Why Code of Conduct? Who is Social Media Hurting? Politicians, Kapil Sibal or Industry Giants

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There as been an uproar in the social media after Kapil Sibal made clear, his intent of curbing freedom of expression on social media. Even though he insisted that he was advocating self-regulation initially, he has upped his ante by using words like code of conduct, sensibilities of people, offensive, stiff fines etc. It is clear what he has in mind is censorship.

I could see it coming for sometime. The social media has brought in a change in the environment and given the power to the common man to voice his opinion. It is not that people were not having their opinions earlier, just that the audience they had was limited. Such a thing everyone could handle. But now that there is a possibility, rather certainty of the common man making his opinion reach a huge audience and make a difference the very guys who ignored him are now shivering in their boots.

If it was so easy to spread negative sentiments on the social media, the Gandhians in the ruling party can use the social media to spread love and peace as easily. Why are they not doing it? Because, they understand that it is not so. Just like a single drop can cause a spill in the cup only if it is full, messages on social media can not cause a change unless the sentiment already exists. If there was no corruption in India, Anna Hazare’s tweets and updates would have gone unnoticed.

So who is the social media hurting? The religious extremism of the Indian people has, more often than not, been fanned by these same politicians. Even today they continue to sustain a communal divide by recognizing minority communities. The people who partake in riots and communal unrest are the goons nurtured by these same politicians. The common man’s participation in such activities is restricted to suffering.

It is hurting the politicians because they know that now there is a possibility of people getting on to the streets at a short notice. Mistakes and (mis)adventures are more likely, now than ever, to be noticed and questioned by people. They don’t want that to happen.

It is hurting the industrial giants of India because earlier they could easily fool the people with lies about themselves and their products. But now people talk to each other on social media before taking any decisions. Lies don’t work anymore, only good products and services do. The marketing spend is going down the drain and profits are reducing. The industry giants don’t want that to happen. They could have prompted this move. The clause of defamatory content can easily be extended to a negative review about a product or company. That will surely help in curbing the truth and then companies can again go about fooling people with lies.

Kapil Sibal, he is merely a pawn in the hands of the Gandhi family. The family which can conveniently revert a decision which backfires and equally conveniently take credit for what works. Apparently it was a caricature which started this hullabaloo.  Why is it so difficult for them to take the negative sentiment in their stride and work towards changing it?

Lastly if you have a habit of eavesdropping, in all likelihood you will be surprised or shocked about what others are saying about you. Why is Mr Kapil Sibal or anyone else for that matter trying to listen to what others are talking about? If they don’t, their sensibilities will not be affected. Unless of course, like Hitler, you want to go around and make people pledge their allegiance to father/motherhood and execute those who don’t.

Instead of crying hoarse about the offensive material on social media sites the politicians and the industry leaders should use the social media to enhance their reputation online and engage with the common people to improve the governance/products. I am available should someone need it.

The truth of the matter is that social media has given us the power to express ourselves and no government of the people, by the people and for the people should take away this fundamental right of ours.             

Anna Hazare Victory Makes August Kranti A Historic Moment

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The Social activist Anna Hazare finally agreed to end his fast today at 10am after the govt agreed to his three demands in the parliament through a resolution. Anna Hazare had been on a hunger strike for 12 days and the doctors had begun to get worried about his health. The parliament was in session yesterday wherein all the party members were present and they debated on the issue of corruption and the demands of Anna Hazare (representative of the civil society)that was shown live on TV. But the climax came when Pranab Mukherji ended his speech and immediately adjourned the Lok Sabha without having the voice vote that was agreed upon. This created a sort of confusion in the minds of the people and the media alike as to whether the govt was again trying to flip flop, as it had been doing so all this while. But, a few minutes later it was clarified by the speaker that the thumping of the desks was taken as a unanimous resolution. This brought a huge relief to the Anna Hazare supporters who were worried about his health and wanted him to end his fast soon. 

Anna Hazare Breaks Fast Today at Jantar Mantar

In the end, the day ended on a victorious note for the Anna Hazare camp as the govt was forced to pass the resolution in parliament. The Lok Pal bill will now be sent to the standing committee and the process will be initiated to have it passed, hopefully as soon as possible. “I thank and congratulate the Parliament. But this win is only half … half is still left. This is a victory for all Indians, and for all our activists. This is a victory for the media. I will break my fast tomorrow at 10 am in everyone’s presence,” said Anna Hazare, amidst huge cheers from the crowd at Ramlila Maidan.

He conveyed this message to all the people gathered at the Ram Lila grounds soon after Vilasrao Deshmukh and MP Sandeep Dikshit handed him a letter from the Prime Minister. Key member of Team Anna, Arvind Kejriwal said, “The whole country would be watching every step taken by the Parliament.” For the last 12 days Anna Hazare has been a picture of determination."

"Terming it as a “win-win” situation for both sides, another Team Anna member Medha Patkar said while there was no surrender of Parliament supremacy, there was also victory of people’s power. However, she still termed the development as “part betrayal” as this was not something which was agreed during a meeting between Team Anna and law minister Salman Khurshid. “But I will not like to say (these things) now at this historic time when people’s power is at its peak,” she said." DNA News

Anna Hazare ended the hunger strike finally at Jantar Mantar, New Delhi today. “This victory is a result of your sacrifice,” he told his supporters at Jantar Mantar, adding that “this is only the beginning. Our real fight begins now. If the government does not pass Lokpal Bill, I will come back to fight again.”

Union Telecom Minister Kapil Sibal said on Friday, “This sets a precedent – it shows how civil society and government can work together. We are happy that we are now ending these days of uncertainty through a resolution in which both sides had confidence in each other.” 24by7info

So in the end, the revolutionary protest that was started by one man, Anna Hazare, got the support of all the people of India to end corruption will probably be a movement of historic significance in the years to come, and will be termed very aptly as the "August Kranti". We, the citizens of India, have shown the true power of the people in a democracy and the power of a democratic nation. We have reminded the govt the true meaning of democracy, that they seemed to have forgotten during these 65 years of independence, somewhere down the line. Let the world also see the largest democratic nation in its true glory and force. The people cannot be fooled for ever. Let's hope that this movement continues to chase the cause to fruition as this is just the beginning and a lot needs to be done to make the govt accountable to its people. 

Reading Cafe congratulates team Anna Hazare for this victory. Jai Ho!

Where Team Anna Went Wrong!

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It was good going for Team Anna. Anna Hazare, that is. What started out as the battle for elimination of corruption seems to be taking another direction already. It's still early days and the protest or the movement is only in it's second day today but there are certain issues which force me to foresee a loss for team Anna. And the reasons are not far to look. They are calling it a war, a war against corruption. Then it makes sense to follow the principles of war. Team Anna seems to have overlooked the principles of war totally, though I would have expected them to take care of these just because of Kiran Bedi who is an ex-IPS officer and must have certainly heard of Clauswitz and/or Sun Tzu. Let us explore these principles and see where the Team Anna went/is going wrong.

