tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-352583312024-02-18T05:49:52.786-08:00Beej's BlogA place for Beej's thoughts on life, food, hospitality and society.Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-43997355186350768842023-06-23T03:21:00.001-07:002023-06-23T03:21:16.426-07:00The DNA and Genes of Politics "It is because of your genetics!" roared Chief Minister Modi with his right arm outstretched upward in a salute to his cheering and adoring audience. My cousin and I had just arrived in the Fort Lauderdale convention hall in March 2005 to witness Modi's televised address to the predominantly Gujarati audience at the Asian American Hotel Owners Association national convention. Modi could not attend in person, having been banned by the US State Department for his 2002 role in genocidal riots by Hindus against Muslims in his home state. His reference was to why the assembled Gujarati audience excelled in America's lodging industry, having become its dominant cultural force in just five decades. It wasn't their training or culture, it was their blood and genes. Genetics makes ethnic cleansing quite easy and clean. <div><br></div><div>While his message remains the same, what a difference this time around. Standing on the red carpet greeted by the President of the same United States that had once denied him a visa, Modi proclaimed how democracy was in India's DNA and how respect for human rights was built into India's cultural fabric. Of course, Modi is mistaken, as he had been in 2002, and as he is governing with an iron saffron fist in his own country, pushing aside the very freedoms and liberties that have made India the world's largest democracy. But who is counting? President Biden -- who fist pumped Prince MBS, on whose order an American Washington Post journalist was dismembered at a Saudi embassy -- isn't. Words over deeds, form over function. </div><div><br></div><div>Welcome, Prime Minister Modi. You'll find yourself home here.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/22/us/politics/biden-modi-state-visit.html?smid=nytcore-android-share">Biden Seeks to Bolster Ties With Modi While Soft-Pedaling Differences </a><br></div><div><br></div>Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-43636911858274564652021-01-11T04:22:00.001-08:002021-01-11T08:32:05.322-08:00Freedom of speech, Trump and Parler...<div>Censorship. Free Speech. First Amendment. Competition. Liberty.</div><div><br></div><div>These are the rally cries from erstwhile conservatives who have, over the past few years, increasingly become advocates for the First Amendment and free speech, especially on the internet. This wasn't always the case, of course. It was the Supreme Court's liberal wing in Cohen v. California that decriminalized the wearing of the now infamous "F*ck the Draft" jacket in a California courthouse. But then again, these "conservatives" aren't really conservatives, either.</div><div><br></div><div>The storming of the Capitol by an angry mob of Trump supporters last Wednesday, was the tipping point for tech giants Google, Apple, Amazon and Twitter. Each was a factor in Donald Trump's meteoric rise to become President, and each played a role in the violence in DC last week. Likely driven by concerns over their own culpability, by last night Twitter had suspended Trump for life, Facebook had removed Trump until the peaceful transfer of power on inauguration day, Google and Apple had removed access to the parler app from their app stores and Amazon web services had dismantled parler's internet backbone. </div><div><br></div><div>Parler is the increasingly popular site and app that serves as a Twitter clone and is favored by the far right for its promise of free speech. This promise is the basis for Google, Apple and Amazon's actions against parler. Facebook and Twitter both moderate their users' posts for a range of infractions ranging from copyright violations, hate speech, sex work-related material, and violations of federal criminal law. The ability to moderate content without liability is exactly what Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act protects, and what Donald Trump, amongst others, seeks to abolish.</div><div><br></div><div>Commentators have cried foul, citing censorship as an evil that must be eliminated from the internet. Most notions of improper censorship concern action primarily from a government or controlling body, not private actors. Here, the tech giants have stepped in to eliminate a voice (Donald Trump) and a channel (parler) from popular internet locations. Parler's 28 year old CEO, John Matze, in a post to his users on Sunday, suggested that tech giants had acted in concert to "kill competition in the market place" and "remove free speech off the internet." </div><div><br></div><div>Of course, Matze's youth likely explains his legal and technological folly. On the legal front, there is diminishing protection, even under the First Amendment, for speech as it turns to conduct and morphs further to violence. Napster, for example, once the darling of the internet, quickly learned that its free speech cape had a massive hole for speech that violated copyright laws. Here, parler and Matze attempted to build an unregulated mosh pit of speech, a watershed for wackos, upon an internet backplane subject to some, even if little, regulation. Matze could have built his free speech castle on firmer ground, avoiding the building blocks he chose, but then again who amongst us can avoid the lure of our favorite Dr. Evil doppelganger, Jeff Bezos? </div><div><br></div><div>While there will be free speech and technology situations which give rise to credible concerns of improper "censorship" even by private actors, this isn't one of them. Inciteful speech, especially that which actually results in violence, has long seen little protection under the law. Speech which leads to bodily injury or death, such as falsely yelling fire in a crowded theater, is understandably subject to criminal sanction. By assembling an angry mob, stoking their passions and effectively giving them marching orders, Trump and his enablers incited violence last Wednesday, in the first massive incursion on the Capitol since the British attack in 1814. For that act alone they have finally lost the technology cape that gave them such long and sustained flight. </div><div><br></div><div>Free speech has a heavy cost which society has decided to pay in the interest of liberty. Centuries of constitutional law has etched the contours of the delicate balance between freedom and responsibility. Without one, the other cannot survive, a lesson Messrs. Trump and Matze have yet to learn. </div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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</div><i>John Matze's note to his users on Parler</i></div><div><br></div>Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-73586044653039078902021-01-06T10:16:00.002-08:002021-01-06T10:17:11.617-08:00Disparate Justice in Tyngsboro, Massachusetts<p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">I have long decried disparate treatment of citizens by governments. Tyngsboro Massachusetts is an egregious example. Several members of the Board of Selectmen there fought to protect this now <a href="https://whdh.com/news/tyngsboro-police-officer-chinese-national-arrested-on-federal-firearm-charges/">arrested police officer</a>, over the objections of the well respected police chief. The Chief had placed the officer on leave only to have the board second guess his judgment. Last month, the town's Board again overrode the police chief's decision to place another member of the department on leave following “racially charged social media posts." The twenty-four year old chair of the board has publicly chastised the police chief when law enforcement or due process gets in the way. Last year, the same board colluded with a local bank to deprive those they disfavored of important due process rights. The message is clear. If they like you, you can't do wrong. If they don't, heaven have mercy. George Washington wrote, that "the true administration of justice is the firmest pillar of good government." You've got some firming up to do, Tyngsboro.