Kinect

The revolutionary Wii shook up the market place bringing personality, connection between game play and human gesture. No longer did your thumb on XOAB define the existence of your virtual personality.

But Kinect in my opinion will be a game changer. (And like other bloggers let me brag - you heard it first over here). This seems to be a real innovation without the "i" (maybe apple with its chinese army will still create an iKinect). But what surprises me is the neglect in creating a sensor bar in history. I mean why was it so difficult in the past to have cameras, and a few more sensors with a controller packaged neatly in a tube? Look at the Honda gizmo humanoid. They must be using this idea for the last decade. How come it never took centerstage?

American Democracy

– Heard on the street –

A government of the people, by the people, for the corporation.

 

A selection between two dictatorships. (Considering there are only two parties, and each party forces their guys to follow their own party line)

This is corruption ....

Copied from a visa application –

Visa Type / Duration Confirmation

You have selected a Entry Visa with 5 Years Multiple Entry.

Please be aware that the actual duration granted is up to the discretion of the Consulate.

There will be No Refunds if a lesser duration is granted. 

All it says is that you can pay for the max duration, but we ‘may’ give you the min duration and pocket the remaining….

Yes there is a grammatical error as well (a Entry Visa). MFernandes is probably ready to scream somewhere.

Mansion Of The Gods

Dang - I must have grown old now, since my favorite Asterix series is depicting reality. Check the first page of the Mansion of the Gods - edited below -

and then you see the reality in the West Bank and the reason why Palestinians want a freeze

We may be laughing at one end, but for others it is a reality. Wouldn't it be better if this was only in comic books?

How Will You Measure Your Life

The article from HBR makes a good read in asking three questions

First, how can I be sure that I’ll be happy in my career?

Second, how can I be sure that my relationships with my spouse and my family become an enduring source of happiness?

Third, how can I be sure I’ll stay out of jail?

 

Read More @ http://hbr.org/2010/07/how-will-you-measure-your-life/ar/1

 

I especially like the part of how “culture” is defined.

A Reality Check

The shudder of realization of the only certain aspect of every human, makes us question. Some of us will try to debate the justice behind actions, some of us will question the unseen and seek answers, some of us will just shrug it off and move on. Change remains as the only constant in life, death reigns as the only certainty of life.

We will come back to debate the aftermath of death for a missed one. The stark truth of this aspect as defined in Islam, puts all Halloween and Ramsay-brother blockbusters to shame. It is the culmination of all chances for repentance, forgiveness, debt repayment, love, laughter and joy.

According to Islam - When a person dies, his works end, except for three: ongoing charity, knowledge that is benefited from, and a righteous child who prays for him.

This pertains to the departed. But there should not be a social death for those who lose their loved one. It is the responsibility of the society to look after them. A social visit after the burial, even after the mourning has ended, and even after your understanding that everything is fine, is still what makes and keeps us human. It is this realization of our responsibility that should be pursued, as a matter of respect for the departed soul.

A one-minute mentor thought to have recovered from cancer passed away this morning. Inna Lillahi wa Inna Ilaihi Raajioon.

All Terrorists are Muslims…Except the 94% that Aren’t

All Terrorists are Muslims…Except the 94% that Aren't

Posted on 20 January 2010 by Danios

Don't be fooled, and don't be a wuss.  You don't live in constant fear of radicalized Latinos (unless you're Lou Dobbs), even though they commit seven times more acts of terrorism than Muslims in America.  Why then are you wetting yourself over Islamic radicals?  In the words of Cenk Uygur: you're at a ten when you need to be at a four.  Nobody is saying that Islamic terrorism is not a matter of concern, but it's grossly exaggerated.

CNN recently published an article entitled Study: Threat of Muslim-American terrorism in U.S. exaggerated;  according to a study released by Duke University and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, "the terrorist threat posed by radicalized Muslim-Americans has been exaggerated."

Yet, Americans continue to live in mortal fear of radical Islam, a fear propagated and inflamed by right wing Islamophobes.  If one follows the cable news networks, it seems as if all terrorists are Muslims.  It has even become axiomatic in some circles to chant: "Not all Muslims are terrorists, but nearly all terrorists are Muslims." Muslims and their "leftist dhimmi allies" respond feebly, mentioning Waco as the one counter example, unwittingly affirming the belief that "nearly all terrorists are Muslims."

