SRK questioned in US

What kind of intelligence did the custom’s guys at Newark airport have? If they don’t even have information to recognize a famous star, then it only shows that the intelligence is very poor!

Clean Coal = Healthy Cigarette

In the past few months I have been seeing a lot of ads on how ‘Clean Coal’ could help produce electricity in US (US has one of the largest coal reserves in the world). Apparently all of that was an eyewash (aka greenwash): There is no such thing as clean coal. IF you burn coal one of the main products is CO2. There is no coal based power plant today that captures and sequesters CO2. Also, it does not seem like there is going to be one in the near future as the current technology for capturing and sequestering CO2 is very costly. So why are there ads about clean coal?
Apparently coal is as clean as a cigarette is healthy!
You must watch this video

International news in USA?

International news is usually nowhere to be seen in USA. In fact, in US, the word ‘World’ is a synonym for USA (If you don’t beleive me google the word ‘world series’ and the first three search terms will lead you to pages on World Series of Major League Baseball of USA). Very very few people actually read about the rest of the world in spite of being able to reach any world media through internet in a second.

The US media also makes sure to keep the people of US ignorant of any world events by  making sure that there is not a single program focused on international issues. If you would like any proof, just visit the ABC ‘World News’ site, you will usually not find any international news. If by any chance there is any international news it would be about US forces in Iraq. (Among the three news stories today on ABC World News, two of them were about President Elect of US and the Economic woes in US; the third story was about Blackwater contractor guards in Iraq).

It is in this light that I was quite surprised to see a special one time documentary for two hours on some past international events related to genocide in the recent past as reported by Christiana Amanpour. (The program is called Scream Bloody Murder).   The documentary is itself quite interesting and reminds people of a number of gory genocides such as the ones in Cambodia, Iraq, Bosnia, Rwanda, Darfur (ironically all of them happening because of apathy of the people of the ‘world’ towards international happenings).

The only reason this documentary is being being screened now is because apparently Christiana Amanpour is taking a break from international reporting to take care of her child. Now that she is also gone from the international scene, I think now there is no one person who is entirely concentrated on international reporting. When will people in US start caring about happenings around the world?

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By the way, the program also talks about the current genocide happening in Darfur (Sudan). These sites give a good view of what is happening in Darfur and what you can do to stop the genocide: www.savedarfur.org , www.sudanreeves.org

After blasts, now protocols

I heard through CNN IBN that Vilas Rao Deshmukh is not resigning today because of protocol issues. Apparently CM is required to go and receive the President of India when the President visits the capital of the state. Why do we still carry on these arcane traditions? Why is the taxpayper’s money being wasted for providing security and causing traffic congestions when CM goes to visit the President at the airport? Doesn’t the CM have any more important things to do other than to receive the President of his own country?  It is this kind arcane protocols and red tape that is preventing the progress of India.

Some positive events after the tragedy

* President Zardari promises Indians that he will do everything possible to solve this terrorism issue: News Report and  Video

I am appalled, I am hurt, I am bleeding. Your wound brings attention to my wound, it is also very recent. I stand with the people of India. I stand with the leadership of India. I am sorry that you are going through this. I can see this on the TV. Today’s infotech brings all the pain to us in our bedrooms, in our homes.

* The common citizens of Pakistan are also fed up with terrorism and are in solidarity with Indians on the issue of terrorism. See this blog from Pakistan which I found on Global Voices:

I, too, am a Mumbaikar today.I wish I could reach out and for just one moment hold the hands of the woman in this AP photograph. Maybe shed some tears on her shoulder. But I do not know what I would say to her. I do not think she would want me to say much. The expression on her face matches the feeling I have at the pit of my stomach and in the depth of my heart. I think – I hope – that she would understand how I feel. I can only imagine what she is going through.

In another story, Indian express reported that Modi was unwelcome at Karkare family’s home:

A family source said, “The state protocol officer called up first and we informed that we did not wish to meet anyone. Two more calls from Modi’s office followed and we responded the same way. Modi then came on his own and unannounced.”

* Narendra Modi was appropriately snubbed by Karkare’s wife. Indian express reports:

The family of slain Maharashtra ATS chief Hemant Karkare has declined Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s offer of monetary help, sources said on Saturday.

* Narendra Modi also stoped by Oberoi hotel to exploit the situation and try some really cheap tricks. New York Times reports:

At midmorning on Friday, as Indian troops continued to comb through the devastated Oberoi hotel, an unexpected guest appeared on the sidewalk: Narendra Modi, a Hindu nationalist from the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party and arguably India’s most incendiary politician.

* Narendra Modi’s double speak reported by Economic Times:

Parivar doublespeak: Villain in life, hero in death:

In fact, Mr Modi himself had attacked the ATS for the “biased” probe into the Malegaon blasts. So much so that the BJP and Sangh Parivar organisations had personally blamed Karkare for what they claimed “implicating the Hindu religious leaders and outfits” in the probe.

