tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-193681992011-04-21T23:38:16.630-04:00Hello and welcome to my blog. I have finally set it up, something that I was thinking of for ever. You will find thoughts, comments, droppings of wisdom as against pearls, words of drunkenness and more. I do not care for being politically correct. You might find things you always wanted to say but did not or find things that you find so awful that you might want to punch me.Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.comBlogger901100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1139039552699132972006-02-04T02:46:00.000-05:002006-02-04T02:52:32.700-05:00

This is a fascinating debate on abortion, its impact on women, moral issues and related public policy between William Saletan of Slate and Katha Pollitt of The Nation. It is a must read and I would urge each one of you to read it. Articulation and moderation is rare in such an issue. The article helps my thinking to be a lot more clear on the issue.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1139039132628654602006-02-04T02:39:00.000-05:002006-02-04T02:45:32.630-05:00

You must read the posting of Inpolitico on all the silly bills that were introduced in the Indiana Legislative Session this year. Her comments are hilarious and absolutely accurate. You can read her comments and list of bills here and here. She has done a very good job of identifying good and silly and listing them. I used to think that politicans are meant to serve the interests of people who

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1139038725617336702006-02-04T02:37:00.000-05:002006-02-04T02:38:45.620-05:00

I have never liked rap except some old stuff when rebels used to be actual rebels. Now they are marketed rebels who are marketed to attract a certain section of the youth. The image is more media and record industry created than anything else. The funniest part is people still fall for it. I don't think the record and music industry is at fault. If there are people dumb enough to fall for it, why

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1139037687963619902006-02-04T02:11:00.000-05:002006-02-04T02:21:27.976-05:00

It often strikes me how people shirk their personal responsibility and choice. After that, whenever they realize that some personal habits might be harmful , they rush to the courts to seek compensation which they often receive. I don't that is fair to the system or to themselves but hey easy money is easy money especially if you have greedy trial lawyers running around persuading prospective

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138941234885114502006-02-02T23:22:00.000-05:002006-02-02T23:33:54.906-05:00

The previous post reminded me about a film I had seen a few months back. It is called 'The Mission' and stars Robert De Niro, Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson. The film is set a few hundred years back in Latin America and is about two missionaries fighting for the rights of South American Indians against Spanish colonial landowners. It is one of the most thought provoking and engrossing films I have

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138936099941844842006-02-02T21:58:00.000-05:002006-02-02T22:08:19.943-05:00

The damn Christian fundamentalists are at it again but thankfully it does not affect us. This time it is about a gay actor and activist, Chad Allen (Couldn't they at least come up with something new? It is becoming boring now.) who plays the lead role in "End of the Spear". The film is about the true story of five American missionaries who were killed in 1956 by an indigenous tribe in Ecuador.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138935330512055282006-02-02T21:47:00.000-05:002006-02-02T21:55:30.530-05:00

Apparantly, 20% of the people in the US are libertarians, distinct from conservatives and liberals. Since as we all know there is no option for us, this group splits up and votes Republican or Democrat depending on other issues. There was a time when the Republicans used to come closest to being libertarian; not anymore. The current Republicans are worse than the Democrats; there is nothing they

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138673100803073682006-01-30T20:56:00.000-05:002006-01-30T21:05:00.803-05:00

I am a beer lover though I tend to lean towards non-American ones and micro-brews exceptions apart. I have often tried to figure out how often beer stays on shelves. Do they get replaced after their expiry date is over like other products? But the thing is they (at least most of them) have no expiry dates mentioned on their labels. There have been times I have opened a bottle of beer, taken a sip

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138672539942991962006-01-30T20:49:00.000-05:002006-01-30T21:26:36.850-05:00

Here is a nice editorial on Alan Greenspan. While there are some who judge him harshly depending on their economic and political perspectives, I think history will judge him most favorably. Presiding over two of the longest economic expansions in U.S. history is a feat by itself apart from inflation being at low levels. The recessions have been short as well. However, it is not that well

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138672055024413052006-01-30T20:39:00.000-05:002006-01-30T20:48:38.770-05:00

Here is an excellent kind of the patriotism I was earlier talking about. As we all know, Bush has displayed thorough indifference to the law as we know it. It is almost as if he has chosen to do whatever he wants including using presidential power to the extreme right from torture to domestic spying. Rules might be for other presidents, definitely not for him. I am sure some of you will be aware

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138593003860401972006-01-29T22:41:00.000-05:002006-01-29T22:50:03.863-05:00

