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February 2013

Excellent Empire Programme Round Table Discussion on Al Jazeera TV on the Futility of the Ten Years of US Occupation in Iraq

Excellent Empire Round Table Discussion on Al Jazeera TV on the Futility of the Ten Years of US Occupation in Iraq

An experienced panel with good moderation

All Agreed that USA went into Iraq in the so called war on terror on pre conceived and ill informed notions that

  1. Iraq Oil will pay for the Cost of the Occupation
  2. Iraq Civilians will welcome the US as Liberators
  3. Democracy will spread outward from Iraq to the whole of the Middle East
This was voiced  for the Iraq Occupation ~ the Greatest US Foreign Policy Blunder ~ A Strategic Disaster ~A Moral Failure ~ a Catastrophe ~the justifications all turning out to be untrue that Iraq posed a Nuclear Threat,had connections with Al Qaeda and that on the overthrowing of Saddam Hussein’s Regime the US will be welcomed as Liberators by the Iraqis ~went in more for economic reasons than for human rights violations to extract natural resources rather than rebuilding Economy or State ~ Iran benefited from the sectarian conflict in Iraq Barbara Bodine,Professor at Princeton College and former US Ambassador to Yemen and also formally a part of the Office for Reconstruction of Iraq asserted that US went into Iraq with bombastic idealogies,self interest and no plan ~ we had a 120 civilians to run a country of 25 million !~ this was lunacy ~ we went in April and expected to set up the Country for self governance by August in the same year ~ it stretched to ten years ! ~ and those who made this decision ,may be now out of power and in  a minority ~ but the voices are still there and yet remain utterly unrepentant and won’t admit that their decisions were poorly made and poorly executed

Christopher Hedges,the Author of  The Empire of Illusion and former Middle East Bureau Chief of The New York Times puts it quite bluntly that US wants compliant states not open soceities and that it was a huge tactical mistake to use military force to tackle Islamic Fundamentalism ~ it was a woefully wrong strategy ~ “I don’t want my country to be occupied and be ruled by a puppet regime who only want to enrich themselves and their small circle”  ~ 4400 US Soldiers Dead,over 100000 and maybe upto 1.5 million Iraqis dead and the Cost of the Occupation is US $ 800 Billion

Jean Marie Guehenno,Director of the Centre for International Conflict Resolution in Columbia University and former Under Secretary General  of the Peacekeeping Operations of the United Nations, however was of the view that sometimes Military Force is indicated as in Mali where the French have intervened as there was clear and present danger that Terrorists would have taken it over

He was supported by John Nagl,retired US Lt Col and co-author of  US Army & Marine Corps Counterinsurgency Field Manual ~’ Boots on the Ground and Drones in the Air’ are a quicker way than Nation Building that can take many years ~ unstable places attract radical idealogies

There was Depth in the Discussion ~ View it as linked above

Kai Po Che ~ Overrated & Overhyped ~ if you have got to see it just do not expensively multiplex it

Kai Po Che ~ Overrated & Overhyped ~ if you have got to see it just do not expensively multiplex it  ~ any body know what the title connection is all about!? ~ just shows how tonnes of publicity money spend by leading Producer UTV with media support can create the hype that seduces the public to want to see this movie at the first instance! ~ how did these film critics give a  4 rating for this movie !

It’s about Three Young Men & Close Friends and their enterprising spirit wanting to start a Cricket Academy and a Sports Goods Business on their Own  ~ it’s about their strong bonding through thick and thin and Caste Cliches despite the often raging animosities that break out between them after their being influenced by the huge tragic events that unfolded in Gujarat ~ The Backdrop are the Tragedies at the beginning of the Gujarat Millenium ~ the Bhuj epicentred earthquake on Jan 26,2001 and the Riots in Feb 2002 that followed the deliberate burning of the two bogies of  the Sabarmati Express at Godhra resulting in the death of many kar sevaks returning from Ayodhya to Ahmedabad ~ the Director Abhishek Kapoor has crammed  the movie with just fleeting glimpses of these events without really bring any of them really alive ~ the screenplay based on the story of  Chetan Bhagat’s ‘Three Mistakes of My Life’ is pretty ordinary

‘Dil Chhata Hai’ and ‘Zindegi Ne Milegi Dobara’  are better movies on the Bonding of  Three Young Men ~ and I’m no urban snob !

