Audacious

Compared to Obama, Bill Clinton seems like George Washington

PS. I still think that Obama is going to be the next president of USA. I also think he is dishonest to the core, a cynical politician selling snake oil.

Orgies (As perceived from vantage point of racial reconcilation)

The way he sees it, interracial orgies are the new golf *

Some days I just hate my job.

Faltu Philosophizing

H.E. writes, "but the difficult question here is not what is to be done with him, but what is to be done with us."

Hey Bhagwan! This earth can not bear the burden of such ignoramuses. Time for deluge. This time, leave Mr. and Mrs. Ass.

Profundity for the day

Anything that is not uthappam is a perversion of the uthappam. Waffle is a pancake with window panes.*

You got to be kidding me

With pre-emptive apologies to Prasannaji, what the hell is Rahul Dravid doing in IPL. Look, no offense, he is a good player with strong defense, solid technique and boring stroke play. The kind of player you can be sure will not cheat his wife for some starlet. However the man takes twenty overs to just set his guard.

Remember the idea that those bastards persons of unknown parentage at Yash films stole. Turns out that voice over for bitch is being done by, I kid you not, Kareena Kapoor. Authenticity.

Democracy in the 'hood

Maoists to scrap 1950 Indo-Nepal treaty

Have fun baby.

Tragedy of democracy

... is that it is too accurate a representation of people's expression

I need a new Ironymeter - II

Thackeray hails Munde, says he restored democracy in BJP

I see discrimination

Belatedly it has dawned upon me that despite the best intentions of our founding fathers, the seeds of division are still being sown in the innocent mind of our children. What is worse, this despicable indoctrination happens in front of our eyes, but we are too naive to realize horrible implication of this seemingly trivial act. If this is not shocking enough, the perpetrators of this casteist act are the parents themselves.

I refer, of course to concept of tiffin boxes. Wait a minute, you must be thinking, what has this got to do with caste, after all, tiffin boxes are just meant so that caring parents can pack a nutritious lunch for their kids, right ? Absolutely wrong ! Please realize that by the very act of packing lunch they are exercising choice. Choice to refused to be assimilated in a casteless society, choice to practice segregation. This is nothing but indoctrination of most sublime nature intended to perpetuate the blight of caste. Why, I ask, kids can't be fed like pigs, that is in a trough. I mean if that is the way we intend to tolerate casteist bigotry, we could as well segregate drinking water for different castes. What next, asking people to tie bell around the neck so that these kids are not corrupted by their shadows while they are having their nutritious lunch in their lunch boxes.

When I see tiffin or when I hear choice, I hear caste and I hear different tiffins for different castes, and I think: why don't we carry this idea forward, why don't we have different nations for different castes?.

This enlightenment brought to you by this post.

Aphorism: Liberalism

Liberalism is Nihilism with sunny disposition.

It's 3:00 a.m.

It's 3:00 a.m. and your children are safe and asleep, but there is a phone in white house and it is ringing. *

(Phone Ringing)

President Obama : Hummph ?

Secretory of state : Mr. President, Iran is on verge of launching nuclear weapons against Israel. The estimate at this point is that Israel will quickly launch a massive retaliation, with devastating consequence on global scale. We have a problem, Sir. Your call.

President Obama : Why can't I just finish my waffle ?

Secretory of state : Huh ? Dude it's 3:00 a.m., who eats waffles at 3:00 a.m., and why am I even discussing this ! Sir, Iran has gone postal ! Your order !

President Obama : Now listen here fella, I am here to elevate the political discourse, and for you to stymie my attempts with the very sort of distraction, that I have always decried is just not done ! Now if you don't mind can I finish my waffles.

Secretory of state : I am bitter. I think I will go and cling to my gun.

President Obama : Sure you don't want any waffles.

Secretory of state : Screw you guys, I am going home.

President Obama : Mmm waffles.

