Melissa & Doug Terrific Twenty List and Giveaway

Holidays has been special for us as a kid, as a young man and as a parent now. Small or big, cheap or expensive, a gift is a gift and I adore it. As a parent, we always adored and liked Melissa and Doug toys for our kid. They are innovative, nice and good for kids. As every year, this yr too they are running their terrific 20 list and I recommend every parent to check them out.

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Thoughts from a discrete mind

We rarely come across any news about India that sweeps you off your feet these days. We are quite used to regular bomb blasts, terrorists trying to cross the Indo-Pak border, Pak Foreign Ministry's accusation of Indian interference in some Pak area, violence in University campuses, some Indian born American kid winning the spelling bee etc etc. We are different kind of people.

The NY Times reports: "Canadian and United States computer security researchers have monitored a spying operation for the past eight months, observing while the intruders pilfered classified and restricted documents from the highest levels of the Indian Defense Ministry. "

The news  did not meet come to many of us as a surprise. I am sure, this news definitely may not have taken any of the govt functionaries by surprise too. Almost 50% of our respected lawmakers  in the parliament may not understand what this means also.

Superpowers are feared, revered and respected. Convincing military power is needed to route Pakistan out of the equation or dream of even taking on China to settle our border issue. After the terror strike in New York, 9/11, Americans wanted to invade Afghanistan and wanted Pakistan to aid their effort. For the fear of being bombed to stone ages, General Musharraf gave every support possible to the Americans and help them slay their own Muslim brethren and their own creation Taliban.  For the last 59 years we are locked on with our military with Pakistan on a Status quo situation. Soon after we exploded Pokharan-II, Pakistan went ahead and grabbed our hills on Kargil. They did not get scared of our military or newly acquired status of a nuclear power as obviously they thought we were some kind of paper tigers. We got whipped so badly in Kargil that when we tried to take it back militarily from another third world army supported Guerrillas, they hit back ferociously that we were about to give up the hopes of recapturing them. Thanks to the American intervention that Nawaz Sharf was asked to pull back his forces and we were able to put our flag back on the peaks of Kargil hills. The only thing which proves that we fought bravely and won in Kargil is the Bollywood films made on Kargil like LOC and Lakshya. Our Bollywood films are busy blowing sunshine on our butts 24/7 depicting what we are not and things which are a fantasy. They would show by and large what every Indian wishes to see.

In 1982 we could not even fight Tamil Guerrillas in Sri Lanka when our forces were dispatched to maintain some kind of peace in there. The Guerrillas evicted our forces from Sri Lanka and demoralized us for quite some time. Today, despite of having a congress rule, Mrs Sonia Gandhi can not bring a Guerrilla leader Prabhakaran to Justice who killed her husband, our ex Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Couple of years ago agitated soldiers from a much inferior nation, Bangladesh, crossed our border, snatched our army Jawans, tortured them and then killed them and threw their bodies back at us without any fear of punishment.

We are slightly better than Pakistan in military balance but they do have the power to nuke us back to stone ages and then it becomes irrelevant that we can wipe them out from the face of earth. But then we have our revered "panchasila niti" which was laid down by one of our founding fathers. If you remember it, one of the "niti" says, we should always be in defensive. We don't attack anyone. So you get the point. You get nuked first. Thats scary.

So super NOT power are we that we can not send back hundreds of thousands of Kashmiri pundits back to Kashmir as we can not guarantee them within our own land. We can not take back the lost piece of Tibet or Kashmir occupied by Pakistan and China (Aksai Chin) militarily or diplomatically.

Another major sign of not being able to become a super power is sports. We are a nation of physically unfit people. It takes eleven best Indian people to have a shot at being number 5 or 6 in cricket playing nations (There are about 7 countries in the world that can play competitive cricket). But ask any Indian and he will say that we are the best or maybe second best nation in cricket. .

