Some people having fun with books

Dalai Lama is the Taliban Political Guide

Thanks for this, John, lol. I think the Italians need to invest in some english translation skills, lol.

from here.

TIBET: DALAI LAMA WILL GIVE UP HIS POLITICAL ROLE

07:16 10 MAR 2011
(AGI) Dharamshala - The Dalai Lama announced his intention to resign from his role as the Taliban's political guide. The 75-year-old Peace Nobel Laureate explained that the time has come to make room for his successor, to be freely elected, and is considering an amendment that might allow him to resign from his political appointment, to be discussed in next week's meeting of Tibet's exiled Parliament. . .

The river of knowledge in books

This painting is just brilliant. Shows the river of knowledge encapsulated in books and then a lovely reading chair.

And you sit in the lovely chair, with a cuppa tea, a foot stool, surrounded with lovely green foliage and read and read and read.

Male Circumcision is as heinous as female genital mutilation

When a male baby gets its foreskin snipped off by a rabbi or a mullah, just how and why is it different from a woman whose clitoris or labia are removed? There is no choice, there is religious or tradition sanction and at end of the day, the child loses some of its bits. Just how is this freedom of religion? Would you allow a parent to keep their child in filth or not give them medicine just because some medieval obscurantist religion demands it? It is just bizarre. And for people saying that it does not actually change the sexual feeling, that’s not the point, the point is that you are actually removing a bit from your child just because a culture or religion says so. That’s conceptually the same as that of FGM, they offer up the same excuse, its part of religion or its part of culture. Go figure. Bah!

Internships, what do you look for?

Dear Son

I know you will be going for an internship soon. This is the 2 week work experience that your school has requested for all 15 year olds. The idea being that you get some idea of what work is before completing your basic schooling. This will allow you to choose if you want to keep on going for higher studies or decide to move into vocational training. You did look around to see if you can find a local internship but for a variety of reasons (including too many people, not enough firms locally, etc. etc.) it fell on me to see what we can do.

One of my friends offered you a 1 day session at his computer lab in Brighton last year which hopefully you found of some use but it wasn't enough, you really cannot pick up much, but what it did help was to get you to understand that you do not want to be a programmer. Which is good, many times, its good to know what not to do or what you don't want to do rather than what you want to do. So that was time well spent.

I never took up an internship, the concept simply did not exist. First job was stuffing envelopes for a bank’s marketing campaign. And then the next proper job was to be an assistant professor. Anyway, what I am trying to say is that I did not do my career in a systematic basis. Basically drifted from a job to job, depending upon what opportunities are available or when I get bored. So bumbled through and at this moment, have a collection of experiences and careers. Well, it sort of turned out right, fairly ok with future career prospects, finances and and and, but that’s not really something that one can do. One should learn from one’s mistake and hence this letter to you son.

So I met with my friend who is offering you an internship at a human resource services firm in London. We had a long chat about what makes sense. In 2 weeks, you aren't going to learn how to be the CEO, but that led me to think about what would I expect from an intern who is 15 years of age, very good in Mathematics, Science, Logic, Languages, Economics and Finance, ICT, but not so good in the fluffier subjects like religion? You are good with people but I think you need to develop the bit of arrogance and brutality which is required. And yes, I use these words purposefully because a bit of bolshiness and aggressiveness is required in the business world.

Well, I would like the following things for you to learn

• Learn about basic office operations. How to dress up, how to speak to people, how to attend meetings, how does a desk work, how do you check out stationery cupboards, how to make a cup of coffee.
• Learn how office teams work, listen to people, how do groups form, how does work get done in teams, what kind of people are there in terms of personality types, what is a team leader and what is a team follower. The dynamics
• Learn how work is allocated to various people. How does a manager learn how to give what to do to whom?
• Learn how you are going to deal with office relationships, romantic, friendly, angry, tedious, patient, etc. etc.
• Learn how to ask for help from others when you are faced with a task that you haven't done before, you do not know where to get the information, how to process that information and how to present the information. Nobody expects you to know everything but people WILL expect you to take the initiative, ask around for help and then get things done.
• You need to learn about determination and dedication. Sometimes I feel that you give up too easily (perhaps all Dad’s think so..) but that is not what an office worker can afford to do, the expectation is that you will really try your best to sort things out
• Perhaps most important is to know how to have fun. Son, you will be spending the best part of your waking time at work. If it isn't fun, you will be a miserable old git. Waking up in the morning and walking out of the door, you have to learn to have a spring in your step, learn to overcome the other miserable old git bad vibes and walk into the office with a smile and say, I am a happy character, I want to be with other happy people and I am going to conquer the world today. Have fun, son, have a smile on your face all the time. Its good exercise as well.
• Learn how to help others, you need to pick up non verbal tips on how people might be struggling. So go over and offer some help. If nothing, offer to go make a cup of tea for them. People like that, they like helpful people.
• Thanks to Namrata Kotwani who suggested that I do mention that you need to learn that work can be boring once in a while or quite frequently, just do it, buckle down and keep on it and gently try to move to the exciting bits. Dont moan, groan, whine and cry. Suck it up and do something about it. Nobody likes a whiner.

