Wow, and we all thought Sarah Palin was sweet but idiotic. Joe Biden looks very Senatorial and lawyerly, but dredging through his quotes, you'd think the guy was a Republican. Has Obama told him anything?

What Biden thinks of McCain...

Biden, on a post-debate appearance on MSNBC, October 30, 2007: "The only guy on the other side who’s qualified is John McCain." And on The Daily Show (August 2, 2005): "John McCain is a personal friend, a great friend, and I would be honored to run with or against John McCain, because I think the country would be better off".

But he must like Obama, right?

Not quite. Assessing Obama’s Iraq plan on September 13, 2007: "My impression is [Obama] thinks that if we leave, somehow the Iraqis are going to have an epiphany".

But he thinks he'll be a good President, surely? In a New York Observer interview, he doubts whether American voters are going to elect "a one-term guy who has served for four years in the Senate" and added "I don’t recall hearing a word from Barack about a plan or a tactic." Then in an interview with the Huffington Post, he assessed Obama and Hillary Clinton: "The more people learn about them (Obama and Hillary) and how they handle the pressure, the more their support will evaporate." Oh dear.

Biden for President Campaign Manager Luis Navarro said “Senator Obama said he would do everything possible to end the war in Iraq and emphasized the need for a political solution yet he failed to show up to vote for Senator Biden’s critical amendment to provide a political solution in Iraq." ( September 26, 2007)

So he approves of the Change campaign?

No. "When this campaign is over, political slogans like ‘experience’ and ‘change’ will mean absolutely nothing. The next president has to act." (December 11, 2007)

But he likes people of color, surely?

Maybe not. Speaking to the New York Observer, Biden said: "I mean, you got the first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy." Hopefully he thinks Gwen Ifill is articulate, bright and clean since, you know, she's, er, not...well... white. Blacks apparently are responsible for why schools are performing better in Iowa than DC, too: "There’s less than one percent of the population of Iowa that is African American. There is probably less than four of five percent that are minorities. What is in Washington? So look, it goes back to what you start off with, what you’re dealing with." (Washington Post).

He doesn't think much of Indians either since he claims in an address to Indian-Americans that "you cannot go to a 7-11 or a Dunkin’ Donuts unless you have a slight Indian accent…I'm not joking".But it's ok - he's sensitive about the disabled too: "Chuck Graham, state senator, is here. Stand up, Chuck, let ‘em see you. Oh, God love you. What am I talking about?" to the wheelchair-bound Missouri state senator, Charles Graham on September 9, 2008.

Ok, but he agrees we should get out of Iraq?

Biden on Meet the Press in 2002, discussing Saddam Hussein: "He’s a long term threat and a short term threat to our national security… we have no choice but to eliminate the threat." Go Bush, I guess - so what about those WMDs? On Meet the Press in 2007, he says: "Well, the point is, it turned out they didn’t, but everyone in the world thought he had them. The weapons inspectors said he had them. He catalogued — they catalogued them. This was not some, some Cheney, you know, pipe dream. This was, in fact, catalogued."

And then on Obama’s Iraq plan in August 2007, he choked up another teary moment with: "I don’t want [my son] going [to Iraq]", according to a report on Radio Iowa. "But I tell you what, I don’t want my grandson or my granddaughters going back in 15 years and so how we leave makes a big difference." Then he criticized Democratic rivals Clinton and Obama (who have voted against Iraq funding bills to try to pressure President Bush to end the war) - "There’s no political point worth my son’s life... There’s no political point worth anybody’s life out there. None."

But at least he's consistent for his support of Bush's Iraq war: "We can call it quits and withdraw from Iraq. I think that would be a gigantic mistake. Or we can set a deadline for pulling out, which I fear will only encourage our enemies to wait us out — equally a mistake" (Biden to the Brookings Institution in 2005). Not clear enough? "We must be clear with the American people that we are committing to Iraq for the long haul; not just the day after, but the decade after."

Don't worry though - he's all about national security. "Seems to me this would be a good time to send, no strings attached, a check for $200 million to Iran." (Joe Biden, to staff three weeks after September 11, 2001.)

Well what about the VP debate?

Now he's on the ticket, it would be nice if he actually read it:

"We're not supporting clean coal, but guess what, China is building every week two dirty coal plants...No coal plants here in America! Build 'em, if they're gonna build 'em, over there [in China] and make 'em clean because they're killing ya." Joe Biden, Maumee, Ohio, September 16, 2008.

