Story Of Life

As she was beginning to perfect her walking, she’d walk around the house all day long, without purpose. Later, I’d learn that was nothing novel for her, she was just following her own script, her individual expression of life.

Practice makes one perfect—no one had to tell her that adage, and of course she was too young to understand that anyway. She was nevertheless born with that knowledge. The first day she’d learn a new word, she’d keep on using that word in almost every sentence, whether it made sense or not. Then I won’t hear her speaking it for some time and I’ll forget about it.

One day suddenly, when I’d forgotten all about that word, I’d hear her using it, and she’d do that in a perfect context. It was no surprise therefore that she learned to speak well rather early, and had a great appetite for listening to stories.

I wasn’t one of those fathers who’d read bed time stories from the classic children’s books, I was too lazy for that. Naturally, it wasn’t long before I exhausted all my stock stories, which were gifts from both my parents and grandparents.

Being a lazy reader, I then resorted to make up my own stories. I was not endowed with many talents in life, and certainly wasn’t gifted with storytelling abilities, and therefore, my stories lacked coherence and substance. I became aware of my shortcomings, as I didn’t find any other child beside my daughter who’d pay attention to my stories.

There were times though, when I thought, not reading to my daughter Alice in the Wonderland, or, Hansel and Gretel, perhaps I was depriving her of an early education rich in imagination and mind broadening inculcation.

Soon however, I discovered, she was telling me stories. True that her stories were even more incoherent than mine, and they made even less sense, but she was using words flawlessly from a rich stock. In her stories, the blue elephants would have pink tails, and the tigers would make friends with small birds rather than their own kinds, nonetheless she’d the ability to make up endless sequences without being stuck in a groove.

In those days her world would revolve around me, and she depended on me to take her outside our house to introduce her to the world so that she could explore the unknown.

She would watch the flowers, butterflies, waves on the oceans endlessly, and ask questions nonstop. Her barrage of questions would sometimes create the impression that she was asking only for the sake of asking, and that thought brought irritation in me, but I forced to restrain my emotion.

The first shock I’d had was when she’d say, “But Daddy, you said it didn’t rain in the deserts in the summer, so how could it rain in Dubai in July?”

That stunned me, because several weeks ago I‘d told her it didn't rain in the desert in summertime, and I didn't think she was paying attention then. From then on I’d be careful while responding to her. No more casual comments.

I can quite relate to it now, that it was not my daughter who alone was growing up, I too was growing with her, and learning, and gaining wisdom.

Teaching her how to ride a bike, my own handling of it was getting better. Teaching her how to swim, I was overcoming my own clumsiness in water. Helping her with additions, multiplications and divisions, I was rediscovering the magic of numbers again. We indeed were growing up together.

Then, without even realizing I stopped growing own day. I first discovered this when she effortlessly installed an App. so that I could convert a YouTube song to mp3. She was still growing, but I wasn’t.

She was growing, if not outside, surely inside, since she was still asking me questions. But the nature of her questions was changing, and it was no longer easy for me to answer them.

One day she asked me, “Dad, you told me lies never win, but I can see all around me people who lie are the ones who move up all the time. What am I supposed to do?”

The question had shaken my own core conception and belief system, and I spent a long time dwelling on it, but still have not found the right answer.        

Then another day she asked, “If I’m supposed to forgive someone seventy time seven then why does our country sends drones to far-away countries and kill children and women who even don’t know us?”

I’m still searching for an answer to this question.

I was beginning to dread her questions. I was secretly hoping she would stop asking me questions.

And she surely did stop asking me questions, although I didn’t realize it first when she did that.

One day, watching TV together, as she came over to share the Thanksgiving week-end, she smiled at a politicians comment, “The proposed cut in the program is only to strengthen it…” She didn’t ask me any question, just smiled at me; that day I realized my daughter had truly grown up.

That day I also realized I was seeing her less and less for the last few years.

Once I was the center point of her life and she lived in my world, now I lie in the periphery of the world she has created for herself. Once she strove for my continual attention, now other things have taken over her priority, and I seldom appear in her focus. Our worlds are still connected, but only remotely.

When the transition occurred I even didn’t notice it, since it happened gradually, and we don’t perceive gradual changes.

I’d also failed to notice that when I was with her it was always she who was driving the car. I’d also failed to notice, it was I who was asking her questions when faced with any decision making.

Oh, how has it come full circle!

But that’s the story of life, isn’t that? It’s time to accept, and move on. That’s how it’s supposed to be.

What a fool I’ve been!

Had thought it all to be of my own,

Won with intellect and labor hard

And pride stole my innocence.

Only when the veil was lifted

I learned that all my possession

Was mere gift to me from nature

Loaned to me in Grace and Mercy.

But in turn I’d lost my humility,

The greatest gift to have

What a fool I’ve been!

Who Is A Terrorist?

If you were not born in privilege, perhaps you would be one. If your house was destroyed, your parents killed, sisters raped, brothers tortured, perhaps you would be one. If you had no opportunity to come out of the gutter that you had to live in, perhaps you would be one. If you were indoctrinated by people who controlled your life, and you knew no better, perhaps you would be one.

