AFL finals series 2009

I can't wait for next weekend to come quicker. This 2009 season the AFL finals series are going to be massive. Yes, unfortunately, the West Coast Eagles or Fremantle Dockers did not finish in the top eight teams of the ladder. Both teams proved the Eastern States "tanking" critics wrong. AFL is Australia's national game and I have grown to respect since my childhood days - yes I am indeed an unabashed fan of the game. I absolutely love it to bits and know many of the players' names, coaches and assistant coaches (and which coach was employed by which club in the past). This season I would say the top four teams, judging from this weekend's performances, in numerical order are:

1. St Kilda
2. Geelong
3. Bulldogs
4. Magpies

I was also pleased that in the last "tipping" round of the regular season I recieved 7 correct tips. Either of the top four could be playing in a premiership final because they are the trendsetters for 2009. It is going to be a rivetting finals series..... hope St Kilda run out as premiers this year though, they are the best team out of 16 for this season and they have some young stars - Nick Riewoldt, Lenny Hayes, Leigh Montaghna, Stephen Milne, Adam Schneider... to name just a few...

2009 coming to a close very quickly

Things are getting quite interesting...... my load at work is getting a bit heavier, with even more responsibility and generally, am not getting much time to spare for myself. nonetheless, i endeavour to do as many things possible each day. compromises and sacrifices have to be done at times - no reading, no watching television, no watching hindi movies. however, this is all "short term pain for long term gain"....... i am really satisfied with the way life is going on at the moment.. and i keep on asking myself "what is the best use of my time right now'. i am keeping my procrastination in check by writing a plan every day for the whole day as soon as I get up from sleep. I am pleased with the effective way that I am working.... can only ensure that I keep it up....

On another note its a little to contemplate that 2009 is coming to an end so quickly. Lots of local and international events took place this year. Let us hope that 2010 brings up more joy and the economic cycle now makes an upward shifts and we get out of this rut, which is the Global Financial Crisis.

News flash

Greetings. I noticed I had been absent on my blog since around about May, so I thought I would update it. Lots of events have transpired in the last three months, including:

