Forty Two

Excerpt from The Bluebird Effect: Uncommon Bonds with Common Birds, by Julie Zickefoose

2023-01-05T18:12:00.001-05:00

I HAD KNOWN this day would come, had been thinking about it a lot lately, but I wasn’t truly prepared for it. Mr. Troyer didn’t come in for his mealworms this afternoon, February 16, 2000. His widow, if widow she be, is already consorting with another male, the same day Mr. Troyer disappeared. He came to the kitchen window to remind me about his mealworms this morning, and this afternoon he is simply gone, erased, replaced. Such is the nature of songbird bonds, even long-standing ones. Bluebirds can’t live forever, after all, and this one, I know, was at least eight years old, and probably closer to nine: a Methuselah among bluebirds.

He wasn’t banded, but he had been marked just the same, by the quick talons of a sharp-shinned hawk, on May 19, 1993. It was at that moment that he became more than just another bluebird to me, that our lives were knit together, that I

began to know him as an individual.

Bill and I had been gardening all day, and dusk was approaching. My notes from that day:

Bill saved the male bluebird from a sharpie who barreled between the forsythia and garage, picked the male bluebird off the clothesline pole, and carried him, shrilling, for a distance before Bill’s yelling scared the hawk into dropping him! Oh! I picked him up and checked him over, finding nothing that would keep him from flying. He sat sleeked and terrified on the TV antenna for about 40 seconds before flying to the orchard. He looked OK. His mate just sat on the wire, stunned. If Bill hadn’t heard a robin scolding and thought fast, the bluebird just would have been gone in the morning.

This was not the considered action of a well-informed naturalist—though Bill more than qualifies. This was the same primitive response that snatches a toddler off a curb as a taxi sweeps by. Denying a sharp-shinned hawk a well-earned meal is not something we routinely do or recommend. There was no thought involved, and thus no excuse to be made for my husband’s intervention. I think back on that moment as pivotal, though I couldn’t have known it at the time. People speak of the “butterfly effect,” describing the unknown consequences of a seemingly irrelevant action. Taken to its extreme, one flap of a butterfly’s wings in Brazil might alter the atmosphere sufficiently to cause a tornado in Texas. Though I couldn’t know it, this moment, for me, would herald eight years of the bluebird effect.

When the sharpshin dropped the bluebird, I picked him up. His tiny chest was heaving, his bill was wide open, and bright beads of blood dotted his left bicep and breast. Carefully, I spread both wings, stretched his legs, and blew a stream of air on the feathers on his breast to part them and search for wounds. Finding nothing gashed or broken, I smoothed his feathers and released him. His brood was due to fledge in four days, and he had work to do.

For two days, we didn’t see much of him; he sat mopily in the wooded border, left wing drooping. But then his parental instincts won out over his discomfort, and he helped his mate see the brood out of the box. But there was a marked difference in his demeanor. This once skittish bird seemed to have completely lost his fear of us, and he’d bathe merrily in the birdbath as I weeded less than ten feet away. On my hands and knees, I could feel the spray flying from his fluttering wings. A bird will not bathe if it feels the least bit threatened, because wet feathers spell vulnerability to predators. Clearly, he no longer regarded me as a threat. Could he view me as a protector after the hawk incident and actually feel safer when I was near? I thought back to other similar instances. One concerned barn swallows and can be found on pages 46 and 47; another involved a woodpecker.

A female hairy woodpecker who visited our peanut and suet feeders hit our large plate-glass window twice in the winter of 2000. The second time, she was knocked almost cold and lay sprawled on the lawn, vulnerable to attack from a predator. My heart sinking, I picked her up, checked her for broken bones, and, finding her intact, gently placed her in the crotch of a thick pine tree to recover. I checked on her several times over the next two hours and was glad to find her preening, then flying back to the feeding station for a snack. Her mate remained as shy as ever, as befits a hairy woodpecker, but the female showed not the slightest fear of me from that day on, feeding calmly as I filled feeders only a few feet away. Was she still stunned or had she reclassified me to “nonthreatening” in her mental catalog? I know it’s unfashionable to conjure words like trust in a discussion of animal behavior, but as much as my mind circles around this and similar incidents, it keeps running into the same conclusion.

Having forged this bond of trust, however mysterious, with the rescued bluebird, I took renewed interest in the course of his life. After all, he was instantly identifiable, with his drooping left wing. He was to nest with the same mate in the east box for the next three seasons, successfully fledging eighteen young. When the male bluebird nesting in our front yard suddenly disappeared, on March 16, 1996, I was surprised to see the injured male making forays from his eastern territory into the front yard. Little matter that he had a mate building a nest in the east box. He waved his wings at the widowed front yard female, who, seemingly energized by his presence, began gathering nesting material.

Singing vigorously, he encouraged her to build again in the front yard box. The widow had other ideas. She flew around the corner of our house to a box on the west side and began to build in it. Savagely, the droop-winged male attacked her and drove her back to the front yard box. Again and again she attempted to build in the west box, and each time he drove her back to the front yard. He went so far as to enter the west box and toss her nesting material on the ground!

I was mystified at his behavior, until I realized that he may have wanted both his mates in sight at once. From the front yard box, he could keep an eye on the east box. The west box, where the widowed female wanted to nest, was blocked by our house; there was no sightline between it and the east box. If he was to have a chance of squiring two females and holding two territories at once, he had to keep an eye on both at all times. When the widow finally gave in and took a billful of possum fur to the front yard box, he rewarded her with a soft caterpillar. His aggression ceased, and peace reigned. I marveled at this vehement demonstration of his preferences; it spoke to me of planning and forethought, an awareness of the way nest box placement played into his plan to raise broods with two females at once.

With greatly reduced help from him, the injured male’s first mate raised a brood of five in the east box. But his affections clearly had been won by the widowed front yard female. When, on June 16, 1996, a new male arrived to woo the east box female, the two-timing male had little argument. He settled in with the front yard female and conceded his first mate to the interloper. He’d had two broods by two females at one time, though, a rarely achieved feat in the bluebird world.

Now that they were an official pair, the droopy-winged male and the widowed female seemed to need a name. I decided on the Troyers, after the Amish bluebirder and inventor Andy Troyer. He had sent me a nifty slot box and PVC baffle to try out, and it was here that the pair settled. The name Mr. Troyer fit the injured bluebird somehow; like Andy, he was intelligent, with a zest for life. He came to know our schedule and would appear like magic at breakfast, lunch, and dinnertime, peering into the appropriate windows with a gentle reminder that he’d like to eat, too. In the morning, when I was rising from bed and dressing, he’d perch on a cast-iron bell just outside the window and watch for me to raise the blind. When the two set to their mealworm feast, Mr. Troyer always let his mate eat her fill before feeding himself.

The pair seemed set on making bluebird history. While in 1994 and 1995, Mr. Troyer had managed to raise a total of only fourteen young with his first mate, in 1996, with the widow by his side, his production took off. That season alone, fourteen young in three broods fledged from the Troyers’ box. (One of those was an orphan that I slipped into the box.) The 1997 season saw thirteen young in three broods, and 1998 resulted in seventeen fledged from four broods—a first for me in Ohio. There was a downturn in 1999, when all but one of the Troyers’ second brood died of bacterial enteritis; still they managed to fledge nine that year in three broods. Carefully paging through my notes, I found that Mr. Troyer had fathered and fledged no fewer than sixty-seven young in his eight years of nesting in our yard, an awesome output for a droopy-winged bluebird.

I have to take some credit—or blame—for this production, for it was unique among the fifteen bluebird boxes on our farm. Thanks to the close relationship we enjoyed with the pair, the Troyers were heavily subsidized with mealworms that I doled out onto the deck railing. Feeding them was easy and fun, and I enjoyed having the Troyers heckle me for food as I went about my chores. Spurred by this abundance of food, Mrs. Troyer usually had her first clutch complete by April Fools’ Day, even as snow flew around the little slot box. In 1998, the banner year of four broods, I fed the pair as many mealworms as they could eat. And I learned a lesson at their expense.

By the time their fourth and final brood of the year had fledged, at the astonishingly late date of September 14, 1998, the Troyers were clearly done in. Neither had followed a proper bluebird molting schedule, gradually replacing their feathers in late July through September. Instead, they looked like bad taxidermists’ mounts. Mr. Troyer lost his tail all at once, and every feather on his head, and Mrs. Troyer didn’t look much better. It was a wonder they were able to fly, much less feed their young. I realized that I had overtaxed their systems by offering too much food and encouraging them to raise one too many broods. I’d thrown their metabolisms off, and I clearly hadn’t done them any favors. The fact was that they didn’t need all those mealworms; the superabundance of food brought on overproduction and exhausted their energy reserves.

Not only that, but I would find out later that mealworms are quite high in phosphorus, which can upset a bird’s calcium balance and lead to a deficiency of this all-important mineral—a clue to why their feathers looked so shabby. All that fall, I watched and worried as cool weather came on and the Troyers still wore their shabby summer feathers. To my great relief, their smooth autumnal plumage finally emerged, and the Troyers looked good by mid-October. I resolved never to do that to any bird again and quit offering mealworms in anything but cold, wet, or icy weather.

By the spring of 1999, I realized that Mr. Troyer was getting old. A house sparrow had cornered him in his box and pecked the back of his head bald: another identifying mark for the bird who’d become a beloved neighbor to me. We tackled the house sparrow problem, trapping the offending pair, and the Troyers carried on with their fourth season together. It wasn’t to be their best; that was the year bacterial enteritis killed all but one of their young in the second brood. After the Troyers abandoned her, I took her in and fed her until she was strong enough to be fostered into another box. Wisely, they switched boxes for their third brood, nesting on the west side of the house. That’s the best way to avoid an infectious disease, I thought. I rinsed the first box with bleach and settled back to watch. I hoped Mrs. Troyer was pleased to finally occupy the box she’d chosen and been dissuaded from using three years earlier.

Five healthy young fledged from their third brood of 1999, and then construction started on an addition to our house, which effectively eliminated the Troyers’ territory. Great gaping pits and piles of earth replaced their lush lawn and flower garden habitat. The Troyers wisely quit the premises. They’d appear first thing in the morning, a few fledglings in tow, and sit atop the chimney, surveying what had once been their yard. Then they’d fly off down the orchard to parts unknown. I felt terrible about it and promised them that we’d rebuild their old home better than ever once the addition was completed in the winter. I hoped they wouldn’t desert us altogether, though I couldn’t have blamed them if they did.

On a fine September day in 1999, the Troyers returned and asked for a handout as if nothing had ever happened. Their box was back up in the front yard, and they inspected it. From then on they were regulars, navigating the construction moonscape with aplomb. All winter they stayed around, accepting mealworm snacks at sunup and sundown, and disappearing deep into the woods during

the day.

Spring crept on and buds started to swell, and the Troyers’ thoughts turned to nesting once again. Mr. Troyer spent increasing periods sitting on and near the box, singing intermittently and waving his wings on fine mornings. What a trouper, what a life he’d had, I thought, and marveled that he was ready to start perhaps his ninth season of nesting, to feed and fledge yet more young. He was the first bluebird to nest on our farm, moving in the same spring that we did and nesting in the first box we ever put up. He’d weathered floods and drought and ice storms, construction and excavation, a sharpshin attack and a sparrow drubbing, and who knows what other vicissitudes that I hadn’t had the privilege of witnessing. One summer he’d taken ill and developed a sneeze and cough, and he became sluggish and stopped feeding his young. I worried him through that, trying to figure out how to administer an antibiotic in his mealworms, but against the odds he recovered and carried on.

We’d intervened so often on his behalf that I suppose it was open to question whether Mr. Troyer was truly a wild bird. He should have been dead in 1993, and would have been, but for Bill. That was fifty-three young and seven years ago. Through it all, he taught me the ways of a bluebird, the thought processes of which he was capable, the dispassionate hedging of bets that led him to abandon a sickly brood and try again. I was desperately fond of him, his old droopy wing, and his bald spot.

The last time I saw him, he was perched on the front door awning, peering in the kitchen window at me as I played with our new baby, Liam, on the floor. “Mealworms? Aren’t you forgetting my mealworms?” he seemed to say. Dutifully, I put them out, and he and Mrs. Troyer feasted. That afternoon, he was gone. The smooth, gunmetal blue male sharpshin who often strafed the yard might have borne him off without a trace, plucked him in the woods, littering the duff with bright azure feathers as he stoked his own frantic fire. I would never know what happened to Mr. Troyer.

[ Source: Amazon listing]

Vanity for sanity

2022-02-26T20:56:00.000-05:00

Recently came across a theory of negative feedback. In the human body, this applies to immune system as it responds to some internal distress in order to facilitate healing. For example, when we catch an infection, the body tries to kill the bacteria or virus by raising the body temperature. So when we take medications to decrease the fever, the immune system is prevented from carrying out its natural function and perhaps gets kind of demotivated in the long run.

I guess the skin cannot do much to help itself, as the external factors it is exposed to are controlled by the environment and climate. It may not be too far stretched to say that, we might help it heal itself by keeping it happy. So even short term regular fixes like keeping it hydrated may possibly help it to adapt or recuperate. How far one is willing to go down that path is a matter of personal choice.

There are overlapping skin concerns, causalities and cures. Take for example the most common ailment - acne - it could be a pimple, boil, abscess, papule, pustules, etc. The cause seems to be hormonal changes that cause excess oil production that in turn clogs up pores and causes bacterial growth. Usually this is followed by resulting scars. Different cures address different sets of issues in this chain. Self care at home can target removal of excess oils. Over-the-counter acne medications help kill bacteria or reduce oil on your skin. Oral or topical antibiotics reduce inflammation and kill the bacteria that cause pimple. There are also professional procedures available such as Photodynamic therapy , Dermabrasion and chemical peel. Hormonal therapies are available too

My point is, it is a web of intertangled causes, and names too! So there are a lot of 'possible' solutions. I tried to make sense of the ingredients based on their functions, and took the notes below to help me to chose products.

For skin, the natural processes are occurring in a continuous cycle and so a sequential treatment is not possible. Rather, the treatment course has to be simultaneously revive - encourage cell turnover, help dead cells fall off, replenish - supply building blocks so that new skin is well formed, rejuvenate - address specific issues like dark spots and chafed skin, and finally retain the improved look by preventing further damage.

Revive

Collagen production decreases with age, contributing to skin wrinkling and sagging.

Better to apply at night so that ingredients can work while you sleep. Use sunscreen at daytime when using these.

Retinoid, Vutamin A

deficiency gives rise to xerosis (abnormally dry skin) and follicular hyperkeratosis (rough, cone-shaped, elevated papules).
improve skin's texture and tone by increasing cell turnover and lightening dark spot
work deep in the skin’s dermis layer to stimulate collagen and elastin production
conversion steps : retinyl esters > retinol > retinaldehyde > retinoic acid
Retinol is 20 times less potent than tretinoin
Retinoic Acid

pure form that your skin can utilize
most potent and most widely investigated
Tretinoin cream 0.02% is now recognized by the FDA for the treatment of photoaging.
up to 8-12 weeks to notice results for acne, longer for anti aging

Adapalene

synthetic retinoid that does not need to be converted to retinoic acid
Differin 0.1% Adapalene Acne Treatment Gel - only over the counter prescription strength retinoic acid (RA)
treats acnes, potential improvement for aging/photoaging.

Retinal / retinaldehyde
Do not use with AHA/BHA, Benzoyl Peroxide or Vit C

Vitamin C, L/Ascorbic Acid

Boosts collagen production at 15-20% AA form
easily oxidizes in light, heat, pH change, and presence of other other ions.
Wash with AHA/BHA to lower skin pH for better absorption
Stability and absorption enhanced by Ferulic acid and Vit E

SkinCeuticals - Luxury but only tested form
Timesless 20% Vitamin C + E Ferulic Acid Serum

tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate, ascorbyl tetraisopalmitate - stable lipid soluble forms with potential (http://dermtalkdocs.com/2020/10/07/all-about-vitamin-c-in-skincare/)

Bakuchiol

derived from the seeds and leaves of Eastern Asia’s ‘babchi’ plant (or psoralea corylifolia) used in traditional Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine.
retinol-like regulation of gene expression
antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

Snail Mucin

humectant
induce cell proliferation
high molecular weight peptides that encourage wound healing and tissue repair
contains allantoin, collagen, elastin, glycolic acid, hyaluronic acid, and natural antibacterial

Exfoliate

Skin naturally renews itself every 28 days. As we age, this process slows down, and when dead skin cells start to pile up, your skin starts to look dull, rough and dry. Chemical exfoliators dissolve dead cells allowing new cells to surface.

