I am blogging today from Boston where I am visiting with my sweet little sister Babita for Rakchha Bandhan. (I Was In Chicago? Facebook Places Messing Up) In NYC it feels like the buildings will all fall down on you. Boston is more manageable. She moved here from NYC over a year ago. Her place is much, much nicer than mine for a similar price. Like much much. Her neighborhood is straight out of the textbook. Mine only a few blocks away looks like I never left my country of origin. A North Carolina dude once told me, the only thing I like about New York is the doughnuts. I, on the other hand, love the city. My love is for the whole package deal, the filth, the crowds, especially the crowds.
I am going to be back in town to attend the Upper East Side community conversation, which is tomorrow.
Last night I showed up for the Lower East Side conversation. It was near the 14th Street and First Avenue intersection. It was well attended. It felt to me like I was seeing Reshma for the first time. I think the town hall format is my favorite setting in which to see Reshma in action, although I think she looks great on TV too. She is an amazing, amazing candidate. She is the most amazing politician I ever met. She makes it sound like Obama's health care reform has been the 1.0 version, and some day she would like to take a crack at Health Care Reform 2.0. Same about Wall Street reform.
The question answer session went great. There were one or two agitated ones, but that is statistical. You have to expect that.
It was good to see the staff again after long. It must have been two weeks since I last saw them, but it felt like ages. Reshma has a wonderful relationship with her staff. I used to hear that about John Liu last year on the campaign trail.
It was good to see Arthur, it was good to see Josh. And I bumped into Nina near 33rd Street when I went for a long walk after the event. She informed me of a major Reshma fundraiser that was taking place this evening. The host was someone who was a major player with Obama 08, yet another piece of evidence that the Obama people are slowly but surely coalescing around Reshma 2010. The Obama 08 people owe me one on this one. And it helps that Reshma is an Obama like candidate.
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
Cordoba Controversy: America In Early Stages Of War On Terror
Image via WikipediaFirst of all, it is not a mosque, it is a community center. It is not a new idea. That community center has been in that location for ages. They are just trying to put a new building in that old place. It can not be called a Ground Zero mosque. It is not a Ground Zero mosque. It is not a mosque, and it is nothing to do with Ground Zero. The location just so happens to be a few blocks from Ground Zero. But that location predates the 9/11 tragedy. 9/11 killed many Muslims the day it happened. 9/11 has killed many Muslims in the ensuing years back there in the Arab world. Both the Bush soldiers and the Al Qaeda have gone on to kill many innocent Muslims.
But then since when did prejudice have logic? Prejudice by definition is illogical.
The American public opinion on the so called Ground Zero mosque controversy tells me America is very much in the early stages of the War On Terror. We are perhaps in the 1950s of the Cold War, or maybe 1960s. There is too much existent anti-Muslim racism in America for America to make rapid progress on the War On Terror. Politicians avoiding the debate and succumbing to the prejudice are not helping any.
America is going to have to become a non racist country to conclude the War On Terror.
Two major transformations have to take place. All Arab countries have to be turned into democracies, and my method of choice is nonviolent mass movements. And America is going to get rid of its anti-Muslim prejudice and racism.
Politicians succumbing to the prejudice should empathize with those forces that try to bring democracy to an Arab country and have a hard time doing it. Clinging to the status quo of prejudice or non democracy are not exactly forces of progress and change.
Similarly America is going to have to make progress on total campaign finance reform if it wishes to see multi-party democracy and federalism in China.
America is a concept, an idea, a mission. A total spread of democracy is America's mission. That is what this country was born for.
America needed the FDR transformation of its capitalism to be able to defeat communism. America is going to have to work to get rid of its Islamophobia to conclude the War On Terror.
Reshma, Obama And The Ground Zero Mosque
Political Office, Political Essence
Image via WikipediaJimmy Carter was President Of The United States. Bill Clinton was a first term Governor of a small state occupied by "four men and a dog." Their political offices did not even compare. But even then Jimmy Carter was able to see Bill Clinton was a bigger deal than him. Jimmy Carter's political office was bigger, but Bill Clinton's political essence was bigger, and Carter could sense that already. And so he did the natural thing to do, he shit on Clinton. He unleashed a whole bunch of Cuban refugees on Arkansas costing Bill Clinton reelection. Bill Clinton was Jimmy Carter's chosen one. Carter wanted Clinton to feel the pain of an electoral loss. It is not much fun being a one term president. You are not even considered for greatness by historians if you are a one termer.It can be argued Jimmy Carter was Bill Clinton's Charlie Rangel. (Charlie Rangel: Motherfucker)
Barack Obama has surpassed Bill Clinton in the greatness department. Barack has been wading FDR waters since the passage of health care reform.
