Wrong Circles

Moving To NYC

I moved to NYC summer of 2005 to launch my company but got distracted by urgent Nepal work, best work I ever did. I did not move to the city to run for office. My passions are too global. I am very political, but my style is not about shaking many hands. My way is the digital democrat way. Don't join organizations. Don't sit on committees. Show up for select events. My blog is not journalism. It is space time travel. You cut through a thick world to land in front of the right eyes. The idea is to have impact. And I have had that.

The internet is what will bridge the gap between the west and the rest. And so if your constituency of choice is the Global South, entrepreneurship makes a ton of sense. It is not just a demand issue, it is also a supply issue. I think my personality type is suited for that executive feeling of creating, growing a company. Political organizations just come across as so very inefficient to me. They also come across as socially lacking. My relationship with four white political organizations in Manhattan have soured, in each case it has been race. In a city that is 60% nonwhite, all these organizations are overwhelmingly white in their composition. That is not random. That denotes a value system.

The Jewish Identity In New York City
The Need For A Race Gender Coalition
Tackling Race As An Issue The Average Person Way

2.0

I can't imagine a political involvement minus 2.0. That is the next big thing. America is Europe. The Internet is the new America.

The Disenfranchised

The people from the Global South who live in the city are a people disenfranchised. They ought to be able to vote in the city elections. That is the single best thing this city could do to fight the War On Terror. You do that, you engineer political mobilization, you help spread democracy.

Wrong Circles

I have been moving in the wrong social circles. My startup beckons me.

I am not opposed to political involvement at all. It is just that it has to seamless 2.0 and 5.0.

Looking For 10 Ninja Women
Bill Perkins: Next Mayor Of New York City

Being Fair

I don't seem to care on a daily basis what happens in the Philippines. So it should not bother me there are people in NYC who don't care what happens in Nepal. Nepal simply is not on their radar.

The 99% Rule

More than 99% of the people also in this city stick to bonding inside the races, more like 99.9, most get even more specific. Like a woman said once, "I like my men like I like my food, which is Italian." It is a privacy issue. It is not offensive. What is offensive is when it takes the tone of social segregation. The soldiers of social segregation feel the need to enforce the rules on others, draw the lines.

The most diverse city on the planet is also the most segregated. Technology is ahead of human attitudes. At some level the whole thing is so exotic.

Work

Work brings some discipline to the landscape. You are focused on specific tasks.

Silicon City

Global

NYC is the most global of all cities. That is its appeal.

No Excuses

When the most exotic culture is but one simple search away, there is little excuse for people to pretend otherwise.

In The News

Unofficial Tallies In City Understated Obama Vote New York Times In the Harlem district, for instance, where the primary night returns suggested a 141 to 0 sweep by Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, the vote now stands at 261 to 136. In an even more heavily black district in Brooklyn — where the vote on primary night was recorded as 118 to 0 for Mrs. Clinton — she now barely leads, 118 to 116. ....... On Feb. 5, Mrs. Clinton carried 61 of the state’s 62 counties but won Brooklyn by a margin of less than 2 percent.

'One Madhes one province’ demand cannot be met: PM NepalNews
Prachanda reaffirms his presidential dream Prachanda said that the first development agreement during his presidency would be with Norway.
Steering Committee to govt: Recognise those killed in Terai movement as martyrs The seven-party Steering Committee today asked the government to recognise those killed during agitations in Madhesh as martyrs.
NSP (A) pulls out of SPA Anandi Devi Singh announced that her party was no more with the ruling alliance, and also announced her resignation as the member of the interim parliament. ..... She said the party would now start peaceful movement for the rights of the Terai people.
Police open fire at protesters in Bara, strike cripples life in Terai Cadres of the United Madhesi Democratic Front have been demonstrating demanding that their 6-point demands be fulfilled before the constituent assembly elections. ...... The indefinite general strike called by the front has affected normal life across Terai region on the fourth day today. The hilly districts in eastern region also remain closed due to the strike called by a Limbuwan group.
Tankers to transport fuel with security escorting two armed guards will be posted in each tanker on top of security escorting.