What I will not argue against is the risk taking abilities of the Gujaratis and that a Gujarat Girl often does make the first flirty move ~ liked Amrita Puri in this role !

That’s My Experience & View too !

Cheers !

Reliving Classics of the 1960s 70s & 80s through Retro Razzmatazz & More

Just back from reliving the 1960s & 70’s & 80’s for nearly two hours  through Rael Padamsee’s Retro Razzmatazz & More at the Club Lawns

All my favs who I lived and continue to live through came alive on Stage ….Madonna,Neil Diamond,Billy Joel,Elton John,Elvis Presley,Wham, CCR ,Boney M,ABBA,Gloria Gaynor,Simon & Garfunkel,Don Mclean,Beatles,Whitney Houston,Tina Turner,Tina Charles… 

Sharmila Dias is a well known Singer in the Mumbai circuit and she and her band had  livened up New Year Night too at the Club to bring in 2013 ~ she made my day singing the Gloria Gaynor Anthem “I’ll Survive”

The Veteran Singer Sharon Prabhakar made a special appearance and began with the superb selection “I’m Alive” and closed out later with her famous rendition of Elaine Page’s   “Don’t Cry for me Argentina ” in ‘Evita’

Abigail Fonseca was a revelation when she sang Whitney Houston’s “I’ll Always Love You” 

However for me it was Siddharth Meghani who stole the show ~ his crooning of Elvis Presley and Neil Diamond Classics Numbers  was stunning ~ guy’s a natural performer !

A Saturday Evening well spend ending Post Performance with a fine dining experience ,despite the rush ~superb St German Potage Soup and an excellent Fettucinni in a Tangy Tomato Sauce and Mushrooms & Capsicums and with Black Olives and Fresh Herbs layered on top

Would have been perfect if I’d won the Lucky Draw too ! ~ show was sponsored by Audi (had an awesome and powerful White 6 on display),Thomas Cook ( Host committed a Blooper by saying Thomas Crook before he corrected himself ~ wife thinks it was deliberate!),Godrej Properties and Etihad Airway who also donated Air Tickets for the Lucky Prize Winners ~ guy,definitely more elderly than me, next to me and his wife disappeared for a bite just before show began at 7.30 pm requesting me to keep his places ~ his name was mentioned as one of the lucky draw winners just before the show began ! ~ he must have heard because he returned quickly and introduced himself and inquired if he had won first or second or third ~ ~ told him they had announced names of  ten to fifteen winners in no specific order ~ during the show he was amazed I knew most of the songs which the Host was making us guess before they were sung ~ told him they were all Retro Classics~ wish the Winners were not through a Lucky Draw but through Guessing the Song or the Singer ~ like what does CCR stand for and what was their famous hit ! ~ those Etihad Tickets would have been mine ! read more

Zero Dark Thirty ~ A fairly riveting though Controversial Oscar Nominee showing how the 9/11 Mastermind was tracked down after years and shot

Oscar Nominee Jessica Chastain essaying the role of the key Woman CIA Operator in Zero Dark Thirty

You will want to see this Movie based on tracking down and shooting the mastermind of 9/11 ….it runs for  160 minutes and is directed by Kathryn Bigelow with Screenwriter being Mark Boal and the key CIA Woman Operative who relentless pursued all leads brilliantly essayed by Oscar Nominee Jessica Chastain

Zero Dark Thirty ~ A fairly riveting though Controversial Oscar Nominee for Best Picture showing how the 9/11 Mastermind was tracked down in 2011,10 years after 9/11 and shot dead

