The Joy of Walking

I stopped jogging last year. I could not take anymore the chest pain which kicks in after a few yards of jogging. My heart doctor assures me that there is nothing wrong, and that my heart is in excellent shape for my age. I do not fully believe it (how do you explain the marathon runners in their seventies?). Anyway, I have taken up brisk walking, in place of jogging. It has become a daily event I look forward to. It is the next best thing to my first cup of coffee in the morning. Jogging was never a fun event for me as I was always pushing my body to do better than the last time. In walking there is no such pressure. I am lucky to live in a neighborhood where there are horse trails winding through scenic areas. I feel calm and relaxed when I walk in these trails away from the traffic and people. I get quite preoccupied while walking, thinking about past and current events in my life. I never worry; but feel strong and confident. The most amazing thing is that towards the end of my walk, I always get a ‘bright idea’ about something. I truly believe that my brain gets smarter due to the physical and mental exercise I get when I walk. Alas, this effect does not last long!.

If you are killed, you must be an insurgent!

I see news reports of ’50 insurgents killed’, ‘100 insurgents captured’ in various ‘operations’ currently in progress in Iraq (Operation Spear, Operation Dagger, etc.). How do they know that a person killed is an insurgent? Do insurgents wear any uniform or some identifying sign? Also, are the numbers reported in fifities, making them easy to remember and quote? I wonder.

Guilty Until Proven Innocent

Looks like Nawab of Pataudi, a well-known cricket player and member of a royal family, is in deep trouble in India. He is charged with hunting an endangered animal, a black buck. The case was originally ‘covered up’ by the police in deference to the Nawab’s VIP status. But it was brought out in the open thanks to a zealous animal activist who dug up the buried carcass and proved that it was indeed shot. Now there is a big hue and cry for punishing the Nawab (who was nicknamed ‘Tiger Pataudi’ for killing a tiger when he was only sixteen). I agree that the Nawab should be punished. But how about proving him guilty first? Of the six members in the hunting team, is he the one who shot the buck? The process of Indian law enforcement really bothers me. The Indian Wildlife Conservations Act makes killing an endangered animal a ‘non-bailable’ offense, which means that one cannot be bailed after arrest, and can be kept in jail until the case is heard in the court. This can take many months, or even years, in the Indian court system. Effectively, you are punished as guilty until proven innocent!
The Nawab is now in hiding. I am sure that he will be caught and punished, setting an example of the 'fairness' of the Indian law.

My Judgments

First of all, let me clarify one thing. I am a poor judge of people, especially of those who are devious and criminal. I think my problem is that I cannot imagine someone being so bad and cruel. I still have difficulty believing that O.J. killed Nicole Simpson and Lenny Goldman! How can he be so ruthless and stupid?

Having said this, I want to share my thoughts on two criminal stories which are dominating the news here in USA. One is the Michael Jackson trial. I think the whole case is built on greed – the greed of the prosecutors for publicity, and the greed of the accusers family for a financial windfall. The news media (and the associated consultants and experts) is not far behind in their greed to 'hook the people in' by building up this case (It certainly is a better alternative to going to Iraq and reporting what is actually happening there). Do not mistake me. There is no doubt that Michael Jackson is a weirdo who might have done inappropriate things with young boys before. But the accusation of the boy in this case makes no sense. According to him, he was molested AFTER his family was kept under siege by Jackson’s people worried about them talking to press. Why would Michael molest him for the FIRST time when he is panicking that someone will accuse of him of child molestation? It will be a shame if Michael Jackson is convicted on this false accusation. My feeling is that even if he is convicted, the conviction will be overturned on appeal -- the judge was clearly biased in his rulings (notably allowing previous accusers, whose accusations were never validated, to testify).

The missing teenager (Natalee Holloway) in Aruba is another news story which is puzzling me. There are now five people in custody, and no confessions yet. I feel that if any of these five had any part in a crime the police would have made them break down by now. It is interesting that for a short while, there were reports that one boy has confessed and was going to lead the police to Natalee’s body. Nothing happened. I am not surprised. The police can make you admit to anything they want – especially if you are a young kid 17 or 18 years of age!

Eight Dollar Exaggeration

Often in Indian newspapers, I read stories of large donations (in millions) for charitable causes made by rich Indians (usually doctors and business owners). I applaud this attribute of my fellow countrymen, many of whom like me came to USA in late 60’s or in 70’s. No one should complain about the laudatory nature of the news write up on these philanthropists. But one thing that bothers me is the standard line of, ‘he/she came to USA with only eight (8) dollars in pocket!’. This is an exaggeration, which borders on an outright lie. I also came with only $8 of US currency in my pocket. But it does not mean that it was the only money I had. In those days (60’s and early 70’s), there was a huge crunch for foreign exchange in India, and it required special permission from Indian Reserve Bank to convert your rupees to a specified amount of dollars. Once you get the permission, you gave it to the local bank which allowed you to convert your rupees to dollars whenever you want. You then got your US visa by showing to the Consulate this proof of access to sufficient funds. People normally took off to USA with a bank draft for a large amount, and a few travelers’ checks in dollars. At the airport, we were allowed to convert an additional 50 rupees into dollar currency without showing any Reserve Bank authorization. The exchange rate in those days was about 6 rupees to a dollar. So you ended up getting $8, plus some change. This is the ‘eight dollar in the pocket’ we all had when we landed in this country. To imply that it was the only money one had coming to USA, may make the biography interesting; but is not true in most cases.