But perception is not reality.  The data simply does not support such a hasty conclusion.  On the FBI's official website, there exists a chronological list of all terrorist attacks committed on U.S. soil from the year 1980 all the way to 2005.  That list can be accessed here (scroll down all the way to the bottom).

Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Soil by Group, From 1980 to 2005, According to FBI Database

According to this data, there were more Jewish acts of terrorism within the United States than Islamic (7% vs 6%).  These radical Jews committed acts of terrorism in the name of their religion.  These were not terrorists who happened to be Jews; rather, they were extremist Jews who committed acts of terrorism based on their religious passions, just like Al-Qaeda and company.

Yet notice the disparity in media coverage between the two.  It would indeed be very interesting to construct a corresponding pie chart that depicted the level of media coverage of each group.  The reason that Muslim apologists and their "leftist dhimmi allies" cannot recall another non-Islamic act of terrorism other than Waco is due to the fact that the media gives menial (if any) coverage to such events.  If a terrorist attack does not fit the "Islam is the perennial and existential threat of our times" narrative, it is simply not paid much attention to, which in a circuitous manner reinforces and "proves" the preconceived narrative.  It is to such an extent that the average American cannot remember any Jewish or Latino terrorist; why should he when he has never even heard of the Jewish Defense League or the Ejercito Popular Boricua Macheteros?  Surely what he does not know does not exist!

The Islamophobes claim that Islam is intrinsically a terrorist religion.  The proof?  Well, just about every terrorist attack is Islamic, they retort.  Unfortunately for them, that's not quite true.  More like six percent.  Using their defunct logic, these right wingers ought now to conclude that nearly all acts of terrorism are committed by Latinos (or Jews).  Let them dare say it…they couldn't; it would be political and social suicide to say such a thing. Most Americans would shut down such talk as bigoted; yet, similar statements continue to be said of Islam, without any repercussions.

The Islamophobes live in a fantasy world where everyone is supposedly too "politically correct" to criticize Islam and Muslims.  Yet, the reality is the exact opposite: you can get away with saying anything against the crescent.  Can you imagine the reaction if I said that Latinos should be profiled because after all they are the ones who commit the most terrorism in the country?  (For the record: I don't believe in such profiling, because I am–unlike the right wing nutters–a believer in American ideals.)

The moral of the story is that Americans ought to calm down when it comes to Islamic terrorism.  Right wingers always live in mortal fear–or rather, they try to make you feel that way.  In fact, Pamela Geller (the queen of internet Islamophobia) literally said her mission was to "scare the bejeezus outta ya." Don't be fooled, and don't be a wuss.  You don't live in constant fear of radicalized Latinos (unless you're Lou Dobbs), even though they commit seven times more acts of terrorism than Muslims in America.  Why then are you wetting yourself over Islamic radicals?  In the words of Cenk Uygur: you're at a ten when you need to be at a four.  Nobody is saying that Islamic terrorism is not a matter of concern, but it's grossly exaggerated.

Related Posts:

Europol report: All terrorists are Muslims…Except the 99.6% that aren't

RAND report: Threat of homegrown jihadism exaggerated, Zero U.S. civilians killed since 9/11

Update:

A reader by the name of Dima added:

The FBI Terrorism Report shows…[that] the highest number of terrorist incidents in the U.S. by region (90) took place in Puerto Rico.

Second Update:

An Islamophobe commented on this article, saying that the statistics are flawed because the FBI included small acts such as "stealing rats from a lab" as an act of terrorism.  Of course, this is patently false.  Here is a breakdown of the terrorist attacks by type (the pie chart is from the FBI's official website and can be accessed here):

Terrorism by Event, From 1980 to 2005, According to FBI Database

http://www.loonwatch.com/2010/01/not-all-terrorists-are-muslims/

Dates and Debates

Yes - Happy Ramadan to one and all. I pray that everyone gets blessed with patience. Lots of it!