This is an excellent article by David Ignatius of The Washington Post on the World Economic Forum held at Davos every year. He talks about how business is now the biggest driver of social change. It is one of the processes that works the best. He wishes that other systems worked as well. According to me, the business sector does a fine job of identifying incentives and getting them. They are

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138592334297464862006-01-29T22:38:00.000-05:002006-01-29T22:38:54.296-05:00

"A spirit of national masochism prevails, encouraged by an effete corps of impudent snobs who characterize themselves as intellectuals." Spiro T Agnew

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138592291814870522006-01-29T22:36:00.000-05:002006-01-29T22:38:11.813-05:00

"An intellectual is a man who takes more words than necessary to tell more than he knows." Dwight D. Eisenhower

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138592021652338302006-01-29T22:20:00.000-05:002006-01-29T22:33:41.666-05:00

This relates to a recent post by The Indianapolis Star columnist RiShawn Biddle on Expresso. I thought it was extremely interesting and thought provoking and I completely agree with him. What he says is basically it would do Indiana and Hoosiers a whole lot of good if they ventured out of their state for education, work or just cultural experience. The exposure and experience would change them in

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138591035333428092006-01-29T22:10:00.000-05:002006-01-29T22:17:15.333-05:00

I think patriotism is a great and essential feeling to have while jingoism is not. There is an important distinction between both the feelings. No country in the world is all good or all evil. It is not black and white but mostly gray just like us human beings. Also, people make the country, not its policies nor its politicians. While I don't like people who are jingoists and think theirs is the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138590584868363912006-01-29T22:08:00.000-05:002006-01-29T22:09:44.870-05:00

I will put up some random thoughts of mine on this issue as and when they come to me. I personally think each of us can try in our own small way. One can even join government services, the judiciary and the armed forces to make our own contribution. I like to believe that the vast majority of us are not corrupt or crooked. For some reason, so many of the ones we elect are. It would be great to

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138589621608307442006-01-29T21:42:00.000-05:002006-01-29T21:53:41.753-05:00

This is the beginning of a few posts on patriotism and the like. I saw an Indian film which was rather good. It was not so much about patriotism but more about how we tend to bitch about the current state of affairs but essentially, it is our choice too. We elect our politicans and in some sense, let them do what they want as against holding them responsible for what they have and have not done.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138497966340767962006-01-28T20:21:00.000-05:002006-01-28T20:26:06.340-05:00

I was reading some thing about Thomas Hobbes the other day and I came across some quotes from 'Leviathan'. I have reproduced the ones I liked best. "Another doctrine repugnant to civil society, is that whatsoever a man does against his conscience, is sin; and it dependeth on the presumption of making himself judge of good and evil. For a man's conscience and his judgement are the same thing, and

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138497427983465992006-01-28T20:05:00.000-05:002006-01-28T20:18:32.153-05:00

I saw 'Hostel' last night and I am not sure if I have recovered fully from it. The film is presented by Quentin Tarantino (whatever that means) and directed by Eli Roth. It has a lot of blood and gore and sometimes you wonder what is going on. I am a fan of Quentin Tarantino and have liked almost all his movies. Did I hate the film? No. Did I love it? No. I am somewhere in-between. It is not a

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138496682069536332006-01-28T19:56:00.000-05:002006-01-28T20:04:42.070-05:00

I am so glad 'Brokeback Mountain' is doing so well. It really is a great movie. It has gorgeous scenery and a very subtle but beautiful love story. It is doing extremely well even in the red states and the heartland. More power to 'Brokeback Mountain'. It is a wonder those dam idiots from the Christian right wing has not made an issue out of it. You can read here how well it is doing and how the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138495690823880672006-01-28T19:47:00.000-05:002006-01-28T19:48:10.823-05:00

A lot of people I know who hated the idea of a Republican running the state of Indiana are changing their views. Some of them are Democrats who are quite favorable to Governor Mitch Daniels and his policies. 'My Man Mitch' is trying very hard to go for Indiana. It is a different reasons Democrats and members of his own Republican Party are opposing him for pure political reasons. What I find

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138495611791162862006-01-28T19:46:00.000-05:002006-01-28T19:46:51.793-05:00

I always read Charles Krauthammer's columns in The Washington Post or otherwise. He leans to the right quite a bit but he is an outstanding writer. There are times when I disagree with him more often than not but he is definitely one of the more principled conservatives. His recent column in The Washington Post was about his brother and his passing away. It is one of the most emotional pieces I

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1138495540027281852006-01-28T19:45:00.000-05:002006-01-28T19:45:40.026-05:00

