Liberty Quotes

"The government should create, issue, and circulate all the currency and credit needed to satisfy the spending power of the government and the buying power of consumers. The privilege of creating and issuing money is not only the supreme prerogative of government, but it is the government’s greatest creative opportunity. The financing of all public enterprise, and the conduct of the treasury will become matters of practical administration. Money will cease to be master and will then become servant of humanity."
-- Abraham Lincoln(1809-1865) 16th US President http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Abraham.Lincoln.Quote.B712


"I, however, place economy among the firstand most important republican virtues,and public debt as the greatestof the dangers to be feared."
-- Thomas Jefferson(1743-1826), US Founding Father, drafted the Declaration of Independence, 3rd US PresidentSource: letter to William Plumer, July 21, 1816 http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Thomas.Jefferson.Quote.1156


"I am a most unhappy man. I have unwittingly ruined my country.A great industrial nation is controlled by its system of credit.Our system of credit is concentrated. The growth of the nation,therefore, and all our activities are in the hands of a few men.We have come to be one of the worst ruled, one of the most completelycontrolled and dominated governments in the civilized world.No longer a government by free opinion, no longer a government by conviction and the vote of the majority, but a government by the opinion and duress of a small group of dominant men."
-- Woodrow Wilson
(1856-1924) 28th US President1916Source: in reference to signing the Federal Reserve Act in 1913http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Woodrow.Wilson.Quote.51CE= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =WHAT DO YOU THINK? Rate these quotes!http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/DailyQuotes Click open the quote you wish to rate, and enter your comments.

Time's All-Time Best 100 Movies

Here's the list.

The Year Of The Dog Is Here

Chinese Lunar New Year or the Spring Festival is the most important of the traditional Chinese holidays. It consists of a period of celebrations, starting on New Year's Day celebrated on the first day of the first month of the Chinese calendar, i.e. the day of the second new moon after the day on which the winter solstice occurs. The Chinese New Year period ends with the Lantern Festival, on the fifteenth day of the festival.

Chinese New Year is celebrated internationally in areas with large populations of ethnic Chinese. A reunion dinner is held on New Year's Eve where members of the family get together for celebration. It is a time of reunion and thanksgiving. New Year's day is also celebrated within the family. Usually family members gather on the morning of New Year's Day. It is at this gathering that red envelopes are given to unmarried members of the family.

Astrology in China is based on the cycle of the moon as a result of which each New Year begins on a different date every year. And each year is named after an animal.

Legend has it that, on New Year, Buddha called all the animals to make an appearance before him. Only 12 of them did so. First came the rat, followed by the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the snake, the horse, the sheep, the monkey, the rooster, dog and finally the pig. Buddha honoured them by naming a year after each one of them. People born in that year would have the characteristics of the animal it represented.

Thus evolved the Chinese system of astrology.

The year of the dog begins on January 29, 2006.

Based on your date of birth, find out which sign you belong to.

The Rat: 1936, 1948, 1960, 1972, 1984, 1996

The Ox: 1937, 1949, 1961, 1973, 1985, 1997

The Tiger: 1938, 1950, 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998

The Rabbit: 1939, 1951, 1963, 1975, 1987, 1999

The Dragon: 1940, 1952, 1964, 1976, 1988, 2000

The Snake: 1941, 1953, 1965, 1977, 1989, 2001

The Horse: 1942, 1954, 1966, 1978, 1990, 2002

The Sheep: 1943, 1955, 1967, 1979, 1991, 2003

The Monkey: 1944, 1956, 1968, 1980, 1992, 2004

The Rooster: 1945, 1957, 1969, 1981, 1993

The Dog: 1946, 1958, 1970, 1982, 1994

The Pig: 1947, 1959, 1971, 1983, 1995

Happy new year, goodluck, peace and prosperity to everyone.

This Robot Can Help You At Home

According to this article, robots - named Promet - are being developed by Japan's National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, and can run errands. They are designed to respond to verbal instructions and are capable of capturing three-dimensional images of objects and locating them through an infrared sensor.

These robots can hit the market soon. Japan which leads the world in robotics already is extensively using robots in manufacturing and entertainment although they look less like human. The human like Promets will compete with us and give us a run for our money. They will either help us out or push us out in some areas of employment. The contest of 'man versus machine' will explore new horizons. We already have seen how IBM's Deep Blue, beat the grandmaster Russia's Garry Kasparov in 1997. For more details click here and here.

Artificial Intelligence will make it possible for these robots to be smarter and more intelligent than some of us. It wouldn't be too far fetched to think that the robots can easily solve some of our problems which we continue to create for ourselves and for the world we live in. You can imagine their audacity which will come as a punch on our face. But for this to become reality, they have to be born out of our best brains.

There's A "Celebrity Block" In Davos

The World Economic Forum is an independent international organization committed to improving the state of the world by engaging leaders in partnerships to shape global, regional and industry agendas.

Situated among the snowy Alps Of Switzerland, World Economic Forum is the place to discuss and debate regarding the major social and economic problems of the world . Every year leaders of the most powerful countries and representatives of the top corporate world, invited to this forum negotiate and close deals with one another. Whilst business and political leaders make up the majority of participants, NGO leaders from groups such as Amnesty International, Transparency International, Oxfam and various UN organisations attend,as well as trades union leaders and religious leaders.

One of the pastimes for journalists is to spot the stars and celebrities among the vast array of leaders from all walks of life. Increasingly entrepreneurs like Bill Gates of Microsoft, Michael Dell , Sir Richard Branson and Bono of the music group U2 together with other celebrities are stealing the show. Even football legend Brazil's Pele who is campaigning against the problem of rascism on football grounds was spotted around. This year, Bill Gates announced his foundation is boosting its contribution to the tuberculosis fight. It's already given 300 (m) million dollars and plans to contribute a total of 900 (m) million by 2015.

One of the biggest celebrities at the World Economic Forum in Davos is the Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie. When you have stars like Michael Douglas, one of Hollywoods biggest movers and shakers, it is no wonder that people jam the corridors to catch a glimpse of them. Get a more comprehensive feel of the meeting from this BBC article.

Kidman Chosen As UN Goodwill Ambassador

Nicole Kidman the Australian actress has been chosen to advance women's rights around the globe in her new role as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.

Working with the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), Kidman, 38, will focus attention on "critical gender concerns such as ending violence against women," according to a Thursday press release from the U.N.

Since the 1950s, U.N. agencies have enlisted the help of prominent personalities from the arts and sports worlds to highlight key issues.

Actress Angelina Jolie is serving as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N.'s refugee agency, and has traveled widely promoting the agency's cause.

These prominent personalities and celebrities help to bring the issues of the under priviledged to the forefront and are able communicate those concerns using their status and goodwill.

In the same manner everyone of us can make a difference and enrich the life of another individual. We just need the will to do it.

In Search Of Freedom Or A Better Life?

Human beings have an inherent nature for freedom. They love freedom as a social state and demand it as their right. The society they live in requires that they respect the freedom of other people.

Whether man can be truely free or not is a question that seeks answers from a religious or philosophical perspective, depending on which side a person stands. Human beings are endowed with free will to choose their actions and they are held resposible for them.

People living in a communist or totalitarian state have freedoms that are dictated by the state and the state decides what political and social freedoms people ought to have. The state has a monopoly over ideology and morality which they enforce upon their people by strict rules and regulations.

In countries that embrace democratic forms of government, their people have more freedom through their participation in the political process. Thus people have political , social and economic freedom and choose to live the kind of life they want within the bounds of the law which is made for common good.

If look back into history, we find numerous cases where countries and their people have fought for freedom against colonization and other forms of subjugation. Sometimes the battles and wars have been bloody with untold misery and millions of lives lost. Amid the horror of wars, we do have examples of people who stood against unjust laws and human brutality.

Mahathma Gandhi's name comes as an example of a person whose passive resistance against the British rule India, eventually won independence for his country without a single bullet being fired from his side. His did not have an army and did not seek weapons to secure peace. But he was able to bring profound political and social change through non-violent means.

Gandhi drew inspiration the famous Russian writer Leo Tolstoy whose works include " War and Peace" a novel depicting the Russian society and is regarded as one of the world's greatest novels. He too believed in nonviolence as a tool to achieve political and social goals. Martin Luther King, Jr. the famous US leader of "The Civil Rights Movement" believed in nonviolence and for his work as a peacemaker he was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1964. Thus, it is not only large armies and an arsenal of deadly weapons (including chemical and biological) that can win over causes and resolve conflicts, but the power of nonviolence and resistance has proved that it too is equal to the task.

World's Tallest Towers 2006

Human beings have always had a fascination for monumental buildings as we see from the history of Rome, Greece, Egypt, India and China. In the modern day urban living, countries are going for buildings that are scraping the skies. Modern methods of structural engineering and super-fast lifts have made this possible.