Selection and Maintenance of Aim: This is regarded as the master principle of war. Clearly the aim of Team Anna was to start a protest against corruption. Somehow during the first day itself the protest has changed into a battle for freedom of expression or the right to protest. A smart move on the part of the government. Right now everyone is saying that they are with Anna and not that they are against corruption.

Maintenance of Morale: The Government did well to try to break the morale of the opposition by arresting the leaders or those spearheading the movement. Morale is just a positive state of mind derived from the leadership. The leadership gone into jail, there was no one outside to take charge and keep the morale of people high. The others like Kejriwal and Bedi were only trying to keep the morale of the public high by giving them news about Anna and that he was fine and still fighting.

Offensive Action: Sometime down the line, one has to resort to offensive action. It does not mean that you have to take to arms and start killing people, just that you have to adopt an aggressive stance and seize the initiative. In this case the only aggression shown was that they stuck to their demands, while it would have been a trite prudent to confuse or throw the government off-guard by maybe asking for permission to protest in other cities and thereby giving a larger face to the protest.

Security: Provision and maintenance of the secure environment required for achieving the objective was not catered for at all. It seemed like Team Anna had presumed that they were not free to protest against the government of the day and had premeditated the happenings and their response. It was their undoing. Maybe Anna should have arrived at the venue before the Delhi Police asked him about his intentions and started his fast. A red-handed arrest would surely have won much more points for the protest than a preventive arrest, which also gave the Government an opportunity to salvage the situation.

Surprise: The Government made the right guess that no protest against corruption will start in the absence of Anna, the leader. After he was arrested, all the others in the movement including the supporters of Anna started protesting against the arrest rather than the main objective of corruption. Team Anna would have done much better if they had a succession plan as a back up and it would have been great to see the protest start in the absence of Anna. The Government would really have been in a jam then.

Concentration of effort: Even though Team Anna had warned of a protest almost two months in advance, somehow they did not coordinate the effort in the other cities. Whatever we are seeing in some of the other cities are just individual efforts totally without any guidance or co-ordination from the core team.

Economy of Effort: Again an outcome of the lack of planning, we see people gathering at multiple locations to protest against Anna's arrest. Some are at Tihar jail, some at the India Gate and others at what they are now calling the Anna Hazare stadium. If there was some direction and control, it could have been lakhs of supporters at one place rather than a few thousands each in multiple locations. Numbers do make a difference when the government and the media, at the behest of the government, are trying to make the efforts look futile.

Flexibility: Totally lacking in the present campaign, the team is trying to follow a written script. They lost the initiative when Anna was arrested by not providing a leadership and then they lost it again by insisting on a permission for a longer term of protest. If they were flexible enough to start the protest and had garnered sufficient support by the end of the permissible period, no government in the world would have been able to make them walk out after seven days.

Cooperation: Sharing of burdens, risks, opportunities and threats is something which is totally lacking from this team. The only thing that others besides Anna are sharing is being a spokesperson or a negotiator. It seems like no one else is ready to share the burden or the risk of fasting, They are willing to work behind the scenes but do not want to be in the center of the action. Hardly something you can call cooperation.

Sustainability: Even the businesses are following it now. Once started the movement has to be sustained. Team Anna does not seem to have a plan to sustain the movement and it seems that they are hoping for the public to somehow in some manner take up and sustain the movement. What happens if the Government does give the permission to Anna to continue his fast for thirty days and he succumbs to it or is forced to break his fast? Who will continue the movement... Have we even thought about it.

If it is indeed a war, a war against corruption, it would augur well for the proponents of this war to get serious and prepare for it as if it was war and no war can be won without following these principles of war. A Battle, maybe, but War, No.. Never. I wish that someone thinks about the above issues and takes corrective action to put the movement or the protest on the right track and lead it to its logical conclusion. I wish all the citizens of India who are lending their support to this movement "all the very best" and pray to God to give courage and inspiration to all the citizens to thwart all the attempts of the politicians and the bureaucrats to curb this movement against corruption.

Anna Hazare Brings August Kranti to Fight Against Corruption

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Anna Hazare has been trying to get the government to pass the Lok Pal bill with the intention to fight the rampant corruption in the country. He decided to go on a fast on 16th August, one day after the independence day in Delhi at JP park. Well, what do you know, before he could even step out of his house, he was picked up by the police officials and taken straight to jail. Great! What an ingenious way to try and put an end to a threat. Arrest the person responsible for causing an agitation and lock him up in jail. He was taken straight to Tihar jail.

If the congress govt thought that they had the situation under control, and had nipped the problem in the bud, they were absolutely wrong. The people of India showed their support for the cause and for Anna Hazare by turning up in huge numbers and marching towards the India Gate. Throughout the whole day, more and more people are joining the march and collecting on roads waving the Indian flag and shouting slogans asking the police and the govt to release Anna Hazare from jail. Of course, they have no intention of doing so, so soon as they probably have realized the power of Anna Hazare and his movement. 

Anna Hazare with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Tihar Jail

 

For the last 64 years now we have seen how the government have been slowly and surely looting the country and it's people and abusing power. Their governance has been no different from the very British who we strove to drive out of our country. Till today, they are still using the same old ways and methods that were set in the constitution by the British Raj. Adopting the divide and rule policy has given the govt the upper hand, making all the states as their respective "kingdoms" where they can dictate terms to the people by using strong arm tactics and terrorising the poor people into submission so that they get the desired number of votes. Is that true "democracy"? 

We have seen the govt officials and members of the parliament involved in shameless scams after scams of all kinds and the justice system never seems to get anywhere with them. These people are still sitting snugly in their "cozy" luxury apartments and flats built out of this loot and smiling away smugly at us when caught on camera. Corruption is rampant now and become a way of life for not only the govt but anyone who wants to become rich and famous. Why only rich and famous? Even the common man is now forced into being corrupt when he wants to get a simple job done. Want to buy a flat? Pay some amount in cash, that is black money. That is corruption. Move a file? Pay some bribe and get the file where you want in a jiffy. 

Recently, a lot of scams came into the limelight, involving big names from the govt, corporations and the big businessmen, the 2G scam and the Adarsh scam involved crores of rupees, just to name a few. This is shameful. Anna Hazare is trying to fight this corruption and bring about a change in the constitution to make a new law so that nobody can get away with corruption, even if it is the Prime Minister himself.

Anna Hazare is being called the "August Kranti" for raising this issue and getting the support of millions of Indians to fight for this cause. He has used the social media to his advantage, by taking his cause to face book, twitter and you tube. I do support this cause, and even if I am unable to physically be present at the march or protest that's taking place at the India gate today, I will do my bit to further the cause by writing this blog.

