False Prophet Preys On Vulnerable

Jesus lived the life of God on this very earth, setting examples that would never be surpassed by another human being. What has happened to his disciples—who call in his name?

Retired civil engineer turned preacher, Harold Camping had twice falsely predicted Biblical rapture to bring end of the world—his latest failed prediction passed on May 21. Some would call Camping a nut case, Doris Schmitt nonetheless thought him a prophet. Like many others who believed him, Schmitt donated all her savings to Camping’s broadcasting network Family Radio.

Schmitt ‘s niece Heuwetter, who is executor of her aunt’s will came to know about that legal document recently, and it did not make her very happy. She and her sister received $25,000 from their aunt's estate, the rest, around $300,000, went to Camping’s Family Radio

Schmitt’s life is a stereo-type tale of frustrated Americans who had lost it all to alcohol and drugs. She had struggled with alcoholism lifelong, and lost her two children to drug addictions. She died on May 2, 2010, alone, in her small home in Queens, New York. In her last days she found peace in Family Radio broadcasts. Her death prior to May 21st saved her the agony of the final heart break, from trusting a swindler.

I am not sure what kind of relationship Heuwetter and her sister had with their aunt, and if they are any more desirable to get a greater portion of her aunt’s estate, what I am sure of however, there are many organizations such as Red Cross, Doctor without Frontiers, or even Churches, who are more desirable than the Family Radio why pry on faith of vulnerable people.

If Harold Camping has any decency left in him he would return Schimitt’s money to her immediate family. I doubt that it would ever happen. The strange thing about our society is that Camping had more followers in his life time than the living God Jesus had. How queer we are that we pay reverence to the false prophets, and crucify the one truly.

Article first published as Lifesavings Goes To Family Radio, Crumbs To Heirs on Technorati.

Imagine There’s No Heaven, It’s Easy IF You Try

Why does it take a blind man to see what others with vision fail to see?

Well, Stephen Hawking is not really blind, and what he said cannot really be seen—but you get the hint!

Hawking said in an interview published on Monday in The Guardian: There is nothing out there; heaven is a fairy tale.

Who is Hawking?

At the age of 46, Hawking became world’s most famous scientists, with the publication of his book A Brief History of Time in 1988. This was 23 years after he was diagnosed with ALS disease that affects motor neuron, and was given to live only a few years.

The degenerative disease paralyzed him and took his voice, however, it could not prevent him from becoming the Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, a position once held by Sir Isaac Newton.

Hawking said, “I have lived with the prospect of an early death for the last 49 years. I'm not afraid of death, but I'm in no hurry to die. I have so much I want to do first.” What keeps Hawking going? How did he achieve so much that people with healthy bodies cannot emulate? The burning ‘fire in the belly’ that keeps Hawking going is found in his answer: “We should seek the greatest value of our action.”

Hawking elaborated, “I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers; that is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark.” He explained life emanating out of quantum fluctuations that occurred in the early universe.

This indeed is a phenomenal assertion from a person who has no voice and has to speak with the help of a computer, regardless, he speaks in the voice of the early sages such as Lau Tzu who maintained, “Tao is the way to Tao.” In a further esoteric expression Lau Tzu articulated:

He who knows, speaks not;
He who speaks, knows not.
He closes the mouth,
He shuts the doors of the senses.
He subdues activities,
He is freed from bonds.
He diffuses light,
He gathers men into unity.
This is called wonderful unity.

What an irony, the life-long seeker of truth, Stephen Hawking does not have a voice where as third grade preachers spewing out second hand knowledge have megawatt sound waves!

First Published on Technorati.

My Father And I

Several decades after his death, my father is more alive today than he ever was in life. He had a mind unshakable as a mighty oak, and a personality as remote as desert sand. I feared him, but never loved him truly, not until he died.

It was his tough and aloof exterior in part—the rest was my own inability to understand him—which kept me from appreciating the great attributes that God had imbibed in him, the qualities that we call strength of character.

He was a stranger, lived alone even amidst crowd, and was forced to spend most of his adult life away from his own family, to earn livelihood. He visited my mother and other siblings, only for short durations. My mother played the role of both parents in our lives. This did not help my relationship with my father either.

In life I only focused on his shortcomings, amplified the disappointments of my own thwarted expectations, and piled them up to construct a wall so high, what could never be torn down.

Even when he fell sick toward the end of his life, his vulnerabilities evident for the first time, did not set the realization in me that that was the time when he needed all the help I could muster. It nevertheless appears, looking from where I am today, I failed to provide my very best for him.

Now that he is gone, although for many years to date, not a day seems to pass when I do not think of him. And I can see him clearer through my misty eyes, than I ever saw him in life. I can see his over pouring love for me behind his unemotional façade; and no trace is left of the detachment that there was in life.

Something tells me, my father had always been my guiding angel, and will forever be there for me, in the eternity where time stands still and all beings exist in their true spirits. And I know that he too is aware of that.

Or, is that all projection of my own longing, guilt, and susceptibility?

But, who am I? Do I really exist? Where am I, when not in here?

If there is no heaven and no hell, where do people go when they die?

What are people, by the way, except not for the rotating electrons around protons and neutrons that create the illusion of three dimensional objects? Is it not all emptiness—Maya, created out of interplay of quarks—energy masquerading as particle?

