Sigh!! Stupid Kids!!

Relevant news article: Two Class X girls succumb to burn injuries

Now this is getting totally out of hand!! Previously kids would suicide when they failed. These two girls committed suicide because they weren't first in their class. I mean the reasons for suicides are crossing the outer bounds of ridiculous-ness.

I shall reiterate what I wrote in a prior post:
Getting marks in school or being a topper in school is as useful as a sweater in a desert. (If you are gonna remark how cold deserts are at night and the sweater is useful, then i'm gonna kick you.)
Being a topper in school or college is just a reflection on your ability to by-heart things; and, the only thing useful in the real world, is how good you are at doing things practically, and how much common sense you possess. Jaago Society, Jaago!!

Maoist menace

Relevant news article: 'Maoist' blast derails 13 coaches of Express train, 20 dead

I wonder how many people need to be killed before someone actually considers doing something about the Maoists who are terrorizing our country from within. In the past month alone they have killed over 150 people, derailed 3 trains and have caused massive disruption of peace in the north eastern states.

Indian government should take an example from the Sri Lankan government. The way they quashed the Tamil Tiger Rebels showed that for them, the nation's integrity is more important than everything else.

Why can't the Indian armed forces perform a similar operation, and destroy the Maoists once and for all??

Human right activists campaigning for "No military action against Maoists," should introspect on whether they(activists) are truly Indians. Rather, whether they are even humans in the first place! Stop defending the killers, you MORONS!!

I vote for an all out military strike against the Maoist incursion. We have a huge military and air force strength and the latest equipment; getting rid of Maoists will be a piece of cake. Its only the politicians who back these Maoists that are hindering the process.

Happy birthday to me...

[comic taken from Cyanide and Happiness]

News I wish wasn't there.

Relevant news article: Baby dies as coconut falls on head

It is indeed a sad sad day for the couple who had to face this very unfortunate incident. The child, a one n a half month old girl, was sleeping in her mother's lap. The mother was seated outside. A coconut fell from above, straight on the baby's head, and it succumbed to its injuries in the hospital.

I hope the parents and relatives have the strength to bear through this unfortunate adversity.

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Relevant news article: Babies sold for a price at Bangalore hospitals

Abandoned babies are being sold for money to parents who want to adopt them. This is indeed a very pathetic practice and the perpetrators of this atrocity should be ashamed of themselves.

According to the law, an abandoned baby should be reported to the police, and handed over to the child adoption agency, from where babies can be legally adopted. However, the greed for money on behalf of the authorities, and the impatience on behalf of parents to go through the adoption process has led to the existence of this social evil amongst us. This should be stopped at once as you never know if the couple you are selling the baby to, is a genuine couple, or someone who employs children for begging purposes.

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Relevant news article: Patna: crime @ a mouse click.

Well this is not exactly sad in the same sense as the above posts, but it is sad that such gullible people exist. Let me just make out a list of things that people should keep in mind to avoid getting scammed or hacked.

• Do not share your password with anyone.


• Keep a complicated password. Mixture of letters and numbers at least.


• You cannot win a lottery that you never heard of, or entered your name in.


• Do not click on suspicious links. Ex: Check out this site: blah-blah.info


• Do not download attachments from emails sent by strangers.


• Never share your credit card information.


• Periodically scan your computer for key-loggers. These applications keep track of your keyboard activity and mail them to the hacker. Thus your username and password become available to the hacker.


• Install an anti-virus software, which will keep viruses and other pieces of code that attempt to steal private information, away from your system. Regularly update your anti-virus software.

Hope this helps.

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Lie your way to success

Relevant news article: Telling fibs a sign of future success in children

Wow, this is some kind of news. :)
If you were good at lying as a kid, the chances of being successful now, and in the future, is higher. You should probably go through the news article, cuz I really found it funny how the kids tried to convince that they weren't lying.

As far as the science and reality factor in this research goes, I agree with it. Its important to be able to lie convincingly at work. For example, say "I will give it a shot" instead of "It can't be done." I know it isn't a very good example of a lie, but I'm finding it hard to get an example even though I am pretty sure I've lied a lot. :P

However, one needs to be able to draw the line when the lie is going out of hand. Lying like crazy is going to do more harm than good. Saying "my mom is not well, and I need to go home" to take the day off is acceptable if used rarely. However, after taking the day off, if you build on the lie and say that "condition is critical" or "have to admit her in ICU" or exaggerated stuff like that (to take another 2 weeks off), then you know you have definitely crossed the line. (You're so far past the line, you can't even see the line. The line is a dot to you. :P 5 points for guessing where this dialogue comes from without using Google.)