A cautionary tale

A cautionary tale for goat lover

And

One for cow lover.

The Exile

Let me say this, I belong to no land. For I have been rejected, my dignity denied, my honour scorned. My rights have been trampled, any claim to equality crushed by the boots of a perverted sense of egalitarianism, by an ideology gone mad, claiming retribution for its pathetic failure to find the promised land, in disguise of exacting revenge for inequities of centuries begone. My claim for simple human decency cruelly mocked and jeered by guardian angels of social justice. Worse, even my right to name injustice as such has been denied by the vapid rhetoric of connoisseurs of Marxist dogma. I have lost my country, ejected by the tyranny of ballot.

Lok Sabha Elections: Premature Analysis

Here is what I think.

Congress is going to lose, reasons are obvious. Anti Incumbency. Out of control inflation which by all indication is going to continue its run till next year. A opportunistic arrangement whereby a lame duck PM with no authority, and a clueless but cunning Super PM with no responsibility, shares the levers to power, which might have got approval of secular liberal establishment, has always troubled the middle class.

Now normally that should have meant advantage principal opposition party. As it turns out, that is not going to be the case. For one, in India National elections are aggregate of local sentiments, which means that BJP itself has lots of anti incumbency to deal with, in form of state governments. If this is not enough, there is no hope for BJP in UP. Also, the way in which BJP has conducted itself, with a directionless behaviour guided more by knee jerk reflex instead of attempting to formulate a coherent response to changed conditions, has meant that it no longer enthuses the middle class its core.

Which means that this election may see resurgence of third front. If that is the case I bet my money on Sharad Pawar or Mayawati* mostly because he is pro growth with a positive outlook. Among the two, my preference is Sharad Pawar, but even more crucial is to ensure that left is no where no power. Which means that BJP should give outside support, if thats what it takes. For BJP the advantage will be it will be able to regroup without having to contend with adverse media propaganda, or blatant attempt by left to abuse the power against it.

* What about Purachi Thailavi? Could she be the wild card ? Who knows !

PS. I am still waiting for the answers.

Building religion

For Obama lovers

Sick

End of days.

Beginning next Tuesday, Shvarts will be displaying her senior art project, a documentation of a nine-month process during which she artificially inseminated herself “as often as possible” while periodically taking abortifacient drugs to induce miscarriages…

The “fabricators,” or donors, of the sperm were not paid for their services, but Shvarts required them to periodically take tests for sexually transmitted diseases. She said she was not concerned about any medical effects the forced miscarriages may have had on her body. The abortifacient drugs she took were legal and herbal, she said, and she did not feel the need to consult a doctor about her repeated miscarriages…

The display of Schvarts’ project will feature a large cube suspended from the ceiling of a room in the gallery of Green Hall. Schvarts will wrap hundreds of feet of plastic sheeting around this cube; lined between layers of the sheeting will be the blood from Schvarts’ self-induced miscarriages mixed with Vaseline in order to prevent the blood from drying and to extend the blood throughout the plastic sheeting.

Schvarts will then project recorded videos onto the four sides of the cube. These videos, captured on a VHS camcorder, will show her experiencing miscarriages in her bathrooom tub, she said. Similar videos will be projected onto the walls of the room.

Why I am not a libertarian (or a liberal)

If some punk called his mother bitch, I would be offended, and in all probability I soak him, regardless of law.

I have a dream...

where Omega is the new Alpha.

Yeah Baby

I am shocked, shocked ... II

that congress is looking to dynasty to lead, that Arjun Singh is trying to ingratiate himself to Madam Sonia, that he is "undermining" Manmohan Singh. *

What do people at TOI smoke anyway.

Let it be recorded here....

That Indian blogosphere sucks, that it sucks irredeemably and that it is my firm opinion

Read somewhere ...

Libertarianism is voluntary autism

Aphorism : Communism

Communism is a affliction of bourgeois, for this is what happens when reasons tries to replace faith.
Masses are always the last one to forgo of faith, and even then perhaps they never really renounce their faith.