What are we but our thoughts, and play out of our thoughts, that we call our actions?

Alone In The Breach--A Nation's Story Told Through One Life

Seldom, autobiography of an individual, who is not a truly public persona with a large following, transcends its narrow horizon of interest, and enters the world arena. Alone In The Breach by Muhammad Shamsul Haque Chishty is one such book that does.

Granted, Chishty is not really an obscure face in Bangladesh. He rose through the ranks of Bangladesh Civil Service, and was widely known for his dedication and utter honesty at high official level. For a country that had acquired the dubious distinction as the most corrupt nation for five years in a row, it is only natural that its civil service department would have a fair share of corruption. Yet, having spent a lifetime in the service of people, Chishty is among a handful of officers whose name is not in the mud.

The original book is written in Bangla. It was translated by his son Muhammad Rezaul Kaiser Chishty, and published in Bangladesh. The book has world-wide distribution—its US distributor is Muktadhara, in Jackson Heights, NYC.

Chishty wrote about his life, the people in his life, the time of his life, and the writ became a valuable document of life in Bangladesh for a period spanning several generations—it captured the living history of a nation in the move.

Bangladesh is crisscrossed by innumerable rivers, and those rivers are mighty. With incessant monsoon rains they swell up and flood their banks with vengeance, snatch lands and everything on it. Millions of people lose their lifetime possessions and become destitute overnight. The people nevertheless, are even more determined than the mighty rivers, more resolute, from the brink of death they snatch the joy of life—that is the story of Bangladeshi villagers who live on the river banks. Losing everything, they literally pull themselves up with their shoestrings, just as Chishty himself did, and rose to the highest possible level at government cadre services.

Chishty's book is as unassuming as his life is, a shiny exception to the class that he belongs to as a member of a prized group of civil servants who see themselves as part of a privileged master class.

His story begins with the tale of his early childhood life in his native village, when he had the comfort of a middle class life. However, before long, he was propelled to a struggle for survival once his father died, and his ancestral home was swallowed by mighty river Padma. From that moment the book transcends individual life, and emulates lives of millions of other Bangladeshis, striving for mere existence. From that point the book is no longer the story of a lone ranger; it is the story of people with similar background and aspirations.

Chishty entwines his personal life with the history of a nation so well that it becomes breathtakingly interesting. When I first picked up the book, I only wanted to glimpse through it for a later reading, but the book had such a spell on me that before I realized, I was hooked to it.

Starting from a nondescript village, Chishty's journey takes the readers to the urban life of Dhaka, then traverses through the ancient civilization of Mohenjo-Daro in Pakistan, and finally to the then-world capital, London. He delineates an unforgettable mosaic with rich tapestry and expands it like classical Indian music, reaching its tempo in the world of diplomacy, and high international politics.

Alone In The Breach is a book that every person of Bangladeshi origin must read, to know his/her own history. This is a book that would tell generations to come, the stories of their fathers, and their father's fathers, their lives, their dreams, their struggles, and their success, that defines the country called Bangladesh.


First Published on Technorati.

US Media Is Destroying Family Values?

Responding to the poll, overwhelming number of respondents—64% of my readers said, US media is destroying family values. However, an important group of 17% did not agree with that assertion, while another 17% had no opinion.

I am curious to know the view point of 17% of the poll takers who think that US media is not destroying family values, since I side with the majority opinion. Perhaps those readers know something that I do not. I have great respect for my readers and I think whoever spent time to take the poll really wanted to make a statement, and I am curious to learn from them.

Let me express my reasonings for agreeing with the majority.

We are all aware what kind of influence Hollywood has in the world—just consider the copy cats Bolywood, Dolywood, Tolywood, Kolywood... and finally Sandalwood.

Hollywood has relentlessly pushed the frontier of pornography to the extent that hardcore movies are becoming mainstream. This is quite a transformation from the Brady Bunch ages!

If anyone has taken a note, it must have been apparent that the latest Hollywood agenda is to push the issue of same sex relationship relentlessly. There are hardly any shows these days where a gay couple is not portrayed, where as this choice is only embraced by a tiny portion of the society, they are depicted disproportionately. Mind you, it is not my intent to make a statement against the gay relationship here, for I do not have any opinion against them, I only raise the issue here to make a point.

Then take the cases of violence. I am not sure how many shows would be left out these days, if we screen violence and sex. If someone thinks these unrelenting observation of violence does not desensitise our minds and make us more susceptible to accept these abnormal behaviours as normal, then there is a serious problem.

So my readers, please tell me, please educate me—what am I missing?

Congratulation GOP; You are the Master of Crafts

Barack Obama and his self-proclaimed liberal amateurish friends would want you to believe that Federal shut down has been avoided by their skilful negotiating technique and they have won a victory over the GOP. However, I say, if you believe in that propaganda you are hopelessly naive.

GOP has shown once again that they are the master of the craft called negotiation. First, they set the goal post so far that they know the Democrats would never agree to meet as for example, cuts in EPA and planned parenthood, the two signature programs of the Democrats were presented as the “must have” goal for the Tea party members. They gave impression that until those two were met, they were not going to agree to any deal, and under that threat they started the negotiation. They gained ground inch by inch, prolonged the misery of their opponents to the very end, and only accepted the deal when they had to.

