Is he dead or alive?

I am talking about Israeli Solidier. The answer might decide news for next wee.

Putin Orders Agents to Eliminate Killers of Russians in Iraq

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601085&sid=aqp71SI4lI3Y&refer=europe

My kind of guy.

Liquor , Accidents.

We have too much of both. This is how we try to reduce our population. Did I tell you we don't spend our money caring for liquor addicts or accident victims. They deserve that. 1 million kids who work instead of being in schools. Good, we saved money on buildings, books, midday meals,...
If we list all such savings, we should have been a rich country by now. And happy too, thrills, cheap labour, legal addiction... Probably we are already rich. It's just that we are not realising.
It's good to be Indian.

Down with www.newindpress.com

This is the most offensive article I have seen in recent times.

http://www.newindpress.com/Newsitems.asp?ID=IEX20060627132347&Title=Kochi&Topic=0&?headline='Sin'~at~Sabarimala:~Actress~confesses

if this is our fourth estate, we need no further explanation for the state of this country.

For those lazy people likeme, cut & paste job follows.

KOCHI

Jun 28, 2006
Actress confesses to entering Sabarimala sanctum sanctorum
Wednesday June 28 2006 00:18 IST

KOCHI: In what would remain as a permanent blot on the sanctity of the Sabarimala temple, Kannada actress-producer Jaimala on Tuesday confessed that she had entered the sanctum sanctorum of the hill shrine and touched the feet of the Ayyappa idol in 1987.

This website's newspaper had reported the other day about this sordid incident after astrologer Parappanangadi Unnikrishna Panicker conclusively confirmed it in the course of his Ashtamangalya Prasnam held at the Ayyappa abode the week before last.

The Travancore Devaswom Board, however, kept mum about the shameful incident that happened with the alleged connivance of the thantri who presided over the monthly pooja.

The event took a new turn on Tuesday when Jaimala, reacting to this website's newspaper reports about the Ashtamangalya Prasnam, admitted that she had entered the sanctum sanctorum.

“There was heavy crowd of devotees. In the crowd, I was pushed towards the sanctum sanctorum where I touched the feet of the deity with utmost devotion,” she parroted the same lines she had faxed to the astrologer on June 17 confessing her act.

According to the Prasnam, the thantri had facilitated her entry into the sanctum sanctorum. “In fact, he led her into the sanctum sanctorum, the most sacred space where non-Brahmins are not allowed.

“And even more horrifying is the fact that she was allowed to touch the idol which is a strict no-no for all except the thantri and the chief priest,” sources pointed out.

Though Jaimala preferred to keep this as a personal experience of her unlawful visit (because she was only 27 at that time and entry of women aged between 10 and 50 to Sabarimala is banned), she was forced to speak the truth after reading about the “Lord’s anger” in this website's newspaper.

Speaking to this website's newspaper over phone from Bangalore, Jaimala said: “I never knew it was a wrong thing. In my native village in Karnataka, we touch the idol while praying.

“And when the crowd pushed me into the sanctum sanctorum, I repeated what was taught in the childhood. But having realised that it’s a sin, I faxed an apology (a copy of which is with the this website's newspaper) to the God.”

“None stopped me at Pampa. I even bathed in the river. If someone had stopped me then, this wouldn’t have happened,” she said.

But this innocence doesn’t go well with the strict ethics governing Sabarimala. The TDB will now be forced to initiate a series of rituals to cleanse the abode of all such impurities. Sources in the know of things swear by Lord Ayyappa that Jaimala incident is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg.

What the Prasnam said

A beautiful woman artiste had entered the sanctum sanctorum

She was made to touch the idol

The incident happened within the last 18 years

There’s connivance of the thantri

What Jaimala admits

I entered the sanctum sanctorum

I did touch the idol

It happened 19 years ago and I was only 27

I was pushed inside by a huge crowd

Bill Gates & Warren Buffet.