Every time I see a terrorist I realize there is a part of me that is to blame—it’s that part of me that prevented me to share a piece of my bread, a part of me that did not let me extend a hand to build a new house for you, a part of me that prevented me pulling you out of your gutter, a part of me that prevented me spreading education that could have illumined your mind.

"For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you didn’t give me clothing. I was sick, and you didn’t care for me. I was in prison, and you didn’t visit me.

Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and not feed you? And the Lord will tell them, 'I assure you, when you didn’t do it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you weren’t doing it to me!'"

How Long People?

How long will it be since we come to terms with our humanity and truly be the representative of our Creator Who sent us to rule this earth? If you are not religious, forgive my expression and rewrite it to suit your belief, just don’t shoot the message.

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that Israel has just suffered a historic defeat. One only had to watch the international news coverage. BBC persisted in its typically awful reportage on the Israel-Palestine conflict during Israel’s latest rampage. But tonight it had to acknowledge that the people of Gaza were out in the streets celebrating.”

Is the above paragraph written by a crazy antiemetic? No it’s written by Norman G. Finkelstein—if you live in the North America you perhaps have guessed that the name is Jewish, and if so, you are right.

“Norman Gary Finkelstein (born December 8, 1953) is an American political scientist, activist and author. His primary fields of research are the Israeli–Palestinian conflict and the politics of the Holocaust, an interest motivated by the experiences of his parents who were Jewish Holocaust survivors, “ says Wikipedia . Finkelstein’s parents were Jewish Holocaust survivors—note that people—Finkelstein learned directly from his parents how terrible Holocaust experiences were. Would it not be natural for him to write and sing the praise of Israel?

In this article, Finkelstein wrote, “Israel suffered a double defeat. Its announced goal when it went into Gaza was to restore its “deterrence capacity. But at the end of the day its deterrence capacity had been drastically reduced: The once mighty Israeli army that caused the whole Arab/Muslim world to tremble could not even defeat the impoverished and weaponless tiny enclave of Gaza. Israel demanded an unconditional and unilateral secession of Hamas ‘rocket’ attacks. But Israel had to accept a mutual ceasefire. It also had to make promises regarding the siege of Gaza. It is highly improbable that anything will come of these Israeli promises, but still, Israel could not unilaterally impose its will.”

And that’s not it all folks, Finkelstein went on to write, “Let it, finally, be said: In praise of the ever-martyred but ever-heroic and ever-renascent people of Gaza. May they live to see the full brightness of dawn.”

WOW!

What’s wrong with Finkelstein? Is he a turncoat? An apologizer for Israeli oppressors of the Gazan people, who kills defenseless women and children without slightest remorse?

If you are one of those 57 percenters who blindly support Benjamin Netanyahu’s relentless war mongering, you might think so, but the truth is it is Finkelstein, Noam Chomsky and visionaries such as them that make the Jewish people great. If human race must be grateful to one religious group for augmenting human civilization—whether in the field of science, art, or name any intellectual pursuit, it is the Jewish people without any second thought.

So, why should it be a surprise that that group of people will have a Finkelstein? Is it a surprise that Albert Einstein was not too happy with the creation of Israel, and he refused the offer to become the first President of the newly created country? To me it’s not, people such as Einstein, or Chomsky are too big to be identified with any small sectarian group—they truly belong to the human race.

Jews as a race has been historically persecuted, driven out of their homes, imprisoned, tortured, burned alive in gas chambers and bore the brunt of savagery of human race—like no other group of people. No one race deserves a homeland of their own, more than the Jewish people. And what a turn around it is from the state of persecution to a state of honor, power and strength that they are in now. But when the oppressed turns the oppressor must the world remain silent and support them blindly? That is where this world has come to. The western, overtly Caucasian people who had persecuted the Jews only a few decades ago has now, only to overcome their guilt, become cheer leaders of the Israeli aggressors. When a war promoter such as Barack Obama mindlessly proclaims, we support Israel’s right of self defense—what of right of self-defense of the Palestinians?

American people need to learn that criticism of Israeli government is not criticism of Jewish people, and one does not become anti-Semite condemning abominable war mongering leaders of Israel who themselves persecute the honorable Jews. Ask the scientist who outed Israel’s nuclear secret, and countless other progressive Jews who want to promote humanity beyond the myopic view of a few self-serving politicians. Will the world let Yitzhak Rabin’s blood go in vain?

How long are we going to divide the world in race, religion, culture, and endless grouping? How long are we going to remain ignorant, fighting between ourselves while the manipulators skim the wealth of this beautiful earth for their own greed?

How long? Previously published on Technorati.

Worth?

When a flower blooms in a remote corner, and no one ever sees it, is its life in vain? When a lone bird sings in a distant forest, and no one hears the song, is it in vain? When it rains in the desert where there is nothing to grow, is it in vain?

Do the flowers bloom, birds sing, and clouds rain always with purpose? If not do our lives must have purpose?