All the sudden found richness in the country is concentrated in less that 1% people of our population and the inflation is all time high. We have more Crorepatis in the country as the property prices have gone up four to five folds and have made Lakhpatis out of the ordinary poverty line people. Do we all know that about 750 Million (that's about 70%) of Indians have never seen a toilet in their life leave aside owning one? 80% of our professionals graduating from engineering schools are not employable. 75% of the software engineers from India who had acquired their meal tickets abroad have been sacked due to not being viable, commercially or financially. We spend time in following false stories in our newspapers which glorify India's achievements but never bother to cross check as to what the truth is. The truth is that we Indians, by and large, do not want to hear that their is something basically wrong with our system.

We are still badly confused between Metric and non metric system. Ask a doctor as to what the thermometer says when measuring  someone's fever and he will reply you in Fahrenheit (non-metric)and immediately ask him the temperature out side his clinic and he shall give you the same in Centigrade ( metric)? Same goes for small things in the shops. Fabric is sold in Meters (as it is a metric measure) but the width of the fabric is still given out in inches (that is no metric measure).

People in General are scared of the Government and its machine (Law and Order) and not the other way around and till this reverses; we can not even have a shot at being in the second world. I would say don't even dream of being in the first world less about being a super power.

Most of the Indians have never stepped out of their own borders of the city they live in leave aside crossing the national borders. In the world we are known as a democratic poor nation which is progressing. We are known for our non violence ways and respected for that. Four out of the five Security Council members in the UN are our friends which guarantees our safety should any military adventure is launched against us by China and this in no way be construed as India's military might.

We have to give up being arrogant. Bring compassion in our behavior. Be humble. Look down and concentrate in your work and good things will happen.

Remember, we have to be in the second world first in order to reach the first world and that should be our immediate ultimate aim.

If Hope Has a Pric(z)e

Ok, I am quite late in letting my feelings out. Part of the reason goes to I actually wanted the debate to reach a point and see how people react to this news.
 

Just a couple of months ago, we were discussing how beleaguered Mr President's situation is: regarding his top-of-the-list health care reform. There is the right wingers and there is the left-wingers. When Mr Obama started his Presidency, he was all out to say he will going to work in a bi-partisan fashion. Well, that became a pipe dream in no time. Not everything in Washington is simple and easy. Then there is the Iran nuclear issue, hullabaloo over Guantanamo prison closing delays; the Israelis were digging in their heels with respect to settlement expansion etc etc. Oh, I forgot the economy. Are you saying economy is humming again ? Well lets just keep it in the list for the time being. So, yes, the list is long for the President. If you dont want to ignore, the right calls him socialist, Marxist, dictator, careless and so many other adjectives which I am sure will boil anybody's blood sans the President. Or at least he does not show that. Whichever it is, thats something we can ignore at this time.

And someone in the discussion said, this guy deserves a prize. The Nobel did not cross the mind though. But yes, after holding the President's office of United States, what more is there to expect for Mr Obama. I could think of few looking at American trends ! Couple of stamps showing his face, some coins showing his head and may be a street names after him and at last a library name after him..

The news about Mr Obama's Nobel winning must have caused millions say "What ? Not him ! Nah !". Thousands of computer key boards must have met their end of life by unprecedented stressful typing and spraying of caffeines from readers mouth. Unwanted coffee spraying must have eliminated hundreds of crisp white shirts from friends closets. All for the single word: "What ?".

Honestly, like me, a lot of people will think that economy follows a curve of ups and downs. So Mr Bush just happened to be unlucky to be in the "down" curve and Mr Obama is just lucky to be on the "up" curve. Thats not entirely untrue though. But I like the quote from his Chief of Staff : Never let a crisis go in vain. Thats the reason he could do the healthcare. Many believe, the healthcare reform ended up being something what it started to be or what it was aimed at. But I come to a point to agree with Mr Obama for a number of things. At least its is the beginning !

