Tasty Morsels

December 7, 2006

Brr...

Cold front brewing across the US...with the.cold front extending all the way to Texas, with lows below freezing forecast as far south as New Orleans & Jacksonville, Florida. Apparently, even today, Even today morning, Duluth, MN woke up to frigid temperatures of 28 degrees below zero with windchill! Also the above report says that ..with "he front packed strong winds as well as cold temperatures, and "feels-like," or wind chill, temperatures were expected to plummet by 50 degrees in some places.

Where I am, the predictions are for

AM Snow Showers

High
29°F
Low
22°F

Chance of Precipitation: 50%

Snow flurries and snow showers possible before noon. Becoming sunny later. High 29F. Winds NW at 20 to 30 mph. Chance of snow 50%. About one inch of snow expected. Winds could occasionally gust over 40 mph.

Looks like the first snow of the year is here. Brrr... stay warm!

December 1, 2006

India - a news update

Wow...a lots happening in India this week ... like this blogger wrote:

Nowhere in this world can so many things happen in two days. A cricketer returns. A murder case gets closer to being solved. A minister is convicted of murder. A popular film actor is arrested. A bomb hoax in the country's ministerial den. And a certain class of people riot around the nation.

Indeed.. first Sanjubaba gets indicted (yet again, I wondered!) for his role in the 1993 Bombay bomb blast case (the verdic this time being that he is 'guilty but not a terrorist!)

And today, comes news that BJP MP and former cricketer Navjot Singh Sidhu is found guilty of causing a Patiala resident's death during a fight over parking in December 1988.

A lower court had acquitted Sidhu in 1999, but on Friday that order was overruled. Sidhu, who played 51 Tests and 136 ODIs, faces a maximum prison sentence of 10 years in the case.

Maybe this is a case of justice finally done... for there is little doubt about Sidhu's involvement in the fracas that led to the death of the poor guy as we had all dismissed this 18 years ago as being yet another case of a famous man getting away with murder (figuratively and literally.) Afterall, Sidhu was a popular opener for the Indian cricket side in 1988 and his popularity has only increased since then through his stint as a commentator (with his one-liners, popularly known as Sidhuisms) leading more recently to him even winning the Amritsar seat in Parliament in 2004, based on this popularity he gained via cricket. But, to the cynic in me, this verdict seems politically motivated - why would the case suddenly be opened after all these years.

Meanwhile, the people are rioting in the streets yet again.. but instead of worrying about the recurring rioting at the slightest pretext, people are getting their panties/lungis/langots in a bunch over inanities like this...!!

Rajasthan Chief Minister, Vasundhara Raje Scindia has come in for scathing criticism from several quarters for posing with Biocon's Kiran Majumdar Shaw in a "lip lock" position at the India Economic Submit in New Delhi.

And guess what...its not the holier-than-thou moralistic right-wing forces (BJP, Shiv Sena, VHP) that are causing this rucus - its the Congress. The reason being the Rajastan CM is from the BJP party...going to show that there is no consistent logic or philosophy that a party in India holds on to and a so-called secular liberal party can also suddenly become intolerant and narrow-minded in its outlook when an opportunity provides itself to criticize the opposing party.

Meanwhile, ignoring the more pressing issues, the tabloids keep people entertained with such 'purplocity and verniness' (credit for these terms goes to Amit Varma, who has a great hilarious series on such articles in the Indian media) as:

Men eyeing Kangana's back!
Aishwarya refused me: Angry fan!
Good smell leads to good sex! and
Yana's navel ring hooks Aftab!

RIDICULOUS...

Erasing history

Not clear why this was done...

100-year old Hindu temple razed in Kuala Lampur

Keep the Promise

Today, 1st December 2006, is World AIDS Day and the theme is

'Stop AIDS. Keep the Promise'.

Established by the World Health Organization in 1988, World AIDS Day serves to focus global attention on the devastating impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Observance of this day provides an opportunity for governments, national AIDS programs, churches, community organizations and individuals to demonstrate the importance of the fight against HIV/AIDS.

Also read Ken Chaplin's great blog on Fighting Aids

So..how bad is the AIDS pandemic…

AIDS has killed more than 25 million to date and the UN reports that somebody in the world is newly infected with HIV every 8 seconds. According to UNAIDS, about 39.5 million people are living with HIV at the moment, of whom 37.2 million are adults, and 2.3 million are children under 15. (By another count, Up to 3.5 million children are living with HIV/AIDS.) 4.3 million people have become newly infected this year so far, 65% of them in Africa, of whom 530,000 are children under 15. About 2.9 million people have died of AIDS this year so far. 63% of all adults and children living with HIV in the world today live in Sub-Saharan Africa (almost 25 million people), which is five million more than in 2004. 34% of all deaths due to AIDS occur in southern Africa. In sub-Saharan Africa, there are 24.7 million people living with HIV/AIDS. So.. it is clear that HIV/AIDS is ravaging the poorest nations of the world.