What worth is that life that has never shed tears for a stranger? What worth is that life that has never found a cause for which it made sense to dedicate the self? What worth is that life that has never found that love for which it’s worth giving up all?

Nobel Peace Prize For Pakistani Girl Malala Yousafzai?

In 1971, during the liberation war for Bangladesh, like other youngsters of my age I considered Pakistan as the arch enemy to my people and the nation. But I write today to tell people that Pakistan is not only about the Talibans, Islamic Jihadists and extreme religious zealots, Pakistan is also about Shahida Choudhary and Malala Yousafzai, who would make any nation proud, even the United States.

Of course, the world knows, Malala Yousafzai is a 15-yr old Pakistani girl who was shot at by a Taliban assailant on October 9, 2012, along with two of her school mates in Swat valley. Her offence? She wants education for herself and her people.

A campaign called, “Nobel Prize for Malala” has been started by Tarek Fatah, a writer and broadcaster, who lives in Canada on Change.org. The campaign took a global wing when Choudhary, a resident of UK called upon the UK Prime Minister David Cameronand other top leaders to nominate the 15-year-old Pakistani teen for the most coveted peace Prize of the world.

The petition is addressed to British Foreign Secretary William Hague, Foreign Secretary Douglas Alexander and the three main party leaders: Prime Minister David Cameron, Deputy PM Nick Clegg and Opposition Leader Ed Miliband. Over 100,000 people have already signed that petition. These people are from across many religious lines, cast, creed and nationhood. They are people, white, black, yellow and crimson, they are the sons and daughters God will be proud of.

Shahida herself was taken out of school in the UK when she was only sixteen. She was taken to Pakistan and forced into marriage. She escaped the unhappy marriage to return to the UK at the age of 28 to resume education. she set up a network in Birmingham to support women in need. She said, “Malala doesn't just represent one young woman, she speaks out for all those who are denied an education purely on the basis of their gender. There are girls like Malala in the UK and across the world. I was one of them. I started this petition because a Nobel peace prize for Malala will send a clear message that the world is watching and will support those who stand up for the right of girls to get an education.”

So far Malala’s nomination has won support from Canada’s four largest political parties and other countries including France and Spain. Nobel committee rules stipulate that for any nomination to be considered, members of national assemblies and governments must support that nomination.

The deadline is February, so hurry up people; sign the petition to influence your leaders. And when the nomination reaches the Swedish committee, it would be a great opportunity for them to redeem themselves from the sin they committed by awarding Peace Prize to a war criminal such as President Barack Obama.

Sign the petition at Change.org Nobel Prize for Malala.

The article was previously published on Technorati.

Malala Is Daughter Of The Word—Save Malala From the Taliban

Those of us who write, sometimes we do with our tears and those are the pieces that touch hearts of our readers, but there are occasions when our anguish is so intense that we feel blood oozing out from our pores while writing, and then we need to stop.

When the news of a gun attack on Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani girl born on July 12, 1997 became a headline news on October 9, 2012, my immediate reaction was seething anger. What monster can harm an innocent girl with the beauty of rose petals? Who would shoot a girl who has not only vowed to pursue knowledge, but have made it a mission to spread the light of education to her own people?

On the fateful day, a Taliban stepped onto a bus carrying schoolgirls and demanded to know who was Malala, and when identified, shot her in the head and neck twice, two other girls were also injured. The attack rendered Malala unconscious, she was fighting for life and her state was critical, that was a time for praying, not expressing anger.

So I joined her name in my prayers, with the name of my only daughter, for whom my prayers fill up my sub-conscious mind, every waking moments; Malala became my other daughter. Malala’s own father had said, “She is not my daughter only, she is the daughter of Pakistan.” I took my hat off to Malala’s father Ziauddin Yousafzai, who comes from the town of Mingora, in the Swat District of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where the percentage of educated people are so small that it is better not mentioned. And I rejoined, “Yes Sir Ziauddin, your daughter is not daughter of Pakistan only, she is the daughter of the world.”

At the beginning of 2009, when Malala began to write for BBC Urdu Service, Taliban leader Maulana Fazlullah issued an edict banning television, music, girls’ education, and women going out for shopping. Malala and her family had received many death threats earlier, but they knew they were following a prophet who had instructed his followers to go to China (meaning a far off land) for learning. They knew Mohammed valued education so much that there are hadiths (written instructs of the prophet) referring the prophet indicating that spending time in search of knowledge is dearer to God than spending time praying to him. That knowledge gave the Yousafzai’s strength and conviction. At the age of eleven, when most girls spend their time in playing with their friends, Malala took up activism for education. Under a pseudonym, she wrote a blog for the BBC chronicling her life under the Taliban regime, and how they attempted to take control of the valley, and stop education for the women. She became the chairperson of the District Child Assembly Swat, and she was nominated for the International Children's Peace award. Former British Prime Minister Gordon Brown began a United Nations petition in Yousafzai's name, adopting the slogan, “I am Malala” with the demand that all children worldwide be in school by the end of 2015. Brown said that he would hand the petition to Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari the next month.