Urea 10-25%

keratolytic agent - breaks down the protein keratin in the outer layer of your skin.
Easily penetrates skin barrier, penetration enhancer
Can be used with Retinoid
Psoriasis, eczema, scaliness , but not rosacea
Nails, toe nails fungus
Do not combine with fragrant (including essential oils) ingredients - develop allergy
Eucerin Smoothing Face Cream 5% Urea 50ml - lightweight
Zeroid Richenic cream urea 5% https://amzn.to/33rrauy (Korea)
Sukoyaka Suhada urea moisture lotion https://amzn.to/3BmxDTY (fruit extract - antioxidant, soy, licorice extract), almost watery
Sukoyaka Suhada Massively Skin Urea Moisturizing Cream https://amzn.to/3oOk6iP - heavier for hand

Urea 40%

Keratosis Pylorisis - at 40-50% concentration, dissolves stuck on dead cells
Kerasal Intensive Foot Repair, Skin Healing Ointment for Cracked Heels and Dry Feet

Alpha, Beta and Poly Hydroxy Acid

Glycolic (AHA, water soluble)

smallest molecule, most potent
helps with collagen
Pixi Skintreats Glow Tonic Glycolic Acid Exfoliating Toner - 5% GA

Citric acid (AHA, water soluble)
Lactic acid (AHA, water soluble)

evens skin tone
5% only reach the epidermis
12% concentrations reach dermis, the skin gets firmer and thicker. As a result, there is an overall smoother appearance and fewer fine lines and deep wrinkles

AmLactin 12 % Moisturizing Lotion

DON’T USE WITH: Other acids and exfoliants like AHAs or benzoyl peroxide. Retinol should be avoided as well.
The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2%, with purified Tasmanian pepperberry to reduce signs of inflammation and sensitivity

Mandelic acid(AHA, fat soluble))
Salicylic Acid (BHA, fat soluble)

maybe more suitable for darker skin
helps unclog pores
present in willow bark
Cosrx BHA Blackhead Power Liquid

Lactobionic acid (PHA)

for supersensitive skin
Neutrogena Stubborn daily cleanser (2% GA + 1% LA + 2% PHA)

Replenish

Niacinamide, Vitamin B3

water soluble, skin PH
Research in its early stages
helping the skin build proteins (ceramides?) and lock moisture
regulate oil production
skin brightening
anti-inflammatory - treatment for acne
found in many foods including meat, fish, milk, eggs, green vegetables, and cereals
2-5%
Has overlapping benefits with Vit C but can be complimentary as they address issues by different mechanisms
Olay Regenerist Regenerating Serum- ultra-lightweight, Amino-Peptide Complex II, Panthenol
CeraVeResurfacing Retinol Serum w/ retinol, ceramide, licorice root

Ceramide

fatty acids, fats or lipids that make up 30% to 40% of your outer skin layer
prevent skin from dryness and infection.
Deficiency disorders: Atopic dermatitis or eczema (red and itchy skin), Ichthyosis (dry and rough like fish scales), Dry skin
skin care products with anti-inflammatory and penetration-enhancing agents can improve the absorption of ceramides
not very stable, should be in airless pump container
there are 12 types of ceramides
synthetic ceramides are more commonly used in skin care products
it's important to choose the right product depending on your skin type

Peptide and Amino acids

peptide is a short chain of amino acids
boost the healing process of wounds and scars
very limited studies
drmtlgy Advanced Neck Cream - can be used on whole face, very effective blend of ingredients

contains lipids, fatty acids, isoflavone, protease inhibitor
isoflavone controls free radicals and helps with oxidative stressors
protease inhibitor inhibits pigment movement
increase Hyaluronic Acid in skin - improve texture and dullness
increase collagen
contains plant estrogen - good for post menopausal aging, avoid if history of breast cancer
Sana Soy Milk 6 in 1 moisturizing gel, Sana Soy Milk Moisture Cream, Sana soy milk whitening cream (licorice, arbutin), Sana soy milk wrinkle cream (ceramides, retinol, licorice)

Licorice extract

reduce redness, helps melasma - small trials
distribute melanin, evens out tone/brightens
PROcure Rosacare Hydrogel + Licorice Extract
It'S SKIN Power 10 Formula LI Effector Ampoule Serum

Ginkgo biloba, yeast, rice bran, ginseng, green tea
Pathenol Vitamin B5

treat dry, rough, scaly, itchy skin and minor skin irritations (such as diaper rash, skin burns from radiation therapy)
good for nails
in beef, milk, egg, etc

zinc oxide, white petrolatum are used mostly to protect the skin against irritation

Hyperpigmentation

Hydroquinone

reversible depigmentation
Use 2 months, then 1 month off; banned in many countries
Best to use after GA
Can be alternated with Retinoid
Well studied whitening cream

Arbutin

Reversible inhibition of tyrosinase enzyme that produces pigment
Natural occurring form of hydroquinone, not as potent
found in leaves of pear trees and bearberry plant
higher concentration cause rebound post inflammatory hyperpigmentation through irritation
needs aggressive sun protection
Rohto Mentholatum - Hada Labo Shirojyun Whitening Lotion (oil free)/milk/serum/cream - w/ Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate ( lipid soluble vit C)

Azelaic acid

antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties- used to treat acne and rosacea.
15-20% not available otc

also prevents melanin synthesis, the ability of your skin to produce pigments that can vary your skin’s tone
encourages cell turnover
More research is needed to see how effective it can be

good for white spots also
Does not affect sun sensitivity
Milder - works more gently and slowly than alpha hydroxy acid, glycolic acid, and salicylic acid.
Paula's Choice Azelaic acid https://bit.ly/34NXx2b
The Ordinary Azelaic acid suspension https://bit.ly/32LJ4lN

Kojic Acid

chelation agent produced by several species of fungi
used to treat melasma
La Roche Posay mela-D https://bit.ly/3284TwH

Retain

Antioxidant

Ubiquinone

helps prevent UV damage, does not heal
not effective mixed with sunscreen, not very stable
twice a day , after cleansing, apply on damp skin and let dry
Inkey with Squalene, Dimethicone, Soy

Squalane

has anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce redness and swelling
squalene must be hydrogenated into stable squalane (with an “a”) for use
mimics your skin’s natural oils, fight skin damage and free radicals
safe for all skin types. excellent alternative if other oils are too heavy or greasy for your skin.
Despite being an oil, it’s lightweight and noncomedogenic, meaning it won’t clog your pores.

Green tea, grape, resveratrol, beta glucan, licorice, vitamin E, quercetin, nonfragrant plant oil

Humectants

Dehydrated skin lacks water (usually caused by diet or environmental factors). You will need to rehydrate it with ingredients that help it hold on to water molecules. Dry skin lacks oil because it produces less sebum, meaning it doesn't have enough fatty lipids to retain its protective barrier. You will need to replenish your skin with products rich in oils and ceramides. "Dry skin" is an actual skin type, while "dehydrated skin" is a temporary condition anyone can experience – even those with oily skin. Dry skin will look flaky or patchy and often has redness, while dehydrated skin will feel tight and have a dull appearance.

Hyaluronic acid

Helps in 'Appearance' - no permanent affect
Synthetic formulations have high molecular size and do not penetrate skin
Avoid sodium hyaluronate
Can pull moisture FROM skin - apply on wet face, not for winter/dry climate
L'Oréal Revitalift Derm Intensives 1.5% Pure Hyaluronic Acid Serum, for the night before the party!

Glycerin
Peptides and amino acids
Aloe vera, Honey, Seaweed, Propylene glycol, Sugar alcohols like xylitol and sorbitol, Molasses
rice ferment extract
https://incidecoder.com/

Reading between the fine lines

2022-02-19T23:06:00.005-05:00

Many a times I have picked up an attractive designer bottle of a moisturizer (cream, lotion, serum) but then put it back on the shelf. Every skincare product, be it drugstore or boutique, claim something very close to 'visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines'. They never claim to 'actually' reduce wrinkles or increase skin firmness. Its the look or feel that they address, and this seemed dubious advertising to me.

However, there comes a time in life when... the world wide web of influencers, bloggers and content creators pull you in. And you find you have issues you did not realize were issues. A spot or a swelling here and there, they can be addressed! Not cured but in all likelihood there is a name for the condition and corresponding products to help it. For someone who does not even wear moisturizer regularly, it was illuminating and here are the some bright starter realizations:

Go to dermatologist. The same symptoms may be caused by various different conditions. So the first step is to correctly identifying the issue you want to address.
When you think you have found an ingredient that is good for you, look further. How well tested is it, and how long the effects last. As can be expected in the 140 billion dollar industry, the emphasis is on short term gratification as well as continuous prevention of issues. There are very few ingredients that actually cure the problems.
Also try to look for how the ingredient affect your skin color rather than type. There seems to be no official definition for skin type - I started out thinking I have oily combination skin, but am now leaning towards dry. Normal skin does not exist I guess! On the other hand, there is very limited content for skin of color, though I find that my skin issues are very different from the commonly mentioned ones in reviews and websites alike.
There are few ingredients that are truly scientifically tested. The main role of the skin is to protects us from microbes and the elements. So just applying an ingredient does not mean it will be absorbed or that it will be converted to a form that is beneficial to the skin health.
Brand matters I guess. I came across so many names I had never heard of, it just does NOT seem dependable to me. While we all dabble in home DIY concoctions for the skin, surely it is not an easy feat to put forth chemical formulations that are tested, even if genuine. The skin is so personal - I made an effort to not give in to my general lazy-easy-does-it attitude.
Source your products right. I prefer ones that are sold by the manufacturer on Amazon. I would go as far as not to get products that are sold by multiple sellers, as they may get mixed up in the warehouse. It was a rare moment of clarity when I realized one of the reasons of vastly conflicting reviews was forgery. We know this to be so common in Bangladesh, and with a global marketplace, there is no reason for the same to be true everywhere.
Second best options I resorted to are large specialty resellers like Sephora and iHerb. I have no idea about the source of products in big box stores like Kroger or Walgreens.

Jasminum sambac cultivars ...revisit

2022-01-27T23:15:00.002-05:00

'Maid of Orleans' – possesses flowers with a single layer of five or more oval shaped petals. It is also known as 'Mograw', 'Motiya', or 'Bela'.

'Belle of India' – possesses flowers with a single or double layer of elongated petals.  Only bloom in summer [1]. Slow climber that can be maintained as small potted plants[1].  It's easier to tell from a flower bud if it's 'Belle of India' or not. The buds are elongated. 

Indian name: Madan Baan Mogra [1]. It is very floriferous and pretty with large 1.5 to 2 inch flowers. Fragrance is mild. Petals are in three layers. Belle opens at night [4] Belle of India's flowers only last a day before it fades.

*Belle of India 5 layered - largest belle of india flowers. stays 2 days on plant as 4th and 5th layers open on 2nd day.

'Mysore Mulli' flowers are bigger and more fragrant that Logee's Flore Plena. Flore Plena buds are small and rounded in structure [7] furry stems , Slow climber that can be maintained as small potted plants [1]. 

*Mysore Mallige – resembles the 'Belle of India' cultivar but has slightly shorter petals with distinct and immense fragrance. Only bloom in summer [1]. 

Madurai Malli distinct variety in Tamil Nadu, They consider this to be one of the better variety, and it has more substance to it and can last long in garlands.

*Udupi/ Mangluru mallige with its slender yellowish leaves[1]. Its fragrance is different than BOI or Arabian jasmine, being more intense and with added citrus notes.[1]Its fragrance wafts a lot and fills the room. Leaves and buds are quite elongated.

'Arabian Nights' – possesses a double layer of petals but is smaller in size than the 'Grand Duke of Tuscany' cultivar. petals are round. Arabian knights has only 2 layers. even if it has third layer, its very small [2].

'Mali Pikul' variety from Thailand petals are pointy. Has 2 layers and has a lotus like appearance. It is very a small bloom compared to other sambacs. The shape of this bloom is almost like a lotus. This plant I have noticed performs well once its ages.[3]

'Hoa Lài'  thick 1" fully double white blooms emerge on the tips of its upright stems. The carnation-like blooms. A slow-growing cultivar that loves a warm, sunny location. It normally blooms 2 time per year. https://www.etsy.com/listing/928929413/jasmine-sambac-double-flowers-hoa-lai-1

J. sambac Flore Plena in Logee's catalog. The flower stalk of flore plena is shorter and stockier. Mysore mulli is thinner and longer. Flore plena's buds are rounder than mysore mulli's. Both the blooms are multi layered and flore plena has atleast 3 layers. [3] J. flore plena from logees goes, the fragrant is not that strong but the bud and flowers are beautiful.[5] .I love the more subtle smell of it compared to J. BOI. [6]

'Pandiri Malli' which has longer bud, 3 tiered layers. have long petals.

'Grand Duke of Tuscany' – possesses flowers with a doubled petal count. They resemble small white roses and are less fragrant than the other varieties. It is also known as 'Rose jasmine' and 'Butt Mograw'. In the Philippines, it is known as kampupot.  flowers turn almost purple I do see that even when it is not cold. I am not sure of the reason.  The flowers open for me in the am, so i can place a few in my car [4] In FL Grand Duke is the first to bloom and has such a long season. April to sept. High number of flowers in april to jul/aug.[4]

Nurseries

https://www.accentsforhomeandgarden.com/

https://www.logees.com/

https://www.almostedenplants.com/shopping/default.asp

http://www.bhatia-nurseries.com/

https://www.vedicgardens.com/

https://toptropicals.com/cgi-bin/store/store.cgi?group=jasm

http://tropicalbonsainursery.net/index.html

https://www.ebay.com/usr/muraya00?_trksid=p2047675.l2559

https://gardinonursery.com/about-us/

http://www.kartuz.com/search=Oleaceae

https://gardinonursery.com/

Notes:

* Not available in USA

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1905533/jasmines-from-india https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1909338/jasminum-mali-pikul

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/4809744/logee-s-flore-plena-jasmine

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1906481/fragrant-whites-of-the-summer

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1911362/jasmine-molle-jasmine-sambac-flore-plena

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1910865/jasmine-sambac-varieties-pics

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/1911681/source-for-jasmine-sanbac-arabian-nights

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnIl-fyBwaE

Give Me Some Sunshine

2019-12-20T03:14:00.000-05:00

This year I got a couple of tropical/tender plants that would need to be overwintered indoors.

I do have a sunny south window that I can use for plants. With the daylight hours limited as they are in winter, and the prevalence of cloudy days this year here in the Midwest (Fort Wayne, Indiana, zone 5), I embarked on a mission to find supplemental lights for my plants. I could use them for some indoor seedlings in spring too.

I once (when new in US) spent hours to find the optimum toilet roll to buy. With grow lights there is a lot of technicality - brightness, lumens, PAR, PPFD, LUX, Color Rendering Index (CRI) and so forth. I was soon overwhelmed.

LED grow lights were the way to go. This much I knew - they were the most efficient and durable, and prices have come down significantly. I looked at the most popular (review count and rating) grow lights on amazon, like hydrofarm's, and deduced that a 100 Watt incandescent equivalent, that is, around 20 Watt LED should be sufficient for my purposes.

Early on I decided I didn't want the red/ blue or 'burple' lights. It just wasn't aesthetically pleasing. I like to see my plants in passing and also wanted to be able to move the set-up to close living quarters. Just as a human would not live on protein bars alone, I felt plants deserved a full spectrum as well!

I was very tempted to use shop lights, especially at their Walmart prices. But hanging them was a bit of a challenge for me. I would have given them more consideration if I had only seedling trays on a shelf, and not taller plants of varying heights.

The root of the problem of grow light selection is two-fold - there are no widely accepted performance matrices and no standardized specification labeling across the available grow lights. It was odd that there was a sea of vendors but not much from reliable names like GE or Philips. The more I looked, the more I kept looking! Then I took a break, and to cut a long story short, decided to see a few specific ones and whether they met my requirements. One name I had come across several times was Sansi, and I chose it for these reasons:

good coverage area from single lights
company with proper website and other specialty lighting products
5 year unlimited warranty says a lot
all YouTube reviews good
reasonable pricing
lights are recommended to be higher up and not just a few inches above, and kept on for fewer hours

The major battle over, the war was still to be won! I needed cords, timers and most challenging - a stand to hang the lights. Here is what I ended up with:

SANSI LED Plant Grow Light Bulbs UV Full Spectrum Daylight Garden 24W - I got 2 of these from ebay where the manufacturer sells returned items at a discount. I made an offer of $14 each and was accepted. Also available on amazon. 24 Watt seemed ample for my purposes of overwintering as well as providing supplemental lights to seedlings.
Timer - Where there is a feature, there is an user! I never thought I would indulge in a Wi-Fi connected timer like Merkury Innovations Smart Plug. But the price was at par with others, and I have since discovered the convenience of being able to control it on phone. Having said that, it does need named 2.4 GHz band, and you rely on fidgety technology!
Cord, socket and clamp - Got ProTorch 1-Watt Incandescent Clamped Work Light from Lowe's. Least pleased with this item - the clamps are not sturdy at all, and the 6 ft cord length is barely sufficient. I will be on the lookout for a better clamping system. Note that I have removed the reflector to not hinder heat dissipation.
Stand - Using Mainstays Adjustable Rolling Garment Rack for this. It is cheap and has adjustable height. I removed one of the two base rods just to have greater flexibility in placing pots (kept one for stability).

I wanted to share this set up because I see a lot of people of Facebook gardening groups that suffer from the dilemma of choosing a grow light just as I did initially. Of course, needs and context may be varying, and so I have laid out mine in this post.

I have now moved some of my plants to the darkest corner of my living room where there is no natural light. Only one light is clamped to an adjacent shelf. I keep the lights on for 8 hours, with a 1 hour break at half time. The plants here (lemon, geranium, jasmine, bougainvillea) are all doing okay for about a month now. The lemon tree is thriving and the petunia (under the other light) is just about surviving. The smart timer comes in particularly handy here to arbitrarily switch off when there are guests and share the control with my husband through Google Home.

References
[1] https://learn.eartheasy.com/guides/led-light-bulbs-comparison-charts/
[2] https://www.gardenmyths.com/led-grow-lights-the-myth-about-watts/

Jasminum Sambac

2019-12-10T14:02:00.000-05:00

With winter setting in and having recently gotten a couple of grow lights, it was time to get a indoor flowering plant. Jasmine was the obvious choice - fragrant, claiming to be everbloomers, and familiarity of the Beli back home (Bangladesh).

As it is with most products in US, there were too many choices and the not so straightforward naming of cultivars and varieties required some deep digging. Below are notes from what I could find on the web. After days of deliberation on growth rate, looks and flower longevity, the 'Belle of India' is what I settled on. Actually preferred its sport "Mysore Mulli' but that is not available at present. Belle of India is not the largest of the flowers, tends to be lanky, seems more susceptible to pests, and flowers fall off in a day....still, it is the fragrance that counts!

Perfect houseplant, takes both sun or shade, Jasminum Sambac is a beautiful fragrant everbloomer both for your home and garden.

In 1753, Carl Linnaeus first described the plant as Nyctanthes sambac in the first edition of his famous book Systema Naturae. In 1789, William Aiton reclassified the plant to the genus Jasminum. He also coined the common English name of "Arabian jasmine". Also known as Sampaguita / Philippine Jasmine, Pikake in Hawaii, and Mali Chantaboon in Thailand, Kampupot, and Melati . Genus name is a medieval Latin name for the Persian name yasmin or yasamin. Specific epithet comes from the Medieval Arabic word zanbaq meaning jasmine flower oil.