New Ramadan, new people, same debates. Calculation vs. Sighting, Local vs. global, 8 vs. 20 - you know what I mean…

IMHO - we have strong opinions on either side for the local versus global moon-sighting. Both have been ratified as genuinely correct, and yet we have all the time in our lives to debate the superiority of one over the other. I think the ego of the community leaders greatly overweighs the need of unity in the land. This is a simple agreement that can be decided upon at the city level, and we stick with it. Leaders should only implement it, focusing their energies on other debates.

Two extremely simple solutions stand out -

The-voting-solution: Come Muharram, all the muslims in the city cast their ballot whether they want a local or global sighting, and we accept the opinion of the masses. Breakaway splinter masjids - who don’t appreciate the unity of the land - in my opinion, don’t accept the ruling of unity in Islam and there is something wrong with them, that only some strange force can impart unto them. May the force be with the united mass.

Ding-dong-solution: Even=global, odd-numbered-year=local. Publish and accept. You happy this year, I happy next year, Islam always happy, unity always at the forefront.

Bind your self. Give your bayah. Pledge your allegiance. But don’t waste precious time explaining the superiority of your opinion.

Retaining a Developed World Status

I am trying to answer the question – what constitutes a third world country or the milder version “a developing economy”, and especially what led it into being a developing country. Specifically was India, at the turn of the 20^th century, a developed country or a developing country?

My understanding is that when the East India Company started trading, India was a developed country, where finished products were available for trade resulting in revenue and capital for further development (economic or military). However the industrial revolution in Europe far outpaced the production capacity of India, not matching the finesse of Indian artistes. On the whole it was cheap, people could afford more of what Europe produced and local industries got destroyed in the process. A little arm-twisting from the now British shareholders over the spineless manipulative rajas and maharajas, no doubt, helped in a wider adoption, and subsequent transformation of India as an excellent base of raw supplies. People were exploited for their raw supplies and squeezed to produce more, but was the economy of India still a powerhouse, if we add all the revenues created from the individual provinces etc? I believe it was a great economy but with unequal distribution and welfare. Considering that to be the case, I think that the fall from developed to developing, came about with independence, and the realization that India has lots of raw supplies but no useful method and process of materializing on this treasure. It took India a good 50 years to realize its potential, getting manufacturing knowledge established for profit, getting manufacturing infrastructure in place, and for knocking on some certification agency for a “developed  country” status.

India = USA 

East India Company/British = China 

20^th Century = 21^st Century 

Rajas/Maharajas = Senators/Congressmen

Independence -> dreadful wait

50 years for India = ?? years for USA 

Moral of the story – Manufacturing knowledge is paramount to success.

PopTech

An hour for myself is currently a luxury. An hour for myself watching TV is pandora. An hour for myself watching TV with a program dedicated to poptech - pure ecstasy (wanted to write priceless, but lets keep that cliche for later).

Poptech is all about visionaries, unpolluted by corruption, extending and redefining what is possible and who gets to decide it. This episode was aired on our local klru channel. Let it be about rewiring nervous systems to cross the boundary into electrical circuits (an obvious instant technology steriod), or social technology for making a village producers and maintainers of their own solar power (Bunker Roy), or just rebuilding in the face of natural disaster (Architecture For Humanity). Actually the last speaker for AFH mentioned a classic statement about how you can get 50 people who will live and breathe the project for the price of one Halliburton engr!!

Poptech is a must see/watch/browse because it is positive, because it liberates your mind. It is as if someone has enlightened you to be more active in that one hour. I am just rediscovering the joy of finding more positiveness on the never ending internet.

Yes - and one speaker obviously was about photography. For the uninitiated visit the following links for Paris and Dubai.

A Doctor's Perspective to the Healthcare System Overhaul

It makes me sick to think that I cannot practice medicine the way medicine is meant to be practiced: with care, quality and timeliness. Financially I feel deprived and it disgusts me that so much money goes to pay medical malpractice premiums and tails, and that our livelihoods are at risk as we are considered lottery tickets, by society, in general.

Most of the health care dollar goes to administrative costs for health insurance companies, with a large part going to the salaries and bonuses of their executives. That money should be meant for patient care. Little of the health care dollar even goes to pharmacies and hospitals, much less to the physicians. Doctors get far less of the healthcare dollar than do the executives of the insurance companies, yet without us they would be out of a job. Once we actually get reimbursed, we have our medical school loans and ever rising business costs to pay for with our ever decreasing earnings.

