Indo-Bengla Ties

Denial - That seems to be the biggest roadblock facing India-Bangladesh ties today.

"We both have issues with each other, as all neighbours must," says a senior Indian diplomat who has dealt with Bangladesh closely. "But instead of addressing those issues like civilised nations, Dhaka insists on denying all Indian concerns, even when it is backed by irrefutable and solid evidence."

"This," says the diplomat, "makes it almost impossible to engage in normal, civil diplomatic relations with our eastern neighbour."

Apart from the longstanding worry of over massive illegal migration from Bangladesh, the main Indian concerns include:

• Rebels from northeast Indian states who operate with impunity from Bangladeshi territory


• The growing influence and activities of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence and Al Qaeda in Dhaka.


• Rapidly rising fundamentalism and anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh


• Increasing cross-border traffic in drugs, arms, women, children, and cattle


• The mushrooming madrassas springing up along the border, many funded by Pakistani and Saudi Arabian 'charities'


• Repeated skirmishes between India's Border Security Force and the Bangladesh Rifles over disputed territory and the latter's attempts to stop the fencing work being undertaken by India


• Dhaka's perpetual refusal to grant transit rights and permission to Indian companies like Tata to set up shop there.


• Dhaka meets all these charges with staunch denial. In turn, it accuses India of bullying its smaller neighbour, interfering in its internal affairs, starving it of water and sheltering Bangladeshi criminals.


• The massive influx of refugees fleeing persecution in East Pakistan -- as Bangladesh was called then -- was one of the reasons for India's decision to assist the Mukti Bahini, which was fighting for liberation from Pakistan.

The value of a Hindu life

Consider the following events that took place involving people from Kerala in dangerous situations in the recent past:
A driver with the Border Roads Organization is kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan, which threatens to kill him within 48 hours. The state and central governments do practically nothing. E Ahamed (the MP from Kerala), in charge of the foreign ministry since Natwar Singh was sacked, does practically nothing. The driver's decapitated body is found by the roadside. http://in.rediff.com/news/2005/nov/23mani.htm

A prisoner is held by the Americans in an army jail in Iraq. The government of Kerala appeals for his release and the central government intervenes. The prisoner is released and reunited with his family.

A migrant worker in Saudi Arabia is sentenced to lose an eye because in a scuffle he had blinded a Saudi in one eye. The Islamic law in Saudi Arabia states literally that an eye for an eye is the punishment for the crime. However, the chief minister of Kerala pleads for clemency. E Ahamed pleads for clemency. There are questions in Parliament. This has become an international cause celebre.

A few years ago, when a person in Iraq was kidnapped by terrorists, the government quickly established contacts with the Iraqi government, sent a member of the Minorities Commission to Iraq, and secured his release.

Here are excerpts from a report in The Pioneer newspaper ('Government could have saved him, says family'), in relation to Cases 1 and 4:

Many people are also angry that the Central and State Governments failed to save Maniappan's life. Anandan and Krishnankutty, Maniappan's uncles and ex-servicemen, blame the State and Central Governments for having failed to save their nephew's life. They wonder why the State Government did not send a minister to New Delhi to strive to secure Maniappan's release.
The family's neighbours Karthikeyan, Gopalan and Sadanandan and a host of others ask with indignation why the Central Government did not try to establish communication with the Taliban via the Afghan Government. A few Congress workers, who were reluctant to reveal their names, blamed Minister for State for External Affairs E Ahamed. Some others blamed it on top bureaucrats in New Delhi who failed to rise to the occasion.
Some recalled how Samkutty, hailing from neighbouring Mavelikkara, was rescued after a terrorist group abducted him in Iraq a few years ago. At that time, New Delhi had acted quickly by establishing contact with the Iraqi government and also sent Minorities Commission member John Joseph to Iraq secure Samkutty's release. The Union Government's persistent efforts paid off, and Samkutty (was) brought home safely. In the case of Maniappan, the Union Government did not act fast and effectively, many feel.

Here is an excerpt from a report in the Pioneer ('Naushad issue echoes in Parliament'), in relation to Case 3:

Rajya Sabha members, especially from Kerala, on Wednesday demanded immediate intervention by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to save an Indian national who is facing the threat of his eye being gouged out as a punishment for injuring a Saudi national in a scuffle.

So what is the difference between Cases 1, 2, 3, and 4, other than the fact that the person in Case 1 died a gruesome death, but the others are safe?
Just this:

Case 1 was a Hindu man, Maniappan Raman Kutty.
Case 2 is a Christian man, Sijo Jose.
Case 3 is a Muslim man, Naushad.
Case 4 is a Christian man, Samkutty.

There could not be a clearer indication of the value of a Hindu man's life. To spell out the obvious -– a Hindu's life is without value as far as politicians and the Government are concerned. But a Christian man's life, and a Muslim man's eye, are of great value. Ah, the wonders of 'secularism; as practiced in India!

This is eerily reminiscent of the Saudi Arabian system of blood money, see the Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_money (or The Wall Street Journal, April 9, 2002): In Saudi Arabia when a person has been killed or caused to die by another, the perpetrator has to pay blood money, or compensation, as follows:

100,000 riyals if the victim is a Muslim man
50,000 riyals if a Muslim woman
50,000 riyals if a Christian man
25,000 riyals if a Christian woman
6,666 riyals if a Hindu man
3,333 riyals if a Hindu woman

This hierarchy is based on the Islamic legal definitions of human rights and is rooted in the Quran and Sharia (Islamic law).

Because of the lure of petro-dollars, everyone accepts this with a shrug, 'That's the way the Saudis are'", although it violates our notions about human rights and egalitarianism.
But it is true that sovereign countries have their laws and they resent outsiders trying to tell them what to do. For instance, Singapore has extremely strict laws about drug smuggling, and those caught trafficking are summarily executed. Just a week or two ago, a Vietnamese-Australian was thus executed, despite pleas for clemency.

Of course, Case 3, regarding Naushad's pending mutilation, is a humanitarian concern. But then, Naushad is a Muslim, Saudi Arabia is the most devoutly Muslim country, and their law is totally based on the Quran and Sharia. In a purely technical and legal sense, is it appropriate for anyone to try and tell the Saudis what to do? Wouldn't that be interference in their internal affairs, and worse, in their religious affairs?

