Desi In Toronto

And so the next controversy in Toronto brews.

When David Miller was elected as the mayor he rode to victory largely on the Toronto airport controversy. But one of his other main points on which he seemed to get a lot of traction was that the Toronto Waterfront needs to be revitalised. The Gardiner Expressway leads the traffic from QEW and 427 S into downtown (from Greater Toronto Area in the west, Hamilton, Burlington, St. Catherine, Niagara, Kitchener, Brampton etc.) and distributes it into downtown from Spadina to Jarvis. The expressway is really fast (although there are traffic jams regularly) and relatively smooth.

The problem is that expressway is an eye sore on the lake front. It’s an elevated expressway which dissects the downtown from the lake shore and because of this expressway, the lake shore has never really realised it’s full potential. The lake shore attached to downtown is fun and very inviting but because of the expressway, the entry points into the lake shore are crumbling pillars, leaking ramps, buses and trucks and dark and dingy areas which would turn on only the homeless. I think the expressway has been the biggest sore point in revitalising the lake shore.

So why do we care for the lake shore when the expressway is servicing us so well?

The first and foremost reason is that Toronto, which thrives on a large part on tourism needs to beautify itself. Toronto is a concrete city and the small "discovery" parks around the city don’t really make it pretty. They are really used by smokers’ and lunch goers in summer and left to languish in the winter. So by making Toronto a little more pretty, tourists will be attracted to it like tourists are attracted to Chicago’s Million Mile road, Las Vegas Blvd., Washington, Montreal’s Old Quebec etc. These places are really beautiful and no wonder the tourism (and it’s related profits) in these cities out strips tourism in Toronto. A beautiful water front (with a cleaner downtown area) will attract more tourists to Toronto which could generally boost the local economy.

The second reason is that the expressway is killing the environment of downtown. At the last count at least half a million cars come and go through downtown in one day. That’s a lot of pollution. The government keeps trying to promote public transit system without much success. Force the people to abandon their cars, toll the cars with only one person in it, create a parking surcharge and see a sea change. Along with these, re-shape the transit system (both GO and TTC desperately need revamping) to smoothen the flow of people through the downtown area. To take down the expreseeway without a comprehensive public transit system (which includes parking spaces outside the city) will be committing suicide. The business world has no time or patience or need for a beautiful city. They need to get to work and meet with clients and process their deals. It’s essential that the business world is helped rather than forced to accommodate what’s available.

At the end of the day if the decision to revamp the Gardiner Expressway gets delayed, the costs (now at $758 million) will keep rising. I hope this is not another election ploy by various political parties. I hope this time something gets done.

The controversy on the Afghanistan mission continues.

The pieces of attack and defence had been set up for all parties in Canada. NDP and Bloc Québécois are totally against the mission and NDP actually calls for the troops to withdraw. Tories are all for the mission and have been successful in lengthening the mission into 2009. And Liberals…..well we were never sure where they stood in the matter. After all it was the Liberals who were all for the mission in the first place and sent the troops to Afghanistan. And now when the mission is not going too well and the Liberals are in opposition, they can’t actually attack the Tories without questioning their own policy.

So they have come out with a new tactic. Martin (who was the force behind the decision to send troops to Afghanistan) is saying that the nature of the mission has changed in Afghanistan has changed from what it was originally sent into that country for. This is true to the extent that all political parties are a party to the quaffing and dithering on the nature of the mission, but for the Liberals to take up this argument and try and label themselves as the good guys is truly stupid.

The nature of the mission is still not defined anywhere (except by NDP who want troops out of there) and it was never defined to being with. Martin says that the troops were sent on a “reconstruction” mission. That’s not true. The original mission of the NATO troops was to provide security to the volatile regions. And when the volatility was contained, the diplomats and re-constructers would come in and help re-build Afghanistan. Not the troops. But, unfortunately, the volatility never ended. And the troops got no or very little support from our Liberals government and now just a show of support from the Tories have had to re-build the country and deal with a growing insurgency.

So, for Liberals to turn this around and say we went in there with a different reason than why Tories are staying there for, is disingenuous and the Liberals should be roasted for it. I am glad that Jack Layton (NDP) is doing just that i.e. calling the bullsh*t of the Liberals.

As you know by now that the browser of the moment is Firefox
<www.mozilla.org> (and Opera <www.opera.com>). I use Firefox all the time
and have convinced some of my friends and family to convert too. I like
Opera too (actually I prefer it to Firefox) but it seems to have some issues
with my utterly lousy computer. So until I upgrade to a newer computer, I
will use Firefox before I move to Opera.