To understand Malala better, we need to understand her father, Ziauddin Yousafzai, who is a poet, school owner and an educational activist himself. He runs a chain of schools, Khushal Public School, named after a famous Pashtun poet, Khushal Khan Khattak. Yousafzais’ are literally the daisies in the dunk, where Taliban dominate.

What made Malala famous is her blogs, and how good is she actually? Once her father was reading to the villagers from her blog; the listeners thought that it was written by the poet Ziauddin himself and not her daughter, she is that good.

A group of fourteen women senators led by the Chairman of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI), Senator Dianne Feinstein, wrote to Pakistan's Prime Minister Raja Pervez Ashraf, “As the women of the US Senate, we are writing to express our outrage over the barbaric attack on fourteen-year old Malala Yousafzai and two other girls in a senseless act of violence. All of us are horrified at the brazen nature of this attack, which was carried out by Taliban militants who targeted Malala simply because she advocated for and pursued an education for herself and other girls.” They urged the Pakistan government to confront extremism and violence against its own people and bring Malawi’s attackers to justice.

The action from the senate ladies is commendable but it falls short of what is required. Ehsanullah Ehsan, the chief spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack and threatened that if Malala survives, they would target her again. The SSCI shall ask president Obama to offer asylum and protection to Malala and her family. And by accepting that request the president can redeem humanity that he had forsaken carrying out indiscriminate drone attacks in Pakistan, killing innumerable innocent civilians. In 2001 I had told a graduate class of MBA students, “If we want to defeat the Taliban, our best weapon is education. If we help spread education in Pakistan the Pakistanis themselves would take care of the Taliban.” Pakistan may be a third world country because of its economic situation, but a country that has technology to make nuclear weapon, definitely has the intelligence to choose right from wrong.

But we chose bombs over schools, and after a lost decade, our economy is devastated, we are soon to surrender our position as number one economic power house of the world. We are ready to leave Afghanistan, while the Taliban are in clear ascendancy and about to fill the vacuum—all because of our choosing a wrong policy. If Obama is elected, I hope the good since will prevail in him, and he will join the good Pakistanis in their war against the Taliban, in the right way.

Maulana is a word that connotes learned person in Islamic tradition, Maulana Fazlullah, you are no maulana, for you know not what your own prophet has said, and with your ignorance you have proved that you only give bad name to a great religion called Islam. Previously published on Technorati.

Is that all there is?

Going back to my roots… going back to my roots…going back to my roots… Where are my roots? How do I go back there? Why shall I get back there?

They tell me—as people age, they want to go back to their roots. I too feel this urge, when I listen to raindrops falling on my skylight; I hear the sound that rain once made when it hit our tin roof. When I watch the sun setting over Lake Michigan, I glimpse the splendor of sun going down over the Ganges. When I see a flock of birds flying over ComEd high voltage lines I see the lone shalik bird sheltering under that ashok tree, its wings wet, yet dry. Am I going back to my roots?

They tell me—as people age, they want to go back to their roots. Am I aging? If I am aging, why am I still so silly? Why do I still get angry with my loved ones with the drop of a hat? Why do I still feel all my imperfections in my bones? Was I not to get wise and inherit the divine essence? If I am aging why am I not getting closer to God every day? Do I hear, there is no God? Why did Mansur Al-Hallaj say then, Anal Haq (I'm God)?

The life that flows like a river takes me to new ports every day, every moment, the past dying, fear of future—the fear of the unknown dying in the process. Is that all there is to be?

Is that all there is?

Romney Says 47% Americans Are Dependent On Government

The GOP Presidential hopeful Mitt Romney said : There are 47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what. All right, there are 47 percent who are with him, who are dependent upon government, who believe that they are victims, who believe the government has a responsibility to care for them, who believe that they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing, to you name it. That that's an entitlement. And the government should give it to them. And they will vote for this president no matter what.

I want to respectfully submit to His Highness Willard Mitt Romney that I earn a six figure salary from my day job, and I’m an Obama supporter. I “believe the government has a responsibility to care for them (the downtrodden), and they are entitled to health care, to food, to housing.” I believe that God has given me plenty, far more than what I am worthy of, and it is my duty to help those who struggle daily for their bare survival.

Sure, this is my personal conviction, since I think when Jesus instructed us to “sell everything you have, give it away to the poor, and only then come to me,” he imbued that belief in me. Of course I know that you are much more religious than me, since you wear your religion on your sleeves, and I keep my faith to myself—only what I don’t understand is which Christ do you really repose your faith on?

And there is news for you Sir, several close relatives of mine with seven figure earnings are ardent Obama supporters, as they too share my views. Yes Sir, they all earn their money from their day jobs with hard labor, not sitting on their asses and investing, and they gladly pay taxes in the top bracket, unlike you who whine and kick to dispense with may be 10-13% in income taxes? And yet, they all support Obama, but perhaps you will not understand this. You have said in a news conference on Monday night that your comments were "off the cuff" and "not elegantly stated," but you stand by your words, you truly believe that 47 percent of Americans are in this group.

