I’m writing this with great regret.

With hindsight gained from previous experiences on Facebook, I had resolved not to engage myself in any groups that proclaim their intentions to bring about positive social change. I had reiterated this during our conversation post the programme that Kennedy and me had conducted at your centre. Since you had politely requested me to join your group ‘Goa Speaks’ and because i believe in making my contributions to society however small they may be, I decided to accede to your request despite my apprehensions.

Yesterday, those apprehensions were realised, when I along with a few others were removed from your group. I’m not saddened by this, in-fact I’m a bit relieved as it was turning into a verbal war where any statement made by us contrarian to the generally accepted view, was looked at as being abusive and potentially communal. What I’m grieved about is that this was done by your administrators without any prior warnings or even the decency of an intimating message. I had expressed my views about Mr Hazare during our conversation and as I type this letter to you, I’m sure you will agree that some of those views are vindicated by what is being telecast on television. As a citizen of a democratic India, I believe expressing our views on a public forum is within our rights and we have the duty to ensure that our rights do not infringe upon others. At no point, do I think the opinions expressed by me, Ms. Mayse Fernandes or Mr. Callisto Fernandes were derogatory, abusive, obscene or controversial. Whether they were foolish is a debatable point of view. I can consent to an accusation that come comments may have been sarcastic, mine especially. But for a debater in the heat of the moment, that is often a tool to seal the deal. Still, I would be glad to tender an apology if required. Interestingly, what has been brought to my notice is that the comments might have been deleted. This is highly unfair as it does not give the person accused, in this case, the three of us a chance to prove our innocence. If we were accused criminally, this act of post deletion would have been tantamount to tampering with evidence.

I would humbly request you not to take what I say at face value. Please look into the matter and reinstate both Mayse and Callisto back into the group. I will consent to remain withdrawn in order to maintain the peace within the group. In conclusion, I would like to make one last caveat. As owner of the group, please ensure that any future post deletions and removals of members from it be done only after getting your approval. It will be a bit of a hassle, but would go a long way in ensuring a ‘Goa Speaks’ that is effervescent rather than faint.

As Co-founder of Kreative Carafe, which helps people manage their health more easily, I often come across people who feel they are in the best of health but who have tests reveal otherwise. Others capitulate on their training regimes saying they don’t know how or don’t have the time. I’ll admit it’s difficult hence at my company, we believe every person’s health program has to be custom fit in-order to succeed. Using ‘AUXIDIN‘, our proprietary SaaS to collate our clients medical and lifestyle data, we work in conjunction with our panel of doctors, dietitians and physical trainers to come up with customised solutions that help our clients live healthier lives by just tweaking their lifestyle a little bit.

I don’t follow a standard workout regime but I do make sure to physically exert myself by using the stairs rather than the lift, drinking adequate amounts of water, and watching what I eat. Occasionally, while getting back from work, I’ll just pop in the earphones and go for a brisk 10 km walk before I get home, bags and all. It’s the doing that matters, not the how. A simple annual medical checkup helps me ensure my health is at the level that I would like it to be and serves as an early warning system in-case it’s not.

Your health can be what you make of it, provided you get to the table and dig in.

.

Who are these cowards? The people in power!!! … indeed. The police!!! …. Most definitely.. Most importantly, the true devils are the various officials of government organisations and other people who chose to cow down to these imaginary crusaders for justice or should I say mother-tongue.

I visited my local branch of the Canara Bank to make a deposit and saw about 15 to 20 customers standing outside. I’m confident about saying customers because most of them were locals from the neighborhood. Being a Monday morning, I resigned myself to a long stand in a queue. Unfortunately on nearing the entrance, the locked grill stopped me in my tracks. On peeking in, saw the staff all comfortably sitting at their desks and was rudely told by the peon “The bank is closed!!! Go Away!!!” Since I’m not one to . , i insisted on speaking to the Manager to know the reason why. After exiting his cabin, he said that some people had come and threatened them to shut shop hence necessitating closure. I informed him that the school next door was functioning without problems and that with over fifteen customers waiting outside, he should have requested for police protection if he had been threatened. He ignored it and said that he couldn’t do anything. Unwilling to give in, I asked for a number of the person in-charge who I could call to to sort things out. I was grudgingly given a number and the bank shutter was pulled down in my face. Call me egoistic but that just got my goat.

On dialing the number +91 832 2232726 and being transferred at-least three times, I was finally able to converse with a Mr. Rajan who listened carefully. He asked me what kind of transaction I wanted to perform. Hearing that it was a deposit and that there were other customers waiting, said that the staff should definitely be able to perform their duties. He asked me to wait and that he would call the Fatorda branch and request them to open their doors. The phone in the manager’s cabin which is near the entrance could be heard to ring but the shutters stayed down even after 5 minutes. Seeing this few individuals in the crowd behind me starting dispersing. I called back three times and got no response. Further despair set into the crowd causing it to grumbling and muttering wither away, leaving me with in the company of an old lady whose age delayed her journey home. Trying one last time to get back in touch, i got lucky. Alas!!! Rajan had left and was not in the office.