Thy are my heroes for now. It's easy to hate Bill Gates for his business practices. It's more difficult not to like him for his philanthropy. Hope he succeeds similarly in his charity.

Money.

Money and all things related to money suck. Necessary evil. Hmm, unnecessary evil. :)

I know.

I know, I need to be more regular. I will try to be. What's happening? Schools reopened. The first one is being a good student. The second one is at his best behaviour when he is pleading to be allowed not to go to School. We are sure, he will be a better person, if he spends some time in school. He needs to become more social.
The first one is on his way to become champion swimmer. :) Planning to get him coached.
But then he loses his interest so soon. Like his dad. Chess, cycling, badminton, carroms and now swimming. All in 6 yrs. Who cares, as long as he is having fun.
In other news, I see prospects of a foreign holiday in my horoscope. ;)
I am reading enough stuff these days. Getting organised. Life's good. Reading "Clash of Fundamentalisms" by Tariq Ali.
It's interesting.
About previous book, Ravan and Eddi, it was dark comedy kind of stuff with no satisfactory ending.
Wathced "Da Vinci Code" on pirated dvd with funny subtitles. Ok movie. Watched "Tie me Up, Tie me down" starring Antonio Banderas,... Different kind of movie with enough shocking material. You know what I mean. ;)
Started watching "Sex and Lucia". Didn't get feel of movie , yet. But can see that, there's enough "SEX".
Don't envy me. I am going to do better. Have more fun. :)

Around the World Trip.

If next 10 months are going to be like past month, I will be on my "around the world" trip. :) But then, you know what life is. Everybody finally gets f*****. Life cannot be this good for too long.
Some tragedy, some nagging irritable stuff shall be hiding in he dark to pounce at the most oppurtune moment.
In other news, my first son has become expert in swimming and diving. All by himself. And he is trying to skate these days. At this rate, he will be learning 40-50 skills in his life time. :)

Exercising.

I am devastated to know that, swimming may not lead to weight loss. Who am I?

a) Balding, paunch, flabby....

b) Fit, Hunk,....

c) One of billions, neither here nor there.

Probably 'c'. But I am trying to be 'b'. :)

Today I was busy in connecting to internet on my mac mini. (old one, first generation) It took me enough time, though it shouldn't have. So skippedmy walking/ jogging. Wanted to compensate with swimming. Pool wasn't exactly super clean. But remembered all those wells where my father and likes used to swim.
After 2 rounds. A digresson here. Believe me, I can swim. Yeah, you all know about the incident where I nearly drowned in a pool. I have improved a lot these days. :)
After 2 rounds, when I touch metallic stairs, I see something. A Rat. Ewwwwwwwwwwww.........
I scurried to surface. I puked soon after. That killed my appetite for swimming for next 2 days atleast. So tomorrow, only gym and jogging.
Bye folks, need to read a fitness book. I know what all you people are thinking. "How long this is going to last?".
Not much, I know. But till then, I will have fun.

Long Holiday

Ignoring protests of senior management, have extended my holiday. Hope my job remains. ;)
So what's life like when you raise in the morning, go for a walk, then swim and then to a sauna. And then shopping. Life's good. :) I kno this will not last for long. But let me have fun as long as it lasts.

Before signing off, a cut and paste job.

""Really though, does it matter we're on top? I mean everyone gets the technology eventually so why does it matter who invents it first?"

It matters if you can't afford to buy it because you are suddenly thrust into a lower middle-class by other countries who are reaping the monetary benefits of these new technologies.

"The one thing that we as Americans have is creativity and a society that thrives on it where as China and India have a rigid education structure that stifles creativity."

Creativity is an indulgence. An indulgence you may not be able to afford when you have to work 2 jobs just to feed your family. Americans aren't genetically predisposed to be creative. We just have an economy and government that allows us to relax enough to be able to be creative. Of course, that economy is based on borrowed money.

I don't have the answers, though. Just observations."