annoying IRAN

I am following news about Iran since last few months and I have come to the conclusion that it is nothing but an annoying pest in the middle east.

There is no democracy in Iran and whatever is portrayed as democracy is nothing but a sham by the extremist President. Many documentaries and free press articles have highlighted the violations of human rights in Iran. The current extremist government has not only tarnished the image of Iran as a progressive middle eastern country but also put peaceful Iranians at the risk of being falsely/misguidedly accused of being violent Islamists. I am pretty sure that there are several peaceful and pro democracy Iranians in all parts of the world who would love to see the current extremist government in Iran toppled.

The recent Iranian pestilence started off with the uranium enrichment project under the pretext of providing for an alternate energy source. This explanation would have been realistic had it been a peaceful , democratic country like "current" India carrying out such volatile / region-destabilizing experiments . However , the Iranian hate for Israel is well known and so is its ambition for developing nuclear weapons. This makes "energy source" theory implausible.

With the recent UN sanctions . Iran is in isolation pretty much like North Korea. The plight of North Korean people is beyond human imagination but I don't think Iranians would face similar consequences mainly because of the fact that Iran holds a substantial percent of the worlds oil beneath it. China and Russia treat Iran as an ally and are major consumers of its "Petra" resources. Also , it is important to note that Russia and China consider Iran as a market for dumping their in-excess high tech armaments and also for nuclear technology. China an emerging contender to the global US supremacy and Russia a defeated foe seeking its revenge are trying to use Iran as the face of aggression to US. Especially , Russia sees US presence in Iraq as motive to control the oil in the region. Even though Russia and China reluctantly agreed to sign off on the recent UN sanctions on Iran , they played a significant role in mellowing down the terms of the sanctions. It would be no surprise these allies of Iran would openly support it , if indeed the west goes after Iran. in this matter , North Korea is more north of the extremist dial and is almost universally recognized as a rogue nation.

The recent abduction of British soldiers is probably a deliberate move by Iran in response to the UN sanctions. Iran is hoping that freedom of these 15 British Navy soldiers would serve as ransom for concessions in the sanctions. I doubt that Iran can pull this off . Rather it is causing itself to be in the spotlight of international criticism. Events like these tend to unite the western allies and provide a channel for them to legitimize their occupation of Iraq and probably the future attack on Iran.

All these events mean more currency spent at the gas pump world wide. It also means that we are approaching a big show down of power in the middle east .

food

Preet @ Thornhill beach near Malibu

We did a quick solvang , santa barbara trip this sunday. Preet basking at the Thornhill beach.

sense of ownership

I am watching this India - Bangladesh cricket world cup match in which India seems to be losing to Bangladesh.

I was angry and frustrated at the team for their less than mediocre performance. Then I think , well , I dont even follow cricket anymore. I am not an Indian cricket devotee anymore but somewhere deep down I have a sense of ownership of this team, as everybody in India does.

I dont know why I have this feeling and I will not try to investigate either but just wanted note down my surprise .

Also want to note here , commentary on Dish network is super boring. Feels like Ian Bishop , John Wright and some Ali Akthar from Bangladesh are coerced into it.

Meanwhile , here is the picture of spinach strawberry salad I ate while watching this match :)

land

Recently bought this piece of land in Daund , my home town. Here is Dad , me and Preeti taking a look. Plan is to set up an old age home and HIV rehab center there.

convenience fee ?

just paid my first light and water since moving to azusa , I was speechless for a minute after

neanderthals !!!

Paying your Azusa Light & Water bill by credit card(VISA, Mastercard and Discover Cards) or ATM/debit card (STAR and others) has just been made easier - thanks to Speedpay®!For a small fee of $3.95 per $500 increment, Speedpay allows you to pay your bill instantly over the phone or internet. No stamps to buy, no envelopes to mail!


azusa light and water sucks !!!

dinner

http://www.flickr.com/photos/19564930@N00/

watch on flickr

Preet and me have decided to cut down on our eating outside urges. This does not necessarily translate into less money spent but definitely does mean that we eat much healthier food . Dont know how long this resolve will last nonetheless we came up with a super tasty grilled chicken sandwich.