Aliens stole my tweets, analyzed them and returned them back! True Story.

Aliens from one of the planets stole my tweets, analyzed it to figure out my tweeting behavior and then returned it back.

#nepalcrisis and Amatuer Politicians

A fellow tweeter sent me this last night as the crisis was unfolding : “We need a decisive war- winner vs loser. The Maoists were behaving as if they won the war and have rights to do whatever.”

Nabuur, SACD and meeting Sabina Didi

When I met Sabina didi last July, I was simply looking forward to meeting a woman with audacity and ambition. But what I saw was a warm and loving mother and wife with an unmatched penchant for social work who deeply cared about the community she lived in.

Bill Gates unplugged | Video on TED.com

via ted.com

Great inspiring stuff from Bill Gates.

“… I am an optimist.” check out the stats. Cynics, please shut up!

and the much hyped mosquito release is truly hilarious

From Kandhamal to Khotan

So from Kandhamal to Khotan (secular democracy to atheist communism) we see that religious differences give rise to violence no matter what form the government takes. Is the government just helpless when it comes to religious extremism? Should the blame lie squarely on the institution of religion then? I would say not yet.

A cure for terror: It begins with each of us

To end the violence perpetrated by terrorists, we need to bring about a change within us and in those around us. To paraphrase TNH: Water the positive seeds of hope, brotherhood and compassion within yourself, and then in others.

Cleaning up the Dadar Flower Market Madness: A case study in doing the next-to-impossible

In the 2+ months I have had to navigate through it to reach my office, I have to admit I have no clue as to how I do it and I don’t think I will ever get used to it. I wish I could put up pictures of the terrifying crowd but pulling out a camera to take a snap amidst the madness is probably not safe for the camera. (None of the Google pictures I am getting are doing justice to the truth either.)

Saving the artisans of Nepal (and beyond)

The same approach needs to be taken with sale and marketing of handmade products in Nepal – be it metal products or Tibetan Thanka Paintings. If there is someone somewhere who can mass-produce a similar work at a lower cost then it is inevitable that the artisans will lose out sooner or later. Instead of fighting the inevitable, it is better (at least in my opinion) that the artisans essentially reposition themselves as makers of premium artwork worthy of sale to museums, galleries and collectors.

At home, in K-city

As of now, the Nepali middle class is m.i.a. They have all (at least the majority have) fled the country and are settled abroad – legally or otherwise. This vacuum in the middle-class needs to be filled as soon as possible if any form of development is to happen in the future.

Hope amidst despair – Anyone?

one’s ability to hope depends on how dismal their life is. For the hundreds of thousands in Nepal who have suffered years of mindless violence, the coming elections are a beacon of hope. They might not have any faith in the politicians, but they have hope that the government that gets elected will finally do the right thing(s). As for many who have lived and experienced the good life in the USA, well, I have a feeling they have stopped hoping for any positives coming out of anything to do with Nepal.