Yes, I know it has been a while again since I have blogged. Life has not been the best lately. Work has been keeping me extremely busy (thankfully!!) and I have been coming home pretty late as well. Work has also helped me keep out of trouble and not indulge in self-destructive tendencies as I am prone to during my lows. I did manage to drink my ass off over the last few weeks. I guess when

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1136939661023345222006-01-10T19:25:00.000-05:002006-01-10T19:34:21.026-05:00

George Will is one of the best conservative commentators/intellectuals. He never minces words and says it for what it is even if it means criticizing the current crop of pseudo-conservatives. There are very few of them anymore, another one being David Brooks. There are times I do not agree with them but their erudition and the breadth of their knowledge, especially George Will leaves you stunned.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1136939101075351302006-01-10T19:14:00.000-05:002006-01-10T19:25:01.086-05:00

This is some what related to my earlier post. Some thing I have never understood: Why do peaceniks, protesters and liberals protest against soldiers/members of the armed forces? Are they that ignorant that they don't realize that soldiers follow orders? If a soldier disobeys orders to go to war, he/she is normally court martialled. I think there is a legitimate right to protest but protest

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1136938405046227172006-01-10T19:00:00.000-05:002006-01-10T19:13:25.060-05:00

I wasn't sure whether to cry or laugh at the absolute ignorance and disrespect of the anti-gay protesters who plan to picket the funeral of a soldier who died in Iraq because they think American soldiers are being killed in Iraq as vengeance from God for protecting a country that harbors gays. A minor distraction but many of these gays are serving in the armed forces and giving their life for

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1136937556587827422006-01-10T18:51:00.000-05:002006-01-10T18:59:16.600-05:00

I finally saw 'Brokeback Mountain' last weekend and it was absolutely brilliant. I loved it. It is a tad slow but that does not take anything away from the film's virtues. The Wyoming scenery is mind blowing. I wasn't sure how much I would like the film since I had read such good things about it. So my expectations were sky high which often make you appreciate a film less. But 'Brokeback Mountain

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135747295421902842005-12-28T00:10:00.000-05:002005-12-28T00:32:25.606-05:00

I happen to think that wolves are some of the most handsome creatures that Mother Nature ever created after the cat family. Earlier on, Americans did a excellent job of making them extinct. But the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service released 66 radio-collared wolves into central Idaho and Wyoming's Yellowstone National Park in 1995 and 1996 inspite of huge protests. Now, many of the wolves roam

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135746592747746242005-12-27T23:56:00.000-05:002005-12-28T00:09:52.760-05:00

Corporates in the US can't bribe atleast openly and have to maintain proper accounts in the light of the Sarbanes OxleyAct passed after the Enron debacle. But nothing stops them from doing so abroad even though there are US laws which explicitly mention that this is not legal and such actions can be prosecuted under US law. But that did not stop Freeport-McMoRan Copper and Gold, an American

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135657064930721342005-12-26T22:59:00.000-05:002005-12-26T23:17:44.943-05:00

I am a firm believer in animal rights. I am not vegetarian but I think that there is a duty to cause animals as less pain and harm as possible even if we are to kill them for food. One has to look at some of the cosmetic and fast food companies to see how much we actually hurt them. So much of it could be reduced by some fairly easy and implementable policies. One of the philosophers who actually

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135655155081509032005-12-26T22:34:00.000-05:002005-12-26T22:45:55.093-05:00

I saw 'The Exorcism of Emily Rose' a few days back and I must say it is definitely an interesting movie and worth watching once. It makes you think on what you really believe. It is based on the true story of Anneliese Michel who was thought to have been possessed and went through an exorcism in the mid-70s in Germany. She died some time later and her parents and her priest were put on trial for

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135654441343345902005-12-26T22:25:00.000-05:002005-12-26T22:34:01.353-05:00

I happen to like Christmas and the carols that come with it. Personally, I don't know what the hell the Christian right wing is talking about when they say 'Christmas is under atack'. I see signs of Christmas everywhere which is not a bad thing. I like the feeling that Christmas brings. If the the Christian right wing really cared, it would have had a problem with the crass comercialism that

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135632852641546392005-12-26T16:19:00.000-05:002005-12-26T16:34:12.653-05:00

I can't help but laugh at the MTA workers' strike in New York. What happened to the famous liberalism of New Yorkers? Aren't these the people and the causes that progressive New Yorkers like to spout? But of course, if they get affected, it is not their cause anymore. The MTA workers' strike bought the subway and bus service to a halt and inconvenienced millions. But I thought unions and

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135631917582965032005-12-26T16:10:00.000-05:002005-12-26T16:18:37.583-05:00

