To execute or not to execute..

I am sure this topic is will be a highly debated one.

I am not so sure myself though. But I am sure if faced with the same situation myself, I would kill the person myself or have him executed immediately. Rape is a terrible crime be it on a minor or an adult. We have heard about the rape of 3 months old to even a corpse! It is said that the person himself would have been abused during his growing up years. I truly believe that the community in which he was born into should also take the blame along with those who brought him up. But by execution aren’t we taking the easy way out? And every executed criminal shows that the community or society has failed. But setting a rapist out into the community is dangerous. He should serve his sentence in a jail or in a similar place where he will not come across potential victims. I am not sure if a rapist can have a change in personality.

Ramblings..

Howdy!

I am addicted to my blog..

I guess for many there is one more addiction.. blogging!

The kids will finish their exams tomorrow and then we have to pack their bags. They will be travelling alone this time. From next year onwards daughter will be an adult as per Airlines Standards and she is showing all the signs of an adult. But then she was a very independant character even when she was a toddler. She selected her own clothes, buttoned it up if needed, feeded herself etc. While son was the exact opposite! Even now he needs prodding to finish any task.

But then I have always thought that bringing up a girl child is always different from bringing up boys. Girls learn quickly and are independant faster while boys prefer sticking to their mothers a little while longer.

4 year old beaten to death!

It was shocking to read this news.. nd the mother being away in Iraq. Can a person be so cruel? and what could have prompted him to act this way?

Rumbling of another war??

We are now hearing the rumblings of another war in the Middle East. This takes me back to those days of the Iraq war. We used to burn midnight oil while watching, CNN, BBC, Sky news etc to see if America was really going to strike. But then the signs were all there. The never ending convoys of military equipments and men. We were advised to seal our flats and keep coals etc. to absorb the chemical gas. None of them ever told if these would ever keep us alive. The kids were younger at that time and never understood the seriousness. But when the first siren blew we all panicked. We were all at home and didn’t know what to do. We kept running for buckets of water etc. but then settled down to our fate. And then the sirens became frequent. Most of them didn’t know the difference. On the first siren one ought to get inside and be prepared until the danger passes and wait for the second siren. But most of them could be seen doing otherwise.
The ministry let the women work for 1 hour and then be with the kids and although I am working in a private firm, my boss was great enough to give me the same privilege. It was sad to see the kids, specially our son scurrying like mice upon hearing the siren. Finally we couldn’t take it anymore and send them away to their grand parents. It was the first time they were going to be away from us. While at the airport we heard one more siren but that was the last one too. After April 2nd we did not hear them again. But we let the kids stay away for almost 3 months until they forgot the tensions.
Compared to the Iraqis, we didn’t face anything. We did not see death although we heard a few missiles falling nearby. They have lost much in the war and are still losing. Their dignity, their wealth and everything. Does the same fate await the Iranians? If you take a look at Tehran it is a beautiful place. The affluent parts of Northern Tehran boast luxury apartment buildings
and condominiums featuring such amenities as “White Glove” doorman service
with pools, jaccuzzis and private garages in the flat !!!!
(You drive the car into the elevator and it will deliver your car up to your own private garage next to your flat)
It’s amazing how clean Tehran’s park ways are! Not one piece of paper or trash is tolerated here. The project of keeping the highways and certain areas of Tehran sparkling clean is an around-the-clock task. Many Tehranis have also developed a zealousy of keeping their city clean. A friend of mine told me of an incident where a lady admonished him for throwing a match in the street. When he told the lady that it was just a match a piece of wood – she replied by saying “My dear, can you imagine what Tehran would look like if each of its 15 million inhabitants would think like you?”
Will this beautiful place also be marred?

Children!

The other day while trying to nod off to sleep, hubby asked the kids to list the negative traits of their parents. A dangerous excercise and the kids hesistated and we assured them that we will not react. They started with the Father and his obsession with cleanliness and neatness. Then comes me and our son came up with this classic observation. If the TV is on, then it is as though Amma’s bottoms are glued on to the seat! Wow! Now am I really a couch potatoe? I doubt since I dont get that kind of free time with cooking, washing, iorning etc etc. still what he says is true, if I am watching the TV screen, I hate being disturbed. And our son loves interrupting by asking a variety of questions.