My Progressive Political Religion
Positivity, Excellence, Dark Matter
Carolyn Maloney Is The Problem
Image via WikipediaMaloney Should Skip Radio Debate And Create Jobs For An Hour InsteadCarolyn Maloney: Feeling Ugly?
Carolyn Maloney's Newest Lie
Carolyn Maloney's Work On The Second Avenue Subway Line
Maloney Refuses Debate Yet Again
Carolyn Maloney: The Alan Keyes Of District 14
Carolyn Maloney: Chicken
Al Hagan, Carolyn Maloney: Did They Apologize Yet?
Nadler Should Vacate The Maloney Sinking Ship
Hard Fact For Al Hagan: Maloney Failed To Pass 9/11 Health Bill
Organized Labor Bosses Backing Maloney Are Acting Blind And Stupid
Who Is The Congressperson For Ground Zero? Not Maloney
Look Who Is Talking: Carolyn Maloney's Dipshit Lies
Charlie Rangel, Carolyn Maloney And Their Ethics Violations
Carolyn Maloney: Missing In Inaction
Rangel And Maloney Need To Vacate The Premises And For The Same Reasons
Organized Labor Has No Business Endorsing Maloney
Maloney: Stifling Debate, Stifling Innovation, Stifling Job Creation
Carolyn Maloney: The Al Sharpton Of Gender Relations
Ed Koch And Carolyn Maloney: Bush Democrats
The Anti Maloney Brigade
Obama Has No Business Kissing Maloney
Maloney Is Too Ordinary To Be Representing District 14
Carolyn Maloney's Six Sins
Joke Of The Day: Carolyn Maloney
Maloney Wrote A Book Saying Her Best Is Not Good Enough
Maloney's Idiotic Debate Non Stand Can Be Countered Through Use Of Social Media
Debating Is "Stunt" In A Maloney Democracy
Reshma Saujani, Carolyn Maloney
| The Colbert Report | Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c | |||
| Better Know a District - New York's 14th - Carolyn Maloney | ||||
| ||||
Maloney Should Skip Radio Debate And Create Jobs For An Hour Instead
This is me feeling Baruch College's pain. This is me feeling the pain of NY1. This is me feeling the pain of the League Of Women Voters. Maloney disrespected each of them and it is still not too late to remedy the situation.
Maloney kept saying she is too busy creating jobs for America to bother accepting debate invitations. Now I know how the unemployment rate went down from 12% to a measly 10%. I want it to go down to 8%. And I want Maloney to not show up for her radio debate on September 7. Because I care. Because I think it is important that jobs are created.
I have always known Maloney is kind of on the old side. But I did not realize how old until she expressed her preference for FDR era technology.
I hereby propose as one of Barack's earliest and strongest supporters in the country that Barack switch from his weekly addresses on YouTube to exclusive radio addresses. Pay homage to FDR, yo. He was a great president. Even Newt Grinch thinks he was a great president.
I am so offended by the radio format of the September 7 debate that I am going to actively campaign for Carolyn Maloney to not show up for the debate. Carolyn, I don't want you there. Stay put in DC, go create some jobs. You have overstayed your welcome. How I know that is because you got a serious attitude problem. Somewhere along the way you acquired senioritis.
If you ask me, I think this whole debate circus has gone way out of hand. Folks, we got a situation on our hands. Are you paying attention?
The Debate Format
The Debate Format
Image via WikipediaBaruch Plus Radio Plus NY1 Could Work
Carolyn Maloney: Feeling Ugly?
Carolyn Maloney's Newest Lie
Finally A Debate? Is A Non Debate A Debate?
Debating Is Not About Media Attention To Reshma Saujani
Maloney Refuses Debate Yet Again
Carolyn Maloney: The Alan Keyes Of District 14
Carolyn Maloney: Chicken
Who Is The Congressperson For Ground Zero? Not Maloney
Look Who Is Talking: Carolyn Maloney's Dipshit Lies
Charlie Rangel, Carolyn Maloney And Their Ethics Violations
Charlie Rangel: Motherfucker
So I guess the debate is happening after all. The clock on the Reshma 2010 site has been pulled down. After 100 days Carolyn Maloney has finally agreed to a debate. That is one mean record to have for 100 days.
It is going to be a radio debate, but I think TV cameras will be allowed. And I really hope the whole debate ends up on YouTube. In this day and age, I mean. I am opposed to the idea of physically carrying Maloney to weekly debates as a matter of principle, (How My Grandfather Became Mayor The First Time) otherwise what I would really have liked is weekly debates. But looks like we are getting just that one debate. Maloney is not going to be creating jobs for those two hours. What a loss!