</span></p><p><span face=""Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://whdh.com/news/tyngsboro-police-officer-chinese-national-arrested-on-federal-firearm-charges/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="540" data-original-width="688" height="314" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-43Xm_TtRzvg/X_X9_BLKE7I/AAAAAAAAYzk/Y2FY5KP_ea0QMPKC5S699UUtE81qqZg8wCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h314/image.png" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-41337110338605043462019-08-19T02:31:00.002-07:002019-08-19T02:39:26.404-07:00A campaign gone by...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
The last two years have defined over stimulation. Troca Hotels acquired its fourth project, <a href="https://www.trocahotels.com/trocaone" target="_blank">Troca One</a>, and I decided months later to <a href="https://www.dasforcongress.com/" target="_blank">run for Congress</a>. I have yet to compile my thoughts and learnings from the campaign into a working document. The campaign's website should still be live for a bit. If you're curious, check it out by <a href="https://www.dasforcongress.com/" target="_blank">clicking here</a>.<br />
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-9815158510032671092016-03-13T20:41:00.001-07:002016-03-14T07:45:28.300-07:00What's REALLY wrong with Donald Trump. My thoughts on American Constitutionalism<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Beej's Sunday Video Blog - Sunday, March 13, 2016 (North Andover, MA) <br />
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I discuss <a href="https://www.donaldjtrump.com/" target="_blank">Donald J. Trump</a>, my father <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mukti-l-das-97174731" target="_blank">Dr. Mukti L. Das</a>, the <a href="https://www.gop.com/" target="_blank">Republican National Committee</a>, <a href="https://www.hillaryclinton.com/" target="_blank">Senator Hillary Clinton</a> and <a href="https://www.clintonfoundation.org/about/president-clinton" target="_blank">President Bill Clinton</a>, <a href="https://www.tedcruz.org/" target="_blank">Senator Ted Cruz</a>, Georgia, <a href="https://jeb2016.com/?lang=en" target="_blank">Jeb Bush</a> the United States Constitution, my college friend <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/danhaleyathenahealth" target="_blank">Dan Haley</a> and his former boss <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mittromney/" target="_blank">Mitt Romney</a>, growing up in Massachusetts and other such topics. The first Sunday edition of my Video Blog is here for your consideration. I found inspiration from <a href="https://twitter.com/johnlegend?ref_src=twsrc^tfw" target="_blank">John Legend</a>'s <a href="http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2016/03/12/john-legend-donald-trump-jr-twitter-feud/81700842/" target="_blank">very public discussion</a> with his classmate at UPenn, <a href="https://twitter.com/DonaldJTrumpJr" target="_blank">Donald Trump Jr</a>., in which he called Trump's father and many of his supporters racist. While I have not formally done the same, I feel Trump's danger emanates from an equally pernicious place. Let me know what your thoughts are.<br />
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-76344305322959096112015-11-25T19:40:00.000-08:002015-11-26T07:57:59.866-08:00A Flooring Lesson Learned<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">I look forward to sharing my thoughts with you shortly. The post has been temporarily removed for edits. </div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><br></div><div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">- Beej</div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-71507231813007528462014-12-10T10:15:00.000-08:002014-12-10T10:15:25.691-08:00UMass Lowell: Age Discrimination is Wrong<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wanted to share with you an important and difficult announcement. My mother, <a href="http://www.uml.edu/FAHSS/Sociology/faculty/das-mitra.aspx" target="_blank">Prof. Mitra Das</a>, started teaching at the <a href="http://www.uml.edu/" target="_blank">University of Massachusetts Lowell</a> in 1972 and became a tenured member of the faculty in 1979. She has nurtured the University's mission to educate its students and promoted its best interests during her more than forty-two years of service. Over the past several weeks, she made the difficult decision to sue the University for <a href="http://www.eeoc.gov/laws/types/age.cfm" target="_blank">age discrimination</a>. I cannot be more proud of her.<br /><br />I did not initially believe that the institution that mom has spent the bulk of her adult life and professional career -- and a place I used to wander with amazement as a child -- had grown hostile to older faculty. Alas, after observing the legal process, which has included interviews with nearly a dozen faculty members at Lowell and analyzing the huge evidentiary trail, it now appears clear that there is a war being waged against older faculty members by the administration, and particularly by <a href="http://www.uml.edu/FAHSS/Faculty/Falcon-Luis.aspx" target="_blank">Dean Luis Falcon</a> and <a href="http://www.uml.edu/About/leadership/abdelal-ahmed.aspx" target="_blank">Provost Ahmed Abdelal</a>.<br /><br />At an age when many of her peers have given in to the hostile work environment being created at Lowell and have retired under duress, I am so darn proud that my mother -- my intellectual and spiritual role model, has not. Universities are made stronger when they embrace both the innovation of youth and the wisdom of experience, and I feel more alive today because mom is standing up for those principles. Good luck, mother, on your fight. I know you will prevail, and we will all be better as a society for your efforts. You have always taught me to stand by my core principles. I love you for doing just that.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br />Prof. Mitra Das at the beginning of her teaching career at Lowell State College <br />(now the University of Massachusetts Lowell) in 1972</span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> </span></span></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"> </span></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="fbPhotosPhotoCaption" data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id="fbPhotoSnowliftCaption" tabindex="0"><span class="hasCaption"><br />Prof. Mitra Das in her last few months as Chairperson of the Department of Sociology <br />at University of Massachusetts Lowell.