Click here to see the world's tallest buildings by continent given on Forbes.

Doing Business With Socratic Talkers

Socrates was an influential thinker and used reasoning and logic as tools to win over conversations with opponents. Socrates explored intellectual independence to ask questions as a method of inquiry, now known as the Socratic method. More on Socrates here.

Businessman who use the Socratic method are concerned with analysis of details. If you come across a salesman who is a Socratic, don't be overwhelmed by his talk. That's the way he knows how to operate. He would probably throw more words at you than you can hear.

If on the other hand you want to sell something to a Socratic, provide the person all the information you have about the service or product on offer. Then ask, if he or she needs more information.

Socratics enjoy playing the role of a philosopher. They are not keen to get into tangible elements of a situation. They are famous for engaging in monologue speaking, often verbalizing their entire thought process. They have to hear what they are thinking before they can make a decision. They speak first to themselves, not necessarily to others.

So, if you are doing business with Socratics, be patient and a good listener. The reward for doing that may be the business deal which you may want to clinch. If this sounds easy; try being a good listener and you'll know the answer.

What Is Our Strength?

Our strength lies in our personality. It is more than brute force of character. Our strength lies in our ability to influence others and get things done. The greater our social interaction with others, the greater is our strength.

Let us take the example of mahathma Gandhi. He was educated in India and London. He practised law in India and South Africa. He returned to India in 1915, and later lead a campaign to free India from the British rule. He did not have an army, wealth nor an office. But he was a peoples person. He adopted a simple lifestyle and he revived cottage industries like spinning and production of hand woven cloth.

In 1930, he led the salt march against the salt tax imposed by the British. He and thousands of his followers walked over 300 km and extracted salt from the sea. The force of non violence that he preached was stronger than the might of the British, who ultimately freed India and gave independence. More on Gandhi here.

"Nonviolence is the greatest force at the disposal of mankind. It is mightier than the mightiest weapon of destruction devised by the ingenuity of man." - Gandhi.

Every person we come in contact with in life will have some mark on us. Regardless of our financial station in life, we should mix freely with people, drawing positive energy and moving forward. It is a great experience that we get to enjoy during this lifetime.

Temple Of Doom

Archeology has an exciting and romantic side to it when archeologists go to look for secrets and uncover ancient civilisations, religions, and cultures with painstaking precision and care.

The above picture taken from national geography shows the gory image of an ancient excavation of a Moche culture ritual of a human head being held in the hand of another human being. This is a bone chilling experience, to say the least.

Moche civilization was a South American culture along a 300 mile-stretch of the Peruvian coast between 100 and 800 AD. Archeologists still wonder in amazement of the Moche pyramids and their monumental palaces. This link gives a time line of the Moche civilization.

We do not know how the people of this ancient civilization came to an end. But archeologists have found evidence of flooding and earthquakes, possibly a series of El Ninos which destroyed the Moche irrigation systems vital for their farming.

Time To Recycle Graves,. In South Africa

According to this Independent Online artice, the Municipalty in Durban, South Africa is running short of burial space in their towns cemetries and is thinking of introducing drastic steps to solve this problem. A surge in HIV/Aids related deaths and a scarcity of land has exacerbated this problem.

Presently the lease period for burial space is for ten years. The authorities are thinking of multiple burials on top of each other and this is sure to cause a huge uproar.

Expert on Zulu culture Reggie Khumalo said recycling graves remained taboo among Zulus and Africans in general, simply because people attached respect to a grave as "a final resting in peace" for loved ones

"It's also important to mention that among Zulus we tend to believe that our loved ones who have departed are still with us - hence the practice of speaking to the graves when important cultural rituals have to be performed," said Khumalo.He said that people would find it difficult to speak to their departed loved ones if someone else completely unrelated to the family were in the same grave.

Space Tourism: The New Frontier To Explore

Humans need to explore. We've been doing it upto now venturing across every nook and corner of this earth, from arctic ice to tropical forests to sub sahara to the deep sea and lakes still looking for the fifty feet monster called "Loch Ness", a name derived from the lake in Scotland which has now become a major tourist attraction.

For the super rich, they can afford to explore beyond the vast beauty of this maginficient earth, its wonders, its cultures and its diversity of life and its people. Well, here comes Space Tourism.

If Virgin Airways boss and entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson has his way, for a cool $200,000 the super rich will be able to enjoy the fun of a space journey. Branson who is known for his daring stunts including jumping off from hot air balloons has formed his company Virgin Galactic to provide the weightless ride by 2008. The lucky ones would'nt have to hold on to their seats any longer. Read more here.

"Brokeback Mountain" Has Unleashed A Storm

The religious bigots in US have bared their fangs. The demons of intolerance are out in full force with their swords drawn out: their target, Golden Globe Awards and The Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

The golden globe award for the best film last year went to Brokeback Mountain. This is an epic love story and is claimed to be Ang Lee, the Tawanese born American film maker's best film. Many of his films have focused on the interaction between modernity and tradition.

Brokeback Mountain played against settings in Texas and Wyoming shows the sufferings of two heterosexual male partners in separate marriages that are drawn to each other. Their dalliances with each other intesify their relationship and wreck their marriages.

A furious debate on marriage and gay rights and civil unions is sweeping across the United States with uncompromising fervour. Larry Miller who owns several businesses and Cinemas in Utah has refused to put this film in his cinemas as stated in this article.

Without delving into the scholarly view of the instituion of marriage in christian theology, surely all parties can be hospitable to each other. Beating the daylight out of the Brokeback Mountain without even appreciating the cinematography of the film seems a bit disingenuous.

When The Court Plays God!

An article in The New York Times reports that the highest court in the State Of Boston ruled Tuesday that the state can withdraw life support from Haleigh Poutre, an 11-year-old girl who has been in a coma since September, and whose adoptive mother and stepfather are accused of abusing her.

Haleigh, of Westfield, Mass., was hospitalized on Sept. 11 with a brain injury and multiple bruises, burns and cuts. Her aunt Holli Strickland, who adopted her, and Ms. Strickland's husband, Jason Strickland, were charged with assault, but Ms. Strickland died in an apparent murder-suicide after charges were filed.

The state Department of Social Services, which was granted custody of Haleigh, successfully petitioned a juvenile court for permission to remove life support. Mr. Strickland challenged the state in court, asking to be considered Haleigh's de facto parent and to be allowed to argue for keeping her alive.

With the Court's decision to remove her feeding tube, doctors advise that she will die within a few hours of the tubes removal. The Court's decision fuels the existing debate on ethical and moral grounds whether it is appropriate for a Court to decide in a medical end-of-life decision. Many feel that rather than keeping her in a vegetative state, she should be allowed to go with dignity.

But who should make this decision??

Martina Hingis Is Welcomed Back In Australia

She is history's youngest world champion and has five grand slam titles of which three were in Australia and has won many more doubles titles. Martina Hingis, 24 is making a comeback in this years Australian Open where she entered as a wild card.

"The Swiss Miss" as she is affectionately called, was on a roll in her illustreous career, when in 2002 she decided to retire due to chronic injury and repeated surgery. It is difficult to keep these true great champions out for too long. The passion for the game and competive spirit has brought this champion back to the surface, much to the delight of her adoring fans who first saw her when she won this tournament at the age of 17.

Today she overcame her first round opponent the 30th seeded Russian Vena Zvonareva, beating her 6-1, 6-2, with impressive tennis, finnese and grace that her fans have sorely missed during her absence.

The Power Of Your Mind

Your mind is your biggest asset. You have the capacity to do great things when you control it. Then you become the master of your destiny.

Take the example of Thomas Edison, one the greatest inventors of all time. He had tried more than ten thousand times before he was able to perfect the light bulb. How many of us would have given up on the tenth or fifteenth try, probably most but not Edison. Every time he failed he saw it as a new opportunity to try a different method which did without giving up until he succeeded.

Your mind is your own. When you close the doors of your mind to everything that causes anxiety including anger and revenge, you'll unleash the forces of positive energy which can make amazing things happen for you.

Zidane Scores A Hat Trick

Real 4 Sevilla 2



If you love football, Zinedine Zidane is one player whose ball bending silky skills you cannot help but admire, regardless of whether you support his team or not. In the Spanish Liga match played againt Sevilla yesterday his hat trick of three goals comes at a time when his club presently fourth on the Liga table is seeking to reverse a dry spell and turn the fortunes around.

Zidane is a very good role model, has won world cup for France , the European championship and is an outstanding personality.Click here and read his bio.

Communal Bathing Rituals

Many of us have heard of the Turkish bath, a ritual that originated from ancient Turkey. In the ancient cultures bathing traditions were a community unifying force but practices such as nude bathing has lost it's appeal under pressure by the catholic church when they became a dominating force in Europe.

