DillanTV: Episode 6

High Food Oil Prices: Who To Blame? Everbody

The developed world is accusing the developing world for higher food and oil prices; and the developing world is accusing the developed world for the same. The truth is not that clearcut, or simple. There is enough blame to go around, but no one responsible enough to accept it.

Too Good To Be True

The only thing the PML(N) and PPP had in common, besides despising each other, was their mutual hatred of President Pervez Musharraf, which seems to be fleeting. So when these parties announced that they were forming a coalition government, everybody knew it wouldn't last long. Parties driven by cult of personality politics like the PML(N) and PPP don't like to share the limelight.

For now, the PML(N) is only withdrawing from the cabinet, but will continue to support the coalition government. But this is just a pretense. Another excuse will be manufactured to exit the government altogether. This will either mean new elections, or another intervention by the military. Either way, President Pervez Musharraf will be pleased as punch

It's Not Worth The Paper Its Printed On

Zimbabwe has the world's worthless currency. In fact, inflation is so bad that the Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe has issued the following banknote:

New Member Of The Family

ashis and binita’s baby

DillanTV: Episode 5

Cyclone: Burma's End Or Beginning?

The United Nations is not happy with Myanmar:

The UN says it is extremely disappointed at the slow progress made in securing access to victims of last weekend's cyclone in Burma.

Humanitarian chief John Holmes told reporters that Burma's response was "nothing like as much as is needed".

If there's to be one positive outcome of this cyclone it is for the people in Myanmar to finally rise from their stupor and overthrow the generals, an insular and paranoid bunch, who have been autocratically ruling this nation for years. Bangladesh would not have demanded independence from Pakistan if it weren't for the latter's lack of action during a devastating 1970 cyclone. And don't forget: Myanmar is another client state of China.

Was Or Became A Suicide Bomber

Interesting item:

A Kuwaiti man released from U.S. custody at the Guantanamo Bay Naval Base in 2005 blew himself up in a suicide attack in Iraq last month, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.

The question is: Did he become a suicide bomber as a result of his incarceration at Guantanamo Bay, or was he planning to be one all along? The answer we may never find out.

Is Obama The Winner?

The consensus seems to be to declare Obama the winner since destiny, and a little math, is on his side. Consensus also seems to be for an Obama/Clinton ticket. I don't know if that's such a good idea. Clinton is petulant, vindictive, and, not to mention, ambitious. As vice president, she'll try to undermine Obama as much as she can. Yes, she's capable of that!

One Movie I'm Not Going To Watch This Summer

Rumors are floating around cyberspace that a character might be eliminated in Sex And the City: The Movie, which is being released later this month. Director Michael Patrick King says otherwise:

"It's a summer movie," he said. "Why would I want to kill anyone?"

Which is unfortunate because if there's anybody that righteously deserves to die it's one of the main characters (preferably all of them, if that's possible) from this boorish show: preferably some sort of a painful, miserable death. Sex And the City is basically a show about four nags bitching about their love lives. That's it. Nothing else to see. I don't know how I managed to complete the first season, which was repetitive enough, let alone later seasons. My guess would be the occasional nudity

England Turning Right? The Hindu Doesn't Like It

The Hindu offers its comments on Labor's recent troubles in local elections in England and, naturally, they're dismayed by the results. Nothing depressed them more then the loss of Ken "The Red" Livingstone, socialist member of Labor, who was defeated in London's mayoral election to whom The Hindu dubs as a "joke". I don't know who this "joke" is, but he still managed to beat Kenny boy. So you can say "joke" is on Ken, who will, no doubt, end up in some cushy E.U. job like other Labor leaders.

The prospects of Conservatives returning to power is giving The Hindu ulcers, in which they quip:

The Labour defeat is, however, not an automatic pointer to the next general election, which must be held by June 2010. Tory voters might well turn out in greater numbers from now on, but other voters will remember what 18 years of Tory government (1979-1997) were like.

From what I remember, those years were golden compared to the severe economic malaise, brought on by dubious socialist policies, when Labour was in charge from 1974-1979. The worse thing to happen in England during Conservative rule, in my opinion, was the foolish dumping of Margaret Thatcher for John Majors. The Conservatives have been wandering in the wilderness ever since.

Cute Toddler Photo #1

This kid is not shy about his picture being taken. Dillan stood there and smiled while I snapped away.

DillanTV: Episode 4

Blaming RAW Yet Again

Yet another pointless article accusing RAW of being the boogeyman of South Asia, spearheading India's expansionist mindset (whatever the hell that means). A choice quote:

“RAW over the years has admirably fulfilled its tasks of destabilizing target states through unbridled export of terrorism.”

If you substitute ISI for RAW, the statement would be 100% correct.

DailyLit: Reading For Very Busy People

I love DailyLit, a website that serializes books (both free and copyrighted) via e-mail or RSS. It's a great service that enables me to read books, in byte size pieces, in the free minutes I have in my busy day that is otherwise wasted.

I'm using DailyLit to read some of the classics that I've been meaning to read but never had the wherewithal to start. I'm reading four in particular:

• Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
• Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
• Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

Hefty books all. I think I'm all set until 2010. :-)

Though DailyLit is a great source for classic literature, the selection of non-fiction books, especially history, is much to be desired. My ideal website would be to combine DailyLit's functionality with Project Gutenberg's vast library. The ultimate literary mash-up.