She has served as Chairperson of the Department <br />of Sociology over three
different periods, the first from 1987 – 1993, the second in 2004, <br />and
most recently from 2011 - 2014, under the leadership of five different
deans</span></span></td></tr>
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-43296732517510131212014-03-04T23:45:00.001-08:002014-03-04T23:46:12.654-08:00You had me at Chatrapati...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
I wrote about my positive arrival experience at Bombay's airport. With my departure to London today, I have completed my first arrival and departure sequence from the new international terminal.<br />
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I must admit, I'm impressed.<br />
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You had me at dedicated, fast and friendly business class checkin, security and immigration. You just overwhelmed me with flowing natural light, convenient gate access, impressive retail, moving walkways everywhere, high vaulted ceilings, creative art installations, green eco-walls, water features galore... and that's just the start.<br />
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People who read my posts know how critical I can be. First impressions here are very positive. Well done Bombay, well done.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tons of natural light, high ceilings and no lines welcomed me to the new departures terminal. </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Moving walkways, eco-walls, and convenient gate access? Yup. </td></tr>
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-28351836580211166572014-02-21T16:19:00.003-08:002014-02-21T16:19:25.348-08:00Hello Boston!<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
According to the <a href="http://www.bostoneastindia.com/" target="_blank">Boston East India Hotels</a> business plan, "instead of catering to primarily Western or American travelers, hospitality companies of the future must plan to be conversant and proficient in the needs and desires of global travelers."<br />
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This "Hello Boston" ad for <a href="http://www.emirates.com/in/English/index.aspx" target="_blank">Emirates Airlines</a>' new service to Boston from Bombay (via Dubai), which blanketed Linking Road in Bandra, Mumbai, today shows the resonance of our vision as we build our <a href="http://www.trocahotels.com/" target="_blank">Troca Hotels</a> brand into a collection of exceptional lifestyle luxury hotels in global gateways designed for travelers from around the world exploring an ever expanding universe.<br />
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-34223407040224048692014-02-18T21:41:00.000-08:002014-02-18T21:41:19.431-08:00Bombay's Airport Grows up - First Thoughts<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L_n98BVZ8Lo/UwRDdqJDZJI/AAAAAAAAApg/_S5se_G_U3k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-19+at+12.37.53+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-L_n98BVZ8Lo/UwRDdqJDZJI/AAAAAAAAApg/_S5se_G_U3k/s1600/Screen+Shot+2014-02-19+at+12.37.53+AM.png" height="216" width="320" /></a>I had heard a few rumblings about the new international terminal at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport. Having lived in Bombay for several years a few years ago, I remember the airport being the bane of my travel existence. Dusty, dirty, functionally difficult, it was everything I didn't want in a travel experience.<br />
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I am happy to report that things have changed. Here are my first thoughts from landing at Bombay after a red-eye flight from London on BA199: Arriving at BOM was a breeze. Lots of carpeted territory to cover, but miles of moving walkways to assist. I felt like I was at Delhi's airport, perhaps without the chauvinism and fear of being shot on the highway. I thought the art and installations were - dare I say - interesting, and this was the first time in my life that Bombay immigration wasn't revolting. That said, the customs bit was still overkill, including the massive "x" marks they scribble in chalk on suitcases they suspect contain an extra few Rupees of goods. Saw a few nice suitcases indelibly marked so.<br />
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Parking and airport exit also happened smoothly. Yes, that's right. Smoothly. All in all, though, positive marks for an airport experience I once dreaded. Thankfully, the one hour backup steps away from the airport on the Western Express Highway traversing the ill-placed and poorly-timed construction effort on one of Mumbai major arterial highways reminded me, alas, I was back in Bombay. Unlike the US, however, this was likely sheer incompetence at the highway planning department and a healthy dose of low level corruption than the efforts of a New Jersey Governor Christie wannabe at work. Ahh, Mumbai, there you are!</div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-17889059723293030662014-01-29T21:14:00.001-08:002014-02-07T16:49:11.635-08:00 The choices we make...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: small;">reveal the true nature of our character." The message is strong, and in this moving Guinness ad created by BBDO New York, unmistakably powerful. It made me pause, from an unbelievably busy week, to reflect for a moment on that. In just two years, we now employ nearly a hundred employees on three continents. As we steer our company onto the global stage, the choices we make do indeed reveal our true natures -- and to a large audience. We have chosen to push forward and grow the right way, believe in our mission and goals, believe in people, smile, build better systems, learn, educate, laugh heartily at ourselves on occasion, make people smile genuinely, do the right thing without fail, and always be kind. I'm proud of our choices and the people who are making them. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">As we launch our new multimedia campaign to tell the world about <a href="http://www.bostoneastindia.com/" target="_blank">Boston East India Hotels</a> and our <a href="http://www.trocahotels.com/" target="_blank">Troca Hotels</a> collection, I look forward to our work being as compelling and ultimately effective as this piece. Stay tuned and let us know. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: small;">Click <a href="http://bcove.me/ojmrba7a" target="_blank">here for a link to the video</a></span><br />
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-54678547298656878242013-12-21T12:58:00.000-08:002013-12-28T15:05:34.540-08:00The Consul and the Crime<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4zU6Rum-DTs/UrX9EhJ_LeI/AAAAAAAAAoE/wRJSmRow6lc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-21+at+3.41.28+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="276" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4zU6Rum-DTs/UrX9EhJ_LeI/AAAAAAAAAoE/wRJSmRow6lc/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-12-21+at+3.41.28+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