I look forward to the debate. What I am really looking forward to this moment is the event this evening on the Lower East Side. (Arthur Schwartz, Jeff Kurzon, Reshma 2010)
Mainstream Media Kept Saying John Liu Was Losing
An Empire State Of Mind: The Final Countdown
Baruch Plus Radio Plus NY1 Could Work
My Progressive Political Religion
Reshma Saujani Loves America
Carolyn Maloney: Feeling Ugly?
Barack Obama Just Endorsed Reshma Saujani
Carolyn Maloney's Newest Lie
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Mainstream Media Kept Saying John Liu Was Losing
Image via WikipediaLast year the buzz was that John Liu was losing. From the New York Times all the way down to mid level magazines, the buzz was Yassky was winning. It was close. It was a tossup. And of course there were unfair comments about John Liu, to the point at one instance John called his opponent "the three headed Yassky."
At the end of the day John Liu won easy. Later in November he got more votes than Bloomberg.
And I am seeing some of the same media bias against Reshma. Several of the print magazines have been putting out articles that are in absolute no resonance with what is actually happening at the ground level.
It used to be Reshma Saujani, Wall Street's candidate. Now it is Reshma Saujani, sure to lose candidate. These remind me of some of the negative articles about John Liu I used to read.
The answer is to keep focused on the fundamentals of the campaign, to focus on new/social media, more on community media.
Although I must say some TV spots have been good.
More than one newspaper article has quoted polls supplied by the Maloney campaign that are months old.
Challenging an entrenched incumbent is not easy. But some of the mainstream media makes that task harder by perpetuating some outdated attitudes.
Arthur Schwartz, Jeff Kurzon, Reshma 2010
Image by cliff1066™ via FlickrI am so looking forward to the Reshma 2010 event tomorrow. (Gandhi, Reshma And Tornadoes) I did 400 push ups already in preparation. I will likely do more. It is good to see Arthur Schwartz as one of the listed names. Slowly but surely the Obama crowd is rallying behind Reshma 2010. A presidential campaign lasts months, but for a congressional race these final weeks are when the coalescing happens. It is now a sprint to the finish line. An Empire State Of Mind: The Final Countdown
Baruch Plus Radio Plus NY1 Could Work
My Progressive Political Religion
Reshma Saujani Loves America
Arthur is the first person featured in my first Obama video. He was the key speaker at the Manhattan For Obama organizational kick off meeting.
NYC Video: 10 Hours
Another person featured in that video is Jeff Kurzon. The first time I met Jeff was near the Gandhi statue in Union Square. I was not even aware there was a Gandhi statue there until that day. That was the summer of 2007 right before the walks for Obama. Well, Jeff asked for a Gujarati and he got one now: Reshma. (Reshma Is Gujarati Like Gandhi, I Am Bihari Like Laloo)
Crain's New York: An Insurgent's Long Shot: Last year, Reshma Saujani was no more than a foreign-sounding name on a long list of candidates who wanted to run for the seat on the verge of being vacated by Rep. Carolyn Maloney. When Ms. Maloney decided last August not to run for the U.S. Senate, the other would-be candidates dropped out in deference to the incumbent. Ms. Saujani, a 34-year-old hedge fund lawyer, stayed in. .... eliciting scorn from the city's Democratic political establishment, which sees Ms. Maloney as the unassailable matriarch of a district that she helped transform into a Democratic stronghold.... Ms. Saujani has eschewed the more traditional route of first running for a minor office and cultivating endorsements among labor and elected officials to build a base of support. ..... her fundraising prowess ..... “I think we need to have new people, fresh faces running for Congress,” Ms. Saujani says—”people who are passionate and energetic.” ..... Ms. Saujani's campaign has captured the attention of many, including Bishop Mitchell Taylor, the influential senior pastor of the Center of Hope International and the chief executive of the East River Development Alliance. He invited Ms. Saujani, just as he had Ms. Maloney, to speak to his small but fervent congregation in Long Island City. ...... On Jan. 14, 1973, her parents landed in Chicago wearing T-shirts and shorts, with $50 in their pockets. ...... a compelling political biography that has impressed wealthy Upper East Side donors, financial services executives and Internet entrepreneurs. She first demonstrated her fundraising skills at age 28, when she raised $1 million from South Asians on behalf of John Kerry's run for the presidency—an accomplishment that gave her access to Hillary Clinton, whom she supported in 2008. Ms. Clinton later offered her a job in the State Department as a senior adviser on South Asia, which Ms. Saujani turned down in order to run for office. ....... Maloney's $2.1 million in cash. ..... Of about 228,000 registered Demo-crats in District 14—68% of whom are white—37,529 voted four years ago. ..... her opponent has portrayed her as a creature of a greedy industry ..... One of her biggest supporters is Diana Taylor: a lifelong Republican, former New York state superintendent of banks, and the girlfriend of Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Ms. Taylor is part of a coterie of high-powered women who are advising Ms. Saujani and encouraged her to run on her corporate experience. ..... “She sees Congress as an entry-level job,” says one exasperated Democratic consultant. .... She was twice denied by Yale Law School before getting accepted as a transfer student. Becoming a member of Congress has also been a lifelong dream. If she loses, she says, she will begin her campaign for 2012. “We run the next day in the same race,” she says. “We start the next day.”