I think Anna Hazare has used the Gandhian way of protesting by going on a fast, taking out a walk, asking people to fill the jails "jail bharo" andolan and the non co-operation movement. I think its a clever move on his part, after all it was this very congress party who got into power by using Gandhi's same tactics to drive the Britishers out of India and get freedom. These same people are now calling this method "unconstitutional". 

The govt has not handled this matter in the right way by arresting Anna Hazare and putting him in jail. This is undemocratic. The people are angry and will revolt even more now. Do they think they can fool us with all this mindless talk? The way the parliamentarians discussed the issue in the house today showed that they were scared to lose their power over the people and a way to make easy money. The statements made by Kapil Sibal were shameless and showed their true colors.

I urge the people who are in this protest to stay focused on the subject at hand, that is fight to end corruption, and not to get waylaid by the talks that are being held by the police and govt officials who are just trying to get things under control once again, and are hoping to sidetrack the basic issue. They will do anything to wriggle out of passing an "anti-corruption" bill in parliament. The other parties are equally guilty of this charge and are no different from the ruling party, so their show of support to this cause is purely political. They probably just want to use this cause to overthrow the present govt and force another elections on the people.

Let's hope that this August Kranti will make a difference to the civil society. This may be the revolution that we have all been waiting for. So if you feel strongly about the way you have been fooled by the govt all these years, then its time to show your support and join the cause in any way that you can. Let's teach these arrogant politicians a lesson for life. Let's remind them that "democracy" means - Of the people, By the people and For the people........Jai Hind!

Probe The Role Of Media in the Speak Asia Scam

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Speak Asia online reeked of a scam even when it first started and if you check out the Google search results, for the period of April May 2011, when the company’s advertising campaign had reached a crescendo, you will find many items, blogs, and groups calling it a scam. There are many who actually carried out a detailed online investigation and suggested why the company and it’s offering was a scam. During the IPL, the authorised channel was continuously barraging the viewers with Speak Asia ads. Not only that, even the Times of India carried an advertisement for the company. 

The question which goes a-begging is that why is the media allowed to run ads for any company without verifying the credentials of the business they are carrying the advertisement for. Just a fine print of requesting the readers to verify the credentials is not sufficient. If thousand or lakhs of investors have been duped of crores by this company, the media which carried the advertisements, i.e. helped in the promotion of the fraud, are actually accomplices to the crime, if it is one. Remember Home Trade. Is it not a social responsibility of the media to investigate and blow the lid off such scams aimed at looting of the masses? But here it is working the other way round. The media is actually helping scamsters and fraudsters to loot people by promoting their ventures.

Even now, when arrests have been made in connection with the purported scam, why is the media still carrying advertisements of the company, helping it to build credibility and garner public attention / sympathy? For the last two days Times of India has been carrying advertisements for the company. I am sure, so are the other newspapers. How many individual accused are allowed to use the media to justify their innocence in such a public manner? This gives a whole new meaning to the term, “Trial by Media.” The media acted as a promoter first and now has taken on the onus of the defence. Many of them are now going to respond with a freedom of expression thingy. Don’t believe it, at all. Someone’s got a stake large enough to have the motive to bail the company out. Someone powerful.

The photograph shows the COO of Speak Asia Tarak Bajpai after his arrest. Does his expression show any signs of a man who is scared or ashamed of his arrest. He is grinning, just like that Haryana Police Officer SPS Rathore accused and convicted in the Ruchika Girhotra case.

It just goes about to show how the politicians, bureaucrats, rich businessmen and the media join hands to loot the public. The investigative agency has already stated that it may not be possible to recover any of the monies. Today’s news reports indicate the scam could be well over Rs 8000 Crore. Maybe they decided it was enough and they could close down the operations officially by letting the tardy, slow legal system take charge of burying the company.

Let us wait and watch how many big names tumble out of this closet.

Is Modern Day Communication Destroying Potential Leaders?

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There was a time when the King, Minister or the supreme leader gave a task or objective to a team leader, and then relied completely on him/her to not only pursue the objective with full determination and sincerity but also to take care of the surprises, opportunities and threats enroute for the best of the cause. So once the team and hence the team leader was out of earshot, he was totally independent and it was entirely up to him to prove himself save, a little bit of help from subordinates, if he was fortunate.

There were many instances when situations threw up leaders, at times totally unexpected ones, who seized the opportunity and proved their mettle. It was a kind of nature’s law, in line with the survival of the fittest, that the leaders got their chances and the ones with the leadership qualities outshone the others in demanding situations.

Cut to present day. There is but one leader. The head honcho. Everyone else does what the he desires. Delegation of responsibility has taken a different meaning altogether. Initiatives and decision-making are generally snubbed and where allowed are only under prior intimation and strict supervision. And all this is possible, to the delight of the ‘Boss’, only because of communications. Call it an obsession or the fear of failure but bosses all over the world are reluctant to allow their subordinates the option of developing themselves as leaders. Let us look at the ways the bosses (mis)use the communications available to them to suppress any leadership talent which might be just waiting to flourish.

Give me a call when you reach there Quite clearly the boss does not want to go there himself  but wants to be sure that no wrong decision is made. While he trusts his subordinate to see and report correctly, he does not trust him enough to allow him to take a decision. The cell phone makes it possible.

Why don’t you mail it to me The boss wants to be sure of what is happening. The subordinate’s word is not enough. He wants to see it himself. Maybe the dolt missed out something. The email makes it possible.

Why Don’t you just Google it The boss thinks that the subordinate’s experience and knowledge stands for nothing. If Google confirms what he says, maybe that would be the right decision. Google makes it possible.

Make sure he faxes a signed copy Once upon a time a word used to be enough, but now even if a subordinate is getting a signed copy himself, the boss still wants a signed copy faxed to him just so he can use the telephone number as evidence at a later date. Facsimile makes it possible.

Call my friend and ask him what he is doing The friend may be personal or professional but since it is possible, why not just ask him. He is a smart guy, and still surviving, must be doing something right. Yes sure, Vasco Da Gama would have probably discovered America again.

We are under heavy fire, what do you want us to do? Consider Normandy. Any dolt will know that when one is under fire, one should fire back. But in these days of telecommunications one is supposed to take permission to consider saving his own life. Modern communications make this possible.

We all keep talking of development of employees, but, the fact is that over a period of time the independence of the employees has been reducing. Bosses do not allow people to be independent. While it may be very good for a company and the boss, that all actions and decisions are taken in a controlled environment, for the subordinate, it is probably the worst thing that may happen, as far as his own development as a leader is concerned. He learns never to trust anyone. He learns that no one is OK. And he learns that, for his own good, he must never delegate responsibility to anyone. The worst outcome of this entire situation is the mentality, which sets in people’s mind, that one need not even be good enough to be a boss. The previous boss was a twit and so can I be.