What did GOP gain from this deal? Roughly $38.5 billion in spending cuts from various social programs, which the Democrats had to fight for so long to achieve for their constituents. What's the impact of this cut? Unhappiness and resentment in the core Democratic base.

The GOP also demonstrated that only having control of 1/3rd of the Government they dictated the terms of the agreements and delivered significant victory for their constituents. And the liberals would have us believe that John Boehner is just a crying sissy, who does not understand politics?

What did the Democrats gain? The last minute budget deal averted an embarrassing federal shut down and would pay for government operations through the end of September. Why were the Democrats playing chickens to this threat of government shut down? Are they so weak in memory that they could not recall how Newt Gingrich's career was destroyed when he brought down the federal shut down against Bill Clinton?

The Republicans do not believe that the $38.5 billion in spending cuts is really going to have any significant effect on our deficit. Only on the first day of attack the US spent $100 million in Libya. The crisis in economy has been caused by tax cuts to the rich and unprecedented increase in war spending. And the solution would come from rolling back the Reagan tax cuts and reducing defense expenditures. Alas, those issues were never even on the discussion table! That was the extent of success of the Republican politicians!

If spending cuts are not going to solve our economic crisis, why then the GOP keep on repeating the mantra of spending cuts?

The answer is—they are smart, they know spending cuts hurt the democratic base, their followers become disenchanted, lose interest in election, stay home, and that helps the Republican candidates win in the poll.

Are ordinary people really impressed by this Obama voodoo magic of saving federal shut down? Let's look at the comment of one of the taxpayer:

“Everyone's screaming for accountability for teachers. Well, more imperatively, we should DEMAND accountability from our legislators. Their hours spent with lobbyists (and the resulting money/voting that stems from this shady activity), their voting records, incomes, every cent of their benefits and pensions, and every corporation and special interest group which contributes to their campaigns - and how much is contributed, again comparing it to their voting - should be published in a VERY public place for all to see. You talk about being accountable for the results of your work? Washington and state politicians should be the first ones to answer for their actions. Make their jobs as transparent as glass, then sit back and watch them squirm like the worms they are.”

Yet another ordinary American taxpayer writes, “They can play with our benefits, but why is it I have not heard a word about Congress cutting theirs? It may be the tip of the iceberg, but it would be a start if they would pay for their own health care, like we do, and set up a retirement plan for themselves that better resembles our choices — instead of simply taking all they can from us at no expense to themselves. A pay cut wouldn't hurt things either.”

Repulicrats and Demopablicans are all in it for themselves. It is time for a revolution at the ballot box. Educate yourselves people, and vote your pocket book in 2012!

First published on Technorati

Why Do Ordinary Americans Vote For Republicans?

First they give tax cut to the rich, which reduces revenue and creates deficit. Then, they commence wars to worsen the economy and further line up their rich friends’ pockets. When in power they expand the government beyond any sensible proportion, and once out of power starts complaining about the size of it. And their solution to every problem is cut down expenses.

What expenses?

The largest expense the US has is in its defense sector. One cruise missile costs a million dollar. Only on the first day of action in Libya 100 Tomahawks were fired. And this happened while in our inner cities, social programs are being cut. Teachers, police men, and fire service officers are being forced to accept pay cuts. On top of it, they now want to mess with the Social Security.

Charles Babington of Associated Press wrote:

"If there's any place where tea partiers in Congress might hesitate to call for cuts in Social Security and Medicare to shrink the federal debt, Florida's retirement havens should top the list.

Even here, however, Republican lawmakers are racing toward a spending showdown with Democrats exhibiting little nervousness about deep cuts, including those that eventually would hit benefit programs long left alone by politicians."

I am by no means proffering the idea that all Democrats are looking after the small people’s interest. Blue dog Democrats such as Barack Obama and the likes of him are no better than the Republicans. They only pretend to serve the middle class Americans while they safeguard the interest of the rich.

Babington further illustrated :

"In southeast Florida last week, first-term GOP Rep. Allen West, a tea party favorite, called for changes that some might consider radical: abolish the Internal Revenue Service and federal income tax; retain tax cuts for billionaires so they won't shut down their charities; stop extending unemployment benefits that "reward bad behavior" by discouraging people from seeking new jobs.

As for entitlements, West told a friendly town hall gathering in Coral Springs, if Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid "are left on autopilot, if we don't institute some type of reform, they'll subsume our entire GDP" by 2040 or 2050. GDP, or gross domestic product, measures the value of all goods and services produced in the United States."

These are plain lies, Social Security is solvent and it can make payments for the next two decades even if no changes are made today. The reason social security is facing problem is because both Republican and Democrat administrations have raided this cash cow whenever they needed money. Even then the solution to the problem is simple, raise the current limit of $106,800 to a million, or, even abolish the ceiling all together.

During last week's congressional break, Rep. Trey Gowdy , another Republican freshman with tea party backing, suggested cuts in social programs in Greenville, S.C. Babington cited a Greenville News account that reported Gowdy describing a recent school classroom incident where most children thought that it's the government's job to provide health care, Social Security and education. ‘'We've got to do something about the sense of entitlement,” Gowdy said.