Happy lying. :)

Australian performance: a treat to watch!

I seriously cannot express how wonderful it was to watch an international quality cricket match. The match just finished 2 minutes back, and I was so thrilled with the Australian performance, that I just had to write about it.

For those unaware of it, the match was Australia vs Pakistan, and was the 2nd semi-final. Pakistan bat first and set a huge target of 192 for the Australians. The point at which I started watching the match, Aus was 104/5 and needed 88 from 44 balls. That meant going 12 per over for over 7 overs.

Cameron White was one of the batsmen at the crease and was scoring only on sixes. The other batsmen was Michael Hussey. What a visual treat it was, to watch them bat. Australia needed 48 of the last 3 overs (16 per over). That reduced to 34 off 2 overs and finally 18 off the last over. The last over went like this: 1,6,6,4,6.

From what was (as Harsha Bhogle put it) "a possible but improbable" situation to win from, Australia managed to win and enter their first ICC T20 WC final.

As usual after watching a performance of such high caliber, I compared the Australian team to our Indian side. The two major things which our team lacks are the thirst to win, and the ability to hold their nerves in high pressure situations. Of course many will disagree with me on the thirst-to-win part, but in my opinion, the senior Indian cricketers (Sachin excluded) have taken their positions for granted. The money is flowing in and cricket to them has lost its priority.

Secondly, the sensible batting displayed by the tail enders was amazing. They watch the ball and play, unlike our Indian side who either play baseball, or do not know to bat at all.

It was truly a thriller of a match, and I truly enjoyed it completely. Best of luck to Australia in the up coming finals, and I hope the Indian team picks a few pointers from their performance today.

The mess that Indian cricket is in

The recent (horrible) performance of the Indian cricket team in the ICC 20-20 World Cup can be blamed on so many many factors. It seems that everyone has something or the other to be blamed for. Lets see the list:

Captain: M. S. Dhoni

• Stubborn decision making


• Deciding not to practice between the games in the super 8 stage. He thought it would better be to rest and stay fresh rather than practice against short pitch bowling.

Players:Team as a whole

• Absolutely clueless against short pitch bowling


• Apparently 8 of them are over weight and unfit for international cricket. Coach Gary Kirsten says that he is fitter than most Indian players


• Excessive late night partying during IPL may have led to extremely tired bodies

BCCI and Selection Committee

• Ignored coach's review after IPL2 saying that there should be a 2 week break between IPL and any other tour. IPL3 and ICC WC were hardly a week apart.


• Did not ask the Coach's views before selecting the team. They have also chosen the team for Zimbabwe tour without consulting the coach.


• Team for the WC was chosen on the basis of IPL performances. Competition in the IPL is much less compared to the level of play in international T-20 matches.


• Players are being kept in the squad based on past performances for too long. Yuvraj Singh, who once aspired to be captain of India, is now in the worst slump of his career, sports a pot belly and doesn't seem interested in his cricket anymore.

I guess the only person who escapes the blame in the whole Indian cricket framework is the coach Gary Kirsten. With players and the BCCI acting like God, no one is heeding to what he says. We can see the results. Players as well as the selection committee have been thoroughly proved that they are nowhere near invincible. Its time to buck up, and listen to what people are saying. Sacking Dhoni from the post of captain is only a shady move to show you are doing something, but everyone knows, that thats gonna make matters worse and nothing else.

The whole cricket framework needs to be revamped, else Indian cricket is gonna go down the drain pretty soon.

My caste is Indian

Relevant news article: My caste is Indian, says Amitabh Bachchan

I may not be a big fan of Hindi movies, or be die hard fans of actors; I may have disagreed with Big B over his opinions on Slumdog Millionaire; but when something is done right, then I ought to appreciate it.

There is a current issue going on in Parliament with regards to introducing "Caste" as one of the categories to be filled in the Census forms. The politicians who are pushing for Caste to be registered, no doubt have some devious schemes plotting in their minds.

However, in opposition to their demand, Mr. Amitabh Bachchan blogged that his caste is "Indian." I applaud your move sir; you are truly leading from the front. I firmly believe that all of us in the blogging community should take up a similar view point. Just refuse to recognize the existence of a "Caste System."

If the census guys ask, "Caste kya hai?", here are a few options for you to say: "Hain??", "Woh kya hota hai??", "Matlab??". Finally when they get exasperated, tell them your caste is "Indian."

