Wonderful world

Isn't it amazing that millions of years after the first micro-organisms came into being, the age of the dinosaurs that nature choose humans as the most advanced species on this small planet. We have no one to fear but ourseleves. We don't have to depend on lower / less intelligent animals for our survial. We are not designed to be scavengers, hunters. We have developed techniques to utilize everything around us optimally...and so we think, what a wonderful world we are in!

Still in Lebanon, bullets lit the night sky, North Korea still remains a threat, Iran may still produce nuclear power, Usama Bin Laden still plots to kill more in his hideout, Militants still thrive, Bush still has troops in Iraq, East Timor still faces violent clashes, there isn't a sign of peace in northern srilanka?

And I wonder, if nature had not made us as the most advanced species on this earth, would we have avoided the loss of those lives. Maybe, we would have been more pre-occupied, trying to implement Darwin's theories of "survival of the fittest". Maybe, we wouldn't be so outraged if our neighbouring nation tested a missle...maybe!

Cell BUSH bill

I, firmly believe that we are fortunate to be born in these times. An era, of space exploration, of nano technology, of discovering the human genome, an era dedicated to the search for the HIV vaccinne, of stem cell research.

President Bush, today, used his veto powers to deny federal funding for stem cell research.

President Bush in his speech went on to say the following:

"It crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to respect. So I vetoed it."

"These boys and girls are not spare parts," he said of the children in the audience. "They remind us of what is lost when embryos are destroyed in the name of research. They remind us that we all begin our lives as a small collection of cells."

"If this bill were to become law, American taxpayers would, for the first time in our history, be compelled to fund the deliberate destruction of human embryos, and I'm not going to allow it."

credits: associated press, cnn

The american tax payer has been paying for policies of this government that majority of the population does not agree with. On one end, we have the Gates foundation donating over 250 million $ towards an HIV vaccine, Scientists at Harvard medical school showing promise that stem cell culture/research would be a proven technology in the next 10 years, and, we are debating if we should use all our resources to proceed further?

MORALITY? It is ironical that politicians choose to use words they aren't very familar with in the first place. We have made our troops bake in the heat in more than one nation in the past, sent them to wars they were not meant to fight, citizens have lost their kith and kin? Where were our morals then?

I agree, the bill vetoed doesn't stop private and state funding for such research. I find it preposterous that the leaders of a nation that prides itself on advancement in medicial research, would find it hard to support research, especially, when a majority of its population supports it. Aren't we a DEMOCRACY??

Everyday, rats, frogs, crabs, crickets, monkeys, drosophilla are wiped off, tested and wasted in the name of medical research. ETHICS, is what we speak of. If we believe, it was the supreme power (GOD) who created us all, is it ethical to kill animals/plants, destroy the environment in the name of research?

Profound ( 2 )

Overheard on the radio

" the saddest part about dying is that, everything you learned goes to the ground with you"

Please...

another one bites the dust.... lebanon, east timor, jaffna, palestine, kashmir, congo, iraq...another bullet pierced a human body, another mine made someone handicapped for ever, another plane bombed a home, another night for me....can i sleep in peace?

Was John Lennon dreaming when he sang..."all we are saying, is, give peace a chance"

Duality

We touch lives! Today, in more ways than one. Just the internet has enabled us to break boundaries, but could we just attribute it to this? I think, humans invented language to communicate; and, through communication we express, we record and we understand. One may say, this intelligence is fairly well distributed in that sense.

I recently was introduced to a forum called "ORKUT". It was started off by a Stanford Phd who worked for Google. As of today, ORKUT has over 2,000,000 subscribers. It is amazing to think that the ideology put forth by one man was able to unite so many. Orkut, is a social networking forum where people can meet old friends and make new ones. This website is like the "lost and found" friends, and one man will be unsung in those lives, but the credit will always remain his, Orkut Büyükkökten.

Velupillai Prabhakaran, Usama Bin Laden, Dawood Ibrahim, James Bulger, Mullah Mohammed Omar, are also celebrities in their own right.They have touched lives too, touched lives in the most inconsiderate way possible. They are celebrities who deserve to die according to many laws and lands!

