India bashing

Comment by Peggy O'Connor as a reply to my facebook post:

Obama started his 20 hr journey to Indian and will be in India for three days, the longest single stretch he has spent
in any foreign country. He will stay in Taj Mumbai - sending a very strong message to terrorists of all sorts. Good. And hope Obama's plan to increase trade wont re-colonize India. I think, this time we know how to deal it :)

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Peggy O'Connor:

"America has been built by persons of all nations. Labor was hard, pay was not always fair, nor were conditions good. People in America struggled, worked hard to stop explotation of the worker. Formed Unions to protect workers that they shou...ld not have to work as slaves for slaves wages. To earn a decent, deserving wage. Many people fought hard, died, suffered to make this Country a place where so obviously today so many people want to live because of the fair chances for success. Because we have rules that govern the workplace. Protection of law for the working people. These other Countries, such as India, what have they done for their working poor, or just plain poor? What Unions have they started to protect workers rights for fair wage? What are the regulations on Child labor? What chance for "Untouchables" to have live a decent life? What "Justice" is owed to India. England colonized India. Not America. It is and has been India's responsibility to take care of it's people. India does not take care of it's people. It's people are exploited regularly. We don't want that in America. We don't want to be bought down to the level of slave work and slave wage. We expect more. We expect a fair pay for a fair days work. We don't accept Child labor. We don't make slaves of untouchables. I do not want my Country to ever be like India. With the tremendous human rights violations I detest our jobs going to India. You have atomic bombs but your people starve and live in filth and poverty...and you want justice??? Justice for what??? Why don't you start with Justice for the Untouchables? We, the United States, did not make India. India, as all other Countries is what it's people have made it."

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PS: I took this post out of my facebook page, because I found that this was too much of India bashing to demoralize Indian people, which I dont support. I publish it in a separate blog to protect the freedom of expression of Peggy O'Connor.

Interesting Story about the Life of an Atheist: Twins in a Womb

This story reveals the folly of atheists' arguments and encourage us to see the "Mother"!

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Twins in a Womb

“Twins, a sister and brother were talking to each other in the womb. The little sister said to the little brother,

‘I believe that there is life after birth!’

Her brother protested: ‘No, no, this is all there is. This is a dark and cozy place, and we have nothing else to do but to cling on to the cord that feeds us.’

But the little girl insisted: ‘There must be something more than this dark place, there must be something else where there is light and freedom to move.’ Still she could not convince her twin brother.

Then...after some silence, she said hesitantly:

‘I have something else to say, and I am afraid you won’t believe that either, but I think there is a mother!’

Her little brother now became furious: ‘A mother, a mother, what are you talking about? I have never seen a mother and neither have you. Who put that idea in your head? As I told you, this place is all we have so let’s be content.’

The little sister finally said: ‘Don’t you feel this pressure sometimes? Its really unpleasant and sometimes even painful.’

‘Yes,’ he answered, ‘what’s special about that?’

‘Well,’ the sister said, ‘I think this pressure is there to get us ready for another place, much more beautiful than this, where we will see our mother face to face! Don’t you think that’s exciting!”

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(source unknown)
http://www.frtommylane.com/stories/birth/twins.htm

Mysticism Beyond 0s and 1s

Mysticism Beyond 0s and 1s
Search for traces of mysticism in science in the light of Steven Hawking’s Grand Design.
(draft only)

Jaison Paul Mulerikkal CMI
School of Computer Science
Australian National University
Canberra

The whole of computing, as we understand in computer science is based on 0s and 1s where 0 is off and 1 is on. Or in other words, combination of ons and offs are computations in computer science. What Millions of transistors in a square centimetre of silicon chip do is to act as a switch, which opens or closes a gate – on or off. A positive charge applied to the gate attracts electrons, allowing current to flow across the gate. A negative charge stops the current and closes the gate .

In Grand Design – which is an attempt to expel the Divine from human quest for ultimate answers, Steven Hawking reduces freewill to calculations, or in other words to 0s and 1s. He acknowledges freewill as a good model/paradigm to explain human decisions but only because we don’t enough computing power to analyse the “scientific” reasons behind human decisions/freewill. For him, the decisions (which comes out of freewill) are the result of combination of complex yeses and nos, which he suggests could be the result of chemical and biological reactions in our brain. Thus Hawking links science and computation to the sanctuary of human spiritual and moral capacities like freewill.

Once we link computations to human moral capacities, there is a big scientific question: why people don’t make the same decisions under same circumstances – if they are the results of same chemical/biological reactions? This is an important question because the basic premise of scientific process is that we should be able to reproduce the same results, under same circumstance for an experiment and principle to be scientifically true. Quite interestingly, Hawking does not answer this question directly.