Obama's debt commission recently recommended to raise the full retirement age, from 67 to 69, over the next 65 years. In Washington, 32 Senate Democrats joined 32 Republicans in urging Obama to negotiate a spending plan that includes cuts in Social Security and changes in Medicare.
It is only in America, where poor people don’t vote their own interest; if they did they would vote these 32 Democrats out of office along with the 32 Republicans.

First published on Technorati .

Bangladeshi Rickshaw Puller Shames The Privileged

Here is a story from a 3rd world country that would shame many Americans, just as it did me.

Bangladesh is a country, where upper class people scorn the uneducated lower class, who earn livelihood through menial jobs. Just as in the French language, Bangla has three levels of addresses, one is reserved for the elders and respected, the other for the same status level, and the third for the younger and the people who have no 'respect.' Rickshaw pullers are in this third group, and often it is found that a 20ish well-dressed kid addressing a 6oish rickshaw-puller, in the tone that is reserved for the young and lowly, while the 60ish person is forced to address the kid with honor and respect. Now from Bangladesh comes a story of a rickshaw-puller, who by his share deed has reached the pinnacle of dignity that few can boast of.

At age 30, Joynal Abedin, watched in desperation as his father suffered and died in Taan Hashadia, a small village in Paranganj union under sadar upazila of Mymensingh. The first hand observation of his dying father's pain gave birth to Joynal's inspiration and resolve that he would not be like other bystanders who have lived in the same village, however, were unable to do anything to help others.

Joynal did not have money or education, regardless, when a person truly desires to do something great, nothing can stop him. With sheer determination, but not much more, Joynal and his wife left the village and moved to the capital city Dhaka. Finding no other meaningful work, Joynal became a rickshaw-puller. For days and night, under rain and sun, in cold and heat, he pulled rickshaws for 14 years while his wife Lal Banu worked at a clinic.

It was not easy living with their small earnings in the capital city where things were expensive, yet, come what may, the family managed to save a few pennies even in their darkest days, and deposited them in two separate bank accounts. In 2001, the couple withdrew their whole savings of nearly $4000 and returned to village. With that money, they purchased 23 decimals of land and constructed a house to live with their two young children. With rest of the savings Joynal and Lal Banu opened a four-bed hospital on his land, and named it after their daughter "Momtaz.” They also established a free coaching center for underprivileged children.

People began coming to Momtaz Hospital from far and beyond, since there was no other free facility in the nearby villages. On an average day, the hospital treats around 25 patients and dispenses various medicines to them. With time, recognition followed, and Joynal was awarded a title Sada-Moner-Manush (Man of a golden heart) in 2008.

Despite honor poring in from different quarters Joynal finds it extremely difficult to run the hospital now. A local paramedic treats patients in the hospital, and a degreed doctor pays occasional visits in exchange of $7 for a day's consultation.

In 2006, Joynal received $430 from the local administration and the social welfare directorate. In 2005, a Bangladeshi woman living in the USA gave him $1000, and he received small helps from various quarters, one among them is from an eminent personality of the country, Abdullah Abu Sayeed. “I shared my dream with my wife and she helped me beyond anyone's expectation in the venture,” said Joynal, “For the last five years I have not received much help from anyone. With the price of medicines spiraling several folds during the time, running the hospital is now at stake. The hospital needs at least $5 a day to function.”

In Joynal's charitable school around 50 children receive free education. He pays two teachers—Md Aiyub and Khalilur Rahman, $100 a month, this is nonetheless becoming hard for Joynal as he is coming of age. For a ricksha puller, 55 is a ripe old age, toil of hard work takes its toll on the person, and Joynal cannot work anymore. His will is strong though, as he says, “I want to cling to my goal till I breathe the last and seek nothing more for me and my family.”

The sad part of Joynal's life is that many took advantage of his simplicity and tried to swindle him with the pretext of helping him. “Many people pledged me of many things while some even invited me for help and I came out of there labeled as a greedy fraud,” he said. Once the people who pledged him help wanted to turn him over to police as a criminal.

The people of his and the neighboring villages nevertheless, adore Joynal. Fazar Ali and Ayub Ali of neighboring Foliamari village said to the national newspaper, The Daily Star, “Momtaz Hospital may appear as nothing to the urban society, but the people here are greatly benefited form it as they have to go several miles for medicine from other places.”

Joynal, you made me feel so small—enamored with my own idiosyncrasies, leading a selfish life in a far away country! But you are the one for whom the birds croon, the seasons bring color, and the gods envy humans; and it is an honor to know that we share this earth at the same span of time.

Article first published as Rickshaw Puller Sets An Example In Bangladesh on Technorati.

The Bridge on the River Kwai—Actually Jiaozhou Bay

Have you noticed how the landmark technological marvels are shifting one by one to the rising Super Power China? After longest rail lines and fastest rails it is now time for the longest bridge. This phenomenon is perhaps synonymous with a nations progress and development!

The Lake Pontchartrain Causeway in Louisiana, which had the title until December 27 of the last year, for its longest span, has now been dwarfed by three miles, by the new bridge that has a massive 26.4 miles span–five miles more than the distance between Dover and Calais. Expressing in another way, the Qingdao Haiwan Bridge is 174 times longer than the famous London’s Tower Bridge over the river Thames.