It is interesting to note that India's Muslim leaders, who have on occasion declared that their Sharia courts supersede the normal judicial process -– most recently in the case of a Muslim woman being raped by her father-in-law and then being told to divorce her husband and marry the father-in-law -– are silent about the Naushad case. Where is Shabana Azmi? Where is Teesta Setalvad? Why aren't they loudly supporting the Saudi Sharia courts in this instance? Is their support of Islam selective -– only when it is convenient for them?

There are two lessons to be taken away from these cases, and in comparison, the cases of Rubaiyya Sayeed (1989, Jammu and Kashmir), Tassaduq Dev (1991, Jammu and Kashmir), Nahida Soz (1991, Jammu and Kashmir), and of the hostages in the Indian Airlines flight that was hijacked (1999, Kandahar, Afghanistan).

If you are an upper middle class person or related to a politician, the Indian State will cave in and do whatever it takes to secure your release, including allowing mass-murdering terrorists to go scot-free.An alarming note: Rubaiyya Sayeed is the daughter of the previous chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, and Tassaduq Dev is the brother of the current J&K Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad. What does this say about their willingness to resist terrorists?

If you are a Muslim or Christian, you get substantially better treatment from the bureaucracy, politicians and the media than if you are a lower middle-class Hindu with no connections as Maniappan Raman Kutty was.

I suspect that Maniappan Kutty also belonged to a lower caste, since the Marxists did not make any noise about him. Compare this to a CPI-M Politburo member personally chivvying on the relatives of Flight 814 hostages to force the NDA government to cave in to terrorist demands.
But then, one might say that 'minorities' deserve better protection than the 'majority' community. However, this laudable goal breaks down in the case of Pakistan.

A report from Irfan Hussain ('Conversion Losses') in The Dawn http://www.dawn.com/weekly/mazdak/mazdak.htm relates the sad story of a Hindu couple in Karachi, whose three daughters, Reena (21), Usha (19) and Rima (17), vanished without a trace on October 18th.

The next the parents heard about the three girls was via a courier package which had three identical affidavits from the girls saying they had voluntarily converted to Islam and therefore couldn't live with their Hindu parents. It is quite possible that they have been kidnapped, forcibly married, and converted under duress, but as helpless minority people in Muslim-fundamentalist Pakistan, the parents have no hope for justice. But the mullahs have generously offered them, too, the opportunity to convert to Islam.

The kidnapping and forced marriage/conversion of Hindu women is intended in part to humiliate the community by showing them that they cannot protect their valued daughters. In a culture where 'honour' is important -– as seen in the many 'honour killings' of Muslim women who dare to love non-Muslim men, in the UK, for instance -- this is the gravest possible dishonor. And it is an overt threat that Hindus had better convert.

This sort of violence generally befalls only powerless 'minorities' in most places. So this is yet more evidence that in India, it is the Hindus that are the oppressed 'minority', as I have argued before in 'Who is a minority person?'

For, there was an identical tale -– same modus operandi -– of the 'disappearance' and 'conversion' of a Hindu girl in October in Hyderabad, India. This did not get much airplay in the Indian English media, naturally. 21-year-old K Pallavi disappeared, and 'reappeared' as 'Sana Fatima', clad head to toe in a burqa, and suddenly spoke fluent Urdu which she did not know before. Her mother was not allowed to see her without the burqa, or to talk to her alone, and she suspects 'Sana Fatima' is an impostor. The girl was escorted to court, curiously, by an MLA and MP of a Muslim organization.

Here is a quote from the Pioneer editorial:
It is entirely possible that Pallavi, if at all she and 'Sana Fathima' are the same person, has changed her faith in an emotional response to the killing of a young Muslim man, with whom she is said to have been rather friendly, last year. But that does not mitigate the possible social impact of her action that must be judged in the context of realities which cannot be wished away.
Her gender is immaterial to the points that are being raised by those opposed to surreptitious conversion by deceit, if not by coercion or inducement. If Pallavi indeed wanted to embrace Islam as an informed adult, she need not have done so in such a cloak-and-dagger manner; if her action had no political or social bearing, she would not have been provided with political cover of the sort that was witnessed in court on Monday.

So what do you think, gentle reader, is the value of a Hindu's life in India?
Comments welcome at my blog at http://rajeev2004.blogspot.com
Rajeev Srinivasan

A reality we all try to ignore with pain........

Solitude vs Loneliness

Loneliness is marked by a sense of isolation. Solitude, on the other hand, is a state of being alone without being lonely and can lead to self-awareness.

As the world spins faster and faster -- or maybe it just seems that way when an email can travel around the world in fractions of a second -- we mortals need a variety of ways to cope with the resulting pressures. We need to maintain some semblance of balance and some sense that we are steering the ship of our life.

Otherwise we feel overloaded, overreact to minor annoyances an feel like we can never catch up. As far as I'm concerned, one of the best ways is by seeking, and enjoying, solitude.

That said, there is an important distinction to be established right off the bat. There is a world of difference between solitude and loneliness, though the two terms are often used interchangeably.

From the outside, solitude and loneliness look a lot alike. Both are characterized by solitariness. But all resemblance ends at the surface.

Loneliness is a negative state, marked by a sense of isolation. One feels that something is missing. It is possible to be with people and still feel lonely -- perhaps the most bitter form of loneliness.

Solitude is the state of being alone without being lonely. It is a positive and constructive state of engagement with oneself. Solitude is desirable, a state of being alone where you provide yourself wonderful and sufficient company.

Solitude is a time that can be used for reflection, inner searching or growth or enjoyment of some kind. Deep reading requires solitude, so does experiencing the beauty of nature. Thinking and creativity usually do too.

Solitude suggests peacefulness stemming from a state of inner richness. It is a means of enjoying the quiet and whatever it brings. that is satisfying and from which we draw sustenance. It is something we cultivate. Solitude is refreshing; an opportunity to renew ourselves. In other words, it replenishes us.

