamed the current stand-off over the Indo US nuclear deal to the “widespread and appalling legal illiteracy” in the country. Speaking at the NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad on Saturday, Mr Chidambaram made a pitch for the legal fraternity to take a lead in placing the nuke-deal in the right perspective.
IMO: I read what he says and I hope he is correct. I'd like to see less blackouts but I do not want India to become the servant of the USA.
Three days ahead of the trust vote in Parliament, the lawyer in the finance ministry P Chidambaram blamed the current stand-off over the Indo US nuclear deal to the “widespread and appalling legal illiteracy” in the country. Speaking at the NALSAR University of Law in Hyderabad on Saturday, Mr Chidambaram made a pitch for the legal fraternity to take a lead in placing the nuke-deal in the right perspective.
IMO: I read what he says and I hope he is correct. I'd like to see less blackouts but I do not want India to become the servant of the USA.
Catholic politics
The Pope has urged young people to stay away from the "spiritual desert" he says is spreading through the world. Pope Benedict XVI was speaking to a vast audience in Sydney at the climax of the Catholic Church's World Youth Day celebrations.
IMO: That sounds sensible enough. I agree that Christianity and Islam both seem to be hell-bent for hypostatisation, or for yet more crazy rules of an ersatz secular kind, or for both. In Islam, Blears almost sounds an unwanted lifeline, and for the Catholics, there is seemingly no hope - hence the reasonable warning..
The Spanish church is at loggerheads with the country's socialist government, which is seeking to review historically strong ties between church and state and move to a more secular system.
IMO: Is complaints by the church against secular reformers the way to proceed, though.
Many maintained their rage against a church that they see as still reluctant to go after errant priests and properly care for victims. Helen Last, spokeswoman for lobby group In Good Faith and Associates, dismissed the papal apology. 'It's just a drop in a bucket - a bucket full of tears that all of us who work with victims (of perverted RC priests) have been sitting with for 25 to 30 years in Australia,' Last said.
IMO: Yes, as I heard it, the Church was its own worst enemy. And you almost wonder that the Pope would dare to go to Australia. I can well remember, as one case out of many which perhaps illustrates the low standards of the Catholic religion, when a Brother X.... was considered a holy man, with only one fault. His boasting. Apparently he had boasted that he went to brothels (ie implying he was not, unlike other priests, a pedophile, or had UTAP conquered the urge to bugger little kids). And about the last thing that seems to be required is noisy riots for the Pope as if he were a latterday Billy Graham.
The Pope has urged young people to stay away from the "spiritual desert" he says is spreading through the world. Pope Benedict XVI was speaking to a vast audience in Sydney at the climax of the Catholic Church's World Youth Day celebrations.
IMO: That sounds sensible enough. I agree that Christianity and Islam both seem to be hell-bent for hypostatisation, or for yet more crazy rules of an ersatz secular kind, or for both. In Islam, Blears almost sounds an unwanted lifeline, and for the Catholics, there is seemingly no hope - hence the reasonable warning..
The Spanish church is at loggerheads with the country's socialist government, which is seeking to review historically strong ties between church and state and move to a more secular system.
IMO: Is complaints by the church against secular reformers the way to proceed, though.
Many maintained their rage against a church that they see as still reluctant to go after errant priests and properly care for victims. Helen Last, spokeswoman for lobby group In Good Faith and Associates, dismissed the papal apology. 'It's just a drop in a bucket - a bucket full of tears that all of us who work with victims (of perverted RC priests) have been sitting with for 25 to 30 years in Australia,' Last said.
IMO: Yes, as I heard it, the Church was its own worst enemy. And you almost wonder that the Pope would dare to go to Australia. I can well remember, as one case out of many which perhaps illustrates the low standards of the Catholic religion, when a Brother X.... was considered a holy man, with only one fault. His boasting. Apparently he had boasted that he went to brothels (ie implying he was not, unlike other priests, a pedophile, or had UTAP conquered the urge to bugger little kids). And about the last thing that seems to be required is noisy riots for the Pope as if he were a latterday Billy Graham.
EU do a good thing
The European Commission has sent a message to the British government, and it reads something like this: "If you don't deal with Phorm, we will." Phorm has been mentioned before on this blog, in a highly unfavorable light. If the UK government does not deal with the issue, Dow Jones says, the EC could take action in the European Court of Justice. 15,000 souls in the UK have signed an anti-Phorm e-petition on the 10 Downing Street web site.
IMO: Is Gordon Brown fulfilling his pledge of "listening to the people"? On past and present form, the Tories would be even worse
The European Commission has sent a message to the British government, and it reads something like this: "If you don't deal with Phorm, we will." Phorm has been mentioned before on this blog, in a highly unfavorable light. If the UK government does not deal with the issue, Dow Jones says, the EC could take action in the European Court of Justice. 15,000 souls in the UK have signed an anti-Phorm e-petition on the 10 Downing Street web site.
IMO: Is Gordon Brown fulfilling his pledge of "listening to the people"? On past and present form, the Tories would be even worse
Friday, July 18, 2008
Darling considering fiscal reform
Darling said that more banks could be vulnerable to collapse. He said "The real problem we are facing today is a consequence of the fact that too many banks at a very senior level didn't understand the extent of the risk to which they had become exposed."