RJP leads a new ‘democratic’ front The RJP has launched Samyukta Samabeshi Morcha (SSM) by bringing together half a dozen smaller parties. ..... The front includes RJP, Dalit Janajati Party, Nepal Rastriya Janabhawana Party, Rastriya Janamukti Party and Rastriya Jana Ekata Party.
JTMM-Jwala bombs election office in Banke

Building the Perfect Laptop BusinessWeek Steve Jobs had unveiled the supersvelte, aluminum-clad MacBook Air by declaring it the "world's thinnest notebook" and dramatically pulling it out of an interoffice envelope ..... superthin X300 .... one of the most competitive markets on earth: the portable computer business. The best engineers and designers at the most powerful technology companies slug it out with top-secret plans and ulcer-inducing deadlines. ....... From Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Dell (DELL) to Acer, Lenovo (LNVGY), and Toshiba, design and production teams race to carve out their share of the fast-growing market. They fight over ounces and millimeters, but their victories are measured in billions of dollars. ..... The goal now with the X300 is to deliver a machine that will burnish Lenovo's reputation worldwide. "We want to send the message that if there's a company in the industry that can continuously develop the most inventive and best-quality products with efficiency, it will be Lenovo," says Chairman Yang Yuanqing. ...... Lenovo doesn't expect the X300, with prices ranging from $2,700 to $3,000, to be a huge seller. ..... For the first time ever, more laptops are expected to sell in the U.S. this year than desktops
The One-Guy Theory the fundamental media conglomerate problem: There are too many layers. There are too many fiefdoms. There are too many...guys. ..... at News Corp., Rupert Murdoch is the one guy who sets the parameters, who makes the decisions, and whose sensibility is stamped onto the brains of underlings ..... unattractive One-Guy traits—micromanagement, tone-deafness, the inability to stop undermining successors
Microsoft and Yahoo!: Happily Ever After?

Looks Awfully Close

New Yorker's for Hillary

Date:	Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Time:	7:00pm - 7:00pm
Location:	Hunter College Auditorium
Street:	69th Street between Park and Lexington Avenues
City/Town:	New York, NY

Texas Debate Watch Party
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Time: 7:30pm - 10:00pm
Location: Village Pourhouse
Street: 64 3rd Ave
City/Town: New York, NY
3rd Ave and 12th St.

Thursday, February 21
8:00 pm
Women's Issues Committee Planning Session
DL21C

Looks Awfully Close

Believe it or not, I was as fanatically behind Hillary before Obama said in November 2006 that he might run, and then I switched. (Switching To Obama) I mean, I like Hillary. I think she is great. And the symbolism of her being a woman is just fantastic. But I switched for Barack, and I am with him for good. It is just that this race is unfolding to be so amazing to watch. They are going neck and neck.

One thing that has been guaranteed is they are going to have to forge a unity ticket. One can not possibly ignore the other. It was the same way for JFK and Lyndon Johnson in 1960. Bobby Kennedy got offended. I just fought this guy so very hard. Now he is on the ticket?

Right now I am thinking Barack will win the nomination, but barely so. Good thing that they do have good chemistry. In 2004 Hillary fought bad weather to make an odd hour flight to Chicago to go root for Barack when he was running for the Senate.

This new kind of politics is really refreshing. It is okay for me to say my heartfelt good things about Hillary and be rooting for Barack.

Long Campaign Is Okay

That way we keep the media attention. McCain can stay ignored.