New York Post: The Underdog: 35-year-old Reshma Saujani, is generating an unusual amount of interest for an untested candidate ....Saujani, who has never served in public office, has become a darling among the city’s power brokers, including Maureen White, former national finance chair for the Democratic Party; Judith Dimon, wife of JPMorgan CEO Jamie; hedge fund billionaire Marc Lasry; and Mayor Bloomberg’s daughter, Emma — all of whom have helped her amass a $1.2 million war chest..... Hillary Clinton, for whom Saujani once worked, gave her campaign an unofficial nod of approval..... Mayor Bloomberg’s girlfriend, Diana Taylor, is even advising Saujani’s campaign after meeting her and being impressed with her go-getter attitude..... Saujani also has developed a cult following among the city’s burgeoning tech community, with Twitter founder Jack Dorsey, Facebook honcho Randi Zuckerberg and Gilt Groupe founder Alexis Maybank all tweeting her praises. High profile bloggers like Rachelle Hruska have helped generate buzz among the 20- and 30-something crowd that usually doesn’t follow local politics...... A practicing Hindu, she lives in an East Village rental, and is still paying off some $200,000 in student loan debts after putting herself through school. She works out at Equinox so that she can afford to cave to her favorite temptation: the black and white shake from Shake Shack..... “At age 28 I was one of John Kerry’s top fundraisers in the country,” Saujani said in an interview from her makeshift campaign office on 33rd Street and Madison Avenue. “It’s unusual for a young woman to be sitting with trustees who had been donors for generations. I had never asked anyone for a check before besides my parents.” ...... She’d be the youngest woman elected to Congress if she wins, as well as the first Hindu. She claims she was the first New York politician to come out strongly in favor of the Ground Zero mosque...... it’s when she talks about tech that she becomes most engaged....... “When I set out to run, one out of three of my friends was unemployed, laid off from law firms or media firms, and it wasn’t going to get better until 2013,” she said. “I believe people need to start their own companies. I’ve gone to tech meet-up after tech meet-up and asked people, ‘What is it that you need to start your next company?’ It’s that first $50,000 or $100,000 they need.” ...... Until now Maloney had no particular reason to acknowledge Saujani’s campaign, but after three months of nipping at her heels, Maloney agreed to a radio debate scheduled to air Sept. 7 on WWRL at 11 a.m....... “You don’t expend that political capital for name recognition. You do it to win.”
Saturday, August 21, 2010
How My Grandfather Became Mayor The First Time
There was no electricity in the village back then. It was a big house, the biggest house of its kind in the village.
My great-grandfather had not been a landlord, he had been a self made man who had started from scratch and had gone on to end up with more land than anyone else in the village. There's a difference. When it was time to build this house, he had organized trips to the thick forests tens of miles to the north. A whole bunch of men would "drive" bullock carts to the forests, fell trees, and bring them back to the village. "Pillars" in the house were these thick tree trunks that you could barely get your hands around.
Five women lived in the house, my mother and my aunt, my two grandmothers, my great grandmother. There was this big courtyard, and there were rooms all around that courtyard. There was land to the three sides of the house to grow vegetables. There were fruit trees, guava, papaya, pomegranate, shareefa/sitafal/sugar apple. Legend had it there was even a coconut tree there once. But the women of the house would quarrel so much among themselves when there were coconuts to the tree - each wanted to send them to their own "nahira" (father's house) - that one day lightning struck and the tree was no more.
One grandmother was a widow. My grandfather's younger brother fell victim to an epidemic ("haija") that swept the country when he was very young. When my new bride mother had showed up and had me, the first child, she found herself amidst a cold war among the women of the house, and this grandmother stood by her, she would never tire of telling me. "I washed your dirty linen!" Apparently I was relieving myself in bed and I did not even remember. My mother had been from a richer family from across the border in India (same culture, same language, just a political border in between). One of her cousins was Education Minister of Bihar later in the 1990s when Laloo Yadav was Chief Minister of Bihar. Laloo Yadav more recently was Railway Minister for all of India.
