Chennai (IANS): The World Health Organisation (WHO) Friday said India has a long way to go towards controlling the incidence of diabetes in the country, which has assumed dimensions of a 'tsunami'.
Noting India has close to 41 million diabetic patients and the number is growing at a steady pace, said Samlee Plianbangchang, director of WHO Southeast Asia, adding the country needs to wake up to the challenge of the disease which does not differentiate between the poor and the rich.
"The country needs to wake and fight the diabetic tsunami," he told IANS on the sidelines of an international conference on diabetes that began here.
Delegates from south and southeast Asian countries are in Chennai to participate in a conference to deliberate and devise a way to tackle diabetes that has over 56 million victims in the region.
Describing diabetes as a "tsunami", Pierre Lefebvre, chairman of the World Diabetes Foundation, which organised the conference, said: "No disease has so much of an economic impact as that of diabetes".
He said India spends only three US dollars per patient to create awareness about the disease but spends not less than $650 per person per year as medical expenditure.
Inaugurating the conference at the Taj Coromandel hotel here, Sri Lanka's Health Minister Nimal Sripala De-Silva said: "Between 30 percent to 80 percent of diabetics in the Southeast Asia region do not know that they have the disease."
Saturday, November 29, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
US daily blames squabbling Indian leaders' for terror attacks
New York (PTI): A leading US daily has blamed "squabbling" Indian political leaders' failure to put national security above partisan politics for a series of terrorist attacks that the country has witnessed, saying its approach to terrorism has consistently been "haphazard and weak-kneed."
"When faced with fundamentalist demands, India's democratically elected leaders have regularly preferred caving to confrontation on a point of principle. The country's institutions and culture have abetted a widespread sense of Muslim separateness from the national mainstream," the Wall Street Journal said in a stinging commentary.
"The country's anti-terrorism effort is reactive and episodic rather than proactive and sustained. Its public discourse on Islam oscillates between crude, anti-Muslim bigotry and mindless sympathy for largely unjustified Muslim grievance-mongering. Its failure to either charm or cow its Islamist-friendly neighbours -- Pakistan and Bangladesh -- reveals a limited grasp of statecraft," the Journal said.
The country's diplomats and soldiers have failed to stabilize the neighborhood, it said, adding that the ongoing attacks in Mumbai underscores the price both Indians and non-Indians caught unawares must now pay.
India's leaders "who invariably swan around with armed guards paid for by the taxpayer" - can't even agree on a legal framework to keep the country safe, it says, adding that on taking office in 2004, one of the first acts of the ruling Congress Party was to scrap a federal antiterrorism law that strengthened witness protection and enhanced police powers.
The Congress, it says, has stalled state-level legislation in Gujarat, which is ruled by the opposition BJP. And it was a Congress government that kowtowed to fundamentalist pressure and made India the first country to ban Mumbai-born Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" in 1988.
"When faced with fundamentalist demands, India's democratically elected leaders have regularly preferred caving to confrontation on a point of principle. The country's institutions and culture have abetted a widespread sense of Muslim separateness from the national mainstream," the Wall Street Journal said in a stinging commentary.
"The country's anti-terrorism effort is reactive and episodic rather than proactive and sustained. Its public discourse on Islam oscillates between crude, anti-Muslim bigotry and mindless sympathy for largely unjustified Muslim grievance-mongering. Its failure to either charm or cow its Islamist-friendly neighbours -- Pakistan and Bangladesh -- reveals a limited grasp of statecraft," the Journal said.
The country's diplomats and soldiers have failed to stabilize the neighborhood, it said, adding that the ongoing attacks in Mumbai underscores the price both Indians and non-Indians caught unawares must now pay.
India's leaders "who invariably swan around with armed guards paid for by the taxpayer" - can't even agree on a legal framework to keep the country safe, it says, adding that on taking office in 2004, one of the first acts of the ruling Congress Party was to scrap a federal antiterrorism law that strengthened witness protection and enhanced police powers.
The Congress, it says, has stalled state-level legislation in Gujarat, which is ruled by the opposition BJP. And it was a Congress government that kowtowed to fundamentalist pressure and made India the first country to ban Mumbai-born Salman Rushdie's "Satanic Verses" in 1988.
Thursday, November 27, 2008
Muslim Terrorists Attack India : Man vs. Islam
Islamic Terrorists have attacked & seized Mumbai with a vengeance.
You must have heard the often repeated political statement that no religion teaches extremism. This is a total bull shit. Yes there is a religion which is totally intolerant and creates terrorists just by teaching Jihad & because they think that only they have the right to survive and others are Kafirs and have no right to live.
Even from mathematics point of view, more than 90% of the terrorists belong to one religion. So note it that some religions do teach terrorism.
There has been a conflict between Man & Islam since the origin of Islam. The conflict will go on until one of them is eliminated. In the fight of Dharma & Adharma, Dharma wins, but not when you have impotent leaders.
India & Hinduism have suffered the onslaught by Islamic Terrorists since 1300 hundred years. Now Indian people are so used to the bashing that they just forget after few days. Indian leaders are so impotent that they only care about the vote bank politics.
Impotent Indian leaders should get some treatment for their impotency from Israel or USA. At least they should know a bit about national self respect. The only way to tackle the menace of terrorism is to eliminate these bastards with an iron hand. Or be ready to face this kind of non-sense again & again.
Young generation leaders can give some hope, but if they shun vote bank politics. The only way out to eradicate this epidemic is to destroy the mother source and root cause which is their basic philosophy and supporting neighbors like Pakistan & Bangladesh.
You must have heard the often repeated political statement that no religion teaches extremism. This is a total bull shit. Yes there is a religion which is totally intolerant and creates terrorists just by teaching Jihad & because they think that only they have the right to survive and others are Kafirs and have no right to live.
Even from mathematics point of view, more than 90% of the terrorists belong to one religion. So note it that some religions do teach terrorism.
There has been a conflict between Man & Islam since the origin of Islam. The conflict will go on until one of them is eliminated. In the fight of Dharma & Adharma, Dharma wins, but not when you have impotent leaders.
India & Hinduism have suffered the onslaught by Islamic Terrorists since 1300 hundred years. Now Indian people are so used to the bashing that they just forget after few days. Indian leaders are so impotent that they only care about the vote bank politics.
Impotent Indian leaders should get some treatment for their impotency from Israel or USA. At least they should know a bit about national self respect. The only way to tackle the menace of terrorism is to eliminate these bastards with an iron hand. Or be ready to face this kind of non-sense again & again.
Young generation leaders can give some hope, but if they shun vote bank politics. The only way out to eradicate this epidemic is to destroy the mother source and root cause which is their basic philosophy and supporting neighbors like Pakistan & Bangladesh.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
“Damn the boycott,” Shabnam Lone ( Daughter of Abdul Ghani Lone ) unveils the Farce of Kashmir poll boycott
Daughter drills Lone hole in boycott
Rebel in scarf up against brothers
- Shabnam sets out to upturn family’s rejectionist legacy
SANKARSHAN THAKUR
A woman walks past CRPF jawans on a Srinagar street on Tuesday. (AFP)
Kupwara (North Kashmir), Nov. 25: There’s a screaming hole in the heart of the boycott campaign and it goes by the name of Shabnam Lone, daughter to assassinated separatist and People’s Conference patriarch Abdul Ghani Lone, sister to Hurriyat spearheads Bilal and Sajjad.
“Damn the boycott,” Shabnam says, “Damn this politics of deadlock, people have needs and aspirations, Kashmiris must rise to meet them.”
As an Independent candidate from Kupwara, the Lones’ picture-postcard domicile at the northern edge of the Kashmir Valley, Shabnam has set out, rock-jawed, to upturn her family’s rejectionist legacy — a Lone branching off from all that the name has come to mean in these parts.
Shabnam has always been a bit of a rebel. She fought her way through conservative society mores to a law degree, became a human rights advocate of some repute, refused to marry, and then, in something that young Kashmiri women rarely achieve, moved out of the Lone household and set up a separate home. Now, she is out to conquer that inheritance and emboss it with her own credentials.
The irony is she has little to go by other than her family name she wishes to overwrite. She lives in a spartan room in the Kupwara dak bungalow, which stands in the lee of a towering pine escarpment. Her campaign office is a ramshackle log hut located in an abandoned yard on the town’s outskirts; there isn’t enough to signpost the office or furnish it — it holds little other than a table, Shabnam’s appointed election symbol.
And when she sets off, megaphone in hand, into the deeper reaches of this beautiful but pitilessly backward constituency, she is tailed by no more than what the government has afforded her — two troop carriers which also double as rides for her campaign team. “I have no money,” she tells you, breathless upon a steep haul through the woods to her next meeting in a hill hamlet called Hind, “But I think I have a chance.”
She’s greeted you with a cosmopolitan shake of the hand and a trendy “Hi, how are you?” that rings pleasantly strange in the depths of rural Kashmir. But she’s playing true and full to the conservative gallery, make no mistake about it — she’s turned out in a loose full-length cowl, her head is scarved, her hands gloved. It is inexcusably cold, true, but that’s not the only reason the gloves are there; they don’t take kindly to women flaunting themselves here, and Shabnam is taking no chances.
Shabnam Lone
She admits she is up against it even though this is her family fief — “I am new to this and I have few resources” — but her chief adversaries are not those in the contest — sitting National Conference MLA Mir Saifullah and Zafar Mir of the PDP. Her chief adversaries lie within — brothers Bilal and Sajjad, who have unleashed a bitter boycott war to spite their sister.
“There is something called a Lone vote here, the family votebank created by her father,” explains Bashir Ahmed Dar, a Shabnam votary and president of the Kupwara bar association, on the sidelines of the Hind meeting. “It is that vote which is crucial to Shabnam’s success and it is that vote her brothers are trying to keep her from grabbing. Her challenge is to lure the traditional boycotters to the polling booths, if she can do that, she’s made.”
But isn’t it too much for her to expect that a votebank fed on separatism and sustained on boycotts should suddenly somersault and line up at the polling stations? Leave that to the crafty charms of Shabnam Lone; Bashir Ahmed Dar proclaims himself a foremost and willing victim. “I was a diehard separatist and boycotter,” he says, “but then came Shabnam appealing in the name of none other than her father. He would never have wanted his people to live permanently under the curse of poverty and backwardness, he would have wanted to do something about it, she said, and I think she had a point.”
Dar says several of patriarch Lone’s People’s Conference cadres have fallen behind Shabnam. Khurshid Iqbal, a Kupwara lawyer and activist, is among them. “We do want a separate nation,” he says, “But meantime, we also want some succour for the people, that won’t come from sitting in Srinagar and proclaiming a boycott.”
The throngs she’s gathering at her megaphone meetings in these remote hills are probably a clue Shabnam has hit a pulse long awaiting attention.
Village after village, they trail her, men and women and children for whom it has become a rarity for a politician to come calling. The cluster of the curious has become a cavalcade of the willing by late afternoon; and it has pumped Shabnam’s anti-boycott call. “How long do you want to remain frozen in your backwardness? How long will you not exercise your right? Rise, demand what is due to you, come and vote, my father would not have wished such penury on you and I promise to do whatever I can… turn up, turn up and vote for me….”
She utters not a word about her estranged brothers to the people, but she does once she is off the megaphone and rushing to her car towards another meeting. “What do I care what they say,” she bursts out. “They are welcome to propagate their boycott on television, I am propagating a vote among my people.”
She’s off in a roar of raised arms and ayes — “Shabnam Lone, zindabad! Zindabad! Zindabad!” Fayaz Hamid, a local journalist who’s accompanied us, is a touch taken by what he’s seen. “Believe me, she has got something going, my guess is Kupwara will vote with a vengeance.” Who’ll win, he won’t bet, but if they turn out at the booths in this boycott stronghold, it will have been victory enough for Shabnam against her rival Lones.
ll
Rebel in scarf up against brothers
- Shabnam sets out to upturn family’s rejectionist legacy
SANKARSHAN THAKUR
A woman walks past CRPF jawans on a Srinagar street on Tuesday. (AFP)
Kupwara (North Kashmir), Nov. 25: There’s a screaming hole in the heart of the boycott campaign and it goes by the name of Shabnam Lone, daughter to assassinated separatist and People’s Conference patriarch Abdul Ghani Lone, sister to Hurriyat spearheads Bilal and Sajjad.
“Damn the boycott,” Shabnam says, “Damn this politics of deadlock, people have needs and aspirations, Kashmiris must rise to meet them.”
As an Independent candidate from Kupwara, the Lones’ picture-postcard domicile at the northern edge of the Kashmir Valley, Shabnam has set out, rock-jawed, to upturn her family’s rejectionist legacy — a Lone branching off from all that the name has come to mean in these parts.
Shabnam has always been a bit of a rebel. She fought her way through conservative society mores to a law degree, became a human rights advocate of some repute, refused to marry, and then, in something that young Kashmiri women rarely achieve, moved out of the Lone household and set up a separate home. Now, she is out to conquer that inheritance and emboss it with her own credentials.
The irony is she has little to go by other than her family name she wishes to overwrite. She lives in a spartan room in the Kupwara dak bungalow, which stands in the lee of a towering pine escarpment. Her campaign office is a ramshackle log hut located in an abandoned yard on the town’s outskirts; there isn’t enough to signpost the office or furnish it — it holds little other than a table, Shabnam’s appointed election symbol.
And when she sets off, megaphone in hand, into the deeper reaches of this beautiful but pitilessly backward constituency, she is tailed by no more than what the government has afforded her — two troop carriers which also double as rides for her campaign team. “I have no money,” she tells you, breathless upon a steep haul through the woods to her next meeting in a hill hamlet called Hind, “But I think I have a chance.”
She’s greeted you with a cosmopolitan shake of the hand and a trendy “Hi, how are you?” that rings pleasantly strange in the depths of rural Kashmir. But she’s playing true and full to the conservative gallery, make no mistake about it — she’s turned out in a loose full-length cowl, her head is scarved, her hands gloved. It is inexcusably cold, true, but that’s not the only reason the gloves are there; they don’t take kindly to women flaunting themselves here, and Shabnam is taking no chances.
Shabnam Lone
She admits she is up against it even though this is her family fief — “I am new to this and I have few resources” — but her chief adversaries are not those in the contest — sitting National Conference MLA Mir Saifullah and Zafar Mir of the PDP. Her chief adversaries lie within — brothers Bilal and Sajjad, who have unleashed a bitter boycott war to spite their sister.
“There is something called a Lone vote here, the family votebank created by her father,” explains Bashir Ahmed Dar, a Shabnam votary and president of the Kupwara bar association, on the sidelines of the Hind meeting. “It is that vote which is crucial to Shabnam’s success and it is that vote her brothers are trying to keep her from grabbing. Her challenge is to lure the traditional boycotters to the polling booths, if she can do that, she’s made.”
But isn’t it too much for her to expect that a votebank fed on separatism and sustained on boycotts should suddenly somersault and line up at the polling stations? Leave that to the crafty charms of Shabnam Lone; Bashir Ahmed Dar proclaims himself a foremost and willing victim. “I was a diehard separatist and boycotter,” he says, “but then came Shabnam appealing in the name of none other than her father. He would never have wanted his people to live permanently under the curse of poverty and backwardness, he would have wanted to do something about it, she said, and I think she had a point.”
Dar says several of patriarch Lone’s People’s Conference cadres have fallen behind Shabnam. Khurshid Iqbal, a Kupwara lawyer and activist, is among them. “We do want a separate nation,” he says, “But meantime, we also want some succour for the people, that won’t come from sitting in Srinagar and proclaiming a boycott.”
The throngs she’s gathering at her megaphone meetings in these remote hills are probably a clue Shabnam has hit a pulse long awaiting attention.