Hawking tries to reconcile this question by pointing his fingers to macro world – the universe, which is his area of expertise. He rejects the idea of a “Law for everything” and resorts to the idea of “Laws for everything” and calls it as M Theory. In nutshell there is no scientific determinism as we have seen in Newtonian physics. No more single theory of everything or single set of theories for the whole universe. Because he introduces the probability of 10500 universes deriving inspiration from the Feynman’s theory of alternative histories in quantum physics (a jump from micro to macro level). Each of those universes (which came into existence after the Big Bang – the definite creation event), can have that many possible (but separate) histories and sets of laws (Hawking also predicts an end – the judgement day!). This gives Hawking enough space to argue about numerous sets of laws for different set of worlds/universes and for different scenarios. If we can apply this model to micro level – we should be able to explain the moral faculties like freewill, scientifically, for one can argue that decision can take twists and turns, based on those different sets of laws of his/her world. We could also predict those decisions, if we know the laws and got enough computing power to analyse it. However, Hawking does not say it explicitly, but that’s where he is going.

He concedes that those laws are “apparent” because the reality we perceive is modified (or interpreted) heavily by the model we use to understand it (Model dependent realism). There is no ultimate answer/explanation to the things we see and experience. Here, Hawking knowingly or unknowingly leaves space for the unknown, the mystery.

Hawking seems to reject the idea of a prime mover. But introduces a new model where all the probable 10^500 histories/universes/sets of laws etc derive from a prime law – Gravity, in his opinion. He has replaced prime mover with prime law. But the question remains: who is the lawgiver? Quite interestingly the Divine is also theologically understood as the lawgiver (remember the story of Moses at mount Sinai). If there is a need for a lawgiver to design the prime law (Gravity in Hawking’ view), who is also the designer of those 10^500 or more sets of probable set of laws/histories/universes, and this macro design can be replicated in micro level of human moral capacities (as Hawking would secretly wish), the credit for freewill will again go back to ultimate lawgiver. The mystery of freewill at personal level will also remain intact for out of those innumerable probabilities it will be up to each individual to make the right choices using the laws pertaining to him/her. The mystery will continue which will be very well beyond 0s and 1s.

It seems that the more he tries to eliminate the Divine (to that matter mystery), the more he gives space to the Divine to exist.

So, the inference: there is something real. The Absolute, the God, the law, the lawgiver! But we may not understand it fully – even through scientific process - because of so many intrinsic limitations of the model we use to interpret it. There will be mystery, and that is a scientific premise. So there is scope for faith. It is quite reasonable to have belief. There is no point is saying that, at this point in history I don’t want to believe in an Absolute (God), since it is not been explained fully through scientific process, now. It could very well be there as one of the 10^500 probabilities at least! Moreover, there is more than enough reason to assume that there is an Absolute – either as prime mover or lawgiver or some other title as we still don’t understand. Or it could very well be understood as a mystery as revealed.

Child Friendly Church - I'm hopeful!

The other day, when we priests gathered, we were commenting: Catholic church is becoming a world leader in one more area - dealing with child sex abuse issues.

It's not a very impressive title, I admit. But it is a good thing. With humility, we can say that no other organization/association in the world might not have done so much to address this issue NOW. (Yes, we had our faults in addressing it at the "very first place". But better late than never.)

And personally I think, it does make sense that cleansing in this area starts from Church-not necessarily because this problem is only within Church or Church is THE highest offender (there's no data to suggest that), but because Church should be the "light of the world" and its dark elements have to be illuminated first.

And also I believe that the public (as well as Catholic faithful) will see through this smoke created around the Church over this issue (many a time by vested interests), by seeing the efforts Church is taking to address this issue and the other good things Church continue to do in the world and bring their children (and youngsters) back to Church. I can see a lot of evidence for that and I am hopeful :)

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This is posted as a response to Facebook post by Suraj AB

Dharmaram

Why do I endorse Liberal party and Tony Abbott for the Australian election 2010

On the outset of Australian elections, I endorse Liberal party and Tony Abbott for this election and encourage all my friends to vote for them when you go to the polling booth tomorrow.

Why do I endorse Tony and reject Julia Gillard? This is because:

There's a fundamental dishonesty in Julia Gillard in the way in which she annihilated her leader and came to power, which sets a wrong precedent and role model of young generations and Australian (and world) politics. Such tactics should not be endorsed by any responsible society.

There is a fundamental dishonestly in Julia Gillard when she says that she stands for "working families" and does not believe in family and openly in a de-facto relationship.

There's a fundamental dishonesty in Julia Gillard (and Labor) saying that they stand for "working class" and still the Resources Tax proposed by Labor is a "world tax" on resources and is going to exploit the poorest and the marginalized "working class" in developing and under-developed nations. Labor and Gillard don't stand for the principles of equity they preach as Labor core principle but promote exploitation of poor people in international levels through Resources Tax.