It is high time people realized that communications are to be used for a purpose higher than just controlling subordinates. So many, would be, leaders are constrained to show their worth in a competitive world just because of the perception that a wrong decision is going to be fatal(?) for the company or the boss. Employees ought to be given a chance to show their true worth. The best ought to be allowed to come up rather than the sycophants. But if one does not allow the circumstances to decide the best one, the only way one can choose is based on who brought the best wine to the party. It is high time the managements of large business entities showed a way to the others by entrusting their faith in the manpower, by giving opportunity to people and developing what I feel are the leaders of the future.

Google Plus Says No To Anonymity

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In what may be the best news for Internet users on Social Networking Sites, it has been reported that Google Plus has said no to anonymity. It is a brave and ethical move by Google, to develop a community which is social in real terms and not full of hooligans, cowards, bullies and other anti social elements. This is something Facebook did not, and still does not, have the courage to do. It does not make business sense to them and business is what they are doing. Google on the other hand has yet again reiterated their commitment to social responsibility with this move.

Or maybe it is something Google has learned from Facebook. Facebook, for all its following and user base, according to me, is full of two kinds of people, the exhibitionists and the voyeurs, and I am just talking of the people who use their real names. Add anonymity and they would go down much further than that. Many of us have received hate mails from anonymous users, had unsolicited mails sent to us, naughty videos posted on our profiles and then sent to the entire friend list, tagged in photos we do not want to be part of, added to groups we have not even heard of and many such other things. The reason for all these activities is the umbrella of anonymity Internet has provided the users with.

Anonymity is a refuge of cowards and no matter how much one stresses upon the benefit of anonymity on the Internet, the pros of genuine identification will always far exceed the cons. Freedom of expression and democratic interests normally figure in any discussion advocating anonymity over the Internet. But what use is the freedom of expression if it can easily be shrugged off as not from reliable sources or as a campaign by the opposition/enemies as the case may be. In the short term perspective anonymity might help send across a message but ultimately a face has to be lent to the expresser of thought for it to have a logical impact. As we have seen during the recent civil unrest in many countries, no amount of anonymous protests made a difference. Ultimately people, real people, had to take to the streets. The democratic process also benefits if real people take on the system rather than people shooting off messages anonymously. Imagine Mahatma Gandhi or Martin Luther King, spearheading their movements anonymously.

Anonymity is also quoted as essential to the whistle blowers. Point taken, but again, in the long run, shouldn't we be vying for a system which allows one to speak up without fear of reprisal. Why would we ever want to have a system where some people have have so much power that others cannot fight for their rights or for the truth?

Then there is the difference between anonymity and confidentiality. You get confidentiality from the likes of Doctors, Lawyers, good friends and family. Try going anonymous with these people and you will not get a single correct advice. On the other hand if you would want to share your issues on the Internet, trust me you will get responses only from quacks and fly by nighters. It is simple, if you are anon so shall I be. In the larger scheme of things if you do not tell who you are, you are pretending to be someone else.

Hate messages, spam, threats, frauds, illegal activities, all are a result of the anonymity which the Internet has so far provided to the users. Google, at the prospect of losing a few million users would have taken care of all that. Imagine a civil, social network where everyone knows who the other person, that they are interacting with, is.

Well Done, Google. Goodbye Anonymity.

Copa America 2011 Finals - History Will Be Made

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Football fans all over are looking forward to watch Copa America Finals live. Lot of other people across the world would also be watching the match for a chance to watch Larissa Riquelme live, living up to her promise.

The world is keeping their eyes on the Copa America 2011 finals for reasons beyond just the game. Copa America 2011 Finals will be played out on Sunday, the 24 Jul 2011 between Paraguay and Uruguay and irrespective of the result, history will be made. 

If Uruguay wins, this would be their 15th win and they would become the most successful team in the history of Copa America. Currently they hold the record of 14 wins with Argentina. If Paraguay wins, this would only be their third win, but they would be the first team to lift the cup without a win on the road to finals. Yes, they have not won a single game so far during the regulation or extra time. The two games that they actually  'won' ended in penalty shootouts. If they win the final also on Penalty shoot out they would end up with a clean slate.

The other reason the world is watching the finals closely is for seeing if Larissa Riquelme, Paraguay's most famous fan, gets a chance to fulfill her promise of stripping for the team and whether she actually delivers on her promise.

Uruguay are the favorites in the final match up and have clearly played much better than Paraguay has so far. But then it could all boil down to the tactics the teams employ in the finals. Reaching finals of a major tournament without scoring in the regulation time is also in a way a major achievement. Talks a lot about the defense the team has. The tactics employed by Paraguay could have been a result of a , "Better Safe than Sorry" mentality, especially when a team is playing against the likes of Brazil and Venezuela. In the finals, being the last game, we could see Paraguay turn tables and return back to the offensive play that they actually prefer.

Uruguay has Suarez who is the top scorer in the tournament and Perez comes back into the team after missing the semi-final. Uruguay also has the past supporting them having beaten Paraguay in the last two times they played each other.

Paraguay on the other hand are playing the Copa America finals after 32 years. 

The final is being played at the Monumental stadium at Argentina at 3:00 PM Eastern Time.

Probable Teams:

Paraguay: Justo Villar - Marcos Caceres, Dario Veron, Paulo Da Silva, Ivan Piris - Edgar Barreto, Nestor Ortigoza, Christian Riveros, Marcelo Estigarribia - Lucas Barrios, Nelson Haedo Valdez.

Uruguay: Fernando Muslera - Maximiliano Pereira, Diego Lugano, Sebastian Coates, Martin Caceres - Alvaro Gonzalez, Diego Perez, Egidio Arevalo Rios, Alvaro Pereira - Diego Forlan, Luis Suarez.

Google + vs Facebook - Hits Twenty Million Mark in Three Weeks

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Google has been trying hard to create a social networking interface similar to Facebook, or even better. It started off very shakily with its Wave, which didn't really hit a chord with the masses and later the Buzz too failed to create the "buzz". The latest social networking project thrown up by Google is the Google Plus or Google +. Google Plus was released last month on a trial basis to see the response of the people, and to its surprise, it had generated 20 million unique visitors in just three weeks since its release out of which 5 million users are from the US alone. This data was released by the research firm ComScore. 

It was just a week before that the Google CEO, Larry Page had reported Google + to have received 10 million visitors with lots of activity taking place on the site.

"It is definitely the fastest ascent to 20 million visitors that I can think of," Andrew Lipsman, ComScore's vice president of industry analysis, told the Los Angeles Times. 

The Google + was launched late last month, and it seemed as though Google was in a great hurry to overtake Facebook or at least give them stiff competition, or something to think about, as it did not bother with going through the "Beta" phase at all. It started off by sending out invites to a select group of people, who then were allowed to invite in their friends and families to interact on the site.  There are still lots of people vying for the invite, me included. It is kind of similar to the way it introduced the Gmail facility.