Village after village, they trail her, men and women and children for whom it has become a rarity for a politician to come calling. The cluster of the curious has become a cavalcade of the willing by late afternoon; and it has pumped Shabnam’s anti-boycott call. “How long do you want to remain frozen in your backwardness? How long will you not exercise your right? Rise, demand what is due to you, come and vote, my father would not have wished such penury on you and I promise to do whatever I can… turn up, turn up and vote for me….”
She utters not a word about her estranged brothers to the people, but she does once she is off the megaphone and rushing to her car towards another meeting. “What do I care what they say,” she bursts out. “They are welcome to propagate their boycott on television, I am propagating a vote among my people.”
She’s off in a roar of raised arms and ayes — “Shabnam Lone, zindabad! Zindabad! Zindabad!” Fayaz Hamid, a local journalist who’s accompanied us, is a touch taken by what he’s seen. “Believe me, she has got something going, my guess is Kupwara will vote with a vengeance.” Who’ll win, he won’t bet, but if they turn out at the booths in this boycott stronghold, it will have been victory enough for Shabnam against her rival Lones.
ll
Do yoga without mantras, Malaysian PM to Muslims
Kuala Lumpur Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi said Muslims in this south-east Asian nation can continue to practice 'yoga' as long as they avoided chanting 'mantras'.
Abdullah's remarks come after a ruling by this Muslim-majority country's National Fatwa Council that yoga was 'haram' (forbidden) as it involved chanting which was against Islamic teachings and that people could deviate from Islamic faith if they performed yoga which has its roots in Hinduism.
"I wish to state that a physical regime with no elements of worship can continue, meaning, it is not banned. I believe that Muslims are not easily swayed into polytheism," Abdullah told national news agency Bernama.
The Council's verdict shocked Muslims who performed yoga, with many protesting through letters in the newspaper that the ancient form of exercise had helped them keep fit and had in no way made them deviate from their faith.
Abdullah urged everyone to understand the content of the yoga fatwa and not twist facts which could cause confusion among the public, Bernama said.
He said Muslims who performed yoga exercise and did not chant any mantra could carry on with their activity as it was good for their health. He added that non-Muslims in this multi-ethnic country should not feel hurt or slighted by the announcement of the yoga fatwa as it was only applicable to Muslims.
Malaysia has a majority Muslim population with 60 per cent following the faith, while ethnic Chinese mostly Christians and Buddhists formed 25 per cent and ethnic Indians, a majority of them Hindus comprise 8 per cent of the country's 26 million population.
Yoga is very popular across the country with several studios offering classes. Gyms too offer regular yoga lessons.
"What I understand from the decision of the National Fatwa Council is that it was aimed at explaining to Muslims the implications of yoga practice." Abdullah said adding that the yoga fatwa would only be implemented after getting the consent of the Conference of Malay Rulers.
Decisions by the Fatwa Council are not legally binding on Malaysia's Muslims until they are enshrined in national laws or Shariah laws of individual states.
Recently, the Fatwa council also ruled that girls who behaved like tomboys was unislamic.
Abdullah's remarks come after a ruling by this Muslim-majority country's National Fatwa Council that yoga was 'haram' (forbidden) as it involved chanting which was against Islamic teachings and that people could deviate from Islamic faith if they performed yoga which has its roots in Hinduism.
"I wish to state that a physical regime with no elements of worship can continue, meaning, it is not banned. I believe that Muslims are not easily swayed into polytheism," Abdullah told national news agency Bernama.
The Council's verdict shocked Muslims who performed yoga, with many protesting through letters in the newspaper that the ancient form of exercise had helped them keep fit and had in no way made them deviate from their faith.
Abdullah urged everyone to understand the content of the yoga fatwa and not twist facts which could cause confusion among the public, Bernama said.
He said Muslims who performed yoga exercise and did not chant any mantra could carry on with their activity as it was good for their health. He added that non-Muslims in this multi-ethnic country should not feel hurt or slighted by the announcement of the yoga fatwa as it was only applicable to Muslims.
Malaysia has a majority Muslim population with 60 per cent following the faith, while ethnic Chinese mostly Christians and Buddhists formed 25 per cent and ethnic Indians, a majority of them Hindus comprise 8 per cent of the country's 26 million population.
Yoga is very popular across the country with several studios offering classes. Gyms too offer regular yoga lessons.
"What I understand from the decision of the National Fatwa Council is that it was aimed at explaining to Muslims the implications of yoga practice." Abdullah said adding that the yoga fatwa would only be implemented after getting the consent of the Conference of Malay Rulers.
Decisions by the Fatwa Council are not legally binding on Malaysia's Muslims until they are enshrined in national laws or Shariah laws of individual states.
Recently, the Fatwa council also ruled that girls who behaved like tomboys was unislamic.
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
Killer boss? A bad boss can kill you early, says study
London Is your boss a killer? A study into poor leadership and bad health of staff suggests that a bad boss can send you to an early grave.
The study, to be published in science journal 'Occupational and Environmental Medicine', shows that staff whose managers have the worst leadership skills are more likely to develop heart disease than those with more competent bosses.
Lead researcher Anna Nyberg, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said the link between bad management and bad health of staff held true irrespective of social class, income, workload, lifestyle factors such as smoking and exercise and other risk factors for heart disease.
Researchers tracking the health of 3,122 well-educated men, with an average age of 42, found that the higher senior managers were rated, the lower was the risk of a serious heart problem or death among their rank and file.
However, the link between poor leadership and the risk of serious heart disease strengthened the longer an employee worked for the same boss, the Daily Mail of Britain reported on Tuesday.
The study, which was over a period of ten years, suggests the effect of bad leadership could be cumulative. If a direct cause and effect is confirmed by further research then managers' behaviour should be targeted in a bid to stave off employee health problems, the study stressed.
Nyberg said this could focus on improving bosses' ability to provide clear objectives, communicate effectively and show consideration for staff.
London Is your boss a killer? A study into poor leadership and bad health of staff suggests that a bad boss can send you to an early grave.
The study, to be published in science journal 'Occupational and Environmental Medicine', shows that staff whose managers have the worst leadership skills are more likely to develop heart disease than those with more competent bosses.
Lead researcher Anna Nyberg, of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said the link between bad management and bad health of staff held true irrespective of social class, income, workload, lifestyle factors such as smoking and exercise and other risk factors for heart disease.
Researchers tracking the health of 3,122 well-educated men, with an average age of 42, found that the higher senior managers were rated, the lower was the risk of a serious heart problem or death among their rank and file.
However, the link between poor leadership and the risk of serious heart disease strengthened the longer an employee worked for the same boss, the Daily Mail of Britain reported on Tuesday.
The study, which was over a period of ten years, suggests the effect of bad leadership could be cumulative. If a direct cause and effect is confirmed by further research then managers' behaviour should be targeted in a bid to stave off employee health problems, the study stressed.
Nyberg said this could focus on improving bosses' ability to provide clear objectives, communicate effectively and show consideration for staff.
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Yoga is not for Muslims ! - Malaysian Muslim Clerics
Top Islamic body: Yoga is not for Muslims
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia's top Islamic body on Saturday ruled against Muslims practicing yoga, saying it had elements of other religions that could corrupt Muslims.
Malaysia's top Islamic body is not keen on yoga.
The National Fatwa Council's non-binding edict said yoga involves not just physical exercise but also includes Hindu spiritual elements, chanting and worship.
"It is inappropriate. It can destroy the faith of a Muslim," Council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin told reporters.
He noted that clerics in Egypt issued a similar edict in 2004 that called the practice of yoga "an aberration."
Though the council's decisions are not legally binding on Malaysia's Muslim population, many abide by the edicts out of deference, and the council does have the authority to ostracize an offending Muslim from society.
The Malaysia fatwa reflects the growing strain of conservatism in Malaysia, which has always taken pride in its multi-ethnic population. About 25 percent of Malaysians are ethnic Chinese and 8 percent ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus.
Recently, the council issued an edict banning tomboys, ruling that girls who act like boys violate the tenets of Islam.
The Fatwa Council took up the yoga issue after an Islamic scholar last month expressed an opinion at a seminar that it was un-Islamic.
But yoga teacher Suleiha Merican, who has been practicing yoga for 40 years, called yoga "a great health science" and said there is no religion involved.
"We don't do chanting and meditation. There is no conflict because yoga is not religion based," Merican, 56, told The Associated Press.
There are no figures for how many Muslims practice yoga, but many yoga classes have a sprinkling of Muslims attending.
Putri Rahim, a housewife, said she was no less a Muslim after practicing yoga for 10 years.
"I am mad! Maybe they have it in mind that Islam is under threat. To come out with a fatwa is an insult to intelligent Muslims. It's an insult to my belief," Putri said.
In a recent blog posting, social activist Marina Mahathir criticized the council for even considering a yoga ban, calling it "a classic case of reacting out of fear and ignorance." E-mail to a friend | Mixx it | Share
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) -- Malaysia's top Islamic body on Saturday ruled against Muslims practicing yoga, saying it had elements of other religions that could corrupt Muslims.
Malaysia's top Islamic body is not keen on yoga.
The National Fatwa Council's non-binding edict said yoga involves not just physical exercise but also includes Hindu spiritual elements, chanting and worship.
"It is inappropriate. It can destroy the faith of a Muslim," Council chairman Abdul Shukor Husin told reporters.
He noted that clerics in Egypt issued a similar edict in 2004 that called the practice of yoga "an aberration."
Though the council's decisions are not legally binding on Malaysia's Muslim population, many abide by the edicts out of deference, and the council does have the authority to ostracize an offending Muslim from society.
The Malaysia fatwa reflects the growing strain of conservatism in Malaysia, which has always taken pride in its multi-ethnic population. About 25 percent of Malaysians are ethnic Chinese and 8 percent ethnic Indians, mostly Hindus.
Recently, the council issued an edict banning tomboys, ruling that girls who act like boys violate the tenets of Islam.
The Fatwa Council took up the yoga issue after an Islamic scholar last month expressed an opinion at a seminar that it was un-Islamic.
But yoga teacher Suleiha Merican, who has been practicing yoga for 40 years, called yoga "a great health science" and said there is no religion involved.
"We don't do chanting and meditation. There is no conflict because yoga is not religion based," Merican, 56, told The Associated Press.
There are no figures for how many Muslims practice yoga, but many yoga classes have a sprinkling of Muslims attending.
Putri Rahim, a housewife, said she was no less a Muslim after practicing yoga for 10 years.
"I am mad! Maybe they have it in mind that Islam is under threat. To come out with a fatwa is an insult to intelligent Muslims. It's an insult to my belief," Putri said.
In a recent blog posting, social activist Marina Mahathir criticized the council for even considering a yoga ban, calling it "a classic case of reacting out of fear and ignorance." E-mail to a friend | Mixx it | Share
Friday, November 21, 2008
Islam, Obama & Pakistan
America has never been popular in Pakistan, despite the fact that the country has been aligned with it since the early fifties.
The first prime minister of Pakistan was invited by the Soviet Union, but he used that invitation to solicit one from the United States and ditched the Soviets.
The country became a member of CENTO and SEATO, and provided the Americans with an air base at Badaber near Peshawar to monitor the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
The relations however started to deteriorate when Pakistan signed a border agreement with China in 1963; and when the United States suspended military aid to Pakistan during its war with India in September 1965. This `betrayal’ prompted the military dictator who ruled the country from 1958 to 1969 with active American cooperation, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, to title his autobiography Friends, Not Masters.
The common man on the street unanimously supported the Viet Cong against the Americans in the Vietnam War; despite President Nixon rescuing the western wing of the country, from Indian aggression following the downfall of the eastern wing that subsequently became Bangladesh.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was toppled by General Zia-ul- Haq in 1977, and subsequently hanged on a dubious murder charge in 1979. Bhutto in his last book, If I am Assassinated blamed the Americans for toppling his government due to his continuing with the nuclear programme, despite the then secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, warning him against such a course of action.
Massive American aid poured into Pakistan during the Eighties in the midst of the Afghan War but the covert CIA support to the Afghan Mujahideen played havoc with Pakistani society. Heroin and kalashnikovs that had never been heard of became a norm. Many blamed the Americans for this mess, and the criticism became more acute due to the failure of the aid to reach the common man. It only made the rich generals all the more richer.
The Taliban took over in Afghanistan and the people saw this as an opportunity to stand against the Americans: Islam had finally triumphed against communism and the Americans. Pakistan was one of the few countries where some rejoiced on the streets when the twin towers collapsed in New York.
Osama Bin Laden was a national hero even before 9/11 and it was common for people to name their children after him.
Almost every second car in the country carried a bumper sticker saying ‘Crush America’ when America was planning to attack Iraq during the Gulf War, and the tribals from the state of Swat under the TNSM formed a lashkar consisting of thousands armed with nineteenth century guns and hockey sticks to fight the American marines in Afghanistan.
However, the quick downfall of the Taliban, followed by that of Saddam Hussein, dampened everybody’s spirits. This opposition explains the intense hatred in the whole country against General Musharraf due to his support for President Bush in the War on Terror.
In the midst of all this hatred for the Americans and everything associated with the United States, it was a pleasant surprise to see almost everybody rejoice in Pakistan over Barack Obama’s historical victory in the recent American elections. Every TV channel could be seen holding discussions and the print media went euphoric. There is little doubt that he was popular with the younger generation, particularly the ones going to colleges and universities, but even the older generation was generally delighted with the victory.
It would however be wrong to attribute this ecstasy for Obama to his being an African American. Pakistan, like other countries, is racist in some respects, and hardly associates itself with the black community.
`Kala’ remains a derogatory term. Our driver upon seeing Obama giving his Victory Speech in Chicago, despite being excited, exclaimed that the guy hardly looks presidential. He did not say it but he meant that he was not white.
The people of Pakistan are excited about Obama because they consider him to be a fellow Muslim that may come as news to Obama himself. All the television channels are constantly making it a point to refer to Obama’s middle name and emphasise his Muslim credentials. The point that Obama used to pray at school while in Indonesia is being harped upon.
This is the height of naivety. President elect-Obama is obviously not a Muslim even if his father was. And even if he was, it would hardly have made a difference as things are much more institutionalised in Washington, DC than in Islamabad. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Obama has provided the United States with a golden opportunity in decades to placate the anti- American feelings prevalent throughout the Muslim world, including Pakistan. If he can succeed in taking a few positive steps in alleviating the suffering of the Palestinians, even if unable to achieve a total resolution, he would become a hero in this part of the world for a long time.
The Kashmiris in the Indian part of Kashmir danced on the streets upon learning of Obama’s victory. They perhaps are waiting for him to take a keen interest in the resolution of this long-pending issue.
The presence of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is a sore point with the majority of Muslims and they would be delighted with their withdrawal. The closure of Guantanamo Bay facility, and the release of some even if not all the prisoners, will go a long way in earning Obama immense good will. The release, of Dr Afia Siddiqui may not brighten Al-Qaeda’s prospects in the world but it definitely would earn Obama a few brownie points in Pakistan.
The constant missile attacks through drones in Pakistan’s tribal areas, despite repeated protests by the Pakistan government, are extremely unpopular and their effectiveness remains dubious. They may be resulting in targeting a few Al -Qaeda and Taliban militants but they are also resulting in collateral damage and many innocent civilians are getting killed in the process.
This is something that would be unacceptable in any state. Pakistan may be too weak to do anything about their constant and repeated attacks but they are making the United States lose whatever support it had in this country. Obama may consider putting a stop to these attacks.
The time has come to find out if Obama is simply a crafty politician who outmaneuvered his opponents; or is a statesman who will act upright by balancing pressure from all directions
author :
Anees Jillani is a prominent Pakistan Supreme Court lawyer.
The first prime minister of Pakistan was invited by the Soviet Union, but he used that invitation to solicit one from the United States and ditched the Soviets.