IMO: Ha-ha to "don't understand", the bastards are laughing and lining their pockets as anyone can see but PRESS ON MR. DARLING, and take strong measures to safeguard investors and others from the big banks and from the EU. Politics aside. This is NOT THE US BUT THE UK AND WE CAN STILL ACT HERE.
IMO: Northern Rock has gone now and whilst it has been effectively nationalised, the Govt seem to be trying to wind it down. The smaller B&B is in limbo and naturally, existing banks are loathe to cooperate except in their own interest. The FSA (often referred to as spineless) has not acted effectively and I would say were not empowered enough to take enough action to stop many evils like miss-selling and othe Bear-Stearns like tactics. This is partly the fault of the judiciary and the laws, but needs Govt action much more than the some of the provocative habeas-corpus breaching actions of the Govt in other directions does. This is difficult, but regular readers of papers like "Private Eye" will see that Brown's own off-balance sheet activities, perhaps regrettably necessary under New Labor, should not be allowed to set the scene for every Tom Dick and Harry like the large irresponsible international banking concerns. This strictly is not a socialist issue but a matter of common sense which should concern us all, and we should not allow the troughies in Westminster, and far worse the troughies in the EU to set the scene. The EU (as was recently exposed specifically in Bulgaria) are apparently often not simply troughies but out and out crooks. That is simply to say that the EU should be cleaned up and we should not be forced by nincompoops to suffer from its excesses. Maybe more later.
Darling said that more banks could be vulnerable to collapse. He said "The real problem we are facing today is a consequence of the fact that too many banks at a very senior level didn't understand the extent of the risk to which they had become exposed."
IMO: Ha-ha to "don't understand", the bastards are laughing and lining their pockets as anyone can see but PRESS ON MR. DARLING, and take strong measures to safeguard investors and others from the big banks and from the EU. Politics aside. This is NOT THE US BUT THE UK AND WE CAN STILL ACT HERE.
IMO: Northern Rock has gone now and whilst it has been effectively nationalised, the Govt seem to be trying to wind it down. The smaller B&B is in limbo and naturally, existing banks are loathe to cooperate except in their own interest. The FSA (often referred to as spineless) has not acted effectively and I would say were not empowered enough to take enough action to stop many evils like miss-selling and othe Bear-Stearns like tactics. This is partly the fault of the judiciary and the laws, but needs Govt action much more than the some of the provocative habeas-corpus breaching actions of the Govt in other directions does. This is difficult, but regular readers of papers like "Private Eye" will see that Brown's own off-balance sheet activities, perhaps regrettably necessary under New Labor, should not be allowed to set the scene for every Tom Dick and Harry like the large irresponsible international banking concerns. This strictly is not a socialist issue but a matter of common sense which should concern us all, and we should not allow the troughies in Westminster, and far worse the troughies in the EU to set the scene. The EU (as was recently exposed specifically in Bulgaria) are apparently often not simply troughies but out and out crooks. That is simply to say that the EU should be cleaned up and we should not be forced by nincompoops to suffer from its excesses. Maybe more later.
Hazel Blears to decide on Muslim veil wearing
The wearing of the Islamic veil will be one of the issues examined by a new panel of Muslim experts being set up by the government, it was announced yesterday. Cambridge University has been commissioned to create an independent board of academic and theological experts. It will include 20 leading Muslims and is expected to compile a report on Islamic beliefs in relation to life in modern Britain over the coming academic year.
Commuinities Secretary Hazel Blears announced the move as part of a new package to crack down on extremism and radicalisation.
IMO: It certainly sounds as if Blears is setting herself up as an expert on Islamic studies, if only by proxy.
The wearing of the Islamic veil will be one of the issues examined by a new panel of Muslim experts being set up by the government, it was announced yesterday. Cambridge University has been commissioned to create an independent board of academic and theological experts. It will include 20 leading Muslims and is expected to compile a report on Islamic beliefs in relation to life in modern Britain over the coming academic year.
Commuinities Secretary Hazel Blears announced the move as part of a new package to crack down on extremism and radicalisation.
IMO: It certainly sounds as if Blears is setting herself up as an expert on Islamic studies, if only by proxy.
Cameron compares himself to Lara Croft
According to the "Financial Times" David Cameron compares himself to Lara Croft.
IMO: The tellling point is perhaps not the louche jokes which can doubtless be made about this situation, but the mildly tongue in cheek comments of the pink FT, which I quote as follows (my italics):
"Cameron claims never to have got past level one of Tomb Raider but judging by his description of the game, I would be surprised if he has ever played it. He likens level one to leading a political party both establish if you are “a reasonable, decent, non-discriminating, sensible practical person who understands the world as it is lived today, who wants to live in a modern world and who accepts what that means”, and level two to the stage that “you can talk about some of the difficult issues about families and about responsibilities which can lead to trouble”
This sounds like the kind of guff his children might have uttered to persuade him to let them play. If he is that gullible do we really want him as the next prime minister?
According to the "Financial Times" David Cameron compares himself to Lara Croft.
IMO: The tellling point is perhaps not the louche jokes which can doubtless be made about this situation, but the mildly tongue in cheek comments of the pink FT, which I quote as follows (my italics):
"Cameron claims never to have got past level one of Tomb Raider but judging by his description of the game, I would be surprised if he has ever played it. He likens level one to leading a political party both establish if you are “a reasonable, decent, non-discriminating, sensible practical person who understands the world as it is lived today, who wants to live in a modern world and who accepts what that means”, and level two to the stage that “you can talk about some of the difficult issues about families and about responsibilities which can lead to trouble”
This sounds like the kind of guff his children might have uttered to persuade him to let them play. If he is that gullible do we really want him as the next prime minister?