The three major varieties differ from each other by leaves shape and flowers structure. Sometimes, however, fluctuations occur (or what they call "sport"). The fourth popular variety Mysore Mulli, as we consider, is a variation of the 'Belle of India'.

Maid of Orleans - Single with rounded petals -
Belle of India (longer petals) or "Mysore Mulli" - Semi-double or single (we saw both single and double flowers on the same plant) with elongated petals
Grand Duke - triple flower

Maid of Orleans

"Maid of Orleans" (Mograw', 'Motiya', 'Bela', 'Mallipoo', 'Lei pikake', 'Tea Jasmine', 'Gundi Mullige', 'Sampaguita') - . The most popular of all the jasmines in the world has round white extremely fragrant single flowers which are borne in profusion. It flowers from the tips, every 30-40 days, depending on the temperature. The hotter the better. The flowers drop off within 24 hours and are replaced with more the next day. This variety is used for making Hawaiian flower leis. Loves full drenching of water after the soil is little on the dry side. You will discover that the clarity and sweetness of fragrance of this jasmine is unrivaled. This bushy compact plant does particularly well on windowsills but requires frequent pruning to keep shape. The easiest variety to grow. More vining habit than other two, and foliage is the most beautiful and dark green. Min. temp. 60 F. Everbloomer. Maid of Orleans is perhaps the single best jasmine for growing indoors all year in a sunny, warm window, or about 6 inches beneath the tubes in a fluorescent-light garden. It produces deliciously scented white flowers on new growth and is not dependent on seasonal changes in temperature in order to set buds.

Arabian Nights

"Arabian Nights" (Arabian Knights) is very close to Maid of Orleans, but the flowers are double. Dark long green leaves.

Belle of India

"Belle of India". (Madhan Mograw) Origin: India. Another beautiful and unusual species in the J. Sambac family. With its long slender oval shape buds, one cannot but admire the flowers when open. Sweet fragrance and pure white double 1" flower makes this jasmine a pleasure to grow. This plant needs higher temperatures and light level to perform. Although a minimum indoor temperature of 60º and good light are needed to reach its full potential, the fragrance emitted from this jasmine makes finding that special place in your house worth it. Requires frequent pruning for denser shape. Intermediate shape between vine and shrub; an upright vining habit make this cultivar a pleasure to grow. Grows to 1-2' in container Min. temp 60 F. Everbloomer. More susceptible to spider mites.

Elongata Belle of India

Long pointed buds open to wonderfully fragrant large starry white flowers to 2" across that are borne in small clusters from spring to fall on this evergreen twining climber or arching shrub. A choice selection of 'Belle of India' that has larger flowers more starry flowers and appears to be a much more free flowering.

Mysore Mulli

"Mysore Mulli" is a very close relative of Belle of India. It has slightly shorter petals than other Belle ('Elongata'). This variety is the most reliable bloomer of all sambacs. Although pale green, sometimes yellowish leaves are not the best part of the plant, the flowers are the most profuse and very strongly perfumed. It blooms practically year around, providing warm and bright light conditions.

Grand Duke of Tuscany

"Grand Duke of Tuscany " (Mogori Sambac, Butt Mograw, Hawaiian Pikake, Rose Jasmine, Sambac Flore Pleno) is a slow growing Jasmine but grandest of them all, with the largest flowers. Up to 1.5" fully double white blooms emerge on the tips of its upright stems.

The older plants seem to be more fascinating in providing flowers of different shapes and sizes on the same plant at the same time. A flower stays for a long time (few days) and doesn't drop off and in most cases will dry right on the plant. Same sweet fragrance of Maid of Orleans but stronger. This bushy compact plant needs a little more special attention than other Jasmines. Flower is used for tea and religious ceremonies. Requires frequent pruning for denser shape, otherwise becomes leggy. Everbloomer.

The fragrance is not as strong as Belle of India. Unfortunately,it is generally too lanky to be recommended for ordinary home cultivation. Even in the greenhouse, its stems become unwieldy. However, at the top of those long branches are frilly petaled flowers that resemble fat white roses. They have the most heavenly smell which reminds me of a spicy version of chrysanthemum.

Grand Duke Supreme

"Grand Duke Supreme" has yet bigger flowers and elongated leaves. It is more vigorous, producing exceptionally fragrant, very double , large flowers , to 2" across are composed of up to what could be a hundred individual creamy white petals in an often slightly looser flower form, yet still dense, than that of the more common Grand Duke of Tuscany. Grand Duke Supreme Sambac Jasmine has in our experience been a more vigorous grower and may be slightly more free flowering than its namesake. The flowers stay on plants longer and open fully.

Summer Soul 'Monhariklia'

Large, highly scented, fully double flowers will fill the garden with fragrance. Glossy evergreen foliage on a compact form creates an attractive clipped hedge for mild climates, where this tropical shrub may bloom nearly year-round. A perfect patio container specimen that may be wintered indoors in colder northern zones.
Offered by Monrovia - not sure if it can be a houseplant.

Mali Chat

"Malichat" (Mali Chat) - is a rare hybrid, cultivated in Thailand. Flowers are multi-leveled, smaller size (1/2 inch), but very fragrant as all sambacs. In Thailand, this is the most popular variety for flower leis due to its flower shape, convenient for making garland.

Flore Plena

Only offered by Logees. Flore Plena brings the intoxicating fragrance typical of the sambac cultivars along with its unique double blooms. The fully double flower heads are comprised of a flower-within-a-flower. Slower growing variety like ‘Grand Duke.’ As far as J. flore plena from Logees goes, the fragrant is not that strong but the bud and flowers are beautiful.

Note - Flore pleno is a term that comes from a Latin phrase that means "many flowers." It is used as a species or, more often, a varietal name for plants whose flowers have more petals than normal. Sometimes flore pleno varieties have a double set of petals. The Grand Duke of Tuscany Sambac Jasmine is also known as Flore-Pleno Jasmine.

Comparison

Variety	Growth	Light	Fragrance	Flower	Foliage	Other
Maid of Orleans	very fast-growing	most shade tolerant	strongest in spring	Single 3/4" flower. Year round most in spring, flower lasts 1 day.	the most beautiful, wide deep green leaves, single, very ornamental, requires very frequent pruning if grown as a shrub, fast growing and the best as a vine.	Blooms profusely in spring; the most beautiful leaves of all sambacs.
Arabian Nights	fast-growing	shade tolerant	strong	Double 1/2" flower. Blooms on and off during warm period.	light green paired leaves, requires pruning for nice shape
Belle of India	moderately growing	full sun to semi-shade	strong	Double 1" flower with long narrow petals. Year around, most in summer.	light green paired leaves, requires pruning for nice shape	Controllable, compact shape.
Mysore Mulli	very fast-growing	full sun to semi-shade	very strong	Double 1" flower. The most reliable bloomer, blooms year around provided full sun and warmth	pale green to yellowish paired leaves, requires a lot of pruning for nice shape	The most reliable bloomer, although leaves are not the best feature
Grand Duke	slow growing	full sun to semi-shade	the strongest	Triple 1,5" flower. Year round, most in summer, the largest flowers.	dark green triple leaves, requires pruning for nice shape	One of the favorites for large triple flowers. The best houseplant.
Grand Duke Supreme	fast-growing	full sun to semi-shade	the strongest	Triple 2" flower. Year round, most in summer, the largest flowers.	dark green elongated triple leaves	Rare variety. The most vigorous of all.

Growing indoors

Cultivation
To grow these plants outdoors, you have to be in zone 8 or higher. This plant is easy to grow in general. Many people from Northern States grow Sambacs successfully and enjoy the fragrance almost year round. The good thing for indoor culture is that Jasminum Sambac tolerates both shade and full sun and will bloom most of the year with a proper care.

Potting. Use only special potting soilless mix, with a large amount of organic matter, like peat moss. Potting mix must be well-drained (you may add perlite to improve drainage characteristics). Never use topsoil or garden soil for potting - the roots will rot in it. Move your plant into a new home (pot) every spring or when plant overgrows the pot. The new pot should be at most 2-3" wider than the old one, up to 3 gallon pot. If the plant got root-bounded (too dense root ball at the bottom), make a few 1/2" deep cuts across the sides of the root ball (4-5 cuts from top to bottom) to encourage new root growth, using a sharp knife. Add more fresh potting mix around the root ball and water well. Place the plant in filtered light for 2-3 days after re-potting.

Light. All plants need lots of light for blooming, and Sambac is not an exception. If you grow it indoors at all times, keep in in a well-lit spot by the window with southern exposure. During warm summer period when temperature is above 50F, it will be a good idea to take your plant outdoors to enjoy sun and fresh air on your balcony or patio. Bright light along with regular fertilization will encourage blooming.

Fertilizer. Be careful not to over-fertilize - it might kill the plant. It's safe to use lower concentration of fertilizer more frequently, than rare application with a strong solution. Granulated slow-release fertilizer is better for pots than water-soluble. The cooler the temperature - the less fertilizer should be applied.

Watering. Jasminum Sambac requires average watering. That means - do not water if the soil is moist. Maid of Orleans prefers to be more on a dry side. During winter months, reduce watering to once a week or even less frequent.

Humidity. Sambacs are tropical plants and they enjoy high humidity (50-80%). However, if growing them in a greenhouse, don't make it too wet for the plant, and make sure to provide a good air circulation at all times.

Problems:
Leaves yellowing = over-watering or over-fertilizing
Leaves' green color pales = under-watering
Leaves dry on edges = under-watering
Buds drop before opening = over-watering
Buds open prematurely = over-watering
Flowers darken = too much heat
No flowers for the whole year = lack of light and/or fertilizer
No new growth for a long time = lack of light and/or fertilizer
Branches become leggy = prune regularly to keep bushy shape or let go to form a vine, providing support
Leaves are too small = lack of food (fertilizer), too much sun
White mold on stems = indicates that you keep plant in dangerously moist conditions, move it in a well-ventilated bright spot to dry.

Other Varieties

French perfume jasmine (Jasminum grandiflorum 'Flore Plena') Jasminum officinale Flore pleno, Jasminum viminale, Jasminum vulgatum, Jasminum affine True Jasmine, Common Jasmine, French Perfume Jasmine, Poet's Jasmine, Catalonian J., Spanish J. - to 3 feet tall, This jasmine is the source of jasmine fragrance in perfumes and it’s grown in abundance in the perfume fields of southern France. It bears star-shaped, double flowers that have a strong jasmine fragrance that really perfumes a room. It blooms from early spring to late fall. It’s a vining plant, growing to three feet long or so in a container. Grows well in average-to-cool room temperature and bright light. The French perfume jasmine, also known as poet`s jasmine, is Jasminum officinale grandiflorum. It blooms from spring to fall and is the source of commercially produced jasmine perfume. It has double white blossoms along twining stems and is an ideal container plant outdoors in warm weather.

Jasminum tortuosum is a vigorous twining vine with snowy star-shaped flowers, and it is everblooming. I find that this one makes a great indoor plant, especially if it is trained around an 18-inch circle, wreath-style. The fragrance is fruity, and the strong waxy green foliage seems bug proof.

Jasminum Polyanthum , also known as pink jasmine or white jasmine, is an evergreen twining climber native to China and Burma. It produces an abundance of reddish-pink flower buds in late winter and early spring, very fragrant indoor flowering plants that white waxy 1” tubular flowers that develop from pink buds. twining, climbing plant with long, slender, trailing stems and is one of the easiest varieties of the Jasmine Plant to grow indoors.

Jasminum Molle (Indian Jui) Delightfully scented flowers emerging in dense clusters will await you in late spring through fall with this enduring grower. Vining by nature, its stems are somewhat ridged. With annual pruning this Australian native can be grown in container with little or no support.

Sources:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrWj8WFLT0M&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahSE1Q_A1WA&t=5s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D5LVjaiadA&t=192s
https://toptropicals.com/html/toptropicals/articles/shrubs/jasminum_sambac.htm#varieties

Unsolicited Tele-Communications

2012-11-12T06:49:00.002-05:00

Dear Banglalink,

I have been receiving a lot of automated calls from 2222 that are of no use to me and are very irritating. Also time to time I get calls from other special numbers like 2001, 4848 or 5858. I tried to complain to your customer service but I was told that there is no 'system' to stop such unsolicited calls. This was quite shocking!

I do not know what the Bangladesh government laws regarding spamming are. I suppose that Bangladesh Telecommunication Regulatory Commission does not have a national Do Not Call Registry. Regardless, as a a multinational company, I expect Banglalink to respect the privacy and communication preferences of its subscribers. Sometimes it might try to get in touch to let me know about a recommended tariff, a new offer or an innovative service that may be of interest to me. But I should have the option to chose whether I want these calls and messages. Above all, I should surely have an option to avoid unsolicited commercial communications including telemarketing calls.

As a company committed to "making a difference" to the lives of its customers, I hope Banglalink will take basic international customer rights practices into its policy considerations, instead of taking advantage of lack of local regulations.

Sincerely,

A Valued Subscriber!

Survival of the Wisest

2012-09-24T08:24:00.000-04:00

An eye for an eye is a basic ape instinct. It may be very likely that one of the key factors that helped human civilization to grow into its modern deluxe state is the formation of a legal system for retribution of wrongs and feuds. The Code of Hammurabi is among the earliest known example of a fundamental law regulating a government. The Code consists of 282 laws, with scaled punishments, adjusting "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth". King Hammurabi ruled a prosperous and thriving Babylonia almost four millennia ago. He claimed to have helped protect the weak from oppression, and scholars believe he fostered an atmosphere of justice and righteousness for his people. Qisas is an Islamic term meaning "Equal Retaliation", and follows the principle of an eye for an eye first set forth by Hammurabi.

Someone somewhere makes an amateur video whose trailers indicate that it caricatures prophet Muhammad. Muslims all over the world get very angry, and the root of this anger is that they are unable to make a counter video that might have sufficed as retribution. The reasons that they cannot make a counter video are manifold.

Firstly, there already exist many videos on social media platforms that range from comical satires to serious criticism of the symbols and scriptures of other religions. There are scientists and atheists deprecating one or more religious ethos, in particular the Pope and the Bible as these are more prevalent in their surrounding. So there are all kinds of media challenging creationism and theism. There are documentaries, un-banned books and un-exiled authors. The God Who Wasn't There, Prisoners of a White God, Religulous, Zeitgeist: The Movie, Monty Python's Life of Brian, Dogma, What Would Jesus Buy? and Saved! are some of such full length feature films. Many of these went on to receive awards.

Secondly, being the last Abrahamic religion, Prophet Muhammad is not a holy figure in other religions but both Moses and Jesus are revered as prophets in Islam. So the hands of the Muslims, so to speak, are tied when they want to ridicule the key prophets of the other major religions.

Thirdly, the acceptability of music and singing has been debated widely in Islam. Depiction of animate beings and hence performing arts are forbidden in many schools of Islamic belief. When viewing a movie is in question for devout adherents, making a video is not a Islamic thing to do.

Last but not the least, the protests in many regions started after the material was blocked by their governments, as is the case in Bangladesh. Foregoing the logic of self-censorship, even if one wanted to watch the movie for the express purpose of refuting it, the full movie is not available anywhere. It is highly doubtful that the whole movie even exists. On free video platforms only a so called trailer is available. This is a 13:50min clip, apparently dubbed in many places, and has too many jump edits without coherence. While there are protests in over 20 countries, it is a safe bet to say that not 20 people in the world have watched the movie. So any content review or coherent argument is not possible.

It is, however, not only the inability of retribution that enrages us. Several other factors have played for the immature mass Muslim behavior. Call it fate, coincidence or intelligent design, the Muslim world by and large seems to be on a back foot when it comes to education and socio-economic stature. The Muslims cannot ignore or boycott the advanced and prospering West. Neither can they understand why the disbelievers are outshining them. Only a handful of Muslim-majority countries have really been able to come out to meet the developed world. It is only natural that the remaining backward Muslims not keep an open mind to humor or criticism.

Added to this harsh reality of unjust distribution of worldly rewards, a Muslim in this day is in a subconscious paradox. He lives in a world where secular constitutional democracy is hailed, which is not really supported form of government in the holy Quraan. On the other hand, polygyny is allowed in the scriptures but can not be practiced in most present societies, in spite of it being male dominated. The feminist and equal rights movement simply can not be aligned with the medieval social reform practices of the timeless ultimate guide for humanity. To juxtapose both his beliefs and his practices in one consciousness, even the 'un-conservative' believer thus has to live either in denial or in confusion. It impedes their ability to deal with the complex times maturely. Psychologists will attest that such conflicting standards, unacknowledged and suppressed, will gnaw at the identity, in this case religious, and moral confidence of any being.

The post 9/11 islamophbia has only added insult to injury. While a Crishtian, Jew or a Hindu can laugh off or ignore media that pokes at his religious beliefs, the already stymied Muslims are deeply offended if they as much as only hear that someone, however insignificant, however far away, has said something, however inane, about Islam. It is a sense of insecurity makes people defensive and may encourage compensatory behaviors such as arrogance and aggression. So they end up protesting violently and killing each other. And unlike wise men, they do it in the name of religion.

This, then, is Darwin at play.

Deliberation :: Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency

2012-09-07T20:59:00.001-04:00

I want to believe that this mysterious Mystery would make perfect sense even in this imperfect world if one were to read the book enough times! I have read it five times in the last three weeks and here is where I have arrived.

I. QUESTIONS

Why did the cat cross the road? Err... I mean the following lines seem important, but I have not quite figured them out yet. Help ....anybody?