There are 5.7 million people infected with HIV/AIDS in India (pdf). And fighting the apathy & complacency about AIDS is still difficult despite the rapidly rising number of infections and wide-spread media coverage and awareness/ campaigns about the looming threat ; India having the 2nd largest number of HIV infected people after South Africa.

India - International HIV/AIDS Alliance
These major programmes are co-ordinated with other agencies contributing to Avahan, the India AIDS Initiative of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation

------
Little wonder then that UNAIDS has issued a statement today saying now is the time for a rethink on AIDS campaigns.

A lot will be said and rallies will be head and slogans will be shouted from pulpits around the globe today… lets hope all this leads to more and more emphasis on driving away ignorance and also serious policy implementation in fighting this scourge..(links to a post where I compile articles related to the fight on HIV/AIDS).

This article has a nice summary of HOW TO HELP and I cut-n-paste for future reference:

Volunteer with the Community HIV/AIDS Mobilization Project (CHAMP), one of the country's most effective grassroots groups working to ensure the development of an effective range of HIV prevention options.

Build support for the AIDS Cure Act.

Download the Free Treatment for All manifesto and add your name to the campaign.

Echo the Global Access Project's call to urge the US government to lead a global health workforce initiative in AIDS ravaged countries.

Show your symbolic support by wearing a red ribbon on World AIDS Day and putting a virtual red ribbon on your site or blog.

Finally, talk to people. Since HIV was first identified a quarter of a century ago, it has been a stigmatized disease, resulting in silence and denial. Talking openly about HIV to your friends, family, colleagues and neighbors is the most powerful way of ending prejudice.

In related news from today

Good news released today, announcing that...
...about 1.2 million people in countries hard hit by AIDS are receiving life-extending drugs thanks to two major U.S. and international funds, double from a year ago, but many millions more need help.

SA launches plan to combat Aids - BBC News

Ottawa pledges $250M for AIDS - Toronto Star

Making AIDS Drugs Available to Kids in the Developing World - Time

45,000 walkers and 2,000 volunteers participated in the AIDS Walk in New York (a current.tv pod)

Watch these AIDS related pods on Current.tv

Though not all are related, time-permitting you can also see some other pods from Current Caring

AIDS.ORG: Educating - Raising HIV Awareness

AIDS Education Global Information System (AEGIS)
AEGIS is one of the largest HIV/AIDS databases in the world, includes the HIV Daily Briefing, updated hourly.

The Complete HIV/AIDS Resource
A comprehensive site featuring in-depth information on topics ranging from HIV prevention to state-of-the-art treatment issues

AIDSinfo - HIV / AIDS Information
NIH information with information about federally approved treatment guidelines for HIV and AIDS.

AIDS – Official journal of the International AIDS Society

World AIDS Day Resources -- 1997-2006

Factsheets on HIV/AIDS

Visual AIDS - DAY WITH(OUT) ART
Strives to increase public awareness of AIDS through the visual arts, exhibitions, publications, and by working in partnership with artists

November 26, 2006

Climate change

Republicans continue to go on a witch-hunt of climatologists that have studied and reported on global warming for years... Republican, Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Joe Barton (Tex.) has gone on a meaningless investigation of three scientists who have charted Earth's rapid warming in recent decades. This is so ridiculous thatanother senior Republican, House Science Committee Chairman Sherwood L. Boehlert, himself has asked Barton to call off the "misguided and illegitimate investigation."

As early as 1998, the three scientists, Raymond Bradley, Director of the Climate System Research Center at the Univ. of Massachusetts at Amherst, Michael Mann, Director of the Earth System Science Center at Penn State Univ., and Malcolm Hughes of the University of Arizona reconstructed the global climate change over the last millenium (pdf; also see this graph), determining that three recent years, 1997, 1995, and 1990, were the warmest years since at least AD 1400. Using climate records culled from tree rings, glacial-ice layers and coral-growth layers, the three professors -- whose research was funded in part by the federal government -- determined in 1998 that temperatures have skyrocketed in the past century compared with the 500 years preceding it. The three men put the figures in a graph now known as the "hockey stick," and their work helped prompt the U.N. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in 2001 to declare the 1990s as the warmest decade in the past 1,000 years. The work has been supported as being rigorous and probably true by a national scientific panel of specialists in the area. Elsewhere, more than 100 international experts studying climate change have said that the threat of global warming is real and getting worse and Bush administration's postion on this is 'ludicrious.'

It stings

Hot peppers and spider bites cause similar pain

New research suggests that tarantula venom and capsaicin, the stuff that makes hot peppers hot, both fire up the same pain receptor on nerve cells. The particular cell-surface receptor is triggered by chemicals and also temperature. The research, conducted at the University of California, San Francisco, and published in the scientific journal Nature, could someday inform the development of better pain killers. Meanwhile, I expect to see a new brand of Spider Venom Hot Sauce in a matter of moments. From Science News:

(Molecular biologist David) Julius notes that because triggering the receptor produces such strong pain sensations, it's not surprising that organisms as distantly related as pepper plants and tarantulas use the same defensive mechanism.