I have refrained from making comments on the matter of Devyani Kohbragade, the Indian diplomat arrested in New York, because it seemed to be a diplomatic fracas of little long term import. On the one hand, you have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Preet_Bharara" target="_blank">Preet Bharara</a>, the Indian born American US attorney for New York taking aim at the alleged illegalities of an Indian diplomat stationed within his jurisdiction. On the other, you have two countries awkwardly addressing an issue that should have been dealt with very differently.<br />
<br />
I continue to be confused by why partial diplomatic immunity did not trigger a more gentle approach to Ms. Kohbragade and her arrest. At the same time, I am bewildered by both the decision by India's foreign service not to remove Ms. Khobragade from the US <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/news/kerry-expresses-regret-over-strip-search-of-arrested-indian-diplomat/" target="_blank">upon receiving notification</a> that she was under criminal investigation (in September 2013) and its most recent <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/22/world/asia/indian-diplomat-facing-charges-is-moved-to-un-post.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">decision to relocate her</a> to India's UN Mission, also in New York. Ms. Kohbragade is no stranger to controversy, having been involved
in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adarsh_Housing_Society_scam" target="_blank">Adarsh Housing Society</a>, a corruption riddled housing development
in Mumbai. In this instance, she attempted to do something her limited diplomatic immunity
did not allow her to do, namely commit visa fraud and violate US
federal labor laws. While another American prosecutor may have been more deferential to Ms. Kohbragade's limited immunity, the rather aggressive Preet Bharara was not. <br />
<br />
While US Attorney Bharara's posture smacks of a poor understanding of international relations (or blatant disregard thereof), India's childish <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/28/world/asia/india-consular-employee-retaliation.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">removal of security barriers</a> from the US Embassy in Delhi as retaliation does not even remotely befit the august role a country's official position must fill. India and Indians have far more important matters to address than this potential diplomatic misstep. At very least, Ms. Kohbragade's conduct -- and the apparent misguided insistence by the Indian government that she remain in the United States -- should not become the cause célèbre for a large swath of angry Indian citizens. US Secretary of State John Kerry has already expressed "regret" over the incident; India's government should do the same and move on from this silly affair. </div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-1339131347867668282013-12-14T21:42:00.000-08:002013-12-14T21:42:47.862-08:00A prayer for Claire<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<a href="http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_24725676/centennial-neighborhood-tries-cope-following-arapahoe-shooting" target="_blank">Claire Davis</a> is 17 years old. She is a student at <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arapahoe_High_School_%28Centennial,_Colorado%29" target="_blank">Arapahoe High School</a> in Centennial, Colorado. Karl Pierson is 18 years old. According to the National Rifle Association, Karl had the right to purchase a shotgun quickly and easily. He exercised that right. Then, while carrying his new shotgun through his school yesterday, he shot Claire in the head and at close range.<br />
<br />
I have long decried the number of guns in America and the alarming ease with which we are adding more. Firearms have transformed our country into a constant battlefield. On this the one year anniversary of the carnage in <a href="http://www.newtown-ct.gov/Public_Documents/index" target="_blank">Newtown, Connecticut</a>, let us again ask why. Why does the most powerful country on earth seem so powerless in the face of this scourge?<br />
<br />
Claire Davis is in critical condition tonight, suffering from severe head trauma from her gunshot wound. Please add her to your thoughts and prayers. Let us all pray that our leaders have the courage to take action to finally end this madness.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j2dibQK7pTM/Uq0-fzJ5X8I/AAAAAAAAAns/Oixm_5t3UAc/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-12-15+at+12.30.07+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-j2dibQK7pTM/Uq0-fzJ5X8I/AAAAAAAAAns/Oixm_5t3UAc/s400/Screen+Shot+2013-12-15+at+12.30.07+AM.png" width="293" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson holds a picture of Claire Davis, the 17-year-old student who was shot on Friday. (Ed Andrieski / Associated Press / December 14, 2013)</td></tr>
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-41437681489345956692013-11-02T08:17:00.001-07:002013-11-02T08:18:03.539-07:00Do we really need more guns?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yesterday,
it was a <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/17/us/shooting-reported-at-washington-navy-yard.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">Naval</a> facility, Last week it was a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting" target="_blank">school</a>. Tomorrow it might
be a doctor's office. Last year it was a District Attorney's <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2013/03/30/justice/texas-da-killed/" target="_blank">home</a>. Today
it was a <a href="http://fxn.ws/1dAHgNF" target="_blank">TSA</a> counter at LAX. Gun violence is raging in America. </div>
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<a href="http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2013/09/22/2661551/navy-yard-nra/" target="_blank">Add more guns</a>, we are told by the NRA. </div>
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As a former student of the US
Constitution, I ask this question: at what point do we say, enough is
enough? At what point do we realize that each additional gun circulating
in society makes us exponentially more unsafe? At what point do we
place the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" target="_blank">Second Amendment</a> alongside the others, not above them? I weep
for our country because we have become a literal battleground. Human
beings will be born as they are and societies will continue to develop
them as they do. When you add the number of guns we have in America to a
mix which includes the naturally occurring rate of mental illness, you
get a really toxic brew. More legally available guns is not the answer.