The modern day sauna's which has its origins in Finland, shows that even today's society does value such communal practices, with modifications to suit the current climate and times.

Thailand which has strong tradition and cultural roots can offer you the healing power of "spiritual bathing", encompassing the practises of yoga and meditation amidst the rain forest and natural settings; quite a contrast to what the modern day urban dweller is used to.

Communal bathing is a sacred ritual in Japan. You go to a "sento house", (read more) where you'll find this quite an amazing experience. In modern life, the public bath in these places provide an opportunity for interaction and communication just like the country club does for persons who like to entertain or play games.

In my home country Maldives where communities live on small islands surrounded by the sea all round, for community bathing you hit the beach and dive into the sea. It's the most therapeautic experience for beach lovers when you have pristine clear waters and bright sunshine to soak in as much or less to your heart's desire. Unfortunately uncontrolled development may see a day when we may lose the swimming lagoons as has happened in the nation's capital Male' and we may have to do with artificially created swimming pools that you so commonly see in countries that do not have the luxury of the beautiful sea.

This Pill Can Erase Your "Bad" Memory

According to this AOL News scientists are working on a pill that can wipe clean your traumatic thoughts.

The pill is in the testing stages, but it can't come soon enough. More and more soldiers are coming back from Iraq not only with badly torn bodies but with minds gone crazy. Many of them suffer from post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and there is an urgent need for a magic pill to help growing numbers of returning soldiers who can't erase the pictures of maimed bodies and dying colleagues on the battle field. Many of them have become sleepless zombies.

When polticians can't reduce the need for armed resistance in the hot spots of conflict with more looming on the horizon considering the likes of Iran's defiance to go for nuke, the need for such a pill has never been greater. Off the battle field violence is no less with gun violence, rape and other accidents.

The lifestyle of modern times is seeing a younger generation that demands instant gratification in whatever they do. This is the "cool" MTV generation growing up to fancy the "American Idol", which now every country seems to idolize in their own name. If they have to languish any pain, such a pill will be the solution and it will soon become the most widely used pill in living history.

Manchester United Lose The Derby Battle

Manchester City 3, Manchester United 1.

This is Manchester's version of the US Superbowl and the club owner Malcom Glazer already brooding over his other team Tampa Bay's failure to make the play-off must be glad he doesn't watch real football games. As though the humiliating defeat is not bad enough, Wayne Rooney and Alex Fergusion could face FA charges for confronting the referee Steve Bennet during half time. After a half time booking and a warning by the referee to Roony seen in the picture, Roony's well known ferocious temper got the better during half-time when he went about banging doors of the tunnel.

To make matters worse for United, Christiano Ronaldo was sent off for a wild tackle on Andy Cole as the loss leaves the Red Devils 13 points adrift of Chelsea which still has a match in hand.

Sir Alex Fergusion might take consolation this was his sides first loss since October, but it is really no consolation when you probably cannot catch up Chelsea and you've got Liverpool chasing down your tail to claim your second spot.

The greater tradegy would be if Alex Fergusion is unable to bridle his young talent such as Roony to consistently play on their best behaviour. There is no doubt that Roony is buzzing with match winning talent skills, but arrogance should never be allowed to come in. English Premier League has seen such talent before, such as Paul Gasgoine who never realized the full potential of his talent for similar reasons. Football loving fans can only hope the script is not written for Roony and would relish the glory days of silverware be brought to the Old Trafford faithful.

Bird Flu: The Race Against Time

This is going to be a huge problem. Scientists predict and have been giving out alert signals when the virus surfaced at Asia that this is to be treated seriously as uncontrolled spreading can make it into a pandemic.

Like the distant rumbling of a storm on the horizon, the television images of children’s’ funerals in eastern Turkey have send a shudder across Europe.
At least 15 people have been diagnosed with the deadly H5N1 strain of avian flu across Turkey and three children in Dogubeyazit have succumbed, two of them confirmed flu cases.

As devastating as the outbreak in Turkey is, it is providing invaluable information for those scientists working with the leading medical centres on the planet desperately trying to outwit the virus.


Samples obtained from Turkish victims and analysed at the National Institute of Medical Research in London show that H5N1 has undergone a slight mutation which makes it more likely to attach to human cells.

The doctors who have seen at first hand the effects of bird flu are themselves shaken. In chickens, H5NI seems to spread to all internal organs, but in humans it appears to devastate the lungs in particular. Researchers at the University of Hong Kong have found that a victim’s own immune system may be part of the problem. It reacts to the virus with a flood of chemical messengers that draw white-blood cells into the lungs, where they trigger a massive inflammatory reaction.

Although the flu has so far shown no great ability to pass between humans, a worldwide pandemic is seen by experts as inevitable. A pandemic born out of avian flu will be one of the great levellers of our time. The last great flu pandemic, the Spanish flu that followed the end of the first world war, killed 50 million people across the world.

Western governmnets have hastily convened meetings to decide on protective measures. Drug companies are developing the anti-viral vaccines and stock piling them as this will be armour in the first line of defense against a pandemic. Public fears will have to be calmed and life will have to go on "business as usual" while the scientists nervously watch for mutuations and spreading of the virus. So this time it is man against an unseen enemy which can strike anytime with deadly consequences.

Los Angeles is the US homeless capital.

What an irony it is that the city of the stars, the city of the rich and glamorous is also the homeless capital of the United States. Los Angeles has about 4 million people while nearly 10 million live in Los Angeles County, which embraces a sprawl of 88 cities. Los Angeles County is the second biggest urban concentration in North America after the big apple, New York.

A report released on Thursday by the Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority estimated that 82,291 people were homeless in Los Angeles County on any given night in 2005, with about 48,103 of the county's homeless living within Los Angeles' city limits. (Read the full article. )

This is an appalling social condition in a country which has sold itself as the promised land of endless opportunty.

Stop This Religious Intolerance For The Sake Of Peace And Harmony

Television evangelist Pat Robertson Of United States has said that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's stroke was divine retribution for the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, which Robertson opposed.
"He was dividing God's land, and I would say, 'Woe unto any prime minister of Israel who takes a similar course to appease the [European Union], the United Nations or the United States of America,'" Robertson told viewers of his long-running television show, "The 700 Club."
"God says, 'This land belongs to me, and you'd better leave it alone,'" he said.

This statement has been condemned by Conservative Christians as well as by the American Adminstration. The Israeli government took objection to this and under immense pressure Robertson retacted his statement and offered an apology.

This is the same man who stirred a controversy when he called the Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez "a terrific danger" bent on exporting Communism and Islamic extremism across the Americas. (Full story)
"If he thinks we're trying to assassinate him, I think we really ought to go ahead and do it," said Robertson Monday. "It's a whole lot cheaper than starting a war." Here too he offered an apology.

These are not only inappropriate but outrageous statements and Robertson should be ashamed of himself. Even most of his followers know that he is wrong, but the problem is how do you shut up such a person who claims to preach the Word of God

Afridi "booms" 27 Runs In An Over, The Second Highest In Record Books

It would have been a joy to watch Afridi in action today in the Pakistan versus India 2nd day of the 1st test. He delivered true to his name, Boom Boom Afridi, his fans call him affectionately for his agressive and hard hitting style of play. To the joy of his thousands of fans his 103 knock off 80 balls today included an over with 27 runs, the record holder for this feat being one of the greatest batsmen none other than Brian Lara with 28 runs.

The best compliment for Shaihid Afridi comes from Michael Holding when he said "Cricket is not cricket without Shahid Afridi". Few can disagree with this statement going by today's performance.

I don't see any reason why I should change my style of batting. I have scored all my runs in international cricket by playing aggressively and would continue that in the forthcoming series. I don’t know why but I like to chase bowlers,” Afridi said in an interview on the eve of this first Test. His fans will be eagerly watching to see their flamboyant batsman in the coming days.

Liberty Quotes From Lincoln

"Shall we expect some transatlantic military giant, to step over the
ocean, and crush us at a blow? Never! -- All the armies of Europe, Asia
and Africa combined, with all the treasure of the earth (our own
excepted) in their military chest; with a Bonaparte for a commander,
could not by force, take a drink from the Ohio, or make a track on the
Blue Ridge, in a trial of a Thousand years. At what point, then, is the
approach of danger to be expected? I answer, if it ever reach us, it
must spring up amongst us. It cannot come from abroad. If destruction
be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation
of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide."
-- Abraham Lincoln
(1809-1865) 16th US President
1838

http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Abraham.Lincoln.Quote.FBCC


"If you once forfeit the confidence of your fellow citizens,
you can never regain their respect and esteem.
It is true that you may fool all the people some of the time;
you can even fool some of the people all of the time;
but you can't fool all of the people all the time."
-- Abraham Lincoln
(1809-1865) 16th US President
http://quotes.liberty-tree.ca/quote_blog/Abraham.Lincoln.Quote.8167


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Turk Who Shot Pope Released

As I glanced through the headlines, I noticed that the title headline appeared in several major news bulletins.At first I could not understand all the fuss over a greying middle age man who is free from prison after serving his time. I read the news and here is my take of this story.