Monday, July 14, 2008
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac
U.S. Treasury Department's plan to shore up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is an ``unmitigated disaster'' and the largest U.S. mortgage lenders are ``basically insolvent,'' says investor Jim Rogers.
IMO: FWIW - so do I>
U.S. Treasury Department's plan to shore up Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac is an ``unmitigated disaster'' and the largest U.S. mortgage lenders are ``basically insolvent,'' says investor Jim Rogers.
IMO: FWIW - so do I>
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Canadian bid to challenge aviation giants
Bombardier launched a new 110-130 seat passenger jet, the CSeries, on Sunday in a Canadian bid to challenge industry giants Airbus and Boeing. German airline Lufthansa has provisionally ordered 30 planes with an option for 30 more, Bombardier said.
Leading potential customers for the plane are Qatar Airways and International Lease Finance Corp, the world's largest aircraft lessor.
This big bold plan may be Bombardier's future; there is apparently no Plan B if it is shot from the sky.
IMO: These planes are usually a bit cramped inside but should be fuel-efficient. They may provide a useful compromise in view of global warming. Bombardier's move is indeed serious.
Bombardier launched a new 110-130 seat passenger jet, the CSeries, on Sunday in a Canadian bid to challenge industry giants Airbus and Boeing. German airline Lufthansa has provisionally ordered 30 planes with an option for 30 more, Bombardier said.
Leading potential customers for the plane are Qatar Airways and International Lease Finance Corp, the world's largest aircraft lessor.
This big bold plan may be Bombardier's future; there is apparently no Plan B if it is shot from the sky.
IMO: These planes are usually a bit cramped inside but should be fuel-efficient. They may provide a useful compromise in view of global warming. Bombardier's move is indeed serious.
Gordon Brown for US President ?
Christian Science Monitor says: The task for Congress is to help Fannie and Freddie slowly shrink to minor roles strictly for the poor, saving the economy from their possible collapse.
Long-term stability in homeownership demands it.gone way beyond their mission of helping the poor and are now backing loans for the wealthy. Congress has made the mistake of continuing their existence in the belief that house prices will only keep going up and that homeownership is a social good worth the risk of a massive taxpayer bailout.
IMO: USA does not know how to handle a mixed economy. It reminds me of Reaganomics, but this time it was caused by McCain (see earlier blogs)... During Reaganomics they used to say that in Lousiana you could see half a mile of 'flipping tables' where estate agents flipped properties to one another in an almost endless line, this was to make money at the expense of the US Goverment, at the ultimate expense of honest taxpayers. Maybe the US needs Gordon Brown as President, most people in the UK would be happy with that. In UK they are talking about tomorrow being 'black Monday' in the US, with trillions of dollars in play by the Bear Stearns/McCain type wide boys. The rest of us ? Maybe lucky if we wind up as trailer trash.
Christian Science Monitor says: The task for Congress is to help Fannie and Freddie slowly shrink to minor roles strictly for the poor, saving the economy from their possible collapse.
Long-term stability in homeownership demands it.gone way beyond their mission of helping the poor and are now backing loans for the wealthy. Congress has made the mistake of continuing their existence in the belief that house prices will only keep going up and that homeownership is a social good worth the risk of a massive taxpayer bailout.
IMO: USA does not know how to handle a mixed economy. It reminds me of Reaganomics, but this time it was caused by McCain (see earlier blogs)... During Reaganomics they used to say that in Lousiana you could see half a mile of 'flipping tables' where estate agents flipped properties to one another in an almost endless line, this was to make money at the expense of the US Goverment, at the ultimate expense of honest taxpayers. Maybe the US needs Gordon Brown as President, most people in the UK would be happy with that. In UK they are talking about tomorrow being 'black Monday' in the US, with trillions of dollars in play by the Bear Stearns/McCain type wide boys. The rest of us ? Maybe lucky if we wind up as trailer trash.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Literary Characters
Gordon Brown compared himself to Heathcliff, from the novel Wuthering Heights this week. Seems Heathcliff cynically swindles a house owner out of Wuthering Heights, cruelly abuses his wife and vindictively sets out to destroy not only his enemies but even their children.
IMO: Typical politician, then.
The book reviewer of "The Scotsman" suggests a few other cases.
Cameron: Harry Flashman who bullied Tom Brown at his toffs private school, "roasting" him in front of an open fire.
Prescott : Falstaff, a drunk, often in fights.
Salmond : Lewis Carroll's 'Cheshire Cat'. Grins but will disappear when the going gets tough.
IMO: Well, Gordon Brown started it.
Gordon Brown compared himself to Heathcliff, from the novel Wuthering Heights this week. Seems Heathcliff cynically swindles a house owner out of Wuthering Heights, cruelly abuses his wife and vindictively sets out to destroy not only his enemies but even their children.
IMO: Typical politician, then.
The book reviewer of "The Scotsman" suggests a few other cases.
Cameron: Harry Flashman who bullied Tom Brown at his toffs private school, "roasting" him in front of an open fire.
Prescott : Falstaff, a drunk, often in fights.