If you are a teenager or student, talk to your parents. Discuss your view point and see if they also believe that its time we break free of this society-crippling "Caste System."

[Soon to come: Graphic badge for you to add to your blog saying your caste is Indian]

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<param name="quality" value="high" />
<embed src="http://www.swfcabin.com/swf-files/XXXXXXXX.swf" quality="high" width="100" height="50"></embed></object>
For white background XXXXXXXX = 1273682044
For black background XXXXXXXX = 1273681777

Mocked: Altaf Shaikh, USA

Retardism at its best.

Relevant news article: Stop meddling in our lives and stick to praying

In brief: The Darul Uloom of Deoband issued a fatwa against women going to work alongside men. In response, social activist Shabnam Hashmi said, "I don't recognize the Deoband. I think they are interfering in Muslim women's lives. They should stick to praying." (Bravo, btw!)

Now we come to the comment by Aktab Shaikh:

Oh please Mrs. Shabana Azmi you are not qualified at all to tell Deoband people what they should do and what not to. Do you even know what Sharia means. If you dont't than please shut up and don't comment. Islam is not just about prayers. It is about 24 hours of life style being in acordance with following the commandments of Allah and following the sunnah (foot steps) of the Holy Prophet "PUH"

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• Who is Darul Uloom of Deoband??
  Self appointed "guardian" of Indian Muslims.


• What is a fatwa??
  A fatwa is an Islamic religious ruling, a scholarly opinion on a matter of Islamic law.


• Who can issue a fatwa??
  A fatwa is issued by a recognized religious authority in Islam. The people who pronounce these rulings are supposed to be knowledgeable, and base their rulings in knowledge and wisdom.


• Is it necessary to follow the fatwa??
  Since there is no hierarchical priesthood or anything of the sort in Islam, a fatwa is not necessarily "binding" on the faithful.


• What is Sharia??
  Sharia is the most fundamental body of Islamic canonical laws derived from four sources: The Koran, The Sunnah, The Hadith and The ijma

Ok, now that we have got the basic definitions out of our way, lets get to the mocking. :D

The fatwa issued by the Deoband is in no sense based on either knowledge or wisdom. In this day and age, if you try to implement word-for-word something that was scripted in the 8th and 9th century, then it clearly shows the lack of wisdom. Mankind and society have progressed leaps and bounds, compared to what it was when the Sharia laws were framed.

The Deoband is not even a recognized religious authority. It is a self proclaimed protector (yeah right!) of Indian Muslims. Following their example, I should probably proclaim that I am the protector of the World's news readers, by mocking all the stupid news and comments that are posted. Obviously I am not protecting anyone, neither are they.

As it turns out, a "fatwa" is a "scholarly opinion" and also "isn't binding" on the followers. So really, who gives a f*ck what the Deoband thinks?

And as for Altaf Shaikh, I am pretty sure if you go through the Sharia laws word-for-word, you will somehow be able to establish that using computers is "haram".
I had read long back, that Islam prohibited paintings and sculptures of living things, because it meant that you were trying to do what Allah does. With the computer showing so many pictures of living things and all, I'm pretty sure that a corollary of the previous law prohibits you from using this as well. Shahbnam Hashmi has more right to give the Deoband a piece of her mind, than you do to give a piece of your (non-existent) mind to her.

And lastly, if you are indeed so strict with following in the footsteps of the Holy Prophet, you should probably stick to doing that, as I am sure they never came anywhere near computers.

*Disclaimer* (sigh!)
I am sorry if I have offended any liberal Muslim's views. I am a very religion-tolerant person and have no problems whatsoever with Islam. The only problem I do have, is against people of any religion who try to implement stuff written by our ancestors which no longer apply to us.

Bound by "reeti, rewaaz and parampara"

Relevant news article: HC denies divorce to paranoid husband

We see so many campaigns against domestic violence and about equal rights to women, and about empowering women; however, sometimes it just amazes me what some women endure for no apparent reason.

If you haven't read the article, its about a couple who've been married for 9 years. Husband's complaint is that ever since the day of their marriage, his wife has been "unchaste" and "has had an affair with almost every man she's met." The allegations of course are baseless, and the husband is actually paranoid.

The husband wanted a divorce because of his wife's (alleged) behavior. If I was in the woman's place, I would have gladly divorced this lunatic. However, this woman took the matter up to court, to NOT allow the divorce and for "restitution of conjugal rights."