Of course, you and your kinds, who maintain their position in society just for being members of lucky sperm clubs—cannot understand this, perhaps it is too complicated for you. For us it is simple though, we believe, the victims are not really lazy bums, rather they are victims of our culture and our laws—that guide our society.

And Jesus lived and died for those “victims.” Alas, the passionate Tea Party supporters will continue to cheer for you, and some misguided rich people will continue to proclaim “we love Romney.”

God bless America! Previously published on Technorati

The USReview of Goodbye

Never Had a Chance to Say Goodbye by A. Mohit, CreateSpace Reviewed by Wendy Strain

"We are all fellow travelers, spanning the width and breadth of the same planet, breathing the same air. Race, creed, and religions are artificial barriers that prevent intimacy only between the ignorant."

Bringing together a number of characters from around the Middle East to show how easy it can be to overcome differences, Mohit weaves together a story about the developing power grid of Abu Dhabi and the personal dedication of each man to the others. The differences between the characters are deep—spanning regions, races, cultures, and religions as each man attempts to be the best person he can be according to his own faith and traditions. Friendships are formed quickly when men are thrown into a working position with each other and all in unfamiliar territory. This is reflected with sensitivity and a great deal of insight as the main characters of the book are slowly brought together, each with his own backstory and area of specialty.

The story will appeal most strongly to those with some technical background. Mohit is knowledgeable about the engineering work required to start up and maintain a gas-generated power plant and desalinization plant and is generous in sharing some of that knowledge with his readers. At times, it almost overwhelms the characters themselves particularly as more characters are brought into play. While this level of technical detail does play a role in the plot, those who are not so oriented might wish the author were a bit less generous. An occasional typographical error is easily overlooked in the beauty of the underlying message of creating a loving and supportive community. The development of this community has a significant impact upon the outcome for both the individual characters and the city at large.

http://www.theusreview.com/reviews/Never-Mohit.html

My prayer

As the Muslims prepare to celebrate the Eid-Ul-Fitr, it is time to say Eid Mubarak!

But I wonder, whether we wish others, on personal occasions, Have a Great Birthday, or, around a collective milestone, have a Great Eid—do we really mean it?

Why do we wish others at all when we do not mean any of it?

Increasingly, we are living in a “me” society. The sun rises for me. I created the greatest masterpiece of all time. The birds croon for me. The seasons change for me. I bring the colors. And since I deserve the best I have the right to snatch it from others!

Yet, we wish others; wish them the sun and the moon. But when others do better than us, we envy them. Sometimes the jealousy drives us to insane acts, and we burn with rage—we must drag the successful ones to mud. We must belittle them to make ourselves look better.

Our words don’t mean anything, yet we make the motion of wishing!

Why?

We say, we have evolved over the eons, and now we are cultured, compassionate and full of love. Yet, our beauty is only skin-deep! Under the tailored suits and fake smiles we hide our fangs and claws.

So, on the eve of this Eid let my prayer be, “O Lord, make me humble, make me worthy, let me serve the lowest of your lows, and please, please, please O my Lord, let me not feel the least proud when I serve the deprived! Let my head hold high but eyes low!”

Let this be my only prayer, and not gold, not strength and not even peace, those are just the trifle pleasantries of life!

Here is the review of my novel on Kirkus Review

When A Woman Tries to Sell Her Baby

"What is wrong with people?" the reporter wrote, breaking the news of a Dallas woman trying to sell her baby for $4,000. She was only busted when the buyer got cold feet and reported to police.

Served her right, what an awful human being! My mind jumped into immediate conclusion, always ready to blame another individual. Shame on this woman, I said to myself.

Then, I read in that same report, “A neighbor said the woman was ‘very depressed, always alone sitting on the stairway’ during her pregnancy, and her apartment manager said she was behind on rent.” In a moment myriad emotions ran through my mind. Perhaps she was a victim of our cruelness, or someone took advantage of her and dumped her when she became pregnant! Perhaps she lost her job and could not found one, or she is a woman with deep religious conviction who did not want to abort. She may simply have just exhausted all avenues to find help.

I began feeling guilty. How can I disregard my own responsibility that went in its way to create this unkind society where a woman tries to sell her baby?

 “Why could she not give the child away for adoption?” My ever self-righteous mind immediately came to self defense.

Of course! It is so easy to pass comments about other. I even do not know about her circumstances but that does not stop me from passing judgment about her. So easily we assume the role of judge, jury and the executioner’s role ourselves.

In the end, I felt I am as much responsible for the plight of this woman as her next door neighbor is. Together, with our aloofness and our self-serving nature, we have built these cocoons, where we play our selfish vain idiosyncratic games, and feel content.

 Finally, we only live our lives in misery, devoid of the divine pleasure that can only be had in self-less service to others. I answer the question, “What is wrong with people” with—the wrong is with myself—I make up the people. Shame on me, for I created this society with the connivance of my fellow human beings.

