Nuclear and Chemical Weapons ?

In an interview with Dawn, a Pakistani newspaper, Osama Bin Laden has admitted to owning nuclear and chemical weapons. I found this statement interesting though...

• But in the Urdu version of the article, Bin Laden does not threaten to use nuclear or chemical weapons.

Why would different language versions of the same paper have such a significant difference ? Does this mean that the news fed to the Urdu-speaking world is different from what is fed to the rest of us ? Why would the Pakistani media shoot itself in the foot on such a sensitive topic ? This is beyond me...

Of course, I must state that this article is dated in 2001...came across this article when I was searching for something else...

US vs the World...

The latest issue in international politics, is another battle...no, not Iraq, but the Internet !

A battle is looming with increasing probability of the US being isolated as regards to who controls the internet. As of now, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), under the province of the Department of Commerce governs the technical rules for how networks and computers find and recognize each other can determine how freely and securely information moves around. This contract expires next year.

Several countries around the world want the international community to take over the governing of the internet. Of course, the US claims that some of these countries (the most vocal of which are Iran, China, Saudi Arabia and Brazil) will use their powers to censor access to information.

Interestingly, even though the commerce department is supposed to oversee ICANN, it does not interfere with its workings, adopting the position that government should be involved with Internet governance as little as possible...from the Washington Post article...

• To date, it has not overruled any ICANN decisions.

Well, I guess the pros and cons are many, and we must see how this issue is resolved, because either way, it could have lasting impact on all of us.

IIPM, EMI, EBMS, ISI, FBI, CBI, ABC, XYZ...alphabet soup !

Check out this article in this magazine called JAMMAG...some of us are familiar with it 'cos it was a typical students magazine which we came across during our undergrad years in India...this is an "expose" about IIPM.

The editor Rashmi Bansal, started getting hate mail and ridiculous comments/allegations in some newly created blogs, and she wrote an article in her own blog, Youth Curry, about this controversy and the responses...read the comments left by some folks on this post...downright ridiculous at times !

Then another blogger, Gaurav Sabnis, put up a link to that on his blog, and then matters got realy ugly, because they started threatening him (with a funny legal notice no less !) and also IBM (where he works) 'cos IIPM threatened to burn all thinkpads that they had ordered from IBM, etc. etc..at this point it got real ugly....so Gaurav decided to resign, so at to not tarnish IBM's reputation.

The battle between free speech folks and IIPM alumni/management/etc. rages on in the blogosphere, as indicated by two very popular Indian blogs, Desi Pundit and India Uncut.

And now, another blogger, Gawker, on his blog titled Renegade of Junk, puts up an interesting article about IIPM and its affiliate partners. You wil be surprised. Of course, this follows a couple of posts that show a satirical side to the whole thing.

No idea where this will end up, but then again strong-arming people who are smart enough to have their own opinions, is in my opinion, not the way to go, especially for an insitute that claims, on its website,

• IIPM dares to look beyond, and proudly understands that what we teach today, others adopt tomorrow

Ups and Downs...

Apple announced that its profits had quadrupled, mainly due to the phenomenal sales of the iPod ! The interesting part, is that its stock took a hit and actually fell in value !

Oh yeah, there's a Video iPod now...

Jihadis in splits.

Apparently growing splits among jihadis are beginning to undermine the theological and legal justifications for suicide bombings...states an interesting article in the New York Times.

Although this seems to be good for the rest of the world, this is in context of Iraq, where the suicide attacks are aimed at Shiites, just as much as they are aimed at the "occupiers".

In fact, the rest of us may have to be worried just a bit, as this statement suggests...

• To be sure, the alternatives these critics recommend are no less violent. Rather, many of the movement's dissidents suggest that jihadis diminish their efforts in Iraq and revert to spectacular attacks in the West, like those that took place on Sept. 11.

Yet, light seems to exist at the end of the tunnel...

• Western governments should encourage the debate among jihadis because, if the promise of absolute salvation through suicide attacks is thrown into question by some within the jihadi movement, potential recruits may come to doubt the wisdom of engaging in such tactics.

Which is one surefire way of bringing down extremists/terrorists of any kind...take away or make them question their ideology.

Presidential Game.

Check out this graphic.

You can click and drag the image of the "person" and move it around...

Got Wit ?

An interesting exhibition at the Science, Industry and Business library at the New York Public library...you can sample some of the best ads ever made for television, radio, print, and the Internet.

Evolution 1, Intelligent Design 0

Here is an amazing new find, reported by National Geographic and in this paper. Researchers found gorillas in the wild using sticks as tools ! Here in an excerpt...