After 9 years of enduring baseless allegations, even questioning the paternity of their own child, and facing cruel behavior, why the woman would want to continue to be in this "marriage" is beyond me. The only reason I can think of is the one I put in the title: divorce is still not a part of a major portion of our society. Our "reeti, rewaaz and parampara" convinces her that putting up with her paranoid husband's nuances is her duty. :(

What was the kid thinking?

Relevant news article: Class III kid's stunt action turns fatal

For those who didn't read the article, an 8 yr old kid borrowed a scarf from a girl student, tied one end around his neck, and the other on a branch(??) and jumped; and died!

It wasn't a planned suicide. Come on, he's 8 years old. What worry did he have??
Apparently it was a stunt he was performing, and he had called all his friends to watch him do it. Now, what I ask myself is, which stunt was he trying to do?? I don't remember seeing any ads with a similar stunt or anything of that sort. How big was the scarf, that he was able to tie it around a tree and his neck?? How tall was he that he could reach a branch of a tree high enough to hang himself to death?? Weren't there any seniors around to stop him??

I'm sure most of these questions are running through the parents' minds as well. It is the most unfortunate incident possible, and I truly sympathize with them. May God give them the power to endure this terrible tragedy.

However, suspending the primary wing head teacher is not a solution. Even in my school days, the break time was a break for the teachers as well. Senior students looked after the junior ones.

A tragedy like this one, truly cannot be blamed on anyone. We can only hope that it never happens again, and those that were affected by it, somehow manage to go beyond it.

India's dismal performance in WC T20

India managed to reach the Super 8 stage in the ICC World Cup T20, after winning games against Afghanistan and South Africa. However, their performance in the super 8 stage was absolutely horrifying, to say the least.

While everyone would like to blame it on the abysmal performances of individual players, I would like to point out that it was Dhoni's mistake and over confidence which has led to this early exit from the competition.

For quite a few years now, Dhoni has always taken unconventional decisions; and more often than not his decisions have always worked out. Everyone attributed it to his great captaincy, and ignored me when I claimed that it was just luck. "How can anyone be lucky so continuously??," they said. Well, that is the very definition of luck isn't it? No one ever knows how long lady luck will help one out.

One of his successful gambles early on, was the use of Joginder Sharma as a final over bowler in the 1st ICC T20 World Cup.

The thing with such gambles is that if it pays off, Dhoni gets as much credit as the gamble-ee(??), but if it goes wrong, no specific blame is actually put on him. Rather, each individual's mistake's are pointed out, as they have been done after this failure(vs West Indies) as well.

One would ask, what did he put at risk this time??
1> continuing to use spinners on a pace-friendly track. (one would point out Bhajji's bowling, but then Bhajji is in a league of his own compared to other spinners.)
2> continuing to use R Jadeja who was hit for 6 sixes off six consecutive balls against Australia. (I can almost visualize what Dhoni would say, if Jadeja had taken a few wickets vs West Indies. "I always had faith in him. He is very talented blah blah blah..". Next days newspapers would have gone all gaga over this comment, saying how Dhoni is helping out players by trusting them despite failures etc etc.)
3> bowling after winning the toss. When all other teams wanted to bat first, Dhoni elected to bowl despite the loss against Australia after a similar decision. Once again he just wanted to show that he can do it his way.

Dhoni just always has to prove that he can get things done unconventionally. Just because he was successful so far, does not mean he always will be. Sometimes its better to just play according to the pitch and according to your players' form, instead of playing for media accolades.

Mocked: Aanand, Delhi

I am so excited that I finally got a good comment on TOI to mock. Here good = mock-worthy.

Aanand delhi 09/05/2010 at 07:50 pm
How can they allow marrying in lower caste, they live in society where its unacceptable to have a foetus of boyfriend before marriage, as metros(delhi) are moving towards full westernisation with no respect for caste , religion and its largely unacceptable in other parts of india.

*Disclaimer*
I know people are entitled to their opinions, so therefore I am entitled to my opinion, that his opinion is idiotic!!

Caste and Religion are man made entities. Just because it has been prevalent in our nation for generations, does not make it correct. Other such examples of prevalent wrongs are: sati, child-marriage, female infanticide, dowry etc.

I wonder how the concept of "caste" came into being. In earlier times, when humans were still nomads, there existed "shamans" and "seers" in tribes, who would predict future events based on smoke patterns and other wierd things. These "intelligent" people were advisors to the leader of the tribe. And everyone else in the tribe would be the common man. Maybe we can add another "class" of people who were hunters, or defenders in case tribes went up against each other.