Of course, Facebook is way ahead in the amount of users that it has with 750 million at present, so Google Plus still has a long way to go. But the numbers for just three weeks to hit the 20 million mark is still impressive. And the site continues to expand its user base as more people sign up. 

Google Plus has some very attractive features where sharing and making circles of friends, acquaintances and colleagues are concerned. There is also photo sharing, a place to hangout and also hold video chats with selected friends. It also has feeds that you can select according to your interests. If seen broadly, all these features look exciting, but wonder of they will really prove to work the way it is supposed to. The Google + Project is still in the "limited Field Trial" phase and so it is still in the process of working out the kinks according to the feedback generated from the users who are already signed in.

Recently, Facebook had banned certain Google ads from its site without giving any reason and also blocked its account. Can the Google "+" button overtake the Facebook "Like" button? The Google's fun social networking is definitely growing much faster than expected. There are already reports coming out about the negative aspects of the Google + site regarding its usage and privacy concerns. 

If you want to know all The Good, The Bad and The Ugly of Google Plus then you might want to read this article written by Aaron Strout on Zdnet. 

I am still waiting to get an invite to try out the Google Plus. Have you tried it out yet? Do you think you would leave Facebook to start "Googling". Are you going to convert into a "Google Buddy"? So exactly how popular do you think this new social networking project is going to be?

Indian Rocket Blasts Off With Communication Satellite GSAT-12

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According to the latest news reports from Sriharikota, an Indian rocket carrying the latest communication satellite, GSAT-12 was blasted off from the space port yesterday at 4.48 pm, under a cloudy sky about 80 kms north of Chennai. The project was undertaken by the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the rocket built for this mission was the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle-C17 (PSLV-C17) that cost them a whopping Rs 90 Crore. The rocket was carrying the GSAT-12 communication satellite that has 12 extended C-band transponders - automatic receivers and transmitters that will be used for the purpose of communication and broadcast of signals. 

The satellite is expected to have a life span of about eight years and will augment the transponder capacity of the National Satellite System (INSAT), which at present comprises of eight satellites. The satellite is to serve the Very Small Aperture Terminal (V-Sat) sector that are generally used to transmit data like point of sale transactions or to provide satellite internet access. 

They also hope to use it for various communication services like the tele-education, tele-medicine and for other village resource centres.

The launch of the rocket PSLV was a success, according to the Indian Space agency chief K. Radhakrishnan who said, "I am extremely happy to state that the PSLV (Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle)-C17 GSAT-12 mission is successful. The satellite was launched in the intended orbit.”

“Within the next 30 minutes information about the GSAT 12’s health and how it is working will be known,” he told cheering scientists at the launch site, 80 kilometres north of Tamil Nadu’s capital Chennai.

News Source: Mumbai Mirror

Mumbai Blasts - 13 Jul 11

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13 Jul 2011- Three blasts have rocked Mumbai today at around 1900 hours. The locations were all in South Mumbai. Opera House, Zaveri Bazaar and Dadar. Locations close to each other. According to news sources the death toll is 8..10..13 and counting. They never do give the right number, as if raising the head count slowly over a period of time benefits them.

According to news sources, again, the ministry has declared that the bomb blasts were a planned and a terrorist activity. What other kind of activity comprises of bomb blasts? According to the news channels, again, the Chief Minister said that they were better prepared this time than the Mumbai attacks a couple of years back. I don't see the difference, they were caught unawares that time and likewise this time around. How were they better prepared?

Barkha Dutt says that Mumbai Police sent out messages to all the cell phones in Mumbai asking them to stay indoors and watch the TV News. I did not get the message and what makes the Police think that offices have TVs installed? And my service provider is the state owned MTNL. If I did not get the message, chances are, the users of private mobile operators also did not get the message. Proves that the media is colluding with the government again, just like the 2G scam.......

The people staying in Mumbai know what these three areas, where the blasts took place, are like in the evening. With only 13 reported dead, someone knew how to place the bombs to minimize damage. An amateur, budding, in his diapers, terrorist would have known how to cause more damage if that was the intention. Reminds one of the WTC attacks in US, when one hour later would have resulted in much larger casualties. And that was a conspiracy.

The question which goes a-begging is, what is the Government, state or central, trying to divert attention from this time around. Terrorist attack! It is becoming a habit with the politicians to resort to use of bomb attacks for diverting attention from the issues of importance and somehow the esteemed members of our media, the apparent torch-bearers of democracy, almost, always comply.

God bless the soul of people who have died and give strength to their family members to cope with the loss. Something which I can only term as collateral damage of governmental survival.

How I Lost Weight - Weight Loss Secrets Revealed

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If you have read any of my earlier posts on weight loss, you would know by now about my constant struggle with weight and all the weighty issues involved in the whole process of trying to lose and maintain weight over the years. (For those of you who are absolutely clueless and don't know what I am talking about, please take a moment to scroll down to the end of the article to find the relevant links to my previous articles on this topic).

After struggling to lose weight and maintain it, only to have gained it back again with a vengeance not just what I had lost but some more, I am happy to announce that I have now finally cracked the secret to losing weight successfully in a healthy manner and what's more, I am doing this all by myself at home without any external help or taking any weight loss medication or tablets. I decided that I had had enough of the weight loss programs that are floating out there, which were all useless and a waste of money.

I gained a lot of weight (85.5Kg) last year due to all the hormonal imbalances and other medical issues that I had, and also on account of taking medication for stabilising my condition. The weight gain had its own side effects, like for example I could not bend down to reach my feet, so I found it very difficult to put on a pair of socks or wear shoes for that matter. Come new year, and I decided that enough was enough. I made a new year resolution to lose weight on my own. That's when I started making slight changes to my diet, daily routine and my lifestyle and I am proud to say that since then I have lost about 10Kgs to bring my weight down to 75.5Kgs. (And I am still losing weight). This was my exact weight when all the problems had started. What's the secret?

I am now ready to share the secret tips that will help you to lose weight successfully on your own without any help from external sources. They are as follows:

• Change your daily routine:

If you are gaining weight, then the most obvious cause has to be laziness or lack of exercise in your daily routine. You probably have a sedantary lifestyle where you have stopped using most of your muscles. Take note of how much you exert yourself physically in the day. How active are you? These observations will lead you to find that you need to add more activity to your daily routine, so that you exercise your entire body. The best and most effective way to do that is by going for a brisk walk everyday. A brisk walk in the morning for 45minutes will do wonders to your metabolism and increase oxygen intake to all parts of your body. Adding a brisk walk again in the evening for another 45minutes will help to maintain the metabolism throughout the night while you sleep as well. Try to stick to your daily routine as much as possible and get some discipline with respect to the timings, especially for mealtimes. Always eat at the same time, as much as possible. Delaying meals or having irregular meals will cause you to gain weight.