Question

Is climate really chaotic in technical sense ?

Blogging while being Omega male

Relationship: Kryptonite for Omega males. Must avoid at all costs.

James Bond: God of all Omega males.

A nation in denial

Nepal Maoist win positive development: Pranab

Prachanda has to prove himself worthy of the mandate. Give him a chance to do so

Because they ruled for thousand years

It is not often that I find myself agreeing with Tavleen Singh, this is one of those rare occasions when I do. In one sentence, it is the history, the idea, the identity of Islam which is in struggle with India. Further the only closure favourable to India is disassociation of Indian Muslims from transnational Ummah.

Not that I agree completely. I find she is mistaking effect for cause, when she argues that religion has conceded public space to secular, and retreated to private. In fact, I would like to think it of something of a tragedy.

These Americans are way too crazy

Dear Ravikiran,

Count your blessings, you were lucky. Others, not so much.

Aphorism

One of the most ridiculous phenomenon that one observes is a tenured philosopher.

Now that I think of it...

War on terror is a victim of metaphorical hazard.

Awesome !

The sad tribe

If one comes to think of it the atheist tribe which infests interwebs must be the saddest one, for they rally around not any idea, but negation of idea. Hence the constant self righteousness, and overbearing sense of urgency.

In that sense Atheism is like an Abrahamic faith, without the benefit of God. Or perhaps communism of soul. The end of science heralded by worship of science.

PS. It will be more accurate to say modern atheist. Epicureans were atheists, as were Buddhist in a fashion. Even Nietzsche was one, but at least one knew where they were coming from.

PPS. Being rationalist is not same as being atheist. In fact it can be argued the foundation for rationalism was built by believers (Occam, Aquina et al)

PPPS. Yes I have said this before. In different words.

History repeats itself

First as Datta Samant [1], second as Raj Thackeray [2]

Question

What is more dear to God ? True conceit. Or false modesty.

Aphorism: Nature

Nature properly understood is a cruel tyranny. Struggle for survival is drive behind desire for authority and deliberate suppression of others. It is only after humans secured the safety in form of society that they could throw off the yoke of Nature. Seen in this light freedom is an artificial construct with no possible meaning beyond the context of human society.

Aphorism extended

The word Fascism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies "something not desirable."

George Orwell ("Politics and the English Language")

The word Secularism has now no meaning except in so far as it signifies "something desirable."

doubtinggaurav ("Something like life")


Hence, kicking puppies is fascist, whereas feeding them is secular. I like kicking puppies.

Question

Previous post reminds me, why for heavens sake Old Testament is so obsessed with gays. To me, it seems that Levant in antiquity was a frightful place for males. Ironically the only scripture that I have ever read is King James Bible

Breaking News

I have managed to break my headphone, fifth in last two years. The only consolation is that most of the headphones were borrowed from cubicle neighbours, though somehow I have the feeling that people don't like me anymore. Must go to a different floor.

PS. Will someone tell this moron that only some one with IIT plus IIM degree can be this conceited. Hey Bhagwan.

Update : Shocking news, do you realize people what is abbreviation of Seriously Sandeep, SS. Sandeep is a Nazi! Big Boob was correct.

Inexcusable oversight

Recently Ezra Klein (An American blogger) wrote an article (via) on a topic which doesn't get the importance it deserves, and whatever it deserves is in horribly perverted. It is prison rape, to be precise, prison rape for male convicts.

What piqued me was it reminded me of an article I read in Reader's Digest long back which recounted the horror of American penal system. Now while the articles concerns America and I don't have the information pertaining to India, (although it goes without saying that Indian penal system is bound to be far from perfect ) what I find striking is the following two general but somewhat related aspects.