So from then on, even though the term "caste" wasn't used, society was divided into the rulers, advisors, defenders and the common man. It started out as a generalization of the jobs.

The actual caste system in India, started out with:
Kshatriyas: Rulers
Brahmanas: Keepers of knowledge
Vaishyas: Artists and Merchants
Shudhras: Other menial workers

Once again as we can see, it was more of a generalization over the job a person had.

In this day an age, the son of a farmer does not continue to be a farmer. In fact, it is rare for a son to be continuing in the same job as his father. The caste system no longer applies to us; and it is time we broke free from it.

Aanand says that Delhi is moving towards full Westernization. Westernization usually means adopting American principles, and Americans do not have the caste system like ours, since the country came up from scratch in the 1500's. So thankfully, they had no retarded backward customs running in the country from before.

It is backward views like those of Aanand that keep this nation from advancing!!

Hypocrisy

I am sure many of you read yesterday's newspaper. I was going through TOI dated May 8th.

Following are the news articles on the 2nd and 3rd page:

Salute to the NIE schools
A list of schools with their toppers name and score.

Now marks not enough, there is entrance test too.
An article on how 2nd PU (12th standard) marks are irrelevant.

Free education for merit students.
Pretty self explanatory.

Failure drives 9 kids to suicide
ACTUAL NEWS ARTICLE: In yet another grisly reminder that we need to reduce exam related stress,....

Compare the last news article with the rest. It exposes the hypocrisy prevalent in our news agencies as well as our education system.

After exam results are out, newspapers devote so many papers to advertising the toppers. Schools and colleges make huge concessions for toppers. Everyone sees this, and want it for their children too. Parents end up applying an enormous amount of pressure on their children, and burden them with their own unfulfilled expectations.

There is a reason that the word "average" exists. There are people who are average, above average and below average. Not everyone is the same. If your child is not performing well, its time you realize that you child may not be in the above-average category. He needs help; he needs interest to be shown in him; not be pressured by his parents to perform as well as the neighbors kids.

Schools and colleges should come up with special programs for kids who have not performed well, to encourage them to perform better. (This is apart from what they do for the toppers. The toppers have worked hard and deserve some reward.)

For parents and teachers who still think that marks and rank are everything in this world, I would like to point out that you are wrong. All the kid needs to be, is to be interested in what he does, and he will succeed, whether he is the topper or not.

From my own personal experience, I have learnt that marks are irrelevant as long as you have scored decently. Topping the charts is pretty much inconsequential.

My scorecard:
10th std: 94.6% (above avg) >> (got into 12th std in same school)
12th std: 84.25% (avg) >> (got into Manipal Institute of Technology for Computer Science Engineering. Computer Science is what I love and my main interest.)
Engg course: 7.52 CGPA (BELOW avg) >> (still bagged a job with the best company that came for recruitment.)

Stop pressurizing the students to be toppers. Just see to it that they try their best, that's all.

When is death penalty a deterrent?

Relevant news articles: Girl marries lover, father kills her

I was shocked when I read this. Though what I should be even more shocked about, is the fact that such news articles still shock me.

My first post was about honor killing. But as it turns out, this had nothing to do with caste, creed or religion. The boy was of the same caste, but he just wasn't impressive enough to the parents. (Well to the dad at least. The mother reported the crime.)

We all wanted to give the death sentence to Kasab, and he rightfully deserved it. But I feel that we are missing the point of the death penalty.

The reasons mentioned for the death penalty include "it will act as a deterrent for further crimes of this nature" -AND- "the crime falls under the category: rarest of the rare. Is it just me, or can everyone notice the obvious contradiction in the two reasons??

A crime of the nature "rarest of rare" is not gonna happen on a daily basis. Giving a death penalty to a terrorist while thinking it will be a "deterrent" is stupid. Kasab and his 9 accomplices came to India to kill as many as possible, all the while knowing full well that they aren't going to survive. He came here expecting death, but instead has been on an 18 month(and counting) vacation so far.

The death penalty should not be limited to only the "rarest of the rare." It should be allowed to be given to anyone who has killed another human being with the intent of killing. This is when it will serve its purpose of being a deterrent.

The father claimed that the girl was "too adamant" and thats why he killed her. By killing her hasn't he proved to be more adamant than her?? She was his daughter after all. He should've expected that and learned to live with that. Its his daughter's life and therefore she has a right to choose who she wants to spend the rest of her life with.