In The News

Major union expected to back Obama CNN amid signs that his rival's support among superdelegates may be slipping.
After India's prodding, Nepal govt. invites Madhesis for talks Hindu
Former President Clinton Stumps in Texas The Associated Press
Bill Clinton knocks Obama on health care Dallas Morning News
McCain and Obama draw battle lines for November Guardian Unlimited
Obama's bandwagon gathers speed The Press Association one of the most coveted union endorsements - that of the Service Employees International Union. .... Mrs Clinton notched a minor, but much-needed victory of her own, winning the popular vote in New Mexico's caucuses on Thursday. ..... Obama has a good opportunity to take weekend primaries in Wisconsin and Hawaii
Obama Won't Pledge to Take Public Funds The Associated Press
Key Labor Union Endorses Obama The Associated Press
With Superdelegates in Doubt, Clinton's Options Could Be Spreading ... FOXNews with reports surfacing that her long-loyal superdelegates are flirting with Barack Obama’s candidacy, the New York senator’s options are spreading thin. .... while national polls show Obama leading, recent Ohio and Texas polls show her ahead. Polls also show her ahead in Pennsylvania, which votes in April. .... Obama’s camp has called for superdelegates to go with the wishes of their districts
Super-delegate withdraws support for Clinton to back Obama Guardian Unlimited
Black Leader, a Clinton Ally, Tilts to Obama New York Times
Clinton Supporter John Lewis Has Second Thoughts Washington Post

Presidential Candidates' Focus Shifts to California Washington Post Obama's infusion of money -- more in a single month than Obama raised in the entire third quarter of last year -- enables the campaign to advertise at high levels in nearly all the Super Tuesday states, as well as in states with primaries to follow ........ Obama and Clinton prepared for a debate in Los Angeles tonight -- their first one-on-one encounter ...... Clinton ahead of Obama by 49 percent to 32 percent.
Obama campaign reports $32-million infusion Los Angeles Times Also attending today's news conference was former New York City Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani ..... gained the distinction of spending more in other people's money for his sole delegate, captured in Nevada ..... The campaign reported 170,000 new donors, bringing the total to 650,000. ..... the "strongest day of the month was the day after the New Hampshire primary
Campaigns move into rivals' home turf Christian Science Monitor New York and Illinois, two of the more than 20 states with primaries Tuesday, are a jackpot of delegates and deep-pocketed donors. ..... "Huckabee's got Chuck Norris out there, and McCain's bragging about Rambo's endorsement" ..... Her campaign boasts at least 20,000 volunteers and 35 offices statewide and is backed by much of the political establishment, including Gov. Eliot Spitzer and Attorney General Andrew Cuomo. ...... New York City, home to many young voters, blacks, and progressives – as well as half the state's Democratic primary votes. ..... "If we can get 40% of the vote that would be huge considering this is Clinton Back yard," a supporter blogged last week on a "Brooklyn for Barack" website.
Top Al Qaeda Leader Killed ABC News killed in this week's attack by an unmanned predator in North Waziristan ..... A jihadi Web site today carried a banner congratulating the Muslim worldwide community for the "martyrdom of Sheikh Abu Al-Laith Al-Libi."
Gov. Schwarzenegger Endorses McCain FOXNews
4 Edwards Delegates Throw Support to Obama New York Times four Edwards delegate candidates in New York City had switched their support to the Illinois senator.







Visits on previous 'day': 711.

The Jewish Identity In New York City

If you are into a life into New York City, there is no escaping the Jewish identity. The Jewish people are an extremely important element of life in this city, and I will not have it any other way.

There are people who can just tell who is Jewish and who is not. I am not one of them. I look at some Jewish people, and I am like, you could be East European, you could be Jordanian. To me the looks are not obvious, last names don't help all that much, although I am getting a little bit better at it.

But then could you tell the difference between a Madhesi and a Pahadi? Or a Bihari and a Tamil? Your knowledge of the nonwestern peoples is way more scant than my knowledge of the western peoples. But then perhaps our knowledge of Africa is equally poor.

In the early 80s, I remember, Arafat would show up in India, and he would get treated like a head of state. The Palestinians are Third World, India is a leading Third World country. Back then it even claimed to lead the third pole in global politics, the so-called Non Aligned Movement.

My personal introduction to racism in America was part and parcel of my introduction to anti-Semitism. There was no mistaking it. I acquired an emotional knowledge that will last a lifetime.

The number one guy on my startup team, Adam, happens to be Jewish. I could not tell from his looks, or his last name. I once casually mentioned I lived in a Hasidic neighborhood, and how they are "this amazingly close-knit people." Adam has been a lifesaver to me. I don't know what I would have done without him. We are together going to do wonderful things.