Loneliness is harsh, punishment, a deficiency state, a state of discontent marked by a sense of estrangement, an awareness of excess aloneness.

Solitude is something you choose. Loneliness is imposed on you by others.

We all need periods of solitude, although temperamentally we probably differ in the amount of solitude we need. Some solitude is essential; It gives us time to explore and know ourselves. It is the necessary counterpoint to intimacy, what allows us to have a self worthy of sharing.Solitude gives us a chance to regain perspective. It renews us for the challenges of life. It allows us to get (back) into the position of driving our own lives, rather than having them run by schedules and demands from without.

Solitude restores body and mind. Lonelinesss depletes them.

Finally some sense.....

From the day one at blogger the features that i misssed are:

1. Ablity to moderate the comments before they are published on my site
2. Categories
3. RSS

Well, today saw that the first feature i want is granted - Inablity to moderate the comments before they are published on my site.

So from now on all the comments are gonna be moderated, so keep away spammers :-)

Another Diwali

There goes another Diwali. It was pretty nice. Lighted the whole house with over 100 diyas. A humble but pretty nice way to live the Diwali spirit.
Yet i can remember my days at Chennai during the Diwali. Diwali is one of the main festivals for Tamil Nadu. The most amusing part is that, when i was in Chennai for 5 yrs. At the junction near my house, there were 2 shops. One was fruit shop & other was a Book Shop. These two shop, during the normal days they had a very sluggish business. But during the Diwali times, both these shops b'cos full-fledged fireworks shop. Selling all kinds & shapes of fireworks. And once i remember the fruit shop guy telling my uncle that money he gets during Diwali is enough to keep him going for the year. And other days he runs the shop to just keep the place.

Happy Diwali

Another definition for love.....

I define love as a four letter word with over 4 trillion definitions.

And here i found another definition:

True love is when you see the flaws;
overlook the imperfection;
understand the weaknesses;
and still; can't live without it.

Happy B'day - Sandil

Well, 17th October was the birthday of Sandil.

And i only came to know about it just now.

Well, for those who don't know Sandil. All i can say is that he a friend of mine who is carzy about music, photography,table tennis & computers(sorry if i forgot any).
He is even an amature Keyboard & gutair player(he is pretty good).

In computers, he is far more experienced than me & i keep bugging him frequently when ever i need some help.

Well, if to decribe him in detail. Its gonna be a long story and i am really busy.

So all i want to do is wish Sandil all the best.

Outsourcing Hurts Indians, too

Its a very well know fact that one of the most booming form of business in India is outsourcing. And of that, Call Centers are popularly know mainly for 2 reasons:

1. In India, its consider as one of the best jobs among youngsters because the only qualification is required for the job is the ability to speak in English which is a piece of cake for the Indians.
2. In US, UK & other countries were the jobs are outsourced to India. The whole thing is considered as a bane as the people in that country are going out of job.

Well, i guess there is a 3rd additional reason to the above . Read on..............

IT Sweatshops Breaking Indians

Outsourcing tech jobs to India has caused turmoil for workers in the United States and Europe. But it seems it's causing turmoil for Indians, as well.

An estimated 50,000 young English-speaking Indians who work in call centers here are exposed to a host of health problems. They are usually in their early 20s, just out of college and up all night answering tech calls.

Because of the time difference between India and the United States, the work day for these workers starts late in the evening and extends until dawn. Such odd work hours have brought on a host of health problems including digestive diseases, hair loss, back pain and stress.

"Two call center workers have suffered miscarriages," said Gurvinder Singh Bindra, a senior-level manager at Indus Teleservices, which employs about 250 workers earning $160 to $300 per month. "Some girls develop menstrual problems. Orthopedic problems and sharp increase in smoking are common features. I would also attribute extramarital affairs in call centers to the odd working hours, though it's my personal observation. When the husband comes home the wife is asleep. When the wife comes home the husband is asleep."

Some even claim assuming a foreign accent for long periods causes sore throats.

"We do try to make life better for the workers by buying specially designed chairs and improving the overall work environment," said Nirupama Hukku, who used to work at Indus Teleservices as a training consultant. "But there is no alternative to a good night's sleep.

"I don't feel fresh even after eight to 10 hours of sleep in the day. It makes you some kind of recluse at times, creating issues in relationships. You are never awake when others are, so no one can talk to you."

Laxmikant Purohit, a 34-year-old services manager at SoftTel Information Services who works from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m., says he suffers from constipation and acid stomach. In the past eight months he has put on 29 pounds, he said.

"It's difficult to have a positive outlook toward life because everything seems dark and gloomy when you work at ungodly hours," he said. "It's the first month that is the most terrible. One or two weeks after joining, new recruits throw up in the middle of work."

At Infowavz, absenteeism on some days is as high as 8 percent. "On an average it is 5 percent," said the call center facility's President Vineet Mittal. Infowavz has introduced concepts like a "fun officer," whose job is to spot employees who look a bit down and try to entertain them with jokes.

"I believe call centers should do all they can to improve the lives of those who work there," Mittal said. That's why even though 10 out of 12 Infowavz clients are American, the firm never demanded that its workers perfect their American accents.

"Some call centers ask their agents, as the floor workers are called, to practice speaking English with a marble placed below the tongue to imitate the American accent better," Mittal said.

Apart from the health hazards, there is a minor social embarrassment attached to a distinct American accent slipping out of an Indian mouth. Some call center workers are so consumed by the accent they employ at work that they accidentally take it home, only to be ridiculed by their near and dear. Manish Raut, 26, who works at Transworks, said he takes great care to return to his normal Indian English accent with friends.

"But I cannot do anything about the fact that I fall ill for one or two days on a regular basis. Since I work from 10:30 p.m. to 7:30 a.m., my whole biological system has gone for a toss. I have a proper meal just once a day. If I eat well at night I feel sleepy. And in the day I am fast asleep."

Not surprisingly, the attrition rate is high in the call center business. Thirty to 40 percent of the workers quit in a year. But they are quickly replaced because there are enough English-speaking youngsters in India available for jobs that pay $160 to $300 per month.

They will learn not to call it easy money.