Mehmet Ali Agca was freed from prison on thursday, nearly 25 years after he shot Pope John Paul II. Agca shot the John Paul as the pope rode in an open car in St. Peter's Square on May 13, 1981, and was captured immediately. John Paul was hit in the abdomen, left hand and right arm, but recovered because Agca's bullets missed vital organs. The pontiff met Agca in his prison cell two years later and forgave him. After serving out his twenty year prison term in Italy, he was extradited to Turkey to face some previous charges unconnected to the attempted assasination of the pontiff.

In 1980 Agca was sentenced for execution for murdering a Turkish journalist but the sentence was commuted to life in prison in 2002, after Turkey abolished the death penalty. Later he escaped from prison and surfaced in Rome where he attempted to asssinate the pontiff.

Supporters of Agca were outside the prison to greet him as they consider him a hero.
Hours after his release, Justice Minister Cemil Cicek ordered a review to see whether any errors were committed in freeing him. He said Agca would remain free until an appeals court reviewed the case.

Many Turks were outraged at the decision to free Agca, approved by local courts, and Cicek apparently was responding to widespread criticism of the release after Agca served only five years for murdering Turkish journalist Abdi Ipekci.

At the time when Agca shot the pope who did not support the communist ideolgy, there was speculation that The Bulgarian Secret Service acting for the Soviet Union may have played a part in the plot but it was never proved.

With Turkey vying for a place as a member of the European Union, special interest will now bear on how Turkey handles this case.

A Thought From Napoleon Hill Foundation

A GOOD FISHERMAN GOES OUT OF HIS WAY TO BAIT HIS HOOK WITH WHAT THE FISH PREFER-WHICH MIGHT NOT BE A BAD TIP FOR THOSE WHO WISH TO SUCCEED IN HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS.

Just as in a conversation it's a good idea to listen more than you talk, it is also wise in relationships to think about the well-being of others more than you think about your own wishes and desires. When you constantly strive to treat others in the same way you would like them to treat you, you become a person whom others like to be around, one who commands their respect, confidence, and loyalty. When you learn to manage emotions and your ego, and when you learn to always consider the needs and desires of others, it is inevitable that you will "bait your hook" with kindness and consideration, and catch more friends than you can count.

This positive message is brought to you by the Napoleon Hill Foundation. Visit us at http://www.naphill.org. We encourage you to forward this to friends and family. They can sign up for this free service at our web site.

Early Victims Of Global Warming: The Frogs

Global warming has aided the growth of a fungus that caused the extinction of as many as 70 species of brightly colored South American frogs, according to a study to appear in the Jan. 12 issue of the journal Nature.

Several species of frogs including the brightly coloured golden toad have become extinct.

Here is what happens. The clouds create a mix of warmer nighttime temperatures that help the fungus grow on the frogs and cooler daytime temperatures that prevent the frogs from seeking the warm spots that could help them fight infection, according to the study. Scientists are now hopping and hoping to find ways to prevent the outbreak of the fatal disease.

For now what we know is that disease is killing frogs and global warming has unleashed havoc. The effect of any chain reaction on our biodiversity will be disastrous and hopefully we can get out of a death trap which the human species has unwittingly brought about.

Global Warming Gets A Pat From Asia Pacific

Global warming has produced a new partnership among some of the world's biggest polluting nations on Clean Development and Climate, one that complements the Kyoto protocol and compromises with U.S., Japan, Australia, South Korea, China and India in it. It is working together to develop, deploy and transfer cleaner, more efficient technologies and to meet national pollution reduction, energy security and climate change concerns, consistent with the principles of the U.N. Framework Convention of Climate Change.

The six nations at the inaugural Asia Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate meeting in Sydney acknowledged that burning fossil fuels a major contributor to greenhouse gases will remain "critical" to their economies. Australia and the US have each pledged more than $50 million for research into cleaner forms of energy. The money will be used to look at ways to generate cleaner electricity, and make industries more energy-efficient.

But critics say the pledged money is not enough, and accuse Australia and the US of not agreeing to the Kyoto Protcol which reqiures nations for mandatory cuts of green house gases.

The low lying countries that will be most affected by severe weather changes will do well to do all it can to keep this issue in the global focus, demanding attention and action in the interest of humanity.

Are You Dissatisfied With Your Current Career?

If the answer is 'yes', then why not launch your own home-based business. The internet offers unbeatable tools and abundant opportunities. You may even require more than a lifetime to explore the information superhighway fully. How far you succeed in your own home-based business will depend on your ability to give total commitment.

It requires radically redefining the way you earn a living and live your life. There are lot of people who fantasize about working at home but frankly don't have the internal discipline to work efficiently without supervision. The idea of not having a supervisor sounds like the greatest thing in the world. The reality is that a lot of people can't function without that structure and without that discipline.

It is also a reality that in your own home-based business you can bring massive changes with profound effects by putting out the same level of effort that you did in your old nine-to-five job. There is no magic formula to succeed at office or home; except hard work and total commitment. An example in point: Fortune 500 companies spend thousands of dollars or more to create dazzling home pages. The home-based entrepreneur on a shoestring budget can create similar pages using the internet tools available, many of them free.

India and Pakistan Engaged In Cricket Diplomacy

Ever since the partition of the subcontinent in 1947, India and Pakistan have been arch rivals. While the dispute over the Kashmir conflict remains unresolved, both sides have agreed to work towards a peaceful solution and the millions of cricket crazy fans provide an excellent opportunity for the politicians to bring both sides closer in the areas of agreement.

Starting from 13th January, India and Pakistan will play three tests and five one day internationals. During this period the divided subcontinent of India and Pakistan with more a billion population will be consumed to watch fever pitch cricket.

It's also the time for pundits and astrologers to predict the winning team analysing every aspect of the playing conditions, the pitch, players form and their behaviour both on and off the field.

The home team captain Inzamam (in the pic) gave out his Strategy saying, his bowlers need to get opener Virender Sehwag early because he can destroy any bowling attack. He fancies his chances against Sachin Tendulkar and said the Pakistani bowlers can restrict him.

"I know the Indian batsmen have not done as well as they should have in the recent past. But we cannot ignore their track record which is of the highest class. Similarly, Pakistan bowling, especially the fast bowling attack, will not be the same as the Indians faced in 2004 and I am sure the Indians would have realised it after last year's series," Inzamam said.

The Indians arrive in Lahore on Thursday evening on their second tour of Pakistan in three years for a three-Test and five-match one-day international series. The Test series starts in Lahore on January 13.

"It is going to be a battle between the Indian batting and Pakistan bowling. Spearheaded by a rejuvenated Shoaib Akhtar, I fancy my team's chances more than the Indians but we have to remember that every Indian batsman has earned respect and recognition after performing consistently over the years.

Have A National Fruit Cake Day!

ABC Mildura Swan Hill in Australia celebrated national fruit cake day on tuesday, 27th Dec 2005.

Here is Elwyn Frankel's boiled fruit cake recipe that was passed down to her by her mother Violet Wakefield.

Boiled Fruit Cake Recipe

Boil together 1 cup of sugar, a quarter of a pound of butter, one pound of dried fruits, 1 teaspoon of mixed spice, 1 cup of cold water, lemon peel and nuts if liked. Boil together for five minutes, then add 1 teaspoon of bi-carbonate soda. Let the mixture cool then add 2 eggs, 1 cup of self-raising flour, and one-and-a-half cups of plain flour. Bake in a slow oven for one to one-and-a-half hours. The cake is improved and has a better keeping quality if a good dash of sherry is added.

Microsoft Under Fire For Blocking Chinese Blogger

Microsoft is under fire for blocking a blog belonging to chinese researcher Zao Jing
after he posted articles critical of a management purge at the "Beijing News Daily." here is what he said:

"I posted three posts about the Beijing News and all posts and articles were deleted inside China," Mr Zhao, who uses the pen name Michael Anti, told the XFN-Asia news service this week.

"MSN Spaces (has) now deleted all of my articles and I have no backup and I'm very angry."

The MSN Spaces operation, a Microsoft joint venture with state-owned Shanghai Alliance Entertainment, is the top blog hosting service in China.

Microsoft this week defended its latest action, releasing a statement saying it was acting in line with global laws when it deleted the web blog.

"In line with Microsoft practices in global markets, MSN is committed to ensuring that products and services comply with global and local laws, norms, and industry practices," the company said.

