Naresh Cuntoor
Ph.D. student and Graduate Research AssistantDepartment of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Monday, September 6, 2004
Charley, Isabel, Frances, Andrew -as innocuous as the names sound, to the people who have experienced the hurricanes (known as severe cyclonic storms or typhoons in other parts of the world), the harm that they inflict is quite palpable. As communities in some parts of Florida begin to rebuild their homes, Frances, now downgraded to a tropical storm is plowing through a different part of the state on its way to the interior parts of the country. For some, the worst of the ordeal is over.
On the other side of the world, soon-to-be freshmen in the state of Karnataka, India are breathing a sigh of relief as the admission process is about to start after a whirlwind of court battles and negotiations between the college management boards and the state government. The seat sharing structure between the government (which admits in-state students) and the management (which admits both in-state and out-of-state students at a higher fee rate) has been worked out. At last, the ordeal has ended.
And in Beslan, Russia the heartrending cries of mothers and fathers and husbands and wives and sons and daughters and relatives and friends could silence the noise of a Frances or a Charley. Hundreds are buried and hundreds are still missing. Many bodies are charred beyond recognition. For President Putin and the rest of Russia, the consolation is that hundreds made it out alive. And at least, the ordeal is over.
Thursday, September 2, 2004
There is a lot of chatter about how the Republicans are showcasing people with widely differing opinions, moderates etc. in the ongoing convention. For instance, there's muscle-man Schwarzeneger from a liberal state, California, former mayor of NYC, Rudy Giuliani (curiously, both their names are not easy to spell!), Senator John McCain whom everyone loves! And just in the past week, VP Dick Cheney who has a gay daughter, reiterated his position against a constitutional amendment against gay marriage at a time that seemed politically convenient. And added in the same breath that the President makes policy decisions and that he is for an amendment. In that case, Cheney said he just goes along with whatever the Commander says. I can't help but admire the cleverness of the Republican strategists. Not only did they manage to say that there is room for differing opinions in the administration but also that the President decides at the end of the debate.
Come to think of it, if one supports the amendment barring gays from entering matrimony, then if one takes the argument to its logical conclusion, one has to support Hitler's idea of exterminating the homosexuals. You see, if one accords a second-rate citizenship to the gays and lesbians and says that such relationships are "not what God intended" using sentiments like "hate the sin" etc., then this hubris that drives one to say I'm-better-than-you will turn to saying "I'm better than you and I don't want to have anything to do with you because you were not meant to be here in the grand scheme of things." Well then, short of blasting the gays and lesbians and whomever one doesn't like, off to Mars or creating a city beneath the Yucca mountains, one is left with little choice but to go the Hitler way! But I digress..
To go back to what I started talking about, i.e. the presence of moderates on the Republican stage - again, you have to hand it to the political pundits in the GOP. It may be moderates who are batting, but President Bush would take the winner's cup. And I should probably stay away from sports metaphors!
On a different note: WMATA which is the Washington Metro transit authority has created this cool animation about evacuation in emergency - check it out: http://www.wmata.com/riding/safety/evac.cfm .
Tuesday, August 31, 2004
The Republican National Convention kicked off yesterday with 9/11 being the predictable theme. From the family members of 9/11 survivors to the popular Senator John McCain to the then Mayor of NYC, Rudy Giuliani, everyone had praises for President Bush for his able leadership during and after those trying times. That they said all that and more, keeping a straight face, is itself praiseworthy. Never mind that the current administration is far from being "humble" as it had promised during the 2000 campaign. Never mind that, in the eyes of the world, they have reinforced the American stereotype of being the damn-the-rest cowboy. Never mind that they wasted away the tremendous outpouring of sympathy from all over the globe immediately after that fateful day.
And, oh the cheesy comment of the night? I would give that distinction to Rudy Giuliani's : "At the time, we believed that we would be attacked many more times that day and in the days that followed. Without really thinking, based on just emotion, spontaneous, I grabbed the arm of then Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik and I said to him, “Bernie, thank God George Bush is our President. I say it again tonight, I say it again tonight: thank God that George Bush is our President. And thank God that Dick Cheney, a man with his experience and his knowledge and his strength and his background is our vice president."