"Different organisms have figured out how to tap this site as a way of telling predators, 'You won't be comfortable if you mess with me,'" he says.

Miscallaneous News

I have bookmarked tons of articles to forward or blog about over the past 2-3 weeks but do not have the time to organize it ....so here is a mish-mash this Sunday afternoon.

US Politics:
Bush said recently that his policy had 'never been stay the course' except, apparently, he mentioned it over thirty times over the last three years. Some people are pretty good with "the Google." :)

Meanwhile, Iraqis die by the hundreds every day...with October being the deadliest month ever..with 3709 Iraqis dead, with all indications that November will break this 'record'. Iraq sinks into a graver abyss..

You have got to hear this... Keith Olbermann gives Bush a reaming after his visit to Vietnam...on the comparison between Vietnam and Iraq.----After Rumsfeld...Cheney?

In the days since President George W. Bush fired Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, one figure is eerily missing from public view and public accounts of what occurred: Vice President Dick Cheney. As usual, America's de facto president is either literally or metaphorically in an undisclosed location.

An article I read elsewhere quotes Novak of the Sun-Times writing that the firing of Rumsfeld upset many GOPs, including Cheney who was "profoundly disturbed" at the way Rumsfeld was treated and recently "appeared melancholy." To quote the former article, which is by someone called Nora Ephron (screen-writer of movies like Harry met Sally and Sleepless in Seattle?):
We will leave aside the question of how anyone can evaluate the levels of Dick Cheney's melancholy and instead wonder whether Cheney is feeling bad because he sees the handwriting on wall. Who knows? Maybe the rumor is true, and he's next.

See this very powerful sketch by someone called Mr. Fish. See other 'cartoons' by Mr. Fish in Harpers magazinehere ....for eg. I liked this one too about the mid-term elections.

Cronyism with Bush administration appointments continues...putting into people that will further their neocon agenda!!To head family planning programs at the Department of Health and Human Services, Mr. Bush has tapped Eric Keroack, a doctor affiliated with a group vehemently opposed to birth control and someone nationally known for his wacky theory about reproductive health.

Media and Democracy

In 2003, an unprecedented groundswell of popular opposition killed then-Federal Communications Commission chairman Michael Powell's efforts to eliminate rules that limit the ability of one corporation to monopolize all the media outlets in a given place. But, once again, media-industry lobbyists and their allies on the FCC are working to revise the rules on media ownership to allow a single corporation to own most, if not all, of the newspapers, radio and TV stations and Internet news and entertainment sites in your town. Last June, new FCC chairman Kevin Martin issued a draft policy proposal -- called a Further Notice of Proposed Rule Making -- that kick-started Big Media's latest attempt to weaken the rules protecting local voices, vibrant competition and diverse viewpoints. Now the battle is on.

Six Muslim imams were handcuffed and removed from a US Airways flight at a Minnesota airport over "suspicious activity."They suspect the 'suspicious activity' cited by authorities was the performance of normal evening prayers offered by members of the group," it said. "The detained Imams also denied media reports that they refused to leave the plane or that they chanted 'Allah' as they were escorted from the flight," the statement said.

More proof of an ugly nexus between politics and corporate America!!
Alarmed at the prospect of Democratic control of Congress, top executives from two dozen drug companies met here last week to assess what appears to them to be a harsh new political climate, and to draft a battle plan.

Unbelievable & absurd!!... was this Glen Beck guy come to CNN from Faux News? Have seen this kind of s*** on radio and on Faux News only before..but I cannot believe this was on CNN!!
CNN's Glen Beck to first-ever Muslim congressman to the first ever Muslim Congressman, Keith Ellison (D-MN), who became the first Muslim ever elected to Congress on November 7 :"What I feel like saying is, 'Sir, prove to me that you are not working with our enemies"

Enough of serious stuff...now for something a little lighter..

First up ...this hilarious report of some monkey business in Des Moines, Iowa :) What's the fun of being an ape if you can't even monkey around? hahaha... ( - via India Uncut)

Also via India Uncut comes news about a new kind of terrorism - reports of the case of an "exceptionally antisocial man who has been defecating on trains across the UK, causing tens of thousands of pounds-worth of damage." So, are the roads of Mumbai going to be bombed by the Bush-Blair allied forces as being the training grounds for terror of a new kind? :)

And speaking of India, Businessweek has an interesting article, which asks the question:
Has the Bhagavad Gita replaced Sun Tzu's The Art of War as the hip new ancient Eastern management text?


Wind:		NW at 21 mph
UV Index:		1 Low
Humidity:		39%

Sunrise:		7:01 AM
Sunset:		4:12 PM