Life : Race with a marble on a spoon

Speech by Chetan Bhagat (Founder of CRISIL) at Symbiosis

Don’t just have career or academic goals. Set goals to give you a balanced, successful life. I use the word balanced before successful. Balanced
means ensuring your health, relationships, mental peace are all in good order.

There is no point of getting a promotion on the day of your breakup. There is no fun in driving a car if your back hurts. Shopping is not enjoyable
if your mind is full of tensions.

"Life is one of those races in nursery school where you have to run with a marble in a spoon kept in your mouth. If the marble falls, there is no
point coming first. Same is with life where health and relationships are the marble. Your striving is only worth it if there is harmony in your
life. Else, you may achieve the success, but this spark, this feeling of being excited and alive, will start to die. ……………….

One thing about nurturing the spark - don't take life seriously. Life is not meant to be taken seriously, as we are really temporary here. We are
like a pre-paid card with limited validity. If we are lucky, we may last another 50 years. And 50 years is just 2,500 weekends. Do we really need
to get so worked up? …………….

It's ok, bunk a few classes, scoring low in couple of papers, goof up a few interviews, take leave from work, fall in love, little fights with your
spouse. We are people, not programmed devices..... ...." :)

Start your day with a smile

42 crore crown for God, Mr Reddy !! Are you crazy !

Just about a day ago, I read a story about the Karnataka tourism Minister Mr Gali Janardhan Reddy is donating a crown worth 42 crores to Balaji. Something did not seem right to me. I tried reading a little more detail about Mr. Minister.

I am not a atheist. But I fail to understand Mr Reddy, 42 crore crown for God ? What is it worth for ? To me its a pile of precious metal sitting in some secure locker in a bank . For people who do not know, Mr Reddy is a mining baron in Bellary, one of the poorest place in India. The reality is people in Bellary do not have enough money to make both ends meet. Children work in mines. No school. Not enough drinking water for everyone. These are the very people who elected (though I am not convinced, he was actually elected) Mr Reddy to the assembly. And he in turn donanted the 42 crore crown to the God. And Mr Reddy believes God actually made him the MLA.

In detail, the crown is made up of 32 kg of pure gold, 70,000 diamonds weighing 4000 carats, and a 890 carat African imported emerald. In contrast I am wondering, how many crores Mr Reddy had donated to any hospital which treats the very people who get hurt in his mines and get treatment in a hospital ? Has he ever imported some life saving drugs for the very people who actually toil in his mines to make on an average of $2 per day for a 5 member family to feed. Let alone get treatment. Let alone sending their children to schools.

What a blatant scathing display of superficial devotion to God who actually have never understood the pain of people from his own constituency. Haven't we learnt anything from the greatest philanthropists like Mr John D Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Warren Buffet, William Robert Gates Jr ? People from foreign countries donate money to control AIDS, treat malaria, construct schools in India. And so called our very democratically elected rulers donate a pile of precious metals to temples. Are we are boasting of roughly 50% of our population being in their 30s or 40s and have at least a bachelors degree to their credit. NASSCOM boasts itself being the foremost organization of the India's flagship IT supremacy in the world. The world regards India as a fastest growing economy in south east Asia.

I believe it would be fair to say, we have not grown with this culture of giving. How many of our celebrities actually involve themselves in a humanitarian activity ? Shahrukh Khan and Mr Bachchan are super stars because the average rickshaw puller in a poor dirty potholed city sheels out atleast 10 rupees to buy a cinema ticket to boost the overall box office collection of the so called superstars. But I never heard Mr Bachchan or Mr Khan donating some money to any hospital or any NGO for that matter. I am not saying its only the Bachchans or the king khan.

The Ambanis, the Premjis, the Mittals are continuously in the Forbes list of most wealthy billionaires. Apart from occasional charities, I have not heard them doing anything for the country. Instead the Ambanis build "international schools" for the richie riches of Mumbai. How many schools they have built for people who can not afford to send their kinds to govt funded schools because they don't want let go the daily wage of the child worker who feed the big family.
Mr Mittal flys his guests to a french castle for his daughters wedding, treats them to imported wines, imports flowers from Thailand for the decoration, but how many malaria vaccines he has supplied to the poor in India. Doesn't it sound embarrassing to call himself an celebrated Indian in front of the world ?