The country became a member of CENTO and SEATO, and provided the Americans with an air base at Badaber near Peshawar to monitor the Soviet Union in the Cold War.
The relations however started to deteriorate when Pakistan signed a border agreement with China in 1963; and when the United States suspended military aid to Pakistan during its war with India in September 1965. This `betrayal’ prompted the military dictator who ruled the country from 1958 to 1969 with active American cooperation, Field Marshal Ayub Khan, to title his autobiography Friends, Not Masters.
The common man on the street unanimously supported the Viet Cong against the Americans in the Vietnam War; despite President Nixon rescuing the western wing of the country, from Indian aggression following the downfall of the eastern wing that subsequently became Bangladesh.
Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto was toppled by General Zia-ul- Haq in 1977, and subsequently hanged on a dubious murder charge in 1979. Bhutto in his last book, If I am Assassinated blamed the Americans for toppling his government due to his continuing with the nuclear programme, despite the then secretary of state, Henry Kissinger, warning him against such a course of action.
Massive American aid poured into Pakistan during the Eighties in the midst of the Afghan War but the covert CIA support to the Afghan Mujahideen played havoc with Pakistani society. Heroin and kalashnikovs that had never been heard of became a norm. Many blamed the Americans for this mess, and the criticism became more acute due to the failure of the aid to reach the common man. It only made the rich generals all the more richer.
The Taliban took over in Afghanistan and the people saw this as an opportunity to stand against the Americans: Islam had finally triumphed against communism and the Americans. Pakistan was one of the few countries where some rejoiced on the streets when the twin towers collapsed in New York.
Osama Bin Laden was a national hero even before 9/11 and it was common for people to name their children after him.
Almost every second car in the country carried a bumper sticker saying ‘Crush America’ when America was planning to attack Iraq during the Gulf War, and the tribals from the state of Swat under the TNSM formed a lashkar consisting of thousands armed with nineteenth century guns and hockey sticks to fight the American marines in Afghanistan.
However, the quick downfall of the Taliban, followed by that of Saddam Hussein, dampened everybody’s spirits. This opposition explains the intense hatred in the whole country against General Musharraf due to his support for President Bush in the War on Terror.
In the midst of all this hatred for the Americans and everything associated with the United States, it was a pleasant surprise to see almost everybody rejoice in Pakistan over Barack Obama’s historical victory in the recent American elections. Every TV channel could be seen holding discussions and the print media went euphoric. There is little doubt that he was popular with the younger generation, particularly the ones going to colleges and universities, but even the older generation was generally delighted with the victory.
It would however be wrong to attribute this ecstasy for Obama to his being an African American. Pakistan, like other countries, is racist in some respects, and hardly associates itself with the black community.
`Kala’ remains a derogatory term. Our driver upon seeing Obama giving his Victory Speech in Chicago, despite being excited, exclaimed that the guy hardly looks presidential. He did not say it but he meant that he was not white.
The people of Pakistan are excited about Obama because they consider him to be a fellow Muslim that may come as news to Obama himself. All the television channels are constantly making it a point to refer to Obama’s middle name and emphasise his Muslim credentials. The point that Obama used to pray at school while in Indonesia is being harped upon.
This is the height of naivety. President elect-Obama is obviously not a Muslim even if his father was. And even if he was, it would hardly have made a difference as things are much more institutionalised in Washington, DC than in Islamabad. Nevertheless, there is no doubt that Obama has provided the United States with a golden opportunity in decades to placate the anti- American feelings prevalent throughout the Muslim world, including Pakistan. If he can succeed in taking a few positive steps in alleviating the suffering of the Palestinians, even if unable to achieve a total resolution, he would become a hero in this part of the world for a long time.
The Kashmiris in the Indian part of Kashmir danced on the streets upon learning of Obama’s victory. They perhaps are waiting for him to take a keen interest in the resolution of this long-pending issue.
The presence of American troops in Iraq and Afghanistan is a sore point with the majority of Muslims and they would be delighted with their withdrawal. The closure of Guantanamo Bay facility, and the release of some even if not all the prisoners, will go a long way in earning Obama immense good will. The release, of Dr Afia Siddiqui may not brighten Al-Qaeda’s prospects in the world but it definitely would earn Obama a few brownie points in Pakistan.
The constant missile attacks through drones in Pakistan’s tribal areas, despite repeated protests by the Pakistan government, are extremely unpopular and their effectiveness remains dubious. They may be resulting in targeting a few Al -Qaeda and Taliban militants but they are also resulting in collateral damage and many innocent civilians are getting killed in the process.
This is something that would be unacceptable in any state. Pakistan may be too weak to do anything about their constant and repeated attacks but they are making the United States lose whatever support it had in this country. Obama may consider putting a stop to these attacks.
The time has come to find out if Obama is simply a crafty politician who outmaneuvered his opponents; or is a statesman who will act upright by balancing pressure from all directions
author :
Anees Jillani is a prominent Pakistan Supreme Court lawyer.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Did the British Really Divide India to Rule?
Major General Mrinal Suman, AVSM, VSM, PhD, commanded an Engineer Regiment on the Siachen Glacier, the most hostile battlefield in the world. A highly qualified officer (B Tech, MA (Public Administration), MSc (Defence Studies) and a Doctorate in Public Administration) he was also the Task Force Commander at Pokhran and was responsible for designing and sinking shafts for the nuclear tests of May 1998.
While studying Indian history in school days, one was repeatedly told that the British resorted to ‘divide and rule’ policy to gain control over India.
The tone and tenor of such a description painted the British as unscrupulous schemers who exploited the simple, trusting and gullible Indians. As a young student one accepted the above statement at its face value without any questions and grew up in the belief that we Indians are a highly united lot and our subjugation was due to devious tricks and policies of the British.
At a later stage, one started wondering why Indians let themselves be divided by outsiders and why they could not foresee the result of their disunity. Sadly, the truth is that our approach, attitude and practices have always been directed towards remaining disunited. The Caste system divided the society in distinct segments. The presence of multiple religions, sects and sub-sects in the sub-continent prevented social cohesion.
Also Read: What’s caste got to do with it?
The much touted Swayamwar (selection of spouse by a princess in an open forum) is indicative of this deficiency and our total disregard for forging unity.
Whereas matrimony amongst the royals in the Europe has always been an instrument of forging strategic alliances, Swayamwar invariably created more enemies than friends. All rejected princes and kings felt insulted, nursed a grudge and waited for an opportunity to take revenge to redeem their self-esteem. History bears testimony to the fact that every Swayamwar was followed by acrimony and internecine wars.
Reverting to the role of the British, they never divided us to rule, simply because they did not need to. We have always been and continue to be a divided lot. Formation of states on linguistic basis was never attempted by the British. The Mandal Commission was not constituted or implemented by them. Nor was the Babri Masjid demolished by the British. The current agitation in Maharashtra has not been initiated by the East India Company. Caste based reservations and quota system, the prime splitter of the Indian body politic, were not invented by the erstwhile rulers. Nor are they preventing us from enacting a uniform civil code.
Also Read: Are our forces lower caste?
The list is endless. We have a knack and penchant for generating innovative issues to divide ourselves. We are doing our best to ensure that we remain embroiled in petty bickering and internal dissentions.
To us, our region, religion, caste and sub-caste are more important. Worse, we flaunt this narrow identity and give it precedence over nationalism. If after 60 years of independence, Kashmir and the North East are still not emotionally integrated with the country, the failure is ours.
Undoubtedly, the politicians are the fountainhead of all fissiparous tendencies. One does not have to be a visionary to predict the danger of abetting illegal migration from Bangladesh for garnering votes. North Indians in Mumbai are not welcome but illegal Bangladeshis can stay. If political leaders can imperil national security for the sake of power, they can stoop to any level.
Sadly, they cannot be expected to change as they believe in the ends and not the means employed. To them, vote bank politics preclude letting countrymen stay united. Additionally, spineless and politicized bureaucracy simply follows their dictates and cannot be expected to deliver either.
Immense damage is also being inflicted on the unity of the country by the media through its irresponsible and thoughtless reporting. For the sake of cheap sensational news, petty vandals are given the coverage befitting a mass leader. Every news item is reported with a religious, caste or creed slant – ‘a dalit girl molested in a Delhi bus’ (as if other women are not molested in Delhi buses) or ‘church guard killed’ (in reality an argument between two security guards had turned violent) or ‘Muslim driver runs over a boy’ (his being a Muslim is of no relevance).
Also Read: B Raman: Hindu anger vs Muslim anger
It is obnoxious to see articles spelling out proportions of different castes in a constituency and predicting victory of the candidate from the majority caste, thus promoting caste based politics.
The Way Ahead: If India continues to exist as a nation, credit will be due to three institutions – the armed forces, the higher judiciary and the Election Commission. They are also the only hope.
As regards the armed forces, the nation owes its security, both external and internal, to its apolitical nature and nationalism. It is a symbol of national integration and a repository of best human values. It is an island of discipline and orderly behaviour in a sea of chaos and anarchy. A foreign observer wondered whether India deserved such a fine organisation. Unfortunately, concerted efforts are being made to demean and demoralize this shield between cohesion and disintegration.
Unsung Heroes: Part I | Part II
If an Indian citizen still respects law and believes in its fairness, the credit is entirely due to the independence and pro-activity displayed by the higher judiciary. Having been let down by the Parliament and the executive, people look at the judiciary as their sole hope. Therefore, it must step forward to shoulder additional responsibility, opinion of conservative constitutional experts not withstanding.
First, anyone promoting hatred between communities or undertaking divisive actions should be punished for anti-national activities or even treason/sedition, as internal dissentions are the start point of all civil strife.
Second, the cost of all damages caused to public and private property must be recovered from the leaders of the vandalizing mobs with deterrent imprisonments. In case of fatalities, they should be charged with murder.
Third, any government found abetting disorder, both through overt support or tacit inaction, should not be allowed to stay in power.
Fourth, a blanket ban should be put on all religious processions and use of loudspeakers in religious places. In a secular country where religion is a highly emotive issue, it is best to shift all religious activities from public domain to private domain.
The Election Commission can play an extremely important role with its constitutional powers. Any party that does not swear by the integrity of the country and equality of all citizens should be banned. Similarly, any party that promotes hatred amongst various segments of Indian society on any grounds whatsoever must be proscribed. Even religion-based parties which disallow followers of other religions as its members should have no place in a secular country.
It is the duty of the Election Commission to ensure that political parties are not allowed to play vote bank politics at the cost of national cohesion. All defaulting parties and their leaders must be handed out exemplary punishment, debarred from standing in elections and their political careers sealed.
The British controlled the whole of Indian peninsula with a maximum of 60,000 troops. Today every state has a police force of more than that strength and yet divisive forces are rampant. If India has to survive and prosper as a united nation, it is time corrective action is taken.
Let us not force the next generation to rewrite the history books to say that India can remain united only when subjugated by a foreign power or that an independent India is always a divided India.
(Major General Mrinal Suman, (retd) AVSM, VSM, PhD directs the Defence Acquisition Management Course for Confederation of Indian Industry and heads its Defence Technical Assessment and Advisory Service. A prolific writer, he is often consulted by policy makers and the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, and is regularly invited to address various industrial chambers in India and abroad.The views expressed here are his own.)
Article courtesy: Indian Defence Review
While studying Indian history in school days, one was repeatedly told that the British resorted to ‘divide and rule’ policy to gain control over India.
The tone and tenor of such a description painted the British as unscrupulous schemers who exploited the simple, trusting and gullible Indians. As a young student one accepted the above statement at its face value without any questions and grew up in the belief that we Indians are a highly united lot and our subjugation was due to devious tricks and policies of the British.
At a later stage, one started wondering why Indians let themselves be divided by outsiders and why they could not foresee the result of their disunity. Sadly, the truth is that our approach, attitude and practices have always been directed towards remaining disunited. The Caste system divided the society in distinct segments. The presence of multiple religions, sects and sub-sects in the sub-continent prevented social cohesion.
Also Read: What’s caste got to do with it?
The much touted Swayamwar (selection of spouse by a princess in an open forum) is indicative of this deficiency and our total disregard for forging unity.
Whereas matrimony amongst the royals in the Europe has always been an instrument of forging strategic alliances, Swayamwar invariably created more enemies than friends. All rejected princes and kings felt insulted, nursed a grudge and waited for an opportunity to take revenge to redeem their self-esteem. History bears testimony to the fact that every Swayamwar was followed by acrimony and internecine wars.
Reverting to the role of the British, they never divided us to rule, simply because they did not need to. We have always been and continue to be a divided lot. Formation of states on linguistic basis was never attempted by the British. The Mandal Commission was not constituted or implemented by them. Nor was the Babri Masjid demolished by the British. The current agitation in Maharashtra has not been initiated by the East India Company. Caste based reservations and quota system, the prime splitter of the Indian body politic, were not invented by the erstwhile rulers. Nor are they preventing us from enacting a uniform civil code.
Also Read: Are our forces lower caste?
The list is endless. We have a knack and penchant for generating innovative issues to divide ourselves. We are doing our best to ensure that we remain embroiled in petty bickering and internal dissentions.
To us, our region, religion, caste and sub-caste are more important. Worse, we flaunt this narrow identity and give it precedence over nationalism. If after 60 years of independence, Kashmir and the North East are still not emotionally integrated with the country, the failure is ours.
Undoubtedly, the politicians are the fountainhead of all fissiparous tendencies. One does not have to be a visionary to predict the danger of abetting illegal migration from Bangladesh for garnering votes. North Indians in Mumbai are not welcome but illegal Bangladeshis can stay. If political leaders can imperil national security for the sake of power, they can stoop to any level.
Sadly, they cannot be expected to change as they believe in the ends and not the means employed. To them, vote bank politics preclude letting countrymen stay united. Additionally, spineless and politicized bureaucracy simply follows their dictates and cannot be expected to deliver either.
Immense damage is also being inflicted on the unity of the country by the media through its irresponsible and thoughtless reporting. For the sake of cheap sensational news, petty vandals are given the coverage befitting a mass leader. Every news item is reported with a religious, caste or creed slant – ‘a dalit girl molested in a Delhi bus’ (as if other women are not molested in Delhi buses) or ‘church guard killed’ (in reality an argument between two security guards had turned violent) or ‘Muslim driver runs over a boy’ (his being a Muslim is of no relevance).
Also Read: B Raman: Hindu anger vs Muslim anger
It is obnoxious to see articles spelling out proportions of different castes in a constituency and predicting victory of the candidate from the majority caste, thus promoting caste based politics.
The Way Ahead: If India continues to exist as a nation, credit will be due to three institutions – the armed forces, the higher judiciary and the Election Commission. They are also the only hope.
As regards the armed forces, the nation owes its security, both external and internal, to its apolitical nature and nationalism. It is a symbol of national integration and a repository of best human values. It is an island of discipline and orderly behaviour in a sea of chaos and anarchy. A foreign observer wondered whether India deserved such a fine organisation. Unfortunately, concerted efforts are being made to demean and demoralize this shield between cohesion and disintegration.
Unsung Heroes: Part I | Part II
If an Indian citizen still respects law and believes in its fairness, the credit is entirely due to the independence and pro-activity displayed by the higher judiciary. Having been let down by the Parliament and the executive, people look at the judiciary as their sole hope. Therefore, it must step forward to shoulder additional responsibility, opinion of conservative constitutional experts not withstanding.
First, anyone promoting hatred between communities or undertaking divisive actions should be punished for anti-national activities or even treason/sedition, as internal dissentions are the start point of all civil strife.
Second, the cost of all damages caused to public and private property must be recovered from the leaders of the vandalizing mobs with deterrent imprisonments. In case of fatalities, they should be charged with murder.
