This can usually be found on Twitter.
There's a very chirpy article about Mr. Singh, recently re-elected Prime Minister of India. Incredibly optimistic, it's very heartening at a time when India is slowly climbing up my list of countries-I-want-to-end-up-in.
Since I'm oh-so Indopolitical tonight, I might as well mention my concern at a BBC article on dynastic politics in India, jumping off from Ms. Sangma's entry into politics (her father was once Speaker of the national Parliament). Newsweek suggests that perhaps Mr. Gandhi (the Congress prince expectant) does not mean to lead the party himself, but is try to engage the people to join in. Remember that he has also repeatedly said during the last couple of years that in his view one of the most important tasks before him is to democratise the Congress and hold internal elections
(so sayth the BBC). Perhaps — and I say this entirely in my post-chirpy-article mood, mind — maybe perhaps he will never be Prime Minister; instead, he is trying to replicate within the country's oldest political party what has sort-of been achieved in the country itself: thriving, crazy, beautiful, dangerous, shiny, shining democracy.
I'd be skeptical; there's that thing about power corrupting to contend with, and lighting a flame under the monstrous Indian political juggernaut would be hard in the best of cases. But? Maybe that's all hope is, the ability to ask "But?" in the face of all opposition. I think I will assume the worse, but I'd deeply, deeply love to be wrong.
Labels: congress, india, manmohan singh, politics, rahul gandhi
This post was posted by Unknown at 11:08 pm | 0 comments | Post a Comment
So, there ends the weekend which was not a weekend. As a way to start the next week, I woke up (after re-sleeping, then having a really weird dream about packing to return to Singapore - from Manek? - and, later, two charging elephants) - I wake up at 10:45, which is pretty much the earliest I can wake up and not have time for breakfast.
As an aside, in case you are not one with the Twitter, the weekend which was not a weekend was not a weekend because of a illness which struck me down pretty much exactly on Friday evening, then let go of me around Monday ("three day weekend") afternoon. Extraordinarily boring, and - initially - somewhat painful, but there you go. My upsides are still clogged with goo - ugh! - but everything's a whole lot better than it was, and I expect all symptoms to vanish (except maybe for mornings) by tomorrow or the day after.
The other reason for making this post - apart from solidifying much anti-rhinovirus rhetoric and complaining about a lack of breakfast options today - was to make a mental note of how disturbing - both in language and deed - are these two very disturbing (but completely unrelated) cases. So much for right-to-speech (as always, subsection 2 bites us where the sun don't shine).
On a cheerier note: there have been some fantastic LOLcats on ICHCB lately. Including: that is not right, Right around the next corner NO NOT LIKE THAT NO STOP, (average) *Caught*, Oh my, the religious cameleopard, and - the pièce de résistance - Cat in repose in other's bed.
Let's hope things pep up at work somewhat. Otherwise: another day, another week! Luckily, a shorter one than usual.
Labels: free speech, human rights, india, lolcats, sickness, twitter
This post was posted by Unknown at 10:53 am | 0 comments | Post a Comment
So, back home again. So it goes, so it goes. Not that I'm complaining or anything: it's been one long, exciting, interesting vacation. Seriously. No complaints.
Not that I'm going to be all that sad going back, either. There's things to be done, small things, big things, the whole scheboodle. Mainly, getting (back?) onto my feet post June 21, although that's only one angle to what is, at the end of the day, a very large, complicated puzzle. But hey. I've got - do I, really? - time.
I suppose if I don't know -- then when? When else, but now?
Not that this is, y'know, It. Not by any stretch of the imagination, and particularly not after this particular trip (aiyee, the lectures!). But, hopefully, this will an interesting path, which will lead on to - to? - well, to God alone knows what. But - as mentioned - an interesting road, nonetheless. Surely, something to learn, something to write home about. Lesse, lesse.
Other news? Sigh. Don't want to sleep - it's been a long day, and tomorrow's going to be worse, and sleep just seems like such an interlude in such matters. That I really am pretty exhausted doesn't, surprisingly, actually help. That I really have no idea what to do next (in both the grand sense of Next, as well as the immediate sense of next) doesn't do much for my nerves, and hence sleep, either.
Heh. I know what I'll do. I'll exercise. I'll quit my job and go off and exercise for a while. Lesse, lesse.
In passing: a pro-Singapore blog post for once, and the Auditor-General's report in Singapore. Also a painfully honest post on bullying. Challenge you to read this without cringing, at least. Extremely well written, too, see this bit:
When people hurt me, I became upset. I cried. This only handed her more ammunition. I was, she said, a crybaby. And others agreed with her. I was sensitive.
Being sensitive is even worse than "having a good vocabulary."
I wish I could advise her (him?), but I really don't know what to say. I've been bullied, but never ever half as bad as that. I'll go back to it tomorrow or day after, and think about it some, maybe. Meanwhile, if you have anything to say, go and say it. It's never too late the save the world entire.
Labels: bullying, india, links, singapore, tomorrow
This post was posted by Unknown at 3:49 am | 0 comments | Post a Comment
One of those "headaches all day long" days, and managed to get close to nothing done. Am seriously just waiting for
This sort of thing is seriously sad, and is one of the major reasons I still prefer Singapore despite all the issues they've got here. Not that it can't happen here, or anything; there's just going to be a whole lot less of it here, just because the state is richer. Or the government's iron fist. Or something.
One of these days something like this is going to happen. And then you'll be sorry! You'll be sorry!!
(Err, if the last link has vanished off the face of the internet, it depicted a group of eskimo fishing in a seal hole, turning around to look at a desert which has snuck up to them, complete with donkey, cactii, dead cow skeletons and guy staring back).
Anything else to grouch about? No, not really. I need sleep. Or, at any rate, some sort of shot to my brain. As of today, plain old coffee just ain't cuttin' it.
Labels: headache, india, internet, sad, singapore, sleep, ugh
This post was posted by Unknown at 8:05 pm | 1 comments | Post a Comment
You can go ahead and start with the dirty jokes whenever.
This post was posted by Unknown at 8:15 pm | 0 comments | Post a Comment
"A beach house," he said, "doesn't even have to be on the beach. Though the best ones are. We all like to congregate," he went on, "at boundary conditions". "Really?" said Arthur. "Where land meets water. Where earth meets air. Where body meets mind. Where space meets time. We like to be on one side, and look at the other."