Tony Abbot rejects Resources Tax, supports family and ran a disciplined, positive and honourable campaign compared to Gillard. So, it is Tony this time!

Australia's new world tax!

I feel morally responsible to respond to the newly announced "super tax" on miner by Australian govt (total tax to raise to 64%, accoding to some reports). This tax will defenitly put upward pressure on commodities arond the globe. So, this is going to be a "world tax" on commodities for just the benefit of 21 million ...Australians. I cann't justify such a tax grab just for the luxury of few millions ($100,000 will be added to super annuation of all Aussies by just sitting on their couches as result of this tax) at the cost of billions in developing world including China & India. These kinds of tax grabs are the seeds of great conflict in the future which will put world peace at peril. RUDD & AUS will be responsible for that, sadly.

The Lord is my Boss! (Psalm 23 for Professionals)

The Lord is my Boss!

The Lord is my real boss,
and hence I shall not want.
He gives me peace, even while chaos is all around me.
He gently reminds me to pray and do all things without murmuring and complaining,
that He may be glorified in everything I do.
He reminds me that He is my source and not my job,
and that he plans my future, not my boss defining my fate.
He restores my sanity everyday and guides my decisions,
so that I might honor Him in all that I do.
Even though I face absurd amounts of e-mails, system crashes, unrealistic deadlines,
budget cutbacks, misunderstanding and gossiping co-workers,
discriminating supervisors along with all similar challenges,
and an aging body that doesn't cooperate every morning,
I still will not stop but keep going – for He is with me!
His presence, His peace, His power and His provisions will see me through.
He raises me up, even when they fail to promote me.
He claims me as His own, even when the company threatens to let me go.
Truly, all my security, rewards and recognitions come from him.
His faithfulness and love are better than any bonus check as He meets my every need.
His retirement plan beats every 401k there is – no ups and downs – because
His benefits are the same yesterday, today, and forever!
When it's all said and done, I'll be working for Him a whole lot longer and for that,
I BLESS HIS NAME!!!!!!

Got from Joynet page:
http://joynet.jesusyouth.org/pg/pages/view/5002/

Use unique ID of international students for a just cause (Letter to Editor: Canberra Times)

As an Indian student in Australia, I welcome the Baird recommendations to revamp the international education system in Australia. The most important suggestion is to give a unique identifier number to every international student coming to this country. The primary intention is seems to protect students from scrupulous agents by tracking their movements between institutions. This ID could also be used to a greater cause which will ensure more transparency, credibility and justice to Australian education sector.

Australian government awards 5 points towards Australian permanent residency (PR) for 2 or more years of study in Australia. Those 5 points are so critical that an average students who does a course in skills demand list (MODL, CSL, etc) will be eligible for PR, if they get those last 5 points. That's their last mile. Many students choose those courses (which are in skills demand list) for 2 or more years with the intention of applying for PR after their studies. This is good for Australia too, for Australia gets right skills trained in Australia itself.

In order to make this arrangement more transparent and just, Australia could link the proposed unique ID for international students with the skills demand list of the time students get admission to Australian educational institutions. This will be consistent with the practise of linking 5 points towards PR for 2 years of study in Australia at the very first time they join courses in Australia.

If we do not do this, we will be allowing the system to "change the goal posts" for international students during their 2 years of study in Australia. No one would argue that Australia has a right to change the skills demand list as the demand changes in the society. At the same time, we do have an obligation to protect the interests of international students who come here to study and fill in the needs of Australia, as we advertise. Linking the unique ID for international students with that of the demand list of the time students get admission to Australian educational institutions will be the best way to implement it. This will ensure credibility and reinstate confidence in "Australia brand" in international circles.


Fr Jaison Mulerikkal CMI
47 Lowe st
Queanbeyan, 2620
Mob: 0433893593

jmulerik@cs.anu.edu.au

A Conspiracy Theory!

I will tell you a conspiracy theory. It's on the wake of the latest market crash at Europe: Some (bad) guys planned to siphon out huge wealth from big financial institutions - say banks. They planned that, once their  financial institutions are bankrupt, they will terrify the public and govts, saying that, if they they dont bail them out, they will collapse. The public and the govts will be terrified, coz those financial institutions have become TOO BIG to fail now. They will convince the public and govts (they got their men inside govts.. lol) to bail them out. That is public will pay for the money they took. The private debt becomes public debt. That's the magic! Now every citizen/tax payer will work the rest of their life to pay that bill. What bill? The money who siphoned out by those bad guys in the first place.How is it? The worst part of the story is, most likely it may be true!