"The Obama-Biden Department of Energy is committed to developing 5 'first-of-a-kind' commercial scale coal-fired plants with carbon capture and sequestration here in the United States."
Obama-Biden campaign statement, September 23, 2008.

Oh shit.

But at least he doesn't say "darngonnit", or whatever Palin came out with the other day. And on the bright side, it looks like we've found a replacement for fans of Dan Quayle.

Muslim Immigrant setllers VS Bodo ethnic indigenous people in India

30 killed as Muslims, tribals clash in India 10000 displaced
abc au ^ Oct 5, 2008

30 killed as Muslims, tribals clash in India

Indian police battled with rampaging mobs on Sunday (local time), killing four people, in a bid to contain clashes between Muslims and tribal groups in the north-east that have claimed 30 lives, officials said.

Despite a curfew and shoot-on-sight orders, police struggled to quash the violence that erupted on Friday after Muslims allegedly attacked guards from the Bodo tribal group in an area of Assam state bordering Bhutan.

... fighting broke out between them in August, leaving 10 people dead.

More than 10,000 people have lost their lives to insurgency in Assam during the past two decades.
- AFP
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/10/06/2382573.htm?section=world

India: Violence kills 14, displaces 10000 CNN International
http://edition.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/asiapcf/10/05/india.violence.deaths/

Clashes in 2 Assam districts initially broke out between Bodo tribals and migrant Muslims, 30 dead, hundreds flee
http://www.indianexpress.com/news/clashes-in-2-assam-districts-30-dead-hundreds-flee/369665/

The fighting began on Friday when a group of young (indigenous) ethnic Bodo men were attacked by Muslim (immigrant) settlers after they finished patrolling their villages

http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/breaking-news/world/asia/police-clashes-kill-14-in-india-13993503.html

-----

This is ISLAMIC ETHNIC CLEANSING

Science and Technology to Counter Terrorism: Proceedings of an ... Despite an agreement between Bodos and non-Bodo tribes in 1993, .... campaign of ethnic cleansing designed to force Sikh minorities to leave Muslim majority ...

http://books.nap.edu/openbook.php?record_id=11848&page=15

Technorati CAIR Islamic phobia Sharia Fatwa Mullah Kafir Infidels Islamofascism Islamic fascism  Islamic immigration Muslim settlers India Bodo Taliban Thailand Human shields ]

Legend of Corn Hair

Reider Serwin, who wrote "The Viking Red Man" traced more than 1,000 words in the Mohawk, Iroquois and Algonquin language to old Norse. Long before the Dutch infused their language on the Indians.

The Dutch only arrived in 1626 ti buy the Island of Manhattan for approximately $24.00!

The Legend of Corn Hair

When Henry Hudson, in September 1609, sailed north he encountered a peaceful tribe know to History as the "Stockbridge Indians."

The Dutch built a profitable trade with the Indians using watered rum in return for beaver pelts. One of the traders was Jacob Van Mord. He recorded some of the legends of the Indians.

He was especially interested in the tale of Warriors in Long Boats an old Indian legend. The fiercest of whom was their leader called "Corn Hair," by the Indians.

In 1743, when the Dutch tried to convert the tribe to Christianity, they refused. He reported to his superiors that the Pagan beliefs of the tribe, which was called the "Tribe of the Long Boat" were still very strong. They were afraid that the Vikings would return again and punish them if they left the Norse Pagan Gods for Christianity.

Little is know about the fierce Viking Warriors who so impressed the Indians. Only a few Rune Mysteries were found on the rocks, but no official authorities have tried to look into the rock inscriptions to find the true source of the Legends. But you can on the Net. I am leaving you good key words so you can do your own research.

Rune Mysteries New Jersey

In Pemberton, New Jersey, an inscribed stone axehead was found. A literal translation of the runes found on it would be "The Swedes took out Charter." Again there was no investigation.

Rune Mysteries Rhode Island

Rhode Island has a tower in Newport that has been the object of controversy for years. The official finding from the politically correct is that it is a flour mill.

But the Runic Inscription and the fact that it resembles no other structure in America, but resemble structures in Norway, lends proof that it is probably a small fortress lighthouse built by the Vikings.