One from my general knowledge, despite this being a very grave violation, and one that can be stopped, no serious efforts by authorities are forthcoming. The reason for this is authorities consider rape as a serious deterrent against crime. Now this may seem to be logical if seen in light of male fear of being raped, I am not sure empirical data will support the premise. But, to me its effectiveness is least of my problem. By allowing this to happen the authorities are allowing the scarring of victim's psyche by trauma of experience, beyond repair. Which means that when the victim prisoner comes out of prison, he can not be rehabilitated in the society, for he has lost the self esteem, and any with that any measure of respect for society at large. Instead what we have is a mistrustful, even a sociopath, who proceeds to destroy himself and takes society along with him. Speaking even broadly, the society which tolerates such an atrocity loses its moral authority, and its member mutual respect, and consideration for fellow men.

Second is how is this a source of humour (example this video). Now it can be argued that humour is derived from the fact that the wicked are getting their rewards, however if retribution was the source then perhaps it would apply in case of females. However, to best of my knowledge, it isn't. I suspect, some kind of psychology has a role here. Perhaps the idea that it is considered humourous has to do is similar to previous point that that actually males have deep psychological fright of the possibility, which is why it is kind of black humour something on lines of gallows humour, or cannibal jokes. Anyhow notwithstanding any humorous aspect, the issue deserves attention according to its importance.

PS. Are there studies on whether sexual molestation is more traumatic for males or for females. I think it should be males, but this is just a conjecture.

PPS. In the analogous case for females, the reaction is changed. Instead of humour, it becomes a subject of fantasy.

Make your move

Al gore, for the hands are finally dead, and cold (Video link)

Godspeed Charlton Heston

Dear Bono

In case you are still on Africa case, may be you can help, by asking for removal of Robert Mughabe, because you know, having an inflation rate of 400,000 per cent is a bit inconvenient for poor.

QOTD

Unfortunately, Obama missed an opportunity to explain that he was bowling so badly because he was under sniper fire.*

Jonah Goldberg delivers.

Remembering William Buckley

Interesting article by John O' Sullivan, tracing emergence of conservatism and Buckley's role in it.

Nightmare continues

To all out there who are having life, you must have thought that the nightmare was over. What are you ? Some blond busty cheerleader? Know this, evil is forever, nightmare never end, every successful movie in slasher genre begets a franchise. Without further adieu. Dedicated to SSSS (Shri Shri Sharan Sharma ji)

Sudden Profundity

Internet is last refuge of Omega male

Why Save Tiger (Updated)

Update at the end of post

While writing previous post, a question struck me. Why, should we conserve tigers in the first place? Or more precisely, why should government intervene to conserve tiger at all. As I thought over it, I could find no clear reason. So let me present my case, for sake of clarity, I categorize the possible reasons first due to emotional consideration and second after rational analysis, with myself leaning towards emotional.

a. We have a natural empathy towards Tiger (or any animal), which is why animal cruelty is an issue, and in this case survival of species.

b. We are fascinated by Tiger. It is a majestic, graceful animal (albeit with poor oral hygiene), and appeals to our imagination, inner poet so as to say.

c. An attraction for wild. Although it has been quite some time since humans came out of wild, there still is a sense of mystery and magic for our erstwhile habitat, and it is natural to want to preserve it.

As I said earlier I am more open to emotional arguments, for the simple reason that human society is secured by certain emotional preconditions, that collective psyche affects the stability of society, and therefore there is a cost to emotions shared by public, further this cost is not easily calculated or even quantifiable, the best approximation depending upon context.
So yes, I am not averse to the above three arguments provided the economic cost is not too prohibitive. Which is why there are animal cruelty laws or cow slaughter prohibition in the first place.
However I am not sure that conservation of tiger has any significant emotional costs to require state intervention (I will be frank I do not like carnivores or omnivores for that matter, so I really I don't care whether they remain or not).