It has proven itself not to be. Just as we cannot gauge and prevent the
mentally infirm from acquiring weapons, we cannot entrust our future to a
militarized life where you must live with your guns drawn at all times. </div>
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America, it is time for a change.</div>
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-53449375342117888882013-10-18T09:03:00.001-07:002013-10-18T09:03:25.517-07:00A Game Changer From T-Mobile <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak6e8t62CKY/UmFBsIg_VAI/AAAAAAAAAlU/Ip2bvEHXX8w/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-10-18+at+7.04.58+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="337" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ak6e8t62CKY/UmFBsIg_VAI/AAAAAAAAAlU/Ip2bvEHXX8w/s640/Screen+Shot+2013-10-18+at+7.04.58+PM.png" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
Starting October 20st for new accounts (and October 31st for existing accounts), T-Mobile is offering nearly unlimited international data roaming for its US customers. I remember the days of roaming within the US where you would pay roaming charges for phone calls outside your home network area (which, back then, were narrowly drawn). Those were the days when banking and many other services were not truly nationalized within the US. Interstate commerce had its internal borders. <br />
<br />
That eventually gave way to unlimited nationwide roaming and the now commoditized domestic mobile phone and data service. Most other inter-state barriers have now fallen. T-Mobile's move to remove international data roaming across its broad network is groundbreaking and will, in due course, serve as an international leveler. It's high time. Kudos, T-Mobile!<br />
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-23459825012304781232013-10-16T19:08:00.004-07:002013-10-16T19:10:02.871-07:00A Call for a More Perfect Political Union<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Today's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/17/us/congress-budget-debate.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">Senate passing of a bill to end the fiscal impasse</a> delivers a stinging defeat for hard liners in Congress. While the opportunity to come together and work as a proper legislative body was lost long ago, I continue to fear that the idiocy of the far right will continue in to the next budget discussion only months away. How members of a legislative body can be elected and serve with such destructive political philosophies continues to bewilder me. Creation of consensus from wide ranging viewpoints, not the perpetuation of poles, is the true sign of leadership. I call upon my friends from all political leanings to pledge to form a new political class which does just that. I suspect that history will not judge kindly this epoch and the errant cowboys who held our Federal government hostage for two weeks; let history also note that this low point served as a foundation for a better and more sound political union. For now, I am thankful that this ugly episode has passed. God bless America and guide her to that more stable place. </div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-54816037338297230622013-02-03T01:23:00.000-08:002013-02-03T09:20:04.981-08:00My Time with "Hizzoner" - Mayor Edward I. Koch<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMEDQIgm-Ew/UQ4o5WMsJpI/AAAAAAAAAhg/6Qpi6RAg6hk/s1600/Beej+&+Ed+Koch+-+1996+FB.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-TMEDQIgm-Ew/UQ4o5WMsJpI/AAAAAAAAAhg/6Qpi6RAg6hk/s640/Beej+&+Ed+Koch+-+1996+FB.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><br /></b>
<b style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;">New York, 1996</b><br />
<br />
It was 1996 and I was a Legal Assistant at the law firm of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robinson,_Silverman,_Pearce,_Aronsohn,_and_Berman" target="_blank">Robinson, Silverman, Pearce, Aronsohn & Berman</a> in New York. I already knew that being being paralegal had no glory. My time at Teitelbaum, Hiller, Rodman, Paden & Hibsher had already disavowed me of that notion. But I wasn't yet looking for glory. I had graduated from <a href="http://www.middlebury.edu/" target="_blank">Middlebury</a> two summers ago and was still finding my way in the world. Having worked for my father's company as an executive at an early age, I thought I had a good internal gauge of my own capabilities, but had yet to prove them to many in the outside world. At my dad's company only recently, I had navigated ourselves to a large contract from the United States Navy for advanced strategic computer based linguistic systems at the <a href="http://www.usna.edu/homepage.php" target="_blank">U.S. Naval Academy</a> in Annapolis. I personally bid for the project, procured and negotiated the contract, and built and delivered the computer hardware -- and all as a teenager.<br />
<br />
Far from my life at my father's company, in New York I was a relatively new paralegal just out of college. With as much innovation and intelligence as I was allowed to exercise, I would produce litigation files, research which polluters had polluted which amounts and when for one of many massive EPA Superfund litigations, or help prepare court filings. The work was unsophisticated, but required diligence and some level of care. I arrived every morning at <a href="http://www.vno1290.com/" target="_blank">1290 Avenue of the Americas</a> ready to do whatever the lawyers I worked for would tell me. I grew to dislike my job for many reasons: (a) I worked in New York yet made a salary that made living with any degree of style very challenging, (b) I worked for lawyers who I looked up to (merely because they were lawyers, and heck, what did I know in those days?) but who didn't share the same respect or fascination for me, and (c) I was, in effect, the lowest member of the "legal professional" totem pole; a role I didn't like one bit. <br />
<br />
I met former <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Koch" target="_blank">Mayor Ed Koch</a>, or "hizzoner" as he was affectionately called, while working at Robinson Silverman. I had joined the firm along with several attorneys from Teitelbaum Hiller, which was collapsing in an old fashioned law firm split dust-up. Except for the fact that I knew Robinson Silverman was larger and had fancier offices, I knew nothing else about the firm. When I first learned that Ed Koch worked there, I was clearly awestruck. While I had met prominent figures before, I had never had an opportunity to work in the same space as them and had never met them the way I met Mayor Koch. Koch and I first met in the most unorthodox way: as we were both entering the men's room at our firm. I had gone to the men's room on a thankless errand for myself, to do what people do when they have to use the restroom. Mr. Koch had surely done the same. Yet the interaction that ensued would help alter my remaining time at the firm and ultimately shape my career.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ENABur19H0/UQ4pIPQW9VI/AAAAAAAAAho/zAVVZ-FSExw/s1600/Beej+-+RSPAB.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2ENABur19H0/UQ4pIPQW9VI/AAAAAAAAAho/zAVVZ-FSExw/s320/Beej+-+RSPAB.jpeg" width="320" /></a>My dissatisfaction with being a Legal Assistant had grown over time, and was now nearing its peak. I was looking to move on but wondered whether leaving the firm so soon after arriving would adversely affect my resume and job prospects. Arriving at the rest room, however, none of those thoughts were primary. Rather, in addition to the need that had brought me to the restroom, I had a litigation project that Peter Paden, another partner at the firm, had given me, deeply on my mind. I entered the rest room and pulled up to a urinal. As I approached, I saw that another person, mostly bald with tufts of grey hair, had also approached a urinal nearby. I glanced over, exercising the locational awareness that most humans like having when peeing next to others. About the same time, my new bathroom companion glanced over at me. I instantly recognized this fellow restroom patron as the former Mayor of New York and quickly returned my gaze to my appointed task. Processing the fact that I was about to pee next to Mr. Koch distracted me from actually doing so, because what followed next was the most awkward 40 seconds of silence of my young career. As both Ed Koch and I stood there attempting to urinate, staring at our respective urinal walls, neither of us actually could. Finally breaking the silence after about forty five seconds, Mayor Koch zipped up, looked over at me, and with a wry smile said, "well, I guess I must have gotten stage fright."<br />
<br />