Mohandas Gandhi - A Hypocrite

Nuggets of truth often overseen by Indians & the world in general - Gandhi's Principle of Peace Was Bogus.

Gopal Godse, co-conspirator in Gandhi's assassination and brother of the assassin, looks back in anger--and without regret.

Fifty-two years ago, on Jan. 30, 1948, Mohandas Gandhi was shot dead by Nathuram Godse, a Hindu extremist. Godse believed that the Mahatma, or great soul, was responsible for the 1947 partition of India and the creation of Pakistan. Godse and his friend Narayan Apte were hanged. His brother Gopal and two others were sentenced to life imprisonment for their part in the conspiracy. Gopal Godse remained in jail for 18 years and now, at 80, lives with his wife in a small apartment in Pune. He is still proud of his role in the murder. Although Godse is largely ignored in India and rarely talks to journalists, he agreed to speak with TIME Delhi correspondent Meenakshi Ganguly.

TIME: What happened in January 1948?
Godse: On Jan. 20, Madanlal Pahwa exploded a bomb at Gandhi's prayer meeting in Delhi. It was 50 m away from Gandhi. [The other conspirators] all ran away from the place. Madanlal was caught there. Then there was a tension in our minds that we had to finish the task before the police caught us. Then Nathuram [Gopal's brother] took it on himself to do the thing. We only wanted destiny to help us -- meaning we should not be caught on the spot before he acted.

TIME: Why did you want to kill Gandhi?
Godse: Gandhi was a hypocrite. Even after the massacre of the Hindus by the Muslims, he was happy. The more the massacres of the Hindus, the taller his flag of secularism.

TIME: Did you ever see Gandhi?
Godse: Yes.

TIME: Did you attend his meetings?
Godse: Yes.

TIME: Can you explain how he created his mass following?
Godse: The credit goes to him for maneuvering the media. He captured the press. That was essential. How Gandhi walked, when he smiled, how he waved -- all these minor details that the people did not require were imposed upon them to create an atmosphere around Gandhi. And the more ignorant the masses, the more popular was Gandhi. So they always tried to keep the masses ignorant.

TIME: But surely it takes more than good publicity to create a Gandhi?
Godse: There is another thing. Generally in the Indian masses, people are attracted toward saintism. Gandhi was shrewd to use his saintdom for politics. After his death the government used him. The government knew that he was an enemy of Hindus, but they wanted to show that he was a staunch Hindu. So the first act they did was to put "Hey Ram" into Gandhi's dead mouth.

TIME: You mean that he did not say "Hey Ram" as he died?
Godse: No, he did not say it. You see, it was an automatic pistol. It had a magazine for nine bullets but there were actually seven at that time. And once you pull the trigger, within a second, all the seven bullets had passed. When these bullets pass through crucial points like the heart, consciousness is finished. You have no strength.

When Nathuram saw Gandhi was coming, he took out the pistol and folded his hands with the pistol inside it. There was one girl very close to Gandhi. He feared that he would hurt the girl. So he went forward and with his left hand pushed her aside and shot. It happened within one second. You see, there was a film and some Kingsley fellow had acted as Gandhi. Someone asked me whether Gandhi said, "Hey Ram." I said Kingsley did say it. But Gandhi did not. Because that was not a drama.

TIME: Many people think Gandhi deserved to be nominated TIME's Person of the Century. [He was one of two runners-up, after Albert Einstein.]
Godse: I name him the most cruel person for Hindus in India. The most cruel person! That is how I term him.

TIME: Is that why Gandhi had to die?
Godse: Yes. For months he was advising Hindus that they must never be angry with the Muslims. What sort of ahimsa (non-violence) is this? His principle of peace was bogus. In any free country, a person like him would be shot dead officially because he was encouraging the Muslims to kill Hindus.

TIME: But his philosophy was of turning the other cheek. He felt one person had to stop the cycle of violence...
Godse: The world does not work that way.

TIME: Is there anything that you admire about Gandhi?
Godse: Firstly, the mass awakening that Gandhi did. In our school days Gandhi was our idol. Secondly, he removed the fear of prison. He said it is different to go into prison for a theft and different to go in for satyagraha (civil disobedience). As youngsters, we had our enthusiasm, but we needed some channel. We took Gandhi to be our channel. We don't repent for that.

TIME: Did you not admire his principles of non-violence?
Godse: Non-violence is not a principle at all. He did not follow it. In politics you cannot follow non-violence. You cannot follow honesty. Every moment, you have to give a lie. Every moment you have to take a bullet in hand and kill someone. Why was he proved to be a hypocrite? Because he was in politics with his so-called principles. Is his non-violence followed anywhere? Not in the least. Nowhere.

TIME: What was the most difficult thing about killing Gandhi?
Godse: The greatest hurdle before us was not that of giving up our lives or going to the gallows. It was that we would be condemned both by the government and by the public. Because the public had been kept in the dark about what harm Gandhi had done to the nation. How he had fooled them!

TIME: Did the people condemn you?
Godse: Yes. People in general did. Because they had been kept ignorant.

Source: TIME Asia

Not every animal in the Jungle are dangerous.

Some short events in life leaves us with a ever-lasting memories. And these events have always been those from which i learned a lot. There is one incident like that which really helped me.

About 4-5 yrs back, this incident happened. But i remember it very clear even today.

One day, I was going for my tution by a cab. The previous day as the cabby took me to a wrong place(i felt it was on purpose just over-charge me) & as i was late i was really irritated. So this day i was repeatedly told the cabby the location(i was again late).

The cabby was an old Pakistani (Pattan). The third or fourth time i was telling him the location, i could not help but notice his disarming smile via the interior rear mirror. I did not finish telling him the location, but i stopped. And just stared outside the window.

Then after a moment of dead silence, i broke the silence by telling him what happened the previous day (the thing about the cabby taking me to wrong place).

When i finished tell him the incident, i reached my place. I just gave him the money & when he turned around to giving me the change, he smiled at me and told "Not every animals in the jungle are dangerous. Of course, there are dangerous ones and you should be careful about them. But you should not consider everyone as dangerous. You should learn to know who is dangerous & not".