The women of the family cooked the food. Usually my mother and aunt took turns. You can imagine, big pots of food. Sometimes there were misunderstandings around the schedule and the women would get into full blast shouting matches. They would cook a little something special for their own children. Sometimes that would also lead to misunderstandings.
If there was one thing we had plenty of, it was the food. The first to show up would be the men. My great grandfather, my grandfather. The kids would run around and the women would run after them trying to feed them. At night time it got trickier. I have many memories of having fallen asleep, my mother having picked me up, put me in her lap, and fed me with her own hand while I was still asleep. Multi-tasking, sleeping and eating at the same time.
Finally it was the turn of the servants and the workers on the farms. Untouchability was in vogue, perhaps still is. The servants were usually from Dalit families. The family ate in steel plates. They had aluminum plates. They would put their plate on the ground, and the women would serve the food from a safe distance.
After the sister after me was born, my father who had had a few years of education in the capital city decided he wanted to do the family planning thing. My great grandfather was offended.
"Don't I feed your children? Is that what you are telling me?" he demanded to know. And so my second sister, my brother, and my youngest sister Babita were born. Babita lives in Boston today.
So it was night time, early evening. It was time for dinner. The call had gone out to the big, brick house. There were two houses. There was this courtyard one, mud walls, thick tree pillars, baked tile roof. And there was this brick house across, on the same side of the street. The biggest feature of the brick house was this huge verandah that was open. Men of the village would lie down there for their afternoon siestas, and sleeps at night. There were so many men who never slept in their own homes. Then slept on this open verandah. During summer, they would also line up on the roof of the brick house. My grandfather had this one room on the first floor of that brick house. My grandmother slept in the mud house.
And there was another big house - as big as the courtyard house - just for the animals. The dude with more land than anyone else in the village had lots and lots of animals. These oxen ploughed the fields. How I knew my mother's side of the family was richer was because my maternal grandfather had even more oxen, way more. The animal house was this one big box. We kids only ventured into that house when the animals were not inside. Otherwise you never knew which animal might get into the mood and give you a swift kick, and then where were you?
So the call went out for dinner. My grandfather walked over down from his room of the brick house, across the yard, to our tubewell to wash his hands, get some fresh water for dinner. It was the only tubewell in the neighborhood, and every morning and evening there would be long lines of women. Every now and then someone would cut line, and shouting matches would ensue. The language would get graphic. I never heard such body part talk ever after.
Of course my grandfather did not have to stand in line.
He came to sit on the wooden plank on the floor. He was having dinner.
A little while later some men from the neighboring village barged in, lifted him up and carried him away. They did not even let him wash his hand. They did not tell him what was going on. He had no idea.
What had happened was a committee of men in the neighboring village had decided my grandfather was the most suitable to be the new mayor of the village. It was a unit of four villages. This was some time before they actually started having elections. And he won each time with huge margins until the political system in the country changed.
So they carried him away. When they carried him back, there were a whole bunch of garlands around his neck, there was colored powder all over his forehead. There was the village "band" playing their exotic instruments. Festivities began. For those special occasions they would take out the petromax lanterns. And they did.
And now you know how my grandfather became Mayor the first time. Over the years people started calling us the Gandhi family of our village. The Kennedys in America are not like the Gandhis in India. Does not even compare as to what the Gandhis are in India.
My great-grandfather had not been a landlord, he had been a self made man who had started from scratch and had gone on to end up with more land than anyone else in the village. There's a difference. When it was time to build this house, he had organized trips to the thick forests tens of miles to the north. A whole bunch of men would "drive" bullock carts to the forests, fell trees, and bring them back to the village. "Pillars" in the house were these thick tree trunks that you could barely get your hands around.
Five women lived in the house, my mother and my aunt, my two grandmothers, my great grandmother. There was this big courtyard, and there were rooms all around that courtyard. There was land to the three sides of the house to grow vegetables. There were fruit trees, guava, papaya, pomegranate, shareefa/sitafal/sugar apple. Legend had it there was even a coconut tree there once. But the women of the house would quarrel so much among themselves when there were coconuts to the tree - each wanted to send them to their own "nahira" (father's house) - that one day lightning struck and the tree was no more.