Salmond : Lewis Carroll's 'Cheshire Cat'. Grins but will disappear when the going gets tough.
IMO: Well, Gordon Brown started it.
Use of CBI to fix political rivals ?
We pointed out on July 1 that 'Taj Corridor' Mayawati said that the CBI inquiries on Mulayam Singh Yadav's family and sympathisers had been put on hold and in turn, the SP has agreed to support the UPA government on the nuclear deal issue.
Now it is Pelion on Ossa for Mayawati as the CBI (rightly IMO) on Thursday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court justifying the registration of a case against her. This was justified in the light of the continuing investigaton over the Taj Corridor scam.
The move comes at a time when the Congress and Mayawati’s arch rival, Mulayam Singh Yadav, have arrived at an understanding on the India-US nuclear deal, the affidavit is bound to raise questions about the use of the CBI by the government of the day to fix its political rivals.
IMO: Probably both Mayawati and Yadav are at fault. India has also the more important concern that 123 and related matters should be dealt with appropriately. The ruling Government usually is where the buck should stop on that one, but at the end of the day, the opinions of scientists and technocrats have to be considered clearly, as well as the political aspects. We have referred to those matters in this blog on July 5. The UK had once the situation that the entire police force was turning blue (due to dodgy uniform coloring), amusing to non police, because of political scamsters by then in the House of Lords, and two of the Lords (Lord Kagan and Lord Plurenden) went to jail. India crime officers are at least dealing wth some of the miscreants without having to be died blue first.
We pointed out on July 1 that 'Taj Corridor' Mayawati said that the CBI inquiries on Mulayam Singh Yadav's family and sympathisers had been put on hold and in turn, the SP has agreed to support the UPA government on the nuclear deal issue.
Now it is Pelion on Ossa for Mayawati as the CBI (rightly IMO) on Thursday filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court justifying the registration of a case against her. This was justified in the light of the continuing investigaton over the Taj Corridor scam.
The move comes at a time when the Congress and Mayawati’s arch rival, Mulayam Singh Yadav, have arrived at an understanding on the India-US nuclear deal, the affidavit is bound to raise questions about the use of the CBI by the government of the day to fix its political rivals.
IMO: Probably both Mayawati and Yadav are at fault. India has also the more important concern that 123 and related matters should be dealt with appropriately. The ruling Government usually is where the buck should stop on that one, but at the end of the day, the opinions of scientists and technocrats have to be considered clearly, as well as the political aspects. We have referred to those matters in this blog on July 5. The UK had once the situation that the entire police force was turning blue (due to dodgy uniform coloring), amusing to non police, because of political scamsters by then in the House of Lords, and two of the Lords (Lord Kagan and Lord Plurenden) went to jail. India crime officers are at least dealing wth some of the miscreants without having to be died blue first.
Wednesday, July 09, 2008
Schwarzenegger seizes Tesla Motors plant for California
Arnold Schwarzenegger has managed to ensure that noted electrical car company Tesla will base future manufacturing in areas under his rule. California tax exemption on manufacturing equipment to zero-emissions vehicle builders. Tesla is presently headquartered in California, and has its design team there, but much of the assembly on the present Roadster is done in the UK by Lotus (its body is basically an Elise).
IMO: Runs flat after 165 miles and then out of action for awhile, could maybe be improved by 2010 when it supposedly launches
Arnold Schwarzenegger has managed to ensure that noted electrical car company Tesla will base future manufacturing in areas under his rule. California tax exemption on manufacturing equipment to zero-emissions vehicle builders. Tesla is presently headquartered in California, and has its design team there, but much of the assembly on the present Roadster is done in the UK by Lotus (its body is basically an Elise).
IMO: Runs flat after 165 miles and then out of action for awhile, could maybe be improved by 2010 when it supposedly launches
Tuesday, July 08, 2008
Former head of MI5 says 42-day detention plan is 'unworkable'
And thus implies Gordon Brown is acting for AlQaeda and the Taliban
Plans to hold terror suspects for up to 42 days are neither practical or principled, the former head of MI5 warned yesterday. Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, who stood down as the director general of Britain's domestic intelligence agency last year, took the highly unusual step of using her maiden speech in the House of Lords to denounce the plans. It was the first time she had spoken on the subject. "I don't see on a practical basis, as well as a principled one, that these proposals are in any way workable," she told peers. "Terrorists want to provoke the state into putting in place such measures. We risk doing their job for them," she said.
Of course some other peers do not take this view. Falconer and Goldsmith, amongst others. But in the famous words of Christine Keeler "They (the troughies) would say that, wouldn't they ?"
IMO: An interesting and difficult matter of principle and ethics. For practical purposes, Eliza Manningham-Buller may be right. But there are still those who can remember public fundraising campaigns for the Taliban in the USA. e.g. you could get a coupon for donations to the Taliban in the back of "Soldier of Fortune" as I recall it roughly but do not have the memorabilia to check my precise accuracy. This was because the Taliban were then trying to get the Communists from Afganistan, and that was thought to be something the American public strongly favoured. Now of course in some circumstances that could pull you Gitmo. To some extent this is where the newish topic of experimental philosophy (Knobe etc.) could in the long term hold its own. But politically, my guts still tell me Labor is better than Tory at this moment in time. There are a lot of bad apples in all political parties whatever the views of Eliza Manningham-Buller are.