I digress.

My daughter loves the Starfall site <www.starfall.com> and she always
announces that she wants to get on the computer by saying “I wanna do ABC”.
That’s what starfall site is all about. ABCs, 123s, short stories, songs
etc. It’s a great interactive site.

So, when she wants to test her skills, I switch on the “lousy” computer and
start Firefox and go to her favourite site. I never realised that these
simple steps can have an affect on how a child reacts to a small change in
the routine.

When we went to my father-in-law’s house recently and she announced she
wanted to do ABCs, I went my FIL’s computer and switched it on and for some
weird reason started to drag the mouse over to Internet Explorer and my
daughter said :

“Noooooo papa, I want Firefox”!!! She was pointing to the Firefox icon!!

Here is a child who knows nothing of computers, browsers, URLs etc. but
already has an opinion on which browser to use. I know it probably because
whenever I had switched on IE earlier, I would always say “We don’t want no
IE”. So maybe that’s why she prefers Firefox. Whatever. I have no idea what
promoted her to point to Firefox than IE but, man, I am very proud of her.

Ever since the routine of switching on the computer always includes the
phrase “I want Firefox”.

…..guess someone forgot to ask these guys.

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How We Bought RDX

The brief sounded simple, but it had an ominous ring to it: go “buy” some RDX. The deadly explosive, we have all along been told, is impossible to access unless one has contacts in Pakistan’s ISI or with Islamic terrorist groups in PoK. But some tentative calls to people in the know revealed that it may be more easily available than the police and intelligence agencies would have everyone believe.

There is a reason why the “economic miracle” of India is more a hype than reality. Corruption rots the society at it’s every nook and cranny. It’s because of corruption that India has not really taken off as a humanistic society. The problem is that the citizens of India think they are a very cultured and peace loving society but the truth is that no one on Earth is more materialistic than your average Indian. Until they grow up to accept civilization before their own pockets, India will forever remain the cusp of “the next big economy”.

Until that time comes, you can buy any destructive element for the cheapest of price. Look at the price list :-

(1 USD = 46 Indian Rupee)

RDX Rs 80 a gram. Comes in packages with ingredients that make it a more potent composition. The ISI and Bangladesh’s intelligence agencies play a major role in pumping it across the border. Consumers: terror groups, Maoists and the LTTE.

AK-56 The cheaper Chinese version of the AK-47. Smuggled in via the Chittagong Hill tracts through Rajshahi and Nawabganj into north Murshidabad. Costs upwards of Rs 1.5 lakh.

Small Arms A wide variety, ranging from Rs 800 for a single shot pistol to more sophisticated Mauser pistols for Rs 1 lakh.

Explosives Locally manufactured explosives come cheap. Much of the crude bombs find their way to Bihar, Jharkhand and other neighbouring states.

….and I thought we were not Harpered enough.

“This is the first time in some time that Canada’s moved to the front lines of a peace-and-security operation, and I think it’s really sinking into us all how difficult that is and what that really means,” Mr. Harper said during an interview with CBC televised Monday night.

“At the same time, I can tell you it’s certainly engaged our military. It’s, I think, making them a better military, notwithstanding, or maybe in some way because of, the casualties.“

So, we are there to toughen ourselves up. So what if a few soldiers die, at least we are gettign tough.

……..therefore there is no solution.

NDP Leader Jack Layton and Afghan President Hamid Karzai agreed to disagree on the role of Canadian troops in Afghanistan.

“Clearly he believes that the mission as it is currently constituted should continue and we have serious questions about it,” Layton said Saturday in Montreal.

However, Layton said Karzai agrees that military might alone isn’t enough to secure Afghanistan’s long-term stability, and any political solution to the country’s problems need to include Pakistan.

Okaaaaay, so what? Nothing happened. It’s a good sign that they have met but what will the conclusion to the mess be? Until and unless there is no clear definition of the role of Canadians in Afghanistan by the governments of the two there will continue to be confusion and, hence, more deaths of civilians and soldiers. I mean look at the offcial web site. This is the defined role of Canada’s mission in Afghanistan :

Canada is making important diplomatic, defence and development contributions to the stabilization and reconstruction of Afghanistan.

Canada is in Afghanistan today to:

• defend our national interests;
• ensure Canadian leadership in world affairs; and
• help Afghanistan rebuild.