Previously published on Technorati

Just Came In -- The First Review

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"A. Mohit's Never Had A Chance To Say Goodbye is a thought provoking look into a personal life and all the twists and turns that come with it." - GoodbooksToday.com Reviews

 

Mohit's writing is wonderfully relentless as the reader is immediately thrown into the story without useless exhibition or prologue. Mohit shows exactly where the story takes place and who the reader is following with no second guesses. The sense of place is astounding. Each detail is effortlessly placed and incorporated among the interaction of the characters. Perhaps because the characters are based in reality, they jump from the page as real people within the tale. As such, this is a story rich with probing questions and a real, heart opening tale steeped in real emotion.

 

The dialogue is also realistic, believable and quotable. This is partly because it never strays from fitting each character. It is not forced by any means, and therefore comes easily to the reader. Because this tale involves traveling, it works for people all over the world. The subjects presented here work beyond culture or creed and instead touch the human heart at the core.

 

This book tells the tale of a spiritual journey, and so it carries the reader through some very powerful concepts. However, it does not offend or bombard with over-the-head preaching. Instead, this book gently guides while still carrying a strong sense of presence. The reader can take form the story what he or she wants, and do so comfortably, yet it is still thought provoking. Intelligently written and well paced, A. Mohit's Never Had A Chance To Say Goodbye is a solid choice for the avid reader. -GoodbooksToday.com - Reviews

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Proof Reading Analysis Rating: 3

 

Proof Reading Analysis Scale:

1 = Poor (The book contains an excessive number of grammatical errors. Additional editing is required.)

2 = Fair  (The book contains some minor grammatical errors that may distract the reader.)

3 = Good (No further editing is required.)

New Home for Never Had a Chance to Say Goodbye

Never had a Chance to Say Goodbye has found a brick and mortar home; it is now in THE BOOKIES : Ph-773-239-1110

An Indie in Beverly Hills, the store is situated on 2419 W. 103rd St., Chicago, IL

"Beverly residents love this small used bookshop for its generous selection of teen and children's books. Find comic books, textbooks, dictionaries, and a standard selection of newer and classic novels for adults as well. It also stocks a great selection of paperbacks on Chicago landmarks and history."

Please visit The Bookies at their website for more information.

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When a 12-Yr Old Girl Shames The Learned and the Famed

Victoria Grant, at twelve years of age has wisdom that surpasses the collective wisdom of hundreds and thousands of North Americans who inhabit both Canada and the USA.

Speaking at a recent Public Banking Institute conference Victoria said, “What I’ve discovered is that bank and the government has colluded to financially enslave the people of Canada.” She then shared the “important point of references” that would encourage people to do research on their own and give them the ammunition to engage the government to stop the criminal act by the Canadian government against Canadian people. Further she pointed out to the fact that it made no sense that government would give power to a monopoly private bank to create money and then borrow it from them, when they themselves can do it.

Although Victory was describing the Canadian government and its monetary system, her arguments are equally applicable to this country. She might as well be describing our Fed—a private monopoly entrusted with the authority to create money and then lend it to the government with interest.

The question is if a 12-yr old Victoria gets it why don't a vast number of learned adults get it? The answer is simple—we are not smarter than 12-year old Victoria. We are the sheeple fighting between ourselves allowing the criminal banksters rob us with the connivance of the lying thieving politicians.

Please watch the video to see how artfully Victoria speaks!

First published on Technorati

Just released, the book is available on Amazon.com

Never Had a Chance to Say Goodbye

My first work of fiction

"With dawn breaking, Henna and Osman leave their home for a pleasant drive to Sakrand, but by day’s end they find themselves lost in a dense jungle with a near-empty gas tank and no clear direction. Plowing ahead with only a full moon to guide them, a palace set in an expansive clearing appears miraculously. There they meet the vacationing Undersecretary His Highness Al Kindy of Abu Dhabi Water & Electricity Department, who offers Osman a job at the Department.

Osman arrives in Abu Dhabi alone, but soon befriends three other expatriate engineers. Though the men embrace four different religions their close relationship continues to flourish after their families arrive. When Osman meets with a great tragedy, he is devastated. Soon after, a power crisis threatens to cripple the country. Can Osman overcome his grief and save his adopted country’s officials from humiliation, and his coworkers from losing their jobs?"

Having Money Provides Freedom To Say Anything

What did Foster Friess, the multi-millionaire who financed a significant portion of Rick Santorum's failed presidential bid, actually mean when he said he hoped that President Obama's "teleprompters are bulletproof”?

Friess made that statement to Lou Dobbs on Wednesday on Fox Business News. I am sure every right wing nut considers Fox News, which is really Fox propaganda for the Republicans, as safe home. Of course, he soon realized it was not an appropriate comment on a national TV, therefore, he added "I mean that figuratively," after a brief silence. And he went on to say, “I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't have said that.”

