Act of redemption

From Collin Powell's days as the secretary of state, there are two images that are stuck in my head. One that of the obedient soldier who made the case for war, stood at the united nations and argued tirelessly for a war that 'needed' to be fought. The other image of his, behind the scenes, fuming with anger at the made up 'facts' for an invasion of Iraq, was portrayed in several books. Still, the loyal general went along, knowing probably that he could very well have prevented a war. All along when I read about him, I didn't feel pity for him - what good is it to have principles for which you wouldn't stand up?

Today he made a very convincing case for Obama and I particularly liked the term he used to describe Obama's character - intellectual vigor. That is exactly what I felt after reading Obama's 'Audacity of hope'. Collin Powell explained the nasty nature of McCain's campaign. He, for the first time, as a prominent politician explained how hurtful it is to use the word 'muslim' as a smear. He asked the dreadful question: Obama isn't a muslim, but what if he was. It was an act of redemption.

Violence and secularism

The secular values and culture of India are threatened by the saffron gang. The violence that has been unleashed by these goons specifically against Christians are largely gone unnoticed.

They were ordered to get on their knees and bow before the portrait of a Hindu preacher. They were told to turn over their Bibles, hymnals and the two brightly colored calendar images of Christ that hung on their wall. Then, Mr. Digal, 45, a Christian since childhood, was forced to watch his Hindu neighbors set the items on fire.

A couple of weeks ago when I was in kerala, there was a church that was vandalized by the same forces. As the elections approach, the same communal forces reappear feeding to the insecurity of the millions. Brutal killings (remember the australian missionaries killed with two young children a couple of years ago), raping of nuns and vandalizing of churches continue with no real consequences to those who commit those crimes. Meanwhile, Narendra Modi celebrates his own commission's findings that he was not guilty in the pogrom against muslims in Gujrat. All in all, the news from our sub-continent is pretty abysmal.

Changing Times...

At a town-hall event Friday in Minnesota, McCain took the microphone from a woman who had called Obama an Arab. McCain said, "No, ma'am," and he called Obama "a decent, family man."

Obama is not an arab, he is a family man! that's nice!

Obama-Biden ticket

From what little i know, i am thrilled about Obama-Biden ticket. A good track record of liberal voting, great insight into foreign relations and policies especially with respect to south asia and a generally likeable speaker. Sure, he may have mis-managed his own campaign; but his long career and records strengthen Obama's message. Oh boy, i can't wait to November!

Happy Father's Day!

Of all the years of my life, the two years without you have been the toughest. I don't need a Father's day to remember you, the days and nights on end, i am reminded of the sacrifices, love and care - you weren't just another father, you were so special, so perfect.

When I look into the eyes of my 3 year old son, I hope I can, some day, be at least of a fraction of what you have been to us - Miss you so much!

Metamorphosis

I like fictions that provide interesting tidbits about the intricacies of human existence. That is the reason I started reading 'Metamorphosis' by Kafka. Kafka stands tall in the 20th century scene of western literature. But, the profoundness and the genius I expected from this book fell terribly short, but what he has been able to accomplish in this book is to capture the anxiety of modern life, and the terrible contradictions that follow us in every path of our lives. I would be reading more of his works as I am not yet ready to write him off. After all, Kafka-esque is a term that I had begun to like even before reading any of his works :)

Sebastopol

I picked up Leo Tolstoi's Sebastopol for two reasons - firstly it is a small book by a literary giant, whose books are generally 1000+ pages in size. Secondly, it seemed like a portrayal of war and I was curious what Tolstoi saw in war 150 years ago. And I wasn't wrong. It is a moving portrayal of soldiers, their fears, bravery and the uncanny sense of patriotism.

Much before internet, radio and 24 hour television channels, the story of Sabastopol tells the stories that we haven't heard from Iraq yet. True, it is an art of fiction. Still, the complex analysis of what constitutes a soldier, who stand in the rain of fire and what awaits him in his nightmarish sleep, is masterfully done in this book. The love, hatred and above all the sadness and cruelty of war is evident in this short book. As the book ends when the russian soldiers leave Sebastopol looking back at the city that took their fellow soldiers, I can't help thinking about Iraq - what emotions would besiege those soldiers when they finally leave Iraq?

