"Get Drunk!"

- Charles-Pierre Baudelaire

One should always be drunk. That's all that matters;
that's our one imperative need. So as not to feel Time's
horrible burden one which breaks your shoulders and bows
you down, you must get drunk without cease.

But with what?
With wine, poetry, or virtue
as you choose.
But get drunk.

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FRANCES ANSWER TO MARGARET THATCHER

Sabine Herold, 21, is a poilitical science student, very beautiful and speaks perfect English. She has also just become the most famous 21-year-old in France.

Read more about her here.

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BLOGGER migrated my site to its new version. It looks good. Posting is more manageable. But the enetation comment system is down. I don't know when it would be up again but its irritating each time you open the page and have to hit many 'no's to see all the posts.

Meanwhile watched the movie "The excorsist" yesterday on HBO (for the 3rd time). Originally released in 1973 with stars like "Linda Blair�, �Lee J. Cobb� and �Ellen Burstyn�. It has some scary scenes worth watching. The sequels -"EXCORSIST II: THE HERETIC" (1977) and the "EXCORSIST III" (1990) could not supercede the first one in terms of horror.

Update: One good news. My archive is working now.

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Message from the Hopi Elders

"You have been telling the people that this is the
Eleventh Hour, now you must go back and tell the
people that this is the Hour. And there are things to
be considered...
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
What are your relationships?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time for you to speak your Truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader."

Oraibi, Arizona
Hopi Nation

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Is Suicide Bombing a protest?

Hooman has a thoughtful post "Pointless thoughts over pointless acts" discussing about the people who set themselves on fire in the name of protest. He commented: "Palestinians can argue suicide bombings are over territorial claims." But why there are suicide bombings in Kenia, Pakistan, Bangladesh or in Saudi Arabia and the threat is increasing. Why are we letting people to argue this kind of inhumane atrocities as a mean of protest?

I have been looking for reading materials to understand about the mindset of the suicide bombers and what are they trying to achieve.

Most experts agree suicide bombers are not lunatics. They are usually rational idealists who are prepared to die for what they believe is the greater good of their society. So-called suicide bombings, however, are seen by Islamists and Tamils alike as instances of martyrdom, and should be understood as such. Arabic term used is istishad, a religious term meaning to give one's life in the name of Allah. A suicide terrorist is almost always the last link in a long organizational chain that involves numerous actors. Once the decision to launch a suicide attack has been made, its implementation requires at least six separate operations: target selection, intelligence gathering, recruitment, physical and "spiritual" training, preparation of explosives, and transportation of the suicide bombers to the target area. Fundamentalist terrorist groups offer persuasive inducements to would-be bombers. The lures of joining these groups include ideas of what the afterlife involves like "Allah will forgive the sins of both the suicide bomber and his family". They are seen as martyrs/heroes in the struggle. The families are praised... and the families of the bombers usually receive some financial reward. But the reality is there is no such thing in Islam as suicide bombing. No justification of terrorists fantasy of martyrdom and it is forbidden and a sin that is not going to be forgiven by God. Read Suicide Bombing in Islam.

In the early 70's terrorists were motivated by some kind of ideology. Today's terrorists seem to be motivated by other people's ideology.

So how to put an end to the suicide bombings? Anybody has any idea?

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REVOLUTION

(A song by Chris-de-burgh which is one of my favorites)

Wake up boys, there's a light at the window,
I can hear someone knocking on the door,
There are voices in the street,
And the sound of running feet,
And they whisper the word --
"Revolution!"

There are men coming down from the valleys,
There are tall ships lying off the coast,
And they carry the light,
In the dark of the night,
Like a whisper in the wind --
"Revolution!"

Bring my gun and a handful of silver,
By the sea we will gather for the fight,
It's been so many years,
So many tears,
We have lost once before,
Now we'll settle the score,
When our cannons will roar --
"Revolution!"

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REFUGEES: LEST WE FORGET THEM

Yesterday was the world refugee day. Refugees have to live in most deplorable conditions human beings can face. Thrown out of from country or run away from violence, misery, poverty or discrimnation they seek refuge and or exile in other country. Are other countries willing to take this burdain? Certainly not. They are shutting the door. Tougher immigration laws are being imposed. Ofcourse there are some opportunists who misuses the helping hands to generate further oppression. And these people's misdeeds are causing other nations to put a block to accepting refugees. Instead of refuging refugees we can start the protest and pressure against oppressing countries so that they can get back to their country and live in peace and prosperity. Remember they are also in need of help of others. Otherwise "not wanted in homeland as well as not wanted in exile" they will not have anyplace to go.