And thus implies Gordon Brown is acting for AlQaeda and the Taliban
Plans to hold terror suspects for up to 42 days are neither practical or principled, the former head of MI5 warned yesterday. Baroness Eliza Manningham-Buller, who stood down as the director general of Britain's domestic intelligence agency last year, took the highly unusual step of using her maiden speech in the House of Lords to denounce the plans. It was the first time she had spoken on the subject. "I don't see on a practical basis, as well as a principled one, that these proposals are in any way workable," she told peers. "Terrorists want to provoke the state into putting in place such measures. We risk doing their job for them," she said.
Of course some other peers do not take this view. Falconer and Goldsmith, amongst others. But in the famous words of Christine Keeler "They (the troughies) would say that, wouldn't they ?"
IMO: An interesting and difficult matter of principle and ethics. For practical purposes, Eliza Manningham-Buller may be right. But there are still those who can remember public fundraising campaigns for the Taliban in the USA. e.g. you could get a coupon for donations to the Taliban in the back of "Soldier of Fortune" as I recall it roughly but do not have the memorabilia to check my precise accuracy. This was because the Taliban were then trying to get the Communists from Afganistan, and that was thought to be something the American public strongly favoured. Now of course in some circumstances that could pull you Gitmo. To some extent this is where the newish topic of experimental philosophy (Knobe etc.) could in the long term hold its own. But politically, my guts still tell me Labor is better than Tory at this moment in time. There are a lot of bad apples in all political parties whatever the views of Eliza Manningham-Buller are.
Kabul blames spy agency for suicide blast at India embassy
The government has previously accused Pakistan and its ISI intelligence service of fomenting terrorist activity in Afghanistan.
Diplomats in Islamabad warned that the Kabul bombing was likely to increase the distrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan and undermine Pakistan's relations with India, despite recent signs that a peace process between Islamabad and New Delhi was making some headway.
IMO: A pity but there are many problems in Afghanistan and East Pakistan.
The government has previously accused Pakistan and its ISI intelligence service of fomenting terrorist activity in Afghanistan.
Diplomats in Islamabad warned that the Kabul bombing was likely to increase the distrust between Pakistan and Afghanistan and undermine Pakistan's relations with India, despite recent signs that a peace process between Islamabad and New Delhi was making some headway.
IMO: A pity but there are many problems in Afghanistan and East Pakistan.
Women bishops in Church of England
A "yes" vote in synod. Christina Rees, chairman of the pro-women bishop movement Watch, said: "I'm absolutely delighted that we are finally taking the next step. The church has waited a long time for this day."
One bishop broke down in tears.
IMo: Next we may get Amy Winehouse as a Bishop, who knows. She'd doubtless beat up the 'traditionalists' for their 'inappropriate behaviour'. She is already favored by Russell Davies as the next "Dr. Who".
A "yes" vote in synod. Christina Rees, chairman of the pro-women bishop movement Watch, said: "I'm absolutely delighted that we are finally taking the next step. The church has waited a long time for this day."
One bishop broke down in tears.
IMo: Next we may get Amy Winehouse as a Bishop, who knows. She'd doubtless beat up the 'traditionalists' for their 'inappropriate behaviour'. She is already favored by Russell Davies as the next "Dr. Who".
Monday, July 07, 2008
Ray Lewis resignation is a sign of Tory Party in disarray
London Times: Mr Lewis claimed on Thursday that he was a Justice of the Peace, but this was contradicted yesterday by the Government. The mayor, Boris Johnson said that Mr Lewis remained an “inspiring figure”, he said his confidence had been shaken by the discovery yesterday that his aide was not a “fully-fledged Justice of the Peace”. He had to sack Lewis.
IMO: Also we are left with the clear impression, politics aside, that Lewis seems to be a con man. Sure, Tories are known as troughies, Major's attitude to peaceful motorway protestors reeked of Adolf Hitler and we could expect the same from a new Tory Govt and Major's secret personal life was immoral and antiracial, and he made lots of money in USA by apparently spilling UK secrets - and so on and so forth - but out and out confidence trickery is over the odds. It is only disclosures by the Anglican Church that has allowed this discovery. FULL MARKS TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND FOR ONCE.
London Times: Mr Lewis claimed on Thursday that he was a Justice of the Peace, but this was contradicted yesterday by the Government. The mayor, Boris Johnson said that Mr Lewis remained an “inspiring figure”, he said his confidence had been shaken by the discovery yesterday that his aide was not a “fully-fledged Justice of the Peace”. He had to sack Lewis.
IMO: Also we are left with the clear impression, politics aside, that Lewis seems to be a con man. Sure, Tories are known as troughies, Major's attitude to peaceful motorway protestors reeked of Adolf Hitler and we could expect the same from a new Tory Govt and Major's secret personal life was immoral and antiracial, and he made lots of money in USA by apparently spilling UK secrets - and so on and so forth - but out and out confidence trickery is over the odds. It is only disclosures by the Anglican Church that has allowed this discovery. FULL MARKS TO THE CHURCH OF ENGLAND FOR ONCE.
Tempe may improve your memory
"The Hindu" says eating tempe, a fermented soy product made from the whole soy bean, was associated with better memory. Professor Eef Hogervorst of Loughborough University said the beneficial effect of tempe might be related to the fact that it contains high levels of the vitamin folate, which is known to reduce dementia risk. "It may be that that the interaction between high levels of both folate and phytoestrogens protects against cognitive impairment."