He grew a slight beard over the Holidays, and I am like, you are beginning to look like my hero Larry Ellison. Ellison's bio Soft War is my mousepad.

Adam's cousin Micah once pointed at the TV and said, "Those are white people, we are not white people, we are Jewish!" I thought that was amusing. But then apparently there are people who are black and Jewish who go back thousands of years in the faith. I think that makes the Jewish people a very interesting people.

They are like the Newars of Kathmandu, they have an extremely rich culture. And I dig that. Collective identity is like accent, everyone's got one. It is just that some cultures are richer than others.

But then the Jewish people have a strand of pain that no other people can claim to have. The Holocaust was yesterday. I remember pain in my life from 20 years ago. For a people whose calendar goes back 5,000 years, something that happened half a century ago has got to feel like it was yesterday.

By now, that pain is primarily an emotional challenge. The wrong got done. Many people who did the wrong were brought to book. But by now there is mostly lingering pain. How do you deal with that pain? I don't know. I just know it has got to be there. I know it is there. I have witnessed it expressed.

All I know is the pain has to be processed. It can't be wished away. An extremely sophisticated state machinery systematically eliminated millions. There is no parallel to that in world history.

The Jewish people will never stop talking about the Holocaust, and that is the way it should be. The black people will not shut up on slavery and segregation and that is the way it should be. But then there is something else that is ongoing: Global Trafficking Of Women. I think that falls in a similar category.

I have limited knowledge of the Jewish identity. But I identify with the Jewish people as an underdog people. The Madhesi are an underdog people. The nonwhite are an underdog people.

NYC is a progressive city. I am all for getting along. We progressives will have our internal tussles, and we will compete on ideology and strategy, and we sure will compete on candidates. But overall we are one political religion: Progressive Political Religion: No Place For Superpowers. Even when we compete, we have to compete in a way that we don't lose sight of the big picture, of what we as a city mean to the rest of the country and the rest of the world.

But it can not be a false getting along where the only reason we seem to get along is because we refuse to tackle the hard social topics like race and gender. I am for pushing the edges of the envelope.



Formula For Permanent Peace In The Middle East

1. Israel is here to stay forever.
2. Create Palestine, a model democracy.
3. Democracy is right for every single country. All unelected heads of state must be deposed through mass movements.

Judaism - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Judaism 101
Judaism - ReligionFacts
About Judaism



And here is Ann Coulter, of all people, saying Christians are "perfected Jews." That is like saying women are people who wish they were men but they are not.

Sexism, Physicalism: Coupled

I think at some level they go together. Women and men are different, but they are politically, socially equal. Equality is a political consciousness thing. You acquire it. It is a mental journey to it.

Women are different physically. The whole pro-choice movement has been women saying, this is my body, you don't get to have a say over it. I will make my choices.

But there are social implications. Physicalism can come into play. If you think someone is a leader just because he is taller, that is physicalism. It is an ideology just like racism and sexism and anti-Semitism.

Abject Poverty, Infant Mortality

While we talk historic wrongs, we also have to take a look at the ongoing wrongs of abject poverty and infant mortality, and what have you. There is concrete data on these ills. These are not vague concepts.

The Internet

That is what will bridge the gap between the so-called First World, and Third World.

13 Million

I just learned there are 13 million Jews on the planet. That is about how many Madhesis there are on the planet. Jesus was a Jew. Buddha was a Madhesi.

Folks, we got something going on. We got common ground.