The Qingdao Haiwan Bridge, connects the main urban area of Qingdao city, which is in East China’s Shandong province, with Huangdao district, that lies in the Jiaozhou Bay sea areas. The bridge shortened the distance from Qingdao to Huangdao by 30 kilometer, and saved 20 minutes of travel time by car.

To finish the construction in record time, two separate groups of workers began building from two opposite ends, and the bridge was completed in four years, relatively short time for a project of this magnitude, and the cost was nearly $9 billion.

This massive bridge however is going to hold its record only for a few years, and it will be dwarfed by, probably you guessed it, another Chinese bridge. Last December Chinese officials announced that workers had begun constructing a bridge to link southern Guangdong province with Hong Kong and Macau and the work is expected to be completed by 2016. This new bridge would be 30 miles long.

A six-lane expressway on the bridge would further boost tourism, trade and professional services between main land China and Hong Kong. The bridge is designed to sustain earthquakes up to a magnitude of 8.0 in the Richter scale, and impact from a 300,000 tonne vessel.

This gargantuan bridge nonetheless will be dwarfed by another bridge which has the word 'grand' embedded in its name—Danyang–Kunshan Grand Bridge, spanning an astonishing 102 miles, and this too would be in China.

Perhaps you noticed too, how the Republican governors are opposing Obama's fast rail projects, as waste of money? Obama's “new fast rails” of course would be slow moving locomotives when compared with Chinese rails!

America is broke, the only way our nation can survive is de-funding all social programs! If it were not for the welfare queens, America would still be prosperous—would she?

Wake up sheeple!

Article first published as The Bridge on the River Kwai—Actually Jiaozhou Bay on Technorati.

A Street Vendor Brings Freedom To Two Nations

The fire that Mohamed Bouazizi set over his own body had burnt thrones of two dictators whose autocratic rules spanned 23 and 30 years respectively, and accorded freedom to people of two nations—first Tunisia and then Egypt.

It all began at Sidi Bouzid, a nondescript small town in Tunisia, in humiliation for a man who had suffered life long indignation at the hand of corrupt public officials, the goons of President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who had ruled the country with iron hands for 23-years.

At the age of 10 Mohamed Bouazizi became the provider for his family, selling fresh produce in the local market. His father had died when he was three years old, and he did not have the opportunity to finish school, for there were five younger siblings that he had to take care of. He applied for various jobs, but in a country where unemployment ran in double digits, he could find none. Finally, he improvised to earn a livelihood on his own.

Every day, his journey would begin at the local supermarket where he would fill his wooden cart with fruits and vegetables and then walk two kilometers to the local souk, and nearly everyday, he would be bullied by local police officers. They would often confiscate his scales and his produce, or levy fine for setting up a stall without a permit. Six months prior to his suicide, police had sent him a fine for $280 to his house—the amount was equivalent to two months of his earnings.

"Since he was a child, they were mistreating him. He was used to it," Hajlaoui Jaafer, a close friend of Bouazizi, said. "I saw him humiliated." On December 17, 2010, however, it crossed the limit that Mohamed could endure. That morning, a policewoman sized his vegetable laden cart and proceeded to seize his weighing scales. Bouazizi refused to hand it over; he was slapped by the policewoman, and she pinned him to ground with the help of her colleagues. They wrestled away his weighing scale.

Bouazizi sought justice by going to the local municipality building and asking to meet an official to express his grievances, however, no one would meet him. With frustration thrusting him against the wall, Mohamed poured paint fuel over his body, outside the local municipal office, and set himself ablaze.

Mohamed Bouazizi was not the first Tunisian to set himself on fire in an act of public protest, there was Abdesslem Trimech before him in the town of Monastir on March 3, but things happen when the time is right. Mohamed was a very popular man who would give free fruit and vegetables to poor families, and in his death they returned his kindness by protesting vehemently.

On the evening of Mohamed's self immolation, Ali Bouazizi, a cousin of Mohamed Bouazizi, posted a video of a peaceful protest led by his mother outside the municipality building. The video was aired on Al Jazeera's Mubasher channel.

The uprising that begin in Sidi Bouzid soon spread to other towns. From Sidi Bouzid to Kasserine, then Thala, Menzel and Bouzaiene. The protests spread like wild fire in dry forests, and Tunisians of all age, status and profession joined the revolution.

By the time Mohamed died of his burns on January 4, the uprising had engulfed the whole of Tunisia. Fedya Hamdi, the female police officer who tormented Bouazizi had fled the town. Tunisian protesters communicated with each other on Facebook, used Twitter, and followed the news via satellite channels Al Jazeera, France 24, Al Arabiya and others.

President Ben Ali declared a state of emergency in the country, dissolved the government on January 14, 2011, and promised elections within six months, but it was too little too late. Ben Ali resigned the presidency at about 4pm, and fled with his family members in four helicopters bound for Malta. Ben Ali sought exile in France but was refused, and finally went to Saudi Arabia, the epicenter of despot Muslim rulers.

Honor eluded Mohamed Bouazizi in life, death brought him the same in profuse. His body lies in a simple grave in Sidi Bouzid, surrounded by olive trees, cactuses and blossoming almond trees, and when Arab history of this century is written, his grave would become the new pilgrimage, the most sought after relic of the indomitable Arab spirit and freedom, and will inspire all despairing people, everywhere, for generations to come.

Article first published as When A Street Vendor Brings Freedom To Two Nations on Technorati.