To Dobbs credit, he responded with, "No, you should not have said it," and went on to mitigate the damage by saying, "We understand it's a metaphor." Friess was the “front-and-center” in the Santorum campaign, often appearing with the candidate in his cowboy hat at campaign events. He donated nearly $1.7 million into the pro-Santorum Super PAC and his philosophy complements Rick Santorum’s nicely. Just consider an earlier comment by Friess made to Andrea Mitchell on MSNBC, “Back in my days, they used Bayer aspirin for contraceptives. The gals put it between their knees, and it wasn't that costly.” Yes, it is the same comment made famous by the dittohead Rush Limbaugh in his Sandra Fluke lambasting.

But why talk about Friess when Santorum folded shop? Because, with Santorum out of the GOP nomination race, Friess said he will shift his support to Mitt Romney and open his coffer to his campaign.

Foster Friess’ comments may be a slip of tongue for him, but it shows what the Republican right wings truly have in their hearts. And what about consequences to these irresponsible remarks? Does anyone remember when Sarah Palin released a map featuring Gabrielle Giffords (D-Ariz.) with a crosshairs images to show her districts, among twenty other democrats? Giffords got shot, and although she survived, her life was totally destroyed and she had to resign from the House seat.

The question is how do these right wing crackpots get away with their comments? Of course, the answer is – money. When you have loads of it you can get away with lot of incendiary comments for which ordinary citizens will be condemned for life.

First published on Technorati.

Paul Ryan's Budget: Rob Poor To Pay Rich

Don’t tell me there is no difference between the Democrats and Republicans, not according to this budget vote in which only 10 Republicans joined 181 Democrats voting against the bill. Yes, you are right, not a single Democrat voted to "rob poor to pay the rich."

Beauty may be in the eyes of the beholder, however, if anyone fails to see the beauty in the budget proposed by Paul Ryan, the poster boy of the Republican Party, the person must be blind, for it kills two birds with one stone.

At one side it makes the poor, poorer by cutting budgets that provide safety net to the poorest, on the other, it lowers taxes for the uper rich from a current top rate of 35 percent to 25 percent, making them even richer. Corporations would also enjoy the same reduction along with significant lowering of tax rates on profits earned overseas, paving the way for further transfer of jobs overseas.

Speaking in simple words, the Rayan budget does everything opposite to what should be done to remedy the ills that have befallen the nation. This is the trickle down philosophy of Reagan which was called voodoo economics by George H Bush.

Ryan plan would increase eligibility age for Medicare from 65 to 67 and destroy Medicaid as we know it. It would cut food stamps, and set a deadline for the recipients to find work and get off the subsistence, and while it does that it increases the defense budget allocation. How much do we really spend on food stamps? The total welfare programs as of 2010 was 11 percent of the U.S. budget, food stamps was just a part of that expense under the broad umbrella of welfare, where as military budget accounts for 54 percent of the federal funds. and this money is blown mostly outside the country while the inner cities are crumbling, infrastructures are falling apart.
Spending on Pell grants would be reduced re-targeting the students from low-income families who need the assistance most. And with all these draconian measures, what are we going to achieve? The Ryan proposal slashes federal spending by only about $3.3 trillion more compared to Obama’s budget plan.

The leading GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney endorsed the Ryan plan calling it “a bold and exciting effort,” while for the other contender Rick Santorum, the draconian cuts did not go far enough!

The White House response came from the Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer: “The House budget once again fails the test of balance, fairness and shared responsibility. It would shower the wealthiest few Americans with an average tax cut of at least $150,000. The plan would cut spending on the major programs for the poor, including Medicaid and food stamps, while giving the states greater responsibility for their administration.”

Anyone interested to see the game the conservative Republicans are playing, may check this site for further details on the plan. If this budget does not open the eyes of the 99 percenters, if people still do not understand whom the Republicans serve, they never will.

First published on Technorati.

Don't Cry For Kucinich, America

After sixteen years, the US Congress will be without one the finest sons that this country has ever produced in politics; don't cry for Dennis J. Kucinich, America, cry for yourselves!

At a time, when the country needed one of its kindest souls the most, the man who was a voice to the millions of voiceless Americans, the man whose love for peace and humanity was beyond question, has been left to waste. The Republicans have finally succeeded to dethrone a man with a political game, whom they could not defeat in election.

Two democrats, Kaptur and Kucinich were pitted against each other as their seats were combined as a result of congressional redistricting process. The need for redistricting rose as Ohio had lost two congressional districts, because of population loss according to the 2010 U.S. Census, Ohio lost two congressional districts and the borders of the remaining districts were redrawn. The GOP combined the 9th and the 10th districts represented by Kaptur and Kucinich respectively.

After becoming a young mayor of Cleveland at the age of 31, he was thrown out of office by the conspiracy of big money. It was in the late '70s, when the finances of the city were in dire state, like it was in most of the country. Major banks had approached Kucinich with an offer they thought were irresistible, but he was not a man to be sold, he refused to privatize the local utility, and the city defaulted. His popularity tanked, and he was thrown out of office only after two years of being sworn in. His political demise was all but certain.

However, as the people of Cleveland saw what privatization had done to other cities that went ahead with the bankers' scripts, how the people had paid dearly, and how Kucinich's decision had saved the city and its populace millions of dollars over the years, they reevaluated him and reconstituted his political life.