So we are there for OUR needs and interests. Afghanis come third in the list even though we are in their coutry. I think this is stupid.

One thing I have to say about the British humour is that it has a subtlety that does not exist in North American humour. In North America, slapstick has been taken to new heights but the subtle humour which generally sticks in your head for days and days is not the forte of North American humour. Yes Minister, Yes Prime Minister, Dave Allen Show, Are You Being Served, Fawlty Towers are superb examples of British humour on TV. In case of movies, the list is endless. Monty Python, A Shot In The Dark, Dr. Strangelove etc. and now we can add Mrs. Henderson Presents to the list. Well, at least in the top 20 of British comedy movies.

The movie is laugh a minute riot with some sombre scenes, after all most of the movie is set during The Blitz so there were bound to be some tears. Judy Dench proves why age is no bar for lead actress and Bob Hopskins proves why he is one of the most underrated actors of the last decade or so. The chemistry between them is electrifying and the banter never ceases even for
a moment.

A short synopsis of the movie : Judy Dench’s character, a recent widow, wants some excitement in her life. She tries different things that a “proper widow” ought to do in that era but finally settles on a radical idea; Buy a theatre. She hires Bob Hopskins as the manager and from the word go they are at each other throats even though it is obvious they admire each other. The theatre does quite well to begin with but is eventually swamped by competition. Then Judy Dench’s character has another radical idea which Bob Hopskins’s character likes, let’s have nudes on stage. So was born the first strip club in England. The bulk of the movie shows the running of the new format of the show and how it continues even during The Blitz. Eventually, it is the only show left running during the bombing as a defiance act to the Germans. In the end of the movie, the bombing is going on and the British government wants to shut down the show because a bomb might land on the theatre and kill a huge crowd as opposed to scattered people. Judy Dench convinces the authorities not to and the movie closes there revealing the reason why Judy Dench wants a nude show in the first place.

All in all a very satisfying movie. After it was over Charu and I were laughing all over again as we were discussing the movie. There were many “remember that scene” moments which is a sign that the movie was probably a good movie. There was no inherent message in the movie and no profound scene that left you thinking, it did leave you with a smile on your face. A light
hearted comedy. That’s how I would describe it.

However, as with all Hollywood movies, there wes a hole in it. There was only one problem with the movie that I saw. The reason why Mrs. Henderson wants nudes. Her son died in the first world war and while going through his personal effects she finds a nude picture of a showgirl from France. So, in order for the sons of England in the world war 2 not to go to their potential death without having seen a naked woman, she decided to let them see nude women. I think that really threw the movie off track. Thank god it was right at the end else I would have been so put off by this and not enjoyed the rest of the movie.

All in all a great movie. Highly recommended.

We have been hearing numerous stories of how Americans do house to house searches in Iraq. Blast the door down and search the house, if no known terrorist is found, arrest any male that might have been sleeping after a hard day’s work.

Now they are planning to do the same to a country? I wonder why Muslims hate USA? Maybe this is why :

President Bush said Wednesday he would order U.S. forces to go after Osama bin Laden inside Pakistan if he received good intelligence on the fugitive al Qaeda leader’s location.

“Absolutely,” Bush told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer in an interview scheduled for air Wednesday afternoon.

Although Pakistan has said it won’t allow U.S. troops to operate within its territory, “we would take the action necessary to bring him to justice.”

And since the election is around the corner, it is suddenly imperative that “we capture” Osama. What a load of crap. And has it dawned on him that if Pakistan refuses and the Americans try and play hardball, Pakistanis just might let loose a couple of nukes? Oh, this is Bush we are talking about. He thinks everything through.

Ladies and gentlemen, a prime example of oxymoron is :

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Kandahar Gov. Asadullah Khalid and Brig.-Gen. David Fraser, the Canadian and NATO commander in southern Afghanistan, gathered in the garden of the governor’s residence to declare victory in Panjwaii after a two-week offensive.

And then there is this :

Suicide bombers have struck in three different parts of Afghanistan, killing at least 17 people, officials say.

The first bomb targeted Nato troops in Kandahar province. Four Canadian troops were killed and about 25 civilians - many of them children - injured.

Later in the capital, Kabul, a man in a car blew himself up as policemen approached, killing three.

In Herat, in western Afghanistan, a third bomber on a motorcycle killed at least 10 people and injured 18.

