Big Tech is now seen as predatory in Silicon Valley

the Dem - Big Tech nexus is not delivering for the people. several I know have moved out. from the San Jose Mercury News. 

Zero TV Homes

There are 5 million 'Zero TV' homes in the U.S., up from 2 million in 2007. 'When I have a TV, I'm less in control of my day.'

AP: Broadcasters worry about 'Zero TV' homes

GOI proposal: lower age of consent to 16!

Stunning choice for the government of a third world country with a largely under-nourished population of
1.2 billion and growing.

What next? Ban contraception because the Vatican frowns on it?

Or lower the age of "consent" to
9 - in conformance with certain scriptures and in emulation of certain countries in West Asia?

This is rather too "liberal" even by "progressive" western standards. Even fundamentalist
American evangelicals advocate
"abstinence", on paper.

16 is an age when children should be pursuing their education, not procreating.

This is a deliberate assault on
national character intended to destroy what little moral fiber remains.

http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_govt-proposes-to-lower-age-for-consensual-sex-from-18-to-16_1807712


The government has proposed to lower the age for consensual sex from 18 to 16 and reintroduce the word 'rape' instead of 'sexual assault' in the new criminal law amendment bill.

Saving House Sparrows

An increasing number of ‘apartment people’ across cities in India are taking to nurturing house sparrows in their balconies turning the otherwise bald, bird-less urban landscape into an oasis of winged visitors.

The Hindu: Creating an oasis for the tiny winged visitors

After Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, who?

Recall Mufti Mohammed Sayeed, a "peaceful" leader from the valley of Kashmir who had the distinction of being the first Moslem to serve as the Union Home minister of India - courtesy, the arch traitor V.P Singh (curse be upon him), an actual descendant of Jaichand, the traitor (curse be upon him) who betrayed Prithviraj Chauhan and the motherland to
an early Jihadi invader, Mohammad Ghauri.

Mufti's sole achievement in his tenure as Union Home minister was to stage manage the "abduction" of his daughter, Rubaiya Sayeed and release several dangerous Jihadi terrorists as her ransom - terrorists who had been captured alive at great cost, in men and material.

As if on cue, the Pakistani Taliban, with great alacrity have threatened to attack the alleged "BJP & RSS terrorist camps" in India!!!

The Home minister's propaganda is now directly threatening national security. He should be held personally culpable for any Jihadi attacks on Indian soil, from this poin onwards. The head honchos of the UPA regime are liable of wilful endangerment of the security of Indian citizens by tolerating, indeed actively encouraging this vile propaganda on behalf of the Lashkar E Taiba emanating from the precincts of the Indian Home ministry!!!!

This would be equivalent to U.S Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton denouncing the Republicans as "Christian terrorists" and inviting Al Qaeda to strike at them on U.S. soil!!!

Except, such an outrageous statement would not have been issued in any other self respecting nation - including by confused American "liberals". It is inconceivable, except in Nehruvian Stalinist India!!

Pakistani Taliban vows to strike at "BJP terror camps"
in India

http://m.risingkashmir.in/news/pak-taliban-vows-to-strike-at-%E2%80%98bjp-terror-campsacute-in-india-40578.aspx

"Agencies
Peshawar, Jan 24: The Pakistani Taliban will carry attacks in Kashmir if the UN bodies and the US fail to stop the “BJP-sponsored state terrorism” against Muslims in the region, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan said Thursday.
“Indian Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde's statement regarding BJP-backed terrors camps is an open confession that Hindu extremists are being patronized under the state's authority for killing innocent Kashmiri Muslims,” The Dawn reported.
Ehsan said the US and the UN should also order drone strikes and coalition troops invasion to target these terror camps.
He said that if the US and the UN does not take action against BJP and RSS terrorism against Muslims in India, then TTP would "take care" of it.
"

Do we now have India's 2nd Moslem Home minister? In addition to his recent preposterous allegations of
"Hindu terrorism", providing grist to Pakistan's propaganda - some of his recent statements may provide a clue to his reality.
Judge for yourself:

http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-10-13/india/34431008_1_hazratbal-shrine-sushilkumar-shinde-home-minister

Was my childhood desire to pray at Hazratbal: Shinde
IANS Oct 13, 2012, 06.24PM IST

SRINAGAR: Union home minister Sushilkumar Shinde said Saturday it was his childhood desire to pray at the Hazratbal shrine, but it came about so that his wish was fulfilled only after taking over as the country's home minister.

Talking to reporters outside the Hazratbal shrine where he went with Kashmir's Minister of Home Nasir Aslam Wani and union Home Secretary R.K. Singh, Shinde said: "As a child it was my desire to come and pray at the Hazratbal shrine. I have been coming to Kashmir since 1980, but God so ordained that I should visit the shrine only after taking over the country's home minister."

'Envy Spiral' From Social Media

A new study finds that there’s another element to social media’s growing list of negative effects: A “spiral” of envy that develops when you see your Facebook friends excelling or enjoying life in ways that you aren’t. The good news is you’re not alone in your bitterness. The bad news is that the solution (aside from shutting down your account) isn’t entirely straightforward.

Forbes: Why Social Media Makes Us Bitter

Connected or Addicted?

India ranks ahead of the rest of the world when it comes to their Gen Y’s addiction to technology and smart devices. While globally, 60 per cent of Gen Y subconsciously or compulsively checking their smartphones for emails, texts or social media updates, 70 per cent of respondents in India compulsively check their smartphones for updates. Of those, 42 per cent said they would feel anxious if they couldn't check their smartphones.

thinkdigit: Indian Gen Y obsessively connected to smartphone

Karnataka Villagers Rescue Tiger

The Wildlife Conservation Society has commended the village of Nidugumba in Karnataka for saving an injured tiger that became entangled in barbed wire.The villagers prevented the tiger from being harassed until forest rangers and veterinarians arrived and freed the cat.