Obama for 2008

Today, I am delighted. Senator Obama has claimed victory in this historic race. Hillary continues to be defiant - no surprise there. Now, the real work for Obama starts. It is easy to discredit the legacy of Bush, but no republican presidential candidate has ever associated himself with Bush's failed policies. They may all belong to the same party, but with Bush's current rating, the word is that the republican party members are not answering Bush's phone calls. The point is, there is much at stake here, another 8 years of republican party would be the beginning of the end of prosperity in this country. The smear machine of the republican party has started to get the ball rolling to discredit Obama and highlight his lack of experience. So, if it means that bringing Clintons would provide the guaranteed return of democratic power to the white house, I would support Clinton's vice presidency, by all means. 

One hundred years of solitude

'100 years of solitude' is a masterpiece. No other book that I have read has captured my imagination like Marquez's genius work did. As the story of the Buendia family unfolds, the generations after generations are destined to bear the burden of incredible loneliness, the inevitable reality of human existence. While I was reading, I was thinking to myself - how does one write a novel like this? What complex emotions has he battled himself while he wrote it? Marquez's genius is abundantly clear in this work of art. The eloquent, brick face way of story telling combined with magical realism, the book is a delight to read.

This book is not without its flaws, like the repeated names of the Buendia family that puts unnecessary strain on the readers. He also loses the bearing of the story a bit toward the middle, but he gains it a short while later. But they are all minor compared to its larger impact overall. This is one of those books I might read again and again, because one reading alone doesn't do justice to its characters, their depth and complexity. This, in a remarkably artistic way, depicts the inevitable miseries of humanity, the complex yet meaningless quest of our desires and the tormented spirits that carry the burden of solitude.

A controversy over nothing

Let me be frank, I don't like Hillary Clinton. Still, I would vote for her, firstly, if I could vote, secondly, if she is the democratic nominee. I am all for Obama. But the recent controversy about her refering the RFK assassination is nothing other than a drama of the silly season in politics. Referring to those tragic days can evoke pain and discomfort, but I don't think she is mean enough to suggest about the safety of Senator Obama. I truly believe she only meant that other presidential candidates have been campaigning even in June for nomination. Lately, Hillary Clinton hasn't had good luck either with votes or with loose words; so, this too will be analyzed to death and add to the saga of her disgraceful exit from this race.

A trip worth nothing

Much has been talked about Mr. Bush and his inadequate leadership, writing anything about it would be stating the obvious. However he recent middle east trip would be marked by history as one of the least effective foreign trips an American president has ever made. His efforts to persuade the Saudi King to increase the oil production did not yield any results, his talks about Israel-Palestine peace and working with Iraq's neighbors to bring resolution to the ill-advised Iraq war haven't gone anywhere meaningful. The lip service about bringing freedom to the middle east will not fly anymore after the Iraq debacle, where Iraq, which was relatively secular and free, is ruined, while U.S does protect the super-conservative Saudi Arabia.

This is a testimony to the failed policies of this administration, the loss of credibility and the incredible work that is awaiting Obama when he takes office in next January.

AAPL and GOOG

In the next few weeks, I will be attending two important events in my line of work - Apple developer conference and Google developer event. Both are exciting in its own ways.


I have had hands of variety of smartphones during my stint at mobile software companies and needless to say, for a 1.0 product, Apple has done better than anyone else. Having had one for a while, jail broken and hacked to do some cool tricks, what surprised me most was the remarkable stability of the platform, thanks to the unix underpinnings of the iPhone OS. Google, on the other hand could turn out to be the first heavily subsidised smartphone, a phone built solely around Internet content. I will have more to write after the events, but for now, I am simply excited.

The Kite Runner

The Kite Runner is an incredibly powerful movie and a moving portrayal of war, friendship and sacrifice.
The movie based on Khalid Hosseini's best seller book is not short of its own problems, but at the core of it, it accomplishes one thing; taking the viewers through a magnificent tour of an unknown land, the lives turned upside down by meaningless wars, and the spirit of humanity that shines through it all. Yet this complex exploration bewilders you, the man who was ready to give up his life to defend an unknown woman lives the biggest lie in his life; such is the nature of the characters in this movie, the betrayal and guilt go hand in hand, the pride and selflessness intersect, and the heartless war and militancy provide a disturbing but powerful backdrop to this saga.