Ellis Peterson AKA Ragnar Storyteller is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He has been studying astrology, runes, radionics, metaphysics and alternate healing treatments for over 30 years. He is 70+, in very good health and lives in the boonies of the Pocono mountains with his wife Lory. His writings are unique and refreshing.

To see more of his writings visit his websites.

http://www.olevikingshop.com/

and

http://www.runes-for-health-wealth-love-now.com/

and

http://www.radionics-quantum-physics.com/

Or go to goggle and type in his pen name RAGNAR STORYTELLER for his listings. He is also a ghost writer and will write and article for you. Email Ragnar for his FREE 10 PART MINI-COURSE, "How-To use Quantum Physics in Your Every Day Life to Attract More Wealth, Health and Love, Now."

You can contact him at:

ragnarstoryteller2@gmail.com

]]> http://refleksiminda.wordpress.com/?p=240 Sun, 05 Oct 2008 08:15:07 +0000 Syahredzan Johan http://refleksiminda.hi.wordpress.com/2008/10/05/an-evening-of-buka-puasa-and-friendship/

The last rays of sunshine filtered through the glass windows of the Petaling Jaya restaurant. There were not many patrons at the time, yet the waiters were still kept busy, harrying back and forth with orders. It was an upper middle end restaurant and for such establishments, late evenings do not normally witness brisk business. Maybe later the place as the night wore on, will the place crowd up.

In one corner of the restaurant, eight friends waited patiently for the Maghrib, a signal that the Muslims amongst them would be able to break their fast. They were of different races and religions and they were there to buka puasa together. Eight 25-year-olds, each having different careers and coming from different backgrounds. Eight Malaysians who share an alma mater and a bond of friendship.

Their political affiliations differ as widely as their ethnicities and careers. Yet, while most of them do not hold back their opinions, they accept views in good faith. Friendship transcends politics, as it does race and religion.

There were no mosques nearby for them to hear the azan, thus they depended on their watches. They gave an extra few minutes, just to be certain. When it was time, the Muslims broke their fast with relieved gulps of their drinks.

Before long, smoke started billowing from some of them, the day’s abstinence from cigarettes as hard as the abstinence from food and water. The waiters brought their meals one by one, and with energy regained, the chatter of the eight friends became louder and merrier.

They are examples of the young Malays, Chinese and Indians in this multi-cultural nation. Individually, they are no different from the many young professionals and salarymen that dot the landscape of urban Malaysia. They still struggle with having middle-income salaries in the face of rising living costs.

It is not as if they do not see each other as belonging to different ethnicities and religion. They do not sweep under the carpet the fact that there are differences amongst them. Instead, they celebrate these differences. Racial remarks and insults are thrown around at each other, in jest, given in good faith and received in good faith. They do not merely tolerate, they celebrate the fact that they are different.

Throughout the many years of friendship, they discovered that they have more in common than they have in differences. They realized that there is absolutely no reason for a group of Malaysians, different though they may be, cannot be firm friends with each other.

Their buka puasa was not in conjunction with any events or ceremonies. It was not organized with political mileage in mind, to score some points with PR moments in front of the camera. Nor  did they did not meet to discuss business. They were simply eight friends who decided to iftar together.

As day turns into night, and darkness descends upon the land, the eight friends continued their buka puasa gathering. In our muhibbah Malaysia, eight multi-racial young men breaking fast together as friends are supposed to the norm.

Sadly, such instances are a rarity.

We were heading there very, very slowly.

I love visiting Germany, and doing so with Mountain Man and his preposterously perfect German makes it that much better. His own reason for being here started several years previous when he was signing up for classes at university. Apparently, he had struck up a conversation with (was hitting on) a cute girl as the two of them waited in line to register for classes. When she got her chance to pick her classes, she turned out to be a German Major. Not wanting to miss his chance, Mountain Man decided on the spot that English could take a poetic leap and changed his classes to match hers. That's his style. Oddly enough, it seems to work for him, too. This man fears nothing and is aggravatingly good at surviving his spur of the moment, whacked-out decisions. Fast forward some years and now you have Mountain Man living and teaching in Germany on a Fulbright Scholarship and inviting his friends to drop by for a visit. The girl who stated him on this road is long gone, but that hardly matters now. What it meant is that I had a friend in Deutschland!