They, over the years, through the crimes they purportrated, have become these figures whose aura exceeds far beyond their existence.What makes these men so conspicous and unpredictable? What makes them the master mind behind the most henious acts commited on earth in the 21st century.

Duality is widespread in this universe. The ying and yang of our universe are these men and women who have given up their existence for an ideology. Bill Gates, Gerry Adams, Mahatma Gandhi, Usama Bin Laden, Albert Einstein, Mullah Mohammed, Pink Floyd, and the list goes on. All of these men, have touched many lives growing up. But, somewhere, sometime, someone, happened to change their lives. It went on to change our lives forever.

I guess, it is important that we realize duality within us and balance it. We may just not be aware of how, when and why?

but, we touch lives....

Rocked to KILL

It is 6.22 pm at Khar railway station, a suburb of Bombay, a lanky shabby looking guy alights from the local suburban train. As it happens on every other day, Mumbaikars, let this man pass into the crowd of 17 million people that populate mumbai. That was the last time, those people returning home were to see this person, what they didn't know was that he was there to kill them a couple of minutes later....Tick tock..Tick tock....

6.23pm 45 seconds...Could this man have changed his mind and heart, turned around and asked people to leave announcing that a bomb was to explode? Was he determined to take the occupants of that coupe along with him, as he blew himself into pieces? How was this person feeling in the morning. He would probably have saved the lives of those people who occupied that bogie, yet, he was their messiah of death. He did not know them, but he wanted them dead. That was his motivation, that was his aim. And he was the only person on that station who smiled as that BOMB exploded............

Boom BOOOM BOOOOOM....Mumbai rocks again! 1993, 2002, 2003 and 2006!!! The newspaper struggles to keep pace with the rising number of dead. Ministers arrange for emergency meetings to assess the damage and provide additional security, but, the damage has been delivered. The message has been sent across. WHO CAN WE BLAME Today? Who can I go to with a shoulder to cry on?

Terrorism has no place in society. Infect, it is a mockery of what it stands for. I suppose terrorists are men and women who fight oppression, inequality, etc, etc. Can murdering 150 odd people justify nations to provide freedom, equality and justice? How can an ideology that sustains itself on converting people into mass murderers proclaim that it fights to save the rights of minorities and the oppressed.

Times are hard and confusing. It would take many of the wise to debate and conclude on the measures to curtail this menace called terrorism.

I am associated with Bombay in more ways that one. I would proud myself on being a mumbaikar (Bombay-ite) once. I live with a Pakistani room mate. Those are difficult facts to digest today, I just feel rocked!

The papers scream that the city limps back to normalcy. Should it? Could it? Does that exhibit solidarity or plain disregard for the heinous act committed by the terrorists. Can a neighbor become immune to the cries of a new widow?

I just wish, who so ever left that bag with the bombs there yesterday, had the heart to turn around and just shout...."there is a bomb in the train....!!"

Dilema

I am told money has no emotion! It neither seems to be happy to come and be with, nor is seems to be dejected to leave me. yet all my struggles are to eventually own a part of it.

There is more than I shall ever want, yet and there is always more that I need. I can only ponder over this question.....

How much land does a man need? - Leo Tolstoy

God of all things

Today I acquired a new car. Elated and joyous were the feelings after acquiring our first property. Driving back in my old toyota,I spent time thinking about what made that occassion so pleasurable. Maybe it was an indication that we had come of age. Am I feeling pleasurable, I ask myself. Having spent 1000's of dollars on a new car, what makes me so happy?

Italy went on to win the world cup. A joyous moment for that nation and the team. They defined history. For the rest of their lives, those 11 odd men will always be remembered as the team that played and won in the year 2006.

Life is a collection of milestones, small and big. Some are memorable others best forgotten. I read articles that make the 7th anniversary of the Columbine massacare. Sad and wise are the remarks from the staff. Sad and wise...

I often look at the things that bring us pleasure in everyday life, a child, a friend, a new house, a car, education etc etc. What has lived through the test of time? Ancient Man should have been elated having a child? No E.R, No gynecologist, No anesthetist yet we progressed and there was progeny. The animals seemed to have survived and done OK without inventing airplanes and cars.