Way To Happiness Rediscovered Through Science

Eons ago, the Zen masters said that to be happy you must live in the moment 'NOW.' This indeed is the gist of Zen philosophy, the rest is mere commentary. And so did pronounce the Indian rishis thousands of years back in Vedas and Puranas, now a fresh voice has just been added to those age-old masters' discourses—the voice of an young American psychologist, Matthew Killingsworth, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Harvard.

Killingsworth, and Daniel T. Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard, used a special "track your happiness" iPhone app to gather research on 2250 participants. The results of the study confirms, we spend at least half our time thinking about something other than what we are doing at that moment, and this makes us unhappy.

Dr. Gilbert raised the question, “Which would make you happier: winning the lottery, or losing the ability to walk? It may seem like a no-brainier, but the answer may surprise you.” Gilbert said that research demonstrates, one year later, the paraplegics are just about as happy as lottery winners. How does this happen? The answer is that happiness is all in our minds, as the spiritualists have said it all along.

According to Matthew, multitasking raises our stress level, in other words, if we are playing golf and thinking about last night's party at our friend's place where we had a gala time, despite our indulgence in the happy memories, our game is going to suffer since our stress level is bound to increase.

Any wonder why our lives are so stressful?

Matthew published his research findings in the journal Science where he says: How often people's minds wander is definitely a big predictor of who's happy and who's not happy, because the more often they take themselves out of the present moment, the less happy they are. He went on to maintain that even if we time share with pleasant daydreams, it makes us unhappy.

The guinea pigs for this study were iPhone wielding volunteers, whose average age was 34. The researchers used the specially developed iPhone app for their experiment that called the volunteers several times a day and asked them a few standard questions such as: how they were feeling just before they were contacted, what they were doing, and if they were thinking about something else other than what they were doing. More than 5,000 people are now using the iPhone Web app.

The study found that even when people perform seemingly unpleasant tasks such as running errands or doing a monotonous routine, their unhappiness level increases as they shift their focus from the tasks at hand. People often indulge in daydreams in unpleasant or neutral topics, and as expected those thoughts are likely to increase the level of unhappiness, however, what surprised the researcher was the fact that even pleasurable thoughts made participants no happier than when they were focused on the activity they were performing, whatever the activity may be.

Although this seems to be a paradox, health psychologist Kelly McGonigal, who teaches at Stanford University explained, “When the mind wanders to a happy memory, it tends to eventually turn back to things that aren't quite as positive." Killingsworth explained it in terms of a concept, what he called "default mode, a non-pleasant thought stuck in the brain. For instance, while remembering about a romantic Paris honeymoon, one may come back to the thought of the overpriced hotel that is deeply etched in the memory and became a "default mode." His advice is, contemplate the past to learn from it, but then move on, so that in the future you are prepared to avoid the default mode.

Killingsworth thinks that this default mode probably gave us an advantage by making us watchful to dangers in our hunting and gathering stages of evolution. McGonigal said, "We maximized our survival chances even if we didn't maximize our happiness, evolution doesn't give a damn about happiness." In our time, however, we give paramount importance to happiness, and McGonigal said that we can increase our happiness by keeping our mental focus, or mindfulness, by practicing certain skills regularly.

Wondering what they are? Go see a Zen teacher, or an Indian Yogi, for they are exactly similar techniques that McGonigal prescribes: Live in the moment. Here are five techniques from McGonigal summarized by Deborah Kotz, in her article, Want to Be Happier? Keep Your Focus:

1. Begin the day with a focused task: Be in tune with whatever you are doing.
2. Exercise with alertness: Immerse yourself in it, feel it, sense it, live it.
3. Engulf yourself in a good book or movie: Live the scenes, engross yourself.
4. Reduce multitasking: This breeds tension and unhappiness.
5. Meditate: Practice five to 10 minutes of daily meditation.

You say, you heard them before? I agree. Nonetheless, when we re-discover the ancient truth with new scientific research, it gives wings to the old thoughts, and make them more believable, and more effective, for it is our faith that gives real strength to any construct to be useful in our lives.

Article first published as Way To Happiness Rediscovered Through Science on Technorati.

Show Skin Make Money

After three seasons, the premiere of the MTV reality show “Jersey Shore” drew 8.45 million viewers, making it MTV's most-watched series ever telecast. But now with "Skins" MTV has upstaged even "Jersey Shore."

Following the tradition of copying hit British hot shows to produce its native American version, “Skins” is a creation of steamy drama about teens that depends on liberal exhibition of skins for its blistering popularity. MTV began airing its 10-episode season last Monday with heavy promotion targeting its young audience, and the show was instant hit.

Just days after the airing of the first show, one parents' group called U.S. Senate and House Judiciary Committees and the Department of Justice, to "immediately open an investigation regarding child pornography and exploitation on MTV's 'Skins.'" Tim Winter, the President of Parents Television Council said on Friday's TODAY show, “You have a major conglomerate, Viacom and MTV, that is directly marketing to children graphic sex, profanity, drug use.”

Legal analyst and victims’ rights advocate Wendy Murphy commented on how Viacom’s defense is going to be: Their defense is likely to be 'oh, come on, this is just a television show.' However, she thinks that ''that’s not really a defense, because that's not the issue," Murphy further explained, “The only issue is, are there kids involved who are under the age of 18? That's it! That's enough! That's child pornography.”