Now we reach rational consideration. The biggest rational argument is thus, Tiger has a crucial role in ecology as apex predator, therefore its extinction will result in ecological imbalance possibly of a catastrophic scale with a significant economic cost justifying government intervention. I am not sure I agree. Study of ecological balance is very complicated subject requiring a vast amount of data obtained from field surveys and rigorous analysis using robust models. To best of my knowledge this is at best an inexact science, and there are not enough verifiable results to assign a degree of reliability. Therefore, in my opinion, the argument is a dubious one. Further evidence available with us doesn't support the argument. Population of tiger in India decreased from 40,000 in 1900 to less than 2000 at present, while this decrease may or may not have adverse impact, none has been of a scale which can be deemed as catastrophic. Therefore I am more or less that even if tigers were to become totally extinct from present minuscule number the there would be no disaster in the pipeline.

Before I end, I would like to make some general points. One, I know extinction of species is a high profile issue, but extinction of species has been norm throughout history of life, so tigers won't be first to become extinct. Second in the high decibel creed which goes with the name of environmentalism, ecology is always projected as fragile. This is not always true. Ecology varies with location, in some places it is fragile, in other robust, therefore the adjustment to stable equilibrium that ecology makes to human population growth and resulting intervention may vary from place to place. We survived extinction of Mammoth or saber-toothed tiger or American Bison. Third our knowledge of environment, especially knowledge we can act upon, is woefully inadequate, and it may take quite a bit of time and research before we understand the dynamics of environment, considering this, when we intervene to conserve environment we must make sure those actions have connection to the perceived threats. So while conservation of environment is a good thing, we are far from the stage when we can fine tune environment.

In other words, curb your enthusiasm, folks !

Over to you.

PS. This is limited to government intervention, and doesn't rule out any private solution(s).

Update 1: There might be some confusion reading the post. I am not saying government should intervene only if there is some catastrophe, I am essentially arguing that outside of emotional consideration, rational consideration dictates that any such intervention is based upon cost-benefit analysis. Note, this is not straightforward as there is always some human cost involved which may not be easily factored in economic cost.

What I wanted to emphasize was that every environmental concern is not a catastrophe, which is going to endanger the planet.

Update 2: Ok, a related point, just thought it is better to be explicit about it. Diversity is one of the catchphrases of environmentalism. Now diversity is a good thing, but conservation of diversity has a cost, the cost is human progress. I will again emphasize that for any environmental policy to work, it has to consider the costs of development as well as conservation. Most importantly environmental conservation is not the ultimate aim, it is just a means, final goal being the well being of humanity, this is also the true meaning of sustainable development.

Update 3: My bad, In all this discussion, I forgot to state my position, which while may differ in specific cases, is generally in favour of conservation. Primarily because being a vegetarian I abhor killing animals. Also as I emphasized environmental science is an inexact science with predictions hard to come by, now human society is witnessing an exponential rate of growth which is causing tremendous stress on environmental equilibrium. In absence of further information and considering that environment is a complex system, I would like to err on side of caution.

Let it be recorded

That I was pissing on Amir Khan, before it was cool to piss on him.

Jokes aside, his apologia is despicable or par for the course depending on your opinion of him.

Only a egomaniac narcissist like Amit Khan can stoop to the level of indicting his country in order to defend himself. That also shows he is no patriot, his so called patriotic movie actually was about killing George Fernandes.

I could go on, but it is better to read what Shri Raman, Shri Prasanna, and The Fallen One has written.

Yesss

I demand Padam Sri for Steyn

Skeptic Enviromentalist

1. Life on Earth will survive anything by humanity.

2. Humanity will most probably survive itself through prudence/good luck.

3. We are still a long way from micro managing environment. Research, research & research.

4. Mat 7:15 Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Question

Dear minions,

What exactly is funny about Stuff white people like ? Now don't tell me joke is in stereotyping, I get stereotyping humour, problem is for it to work there must be some distinctive identity to stereotype. In most of the cases it is either ethnic (Jewish, Asian etc) or professional (Doctor, Lawyer). Now there is no distinctive "white" identity, Irish yes, Italian sure, even redneck/cracker but white, no way.