One grandmother was a widow. My grandfather's younger brother fell victim to an epidemic ("haija") that swept the country when he was very young. When my new bride mother had showed up and had me, the first child, she found herself amidst a cold war among the women of the house, and this grandmother stood by her, she would never tire of telling me. "I washed your dirty linen!" Apparently I was relieving myself in bed and I did not even remember. My mother had been from a richer family from across the border in India (same culture, same language, just a political border in between). One of her cousins was Education Minister of Bihar later in the 1990s when Laloo Yadav was Chief Minister of Bihar. Laloo Yadav more recently was Railway Minister for all of India.
The women of the family cooked the food. Usually my mother and aunt took turns. You can imagine, big pots of food. Sometimes there were misunderstandings around the schedule and the women would get into full blast shouting matches. They would cook a little something special for their own children. Sometimes that would also lead to misunderstandings.
If there was one thing we had plenty of, it was the food. The first to show up would be the men. My great grandfather, my grandfather. The kids would run around and the women would run after them trying to feed them. At night time it got trickier. I have many memories of having fallen asleep, my mother having picked me up, put me in her lap, and fed me with her own hand while I was still asleep. Multi-tasking, sleeping and eating at the same time.
Finally it was the turn of the servants and the workers on the farms. Untouchability was in vogue, perhaps still is. The servants were usually from Dalit families. The family ate in steel plates. They had aluminum plates. They would put their plate on the ground, and the women would serve the food from a safe distance.
After the sister after me was born, my father who had had a few years of education in the capital city decided he wanted to do the family planning thing. My great grandfather was offended.
"Don't I feed your children? Is that what you are telling me?" he demanded to know. And so my second sister, my brother, and my youngest sister Babita were born. Babita lives in Boston today.
So it was night time, early evening. It was time for dinner. The call had gone out to the big, brick house. There were two houses. There was this courtyard one, mud walls, thick tree pillars, baked tile roof. And there was this brick house across, on the same side of the street. The biggest feature of the brick house was this huge verandah that was open. Men of the village would lie down there for their afternoon siestas, and sleeps at night. There were so many men who never slept in their own homes. Then slept on this open verandah. During summer, they would also line up on the roof of the brick house. My grandfather had this one room on the first floor of that brick house. My grandmother slept in the mud house.
And there was another big house - as big as the courtyard house - just for the animals. The dude with more land than anyone else in the village had lots and lots of animals. These oxen ploughed the fields. How I knew my mother's side of the family was richer was because my maternal grandfather had even more oxen, way more. The animal house was this one big box. We kids only ventured into that house when the animals were not inside. Otherwise you never knew which animal might get into the mood and give you a swift kick, and then where were you?
So the call went out for dinner. My grandfather walked over down from his room of the brick house, across the yard, to our tubewell to wash his hands, get some fresh water for dinner. It was the only tubewell in the neighborhood, and every morning and evening there would be long lines of women. Every now and then someone would cut line, and shouting matches would ensue. The language would get graphic. I never heard such body part talk ever after.
Of course my grandfather did not have to stand in line.
He came to sit on the wooden plank on the floor. He was having dinner.
A little while later some men from the neighboring village barged in, lifted him up and carried him away. They did not even let him wash his hand. They did not tell him what was going on. He had no idea.
What had happened was a committee of men in the neighboring village had decided my grandfather was the most suitable to be the new mayor of the village. It was a unit of four villages. This was some time before they actually started having elections. And he won each time with huge margins until the political system in the country changed.
So they carried him away. When they carried him back, there were a whole bunch of garlands around his neck, there was colored powder all over his forehead. There was the village "band" playing their exotic instruments. Festivities began. For those special occasions they would take out the petromax lanterns. And they did.
And now you know how my grandfather became Mayor the first time. Over the years people started calling us the Gandhi family of our village. The Kennedys in America are not like the Gandhis in India. Does not even compare as to what the Gandhis are in India.
Friday, August 20, 2010
An Empire State Of Mind: The Final Countdown
During April 2006 I was holed up. I went to hang out with some friends from Nepal one evening, but other than that I was just holed up. I was zoned out. I was in a very different state of mind. I wanted no human contact. I felt detached from basic bodily functions like eating and sleeping. By the time I emerged, I had lost weight for someone who did not need to lose weight, I needed glasses.
What Reshma is doing now is much bigger in its long term implications than what I did in April 2006. But I can relate to her state of mind. This is the final stretch. This is the final countdown. This is it. It is a state of mind.
I don't think she will get less busy after her victory party on September 14 - I can totally see her going national right after; so chances are she will get even more busy - but these final weeks before September 14 are special. They are to be savored.
Barack Obama Just Endorsed Reshma Saujani
Sep 15 - Oct 31: Obama-Reshma Should Crisscross The Country
There are two kinds of people, people who will have known Reshma - either in person or by name - before September 14, and people who will get to know her after September 14. Which kind are you?