• Images show that one female gorilla was apparently using sticks to test the depth of water, another female made a bridge with stump detached from a bush to help her cross muddy ground, and, in another instance, a female was spotted using a stump, from a bush, as support as she dug for herbs.

And another one...

• Only wild chimps, orangutans and captive gorillas were previously known to use tools, suggesting that tool usage might predate the evolution of men.

A related article in Wikinews.

Empowering India...

...according to to Jaswant Singh, leader of the BJP in the Rajya Sabha.

Secret governments that rule the world.

"Impossible !" you say ? Such stuff only occurs in b-grade spy novels ? Remember James Bond taking on SPECTRE ?

Well, apparently there just might be a group of people who weild enormous political, media and economic clout, that meets regularly to...

• a discussion meeting about the state of the trans-Atlantic alliance and the problems facing Europe and the US.

Well, this is the Bilderberg group.

Here is an interview with Vicount Davignon, the corporate director of the group. Statements from his interview...

• "I don't think (we are) a global ruling class because I don't think a global ruling class exists. I simply think it's people who have influence interested to speak to other people who have influence,"

Political doublespeak for saying, "yes, we do rule the world" ?

Apparently this year's meeting in Germany included the heads of the World Bank and European Central Bank, Chairmen or Chief Executives from Nokia, BP, Unilever, DaimlerChrysler and Pepsi - among other multi-national corporations, editors from five major newspapers, members of parliament, ministers, European commissioners, the crown prince of Belgium and the queen of the Netherlands !

Gaming at new degrees...

You can now get a major in video games !

Left vs Iran ?

The left front should basically(put in a nice manner), keep its mouth shut ! A party that has no real ideological reason for existence in the modern world, has no other work than to drag itself into issues it doesn't seem to fully understand, or worse, care about ! Sometimes, they shoot their mouths off on inadequate and inaccurate information provided in the media. Here is a classic example of this...

An article in the Hindu, about the left front "registering strong protest" against India's vote on the Iran issue. An excerpt from this article...

• The Left leaders drew attention to reports in The Hindu that Iran had conveyed to India that the $21-billion liquefied natural gas export deal was off.

First off, we must question the motives of the Hindu in publishing such reports, especially in the wake of contrary, categorical statements from Tehran(here is an article in the Hindu itself, which "reports" this). Secondly, how can the left front rush in with statements based on speculation in a newspaper, and not wait to confirm the facts ? I am not a fan of the UPA government, but when your own "allies" start shooting holes in your policies, I think the central government partnership must be seriously reviewed.

Greg's not a fool !

An article in Indian Express where former cricket stars comment about the "truce" negotiated between Greg Chappel and Saurav Ganguly.

I personally believe that Saurav Ganguly must step down right now, to save face, before the board ousts him. I mean, after such a glorious career and having been acknowledged as one of the best players on the off-side, and also being a part of the best opening partnership ever in one-day cricket, it sickens me to see the depths to which Saurav Ganguly's career has fallen. Especially after his outbursts during the match against Zimbabwe, it would be a mistake for him to stay on/be retained as captain. If he does not have the dignity to step down himself, then, in my opinion, he must be removed !

Authors guild vs Google.

Google, in their library project, plans to digitize the works available in several major research and public libraries, so that their content is searchable through the net. Searching for certain terms/phrases, will show results from books that contain those them, and a couple of sentences before and after the phrase as well as details about the book, author, publisher, etc.

Now, most authors would really cherish this situation, right ? Imagine more people getting to know about them and their work ? I would be thrilled...but no ! The Authors Guild sued Google, alleging that this constitutes a "massive" copyright infringement !

An op-ed article in NY Times, illustrates exactly why this action by the guild is a bad idea...

Handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents.

Reporters without borders, has released a handbook for bloggers and cyber-dissidents [pdf]. Collected wisdom from journalists, bloggers, etc. from around the world, it makes for interesting reading. Here is an interesting excerpt...

• Bloggers are often the only real journalists in countries where the mainstream media is censored or under pressure. Only they provide independent news, at the risk of displeasing the government and sometimes courting arrest.

The handbook includes information on how to increase visibility, maintain anonymity, setting up, and many other useful and interesting articles.

"It Isn't Easy Being a Genius" !

Every year, the MacArthur Foundation announces its latest class of awards, for its so-called genius award. The foundation avoids use of the term "genius" and instead stresses that the award ($500,000) is for creativity !

Here is an interesting article by Jim Collins, one of the previous winners of the awards, and a professor at Boston University.

Budhha !

Got this image from Shekhar Kapur's blog.

It is a sketch from the designs of his new movie Budhha, which by the looks of it, he may not be making anymore. Sad...would have been interesting to see his version of Budhha's life.