Today's Quotes

Last updated on: July 11, 2007 at 6:31 am By Desh Kapoor

The tooth fairy teaches children that they can sell body parts for money. - David Richerby I quit therapy because my analyst was trying to help me behind my back. - Richard Lewis The best way to keep one's word is not to give it. - Napoleon Bonaparte If we don't succeed, we run the risk of failure. - Anonymous The nice part about being a pessimist is that you are constantly being either proven right or pleasantly surprised. - George F. Will We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems. Read more

Sin, Prostitution and Republican party's Pet God

Last updated on: July 10, 2007 at 3:18 pm By Desh Kapoor

Sen. David Vitter, R-Louisiana has a wife and four children. His phone number was found in the diaries of the "D.C. Madam" Deborah Jeane Palfrey. Just read his "apology". These republicans have made a mockery of their God! "This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said in the statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counseling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there -- with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way." Read more

Height of Innovation of Indian Software Programmers!

Last updated on: July 10, 2007 at 2:49 pm By Desh Kapoor

There are many legends on how innovative the Indian engineers and software programmers are but this one from Kamat.com's blog beats all. Vikas Kamat describes how a team in India was trying to debug a piece of software that was to run on Macintosh.. except one problem.. that they did not have access to a Mac! There were asked to use innovation and "best practices". The result: A couple of days later they fixed the entire application to work on a Mac. It was amazing because they did it without even knowing what the problem was, and relied on what Mac. users had told us. It made me proud of the resourcefulness of Indian programmers. Read more

Terrorism, Iraq and the Enemity of Abrahamic followers

Last updated on: July 10, 2007 at 2:21 pm By Desh Kapoor

Here is an article by Thomas Friedman - which I think captures the issue of mess in the Islamic world in the best possible manner. I think it strikes at the root of the issues. In the past few years, hundreds of Muslims have committed suicide amid innocent civilians — without making any concrete political demands and without generating any vigorous, sustained condemnation in the Muslim world. Two trends are at work here: humiliation and atomization. Islam's self-identity is that it is the most perfect and complete expression of God's monotheistic message, and the Koran is God's last and most perfect word. To put it another way, young Muslims are raised on the view that Islam is God 3.0. Christianity is God 2.0. Judaism is God 1.0. And Hinduism and all others are God 0.0. Read more

How we are Raping the Himalayas!

Last updated on: July 10, 2007 at 7:01 am By Desh Kapoor

The world is changing. And rapidly. The Global Warming - a direct result of increased industrialization is condemning the future of our kids like nothing has ever done before! Here is what the kids of Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary found on their way to the Mount Everest. Things could not be worse! Base Camp of Everest has sunk 132 feet! The Glacier from where the duo made their final ascent has gone back 5 kilometers! Scientists predict that most glaciers will shrink to just patches of ice. This picture from Amarnath - very VIVIDLY shows what global warming and mindless religious fervour can do!! There was a story on Zee where some guys had gotten access to the caves months before the real deal began and they were caught on video doing all sorts of things including touching and 'drinking water' from the ice itself. What a mindless idiots would try to do that? Read more

Is this the beginning of the end of power for the US?

Last updated on: July 10, 2007 at 5:40 am By Desh Kapoor

6 years back I had remarked that Iraq war will go down in the history of the US as the Worst Mistake EVER! Many military personnel dead and thousands of Iraqi civilians murdered... and the world is now in a situation which is worse than where we started off from. The future in Middle East and indeed the world itself was never as dark! Here is a very telling article "The Hobbled Hegemon". Is this the beginning of the end of US dominance? It is a question that most Americans need to ask.. but for that they need to know What created their dominance? America is the richest country and the most sophisticated high-tech military power in the world, and is spending more on defence in real terms than at any time since the end of the second world war. Yet it is being exhausted by insurgents armed with AK-47 assault rifles, rocket-propelled grenades and improvised bombs. With strong pressure on President George Bush to withdraw from Iraq, jihadist militants scent a victory as momentous as the eviction of Soviet forces from Afghanistan in 1989—a defeat that helped to dissolve the Soviet empire. Read more

Stop the Clash of Civilizations

Last updated on: July 10, 2007 at 5:26 am By Desh Kapoor

This is a fantastic video on world peace. Watch it. Powered by Qumana Read more

Muslim Youth wants freedom of Education in India.. is it too much?

Last updated on: July 8, 2007 at 1:22 pm By Desh Kapoor

It was evening by then. I was sitting on the footpath sipping tea. And with me sat this kid all of 9-10 year old. A Muslim boy from that small town in UP. "What do you want to do when you grow up?" I want to study. You mean in Deoband? NO! In a college! I want to go to a NORMAL college! Why? So I can come back and start a normal school. I still remember the resolve in that kid's voice. It was around a week since I had been going from village to village and small towns in UP to understand the socio-economic issues of the Muslims. The state of education in the youth was pathetic! Our visits to the large Madaris like Deoband had not offered us any hope either! Read more

Innovation amidst Misery

Last updated on: July 8, 2007 at 10:30 am By Desh Kapoor

Got this from Ashok's blog.. I think it is an excellent example of how even at the worst times, one can make the most of it to improve one's state. This is a picture from Kolkatta where the place was flooded and may people dies! Powered by Qumana Read more

Taj is now amongst the Top 7!!

Last updated on: July 8, 2007 at 8:44 am By Desh Kapoor

The new wonders of the world have been announced. Nation-wide campaigns for voting have been successful, but suprisingly, I have found that other places came 1st and 2nd!! Any way, here is the list: The Colosseum, Rome The Pyramid of Chichen Itza, Mexico Machu Picchu, Peru Taj Mahal, India Statue of the Christ Redeemer, Brazil Petra, Jordan The Great Wall of China These 7 beat out the other 14 including: Eiffel Tower, Easter Island in the Pacific, the Statue of Liberty, the Acropolis, Russia's Kremlin and Australia's Sydney Opera House. Read more