Unlike other made-for-TV teens' shows, the actors from “Skins” are real teenagers in the age range of 15 to 19, and that should be a serious concern for everyone. Regardless, MTV responded on TODAY, “'Skins’ is a show that addresses real-world issues confronting teens in a frank way. We are confident that the episodes of 'Skins’ will not only comply with all applicable legal requirements, but also with our responsibilities to our viewers.”

Commentator Frazier Moore wrote in Uproar over 'Skins' is a blessing for the show, “But this is only the beginning for 'Skins.' With its new wave of publicity, it has nowhere to go but up.” Sadly, Morre is right, despite the relentless provocations on the stupid box TV, movies, and other media, it appears American audience is still sex-starved, and sex still sells big time. Viacom is simply getting some free marketing with all the controversy around the 'Skins.' Morre could not be truer in writing, “As a publicity spectacle, this couldn't be going better if MTV had masterminded it.”

When it comes to making money, nothing is sacrosanct anymore, there are no taboos, no limit to decency, morality or values; whatever sells must be good for business. If this is not the sign of a decadent media then what is?

On a MSNBC survey, 74.3% said, “Yes. It is too racy,” 22.7% said, “No, what's the big deal?,” and 3% said, “I don't know.” Obviously, American people have not yet lost their commonsense, but who cares? In the new age, if you wonder “for whom the bell tolls” the answer is, It tolls for thee—the plutocrats, for whom money is God, all else secondary.

Article first published as Sex sales, Sell Sex on Technorati.

Is Obama A One Term President?

Thank you for letting me know your opinion on this poll: Obama Is One Term President?

45% of you have responded to the question with yes, only 10% said no, and 30% were not sure. Though it was a small poll, to my belief it reflects the current sentiment among the progressives, fairly well.

In deed, I have written many articles with similar thoughts on Technorati, on the disenchantment of the American progressives and Obama's deliberate betrayal to them. Now here is my prediction, and take it for whatever it is worth—Obama will win a 2nd term in 2012.

When I set up the poll I was convinced that Obama would be a one-term President. That was before the 2010 election. It did not take long in the new congress, for John Boehner et al to demonstrate that we accord more credits to the Republicans than what is due them. No sooner they came in power they resorted to childish manoeuvres which was so symbolic to them, yet in reality was nothing more than cheap ploys to cater to their base, and their actions resulted in wastage of public money, which they so vehemently oppose in principle.

Let no one forget—the duty of the congress is to make Law, the 112th congress in their infinite wisdom began their act reading from the constitution. Their reading nonetheless soon proved that they have no respect for the constitution, as they only read it selectively and omitted the parts they were against. I am not against the lawmakers reading of the constitution, rather, I think it is something that each of them must do, nevertheless, I believe that they shall to do that in their private time.

If that caricature of GOP house members was not enough to piss off the sane Americans, their next priority of repealing the Health Care Law shall be. In their great desire to carry water for the corporate bosses, they declared their hatred against ordinary American people by avowing all-out-war against the Health Care Reform that they jealously call Obama-Care. Little they understand that if people are against Obama-Care it is because of what the reform did not do rather than what it did. The popular complaint is that the law did not go far enough to serve the interest of the ordinary Americans, and curtail power of the health insurance companies.

The bone-head elephants are going to waste public money in vacuous exhibitions of futile showmanship against Obama to the extent that they are going to wear out even their own base. The Tea Party ditto-heads peaked too early to make any impact on the 2012 Presidential election, and their shine is going to wither when people see and assess the success of this congress against the previous one that had passed over 400 resolutions, majority of them for the interest of the common populace.

The recent Tucson incident showed some very interesting aspects of the politics of hate. When Jared Lee Loughner shoot and injured the democratic congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and killed 9-yr old Christina Green and five others, the Tea Party queen Sarah Palin pulled her CROSSHAIRS/ BULLSEYE message from her website. Regardless, instead of toning down rhetoric she came guns blazing with “blood libel” comment that is so wrong and anti-Semitic, especially considering that the congresswoman Gifford, who is still fighting with death, is Jewish.

The other interesting thing that happened in the aftermath of Tucson shooting was, the city pulled down the fire-breathing Rush Limbaugh's Straight-Shooter billboard, despite the hate monger's continuous vicious attack on the liberals, in his pitiful attempt to shift the blame on them and draw sympathy for the shooter.

I say, the Americans will tire off the politics of hate, and the craving for middle of the road policies will increasingly become stronger. Two years is a long time, and much water will flow through the Mississippi by that time, yet, I predict Obama will be coronated a 2nd time, since he is the best Republican the plutocrats can find, just look at the line up of the Presidential hopefuls on the GOP side, their cartoon characters, and lack of mainstream appeal.


Article first published as Is Obama a One Term President? on Technorati.

When A Diamond Finds A Diamond

Mark Epple, an unemployed Architect, finds a 12-Carat diamond ring and returns it to its rightful owner.

Mark had a great time skiing with his family on Colorado mountains. He was waiting in the drop off lane of Eagle county airport on his way back to his Minneapolis home when he noticed a small ring shining in the bright sunlight. The yellow stone was so big that Mark thought it must be a child's costume jewelry.