The trip to Dresden was not one that I had expected to make but this opportunity was far too amazing to miss. Carla was a teacher at the school where Mountain Man was placed. The Wall had only been down for a few years and there was still a lot of DDR infrastructure that needed to be set light to. Trabants, the East German version of what a car would look like if it were built by a toy company, were still fairly plentiful, as were a lot of the old institutional buildings, like schools. Not this one though! This school was brand-new and everyone in the village, especially the kids, was very proud of it.

Mountain Man had been placed there to help expand the English program. Carla had been teaching Art as well as English and Russian for years at the old DDR school. With the move to the brand new building and with out much cause for students to take Russian anymore, she was working hard at polishing her English. Specifically, she wanted to learn American English. Much of what was being taught at the time was British English, but that is not what the former East Germans wanted to learn. They wanted to sound like they were from Hollywood. Mountain Man, being from New Hampshire, did his best as a stand in.

When I arrived, as a newly minted art teacher in my own right, I was informed by my friend that he had secured permission for me to teach at his school as well. I'd be in the upper level, conversational language classes teaching the students and faculty alike to say things like, "trunk" rather than "boot" and, "flashlight" rather than "torch". It sounded like fun! That night, Mountain Man made me some dinner with his patented, "Salty As All Get Out, Baking Soda Flavored Biscuits" and I tried my best to gather my jet lagged brain for the next day.

The next day I was introduced to the director and some of the other teachers and given a cup of coffee that could have fueled a small city for a day. Hardly anyone spoke English and I spoke hardly any German at this point. A project I have been working hard on ever since. Once the handshakes were done and we found our way to the classroom, I was quickly greeted by about twenty-five intensely interested teenagers. It felt a bit like being an exhibit in a zoo.

As you can imagine, not speaking the language of the land and supposedly being there to teach, can make a guy a bit... freaked out. I put on my best, "I'm a teacher" look and let Mountain Man explain to the students that what they had right there in the class room was a bone fide, clueless American and to go to it. The questions began...

"Where are you from?"
"What do you do for work?"
"Are you married?"
"Do you like American TV?"

These were the softball questions and simple to work with. After a few minutes, they started to dry up and they needed to actually come up with some more difficult and hopefully embarrassing questions. They did not disappoint. The first question that made me pause and feel like an idiot was, "What German bands do you like?" Teenagers often define themselves by what groups they are into and they were all obviously interested in what I had to say?

"German groups? Ahhh... Hmmm." I swear, all I could think of was Falco of, "Rock me, Amadeus" fame or Daft Punk. The problem being that, A: Falco was Austrian and, B: I didn't like Daft Punk. The only other name that came to mind was Marlene Dietrich, and I don't think that would have made my position any better. I punted and talked instead about how German music doesn't get over to the States much and how I'd love to hear what they like. Phew. Break down averted.

The next question was one that really caught me off guard. "Are their any Indians left in America?" The idea of the native tribes of my homeland being wiped out entirely was a thought that, though dreamed about and drooled over by some of my ancestors, had never occurred to me. "Yes! There are quite a lot of Indians still living in America." Then the follow up: "Have you ever seen one?"

I was still a bit off balance from the previous question, so had I been more cool headed, I might have relished the theater of the moment a bit. As it was, I simply blurted out, "You're looking at one right now." That stopped them cold! The room was full of parted lips and eyeballs, all pointed at me. I had to clarify things quickly. There was more to it than that.

"Well, I'm not just Indian. I'm also English, French, Irish, Scottish, and Sicilian as well as two different Indian tribes." The eyeballs got bigger and the quiet of the room was practically tactile. In the back of a row of seats, a lone hand went up followed by a single voice. "My mother is Danish."

Stay tuned for the next thrilling installment of "Clueless Man Goes on Holiday!"

My floor is making dinner together.

I have been informed by Jeffrey that I have not truly lived; to do so, I must go on a journey through my soul by listening to The Dark Side of the Moon.

Game Theory is taught by a very intense indian man.

Introductory computer science classes are boring.

Reider Serwin, who wrote "The Viking Red Man" traced more than 1,000 words in the Mohawk, Iroquois and Algonquin language to old Norse. Long before the Dutch infused their language on the Indians.
The Dutch only arrived in 1626 ti buy the Island of Manhattan for approximately $24.00!

The Legend of Corn Hair

When Henry Hudson, in September 1609, sailed north he encountered a peaceful tribe know to History as the "Stockbridge Indians."

The Dutch built a profitable trade with the Indians using  watered rum in return for beaver pelts. One of the traders was Jacob Van Mord. He recorded some of the legends of the Indians.