Mr Reddy, Mr Carnegie or Mr Rockefeller were also religious. They would have had probably built a gold coated church for Jesus if they had wanted to. But instead, they donated there entire wealth to the human cause. And rightly so Bill Gates and Warren Buffets have committed all , yes all of their wealth to human cause. Sure, we Indians boast of a rich history, rich cultural heritage. Sure, we claim education started in Nalanda and we invented the Zero. Sure we did. But we still lack in the education of loving a human being. We can donate 42 crores to a temple, but we fail to pay the right wage to the workers who spend their entire life making us rich.

I understand, corruption is everywhere. Greed is human nature. Show off is the other side of man's pride. But are we forgetting we are humans after all? The most intelligent species on earth. Are we forgetting, 45% of Indians still make under $1 per day and can not pay for a decent meal every day ? Are we forgetting a large number of our children can not afford school even today when we are announcing to the world that our GDP grows at 9% per year?

Mr Reddy, I believe you have the common sense to understand that you have just donated the 32kg Gold to the God who already holds tonnes of Gold in HIS locker which to my opinion does not even save one life and saves one children childhood. However, the donation surely gave you a place in history as the highest donor to the temple. But you should know, 42 crore would have actually opened a couple of schools, feed thousand hungry stomachs, saved some lives from AIDS and malaria. That would have been the right donation. That would have made you the real devotee in front of God.

I still have hope that we will learn from lives of Baba Amte and the like and someday understand the true worth of being a human being after all.

The CEC who is going out !

I dont know Mr G Gopalaswami. There is nothing you can find about him in the Internet. There is nothing good you could find in the Indian national news papers. The Times of India never ran any story on his work in the CEC or before. Not a single national newspaper in fact ran any story on his achievements in CEC or before. However, I see him as another TN Seshan who has been taken out before he could do any damage to any vested interest of our old vile politicians and particularly the Congress party. Before we go into this discussion, let me tell you, I am affiliated to any political party or any political establishment. That noway means I am not interested in politics. I am as interested as any young educated and old uneducated Indian would be. I am very much interested in politics. I was really enthusiastic in the last general election when a lot of Harvard, Oxford, IIT/IIM educated people jumped into the fray. I agree they did have good intentions. Everyone was looking towards a fast developing India and was a part of it. What happened to the Jindal, the Pilot, the Deora ?? Well, they became one of the run-of-the-mill politician listening to their parents or political mentors and see and only see how they benefit. Part of the blame goes to them and part of the all of the blame goes to the so called political mentors. But I have not lost hope. If Mr Lalu Prasad Yadav can think about the country and do something which has been appreciated all over the world, then I am sure, India will see the day. For sure.. 

Coming back to the Mr Gopalaswamy story we were discussing. We all sensible people know how the national establishments like the CBI, the CEC, the other improtant cabinet positions has been politicized. Its not new that these positions are politicized. They always were. But this time, the so generous Mrs Sonia Gandhi ( I really do not like she calls herself as Gandhi !!) has even politicized the post of the President of India. She connived to replace Mr Kalam who was much more eligible for the ultimate position than the Mrs Patil . (No offence, but I am not able to control my anger). So now, when Mr Gopalaswamy spoke against the establishment and tried to reveal the wrong doings of the Govt, he was thrown out like the Mr Seshan, Mr Kalam and so many others who have met the same fate. Now the puppet CEC who is a slave of the congress party will serve as the CEC and he will be rewarded for his allegiance for his loyalty for Mrs Sonia Gandhi. Shame Mr Chawla. You are much more efficient than the loyal Gandhians. Do something which you promised to do when you joined the elite group of administrators. 