On the other hand, those who consumed tofu -- at least once a day -- developed memory loss, it was worse among the over-68s, the 'Dementias and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders' journal reported.
"The Hindu" says eating tempe, a fermented soy product made from the whole soy bean, was associated with better memory. Professor Eef Hogervorst of Loughborough University said the beneficial effect of tempe might be related to the fact that it contains high levels of the vitamin folate, which is known to reduce dementia risk. "It may be that that the interaction between high levels of both folate and phytoestrogens protects against cognitive impairment."
On the other hand, those who consumed tofu -- at least once a day -- developed memory loss, it was worse among the over-68s, the 'Dementias and Geriatric Cognitive Disorders' journal reported.
Sunday, July 06, 2008
Church tourism plan put to Synod
A proposal to open up hundreds of parish churches to tourists is to be discussed by the Church of England's ruling body, the General Synod. It calls for every diocese to have a tourism officer dedicated to expanding visits to church buildings.
IMO: That plan seems much more relevant than people want to think. Why ? Well why do women clamor to be Bishops ? Why don't homos want to join MCC ? Why do conservatives want to keep the Church just as it was ? I'll tell you why, and Jesus would probably say the same. It's the cash-nexus, the bricks and mortar, the real looking institutions of solid brick and stone. People are looking for reality in bricks and mortar - and when they die, God will probably say - if that is all you want, go to Northern Rock Bank, and be obliterated along with them. Quakers survive without a lot of that twaddle, and so do Buddhists. My own preference, Hinduism, to some extent goes further - it uses concrete reality in its idols. But Christian churches are heading for what Islam could be said to have reached - hypostatisation.
Alison Ruoff believes the Labour Government is soft-pedalling on Muslims who don't want to integrate with other communities in Britain. Ruoff earlier this year called for a halt to mosque building in Britain. the Jerusalem meeting she said the Archbishop of Canterbury had pointed to the inevitability that elements of Sharia would be introduced in the UK. She said the leaders of the church hadn't done enough to put the church message across.
IMO: Exactly. As with so-called "gay rights" which are so often just "unjustified gay spin" which is, to put it simply, buggering the Anglican Church, so too is Islam. Obviously, all the many conflicting views of Islam can't be right, and it is not faith, but money, which spreads Islam today. So just as women Bishops are being locked out by bricks and mortar and filthy lucre, so too is the Anglican Church drifting to hypostatisation because of incorrect views of Islam being accpeted as the norm. I am the last person to deny many great things of Islam, in for example medieval modal logic, like the work of Al-Qazwini Al-Katibi, but the watchword of Islam today is too often 'giimme gimme gimme' with disastrous effects on modern Islam - and indirectly on Christianity too.
A proposal to open up hundreds of parish churches to tourists is to be discussed by the Church of England's ruling body, the General Synod. It calls for every diocese to have a tourism officer dedicated to expanding visits to church buildings.
IMO: That plan seems much more relevant than people want to think. Why ? Well why do women clamor to be Bishops ? Why don't homos want to join MCC ? Why do conservatives want to keep the Church just as it was ? I'll tell you why, and Jesus would probably say the same. It's the cash-nexus, the bricks and mortar, the real looking institutions of solid brick and stone. People are looking for reality in bricks and mortar - and when they die, God will probably say - if that is all you want, go to Northern Rock Bank, and be obliterated along with them. Quakers survive without a lot of that twaddle, and so do Buddhists. My own preference, Hinduism, to some extent goes further - it uses concrete reality in its idols. But Christian churches are heading for what Islam could be said to have reached - hypostatisation.
Alison Ruoff believes the Labour Government is soft-pedalling on Muslims who don't want to integrate with other communities in Britain. Ruoff earlier this year called for a halt to mosque building in Britain. the Jerusalem meeting she said the Archbishop of Canterbury had pointed to the inevitability that elements of Sharia would be introduced in the UK. She said the leaders of the church hadn't done enough to put the church message across.
IMO: Exactly. As with so-called "gay rights" which are so often just "unjustified gay spin" which is, to put it simply, buggering the Anglican Church, so too is Islam. Obviously, all the many conflicting views of Islam can't be right, and it is not faith, but money, which spreads Islam today. So just as women Bishops are being locked out by bricks and mortar and filthy lucre, so too is the Anglican Church drifting to hypostatisation because of incorrect views of Islam being accpeted as the norm. I am the last person to deny many great things of Islam, in for example medieval modal logic, like the work of Al-Qazwini Al-Katibi, but the watchword of Islam today is too often 'giimme gimme gimme' with disastrous effects on modern Islam - and indirectly on Christianity too.
Saturday, July 05, 2008
Nuclear deal supplement in sify
Sify has an interesting supplement covering the Indian nuclear deal, here.
Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Dr Anil Kakodkar has stated that the sooner the nuclear deal was concluded, it would be better for the country, and said that uranium import could stave off energy crisis
The Director.of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Dr Srikumar Banerjee has said that India was looking at meeting the uranium needs of the reactors through new exploration He also indicated that India was going ahead to commission eight new generation reactors of 700 megawatts each.
Another senior nuclear scientist who has been critical of the 123 agreement, Dr Placid Rodriguez, pointed out that even though the country needed uranium, the 123 agreement opened the door to US to sell their defence products than supply uranium.