The biggest reason why what happened in France recently has slim chances of happening in the US can be summed up by this quote by Ronald Reagan: ''Every immigrant makes America more American. You can't become an Englishman by going to live in England, or a Frenchman by going to live in France but anyone can become an American." Europe has never been welcoming to the outsider but the US has given

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135631383354854842005-12-26T15:53:00.000-05:002005-12-26T16:09:43.376-05:00

I had sent in a comment to 'The Indianapolis Star' which was derived from an earlier posting on this blog. It was a reaction to a columnist's posting in Expresso which is the blog for columnists of 'The Indianapolis Star'. The columnist put up a message asking me to consider sending the posting as a letter to the editor for greater readership. I can't do that of course given the anonymous nature

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135630370125286452005-12-26T15:43:00.000-05:002005-12-26T15:52:50.126-05:00

I am not a big fan of video or computer games but a lot of my friends are. They don't seem to suffer from a lack of social skills nor do they have extremely violent tendencies. Finally, research has proved that they are not harmful. In fact, they are educating where kids can learn about history, politics and economics. Now, this may not be the best forum for learning these subjects but atleast

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1135629769158834522005-12-26T15:26:00.000-05:002005-12-26T15:42:49.170-05:00

Indiana State Government workers have received a pay hike of 2% for 2006. After health and life insurance benefits, the pay hikes come to about 3-5% on an average. Pay will be linked to performance from 2007 and pay hikes are not guaranteed. Average inflation for 2005 is 3.39% till November. Looking at the pay hike only, that means state government workers are getting paid less in real terms than

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134955316211663812005-12-18T19:52:00.000-05:002005-12-18T20:25:50.176-05:00

Maureen Dowd, NYT columnist and a favorite among the liberal types has come out with a new book 'Are Men Necessary?: When Sexes Collide'. While some of her NYT columns are interesting, she comes across as shrill and hysterical in most of them. She does not offer much by way of facts and analysis while shouting from the roof top. I personally prefer some of the other NYT columnists like Friedman,

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134953468038316472005-12-18T19:43:00.000-05:002005-12-18T19:51:08.040-05:00

"I'm disgusted by it," he said. "For the first time in many years Republicans have control of Congress. But once in power, the spending limits were off, and it's disgraceful." on the Republicans' sharp rise in spending over the last four years, which he says has betrayed the GOP's principles of limited government. You can read it here in this column by Donald Lambro in The Washington Times. To

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134952707437707872005-12-18T19:30:00.000-05:002005-12-18T19:38:27.440-05:00

"A tidy mind may not appreciate Turkey's contradictions. It is a place where the ruling Islamists blindly push the country into Europe while the old Westernized establishment threatens personal freedoms. Its booming capitalist economy coexists with a militant dislike for all things American. It's an experiment in secular Muslim democracy that could, in a decade or more, almost as easily end up in

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134952034589695202005-12-18T19:10:00.000-05:002005-12-18T20:37:32.206-05:00

The most hypocritical country in the world is undoubtedly France. They talk big but when it comes to actual actions, they don't do anything. You can see it vis-a-vis international trade as well as its domestic problems. The French criticize the US for being a racist and unequal soceity while completely ignoring (literally) its own minorities. The French have kept their immigrants without any

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134951016859089192005-12-18T18:55:00.000-05:002005-12-18T20:37:55.576-05:00

The reason WTO has not worked to the extent it was supposed to is not because it did too much but because it did way too little. To see the actual benefits of free trade and its effect on poverty alleviation, one has to see actual free trade which has nto really happened. Instead of protesting against the WTO, the tree huggers should protest against the EU governments and France in particular.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134945660286275072005-12-18T17:18:00.000-05:002005-12-18T17:41:00.296-05:00

The recent news about domestic spying leaves a bad taste in the mouth. It is the 'big brother' scenario coming true. But if there was one president who would have done it and done it so nonchalantly, almost as if it was his birth right, it is Bush. Right from the beginning, he has done everything unilaterally, not really caring for any advice or consultation. This is evident from his authorizing

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134944275059671362005-12-18T17:03:00.000-05:002005-12-18T17:17:55.076-05:00

Being a libertarian, a lot of my opinion could be classified as some what Republican but one of the big issues I disagree with them is on the environment. I believe that development should not take place at all cost and corporates/developers should be made to pay for whatever damages they cause. I believe in the power of science and technology (findings of which can be manipulated) and its

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134943377589541442005-12-18T17:00:00.000-05:002005-12-18T17:02:57.603-05:00

It has been a while since I posted. I was extremely busy at work over the last week or so and did not get a chance. Hopefully, things should be a little easier from now on and I will be able to post regularly. I am going to post today and will make up for the last week. A lot of things have happened also and since I have an opinion on almost everything, I shall post some of them :)