I changed my daily routine to add a morning and an evening walk initially for a few months, thereafter, I substituted my morning walks with exercises at home that are concentrated on working the full body muscles and toning them. If I feel bored or tired with the exercise routine, I can always go back to taking a walk and then start the exercises again after a small break. You can have two rest days in between, which is also very important to allow your body to recuperate and re-energise itself.

• EAT Less

This should be pretty obvious. You have to reduce your portion sizes of each meal in order to start losing weight. Eat less, just sufficient to fill your stomach in each meal. Make this the magic mantra to lose weight. Indian food cooked at home is usually quite healthy and have sufficient nutrients. So, I did not have to make many changes to my diet, other than reducing the amount I ate. Of course, one has to make sure that you are eating more variety to include all the essential nutrients in your diet. Since I have a non-vegetarian diet, I get enough of proteins and also vitamin B. The only supplement I am taking at present is calcium tablets to avoid osteoporosis, which is important for women at my age. It is also obvious that you need to follow the other general guidelines to healthy eating, like low fat, no sweets desserts and absolutely no in-between snacks.

• Most weight loss occurs at night

Yes, that's right. Most of the weight loss occurs at night. This is the reason why you should eat a light meal at dinner and make sure to have it early so that your stomach is light when you go to bed. If you have noticed, most of the diet programs recommend you to have just soups /salads or fruit for dinner. This is easy to digest, fat free and full of essential nutrients. Therefore, I made it a point to start having a bowl of fruit salad (which is simply different fruits cut into small pieces with no other additives) for dinner mostly. Of course, there are times when I do take a meal instead of fruit, but then I make sure that I still eat less. When you wake up in the morining, you will feel fresher and will have lost weight. Check your weight in the morning on an empty stomach. If you keep up this diet, you will notice that you are losing weight slowly and steadily.

It is also not very healthy to lose weight rapidly. Therefore, stick to your regime and make sure that you are losing weight slowly over a period of time. However, if you find that you are losing weight too fast, then you are probably not eating enough and this may lead to deficiencies later. Try to lose about 1kg/month. Make sure to maintain your weight in between, if you take a break and still eat the right foods, as far as possible. Remember, you are trying to change your lifestyle for good. So these changes need to be more permanent.

• Drink Lots of water

You must have heard this a number of times, "drink lots of water". It is true, your body needs a lot of water to remain hydrated and to dilute your blood so that it flows easily to all the parts of your body. This ensures good circulation of all the essential nutrients and oxygen via the blood. Water also helps to flush out all the toxins from the body with the help of the kidneys. This makes your skin look smooth, younger, healthier and glowing. It also helps to clear out your digestive tract so that you have normal and regular bowel movements.

Having a glass of hot water first thing in the morning helps to flush out the excess fat from the intestines. You can add a dash of lime to it to make it more effective. I have a cup of hot green herbal tea everyday in the mornings and evenings. Green herbal tea helps to improve the immune system and also decreases the cholesterol levels in the blood, thereby helping to lose weight.

• Find support

The most common reason to put on weight is due to comfort foods. These are foods we turn to when we are emotionally challenged or stressed out. Therefore, its very important to find someone who will support you in your weight loss goals and understand your emotional needs. This person should be able to encourage you to continue with your program and give you the much needed push or motivation to keep going.

• Be Happy

If you are genuinely happy from within, then you will be able to lose weight faster as your body adapts and adjusts to your moods. So, try to forget all the miseries in your life and concentrate all your efforts in just trying to make your body as fit and healthy as possible. Soon, you will feel a postive change in the way your body behaves with you.

A few simple tweaks to your daily routine, your daily meals and your outlook to life can change your life for the better. It will help you not only to lose weight slowly and steadily over a period of time but also to maintain your weight once you have achieved your ideal weight or weight loss goals. Your aim should be to make your body not only slimmer, but to feel healthier, look great and be fit.

*Disclaimer - All the tips mentioned in this article are my personal observations. One should get a thorough medical check up and all the routine investigations done before trying to lose weight. Visit your local physician to make sure that you get the correct advise before you start something on your own. 

Quit Smoking on World No Tobacco Day - May 31st

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May 31 is observed as No Tobacco Day, and to commemorate this day, World Health Organisation has selected "The WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control" as its theme this year. The guidelines provided in this convention will provide the foundation for countries to implement and manage tobacco control. 

Did you know that around 6 million people die from the use and exposure to tobacco smoke (that includes passive smoking as well), which relates to almost one death every six seconds. Apart from this, 63% of deaths have been attributed to Noncommunicable diseases (NCD), for which tobbacco use is the greatest risk factor, after high blood pressure. 

"Each year, over 430,000 people die as a result of a smoking-related disease. Yet, over 50 million continue to smoke, including over 3 million teens. An estimated three thousand teenagers begin to smoke each day, and one thousand of them will eventually die as a result. According to the American Lung Association, cigarette smoking leads to 87% of lung cancers, emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Healthcare and lost productivity costs of $97.2 billion dollars per years arise from smoking related illnesses. Cigarettes contain over 19 known cancer-causing chemicals in addition to nicotine." 

The use of tobbacco or nicotine can have very harmful effects on the body. It is very important to understand these harmful effects and to increase the awareness in the general population, therefore the day of May 31 2011 is being observed as "No smoking day or No tobacco day." Tobacco products are dose-dependent and depend more on abuse rather than simple use. More importantly, the nicotine that is found in substantial amounts in tobacco products can be attributed to cause the addiction among smokers to such an extent that its addictive potential has been equated with heroine, morphine and cocaine.

Nicotine is rapidly absorbed through the lungs of a smoker and also readily absorbed through the oral mucosa under the alkaline conditions normally found in cigar, pipe and smokeless tobacco use, a fact which is less publicized. Once the nicotine enters the blood stream, it acts upon the central nervous and cardiovascular systems regardless of the method of its absortion. Of course, the smoking and chewing of tobbaco can cause cancer of the oral mucosa, is a wide known fact.

It goes without saying that the use of tobacco can harm every part of your body adversely. It damages the heart and the circulatory system, lungs, oral mucosa that includes the teeth and the gums, causes ulcers of the digestive system, affects bones causing osteoporosis and can also damage the kidneys indirectly due to the high blood pressure caused due to smoking.

In women, excessive smoking can affect the reproductive system wherein their fertility is compromised and menopause occurs one to two years earlier. It also increases the risk of cervical cancer. Even more serious are the risks to an unborn child if the mother smokes during pregnancy, as it increases the chances of miscarriage. The infants born to mothers who smoke are at risk of low borth weight, prematurity, cleft lip and palate, infections and SIDS. The reproductive system of men also gets affected causing decreased sperm count and in some cases also impotency.

 

"No Tobacco Day" will be welcomed in many different ways in all the countries in order to create awareness and urge people to quit smoking. Releasing posters, flyers and organising walks, events and talks are some of the ways that this will be accomplished.