• Peter "The Smirking Devil" Costello finally announced he will be not be seeking re-election at the next Federal Election. However, don't hold your breath because he may do a "Colin Barnett" pretty close to Mr. Rudd anouncing the date of the next election. That's right folks, "I will serve in the best interests of my party, if they wish me to" and little Peter would probably want to be elected "unopposed". Keep following this line of stories. The marathan has begun and the factional warriors within the Liberal Party are stockpiling their samurai swords.
• The matter of the "fake email" Ozcar controversy was finally revealed. Mr Godwin Grech is in fact, not an earthly being, yes that's right he is from planet Zirgon, which Tony Abbott used to live in when he was a teenage kid, and I think Wilson "Mad Uncle" Tuckey also frequently visits from time to time. On a more positive note, at least Senator Eric "Sincere" Abbetz actually apologised for the whole circus show. Malcolm "It is not my fault" Turnbull seems seriously out of depth and already some scheming is going on behind his back in terms of who a better leader could be. Senator Nick "Ambrosi the Laughing Assassin" Minchin is a snake and puppeteer, Andrew "Backstabber" Robb is far from a "pair of safe hands", he is a factional warlord, aligned with Ambrosi; Joe "Obese" Hockey, keep dreaming; Tony "Elephant Ears" Abbott, I think the only person who likes you is yourself; Julie "Wikipedia" Bishop has to go as she has the worst poll internal poll ratings apart from Malcom "Malicious" Turnbull; Christopher "Nasal Voice" Pyne is not leadership material. I think the best chance at the next Federal election would be to bring back John Hewson, Andrew Peacock, or even someone like Malcom Fraser.
• This whole trivial debate on climate change is turning into a bloody circus. The Greens, whose committed votebank consists of trees, living animals, oceans and mountains, are doing a great deal of harm to their own constituency by not supporting a commitment for action on climate change. Ironically, the Liberal party is the one accussing the ALP of "putting an unecessary tax burden on the people of Australia" and "ensuring that the next generation of Australians remain unemployed". The ALP, on the other hand is ensuring that "it wants to work with business" to ensure its proposed Carbon Emissions system works in harmony with business interests and keeps people in jobs. Unthinkable, Bob Hawke and Paul Keating must be having sleepless nights. The Opposition is still divided over this issue, some saying that there are four seasons in the year (summer, winter, autumn and spring) while some argue that"the climate change argument is put forward by mad scientists". They want to wait until November and see whether or not Turnbull makes a blunder before stabbing him in the back like Julius Caesar. There are many Brutus's around Turnbull (the two prominent ones are Minchin and Robb).
• The coverage of attacks on Indian students in Australia by the Indian media is nothing short of sabre-rattling. Headlines such as "Australia is a racist country" is alarming. Whatever happened to "impartial journalism" ? Seems to have been thrown out the window! There are a number of issues causing this situation: lack of regulation of the international student market, track record of supposed "education colleges" etc.. Australia is a peaceful nation, there is just a minority of "thugs" who are the remnants of Australian nationalism from the "White Australia" policy of the early 1970's.
• "I can confirm that Mohammed Nordin Top is dead" .................... or not. With modern technology you can expect it to pinpoint who the bad guys are. Not in the case of the Indonesian police who had to back down from the claim that South East Asia's most wanted Islamic terrorist had been killed in a police shootout.
• In a surprising development, Bill Clinton, the former US President, flew to Pyongyang, North Korea to secure the release of two young Korean-Americans. Unfortunately, he performed this delicate mission with his "pants on" this time.
• The military junta of Burma/Myanmar has sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi, the rightful Prime Minister, to a further 18 months house arrest over a rather bizarre incident in which an American man named John Yettaw, 43 "swam across the river to get into the resident of Suu Kyi". Why is there even a trial proceeding against her? Did she compromise the national security of Burma by letting in to her place a man who wanted to talk to her? I think it was merely a poltical case designed to keep her imprisoned so that she cannot stand for elections in next year's "shame elections" which will ensure the military maintains its tight grip on power. It would be great public relations to send William "Mad Uncle" Tuckey to take stock of the whole situation and give his piece of mind about the military clique ruling the country and then maybe he could be imprisoned for life, never to return to Australia. In his heart of hearts, Malcom "Malicious" Turnbull would be delighted with that prospect.
• Sarah Palin is eyeing the Presidential race for 2012. During her brief hiatus in the public arena, various Facebook groups such as "I have more foreign policy experience than Sarah Palin" started to be established, revealing the real face and character of Sarah "I'm just a hockey mum" Palin. She should quit the race now, as she is a proven stumbler at momenous ocassions and has produced some golden moments such as "When I get up in the morning, I open my window and what do I see? Russians throwing stones at me!". She should give up trying to be a Presidential candidate and become an Ambassador to Antartica, or even Ambassader to Planet Mars. Just thought of something better, Ambassador to the Bermuda Triangle - yep, that's right, because then no trace of her will ever be found (cause of death: vanished without a trace). Then that will add to whole debate about climate change. The sceptics will be converted.
• Kim Jong "Very Ill" Ill is reportedly planning to handover the leadership of North Korea to youngest son, Kim Jong Nam, 26. With daddy keeping an eye on him, the poor guy will have his work cut out for him: no nightclubbing, no listening to American music or chasing American women, no drinking alcohol. We have witnessed or are witnessing the changing hands of regional despots, such as Fidel Castro to brother Raul Castro in Cuba, Muammar Gaddafi to his son Mohammed in Libya and Hosni Mubarak to son Gamal Mubarak in Egypt. Egypt is an amusing case, because the voting public is spoilt for choice between two very good candidates. That's right: Gamal Mubarak v Gamal Mubarak. He is ensured to have 100% success at the elections. Brings whole new meaning to the phrase "following in the fathers' footsteps".
• China's political leadership needs to promote the younger generation. We have Who? and When? serving in the current positions of Chairman of the Communist Party and Premier, respectively. How about a few more others such as: How? Why? Where? What? That would be great, because then all the most important questions of this century would be answered.
• Pakistan has admitted that millitants from their territory have been launching attacks on India. Living the good life in the tribal areas of Pakistan, they are amused by the American drone attacks. "They killed Osama number 2 yesterday in Tora Bora, but I am alive and kicking. We are gonna party the night off with our ISI brethren tonight", said Osama bin Laden, reportedly from the back of the residence of retired General Pervez Musharaf's mansion in New York.

That's the latest round of local and international news. Till next time, I bid you farewell. You can read more of the latest news headlines in my next blog post.

India Decides 2009!

I had originally planned to do a State-by-State analysis of the just recently completed Indian Lokh Sabha elections, however due to many reasons I could not get around to doing that. The next few articles will surprise (and shock) many people in my extended pro-Communist West Bengali family and may cause a little controversy, however, I do not apologise for airing what I feel are valid viewpoints and would rather be welcoming of some healthy debate.

Watch this space for updates.

