Yesterday I was driving to work when I heard about the standoff between three unidentified gunmen and the US army. This was happening not at some university, hospital, shopping mall or government office! But at the largest army base in the US, at Fort Hood, Texas. And the more horrifying fact was that the gunmen shooting at army personnel was US army soldier.

My first thoughts at the news report was that some lunatic with guns was venting out his frustrations or lunacy. As the story unfolded I was shocked that the person shooting was nothing near to being eccentric, stressed, or someone frustrated because of lay offs. It was a major in the US army and himself a psychiatrist. An hour later the newscasters revealed that this gunman had killed 11 people, injured another 31 and was shot. He was assumed dead but towards the end of the day we came to know that he is alive and stable.

The worst thing about this whole incident is that this guy is a Muslim who harbors radical Islamic feelings. He has been apparently making statements such as “Muslims in Iraq and Afghanistan should stand up against their aggressors,” i.e. Americans. He apparently expressed happiness when he heard about a newly converted Muslim killed two soldiers in Arkansas army recruitment center. News reporters dug up his military record spoke to his former colleagues to find out and reveal these shocking statistics.

I am surprised at how the mainstream media is handling this scenario. They are saying that he was driven by stress to act out this way. He was mortified by deployment. Well if he was mortified and didn’t want to go to Iraq, he should have shot himself, not the 11 others at the army base. One of the news reports said that he was not randomly shooting but he was targeting specific individuals and shooting at them. This clearly proves that he was motivated by hate and this was a planned offensive and not an expression of frustration at deployment.

In my opinion this attack is surely an act of terrorism. The beginning of terrorist attacks in America started off with the dastardly 9/11. But the proliferation of terrorism is happening the way it happened in India. Slowly, with small seemingly insignificant and unrelated incidents, but definitely aimed at creating terror, wrecking havoc and destabilizing life in this country.

I hope the American establishment wakes up and takes notice to the more serious underlying problem and not dismiss this incident as a random criminal act. It may be interesting to know that there are Terrorist Training Camps in the US Soil.

Since the time I began to think several years ago I have often heard several things in all kinds of fora. “Women are being oppressed”, “women are subjected to domestic violence”, “women are killed for dowry”, “crimes against women are increasing”, “men always try to take advantage of women”... etc... etc... What I saw and experienced was quite the contrary.

While at school if a girl and a boy made the same mistake. The girl would be gently reprimanded while the boy would be beaten up black and blue. Then at work if a female employee made a mistake the punishment/ repercussion was much mellow while compared to a male making the same mistake.

Today when I read these two articles on MSN.com I couldn’t resist the urge to present it to the world. Women are the ones who have been at the receiving end of preferential treatment since the time immemorial. Yes there have been atrocities against women but so have men suffered. Just because crimes against men are not reported it doesn’t mean they don’t take place.

The first article I’d like to cite is titled “Man who killed ex’s fish gets probation“. The article goes on to say how this guy Donald Earl Fite III (27) had broken up with his girlfriend Sarah Harris. He tried to make up with her, but she wasn’t willing. He couldn’t take it and ended up getting angry with it. But we don’t know what she said to provoke him. Finally he ended up killing her pet fish by stabbing it with a knife. The authorities were swift in taking action. The cops arrested him and he was charged with domestic violence and animal abuse. The guy pleaded guilty and got slapped with a two and half year probation sentence.

Now let me tell you about the other story. This happened in Texas. A woman and her common-law husband (live-in partner) had a serious argument and broke up. A few days later the woman got so angry at the ex, she decided to teach him a lesson. What does she do? She goes to his apartment when he is not there, takes his pet gold fish (7 of them) to her apartment and fries them and eats half of them. The man returns home to find his gold fish gone, suspecting foul play he complains to the cops. The cops land up at the woman’s home and find 4 fried gold fish and the woman sitting with a smug smile after eating 3 others. Does the woman get punished? Heck No... She doesn’t even get charged.
The cops say that this is a civil matter and no charges will be filed.

The above two stories are strikingly similar. The only difference is that in the first case it was a MAN who killed one fish and in the second case it is a WOMAN who killed seven fish. Still the woman goes scot free while the man has been sentenced to two and half years of probation, some social service and probably some detention too.

Now isn’t this gross injustice and discrimination based on sex??? Isn’t this male oppression? If this is happening in the US, I dread to think what kinds of oppression will be taking place in other nations where the justice system is not so strict. I’d like to know your opinions and thoughts on this.

I came across this article about “Native American” artefacts being plundered/ stolen by local white people in the one of the states of US. The head line screams “A town’s love of Indian artifacts backfires”.

Don’t these supposedly smart, educated and intelligent people know that Indians are from India and not the original populations of the present day United States.

First these Europeans landed up in this continent, subjugated the tribes with superior weaponry, disease and massacred whole tribes who fought to keep their nations intact.