Not sure how much technical skills you will pick up and I don't have much expectations from you on that, but if you can learn how to identify opportunities, how the recruitment process works, how various jobs are pitched for fulfilment, how a business makes money, basic stuff. But if you do not or cannot, not a problem, in 2 weeks, you cannot do everything. In the immortal words of Surma Bhopali in Sholay, “do rupia me pura jangal kharidna hai?” You cannot buy the entire jungle with 2 rupees.

So if you can get this done, then the question is, what does your employer get out of it? Now that is crucial, never look at things only from your perspective, son. You are in a business relationship, both the parties need to get something out of it. If the firm is offering you an internship, what will they get out of you? This is where you need to be very smart. If you can get a reputation or expertise or experience of being in a win-win situation, then you are brilliantly placed. So think about what you will provide to them. Will you provide them with your technical skills? Or some good piece of analysis? Have you seen their website? Have you understood their industry? Do you know what questions you can answer for them? Will you be able to leave their firm in 2 weeks and leave behind a reputation saying, “bloody hell, that little pint sized pip squeak came in, and within 2 weeks, did this piece of analysis, learnt all this and left us wishing that he was older and we should grab him as an equity partner / valued employee as soon as he finishes school”. That’s the ideal, so be constantly on the lookout for how to make a difference to them.

I think I have banged on enough, son, and sorry for writing this in blog post. I found that other kind friends also write in with their suggestions and that gets reflected in our conversations with you. Anyway, right now you are a teenager and conversations with adults are usually one way. I think this is one way of communicating. Hope this helps, and best of luck with your internship. I might write some more later on. And anyway, blame your mum, she started writing letters to her baby! and you are also my baby even if you have started shaving.

See these links,

1. What a 15 year old told a venerable investment bank?

2. Some good advice on internships.

Libraries serving coffee, murder mystery nights and poetry evenings

This sounds like a brilliant idea to me, libraries have to evolve so that they can live on. At this moment, they are all getting hammered with the public sector cuts here in the UK and in the USA. So anything like this will definitely help. I quote:

Public libraries could be set for a radical overhaul that could see books offered alongside coffee, murder mystery nights, poetry evenings and open mic sessions, should the plans of a private US company be given the green light. Library Systems & Services, a Maryland-based firm, owns 13 public libraries in the US. Its aim in Britain is to manage 15 per cent of public libraries within the next five years.

LSSI is in consultation with local authorities across the UK, proposing to transform libraries into "multifunctional spaces". It hopes to have won contracts in at least four local authorities by the end of the year.Mr Fitzgerald adds: "We will work with local partners: the health services, the police, the fire service and business to get their messages across. Those agencies will pay to keep the library building open, people will come in to get books and at the same time these events will be happening in the libraries with these agencies as our partners."

Just look at the range of google hits on “library cuts”. Saddening and disheartening, my friends. One of my best memories are at libraries, heck, I have a small one at home myself.

Taliban Chants, a secret weapon

I did not know that the Taliban use chanting as a secret weapon against NATO and the west. I quote:

This article describes and analyzes a little understood Afghan Taliban
propaganda tool: chants or taranas. These melodic refrains effectively use
historical narratives, symbology, and iconic portraits. The chants are
engendered in emotions of sorrow, pride, desperation, hope, and complaints
to mobilize and convince the Afghan population of the Taliban’s worldview.
The chants represent culturally relevant and simple messages that are
communicated in a narrative and poetic form that is familiar to and resonates
with the local people. They are virtually impossible for the United States and
NATO to counter because of Western sensitivities concerning religious
themes that dominate the Taliban narrative space, not to mention the lack of
Western linguistic capabilities, including the understanding and mastering
the poetic nature of local dialects.

I thought that Afghanistan, post the Taliban, was a musical wasteland as they think of music and musical instruments as evil, devilish, etc. Mind you, some of the songs that my son hears also belong to that category.

But to get back to these chants, they are melodic and with memorable tunes, poetry almost. They usually refer to ongoing things and events in Afghan life. With cell phones and you tube getting out and about, these chants are out there. The author collected many chants in and around Kandhar in 2009 and translated them from Pashto. I quote one of them.