An hour later, back home and still in a tizzy, I tried again to get through to Mr. Rajan. Lady luck smiled and he hesitantly said that he was just a clerk and there was nothing he could do. I was given another number +91 832 2232010 which would put me in touch with the Division Manager, a Mr. Satish Naik. A few key taps later, Mr. Naik was patiently listening to my tale of woe. He informed me that they had advised the branches to transact business as usual and to only stop if a possible law and order situation was anticipated. He concluded saying if there were customers outside, the branch should have been doing business and he would sort it out and call me back. Sadly that was the last i heard of him and as they say in Hindi, ‘Kissa katham ho gaya’.

I won’t have been the only one in Goa to face this head on and fail. What’s appalling is that we were allowed to fail by people who could have braced themselves up with our support. People will curse our politicians, our police and say they should have ensured the bandh wasn’t enforced. I’m all for it but we’ve been beating those drums black and blue for quite a while now and the leathers worn out. It’s time to take a different tack.

Thugs and bullies are primarily pack animals and cannot work individually. The best way to checkmate these bullies is to put up a united front and never back down. I salute the owner of ‘Navtara‘ who after requesting police protection once again refused to bow down to these frivolous and illegal demands. Some will say he’s an influential guy who can get protection and hence can take the risk. That statement holds merit too. But what’s to stop us from requesting protection as a collective or ensuring that we protect ourselves. Consider our schools. Most of them were open and students with parents did attend although they closed early. This proves that standing up is possible and that the bandh which was called to show support for the BBSM was a failure.

The thugs and bullies will try their scare tactics during future protests and there might be casualties but remember that “Crudelius est quam mori semper timere mortem” (Seneca the Elder) which translates as “It is crueler to be always afraid of dying than to die.”

Preaching the Lead

Since media personalities of your stature are too busy uprooting scams and misdeeds, people like me can only get your attention by means of an open letter, just as you are trying to get the attention of Mr. Rahul Gandhi.

As a viewer of your channel, albeit a begrudging one, I’m sad to say that you have murdered the very essence of journalism with your broadcasts.

True journalism is all about discovering and presenting the facts and pursuing the cause of justice. You unfortunately have reduced it to a farce by focusing on issues that verge on what would be expected from a paparazzi channel.

Your channel’s entire focus is on creating the impression that the UPA Govt. is ineffective and corrupt. Your channel anchors give their own opinions and interpretations on statements given by the members of the UPA Govt.. Are you and your channel truly so naive to believe that the average Indian believes what you say to be true.? That the average Indian will be swayed by your negative portrayal of the Government.

Even a worn out coin has two sides. How is it that you are unable to telecast a single good the government has done.?

You advise Mr. Gandhi to step out into heat and dust of Uttar Pradesh more often and play a more decisive and central role. Yet, when he raised the Bhatta Parsaul issue in-front of the Prime Minister, your channel goes all out to down play the issue as being over-exaggerated. The truly laughable fact was that your own news report last night clearly showed the truth of his statements. All the inhabitants of Bhatta Parsaul who were interviewed by your news channel clearly stated that they were living in fear with most of the men-folk absconding for their own safety. The most revealing clip was the old lady who said the whole sarcar were liars and cheats. You graciously accepted the report that nothing happened from the Mayawati government and police who themselves are the people assumed responsible for the said atrocities. Your sense of impartiality truly amazes me.

Your channel claims that corruption and nepotism was the downfall of the DMK led alliance. While I agree that might have been a factor, if you look back at Tamil Nadu’s electoral history, it was a pre-meditated outcome due to the genius of the state’s electorate. Government’s have been alternating over the last two decades. The fact is not that the Tamil voter took the TV and wasn’t swayed by it, but rather took it and sent a message that he expected better offerings next time. After all, we Indians love a good hard bargain.

With regards to Kerala, had the Congress suffered a deficiency of two seats, it would have been hailed as a victory of justice and a downfall of satanic hordes. With VS Achutanandan in that state however it’s a potential upset. Let’s try putting it in perspective, shall we? The Left’s alliance in Kerala lost 29 seats as compared to last time, came two seats behind their opponents, and one seat less the halfway mark. If that performance can be called a possible upset, the guy doing the calling is one leg in the loony bin, don’t you think?