He was especially interested in the tale of Warriors in Long Boats an old Indian legend. The fiercest of whom was their leader called "Corn Hair," by the Indians.

In 1743, when the Dutch tried to convert the tribe to Christianity, they refused. He reported to his superiors that the Pagan beliefs of the tribe, which was called the "Tribe of the Long Boat" were still very strong. They were afraid that the Vikings would return again and punish them if they left the Norse Pagan Gods for Christianity.

Little is know about the fierce Viking Warriors who so impressed the Indians. Only a few Rune Mysteries were found on the rocks, but no official authorities have tried to look into the rock inscriptions to find the  true source of the Legends. But you can on the Net. I am leaving you good key words so you can do your own research.

Rune Mysteries New Jersey

In Pemberton,  New Jersey, an inscribed stone axehead was found. A literal translation of the runes found on it would be "The Swedes took out Charter." Again there was no investigation.

Rune Mysteries Rhode Island

Rhode Island has a tower in Newport that has been the object of controversy for years. The official finding from the politically correct is that it is a flour mill.

But the Runic Inscription and the fact that it resembles no other structure in America, but resemble structures in Norway, lends proof that it is probably a small fortress lighthouse built by the Vikings.

<!-- @page { size: 8.5in 11in; margin: 0.79in } P { margin-bottom: 0.08in } -->

Ellis Peterson AKA Ragnar Storyteller is a retired math professor and electronics engineer. He has been studying astrology, runes, radionics, metaphysics and alternate healing treatments for over 30 years. He is 70+, in very good health and lives in the boonies of the Pocono mountains with his wife Lory. His writings are unique and refreshing.

To see more of his writings visit his websites.

http://www.olevikingshop.com/

and

http://www.runes-for-health-wealth-love-now.com/

and

http://www.radionics-quantum-physics.com/

Or go to goggle and type in his pen name RAGNAR STORYTELLER for his listings. He is also a ghost writer and will write and article for you. Email Ragnar for his FREE 10 PART MINI-COURSE, "How-To use Quantum Physics in Your Every Day Life to Attract More Wealth, Health and Love, Now."

You can contact him at:

ragnarstoryteller2@gmail.com

]]> http://exitstatuszero.wordpress.com/?p=22 Thu, 02 Oct 2008 00:09:21 +0000 Jeffrey http://exitstatuszero.hi.wordpress.com/2008/10/02/london-is-a-magical-place/ London is a magical city of hope and wonder. I've been here for a couple of weeks, and I've found some interesting differences between this culture and the one with which I am most familiar: white American suburbia. Here are a few:

A slight change in inflection makes a spoken language exponentially more difficult to understand.

The abbreviated form of the word "mathematics" is "maths", even though it is way more difficult to say than "math".

Every corner has a pub.

It is hard to find frozen cookie dough.

Just about everything looks old and important.

Love, Actually is perhaps the greatest film ever created in the history of films. Well, that's actually the same wherever I go.

Many Indians live here.

For some reason, the English are very frightened of getting electrocuted. Every electrical outlet has an enable/disable toggle. Also there are no outlets in bathrooms.

That is all for now, I will post more when I encounter them.

In case you don't speak Spanish, the translation is:

ANNCR: So what's worse? That Barack Obama and his allies in Congress killed immigration reform?

Or that their immigration attacks were called "unfair" ... "absolutely and directly wrong" ... and even "fraudulent" by the press.

Or that Obama and his liberal allies think the U.S. has an immigration problem because Mexico is a quote, "dysfunctional society".

They've said no to us long enough. This election, let's tell them no.

JOHN MCCAIN: I'm John McCain and I approve this message.

ANNCR: Paid for by McCain-Palin 2008 and the Republican National Committee.

I'm fairly sure that this is the out-of-context and politically racially ambiguous statement that you'll hear out of an ad this election; I guess because it's in Spanish they thought they'd get away with it.

For the record Biden was speaking about the Mexican government's huge income gap and their practically non-existent middle class as being the reason for why we see so much illegal immigration from Mexico:

"They're being irresponsible. This is the second-wealthiest nation in the hemisphere, we're not talking about Sierra Leone," the Democratic presidential candidate said. "This is a dysfunctional society."