The girl's father, brother and her cousins "hacked her to death." I highly recommend a death sentence for the father and brother, and a life term for the cousins. Reasons: it is a common crime which needs to become rarest of the rare, it will serve as a deterrent, it is such narrow mindedness and orthodox behavior is what is holding India back from progressing and thus it will also be a wake up call for people to move on with the times. Stop holding on to your "reeti, rewaaz and parampara." The next generation has come, and its time you adapt!!

Terrorist or Indian??

Relevant news article: Pakistanis are posing as Indians to escape discrimination

If you are an Indian and you read the title of the news article and you got infuriated, then you are too narrow-minded, and should not read the rest of this post.

The title of the blog post refers to a line in the news article:
''I’d rather be called a terrorist than an Indian,'' one Pakistani blogger fumed.

Frankly, I am surprised. Being passionate about your country is one thing, but does this blogger really believe that being a terrorist is being better than an Indian? There have been many news articles in the past, which have shown how the History lessons taught in Pakistan varies very greatly from the actual truth, and how most of the teachings are believed to be anti-Indian. One of the points I remember of the top of my head is: "India was split from Pakistan." (Ok, that wasn't the actual quote. But it was along those lines. It implied that India was the new country formed out of an existing Pakistan.)

Moreover, this Pakistani blogger has actually managed to harm the countries reputation even more. He has indirectly assured the world that stereotyping a Pakistani as a terrorist is acceptable.

Being an Indian, I sympathize with the honest Pakistani-Americans. They have become a victim of their government's doing. Pakistan has had a chaotic governance ever since its conception. There have been alternating eras of democracy and military rule, wherein the only focus of a particular era was to prevent the next alternation from taking place.

The result was, a nation whose rural regions were totally ignored regions and thus excellent breeding grounds for terrorists and militant outfits. Having had 60 years to establish their base, the militant framework is now deeply integrated with the nation, and removing it is not proving to be as easy as one would hope it would be.

IF I were a Pakistani-American (who had received the same education in History I have received now) then I too would probably call myself an Indian if it made my life any easier.

I honestly believe, that the peaceful, mind-your-own business type people of both nations are still the same. The people of an entire nation should not be condemned just because all militant organizations have huddled there.

I hope that Americans do not discriminate against Pakistani-Americans just because of their ex-Nationality. And I hope the blogger who posted he would rather be a terrorist than an Indian get some sense knocked into him.

Let there be Peace. :)

-EDIT-
I managed to find the blogger who said he would rather be a terrorist than an indian. Omkar1984
He of course is foolish and apparently his title on the forum seems to be "Banned member". However, I went through the first two pages of user comments and quite to my surprise and satisfaction, I found logical comments by both Indians and Pakistanis. Its quite pleasing to know that the internet is not just inhabited by mindless trolls. Cheers. :)

Mad Maths: Water Wastage

The wash-basin tap in my house is a very tricky apparatus. It stops water flow completely only at a particular position. Screwing it beyond that opens the tap in full flow again. I know its a washer problem, but it got me thinking, how much water could be dripping down the drain all over the world.

Assumption:
1 Drop of water has a volume of 1 mm³
6 billion people in the world
3 billion people living in proper houses with taps.
5 members in every family on an average
1 tap in every 3 families leaks, and lastly,
1 drop of water, drips every 6 seconds from the leaking tap.

Calculation:
No of families = 3,000,000,000 / 5 = 600,000,000 (600 million)
No of leaking taps = 600,000,000 / 3 = 200,000,000 (200 million)
No of drops wasted every 6 secs = 200 million drops
No of drops wasted per minute = 2 billion

Volume of water wasted per minute = 2 billion mm³

1 million mm³ = 1 litre
So, 2000 litres of water wasted per minute.

2000 x 14440 lites per day = 2,880,000 litres.

2.88 million litres of water wasted per day!!

Most of our tap water is drinkable. So if u compare it with bottled water prices, then Bisleri water costs Rs.10 per 1 Litre.

So in effect, the world literally pours 28.8 million rupees down the drain.
(28.8 million rupees, is approximately 650,000 USD).

That's a huge waste don't you think??? Gotta get the washer fixed ASAP!!

Yes this sad animation is indeed made by me. :(

Messing with Americans??

Relevant news articles: Article 1,Article 2

Ever since the failed car bomb attack in New York Times Square, news reports regarding suspicious packages, evacuations and areas cordoned off in areas of USA are on the rise.