Over the next few months, Mayor Koch made an effort to say hello to me, call me into his office on occasion, and share thoughts on politics, the profession, and on people. He and I shared a culinary love: <a href="http://www.pekingduckhousenyc.com/?page_id=6" target="_blank">Peking Duck House</a> in Chinatown, and we referred to that love often. Beyond food, we talked about politics in New York. I recall asking him why he had switched parties to endorse<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rudy_Giuliani" target="_blank"> Rudy Guiliani</a> over <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Dinkins" target="_blank">David Dinkins</a>, who had defeated Mayor Koch only one term prior. After all, Mayor Koch had supported Dinkins in the general election after his defeat in the primaries. Why the switch? Mayor Koch explained that Dinkins bore significant responsibility for the lawlessness of the anti-Semitic riots that raged in Crown Heights and that the riots had convinced him that Dinkins was no longer deserving of his support. The person is more important than the party, he quickly added. Having supported Guiliani in the previous election, Mayor Koch explained to me that he was pulling his support, suggesting that Guiliani's candor and tone bothered him. The people of New York, Mr. Koch beamed, "deserved better."<br />
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When I told him about my dream of being a lawyer despite my disdain for being a paralegal, he spoke candidly about the challenges of the profession but also bullishly about its potential to protect and foster civil rights and aid in the governance of free people. "Bhijit," the Mayor told me in his New York accent, "if being a lawyer is what you want, go get it. Don't worry about your resume, just go do the best you can - nobody will fault you." Soon after, I followed his advice and left the firm on my own journey to go to law school.<br />
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While I didn't keep in touch with Mayor Koch except to thank him after starting law school, his love for his city and the passion with which he lived his life remind me today, as they informed me in 1996, that a life worth living is born of conviction and the courage to pursue it. “How’m I doin?” he famously used to ask his constituents. You did great, Mayor.<br />
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Rest in Peace.<br />
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-83653747860272088712013-01-31T10:06:00.001-08:002013-01-31T10:10:46.307-08:00NYT: Law Schools’ Applications Fall as Costs Rise and Jobs Are Cut<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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This year's law school applicant pool is 30% smaller than last year's and nearly 40% smaller than in 2010, according to an <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/education/law-schools-applications-fall-as-costs-rise-and-jobs-are-cut.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">article</a> in today's <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/31/education/law-schools-applications-fall-as-costs-rise-and-jobs-are-cut.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">The New York Times.</a> While I can understand the elasticity of demand based on macro-economic considerations, I firmly believe that applicants to all graduate programs, including law schools, must separate their beliefs about employment prospects from their intellectual and professional passions.<br />
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My career has seen much evolution since I graduated from law school, but despite the changing focus and job environment, the intellectual process of law school and the training and refinement it provided remain invaluable to me. While I experienced a very comfortable job environment upon graduation, the economy cratered only a few years after, only to rebound and fall several times thereafter. Applicants to law schools must know that the job market may contain volatility, but also, and perhaps more importantly, that there will always be a need and role for qualified, passionate and intelligent lawyers. That is just as true today as it has always been. A focus on just the availability of a big corporate law firm job after graduation robs the decision of whether to go to law school of much of its other essential considerations.<br />
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That said, we must address the broader issues of the financing and cost of modern American education so that bright students of all economic backgrounds are able to pursue and obtain the highest level and quality of education available anywhere in the world. That availability will define and reinforce America's greatness in the next century. </div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-3297751344528635862013-01-29T19:47:00.000-08:002013-01-29T19:47:48.082-08:00Senate Approves Sen. Kerry for Secretary of State<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lojcfv4Xzoo/UQhczxyG7-I/AAAAAAAAAhA/brghLzclMdo/s1600/220px-John_F._Kerry.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lojcfv4Xzoo/UQhczxyG7-I/AAAAAAAAAhA/brghLzclMdo/s200/220px-John_F._Kerry.jpg" width="137" /></a></div>
Congratulations to Sen. Kerry on his confirmation as our next <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/30/us/politics/senate-panel-approves-kerry-for-secretary-of-state.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">Secretary of State</a>. He enters service in his new role as the geopolitical situation remains complicated, especially in the Middle East and North Africa. I am hopeful that he will put his significant experience to good use in furtherance of President Obama's foreign policy. Best of luck, Sen. Kerry.</div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-62850357207028784802012-12-14T13:39:00.003-08:002012-12-14T14:46:02.011-08:00Newtown's Massacre, America's Tragedy<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OU0rBBaEMEo/UMuW3cqIzpI/AAAAAAAAAgk/jYKPSDVKIwM/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-14+at+4.14.38+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="237" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OU0rBBaEMEo/UMuW3cqIzpI/AAAAAAAAAgk/jYKPSDVKIwM/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-12-14+at+4.14.38+PM.png" width="320" /></a></div>
<span class="userContent">It is hard to come up with words to encapsulate the sense of loss we all feel today in light of the tragedy at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Newtown,_Connecticut" target="_blank">Newtown, Connecticut</a>. </span><br />
<br />
<span class="userContent">President Obama's <a href="http://www.abcactionnews.com/dpp/news/national/president-obama-calls-for-meaningful-action-after-newtown-connecticut-elementary-school-shooting" target="_blank">tearful statement</a> summed up the mood of much of the nation when he said, "as a country, we have been through this too
many times. Whether it’s an elementary school in Newtown, or a shopping
mall in Oregon, or a temple in Wisconsin, or a movie theater in Aurora,
or a street corner in Chicago — these neighborhood</span>s
are our neighborhoods, and these children are our children. And we’re
going to have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent
more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics... May God bless
the memory of the victims and, in the words of Scripture, heal the
brokenhearted and bind up their wounds."<br />
<br />
While today is perhaps not the day to discuss the policies we can adopt to reduce the number of these tragedies, the time is here for us to address the systemic problems that turn the world's most prosperous and amazing country into a suburban battlefield fueled by handguns and semi-automatic weapons. Surely, as <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/14/world/asia/china-knife-attack/index.html" target="_blank">today's tragedy in China</a>, in which a knife wielding assailant attacked and injured 22 children, shows us, guns are not the world's only source or vehicle of violence. That said, guns surely augment the fury and impact of the violence wrought upon us. According to the United States Census, two thirds of all homicides in the United States from <a href="http://sbcoalition.org/2011/04/gun-violence-and-the-census-sobering-statistics/" target="_blank">2000 - 2008</a> -- 86,112 deaths -- were caused by guns. The next largest cause, knives, accounted for a mere 13% of homicides over the same period. If you are a victim of homicide, it surely won't matter whether a gun or knife took your life; as a society, however, it surely matters that over the period covered by the Census, you were<b> <i>five times</i> </b>as likely to be shot to death than killed by a knife.<br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0].[0]">Today's
tragedy provides a complicated problem. On the one hand, the complete absence of guns in our
society would likely have prevented</span></span><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">
today's tragedy. On the other hand, we live in a society that has
nearly as many guns as residents. If one of the adult victims who fell
today had a weapon, perhaps one fewer death might have occurred because
the assailant might have been met with a force sufficient to stop him.