This election saw again what big money can do, how the Koke brothers determined efforts to spend unprecedented amount of money could poison people against an upright man. After the election, Kucinich himself said, “I would like to be able to congratulate Congresswoman Kaptur but I do have to say that she ran a media campaign in the Cleveland media market that was utterly lacking in integrity with false statements half truths, [and] misrepresentations. I hope that is not the kind of representation she would provide to this community. And I don't think the people of Toledo have any idea of the kind of campaign that was run up in the Cleveland area.”

There is no place for decent and honest politicians in America anymore!

Previously published on Technorati .

She (Palin) Can’t Take It Anymore, Can We?

I never thought of Sarah Palin as more than an airhead, yet reading about her anguish I feel empathy for her. I have a feeling that she is no worse than as we collectively are; she is perhaps just a victim of our culture and our fondness of vainglory.

Clearly, even though she was not a political material she was offered the VP candidacy of a major political party, in this I feel the establishment as guilty to exploit her charm and naiveté, as she was. Let me ask, how many of you would forsake this kind of opportunity, if offered?

This article tells all about it, her personal struggle, our political system, and the torment she had to go through. It describes how in the final months of her governorship, Sarah Palin was frustrated over the infighting with state lawmakers and how she felt as a victim, crying out in agony: “I can't take it anymore.”

Palin currently works as a commentator for Fox News; I do not agree with her views, and I believe she just reads and repeats some others’ opinions, because they think she appeals to some amongst us. And I do not fault her, how many of us would reject such an opportunity to earn money?

We have constructed our society, where principles, morality, humanity, and humility—the most important teaching of the Christ, have taken backseat. Christ taught us to forgive someone seventy times seven, which was just an old expression for infinity, and we go on destroying houses of innocent civilians all over the world.

Don’t blame the Republicans, Democrats, or even the Corporations—it is our shared guilt.

I am not asking you to cry for Sarah Palin, I am asking you to cry for yourself, and for our collective stupidity that allow the exploiters to exploit us and perpetuate their crime on humanity.


The article was first published on Technorati .

Great Sons Of An Impoverished Country

The name of Bangladesh in the world stage conjures up the picture of outstretched hands of rickety kids holding begging bowls, flood ravaged habitats, or, haunting eyes of old distressed women who have lost it all to the rages of nature. Millions struggle there every day just to keep their heads above water.

One man rose all above this, made a bold declaration to the world—we can overcome poverty—and showed the world how it can be done. His model was adopted by the United Nations, and implemented in far and remote countries. He was showered with honor everywhere he went.

He earned the coveted Nobel Prize for his country; yet, the political hacks in his country were hell bent to draw his name in the mud, and they began a relentless propaganda war against him with all state machinery at their disposal—the name is Muhammad Yunus.

Now, another name has risen in the world arena to make Bangladesh proud, and this time it is a young boy who has brought that honor to his country. The name is Shakib Al Hasan—meet the numero one test Cricket all rounder of the world. This he has achieved after being the top all rounder in the world of one-day Cricket for many years now.
Bangladeshi Cricketers are known as tigers. People might have mistakenly given them that name looking only at Shakib—the lone ranger among a bunch of pure amatures!

Bangladesh Cricket team is a joke in the world arena, a perpetual whipping object for all and sundry. To understand the magnitude of Shakib’s achievement, I would offer one comment of a reader, who said, “It is important to note that Shakib does not get a chance to play against a team like Bangladesh and he bowls to defend small scores.” The reader went on to compare Shakib with The South African great, Jacques Kallis, whom Shakib just dethroned to earn his new crown: “I think as a bowler, Shakib is better than Kallis, but batsman Kallis is probably better than Shakib. Also Shakib comes to bat when Bangladesh is 50 for 4 or so, but Kallis bats with much less pressure.”

I think this reader has said it all. Batting under pressure always affects performance, and a lion’s share of Shakib’s innings are played under pressure, since Bangladesh’s top order only fulfill the role of passive passengers, spending most time in pavilion than on the crease. Shakib often plays the role of one maverick, and it falls on him to pull up his team with a shoestring, against all adversaries.

His performance with the ball has to be measured with the consideration that when one really produces a great spell, it is usually the bowler from the other end who gets wickets. Successful bowlers always work in tandem. In Bangladesh team however, in the absence of Mashrafi Murtaza, there is no one else who can throw the ball to trouble batsmen as much as Shakib does. Therefore, Shakib’s quality as a bowler perhaps would have been better recognized if he would have bowled in pair with another bowler of his caliber.

The best of Shakib is his temperament. When he was shabbily treated by the BCB selectors, and was stripped of Captaincy, for no failure of his, it was easy for him to go downhill. Exactly that is what happened to another very talented Bangladeshi, former vice-captain Tamim Iqbal. But Shakib rose from the ashes like a sphinx to conquer the world.
Please wish him your very best; he is just a young man of 24.

First Published on Technorati .