[Ch 1] This time there would be no witnesses.
[Ch 34] We have two minutes in which to decide what we are going to do.
[Ch 35] He's been in there over an hour now.
[Ch 16, Richard] He looked in at a bookshop, and on an impulse bought an anthology of Coleridge's poems since it was just lying there.
[Ch 1][Ch 34] The storms of the day before, and of the day before that, and the floods of the previous week, had now abated. ... But as the evening darkened; it became apparent that the tower was not entirely without life. There was a single dim red light guttering deep within it.
(This was just before the explosion, so there ought to be 9 dozen Salaxalans)
[Ch 28, Reg] As soon as I began to realise that it was something else trying to invade me things got really bad and the furniture began to fly about.
[Ch 21] It only remained to do a little shopping and then do it. (How did the ghost know that the ancient atmosphere will be poisonous for human Michael?)
[Ch 33, the spaceship]Occasionally it sent pieces back if it thought they would help, if it thought they might be received....
[Ch 33, the spaceship] This quiet event, too, was recorded and incorporated in the continual stream of data processing that the ship ceaselessly performed. Not only the arrival of the door, but the arrival of those behind the door, the way they looked, the way they moved, the way they felt about being there. All processed, all recorded, all transformed.
[Ch 35] I could have sworn you didn't have a beard before you went behind the tree.
[Ch 5] On a flattish wall of rock nearby, in fact so nearby that the Monk was surprised not to have noticed it before, was a large painting.
(Five paragraphs about this painting just passing scenery, a filler?)
[Ch 32] All of us were aboard the landing craft. (If the Salaxalans meant to colonize earth, why were they all on the landing craft on way back to the spaceship?)
[Ch 34] I would not be surprised to discover that the accident your poor tormented soul out there is trying to reverse is the very thing which started life on this planet!"
(What proof is that there that the explosion of the landing craft creates life ...how does Dirk come to this conclusion? )

II. ANSWERS
Lets explore the universe of infinite improbabilities to figure out how the psychosassic Svlad Cjelli saves the human race from extinction. Most of these are taken from the alt.fan.douglas-adams and douglasadams.com.

Take 1: Butterfly memory
"[Ch 35] All the instructions were clearly contained in the piece once you knew what you were looking for." The 'piece' is most likely the 2nd 'altogether strange' part of Kubla Khan that Coleridge had written under the influence of laudanum and hence also the ghost. It is unlikely that it recorded the existence of Reg and his time machine as the ghost already knows about the time machine and has been pestering Reg. Perhaps it contained the ghosts engineering notes of what went wrong in his fixing procedure or the location of the spaceship and landing craft.
BUT why the ghost needed to have its own experience/findings written down? May be it had a bad memory, like Reg. May be in all its 4 million years of existence, the ghost had similarly found some technique or other to keep its mission from being forgotten. Possibly possible, but not quite entirely likely.

Take 2: Laudanum
"[Ch 21] His large soft cowlike eyes returned to the last few lines of "Kubla Khan", which he had just been reading. The match was made, the zip was pulled."
The ghost has only slight control over people depending on their state of mind. Micheal slides over the edge into complete control after reading Kubla Khan (with the 2nd part) into full control. Dirk surmises that the ghost is acting in accordance with Kubla Khan when Michael bids them goodbye by waving three circles (as mentioned in the poem) and the Coleridge anthology falls out of Micheal's pocket. Dirk goes back, stops Coleridge from writing the 2nd part which stops Micheal from being possessed fully. So the ghost continues to roam the earth in search of a being it can possess. This allows for the Electronic Monk to be still here on earth. Also the ghost was already in the past with Michael's body, but now it does not fully possess Michael or anyone else. So it cannot effect any change. The explosion recurs and there are now two ghosts.
The mention of 'instructions' by Reg is figurative only.

Take 3: Finding Out About The Time Machine
The ghost leaves Coleridge on Dirk's interruption and so it does not find out about the time machine. At least not during that peak. It may have in the current or future peaks which is why Reg destroys the mother ship. It is not mentioned though at which time frame Coleridge visits Reg or how Coleridge has a hunch about the time machine.
BUT the electronic monk is present when Dirk and co return. So in the new timeline too the ghost must have known about the time machine and influenced the Monk to come to earth with Reg. Or was it here simply because it too had time traveled so did not follow the new natural course of events. Also, Michael is already in the past and this does not in any way interrupt his plans of preventing life on earth.

Take 4: Alternate Timeline
Time travel is dicey. Since they couldn't stop the ghost from going back in time (he had already done so), they had to break the chain of events elsewhere, and they chose to do it by preventing the completion of the poem. Dirk & co. thus created an alternate timeline in which there is no such thing as a time machine, and where Coleridge never finished his poem. So the professor could easily travel for as long as he wanted where and when he wanted - as long as he never returned home. For as soon as he materialized his dorm back where it rightfully belonged, the timeline he helped create would grab hold of him and promptly erase all traces of any time-travel technology in a valiant attempt to restore sanity to the universe once more. Which is why the professor's time machine no longer worked at the very end of the book, and why his phone did.
BUT if an alternate timeline was created simply by travelling to past, the professor could not have pulled off the conjuring trick at the dinner. Or would not visit Mauritius just to see a dodo. Or would he?

Take 5: Time Loop
[Ch 25, Reg] I bumped into myseIf in the ante-room.
Somehow, Reg and Dirk create a time loop between 1798 and 198* which forever eradicates the ghost's ability to correct its mistake. The ghost lives on but is powerless to change things. There are a trilogy of indications of this, which may or ma not be intentional red herrings :

This explains the albatross in Rime of the Ancient Mariner: The ghost inspired Coleridge to write Rime. In the ghost's story a meteorite struck the ship. It doesn't have the Albatross. The joke here is that Richard didn't understand Rime so he asked Dirk to question Coleridge on the meaning of The Albatross. Coleridge wrote Rime after Khan, so he didn't understand the question but that's how he got the idea about albatross. Richard's non-understanding of the albatross was what created it. When the ghost as Wenton-Weakes reads the poem he doesn't like the bit about the bird since it messes up his own story.
However, it may well be that something else inspired Coleridge to replace the metorite with albatross in the original time line.
The beginning of the Rime describes a man possessed by the ghost telling his tale to three guests at a wedding procession, as Michael does on the train to Cambridge. Also he waves goodbye in a peculiar fashion mentioned in Kubla Khan.
However, it could also be that Michael is so possessed that he is re-enacting the ghosts past deeds aka acting in accordance with Rime and Kubla Khan.
Explains how Richard's sofa had got stuck in the first place.
However, it is not mentioned whether Dirk's opening of the door three weeks ago is how the sofa got stuck or how it is not stuck in the after time travel scenario. The sofa being inexplicably stuck could be Richards limitation in knowledge about the moving sofa problem, or just as easily be one of the many paradoxes that makes our universe what it is (as Reg explains paradoxes).
The time machine does not work at the end. A consequence of breaking the time loop.
However, this may just be Reg's own doing to prevent further time travel, since now there are two ghosts who wanted to colonize the earth.
The book ends with "...to be continued". This could be a clue to endless loop.
However, if Douglas Adams did not finish the story, his ghost could be roaming about...

BUT if Reg meeting himself in the anteroom (during the conjuring trick) does not create a loop, what does?
Even if the loop was created by chance, how did they get out of the loop? Or did they? Reg did make some minor 'adjustments' when they were waiting outside Coleridge's house but there are no clues given it had to do anything with a time loop.

Take 6: Que sera, sera
We don't have to bother what happened when the ghost tried to stop life to begin, because in the present universe it just didn't happen. And its not likely to either if you think about it: Michael could be killed by the atmosphere (would the scuba diver suit really protect him?) leaving the ghost medium less, the ghost or Michael could change his mind and walk away, the ghost could be killed by his original self as Michael would appear an alien to Salaxalans, he could simply not be believed, or even if he succeeded, the ship could be blown away by something else. It is actually impossible to do something that contradicts the future, which more or less says, that in the moment anyone travels from the future to the past, everything is predestined. So the ship blows up again and we have 2 ghosts. This is just another inadvertent feather in the hat for the clairvoyant Dirk.
BUT in answer to King George's question, Reg does say that it may be possible to change the past, and repeats this when Richard raises the point of paradoxes. He could be wrong of course, giving his believing nature ( he believes the ghosts and Dirks solution).

Take 7: Schrödinger’s Cat
Kubla Khan may have played some other role but as we do not have the "second" part, we can't know.
What we do know from King Georges three questions is that there is no particular reason why one thing appears another. So may be we are asking the wrong question again. Just as well.

III. AND EVERYTHING ELSE

Kubla Khan, as interpreted by Douglas Adams, describes the ancient dead earth, or more specifically the site of the exploded landing craft with its valleys and rivers. It is even tied in with Bach's music as quoted by Richard.
The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, written after Kubla Khan, tells the woes of the ghost as it roams around on earth and witnesses the evolution of life.
The ghost/Michael kills Al(bert) Ross, while in Rime the mariner kills the albatross.
Inexperienced human ghost of Gordon can press phone buttons and leave a voice message where as the billion year old Salaxalan ghost needs a body to communicate and act.
[Ch 33, the spaceship]Occasionally it sent pieces back if it thought they would help, if it thought they might be received...
It is implied that the spaceship in orbit recorded all data and converted it to music, and time to time 'inspired' artistes.
Electric Monks exist in both Salaxala and Pleiades. Are the two monks and the two planets the same or have some relation?
One or more of the monks on the Salaxalan landing craft may well not have been destroyed when the landing craft blew up. Could Reg be an electric monk? He does seem to be eager to believe...the ghosts story as well as Dirk's solution.
No valiant hero willing to risk his life to save the human race. Surely it was possible to simply blow up the landing craft the same way Reg blew up the spaceship.
The monk was made this "strange" way merely for the humor of blending in with the human race, or, The Electric Monk that was with the spaceship somehow influenced the human evolution. Not only in the physical sense, but also in the human struggle to believe in all kinds of things. Also, The music from the spaceship of the Monk is the 'score of life'.
References to H2G2: chesterfield sofa, towel in Dirk's bag.
The horse that the Monk from Pleiades could be a reference to the song 'A Horse with No Name" which is said to be inspired by one of Dali's paintings.
Richard's feelings when he faints in the spaceship could be a description of Salvador Dali's Persistence of Memory.
The landing craft had landed in Bermuda. The mother spaceship trying to communicate with it may be the cause of the myths of Bermuda triangle.
Reg invented the time machine as part of his job for the Mad King. And as far as Reg not understanding how it works, I'd imagine that he did understand how it works at one point, but, with the state of his memory, doesn't remember now.
King George the third, who appointed him as the regius professor of chronology, died in 1820, where as the phone was invented in 1876, so the time machine may actually have predated the phone.
When Richard discovers the horse in the bathroom, there are two references to Beatles songs "Let it be, it won't be long" and "She Came In Through The Bathroom Window"
Pleiades is among the nearest star clusters to Earth and is the cluster most obvious to the naked eye in the night sky. Some ufology believers describe Nordic extraterrestrials as originating from this system.
The idea behind the new software Anthem that Richard is working on - it is called Algorithmic Composition.
Douglas Adams seems to lean towards the Primordial Soup theory of Abiogenesis, that life started on Earth by natural processes where living matter evolved from self-replicating but nonliving molecules. The Salaxalans keep the option for panspermia hypothesis just open.

La vida no vale nada

2012-07-30T11:21:00.000-04:00

Found this on the web (after a friend's facebook status) and for some really liked it. I think its Mexican:

La vida no vale nada
si cuatro caen por minuto
y al final por el abuso
se decide la jornada.

Life is worth nothing
if four fall every minute
and through the abuse, in the end,
all the journey is at stake.

The Gamchha Factor

2012-05-25T01:08:00.000-04:00

A 'gamchha', I reckon, is about the most massively useful thing a terrestrial Bangladeshi gentleman can have. Partly it has great practical value - you can use it to pat dry frequent sweats or wrap it around you in case of sudden showers, and if it gets too wet you can easily squeeze it to near dry as it is made of lightweight cotton; you can use it to mask off the dust and pollution as you go about your activities in the heady streets of Dhaka; you can cover your face with it if you are caught red-handed on camera as well as when you have time for a quick outdoorsy nap between errands; use it as a fly swatter or as a substitute seat belt when approaching a police check point in case your seat belt has just malfunctioned; wrap it round your head to avoid the scorching sun rays from frying your brains, as a designer bandanna, turban or a scarf; you can drape it around a cut in bleeding emergencies, and of course wipe your body with it as its name গা মোছা (gā mochha) suggests.

The gamchha is indeed used by froods from all walks of life in this tropical humid delta. It is often thrown on one shoulder or just tied around the waist, by the Bede to the rickshaw puller to the billionaire 'dhakaiya' businessman. The poorest mad beggar uses it as a loincloth, laborers cushion their heads with it when carrying heavy loads on their heads, it is used by fishermen to sift out fish larva, farmers holster their tools in it, and the boatmen, thought they may not particularly use it as a sail, their attire is unimaginable without one. It can be, according to the Wikipedia, turned it into an effective weapon against wolfs, leopards, wild dogs or feral dogs or even dacoits, by knotting a large stone pebble into one end and using it like a sling. It is the local cheese cloth when making many a luscious delicatessen like the yogurt drink 'borhani', the curd cheese known as 'chhana' and its derivatives like the fresh farmer cheese 'paneer'. With its colorful cross stripe pattern, this coarse piece of cloth has found many uses inside the household as well - a newborn's head will shape up nice and round if you use a pillow with a hole, made by circling the gamchha into several rounds; and if your window pane is broken, the gamchha can serve as a makeshift curtain or, in a similar functionality, is at times worn during outdoor bathing by the deep tube well. In a budget traveler's baggage, it occupies less space and dries easily. If you are a feisty designer like Bibi Russel, you can get Antonio Banderas to use it to promote craftsmanship.

More importantly, a gamchha has immense psychological value. For some reason, if an ordinary civilian discovers that a government official has a towel (a thick western version of the gamchha, symbolizing upper class-ness) laid on the back of his mighty office chair, he will automatically assume that the official is also in possession of the connotative sponge damper, an Econo ball pen, 14 types of seals, a stamp pad whose ink has almost dried, a box of metal thumbtacks, a desktop diary cum note paper with pen holder, time to chat about his accomplishments, interest in your family matters, misplaced morale, etc., etc. Furthermore, the common man will then happily make a deal under the table that the official may need to get the sense of duty working that he might accidentally have "lost". What the civilian will think is that any man who can hitch the length and breadth of the corruption ladder, rough it, slum it, struggle against terrible odds, win through, and still knows where his towel is is clearly a man to be reckoned with.

Now it is a well known fact, for those who keep TED on tabs, that if all Americans used one less paper towel a day, 571,230,000 pounds of paper would be spared over the course of the year. So it may be pointed out that, not that we like to make a point unless pointing four fingers at ourselves, our visceral attachment to the gamchha has curtailed our disposition to disposable paper towels, hence saving the nation a lot of trees, bucks and disposal efforts.

There is a theory that cleanliness is next to godliness. There is another theory that ignorance is bliss. Irrespective of these theories, for theories are merely conjectures that have survived the space time continuum or been theorized by the theoreticians, it is worthy of note that the Bangladeshi humanoid can sail nonchalantly through the harshest of times and situations. The phrase from 'opar' Bangla's Anjan Dutt's song "golae gamchcha bedhe korlam fele biye" perhaps best describes how we manage to feel secure and be prepared for what’s coming, or going for that matter. We perhaps have governed ourselves in to an inglorious corner in the world stage, not a corner with no possibilities, but a corner with endless possibilities. It is now only a matter of removing the gamchha from around the neck and tying it tightly around the waist.

The Enemy Within

2012-02-29T23:00:00.000-05:00

So, so you think you can tell...a barrage from a dam, nature from nurture, hope from hype, patriotism from antipathy, culture from religion?

India is our major neighbor who is coming of age on the world stage. We cannot deny that it helped us gain our much eulogized liberation, going against the world super power. That surely does not mean we should bow to all its needs. But just like we expect Pakistanis to own up to their 71 misdeeds, we should not step back from acknowledging India's role in our struggle for sovereignty. We would do well to remember though, that India is not to continue in their benevolent role of aiding our interests. India will put its national interests first and cannot be blamed for it. It is our ministers and government representatives who should be able to negotiate a balanced deal for our country.

Even without the particular historic instance, we share a common inheritance. India itself was united only in their movement to oust the British colony and we were with them then. In the cumulative Bengal region, we speak the same language, have similar attires and cuisines as well as many shared culture and traditions. Our national anthems are by the same Indian poet. After more than a half a century of separation though, we are now perhaps more under Indian influence than we ever were. It is our largest source of import. We wear Indian textiles, eat Indian spices, watch their movies and channels, go to India for health services as well for tourism. It is estimated that 1.5 million cows are smuggled annually from India providing more than half the beef consumed in Bangladesh ^{[LA Times]}. This in turn fuels the tannery and leather based industry. Prices of so many commodities will go up if we were to stop trade with India. We do however need to decrease the trade deficit. We should be able to offer attractive alternatives to dubbed Doremon to our innocent children. It is not India's fault that they can sell their products. It is our fault that we have not been able to match even up to their standards.

There is a lot of strong sentiment against Tipaimukh Dam. This is based on the bad experience of Farakka Barrage. The diversion of water from the main river as in Farakka barrage is different from building a storage dam for generation of hydro-electricity, like Tipaimukh Dam on the Barak in India or the Kaptai Dam on the Karnafuli in Bangladesh. The Kaptai Dam has not dried up its downstream area. So the desertification of the highest rainfall area of Sylhet area is unlikely ^{[Retd Director, BWDB]}. Dams can not be so unilaterally evil. Hydroelectric power plants around the world supply 24 percent of the world's electricity. USA and Canada have 50% and 69% of their electricity from dams. Brazil, China, and Norway are among the other top hydroelectric-generating countries ^{[Water Encyclopedia]}. As the world is getting environmentally conscious and going green, the advantage of dams become more important as a green renewable process which does not require pollution-emitting burning of fuels ^{[U.S. Geological Survey]}.