He told it to me in Hindi. And even now as i am writing this. I can feel his voice echoing in me........

Some Geek jokes...........

1) There are 10 types of people in the world: those who understand binary, and those who don’t.

2) If at first you don’t succeed; call it version 1.0

3) My software never has bugs. It just develops random features.

4) Roses are #FF0000
Violets are #0000FF
All my base
Are belong to you.

5) Microsoft: “You’ve got questions. We’ve got dancing paperclips.”

6) I would love to change the world, but they won’t give me the source code.

7) The box said, “Requires Windows 95 or better.” So I installed Linux.

8) In a world without fences and walls, who needs Gates and Windows?

9) Hand over the calculator, friends don’t let friends derive drunk.

10) You know it’s love when you memorize her IP number to skip DNS overhead.

11) Ethernet (n): something used to catch the etherbunny.

12) Linux, DOS and Windows…the good, the bad and the ugly.

13) Programming today is a race between software engineers striving to build bigger and better idiot-proof programs, and the Universe trying to produce bigger and better idiots. So far, the Universe is winning.

14) How do I set a laser printer to stun?

15) Failure is not an option — it comes bundled with Windows.

16) People say that if you play Microsoft CD’s backwards, you hear satanic things, but that’s nothing, because if you play them forwards, they install Windows.

17) Windows had detected you do not have a keyboard. Press “F9″ to continue.

18) Beware of computer programmers that carry screwdrivers.

19) SELECT * FROM users WHERE clue > 0
- returned 0 results

20) There is no place like 127.0.0.1

Taken from ttp://www.thecomputercurmudgeon.com

More on Blogging............

Just happened to come across some interesting details about Blogging. I was just recently learned that ring tones tell a lot about your personality. But its just now that i learned that blogging tell about your personality! Would suggest bloggers to give a shot at What's Your Blogging Personality?

And for those who really don't know what to blog about. Try 10 Ways To Create Content For Your Weblog.

But for those who don't have a blog but are seriously planning to have one, Top Free Blog Software / Hosting for Bloggers will be of your interest. But before that i would suggest reading Before You Choose Your Weblog Software.

But as a personal word. For those who really love to update your site but is not interested/don't have time in messing with your site & prefer a way to simply updating your site. Blogging is the solution as far as i know.

Hey Neighbour......

Well, today as i was going to the supermarket i met my new neighbour(has been my neighbour for 6 months) face2face for the first time. Just a casual smile & we walked off our ways.

After that, when i came home. I saw that my blog was loaded on my browser. That's when "Next Blog >>", on the top right-end of my blog caught my attention. I was curious to see who is my neighbour online as i know my neighbour offline :-)

Here i go, "http://transcendente.blogspot.com/". That's the address of my neighbour & his name is André Marques de Carvalho Mendes(wow!, thats long). A 24 yr old Portuguese student of Computer Engineering (nice to have a neighbour of your same interest).

Well, the best part is yet to come.

I once again went backed to my blog & tried clicking "Next Blog >>".

This time its not my Portuguese neighbour. Now its "http://painterlady.blogspot.com/". Now its a 42 yr old American lady who is an artist as well as a writer. On checking more about her, it seems that she has published a couple of books & has lot of personal interest varying from poetry to painting to belly dancing to Tarot studies. Well, there goes a list of a stranger's interest & i am no less to that.

Actually now i am more-than-ever tempted to explore around and see all my "Next Blog >>" neighbours. But unfortunately, the damn time is the problem. I got to go. Guess i shall visit my neighbours some other time. And i am sure that this is gonna be a journey that wouldn't end this lifetime.

Well, bye. Got to go.................

Trust a robber???????

"........but at the end of the day we think consumers want choice, consumers want openness," Glaser said.

Source: Yahoo News

Glaser is the Founder of Real Network. And the above statement was given by him while announcing his company teaming up with Microsoft to give Apple's iPod customers more CHOICE & OPENNESS.
Those two are the terms that cannot be found in the products of either Real Network or Microsoft. Really wondering who the hell on earth are two hardcore Proprietary companies gonna do that.
We will just have to wait & hope for the best.

Can you read this?

As i was just browsing around the net, i just came across something i believe is really interesting.
Enjoy;-)
>>>>>
Can you raed tihs? Olny srmat poelpe can. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg.The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn’t mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!

The Conscience of a Hacker

The following was written shortly after my arrest...

\/\The Conscience of a Hacker/\/
( The Hacker Manifesto)
by
+++The Mentor+++

Written on January 8, 1986

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Another one got caught today, it's all over the papers."Teenager Arrested in Computer Crime Scandal", "Hacker Arrested after Bank Tampering"...

Damn kids. They're all alike.

But did you, in your three-piece psychology and 1950's technobrain, ever take a look behind the eyes of the hacker? Did you ever wonder what made him tick, what forces shaped him, what may have molded him?

I am a hacker, enter my world...

Mine is a world that begins with school... I'm smarter than most of the other kids, this crap they teach us bores me...

Damn underachiever. They're all alike.

I'm in junior high or high school. I've listened to teachers explain for the fifteenth time how to reduce a fraction. I understand it. "No, Ms.Smith, I didn't show my work. I did it in my head..."

Damn kid. Probably copied it. They're all alike.

I made a discovery today. I found a computer. Wait a second, this is cool. It does what I want it to. If it makes a mistake, it's because I screwed it up. Not because it doesn't like me...
Or feels threatened by me...
Or thinks I'm a smart ass...
Or doesn't like teaching and shouldn't be here...

Damn kid. All he does is play games. They're all alike.

And then it happened... a door opened to a world... rushing through the phone line like heroin through an addict's veins, an electronic pulse is sent out, a refuge from the day-to-day incompetencies is sought... a board is found.

"This is it... this is where I belong..."

I know everyone here... even if I've never met them, never talked to them, may never hear from them again... I know you all...

Damn kid. Tying up the phone line again. They're all alike...

You bet your ass we're all alike... we've been spoon-fed baby food at school when we hungered for steak... the bits of meat that you did let slip through were pre-chewed and tasteless. We've been dominated by sadists, or ignored by the apathetic. The few that had something to teach found us willing pupils, but those few are like drops of water in the desert.

