Finally, I am back. Haven’t updated my blog since a week now. I was busy with problems on my websites. Some problems were accidents, some were foolish mistakes and some others which I couldn’t have avoided.

Anyways, Happy New year to everybody, hope this year brings joy and happiness to all. The last year was ok. Atleast it didn’t have any war (I mean a war started), but dubyaa got re-elected

The last few days were very tragic and destructive. I truly can’t feel how the people feel in those areas, but I can understand their feelings and grief. I knew what Tsunamis were, as I had read about them in my Geology class but wasn’t sure of the details of the whole process, untill I read it on Suneel’s blog. I think a lot of people didn’t even have a clue that a wave can be that big or can cause so much damage. Probably this was the reason that people kept speculating the huge waves, instead of running for their lives.

A lot of questions have been risen about the warning system in the Indian Ocean. I feel that Indian ocean should definetly have a warning system. Suneel wrote about how Pacific lab knew about the danger, but couldn’t contact the authorities as they didn’t have their contact numbers. How lame can that be….He also wrote that Doordarshan couldn’t give updates on Tsunami coz Ind Vs. Ban match was on

I heard that it took 1.5 - 2 hrs for the waves to travel from Indonesia to Sri Lanka (not sure though.) I think it was plenty of time to warn the whole coastline of Sri Lanka as well as India. The U.S., which has its satellites roaming around the whole world, taking pictures of Pokhran, Saddam’s bathroom, Korea’s nuclear program, would have had spotted the waves too. I am not saying that all the destruction has occured because of US, but just wondering why nobody alerted the coastline? Perhaps due to the rairty/ignorance of the Tsunamis, no one thought that it could kill 150k+ people.

The United States and the nations of the West are “stingy.”

This statement comes from a UN official amidst this chaos and adds to it. Mr. Bush, who is enjoying his winters in his ranch, is perhaps preparing for the Iraqi election while so many American as well as Iraqi lives are being lost, replies in a firm tone that we are not stingy and increases the relief fund to $350 million. Well, increasing the amount from $35 m to $350 m won’t even matter that much as the dollar touches record lows as compared to other currencies almost everyday.

Is US really stingy? googled and found two interesting articles. One was for while other was against.

Look who’s talking about ’stingy’ is published @ Washington Times and is written by its Editor in Chief - Wesley Pruden. I pity this guy.

America the stingy fits with The Post’s view of a world where all news is bad, the sun shines only on the rich, the rain falls only on the frail, and everyone is a victim — of homophobia in Peoria, AIDS in Afghanistan, an outbreak of teenage pimples in San Diego, a tsunami in Sri Lanka, the scarcity of vegetarian restaurants in Topeka, a woman who got winked at in Cleveland, a shortage of condoms in St. Paul. Some days there are so many victims there’s hardly any room for the news on Page One.

He compares the AIDS in Afghanistan, Tsunamis in SL with an outbreak of teenage pimples in San Diego, the scarcity of vegetarian restaurants in Topeka, a woman who got winked at in Cleveland, a shortage of condoms in St. Paul. As if lives lost in Afghanistan or SL have no meaning at all.

On the other hand…

Two-bit Bush makes his costliest blunder

…states another story.

the most powerful man on the planet remained apparently oblivious to the suffering. Holed up for Christmas on his ranch in Crawford, Texas, a president who famously refuses to take work home with him was reluctant to let international affairs impinge on the most important holiday of the year.

Bush, who warned Asian leaders almost immediately after 9/11 that they would be judged by their contribution to the war on terror, waited 72 hours before he called to offer his condolences in the wake of this shocking tragedy. From a trailer outside his ranch, he called the leaders of Sri Lanka, Thailand, Indonesia and India to pledge his support. That support amounted to $35m, barely £18m, a figure dwarfed by the sums pledged by nations including Spain and Japan.

With due respect to the victims of 9/11 - I still remmember at the the time of 9/11 attacks, Bush-Powel-Rumsfeld at some point of the time or other, made it look like as if it was the first attempt of a terrorist attack and felt strongly about the “World” terrorism. Didn’t they know about Punjab, Kashmir, Nagaland, Assam, LTTE, Israel, Palestine, Russia and almost whole of Africa?

Someone fwded me Tsunami images, they seem to be original, but one of my cousins wrote that they are not. I think they are original as the camera was a most expected object to be carried by tourists on beaches and resorts. Here are the images. I also found sattelite images.

For those who care to help the victims can donate to Aid India, an American based NGO, or can buy stuff from here. 50% of the profits are donated to Aid India.

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Today we saw Sarvar and Aditi win the India’s Best. More details can be read here.

I think both the guys were equally good in acting, but I think Mohit was more good looking. I didn’t watch all the episodes, but today watched that Sarwar did a topless dance (Raat Ka Nasha…) perhaps that helped him :p

Both girls were good acting wise, but Aditi had an upper edge as she was cute on screen as well as off screen. Yuvika, look alike of Diya Mirza, indeed had the best face!

I have been adding forwards to my blog, but I think a blog should be more creative and ones own feelings, so I’ll write more than adding forwards….but for those who had been waiting for a forward….here is one
This is a collection of leave letters and applications written by people from various places. This is Indian English at its best.

1. A candidate’s application: “This has reference to your advertisement calling for a ‘typist and an accountant - Male or Female’…As I am both for the past several years and I can handle both, I am applying for the post.

2. An employee applied for leave as follows: Since I have to go to my village to sell my land along with my wife. Please sanction me one-week leave.

3. Another employee applied for half-day leave as follows: “Since I’ve to go to the cremation ground and I may not return, please grant me half day casual leave”.

4. A friend of mine had written a leave letter to the headmaster: “As I am studying in this school I am suffering from headache. I request you to leave me today”.

5. A covering note:, “I am enclosed herewith…

6. Another leave letter written to Administration dept: As my Mother-in-law has expired and I am responsible for it, please grant me 10 days leave.

7. Actual letter written for application of leave: “My wife is suffering from sickness and as I am her only husband at home I may be granted leave”.

8. Letter writing: - “I am in well here and hope you are also in the same well.”

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