Money Breaks Families!!!

Money, wealth, riches, opulence, treasure, whatever the term one might use to describe the means of transaction in this world is often the cause of disputes between people. Money has the power to buy anything in this world... people joke that "Those who say money can't buy everything doesn't know where to shop". In the same parlance money makes best friends into worst enemies, and turns family into foes.

This is what has happened to the family of the late Civil Rights Activist Rev. Martin Luther King's family. His children have been fighting over his estate of papers, letters, property, and now even the bible he carried and his Nobel Peace Prize are in the dispute. I came across a news article about how the daughter and sons of the late hero are in court battling over the possession and ownership of the last two items mentioned above.

Sad but true children don't seem to care about their parent's legacy if it doesn't turn into money. I guess then money is what makes the world go round for these people.

Happy Diwali 2013

Diwali is almost over but hey... good things and good deeds can be done anytime. This image is courtesy of JK YOG, I just removed the name of their organization digitally and published it on my blog. No copyright infringement is intended.

If I were in India it would have been one pig fest eating till my stomach busts, sweets, savories, etc. But then I am in America and don't even know any Indian families that celebrate these festivals well enough that I get invited to their place. Anyway festivals or not life goes on...

Beliefs and Convictions - different strokes....

I saw this advertisement in the local papers. It is interesting how people like Jim and his group featured in the advertisement take pride in eroding the religious practices and cultural beliefs of community and create rifts in the nation in the name of god. Religion and god was never meant to create unrest, and conflict in a society, but modern religion, especially when it gets highly professionally organized seems to be doing exactly that.

India is already a disturbed place with almost 20% of the world's population in less than 5% of the world's land area the country is reeling under several problems. Converting people and creating new religious orders only lead to conflicts. I wonder when people will understand that one doesn't ascend to heaven by creating conflicts in nations.

One of my friends who had lived in Texas earlier had remarked to me that "Texas is like the buckle of the bible belt" and having lived here for over five years I would say I have been poked and pierced by the buckle several times.

5 Foods Americans Eat that Are Banned Around the World - Yahoo News

Growing up in India I recall the huge furore about BVO or Brominated Vegetable Oil being used in soft drinks, chocolate, etc. Consumer groups hounded these corporations and the government to ban products using BVO and the campaign was quite successful back then in the 1980s. Now I hope the ban continues. I am shocked to know that American corporations continue to spew out products with BVO quite regularly and not to mention growth hormones which makes the children and adults here grow to gigantic proportions. Wonder how it would be in India with so many multinational brands fighting for their share of the billion plus market.

5 Foods Americans Eat that Are Banned Around the World | Shine Food - Yahoo Shine http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/5-foods-americans-eat-banned-around-world-161800329.html These common foods in America include ingredients that other countries ban Read the full story

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American-born Islamic Terrorist's trail begins

After what seems like an eternity the trail to punish Major Nidal Hassan began yesterday. It is ironical that even after being imprisoned for over 4 years the terrorist in Hassan is still alive and active. According to news reports the alleged terrorist who is defending himself opened his case with the statement declaring that he indeed shot army personnel at Fort Hood.

According to news reports he claimed that he was among the "imperfect Muslims trying to establish a perfect religion". I don't know how he can call it a perfect religion when it doesn't give basic human rights to people who don't believe in the exact same doctrine propagated by its holy book.

A perfect religion ought to promote peace, Islam on the other hand seems to be doing the exact opposite. A perfect religion promotes respect for life, respect for all human beings equally, compassion for less fortunate, nonviolence, etc. I can go on and on about what a perfect religion should be, but that is not the point of this blog post.

Justice for those injured and the families of those killed will be served only Hassan is branded terrorist and punished to the highest extent by law. Of course it is for the judges to decide what to do with a terrorist like him but in my opinion anyone who attempts to harm the people who willingly lay down their lives to protect the nation should be punished to the fullest extent.

I sure hope it happens in this case and soon. I also believe that Justice Delayed amounts to Justice Denied.

Justice delayed is Justice Denied... well almost...

I have been following the case of Major Nidal Hassan the Muslim American army officer who turned his gun on his colleagues because they were fighting against Muslims in the middle east. To me and rest of the members of the public the case looks very straight forward. Nidal killed and injured army staff, the people who are hired to protect the nation. There are enough witnesses, and a confession too. It should be easy to put him to death and finish the case. But, US army is not finding it so easy, they think the case is complicated and continue to hold Nidal in prison and pay him his official salary. New reports that have emerged indicate that it may be impossible to put Nidal to death.

Looks like the American Justice system is stumbling along unsure of what to do. Few years ago India experienced one of the most deadly terrorist attacks and one Pakistani citizen was captured alive and his trail also took a long time but ultimately he was put to death by hanging. I wonder if that is a good enough precedent for America to follow. It is time the members of the slain service members families get the justice they deserve and the deceased souls rest in peace. Enough of paying taxpayers dollars to a traitor.