Third, any government found abetting disorder, both through overt support or tacit inaction, should not be allowed to stay in power.
Fourth, a blanket ban should be put on all religious processions and use of loudspeakers in religious places. In a secular country where religion is a highly emotive issue, it is best to shift all religious activities from public domain to private domain.
The Election Commission can play an extremely important role with its constitutional powers. Any party that does not swear by the integrity of the country and equality of all citizens should be banned. Similarly, any party that promotes hatred amongst various segments of Indian society on any grounds whatsoever must be proscribed. Even religion-based parties which disallow followers of other religions as its members should have no place in a secular country.
It is the duty of the Election Commission to ensure that political parties are not allowed to play vote bank politics at the cost of national cohesion. All defaulting parties and their leaders must be handed out exemplary punishment, debarred from standing in elections and their political careers sealed.
The British controlled the whole of Indian peninsula with a maximum of 60,000 troops. Today every state has a police force of more than that strength and yet divisive forces are rampant. If India has to survive and prosper as a united nation, it is time corrective action is taken.
Let us not force the next generation to rewrite the history books to say that India can remain united only when subjugated by a foreign power or that an independent India is always a divided India.
(Major General Mrinal Suman, (retd) AVSM, VSM, PhD directs the Defence Acquisition Management Course for Confederation of Indian Industry and heads its Defence Technical Assessment and Advisory Service. A prolific writer, he is often consulted by policy makers and the Parliamentary Committee on Defence, and is regularly invited to address various industrial chambers in India and abroad.The views expressed here are his own.)
Article courtesy: Indian Defence Review
Monday, November 17, 2008
Women find men with facial scars attractive
London, November 17: Here’s something exciting for men dreading facial scars. A new study has found that scars increase men's attractiveness to a woman.
The research team from the universities of Liverpool and Stirling has found that even though women find men with scars on their face more attractive, they would not have a long-term relationship with them.
During the study, almost 220 people were asked to look at pictures of men and women, some of which had been manipulated to have different scars.
It showed that women, who were shown faces of men with and without different scars rated the scarred faces as better looking.
However, they did not enhance women's attractiveness to men.
"This is the first study to demonstrate that under certain circumstances post-traumatic scarring may increase a person's perceived social worth,” the Telegraph quoted researchers as saying.
"Our results suggest that under certain circumstances scars may advertise valued information about their bearers, and that the idea that scarring universally devalues social perceptions can no longer be assumed to be true," they added.
The scars that are rated attractive are those that appear to be associated with posttraumatic events or violence of some kind.
Although the researchers are not clear as to why women favour scars, they believe scarring associated with violence may signal to a woman that the man has a risk-taking personality or above average masculinity, which might appeal to women for short term relationships.
The study is published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
The research team from the universities of Liverpool and Stirling has found that even though women find men with scars on their face more attractive, they would not have a long-term relationship with them.
During the study, almost 220 people were asked to look at pictures of men and women, some of which had been manipulated to have different scars.
It showed that women, who were shown faces of men with and without different scars rated the scarred faces as better looking.
However, they did not enhance women's attractiveness to men.
"This is the first study to demonstrate that under certain circumstances post-traumatic scarring may increase a person's perceived social worth,” the Telegraph quoted researchers as saying.
"Our results suggest that under certain circumstances scars may advertise valued information about their bearers, and that the idea that scarring universally devalues social perceptions can no longer be assumed to be true," they added.
The scars that are rated attractive are those that appear to be associated with posttraumatic events or violence of some kind.
Although the researchers are not clear as to why women favour scars, they believe scarring associated with violence may signal to a woman that the man has a risk-taking personality or above average masculinity, which might appeal to women for short term relationships.
The study is published in the journal Personality and Individual Differences.
Capturing or killing Osama my top priority: Obama
Washington, November 17: Stamping out al-Qaeda ‘once and for all’ and capturing or killing its elusive leader Osama bin Laden would be a ‘top priority’ for the next US government as it planned to redeploy its troops from Iraq to Afghanistan, President-elect Barack Obama has said.
"I think it is a top priority for us to stamp out al-Qaeda once and for all. And I think capturing or killing bin Laden is a critical aspect of stamping out al-Qaeda," Obama said in his maiden interview since his historic win in the November 4 US presidential election.
"He is not just a symbol, he's also the operational leader of an organisation that is planning attacks against US targets," Obama told CBS News.
Asked when he would start redeployment of US troops out of Iraq, Obama, who is scheduled to be sworn-in as the 44th US President, the first black-American, said it would happen soon.
"Well, I've said during the campaign, and I've stuck to this commitment, that as soon as I take office, I will call in the Joint Chiefs of Staff, my national security apparatus, and we will start executing a plan that draws down our troops."
Since US troops were having ‘problems’ in Afghanistan, he said the government had to step up its efforts to contain the threat it faced from the al-Qaeda in the war-ravaged nation.
"Particularly in light of the problems that we're having in Afghanistan, which has continued to worsen. We've got to shore up those efforts," he said.
Asked whether he would follow through his election promise to shut down the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison facility in Cuba, he said, "Yes. I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that."
Obama also said he would change the interrogation methods that are currently used by US troops. "I have said repeatedly that America doesn't torture. And I'm gonna make sure that we don't torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America's moral stature in the world."
In the wide-ranging interview to 'CBS 60 Minutes', the 47-year-old leader said creating a focused programme to help troubled homeowners and providing assistance to auto industry to prevent its collapse were some of the tasks before him.
He warned that the challenges confronted by the country are ‘enormous’.
"I think that part of this next two months is to really get a clear set of priorities, understanding we're not going be able to do everything at once, making sure the team is in place, and moving forward in a very deliberate way and sending a clear signal to the American people that we're going to be thinking about them and what they're going through," he said.
Turning to the issue of homeowners, he said, "we have not focused on foreclosures and what's happening to homeowners as much as I would like... We've got to... set up a negotiation between banks and borrowers so that people can stay in their homes."
"One thing I'm determined is that if we don't have a clear focused programme for homeowners by the time I take office, we will after I take office," Obama said.
He also said it would be a ‘disaster’ if the auto industry completely collapses. "So it's my belief that we need to provide assistance to the auto industry. But I think that it can't be a blank check...
"My hope is that over the course of the next week, between the White House and Congress, the discussions are shaped around providing assistance but making sure that that assistance is conditioned on labour, management, suppliers, lenders, all of the stakeholders coming together with a plan."
"I think it is a top priority for us to stamp out al-Qaeda once and for all. And I think capturing or killing bin Laden is a critical aspect of stamping out al-Qaeda," Obama said in his maiden interview since his historic win in the November 4 US presidential election.
"He is not just a symbol, he's also the operational leader of an organisation that is planning attacks against US targets," Obama told CBS News.
Asked when he would start redeployment of US troops out of Iraq, Obama, who is scheduled to be sworn-in as the 44th US President, the first black-American, said it would happen soon.
"Well, I've said during the campaign, and I've stuck to this commitment, that as soon as I take office, I will call in the Joint Chiefs of Staff, my national security apparatus, and we will start executing a plan that draws down our troops."
Since US troops were having ‘problems’ in Afghanistan, he said the government had to step up its efforts to contain the threat it faced from the al-Qaeda in the war-ravaged nation.
"Particularly in light of the problems that we're having in Afghanistan, which has continued to worsen. We've got to shore up those efforts," he said.
Asked whether he would follow through his election promise to shut down the controversial Guantanamo Bay prison facility in Cuba, he said, "Yes. I have said repeatedly that I intend to close Guantanamo, and I will follow through on that."
Obama also said he would change the interrogation methods that are currently used by US troops. "I have said repeatedly that America doesn't torture. And I'm gonna make sure that we don't torture. Those are part and parcel of an effort to regain America's moral stature in the world."
In the wide-ranging interview to 'CBS 60 Minutes', the 47-year-old leader said creating a focused programme to help troubled homeowners and providing assistance to auto industry to prevent its collapse were some of the tasks before him.
He warned that the challenges confronted by the country are ‘enormous’.
"I think that part of this next two months is to really get a clear set of priorities, understanding we're not going be able to do everything at once, making sure the team is in place, and moving forward in a very deliberate way and sending a clear signal to the American people that we're going to be thinking about them and what they're going through," he said.
Turning to the issue of homeowners, he said, "we have not focused on foreclosures and what's happening to homeowners as much as I would like... We've got to... set up a negotiation between banks and borrowers so that people can stay in their homes."
"One thing I'm determined is that if we don't have a clear focused programme for homeowners by the time I take office, we will after I take office," Obama said.
He also said it would be a ‘disaster’ if the auto industry completely collapses. "So it's my belief that we need to provide assistance to the auto industry. But I think that it can't be a blank check...
"My hope is that over the course of the next week, between the White House and Congress, the discussions are shaped around providing assistance but making sure that that assistance is conditioned on labour, management, suppliers, lenders, all of the stakeholders coming together with a plan."
Sunday, November 16, 2008
Kissinger fears Pakistan could become a 'failed state'
Press Trust Of India
Fearing that Pakistan could become a "failed state", former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Sunday said the Barack Obama administration will be faced with the challenge of preventing that as it could be an "extraordinary" situation considering that Pakistan has nuclear weapons.
Kissinger also suggested that the George W Bush government had "failed" on the Afghanistan front and said the next regime will have to conduct re-evaluation of the problem posed by the war-torn country.
The Obama government will have to "prevent Pakistan from becoming a failed state, because to have a failed state with nuclear weapons will be an extraordinary case and that is a challenge to the international society," the high-profile former US diplomat said at the India Economic Summit here.
He made it clear that the US will have to involve Pakistan in addressing the problem of Afghanistan.
"How to relate Pakistan to the problem of Afghanistan which requires cooperation of Pakistan, that is I think as the administration evolves it will become necessary to have a re-evaluation of the Afghanistan problem compared to the failure of the previous regime," Kissinger said.
For a "comprehensive solution" on Afghanistan, he said, Washington will have to see how to involve both Kabul and Islamabad.
Fearing that Pakistan could become a "failed state", former US Secretary of State Henry Kissinger on Sunday said the Barack Obama administration will be faced with the challenge of preventing that as it could be an "extraordinary" situation considering that Pakistan has nuclear weapons.
Kissinger also suggested that the George W Bush government had "failed" on the Afghanistan front and said the next regime will have to conduct re-evaluation of the problem posed by the war-torn country.
The Obama government will have to "prevent Pakistan from becoming a failed state, because to have a failed state with nuclear weapons will be an extraordinary case and that is a challenge to the international society," the high-profile former US diplomat said at the India Economic Summit here.
He made it clear that the US will have to involve Pakistan in addressing the problem of Afghanistan.
"How to relate Pakistan to the problem of Afghanistan which requires cooperation of Pakistan, that is I think as the administration evolves it will become necessary to have a re-evaluation of the Afghanistan problem compared to the failure of the previous regime," Kissinger said.
For a "comprehensive solution" on Afghanistan, he said, Washington will have to see how to involve both Kabul and Islamabad.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Millions Mark World Diabetes Day
Last update: 7:01 p.m. EST Nov. 12, 2008
BRUSSELS, November 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- - Diabetes Activists Worldwide Organize Events to Draw Attention to Growing Pandemic With the Focus on Diabetes in Children and Adolescents
November 14 is the most important day of the year for the over 250 million people with diabetes worldwide. World Diabetes Day draws attention to the global diabetes epidemic and the need for action to improve care, prevent the disease in those at risk and find a cure. People on every continent, from countries as far apart as Australia and Uruguay, have organized activities to mark the day.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced World Diabetes Day more than 15 years ago in response to the worrying rise of diabetes around the world. Today the picture is even more alarming, with the total number of people living with diabetes now estimated at over 250 million. The figure will continue to grow without significant action and investment to reverse the trend. One of only a handful of health days officially recognized by the United Nations, World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on 14 November-a date chosen to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting, who is widely credited with the discovery of insulin in 1921.
On World Diabetes Day, local, national and international events are organized to educate the public and inform policy-makers about the need to respond to the diabetes threat. Each year, the campaign centres on a theme established by the International Diabetes Federation. This year, the theme is diabetes in children and adolescents.
Diabetes in Children
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. It can strike children at any age, including pre-school children and even toddlers. Over 200 children a day develop type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that cannot be prevented. Type 2 diabetes, widely associated with weight gain and lack of exercise, was previously thought to be an adult-only disease. Type 2 is now affecting an increasing number of children worldwide.
Diabetes in children is often diagnosed late or is misdiagnosed as something else such as the flu. One of the campaign goals for World Diabetes Day 2008 is to make the public aware of the most obvious warning signs of type 1 diabetes: frequent urination, rapid weight loss, lack of energy and extreme thirst. Those closest to the child - family members, school staff, the family doctor - need to know these signs.
The global campaign, led by the International Diabetes Federation, calls on diabetes advocates around the world to bring diabetes to light. Campaign Director Phil Riley explained: "We want people to draw attention to diabetes. We encourage them to do fun things that involve family, friends and colleagues. We need people with diabetes everywhere to know that they are connected to a global community."
Bring diabetes to light
On and around World diabetes Day, over 800 buildings and landmark sites will light in blue for diabetes. The buildings are all listed on the campaign website at http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/monuments and include the Pyramids in Egypt, Niagara Falls in Canada, the Tower of London in the UK, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the United Nations Headquarters in the United States, the Burj al Arab in the UAE, the Sagrada Familia in Spain and the Tokyo Tower in Japan. They are lighting in the blue colour of the diabetes circle, the global symbol of diabetes and logo of the World Diabetes Day campaign.
No child should die of diabetes
Dr Martin Silink, President of the International Diabetes Federation, highlighted the serious impact of diabetes that underlies the campaign. "While we want people to enjoy the celebrations, we don't want them to lose sight of the serious global impact of diabetes. The stark truth is that many, children included, are dying in the developing world because they cannot access the medication, monitoring and education they need to survive. It's been 87 years since Banting, Macleod and the team in Toronto discovered insulin, yet it still does not reach many of the world's most vulnerable citizens."
The World Diabetes Day campaign can be followed online at http://www.worlddiabetesday.org.
Note to editors:
About World Diabetes Day
World Diabetes Day (WDD) is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes world. Led by the International Diabetes Federation, the campaign is a multi-stakeholder partnership that involves a broad alliance of diabetes representative organizations, individuals and government agencies. Official World Diabetes Partners contribute support to help World Diabetes Day reach its goals. The 2008 Official World Diabetes Day Partners are: AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Insulet Corporation, LifeScan, Eli Lilly, Medtronic, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Pfizer and Takeda. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2009-2013 is 'diabetes prevention and education'.
About the theme: diabetes in children
Type 1 diabetes is growing by 3% per year in children and adolescents, and at an alarming 6% per year among pre-school children. It is estimated that 70,000 children under 15 develop type 1 diabetes each year (200 children a day). Of the estimated 440,000 cases of type 1 diabetes in children worldwide, more than a quarter live in South-East Asia, and more than a fifth in Europe. Type 2 diabetes was once seen as a disease of adults. Today, this type of diabetes is growing at alarming rates in children and adolescents. In the US, it is estimated that type 2 diabetes represents between 8 and 45% of new-onset diabetes cases in children depending on geographic location. Over a 20-year period, type 2 diabetes has doubled in children in Japan, so that it is now more common than type 1. In native and aboriginal children in North America and Australia, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes ranges from 1.3 to 5.3%. Source: Diabetes Atlas 3rd Edition, International Diabetes Federation, 2006.