IMO: The "filthy dirty scoundrels", ecologically speaking, are China and USA. It would be nice if India could go for clean energy, as far as possible, and whilst nuclear is not brilliant, India can still try to avoid being in the China/USA planet-murderers league. I have even thought of building an electric Nano, a sort of updated US version of the 'Voltswagen' (ie electrified VW).
Sify has an interesting supplement covering the Indian nuclear deal, here.
Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission Dr Anil Kakodkar has stated that the sooner the nuclear deal was concluded, it would be better for the country, and said that uranium import could stave off energy crisis
The Director.of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Dr Srikumar Banerjee has said that India was looking at meeting the uranium needs of the reactors through new exploration He also indicated that India was going ahead to commission eight new generation reactors of 700 megawatts each.
Another senior nuclear scientist who has been critical of the 123 agreement, Dr Placid Rodriguez, pointed out that even though the country needed uranium, the 123 agreement opened the door to US to sell their defence products than supply uranium.
IMO: The "filthy dirty scoundrels", ecologically speaking, are China and USA. It would be nice if India could go for clean energy, as far as possible, and whilst nuclear is not brilliant, India can still try to avoid being in the China/USA planet-murderers league. I have even thought of building an electric Nano, a sort of updated US version of the 'Voltswagen' (ie electrified VW).
Introduce women bishops, Synod told
One of the Church of England's leading bishops has called for the introduction of women bishops, despite divisions in the Anglican communion over the issue. The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, said that it would be "very sad" if the Church were "simply to kick the whole thing into touch" because of the controversy.
IMO: OR JAIL THE CLERGY FOR SEX DISCRIMATION. Whilst "the law is an ass" and I do not doubt that many will wish may try to avoid the smear of sex discrimination, the (rather opaque) 'glass ceiling' that already exists in the Anglican church, is perilously close to a criminal illegality in the UK. Responsible Anglican churchmen should be jailed for sex discrimination. On the faggots, I would say there is most certainly still no evidence, even after so long, that their personal behaviour fits traditional church guidelines. They can go to Metropolitan Community Church, AFAIK, and the Anglican church has a LOT more to worry about than hurt feelings - and nasty politics. I speak as a sympathiser, make no mistake, but let us see what a few women bishops can do to the situation.
One of the Church of England's leading bishops has called for the introduction of women bishops, despite divisions in the Anglican communion over the issue. The Bishop of Manchester, the Right Reverend Nigel McCulloch, said that it would be "very sad" if the Church were "simply to kick the whole thing into touch" because of the controversy.
IMO: OR JAIL THE CLERGY FOR SEX DISCRIMATION. Whilst "the law is an ass" and I do not doubt that many will wish may try to avoid the smear of sex discrimination, the (rather opaque) 'glass ceiling' that already exists in the Anglican church, is perilously close to a criminal illegality in the UK. Responsible Anglican churchmen should be jailed for sex discrimination. On the faggots, I would say there is most certainly still no evidence, even after so long, that their personal behaviour fits traditional church guidelines. They can go to Metropolitan Community Church, AFAIK, and the Anglican church has a LOT more to worry about than hurt feelings - and nasty politics. I speak as a sympathiser, make no mistake, but let us see what a few women bishops can do to the situation.
Thursday, July 03, 2008
Jarrow again ?
UK Navy signs deal to build biggest ever UK super-carriers. 60,000 tons, only US have bigger. Was an old debate. 10,000 new jobs.
IMO: I suspect these could become an expensive victim to Iran's SS-N-22 Sunburn missiles. Submerged launch from submarines, air launch from Sukhoi 27s, and single surface launch from modified 40’ flatbed trucks. By 2001, both the Russian and Chinese Pacific Fleets were fully equipped with 200+ Sunburns, each and every one of them easily capable of sinking an American aircraft carrier. Why not ease tension with these enemy states or simply zap China and Russia completely with neutron bombs, that way their buildings, energy and other resources could be used, great ecological advantages ? With the environment going down the tubes, that is unfortunately starting to look like a fair option.
UK Navy signs deal to build biggest ever UK super-carriers. 60,000 tons, only US have bigger. Was an old debate. 10,000 new jobs.
IMO: I suspect these could become an expensive victim to Iran's SS-N-22 Sunburn missiles. Submerged launch from submarines, air launch from Sukhoi 27s, and single surface launch from modified 40’ flatbed trucks. By 2001, both the Russian and Chinese Pacific Fleets were fully equipped with 200+ Sunburns, each and every one of them easily capable of sinking an American aircraft carrier. Why not ease tension with these enemy states or simply zap China and Russia completely with neutron bombs, that way their buildings, energy and other resources could be used, great ecological advantages ? With the environment going down the tubes, that is unfortunately starting to look like a fair option.
Pakistan: Who's fighting whom?
Business Standard: "An extraordinary thing has happened in Pakistan: the government is fighting to retain control of Peshawar even as the jihadis tighten their ring of control around this town of 3 million people in the sensitive Pashtun belt, overlooking the Khyber pass. Eastward, Peshawar is only 155 km from Islamabad, where last year Islamic radicals had captured the Lal Masjid and had to be literally blasted out in an operation reminiscent of Blue Star".