Here are some links to ponder:

Forgotten People: The Marsh Arabs of Iraq
Forgotten People: The Rohingyas of Burma

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BACK TO BLOGGING

Till yesterday I was so busy with one project paper for my computer course that I had to complete and present to the class. Job was likewise. Three years mid term budget submission with numerous revisions (alongwith the regular work) were driving me crazy. Worst thing was that I could not give time to my family for a few cases where I was needed. Today I had some time free to browse some blogs. Its like meeting old friends after sometime and there is lot to hear and tell. Many things are happening all over the world and there are interesting topics to read and contemplate in many sites. I missed many but could read some old ones. I don't know why my archives are not working. Blog posts should not be trashed. Archives should work.

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TAKE A BREAK!

Enough of blogging. Lets play a copter game. Click On This.

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Life sux when...
Life sux if...
Life sux because...

- nothing surprises me anymore
- because nobody understands anybody
- I can't make myself do what I want to do
- when your only friends are making you sad
- all your hopes will only be hopes
- because people just dont care
- when there is a certain problem that doesnt change to the worse or better
- because nothing ever goes right
- when you act friendly but on the inside you're feeling like shit
- life sux when u do 50 hours of work and only get paid for 38

Everyone that says "Life sux" is obviously expecting life to be more! Why?

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CHANGES IN COMMENT TEMPLATE


Finally I switched to enetation comments service because documentroot is dead. My sitemeter is not working and giving a error on the page. I have asked Sassan to help me out.

And I thank to all those who commented in my documentroot template. Now those are gone. I had no alternative than to change the service. Hope you would understand.

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THOUGHT ON THE FATHERS DAY

When I grow up and am big like my father, I shall learn all that must be learnt.

Let me not shame thee, Father , who displayest thy glory in thy children.

- Rabindranath Tagore

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POEM FOR THE DAY

You who never arrived
- Rainer Maria Rilke

You who never arrived
in my arms, Beloved, who were lost
from the start
I don't even know what songs
would please you. I have given up trying
to recognize you in the surging wave of the next
moment. All the immense
images in me--the far-off, deeply-felt landscape,
cities, towers, and bridges, and un-
suspected turns in the path,
and those powerful lands that were once
pulsing with the life of the gods--
all rise within me to mean
you, who forever elude me.
You, Beloved, who are all
the gardens I have ever gazed at,
longing. An open window
in a country house--, and you almost
stepped out, pensive, to meet me. Streets that I chanced upon,--
you had just walked down them and vanished.
And sometimes, in a shop, the mirrors
were still dizzy with your presence and, startled, gave back
my too-sudden image. Who knows? perhaps the same
bird echoed through both of us
yesterday, separate, in the evening...

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POEM FOR THE DAY

"Is There Anyone?"
(�You are wonderful, and while everyone watches, you store up blessings
for all who
honor and trust you.� Psalm 31:19)

-Mark Phillips

What time am I worth?

My feet snag every exposed
root
snaking the trail.
I kick up dust for those behind me and the gritty
gravel sandpapers their wounds.

Is there a prize at the end of this road,
even a rainbow to grace the horizon?
Is there anyone with sense enough to
deliver the gold with
pockets full of threadbare?

Is there anyone left who will beautify
the ugly,
do good to
the evil,
love the
hateful,
bless the
cursing,
swallow the poison
and spit it harmlessly along the trail?

Is there anyone?

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THOUGHT OF THE DAY

To be outspoken is easy when you do not wait to speak the complete truth.

- Rabindranath Tagore

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CHANGES IN COMMENT TEMPLATE

I tried to switch to a new comments service because the existing one is not so good. But unfortunately the new one is giving lots of problem. So I guess I have to keep continuing with the old one till I can resolve it.

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KEEP SMILING!

Let me introduce Dave to you all. He is a businessman and a triathlet and shares his thoughts in his nice weblog. His mission statement is "'If you smile at me, I will understand cause that is something everybody does in the same language.''

As one Iranian friend (diaries of a steppenwolf) tells about him:

Dave is not a typical American man. One whose first question would be "Where do you come from?" and when asked the same question would simply say "I'm from Miami." Like you should certainly know where it is. No, he's not like that.
He travels the world. The world of different cultures, religions and customs. Just by surfing the web. Yeah, it's the 21st century. He respects other opinions and ideas.