I relate to Reshma's current state of mind from my personal experience in April 2006 when Nepal went through a French Revolution.
April 2006: Nepal
Dismantle The Two Armies
To: The Kathmandu Media
Chitralekha Yadav: Speaker
Zimpundit: Zimbabwe
Undercurrents Of A Counter-Revolution
Maoist Posturing
Madhav Nepal
डा. कटक मल्ल: सुन्दर, शान्त र शिष्ट नेपालको निर्माणका लागि
The Revolution Is Very Much On
Victory
Reciprocate The Maoist Ceasefire Immediately
Army Under Parliament, Now
Mero Sansar Video Clips 7
Declare Constituent Assembly On First Day Of Parliament
Maoist Reaction To Democratic Victory: Not Right
Madhesi Rights: Total Equality
ितमीले देखाइ िदयौ
18 Days Of April Revolution: Victory
Kiran Nepal
Cobb To Leahy
Protests
Kiran Nepal, Dinesh Wagle
Brian Cobb: Savagery On The Roof Of The World
Nepal Has Hit The World Headlines
Home Minister: Bamdev Gautam
King Of India
My Most Controversial Blog Post To Date: On Madhesi Issue
Protests
King's Address: Old Wine, Old Bottle
Dinesh Wagle, Kiran Nepal In Town
House Revival Through Supreme Court Decision
कर्फ्यु तोड्न आह्वान गर्नेले
Could Girija Be President?
Sanjaya Parajuli In Brooklyn
Checkmate
Protests
Madhav Nepal Out In Open
Solidarity Rally DC
Smugglers, Sadists, Sycophants Have Infiltrated This Regime
Why The International Community Needs To Get Behind This Revolution
April 20: March Onto The Palace, End The Monarchy
Constituent Assembly: Still The Meeting Point
जाउलो खाएर क्रान्ित गर
Chand, Marich Man, Pashupati, Thapa, All Panches
Protests
The Art Of War, Bruce Lee
Mero Sansar Video Clips 6
End Of Ceausescu
30 Minutes With Amrit Bohra
Krishna Prasad Bhattarai, Irrelevant
जनआन्दोलनको कार्यक्रम
Monarchy's End: A Few Scenarios
Video Blogging
Aire Gaire Natthu Khaire Pahadis
क्रान्ितलाई नबुझ्नु, बुझ पचाउनु
Protests
Henry Shepherd: Open Source
Baburam Bhattarai: Lokatantric Ganatantra Ko Prasab Bedana
Gongabu Massacre
Get The Police On Our Side
Brian Cobb, Brave Man
Hamro Nepal, Latest
Interim President: Madhav Nepal
UN Rally
First ANTA NYC Event, Times Square Marriott
No Room For Monarchy In The 21st Century: King
Protests
Zero Tolerance Policy Towards Monarchy
Nepali Congress Or Praja Parishad
Protests
Friday Rally
INSEC Report
Malaria, Polio, Monarchy
Hamro Nepal: Draft Constitution
Alliance Is Mad At You
Mike Veer: Has Nepal's Orange Revolution Begun?
The King Set To Declare Date For Elections
Protests
Nepali Mandir
ये तो क्रान्ित है
Mero Sansar Video Clips 5
Happy New Year 2063
Interim Constitution, Revolutionary Parliament
Shoot At Sight Order: Dead End For The King
Protests
Constituent Assembly: 300 Seats Of Roughly Equal Population
Crime, Organized Crime, Terrorism, State Terrorism
The Police, The Army Need To Stop Following Illegitimate Orders
April 8: New Year
BBC Calls
NYC Rally Photos: Arnico Panday
April 9
April Revolution: Document Every Atrocity
Protests
The Fascists In Kathmandu
Final Act: Disobey The Curfew
Himal Survey
April 6,7,8,9, April 16,17,18,19, April 26,27,28,29
Even If The Worst Fears About The Maoists Are True
Write To Bush, Condi Before Possible Clampdown
Leahy Amendment Says No Arms To Nepal
यो सडक ितम्र्ो हो
Kamal Thapa Is A Nazi
Baruch Plus Radio Plus NY1 Could Work
Image via WikipediaCarolyn Maloney's Newest LieFinally A Debate? Is A Non Debate A Debate?