Minimum Wage Workers - the New Generation of Slaves

America has a history of Slavery and now it seems as if the history is being repeated in the form of low wage workers and high earning executives (read CEOs and management). I was listening to Diane Rehm Show on NPR and was appalled to hear that one of the panelists thought that minimum wage workers receive a "phenomenal" wage increase in the first year. I wonder if he is properly informed about the prevailing situation in the market.

I know a friend of mine who works in one of the leading hospital systems in DFW area, TX. His first year wage raise was a mere $.07 an hour, which translates to 2.80 a week and $134 a year. The years salary raise doesn't even cover his gas bills for one month and this gentleman thinks it is a phenomenal raise. I think he needs to get down and dirty before making such comments.

Bangladesh Phenomenon Moves to America

In the recent past news reports on building collapses and factory fires in Bangladesh were the hot topics. The trend seems to have moved half way around the world to Philadelphia, US, where a building collapsed in downtown and had several people trapped in the debris. Of course thanks to the greater amount of space and much higher response speed there have been no deaths reported yet in the Philly collapse.

Initial speculations are pointing to an industrial accident in one of the construction sites nearby. We will wait for the right verdict on this case if at all it becomes public and newsworthy for the media to carry.

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A Great Way to Celebrate

Hiere is a very inspiring piece of news I read online on Yahoo.com. If all the people in the world were even half as active as this woman is there would be no obesity at all. 100-Year-Old Woman Celebrates Birthday Skiing | ABC News Blogs - Yahoo! http://gma.yahoo.com/blogs/abc-blogs/100-old-woman-celebrates-birthday-skiing-200918940.html Elsa Bailey may be 100 years  old, but that didn't stop her from hitting the slopes last weekend to celebrate her birthday in true snow bunny fashion. "It was something that I planned years ago," Bailey, of Colorado Springs, Colo., told GoodMorningAmerica.com. "That on my... Read the full story

Motorcycle Funeral Escort Killed

The motorcycle rider who went to this funeral procession didn't expect that it might well become his also. He was leading the procession and a car hit him killing him on the spot. Sad for his family and the funerary members, it seems to be a day of double sorrow. May god give them the strength to tide over the sad times.

Giant African Land Snails Arrive in Houston

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The above video displays a news report about the occurrence of the giant African Land Snails in Houston, TX. The news report reveals who found these animals and the dangers associated with handling the animal but doesn't say how these animals got to America. These animals are land snails so they couldn't have swam their way from Africa to America! Someone must have brought a few of these creatures alive for breeding and possibly to sell their colorful shells, now that many of these are running wild it would be difficult to find them and prevent them from infesting the rest of the country.

Hiking in Lake Ray Roberts State Park

It was an evening well spent on the banks of Lake Ray Roberts in the State Park. Though I walked only about 3.5 miles in the lush green forests of the Lake Ray Roberts State Park the experience was definitely worth while. I am glad I have been buying the Texas State Park Pass every year, this enables me to enter any state park in the state of Texas absolutely free.


Anyway earlier this evening I just decided to go there and take a dip in the cool waters of the lake. Drove down to the state park and found that I was among the handful of visitors there. I decided to walk one of the trails there before hitting the water and so was off on the Randy Bell Scenic Trail which is about 2.7 miles long but since I took several detours to get by the lake waters, I probably walked a good 3.5 - 4 miles.


The trail is moderately hilly and completely paved so it is impossible to trip, fall or lose the way. Moreover being surrounded by thick undergrowth, trees, and grasses there is lot of wildlife sighting opportunities. Today I saw several white tailed deer, which are not scared of humans at all, they continue to graze unperturbed even as people walk along the trail. Even the animals know they are safe in the park, if it were in a different setting, the deer would be shot and eaten.

Medical Deportation - American Style

Illegal immigration is a huge problem across the world. Almost every peaceful and prosperous nation is facing this problem of people from its poorer neighbors illegally entering and living in the country. The problem has been highlighted most in the United States which hosts over 12 million illegal immigrants and their legal born children. There is a huge cost to the tax payers in terms of public services, welfare, healthcare, education and other services that these illegal immigrants enjoy but don't pay for.
Anyway according to this article published online, hospitals in the United States are dealing with this problem in their own way. Illegal immigrants who land up in the hospital with serious injuries are quietly deported to their home country and their files closed. These hospitals are taking the law into their hands, immigration is a federal offence, but then the immigration system in the US is broken beyond repair. Instead of waiting for the government to take action some hospitals in the country and taking matters into their hands so their profits wont be sapped up by the illegal immigrants.

US hospitals send hundreds of immigrants back home - Yahoo! Finance

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/us-hospitals-send-hundreds-immigrants-134323606.html Days after they were badly hurt in a car accident, Jacinto Cruz and Jose Rodriguez-Saldana lay unconscious in an Iowa hospital while the American health care system weighed what to do with the two immigrants ... Read the full story

New Challenge to American Hospitals

America prides itself for its healthcare system - among the world's best. This is being challenged by small insects - bed bugs. The blood sucking critters are infiltrating hospital bed linens and attacking patients who are already suffering from medical problems. Infection control and quality departments are working overtime to resolve these problems. I wonder how long it will take before they are able to resolve the issues.