He's right of course and I think most illegal immigrants would probably agree with him. If living wage opportunities were better in Mexico, Mexicans would stay in Mexico. They aren't because of a corrupt one-party (or practically so) which maintains the top-heavy status quo. There isn't anything controversial in what Biden said, it's pretty logical, but by taking it out of context McCain is just stoking Mexican nationalism and vaguely painting Biden a bigot towards Mexicans.

I mean, they have Biden's statement about Indian's running 7-11's in Delaware if they want to do that.

Discussion.

-Marc-

India, my proud country is where daily mundane things are also to the extremes. It is a country where things are never usual things to the outside world that they can just fail to sit straight and take a note of, yet very simple and common to us, Indians. India is the only country where such things can happen all times and still people can get away with things like this always and still manage to still manage to sing songs like I Love My India... I Love My India...

Hmm today morning I read in the paper that 147 people died in the stampede at Chamundi Devi temple, Jodhpur and it was a total chaos taking away so many innocent lives. This is not the first of its kind event, for just few months back a similar incident had happened in one of the shrines in a hill station. Hmm I really find it unbelievable to accept that fact that something like this can actually happen. People go to holy places to worship God, get rid of all their sins and free their souls, but it turns out to be a nightmare for them and they end up losing their innocent lives.

India is also the only country where women is several rural areas are beaten to death, stripped off their clothes, made to walk nude around the village, forced to share husbands etc and still the society and the proud citizens of India are still blind spectators to these dramas and pretend as if nothing at all has happened. And still claim and act as if India is a land where women are worshipped!!!!! Hmmm interesting.....

Our proud mother land can also be the only proud place in this whole wide world where the people with most criminal records are elected to the parliaments, made ministers and trusted with our futures with broad smiles. We also never fail to welcome them back and vote for them again shamelessly in spite of the fact that they actually do nothing at all for the community. We never even stand up to claim our basic rights and duties.

Hmmm we are also only the country on this planet where people worship cricketers and film stars equivalent to God and love them more than their kith and kin. They even go to the extent of giving-up their lives and careers for these idols of theirs whom they worship day in and out. Incidents have been reported where fans have chopped their fingers etc just to have a glimpse of their beloved idols.

Hmmm now I am left with this question when and what can actually be too much for India?? For India is such a vast country with so much diversity and so many different people. Any kind of madness, foolishness, is acceptable in the country that no one ever really questions as long as it’s not about their religion. Religion and culture are two buzz words where anyone does anything he wants and still get away with it. And mind you, if you ever raise your voice, you will not be spared.

For nothing is never too much for us Indians...... 

So its that time of year again. The time when my Dad uncovers the cassette player and digs out two cassettes of devotional songs in Bengali from the pile of cassettes which are now ignored in today's world of Winamp and Channel V. He plays them every year on the first day of this time of year at an unholy hour of 7.00 am that too quite loudly. And we know by listening to "Mahishashur Mardini" that its Mahalaya i.e. the beginning of Durga Puja that day. You can listen to some songs at this link here.

Mahalaya is an auspicious occasion observed seven days before the Durga Puja, and heralds the advent of Durga, the goddess of supreme power. It's a kind of invocation or invitation to the mother goddess to descend on earth - "Jago Tumi Jago". This is done through the chanting of mantras and singing devotional songs. Since the early 1930s, Mahalaya has come to associate itself with an early morning radio program called “Mahisasura Mardini” or “The Annihilation of the Demon.” This All India Radio (AIR) program is a beautiful audio montage of recitation from the scriptural verses of “Chandi Kavya”, Bengali devotional songs, classical music and a dash of acoustic melodrama. The program has also been translated into Hindi set to similar orchestration and is broadcast at the same time for a pan-Indian audience. This program has almost become synonymous with Mahalaya. For nearly six decades now, the whole of Bengal rises up in the chilly pre dawn hours, 4 am to be precise, of the Mahalaya day to tune in to the "Mahisasura Mardini" broadcast.

Its been two days since Mahalaya and Navratri has already begun. Durga Puja will begin from 5th Oct 2008. This time symbolizes shopping, eating and roaming for me. As there are lots of Bengalis in my city New clothes, new shoes, outings, eating Bhog and other non-veg items available at stalls at Puja Pandals. On the downside it also means meeting uncles and heavily bejeweled aunties and answering interrogative questions. Due to hectic life, I have not done the shopping part yet. Here are some videos taken by me of Durga Puja held last year. This year I'm planning to buy a digital camera in few days and I'll be posting on this topic again with better videos and photos. I hope to capture the famous dhunuchi dance this year.