"Most countries have laws and practices that require companies providing online services to make the internet safe for local users. Occasionally, as in China, local laws and practices require consideration of unique elements."

On which ever side of the divide of free speech you remain, it is clear that big business such as microsoft, yahoo and google would not want to jeopardize their business interests although they may privately not agree with the practices that prevail in some global markets that are so important to them.

Sharon: Fights The Battle Of His Life

As the prime minister of Israel Arial Sharon lies critically ill, there is debate in the middle east on his contribution to peace or otherwise. The acting prime minister has said, "Israel's democracy is strong and its institutions are functioning as they should."

Doctors will decide to wake him from the medically induced coma on monday and Israel anxiously awaits the new political landscape that will emerge if for any reason, Arial Sharon is unable to resume active duty as prime minister. Many in the middle east have strong views on Mr.Sharon's role in the peace process. Even his unilateral decision to pull out from the Gaza is seen with suspicion by those opposed to him. Such an attitude of mistrust does not help in the peace process of a region that is fraught with a history of unresolved conflicts.

From his friends and foes alike, Mr. Sharon desrerves the support and good wishes for his recovery, as would be the case with any other human being.

Keep It Simple And Lose Weight

Read this article from WebMD. Stop looking for miracle cures or super-fast weight loss techniques.Keep it simple. says the writer of the article who has experienced the demands of life that many of us have to struggle with on a daily basis. Accept the two things below and it will be easier for the rest to fall into place and make your life simpler.

1.Life will always be full of stress and demands
2.We can't control a lot of things. We can control how we respond to them

Learning to control our emotions is not always easy but the recognition and acceptance of it will put us in the right track to achieve success.

Complacency- A Rehash of My Previous Post

"Complacency is a form of slavery, binding one to a living death of inaction, non participation and default. The shackles are easy to slip into. They are comfortabale chains because they require nothing but your disinterest and indifference."

The above is an abstract from the book "Life By Design" by Dr. Rick Kirschner and Dr. Rick Brinkman.

The book gives an example to support the above stated view illustrating ' a frog experiment.' The frogs were put into a pond. The water temperature of the pond was gradually raised. The idea was to see at what temparature the frogs will jump out and leave the pond. Surprisingly every time the temperature was raised the frogs adjusted to the new level and did not leave the pond. This continued until the frogs finally got roasted in the pond.

This example demonstrates the consequences of inaction and disinterest.

This Computer Can Taste Wine

Computers are beating the humans in several fields including in wine tasting. A Carnegie Mellon University Professor is working to build computer tools that will make and taste better wine. The connoisseurs will have to look for other jobs and ardent muslims will ask for halal computers. ha! These are exciting times.

Live A Life Of Self-Respect And Dignity

Coming through the busy MG Road of the Bangalore City Center yesterday, we were passing through the neon-lit billboards that were plentiful around almost all the buildings. One advertisement caught my eye and stuck to my mind. It read: Live a life of self-respect and dignity. It was an advert of a bank.

Our car stopped at the next red light. A young young boy ran between the moving vehicles that were coming to a halt, to sell the evening papers and some 2006 calendars. I wondered what self-respect and dignity would mean to this young man's life . I certainly hold him in high respect for his enterprising though somewhat reckless behaviour to earn a living.

Even after I reached home, I kept thinking to myself whether society could do more to help those at the lowest tier of society who peddle and push sometimes risking their own lives, just in order to survive.

The answers do not easily follow the questions, but I decided to put my pen to paper hoping to capture my trend of thought before my imagination takes flight into the other mundane matters of life.

I wrote effortlessly upto this point and began to falter when the complexity of the problems we face became clearer in my mind. The advert that raced in front of my eyes was probably not meant to evoke any of these emotions. The advert was out to sell a package of services since we know banks take your money and invest for higher returns. So no big deal, it's just business ; big business.

Does big business have a social responsibilty to help others live a life of self-respect and dignity? I think they do. I agree that the prime motive of any business is first to make money for the people who invest in the business. But since business is done in a community, it has a responsibilty to contribute to the well-being of the community thereby helping it's members to live a life self-respect and dignity.

The Best Part Of Your Life

You think the best part of your life is when you are a footloose teenager with a transistor plugged into your ear and you seem to have all the time in the world to do whatever it pleases you. You are cool to sip pepsi and frequent fast food cafes, appealing not only to your taste buds but giving you an identifiable lifestyle. You are the trendy virtually connected generation whose fast fingers SMS friends near and far. You are lucky if you can afford such a lifestyle which is the norm that aspiring developing nations hope to achieve for their youthful generation who demand instant gratification as a way of life.

Unfortunately, even with the best of medical technology and modern conveniences, age takes you on as you go through life. You turn a corner and you are in the middle age when everything turns grey. Leaving home to party all night is no longer easy for the aching bones and you begin to say, " I've done it all before."

What comes at your next turn into your later life is better left undescribed. There are no cool TV commercials to show you how to live that part of your life. There is no glamour there and you've given up the pepsi's in favour of the health conscious drinks.

I've described three distinct phases of your life: the wrinkle free youth, the experienced middle age and the sunset years of old age. Her's how I think you can make each of these phases the best phase of your life.

1- The youth: Make this the best learning period. Look after your health, keep yourself gainfully employed, persue a hobby and live an active lifestyle saving sufficient for your future.

2-With maturity and experience now to your credit you can discern what relationships give you joy. You can learn from your mistakes and commit yourself to contribute to and help worthy social causes such as helping the poor or providing affordable education.

3-Old age is the payback time for your early efforts. You can reap the fruits of your harvest now. You can afford to spend time on what pleases you most, whether it is to travel or just wait and smell the roses while you watch the world pass you by.

If you can smothly manouvre yourself from one phase to the other and avoid sharp volatile patterns while resident in any particular stage, it would give you a great sense of accomplishment. At whatever point you are in the odyssey of life, you must make the best of it and don't be among the walking dead for you get to live this life only once on this planet we call earth.

Give Peace A Chance

John Lennon's title song comes to mind as I write this piece from Bangalore, still reeling from last wednesday's terror attack in which a gunmen entered the nation's prestigious Indian Institue Of Science in Bangalore, opened fire and killed a respected mathematics professor who had come in to attend a sminar. My heart goes out to the professor's family and I condemn this barbaric action.

As the world welcomes the new year celebrations the mood here isn't damp though understandably some nervousness does prevail with a higher level of security visibly present in strategic areas.

Terror from an unseen enemy is the biggest threat facing the world now. Religious zealots and ideological fanatics and their agenda must be defeated to allow peace and harmony between the communities of the world.

My Final Words For The Year 2005.

Live your life to the full, cherish your family, listen to everyone with an open mind and make a positive impact on those who come your way, and expect nothing in return.

My wish for 2006: For religious zealots to stay out of politics and a very happy and peaceful new year to everyone.

Notes From My Diary 2005

I started off the year, buying the "Paulo Coelho's Alchemy 2005 Diary." In it I've entered inspirational pieces or writings that have impacted on me positively. As I look back, here a few that stand out.

1. Happiness and success are not the result of what we have, rather of how we live.
-Jim Rohn.

2- Words have the power to destroy or heal.

3- Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.
-Albert Eindtein.

4- The true measure of a man's wealth is in the things he can afford not to buy.
-Ralph Waldo Emerson

5- Rather than focusing on THINGS and TIME, focus on enhancing RELATIONSHIPS and accomplishing RESULTS.
-Steven R. Covey.

It is not that most people are incapabale of greatness, it is that they are unwilling to pay the price of success. They have the ideas, but they do not have the desire to relinquish the comforts of life. They have the dreams, but they cringe at the thought of having to endure any kind of hardship.

Take Note: Sober Virus May Hit On Jan 5, 2006.

Sober virus that has been around for seven years may hit with more venom this time, warn Computer experts.

The worm expected to be activated on Jan 5th, is to flood email boxes with pro nazi propaganda in English and German.

All major anti-virus programs can protect computers against the worm. Industry experts are advising users to instal and keep uptodate, anti-virus software.

Tech Trends To Watch in 2006

For the diehard and the enthusiastic techies, the year ahead promises more exciting products. High Definition TVs have become mainstream and a 30" Sony set will cost $700. Click Here and read about laptops geared for entertainment, capture moments through digital video, podcasting and many others that will hold your interst.

Video Games: A Big Business In India

India has a longer history, colourful traditions and a gigantic growing population than most countries that are in the forefront of the games development industry. Indiagames, a company formed in 1999 and located in Mumbai has embarked to develop Emperor Ashoka" which recreates battles from the life of a legendary Indian King who lived in the third century BC. There will be no shortage of action as Goddess Kali appears with multiple limbs and each hand weilds a different weapon.