Mumbai attacks: Mainstream media vs Blogosphere/Internet

I have been following both the American and Indian news media very closely ever since the tragedic events in Mumbai started unfolding. In the beginning, the American media started ‘pre-emptive’ action to protect Pakistan from any blame. I think the American media wanted to protect Pakistan in order to avoid distracting american people to protect their own interests in Afghanistan. Unfortunately, American media’s pre-emptive protection was done in a not so subtle manner (especially on MSNBC. CNN was a bit more subtle and maintained that anybody could have done it).  American seems to want to set the tone for their government’s agenda. American media is to a large extent biased.

Fortunately for us, in this day and age, when every corner of the world easily accessible at the click of a mouse button, it is quite difficult to maintain a poker face and keep the truth away from anybody. This attack has been reported in almost real time by pretty much every news source in the world. People have also been getting their news from citizen journalists through twitter, flickr and blogs. The internet has become such an important means for transmitting news that the main stream media has also recognized it now. As soon as the attack happened, the first pictures came through flickr and CNN’s first photographs of the attack were the photos posted on flickr. In fact CNN itself acknowledged that it was getting much of the information at initial stages through the site Global Voices Online.

I feel that internet and web 2.0 will be an important role in highlighting people’s voice without any spin and keeping a check on media bias anywhere in the world.

American media bias

I see some clear trend in American trend in trying to cover up any hint of Pakistani hand in this terror attack.  There has already been news reports coming in about a person of British origin possibly having links with Pakistan being involved in this attack. But before such news came in American media started spinning news stories about how disenchanted the muslims in India were: Times article. Even before any evidences were collected, American media has been trying to making great efforts to remove any link between Pakistan and the attacks. They have been trying to want to portray these terrorists as ‘local’ Indian terrorists. But when news stories started appearing about the captured terrorist of British origin possibly having links to Pakistan the American media especially CNN and MSNBC not much was said about that on the American news channels.

Does the American media think that it is only their right to blame Pakistan for terrorist activities originating from Pakistan? Media bias is quite strong in US. I am pretty sure Americans would love to have an unbiassed media. It would really help them in the long run for both America and the entire world.

912 Hrs 28 Nov: MSNBC news host constantly tries to mock the idea that Lashkar could be involved in this incident even though MSNBC’s own news correspondents were trying to point out that Lashkar could be involved.

935 Hrs 28 Nov: MSNBC reports that Lashkar a Kashmiri terrorist group is probably involved (and then goes on to say that Kashmir has a muslim majority state within a Hindu majority counrty India). Does this mean that Kashmir is to be blamed? MSNBC can not skew this news any further. MSNBC does not mention anything about Lashkar being supported by ISI in the past (and probably present). Also the host asks the question about if Lashkar is linked to ISI and mentions that just because Lashkar is involved does not imply ISI being involved.   Nice spin MSNBC. Keep up the spin. Avoid all news reporting.

The biased reporters in MSNBC should have a look at this article on Lashkar E Toiba on wikipedia. It says:

Lashkar-e-Taiba (Urdu: لشكرِ طيبه laškar-ĕ ṯaiyyiba, literally Army of the Good (commonly translated as Army of the Righteous), also transliterated as Lashkar-i-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, Lashkar-e-Tayyiba or Lashkar-i-Taiba) is one of the largest and most active Islamist terrorist organizations in South Asia. Hafiz Muhammad Saeed^[1] founded the organization in Kunar province, Afghanistan. Lashkar-e-Taiba is currently based near Lahore, Pakistan and operates several militant training camps in Pakistan-administered Kashmir.^[2] Lashkar-e-Taiba members have carried out major attacks against India and its primary objective is to end Indian rule in Kashmir.^[3] Some breakaway Lashkar members have also been accused for carrying out attacks in Pakistan, particularly in Karachi, to mark its opposition to the policies of Pervez Musharraf.^[4]The organization is banned as a terrorist organization by India, Pakistan, the United States,^[5] the United Kingdom,^[6] Russia^[7] and Australia.^[8] According to some sources, Laskar-e-Taiba renamed itself to Jama’at-ud-Da’wah (JUD) in January 2002 to escape the ban imposed by the Pakistani government.^[9]

Good for nothing: CNN, MSNBC, FOX

I was trying to find out the latest happenings in Mumbai this evening. All that I was able to see was Anderson Cooper presenting some award to someone, Hannity’s America on Fox and some shady prison documentary on MSNBC. Why do they call themselves News Channels?

I had to rely on websites from BBC and other indian sites to find out the latest videos and news stories. What do these channels acheive by keeping the American population ignorant of world news? American media: Shame on you.

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2227 Hrs Nov 27: The only news channel that is broadcasting any news about the Mumbai attacks right now is CNBC (which is a business news channel). Pathetic!

Fuelly

Fuelly.com : Great website to track your car’s fuel economy. Has a mobile version too. Also allows import and export of data through .csv files.

McCain and Bush

Jon Stewart compares McCain and Bush:

http://www.comedycentral.com/videos/index.jhtml?videoId=184111