Then they called them as “Indians”. It has been 400 years since Columbus landed here but these guys still don’t want to change the terminology. I think they are being racist against we Indians. Moreover I think Indians from India are also too docile and haven’t protested about this identity confusion. It is high time we wake up and claim this identity for ourselves.

As we waited at the boat pier for the tour to start, I was surprised by the number of alligator products that were being sold at the souvenir store. Slaughtered gator heads for $15-35, Gator claws as back scratchers for a few dollars, gator skin, etc. It gave me an uneasy feeling in my stomach to see that these regal reptiles were being farm-bred for human consumption not only as meat but as these souvenir samples. We human beings often refer to wild animals as wild, cruel and savage etc, but I am convinced that it is the other way round. It is human beings that are cruel and not the animals. For wild animals it is a question of survival when they attack humans, but for us it is often pride, an urge to show off, etc that drives to attack animals.

Gator head for sale!!! Can humans get any more barbaric???

After a few minutes our tour-guide came and hollered for all of us to get into the boat. The guide was a tough-looking bearded man with a great sense of humor. He started the tour by saying that “Alligators are cold blooded like most women,” and introduced us to the waterways on which we would be traveling and also the surrounding habitations where Cajuns of the Bayou continue to live amidst swamps. I was amazed to know that the waterway we were on was actually man-made, it certainly didn’t appear so. I am pretty certain lots of slaves labored on this project and many perished too. As the tour progressed the guide pointed out a 2000 year old Native American Burial Mound adjacent to a Cajun cemetery and a small Fishing village!

Man made water channel; amazing human endeavor!!!

Cajun cemetery and the Native American burial mound

The fishing village was particularly interesting because there was a large building on the wharf into which a drunk had plowed his speed boat. The wrecked boat and the broken building had been boarded up awaiting renovation. As we slowly ambled on, I saw several species of wildlife such as birds, turtles, furry animals, and of course a number of small to large Alligators or simply Gators.

The fishing village where a drunk boat driver had rammed the building!!!

Read more stories on my blog

The website is known for its action-adventure, arcade, puzzle, video, casino, shooting, strategy, and several other types of online games. The best part of this website is that all the games can be played free of cost by just visiting the online resource.

I am quite critical about the types of gaming websites I patronize and hence till I played a few free games on this site I wasn’t convinced. To start with I explored the 3Foot Ninja, a fighting game which involves shooting stars, jabbing and striking with sword. The animation and imagery is excellent and the game can be played in three modes “easy, medium, and hard”. It is fun, entertaining and challenging at the same time. At the end of the game you will be asking for more.

I felt like trying out the racing game section and found Bike Master. Though I don’t have opportunity to ride a bike here I thought online I could try and play the motorcycle racing games. This game is more cartoonish and not real simulation, but the obstacles and feel is quite realistic.

In the puzzle section there are the standard brick games, the aqua bubble, the around the world in 80 days, and hundreds more. I really think that this would take me years to just play all the games once and know what they have to offer. I am pretty sure I wont get bored because each game is unique and different. The colors, look, feel and characterization in each game is quite entertaining and gives a real feel to the game.

If you are an online gaming fan, I would suggest this website to you without any hesitation.

Personally speaking I had not heard about MS until 2005. One day I received an e-mail from Aussie biker Ralph Dixon, who was setting out on a motorcycle journey from Sydney to London. The aim of the ride was to raise funds for and create awareness about MS. I came to know much later that Dixon himself was a MS sufferer and this motorcycle ride was indeed much more challenging than if a normal person were to do it. Dixon was indeed courageous to undertake a journey of such proportions. Back then I decided that when I get an opportunity I will do something for MS sufferers.

Couple of days ago I got this opportunity in the form of an adventurous activity - Bike MS: SAM’S CLUB Ride 2009 * May 2-3, 2009 * Frisco to Fort Worth. This is a two-day 160 mile bicycle ride which will see over 4,000 people riding across the DFW Metroplex, bearing the searing heat of Texas. All these people come together with one goal to help raise funds for research to find a cure for MS.

Every year the National MS Society, US organizes various outdoor activities to raise funds for research on finding a cure for MS. Long distance walking, running and bicycling are among the most popular ones. Bicycling being one of my favorite activities, I decided to sign up and be part of this mission to eradicate Multiple Sclerosis.

Apart from paying a nominal registration fee ($40) every participant has to pledge to raise a certain $ amount as donations for the National MS Society. I have registered and have set myself a modest goal of $300 and have started my fund-raising effort. I would be thankful if you all could help me achieve my fund-raising goal and at the same time help millions of MS sufferers get closer to a permanent cure.

Western researchers, doctors and teachers are using this technique to enhance brain capacity of their students/ patients. When I was in elementary and primary school it was common for dull students to be punished. What was the punishment??? The under-performing students were made to hold their ears and do sit-ups.. precisely the same technique these researchers are trying to propagate. But I guess the teachers themselves were unaware that this type of activity is actually brain stimulant. One thing I must admire about our forefathers is their ingenuity in carefully camouflaging this procedure as a punishment and hand it down over generations. The same goes with repeating the procedure as obeisance for Lord Ganesh with a prayer for enhancing our knowledge... it actually enhances our brain power.