Yet, that is also not a certainty. One gun owned by one owner might counter one attack. Yet, will one million guns counter a million attacks, or will some of those guns start creating their own chain violence? </span></span></span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">As I mentioned in a response to a facebook post from a friend earlier today, </span></span></span></span></span><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[82].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353375}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[82].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353375}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[82].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353375}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[0]">the
issue isn't just what makes each of us safer individually. The issue is
what makes us safer collectively. While I have little doubt that
ownership of a gun by a friend I trust won't cause me harm, I also have little
confidence that collective gun ownership makes me safer. Long story
short, a world with almost no guns is safer than a world armed to its
teeth. While we seek a world without nuclear proliferation, we endure a
society in which it is easier to buy a gun than it is to vote. I can't
see the logic in that.</span></span></span> </span></span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2]"><span class="UFICommentBody" id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3]"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0"><span id=".reactRoot[102].[1][2][1]{comment146565932157040_353329}.0.[1].0.[1].0.[0].[0][2].0.[3].0.[0]">Amidst all this uncertainty, what is certain is gun violence has
become America's internal source of terror. It must be stopped.</span></span></span></span></span> We must engage in an intelligent discussion to tackle the scourge of gun violence once and for all. The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution" target="_blank">Second Amendment</a> to the United States Constitution must be understood as the part of the broader <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Bill_of_Rights" target="_blank">Bill of Rights</a>. Let us not allow the protection of one part of the Constitution to consume the protections afforded by the entire body of its work. It is time, America, to act to stop this escalating cycle of gun violence. </div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-37680867112137247932012-12-13T06:48:00.000-08:002012-12-13T12:28:31.174-08:00Google Maps is back to rescue Apple's iOS6<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1TtSTbjqHiM/UMnqPJqrmvI/AAAAAAAAAgU/oQpd3kqU7yg/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-12-13+at+9.23.09+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1TtSTbjqHiM/UMnqPJqrmvI/AAAAAAAAAgU/oQpd3kqU7yg/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-12-13+at+9.23.09+AM.png" width="155" /></a></div>
<br />
Google Maps for iPhone is back! <br />
<br />
For those of you who are joined at the hip to your iPhone, there is good news to report. Google Maps is back on Apple's iOS. The Google designed <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps/id585027354?mt=8&ls=1" target="_blank">Google Maps for iPhone</a>, now available on Apple App Store, rescues the iPhone's from its self imposed irrelevance in mapping after the debacle that was Apple Maps. I encourage you to <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/google-maps/id585027354?mt=8&ls=1" target="_blank">download</a> Google Maps if you have not already done so. The New York Times review of the new app can be viewed by clicking <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/13/technology/personaltech/google-maps-app-for-iphone-goes-in-the-right-direction-review.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Sorry, Apple Maps.</div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-81898564662117792832012-11-15T07:52:00.001-08:002012-11-15T07:52:07.308-08:00What can brown do for you?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SWx22NfcaG4/UKUO2Qxh3MI/AAAAAAAAAfY/7-87VUxx-Zw/s1600/482px-Bobby_Jindal_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SWx22NfcaG4/UKUO2Qxh3MI/AAAAAAAAAfY/7-87VUxx-Zw/s320/482px-Bobby_Jindal_by_Gage_Skidmore_2.jpg" width="257" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bobby Jindal in 2011. <i>Photo by Gage Skidmore</i></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Mitt Romney's latest remarks about why President Obama was re-elected have sparked some discussion among his public supporters, including this recent <a href="http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/ticket/bobby-jindal-calls-romney-gift-comments-absolutely-wrong-014142107--election.html" target="_blank">comment</a> from Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal.<br />
<br />
While I'm not a fan of Bobby Jindal's politics, he does have a huge opportunity for power in a Republican party starved for minority outreach. <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Steele" target="_blank">Michael Steele</a> wasn't the right approach and neither was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herman_Cain" target="_blank">Herman Cain</a>. Jindal's politics preach to the base while his ethnicity allows him leeway that Romney just didn't have.<br />
<br />
Heck, if my political principles and ethics were as fluid as Mitt Romney's, I could run for office as a Republican and make out like a bandit. Thank god they're not.<br /></div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-46162173614821320462012-10-16T08:08:00.003-07:002012-10-16T08:08:57.873-07:00Hotels On Point But Off The Beaten Path<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Looking for hotels in Aix-en-Provence, France; Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany; Malmagen, Sweden; Oletta, Corsica; Puglia, Italy; Zafferana Etnea, Sicily; Istanbul; or London but tired of the big brands and being treated like a number by their loyalty point programs? Check out this <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/travel/hotel-rooms-with-charm-off-the-radar.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">article</a> by Odine Cohane and Gisela Williams in <a href="http://travel.nytimes.com/2012/10/14/travel/hotel-rooms-with-charm-off-the-radar.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank"><i>The New York Times</i></a> for some cool hotels off the beaten path. <br />