Indiagames is also making games for the mobile phone market based on Hollywood's tested characters like Spiderman, Predator and Buffy the Vampire Slayer.While Indiagames is a leading contender many smaller companies have also come in to the creative process of developing games. India has no shortage of talent and this will be an industry that is bound to bring enviable financial returns to those who can allow their imagination to take flight and soar upto the sky. Companies that have come into this entertainment industry include Milestone Interactive Studios and Paradox Studios, both located in Mumbai and Bangalore's Dhurva Interactive are all working on original content. Dhruva has developed Pool -On-The-Net an online 3D billiards game targeted to an Indian audiance.

Shah Rukh Brings Cheers Amid Delhi's Cool.

This is a visual treat of song and dances that the bollywood king's fans can never have enough.

The Dead Come Alive Through Music

They are known as Deadheads and they are the fans of the band Grateful Dead. The band disbanded since the death of guitarist and lead singer Jerry Garcia who has always encouraged live recording and free downloading of their music shows. When the surviving band memebers halted the free downloading, all hell broke loose. The Dead heads are cool bunch gotten used to bring live recordings back from the dead. An online petition collected 5,200 signatures and a boycott of the Grateful Dead merchandise took effect. Happily for the Dead heads, free downloading was made available to them again.

Testing Times For Democracy In Egypt

A court in Egypt has sentenced an opposition leader to five years hard labor after convicting him in a forgery case. Diplomats from United States, France, Norway and the European Union observed the court proceedings. The Opposition Leader is convicted for having forged signatures to form a poltical party. Lawyers for the defence said that the trial was politically motivated.

Egypt is the US's closest ally who needs their financial support to run a country with a monopolistic rule and a broken economy that needs fixing. US and Europe have started applying pressure and it will be interesting to see how changes will come about.

Times Persons Of The Year

It is refreshing to read U2's Bono and philanthropy billionaires Bill and Melinda Gates
taking the cover of the Times as the Persons Of this year for their continued commitment in spending millions to take on global poverty.

In times past, you would think that a rock star will shine and be heard on stage and through his music. Not so any more, the world leaders in global summits such as in G8 and other meetings are now listening to them.

Software architect and Microsoft boss Bill Gates and Melinda Gates have made global leaders listen to them not only with their money but with their innovative programs to eradicate disease and lift the poor out of their plight. The human race is running against time in environmental protection and unresolved conflicts, but if there is any hope for the future, this year's cover of Times Magazine recognizing an unlikely Trio does stand out as beacon of hope that could bring happiness to the forgotten millions.

This Scientist's Head Needs To Be Examined

South Korea's Top Scientist Hwang Woo-Suk resigned in disgrace after admitting that he has fabricated the stem cell research that he earlier claimed to have successfully carried out.

How could a distinguished scientist err on such an important matter that he knew would have long lasting moral and ethical consequences for the world community. A remoreseful Hwang can be forgiven by his country and the world community but it is beyond me to understand why he took the road tha he did.

Social Entrepreneurs Bring Light To Poor Millions

This is the kind of article that will light up your spirits. "Barefoot Engineers", a program started by Indian social entrepreneur uses school dropouts and illiterate villagers to install and maintain solar energy systems that provide electricity at a rate that conventional methods could never afford to do.

We need more social entrepreneurs to come up with such innovative methods to help the poor. This is a good example the amazing power of human resourcefulness. I salute the social entrepreneurs who work on such projects and feel that the barefoot engineers have more brain power than some of the politicians who have managed to keep them poor for so long.

How about "A Change" As A New Year Resolution

With the new year fast approaching this will be a question that some people could ask of themselves, either for a change of career, business or even the way they live their life. If this subject is of any interest to you, read this article.

This is the time of the year when it is fashionable to make new year resolutions though the majority of the people will never keep them.

Change is unavoidable and it happens whether we like it or not. The best way to deal with change is to be flexible and adjust to it. Time does not wait for anyone and our life is just a fleeting moment in the bigger scheme of things. Not wanting change is unwise and therefore we all need change. The question then is, what kind of change do you want?

Do you want a new job?
Do you want to study for a degree?
Do you want to change your lifestyle?

You can decide what change you want or how you will adopt to the changes that occur around you. Make it different this time just by sticking to what you resolve.

Simplicity Is The Way Of The Future

We are not living in the era that Henry David Thoreau lived.
Thoreau himself is famously known for as the naturalist philosopher who lived a simple life near the beautiful Walden Pond for two years. He wanted to experience the simplest way to live his life and even by the standards prevailing at that time he was considered a pacifist.

Can you imagine what today's popular culture would call such living, well from crazy to lunacy would be my guess. But wait a minute. There are also simplicity movements that are beginning to pick up momemtum in this rapid fast-paced world. So Thoreau can rest with the knowledge that more people have begun to value his experience of life.

Futurists now predict that the gadgets that are so indispensable in our life are going to be less complex.
Your mobile phone, PDA or didital camera has so many functions that you may not fully understand or test them before they go to their grave. After all most people use these gadgets for their functional convenience and developers of new technology will really start to work hard not just to incorporate more functions but to make the gadgets more simple and even more user friendly for people like the "idiots" for whom a whole series of guides from birth till death is being written.

The Divided Subcontinent On Fever Pitch

It's cricket at fever pitch that has spell bound India and Pakistan for more than six weeks. For information on the current India/Sri Lanka test here's one link that you can't afford to miss.

Cricket is religiously followed by millions in India and Pakistan. Can you imagine the passions that are aroused when these two friendly rivals face each other. Such passions bring out the 'beauty and the beast' out of the fanatic fans who flock to watch their heroes in action and demand that they win.

Pakistan has just won the Pakistan/England ODI Series by 3-2. On the penultimate day of the series England won the last match salvaging some pride and flying home with their heads held high with the knowledge that a very young team has indeed done well, although this performance came a bit too late for the England fans.

There is more cricket to come for the Indians, whose team currently playing the test series against Sri Lanka also recently played against South Africa. They will very soon be playing their great rival Pakistan. Fans on both sides of this divided continent are eagerly awaiting this clash.

"Intelligent Design" Defeated in Court

Intelligent Design is not a scietific theory but a religious alternative, ruled a US District judge. But this debate is not going to go away for proponents of the theory argue that there are unexplained gaps in Darwin's evolution theory and students must be taught of the existence of unidentified intelligent causes that have contributed to the process of life.

Microsoft Under Fire For Xbox Glitch

Microsoft's rush to bring to market the Xbox 360 console, has riled enthusiastic gamers who complaining of defective designs of the product. Some have filed legal action against the software giant. Microsoft was eager to catch on the hoilday crowd and this this the result according to some industry critics.

When Microsoft is out to impose strict copyright requirements which it has a right to do, it must also make sure that it's products are not defective. Gaming has become big business and both the industry as well the consumers must play it fair and by the rules. This is the way to defeat the piracy business which is also big business .

You Are The Director Of Your Life

As I sat in the departure lounge of the Male' International Airport awaiting to board an Air Lanka flight bound for Colombo, many thoughts raced my mind. I knew I had missed a few days from posting on my blog. What would I write next. Shall I scan the net for news on cool gadgets or newsworthy social events or impending disasters? For once, my mind was not giving clear answers: So let me try something to LIVE for, POSITIVE, and VALUE driven.
How about me directing my own life and you directing your own life. Seems good, so here I go.

Life does give each one of us the opportunity to live our life. Whether we are successful or not depends not only on how we live our life but also on how we define success. To one person success was, " As long as I am above ground, I am successful." To this person, to be alive was to be successful. I am sure most other people would want more out of their life.

There are some people who believe that success is dependent on factors beyond their control. Such people are bound to suffer the disappointment and unhappiness for they see their lives taking twists and turns that they can't control. While this may be true of certain periods in the life of every person, it cannot be the norm as it deprives a person from taking personal responsibility for his actions.

Our life becomes the product of our decisions and the effort we put in to realize our dreams. Our innate potential will not be realized unless we work to achieve them. The price of our success is not dependent only on money but more on our efforts.

Pretty Woman

I fiddled with my remote control and guess who comes, a "Pretty Woman" with my favourite stars Julia Roberts amd Richard Gere. I've seen this film a few times before but decided to watch it once again although I caught the film passed midway late at night when I usually would be fast asleep.

The film is a romantic comedy that propelled Julia Roberts to megastardom. This is a classic love story with two characters at both ends of the social spectrum. Julia Roberts plays the role of a hooker but her beauty captivates the hearts of men including Richard Gere, a successful all- work-and-no-play businessmen.

You'll see some hilarious moments in this film when Julia who plays vivian, the high school drop out prostitute and has to put up with Richard in his business dealing world which Julia has never experienced before. Richard and Julia are opposites, Richard is only interested in making money while Julia loves the simple and romantic life that the 'girl next door' would. They start off liking each other despite their social difference and influence each other at a deeper emotional level.