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134448346717568542005-12-12T23:24:00.000-05:002005-12-12T23:32:26.716-05:00

I read this interesting article on Ayn Rand and thought I would link to it. She was one author whose books influenced me a great deal while growing up. I have a feeling that influence still exists. For those of you haven't read her novels, start with 'The Fountainhead' and then go on to 'Atlas Shrugged'. She had her faults but her idea of 'objectivism' made a lot of sense to me at that point and

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134447785867392702005-12-12T23:17:00.000-05:002005-12-12T23:23:05.866-05:00

I was at this gas station one time when the attendant asked me about the Che t-shirt that I was wearing. She thought that I had no idea who he was, his ideals etc. But she was surprised to know that I knew quite a bit about him and wore the t-shirt for a reason. In the end, I ended up educating her about Che. I am not too sure how many people know who Che was when they wear t-shirts with his face

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134447426441259222005-12-12T23:12:00.000-05:002005-12-12T23:17:06.443-05:00

I am not sure if any of you feel the same way but every counter culture product as well as the culture itself becomes part of the establishment after a point and then starts making money out of it. I guess the temptation is too hard to resist. That is one reason why capitalism lasts. It becomes the means through which counter culture also hits the market. Isnt it amazing how everything that was

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134447078249181702005-12-12T23:10:00.000-05:002005-12-12T23:11:18.250-05:00

I recently read that if you place your two feet on top of the two feet of your girlfriend or boyfriend or spouse or who ever, it means 'I love you.' If you are dinner on opposite sides of the table, all you have to do is place your two feet on the two feet of the other person to say 'I love you'. I have no idea whether it is true or not. I wish I knew someone Korean, I could have checked. Nice

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134258743711098132005-12-10T18:43:00.000-05:002005-12-10T18:52:23.713-05:00

Indy got hit by about 7-8 inches of snow on Thursday afternoon. It snowed from about 3 in the afternoon till midnight. It seems that the snow will be piled up for a while since temperatures are not expected to go above the freezing point. Traffic was crazy and people including yours truly was stuck in downtown for almost 2 hours. What a night! I saw people starting to walk or jug after running

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134257939745578772005-12-10T18:36:00.000-05:002005-12-10T18:42:08.200-05:00

"The Democrats seem to be basically nicer people, but they have demonstrated time and again that they have the management skills of celery. They're the kind of people who'd stop to help you change a flat, but would somehow manage to set your car on fire. I would be reluctant to entrust them with a Cuisinart, let alone the economy. The Republicans, on the other hand, would know how to fix your

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134257729406418812005-12-10T18:29:00.000-05:002005-12-10T18:35:29.416-05:00

I saw 'Syriana' last night and I must admit it was one of the best movies I have seen in a while. It is extremely timely and keeps you on the edge right till the end. The movie is set in current times and deals with oli and gas politics and how different players from all over the world have a stake it and till what extent they go to make sure they don't lose out. It makes a lot of comments on

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134101997628063422005-12-08T23:05:00.000-05:002005-12-08T23:19:57.630-05:00

Here are some of the comments that were posted. I am posting them to give you an idea of the kind of people who exist and sometimes write comments on my blog. Maybe, I should be flattered that they read my blog. All you nuts, stay away from my blog. Go start your own and I am sure you will have a large following of fellow ignoramuses as well. Comments: "It is people like you that are nuts. If you

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134100945897535262005-12-08T22:56:00.000-05:002005-12-08T23:02:25.900-05:00

The following paragraph is from Slate's article on the same topic. Money quote: "For the Bush team, rolling-your-own news has the further advantage of supporting the revolving-door conservative welfare state that has flourished in five years of expanding, undivided government. The administration's need to outsource its propaganda work—for reasons of deniability, not efficiency—has promoted the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134100527923476622005-12-08T22:34:00.000-05:002005-12-08T22:55:27.933-05:00

It is not only Bush who has used 'spin' and propaganda to great effect. Clinton perfected that but no one thought anyone could better him. Bush promised he would get rid of all that but of course, the administration perfected the art when it came to Iraq. Let me add I am still in favor of the war but I don't agree with the way the American people at large were persuaded. If anything could be

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134015944627193952005-12-07T23:24:00.000-05:002005-12-07T23:25:44.636-05:00

Finally, a nice new multiplex for off beat and foreign movies comes to Indy. The new Place called ‘Keystone Art Cinema & Indie Lounge’ is located at the Fashion Mall at Keystone at the Crossing and opens on Friday. It will only show independent cinema, foreign language films, documentary features and classic revivals. Previously, there were only two places where you could watch movies like this