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-42237626230859999072012-10-10T03:39:00.001-07:002012-10-10T03:39:49.334-07:00Challenges Remain for FDI in Indian's Retail Sector<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span class="userContent">My friend Vikas Bajaj's article, <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/10/business/global/younger-indians-eager-to-embrace-foreign-big-box-stores-and-malls.html?smid=pl-share" target="_blank">India’s Embrace of Foreign Retailers</a>, <i>The New York Times</i>, Oct. 9, 2012, touches on an important policy
debate raging in India's political circles. The outcome affects much
more than retail. Retailers like Walmart bring logistics and
infrastructure on the back end that have far greater benefits to</span> the
country than policy makers who oppose foreign single brand retailers
understand. Unlike developed countries, India desperately needs the
logistics and infrastructure improvements if the country's economy is to
be competitive globally. <br />
</div>
Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35258331.post-81731240021277154592012-09-15T15:28:00.002-07:002012-09-15T16:19:42.616-07:00Florist Express Just Isn't...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Those of you who read my blog posts know that my tolerance for bad customer service is relatively low especially when I work with a particular company frequently. I had an experience today that I think it is important to share with an e-commerce company called <a href="http://www.floristexpress.net/" target="_blank">Florist Express</a>. I usually order gifts and flowers from a company called <a href="http://www.proflowers.com/" target="_blank">ProFlowers</a>, which I've had generally good experience with. Today, I needed a birthday floral arrangement delivered the same day, which ProFlowers sends to their "preferred partner" Florist Express. I'm assuming given the co-branding on certain pages, ProFlowers has a revenue sharing arrangement with Florist Express whereby Florist Express takes and fulfills same-day delivery orders.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6M1K0MQ7SsE/UFT-rMzj8xI/AAAAAAAAAfA/BGbgVfgrpJs/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-09-15+at+5.51.35+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="36" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6M1K0MQ7SsE/UFT-rMzj8xI/AAAAAAAAAfA/BGbgVfgrpJs/s320/Screen+Shot+2012-09-15+at+5.51.35+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Florist Express is a "preferred" and co-branded partner of Proflowers.</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I placed my order for flowers and birthday balloons this morning. The web site indicated that I had to place my order for the zip code I was delivering to by 2:00pm. With hours left to go before the cut-off, I placed my order and went on with my day. The number of places on the site that list reassuring messages about the company's abilities suggests that it takes its responsibility for same day delivery seriously. The main page banner has the company's phone number and tagline "florist arranged bouquets delivered today." The very next banner reads "all products on ProFlowers Florist Express can be delivered by our local florists TODAY!" The very next logo has large text that proclaims "Flowers Delivered TODAY!" along with a "100% On-Time Florist Express Guarantee." Several additional locations on the page suggest or guarantee that this company can get your flowers to their intended recipient not just today, but TODAY!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--nHnAnmxbbw/UFT-Wh5yQXI/AAAAAAAAAe4/BUl0uJIjM9s/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-09-15+at+6.16.16+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="251" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--nHnAnmxbbw/UFT-Wh5yQXI/AAAAAAAAAe4/BUl0uJIjM9s/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-09-15+at+6.16.16+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"><i>The number of places on the site that list reassuring messages about the company's <br />abilities suggests that it takes its responsibility for same day delivery seriously.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Imagine my disappointment and chagrin at receiving a phone call at 5:15pm EST on Saturday evening advising me that despite all the assurances on the site, the order could not in-fact be delivered today. Hours after I might be able to place a replacement order with someone else, Florist Express left me high and dry, up the proverbial creek without much of a paddle. There goes the company's "100% On-Time Guarantee."<br />
<br />
The customer service agent quite formulaically offered to deliver the same order two days late, with a (presumably) form letter apology from the company suggesting that it had been the company's fault that the order was not delivered. I would still pay full price for the non-delivered flowers but apparently rest my consolation on the heartfelt computer generated apology produced by the same company that had made and broken its promises. I suggested to the customer service agent that the company should, at minimum, refund the order amount and still deliver the flowers as a gesture of true apology. "I wouldn't be able to do that sir," came the response from my helpful Florist Express agent. Having made a mockery of Florist Express' on-time guarantee, the agent's offer to me destroyed the company boldly stated "satisfaction guaranteed" promise. I wasn't satisfied and the company didn't care.<br />
<br />
So, a word of caution to you those of you who view flowers as mission critical. Birthday, anniversary, or funeral? Order from Florist Express (<a href="http://www.floristexpress.net/">www.floristexpress.net</a>) and you may just miss it by a few days. But don't worry, I'm sure the form letter apology will suffice.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WImKjnUPAkY/UFUALV6M33I/AAAAAAAAAfI/fJkRQHxQ_QI/s1600/Screen+Shot+2012-09-15+at+5.47.08+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="263" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-WImKjnUPAkY/UFUALV6M33I/AAAAAAAAAfI/fJkRQHxQ_QI/s400/Screen+Shot+2012-09-15+at+5.47.08+PM.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: left;"><i>There goes the satisfaction guarantee too: I wasn't satisfied <br />and the company didn't care.</i></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Abhijit "Beej" Dashttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02641575235585485226noreply@blogger.com1