In The News

Obama Camp Says Clinton Nomination "Highly Unlikely" U.S. News & World Report Clinton would "have to win Ohio, Texas and virtually all other remaining primaries by roughly 2-to-1 margins over Obama ....... the Clinton campaign in response "argued Obama won't have the support of enough delegates and superdelegates to sew up the nomination before the party's August convention either." ...... "Clinton should be within 25 delegates of Obama after March 4 ..... Clinton's advisers "acknowledged that it would be difficult for her to catch up in the race for pledged delegates even if she succeeded in winning Ohio and Texas in three weeks and Pennsylvania in April." ....... the campaign "has something of a shellshocked feel." ...... "her supporters are watching the streak with mounting unease."
Clinton leading Obama in Ohio, Pennsylvania: poll Reuters leads him 55 percent to 34 percent among likely Democratic primary voters in Ohio
Hezbollah Leader Vows Revenge on Israel New York Times
Obama steps out in front Detroit Free Press she threw down this challenge: "Tell him to meet me in Texas. We're ready." ..... Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, which together represent 64% of remaining delegates. ...... David Wilhelm, who managed Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, endorsed Obama on Wednesday. "It's time for superdelegates to begin ratifying the choice of Democratic primary voters," he said. ..... Wilhelm, an Ohio venture capitalist and himself a superdelegate
The phenomenon which is Barack Obama Jamaica Observer having won 21 primaries and caucuses, to her 10 ...... Obama could not have won that many primaries and caucuses without the solid support of white Americans ..... Obama is being compared with names like John F Kennedy, Martin Luther King Jr, Malcolm X and Jesse Jackson in respect of his charisma and oratorical skills. ...... Of course, whichever candidate or party wins, Jamaica will continue to enjoy its historically close relationship with the United States.
Obama's Mighty Numbers Forbes she is starting to lose her base. ..... In Virginia and Maryland, Obama outperformed Clinton among women, seniors (those over 60), and voters with annual incomes below $50,000, three groups that helped Clinton to her most significant primary wins in New York and California. Another group that supported Clinton on Feb. 5 but appears to be moving towards Obama is white voters; who preferred Obama by 5 percentage points in Maryland and were split 50-50 in Virginia. The Illinois senator also had more support among union households on Tuesday. ...... his lead balloons to nearly 700,000.
Clinton renews calls for Fla., Mich. delegates to count Atlanta Journal Constitution
Clinton Team Seeks to Calm Turmoil Wall Street Journal the campaign has something of a shellshocked feel, as staffers privately chew over a blowup last week where internal frictions flared into the open. ...... "Your ad doesn't work," strategist Mark Penn yelled at ad-maker Mandy Grunwald. "The execution is all wrong," he said ..... "Oh, it's always the ad, never the message," Ms. Grunwald fired back, say the operatives. The clash got so heated that political director Guy Cecil left the room, saying, "I'm out of here." ...... she launched her first negative ad, airing one in Wisconsin that criticized Barack Obama for not agreeing to debate before that state's primary. ..... McCain dumped his campaign managers last summer when his candidacy seemed to be tanking. Now he is the strong Republican front-runner. ..... The campaign projects it will raise around $20 million this month. ....... Ms. Solis Doyle recently returned home after two months on the road to find a family accustomed to her absence, she told colleagues. When her 6-year-old son cried out one night recently, he rebuffed his mom, saying, "I want Daddy." Ms. Solis Doyle flew out of the room in tears and told her husband: "Joey doesn't want me. S- this campaign, I'm quitting." ...... Ms. Solis Doyle told reporters: "This is my decision, my choice, my timing....There was no pressure." ........ Another idea from the campaign: Host several private events -- at supporters' apartments all located in a single Manhattan high-rise -- in one night, so Mrs. Clinton can appear simply by riding the elevator. ...... Williams began putting in place new processes to make decisions more quickly.
Clinton Reshuffles Online Team Washington Post

Obama a Hit in Japanese Town The Associated Press this port town on Japan's snowy west coast ...... Obama the town is nuts about Obama the man..... The mayor, Toshio Murakami, sent Obama a letter a year ago with a gift of lacquerware chopsticks, a DVD introducing the city, and a guidebook, but no one knows if the package arrived because they never received a response. ..... The 30-member support group plans to put on headbands and T-shirts with portraits of Obama to watch the results on television together, said Fujiwara. They plan to sell Obama sweets and chopsticks — once they get clearance from the candidate.

RI's Lincoln Chafee endorses Barack Obama Baltimore Sun

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