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1134015312899863052005-12-07T23:14:00.000-05:002005-12-07T23:15:12.900-05:00

I believe that as the only super power, the US should play the role of a global cop. The American people can and will be convinced given the right reasons and more importantly, if politicians are honest and level with them. It was heartening to see US playing an active role in Kosovo. I wish Clinton had not pulled out of Somalia and had sent in troops to Rwanda and Bosnia during the early and mid

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133905220379884022005-12-06T16:29:00.000-05:002005-12-06T16:40:20.406-05:00

"A woman testified in the trial of Saddam Hussein and his seven lieutenants Tuesday that she was assaulted and tortured with beatings and electric shocks by the former president's agents. She testified from behind a screen and her voice was disguised, but her weeping was still apparent. "I was forced to take off my clothes, and he raised my legs up and tied up my hands. He continued administering

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133904491292150792005-12-06T16:13:00.000-05:002005-12-07T23:33:55.550-05:00

This is where I get a chance to vent. Goddamit, you Indy ignoramuses, how can you people fall for the crap that self styled religious bigots are feeding you? They do not need a hearing, what they need is a kick up their butt. I can't believe the City Council rejected the proposal to ban discrimination against gays the last time and now they are dithering so much. Having said that, I do think the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133842666288576772005-12-05T23:13:00.000-05:002005-12-05T23:17:46.290-05:00

Myth #1: America is losing jobs. Fact: More Americans are employed than ever before. Myth #2: The low unemployment rate excludes many discouraged workers. Fact: Unemployment is dropping, despite a surging labor force. Myth #3: Outsourcing will cause a net loss of 3.3 million jobs. Fact: Outsourcing has little net impact, and represents less than 1 percent of gross job turnover. Myth #4: Free

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133795753429655482005-12-05T10:07:00.000-05:002005-12-05T10:39:26.140-05:00

If you think what is happening right now is enough, just wait. The way technology is developing and America's continuing myopic policies, more and more jobs will be outsourced which I happen to think is a great thing. It is more equitable than anything that has happened ever before in economic history. There is no reason why some one should get paid a bomb to do something just because he/she is

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133795190314915192005-12-05T09:53:00.000-05:002005-12-05T10:06:30.340-05:00

Yes, outsourcing is a good thing. It plays to the comparative advantages that a country has though there are some short term pains. It is a transfer of wealth from developed countries to developing ones as a pure business decision as against charity. If there is something/someone that Americans should blame for outsourcing, it is the unions. Unions do not really work for the benefit of the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133794382283292312005-12-05T09:45:00.000-05:002005-12-05T09:53:02.283-05:00

One of my current room mates likes to tell this story to people when they ask how we met or became room mates. We were at a party quite some time back. I had obviously had a tad too many. Our first encounter was him watching me explain the virtues of outsourcing and capitalism and how it is great for consumer welfare to a red-neck who had recently lost his job to outsourcing to India. That is

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133793873784187872005-12-05T09:31:00.000-05:002005-12-05T09:44:33.793-05:00

I have often wondered the difference between India and China as emerging markets. It is related to what a banker has mentioned to me in India a long time back. While the banker was in Harvard B-school, China was just opening its economy. His professor had told him then that the best combination for super fast economic growth was totalitarianism coupled with capitalism. This has been borne out.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133793037352703422005-12-05T09:19:00.000-05:002005-12-05T09:30:37.370-05:00

The New York Times appears to be carrying a series of articles on India related to its economy and changing society under the head 'India Accelerating'. As I had mentioned in an earlier post, the articles are rather balanced. Finally, academia has realized that there can be different economic models apart from the ones we have historically seen. Partly, this is because the impact of society,

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133792352421533782005-12-05T09:11:00.000-05:002005-12-05T09:19:12.436-05:00

There used to be an agreement among economists that a country has to move from an agriculture driven economy to a services driven economy after passing thorugh the manufacturing driven economy stage. Many of them have been surprised about whether some of the emerging markets, notably India among them have managed to jump from an agriculture driven economy to a services driven one. Methinks this

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133644486260694092005-12-03T16:05:00.000-05:002005-12-03T16:14:46.266-05:00

I was rather elated to read this article by Amy Waldman in today's New York Times on India. I don't agree with all that she has written but it is one of the more well balanced articles that I have seen on India in recent times. For a long time, when Western journalists wrote about India, it was all about poverty, illiteracy and ignorance. I have seen that changing over the last few years. It