When you see the daily report of war, one can't help wonder, how many more lives are being changed forever, the unknown faces and unknown families, some live to tell the story, but most perish and are forgotten forever.

A much needed victory

I am ecstatic. With all the mud-slinging, contraversies after contraversies, Obama emerges as the winner tonight - as i write this, Indiana is too close to call, but N. Carolina has given a strong boost to Obama's delegate lead. The time has come for Clinton to tone down the attacks and start thinking about the interests of the country and the Democratic party. This also speaks volumes about the way Obama has run his campaign - the record turn out of voters and the excitement around this election is nothing other than the creation of Obama. In the last few weeks and months, when the pictures of him wearing a turben circulated, when Jeremia Wright's provocatory sermons surfaced, and other zillion times, my heart felt that the voters would fall for these gimmicks of political charade. We are yet to see what is going to happen in November, But, to my pleasant surprise, today's victory is promising...

Plain Audacity

Now, after the Pennsylvania primaries, Hillary says she is ready to be the 'commander in chief' - it is all good except that there is one problem - somebody forgot to tell her that she is not the leading candidate. She said indirectly a while ago that she would consider Obama as the vice presidential candidate. How about some humility when you know that your opponent has a handsome lead over you? Truly, this election has brought about the worst in the Clinton family.

The sum of five years

Iraqi civilians killed - 100000 to 1000000
American soldiers killed - 3992
American soldiers wounded - 29390
Iraqis displaced - 5 million
Cost - $500 Billion
WMDs found - 0

Woot? We are not done yet?

Just when we were getting ready to roll the sleeves up and direct the campaign against McCain, Senator Clinton is back in the game. We are not done with the primaries yet and knowing Clinton she is going to use her newfound opportunity wickedly well.

And who knew a skit from SNL would have such profound impact on a national election?

Islamophobia

The controversy around the very 'presidential' picture of Obama wearing a turban brings out the rampant Islamophobia in this country. Even right after 9/11, the sensible people did disassociate the faith of islam from Al-Qaeda. Bush himself spoke at one point that Al-Qaeda is the distortion of a peaceful religion. In the 6 years followed 9/11 quite a few things have changed. The violence unleashed by the insurgents in response to the American occupation in Iraq has become highly vicious and the line that once was considered solid - the demarcation where the faith ends and extremism begins - is slowing fading in the minds of people. Even the people who are apparently liberal and firm believers of secularism are suffering from the same problem. While all the presidential candidates are trying to prove how christian they are, they are also finding ways to distance themselves from any aspects of Islam. Couple of days ago, NYTimes reported that Obama had spoken about the suffering of Palestinians somewhere and he was trying to backtrack on that. 1.7% of the jewish voters, albeit small in number, represents a large democratic base, while ~1% of muslims have no voice. I am not particularly critical of Obama for distancing himself from Islam, as doing otherwise would definitely put an end to his candidacy. But the state of the affairs is simply appalling.

By the way, the Naomi Klein has an excellent article on this subject and it reflects my thoughts exactly.

The last of the debates

The American politics has always been very civil - no shooting down of opponents and throwing chairs like you see in the other countries. Even the close elections like 2000, candidates concede to preserve the unity - some times civility is too boring. This election has brought out solid entertainment for the apathetic as well as politically savvy folks - this is as good as it gets. Is it a surprise that Oscars had far fewer viewership this year? I think there is only a finite TV time for the hardworking American and if you got to choose, I can see why Oscars would be the last in the priority list.

At times, failure brings about the worst in people - the recent tactics employed by Hillary are clearly desperate measures to salvage a troubled candidacy. But do you want to really go down as a sour loser? Tonight's debate clearly positioned Obama as the presidential candidate - he deflected every attack directed against him with grace. Yes, he is already presidential. I can't wait to see him crushing McCain.

One small step...

The people of Pakistan has overwhelmingly voted against the rule of Musharraf. I know this is a sympathy wave in the wake of Bhutto's killing and we are yet to see what the feeble coalition of the warring factions is all about. Nawas Sherrif and Zardari are known to be corrupt, a trait commonly associated with the politicians of south asia. Yet, I find this refreshing, now atleast, there is a chance that the democratic institutions that Musharraf continuously undermined could be rebuilt, may be another generation of politicians would rise up - ok, never mind. I may have been brain washed by the message of hope, you know :)