Two matter of fact dialogues that stayed with me as they expressed a lot in my view :

“You lie ,I hurt You” ~ repeatedly stated quite menacingly yet without emotion or losing cool by the Chief Male CIA Interrogator to the detainee and suspect Money Router to the perpetrators of  9/11  and followed up with his torture depicted on screen ~ It was this torture that has created the controversy as the Americans insist there was no inhuman torture to extract Vital Information

” Do you have any Friends at all !?” ~ This was directed by another  Woman Team Member at the key CIA Woman Operative,Maya in the Movie, as played by Oscar Nominee for Best Actress,Jessica Chastain ~ the context was to show how relentless and focused was Maya in researching and pursuing every lead on the assignment that she literally lived,slept and ate it and had no time for even flirting around

Early tomorrow Morning we shall know who has won the Oscars  ~ though the Director was not voted as one of the Nominees for Best Director,probably due to the strong objection depicting Torture as a tool that paved the way to track and shoot the 9/11 mastermind ,voiced by leading senators to the Movie Maker,Sony

The Movie is fairly riveting and builds up well and sensibly without any boasting ~ the scenes are not rushed through so that the essence of the moment and the emotions are captured and conveyed fully into our senses ~ also shows the prevalence of CIA Black Sites outside USA where detainees and suspects are held for interrogation ~ also one gets a glimpse of  US surveillance prowess through satellite imagery and other sophisticated monitoring and tracking technology

See it~ Zero Dark Thirty

Happy Valentines Day to All ~ Love is all about a good PIC ! ~ Passion ! Intimacy ! Commitment ! ~ it is also about Faith!~ So Love our Stock Markets and keep the Faith!

Happy Valentine’s Day to All ~ Love is all about a good PIC ! ~ Passion ! Intimacy ! Commitment !  ~ that’s what my daughter conveyed to me when hugging me this early morning at 6.20 am when I dropped her for Football Practice ! ~ That’s Cool !

It’s about some ‘Sole’ Bonding too !

Some 'Sole' Bonding !

Yesterday a Friend and Client dropped in to the Office to discuss the decimation of  Automobile Sector Company CEBBCO from Rs 90+ levels to half that at Rs 45 in just a few days last week ! ~ and No! it’s not one of our Recommendations like it has been of several Broking Groups ! ~ their Clients probably are celebrating ‘Valen-time Day !’ ~ that’s a Chapati Roller which often is depicted in the hands of an Angry Woman out to beat somebody with it !

And simply out of the Blue he posed this to me :

~ ” What are your picks for tomorrow morning !?”

~ “Huh!?” I looked at him pensive and smiling ~ yes you can do both together!

~ “It’s Valentine’s Day tomorrow and you Love the Markets so much so you got to Offer it something  !” he stated

~ and I replied “Well,yes I do Love the Markets Passionately,Intimately and with Committment ! but it’s time the Markets responded and reciprocated too ! ~ last time it did was in November last year when it doubled my  L & T Finance past Rs 90 ~It’s being swinging this way and that way for some time now! and  I’ve offered it more than it’s offered me !”

~ “You don’t keep Count when you’re in Love !”

~ ” Tell that to my Clients !”

 Wondering should I offer a Red Rose to my Wife ! ~ daughter thinks it’s too cliche ! ~ Ah! perhaps I’ll Offer a Watermelon  ~ that’s real red inside ! ~ but what if she drops it like Hema Malini did in ‘Satte peh Satta’ when wooer Amitabh Bachhan offered it to her !

I’ve got to keep the Faith !~We do make a great ‘Sole Bonding’ PIC ! ~ and for me everyday is Valentine’s Day !

Cheers ! Guys !  and once again Happy Valentine’s Day to all of You ~ Love is also about Faith ! ~ Keep the Faith in our Stock Markets !

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