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133463804424598042005-12-01T13:58:00.000-05:002005-12-01T16:01:03.143-05:00

Every ideology is inherently flawed because in the end it gets hijacked by vested interests and power grabbing; the sad part is that these flaws are evident only in retrospect after a generation of idealists and intellectuals have devoted themselves to it, either out of naiveté or self-interest.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133458274415247582005-12-01T12:27:00.000-05:002005-12-01T12:34:40.260-05:00

"If a student doesn’t know who, say, Jack Kerouac was, okay. We were all young and ignorant once. But what about young people who don’t care that they don’t know?" Book review editor J. Peder Zane at triangle.com. Talking about the general lack of curiousity and awareness among the youth of today, he writes: "Over dinner a few weeks ago, the novelist Lawrence Naumoff told a troubling story. He

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133455648890440232005-12-01T11:40:00.000-05:002005-12-01T11:47:28.893-05:00

My room mate send me this forward. It is hilarious.Mattel recently announced the release of limited-edition Barbie Dolls for the Greater Indianapolis market:"Carmel Barbie"This princess Barbie is sold only at Clay Terrace shopping center. She comes with an assortment of Kate Spade Handbags, a Lexus SUV, a long-haired foreign dog named Honey and a cookie-cutter house. Available with or without

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133451144292377822005-12-01T10:19:00.000-05:002005-12-01T10:32:24.300-05:00

Showing the middle finger to show one's distaste for a fellow driver is rather common in the East Coast. Most people use the gesture atleast three to four times every day while driving. I remember driving with a friend in NJ and NYC a few years back. He used it to great effect almost every hour. But then traffic is crazy in the East Coast. I wonder whether it would be appropriate to use the same

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133450180137039502005-12-01T10:01:00.000-05:002005-12-01T10:35:19.693-05:00

Reading the story about Emily, the stowaway cat made me smile this morning. Emily, a tabby disappeared from her home in Wisconsin in late September. The cat had wandered into a nearby paper company's distribution center and crawled into a container of paper bales. The container went by truck to Chicago and by ship to Belgium before the cat was found on October 24 at Raflatac, a laminating

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133388046768265862005-11-30T16:54:00.000-05:002005-11-30T17:00:46.776-05:00

I have not written about Iraq because it is one topic on which every one has so much to say. I have opinions as well but I will keep that for another day. For any of you remotely interested in the war, this is a must read. It does not matter whether you are for or against the war. This is the story of Col. Ted Westhusing who committed suicide in Iraq. He was no ordinary soldier; a military

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133383092792030032005-11-30T15:04:00.000-05:002005-11-30T15:48:47.936-05:00

I have often heard people say that endemic corruption is more of a malaise in the developing world. They think that blatant corruption exists for the most part in Third World countries. People from both developing countries as well as the US and Western Europe think in this fashion. I have a few problems with this line of thinking. First of all, corruption is almost institutionalized in the US.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133325903726635692005-11-29T23:35:00.000-05:002005-11-29T23:45:03.733-05:00

I don't know enough about this but will stick my neck out. It seems to me that cities are happy with their inner city areas and poor people while the sorrounding counties and townships are happy with the middle and upper middle class. It is not a single party at fault but both the Democrats and the Republicans. It suits the Republicans to run the sorrounding counties and townships while the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133324033312759982005-11-29T23:11:00.000-05:002005-11-29T23:13:53.323-05:00

The same friend of mine emailed me saying: "The only way women, and Indian women in particular, will ever be able to take decisions relating to marriage in their own hands is when they are financially independent. Living with parents until the time of marriage makes it very hard for women to displease the parents or to avoid any kind of pressure of getting married. Its a viscious cycle that needs

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133299567546544042005-11-29T16:23:00.000-05:002005-11-29T16:26:07.546-05:00

"If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain." This is attributed to Winston Churchill but there is no record of him having said it. Churchill had been a Conservative at 15 and a Liberal at 35. That seems to be the way I am headed :)

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133298859422482552005-11-29T15:56:00.000-05:002005-11-29T16:36:20.770-05:00

This is an addition to my earlier post on marriage and slavery (Introductory Thoughts VI). A close friend of mine emailed me with the following: "I quite agree with you when you say that marriage is not for everyone, but I don't think that dating is the solution to finding the perfect someone. What if someone goes on dating for ever and ever and still doesn't find someone who he would like to

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133297497235043602005-11-29T15:32:00.000-05:002005-11-29T15:51:37.243-05:00