The Burning Mouth Syndrome Remains a Mystery

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Burning mouth syndrome (BMS) is described as a scalding sensation in the tongue, lips, palate or throughout the mouth, which can be very painful and frustrating. This is the same feeling that one gets after drinking something hot and burning the tongue and mouth. The only difference being that in normal circumstances, the scalding sensation subsides within a day or two, whereas in the condition of the burning mouth syndrome, it continues to persist for months to years.

                               

It can affect anyone, but mostly occurs in middle-aged or older women and often occurs with a range of medical and dental conditions, from nutritional deficiencies and menopause to dry mouth and allergies. However, its connection and the exact cause of burning mouth syndrome are still very unclear and cannot be identified with any certainty.

According to a recent study, the damage to the nervous system during menopause may be to blame. "The cause of BMS is currently unknown, but our findings support the theory that this is a neuropathic condition," says lead study author Gary D. Klasser, DMD. "For reasons unknown, it seems that the BMS patient's nerves are not sending and/or processing information correctly there's a short circuit in the nervous system and the brain can't turn off the pain receptors."

The article with the findings of this study was published in the May/June 2011 issue of General Dentistry, the peer-reviewed clinical journal of the Academy of General Dentistry (AGD).

According to the report, nearly 5 percent of Americans were affected by BMS and suffered from a constant burning sensation most commonly on the top of the tongue, lower lip, and roof of the mouth. Although it affected both the sexes, but it was found to affect the women seven times more than men in their menopausal and post-menopausal years.

"For a small percentage of women, it is these hormonal changes that may alter taste and the way in which a person interprets pain," says Dr. Klasser. "The alterations may be enough to start the cascade of events that lead to BMS."

Since the condition lacks any physical evidence, it can be very difficult for many health practitioners to recognize the condition, diagnose it and manage BMS effectively. Most of the health practitioners may not even be familiar with this condition. This causes many patients to leave the doctors office in frustration and remain untreated.

"Besides reporting oral burning, patients describe experiencing a dry, gritty feeling in the mouth, as well as alterations in taste," says AGD Spokesperson Eugene Antenucci, DDS, FAGD. Fortunately, “BMS is not a matter of life or death, but a matter of quality of life”, says Dr. Antenucci. Patients who suffer from this condition should seek out a dentist or health practitioner who has experience and knowledge about this condition for its effective treatment and management. And although there is currently no cure for this condition, the symptoms can be managed quite effectively with the help of topical and systemic medications. The patients are advised to consult their doctor to determine the medication that is best suited for them.

Drinking lots of water throughout the day is a very effective way to help alleviate symptoms of Burning mouth syndrome, without taking medication, as it keeps the mouth lubricated. In addition, avoid spicy food, hot and acidic foods that can aggravate the symptoms or chew on sugarless gum to increase the flow of saliva in the mouth. Tobacco and alcohol products are also known to cause irritation to the oral tissues and therefore its best to avoid them.

Living In Sin And Luxury Waiting to Get Raptured

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Life was getting pretty dull and boring and a tad monotonous. Oh, you know what I mean, nothing exciting really happening in my life, unless you can call checking the mail maybe a dozen times in the day (what am I expecting? Maybe a sudden lottery that would change my fortune and tides?). Well, goes without saying that didn't happen...hmm..well atleast not till now but am still hopeful. Other than that, no nothing exciting ever happens on facebook either. Then, suddenly one fine day, I found a mail in my inbox that said something about Jesus coming back on May 21st and that it would be the day we would get "Raptured" (whatever that means).

Okay, I must say, that shook me a bit. At least I was curious enough to start doing some research on the subject and found many articles (much to my surprise) covering the topic from all angles. Apparently, a guy named Harold Camping was responsible for starting all these rumors and panic among people. The world was going to end on 21st May 2011 according to his predictions (based on some vague calculations of years and time interpreted from the Bible). Was this possible? Only time would tell.

When I found out about this piece of news, it was around the beginning of the second week of May and my son had just got his summer break from school. So, we were in the process of planning a holiday. Well, seeing that only a few days remained before we were all to get "Raptured", I thought why not live these last few days in pure luxury and sin. So, we packed our bags and loaded them in our car and set off for the hills nearby.

The day we left, the sky was overcast and remained so for the entire drive, making it a very enjoyable and pleasant journey. Our first destination was to Sula Vineyards in Nashik where we had booked a delux room for ourselves for two nights. The package included all three meals and had all kinds of amenities to keep yourselves occupied. There was a spa, a game room with a pool table, a swimming pool, bicycles to go down to the lake nearby or simply cycle around the hills, a gym and a reading room. They gave us free coupons for a tour to the vineyards and wine tasting as well.

Well, it goes without saying, we did everything. Ate all three meals heartily, yeah..I forgot for a while that I was supposed to be dieting. Who cares, right? The world was going to end, who cares if I am a few pounds heavier or lighter? I indulged myself with an invigorating back and neck massage at the spa, and told her to throw in a foot massage as well, now that I was here. Wow, that felt like pure bliss, I can tell you. I had never had a massage earlier, and now I can understand why women run to the spa whenever they can. I don't blame them. I told myself, I would definitely do this again, if I am still alive after 21st May. We also saw the most glorious sunset from our room in the evening while sipping on a bottle of sparkling wine. Now, that's what I call life. Good food, wine and lazing around!

After two days of bliss, we headed to Pune city where we had booked ourselves into a five-star luxury hotel managed by Taj. Well, quite obviously staying in a five star hotel is a luxury that we had never seen, so this was quite a treat for three days (the third day being added as complimentary in the package by the hotel). So, on May 21st, the day we were supposed to die or get "Raptured" we started the day with the complimentary breakfast and tasted all the food that was spread out on the buffet. Hmmm..Must say, it was definitely worth it. Thereafter we drove around the city exploring the sights and markets. Also met up with some long lost friends in the evening and had a great dinner with them. Sat up till late night chatting and laughing and in the end wound up in bed tired and exausted with all the excitement.

21st May 2011 came and went. Nothing happened. We were all still alive and kicking. The world was intact. No Jesus came...at least we don't know if he did. We were ready to hog at breakfast again...!

Osama Bin Laden Dead - Obama Confirms the Death of Al-Qaida Leader

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Osama Bin Laden, the most-wanted terrorist, mastermind and leader of the Al-Qaeda was killed by the US forces in an operation that was led by the United States in Pakistan. President Obama confirmed the news through a statement made from the White House late Sunday night, wherein he stated that a small team of Americans had carried out the attack in Pakistan and took custody of Osama Bin Laden’s remains.