Although, I never objected to Mrs Sonia Gandhi being in active politics in India and never questioned her so called foreign-ness, I am in two-minds now. What does she want ; Really !!. Where is she leading the country ? Is she even eligible to lead ? No doubt she is the president of the Congress party. Make no mistake , the very people who brought her in and the people like the Mr Mukherjee and Mr Singh and so on. The very people who never won an election and have been in the helm of affairs in the country just because they undoubtedly worshipped the Gandhis. And they were aptly rewarded. Otherwise we would never have had a home minister like Shivraj Patil. I dont know if he has ever completed his bachelors degree. No kidding.. 

Anyway, people like Mr Gopalaswamy who are the real people who can change something are shown the doors ! All I can do is wish him best of luck for his future and thank him for his selfless service to the country.

Indian Govt and 26/11

Sounds like a terrorist agenda I am forming here , isnt it ?

No, I love my country as much as any patriotic India does.

However, this is not same for our ministers and judges and other

so called government functionaries who are there to suck the tax payer money

and give interviews.. Oh yes, make statements like "I wont celebrate my birthday".

After the 26/11 attack on Indian financial capital, all we have seen is rhetoric and more

rhetoric. India threatening to do this and do that. They understand the Indian goverement more than anybody. In fact, there has been instances where ministers are linked to taking money to assist in terrorist attackes. Hmm. Sounds like a bollywood movie plot. but that the truth my friends !!. This time, the only shift I have seen is the PMO and the foreign ministry giving a little more audacious comments compared to usual ones. I know they wont do anything, but for the sake of it, atleast saying it.

So why I say we need one more attack ! Thats because it will take just one more attack for common people to take matter to their hands and do something about it because I think we should present bangles to our ministers for their valor in front of camera.

So one more attack to get the dead spirit awakened and bring out a revolution !! Enough is enough.

I know it leads to some more common people dying but are not they dying now itself in vain. Preciosu lives of people are taken for nothing. And our president is doing world tour with tax payers money !! So why not some more blood for a good cause. We need to listen to our imortal leaders like Netaji Subhash Chanda Bose. You need to shed some blood for peace. That is the truth. And it will take one more attack for Indians to realize that they need to save their own ass. No govt, atleast not the congress govt will do anything for them.

So sorry guys, if I have been so brazen, but thats what I mean !! I am just waiting for the day when people will understand violence will only lead to more violence. And at the same time, you should not tolerate injustice towards the helpless.

"I wont celebrate my birthday."

This is laughable, I swear. 

All indians and some of the international communities know what happened in 

11/26. This was the most audacious and "blow on your face" type attack on Indian financial capital

and major metro city.  And hotels like the Taj and Oberoi are the most luxurious and expensive hotels in India. I would never imagine that they can be attacked and held hostage for 72 hours. 

I would rathe rbelieve if someone attackes our airports and other government establishments because we know our police and law enforement officers. If they would they do their job, there is no single element in this world who would dare to do this.  Anyway. I was supposed to write on 

the "I wont celebrate my birthday".

In the wak eof this attack, our honorable PM said "we wont tolerate any form of terrorism on our soil." This I have been hearing since my childhood. Believe me. All the politicians and ministers say this when we have an attack. 

Then comes the kicker. Our so called "influencial" lady of Infdia says I wont celebrate my birth day. Well " Who cares ". So many people died. So many common people laid their lives protecting others. Bare handed constable saved so many lives. You Miss Gandhi roam around in Delhi with Z- security. Noone can touch you. When you go out, roads are blocked. People face lot of trouble and pray that when a common person starts for his office, no VIP like you are on roads , else he would be bound to be late. Pakistan every time blows us on our face and laugh at home. International community said its "horrible". Ita bad and blah blah. But Mrs Gandhi, the last word is, we should save our own ass. We should not wait someone to come and save us. And without doing that, what you say is " I wont celebrate my birth day." Who care please. stop this laughabl ecomments in press. This does not impress the widnow of the constable who dies in CST railway station attack. She has no income now and her child will be another uneducated no job young man in few years. Does she get anything if you dont celebrate your birth day. People get a good laugh and feel sorry for you Mam. Please stop this. 