It seems as if every forgotten lunch-box or hand-bag has become privy to suspicion. Makes me wonder if people are leaving those out on purpose just to mess with Americans!

When you think about it, it would be a sort of non-violent disruption of daily life. A mere lunch-box left by some careless student (maybe), led to several blocks of Seventh Avenue cordoned off for 90 minutes.

As far as I know, USA has had the least number of foreign terrorist attacks on its soil; 9/11 being the primary and most devastating attack. USA is credited with having superior surveillance and advanced intelligence systems that lets them maintain a very good defense against external attacks.

I feel that this attempt by Shahzad to blow a car bomb in Times Square, has brought back memories of 9/11 and the associated paranoia in Americans. In 4 days, 493 suspicious packages were reported.

While it is advisable to be safe, I feel letting yourself get carried away by your paranoia would be revealing a huge gap in your armor. If someone would just buy a new lunch box and leave it somewhere in public, it would be enough to create a huge mess in that area. Imagine the chaos and confusion it would lead to if every such event was required to be investigated. Imagine if the "anti-Americans" in the USA began to take advantage of your vulnerability.

I hope this post is not taken as a suggestion for the wrong purpose. The best way to ensure your safety, is to be aware of your surroundings. Only when you notice something fishy, should you really call 911; else I believe its the lost and found department that you should be dialing.

Its difficult for me to be in the same frame of mind as those who experienced 9/11 or 26/11 first hand, but I just thought I should put down my opinion as an unbiased observer. This article is not meant to provoke, suggest or offend anyone; however, i hope it gives you something to ponder about.

Lazy -or- skirting responsibility??

Relevant news article: Hanging Kasab may take years

While most of India celebrates that justice has been done by awarding Kasab the death sentence, some feel that hanging him to death wouldn't be a tough-enough punishment. I too agree with the latter group.

However, what I want to discuss here, is the time it will elapse before Kasab actually gets hanged.

Apparently, once a trial court sentences a convict to the gallows, it needs to be approved by a high court, then the supreme court and then the President. This process can supposedly take decades (that's right, plural!!) to complete.

I say approved, because I am pretty sure anyone who faces the gallows will go on to appeal until all his options run out. Even if the convict doesn't want to, I think the lawyers would pressure him into doing so. Imagine in this case, that Kasab gives up hope of wanting to live and decides not to appeal and go to the gallows; do you think his lawyers will allow him to?? Answer is NO. If the lawyer manages to score a pardon, no matter how slim or non-existent the chance may be, he would top any other lawyers list of achievements in an instant. So we can expect this case to go through all the three appeals that lie ahead of the fast track court.

According to TOI, there are 51, that's right, FIFTY ONE convicts in QUEUE to be hanged to death!! It is alarming that the judicial system is so slow in India. 51 people have been condemned to die, and yet they continue to live, and we the people pay for their upkeep through our tax money.

Let me not even get into the details of money matters with regards to Kasab's maintenance. 34 crore rupees have been spent for his security so far. Let me just leave it at that.

Right now, there are 25 mercy petition cases in front of the President. Some of the petitions are from sentences in the 1990's. The blog title applies to the President of our nation.

Is s/he just lazy?? Or is s/he skirting his/her responsibility towards the country??

I understand that when you see it from a broader view, one man or woman now has the power over controlling the life of 25 people on their fingertips. It is a great responsibility and requires great courage to make the decisions.

But as it seems, that Presidents have come and gone, but none have decided to act upon these cases. It shows a great flaw in their morality, the fact that they are representing the nation and yet, they are unable to stand up for whats right. If they cannot make tough decisions, they do not deserve to lead our nation.

I request our President, Smt. Pratibha Patil, to kindly take up the responsibility towards the office she holds, and go through the 25 petitions accumulating dust in her cupboard, and award them the punishment they deserve. How tough is it to decide, when all evidence, facts, opinions and everything related to the case are at your disposal within the file??

Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis time to get wise.

Relevant news article: Kasab's home village slams conviction

We've all read the age old saying, probably even completed it in English grammar tests in high school; but its time to change it.

As the adage goes, "Where ignorance is bliss, 'tis folly to be wise." Loosely, it means that its foolish to be logical in front of someone ignorant. More often than not, it is true. People who are ignorant to facts are seldom convinced through logic. However, it is wrong on our part to stop trying.

We've all seen images from the CST video, showing Kasab firing a gun at innocent commuters on the station. We all know that there exists hard facts that he murdered dozens of people. There is absolutely nothing to claim that he is innocent.