This is our world now... the world of the electron and the switch, the beauty of the baud. We make use of a service already existing without paying for what could be dirt-cheap if it wasn't run by profiteering gluttons, and you call us criminals. We explore... and you call us criminals. We seek after knowledge... and you call us criminals. We exist without skin color, without nationality, without religious bias... and you call us criminals. You build atomic bombs, you wage wars, you murder, cheat, and lie to us and try to make us believe it's for our own good, yet we're the criminals.

Yes, I am a criminal. My crime is that of curiosity. My crime is that of judging people by what they say and think, not what they look like. My crime is that of outsmarting you, something that you will never forgive me for.

I am a hacker, and this is my manifesto. You may stop this individual,
but you can't stop us all... after all, we're all alike.

+++The Mentor+++

That was The Conscience of a Hacker (a.k.a. The Hacker Manifesto) is a small article written on January 8, 1986 by a hacker who went by the handle, or pseudonym, of The Mentor (a.k.a. Loyd Blankenship). It was written after the author's arrest, and first published in the underground hacker ezine Phrack in Volume One, Issue 7, Phile 3 of 10.

It is considered an important item of hacker culture, and it gives an insight into the psychology of early hackers. The Manifesto states that hackers choose to hack because it is a way for them to learn. It also expresses the satori of a hacker realizing his potential in the realm of computers.

Lazy or .......

Guess most of you are aware that i have a website "sreenadh.net". Its over 3 months that i bought it. And when i took it, i put up a coming soon page. And till now, the site is not up.

You might think i dont know HTML. But i know html, javascript, flash, css & php.
Then you might think i lost interest or i am lazy. But i spend atleast 4 hrs a day working on my site.

Then wondering were is my site??????

Well, here is the story. Once i start on the site i am so interested in testing stuff( i setup 3-4 blogs, 2 forums, 4-5 form-mailers), that i totally forget the fact that i am suppose to develop a site.

I am blogging this hoping that atleast now i will seriously develop a homepage.

Worth a thought................

I really enjoyed reading this paragraph. So, just though of sharing it with everyone.

Love is always patient and kind. It is never jealous.
Love is never boastful nor conceded.
It is never rude or selfish.
It does not take offence and is not resentful.
Love takes no pleasure in other people's sins but delight in the truth.
It is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope and to endure whatever comes.

Short of time or lack of Priority...............

Frankly, i am doing this post just for the hell of it. This is my post after over 2 months of in-activity on my blog. The reason of not blogging is not that i hate it or i dont have anything to blog - its just that i dont have the TIME to do so. I know its the age old lame excuse made by everyone on earth. I guess to be honest i must say that the actual thing is not about time, its more about PRIORITIES. Even though i dont have time to blog, i have ample time to check my email account"s" a zillion of times and chat with my friends for over hours online(don't have to worry of my internet bill as i have an un-limited broadband connection).
Frankly i feel that my written english is improving b'cos of my blogging(thanks to my friends who take the time to read all my blogpost and point-out all my spelling & grammatic errors). Anyway, i guess atleast from now i must start blogging atleast once a week.
So, till my next post. Goodbye.

www.sreenadh.net

Thats gonna be my address/identity on the net. I can promise that i WILL stick on to this address whatever happens & will not change my email address.
I would like to take this opportunity to apologise to all my friend who were very co-operative when i was on a vicious circle of changing my email address.
And not to forget those of you who got lost in updating my email address and are yet stuck with one of my old email addresses.

Return of the Old Bad Days.........

I am expecting my dad anytime today in the evening.
And i am totally worn-out trying to restore some kinda order at my home, which i messed up royally during the time my parents were in India.

Looking back at the days, it was a worth while experience. I am clear of one thing now, i have a loooong way to get matured. I was really having a tough time as my mom was not around to look after me.
All the way i had a feeling that i can be independent. But, now i know that i have some more to learn before i get stand on my own feet.
I must say, i really need to learn to be organised in life.........(not to forget the mornings when i discover the bitter truth that i don't have any washed cloths for the day).

Well, let me get to organising the house.............................
wish me all the best.......

The Black-out at Abu Dhabi

The Black-out incident at Dubai brought to me the memories that i had when there was a major black-out in Abu Dhabi.I am not quite sure of the day but i know that it was somewhere in the year 2001.
Actually that day me & my friends planned to go for an all-u-can eat at Pizza Hut. So, that day i went along with Sohail and we were waiting for the whole group to reach. We were all together 9.
We entered Pizza Hut at about 12.15 when a waiter told us that the Joint was closing was there is a black-out and it shall only resume only when the electricity was back. We thought that it will be back in about few minutes. So we were just waiting around.
The first half-hour went smooth, then there was a slight discomfort. It was burning hot. So we went to Grand Al-Mariah Theatre which was just 5 bldg away and they were running on generators. So we waited there for about another half hr staring at the Dead-Signal post, so that we can know when the power get back. Then Kevin, Vinu & Sohail started feeling hungry as they skipped there breakfast thinking that they can enjoy there All-u-can eat lunch.
So, we all went to a near-by cafeteria and had a sandwich. After which we resumed out watch-out at the Theatre, looking dead signal post praying that the electricity comes soon.

At about 14:30, we all were kinda fed-up & tried and thought we called it a day and returned home with a heavy heart.

I was staying in the 6th floor and i had to climb all the way up with an empty tummy. As soon as i reached home i just drank a bottle-full water and went to sleep.

I woke up at about 17:30 when the electricity was back......

Well, that was my day.
Luckily, i was not at Dubai during the Black-out to share another horrible xperience......

9 June, 2005: A day to remember & prepare.....

I was busy the whole day in Sharjah and by 8pm only did i know of the Great Black-out in Dubai. Dubai is the commercial check-point of UAE and the Middle-East or better if said "The World".

The Black-Out was from 9:30 - 5:30 (appro.). The cause was some kind of mal-function in the turbines at the Power station.