Now most of the impacts of river engineering are extremely difficult, and in many cases impossible, to predict with certainty ^{[International Rivers]}. Of course there are negative environmental impacts, but so does driving a car and cattle farming. India in all likelihood has decided to invest in such a mammoth setup only after the cost-benefit analysis has been favorable, taking into factor the cost of risk management and environmental effects. The good news for us is that the upstream region faces more challenges and we are the downstream in case of Tipaimukh. Assam and Nagaland, like Bangladesh, are also lower riparians and Barak passes through these states before entering Bangladesh. Governments of these two states have welcomed it because they also will benefit from its flood mitigation, dry season augmentation and power generation components. So we need a proper study to validate any qualms we have, and then perhaps bargain for a share of the electricity and proper mitigation of risks. Obstinate denial is not a solution. We have to embrace progress and development and do so by cooperation with our neighbors and allies.
[See much more about the Tipaimukh Dam at http://horizonspeaks.wordpress.com/2009/06/08/tipaimukh-faq/]

The long ongoing border killings by BSF have been jolted into our consciousness by the video that went viral on Facebook in mid January. With all due respect for the victims, I must add that our government acted promptly and properly by filing an official complaint as well as expressing its dismay to Indian headquarters. Apart from that, the news on an international channel should be message enough for India ^[BBC]. India itself did not delay the suspension of the 8 involved officers and their court martial is arranged almost in a month ^{[The Daily Star]}. I would say that is a exemplary time line. In fact, the video was made by a BSF guard, first shared on a Kolkata website _{[Asia Times]} and then leading Indian newspaper like The Hindu owned up to their fault. I, however, did not find any of our papers questioning what our border guards were doing when the victims crossed the border illegally. Anyways, let us hope that someone posts a video of the atrocities on the people of Chittagong Hill Tracks in our very own Bangladesh.

It is utterly funny that we want to hold another country responsible for our plights. Instead of taking measures to work on our shortcomings, we find solace in pointing fingers elsewhere. I got a few online invitations to ban Indian goods for the entire day of the auspicious day of today - Mar 1 2012. But why just one day? I mean, it is good for the economy to use our own national products. By all means let us forever boycott and ban all Indian and other foreign products, especially for items for which we have home made substitute. One cannot drop patriotism at the drop of a hat.

Being geographically proximate and having a lot of shared infrastructures, there are many other simmering issues between the two countries like transit, Teesta treaty and 3-bigha corridor. But I find that all propositions on any issue are criticized harshly by some stakeholder or the other. We are following the offense is the best defense strategy in this age of globalization. Let us try to look through the political brainwashing of India being our enemy and try to look at issues objectively. We could instead learn from their effective policies, barter hard for the benefits we can provide them, and deal maturely with their atrocities. It is indeed impossible for a general citizen to form independent opinions and take a social stand on all issues. It is more confusing when technical 'experts' also vary in their opinions. With so much information at our disposal, we should not let old or new media brainwash us into taking sides on important national matters.

But then again, the most we do about national issues is share a post on Facebook or sign a cause online, and this really does not change things in the real world. We end up hating the ruling party for 5 years.

Those who can, do.

2011-12-16T07:05:00.000-05:00

I am a pessimist. I would rather be right or be pleasantly surprised. Still I am fed up of the constant denunciation of the government and the state of the country. Everyone badmouths the system. but we forget that the system is made and run by us only. We all have 'chachas' and 'mamas' in important political, government, administrative and business positions. But things go on as they have been going, by the grace of Almighty Allah. No one wants to improve his own surrounding and always blames someone or the other. How are we all so helpless?!

I am thinking that we were lucky the liberation war took place when it did. If it were now, the guerilla forces may easily be named as terorists and NATO could come in on humanitarian grounds. Until 2008 Mandela and ANC party members were designated as terrorists. We are lucky that we did not have to fight the mightiest force like Vietnam did for 20 years. Had Pakistan been mightier, they could have suppressed the insurgency like the United Kingdom suppressed the Irish. We are lucky that Sheikh Mujib was not killed before he achieved our independence, unlike say Omar Mukhtar.

That was then. Now the situation is almost unlivable. Infants visiting from abroad have not only their food but also drinking water brought into the country. Their parents seldom take them out of the house. Those who can afford it prefer to have their baby delivered in Bangkok. Think about what this says of our and our off-springs living standards. Most of us suffered the fall of the stock market and the comments of the finance minister were furiously nonsensical. Trying to control social media is pathetic, altough even USA is trying the SOPA. The traffic and the rising prices are the bane of the common people's daily life.

We now tend to look back fondly to the times of Ershad as the road infrastructure and foreign relations development period. Some even say that Tarique Zia for all his corruption would be a better leader as he knows how to run a party. I however beg to differ. If we want democracy, we have to put up with its loopholes too. The economic state we are in is not the result of the current government. It is the result of decades of instability and lack of proper long-term policies. It will take time to change those policies, implement them and get a better outcome.

This is perhaps most transparent in the electricity situation. There was no new power generation for years and the efficiency of the existing plants also diminished while the demand increased. The AL government resorted to costly rental power plants for immediate needs while planning a long term solution, by nuclear power plant and also by partnership with neighboring states like Tripura.

I see that we are keeping a check and balance in our relationship with the two biggie brothers India and China. A deep sea port in Sonadia instead of Chittagong will be more beneficial for the latter. Trade with China has also increased considerably in the last couple of years. Bangladeshis has been given access to the Teen Bigha Corridor by India, and although much hyped during the Indian PMs visit, the NE transit is still is discussion as a barter for the Teesta water treaty. Its almost hard to believe that the demarcation of our borders was finalized only recently. Policies for water, coal, education are also being upgraded one by one. For the first time perhaps we host a grand international event, the opening ceremony of 2011 Cricket World Cup. Paypal has announced it will be in Bangladesh by 2012.

Whatever else Digital Bangladesh has or has not achieved, they have put up websites for all government institutions. Parjatan, Biman, Department of Immigration and Passports, and many if not all of them have reasonable websites with all forms and much information available online. If NBR can succeed in implementing online tax collection, it will end a long vicious circle.

The arts and music diaspora evolves better under a secular rule. We must have noticed that the band culture of the 90s did not continue to boom, and budding music artistes often disappeared after a few hits. We Dhakaites complain of no outdoor recreation except restaurants, but there are plenty of stage dramas, film shows, art exhibitions, music performances and even a weekly stand-up comedy show that we may chose to attend. And most of their information is published online too.

There are issues that we need to pressurize the government to resolve. The civil society and academia can and should draft a solution and campaign for it. The war crimes tribunal needs be completed justly and in time. The Hill Tracks peoples' have been suffering brutally at the hands of our own men. The tea-plantation workers are forced into a life of abject slavery. We could advocate for basic safety measures of garments and other factory workers. The administration and judiciary needs to be decentralized. Child labor is not cool, not in factories and not inside our houses. Taslima Nasreen should not feel threatened to live in her own country. BCB chairman should not be politically appointed. Lets not fall prey to issues that try to keep us otherwise occupied like Day Light Savings, forced retirement of Yunus or even Teesta water sharing policy which is not for laymen.

If we do not feel so chivalrous, busy as we are in this hectic city, we could at the least come together to improve the one thing that directly affects all of us - transport system inside Dhaka as well as within Bangladesh. We hear the government is bribed and pressured by private bus companies. Let us all come together demanding the best and quickest implementation of the Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) proposed by JICA. Every project has its cons and critics, the important thing is to draw a line at an optimum point and get something done. If Anna Hazare can revive India's Lokpal Bill, I am sure our intellectuals and activists can garner mass support for the MRT. I call upon the Zafar Iqbals and Anisul Haques to unitedly help us unite ourselves. The next campaign can be for an inter-city express train system. Given the small size of our country, Teknaf to Tetulia should be covered in 6 hours.

We cannot expect a radical change in our political leadership. It is not a matter of one party over another. We have to make do with the best we have. They will be inefficient like us and do some trial and many errors, because they are not posted on their technical competence. Democracy is the way it is. All I wish for us is the subjectivity to differentiate a whim from a cause. If we all take a single step to improve our immediate circumstances... this may well have a ripple effect.

Whose War Is It Anyway?

2011-09-17T12:24:00.000-04:00

Politics is never black and white. I personally never can make sense of the multitude of motives, actions and reactions of the game players. However, the 'all bad' image of Qathafi is too bad to be true.

A man is known by the company he keeps. The Libyan leader garners support from the likes of Nelson Mandela, Fiedel Castro and Hugo Chavez. Even the UN General Assembly report from earlier this year is mainly full of praise for the Libyan government. I personally found it baffling that any Libyan will seek support from America of all the places. Things may have changed since I was there in the 80s, but that does not mean history needs to be erased. Having lived in democratic Bangladesh since, and having some exposure to the democracies in the west, I am left with questions like: What makes a good leader? Which is the ideal method of governance? What makes one rebel a revolutionary, one a freedom fighter and another one a terrorist?

Even without my Libya experience, I believe I would still be skeptic about the Libyan uprising- the last war on Iraq having turned out the way it did, and the west spending billions with financial crisis hanging over their own heads.

So I tried to find out a little more than what was in the face... tried to evaluate the source, discern the context, read between the lines and try to put two and two together. On the world wide web, there are as many varieties of Qathafi's name as there are conspiracy theories for the NATO attack on Libya, ranging from Israel's quest for new world order, US-UK-French imperial expansionist militarism to another cold war, this time against China. While I have touched on some of the possible reasons for the attack on Libya, I wanted to focus on lesser publicized facts about Qathafi as well as the rebels of Libya. I tried to include a variety of sources, especially those with more references. I am adding some excerpts, not summary though, from each as well:

Gaddafi’s journey across 42 years:
His rule saw him go from revolutionary hero to international pariah, to valued strategic partner and back to pariah again.
In the heady days of 1969 - when he seized power in a bloodless military coup - and the early 1970s, Muammar Gaddafi first set about tackling the unfair economic legacy of foreign domination. Significant [oil] reserves had been discovered in Libya in the late 1950s, but the extraction was controlled by foreign petroleum companies, which set prices to the advantage of their own domestic consumers and benefited from a half share in the revenue. Col Gaddafi demanded renegotiation of the contracts, threatening to shut off production if the oil companies refused. The gambit succeeded and Libya became the first developing country to secure a majority share of the revenues from its own oil production.

The Truth About Libya:
Libya consists of over 150 tribes, with the two main groups, the Meghabra living in Tripolitania in the west and the Wafallah living in Cyrenaica in the east. Previous attempts to unite these tribes by the Turkish (1855-1911) and ltalian (1911-43) colonial rulers failed and the country was split in two for administrative purposes.
Libya has the highest GDP in Africa, less than 5% of the population is classified as poor and it has fewer people living below the poverty datum line than for example in Holland. Life expectancy is 75 years and is the highest in Africa and 10% above the world average. Libya has a tolerable human rights record and stands at 61 on the International Incarceration Index, comparable with countries in central Europe (the lower the rating, the lower the standing - the USA occupies the no.1 spot!).

Library of Congress Country Studies- Libya>Role of the Government [referred to in U.S. State Department’s webpage on Libya]:
Consequently, the Qadhafi government has assigned high priority to the achievement of what it perceives as "true economic independence." Qadhafi's other principal economic objective has been to promote equity, which he equates with socialism.
Most of the post-1977 economic policy innovations of the Qadhafi government were designed to inhibit the private accumulation of wealth and promote an equitable distribution of the national income.
In 1978... he outlawed rental payments for property, changing all residential tenants into instant owners.

BBC - Libya crisis: what role do tribal loyalties play?:
During Muammar Gaddafi's 42-year rule, Libya has made great strides socially and economically thanks to its vast oil income, but tribes and clans continue to be part of the demographic landscape. Women in Libya are free to work and to dress as they like, subject to family constraints. And per capita income - while not as high as could be expected given Libya's oil wealth and relatively small population of 6.5m - is estimated at $12,000, according to the World Bank. Illiteracy has been almost wiped out, as has homelessness - a chronic problem in the pre-Gaddafi era, where corrugated iron shacks dotted many urban centres around the country.

Who is Muammar Gaddafi?:
When the media – in the service of the U.S. – praised the apartheid regime South Africa, young Gaddafi in Libya trained and sent them back with the best weapons to win freedom in South Africa. Gaddafi has supported the struggles of peoples for liberation in Nicaragua, Cuba, Angola, Mozambique.
This utterly ridiculous gossip of wealth and strange customs have always been exploited by the media, it was with Saddam Hussein, Yasser Arafat, Fidel Castro, Ahmadinejad, Hugo Chavez and etc. It is enough to be a serious ruler that does not seriously kneel down and cower in fear before the United States and is not intimidated to be demonised and disparaged by the mercenary media.

BBC - Libya's thirst for 'fossil water':
In August 1984, Muammar Al Qadhafi laid the foundation stone for the pipe production plant at Brega. The Great Man-Made River Project had begun. In September 1993, Phase I water from eastern well-fields [aquifers] reached Benghazi. Three years later, Phase II, bringing water to Tripoli from western well-fields was completed.
But the Great Man-Made River Project is much more than an extraordinary piece of engineering. They estimate that when the Great Man-Made River is completed, they will have spent almost $20bn. So far, that money has bought 5,000km of pipeline that can transport 6.5 million cubic metres of water a day from over 1,000 desert wells. The combination of water and oil has given Libya a sound economic platform.

Destroying a Country's Standard of Living: What Libya Had Achieved, What has been Destroyed:
Differently from other countries that went through a revolution – Libya is considered to be the Switzerland of the African continent...These developments are in sharp contrast to what most Third World countries were able to "achieve" under Western style "democracy" and "governance" in the context of a standard IMF-World Bank Structural Adjustment program.
While rising food prices in neighbouring Tunisia and Egypt spearheaded social unrest and political dissent, the system of food subsidies in Libya was maintained. Libya was one of the few countries in the developing World which maintained a system of price controls over essential food staples.

The Times - Gaddafi offers oil and power to people:
[Feb 2009] Many feel that they have not had their equal share even if outward signs of poverty in the deeply religious society are scarce. Satellite dishes adorn the low concrete apartment blocks; bread is cheap; petrol is 17 cents a litre, and imported cars carry families along the fertile coastal strip. Disaffection rarely spills into violence.
Forty years into the revolution he unleashed on Libya, Muammar Gaddafi has announced plans to dismantle the Government, hand the riches from Africa's biggest oil reserves to the people and nationalise foreign oil operations that have recently been allowed back into the country...The announcement has left diplomats and the 40 overseas oil companies operating in the country on edge.

Why The West Wants The Fall Of Gaddafi?:
Rousseau sets out ... four conditions for a country to be labelled a democracy and according to these Gaddafi’s Libya is far more democratic than the USA, France and the others claiming to export democracy.
Libya has much more to teach than those fighting it now, and not the contrary. In the USA, 5 per cent of the population owns 60 per cent of the national wealth, making it the most unequal and unbalanced society in the world.
Also see: [Mar 29] Declaration of Dignity - The Tripoli Statement by former Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney

Gold, Oil, Africa and Why the West Wants Gadhafi Dead:
The AU is the framework the Libyan leader was using to establish African self determination and economic self-sufficiency. An example of such projects was installing independent satellite communications across Africa. The continent was burdened with an annual $500 million fee paid to Europe for satellite usage. Col. Gadhafi infused $300 million into African satellites costing a onetime payment of $400 million and no annual fee.
The moves are also bad for France because when the African Monetary Fund and the African Central Bank in Nigeria starts printing gold-backed currency, it would “ring the death knell" for the CFA franc through which Paris was able to maintain its neocolonial grip on 14 former African colonies for the last 50 years.

Muammar Al Gaddafi Meets His Own Rebels:
If Muammar Al Gaddafi behaved paranoid, it was for good reason. It wasn’t long after... 1969, that threats to his power and life emerged - from monarchists, Israeli Mossad, Palestinian disaffections, Saudi security, the National Front for the Salvation of Libya (NFSL), the National Conference for the Libyan Opposition (NCLO), British intelligence, United States antagonism and, in 1995, the most serious of all, Al Qaeda-like Libyan Islamic fighting group.
Attempts on his life occurred often. U.S. ’surgical strikes’ on Tripoli, in 1986, clearly aimed to kill the Libyan leader.
British intelligence paid large sums of money to an al-Qaeda cell in Libya in a doomed attempt to assassinate Colonel Gaddafi in 1996 and thwarted early attempts to bring Osama bin Laden to justice [The Observer].

Lockerbie and the Bulgarian Nurses:
It was understood [by Liyan people] that Gaddafi had finally given in to Western pressure to accept responsibility – but not guilt – for Lockerbie merely in order to get the unpopular sanctions lifted... Hans Kochler, UN-appointed special observer to the Lockerbie trial, thought Megrahi may have been subjected to “morally outrageous” blackmail to abandon his appeal against his will... leaving the CIA frame-up officially unexposed.
Harriet Washington in a New York Times column: "The evidence against the Bulgarian medical team, like H.I.V.-contaminated vials discovered in their apartments, has seemed to Westerners preposterous. But to dismiss the Libyan accusations of medical malfeasance out of hand means losing an opportunity to understand why a dangerous suspicion of medicine is so widespread in Africa".... Bulgarian prime minister Boyko Borisov complained to a European summit in Brussels that key members of that council in Benghazi “are the people who tortured the Bulgarian medics for eight years".
See also Lockerbie: Human rights lawyer states Megrahi was framed and Lockerbie: Megrahi was framed by John Pilger

Gold, Oil, Africa and Why the West Wants Gadhafi Dead:
In the months leading up to the military intervention, he called on African and Muslim nations to join together to create this new currency that would rival the dollar and euro. They would sell oil and other resources around the world only for gold dinars. It is an idea that would shift the economic balance of the world.
Also see Libya: It’s Not About Oil, It’s About Currency and Loans and Saving the world economy from Gaddafi.

