aditya kumar's weblog

Do you know what happened on 9-11-2001?
Me:No

Two planes crashed on the Two towers, America

Me: I see

Do you know what a human bomb is?

(I am startled but I want to continue the conversation)

Me: No, what is it?

It’s when a man tries to touch the feet and then presses a button and blows himself up with a bomb. Thats a human bomb. They did that to Rajiv Gandhi…

Me: Who told you all this, beta?

My teacher.

…Conversation with my seven year old cousin, who happens to be studying in second standard (grade) in school. Is this what they ought to be learning in school, seven year old kids? Do they need to know how a human bomb works, what a human bomb is? Is it required, they know what happened on 9-11, in America? Forget 9-11, do they need to know America? Until they are not told about India, no, they do not need to know about America.

And which school is this? Frank Anthony, Bangalore. A wee bit too ‘frank’, dont you think?

And for good reasons!

:)

(Link via Sujatha)

…And Truman turns 25.

Okay, there have been some problems with the comments on this blog lately. Now, no more.

Comments will be moderated though.

There is something seriously wrong with rediff.com. It’s not the new look that I am talking about.

I had noticed, a few days ago, how some of the articles now seem to stay longer on the homepage. For example, this article on home theatre systems first appeared 4 days back and is still on the homepage.

Another, and this one really got me thinking, example is that many articles that have appeared before are not being ‘re-published’. Two of those articles, this (first published June 2006) and this (first published July 2005), are currently bracing the rediff homepage.

I am wondering, is rediff out of quality writers?

I have been unable to access Blogger (blogspot) blogs all day today. At work and from home, the site has not been accessible.

At home, my ISP is Hathway Cable.

I did not think much of it until I read this report on rediff.com. It seems the DoT (Department of Telecom) has issued specific instructions to the ISPs to block blog sites, in particular, the most popular Blogspot (In fact, I am not aware of any other blog service being blocked).

Obviously, a response from the Indian Blogger community must be in the waiting. You could say this response here, could be one of the first of many to come. I do not think banning a website like that is right. This is not acceptable. In fact, it is surprising. Besides, the purpose (if any, and there is only one that I can think of) is not served.

Gagging people like that does not help, has never helped. The voices, next time around that you shall get to hear, will only be louder.

If bloggers evoke emotions, it is because they talk about unsaid things, unspeakable emotions. When the glossy media talks about celebs and their pitiful lives, bloggers choose to highlight those aspects of life that the media never dares to display, for it is obsessed with the ratings.

Though the reasons for this blockage are yet unknown, I believe this to be an aftermath of the Mumbai train bombings. The intention of the Government may be right but this is one of the most hopeless ways to cater to it. Practically speaking, this will achieve nothing.

And I have not even started talking about Democracy and rights that come with the deal.

Update: As expected, the responses from the bloggers community have started pouring in. Desipundit.com has one sticky post here. A google group here. List of the ISPs here. Meanwhile, an official explaination from the Government on this issue is still awaited.

You could term this ‘silly’ but she is the most beautiful woman in this whole wide world :)