Debating Is Not About Media Attention To Reshma Saujani
Maloney Refuses Debate Yet Again
Carolyn Maloney: Chicken
We Will Debate An Empty Podium If We Have To
First Debate August 26, Thank You Baruch College
New York Observer: Reshma Camp Hasn't Accepted Debate Invite: "We need a debate that will be seen by voters in the district," said Saujani campaign spokesman James Allen.... they are still looking to find out what the details are, including how long the Q and A session with audience listeners will last and whether or not there will be television cameras present.... Saujani's campaign noted that the pair have received four invitations to debate—from NY1, from the League of Women Voters, from Baruch College and from a TV station in Queens—and would like to do any of those in addition the WWRL debate.... They also note that they are still trying to discuss the matter with the Maloney campaign. "We have not had any conversations with her campaign. Our campaign left multiple messages this afternoon for Matt Tepper, Maloney's campaign manager, and our calls were not returned."
I have not talked to anybody on the campaign staff or anything like that, so I am not speaking on behalf of the campaign or anything like that, but this would be my stand. Reshma 2010 will accept the radio debate invite for September 7 if Maloney will accept the Baruch College debate invite.
Presidential candidates have debated at Baruch College. Maloney is never going to run for president, but this would be her last chance to debate in such an august setting.
Who does Carolyn Maloney think she is?
The best thing would be to accept all four debate invites. It is about democracy.
In The News
NBC New York: Rep. Maloney Agrees to Debate Primary Opponent -- on Radio:For the first time in 18 years, Maloney faces a serious challenge in her "Silk Stocking District" ..... calls Maloney "a mediocre but reliable Democrat." ..... accused Maloney of "not telling the truth" in her interview with NBCNewYork when she said the two campaign staffs were in talks about debate plans. ...... But with the debate on radio and not open to TV cameras, voters won't get the full debate experience, which includes body language .... Some may conclude that by refusing to debate on camera, Maloney avoids giving TV air time to her attractive, younger opponent.
New York Observer: Maloney to Reshma: We're On:This is something of a risky move for Maloney, since letting your opponent onto a debate stage has a tendency to elevate them in the public's mind. Plus, it increases the chances that a favorite may say something she regrets—something Maloney is known for.... her campaign figured that Saujani's criticisms were weighing down Maloney's chances. That, or, her team just got tired of hearing about it
New York Observer: Saujani Taking It To The People: The first on, scheduled for August 23rd at the 14 Street Y, looks like it will be the most star-studded affair, or what passes for star-studded when talking about neighborhood town halls. There, Saujani will be joined by Ronnie Cho, who achieved some buzz for appearing in a documentary about the Obama campaign in his boxer shorts; Dodge Landesman, who ran for the City Council while still in high school and was profiled in the New Yorker, and Arthur Schwartz, a lawyer for ACORN.
The Associated Press: Mosque Debate Divides Democrats, Especially In NY: Democrats control both Senate seats and 27 of the state's 29 Congressional districts, but analysts believe as many as eight House Democrats in the state may be headed to defeat this year..... House Democrats have been opposing the construction of a $100 million Islamic center two blocks from the World Trade Center site. ..... Developers of the planned Islamic center known as Park51 have plans for a 13-story structure featuring a pool, gym and 500-seat auditorium, as well as a mosque and Sept. 11 memorial..... Democratic Rep. Jerrold Nadler, who faces only token opposition as he seeks his 10th term, has been one of the most outspoken advocates of the project. Nadler's district includes the World Trade Center site..... Democratic Rep. Carolyn Maloney, who faces a feisty primary challenge from attorney Reshma Saujani, announced her support for the Islamic Center two weeks ago but is being pushed by Saujani to speak out more forcefully. The primary is Sept. 14. "This is a major debate unfolding in our city and country, and our leaders ... are weighing in with lukewarm statements," said Saujani, who strongly supports the project.
Salon: The Politics Of Sore Loserdom: In an extraordinary display of gracelessness, Artur Davis, the Alabama congressman who was badly defeated in his party's gubernatorial primary in June, has penned an Op-Ed attacking the man who beat him, Ron Sparks. ... displaying unusually poor post-primary behavior .... When he was elected to the House in '02, some heralded him as an up-and-comer who might someday be the country's first black president. ..... When the 42-year-old Davis began his campaign, he was seen as a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination, making the final outcome that much more startling ...... Davis’ 24-point drubbing came from his aloof campaign style ..... Davis largely eschewed the roll-up-your-sleeves, stand-on-the-back-of-a-rusty-pickup politicking that is still imperative for Southern candidates ..... many of the black churches Davis ignored. ..... Davis’ misdirected anger well reflects the sense of entitlement not uncommon to incumbents everywhere, many of whom routinely neglect their bases
Washington Examiner: John Legend Talks Politics On The Red Carpet:Legend told us that in addition to Patrick, whom he supports because of the governor’s focus on education, he endorses his friend and congressional candidate from New York, Reshma Saujani. So who else does Legend back? President Obama.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)