"Too often, in situations involving a large predator that is accidentally cornered in human-dominated landscapes, people can swiftly form mobs and attack the animal as well as impede forest officials handling the situation," Ullas Karanth, WCS Director for Science - Asia, said.

UPI: Indian villagers help in tiger rescue

Trafficked Maids To Order

As more Indian women go out to work, the voracious demand for maids has outstripped supply. This is fuelling a business that, in large part, thrives on human trafficking by unregulated placement agencies.

With a commission fee of up to 30,000 rupees and a maids' monthly salary of up to 5,000 rupees, an agency can make more than $1,500 annually for each girl, say anti-trafficking groups.

Trafficked maids to order: The darker side of richer India

Epileptic Bollywood Shocks Polish Guy

"The India I had in mind was entirely different from the India I saw. I thought India was a spiritual country. I became a poet after reading Rabindranath Tagore, when I was in college. But when I came here and saw the cultural expressions like cinema, I felt miserable. People in those films were behaving as if they have delirious convulsions. In the name of dancing, the people are seen behaving as if under the grip of a convulsive disease."

ToI: India shocks Polish director

Not Every Team Needs Cheerleaders

There are six teams in the NFL that don't have cheerleaders: the Bears, Browns, Giants, Lions, Packers and Steelers. Those franchises have won four of the last six Super Bowls and have made up half of the Super Bowl participants during that span.

WSJ: Not Every Team Needs Cheerleaders

The Crackdown

Regarding the brutal crackdown on Baba Ramdev and his supporters at the behest of Sonia Gandhi, it's so predictable to see the Congress suddenly calling him a "mask" for the RSS. You could be Sonia Gandhi's live-in giggolo and nobody will say a thing, but the moment she has a tiff with you, then you'll be called an RSS Pracharak. If BJP had been a political threat to the Congress during the 80s, then Operation Bluestar would have been called "Operation Stop RSS"

As an atheist and a rationalist, I don't really put any faith in holy men, but Ramdev was a pretty rich guy who could have gone on living a luxurious life without any problems, and yet he decided to take on the ruling powers-that-be over the vital all-concerning issue of corruption, which is to his credit.

The longer the Congress stays in power, the more addicted they become to all the bribes and jizya they collect, and the more desperate they become to retain power by all available means. India complains that Pakistan's ISI behaves like a "state within a state", but meanwhile in India it's the Congress Party which is the "state within a state". It's inevitable that these greedy crooks will eventually impose another Emergency, or a de facto One Party state.

The reason the Congress kleptocracy is so aggressively defending its black money is because this is its bread-and-butter and raison d'etre. Without black money, how can they twist the Indian democratic system towards their own selfish ends? Without that black money, then all their rats would desert their sinking ship.

Public Journalism, Civic Action

I came across this Youtube video piece by a group calling itself "Video Volunteers":




We really need to promote public journalism by ordinary people, to improve civic action.

The biggest corruption scams may be at the state and federal levels, but the most common routine corruption is at the local level.

Sure, everybody complains about corruption, but documenting it is the best way to really put the guilty on the spot and in the spotlight.

The corrupt ruling party and their rentable media mercenaries have gotten a free ride with their "India Shining" mantra, but if enough public journalism can put their lies to shame, then it will significantly curtail their latitude to commit excesses.

We may talk about the potential for cellphone-led Jasmine revolutions in China nextdoor, but if we can put our own house in order, we'll be much better off for it.

Bill Krystol and Bob Kagan on India-US Relations

Robert Kagan and William Krystol, along with Ashley Tellis, come to speak in India on Indo-US relations:

Democracy Down the TOI-let

The TOI-let paper has suddenly started questioning Hari Prasad's motives in investigating the potential fraud in EVMs. They're claiming that he's a tool for corporate interests who want to push their own brand of voting machines. Pathetic.

Gene-Modded Corn Damaged Rat Livers, Kidneys

A version of genetically-modified corn by Monsanto has been found to have caused damage to the livers and kidneys of rats. India uses quite a lot of genetically-modified crops, and so hopefully appropriate safeguards will be kept, before the inevitable agricultural Bhopal disaster happens due to carelessness, with the food supply being contaminated.

Remember, Remember, the 26th of November...

... Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder, treason
Should ever be forgot...

Out-gunned

Take a look at this BBC article. It features a video (which is only viewable in IE, I can't get it to view in Firefox)

Here you see a couple of local police constables taking on the terrorists. These policemen were heavily outgunned - they only had a single WW2-era .303 Enfield single-shot rifle between them, while the terrorist had a fully automatic AK-57 or H&K MP6.

It was very courageous and heroic of them to do that, instead of running away.

Black Cat Relates Events

Wounded NSG commando describes the progression of events during the Taj Hotel siege.
Gee, these guys have a really tough job. We should find a way to set up some kind of Relief fund for them, and for relatives of slain servicemen. We could link it to PayPal, etc. It's the least we couch potatoes could do for people who stick out their necks like this. Not sure how one can get some kind of useful accreditation though, so that people don't think it's a scam.

4000-Crore Election Bribe -- Er, Anti-Inflation Fund

What a bunch of idiots. No, not idiots -- corrupt thieves. They're now so desperate to save their miserable asses, that they're going to completely wreck the economy with some ridiculous stunt like this. No, not a stunt -- an absolutely insane fantasy that rivals the Bush admin's sub-prime housing market scam. There is absolutely no way to fight inflation by flooding the market with cheap money. That's like taking bigger doses of alcohol and drugs to drown out your body's signs of physical distress. If the public are stupid enough to vote for such madness, then they deserve their fate.