Reuters - Anti-Gaddafi figures say not contacting foreign govts:
Opponents of Muammar Gaddafi based in eastern Libya said on Sunday they did not want any foreign intervention in the country and said they had not made contact with foreign governments. The comments were made by a spokesman for a new National Libyan Council, which was formed after a meeting in Benghazi. The spokesman described the council as the face of the revolution and not an interim government.

The media misinformation campaign behind the war:
According to the U.S. government’s own sources: As the February 17 2011 “day of rage” neared...the maelstrom irrupted in Benghazi after a group of protesters rushed a local barrack to take the weapons in the armoury.
When this happened, the Libyan forces in the local garrison reacted by firing upon the protesters. In any country, including the United States and Britain, soldiers and security forces will fire on any of their own citizens that attack a military or police compound with the intention of taking its arms.

Boston.com - False pretense for war in Libya?:
Human Rights Watch has released data on Misurata, the next-biggest city in Libya and scene of protracted fighting, revealing that Moammar Khadafy is not deliberately massacring civilians but rather narrowly targeting the armed rebels who fight against his government.

RT International - "Airstrikes in Libya did not take place” – Russian military:
The reports of Libya mobilizing its air force against its own people spread quickly around the world. However, Russia's military chiefs say they have been monitoring from space – and the pictures tell a different story.

Why Gaddafi got a red card:
This is above all neo-Napoleonic President Nicolas Sarkozy's war...Gaddafi was about to transfer his billions of euros to Chinese banks.,..had decided not to buy Rafale fighters anymore, and not to hire the French to build a nuclear plant.... Energy giant Total wanted a much bigger piece of the Libyan energy cake - which was being largely eaten, on the European side, by Italy's ENI, especially because Premier Silvio "bunga bunga" Berlusconi, a certified Big G fan, had clinched a complex deal with Gaddafi.This war started in October 2010 when Gaddafi's chief of protocol, Nuri Mesmari, defected to Paris, was approached by French intelligence and for all practical purposes a military coup d'etat was concocted.

Four phases of Gaddafi's rule:
With the assistance of Nato air power, the rebels consolidated their position in Benghazi and a transitional government -- National Transitional Council (NTC)- led by Mustafa Abdul Jalil was installed. France was the first to recognise the NTC as the legitimate government of Libya [Mar 10, 2011]. Gradually many European nations followed and the US also accorded recognition on July 20.

NPR - Foreign Policy: Teaming Up With Enemies In Libya:
Forty-four days into the uprising against Col. Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, and 11 days after NATO forces stepped in to enforce a no-fly zone over the country, we still have a fuzzy-at-best idea of who the rebels fighting against Gadhafi actually are. Sinjar documents [leave] little doubt that the rebellion includes at least some jihadists sympathetic to al-Qaida.

The CIA’s Libya Rebels:
The rebels are clearly not civilians, but an armed force. What kind of an armed force?
The tribal underpinning of the Gaddafi regime has been an alliance of the tribes of the West, the center, and the southern Fezzan, against the Harabi and the Obeidat, who identify with the former monarchist ruling class. Today, the rebels use the monarchist flag, and ... are far closer to monarchism than to democracy.
The ethnic base of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (a continuum of Al-Qaeda) is apparently to be found in the anti-Qaddafi Harabi tribe, the tribe which makes up the vast majority of the rebel council including the two dominant rebel leaders, Abdul Fatah Younis and Mustafa Abdul Jalil. We are thus witnessing an attempt by the Harabi tribe to seize dominance over the 140 tribes of Libya.
West Point study of Sinjar Records... suggests that the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, the elite of the Harabi tribe, and the rebel council supported by Obama all overlap for all practical purposes.

Who are the Libyan Freedom Fighters and Their Patrons?:
The LIFG was founded in 1995 by a group of mujahideen veterans who had fought against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan.
As recently as February 2004, then-Director of Central Intelligence George Tenet testified before the Senate Intelligence Committee that "one of the most immediate threats [to U.S. security] is from smaller international Sunni extremist groups that have benefited from al-Qaida links. They include ... the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group.

Mustafa Abdul-Jalil and Mahmoud Jibril Have Been Paving the Way for NATO’s Conquest Since 2007:
Abdul-Jalil gained his job in the Libyan government in January 2007, when he was named Secretary of the General People’s Committee for Justice (the equivalent of Justice Minister). He oversaw the release from prison of the hundreds ...of members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group, an Al-Qaeda affiliate which launched an armed insurrection against the Libyan state in 1995 lasting for two years – including its founder Abdulhakim Belhadj, now military chief of Tripoli.
A large part of the dialogue between Abdul-Jalil and US officials recorded in leaked US diplomatic cables focused on privatisation of the economy.

The Guardian - Abdel Fatah Younis assassination creates division among Libya rebels:
The assassination of Abdel Fatah Younis[Commander in Chief of Rebel Forces], one of Gaddafi's former right-hand men and a high-profile defector to the rebels, was announced [on July 28, 2011]. But Mustafa Abdul Jalil, president of the ruling National Transitional Council who said only that Younis had been killed on his way back to Benghazi where he had been "summoned" for questioning, failed to explain the circumstances of the death.

Khalifa Hifter: New Rebel Military Commander may have ties to CIA:
The Libyan National Council the group that speaks for the rebel forces has appointed Khalifa Hifer as head of its military operations. He first arrived in Benghazi back on March 14. Hifter has spent the last twenty years in Suburban Virginia. Hifter, a colonel in Gaddafi's army in 1987, was captured fighting in Chad in a Libyan-backed rebellion against the US-backed government of Hissène Habré. He defected to the Libyan National Salvation Front (LNSF), the principal anti-Gaddafi group, which had the backing of the American CIA. He organized his own militia, which operated in Chad until Habré was overthrown by a French-supported rival, Idriss Déby, in 1990
Also see UNHCR- Libya: The Djava Khalifa Haftar movement and Is General Khalifa Hifter The CIA’s Man In Libya?

The Telegraph - Libya: Former Guantánamo detainee is training rebels:
Rebel recruits in the eastern port city of Derna are being trained by Sufyan Bin Qumu, a Libyan who was arrested following the US-led invasion of Afghanistan in 2001, and held at Guantánamo for six years. Abdel Hakim al-Hasidi, a senior Libyan rebel commander in Derna, was also held following the invasion of Afghanistan and handed over to Libyan custody two months later.

Libya: What Revolution? Whose Revolution?:
As for that Libyan blueprint for change, it does not sound like a document that was anything other than “cut and paste” from various international charters. In A Vision of a Democratic Libya the “Interim National Council” (other times referred to as the Transitional National Council, or TNC) elaborates, briefly, a blueprint for a Libya where rights are conceived entirely within the framework of a Western discourse of individual civil and political liberties, thus ignoring the social and economic rights that had been advanced and protected under the Gaddafi regime.

Noam Chomsky - Libya and the World of Oil:
An oil-rich dictator who is a reliable client is granted virtual free rein. There was little reaction when Saudi Arabia declared “Laws and regulations in the Kingdom totally prohibit all kinds of demonstrations, marches and sit-in protests ...In Kuwait, ...Saudi-led military forces intervened to ensure that the minority Sunni monarchy would not be threatened by calls for democratic reforms... Bahrain is sensitive not only because it hosts the U.S. Fifth Fleet but also because it borders Shiite areas of Saudi Arabia, the location of most of the kingdom’s oil...Libya is a different case, an oil-rich state run by a brutal dictator, who, however, is unreliable: A dependable client would be far preferable. ...What the West seeks is what Bush announced: control, or at least dependable clients, and in the case of Libya, access to vast unexplored areas expected to be rich in oil. U.S and British internal documents stress that the “virus of nationalism” is the greatest fear, since it might breed disobedience.

Ma'assalama Jamahiriya

2011-09-01T13:23:00.000-04:00

Once upon a time, not too far away, there was a country untouched by the menaces of civilization. Life was not a race. Time was not money. Privileges were not dependent on your bank balance. Marketing gimmicks did not fuel your greed. There were no beggars or slums. Streets were safe. Life was simple.

This was the 80s in Great Socialist People's Libyan Arab Jamahiriya as I saw it.

I grew up in Tripoli. And this memoir is of my 12 years in that Mediterranean city. I generalize it to that of the country with the assumption that life is faster and more demanding in the cities. I went to Libya when I was 2 years old, with my family. By the time I was my 5, I had a 2 year old sister and my mother started working. I joined class 1 directly without any pre-schooling or an admission test, and my mother decided to work at the same school. We had one car driven by my father. He would drop my sister at a family friend agreeing to baby-sit her, drop me and my mother at school and go to his office. He would start the return journey around 2pm and pick us all on the way back home. If either one finished the work day late, the others would wait. Afternoons were for grocery, house errands, visiting other families or playing host to families visiting us. Some evenings I had homework but never had a tutor or extra help with academics from my parents. On weekend we would go for a long drive, to the beach or to a family friend in another city. Most of the time was family time, there was no need to plan or schedule such time.

There were no private businesses. There were no branded shops or fancy restaurants. It followed that there were minimal hoardings. Infrastructure was top class. Roads and highways were all state of the art. So were the hospitals, with a nominal 25 cent charge per visit to discourage people from using such premises as hangouts. The city was clean and green. It was soothing to the eyes and ears. Technology seemed to be judiciously applied to enhance living conditions wherever possible, with care taken to prevent rationalization and other vices of modernization.

Shopping centers were government owned. Whatever was available was quality assured, in abundance and affordable by all. There were not too many varieties of one item. For example, you had only one type of milk - no skimmed, low fat, vitamin D enriched, strawberry flavored categories. Still, you could safely assume that it did not have melamine or other toxins. You did not have to check the expiry date before buying. Of course once in a while something as essential as milk or salt would be out of market and no amount of money could give you access to it. You simply learned to live without it for a while.

Most offices (government owned) were staffed with foreigners (non-arabs) with the top level positions held by Libyans. Many Libyans were still not educated, only having attended primary or secondary schooling at most. They were at times given redundant assistant type positions along side their foreign contemporaries. Libyans enjoyed a very high standard of living. They had at a minimum a family owned house, and often also owned a car, mostly Volvo sedan. In the suburbs, huge stretches of lands were farmed primarily by family members. Farmers were one of the richest people. Land seemed fertile, at least in the coastal regions. Fruit bearing trees bent down with the abundant growth on them. The farmers put their produce on their Mazda pick-up trucks and brought them to city center every weekend for sale, with no middlemen involved. Libyans did not often bother to keep their money in banks, it was just easier to keep it stashed under the bed. There was free healthcare, free education, children allowance and unemployment benefits. There was not, however, public taxation.

Libyans valued family life. Polygamy and early marriages were unheard of, unlike many other middle eastern or Islamic countries. With the governments encouragement for population growth, all households were large. Their houses may or may not have had gold panels but they sat on the floor on mattresses. Guests were common at evenings and welcomed by 'gahwa'- Arabian coffee kept on a boil for a long time and poured between two kettles to generate froth, served in small glasses. The meals were simple. Breakfast would be khoubz ( baguette: long thin crisp loaf of bread made from basic lean dough), with or without suplements. Main courses were almost always one–pot dishes and eaten out of a communal bowl. Couscous (semolina preparation cooked in steam of spicy herbs, tomatoes and vegetables) and Sharba (pasta soup) were most popular. Mutton was the most common meat, while chicken was served occasionally.

Women in Libya were free to move around on their own (without a male companion). They could wear a 'burqa' or a mini skirt and not be stared upon. Older Libyan women often donned an outer covering with a rectangular piece of white cloth but younger ones of the same family freely wore brightly colored western outfits. Some chose to wear a scarf on the head even with a skirt. Libyan women were pretty strong physically - at commemorations like birth and deaths, a man just slayed a sheep from his backyard, and the women in the household would skin, piece and cook it in a matter of hours. Educated women were free to work outside the house and could even join the military.

Law and order situation was never a concern. Cars were parked in public spaces, no one had much of a personal garage. Even when we went out of the country for months, the car would be left in a community space. Crimes like murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary and larceny were also rare. It was heard that the Islamic punishment system was used and thieves would get their limbs amputated, but this was never known to have been practiced. As Asian foreigners we were at times subjected to some frivolous ridicule by street-smart youths, but there was never any harm inflicted. On the other hand, any suspected act against the government was severely punished by public death squad.

Libyans are predominantly Muslims. They took Islam as a very easy part of life. They read the Quraan when they felt like it, foregoing the often restraining preparations we associate with sacred tasks. They perform only the 'farz' prayers, wherever they were when they heard the 'azaan', and 'sunnah' was truly optional and thus almost discarded. There were no fatwas or controversial impositions. Other than public display of affection and eating publicly in Ramadan, there were no stringent social norms. It is hard to believe that an Muslim country comprising of 140 plus tribes would be so free of any religious or cultural fundamentalism.

Today is 1st September. This day was always celebrated as the national day of Libya with lots of fanfare. The fireworks and street lightings on this occasion were exorbitant. But this year onward, things are bound to be different. Whatever the reasons and the motives of the recent revolution, I fear that there is one less serene place in this world.

[*Ma'assalama is Arabic for Goodbye]

The Silver Bullet!

2011-07-31T22:09:00.016-04:00

More often than not, Bangladesh seems to be a failed state, with no telltale signs of improvement. Some might argue we are a young nation that needs more time to settle down, that being in a land of plenty had made us less enterprising, and a subservient nature was cultured by the long colonization. Others may counter with the boom of the garments sector and statistics of per capita income, national growth or GDP. All the same, the earlier we do the SWOT analysis, the faster we can step on the path of progress.

After much soul-storming and brain-searching, the meaning of the phrase 'People get the government they deserve' hit home. The problem lies within us, the people of this nation. For all political party members are part of the nation only, and the organizations and businesses that engage the rest of the national workforce are not providing quality products and services either. Sure every country has its corrupt politicians and fraud businessmen, but they are an elite minority. In this golden land, anyone at any job can be described, in one word, as irresponsible, not only corrupt. We do not own up to the career choices we have made and hence become inefficient, greedy and egoistical. The cancer of incompetence is present across all social, economic, educational, religious and regional classes.

Nineteenth century Bengal was a unique blend of religious and social reformers, scholars, literary giants, journalists, patriotic orators and scientists, all merging to form the image of a renaissance, and marked the transition from the 'medieval' to the 'modern'. So the anthropological explanation of our irresponsible nature is not well grounded. Remembering that this is the same nation that brought about the language movement and won one of the bloodiest of independence wars, it is reasonable to say that something has gone wrong recently, perhaps only 2 to 3 generations back.

The hypothesis is that parenting has failed. Today’s personnel are yesterday’s children- children who did not grew up with unfaltering moral values, children who do not have enough confidence and self-esteem to improve the situations they find themselves in today. It is not that they were not taught the right values; of course we love our children and want to impart the best to them. But the teachings have been seldom effective. It is the teaching methods or, in other words, child upbringing techniques that need to be revamped. Two possible reasons are generally ascribed to the worldwide shift in parenting skills recognition. The breakdown of the joint family due to urbanization and globalization meant that the new parents and child had less experienced guidelines, less care and less family time, and the fast changing times- every generation is exposed to newer things and expected of advanced thoughts and skills, so their parenting needs are also advanced. In addition, the economic effects of partition, continued political struggles and the lack of focus on parent duties in Islam may have deepened the chasm for Bangladeshis. We have embraced family planning (in some levels) but we have not recognized the parallel need of parenting.

Parenthood consists of more than child care. Parenting is the process of promoting and supporting the physical, emotional, social, and intellectual development of a child from infancy to adulthood. There is ample research in Developmental Psychology to relate the effects that parents have on child behavior and skills. Good parenting raises adults with healthy and positive personalities, armored to face the challenges of the world. Bad parenting causes low-self-esteem; these adults either tend to give up due to lack of confidence or try to prove themselves by resorting to unethical/false means. Or they turn to drugs, religion, self-righteousness, parenting, relationships, or some other outlet which provides them an opportunity to distract themselves from their own issues. All these are the people we see in and around us.

UNICEF’s Convention on the Rights of the Child sets out the rights that must be realized for children to develop their full potential, free from hunger and want, neglect and abuse. As children are totally dependent on parents specially in the most formative early years, it becomes the parents responsibility to ensure the child's rights. Bangladeshi parents are inclined to escapism when it comes to the child's behavioral and intellectual development, and conveniently ascribe them to nature and fate. They do not acknowledge that their interaction in the family affects the child, and even external factors like immediate society and environment is directly the parent’s choice. Even the highly educated society is mostly unaware or unsympathetic to the modern parenting concepts, at times picking only one or two random and hence incomplete maxims. The most important thing to realize about parenting is that the mere lack of good parenting results in bad parenting.

The time has come to license parents. To fill the existing chasm and break the vicious circle of incompetence, parents should be exposed to and prepared for the full scope of their chosen duties. Parents seeking access to new reproductive technologies (AID, IVF, surrogacy) and adoption must read and understand information about the risks, responsibilities and implications of what they are undertaking; and they must undergo counseling that addresses their values and goals. To win child custody in a divorce, the parents have to demonstrate in court their parental competence including knowledge of child-rearing, various personal qualities such as patience and sensitivity, their availability to the children, and so on. These expectations should be required of all parents.

In a country struggling with child malnutrition, street children, child labor and gender discrimination, it is more important that the future white-collar workforce be raised with the self-esteem to combat the existing setbacks. Parenting awareness is of course needed at all socioeconomic levels and can be taken on as a family planning perspective thereby addressing issues of over-population and illiteracy. While mass education is a large and distant goal, parenting awareness in the case critical educated class is much more easily achievable. Relevant courses should be introduced in undergraduate studies, and in the marriage registration process. At the very least, new parents should by law be required to attend child development classes.

We have to be careful though to avoid the fate of mass education that, according to Noam Chomsky, is designed to turn independent farmers into docile, passive tools of production. To ensure individuality and diversity, the courses should be targeted to make would be parents aware of the scope of their responsibilities in light of child psychology. They should serve to make the parents well prepared and equipped for the child's need in the different stages of its lifespan, and aware of maternal and child physical and mental health issues. Parents then would be able to consciously decide on their parenting models, tools, philosophies and practices.

The high calling of "parenthood" must be more adequately recognized, respected and honored by our society. Therein lies the future of our nation.

References

A... B... C... D... Email... Facebook... Google+.

2011-07-27T19:43:00.003-04:00

The cyber space is abuzz with the Google Plus hype. Are circles the thing? Is this the end of Facebook? And so forth. The unveiling of Google Plus(G+) so soon (considering my blogging frequency) after my post Freedom of Facebooking kind of warranted that I get to have a one-month take at it. I would like to mention at this point that this is entirely based on my own perception and not on any statistics or analysis.

Facebook has the advantage of being there first. People are used to it and have their accounts set up with all their friends added by now. Familiarity is the key to user experience. It is a happening space on the roll. Unfortunately for Facebook, its main fallibility has been in the area that Google has always surpassed in: privacy. G+ has the advantage of building on the outcomes of the Facebook trial. So its more secure and flexible to start with. Alongside, users not happy with the way they have built their network on Facebook will utilize this second chance to start afresh. Only time will tell whether the early bird will catch the worm, or the early worm will get caught.

It was not long ago that online social networking came into being. So majority of its users are the young or almost young. The concerns for privacy, ranging from cultural inhibitions to identity thefts, has not refrained Facebook users from wearing their hearts on their sleeves. On the other hand, geeks and net savvy users are more appreciative of Google's policies and strategies. While a few products like Buzz may have failed, it is such brand loyalty that led Apple Inc. to being the most admired and most valuable technology company.

G+ is not as viral. To contain privacy, it has done away with the 'wall' concept of Facebook. When you +1 an article/video, it does not show up in your friend's stream, for that you have to manually share it on your profile. You can not go to a friends profile and trace his activity on even common friends' posts. And then there is the option to limit circles for any post. Depending on the type of content, it may stir up enthusiasm when an unexpected friend or friend of friend puts in a comment. After the initial sign-up frenzy, few have stuck to posting on or checking G+.

Circles. Aim: connecting people...on the web as they connect in real life. However the default circles and the literature are really based on how you know a person rather than how comfortable you are with the person. To instigate that circles be formed on the 'source' of the relationship rather than its 'nature' seems rather lame. Of course the tool is there, but users need the right manuals. Humans are complex creatures and their ever-evolving relationships are even more complicated. It will surely be the next big step in AI to find a model capable (at least at a workable level) of replicating human relationships.

So far, almost all content on my G+ stream comprises of users sharing articles or videos available elsewhere on the web. While I prefer Google Reader to G+ Sparks, Hangouts and Huddle still seem to be waiting to be explored. So overall it is less of personal content and more of information sharing. Perhaps this is so only for me or people are still trying it out, or perhaps because the enthusiasts of this simplistic and creative online service giant are of a more serious disposition who want to have some value associated with their actions.

In politically correct terms, of course, G+ not only competes with Facebook, but combines it with Twitter, Skype, blog, instant messaging and all cyber interactions. Events, Groups and Pages are still missing but that may only be a matter of time- the official launch is still to come. While you can put all your eggs in one basket when its by Google, today's capitalism-friendly customer is likely to enjoy the availability of multiple options. So if I really had to predict, I would say that Facebook will remain for the young and frivolous, and G+ will be taken up by the more serious and aware user base. It is indeed paradoxical that a tool with more privacy control and flexibility is used more for sharing impersonal content, and vice versa.

Bypass Doctors At Home

2011-07-23T12:39:00.005-04:00

Summary:
My father had 4 blockages and was operated by Dr Jahangir Kabir of United Hospital.
1. Beating heart surgery was done but it should have been an open-heart surgery.
2. All 4 grafts made during the surgery malfunctioned. This was revealed 1.5 years later when the patient suffered another severe heart attack.
3.The surgeon in charge Dr Jahangir Kabir denied to attend to patient's post-operation complications.
4. Duty doctors and nurses in step down CCU could not handle any post operative problems.

In 2007, my father was diagnosed with multiple coronary blockages requiring urgent bypass surgery. This is the process of stitching up a new vessel (obtained from another part of the body) to create an additional route that “bypasses” the damaged vessel to reestablish normal blood flow for the particular channel of the heart. We got him admitted to United Hospital under Dr Jahagir Kabir, reputed to be the most successful heart surgeon in Bangladesh.

We were grateful that Dr Kabir agreed to do the operation on urgent basis where his normal schedule allowed dates after at least a month. He did charge double his usual fee though, as solution for solvent patients, as he put it. This was the last time we had anything to be grateful to the doctor for.

No one knows what goes on in the confines of the Operation Theater. After 6 hours in there, the doctor just said "it was a good operation" and walked away before we knew what else to ask. We learned later that Dr Kabir had (probably still has) a full schedule with 6 bypass surgeries per day – 3 in the morning, 3 in the evening. If this is the case, it only makes sense that the doctor does not himself attend to the patients during the surgery.

Abba was then shifted to step-down CCU and he soon gained consciousness. This would be the start of a long phase of suffering. CCU staff insisted on force-feeding the patient as the only treatment plan while he couldn't breathe. It did not make sense to me to accept this breathlessness as part of the normal recovery process as the nurses did. I chased around the duty doctor who checked the eyes and said it was potassium deficiency. Now I know how ridiculous that diagnosis was as heart patients commonly had breathing difficulties due to accumulation of fluid in lungs. But I was desperate for abba to get some relief and was hopeless when the nurse spent an hour to get the potassium tablet from their pharmacy. Nothing was improving and by the end of the day I was sure that this breathlessness could not be neglected any more. After such a major feat on the body where the rib cage is opened and joined back, a patient needed to be able to rest and eat to recover. So my husband Ryan went to the main doctor. Dr Kabir refused to see the patient saying "my work is done, patient had successful surgery".

It had to be an acquaintance at the United Board of Directors to personally request Dr Kabir to attend to the patient which eventually identified the fluid in the lungs and brought him some relief. A day later, we were told he had a rare unheard-of infection identified as “candiditis”. The doctors in charge admitted they had no idea what it was and how to cure it. The mind boggling “candiditis” was solved the next day by a CMH doctor prescribing drugs for this common hospital borne yeast infection. After 18 mayhem days, abba returned home. That was more or less the suffering for the time being. Little did we know that the seed for much more future distress and anguish were already sown. All the events described below would not have occurred otherwise.

One and half years later, almost out of the blue, abba suffered a most severe cardiac arrest and went into coma for 4 days. We had done the regular follow-ups 1 month and 6 months after the operation and no anomaly was detected by the doctors. Also, after a bypass surgery, the patient’s heart is as good as new and risk for an attack is minimal in next 15 years or so. So I was not concerned with abba's initial discomfort thinking it may be gastric problem. Luckily my sister Mihi who was with him at the moment took him to Apollo emergency where Dr Shams Munwar (Cardiologist) did his best to successfully revive him. Abba spent about a month in ICU, fighting his vital signs on a daily basis. My mother had to sign a fatal-risk-absolving bond to have angiogram done on him. An anxious wait finally revealed that the test was successful and result is: all four grafts placed during the previous bypass had collapsed and the patient requires a very sensitive re-operation with low odds of survival.

After much advice seeking, we decided to take him abroad. As luck would have it, India just had the 2008 Mumbai attacks and Thailand Suvarnabhumi airport was under the yellow shirt seize. So we had no option other than Singapore which was a financial stretch for us. In addition to logistics, taking a patient, an unstable one at that, out of our country is an experience only one who has been through it can empathize. Abba was not at all fit to travel by air; at least the doctors here would not give any such certificate which would have enabled me to arrange for a stretcher and a doctor to accompany him dring the flight. The general medication (NG inhaler) to revive heart function temporarily was not having any effect on him and it was not legal to buy/ carry morphine which was the only substitute. Desperate times called for desperate measures. So I too risked my father’s life - I just put him on a wheelchair and made him travel as a regular passenger.

Thanks to Parkway Healthcare Dhaka office for their sincere support, we successfully set up the critical re-bypass under Dr Saw Huat Seong at Mt. Elizabeth Hospital, Singapore within a few days. After a series of stabilization procedures and high-tech medical support for several days, he was ready for the surgery. During this time at one point his failing heart had to be revived on an urgent decision of installing a “balloon pump” inside the heart – and it was done in 30 minutes that included decision-making, having the doctors and staff coming in from a weekend holiday, setting up the OT and the procedure itself. Surprisingly no one asked to sign a bond, deposit a fee, get blood donors or wait while blood pressure and diabetics is under control. Finally it was an 8-hour long surgery ending with Dr Saw’s remark "What a mess inside, but we were able to fix it".

After the surgery, Ryan met with the doctor to learn more about the whole situation. Inside the OT Dr Saw had taken pictures of the heart vessels and previous grafts and cordially invited Ryan to a 1-hour long session describing what went wrong and what was fixed. It should be mentioned here that Dr Saw performs on average one bypass surgery per week and uses most of the time for teaching and research in his field.

It turned out that the previous operation was done using beating heart surgery method although the condition required an open heart surgery. In beating heart surgery, the grafting is done while the heart is beating and still in its place. This cheaper and faster method is used when one or two vessels need grafting and all are on the front part of the heart. The open-heart surgery, on the other hand, requires shutting off all heart functions by replacing them with a “heart-lung machine” which is operated by a highly skilled technician. It takes time to set up this “artificial heart” and costs a significant amount of the total procedure charge – often more than the surgery itself. Once the heart is immobile, it is raised from the rib cage to free up access to the vessels that need grafting. These are less profitable, consume more time and resource and occupy star surgeons for fewer projects.

Now two of the four blockages Abba had were at the back of the heart and still he underwent beating heart surgery. Scuffling, groping and tugging for vessels in a hurry underneath and around a moving heart had left all grafts damaged and in a 'mess'. The methodology applied for the first bypass at United is not mentioned in any of the reports we have been given; so we only have Dr Saw’s word for it.

Just for the contrast, let me state briefly the scenario at the ICU in Mt. Elizabeth where abba was put for 3 days for post-operative recovery. I was allowed to go in at any time and stay as long as I wanted. Doctor advised us to bring him some home cooked meal that would help his appetite.

It was sheer fate that pulled abba through the second heart attack. This attack had ceased oxygen supply to his brain causing the coma; it damaged major parts of his heart tissue reducing heart functions significantly (down to 30%) which remain so till today. Many patients in his situation do not survive and onlookers are left thinking about the divine force deciding life and death.

Much as I wanted then to sue the people who caused my father and my family such suffering, such a long harrowing experience had left me exhausted and I was only thankful that abba was alive. I did discuss with a few friends (journalist, lawyer) but no one was able to direct me to any constructive course of action. I resorted to only advising acquaintances not to go to United Hospital when their family member had a heart problem. The Facebook group Blacklist Doctors: Share your complains against doctors inspired me to recollect it and put it down in black and white, for whatever it is worth.

Also posted in my Facebook Notes.

Freedom of Facebooking

2011-03-12T01:36:00.023-05:00

Facebookers have matured over time. Thankfully the narcissistic @work/@home statuses and futile poking applications are on the verge of extinction. I read a post by a Facebook Product Manager that said people have four primary reasons for updating their status: to shape how others perceive them, to maintain and grow relationships, to share content that others might ﬁnd valuable, to source information. However, unemployed and nothing better to do, here is my impression of how people utilize freedom of speech on the Facebook social space.

The wise post long phrases, from songs, poems or their own musings. They are not bothered whether the monologue makes any sense or adds any value to the community whose walls it will populate. So it is okay if no one likes or comments, they keep on posting their lengthy philosophies of the day.

Then there are those whose cryptic status will invoke mystery in the reader. I can appreciate that not all statuses are meant for everybody, but I am confused whether it would be invading privacy to ask or rude not to ask anything when a friend just says he/she is upset or goes dot dot dot.

The nosy ones seldom have their own status updates, but they are always there with their timely likes and perfunctory wishes. They are true believers of knowledge is power.

The lazy ones keep on 'like'-ing, which could cover 'well said' to 'funny'. Facebook does not have a 'noted' or 'ditto' option, so do not be surprised when you get a like on a question or a sad news or on those mysterious dots. But some even go as far as liking their own status! I

The introvert-pretenders keep their accounts active but never communicate. For their friends, it is as good as them not having an account. Its is like that aunt who calls you up and hangs up the phone as soon as her prying questions end. It is equally annoying when someone has two accounts, and you do not which one to tag or invite. That's a price the community pays for a free service.

The spotlight seekers put up intimate feelings on their statuses. Many of them do not realize that they would never declare their love for their spouse in front of a 280 people gathering. Sure you love your spouse and child and mother. Perhaps the best way to let them know is to tell them face to face or maybe post on just their walls. Such a status compels the courteous friends to come up with equally coy responses, and these statuses become hit items.

The gullible hope copy pasting a sentimental status or clicking to join a cause makes a difference. I fear they do not often check out the details of the cause they are supporting. A quick search by a responsible netizen would break many a spam and hoax chain. I say, Google before you speak! It feels good to be making a difference and this is as easy as it gets. But to what end? Out here, it is not the thought that counts.

Many of these come together on special occasions like Eid or a cricket match win. Its customary but at the same time pretty boring when everyone is saying the same thing in as many words. When a thing has been said and well said, have no scruple; simply like it!

Creative people find uses that general people do not. Some use tagging to not only mark you in a photo but to make sure you do not miss any of their uploads. So if you do not want notifications for all the comments on their photo, give a little effort and remove your tag. Some use peculiar aliases and profile pictures, which by the way are meant to reflect their identity. Others use your friend list to broaden their social circle. Facebook should make a personal message for friend request mandatory, it will often help the receiver to identify a friend request.

Busy-bees, that's a vast majority, do not bother to check out any article or note shared by their learned friends. While facebooking is a leisure activity, it has tremendous potential as a information sharing tool. As for the sharer, it would perhaps help to have the content or at least the topic summarized in the 'say something' box. I recommend this for shared videos too, whose titles are mostly inane. Facebook here could make it easier to comment on a link that has opened in a new window. Another confusion arises when one shares an article with a disapproving note and a friend likes it. Facebook notification will say that your friend likes the link but it may as well be your criticism that has hit home.

There are of course no rules and guidelines to facebook usage. But we could do well to remember it is a social space, just like any other gathering where you go to have fun but at the same time try to be civil and engage in a healthy conversation. I fall back on the age old maxim - do not do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you.

The Easiest 4 Million Taka Scam

2011-02-14T08:34:00.018-05:00

About 1500 people bought tickets costing minimum Tk 2000 each to attend Ghulam Ali Night at Basundhara Convention Centre on Feb 10th, 2011. There were sponsors aplenty too. After only two songs by Ghulam Ali on a broken sound system, the guests were asked to have dinner while the technical issues were fixed. The diversion allowed the organizers to call in security forces and elope the premises, without any announcement or apology.

Only one daily Prothom Alo reported the mishap. There was no follow-up anywhere to bring the felons to light, even though the showdown involved such an international celebrity. The last major event, SRK Live, now seems far better with all their mismanagement. If there is no accountability, such scams will only grow. The involved parties should be contacted for an explanation if not a refund.

Perhaps the Pakistani Embassy could be contacted for their version of why Ghulam Ali left the stage and what went wrong.

The event was organized by Web Entertainment Ltd. Some googling revealed that they have arranged similar classical music events for Dhaka Club - Pandit Hariprasad Chaurasia, Oct 2009 and Ustad Amjad Ali Khan, Nov 2008. Their CEO is reported as SMN Islam James and a matching profile is on Facebook. The website listed http://www.welbd.com/ is currently down.

The Financial Mirror is named as the ‘Partner’ and you wonder what newspaper this day does not have a website. Their online presence is shady overall but Google Maps does give Dhanmondi address.

These organizers may in turn blame themselves for choosing The Mirror Media & Productions Ltd. to do the event management, though I am not sure about the separation of roles between these 3 entities. Anyhow, it is interesting that, according to BusyTrade.com, this is a sister concern of The Financial Mirror, located in the same building, and their website http://www.mirrormediabd.com/ is currently down too!

Police did their job in containing the disgruntled mob at the event venue. Now perhaps someone somewhere could try to bring some justice to the cheated audience.

Review :: Shahrukh Khan Live @ Army Stadium

2010-12-10T14:05:00.013-05:00

You may love him or love to hate him, but you cannot deny his mega-stardom! TIME magazine's 2010 TIME 100 Poll ranked him as the 13th most influential person in the world. In 2008, Newsweek named him one of the 50 most powerful people in the world. He was accorded the 'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres' by the French government for his 'exceptional career' in 2007. His statues have been installed in Madame Tussauds wax museum in London and New York, as well as in Grévin museum in Paris. The International Lunar Geographic Society honorarily christened a lunar crater after him. He is the brand ambassador for names like TAG Heuer, Nokia, Pepsi, Videocon, Airtel.

Shahrukh Khan is a global phenomenon. Hats off to Antar Showbiz for managing to bring a celebrity of this stature to our humble lackluster city. SRK Night at Army Stadium this Dec 10th was surely one of the biggest international events ever hosted in Bangladesh. Shahrukh's schedule and security seemed to be efficiently executed. However, the same cannot be said about the arrangement for audience.

To start with, ticket sale venues were not advertised well. Antar Showbiz was in controversy for not returning ticket prices the last time they tried to arrange SRK show but failed. This time, ticket prices and sale agents were announced very late. There were about a dozen events on Facebook and the largest one was created by some unrelated company called Off Track Events & Advertising. There was no published genuine source of information about the show. The Antar Showbiz website had the 'sit plan' but not many other useful details.

Not even the ticket mentioned the start or end time of the show. There was no conformity in the titles by which the show was referred to - a trivia that limits the expectation for the attention to details.

At the venue, finding out which entry line was for which gate was a challenge. There were no signboards, and volunteers and organizers were not able to help. There were no toilet facilities inside the stadium, and there were some 25000 people!