Someone has said " necessity is the mother of all invention". Is it also that " necessity is the mother of all evil"?.

"E pluribus unum"

Happy Birthday America!

"Heaven and Earth never agreed better to frame a place for man's habitation."
-- Jamestown founder John Smith, 1607

Ever since I have moved to the United states of America, I have conciously tried to read and understand the history of this nation I call home. It is home away from home. Moving out of your mother land is never an easy task. But, there comes a time in your career, when you decide to set up base in a different country. The culture, social gatherings, friends, favorite hangout places, food....nothing stays the same!

I have always admired and respected this great nation. It's ability to be a melting pot of so many cultures and nationalities for over 3 centuries. No nation, in my belief, has ever let immigrants succeed as this country. Pioneers in not only technology and science, but space research, nano-technology, languages, arts, literature, architecture, engineering, the list is endless. This nation truly stands on its ability to innovate and in the belief that those who can contribute have a place to stay in this world and succeed.

Times may change, politicians debate new policies but that does not stop this nation and its people from accepting new neighbours and giving them equal opportunities. I truly admire the fact that civil liberties, social justice, human rights all find its rightful place in society. There may exist inequality, injustice. health care may not be at its best, foriegn policies maynot agree with everyone's interest, but never has this nation detered its citizen's from seeking the truth and speak and express what they believe in.

Trading loyalties in never the easy. I have always believed that one should hold the most respect to the nation that helps win bread and bring food to the table. The analogy of loyalties can be made while discussing relationships between that of a mother and a wife. You being a new journey as you carry memories of the other and revisit them ever so often.

But today I celebrate a nation called america, and forever, I remain indebt and grateful.

Cheers!

Apocalypse

memories from the superman comics flood my head as I sit to watch Superman returns. Over 2 hours, I watch how superman is engulfed by emotional attachment with his father, how he has these enormous powers to stop a crashing jet plane, how he can stop fire from spreading using the wind and I stop for a moment and wonder, why should a movie like this made? What is the essense of super hero's in our lives?

The idea of having a super hero strikes me hard. He has to be someone who is strong, who has powers beyond the realm of man, symbolizes hope and eventually drives home the point that good always triumphs over evil. As I walk out of the movie, i realize, it wasn't a mythological movie i was watching, but a hollywood release meant for entertainment.

It pushes me to the times when the great epics and texts of hinduism were written. I seek parallels amongst the other civilizations that speak of the existence of great gods who control air and fire. I like to look at everything with a scientific approach, so I wonder, was it entertainment in a sense that the concept of god was introduced. Figures of immense power who could virtually do the impossible. Surely the stories from the holy texts kindle our imagination a great deal to recreate those times. To them we go, when we are in great pain, to them we go seeking solutions for our misery and to them we go in times of war and peace.

What justifies the creation of these great men and women we term as god? Did the cave man know god? Do the animals and plants worship and realize that there is a supream creator. Does the bacteria thankful that someone created it? Who are these Super Men? People who are never defeated and people who fight odds to success. Maybe there weren't many people to look up to and fear or role models. Maybe mankind required the existence of these powerful super humans who could justify the inquisitiveness of the mind.... how did energy originate? What is matter? Why should there be a universe, galaxies, humans ...Or, is the fact that we are not at a stage to completly define every aspect of the universe!

I wonder of the various Greek, Roman and Indian gods. Their powers are no different than Superman, Spiderman, Batman. Well ofcouse, I don't wish to undermine anyone's religious believes, but to me Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna, or Lord Vishnu represent just another super human figure. So was Appolo, Mars, Venus from the Roman Civilization.

No wonder, all the old civilizations regard the King as a direct descendant of God. Who better to serve this position than someone who commands the respect of people, and who has access to immense power and wealth.

In the modern world however, the greats of Valmiki (Ramayana) and Vyas (Mahabharata) are replaced by David S.Goyer (batman) and Brian Singer et.al. The religious texts over the years have become grounds for debate and much bickering. But the fundamental question is, Why do we need these super heros. Is it to make us feel a sense of comfort or due to the fact that, there aren't enough people to look up to? or they are somewhere out there, watching and waiting...