You consider Rahul’s being a scion of the Gandhi family entitles him to eminence within the Congress party. ‘Dynastic politics’ as you love to harp about. Yet you are the one who’s advising him to take a central role in UP and stay ready to be the next Chief Minister of the state. Double standards, Brutus? Or are you looking for an opportunity to swing at him if he does what you say. Why don’t you credit him for the act of trying to revitalize the youth wing of the Congress Party which he has stated is his main focus right now. By the looks of it he’s doing a good job. He’s got a plan. He’s got a following. Give him some space to do his thing.

A concrete suggestion on my part, Stick to the facts and concentrate on issues that really effect the people of this country. Politics and cricket might be what gives you your jollies, but spare the rest of us things we prefer discussing at the end of the day, in the presence of friends over a cup o’ joe.

With the new name hopefully the characters will flow….

The King

Michael Jackson has left his stage for the last time. This news is terrible. Millions of fans across generations will be shell shocked and wish they never have to face this fact in their lifetime.

Michael started his career at the tender age of 11 as a member of the Jackson 5 and later went solo on a career that gave us the “Thriller”, “Moonwalking”, besides other greats.

What amazes me is that during his entire life, everyone concentrated on his shortcomings. Now that he’s dead, all the mushy stories will be coming forth saying what a great person he was, but how many actually acknowledged that during his life. Was that too much to ask?

Before Oprah, before Obama, and all the others,it was Michael Jackson who was the largest and most powerful icon of the black community. Not many might agree because he was accused of child molestation and all the various eccentricities like dangling his son off the balcony.

How many times have we heard the stories of his kindness and charity through the Heal The World Foundation? How many concentrate on the fact that through the foundation Jackson airlifted 46 tons of supplies to Sarajevo? Did you know he instituted drug and alcohol abuse education and donated millions of dollars to less fortunate children, including the full payment of a Hungarian child’s liver transplant. Michael skipped the 1985 American Music Awards ceremony despite the fact he had nominations that night to record the chorus of “We Are The World” as a guide to the other artists. This was his commitment to this charity which enable millions of dollars to be donated for famine relief.

In 1984, MJ suffered second degree burns to his scalp after his hair was set on fire while filming a Pepsi Cola commercial. After PepsiCo settled the lawsuit out of court, Jackson gave his $1.5 million settlement to the “Michael Jackson Burn Center” to help people with severe burns.

This is what the man was and who he needs to be remembered as.

Rest In Peace, King of Pop!!!  Your Kingdom will endure for years to come!!!

Starry Kimberley

A Belgian eighteen-year-old Kimberley Vlaminck is suing a tattoo artist for obliging her with 56 stars on her face instead of the 3 she allegedly asked for. Yikes!!! She claims to have fallen asleep while Romanian tattoo artist Rouslan Toumaniantz was working on her face. I bet the Guinness World Record book would love to have her entry.

Vlaminck is reportedly suing Toumaniantz who works at the Tattoo Box for $14,000, the cost of the laser surgery she will need to remove the tattoos. He is not accepting her statement however as he does not wish to have an unsatisfied client is willing to pay for half the cost of her laser surgery.

Moral of the Day: Don’t fall asleep while getting your face ink pricked!!!

The Tattoo Artist!!!

Goa is to host the National Games in the year 2011 or at the latest by the year 2013. I am not against sports or development in any way, but my point or rather my question is to what end?

Lakhs of land will be converted into an amazing sports city which will be used for a few days by sports persons from all over the country. Records will be set, on the sports field and even off it by our illustrious public servants. The contestants will come eagerly as everyone does to our little state, in order to have fun, go sightseeing and return thriumphantly stating that they had been to Goa. The irony is that they are the ones who will be taking back the trophies despite the fact that we would have spent such a lot on infrastructure.

Why is it that every time we host an event, we need to construct something new. Haven’t the concerned authorities heard of maintenance or renovation. Why can’t a little sense (note the word common has not been used) be applied and we use existing facilities or not accept white elephants which are a drain on the taxpayers money. Why is it that we, the educated lot despite having the groomed grey cells prefer to keep them subdued while the unschooled use them in ways unimaginable. Who actually benefits from all this splurging? I would love to imagine that it is us, the sport loving people of Goa who will but apart from a few sportspersons who have based themselves out of the state not many have benefited.

I am not asking us to emulate what China achieved at the 2008 Olympics but would like us to at least take some concrete steps towards getting there. This will only happen when educated individuals with a conscience and the will, join forces and work to make a change. Lets ensure our paradise retains its charm and not become one only for fools.

Mozypro
The MozyPro Desktop license supports Windows 2000, XP, and Vista (32 and 64 bit) as well as Mac OS X 10.4 and higher. The MozyPro Server license supports Windows Server 2000, 2003, 2008, Windows Home Server, and Mac OS Server 10.4 and higher. For business data, MozyPro desktop licenses are just $3.95 plus $0.50/GB per month and server licenses are $6.95 plus $0.50/GB per month.