What I fail to understand is why are the Canadian officials taking the “spin” lessons from the Americans. “let’s declare victory even though there is none”.

Another “Mission Accomplished” moment but this time it’s from Canadian.

Nor have I vanished from this planet. Work and lack on Internet at home has brought my blogging to a halt for the time being. I will be posting as much as I can from work but that involves bypassing strict blogging rules of the company I work for. Anyway, I shall try my best to update this blog.

I know memes are really annoying but for the person participating in the meme, the person can’t help but really think about his beliefs in topic of the meme. So without much delay here’s my meme of books.

1. A Book That Changed Your Life
=========================

I was going to list one the books that I have read in the recent years but then I thought that the book that first set me on the course of reading books should be mentioned here. The reason is that I would not be the person that I am if it were not for reading. Reading a book expands your horizons beyond the mundane and it sets you free. That’s why it’s important for me to mention the first book that I read as the book to have changed my life.

The book (or rather a set of books) that really set me off on my journey of book reading is The Hardys Boys series. The first memories I have of enjoying reading books is when I was at a boarding school at the age of 11 in Nabha, Punjab a state in the north west of India. At first all I looked for was the comic books. They didn’t have what I was looking for but there were a lot of war oriented comic books which were a good enough substitute. I read all the 100 or so within the first week. And then I started reading them again and again until I knew most of them by heart. I still remember quite a few. After a little while, these comics started become boring. So, I looked around the library for what else I could find. That’s when I came across The Hardy Boy’s and Nancy Drew section. And then the Sherlock Holmes section. from then on, I was hooked.

2. A Book That You’ve read More Than Once
=================================

There are so many. Sherlock Holmes, Gone With The Wind, Starship Troopers, Lord Of The Rings, The Hitch Hikers’ Guide To The Galaxy, The Robots Of Dawn, 2001 Space Odyssey, Steppenwolf, Catcher In The Rye, Shakespeare……..I know I am forgetting a few. I will add them to the list.

3. A Book You Would Take To A Desert Island
==================================

The Britannica’s Encyclopaedia. The whole set. Or the entire collection of William Shakespeare. Heck you are on an island, you gotta pass your time somehow.

4. A Book That Made You Laugh.
========================

It would have to be Yes, Prime Minister. Granted it’s basically the show on a book but it is one of the funniest books I have ever read. When I read this book during my commute on the GO train from Mississauga to Toronto, I would always catch a person or two staring at me because I giggled too loud. A must read for those who want to see the wackiness of British bureaucracy.

5. A Book That Made You Cry
======================

Damn. Can’t think of any book. I would have to settle for sad. The book that made me really, really sad is Arthur Clarke’s Childhood’s End. I was going to write a summary of the book but I did not want to spoil it for you. I will only say that all the stories I have heard or read about how the world could end, this is by far the saddest and probably true as well!!

6. A Book You Wish You Had Written
===========================

The one book that I wish I had written is Lord Of The Rings. Tolkien’s masterpiece. It is one of the most detailed book’s that I have come across. He not only created a whole new language for the book but also a history of all the different types of people in the book. The books take the reader into a journey through worlds that were explained in such “vivid” detail that the reader is invariably sucked into the story. My favourite character was Sam Gamgee. Throughout the book, everyone changed. Everyone “grew-up” except for Sam. He was true at the beginning of the book and stayed true until the end.

7. A Book You Wish Had Never Been Written
=================================

I cannot think of any book that should not have been written. All books, even the evil ones, are a source for an idea. How that idea is used or misused is at the discretion of the reader and not the writer.

What are your answers?

Here is a sign that election is around the corner in the US :

A new videotape has surfaced featuring Osama bin Laden’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and an American member of al Qaeda wanted by the FBI, according to a counterterrorism expert.

The tape, called “Invitation to Islam,” runs 48 minutes, expert Laura Mansfield said. Al-Zawahiri speaks for about 4 minutes on the tape, and the American narrates the rest.

Someimes I cannot help but believe in the numerous conspiracy theories swirling in the blogosphere.

I have always believed that the “Indian IT Miracle” is 50% true and 50% hype. And this report in NYT proves me right :

India’s annual growth in manufacturing output, at 9 percent and accelerating, is close to catching growth in services, at 10 percent. Exports of manufactured goods to the United States are now rising faster in percentage terms than China’s, although from a much smaller base. More than two-thirds of foreign investment in the last year has gone into manufacturing in India, not services.