It is true that we Indians (Hindus) tend to be a little blind when it comes to following religious practices and ignore documenting the science part of it. Those who are exposed to the black or white western thought find it fashionable to deride everything that is associated with Hinduism. These so-called intellectuals have time and again laughed at ritualistic practices such as these, without bothering to find out what is the reason behind the practice.

Well! now this practice is being made popular through research studies (by westerners of course) and one smart scientist will patent the process and say he/ she discovered the same. The claim of Hindus that this was being followed as part of a ritualistic practice will be drowned out by the glare of media spotlight on the scientist and the “discovery” will be praised by Indian atheists, who will blindly owe allegiance to science. And people will continue to look down condescendingly upon Indian (particularly Hindu) religious practices will have a better understanding, I hope.

The investigation carried out by Christian Action Network (CAN) revealed that these camps were established on vast expanses of land ranging from 25-300 acres and owned by MoA. The operation came to light thanks to a 30 month (two and a half year) investigation by the CAN.

According to FoxNews anchor, Muslims of America is the same group which is responsible for over 50 terrorist attacks on U.S. soil. A small part of the video was shown along with the newsreport and a speaker says:

We are establishing training camps. You can reach us. At you know, Quranic open university offices in New York, or in Canada, or in Michigan, or in South Carolina or in Pakistan. Wherever you are, you can reach us

The video clearly shows Gilani teaching American followers tactics in guerilla warfare, mountaineering, stealth attacking, murder, car hijack, kidnapping, firing, and setting off explosives.

CAN representative further said that their crew visited seven of these terrorist compounds and took the “Soldiers of Allah” videotape and asked their opinion on the tape. Whether they accept or reject Sheikh Gilani’s call to be an Islamic guerilla warfare training camp. Quite unsurprisingly not a single one of them rejected the tape, according to Martin Mawyer, president of CAN. This is what he said on the television interview:

Well, actually, none of them would condemn them. These people believe Sheikh Gilani is the direct descendant of the Prophet Mohammed, that he speaks for the Prophet Mohammed. They file — follow him with utmost loyalty. They believe basically, he’s speaking for the word of Allah. They will not condemn him. They will not criticize him. That’s what we learned. As a matter of fact, in one camp in Georgia one of the leaders watched the “Soldiers of Allah” video tape and said what’s wrong with Sheikh Gilani setting up paramilitary training camps inside the United States?

According to a press release of the CAN, crewmembers who visited the MoA campus were beaten up with canes and one of the MoA members attempted to snatch their camera. Even as the crew got into their vehicle (Nissan Armada) to leave, one MoA member came up beside the car and clubbed it with a cane. Looks like even America is no longer safe from the clutches of Islamic terrorism.

The United Kingdom which had not so far back in the history had conquered the world are now begging for mercy. The once-great UK has been brought to its knees by the terrorist groups based in Pakistan. What billions of normal people of former British colonies couldn’t achieve in decades, Pakistan has achieved in just a few years of targeted terrorist attacks.

According to a newsreport published online on ExpressIndia.com the British government has finalized an television advertisement campaign to be aired in Pakistan. The content of the advertisement is fervent appeals to the terrorists to not attack Britain.

Of course the advertisement will feature prominent British Muslims and claim that Britain is a “Islam-friendly” and “Muslim-friendly” state and that attacking Britain would be equal to attacking Muslims. The advertisement campaign funded by British Foreign Office will cost a whopping £400,000 (approximately Rs 2.9 crore).

According to newsreports the campaign is targeted at “15-25-year-old males who are less than well-educated and worldly wise, but potentially susceptible to extremist doctrines”. Nine 30-second commercials, supported by ads on radio, will be aired on PTV, Geo TV and Khyber among other channels. If the Pakistani campaign is successful, it will be extended in Egypt, Yemen and Indonesia.

Personally speaking I don’t know whether to rejoice or to cry. On one side I am happy that the British who had trampled across several civilizations including the Indian Subcontinent are now being paid back in their own coin. They are now begging for mercy at the same place where their ancestors enjoyed supremacy and committed untold atrocities on the populous. On the other hand, British Crown which didn’t deem it fit to apologise for the Jallianwala Bagh Massacre are now kneeling in front of a bunch of Islamic Bandits.

I remember a quote from Churchill during World War II when he said something like: “I’d support even the devil himself against Hitler” referring to Stalin. Now the Islamic terrorist groups such as the Al-Qaeda, Taliban etc are no less than Hitler’s Nazis. They want to cleanse the whole world and make it Islamic. So the British bending backwards in front of a few terrorist groups is wrong. But what can they do... they are powerless infront of their own fundamentalist population (of Muslims of course).

I wonder what the reaction of Pak-based terrorist groups would be to the advertisement campaign... will they stop the attacks or will there be a renewed vigour in targeting Britain??? Only time will answer.