At his home, Mark inspected the ring closely and realized that the stone was a genuine 12 Carat diamond. This diamond ring was actually given to Janice by her husband Roger Ward on the occasion of their 30th anniversary. She had taken it off her fingers in the car on her way to airport and placed it on her lap. It just fell off her when she got out of the car.

There was a heavy snowstorm the following morning, and the strenuous search by the county's curbside staff and American Airline employees went in vain. They searched ramps, the parking lot and baggage area, and dug through snow to no avail.

Jancice spent a sleepless night thinking of her diamond ring, she just wished that someone would find it and use it, deliberating only on the positive aspects. It was a great surprise to her when the airport authority called her back with the news of the ring.

On a ABC TV interview, the interviewer asked Mark, “Anybody else might of have kept it, why did you give it back?”

Mark replied, “It's not mine.”

Mark wanted nothing in return for his good deed, but he got something anyway.

The question is, where do these Mark Epples' come from and what do they teach us? In our time, when crime rate is so high, specially in the big cities, when we are taught to treat all strangers as potential threat to us, how the real diamonds like Mark Epple survive? How do they overcome great temptations, specially at the moment they are down?

In that there is a lesson for the rest of us that indeed all those stories of angels, and God's trials may perhaps be not entirely our imagination.

Article first published as When A Diamond Finds a Diamond on Technorati.

Mobile Phone Brings Silent Revolution In Poor Countries

If corrupt politicians, lack of government programs, inadequacy of vocational trainings have been the bane of the financially disadvantaged people in the third word countries, they are now finding help in a relatively modern innovation—mobile phone, which is literally giving them the opportunity to pull themselves up by their shoe strings.

Mobile phone is a way of life in the western world and in majority cases it is merely a means of convenience in communication, however, in the third world it has become the life blood of decent size businesses, and a Bangladeshi village woman, Monowara Talukder, a native of Gaibandha district in the northern part of the country, one of the poorest area of Bangladesh, is a testimony to that.

In only six years, Talukder has built an international herbal tea business, Tulsi Tea, with a turnover of $625,000 in revenue. In a country where the per capita income is only $599 (2008 statistics) Talukder's endeavor can be termed as a business empire.

She employs 1,500 female workers, and supplies her products to major western health food chains, and far eastern countries. She does not have an office or showroom, her mobile phone is her office, show room, phone, fax—in a nutshell the hubbub of her international activity.

When the mobile phone first arrived in the rural Bangladesh in 1997, Talukder was among the first women to sign up for one. The cost was high in Bangladeshi standard and for a 48-year old mother of four, who had never ventured in such a project, the risk was very high, albeit, she never regretted her decision.

All women, nevertheless, are not as lucky as Talukder. According to the telecoms industry body GSMA, a woman living in South Asia has only 37 per cent chance of getting a mobile phone compared to a man, giving rise to telecoms gender gap. Talukder, who made difference to many lives, proudly stated that because of her growing business, 1,200 of her employees own mobile phones, a great feat for a poor country such as Bangladesh.

National Geographic Emerging Explorer Ken Banks posted some stories about how mobile phones are being used throughout the world to improve billions of lives at the grass roots level. There are over 500 million subscribers in Africa alone, and increasing number of people around the world are owning mobile phones with each day passing.

The advantages are multifaceted: Farmers can access market information and increase their income by 40 percent in some cases; day laborers can advertise their services and increase their chances of getting work; unemployed can receive job alerts, and even money can be transferred over the phone where there are no banks. Villagers in Kenya can get timely wildlife warnings, helping them to take precaution from the romping elephants.

In Bhutan, a remote trekking area has received mobile phone system which allows the Principal of Lingshi community primary school, Pema Dema, to audio Biblical service project was launched by E-verses, a private telecommunication company, on Dec. 6 at the Karachi Press Club. Christians, who are minority in Pakistan have been elated with the first-ever audio service of the Bible available through the mobile phones.

Taliban militants routinely attack telecommunication towers in Afghanistan alleging that the NATO forces track them through their phone signals and then attack their hide outs. However, many Afghans, including lawmakers speak out against such actions. Legislator Shurkiya Barekzai commented that by attacking the towers the Taliban seeks to destroy Afghan economy since the mobile networks are very important for ordinary Afghans as mobile phones have become principal means of communication given the rugged nature of Afghan territory and their poor mail service system.

A recent United Nations report said the the fast spreading information technology can improve the livelihoods of the poorest people in developing countries and it cautioned that governments must design responsive policies to ensure that the benefits reach maximum number of people in the most effective way. UNCTAD Secretary-General Supachai Panitchpakdi told a news conference that mobile phone subscriptions will reach five billion this year, nearly one per person on the planet.

Mobile phone has become so important in the lives of people of Ghana that thousands protested poor mobile phone services in Ghana by marching on streets. The local Consumer Protection Agency colluded with other consumer right groups and called on all mobile phone users in the country to switch off their mobile phones for six hours demanding quality services from mobile phone service providers.

The protesters submitted a petition to the deputy communications minister, Dr Nartey Siaw Sapore, who assured that the Ghanaian government would look into the matter and take necessary actions to improve the service.

Article first published as Mobile Phone Brings Silent Revolution In Poor Countries on Technorati.