The stage was set at the long end when it would have made more sense to have the stage at the center of the elongated side. This would reduce the maximum distance to the stage and more people would have a closer view. And the stage needed to be at least elevated enough to have some view. One cannot blame the crowd for standing up to catch a glimpse of the stars as the stage was hardly viewable from seated position. No wonder even ‘ayeen-srinkhola protirokkha bahini’ members were seen standing on stacked chairs. You would think people with 20 years of event management experience would take these basic aspects into consideration.

The LCD TVs were not placed high enough either but then most of them were not working.

Neither the organizer chief Swapan Chowdhury nor the anchors had any scripts or anything worthwhile to say. We love getting on stage. So it's okay if a sponsor just wants to announce his juice brand or the organizer's personal family takes a bow. And the lady hostess, what was she saying or wearing? Did not find any glimpse of our culture in the show. Even the royal granddaughter did not find it unbecoming to get on stage with her boyfriend who appeared confused about what he does. Modesty would dictate she at least not publicly declare her political identity.

There was virtually no separation of the seating areas of different priced tickets. In addition, it seemed many people who did not really belong to the crowd entered the premises at the last moment. There was almost no checking and partial bamboo fences akin to cow hut were no good for keeping people in their place. How else can one explain the demeanor of the people who got on stage from the premium front rows?

No mention was made during the show of the celebrities who did not turn up, in spite of having their faces on the ticket - Kumar Biswajit being the prime example. The Facebook event above claimed Preity Zinta and the temptation crew. On the other hand, surprisingly there were no interviews of the star visitors even on media partner Boishakhi TV.

The real show did not start until 8 after being advised to go at 3. In the early hours, each performance (local artistes, hosts) had long boring gaps. That all changed once the Indian organizers took over. They did what the came to do, and did it well. Delivered 3 hours of non-stop well coordinated performances. The stars were overwhelmingly gallant in their effort to connect with the audience, speaking our language and talking our talk.

Service is not Bangladeshi businesses' forte and we as customers are accustomed to making do with whatever is offered. But the fatal let down of the show was of course not being able to view the stage even from the area of gold (Tk. 10,000/=) tickets. This led to random rowdiness and some chaos. It was sheer luck that things did not go out of control. God is surely with us. The show sidestepped any major mishap, just like 'Sonar Bangla' sidesteps becoming unlivable despite all ingredients there to make it so.

The Daily star reports King of Bollywood entertains Dhaka.
Prothom Alo puts the event news on the last page - Surely this was not such a small event. Mahabub Morshed analyses on Facebook.
Review of a TV viewer : In transit: from fun to folly.
NDTV , Bollywood Hungama and the likes are reporting the BD-SRK event apparently based on some opinionated and sensationalized online sources like Weekly Blitz-Shahrukh Khan's vulgar show in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Guardian-Delhi’s cultural expansionism. It's all so sad. We made a fool of ourselves on stage, our hospitality took a backseat at the chance of scandalizing the guests, and the fundamentalist in many is awoken in different forms.

Just Another Mugging Event

2010-11-13T12:59:00.011-05:00

Ryan and I were returning home by rickshaw at around 10:30pm yesterday (Fri Nov 12). We had just got on to our road #95, taking right turn after the lane behind Dhali at Gulshan 2 DCC market. Suddenly a car (private) stopped infront of us. 1 man stopped the rickshaw on my side and two others came to Ryan's side. There may have been a couple more. They asked for our belongings and we obliged. They took my purse, Ryan's wallet and mobile and checked my neck for chain which I didn't have. They were not too organized/calm in the sense that they kept asking one another whether specific items were taken. One man searched Ryan's pocket. In less than a minute, they had all they wanted and returned Ryan's key and asked the rickshaw to pull on straight ahead. I wanted to ask for my key set but they were warning then that they will shoot if we stop or turn.

I think it was a silver car but Ryan says it could have ben a white one. We do not know the model. I feel queasy relating event of a rickshaw passengers being robbed by car owners, but hey truth is stranger than fiction! They were probably residents of the same area, trying to get some extra pocket money before Eid. I say this because they did not sound uneducated or unpolished.

It was just about 15 to 20 yards from our apartment gate. So we got down from the rickshaw at the gate of our apartment. Ryan for the first time noticed that the trouser was ripped by a cut. Who knows why they did this in spite of our compliance - they panicked or wanted to make sure we did not cause any aftermath or may be just for the heck of it.

Felt very lost with no phone, no memorized numbers and no money. Did not want to wake parents with such a news at that late hour. God bless the hijackers for at least returning Ryan's keys (no one else was at home). I went up to collect some cash and any phone number. Luckily my 3 year old phone book was in my bedside drawer. With that we started for Apollo in neighbor's car.

In the hospital, they bandaged the cut first as the only available surgeon was attending another patient. The cut was about 3 inch in length and half inch deep, on the outer side of the left thigh. Only muscle, no major damage. About an hour later Ryan came out of procedure room with two layer of stitches. Dont know the inner layer count; 7 on the top layer with the non-biodegradable thread that will need to be cut later.

While paying the bill, I found the cash I had was not enough and there was no way to arrange to pay the bill later although we are registered card holders of the hospital. Our friend Bappi cleared the bill and gave us a lift back home. Oh and also had to arrange trousers for Ryan in this late hour and shocked state. Hospitals should have some necessities available for sale.

I went to Gulshan thana today evening to file a General Diary stating the hijacking. The first officer said there were hundreds of such cases everyday so it was no use reporting. On my insistence, another officer explained that its against the law!! To report any crime, one has to file an FIR (First Information Report) for a case instead of a GD, and that too only if the OC approves. So thinking now whether it would be wise to get into any legal hassle. After all, today Khaleda Zia too complained about the state of law enforcement that threw her out of her cantonment residence!

Ryan can walk and move. He has been advised not to take too much stress (go out) until the stitches are cut 2 weeks later. 2 antibiotics have been advised only.

Ryan got his sim replaced today by his office. I will try to get mine soon. Need to buy mobile sets too and change locks. Tomorrow is hartal and after that there are Eid holidays. That might delay things but gives us sometime to recover the shock.

Update on 22nd Nov
My cell phone set record has not been good of late. Sony Ericsson K810i motherboard malfunctioned soon after the 1 year warranty coverage. Got a Nokia 6124 classic (vodafone edition) which got bag-lifted from Gausia on Aug 4 this year. Fed up with Aktel customer service and unsure of what changes Robi will bring, decided to change the number/provider as well. Hence got rid of the 01819293921 number that I have been using since late 2001. And wanted to stick to Nokia so got the feature rich E66. It turned out to be very convenient for me with the Ovi store and with Wi-Fi at home.

After this mugging event, I thought I will buy a second hand E66 so that it has all features but costs less. So I checked online- clickbd and cellbazaar- and found quite a few. At first wanted to go for the black version but then thought better to stick to the silver one. So Ryan started contacting sellers - one was in Jatrabari which is too far, one or two more had their cell phone off and another was already sold. On Monday, found a new sale posting and planned to meet the seller the same day evening to buy it. Met in Dhanmondi Helvetia, Sumon was with us. As soon as the seller showed us the set, I knew it was mine, with the top of the screen protector cut at an angle and a corner coming off. Of course the display customizations were reset and all data (and memory card) removed. The seller said that this set was left behind by this brother who moved to England and also box/papers were lost when they shifted house. Considering it risky to get involved with such people or show them that we suspect anything, paid him his asking price and bought back the set for Tk 6,800! After that checked IMEI number (unique ID of cell phone) and it matched...small world!!

Later found that many sellers in these online buy-sell sites are selling multiple mobile sets within a short span of time. Very suspicious. And if police wanted to, they could easily make life for stolen mobile dealers difficult by tracking IMEI number.

Sat Nov 27 : Ryan's stitches are cut.

It's A Barbie World

2010-10-13T21:16:00.056-04:00

Corrupt politicians, freeloading businessmen, bribe takers, drug dealers, smugglers, murderers, fanatics and psychopaths all came into this world as innocent guileless newborns. Same is true for those meddling relatives, obnoxious neighbors and egotistical colleagues. Why then do we all see a child as God's blessing?

It is blood line and legacy that perhaps play the most important role in the motivation for parenthood. The love for immortality makes us want to have our name carried forward in this world even when we have returned to earth form. It just does not give us fulfillment enough to take responsibility of one of the millions of impoverished children out there. It is only okay to adopt when you cannot have one due to medical reasons.

There are other reasons like ...having a child in the house! It is a source of joy and charm. It gives you a purpose in life. It is also assumed to strengthen the family bond, turning a couple into a family. Having children increases your self-esteem. Toothless smiles and cooing grandmothers add to societal acceptance. An adult offspring provides social and emotional support in old age. And thus the parents chose to bring people into this dangerous world knowing that he/she will suffer numerous illness, defeats, injuries, disappointments, physical and emotional pain, and not knowing what fate has in store.

Raising a child is not a science. There is no right or wrong way, and yet almost every breath you take has a decision that affects the development of your little one. Do you pamper him or do you try to preach austerity? Do you shelter him from the evils of the world or do you prepare him to fight? How do you instill conflicting traits of sharing and competitiveness, and that of ambition versus being content with what one has?How is the toy demanded not affordable when you get to buy your choice gadget or plan a tour? Is it fair to tag the child along in the tour he is rather suffering or is it better that you go off alone? Do you force feed him in these growing years or do you tap his independence by giving food only when he asks for it? Do you prefer discipline over patience and deal errant behaviors strictly or do you try to develop his reasoning power? How do you convey that the restrictions and deprivations you are imposing are for a greater good and do not make him an outcast? Are you able to explain the differences in cultures without being racist? How do you instill religious values and bring up a secular being? There is no distinctive line of balance. You weigh your experiences and prejudices and impose what you think is best on the little one who has nowhere else to turn to. And here in lies the immense sense of power and control that is a vital part of parental satisfaction. Life gives meaning to life.

To thrive in ever civilizing world with polluted air, contaminated water and adulterated food, raising an infant is more than a full-time job. In addition, one needs to be conscious of the child's psychological impacts of one's own behavior and also deal with the likes of Nature Deficit Disorder. Gone are the days when a child would grow up with dozens of siblings and cousins without much individual attention. So often the mother gives up her job and hobbies to meet the needs of the baby. Time for herself may be limited to shower times and she tries to take in stride the dwindling conjugal romance. And the father toils longer hours to meet the financial demands of the family. He tries to juggle between his own recreation, career, duty to parents and responsibilities for children. Life is full of choices and you feel mighty important.

You do complain about the sacrifices, the sleeplessness and the constant demands. Still you plan for a second child and advice newlyweds to embrace parenthood. Two children in a family after all does not add to the over population of our country or the worldwide resource shortage, neither does it add to carbon footprint. There are 4 births each second of every day, with less than 2 corresponding deaths. So it does not help either, but nature can fight its own battle with global warming, earthquakes, pandemics and homosexuality.

Next comes schooling. Schooling nowadays start very early in a child’s life, and he has gone to school for 4 long years already before he is in a proper class 1. You try to pick the best school that is conveniently located. Judging a school is hard but if you really looked into the quality of teachers and administration, you might be disappointed with most. It is after all a business in a capitalist world.

The busy schedule flies, and soon your child steps into adolescence bringing for you fresh challenges of coping with newer trends and of bridging the generation gap. A lucky few offspring have opportunities to go to a different city or country for higher education. Additional few go away for jobs and suddenly you do not have much to do anymore, a void in your middle ages. The dilemma for you is whether to let go and allow them to build a prosperous career for themselves or seek their company back at home and reap returns of the sacrifices... you chose. There are selfish reasons to unconditional love.

Either way, the cycle continues with the 'settling down' of the next generation. The mental set is so prevalent that whatever your own outcome of life and your interpretation of the human race, you are happy you have done the right and religious thing. This is only more transparent in lower classes. All the maids that have worked in your households have been stranded by their husbands and they now struggle to feed 3 to 5 kids. Not having enough to eat themselves, they somehow manage dowry to marry off the girls among the kids. Soon this daughter too is likely to be physically and financially violated, and ultimately left to take care of the children she has borne in the meantime. Still, one has to do what one has to, and the mother toils to arrange the next daughter's marriage to comply with society and complete her worldly duties. The middle and upper classes have additional complications of expectations and ambitions. No amount of honest savings is really enough for your health emergencies and your child's education. You always aim higher, and the tension and stress causes you a heart attack or cancer eating up your life long savings.

Women of course have their own bundle of complexes. The male dominated society tend to leave them manipulative and egocentric. A child specially if it is a son gives the wife a sense of belonging in the adopted family. The girl that once played with plastic dolls now has a flesh and blood one. She builds her life around him, doting on him and catering to his needs and whims. Selfless as she is, the mother finds it hard to let go once the son grows up and marries. The new wife now struggles to make a place for herself. Although she was told often enough that she may do her own thing in her own family, she will wait her turn to be mother-in-law to get the authority to do what she pleases. Sadly by then she too is infected with the contagious its-your-turn-to-repay-sacrifices syndrome that often rub on to her daughters who are themselves wives in other similar households. Generation after generation of even educated women are the greatest barriers to happiness for the new women members of their family.

Man is born free and gets to live only once. Still, he forms societies with norms, puts blind faith in centuries old text of unknown origin, and follows the tried and tested path in the course of life.

Bibliography:

OptumHealth - Pros And Cons Of Having A Baby
Licensing Parents by Hugh LaFollette
Do I Have What It Takes To Be A Parent
Parenting The Positive Way
Better Never to Have Been: The Harm of Coming into Existence by David Benatar.
The Voluntary Human Extinction Movement - BIOLOGY AND BREEDING
CBC Canada - Hyper Parents & Coddled Kids
How to make peace with your mother-in-law
"Tug of War": Dialectical Tensions within the Mother-in-Law/Daughter-in-Law Dyad--A Qualitative Analysis
WebMD - Kids Often Depress Parents
Population - The Last Taboo
Synopsis of The Population Bomb by Paul Ehrlich
No to Children, Yes to Childfreedom blog - The Many Forms and Expressions of Pronatalism
Laura Carroll blog - Oprah Finally Talks About No Kids
The Childfree Life - Links for Surfing Childfree

Review :: Mermaid Eco Resort

2010-09-27T08:05:00.020-04:00

Good Concept But Bad Execution

The definition of eco-cottage may be blurry but common sense leads one to expect affordable nature tourism with non-cement cottages and located in a natural jungle, park or plantation. It must as well help and promote the local people and their culture.

Now the Mermaid Eco-Resort (near Inani, Cox's Bazar) has bamboo huts and is located on piece of land surrounded by canals. Although the huts are carelessly (not well finished) made of bamboo, the doors and other interior and exterior decor is varied and mismatching. And surely all the logs used in making the bridges on the inner swamps hamper the ecosystem there. There are overgrown plantations and weeds that made the place too clumsy.

Instead of protecting and promoting local culture, the restaurants boast of not serving 'desi' food. You cannot even get a green coconut on this beach side resort. On the other hand, many 'foreign' things advertised on boards and menus are not 'yet' available. And music played from sound sytem in the cafes was...lets say not too eco-sounding.

Then there is the money aspect. The rooms could have been cheaper. As the location is a bit far from the city, you better take your own car other wise you'll have to hire CNGs at Tk 300 per hour. And drive the car yourself too as there is no cheaper living option for drivers. Food quality and price was the most scathing. Even the non-desi items served did not meet taste and quantity standards. Had to go to nearby Radiant resort to enjoy full stomach meals at quarter of the price.

Most importantly, in Cox's Bazar I want easy access to beach. One has to cross a canal by a dangerously small boat (100 taka per person) to go to the beach . I must mention that the beach there is awesome. So it hurts more that you may not, say, hang out by the beach at night or go for a quick knee dip. You cannot see or hear the beach from any of the rooms.

Its green-washing or government gives some tax benefits to eco-cottages.Or both.

[This review is also available on tripadvisor.]

CNG 3 wheelers – Demand and supply

2010-06-07T19:34:00.004-04:00

Thanks to Muhammad Eusha for putting the effort to figure out the cause of the unreasonable fares demanded by the CNG 3 wheeler drivers (June 6, 2010 edition of Star Campus). The lack of hire-able transport causes immense suffering to most of us indeed. However, while interviewing the CNG 3 wheeler drivers is a good place to start, it will undoubtedly give a one-sided view. Hence I would like to add a couple of dimensions to the case, admittedly based on assumptions.

What is the cost price of a CNG 3 wheeler (henceforth referred to as just CNG) ? Last I heard it was 7 lacs. Once this may have been the monopoly business of our future PM, but the price has kept escalating even after the new government came in. Excluding garage, maintenance and repair charges, this leaves the owner with an annual profit of 15.6% at the rate fixed by the government (considering 1 off day per week). This is not likely to make much business sense to an investor.

Often we are hard pressed to find a CNG willing to go to destinations of our choice, fare aside. This can only be explained by the demand-supply model: there are more passengers in need of a ride than there are CNGs. Otherwise the drivers' high demands would not be met. In my experience CNG drivers charge an average of Tk 120 per trip that takes them about an hour. Now if they work 10 hours a day, utilizing 100 Tk worth of gas and pay the vehicle owners Tk 600, they are still left with a earning of Tk 500 per day, which should be a decent enough amount for their living. What really then tilts the equation in the CNG drivers favor is the condition of public busses as well as the shared short distance trips passengers are forced to take due to unplanned banning of rickshaws on crucial link roads. For example, a CNG carrying 4 passenger will earn a minimum of Tk 80 on a round trip on Kemal Ataturk Avenue. This makes the CNG driver even less willing to take longer passenger-customized routes.

If the government cared at all for the general car-less class of people wanting to lead a barely decent life, it could introduce large number of cheaper CNGs. Whilst our neighbors have the Tata Nano, can we not manufacture CNGs that cost 1 lac? Having enough CNGs on the road will ensure that competition brings down the fares as well as the owner fees. Oh, how wonderful it will be to bargain with a CNG driver that the fare will be Tk 10 less than the meter!