As the film progresses you'll see a transformation in both their characters. There are great songs in the film including "Oh Prteety Woman" written by Roy Orbisson and won the 1991 Grammy Award for Best Male Pop Vocal Performance.

This is a great film, although such scripts get turned out to reality only in Hollywood, the land of dreams. Some dreams come true as was the case for Julia Roberts in this film. So keep on dreaming. You may just find the knight to come and rescue you or your country from the your plight and lift you to the stars.

Male' : Developing To A Social Disaster

Male', the capital island of the Republic Of Maldives is a community unto its own. This island had the laid back calm of a small town community untill a few decades ago.

At that time, the street lanes of coral sand lined with imposing white-walled houses with spacious gardens. Day and part of the night, the doors of these houses were left open so that neighbours can drift in and out to have a chat or gossip about the day's events.

Ironically the tranquil peace that was so refreshing to the residents as well as to the visitors has changed to what we now call a progressive lifestyle. Tourism has become the lifeline of Mladives since the early 1970s.

The tourist dollar has created an elite class that can, not only afford first class travel but are also able to own property outside the country and control businesses within the country. A community that was driven by their desire to live in harmony is now clamouring to forge a new social order. An order where the increasing gap between the rich and the poor is reduced so that the wealth of the country is equitably distributed, opportunities are available and social justice is assured and meted out to all.

The lack of a sustainable housing policy in Male' since the 1960s has seen the spacious gardens and their enclosed homes divided many times over to give rising cubicle homes to the next two generations, that has jammed Male' almost bursting at the seams. This is the inevitable result of a centralized policy to control everything from running the government to control business and commerce to communication and transportation from Male'.

Lack of adequate living space has brought about shoulder to shoulder living, crammed within the one and half square mile island of Male' creating health hazards and a social nightmare. A culture of drug abuse is prevailing among the younger generation and law enforcemnet agencies are unable to control rampant corruption. The crooks seem to be having a field day putting the law abiding citizens at their mercy.

Superficially we are rich and living a life of abundance in Male'. But this feeling is only skin deep as evident from peoples homes to hospitals to public services and to the way we are struggling to look after an aging population.

Learn From The Industreous Japanese

Japan does not have much natural resources, but it has one commodity in abundance: money. It is the world's biggest aid donor. It is one of the world's biggest foreign investors.

How did this happen to a country that was devastated after the second world war, its old military might demolished, and its citizens had struggled to get up on their feet?

The Japanese are a resilient people. After their defeat in the second world war in 1945, they shifted their focus from miltary expansion and the government and the industry was united to build the nation. The Japanese companies adopted the "best practice" methods to improve productivity and enhance performance. They imported raw materials and used them to manufacture world class products which were exported out.

Now The Land Of The Rising Sun is winning back its old colonies whose memories are fading of the past brutal occupation, purely by economic means.

Observe how Tokyo works and you begin to to realize the collosal work that has brought about this massive transformation of a country in ashes to one that is towering above the rest of the world, holding its own in economic might. Tokyo is the seat of the government, business and finance, communication and culture.

Tokyo is one the most congested cities of the world. Millions of commuters take the trains daily but their train stations are kept whistle-clean. White collar workers abuzz the city throughout the 6-day work week.

Here is what I think we can learn from the Japanese.

Japan is a small country and after their defeat in the second world war, there was bitter acrimony among the people. There was suffering and regret among its citizens. But they pulled together, geared the economy for export and worked hard.Today they have become a prosperous nation and are sharing their prosperity with other nations. Their traditions and work ethics have stood good through trying times. Community interest above individual motivation seems to have propelled Japan sky high, this time not dominating militarily but economically.

People Of Indian Origin University

Indian Prime Minister says he is considering setting up a PIO University ie. People Of Indian Origin University. The Prime Minister was addressing an indian audience in kuala lampur in malaysia.

I cannot fully understand what will be unique about this university. Certainly India has a strong tradition of a free press and a vibrant democracy. The future looks bright and India is the fastest growing country in Asia, keeping up the economic pace with China.

Asian Television Awards

This is an event to look for, to show case your talent and be recognized for your creative endeavours.

I hope hazylium will look through this.

Honey Bees Recognize Your Face

In a bee study , in the dec 15th issue of Journal Of Experimental Biology , it is reported that bees can recognize human faces and remember upto two days.

This is very exciting news. This research suggests that bees may play a more prominent role at airports and other places where face recognition is important. They may also be used by law enforcemnet agencies to spy on and catch the perpetrators of crime who may traffic drugs or may be involved in terrorist activities . In the years to come, who knows , the bees may be able to do a better job not just in face recogition but in several other aspects of crime detection and public safety.

It will be a crying shame if we, the humans are beaten by the bees ....with such small brains I guess.

Guard Your Check Against Theft

Crooks can steal your money, all it takes is your papercheck or even a deposit slip. Paper checks are a bigger worry than credit or debit cards. You can report the loss of your card to the bank and they'll immediately cancel the card. The lack of US Federal protection against paper transactions, causes prolonged headaches for consumers becuse banks have varying policies on how to treat bad checks.

This is the situation in the world's biggest economy with federal and state oversight regulations tightly designed to protect the consumer interest.

In several developing countries with less than perfect state of high accountability, the consumers are the mercy of the crooks whose action seems to go unpunished, giving the impression that they are above the law.

World Cup Draw- Brazil smiling, Argentina Not So

Defending champion Brazil is pleased with their opponents in group F, while Argentina eliminated in the first round in 2002, may have to struggle again. For the complete draw of all the teams and other related news click here.

Before the next world cup is played out, the punters and pundits will raise the stakes and general mood to fever pitch. The politicians who have nothing better to do can have their constituents engrossed in the battle of the games that will be livecast across the globe entertaining the rich who can certainly afford and the poor and the poorest of the poor who can transcend their daily struggles to connect with this absorbing contest.

OIC Makes The Call Of Disunity Among The Muslims

OIC Secreatry General is dead right in making the call of disunity among muslim nations and the general apathy for blaming others as the reason for their problems.

What a joke it is! The muslim countries knew all along, what the OIC Secreatary General has lamented, ie. call for , concrete action to solve problems such as poverty, illiteracy, epidemics, lack of equal opportunity and unequal distribution of wealth. These problems did not culminate overnight, infact it has taken decades for the situation to become so rotten as they have acknowledged.

So long as the leaders of muslim countries and organizations such as OIC only give lip service to the problems outlined, nothing will change. It gives more ammunition for the radicals to flourish. I am against extremism and all forms of violence but the sad reality is that the collective leadership of the muslim world is only playing games without the conviction and the resovle needed to bring about real change that is so vital to defeat the extremists and their agendas.

Hmmm...The Religious Scholars Are Talking

At about 7.40 pm on 8.12.05, I sat in my living room, with the TV running a TV Malives program "hidaayathuge magu" loosely translated: Godly path. I'll stand corrected if my translation is incorrect.

Two religious scholars took turns to quote the muslim scriptures, advising a listening audience to refrain speaking about contentious issues. Speak good of everyone and everything, if you must, think before you open your mouth to speak.

How interesting. Why don't you religious scholars direct your advice to individuals who contravene your advice, ie. those who speak good but act against what they speak. Why not name and shame them.

It's time for you scholars to cut out the hypocrisy and come out clean. Here in Maldives, you know that the moral fabric has been badly damaged and requires enormous effort to put it right. If you wish to be taken seriously and more to the point, if you wish others to honour what you say, stop taking cover behind a smoke screen. Our society is small enough for you to know who speaks what publicly like what you do on this progamme. When their actions do not match the words they speak, take them to task and let the chips fall where they may.

Should We Care About Hard Work?

By some estimates, the average American in the world's largest economy, is working longer hours now. It isn't a perfect measure partly because the boundary between paid work and rest is vanishing and the question of how hard people work is very subjective.

While the Americans lead in "working harder", the Europeans and the notoriously industrious Japanese have some catching up to do on the path blazed by America.

Simply because the trend appears in the direction of working harder than we used to, it doesn't mean we are worse off. We need less time to prepare our meals, thanks to the microwave oven. Modern technology has made available to us many such conveniences which cost us more in money but save us time. Even shopping is a breeze for those of us using the internet.

Working hard or having a lot of work isn't necessarily bad. Work does give order and meaning to one's life. It can provide a sense of self-worth and dignity. Even from a moral perspective, there is virtue in hard work. "Free time" means idleness- this is the cornerstone of the work ethic that has brought us to the civilization that we are enjoying today.

So, the short answer to my question abve is: Yes, we should all care about hard work.

