Monday, March 22, 2010
Health Care Legislation is finally a reality
United States President Barack Obama scored a major triumph when his health care reform legislation passed the Senate by a 219-212 vote. Congrats to Obama and those who helped him pass his signature legislation. After all the bad news on the economy front, I hope this will bring some cheer to the millions of uninsured Americans and mostly the Obama Administration.
"Life, Liberty and the pursuit of happiness" This sentence has been called "one of the best-known sentences in the English language" and "the most potent and consequential words in American history".
This sentence also forms the bedrock through which the constitution of the United States has been interpreted and lastly came to represent for many people a moral standard for which the United States should strive.
Now why am I saying all this. I watched the movie "Green Zone" today. The movie gives a deep insight as to what ails the decision making in the United States. What better example than the Iraq war fought by the Obama's predecessor the Bush administration. It raises some disturbing questions for which there are no easy answers.
So when George Bush by an executive order attacks Iraq looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and then pumps his fist in the air on board an USS navy ship uttering those famously infamous words "Mission Accomplished" What exactly did his mission accomplish?
In Green Zone, Matt Damon plays the role of the chief warrant officer (CWO) Roy Miller with the US Army who returns empty handed each time he raids the supposed WMD sites based on actionable intel that is given to him. Miller is flabbergasted as to how can the intelligence go wrong each time or there is something which more than meets the eye.
Even reputed newspapers like "The New York Times" have their credibility stained when their reporter just publishes the news articles about WMD without verifying the source just because it was handed to her by a senior US Administration official.
I haven't seen "Hurt Locker" however this movie really does make you think about the sequence of events that led to the Iraq war. Were the US public misled by their President that the United States was justified in attacking Iraq.
"Liberty" maybe one of the founding principles of the US constitution but what is the US really doing to promote it in other parts of the world.
It still remains cosy with military in Pakistan turning a blind eye in lieu for its co-operation in the so called War on Terror. Its pally with Saudi Arabia and China. One is a monarchy and the other is a communist country with a terrible human rights record. Not to forget about the junta in Myanmar which has been holding Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for so many years.
I have been a fan of Matt Damon's Bourne series. This movie comes from the same Director Paul Greengrass. The storyline is credible, action scenes are taut, the witty dialogues and overall the message. My favorites:
Sergeant: "We are here to do our job, reasons don't matter".
Roy Miller's response: "It matters to me".
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence)
(Image courtesy: http://www.startribune.com/photos/?c=y&img=1greenzone0321.jpg)
This sentence also forms the bedrock through which the constitution of the United States has been interpreted and lastly came to represent for many people a moral standard for which the United States should strive.
Now why am I saying all this. I watched the movie "Green Zone" today. The movie gives a deep insight as to what ails the decision making in the United States. What better example than the Iraq war fought by the Obama's predecessor the Bush administration. It raises some disturbing questions for which there are no easy answers.
So when George Bush by an executive order attacks Iraq looking for Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD) and then pumps his fist in the air on board an USS navy ship uttering those famously infamous words "Mission Accomplished" What exactly did his mission accomplish?
In Green Zone, Matt Damon plays the role of the chief warrant officer (CWO) Roy Miller with the US Army who returns empty handed each time he raids the supposed WMD sites based on actionable intel that is given to him. Miller is flabbergasted as to how can the intelligence go wrong each time or there is something which more than meets the eye.
Even reputed newspapers like "The New York Times" have their credibility stained when their reporter just publishes the news articles about WMD without verifying the source just because it was handed to her by a senior US Administration official.
I haven't seen "Hurt Locker" however this movie really does make you think about the sequence of events that led to the Iraq war. Were the US public misled by their President that the United States was justified in attacking Iraq.
"Liberty" maybe one of the founding principles of the US constitution but what is the US really doing to promote it in other parts of the world.
It still remains cosy with military in Pakistan turning a blind eye in lieu for its co-operation in the so called War on Terror. Its pally with Saudi Arabia and China. One is a monarchy and the other is a communist country with a terrible human rights record. Not to forget about the junta in Myanmar which has been holding Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi under house arrest for so many years.