About the International Diabetes Federation
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organization of over 200 member associations in more than 160 countries, advocating for the more than 250 million people with diabetes, their families, and their healthcare providers. Its mission is to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. The International Diabetes Federation is an NGO in official relations with the World Health Organization and an associated NGO with the United Nations Department of Public Information. The International Diabetes Federation leads the World Diabetes Day and Unite for Diabetes campaigns. Additional information is available at http://www.idf.org
SOURCE The International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
BRUSSELS, November 13, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- - Diabetes Activists Worldwide Organize Events to Draw Attention to Growing Pandemic With the Focus on Diabetes in Children and Adolescents
November 14 is the most important day of the year for the over 250 million people with diabetes worldwide. World Diabetes Day draws attention to the global diabetes epidemic and the need for action to improve care, prevent the disease in those at risk and find a cure. People on every continent, from countries as far apart as Australia and Uruguay, have organized activities to mark the day.
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) introduced World Diabetes Day more than 15 years ago in response to the worrying rise of diabetes around the world. Today the picture is even more alarming, with the total number of people living with diabetes now estimated at over 250 million. The figure will continue to grow without significant action and investment to reverse the trend. One of only a handful of health days officially recognized by the United Nations, World Diabetes Day is celebrated every year on 14 November-a date chosen to mark the birthday of Frederick Banting, who is widely credited with the discovery of insulin in 1921.
On World Diabetes Day, local, national and international events are organized to educate the public and inform policy-makers about the need to respond to the diabetes threat. Each year, the campaign centres on a theme established by the International Diabetes Federation. This year, the theme is diabetes in children and adolescents.
Diabetes in Children
Diabetes is one of the most common chronic diseases of childhood. It can strike children at any age, including pre-school children and even toddlers. Over 200 children a day develop type 1 diabetes, an autoimmune disease that cannot be prevented. Type 2 diabetes, widely associated with weight gain and lack of exercise, was previously thought to be an adult-only disease. Type 2 is now affecting an increasing number of children worldwide.
Diabetes in children is often diagnosed late or is misdiagnosed as something else such as the flu. One of the campaign goals for World Diabetes Day 2008 is to make the public aware of the most obvious warning signs of type 1 diabetes: frequent urination, rapid weight loss, lack of energy and extreme thirst. Those closest to the child - family members, school staff, the family doctor - need to know these signs.
The global campaign, led by the International Diabetes Federation, calls on diabetes advocates around the world to bring diabetes to light. Campaign Director Phil Riley explained: "We want people to draw attention to diabetes. We encourage them to do fun things that involve family, friends and colleagues. We need people with diabetes everywhere to know that they are connected to a global community."
Bring diabetes to light
On and around World diabetes Day, over 800 buildings and landmark sites will light in blue for diabetes. The buildings are all listed on the campaign website at http://www.worlddiabetesday.org/monuments and include the Pyramids in Egypt, Niagara Falls in Canada, the Tower of London in the UK, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, the United Nations Headquarters in the United States, the Burj al Arab in the UAE, the Sagrada Familia in Spain and the Tokyo Tower in Japan. They are lighting in the blue colour of the diabetes circle, the global symbol of diabetes and logo of the World Diabetes Day campaign.
No child should die of diabetes
Dr Martin Silink, President of the International Diabetes Federation, highlighted the serious impact of diabetes that underlies the campaign. "While we want people to enjoy the celebrations, we don't want them to lose sight of the serious global impact of diabetes. The stark truth is that many, children included, are dying in the developing world because they cannot access the medication, monitoring and education they need to survive. It's been 87 years since Banting, Macleod and the team in Toronto discovered insulin, yet it still does not reach many of the world's most vulnerable citizens."
The World Diabetes Day campaign can be followed online at http://www.worlddiabetesday.org.
Note to editors:
About World Diabetes Day
World Diabetes Day (WDD) is the primary global awareness campaign of the diabetes world. Led by the International Diabetes Federation, the campaign is a multi-stakeholder partnership that involves a broad alliance of diabetes representative organizations, individuals and government agencies. Official World Diabetes Partners contribute support to help World Diabetes Day reach its goals. The 2008 Official World Diabetes Day Partners are: AstraZeneca, Boston Scientific, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Insulet Corporation, LifeScan, Eli Lilly, Medtronic, Merck Sharp & Dohme, Novo Nordisk, Novartis, Pfizer and Takeda. The theme for World Diabetes Day 2009-2013 is 'diabetes prevention and education'.
About the theme: diabetes in children
Type 1 diabetes is growing by 3% per year in children and adolescents, and at an alarming 6% per year among pre-school children. It is estimated that 70,000 children under 15 develop type 1 diabetes each year (200 children a day). Of the estimated 440,000 cases of type 1 diabetes in children worldwide, more than a quarter live in South-East Asia, and more than a fifth in Europe. Type 2 diabetes was once seen as a disease of adults. Today, this type of diabetes is growing at alarming rates in children and adolescents. In the US, it is estimated that type 2 diabetes represents between 8 and 45% of new-onset diabetes cases in children depending on geographic location. Over a 20-year period, type 2 diabetes has doubled in children in Japan, so that it is now more common than type 1. In native and aboriginal children in North America and Australia, the prevalence of type 2 diabetes ranges from 1.3 to 5.3%. Source: Diabetes Atlas 3rd Edition, International Diabetes Federation, 2006.
About the International Diabetes Federation
The International Diabetes Federation (IDF) is an umbrella organization of over 200 member associations in more than 160 countries, advocating for the more than 250 million people with diabetes, their families, and their healthcare providers. Its mission is to promote diabetes care, prevention and a cure worldwide. The International Diabetes Federation is an NGO in official relations with the World Health Organization and an associated NGO with the United Nations Department of Public Information. The International Diabetes Federation leads the World Diabetes Day and Unite for Diabetes campaigns. Additional information is available at http://www.idf.org
SOURCE The International Diabetes Federation (IDF)
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
We're going back with our tail between our legs: Ponting
Nagpur, Nov 10 (PTI) "We will go back with our tail between the legs a bit" is how captain Ricky Ponting today summed up the mood in the Australian camp after losing the Border-Gavaskar trophy to India.
A candid Ponting said he himself was a let down both as a captain and as a batsman and after the 0-2 defeat, Australia would return home with the bitter memory of a resounding series defeat.
"When we came, we hoped to be more competitive than we have been. We had very good chances of winning the series but eventually, it didn't go our way," rued the Australian captain.
Ponting said in both the drawn Tests, Australia had an upper hand but they just could not translate it into wins.
"We made hard efforts in the last two matches. We had our chances in Bangalore, there was opportunity in Delhi and here too we had a little opening. But we were not good enough to capitalise on that," Ponting lamented.
Losing toss made a lot of difference, reckoned Ponting.
"No excuse but toss is so important here, to lose it 3-4 times...It was pretty important," he told NDTV.
Ponting's captaincy, especially his using part-time bowlers to revive over-rate and escape a ban, drew flak from all quarters and the Australian said he himself was not satisfied with the way he led.
"It was a hard series for me both as a player and captain...If I give myself five on 10, I think I would be generous," he said. PTI
A candid Ponting said he himself was a let down both as a captain and as a batsman and after the 0-2 defeat, Australia would return home with the bitter memory of a resounding series defeat.
"When we came, we hoped to be more competitive than we have been. We had very good chances of winning the series but eventually, it didn't go our way," rued the Australian captain.
Ponting said in both the drawn Tests, Australia had an upper hand but they just could not translate it into wins.
"We made hard efforts in the last two matches. We had our chances in Bangalore, there was opportunity in Delhi and here too we had a little opening. But we were not good enough to capitalise on that," Ponting lamented.
Losing toss made a lot of difference, reckoned Ponting.
"No excuse but toss is so important here, to lose it 3-4 times...It was pretty important," he told NDTV.
Ponting's captaincy, especially his using part-time bowlers to revive over-rate and escape a ban, drew flak from all quarters and the Australian said he himself was not satisfied with the way he led.
"It was a hard series for me both as a player and captain...If I give myself five on 10, I think I would be generous," he said. PTI
Barack Obama: The 50 facts you might not know
The Daily Telegraph First Published : 10 Nov 2008 10:26:00 PM ISTLast Updated : 11 Nov 2008 01:41:43 AM IST
• He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics
• He was known as "O'Bomber" at high school for his skill at basketball
• His name means "one who is blessed" in Swahili
• His favourite meal is wife Michelle's shrimp linguini
• He won a Grammy in 2006 for the audio version of his memoir, Dreams From My Father
• He is left-handed – the sixth post-war president to be left-handed
• He has read every Harry Potter book
• He owns a set of red boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali
• He worked in a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop as a teenager and now can't stand ice cream
• His favourite snacks are chocolate-peanut protein bars
• He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper while living in Indonesia
• He can speak Spanish
• While on the campaign trail he refused to watch CNN and had sports channels on instead
• His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea
• He promised Michelle he would quit smoking before running for president – he didn't
• He kept a pet ape called Tata while in Indonesia
• He can bench press an impressive 200lbs
• He was known as Barry until university when he asked to be addressed by his full name
• His favourite book is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
• He visited Wokingham, Berks, in 1996 for the stag party of his half-sister's fiancé, but left when a stripper arrived
• His desk in his Senate office once belonged to Robert Kennedy
• He and Michelle made $4.2 million (£2.7 million) last year, with much coming from sales of his books
• His favourite films are Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• He carries a tiny Madonna and child statue and a bracelet belonging to a soldier in Iraq for good luck
• He applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar while at Harvard but was rejected by the all-female committee.
• His favourite music includes Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees
• He took Michelle to see the Spike Lee film Do The Right Thing on their first date
• He enjoys playing Scrabble and poker
• He doesn't drink coffee and rarely drinks alcohol
• He would have liked to have been an architect if he were not a politician
• As a teenager he took drugs including marijuana and cocaine
• His daughters' ambitions are to go to Yale before becoming an actress (Malia, 10) and to sing and dance (Sasha, 7)
• He hates the youth trend for trousers which sag beneath the backside
• He repaid his student loan only four years ago after signing his book deal
• His house in Chicago has four fire places
• Daughter Malia's godmother is Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita
• He says his worst habit is constantly checking his BlackBerry
• He uses an Apple Mac laptop
• He drives a Ford Escape Hybrid, having ditched his gas-guzzling Chrysler 300
• He wears $1,500 (£952) Hart Schaffner Marx suits
• He owns four identical pairs of black size 11 shoes
• He has his hair cut once a week by his Chicago barber, Zariff, who charges $21 (£13)
• His favourite fictional television programmes are Mash and The Wire
• He was given the code name "Renegade" by his Secret Service handlers
• He was nicknamed "Bear" by his late grandmother
• He plans to install a basketball court in the White House grounds
• His favourite artist is Pablo Picasso
• His speciality as a cook is chilli
• He has said many of his friends in Indonesia were "street urchins"
• He keeps on his desk a carving of a wooden hand holding an egg, a Kenyan symbol of the fragility of life
• His late father was a senior economist for the Kenyan government
• He collects Spider-Man and Conan the Barbarian comics
• He was known as "O'Bomber" at high school for his skill at basketball
• His name means "one who is blessed" in Swahili
• His favourite meal is wife Michelle's shrimp linguini
• He won a Grammy in 2006 for the audio version of his memoir, Dreams From My Father
• He is left-handed – the sixth post-war president to be left-handed
• He has read every Harry Potter book
• He owns a set of red boxing gloves autographed by Muhammad Ali
• He worked in a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop as a teenager and now can't stand ice cream
• His favourite snacks are chocolate-peanut protein bars
• He ate dog meat, snake meat, and roasted grasshopper while living in Indonesia
• He can speak Spanish
• While on the campaign trail he refused to watch CNN and had sports channels on instead
• His favourite drink is black forest berry iced tea
• He promised Michelle he would quit smoking before running for president – he didn't
• He kept a pet ape called Tata while in Indonesia
• He can bench press an impressive 200lbs
• He was known as Barry until university when he asked to be addressed by his full name
• His favourite book is Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
• He visited Wokingham, Berks, in 1996 for the stag party of his half-sister's fiancé, but left when a stripper arrived
• His desk in his Senate office once belonged to Robert Kennedy
• He and Michelle made $4.2 million (£2.7 million) last year, with much coming from sales of his books
• His favourite films are Casablanca and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest
• He carries a tiny Madonna and child statue and a bracelet belonging to a soldier in Iraq for good luck
• He applied to appear in a black pin-up calendar while at Harvard but was rejected by the all-female committee.
• His favourite music includes Miles Davis, Bob Dylan, Bach and The Fugees
• He took Michelle to see the Spike Lee film Do The Right Thing on their first date
• He enjoys playing Scrabble and poker
• He doesn't drink coffee and rarely drinks alcohol
• He would have liked to have been an architect if he were not a politician
• As a teenager he took drugs including marijuana and cocaine
• His daughters' ambitions are to go to Yale before becoming an actress (Malia, 10) and to sing and dance (Sasha, 7)
• He hates the youth trend for trousers which sag beneath the backside
• He repaid his student loan only four years ago after signing his book deal
• His house in Chicago has four fire places
• Daughter Malia's godmother is Jesse Jackson's daughter Santita
• He says his worst habit is constantly checking his BlackBerry
• He uses an Apple Mac laptop
• He drives a Ford Escape Hybrid, having ditched his gas-guzzling Chrysler 300
• He wears $1,500 (£952) Hart Schaffner Marx suits
• He owns four identical pairs of black size 11 shoes
• He has his hair cut once a week by his Chicago barber, Zariff, who charges $21 (£13)
• His favourite fictional television programmes are Mash and The Wire
• He was given the code name "Renegade" by his Secret Service handlers
• He was nicknamed "Bear" by his late grandmother
• He plans to install a basketball court in the White House grounds
• His favourite artist is Pablo Picasso
• His speciality as a cook is chilli
• He has said many of his friends in Indonesia were "street urchins"
• He keeps on his desk a carving of a wooden hand holding an egg, a Kenyan symbol of the fragility of life
• His late father was a senior economist for the Kenyan government
Monday, November 10, 2008
Hang your head in shame: Aus media to Ponting
Melbourne, November 10: Handed down an emphatic defeat by India, Australian captain Ricky Ponting was on the mat on Monday with country's cricket establishment asking him to explain his tactics in the Nagpur Test and the media asking him to 'hang his head in shame'.
In a bid to speed up Australia's sluggish over-rate - which could have earned him a one Test ban - Ponting rested his regular bowlers in yesterday's final session and operated mostly with the part-timers. Ponting's ploy to escape the ban let India off the hook after the hosts, struggling at 166 for six at one stage, found themselves in a spot of bother. Cricket Australia is far from amused and CA Chief Executive James Sutherland said the board would seek an explanation from Ponting.
"I haven't had a chance to talk to Ricky today about what went on during the tea break and what the messages were that came from the umpires," Sutherland was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
"I'd like to understand the situation, I'm not going to stand here and make comment about a situation without having a full understanding of what actually the circumstances were," Sutherland added.
The CA chief said he would talk to the International Cricket Council about the slow over-rate issue.
"In a broad sense, I have major concerns about over rates in international cricket. Generally speaking, the public deserves more by way of over rates and that's certainly something we'll be taking up with the ICC."
Sutherland, however, ruled out any sanction against Ponting.
"I don't think that's going to happen," he said.
Ponting also drew flak from the media and former greats for his "selfish" ploy to escape a ban for the first Test against New Zealand.
'Herald Sun', a daily, said Ponting should hang his head in shame for thinking of saving himself first.
"Ponting had every reason to hang his head in shame after allowing India to escape the noose in the crunch fourth Test.
"In his most embarrassing moment in his 48th Test as captain in five years in charge, Ponting opted to worry more about improving Australia's sluggish over-rate than going for broke to try and snare a must-win match when a result was clearly on the line.
"Ponting - amazingly - was more concerned about being suspended for next week's first Test against cricketing backwater New Zealand at the Gabba.