The hunt for Osama and subsequent global war on terror was launched by the Americans soon after the Sept 11^th 2001 attack on the twin towers. The hunt for the mastermind behind the attack continued for a decade, before they managed to track him to a luxury two-story mansion that was located in a compound in the city of Abbottabad in Pakistan. The mansion is surrounded by 12-16 ft walls on all sides and did not have any phone or internet connections. Bin Laden was killed by the Navy Seals and the CIA paramilitary forces in a firefight, in which Bin Laden was reportedly seen attacking the forces in person. Ultimately he was shot dead in the head. Pictures of his dead body are been shown on all the news channels on Television to make people believe the story of his death. He was killed in the early morning hours of May 2^nd 2011.

What is ironical about the whole story is that the house in which Osama Bin Laden was found was apparently right next to the military compound of the ISI forces of Pakistan. This puts a huge question mark as to the role of the ISI in hiding Osama from the US and the rest of the world for so many years? The news stories from different sources are giving different interpretations to the whole episode.

The Americans are claiming this to be a victory for them in the war against terror. According to them, “justice” has been done to all the thousands who were killed on the fateful day of the Sept 11 attacks. But, this is by no means the end of terrorism. It still remains to be seen as to how the rest of the world reacts to this death and killing, specially the Muslim nations that have been against US.

For India, it proves that Pakistan seems to be a safe house for terrorists where they are given “sanctuary”. So, India would be now interested to know the view or action that USA will take as far as Pakistan is concerned.

The President of Afghanistan has made a statement saying that the US forces should now leave the soil of Afghanistan as they have found and killed the man that they were after.

"In the wake of this operation, there may be a heightened threat to the U.S. homeland," a U.S. official said. "The U.S. is taking every possible precaution. The State Department has sent advisories to embassies worldwide and has issued a travel ban for Pakistan”.

There has been a red alert sounded in India seeing the situation as it unfolds, and there being threats of the Islamist extremist groups retaliating to this killing of their leader.

The killing of Osama Bin Laden couldn’t have come at a better time for the US President Barack Obama as it could help give him a huge boost for his second term in the polls. Is it a great political move? Is this really a victory in the war against terrorism, or a catalyst to something more sinister to come?

The latest story that has come to light, is that the earlier news reports of the choppers that attacked the house, in which Osama Bin Laden was holed in Pakistan, took off from a base in Afghanistan is proved to be false and now reports are coming in that the choppers took off from a base in Pakistan itself. This raises a lot of questions about the role that Pakistan played in helping US forces. Earlier, it had denied having any knowledge of what the US forces were up to. How is it possible that the US choppers could enter the airspace of Pakistan without the knowledge of Pakistan government? Also, another fact that raises eyebrows is that Abbottabad is just 60Km away from Islamabad, the capital of Pakistan. This house was very close to the military base where troops and cadets were being trained.

Anna Hazare Fights Against Corruption - Beginning of a Social revolution?

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It is all over the news. One man fasting to bring about the Jan Lokpal bill. Who is he? Anna Hazare is an ex-army man who fought in the 1965 Indo-Pak war. He is a social activist who has been involved in various projects that brought about improvements in the quality of life of many people, for which he was decorated with the Padma Bhushan award, by the Indian Government.

Anna Hazare, a 73-year-old Gandhian started the campaign on 7th April 2011 by going on a fast in the hot sun, that he will maintain till his death unless the Government agrees to consider a powerful law that could rid Indian politics of the scourge of corruption. He has taken a similar stance as that of the great Mahatma Gandhi to fight for this cause, which is very courageous and he is very determined to get the desired results. This powerful law would give an independent body the power to punish corruption -- even in the Prime Minister’s office.

Veteran social activist and Gandhian Anna Hazare has written an open letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. In the letter dated April 6, 2011, Hazare has raised many questions and sought the Prime Minister's reply. 

For many years now, the Indian government and the various politicians, bureaucrats and political parties have been involved in shady corrupt practices that involved crores of rupees and scams, but nobody has been punished to date because the justice system itself takes so many years to function. It has become a habit now. So much so that not a single task can be done without bribing an official, be it any office. This cannot spell good for any nation's economical progress and growth. So it is in our best interest to see such a law being enforced that would make the politicians and various office bearers responsible and accountable for their deeds and actions. Anna Hazare has initiated the movement, sent the ball rolling, so to speak. What is this cause?

"Hazare is championing a citizen-developed bill called “Jan” Lokpal that will create an independent body, selected by judges, citizens and constitutional authorities, with enough power to investigate and punish all politicians. No minister or bureaucrat will be able to influence its investigations.

Since 1968, when this bill was first introduced, greedy politicians have thwarted its passing. Now the government is pushing for a watered down Lokpal with no hope of ending fraud, vice and dishonesty -- it gives politicians overriding power to decide who will be investigated, and is a complete sellout.

Pressure is mounting on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to endorse the "Jan" Lokpal. Members of the opposition party have begun to make the right noises in support of Anna Hazare. And even the National Advisory Council, a powerful advisory body to Sonia Gandhi have come out in favour of the bill. But corrupt politicians and vested interests are doing all they can to kill it.

Anna Hazare has set the example. But only a national citizens movement can ramp up the pressure to get Mr. Manmohan Singh to endorse “Jan” Lokpal and save Hazare's life."

We can all make a difference, by taking part in the social movement. For the first time in forty three years, we have the chance to change the way politics is done. Let's join together and stand with Anna Hazare to tackle corruption and clean up Indian politics. We have no time to lose -- sign the petition to be delivered directly to Prime Minister Singh and reported to the media, and spread the word to everyone: (an initiative taken by the website called Avaaz.org)

Click here to sign the petition!

So far, 223,393 have signed.the petition. The word is soon spreading like wild fire. Lots of people have joined the movement from various parts of the country. The social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter are being used to spread the word and garner support from the people and get their votes and signatures. I have also done my bit, by updating the news about Hazare on my facebook page. You can do it too. This video of Anna Hazare message against corruption   is being circulated on facebook right now. you can share it too.

After watching this video, share it with your friends and be part of this social movement against corruption. Play your part by making people aware that one man is fighting for us all, it is time for us to support him. 

Breaking News: In a latest development, "Kapil Sibal rejects Anna's demand to form a joint committee, Anna urges the nation to start Jail Bharo Aandolan - 12th April is the day!"

Today, 8th April 2011 is the third day of his fast , And Delhi has shown support to Anna Hazare by calling this a "Shor Machao" day!  Location: India Gate at 6:30 PM Friday. Be there to make some noise.

New Delhi: India Inc Friday extended support to social activist Anna Hazare in his fight against corruption, stating it is "sick" of the menace.

"We support any such movement by anybody, including Ramdev and Anna Hazare, to reduce corruption soon... We are sick of corruption," leading industrialist and Bajaj Auto Chairman Rahul Bajaj said. Adi Godrej, the Chairman of the Godrej Group, also extended support to Hazare, who has been sitting on a fast-unto-death since Tuesday to press for an effective Lokpal Bill to deal with corruption in high places. "Industry cannot go on streets. Yes, corporate India does support his cause. We are with him," said Godrej.