Now the current administration wants to decrease payments even further in order to “save” the health care system. We already know that a number of capable people are leaving our profession, or declining the arduous journey to become an American trained physician; not to mention the huge number of our friends (including me) who don’t want their own children following in our footsteps. How sad is it when we don't want our own progeny to follow us all because we are treated like thieves, or thugs, as children who cannot govern ourselves. This attitude in our society towards physicians is doing nothing but creating a loss of quality of well trained physicians.

There are close to 1 million physicians in the country and around 25 million people in the health care industry. They don’t treat or care (for) about the patients. Our patients suffer as physicians must see more patients every year just to make the same amount (or often less) money than last year; physician burnout is a well documented and a worrisome trend in our profession. This can affect our ability to properly formulate patient care. With the addition of paperwork and increased regulations put upon us by the state and federal governments, we have even less quality time for ourselves and our families. Not to mention the trauma of malpractice issues, that have taken the creativity out of patient care…resulting in the increase cost of healthcare.

In addition we need to deal with ugly politics of hospital administrators who can, just for unfriendly facial grimaces, suspend us and report us to the National Practitioner Data Bank, thus irrevocably ruining our careers, well before any investigation or fair hearing is called. We work our butts off to get top grades in college, to get into medical school, and then residency programs, where we often worked 100 or even 120 hours a week, for what? So should we give up nights, weekends, holidays, birthdays, anniversaries and even the birth of our own children to practice the vocation to which we were drawn upon? And even then, how are we treated? We are considered the vilest criminals, cheats and depraved practitioners with no sense of integrity or consciousness, only out to harm those we have struggled so long to serve. If we are so bad, so vile and so depraved, shouldn't we let our patients get treated by these lawmakers, advisors, politicians, and administrators who are trying to ‘save the health care system.

Quality of care suffers more when we spend less time checking our patients. This extra work is forced upon us when insurance companies like Medicare and Medicaid, constantly refuse to pay us in a timely fashion for our time and effort. And, when we do see patients, our clinical acumen is stifled as we must follow a cookbook approach to patient care. Yet what am I to do when 25% to 50% of my procedures, which are 'authorized' by insurance companies, are not compensated because, although authorized, they are not covered benefits. Insurance companies have no incentive to provide better care if it in turn we take good care of a patient, if good care may extend life expectancy.

It is time that we (physicians) stand up for our cause. We live in the land of the free and home of the brave. But we are passively giving up our noble lives as physicians, without liberty to practice as we should, and without the freedom to stop the government and the insurance companies from turning us in to hourly workers, but rather into the true professionals we believe we are. Perhaps we can show the country that we are worth more than a co-payment; that physicians are the real heroes for society; and that our profession is needed, our services are required, and our practice is a calling to be respected, not a trade that is to be negotiated to the lowest bidder.

I am inviting you to join my cause to ‘Save Future of Health Care’. We want our services to be adequately reimbursed, we want less paperwork, we want less money going into the hands of insurance companies and administration costs and we want medical malpractice reform, with caps on all damages, so that we can practice without the fear of needless and unwarranted lawsuits. We want the National Practitioner Data Bank reformed so entries are made after all administrative remedies have been executed, so due process is given to all physicians and that all entries are reviewed by an independent board of physicians without any ties to the accusing hospital, state, or local medical societies prior to submission. And we want proper compensation for services that pay us enough to manage our practices and allow us a living that compensates us for our years of study and training.

The Innocent Look of Happiness

There is humor and then there is a light hearted happiness, more like a sense of relief, relaxing your eyes, replenishing your soul and registering that moment in the book of unforgettable memories, creating a desire to revisit it time and again, simultaneously cheering you up for having lived that moment but longing to live it again. It matters not, if all the people stamped into that scene are around you right now, but the essence of that moment, the ether that accompanied it is irreproducible. Attachment to the event location is transitory, stressing the fact that the location wanted you to enjoy the moment then, but will not make any attempt to rewind to that point again.

Why this? why now? Returning home - I heard the chatterbox in her elements explaining the wondrous day spent at home, clockwork redefined, all excitement gears synched up with shaft of an ever peaceful world.

And no I don’t understand her gibberish baby talk.