"What a joke. With wickets desperately needed, Ponting had to roll the dice and unleash chief strike weapons Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee or Shane Watson immediately after tea," it said.
Former Australia skipper Allan Border, the game's longest serving captain, said Ponting should have attempted to win the match and not worried about his suspension.
"I don't know what to make of all this. They go into the tea break on a high and come out worrying about over rates," Border said.
"They let a golden opportunity slip," he rued.
In 'Sydney Morning Herald', noted cricket writer Peter Roebuck too slammed Ponting for sacrificing the country's interest for personal gains.
"In one of the most baffling displays of captaincy seen in the long and proud history of Australian cricket, Ricky Ponting has denied his side a deserved chance of securing a famous victory...There was a match to win. To an almost bizarre degree, Ponting lost the plot," he wrote.
In a bid to speed up Australia's sluggish over-rate - which could have earned him a one Test ban - Ponting rested his regular bowlers in yesterday's final session and operated mostly with the part-timers. Ponting's ploy to escape the ban let India off the hook after the hosts, struggling at 166 for six at one stage, found themselves in a spot of bother. Cricket Australia is far from amused and CA Chief Executive James Sutherland said the board would seek an explanation from Ponting.
"I haven't had a chance to talk to Ricky today about what went on during the tea break and what the messages were that came from the umpires," Sutherland was quoted as saying by the Australian Associated Press (AAP).
"I'd like to understand the situation, I'm not going to stand here and make comment about a situation without having a full understanding of what actually the circumstances were," Sutherland added.
The CA chief said he would talk to the International Cricket Council about the slow over-rate issue.
"In a broad sense, I have major concerns about over rates in international cricket. Generally speaking, the public deserves more by way of over rates and that's certainly something we'll be taking up with the ICC."
Sutherland, however, ruled out any sanction against Ponting.
"I don't think that's going to happen," he said.
Ponting also drew flak from the media and former greats for his "selfish" ploy to escape a ban for the first Test against New Zealand.
'Herald Sun', a daily, said Ponting should hang his head in shame for thinking of saving himself first.
"Ponting had every reason to hang his head in shame after allowing India to escape the noose in the crunch fourth Test.
"In his most embarrassing moment in his 48th Test as captain in five years in charge, Ponting opted to worry more about improving Australia's sluggish over-rate than going for broke to try and snare a must-win match when a result was clearly on the line.
"Ponting - amazingly - was more concerned about being suspended for next week's first Test against cricketing backwater New Zealand at the Gabba.
"What a joke. With wickets desperately needed, Ponting had to roll the dice and unleash chief strike weapons Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee or Shane Watson immediately after tea," it said.
Former Australia skipper Allan Border, the game's longest serving captain, said Ponting should have attempted to win the match and not worried about his suspension.
"I don't know what to make of all this. They go into the tea break on a high and come out worrying about over rates," Border said.
"They let a golden opportunity slip," he rued.
In 'Sydney Morning Herald', noted cricket writer Peter Roebuck too slammed Ponting for sacrificing the country's interest for personal gains.
"In one of the most baffling displays of captaincy seen in the long and proud history of Australian cricket, Ricky Ponting has denied his side a deserved chance of securing a famous victory...There was a match to win. To an almost bizarre degree, Ponting lost the plot," he wrote.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
An open letter to Obama about Kashmir Problem !
Kashmir was the original in habitat of Kashmiri Pandits/Hindus since centuries. During the rule of Muslim rulers, Hindu Pandits were tortured, prosecuted, murdered, slaughtered, intimidated, raped or scared away with little choice left, that's either they were forcibly converted to Islam or they just ran away for their lives and limbs to other parts of India. That's what the Muslim have done all over the world, where ever they had set their foot on. The glaring example of this was the Martyrdom of 9th Sikh Guru Shri Guru Teg Bahadur Ji who wanted to save the Kashmiri Pandits from cruel and inhuman Muslim rulers, but he himself was beheaded in Chandani Chowk, Delhi at the instance of a madly bigot, rabid and ultra Islamist Muslim ruler Aurangzeb ( whom incidently the Muslims consider very pious and religiously saint person- that's how their saints are ! ). Then after decades of atrocities, killings and mass scale forcible conversions and mass exodus of Hindus, the peaceful majority Hindu Kashmir was gradually converted to a volatile Muslim dominated region.
After partition, Hindu ruler of Kashmir, Raja Hari Singh wanted to join India, but Muslim majority was hostile towards India as usual. It was the combined weakness, fickle mindedness and ignorance of Gandhi and Nehru who kept on dillydallying, but had no guts to oppose this Muslim and Pakistani agenda to keep the things boiling. Gandhi and Nehru wanted to keep all the Muslims in India as a good will gesture, but lacked courage or determination to retain full Kashmir. Now the whole world knows that situation in Kashmir is being disturbed in because of the violence created by Lashkar-e-toiba, Taliban, Al-Qaida, Mujahideen and other Islamic terrorist outfits.
Supporting Kashmiri separatists will be like supporting Al-Quida, Taliban and Lashkare-toiba etc. I hope Obama won't do this kind of folly.
That's what the Indian leaders did in Tibet too. Majority of Tibetans are in India including Dalai Lama, but land is with China. Even Mansarover, Kailash Parvat, the abode of Lord Shiva, is with China. I never knew Lord Shiva was a Chinese ! Any how even if He was not one, Gandhi & Nehru made Him Chinese because they did not feel it appropriate to annex Mansarover , Kailash Parvat as they were not sure about the nationality of The Lord Shiva when it was lying vacant, but China did precisely that after 12 years of Indian Independence in 1959 because of Indian Leaders' apathy and impotence. Now We have to seek the permission of China to visit Mansarover & Kailash Parvat. And it's their sweet wish whether they allow us or not.
Now the same developments are going on in Kashmir about Amarnath Yatra. The Pro- Pakistan and Pro-Terrorist Kashmiri separatist leaders are not ready to give even shelters to the devotees for night stay in such extreme weather conditions.
Now these are the two biggest challenges faced by India- Kashmir & Tibet.
I sincerely hope that Indian leaders & Public remain very determined, vigilant and clear about Kashmir policy and let not others meddle in these affairs, who so over they are including newly elected president Obama.
As Obama was elected because of huge support of democrat Indians, I think he will not do anything to set them against democrats from the very world go. Indians are vocal and influential and want the best of relations between the two great countries.
Indians have lost Tibet because of weakness of Gandhi and Nehru. Now they can not afford another folly of their leaders.
After partition, Hindu ruler of Kashmir, Raja Hari Singh wanted to join India, but Muslim majority was hostile towards India as usual. It was the combined weakness, fickle mindedness and ignorance of Gandhi and Nehru who kept on dillydallying, but had no guts to oppose this Muslim and Pakistani agenda to keep the things boiling. Gandhi and Nehru wanted to keep all the Muslims in India as a good will gesture, but lacked courage or determination to retain full Kashmir. Now the whole world knows that situation in Kashmir is being disturbed in because of the violence created by Lashkar-e-toiba, Taliban, Al-Qaida, Mujahideen and other Islamic terrorist outfits.
Supporting Kashmiri separatists will be like supporting Al-Quida, Taliban and Lashkare-toiba etc. I hope Obama won't do this kind of folly.
That's what the Indian leaders did in Tibet too. Majority of Tibetans are in India including Dalai Lama, but land is with China. Even Mansarover, Kailash Parvat, the abode of Lord Shiva, is with China. I never knew Lord Shiva was a Chinese ! Any how even if He was not one, Gandhi & Nehru made Him Chinese because they did not feel it appropriate to annex Mansarover , Kailash Parvat as they were not sure about the nationality of The Lord Shiva when it was lying vacant, but China did precisely that after 12 years of Indian Independence in 1959 because of Indian Leaders' apathy and impotence. Now We have to seek the permission of China to visit Mansarover & Kailash Parvat. And it's their sweet wish whether they allow us or not.
Now the same developments are going on in Kashmir about Amarnath Yatra. The Pro- Pakistan and Pro-Terrorist Kashmiri separatist leaders are not ready to give even shelters to the devotees for night stay in such extreme weather conditions.
Now these are the two biggest challenges faced by India- Kashmir & Tibet.
I sincerely hope that Indian leaders & Public remain very determined, vigilant and clear about Kashmir policy and let not others meddle in these affairs, who so over they are including newly elected president Obama.
As Obama was elected because of huge support of democrat Indians, I think he will not do anything to set them against democrats from the very world go. Indians are vocal and influential and want the best of relations between the two great countries.
Indians have lost Tibet because of weakness of Gandhi and Nehru. Now they can not afford another folly of their leaders.
What the CIA should tell Obama on Kashmir ?
B. Raman is an expert on security and anti-terrorism operations. He headed the Counter-Terrorism Division of the Research & Analysis Wing (R&AW) for six years. He has been a member of various special task forces related to security and intelligence issues. An internationally acclaimed writer and lecturer, he regularly contributes articles to various national and international publications on security-related topics.
From November 5, 2008, US President-elect Barack Obama started receiving from the Director National Intelligence (DNI) a daily brief on the state of the world the previous day called the President's Daily Brief (PDB).
The CIA would do well to incorporate the following in its PDB to Obama.
There is amazement - and confusion - in India over reports that one of the first acts of the President will be to appoint former President Bill Clinton as his Special Envoy on the Kashmir issue to facilitate a settlement between India and Pakistan.
Also read: Will President Obama be good for India?
Well-informed sources in India say that if the President-elect wants to severely damage the developing Indo-US relations he could not have thought of a better idea than to meddle in Kashmir. So many Americans----Presidents, Presidents-elect and defeated Presidential-aspirants---- thought they could help in finding a solution to the Kashmir issue and burnt their fingers and damaged Indo-US relations.
This started from Adlai Stevenson, who after losing the election to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, proceeded to Srinagar ostensibly for a houseboat holiday on the Dal Lake and tried to meddle in the affairs of the State by suggesting to Sheikh Abdullah, the then Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, that he should seek independence and promised that the US would support him.
When the Indian Intelligence Bureau informed Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister, of Stevenson's secret discussions with Abdullah, he sacked Abdullah. Adlai Stevenson became persona non grata with the Indian political class and public.
Also read: Hey Ram: Let`s give away Kashmir
When Clinton became the President in 1993 he could not resist the temptation to have a go at settling the Kashmir issue. He chose as his secret emissary not a distinguished American, but an old college mate of his called Robin Raphael, who was posted as a junior diplomat in the US Embassy in New Delhi. Her American colleagues in New Delhi used to allege that after Clinton took office, she used to go around projecting herself as if she was a trusted adviser to Clinton, who took her into the State Department.
Our Indian sources say that she had two "achievements" to her discredit. She instigated the formation of the Hurriyat , a hotch-potch of anti-New Delhi Kashmiri personalities, which added to the existing mess.
She also encouraged the formation of the Taliban in 1994 with the help of her close personal friends Benazir Bhutto, the then Prime Minister, and Asif Ali Zardari, the present President of Pakistan. She even met Mullah Mohammad Omar, who subsequently designated himself as the Amir of the Taliban, secretly and sought his help for a project of the Unocal for a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via the Herat area of Afghanistan.
Also read: Kashmir: Postcards from the edge
According to the sources, her misadventures in Kashmir further damaged Indo-US relations and her godmothering the Taliban inexorably set in motion the train of events that led to Osama bin Laden shifting from Khartoum to Jalalabad in 1996 and launching from Afghanistan the terrorist strikes outside the US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam in August 1998, the attack on USS Cole off Aden in October,2000, and the 9/11 terrorist strikes in the US homeland.
Our Indian sources say that in the history of Indo-American relations since India became independent in 1947, there have been more instances of meddling by Democrats than by Republicans. They feel that Democrats seem to think that they understand sub-continental affairs better than anybody in the US and find it difficult to resist the urge to meddle.
According to them, that is why Indian security agencies feel uncomfortable when the White House has a Democrat as incumbent. They say that if one draws a graph of terrorism in J&K, one would find that it tends to go up when a Democrat is the President.
Also read: Also read: A diary of Kashmir’s murky politics
At a time when India and Pakistan are on the road to slowly mending their bilateral relations, Indians are amazed that the President-elect oblivious of the past misadventures of the US in the sub-continent should be thinking of one more.
From November 5, 2008, US President-elect Barack Obama started receiving from the Director National Intelligence (DNI) a daily brief on the state of the world the previous day called the President's Daily Brief (PDB).
The CIA would do well to incorporate the following in its PDB to Obama.
There is amazement - and confusion - in India over reports that one of the first acts of the President will be to appoint former President Bill Clinton as his Special Envoy on the Kashmir issue to facilitate a settlement between India and Pakistan.
Also read: Will President Obama be good for India?
Well-informed sources in India say that if the President-elect wants to severely damage the developing Indo-US relations he could not have thought of a better idea than to meddle in Kashmir. So many Americans----Presidents, Presidents-elect and defeated Presidential-aspirants---- thought they could help in finding a solution to the Kashmir issue and burnt their fingers and damaged Indo-US relations.
This started from Adlai Stevenson, who after losing the election to Gen. Dwight Eisenhower, proceeded to Srinagar ostensibly for a houseboat holiday on the Dal Lake and tried to meddle in the affairs of the State by suggesting to Sheikh Abdullah, the then Chief Minister of Jammu & Kashmir, that he should seek independence and promised that the US would support him.
When the Indian Intelligence Bureau informed Jawaharlal Nehru, the then Prime Minister, of Stevenson's secret discussions with Abdullah, he sacked Abdullah. Adlai Stevenson became persona non grata with the Indian political class and public.
Also read: Hey Ram: Let`s give away Kashmir
When Clinton became the President in 1993 he could not resist the temptation to have a go at settling the Kashmir issue. He chose as his secret emissary not a distinguished American, but an old college mate of his called Robin Raphael, who was posted as a junior diplomat in the US Embassy in New Delhi. Her American colleagues in New Delhi used to allege that after Clinton took office, she used to go around projecting herself as if she was a trusted adviser to Clinton, who took her into the State Department.
Our Indian sources say that she had two "achievements" to her discredit. She instigated the formation of the Hurriyat , a hotch-potch of anti-New Delhi Kashmiri personalities, which added to the existing mess.
She also encouraged the formation of the Taliban in 1994 with the help of her close personal friends Benazir Bhutto, the then Prime Minister, and Asif Ali Zardari, the present President of Pakistan. She even met Mullah Mohammad Omar, who subsequently designated himself as the Amir of the Taliban, secretly and sought his help for a project of the Unocal for a gas pipeline from Turkmenistan to Pakistan via the Herat area of Afghanistan.
Also read: Kashmir: Postcards from the edge
According to the sources, her misadventures in Kashmir further damaged Indo-US relations and her godmothering the Taliban inexorably set in motion the train of events that led to Osama bin Laden shifting from Khartoum to Jalalabad in 1996 and launching from Afghanistan the terrorist strikes outside the US Embassies in Nairobi and Dar-es-Salaam in August 1998, the attack on USS Cole off Aden in October,2000, and the 9/11 terrorist strikes in the US homeland.
Our Indian sources say that in the history of Indo-American relations since India became independent in 1947, there have been more instances of meddling by Democrats than by Republicans. They feel that Democrats seem to think that they understand sub-continental affairs better than anybody in the US and find it difficult to resist the urge to meddle.
According to them, that is why Indian security agencies feel uncomfortable when the White House has a Democrat as incumbent. They say that if one draws a graph of terrorism in J&K, one would find that it tends to go up when a Democrat is the President.
Also read: Also read: A diary of Kashmir’s murky politics
At a time when India and Pakistan are on the road to slowly mending their bilateral relations, Indians are amazed that the President-elect oblivious of the past misadventures of the US in the sub-continent should be thinking of one more.
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Of Gandhi, spirituality and sexuality!