Some of his recent posts include these points to ponder:

"We all think things all the time, but to think in an orderly fashion, to support your thought with reasoning, that takes some time. And it takes an open mind as well, because as we learn new facts and ideas and concepts, the supporting ideas of our thought evolve. If we remain stuck to our original thoughts, we will "drown" in them. Yes, in order to grow, we must be open to discovering the errors of our ways and move on. And if we are to do that for ourselves, surely, we must afford our friends and associates the same courtesy. To afford them the luxury of holding ideas based on their present knowledge, not criticizing them for that, but only sharing new ideas with them so that they, or we, might become larger people with grander ideas. I know many think that tolerance is a form of weakness. I see it as something only a truly strong person is capable of."

"Is it any wonder the average person doesn't like to accept new ideas and concepts? How do you adjust to change? Expect it, throw yourself into it, then change becomes the norm. Learn a bit of a new language. If you listen to oldies rock, turn on hip hop, or country and western. If you like to run, ride a bike, if you like to ride a bike, swim, or bowl , or play basketball. If you like to eat asian cuisine, try a switch to middle eastern, or continental. If you read novels, switch to history or biography. And if you hate anyone, invite them out to lunch!"

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Where the mind is without fear
---------------------------------------------

Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high,
Where knowledge is free,
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments by narrow domestic walls,
Where words come out from the depth of truth,
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection,
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way into the dreary desert sand of dead habit,
Where the mind is lead forward by thee into ever-widening thought and action,
Into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake.

- Rabindranath Tagore

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Microsoft Launches Update to Office XP


"Cindy", the seductive new assistant included with the new Office XXXP program

Additional assistants will be available for download on a monthly basis via a jointly developed Microsoft- Hustler website.

Any commemts?

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Housework Can Help Prevent Cancer

I am not saying it. The scientists are.

According to a new Australian-Chinese study, dusting and vacuuming could help prevent ovarian cancer.

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IS IT ART OR IS IT JUST PLAIN, OLD CRAP ?

Test your art IQ by clicking this.

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WORLD TOILET ORGANIZATION

Read it again if you must. I thought they are only kiddin as I was drawn to this site through one of Dave Barry's posts.

World Toilet Organization is a non-profit organization comprises of currently 17 members based in Singapore. Membership is being extended to associations in Thailand, Hong Kong, Mexico, France, Germany, Sweden, and Spain. Who on earth had an idea like this at the firstplace? I want to meet this person. Click on the title if you want to dig deep.

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IDENTITY STOLEN!

An imposter is duplicating Hossein Derakhshan's persian weblog and is frequently posting very nasty comments under his name to other Iranian weblogs (I spotted him also in buzzmachine.com).

This is a very serious concern. There should be a regulatory body, preferably with the blog service providers who should tackle these kinds of threat and ban these imposter sites to protect credibility of the identity of the bloggers.

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ARE YOU AN ANTIAMERICAN?

The German/French TV Channel ARTE is running a web quiz titled as above:

The questions are:
1. Do you go to Mcdonalds?
2. How did you react to the 11th September 2001 tragedy?
3. What do you think of Mr. Jimmy Carter getting the nobel prize?
4. Which movies do you love to watch?
5. How would you react when your son wants to start playing American Football?
6. "No Blood for oil". What do you think about this message on the street walls?
7. What did you think of Mr. Bush's recent visit to Paris & Berlin?
8. Where in the world you want to travel repeatedly? (Choices ..Cuba/Vietnam/Washington/elswhere)
9. Some says.."Bush is bad but american culture is good" How do you see this..
10. The actor Charlton Heston is campaigning for legalization of keeping guns by every Americans.. What do you think of this?
11. "And this is a nation that has got citizens who are willing to sacrifice for a cause greater than themselves." Who could have said this? Choices (Bush/Laden/Blair)
12. You surely have watched the Simpsons. What do you think of the program?
13. What type of Car do you want?

Guess what... the result of my test is....

" You are strongly befriended with the Americans. If not willingly ..but the bond is strong. You had no problem hanging an american flag on your window If you needed to show your solidarity to the war on Iraq."

Well I am wondering .. I had no idea ... why this type of comment....whats on europeans' minds... well they must be blaming themselves for tossing the wrong side of coin.. or whatever...Let them do whatever they like..

Pardon me for my poor translation... & thanks Jeff for the link.

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