I have been a fan of Matt Damon's Bourne series. This movie comes from the same Director Paul Greengrass. The storyline is credible, action scenes are taut, the witty dialogues and overall the message. My favorites:
Sergeant: "We are here to do our job, reasons don't matter".
Roy Miller's response: "It matters to me".
(Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Declaration_of_Independence)
(Image courtesy: http://www.startribune.com/photos/?c=y&img=1greenzone0321.jpg)
Thursday, March 18, 2010
When I woke up today morning the first thing I wanted to be sure was whether I had suffered another bug attack. Let me rewind. As I sleep on the floor with a blanket, I guess bug(s) would have crawled up and then bitten me on my forehead. That was the day before. Now fast forward to 17th morning which also happens to be my birthday and thankfully there was no bug attack. I was happy and thought that was my birthday gift :)
So I am a year older today. And as always its time to look back, pause for a moment and think about the distance I have covered since the time I was born till the present day. Distributing chocolates on the occasion of my birthday has always been a tradition for me right from my school. How can today be any different even though now I am dealing with grown-ups :) The birthday cake was a pleasant surprise for me @ work, thanks to my colleague and friend Prashanth.
At home my flatmates had another cake party for me. This whole thing makes me feel why should birthdays be celebrated only once in a year :( Anywayz I treated my flatmates to a dinner at a nearby restaurant. My diet went for a toss. There was a sad feeling when I was returning home that finally all good things must come to an end. Tomorrow it's back to work :(
So I am a year older today. And as always its time to look back, pause for a moment and think about the distance I have covered since the time I was born till the present day. Distributing chocolates on the occasion of my birthday has always been a tradition for me right from my school. How can today be any different even though now I am dealing with grown-ups :) The birthday cake was a pleasant surprise for me @ work, thanks to my colleague and friend Prashanth.
At home my flatmates had another cake party for me. This whole thing makes me feel why should birthdays be celebrated only once in a year :( Anywayz I treated my flatmates to a dinner at a nearby restaurant. My diet went for a toss. There was a sad feeling when I was returning home that finally all good things must come to an end. Tomorrow it's back to work :(
Monday, March 08, 2010
Another weekend has gone by. If I were in India, I would have shopped for groceries or caught up with a latest movie with my family. Here in Concord, California, it's the same routine, except for a difference I am alone.
Sometimes the boredom gets to you. But I have some winged friends here. I am talking about the ducks which swim in the lake right opposite our apartment. In the stillness of night and at the crack of dawn I can hear the sounds of the ducks. It was a rare sight in the balcony yesterday, when I spotted two sparrows.
I was amazed because in my home town i.e. Hyderabad, sparrows are no longer seen. You miss them. I guess other cities such as Mumbai also have the same problem. This is due to the massive urbanization which has led to the extinction of many species apart from the greenery and sparrow was just but one casualty. (Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Sparrows-no-longer-chirp-in-city/articleshow/5720959.cms)
So looking at the Sparrows, I was happy that they are safer here at least for the time being.
(Image courtesy: http://buildyourownbirdhouseplans.com/images/2008HouseSparrow.jpg)
Sometimes the boredom gets to you. But I have some winged friends here. I am talking about the ducks which swim in the lake right opposite our apartment. In the stillness of night and at the crack of dawn I can hear the sounds of the ducks. It was a rare sight in the balcony yesterday, when I spotted two sparrows.
I was amazed because in my home town i.e. Hyderabad, sparrows are no longer seen. You miss them. I guess other cities such as Mumbai also have the same problem. This is due to the massive urbanization which has led to the extinction of many species apart from the greenery and sparrow was just but one casualty. (Source: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hyderabad/Sparrows-no-longer-chirp-in-city/articleshow/5720959.cms)
So looking at the Sparrows, I was happy that they are safer here at least for the time being.
(Image courtesy: http://buildyourownbirdhouseplans.com/images/2008HouseSparrow.jpg)
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