Bedbugs Invade Hospitals - Yahoo! Finance

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/bedbugs-invade-hospitals-231344108.html As if adapting to health-care reform and curbing the "nightmare bacteria" weren't challenge enough, hospitals are increasingly plagued by another problem: Bedbugs. Read the full story

Boston Bombers - Captured or Killed

The two sick Islamist terrorists who are allegedly the perpetrators of the Boston Marathon Bombings are now in the custody of the law enforcement. Swift work and great job by the American law enforcement officials. That shows not only the hard working nature of the police officers here but also the political will and corruption free atmosphere the people here enjoy. When it comes to anti-American activities there is simply no pardon, everything is set aside and people work together as one nation. To say that I am impressed would be an understatement. I definitely salute the law enforcement and politicians who gave them unfettered power to go after the culprits and bring them in.

The Scenario in Bengaluru which also experienced serious blasts is quite the opposite, politicians are playing the blame game, people are back in their routines, media has forgotten the incident and now it occupies the inside pages of the newspapers. Police probably are just adding pages to the case and doing some paper pushing. Terrorists are probably laughing and partying away and planning their next attack. That is the pathetic state of affairs in the world's most populous democracy.

If I was in India reading this very post, I would be enraged and say what does the writer know, he is living in the comfort of America. One thing those in India must understand, we maybe far away from the country but we still love India and feel frustrated when such events take place and people just sit around and twiddle their thumbs. I want to see those involved in the recent Terrorist attacks in Bengaluru brought in front of the law and killed like the Mumbai terrorist. Same goes with every single anti-India person who wants to commit treason. This can only happen when the common people in India take action and do something - voting for the right candidate would be a good start. Getting actively involved in the community/ social well being by setting aside narrow political, caste wars aside would be even better. This will defeat the anti-National forces easily.

Grief Strikes America at times of Joy

The happiness that Christmas Holidays brings year after year to hundreds of thousands of families in the world is not going to be so happy in America this year. An unfortunate incident that ended in a school shooting has put the nation in a pall of gloom. According to news reports the Connecticut school shooting took a toll of 20 children and 6 adults.

My prayers go out to the families affected by this tragedy. May god give them the strength to tide over these tough times and emerge stronger so that the nation as a whole can find ways and means that can prevent such incidents from ever happening again.

Picture courtesy Yahoo News

Now of course every opponent of gun ownership will come forward and say that guns must be banned. Some people will say that students/ teachers/ visitors should be frisked before entering school/ public building premises. None of these are real solutions to the problem of shootings such as these. It is time American's looked within to find solutions.

There seems to be something wrong with how children are experiencing life in general. There appears to be a emotional disconnect between young people and suffering. There is too much comfort, too little responsibility and high stress levels. It is upon us as adults of this society to look inward and find solutions.

Another way to Immigrate to America!!!

I read the Yahoo News about how a luxury home is being maintained as a birthing location for Chinese nationals who would like to give the gift of American Citizenship to their yet unborn Children. Their modus operandi is simple, get pregnant in China travel to US when they are few weeks from delivery and give birth here. This way the child becomes an American Citizen, the parents can't be removed. The government here will be forced to give them green cards and they will bring the rest of their extended family. A neat strategy to take over the country, infiltrate, immigrate, and populate. China wants to be the superpower in the world and what better way than to takeover the existing superpower by overpopulating the nation with their people.

Winter clouds!!!

Here in Texas the best days to look at the sky and clouds is during the early winter or fall days. The sun is bright but not blazing down and burning everything in sight. The sky has a fair share of clouds which provides a nice contrast of white against the bright blue skies. Here are some pictures I shot as I drove along the endless highways of Texas.

Veterans Day in America

One thing that the rest of the world must learn from Americans is the way they respect their soldiers and celebrate their leaders. Today is veterans day and every news channel, media outlet, school, college, government department, and private entity is talking about it. There have been thousands of events across the country to honor veterans and thank their families. This kind of adulation and respect naturally attracts young men and women of this country to want to serve their nation and make it great.

Today I was listening to a radio program on KERA in which a veteran was being interviewed. His only message to all the citizens was not to just thank a veteran today but to ask them for a story. In short the speaker urged citizens to make a veterans day by asking them to tell a story of their service days.

Anyone will feel good when others show an interest in their life and story. Especially so if one has fought a war and placed their health and life at risk. I wish every nation in the world celebrated their fighting soldiers the same way.

Wild Flowers and Hiking Trails

Whenever I go hiking the only things in abundance that are noticeable are wild flowers. Like any tourist and wanna be photographer I shoot pictures of these creations of nature and post them on my blog. Here are some examples: