Since elections are largely a game of perception, the upcoming US presidential elections is at feverish pitch with smear campaigns. For Barack Hussein Obama, it’s working both ways on the perception scale. Those who are for him are accused of terrorism, while those against, of racism. The McCain-Palin camp brands Obama a terrorist. A Muslim-sounding name can easily be associated with Radical Islamism a.k.a. terrorism. So, if Obama wins, the hugely-budgeted US-sponsored campaign towards global collective panic and power of nightmares called War on Terror would have obviously worn out its use.

What’s in a name? A lot. A Muslim-sounding name makes for a Muslim stereotype which, in turn, makes for the terrorist stereotype. This is so because, in this day and age, the pervading mindset is that not all Muslims are terrorists, but all terrorists are Muslims. So, someone with a Hussein in his name is “palling around with terrorists,” as Sarah Palin averred.
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Already beleaguered about her ‘presumed’ incapacity as future VP of the world’s biggest economy that might soon be no more because of the economic meltdown and controversial bailout, Palin has now been found guilty of abusing her gubernatorial powers in her native Alaska. The state legislature probe asserts that Palin dismissed a senior state official Mr. Monegan for not firing a state trooper Mike Wooten. This might sound like any ordinary day in the life of Alaska’s governor except that Wooten is the governor’s former brother-in-law who is in a bitter custody battle with the governor’s sister.

If that sounds like a story that is discussed inside one’s kitchen, this development takes the cake: the investigation was a partisan-led inquiry sponsored by supporters of Obama. If personal grudge is behind her abuse of power, the probe’s exorbitant 263-page report is an indication of what being the running mate of Republican standard bearer John McCain has to offer in the dirty world of politics. Surely, the report would have less number of pages if she were just plain governor.
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According to international nuclear inspectors, a Russian scientist helped the Iranians with technical know-how and also helped them conduct complex experiments on ways of detonating a nuclear weapon. The fact that this information was revealed excitedly on the New York Times has more political reasons  than any real danger from either the Russian scientist or the Iranian nuclear hounds.

The U.S. has been trying to create the image of an impending calamity due to Russian aggressive behaviors when the real reason why Russians are growing increasingly aggressive is because they have their own fears. The Iranians may or may not pose a threat to the world, but a bigger threat to the world lies in the form of American foreign policies and propaganda such as the one about the Russian scientist. What appalls me is that a venerable newspaper like the New York Times is also not immune to prejudice and, directly or indirectly participates in the dissemination of American propaganda.

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If you remember well, there was an email doing rounds about the weird and bizarre ‘tree man’ Dede from Indonesia who suffers from a rare condition of human Papiloma virus. This made him grow warts and his skin remained skin no more, but looked like the bark of trees. The poor chap in fact could not move around and nor could he wear clothes and take care of his personal needs.

An American doctor visited him and decided to put him on a strong dosage of Vitamin A and now he is gradually improving. A heartwarming story, I would like to express my admiration for that doctor who changed the life of this miserable man. It was not so simple though. He had to be put under chemotherapy and grueling surgery to treat the warts and also be given expensive Vitamin A doses. Dede is now a transformed man and to me, he represents hope, a hope that can be oppressive always. I quote my friend Grace who once said hope is the most oppressive and torturous condition ever. Well, I do agree with her completely but with Dede, his hopes in fact made him a stringer person and now he can continue to hope for more.

Unfortunately, hope isn’t always so promising, and most hopes are quashed by oppressive societies, politicians, religions and even science. I would not like to get depressed over the more sinister forces of the world for this moment, and I’d rather share Dede’s happiness and wish him luck. He, is slowly but steadily improving and the doctors hope he will soon be able to live a normal life.

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Via: TheSun

It is surprising to note that Muslims in the U.K have a greater freedom than anywhere else and they receive governmental grants and funds to build mosques in prime locations in British cities including London. A predominantly Christian society, the British have been quite tolerant in accepting immigrants and also allowing them to practice their personal beliefs. However, the fate of Christians in the Muslim world is one that has to be dealt with cautiously. Christians have been persecuted and marginalized in most Middle Eastern countries and recently, in India too.

However, the idea is to live peacefully and with religious tolerance. Though Atheism and non-religious societies are always welcome and of course safer too, it is difficult to change the way people think. If the British decided to avenge the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and promptly persecute the Muslims of Britain, it would be harking back to the Middle Ages. The Old Testament law of an eye for an eye and a hand for a hand would not work in a modern society and free societies must set up an example by not tolerating ‘other’ religions but in fact discouraging overt religious behaviors anywhere. In fact, avoiding religious topics and stopping the funds for religious institutions would do well and the money could be diverted to saner purposes like education and research.

The concept of religious tolerance must be thought over and when it is thought over, we would know that there really isn’t much to think, except allow others to live productive lives while we live our own live productively.

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Via: Guardian

Sharon Stone has been the daughter of controversy ever since she crossed or didn’t cross her legs in that notorious movie a couple of decades ago, which we all know. The smoking blonde has always managed to gain publicity whether negative or positive. This time however, she has gained a lot of negative publicity thanks to her bad mothering skills, which apparently are as much in mess as her. Californian officials have criticized and also rejected her request to change her child’s custody arrangements.

They have blamed her for overreacting to her son Roan’s medical issues. The court was especially infuriated with Stone’s suggestion that her son must be treated with botox as his feet were smelly. Now it has also come to notice that Bronstein will have complete custody over the boy and Stone may just have to worry endlessly if he would be taken care of by the jubilant father properly. The crux of the matter is not the custody of the child or Stone concern for her son’s health but the fact that celebrities usually end up over reacting to every tiny incident no matter what.

Probably, the entire attention and media glare showered and sometime forced upon them make them notice even small changes and worry about that endlessly. Probably the celebrities must be left alone and allowed to live a life in privacy. And the ones that like to be in the media glare are best avoided.

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Via: IMDB

Sometimes, a busy life and an equally attention providing lifestyle can make one seek solace in things that are more mundane and banal. Take the example of Leonardo DiCaprio. He recently admitted that he would like to settle down and take a break from it all. In fact, the guy has been so much under the spotlight that he probably needs to become a hermit. Leo is tired of traveling around the world and living on the movie sets and he feels that he has lost the meaning of life and what it is like to get married, have a family and settle down.

He has been dating the Israeli model Bar Rafaeli on and off and he has many a times spoken against marriages. However, the fact that now he is interested in settling down suggests something else about marriage and the institution of family. It could be a refuge where you take rest and relax, after having loads of fun elsewhere. In fact, it has been proven scientifically that those that have been professionally, sexually and socially active in their younger days look for the quiet and calm a marriage and family provides.

It must have something to do with our evolutionary process. Propagate the genes as much as possible when you are young, and once you get old, you will need to relax and be at home and make way for younger genes.

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Via: IMDB

If you had been wondering from where all the heroin of the world comes, it must not be too difficult to guess. It’s from the most troubled nation on earth, Afghanistan. The country depends literally on the money that comes from the sale of homegrown opium and poppy and also the derivatives like heroin and morphine. These narcotics make way to Western Europe through the neighboring Tajikistan.

Just 13 hours ago, many afghan smugglers were killed in a shootout in Tajikistan when they were caught red handed smuggling heroin into Tajikistan’s borders. These drugs after reaching France, Germany and elsewhere, are sold at exorbitant prices. What I fear is that the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan has actually encouraged the Afghan opium farmers to grow more as lawlessness has increased many folds after the Americans have entered.

Only through proper negotiations with the U.N. and afghan government can the drug route and trade be blocked. I wonder how things will go in the near future. Though listening to the news of the smugglers being shot dead isn’t a very pleasant one, it may just have the right thing to do, for the Tajik forces, whose land is being used as a transit for drug delivery to Europe.

Via: AfghanConflictMonitor

Like my many friends, I worry a lot about not having a bulky body and being thin. Most young men and adolescent boys strive to achieve the six-pack abs and bulging biceps and workout hard in gyms and fitness centers. I know people who have consumed so much of protein that their kidneys failed and even had to be hospitalized. What has been touted as a disorder found among only women, eating disorders are increasingly wreaking havoc on men and their physical and mental health.

The pressure to grow bigger and more muscular has made guys consume abnormally large quantities of protein, which causes in renal failure. However, the society still has not recognized this is a problem and has been dismissing it as a fad. In my opinion, media plays a major role in shaping our self-image and how we value our bodies, regardless of our age or gender. Eating disorders are prevalent among men and women of all ages equally. In fact, among men it is far more dangerous as the sufferers do not approach doctors nor do their family members realize it is a psychological disorder, which needs medical attention.

However, anorexia nervosa has fueled enough awareness campaigns and hence families do know if a girl has been starving herself. In a guy’s case, he would eat abnormally large quantities and still remain thin and in a quest to grow bigger, he would fall seriously sick. The media, the society and the peer groups in general have wreaked havoc on susceptible minds.

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Via: GordonMoyes

There has been a lot of discussion about men going bald and losing charm. However, if there is a standing example to the fact that hair really doesn’t matter as long as someone is really capable of attracting attention through other ways, it has to be Fran Healy from the Scottish alternative rock band Travis. The man behind singles like ‘Why does it always rain on me’, ‘Sing’, and many others, has publicly stated that he doesn’t worry about getting old or not looking as great as he used to.

Well, I couldn’t agree more with such great music he and the guys make and also his deep blue eyes. I just wish Travis’ new album ‘Ode to J. Smith’ gets released soon and we can listen to what is being called the greatest alternative rock album to be released in 2008. The album has already received critical acclaim and a favorable critical mood.

For now, I would say baldness or any other matter really doesn’t matter as long as a man remains committed to his true mission and talents, be it music or politics or sports. Showbiz unfortunately has concentrated more upon a celebrity’s looks rather than the talent behind what makes him or her a celebrity.

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Via: GodsInTheTVZine