However, when you read the related article, you realize just how ignorant the illiterate man is (in Pakistan).

Some excerpts if you haven't read the article.
"Look, don't blame him. There is nothing wrong if he did it with good intentions against an infidel country like India"

"India is doing bomb blasts in Pakistan and it has also blocked Pakistan's water"

"This is wrong. India is biased" (duh! expect us to take his side, after he comes and kills people here??)

Also the newspaper that is distributed there is called the Jamaat-ud-Dawa. This newspaper is believed to be published by the Pakistan Taliban, and thus any articles published in it could be half truths to manipulate the ignorant public.

We keep blaming Pakistan for terrorism, and while it may be true to a certain extent, we should remember that the common man of Pakistan is as much a victim. Youngsters like Kasab (probably), are taken into military training camps and trained and brainwashed to commit acts of terror. People who stand up against these militant organizations are eliminated too. Pakistan itself has suffered innumerable bomb blasts and so many thousands have been killed.

I know its easier said than done, but, if only somehow, someone or some body could spread a decent education, give them a source of knowledge which is genuine (as opposed to that published by Pakistani Taliban), make them aware of what is happening and what the real world conditions are, then maybe, just maybe there is hope for Pakistan, and hope for us Indians that we may not see an incident like 26/11 happen ever again.

Its a pity that a 22 year old kid has been sent to the gallows; but brainwashing or not, people always have a choice, and he chose to take the easy path (maybe, maybe not) and commit the murders, rather than escape his situation. Maybe one of the few situations where running away from it would have been the right thing to do.

He and his 9 accomplices came here to kill and die in the process; 9 of them died that night, die he shall too.

Less Tissue, No Issue

Is it just me, who feels guilty about using paper towels to dry my hand, when I forget to bring my handkerchief??

The office where I work, has catchy phrases on the walls in the restroom, encouraging workers to make less use of paper. The most prominent message, "Less tissue, No issue" is posted right above the paper towel dispenser. Yet so often, people grab at the towels as if it were free candy being offered to a kid. They grab a bundle of tissues, wrap it into a ball, and then dry their hands with it. Its an utter waste of paper.

I just wish, that people would realize that every small thing they do has an effect. Just take one paper towel. Unfold the towel and dry your hand with it. From personal experience, I can ensure that 1, just 1 paper towel, is enough to dry both your hands.

It is of great importance that we accept our responsibility towards the environment. Carry a handkerchief and dry your hands on it. If you forget, then use 1 paper towel only. It may seem of little significance, but when everyone, everywhere, reduces their consumption of paper towels, fewer would need to be produced each year, and consequently fewer trees cut every year. It is a gradual process, and every step counts.

In the words of my childhood cartoon hero (Captain Planet):

Remember, the power, is yours.

Honor killing

Relevant News Article: Nirupama Pathak

The recent increase in news articles about honor murders is indeed shocking. Youngsters are killed by their own parents or relatives over trivial things. Generally the issue is regarding marriage to a spouse of a different caste, but in some cases it may just involve friendship with the opposite sex, or just talking with the opposite sex even.

Surprisingly, it is not just the illiterate and rurally backward people who are involved in these murders, as evident in the most recent victim. Nirupama Pathak, a journalist in a leading India daily, was murdered (allegedly (innocent till proven guilty)) by her parents.

I wonder what goes through the minds of these people before, and during the murder.

Maybe it goes something like this:

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Mother: "Oh noes, the neighbors will LOL at us if she marries that guy"
Father: "You are right. Lets kill our daughter and save our honor"
Mother: "Ahan. I'm with you on that plan. It doesn't matter that we spent 22 years caring and nurturing her, so she can follow her dreams and have a future she desires. We don't want our neighbors to LOL at us."

*MURDER*

Father: "Well, she wont be marrying that guy now. No LOLing by the neighbours."
Mother: "Yeah. Well done."

*POLICE SIRENS*

M + F: "Oh noes. How did they know."
Police: "You are under arrest for killing your daughter. Why did you do it??"
M + F: "We did not want our neighbors to LOL at us."
Neighbours: "LOL, you thought we cared?? FTW!!"

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Anyways, back to seriousness, it is appalling that parents of a well educated girl actually murdered her (and their to be born grandchild). If such things occur in a well educated society, then I shudder to think about the condition in rural India.

Remember people, Caste, Creed and Religion is created by us humans, and it is we ourselves who need to break these bounds. May Nirupama's soul rest in peace, and may her murderers see the error in their ways and be punished for their wrongs.