IMO: India is not the enemy and basically wants Pakistan to join the India Free Trade Area, an advantage to all concerned and not a threat to anyone. That does not seem feasible right now and it is really up to the US to protect its own allies, and clear up the Taliban nuisance in its own interest. The US largely helped to create the Taliban problem around Afghanistan - I well remember the pro-Taliban appeals in the USA when Russia ran Afghanistan The US should put its own mistakes right, ASAP. Neutron bombs would do it if the US wants to chicken out, they were quick enough to give neutron bomb technology to China under Nixon and nobody knows the consequences.
Business Standard: "An extraordinary thing has happened in Pakistan: the government is fighting to retain control of Peshawar even as the jihadis tighten their ring of control around this town of 3 million people in the sensitive Pashtun belt, overlooking the Khyber pass. Eastward, Peshawar is only 155 km from Islamabad, where last year Islamic radicals had captured the Lal Masjid and had to be literally blasted out in an operation reminiscent of Blue Star".
IMO: India is not the enemy and basically wants Pakistan to join the India Free Trade Area, an advantage to all concerned and not a threat to anyone. That does not seem feasible right now and it is really up to the US to protect its own allies, and clear up the Taliban nuisance in its own interest. The US largely helped to create the Taliban problem around Afghanistan - I well remember the pro-Taliban appeals in the USA when Russia ran Afghanistan The US should put its own mistakes right, ASAP. Neutron bombs would do it if the US wants to chicken out, they were quick enough to give neutron bomb technology to China under Nixon and nobody knows the consequences.
Wednesday, July 02, 2008
London Mayoral elections a fiddle ?
Open Rights Group said “there is insufficient evidence available to allow independent observers to state reliably whether the results declared in the May 2008 elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly are an accurate representation of voters’ intentions.” Long report here.
IMO: I can well believe it may have involved complicated dishonesty, but we do not seem to have full grounds to say so yet. There could be an independent audit over such serious matters. Turns out even computerised medicine prescription methods aren't very good.
Open Rights Group said “there is insufficient evidence available to allow independent observers to state reliably whether the results declared in the May 2008 elections for the Mayor of London and the London Assembly are an accurate representation of voters’ intentions.” Long report here.
IMO: I can well believe it may have involved complicated dishonesty, but we do not seem to have full grounds to say so yet. There could be an independent audit over such serious matters. Turns out even computerised medicine prescription methods aren't very good.
Tuesday, July 01, 2008
Shiv Sena may support nuclear deal
BJP ally, Shiv Sena, which has 12 MPs, apparently support the deal and claimed its supremo Bal Thackeray would play a "crucial" role in the political stalemate. However, party spokesman Sanjay Rauyt also added his party would not do anything that would be a setback to the NDA.
IMO: Nuclear deal could help to ease the power problem in Maharashtra and reduce number of power cuts, but remember track quadrupling didn't seem to reduce the Western Railways supercrush density loading (12 passengers per square metre).
Samajwadi Party is also moving close to the Congress on nuclear deal.
'Taj Corridor' Mayawati said that it was no secret that the CBI inquiries (mainly on disproportionate assets) on Yadav's family and sympathisers had been put on hold and in turn, the SP has agreed to support the UPA government on the nuclear deal issue.
BJP ally, Shiv Sena, which has 12 MPs, apparently support the deal and claimed its supremo Bal Thackeray would play a "crucial" role in the political stalemate. However, party spokesman Sanjay Rauyt also added his party would not do anything that would be a setback to the NDA.
IMO: Nuclear deal could help to ease the power problem in Maharashtra and reduce number of power cuts, but remember track quadrupling didn't seem to reduce the Western Railways supercrush density loading (12 passengers per square metre).
Samajwadi Party is also moving close to the Congress on nuclear deal.
'Taj Corridor' Mayawati said that it was no secret that the CBI inquiries (mainly on disproportionate assets) on Yadav's family and sympathisers had been put on hold and in turn, the SP has agreed to support the UPA government on the nuclear deal issue.
Anglican church in crisis
Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken out in the ongoing battle over the future of Anglicanism. He has directly challenged the rebel Anglicans who have launched a breakaway faction within the global communion.
IMO: I really do think the Archbishop of Canterbury should try to offer better and more appropriate leadership than simply wasting time by trying to approve buggery. Lets face it buggery is not favoured by Christianity. Even if St. Anselm had been a poofter you cannot see him advocating Sodom, the way the Americans do. Of course, just as Jesus said, UTAP we all need to be tolerant, but that is about it. Maybe women bishops could be brought back, as that is a genuine administrational issue not sensibly ruled out in Christianity, (even Jesus stayed on good terms with his mum, and people like St. Hildebrande did a fine job) and why not reinstate the "Gospel according to Mary Magdalene" as well.
Archbishop of Canterbury has spoken out in the ongoing battle over the future of Anglicanism. He has directly challenged the rebel Anglicans who have launched a breakaway faction within the global communion.
IMO: I really do think the Archbishop of Canterbury should try to offer better and more appropriate leadership than simply wasting time by trying to approve buggery. Lets face it buggery is not favoured by Christianity. Even if St. Anselm had been a poofter you cannot see him advocating Sodom, the way the Americans do. Of course, just as Jesus said, UTAP we all need to be tolerant, but that is about it. Maybe women bishops could be brought back, as that is a genuine administrational issue not sensibly ruled out in Christianity, (even Jesus stayed on good terms with his mum, and people like St. Hildebrande did a fine job) and why not reinstate the "Gospel according to Mary Magdalene" as well.
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