Politics Vs Common Sense

The recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling on marijuana use upsets a lot of people. The court gave Federal Government the authority to override state laws permitting marijuana use for medical purposes. For many, this decision reinforces their hatred for the Supreme Court which intervened in the 2000 election, making George Bush the President. But I agree with the Supreme Court in this matter. The court only validated the authority of the Federal Government in enforcing ‘commerce law’ across the country. Without this authority, it would have been impossible to enforce some of the good things happened in this country - civil rights, environment protection laws etc.

Actually, the court did not challenge the validity of marijuana use for medical purposes. It recommended that Congress take up this matter and decide. There is fat chance of this happening. Imagine Republicans controlled by the ‘Religious Right’ supporting a motion to legalize marijuana! Majority of the people in this country equate marijuana with drug use. So, it is not a good idea to be a proponent of marijuana use if you want to get re-elected. The truth is that marijuana is almost harmless compared to cigarettes which kill over 1000 a day. If marijuana has some medical benefits, why deny them to the people who need it? I guess politics override common sense.

Enjoy your mocha!

Now days I am busy taking my wife to doctor’s office, labs and hospitals as she is suffering from a serious kidney infection. These visits are not easy. In addition to the anxiety of hearing the test results and doctor’s diagnosis, we often have to wait for hours to get something done. Last Monday I was feeling depressed thinking about all these difficulties as I took my wife to the Renal Treatment Center of the University of Irvine. It so happened that the center occupied the same building as the cancer treatment center. While my wife was getting her lab work done, I noticed two middle aged ladies in the waiting room with me. One had her covered with a red scarf, while the other was wearing a large black hat. It occurred to me that both are cancer patients who probably lost their hair due to the treatments they are undergoing. They looked calm and dignified. One had her eyes closed as if she wanted to stay away from the world around, while the other was looking around with a slight smile. I felt quite sorry for them, and thought how vulnerable we all are to cancer. All it requires is the diagnosis of an X-ray or lab result by one of those cold-hearted doctors. In a split second your life is changed forever. I also thought how trivial are my problems when compared to theirs, . They will probably give anything to be in the situation of mine or even my wife’s! There is so much to be thankful for. Instead of complaining, I should enjoy every day as a gift from God.
On the way back from the medical center, we passed a Starbucks coffee stand. Although I like their coffee, I usually refuse to buy it as I feel it is way too overpriced. But this time I asked my wife, “You want a mocha?”

Benny's blog

Benny is my best friend from college. He is an aspiring author and talented artist. I introduced him to blogs a few weeks ago when I visited him in Holland. Benny took to blogs like a fish to water. He has already made over 70 entries in his blog. (Benny). While my blogs are sporadic and talk about simple day to day events, Benny’s blogs discuss heavy topics like the ‘Oneness of the Universe’. I enjoy them, although I have to read them a few times to understand! Here is a sample:

Progress at what cost?

Yesterday I happened to read a shocking news. It concerned a young mother of 32 who in desperation killed her four babies. It happened in a quiet Austrian town, Graz by name; and it could have happened anywhere in Graz or Littleton anywhere. Let us face it. Families are all under siege. In one way or other. What made that mother react in panic and dispose off her newborn babies in a gruesome manner? It goes against every natural instinct of motherhood. What brought such an uncharacteristic response from a woman has to be explained from our age. Lives of quiet desperation on an overdrive. It makes such a din here and there. Such acts are the symptom of the present age fragmented by the very progress which the world was made to believe in. Science and technology for the progress of mankind. Modern technology makes life easier for some. But would that be Progress? Poppycock!

As we know technology divides rich and poor; technology in order to work well would require infrastructure firstly and it requires money. (In place where there are no proper roads or steady supply of electricity technology shudders to stop over.) Individuals and small entrepreneurs cannot hold their against big money and mega corporations (which are weighted in their favor by the very government that is duty bound to be fair and equitable.)
In Europe at present governments are all in a hurry to copy the free market economy as practised in the USA; so we have EU constituted like an exclusive club with 25 members. The EU has both poor and rich nations set to run at a high speed and against headwinds. The fact that France and the Netherlands rejected the draft for the new constitution underlines their fear of being sold down the river by politicians in the name of free market economy.
Why should not Europe or for that matter any nation look well to preserve social welfare of her citizens as the central plank of progress? But progress like juggernaut shall not be stayed. Only that wise governments shall by effective checks and balances protect those people ( who are weak and underprivileged) from caving in.

Benny

The Netherlands

Spelling Wizards

Today I watched the annual National Spelling Bee contest that was broadcast live on ESPN. I found it quite exciting with a lot of human drama. If you make one spelling mistake, you are out of the competition (It is the most extreme form of ‘sudden death’ I have witnessed in a competition). For many, all the years of hard work is over at the moment of elimination, as the age limit of the Spelling Bee competitions is fourteen. Some contestants took their elimination gamely, while others did their best to hide their disappointment. The reactions of the parents were also interesting to observe.
What impressed me most was the dominance of children of Indian origin in that prestigious event. The top four placements were all Indian children, except for the third place winner (who is half Indian!). Another remarkable thing was that the Indian students appeared to easily rattle off spellings from memory, while other contestants looked to be in pain, and required many clarifications before giving their answer. I do not think that Indians have any latent gift for spelling. Their children are simply demonstrating their ability to stay focused, and study hard for months and months preparing for a competition. They get encouragement and coaching from their parents, who are well educated (mostly scientists and teachers). This pattern of behavior is commonly attributed to the academic achievements of Asian children. (Surprisingly there were hardly any Chinese or Korean children in the final round of the competition. I wonder if this has anything to do with the language difficulty many of their parents have).
By the way, this attribute of dedication and focus to be best in a field is not unique to Asians. The world-class musicians, champion sportsmen, ballerinas etc., all have a similar story to tell – the story of their hard work and parents who sacrificed a lot for their success!