Surprise ! Surprise ! The GoI has asked ISPs in India to block a number of websites.

Why did they do it?
Well, there is no official comment to explain this act of dictatorship cum censorship.

Are you reminded of the Google-Chinese Govt. nexus? (read here: GoogleBlogoscoped link)

(Also read: China craves free ideas;its leaders seek to sensor them! ) - Is the same happening with India now?
Some newspapers have reported about the government trying to appease the big brother - US of A. (read here: Indian Express story) It appears that though the goverment has sent out a notice to block very specific sites, the ISPs being dumbheads as they are have blocked entire sites. From the Indian Express story, the blocked sites list is:

• pajamaeditor.blogspot.com

• exposingtheleft.blogspot.com

• princesskimberly.blogspot.com

• commonfolkcommonsense.blogspot

• mypetjava.mu.nu

• thepirateco.us

• hinduhumanrights.com/hindufocus.html

• rahulyadav.com

• dalitstan.com

• macker-old.com

• merrimusings.typepad.com

If you want to access these sites, you can go via a ‘tunnel’, use: http://pkblogs.com/

MY Esperanza, an iconic campaigning ship of the environmental group Greenpeace, docked at Chennai Port this morning for a week-long tour of the sub-continent to highlight the fragile beauty and vulnerability of India’s coastal and marine ecosystems. This is the Esperanza’s maiden voyage to India, although the country has played host to the Rainbow Warrior and the Arctic Sunrise, part of the Greenpeace fleet, on three prior occasions. (read more: Greenpeace link)

Do you know that you are being subject to poisonous chemicals daily through your computer? (read here)

Months ago Greenpeace had started an action against E-waste being generated by Wipro. (read here)

I feel really glad today that Wipro has accepted its mistake and taken a first step to correct it. This should act as a catalyst for other companies in India to follow Wipro’s path. And, take the responsibility in maintaining a cleaner environment for India and the World.

Greenpeace appreciates Wipro’s committment (read here) and we wish that other IT companies will follow suit. (read here)

Do you know what harzardous chemicals are there in your computer?

No man is an island …

I came across this line while watching “About a boy” - one of the English movies that I relished watching. The quote is attribute to John Donne, a poet from the Renaissance period.
(While reading the imdb.org review of the movie, I came to know that the movie is based on Nick Hornby’s novel by the same name. I have made a mental note to add the book to my reading list)

This quote forced me to think about another quote that I hold close to my heart, and which has oft made me think so deep that it hurts - “Know thy self” (wikipedia entry)

Why the former makes me think of the latter is because the duo suggest that I cannot know myself without knowing those that effect my life, my self, my soul. But isn’t it confusing that to know yourself you have to know others? I think we are all guilty of having a lazy attitude (if not a blind-eye) to our own fallacies of character. And thus, I do look for some assessment of myself from those I know. But then again, one cannot/should not take every advice they get - you have to take it with a pinch of salt. And this is where I like to say - “Know thy friends”.

But the more important point I want us to focus on is to “Know thy self”. This one quote is about :

• self-knowledge,
• self-assessment and,
• most importantly - self-love.

Self-knowledge
It about knowing my strengths, my weaknesses, how do I react in different situations? , how do I behave with different people? ,why do I do what I do? ,what do I like/dislike? , who do I like/dislike? What are my goals in life?

These are the questions that I feel hold the key to what I am and what I want to be.

Self-assessment
This is about measuring how close I am to what I want to achieve in my life. (From the little experience in life I have, I realize that to get the max out of my life I need to keep some of those short term, medium term and long term goals). I have to assess my self continously and keep checking whether I am on the right track or not.

Self-love
For any person to have a pleasing/confident personality I think this is the most important thing one should do. Unfortunately, I really don’t know much about this thing myself - at least at current, but I keep reading stuff about it.

Know thy self - I better get started.