February 2008 Archives

Pakistanis have decided things this time

Pakistan went to polls this week after many years of confused, undemocratic rule by President Musharraf.

For me, the results sound like the pakistanis have voted the most safe government... if it will be formed that is.. with two rival parties joining hands against all odds for democracy's sake. One party that of Mr.Nawaz sharif, and the other of late Benazir Bhutto's, now headed by her husband Asif Zardari.

Pakistanis have indeed decided things this time. Whoever assasinated Benazir Bhutto would now realize their plan to achieve instability in pakistan "back-fired" as was expected.

pakistan_polls_2008.jpg

Photo source: 'The Hindu' newspaper in india.. shown here only for a representation.

News source: Opposition parties sweep polls in Pakistan


Camp Bondsteel at kosovo and American interests

p.s. All through this post below, I refer to the people in the American government as Americans. as it is the usual way for critics of American government. So, 'Americans' used below doesn't refer to American people, but the American president, his staff.. ,also importantly chief of American army, navy airforce, and the American defence secretaries.

We all know of the way Americans consider themselves and the rest of the world.. yes, they consider everyone else the "rest of the world". as if the world was a big platter with Americans as the main dish.

Yesterday(or today if I am right) kosovo got freedom .. it became a Nation. While I was reading something on that.. I landed up on some crazy things only Americans can do calling it interestingly "for world peace". What you see below is America's largest military camp(since the vietnam) outside of America.. in kosovo.

Well Americans are not just stupid enough to build military bases outside of their country.. but also build very large bases outside their country.. and of course.. that's for world peace.

Camp BondSteel
camp_bondsteel_kosovo.jpg

The camp is called bondsteel. and there are about 7000 soldiers or more in the camp .. yea for world peace.. To any dumb fellow, it would be obvious that having 7000 troops at a place itself calls for war, not peace.. anyway, we are talking about Americans here.. not just dumb fellows.

Dick Cheney who served as defence secretary during the senior Bush administration granted a company 'Brown and Root Services' a big military contract in 1992 .. and later on became the CEO of the company for 5 years in a goodwill exchange offer from that company. no not joking. It all happens in America. Now, the part we are interested in is, Dick Cheney comes back as US Vice President in junior Bush administration and grants a lot (read loot) of defence projects including development of camp BondSteel.

The company 'Brown and Root Services' did a good job.. and that's why the landscape is so lovely in the above picture. For electronic engineers like me, can compare it to seeing a well laid out printed circuit board. It doesn't look real.. it looks extraordinarily perfectly developed site. What we are interested in knowing here is the money the company made. They made a whopping amount in developing this project, because in kosovo, in the area where the site is located they only had to pay $1 - $3 per hour of labour to the locals and that is considered very good compensation as the local economy which is 80% unemployed was almost entirely dependent just on agriculture-oriented jobs until bondsteel.

To read more on this crazy money and power stuff you can read the below links.
1. Camp Bond-steel in Kosovo - Hanna's blog
2. Remarks to United States Troops at Camp Bondsteel, Kosovo - George W. Bush - Transcript

Notice to Indians:
In the second link, there's a part of transcript of American president Bush's remarks to troops in Camp BondSteel where he says something like the Americans are indeed controlling world peace "from kosovo to kashmir" ... whoopy.. yea, kashmir he says.. both kosovo and kashmir are not in America and looks like Americans have hell a lot of free time to tackle things outside their country (as they have completed managing their country enough).. and so Mr.Bush addresses the troops saying their involvement and sacrifice is required for world peace from kosovo to kashmir.

This person Bush, he is definitely very funny when he speaks, because he, I think, is one American President who often stupidly assumes he has done a lot to the world(oh, may be in line of hitler) and thinks he is not just responsible for America but the world itself. Good grief.. God save America(save the world too).

End Note:
Anyways, all this is something that happened in 2002, I just read that blog now..
Although, it was an interesting pass-time read... and imagine how interesting Americans should be now in 2008, if until 2002 itself was such interesting.


News that english learners can use

Watching English movies helps build our understanding capabilities of the English language. Speaking English and hearing others speak English helps build command over our English accent.

But then, can you improve your English with help from the web??

A nice effort from BBC.CO.UK on their website has a page where people can try to learn English accent and words or meaning everyday along with hearing the news for the day.

This small thing done everyday, could easily help improve people's command over understanding or speaking the English language.

Click below link to see a new item with links to learn English. The speakers read the news a little slower than it is read on BBC television.. and there's a separate section on pronouncing words where they pronounce every word slowly first and then to speed as in the news.

China snow - from learning English news item

The Learning English site on BBC.CO.UK

kudos, to BBC webmasters for the idea.


reStore (ing) livelihoods - A Millet festival

reStore, a non-profit organization (in the making), is running an interesting food festival this Feb 16th (saturday) between 5:30pm and 8pm.

They are promoting the importance of millets as staple food, trying to revive the millet-based-food varieties, and importantly suggest the nutritive and health advantages of replacing millet-based foods in place of junk food in your diet.

Attend it if you will be in chennai, If I am right, its a free-for-all fest, but you can Call 94440 07649 for food passes and find out.

The event is organized by some socially excited citizens, many of whom happen to be bloggers and orkutters .. so its also about network-ing, and you can expect to meet cool folks.

And its happening not far from the city, at prime-spot Shastri nagar, Adyar.

Well.. for the people like me.. here's some help:
1. What are millets.. sounds like bullets/billets

General links:
2. A national institute of nutrition paper on food grains and millets
3. Sorghum and millets in human nutrition - FAO document
4. Millet recipes 1
5. Recipes - like millet balls, millet casseroles..


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This page is an archive of entries from February 2008 listed from newest to oldest.

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