Then our honorable president. First thing is, she replaced Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. Dr Kalam was the most loved and most active president ever in Indian history. He gave an identity to the Presidential post and was not merely roaming around the world in taxpayers money like our new Pres. I havbe seen since my childhood, when someone becomes Indian President, he/she goes on world tour with their families and absolutely do NOTHING. I would say, if you cant do any good, atleast stop spending taxpayers money and save the planet too. Dont just go glod trotting. When Mumbai attack happened, our president was gold trotting. 

The bad thing is, even some of International leaders said something and condemned Pakistan for its act. But our President does not have the guts to say anything. Instead she announced " I wont celebrate my birthday ". Well Mrs President, "who cares ". And also I would plead you to stop taking your so called unusable husband on your world tours. I dont see any reason why he would spend tax payers money just because he is our Presidents husband. Again Mrs President, please try to learn from Dr Kalams legacy and honor the identity of the post you are holding. 

We know how you got there. And we know, you do not possess any caliber to hold that post. So understand the sentiments of common people like me and do something. Atleast try. 

And my last request to Mrs Gandhi. Please stop devisive politics and puppet governements in India. We know you have the power. But dont force inactive Presidents and weak PMs on us. 

If you want to be remembered as a great politician and do any honor to the Gandhi name, please clear the way for clean and honest politics and same Indian people.

And you think we will be ok !

So far this is the calculation. Please excuse some here and there billion ! if I have missed.

And add to that, $20 billion in Citi and to guarantee as much as $306 billion.

 

Term Auction Facility = 900 billion
Commercial Banks = 99.2 billion
Investment Banks = 56.7 billion
Loans to buy ABCp = 76.5 billion
AIG = 112.5 billion
Bear Sterns = 29.5 billion
Term Securities Lending Facility = 225 billion
Swap Lines = 613 billion
Money Market Investor Funding Facility = 540 billion
Commercial Paper Funding Facility = 257
Treasury Asset Relief Program = 700 billion
Automakers = 25 billion
Federal Housing Administration = 300 billion
Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac = 350 billion

Total $4,284,400,000,000

So, as per the popular notion, we are trying to fix the economy and improve confidence of people, pat the banking system at their back saying, well, dont worry we are there ( Uncle Sam does this on behalf of tax payers ! ) , unfreeze the credit market so on...

So with this, where are we going ? With all this enormous amount of money being lended to the banks, auto companies, insurance companies etc, what is the long term impact ? Even though, situations improve, how is the future look like ? How will we recover the money ? How much will we owe the anonymous creditors to the treasury ? What are the terms for getting this money ? and million other questions ! 

It may sound amateurish, but when and how the fed is going to recover the money and how the Fed is going to pay off the debt ? 

It may sound simple to a economist, but for me ; a main street middle class person, it sounds a black hole with no path back !!!

Please share your views !!

Thanks

BIswajit

Our Digital Footprint

I have always wandered, what kind of foot print we are leaving in this digital world.

All of us are aware of blogs, social networking sites, public forums etc etc and the list goes in a web2.0 world. I believe all of the mediums do maintain some form of private data about the user to maintain the session or in simple cases, provide the service you intend to receive from them. So when we no longer want to use any service, or simply stop using the service, we often do not go ahead and close/remove our data from the service providers. Also, even though, we do close our account or remove ourselves, we still do not know what happens to our private data. One classis example is, gmail (www.gamil.com) the popular free email service from Google, does nto delete any email even though you delete them from yoru view. 

Though we do not know, who and why someone would be interested in my personal data in near or far away future, we know our service providers keep it. Even when we are long gone from this world, we still leave some kind of footprint in this world. 

I came across a nice article about this in here:

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&articleId=328752

Until my next musing,

Biswajit