There is this one (or more?) right wing Christian nut who is keeping these huge comments about the love of Jesus, why I should love Jesus blah blah blah blah. Here is an example of such a message - "The truth of the matter is Jesus is coming back soon, the word of God is true and it stands forever. God didn’t make man for man and women for women. " A few things -- First of all, if you have the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133238824750727612005-11-28T22:55:00.000-05:002005-11-28T23:33:44.760-05:00

I have always noticed that people who criticize Wal-Mart mostly belong to middle to upper class segments of society. They can afford not to shop at Wal-Mart. But what happens to poor people who actually save by shopping at Wal-Mart and cannot afford to shop elsewhere? There is the category of people also who criticize Wal-Mart but shop there as well. Ahem, if you hate the place so much, please

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133226355279012622005-11-28T19:27:00.000-05:002005-11-28T23:36:33.380-05:00

It is 8 in the evening and I am still at work. It is one of those days. I got about 3/4 hours of sleep last night since I just couldn't sleep for some reason. If there is a bad day for having to work late, it is today. Guess what? I have to stay back tonight. My boss come up with some work for us towards late afternoon. There is something happening and we had to check some things out. I am hungry

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133207292841981752005-11-28T14:34:00.000-05:002005-11-28T14:48:12.850-05:00

I was speaking to a friend recently who comes from a small town (understatement) in rural Indiana. He was home during Thanksgiving which ended up being rather miserable for him. On one hand, his parents are not happy with him since he quit his consulting job to become a writer. On the other hand, he had to endure his sister's bitching about men and the institution of marriage throughout the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133195987594930162005-11-28T10:53:00.000-05:002005-11-28T14:33:38.310-05:00

Is it just me or do others agree with me that 'organized religion' sucks? The things that have been carried out in the name of 'organized religion' make my blood boil. It has justified everything from rape and plunder to driving stakes through people's hearts and burning them. It is really medieval Christianity which takes most of the blame here though Islam also has enough instances of the same.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133156078490517002005-11-28T00:19:00.000-05:002005-11-28T10:10:45.076-05:00

Why on earth are so many people against globalization? I am sure one of the reasons is lack of awareness and education while some others include out dated left leaning thinking, vested interests, resistance to change and so on. What bugs me is all these left leaning types and tree huggers use exactly the same insitutions and organizations that globalization provides us with to try and stop it. If

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133153192879967242005-11-27T23:37:00.000-05:002005-11-28T10:10:32.876-05:00

I would like to see some old fashioned 'laissez-faire' conservatism coming back to the US in the business and personal morality spheres. The Republicans have hijacked the Christian right wing or vice-versa depending on whom you want to believe. People have become so used to hand outs that everyone thinks that they are entitled to everything. What the hell happened to hard work? Sure, this is the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133152384970124212005-11-27T23:24:00.000-05:002005-11-28T10:10:18.810-05:00

I have been a copy editor, financial journalist, consultant and in government at different points of time in my life. It is incredible but I think that on an average, most people are dumb. People in senior positions across the board are where they are because they have some top-notch qualities which make them stand out. The rest of the people should stop bitching because they are not good enough.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133151735714306802005-11-27T23:09:00.000-05:002005-11-28T10:10:06.623-05:00

Here is something that I am sure almost everyone I know will disagree with. I think the world would be a better and sensible place if more people had some knowledge of economics. Now, they need not be mad and have a graduate school degree in economics but I think that Introductory Macro and Micro Economics should be taken by all. At least, most people would understand some of the issues that we

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133150598193451812005-11-27T22:52:00.000-05:002005-11-28T10:09:48.706-05:00

I think of myself as pretty sensitive and sarcastic (ahem ... witty in other words). I live for each day, the future can go take a hike. I am passionate about two causes - animals' rights and Tibet. I will probably be spending my life doing a bunch of different things. As far as my political beliefs go, I am very conservative on the economics and fiscal side while I am a die-hard liberal on the

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133136330379815262005-11-27T19:02:00.000-05:002005-11-28T10:09:31.460-05:00

Gilgamesh was an historical king of Uruk in Babylonia, on the River Euphrates in modern Iraq. He lived about 2700 B.C. Gilgamesh was always in search of immortality. But eventually, he realized that doing good work for the benefit of the people is the proper work of a human being, not the search for eternal life. Maybe that is why his story is still well known.

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19368199.post-1133158299170280662005-11-27T18:45:00.000-05:002005-11-28T10:08:53.056-05:00

Somebody says: "Of no school I am part, Never to living master lost my heart, Nor any more can I be said To have learned anything from the dead."That statement - subject to appeal -Means "I'm a self-made imbecile." (J.W. Goethe, Den Originalen, 1812).

Gilgameshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12089650261552893603noreply@blogger.com1