Hopefully, we can work smart as well. We can only realize the full value of our work if we work in a place with a system that operates on meritocracy, ie. recognizing and rewarding effort on the basis of merit.

In many countries plagued by corruption and operating on crony capitalism, contracts are awarded and promotions are given to suit political objectives. In such places, there is no equitable distribution of wealth and how hard you work is not the solution to how well you do in your life.

You Can Imagine A Better World With John Lennon Around

Well, he is not around but you can still imagine, right?

A deranged fan took his life and we've lost a musical genius who led a controversial life but always stood for Peace. His songs "Give peace a chance" and "Imagine" still stand out as favourite songs.

Together with The Beatles, John Lennon played a prominent role in the music world that unleashed profound social changes in UK, Europe and The United States which John later adopted as his home.

Even a generation after this musical great has left us, his fans continue to pay tribute to his music and his legacy.

We Need To Build Bridges With Each Other

I've already posted "the case of my missed flight." With tmi staff not supportive and as we were too early for a "Riyaa Cafe" breakfast at 6.40 am on 5th decemebr 2005, I decided to do the next best thing. Read a book. I picked up a tma magazine "niyaama' no: 4. One sentence instantly caught my attention.

"Mohamed Thakurufanu The Great liberated Maldives in the latter part of the 16th Century."

I must confess I do not know enough about Maldivian history to make a crtical assessment of this liberation. But when I look at the social injustices that are prevailing in our society now, another more startling question comes to my mind.

"If infact we were liberated in the 16th century, how did we manage to get ourselves enslaved again." You can debate that this is a subjective opinion, each person entitled to his as I am to mine. For all I know, when I arrived Daalu Meedhoo an island with 1200 hard-working self confident individuals, there wasn't a single cyber cafe from where I could post this piece earlier.
On 5th december2005, evening I had gone in a launch to Faaf Nilandhoo, the capital island of that atoll, with 1600 inhabitants. Although there was one small cyber cafe, it was not opened even on 6.12.05 morning as not many people ever used it. The lingering question in my mind was, " when we came this far to nearly a developed country in Male', how and why did we leave the islands so far behind. This piece will run too long if I were dwell on the various social issues that are horribly wrong in these islands.

In order to maintain the social fabric of a unified people we need to learn to reach out to each other. We need restore trust between individuals and community leaders. We need to unlearn some of the corrupt practises that have crept into our society, which superficially give us a pseudo-western lifestyle while conveniently calling ourselves a 100 percent muslim nation.

The Case Of My Missed Flight

I had slept well passed midnight and woke up at 3.45 am on 5th december 2005,. when my alarm rang off. Here's the sequence of events that followed.

• 4.45 am arrive at the Hulule Ferry Point at Male. I was in group of three others.
• 5.00 am Depart Male' by dhoni to Hulule'
• 5.20 am. Arrive and wait at the counter to take Sea Plane to Vilu Reef Island.
• 5.25 am counter staff comes in without the key to the counter locker.
• 5.30 am Counter key received, locker opened. Passengers names cheked and baggage tags issued. Thereafter we were fereried by bus to tmi seaplane terminal.
• 5.45 purcased our tickets and await boarding for flight leaving at 6.10am
• At 6.05 we were told by tmi staff that the plane has departed without us. We were furious and not in a mood to give in tmi duty staff nonsense. They said we were wait listed and showed thier passenger list and our four names at the very top had been struck off.
• 6.20 am we knew we were at the mercy of these liars but decided to take our breakfast and cool off while waiting for the next flight at 7.10 am
• 6.22am. We approached the "Riyaa Cafe" counter. Counter staff told they could serve tea/coffee with traditional roshi with fish etc. But the food is being prepared and we had to wait a while. We took a table nearby, our frayed tempers still getting the better of us as we were talking only about how the tmi duty staff lied to us without slightest feeling of an apology on their part for the inconvenience caused to us.
• 6.45 am Food from the Cafe still not ready. We decided we should approach the departure counter and make sure we did not miss or better put that we shall not allow the tmi plane to depart without us.
• 6.55 am. Cafe' staff approached us. Food is ready! It was too late to have breakfast when you know you are at the mercy of tmi. On hindsight we should atleast have taken a coffee even though food was not ready. Well, we can do better next time on that.
• 7.15 am. Left by fight number 53 PNR number 491636. Feeling angry at the Tmi lousy service who seem to think, that only the tourists they take are important while they can neglect the maldivians as it appears there is no one to protect their interests. This is stupid and arrogant thinking and hopefully we can put sense into these people sooner than later.

24- Hour Phone Doctors

A company in US, Teladoc Medical Services allows a person to call an 800 number. Within an hour a doctor returns your call who will discus your symptons and give you a prescription. Not everyone agrees with this form of practising medicine but it will benifit many people who will use this service in a country with exhorbitant medical fees. This may not be the answer to life-threatning situations but it certainly helps in minor ailments.

This concept is very interesting. We can have public servants and politicians to serve their communities better using similar approches of service.

What Is The Purpose Of Your Life?

Your purpose in life could be:

• To be a godly person
• To raise happy children
• To achieve a distant vision, and many others.

While many people have not taught about this question, there are others who may not want to think about it. To them, not thinking and making future plans may be their purpose.

Some people believe that we are pre-programmed creatures and our life will take the route that we are intended to live. This is fatalistic view and I believe there is more to life than the narrow view offered here. There are others who believe that a creator has an unseen hand guiding us along a path of our life.

My view is that I am endowed with free will to choose right from wrong. I am resposible for my actions and when I face my creator, if I can say that I have done all I could do to lead a righteous life, that would be good enough to achieve my purpose.

Stimulants Lift Us Higher

Some people crave for the cigareete, the coffee or the drink to kick them to the next level of high. Such stimulants arouse us and make us more alive. The caffeine or the nicotene gives us a temporary high. The drink which is stronger keeps a person in that state of high for a longer period.

But why do we need such stimulants and why do we crave for such highs? Can we not live our lives without these stimulants lifting us momentarily to such highs? As the world is too complex and since we as individuals have different reasons for why we do what we do, seeking answers to these questions would have to be an individual matter.

Eventually for some of us, our craving for arousal and our dependency on stimulants increases our need for more potent stimulants like cocaine and other cocktail combinations. At these higher levels, the threshold of an arousal by taking coffee has been crossed over to the kind of "addiction" stage that I have explianed in a previous posting. The consequences of higher potency addictions could be fatal and we are far better off if we can avoid experimenting with our lives at that level.

Ronaldinho Wins The Golden Ball

Ronaldinho has won the Golden Ball as the European Player Of The Year, ahead of Frank Lampard of Chelsea and Steven Gerrad of Liverpool.

The winner is chosen by France Football Magazine's annual poll of 52 journalist around the world.

"God gives gifts to everyone," Ronaldinho said. "Some can write, some can dance. He gave me the skill to play football and I am making the most of it."

Passions Or Addictions?

Are you a passionate person? Is it your passion to watch football on TV? When does a passion cross the line an become an addiction?

The term passion applies both to positive and negative emotions. If I say, it is my passion to help people in anyway I can, that is positive and productive. In a fit of passion if a person strangles his friend, that is negative and counter productive. Thus, you will find that passions do come in many different ways.

The indisputably harmful effects of addictions such as drugs are well known. But sometimes the word passion is also used loosely in such situations as if I were to say, "I am addicted to reading." In this case the proper description perhaps, would be passion.

Your passion to do legitimate business helps in trading and distribution of goods. That is positive. If your passion is to make profits at any cost, then you may be adversely affecting the lives of many people. In this case, greed has taken control over you. That is a negative emotion.

Thus, passion crosses the line into addiction when any activity becomes destructive to yourself or to others, or when the passion is characterized by fear or compulsion. To determine this crossing line from passion to addiction is not always an easy call to make.

Your Brain Is A Super Computer

The human brain is a marvel, many times more powerful than a computer made by a man. The man made computer has a control panel that operates on electrical connections and the output of the computer is dependent on the experience and skill of the programmer.

The human brain too, needs a control panel and a programmer. The human mind acts as the control panel of the brain. It does the thinking for the brain. Our life is controlled by what we think, i.e, our thoughts. Our thoughts can be organized and our efforts can be directed to achieve the goals we st for ourselves.

Left Brain and Right Brain: The brain is divided into two parts. The left brain is analytical, rational, critical and does the work of step by step thinking. The right brain is creative and keeps in contact with our feelings and emotions. The right brain brings out flashes of inspiration. To be successful, we must use both sides of the brain.

Inside your head reside a super computer, the made equivalent of which cost around $10,000. This is good value waiting to be tapped by you. You may ask, How will I do it? Take a clue from Isaac Newton. When someone asked him as to how he discovered the law of gravity, his reply was:

"By thinking about it all the time."