Now one may plead metaness, that this is a satire on propensity to stereotype ethnicities mostly in a negative way, which is all well and good for one or two times in a Onion way, but for so long! Seriously Joke has overstayed its welcome laddies, time to move on.

Update : One of my loyal minions is confounded. No white people != WASP. WASP (White Anglo Saxon Protestant) can be more accurately applied at North-East US, that is New England, some features, puritan heritage, urban, intellectually active, liberal. Also known as Yanks. In contrast those in southern US, although white are termed as redneck/cracker (both terms highly derogatory).

Confession

(Previous confessions [1], [2])

Dear readers,

It is terrible, but I have to confess. You may remember the days when WWF (now WWE) used to be popular among kids. That is excluding myself. I hated it, and what I hated even more was those stupid trading cards and students trading them. So, driven by pique, I started informing the teachers, resulting in confiscation and punishment of students, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I was a snitch. I am sorry.

QOTD

I met Max Mosley at a party many years ago. Can't recall how the evening ended, but, if it had been on a table being flayed by an SS dominatrix, I'm sure I'd remember.*

Once again Mark Steyn

Why world needs p0rn

*

Now that is rich, Part 2

Barabanki district authorities issued a notice to the Amitabh Bachchan accusing him of undervaluing the stamp duty on a plot of land he bought in the area.*

The ADM (Finance) said that the cost of the land was Rs 843,639 but it was shown as Rs 6,000 less and accordingly the actor paid Rs 695 less in stamp duty

So people now you know how Mayawati got the reputation for being tough. Reality is, she is vindictive as hell. Sadly this form of political vendetta is almost the norm, and not the exception in Gangetic belt. The place where I hail from, is the civilizational wasteland. It's a shame, really.

A pernicious equivalence (Updated)

Update at end of post

I must admit that there is something I find deeply troubling about Sarabjit affair.

The minor one is of course the propensity of BJP to turn anything and everything into an opportunity to bait our PM. Now I am hardly a fan of Manmohan Singh, but this kind of juvenile, knee jerk behaviour hardly behooves a party which leads a nationalist movement. Sadly this is something which the Delhi Darbar which holds the sway in BJP doesn't wish to acknowledge.

But the more troubling aspect is communal equivalence between Sarabjit and Afzal Guru. Now Afzal Guru has been found guilty after due process of law, and unwillingness of UPA government to carry out sentence to appease Muslim vote bank is shameful, to say the least.

However the demand that Afzal be hanged in lieu of Sarabjit is astonishing to say the least. I can understand the need of retribution, but in normal order of things law and legal process must be strictly adhered to unless the thirst for revenge wreak disorder and anarchy in the society.
Further I am discomfited by the notion that Afzal must be hanged, not because he is a criminal but because he is a Muslim and therefore by extension a Pakistani. Needless to say this kind of thinking process which associates even Indian Muslims with Pakistan (and a variant of which is observed in the argument that better relation between India and Pakistan will translate into Hindu-Muslim harmony in India), only worsens the situation.

As I have pointed out earlier that the only way that India can remain united forget aspire to become a superpower is if Indian Muslims are persuaded to discard the transnational identity of Ummah. This ill informed demand does the opposite, by its presupposition it only strengthens this allegiance, of more concern it ensures that Pakistan gets to act as a representative of Indian Muslims in what is an internal matter of India.

Update. As Frogji points out, this may be a case of rumour mongering.

Bravo Bhutia

Bhutia to skip Olympic torch relay. He has more guts than feckless UPA government.

What is my problem

With womynism. Two words. Vagina Monologues.

PS. I may have mentioned this earlier.

PPS. What I loathe even more is Indian males who cheer this crowd. Seriously being honorary womynist is passe.