New Delhi, November 6: To Mahatma Gandhi the greatest obstacle in his spiritual striving was the promptings of his sexuality, says psychoanalyst Sudhir Kakar.
"The manner in which he conceived the struggle and the weapons he chose to employ in a lifelong conflict with the god of desire have earned him the derision of many, especially in the West, who have discerned crankishness, if not worse, in his ideas that relate to sexuality," writes Kakar in ‘Mad And Divine: Spirit And Psyche In The Modern World’.
"For an explanation of his failure to influence people and the course of events, Gandhi would characteristically probe for shortcomings in his sexual abstinence, seeking to determine whether Kama, the god of desire, has perhaps triumphed in some obscure recess of his mind, depriving him of his spiritual powers," the book, published by Penguin, says.
According to the author, in the midst of widespread political turmoil and religious frenzy, Gandhi wrote a series of five articles on celibacy in his weekly newspaper.
"But more striking than his public evidence of his preoccupation were his private experiments wherein the aged Mahatma sought to reassure himself on the strength of his celibacy by having close women associates (his 19-year-old granddaughter among them) share his bed and try to ascertain in the morning whether any trace of sexual feeling had been evoked, either in himself or in his companions.”
"In spite of criticism by his co-workers, Gandhi stubbornly defended these experiments which he regarded as exercises in self-purification and tests of his celibacy and insisted that they be public even if they met general condemnation from his close associates."
Besides the contemplative and ecstatic spiritual traditions, Gandhi was a pioneer of a new spirituality, Kakar writes.
"The manner in which he conceived the struggle and the weapons he chose to employ in a lifelong conflict with the god of desire have earned him the derision of many, especially in the West, who have discerned crankishness, if not worse, in his ideas that relate to sexuality," writes Kakar in ‘Mad And Divine: Spirit And Psyche In The Modern World’.
"For an explanation of his failure to influence people and the course of events, Gandhi would characteristically probe for shortcomings in his sexual abstinence, seeking to determine whether Kama, the god of desire, has perhaps triumphed in some obscure recess of his mind, depriving him of his spiritual powers," the book, published by Penguin, says.
According to the author, in the midst of widespread political turmoil and religious frenzy, Gandhi wrote a series of five articles on celibacy in his weekly newspaper.
"But more striking than his public evidence of his preoccupation were his private experiments wherein the aged Mahatma sought to reassure himself on the strength of his celibacy by having close women associates (his 19-year-old granddaughter among them) share his bed and try to ascertain in the morning whether any trace of sexual feeling had been evoked, either in himself or in his companions.”
"In spite of criticism by his co-workers, Gandhi stubbornly defended these experiments which he regarded as exercises in self-purification and tests of his celibacy and insisted that they be public even if they met general condemnation from his close associates."
Besides the contemplative and ecstatic spiritual traditions, Gandhi was a pioneer of a new spirituality, Kakar writes.
Raj Thackeray is political nuisance, ruling politicians are impotents !
In the wake of Raj Thackeray-led MNS party's hate campaign against North Indians and non-Marathis, the Supreme Court on Thursday struck a patriotic note by saying that ‘all of us are Indians’ and there is no difference between people coming from various regions.
"What's the difference between North Indians and Indians. All of us are Indians," a Bench of Justices B N Aggrawal and G S Singhvi quipped, while posting for Monday, a PIL seeking judicial inquiry into the killing of a Bihari youth Rahul Raj in a police encounter and the murder of another North Indian in Mumbai last month.
On Tuesday the apex court had observed that if there was a ‘political will’ such hate campaign would not occur in the country. It had also cited Article 355 to drive home the point that the Union Government had adequate powers to give necessary directions to the State to prevent such incidents.
The Bench of Justices Aggrawal and Singhvi said it would hear the matter along with another related PIL which had earlier sought appropriate directions to the Government to ensure that the country's unity was not threatened by vested interests fomenting regional chauvinism.
Incidentally, the apex court had directed the petitioners in both cases to suitably amend their petition and come before it when the matter is taken up for further hearing.
During the brief arguments on Thursday, the petitioner Sanjeev Kumar Singh submitted that he was compelled to approach the Supreme Court as the authorities in Maharashtra had failed to respond to his request for providing adequate protection to North Indians in the state.
"What's the difference between North Indians and Indians. All of us are Indians," a Bench of Justices B N Aggrawal and G S Singhvi quipped, while posting for Monday, a PIL seeking judicial inquiry into the killing of a Bihari youth Rahul Raj in a police encounter and the murder of another North Indian in Mumbai last month.
On Tuesday the apex court had observed that if there was a ‘political will’ such hate campaign would not occur in the country. It had also cited Article 355 to drive home the point that the Union Government had adequate powers to give necessary directions to the State to prevent such incidents.
The Bench of Justices Aggrawal and Singhvi said it would hear the matter along with another related PIL which had earlier sought appropriate directions to the Government to ensure that the country's unity was not threatened by vested interests fomenting regional chauvinism.
Incidentally, the apex court had directed the petitioners in both cases to suitably amend their petition and come before it when the matter is taken up for further hearing.
During the brief arguments on Thursday, the petitioner Sanjeev Kumar Singh submitted that he was compelled to approach the Supreme Court as the authorities in Maharashtra had failed to respond to his request for providing adequate protection to North Indians in the state.
Obama win: Bad news for Pakistan
6 Nov 2008, 0311 hrs IST, Sachin Parashar,TNN
NEW DELHI: After its initial lack of enthusiasm for Barack Obama, India was pleasantly surprised when the Senator from Illinois, now the president-elect of US, slammed Pakistan for its nudge-nudge, wink-wink policy on terrorism.
In the first week of August, Obama had follow this up by declaring that, if elected, he would not shy away from striking inside Pakistan to take out Al-Qaida and Taliban terrorist camps. Tough words that would please New Delhi. But for Pakistan, this can only be bad news.
There is no doubt that the US under Obama is likely to crack the whip, much more sharply than what the Bush administration has done in the past few months, even as it dangles the carrot.
The carrot was, of course, non-military aid. Obama's veep nominee Joe Biden, as chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee, had proposed non military aid worth $15 billion for Pakistan in the next 10 years. Indian analysts are sceptical whether this would actually ameliorate the depressing situation in Pakistan if the US targets Pakistan territory even on the basis of "actionable intelligence". In short, they are doubtful if the carrot-and-stick policy will work.
"Whatever the nature of financial help, it would be very difficult for a nationalist Pakistan government to accept such violations of its sovereignty. There are chances that people in the NWFP would go against the government and we will see more instability in Pakistan," says retired IFS officer Rajendra Rai who also served as India's consul-general in New York.
Possibly, for Obama democratization of Pakistan is linked inseparably with the war against terror, but many believe that this is meaningless because Obama's threats only mirror the Bush administration's current policy. And that hasn't helped.
Pakistan itself is rather nervous about the Democrats. While the government is positively inclined towards Biden, who has constantly advocated more aid for Pakistan, many in the country look upon Obama with suspicion because of his threats to strike inside Pakistan.
Obama's comments about militants, and not India, being Pakistan's main enemy is also evoking scepticism in Islamabad. While Biden is not bad news for Pakistan, the problem is that Obama is likely to be a hands-on President and the foreign policy will veer around his line of thought.
Besides, Biden's economic bailout will not come without a price. The US under Obama is likely to force Pakistan to go slow on the dispute in J&K, hitherto the country's main weapon against India. "While we may not see this happening out in the open, chances are that the US will, behind the scenes, force Pakistan not to foment more trouble in the state denying it what its military and ISI believe is the country's leverage against India," says a senior government official.
As for Afghanistan, Obama has announced that he will pull out troops from Iraq and deploy two more brigades in Afghanistan. While the decision to pull out troops from Iraq is seen as a positive sign, deploying more troops in Afghanistan can be read both ways.
The real war on terror is now taking place on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and more troops can be of help. However, as some experts argue, the US ought to have realized that there cannot be just a military solution in Afghanistan.
"Obama has also announced increasing non-military aid but it doesn't serve the purpose unless the local Pashtuns are engaged in a dialogue. They hold the key to any solution and the government of Hamid Karzai, himself a Pashtun, has lost all credibility," says a security analyst.
The Pashtuns are chary of the Karzai administration and Obama's decision to deploy more troops in the country can only stoke the fires there. It would, in all likelihood, give a greater sense of righteous purpose to the Taliban that has regrouped in Afghanistan.
NEW DELHI: After its initial lack of enthusiasm for Barack Obama, India was pleasantly surprised when the Senator from Illinois, now the president-elect of US, slammed Pakistan for its nudge-nudge, wink-wink policy on terrorism.
In the first week of August, Obama had follow this up by declaring that, if elected, he would not shy away from striking inside Pakistan to take out Al-Qaida and Taliban terrorist camps. Tough words that would please New Delhi. But for Pakistan, this can only be bad news.
There is no doubt that the US under Obama is likely to crack the whip, much more sharply than what the Bush administration has done in the past few months, even as it dangles the carrot.
The carrot was, of course, non-military aid. Obama's veep nominee Joe Biden, as chairman of House Foreign Affairs Committee, had proposed non military aid worth $15 billion for Pakistan in the next 10 years. Indian analysts are sceptical whether this would actually ameliorate the depressing situation in Pakistan if the US targets Pakistan territory even on the basis of "actionable intelligence". In short, they are doubtful if the carrot-and-stick policy will work.
"Whatever the nature of financial help, it would be very difficult for a nationalist Pakistan government to accept such violations of its sovereignty. There are chances that people in the NWFP would go against the government and we will see more instability in Pakistan," says retired IFS officer Rajendra Rai who also served as India's consul-general in New York.
Possibly, for Obama democratization of Pakistan is linked inseparably with the war against terror, but many believe that this is meaningless because Obama's threats only mirror the Bush administration's current policy. And that hasn't helped.
Pakistan itself is rather nervous about the Democrats. While the government is positively inclined towards Biden, who has constantly advocated more aid for Pakistan, many in the country look upon Obama with suspicion because of his threats to strike inside Pakistan.
Obama's comments about militants, and not India, being Pakistan's main enemy is also evoking scepticism in Islamabad. While Biden is not bad news for Pakistan, the problem is that Obama is likely to be a hands-on President and the foreign policy will veer around his line of thought.
Besides, Biden's economic bailout will not come without a price. The US under Obama is likely to force Pakistan to go slow on the dispute in J&K, hitherto the country's main weapon against India. "While we may not see this happening out in the open, chances are that the US will, behind the scenes, force Pakistan not to foment more trouble in the state denying it what its military and ISI believe is the country's leverage against India," says a senior government official.
As for Afghanistan, Obama has announced that he will pull out troops from Iraq and deploy two more brigades in Afghanistan. While the decision to pull out troops from Iraq is seen as a positive sign, deploying more troops in Afghanistan can be read both ways.
The real war on terror is now taking place on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border and more troops can be of help. However, as some experts argue, the US ought to have realized that there cannot be just a military solution in Afghanistan.
"Obama has also announced increasing non-military aid but it doesn't serve the purpose unless the local Pashtuns are engaged in a dialogue. They hold the key to any solution and the government of Hamid Karzai, himself a Pashtun, has lost all credibility," says a security analyst.
The Pashtuns are chary of the Karzai administration and Obama's decision to deploy more troops in the country can only stoke the fires there. It would, in all likelihood, give a greater sense of righteous purpose to the Taliban that has regrouped in Afghanistan.
Gay Marriage is Unnatural
When the unnatural gay marriage or same sex marriage bill has been defeated in California, USA; it is strange that a traditional and conservative society like India is giving it a consideration. There is no use of it. It's a plain stupidity and highest level of idiocy. You can not and should not give legal sanctity to the abnormal medical behaviors or sexual perversions because then you will be going against nature and creating more problems for the society. We have already enough problems at hand to take care of. So please stop this non sense as early as possible.
Obama would send US troops to Pakistan to hunt down terrorists
Majority in Pakistan 'Obamaistic'
Islamabad (PTI): Despite Barack Hussain Obama's resolve that he would send US troops to Pakistan to hunt down terrorists, citizens here are revelling in the fact that America's President-elect has a Pakistani link that dates back to 1981 and more so because his middle name suggests he is a 'Muslim'.
Obama's Pakistan connection has been widely speculated about in the local and international media since his remark last year that if elected as President, he may send troops to Pakistan to hunt down terrorists. Obama is believed to have visited Pakistan in 1981.
"Mr Obama visited Pakistan in 1981, on the way back from Indonesia, where his mother and half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, were living. He spent about three weeks there.. staying in Karachi with the family of a college friend, Mohammed Hasan Chandoo but also traveling to Hyderabad, in India," a report in the New York Times quoted his campaign manager as saying.
Interest in the 47-year-old first black President of US rose in Pakistan after reports said Obama's mother Ann Dunham had spent five years in the country. Dunham, who died in 1995, was in Pakistan between 1987 and 1992. She was hired as a consultant by the Asian Development Bank and travelled often from Lahore to Gujranwala.
"I have a dream that the damage wrought in the US and other countries will be overturned in the next four years to a great extent. You are black. You are white. Your father is from Kenya. Your mother is from Kansas. You have seen Muslim. You have seen Christian," wrote Soniah Kamal in an e-magazine.
"They called you terrorist because once you crossed streets with a domestic terrorist. They called you socialist because you care about all and not just an elite few. They called you Muslim as if this is a four letter word," she added.
Islamabad (PTI): Despite Barack Hussain Obama's resolve that he would send US troops to Pakistan to hunt down terrorists, citizens here are revelling in the fact that America's President-elect has a Pakistani link that dates back to 1981 and more so because his middle name suggests he is a 'Muslim'.
Obama's Pakistan connection has been widely speculated about in the local and international media since his remark last year that if elected as President, he may send troops to Pakistan to hunt down terrorists. Obama is believed to have visited Pakistan in 1981.
"Mr Obama visited Pakistan in 1981, on the way back from Indonesia, where his mother and half-sister, Maya Soetoro-Ng, were living. He spent about three weeks there.. staying in Karachi with the family of a college friend, Mohammed Hasan Chandoo but also traveling to Hyderabad, in India," a report in the New York Times quoted his campaign manager as saying.
Interest in the 47-year-old first black President of US rose in Pakistan after reports said Obama's mother Ann Dunham had spent five years in the country. Dunham, who died in 1995, was in Pakistan between 1987 and 1992. She was hired as a consultant by the Asian Development Bank and travelled often from Lahore to Gujranwala.
"I have a dream that the damage wrought in the US and other countries will be overturned in the next four years to a great extent. You are black. You are white. Your father is from Kenya. Your mother is from Kansas. You have seen Muslim. You have seen Christian," wrote Soniah Kamal in an e-magazine.
"They called you terrorist because once you crossed streets with a domestic terrorist. They called you socialist because you care about all and not just an elite few. They called you Muslim as if this is a four letter word," she added.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Hate crimes happen due to lack of political will, says Supreme Court
The Supreme Court on Tuesday blamed lack of political will for the rise in hate crimes. Terming attacks on north Indians in Mumbai by Raj Thackeray’s Maharashtra Navnirnan Sena as a ‘serious matter,’ the Supreme Court said that the problem of regional chauvinism and hate attacks should be tackled by the government.
“Can it be done through an order of this court? It is a political question and not a court issue. If there is political will, it can be tackled,” a bench comprising Justice B N Agarwal and Justice G S Singhvi said.
The court on November 10 will hear a PIL seeking direction to the government to deal with the violence against north Indians in Mumbai. The bench was initially not inclined to entertain the petition filed by businessman Salek Chand Jain, and said that it was for the Centre to invoke Article 355 for giving appropriate direction to the concerned state.
However, later it observed that the “issue was serious” and agreed to hear the matter directing for amending the petition. The petition was mentioned before the bench by counsel Sugriv Dubey.