# The playing of dhaak in Durga Puja in sync with the aarti sets the festive mood and increases the excitement.

# The pandals of each area are made huge and usually a replica of some famous building. Even the idols are made on some theme usually the recent hot topic in politics or current affairs. I bet in Calcutta people will get to see some idols on the Singur issue.

Wish you all a very happy Durga Puja and Navratri. Enjoy!!!

New Zealand establishment considers the “yellow,” “brown,” and all other “colored” races as non-human. During the Vietnam war, WMDs manufactured in New Zealand, including Agent Orange, and New Zealand soldiers were used to commit genocide against the North Vietnamese. In the past few weeks at least 4 Chinese women were killed in New Zealand, and the body of another dead Korean was discovered.

The following is a recent, incomplete list of atrocities committed against the Asians, especially the Chinese who live or visit New Zealand, or are otherwise easy targets for abuse by New Zealanders.

Related Links:

• Fonterra File (Index page about Fonterra-Sanlu corporate manslaughter in China)
• China Syndrome (Index page)

• Another Chinese Woman Leaves New Zealand in a Body Bag
• New Zealand Tour Operators: Licensed to Kill
• KiNZ (An incomplete list of Chinese and other Asians who are killed in New Zealand)
• Murdered in New Zealand: 4th Chinese woman in recent weeks!

• Xin Xin Fights; Xin Xin Flights!
• CO2 to NZ
• Body Bags
• New Zealand: A Nation of Human Traffickers, Pimps and Drug Pushers
• Tourists Killed on New Zealand Roads

• Fly to NZ and Help Make the World a CO2-Rich Place!
• Polynesian community made scapegoat for violence against Asians
• How Dangerous is New Zealand for visitors, Asians, women, children?
• Google Operates Outside US Constitution, International Law
• Brave New Zealanders Bash Octogenarian Chinese Woman to Death

• New Zealand Racist Storm Worse Than China Quake
• A New Depth in Depravity for New Zealand
• New Zealand or North Korea?
• Trade agreement with China just the start - Clark
• Racism
  

• Another Dead Korean Found in New Zealand
• Asian woman shot in Auckland
• Tourists Killed on New Zealand Roads
• Third Asian Murdered in New Zealand in One Week!
• Adventure Touring, Indeed!

• New Zealand Police: “Tourists Lucky To Be Alive!
• Korean Tourist: Missing, Presumed Dead!
• Another Foreigner Killed in New Zealand
• Let Me Define Your Rights

• How Many More Tourisrts Did You Kill Today, Mr Wolfie?
• New Zealand Death Roads Claim 4 More Victims
• Another Racist Murder of a Chinese teenager?
• NZ Tourism Kills 4 More HK Chinese Tourists
• 3rd Tourist Bus Gutted by Fire

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• The 1,372nd Tourist Was Killed in New Zealand! (Ironically, the 1,372nd visitor killed in New Zealand was not Chinese! Estimated death toll is for the period January 1, 2000 to  August 10, 2008 ).

         The Indians of Mexico used the cacao bean, which they called "cacahoatl," in a variety of medicinal drinks.   Francisco Hernandez, a 16th century Spanish physician and naturalist, wrote in  "The Mexican Treasury," that a drink made entirely from cacao beans was used to treat the seriously ill, especially those with fever or liver problems.  With the addition of an an ounce of a gum from the holquahuitl tree, the drink was transformed into an "admirable cure for dysentery."                                         

          To refresh and nourish the body, the Indians prepared "atexli," a thin paste, using raw or roasted cacao beans, well ground and mixed with softened corn.  Wrote Hernandez, "Before it is drunk it should be poured from a considerable height into another container until it produces a foam and the fatty particles, much like oil, rise to the top."  The drink took on aphrodisiac properties when the following fruits were ground up and added: mecaxochitl, xochinacaztli and tlilxochitl.

         "Chocolatl," or "Xocolatl," was used to treat consumption and emaciation. Hernandez wrote that it was made by mixing "equal portions of pocochotl and cacahoatl," then whisking with a wooden whisk "until the fatty part floats and is airy."  After the fatty part was skimmed off and set aside, a handful of softened corn was added to the mix.  Then, the fatty part was returned to the mixture, and it was heated to lukewarm before drinking.