Chant 1: Afghan Mulk Angrizan (Afghan Region Foreigners)
Oh Afghan, the British (Foreigners) are present in your country.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil
(country.)
Today, they have come under the slogan of friendship and rehabilitation of
your country.
Today, they have come under the slogan of friendship and rehabilitation of
your country.
The spies are present in your country. Your yesterdays’ (past) enemies are
present in your country.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
Oh Afghan, the British (Foreigners) are present in your country.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
They have invaded your country again. They intend to kill you.
They have invaded your country again. They intend to kill you.
The murderers of your ancestors are present in your country. They are your
yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and then they ran
away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
Oh Afghan, the British (Foreigners) are present in your country.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
They hit you by huge bombs, cruise missile and napalm bombs.
They hit you by huge bombs, cruise missile and napalm bombs.
Those people are present who pretend themselves to be your friends but they
are your previous enemies.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
Oh Afghan, the British (Foreigners) are present in your country.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
Be careful oh Afghan, do not be deceived and do not be segregated from your
goal. Be careful oh Afghan, do not be deceived and do not be segregated from
your goal. Otherwise, Christians will be present [in your country.]
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
Oh Afghan, the British (Foreigners) are present in your country.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
The world’s biggest thieves have come to our country, and look! They are all
Westerners.

The world’s biggest thieves have come to our country, and look! They are all
Westerners.
Your history’s purchasers have come to your country. Your yesterdays’ (past)
enemies are present in your country.
Oh Afghan, the British (Foreigners) are present in your country.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
The prospects and desires of Siddiqi (Poet) will be accomplished. It will be
accomplished at the right time and date when once again the Afghan
conquerors are in power.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
Oh Afghan, the British (Foreigners) are present in your country.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.
Oh Afghan, the British (Foreigners) are present in your country.
They are your yesterdays’ (past) enemies whom your ancestors defeated, and
then they ran away. Today, they are the rulers who dominate your soil.

Here’s another one.

Chant 3: Volleyball, football, and cricket
Oh youth, quit volleyball, football [soccer], and cricket. Take the Rocket-
Propelled Grenade launcher [RPG] on your shoulders. Oh youth, quit
volleyball, football [soccer], and cricket. Take the Rocket-Propelled Grenade
launcher [RPG] on your shoulders. Play with human heads instead of playing
with balls. Play with human heads instead of playing with balls.
Quit kids’ games; take the RPG on your shoulders. Quit kids’ games; take the
rocket on your shoulders.
Oh youth, quit playing volleyball, football, and cricket. Take the RPG on your
shoulders. Take the RPG on your shoulders.
You look good with the weapon and Moswak [herbal toothbrush] but not
chewing gum and chocolate. Oh youth, Take the RPG on your shoulders.
Oh youth, quit volleyball, football, and cricket. Take the RPG on your
shoulders.
Purchase every worthless human for free (Kill the enemies.) Purchase every
worthless human for free (Kill the enemies.) Take the RPG for on your
shoulders.
Oh youth, quit volleyball, football, and cricket. Take the RPG on your
shoulders. You will soon defeat the enemies. You will soon defeat the

enemies. You only need to put some more efforts defeating them. Take the
RPG on your shoulders.
Oh youth, quit volleyball, football, and cricket. Take the RPG on your
shoulders.
Behead by using the sword those people who open the country gate to the
strangers. Behead by using the sword, those people who open the gate to
strangers.
Oh youth, quit volleyball, football, and cricket. Take the RPG on your
shoulders. Walk beside Ayubi [poet]. Don’t be even late for a minute! Take
the RPG on your shoulders. Don’t be even late for a minute! Take the RPG on
your shoulders.
Oh youth, quit volleyball, football (soccer), and cricket. Oh youth, take the
RPG on your shoulders. Oh youth, take the RPG on your shoulders.

It makes sense. Songs can be very powerful indeed. And can elicit some very powerful nationalist feelings. Let me show you one song which does this to me.

That voice and those lyrics, just is amazing and its not just me, millions of Indians, down the ages have been impacted by this song. Other songs such as Vande Mataram and Jana Gana Mana, the national anthem, all are similar chants and songs.

Curious, eh?

The trains must run on time, babies be damned

Fairly typical, eh?

Marie Luise Krach, two, sat alone as the train sped through the countryside near Berlin for an hour while a police car raced to catch it up.

Ulrike Kracht, 19, had pleaded with Deutsche Bahn staff to somehow stop the train after its automatic doors closed at a station. She was unloading her possessions and pushchair before returning for Marie Luise when her way was blocked and the train began pulling away.

Ulrike spoke of how she had spent the weekend with Marie Luise at her grandmother's near Berlin and was returning to Pritzwalk.

“I was getting my things out of the station at the stop when the doors suddenly closed with my daughter inside!“ she said. “It was the worst moment of my life. I heard Marie Luise shout 'mama' and she was gone!“ She said two German railways employees banged frantically on the doors to try to get them open but without success.

But when she asked to radio ahead to stop the train she says she was told: “We can't do that. It must run on schedule.“ Later a railways spokeswoman said: “There was no train coming back in the other direction anyway because of a strike.“

The child was alone for an hour until the train halted in Neurippin. Her mother was in a police car racing through the countryside with its lights and sirens blaring to get to the station before the train moved again.

“I was all right until I saw her and then the tears came and she started crying then too,“ said Ulrike.