Mr Dubey said that the attacks on north Indian by MNS has led to a chain reaction elsewhere in the country threatening to destroy the unity and integrity of the country.
According to the petitioner, following the MNS attacks , the Jharkhand chief minister had announced that he would not permit mineral resources of the state to be transported to any part of the country. He claimed the threat, if carried out, would seriously affect the country’s development as 60% of the mineral resources originated from Jharkhand.
Pointing towards the attack on Maharashtra Sadan in the Capital by protesters on Monday, the petitioner justified the argument that if stern action was not taken against those espousing regional chauvinism it would seriously endanger upon the country’s unity and development.
“But can an order of this court have the desired effect? You educate the people,” the bench told the counsel to which the latter replied that most of the victims are not well educated people.
The apex court at one stage questioned the locus standi of the petitioner but his counsel said the developments have a bearing on him as being a businessman he would not be able to trade with other states if regional sentiments were whipped up every where.
The bench made the counsel to read Article 355 of the Constitution which mandated that it was the duty of the Centre to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbances.
According to Article 355 of the Constitution , “it shall be the duty of the Union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the government of every state is carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”.
“It is serious matter (violence) dealt in a non- serious manner,” the bench observed while referring to the petition which did not contain details of the various incidents. The court asked the counsel to amend the petition and posted it for hearing on Monday.
“Can it be done through an order of this court? It is a political question and not a court issue. If there is political will, it can be tackled,” a bench comprising Justice B N Agarwal and Justice G S Singhvi said.
The court on November 10 will hear a PIL seeking direction to the government to deal with the violence against north Indians in Mumbai. The bench was initially not inclined to entertain the petition filed by businessman Salek Chand Jain, and said that it was for the Centre to invoke Article 355 for giving appropriate direction to the concerned state.
However, later it observed that the “issue was serious” and agreed to hear the matter directing for amending the petition. The petition was mentioned before the bench by counsel Sugriv Dubey.
Mr Dubey said that the attacks on north Indian by MNS has led to a chain reaction elsewhere in the country threatening to destroy the unity and integrity of the country.
According to the petitioner, following the MNS attacks , the Jharkhand chief minister had announced that he would not permit mineral resources of the state to be transported to any part of the country. He claimed the threat, if carried out, would seriously affect the country’s development as 60% of the mineral resources originated from Jharkhand.
Pointing towards the attack on Maharashtra Sadan in the Capital by protesters on Monday, the petitioner justified the argument that if stern action was not taken against those espousing regional chauvinism it would seriously endanger upon the country’s unity and development.
“But can an order of this court have the desired effect? You educate the people,” the bench told the counsel to which the latter replied that most of the victims are not well educated people.
The apex court at one stage questioned the locus standi of the petitioner but his counsel said the developments have a bearing on him as being a businessman he would not be able to trade with other states if regional sentiments were whipped up every where.
The bench made the counsel to read Article 355 of the Constitution which mandated that it was the duty of the Centre to protect states against external aggression and internal disturbances.
According to Article 355 of the Constitution , “it shall be the duty of the Union to protect every state against external aggression and internal disturbance and to ensure that the government of every state is carried on in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution”.
“It is serious matter (violence) dealt in a non- serious manner,” the bench observed while referring to the petition which did not contain details of the various incidents. The court asked the counsel to amend the petition and posted it for hearing on Monday.
Monday, November 3, 2008
Study links teen pregnancy to sexy TV shows
By Andrew Stern
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Exposure to some forms of entertainment is a corrupting influence on children, leading teens who watch sexy programs into early pregnancies and children who play violent video games to adopt aggressive behavior, researchers said on Monday.
Researchers at the RAND research organization said their three-year study was the first to link viewing of racy television programing with risky sexual behavior by teens.
"Our findings suggest that television may play a significant role in the high rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States," said Anita Chandra, a behavioral scientist who led the research at RAND, a nonprofit research organization.
"We're not saying we're establishing causation, but we are saying this is one factor that we were able to prospectively link to the teen pregnancy outcome," Chandra said in a phone interview.
The researchers recruited adolescents aged 12 to 17 and surveyed them three times between 2001 and 2004, asking about television viewing habits, sexual behavior and pregnancy.
In findings that covered 718 teenagers, there were 91 pregnancies. The top 10th of adolescents who watched the most sexy programing were at double the risk of becoming pregnant or causing a pregnancy compared to the 10th who watched the fewest such programs, according to the study published in the journal Pediatrics.
The study focused on 23 free and cable television programs popular among teenagers including situation comedies, dramas, reality programs and animated shows. Comedies had the most sexual content and reality programs the least.
"The television content we see very rarely highlights the negative aspects of sex or the risks and responsibilities," Chandra said. "So if teens are getting any information about sex they're rarely getting information about pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases."
TEEN PREGNANCY ON DECLINE
Teen pregnancy rates in the United States have declined sharply since 1991 but remain high compared to other industrialized nations. Nearly 1 million girls aged 15 to 19 years old become pregnant yearly, or about 20 percent of sexually active females in that age group. Most of the pregnancies were unplanned, the report said.
Young mothers are more likely to quit school, require public assistance and live in poverty, it said.
"Television is just one part of a teenager's media diet that helps to influence their behavior. We should also look at the roles that magazines, the Internet and music play in teens' reproductive health," Chandra said, acknowledging still other factors can influence teen sex habits.
Living in a two-parent family reduced the chances of a teen getting pregnant or causing a pregnancy. Black teenagers, and those with discipline problems, had higher risks.
The report suggested broadcasters provide more realistic portrayals of the consequences of sex and that parents limit their children's access to sexually explicit programing.
A second study in the journal added to existing evidence that youths who play violent video games -- a worldwide trend with American children averaging 13 hours of video gaming a week -- led to increased physically aggressive behavior.
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Exposure to some forms of entertainment is a corrupting influence on children, leading teens who watch sexy programs into early pregnancies and children who play violent video games to adopt aggressive behavior, researchers said on Monday.
Researchers at the RAND research organization said their three-year study was the first to link viewing of racy television programing with risky sexual behavior by teens.
"Our findings suggest that television may play a significant role in the high rates of teenage pregnancy in the United States," said Anita Chandra, a behavioral scientist who led the research at RAND, a nonprofit research organization.
"We're not saying we're establishing causation, but we are saying this is one factor that we were able to prospectively link to the teen pregnancy outcome," Chandra said in a phone interview.
The researchers recruited adolescents aged 12 to 17 and surveyed them three times between 2001 and 2004, asking about television viewing habits, sexual behavior and pregnancy.
In findings that covered 718 teenagers, there were 91 pregnancies. The top 10th of adolescents who watched the most sexy programing were at double the risk of becoming pregnant or causing a pregnancy compared to the 10th who watched the fewest such programs, according to the study published in the journal Pediatrics.
The study focused on 23 free and cable television programs popular among teenagers including situation comedies, dramas, reality programs and animated shows. Comedies had the most sexual content and reality programs the least.
"The television content we see very rarely highlights the negative aspects of sex or the risks and responsibilities," Chandra said. "So if teens are getting any information about sex they're rarely getting information about pregnancy or sexually transmitted diseases."
TEEN PREGNANCY ON DECLINE
Teen pregnancy rates in the United States have declined sharply since 1991 but remain high compared to other industrialized nations. Nearly 1 million girls aged 15 to 19 years old become pregnant yearly, or about 20 percent of sexually active females in that age group. Most of the pregnancies were unplanned, the report said.
Young mothers are more likely to quit school, require public assistance and live in poverty, it said.
"Television is just one part of a teenager's media diet that helps to influence their behavior. We should also look at the roles that magazines, the Internet and music play in teens' reproductive health," Chandra said, acknowledging still other factors can influence teen sex habits.
Living in a two-parent family reduced the chances of a teen getting pregnant or causing a pregnancy. Black teenagers, and those with discipline problems, had higher risks.
The report suggested broadcasters provide more realistic portrayals of the consequences of sex and that parents limit their children's access to sexually explicit programing.
A second study in the journal added to existing evidence that youths who play violent video games -- a worldwide trend with American children averaging 13 hours of video gaming a week -- led to increased physically aggressive behavior.
Sunday, November 2, 2008
12 simple ways to supercharge your brain
by Jay @ Dumb Little Man, on Wed Oct 22, 2008
Have you ever felt exasperated when you bumped into someone at the store but absolutely couldn't remember their name? Sure, it happens to all of us.
Despite being the strongest computer on the planet, our brains do lapse. It's hard to blame them really. As humans, we spend much of or existence stuffing our brains with stuff.
No matter how powerful our brains are, they need recuperation time to be kept in shape. Think of it as a tune up for your brain. Skipping brain maintenance is as silly as the person wandering the parking garage because they forgot where they parked. Is that you? Are you that person? If so, fear not; we are all that person at some point.
Now I am not a brain surgeon and I am not going to suggest you do anything surgical or dangerous. I am however an astute student of human behavior so I always look for simple ways to super charge my brain.
Here are some things you can begin doing as soon as today to begin the great brain tune up:
Eat Almonds
Almond is believed to improve memory. If a combination of almond oil and milk is taken together before going to bed or after getting up at morning, it strengthens our memory power. Almond milk is prepared by crushing the almonds without the outer cover and adding water and sugar to it.
Drink Apple Juice
Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in an increased memory power.
Sleep well
Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.
Enjoy simple Pleasures
Stress drains our brainpower. A stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. Make a habit to engage yourself in few simple pleasures everyday to dissolve stress from your mind. Some of these simple pleasures are good for your mind, body and soul.
Enjoy music you love
Play with your children
Appreciate others
Run few miles a day, bike or swim
Start a blog
Take a yoga class or Total Wellness routine
Exercise your mind
Just as physical exercise is essential for a strong body, mental exercise is equally essential for a sharp and agile mind. Have you noticed that children have far superior brainpower than an adult does? Children have playful minds. A playful mind exhibits superior memory power. Engage in some of the activities that require your mind to remain active and playful.
Play scrabble or crossword puzzle
Volunteer
Interact with others
Start a new hobby such as blogging, reading, painting, bird watching
Learn new skill or a foreign language
Practice Yoga or Meditation
Yoga or Meditation relives stress. Stress is a known memory buster. With less stress, lower blood pressure, slower respiration, slower metabolism, and released muscle tension follows. All of these factors contribute significantly towards increases in our brainpower.
Reduce Sugar intake
Sugar is a non-food. It’s a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar.
Eat whole wheat
The whole wheat germs contain lecithin. Lecithin helps ease the problem of the hardening of the arteries, which often impairs brain functioning.
Eat a light meal at night
A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It’s wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower.
Develop imagination
Greeks mastered the principle of imagination and association to memorize everything. This technique requires one to develop a vivid and colorful imagination that can be linked to a known object. If you involve all your senses - touching, feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing in the imagination process, you can remember greater details of the event.
Control your temper
Bleached food, excess of starch or excess of white bread can lead to nerve grating effect. This results in a violent and some time depressive behavior. Eat fresh vegetables. Drink lots of water and meditate or practice yoga to relieve these toxic emotions of temper and stressful mood swings.
Take Vitamin B-complex
Vitamin B-complex strengthens memory power. Eat food and vegetables high in Vitamin B-complex. Stay away from the starch food or white bread, which depletes the Vitamin B-complex necessary for a healthy mind.
I don't believe these are that tough. If you find yourself increasing stumped, give a couple of these a try.
Written by Shilpan Patel of Success Soul and cross-posted from Dumb Little Man, a web site that provides tips for life that will save you money, increase your productivity, or simply keep you sane.
Have you ever felt exasperated when you bumped into someone at the store but absolutely couldn't remember their name? Sure, it happens to all of us.
Despite being the strongest computer on the planet, our brains do lapse. It's hard to blame them really. As humans, we spend much of or existence stuffing our brains with stuff.
No matter how powerful our brains are, they need recuperation time to be kept in shape. Think of it as a tune up for your brain. Skipping brain maintenance is as silly as the person wandering the parking garage because they forgot where they parked. Is that you? Are you that person? If so, fear not; we are all that person at some point.
Now I am not a brain surgeon and I am not going to suggest you do anything surgical or dangerous. I am however an astute student of human behavior so I always look for simple ways to super charge my brain.
Here are some things you can begin doing as soon as today to begin the great brain tune up:
Eat Almonds
Almond is believed to improve memory. If a combination of almond oil and milk is taken together before going to bed or after getting up at morning, it strengthens our memory power. Almond milk is prepared by crushing the almonds without the outer cover and adding water and sugar to it.
Drink Apple Juice
Research from the University of Massachusetts Lowell (UML) indicates that apple juice increases the production of the essential neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain, resulting in an increased memory power.
Sleep well
Research indicates that the long-term memory is consolidated during sleep by replaying the images of the experiences of the day. These repeated playbacks program the subconscious mind to store these images and other related information.
Enjoy simple Pleasures
Stress drains our brainpower. A stress-ridden mind consumes much of our memory resources to leave us with a feeble mind. Make a habit to engage yourself in few simple pleasures everyday to dissolve stress from your mind. Some of these simple pleasures are good for your mind, body and soul.
Enjoy music you love
Play with your children
Appreciate others
Run few miles a day, bike or swim
Start a blog
Take a yoga class or Total Wellness routine
Exercise your mind
Just as physical exercise is essential for a strong body, mental exercise is equally essential for a sharp and agile mind. Have you noticed that children have far superior brainpower than an adult does? Children have playful minds. A playful mind exhibits superior memory power. Engage in some of the activities that require your mind to remain active and playful.
Play scrabble or crossword puzzle
Volunteer
Interact with others
Start a new hobby such as blogging, reading, painting, bird watching
Learn new skill or a foreign language
Practice Yoga or Meditation
Yoga or Meditation relives stress. Stress is a known memory buster. With less stress, lower blood pressure, slower respiration, slower metabolism, and released muscle tension follows. All of these factors contribute significantly towards increases in our brainpower.
Reduce Sugar intake
Sugar is a non-food. It’s a form of carbohydrate that offers illusionary energy, only to cause a downhill slump once the initial burst has been worn off. Excess intake of sugar results in neurotic symptoms. Excess sugar is known to cause claustrophobia, memory loss and other neurotic disorders. Eat food without adding sugar. Stay away from sweet drinks or excess consumption of caffeine with sugar.
Eat whole wheat
The whole wheat germs contain lecithin. Lecithin helps ease the problem of the hardening of the arteries, which often impairs brain functioning.
Eat a light meal at night
A heavy meal at night causes tossing and turning and a prolonged emotional stress while at sleep. It’s wise to eat heavy meal during the day when our body is in motion to consume the heavy in-take. Eating a light meal with some fruits allows us to sleep well. A good night sleep strengthens our brainpower.
Develop imagination
Greeks mastered the principle of imagination and association to memorize everything. This technique requires one to develop a vivid and colorful imagination that can be linked to a known object. If you involve all your senses - touching, feeling, smelling, hearing and seeing in the imagination process, you can remember greater details of the event.
Control your temper
Bleached food, excess of starch or excess of white bread can lead to nerve grating effect. This results in a violent and some time depressive behavior. Eat fresh vegetables. Drink lots of water and meditate or practice yoga to relieve these toxic emotions of temper and stressful mood swings.
Take Vitamin B-complex
Vitamin B-complex strengthens memory power. Eat food and vegetables high in Vitamin B-complex. Stay away from the starch food or white bread, which depletes the Vitamin B-complex necessary for a healthy mind.
I don't believe these are that tough. If you find yourself increasing stumped, give a couple of these a try.
Written by Shilpan Patel of Success Soul and cross-posted from Dumb Little Man, a web site that provides tips for life that will save you money, increase your productivity, or simply keep you sane.
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