Yesterday we went to the Equator - or as it´s known locally ´The Centre of the Earth´.  We got to jump between the northern and southern hemispheres and see a few experiments.  I (Dave... not Carly!) even managed to balance an egg on the end of a nail... got a certificate and everything!  Also dressed as a local indian and fired a dart through one of those blow pole things...

Off to Peru tonight, got our first stay over in an airport, so I´m glad I learnt the odd thing or two from that Terminal film with Tom Hanks in it.

Favorite                           Underdog

Mets                                 Marlins

Phillies                            Nationals

Brewers                             Cubs

Astros                              Braves

Reds                               Cardinals

Pirates                             Padres

Dodgers                          Giants

Tigers                              Rays

Blue Jays                         Orioles

Red Sox                          Yankees

Red Sox                          Yankees

White Sox                       Indians

Twins                             Royals

Angles                           Rangers

Mariners                        Athletics

9-29

Favorite                        Underdog

Tigers                           White Sox

Astros                            Cubs

Playoff (could happen)

Favorite                         Underdog

Twins                            White Sox

Mets                              Brewers

I will be back with this for the postseason.

"He put in your heart certain wishes and plans; in my heart, he put other different desires."

What a refreshing view voiced by Chief Sitting Bull.

A direct contradiction to those who claim we are all born sinners.  Yes, we are all imperfect as we make mistakes when we live our lives, but the connotation many associate sinners with is "evil" and that is not true.

Why we exist and what our purpose is other than breeding future generations is anyones guess.

However most of us have a conscience, whether it is molded from our experiences or built in is a matter of conjecture but that is what sets us apart from other life forms.

That and the desire for material possessions and the ability to make these things.  Sitting bull once said about the white man, "They claim this mother of ours, the Earth, for their own use, and fence their neighbors away from her, and deface her with their buildings and their refuse"

He followed up with, "What treaty have the Sioux made with the white man that we have broken? Not one. What treaty have the white man ever made with us that they have kept? Not one. When I was a boy the Sioux owned the world; the sun rose and set on their land; they sent ten thousand men to battle. Where are the warriors today? Who slew them? Where are our lands? Who owns them?....What law have I broken? Is it wrong for me to love my own? Is it wicked for me because my skin is red? Because I am a Sioux; because I was born where my father lived; because I would die for my people and my country?”

This is a damning truth to what we in North America truly represent.  Those who go to church every Sunday and reinforce their racism during the week based on a false faith and economic superiority have a lot to learn but they think they are above it all.

Society and religion have almost killed the faith of the North American Indian.  The silent holocaust has greatly diminished their numbers.  Fortunately the religions and materialism of the whites haven't destroyed the red man's faith and culture completely.

I find it to be a refreshing alternative.

In the American League Central race the Twins still have the 0.5 game lead they had two days ago after both they and the White Sox have lost the first two games of their series with the Royals and Indians respectively.  The White Sox catch a big break Sunday as Cliff Lee will not be taking the ball for Cleveland due to a stiff neck.  Continuing the theme of Pirates cast-offs, the Indians will start Brian Bullington.  Which is to say, Chicago hitters should see a lot of the Indians bullpen.  Unless the ChiSox lose and the Twins win, giving Minnesota a clear lead, the White Sox will then play a makeup game with Detroit on Monday.  If things work out to a flat tie (either the White Sox go 2-0 and the Twins 1-0 or Chicago goes 1-1 and the Twins 0-1), they will play a playoff game on Tuesday for the right to take on the surprising Tampa Rays in the ALDS.  Red Sox and Angels will be the other series.  National League pairings are still fluid as the wildcard cannot play the winner of their own division in the 1st round.  If the Mets are the wildcard they play the Cubs and the Dodgers play the Phillies.  If the Brewers are the wildcard they play the Phillies and the Dodgers play the Cubs (one would hope no hats get stolen in the Dodgers bullpen).

And, a final thought on the Indians: by winning tonight, they clinch at least a .500 season and would end up 82-80 if they could manage to win the Bullington v Buerle matchup Sunday afternoon.  Which is remarkable after where that team was a couple months ago.  Also ironic if they end up derailing the White Sox playoff hopes after Chicago did it to them the final weekend of the 2006 season at Jacobs Field.

A couple of the young pitchers are looking good and I am excited about next year.  If we can keep people healthy, we will have a very good team next year and will definitely be in the running for the post season.