So far all the reports have just re-affirmed the fact that the black-out was really a strong one. But the officials as usual claimed that everything was in control. The black-out had an estimated loss of OVER 300 Million Dirham. This was indeed a major blow to the growth of Dubai after the Accident at the Dubai Airport (on 27 Sept,2004) that was Suspected as an Al-Qaeda Activity, which left over 70 dead & 100+ trapped within(which again the Dubai Govt denied, saying that only 5 dead & 12 injured).

The causalities caused by the Black-out

• The newspaper & other reports say that many flights at the Dubai Airport was cancelled (including the flagship Airlines of Dubai - Emirates). But the Officials claimed that there was no cancellation of Flights. And not to mention the Chaos that the airport under went.

• There was a major collapse in the Cellphone services following the power cut which exposed the vulnerability of Etisalat (the country's lone telecom operator). Usually in other countries, the Cellphone services is NEVER affect irrespective of how massive the Black-out is.Over a million cell phone users remained out-of-service for hours. Only the land-line was working.The worse was when Etisalat gave out an Official statement saying: "Cell phone, fixed line and internet network continued to function with normal efficiency during the power supply outage in the city of Dubai. This is the result of the highest precautions taken by the corporation with regard to electric power across its buildings and locations. The available back-ups in Etisalat ensured excellent delivery of services, without interruption during the unscheduled power outage."
  

• The banks and all kinds of organisations in Dubai came to a stand-still.
  

I really don't understand whom are these Govt officials trying to fool by giving out all kind of fabricated statements.
Well, here is my piece of advice to Dubai Govt officials.

"By shouting out a Lie the Truth NEVER cease"

Worst day of ma life............

When i wokeup, my neck was paining as my sleepin posture was not right. Applied some cream and got some relief.
When to brush ma teeth, cannot find my brush and almost spend the half-hr lookin for it.... Success finally.
After brushing, i switched on ma PC & found that my DSL connection was cut due to the bill.
As i did not have enough cash, i went lookin for my dad's cheque book he gave me to use incase of emergency. Then i find that it is in my dad's briefcase and i forgot t unlock- code. So, i called all t way to India to ask my dad for t code. After preparin ma cheque & went for ma bath and there in t bath-tub i was almost about to slip for a great fall....
As i had to participate in a quiz competition on behalf of my institute, i had to follow a formal dress code. Then i found that all my formal shirts were put for wash and i only had my casuals. So i went digging through my wardrobe to find a forgotten bi-color formal shirt of mine and it was a suitable material for summer. But, i had no choice & had to wear that. Not to mention t tough time i had ironing that shirt.
Then as i was packing my bag, i found that it was torn and i had to go for a new one. Morning was not a good time for to go shopping for a bag and not forget that my parents are in India & i'm short of cash. So, i went lookin for my bro's bag. I found it, but it was filled with trash. So i had to clean up his bag!!!
Well, all finally step right. Then, was that it was time for me to leave so i went down speeding. Luckily, i was JUST on time.
The silver lining to black cloud was that, t Sharjah-Dubai road traffic was really smooth.
At Dubai, i first went to my dad's bank(Dubai Islamic Bank) to get t cash. And there, the cashier gave had to give me Dhs. 1000 & he gave it to me as one Dhs.100 note and the remaining Dhs.900 in Dhs.50 notes!!! (i.e., 18 Dhs.50 notes). And his sweet excuse being that he only had 3 Dhs.100 note and all the remaining was Dhs.50 note. The other notes are yet to come.
Then, i went to my bank (National Bank of Dubai) to collect my credit card. There my banker said that the receipt for the initial deposit i made was missing, so i will be able to get t card only after 3-4 days.
Luckily, i was on time to my collage. There only three of us for the day(me, sam & dan). My teacher said that she was going to give us the test(perilously planned). But b'cos i had the quiz thing, i was busy preparing for that and i was not able to prepare for the test. Same with dan(forgot it) & sam( was in t quiz). So, we told her that we shall do it in the next class. But, she was stern. I only had 15 mins and i couldn't do anything. Then when she gave the test and i had to attempt it. Then at the end of the test, i told her that i couldnot answer as i wasn't prepared. Then as none in my class was prepare, she agreed to give t test in the next class.
During the break, i told dan that i shall to Etisalat( at Khaleej Center) in the afternoon after 1 to settle my bills. That's when he told me that Etisalat closes in the afternoon and only opens at 4 pm. So, then we all went to Khaleej Center to settle my bills, thinking that we can be back before the next class starts. As soon as i reached Etisalat office, the first thing i saw was "Working hours : 9am - 7pm". The second thing was the looooooooong queue, as i was not interested to come back in the afternoon i had to stand in t long queue.
Unfortunately, we reached class 20 minutes late. Ibrahim was there with his as usual "miss-the -bus excuse". Got a goood lecture from Mr.Faizal on discipline & punctuality and he continued with the class.
In between the class, a senior girl(she told me, but i forgot her name) came to sir and told him that she wants to write her project on to a cd and Sir asked her to go to Mrs. Treasa. And after class when i was going for my lunch, i saw that Girl standing at the reception with a very depressed and dull face. On speaking to her, she told me that Mrs. Treasa said that she wasn't sure on how to do the CD writing stuff. And that girl did not even know how to write a CD. And to make things worse, in Mrs. Treasa's machine the USB port was not working( the girl's project was in her thumb drive). So then, i went to another machine and copied the files there & put it on the network and then i took the files into Mrs. Treasa's machine via the network and wrote the CD. I was really hungry was trying to finish it get out of the place. As i finished writing the first CD, i just put it in to check if it was working. And there starts the mess, the CD drive was not opening!!! So then finally i had to restart the whole system. Then took that CD out and copied the next CD and got out of the palace. Headed for lunch along with dan & ibro. Luckily, the lunch was fine and got back back to collage. Only problem being that the heat was killing me.....................
Then headed for the quiz at Crown Plaza. After the written elimination round,we had a small tea break. Then we all were preparing to leave. Sam & dan went early. Then it was me, raj, izz & ibro and left by 7:50 pm. We waited at the bus stop for sometime, but all the bus coming there was all packed up and the drivers were not allowing the passenger to enter the bus.
Then at about 8:10 pm, raj came up with the idea that we can walk all the way to Burjuman and it was only a 20 mins walk. He was supported by izz & ibro. First i tried to put some sense into there head but all in vain...... So, majority wins. We decided to walk. After about 15 mins, ibro told me that the walking was not as easy as he thought it to be.
At about 9:10, we reached Sana fashion's Junction. From there, Burjuman was about 15- 20 mins of walk. And izz also told that it was really tough. So then i finally called up my car-lift guy and asked him to pick me from Union Co-op(near Sana Fashions). Well, then we struggled through the regular Dubai-Sharjah traffic and reached home by about 10:50.
That's when i saw that Ahkam had called me, but i did not hear as my cell was in silent mode. When i called him up, he asked my as to why i was feeling so tried. Then i told the whole story. Then there this guy tells that he was left office and was heading sharjah at about 8 pm........ And could have picked up.
Cursing myself, i logged on to net to check my Gmail. And this what i see.....