Blogging

I think the best thing that happened on the net is “Blogging”. It is like reading books – one gets the chance to read what other’s are thinking. We get to know their thoughts, emotions, imaginations and what not. I am hooked on to bloggers. I may not be a good blogger myself but right now I am enjoying the other bloggers!

Some talk about their lover, some talk about their kids, while others about politics… but it is very entertaining.

I guess soon we shall have the “Best Blogger Award” and the “Worst Blogger Award”.
an award for the best Family blogger… etc.

or do we have it already???

Carrefour

Finally Carrefour has opened their doors to the customers. It is at “The Avenues”, one of the recent shopping spots.

The shop is very big and it does have a variety of stuff at affordable prices but the display is not classy enough. It cannot beat the existing shopping centres in this particular aspect. Right now they are selling most of the items at cost price and I am sure it is just one of their strategies to attract the customers. Anyway the consumers can be happy since they have more choices.

I was able to locate good shoes for my feet and I have spotted more of them too. Shoes are one thing that I can never find in any stores.. the one that fits me perfectly.. but I found them at Carrefour.

It is a very big place as compared to the other stores and I am sure there are many things yet to be discovered.

Iraq War

Living in the Middle East, once cant be blamed if one forms an opinion about the Iraq war. Read the latest news.. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070523/ap_on_go_pr_wh/us_terrorism

WASHINGTON – Rallying support for the war, President Bush’ is pointing to U.S. intelligence asserting that Osama bin Laden ordered a top lieutenant in early 2005 to form a terrorist unit to hit targets outside Iraq, and that the United States should be first in his sights..

Is Bush talking about the same “intelligence” that asserted Iraq had WMD and that Saddam is closely associated with Osama? Yesterday he was talking about Iran’s work inside Iraq to force the American soldiers out. Is Bush having daily visions? I never could understand him in the first place and in turn the Americans as a whole when this whole Fiasco called Iraq war started. While growing up, I was told that America was the land of dreams and my entire knowledge of the Americans came in the small but lovely book The Readers Digest. My parents have subscribed for this book since its introduction to our country and I have always loved to read it. It showed the best of American culture. And then I came to Middle East and became a part of the growing resentment against the Americans. When they should have been called saviors they are being called occupiers and murderers. I blame the Americans for having turned a blind eye to the opinion of the rest of world. September 11 made the world sympathise with the Americans but what followed after was totally insane! How can I believe that Pres Bush after weeks of fasting and prayers suddenly had a vision to bring democracy to Iraq? There are other countries craving for democracy but why Iraq? Sadly the number of Iraqis killed has far surpassed the number killed by Saddam? Soon there will be no male Iraqis left in the country if this situation continues.

But who am I to talk about this?

Sister Abhaya

Sister Abhaya has become synonymous with injustice. This young lady is still creating terror in hearts of those who erred. She was murdered in Year 1992 and even after many attempts by CBI (India’s Central Bureau of Investigation) the case remains unsolved. But now there is renewed hope for her parents and for the whole state itself with the disturbing find that her original chemical examination report was tampered with. The local police and CBI were pressured during their investigations and all the evidence were destroyed except for this report. It is frightening to realize that power enough to shut the mouths of an entire state exists. The clergy did nothing to help the case and hence the fingers clearly points to them. As per Abhaya’s father, the same day he requested the Senior sister to bring in a sniffer dog and to take finger prints, but this was brushed away. And later the photos and other evidence were destroyed. Although the CBI came to the conclusion that it was a murder they opted not to investigate further, which is even more extra ordinary. Mr. Thomas who headed the CBI was forced to resign even when he had 7 years of service left since his conscious did not permit him to continue.
Will the murderers be brought to justice?

Communism

I have voted only once in my life time and I am sure I dint vote for the Communist. My family and those whom I have known for years are all not communists. But my perspective on many aspects on life changed once I moved away from home and its related support systems. I began to relate with communism. I saw life through an entirely different window and through the eyes of those not very fortunate in their life. I myself was tossed around and without the natural comfort of home and your own country one tends to ask questions. I do not see communism the way I saw it during my college days. Those days there were students drawn towards communism and I could never understand their fervor. Their ideas seemed mad and suicidal to me, but not anymore. During my last visit, we met with our Uncle and Aunty and had a heated debate on the same subject. They just couldn’t understand what me and hubby were trying to say. Of course.. I am not saying that Communism is perfect but right now they are far better than the