Thursday, August 26, 2004
So the Swift Boat Veterans drama continues. A lawyer working for the Bush campaign who was also partly responsible for the ad attacking Kerry, has resigned. Senator McCain wants the President to "tell his sleazy Texas buddies to stop these negative ads". And President Bush comes back with a meek all-such-ads-including-the-present-ad-are-bad response. Senator McMain saying that's not enough commented, "I've said before I would like for the president to specifically condemn that ad, but the president has said John Kerry served honorably and also the president is now committed to acting to try to bring 527s into regulations that are appropriate."
You have to hand it to the Republicans. They are trying (quite successfully, I think) to kill two birds with one stone. Through such irresponsible ads that is filled with untruths and half-truths, they attack Senator Kerry. At the same time, they say they are not to blame but the "soft campaign money" is. It is a well-known fact that there are more ads attacking Bush than Kerry, thanks to organizations such as moveon.org .By shifting the focus from the ad in question to some vague assertion against 527s, they not only control debate about who gets to question the Bush administration but also make wild charges against the Kerry campaign that are largely baseless. They can always issue something that sounds mildly apologetic but the damage intended is done. As President Bush said to Senator McCain during the 2000 primaries, "its all politics, John." Senator McCain's reply? "No George, not everything."
Saturday, August 21, 2004
First, some background. One of the advantages the Kerry campaign prides itself on is Senator Kerry's Vietnam service. The presidential candidate who commandeered a boat during the Vietnam war is a decorated war hero and his campaign doesn't miss a chance to remind the country about it. Contrast this with President Bush's record and you see that there really is no contest. Again, as the democrats never fail to remind the nation, the President chickened out of the war and enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard where his attendance, apparently, isn't much to speak about. In any case, a lot of water has flown under the proverbial bridge since then - yet, the war card carries considerable weight and anyone who watched the democratic convention would surely agree with me. From his opening line in his acceptance speech - "I am John Kerry and I am reporting for duty" (Gee.. can anything be more cheesy?!) - to his war buddies coming up on stage to testify to Kerry's courage under fire, it was one big chest-thumping party that could put Tarzan to shame.
On to the story that has made headlines this week. A few days ago, a group called the "Swiftboat Veterans for truth" consisting of military men who were also in Vietnam at that time, some of whom were in the boats in the same boatalion (sic) as Senator Kerry, have taken out a TV ad accusing Kerry of fabricating evidence of his own bravery. Never mind that there are inconsistencies in what they say. Never mind that their connection to the White House is a hop, skip, Karl Rove away. Never mind that the President won't condemn such below the belt attacks as Senator John McCain (a well-regarded Republican Senator from Arizona) does. Of course, given that the Republicans have successfully attacked former Senator Max Cleland and questioned his patriotism, there's nothing surprising about this ad per se. And by the way, Cleland also fought in the Vietnam war and lost both his legs and an arm in the bargain. What I find funny is that the people are willing to ignore Iraq, the economy, healthcare (a word of caution: don't get sick in America!) and any issue worth talking about, and spend all their energy, money and power on the length of the Kerry's wound decades ago. One of the people in the now-famous TV ad is the doctor who treated Kerry on at least one occasion. He says Kerry's wound was so superficial that it was a mere scratch. (I paraphrase). Man, he must have a photographic memory if he can remember the extent of some soldier's wounds during a war that happened decades ago even when the wound in question was not something one could write a paper about. And oh, the medical records don't say anything about a scratch either.
All this business - pathetic, I say.
Wednesday, August 18, 2004
A quick update note: A few pictures from LA/San Diego trip are online.
Tuesday, August 17, 2004
A couple of days ago Governor McGreevey of New Jersey heralded "I am a gay American" and tendered his resignation. He had an extra-marital affair and just when things looked like they would blow up in his face, he pre-empted all the hoopla by announcing his intention to step down. Of course, it was foolish and unethical on his part and it is safe to assume that the voters wouldn't be kind and forgiving although I don't think people are all too shocked when politicians are caught in sex scandals. If the Clinton-Lewinsky scandal is any indicator, the Republicans would've had a field day with McGreevey's confession.
But the fact remains that Clinton, with Senator Clinton by his side weathered the storm and went on complete his innings. Would we live to see a world where the likes of McGreevey don't have to act straight (no Oscars for that!) - and go on to be openly gay governors and presidents?!