Server Error

The server encountered a temporary error and could not complete your request.

Please try again in 30 seconds.

That's what i really wanted for the time. Tried accessing Gmail after about 5 mins or so, the same old problem.
That's when i noticed that my blog was on the next tab. So, here i am blogging about the worst day of my life................

Just wishing that this day is over..............
good night.

First Impression is usually the most deceiving one

I really don't understand why it is said that first impression is the best impression.

On & again in my life it has been proved that first impression is usually the most deceiving one.

The otherday, i had a pretty long conversation with a personwhom i hated in the beginning but then felt that i made a BIG mistake. Only during during the conversation did i discover that i had greatly mis-understood that.

As a first impression, i though the person to be someone whom i would define as a true JERK. But actually, it turned out that the person is someone who is matured, understanding, witty, humorous and almost everything that needs to make a person comfortable in a long chat. But, underneath all these things there is a very high feeling of Insecurity which make this person act in all these weird ways.

This is not the first time i was in a situation like this. So the only thing i have understood is that, never judge a person by his/her looks. If you really want to judge a person, then get close to that person.

Responsiblity: A side-effect of Freedom

My parents & bro are going to India for a month or more and i had to stay back b'coz i got my class going on.
Well, a long list of devilish plans, all planed & re-planed, highly fool-proof and ready for action was i for my HomeAlone adventure.

I always felt that my parents (mainly mom) was pampering me a lot & curbing the potential that was in me. And felt this was my only chance in life to prove to them that i am fit to survive on my own. So, it was a now or never kinda situation.

Well, time for departure and my Uncle came to drop my parents at the Airport. And there they go, giving me a once in a lifetime opportunity to prove myself. And there starts my journey without my over-protective parents.

Mom made food for the next few days. So, the responsibility of food for the next few days were off my shoulders.

Little did i expect that i had other RESPONSIBILITIES other than food.

Happily i was browsing the net. Well over 2.30 am, settled down for my sleep. Next thing i know is my cell ringing and it was my car-lift guys!!!. Well, little needs to be mentioned of the panic i went through to get myself all dressed & have my breakfast in just 5 mins and fled out of the house. As soon as got into the car, i started feeling that the door is not locked, ac & lights are not switched off, the tap is left running,................. Well, an endless list. A fine way to start a journey.

At collage, the day went fine and reached home all starving. As soon as i entered my home, i peeped into the kitchen to see what was for lunch(i forgot that my mom is not around). Not seeing anything there, i went up to the dining table expecting my lunch to be waiting there. And only on seeing my breakfast plate on the table did i realize that i was enjoying my freedom & the bitter price i had to pay for that was RESPONSIBILITIES.............

Sound of Silence

"Sound of Silence", that's the nickname i use on MSN. And i had many ppl asking me as to what exactly was the meaning that. And i am actually tried of xplaining to the world what its all about. So, i thought it will a good idea to put it on my blog and next time someone ask me, i will just direct them to here.

Actually, there is nothing much to xplain b'coz its all a very simple concept.

If u really want to know what is the Soundof Silence, all you have to do is quietly sit in a quite place and if to tell the way my KG teacher puts it - "pin-drop silence". And try to listen to all the sound that u can hear in that silent room. Well, then what ever happens is all personalized.

For me, it was like a chat session with the Divine Power. Mainly when i have some kind of trouble, this is what i do - listen to the "Sound of Silence" and i am able to face the troubles in a positive way.

As i mentioned earlier, the effect is all personalized. This actually helped SOME of the people. While, other didn't actually feel anything at all. And this actually help one my friend to get a sound sleep !!!!

sreenadhx

My user name at Blogger, Gmail, Yahoo & MSN is "sreenadhx".

For some reason, i find that the whole world is all-of-a-sudden interested in knowing what is the "x" at the end of my username all about.

Some asked if "x" was the first alphabet it was my family name / Last name or if it was my lucky alphabet or if 24(x is the 24th alphabet) was my lucky number or.......... And one of my friend asked me if "X" was the initial alphabet of my Girlfriend's name ( O God, give me a break.....).

Well, here is the reason/ story about the "x".
Actually when i was making my id, "sreenadh" was already taken up by someone else. So, i had to opt for another name and i did not know what. So, i put a "x" at the end of my name b'coz "x" is usually used to represent something unknown........

About Me

Since this is my personal blog, i feel it is necessary that know who i am and what do I do.
My name is Sreenadh. I am a Dubai based Indian student, doing my first year degree in softwares.

If u want to know more about me, read the blog.

Why Blog?????

This is one thing that kept on going through my mind from the time i heard about BLOG.

I wondered if i should blog just b'coz everyone is blogging or b'coz i enjoy blogging.

Well, any way i thought i better give it a try and started browsing through some blogs. Some were about how they brush their teeth & what they ate & garbages like that........

But, i saw some site were people were sharing their experence. Which is indeed really good & worthwhile the time & energy u spend on them. It is really nice especially if your Friends have subscribed to it,you can share your experience with them and anybody who happens to scroll through your site.

So, i thought that i too will start up a blog & share my experience with any body who is bothered to.

Well, welcome to my blog & ehjoy your stay.........................