Holiday update

I am currently on my semester holidays for 1 month.. in USA/Canada... I came up with a new poem I have been working on since yesterday. Here it is:

Rise and Fall

Many a great empire time immaterial arose,
Others the witness to destruction,
Conquerors demonstrated their power to impose.

Many a conqueror succeeded with military might,
They put on display their sheer power,
Emerging victorious fight after fight,
Opponents alike could only do as much as cower.

There were many great conquerors – Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great,
Who ruled vast empires and knew only how to kill and enslave,
But consigned to history was their fate,
As power to their head went and hence did not know how to behave.

All great civilisations rise and fall,
Mughals, British, Incans and Dutch to name just a few,
But how many of these do future generations recall?
Imperative it is on us to give the empires their due.

Compose on: 7 July 2008
By: Paulash Jishnu Proteek Chatterjee

Your time is up, Mr President!

Robert Gabriel Mugabe - you are requested to please resign and hand yourself over to the United Nations War Crimes Tribunal. Honestly, I cannot understand why he won't give up. I read all about him and what his actions with ZANU and the "bushmen's war" during the 1980's. He is from the Shona tribe (which I did not know) and he himself massacred (or passed on orders to massacre) the opposition tribe of Ndebele. He is a criminal, dictator, everything you can possibly think of under the sun.

In the 1980's, he raised a milita unit with his loyal and blind supporters in Zimbabwe and named it "Gukhurakundi". Then, interesting, he signed a treaty with Kim Il Sung (former Supreme Leader of North Korea) to provide arms and training to them. When this militia was ready and prepared for the mission, he unleased them on the rural heart of Zimbabwe to "finish off" (or attempt to) people from the Ndebele tribes. This is nothing short of being a despot.

Mr Mugabe, please, please, please see the writing on the wall. Although you think that all of your party members still love you, I think that the majority of them don't love you anymore (but are still saying that they do love you, because they are scared of being eliminated by you or indirectly by your Central Intelligence Organisation).

You need a holiday to the Hague, courtesy of your plane ticket being paid for the United Nations. You've been leader for 28 years now, and I think that you should just hand over the baton to Movement for Democratic Change Leader Morgan Tsvangarai. You can take Thabo Mbeki with you as well, he is not doing anything at the moment as well - I think he would enjoy having a holiday as well.

FOR GODSAKE, JUST ACCEPT THAT YOU LOST THE ELECTION, WHAT IS SO DIFFICULT ABOUT IT?

Though it has yet to be proven, Tsvangarai, I am confident will lead a Government of National Reconcilliation.

Republic or no Republic? - That is the question!

Look, I am not disrespecting our "British sovereign Queen" here, but seriously, we as a society need to move on. Okay, wonderful, the British were the ones who settled Australia and built it into a Federation (they claim). However, we should also realise that the world is more like a global village now and the "British empire" ceases to exist since a long time ago.

Yes, I am advocating Australia to move towards being a Republic. Well, okay, I agree that a large number of people are not as enlightened as me - they tend to be of the opinion of "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" or "Change just for the sake of change, is no change". But come on people, we have an opportunity to define ourselves as being "Australian" and yet, you want to cling on to the idea that you are in some way or another ruled by "Britannia". Come on, go and get a reality check!

I can passionately argue on this issue - I think the general Australian public are so laid-back and casual that they don't actually realise what it means to be a Republic. If they attempted to delve deeper, then their apprehension would be taken away. For a number of reasons, in my opinion, Australia should move towards a Republic:

1) We have an strong free-market economy to see us into the near future (we do not rely on funds from the "British motherland"

2) Our judiciary, since 1984 and the passing of the Australia Act, does not refer any more matters to the Privy Council. In other words, the "law of the land" is made in Australia, not Britain.

3) We have our own Armed Forces (Army, Navy, Air Force) that serves us well and works to defend our country. It is patriotic and it defines "Australian-ness".

4) We are entering the 21st century and there is no need to be linked to an "archaic" empire that ceased to exist a century ago. We need to embrace and cultivate a new definition for ourselves.

Now the reasons are there, but which model we will follow, that I have to think about. There are a few ideas going around:

• The Indian model: This is where the "President" is appointed by Members of Parliament (with at least a two-thirds majority in both houses).
• The American model: Where the "President" is appointed by the general population, vian an "electoral college" system for fixed 4 year terms. (a max. of two).

In my opinion, I would like to see Australia become a Republic (first and foremost) and a model adopted whereby a "President" is directly appointed by the people. Whether or not, we give the President executive powers (to dismiss parliament etc..) or not - that is an issue we can deal with later down the track.

COME ON AUSTRALIA, LET US MOVE WITH THE TIMES! ALL AUSTRALIANS RISE UP!