A World Without Michael

Leaving your mark on the world can be a great achievement. Moreso, if your actions inspire others to want to do positive things with their lives.

And  some  people go to extreme lengths to leave their print on this entity known as life. Others do it so naturally that they are not even aware they are quietly leaving behind quite an impression.

So while we are, in our own way,  paying a sort of tribute to Michael Jackson, I thought I would do mine on what the world would have been like had ‘The Gloved One’ not been around to leave his mark.

Infectious melodies such as: Thriller, Billie Jean, Beat It and others would not be here for all of us music lovers to enjoy.

Neverland Ranch might not have been a ranch.

There would be no supposed Michael Jackson  Child Molestation scandal.

The name ‘Jacko’ might have been used in reference to someone else.

There would be no Prince Michael, Paris Michael and a third  child whose  biological mother is a mystery.

There would have been no baby hanging over a hotel rail scare.

And  no one would have  to wonder  how many surgical procedures  Michael Jackson has had  and this article would not have been written.

I will miss Michael Jackson. He  was  a great musical genius and we have many reminders  of that in the repertoire he left us.

Rest In Peace, Michael, rest in peace.

The Dark Spire DS

If  you are looking for something a little more challenging than SNES’  Eye of the Beholder, then let me welcome you to  take Dark Spire  Nintendo DS for a spin.

Along for the long trek through Dark Spire’s  vast dungeon, you will need a good dose of patience and some time. For you will spend a good many hours just building up your party’s levels.

So come along, build your party from  the beginning, arm them and get ready to battle.

And when you feel your heroes are good and strong  enough,  you can venture forth to the quest of finding the monster, Tyrhung, at the top of the tower and slay  him  to regain the Royal Family Necklace.

Sounds simple, doesn’t it?  But some of the monsters you will encounter  are rather fierce, so level up all you want, your heroes will need every ounce of  health point they  can get.

And unlike other RPGs you have played, this one is quite different.

Here, you won’t find any 3D  animated graphics. What you will find  is the classic Retro wire frame version, as well as the modern, colourful one.

There is no big, epic storyline a la Final Fantasy style. But if you love RPGs, then you will love this dungeon crawler. Although the auto mapping feature allows you to see how much of each floor you have covered, it won’t let you see where your party is.

But if you  get too lost, and want to see where you are, just have your mage use his Visum Sitis mapping spell. Filled with more than enough   treasure boxes for your Thief  to disarm and open, you will find a treasure indeed in this Dark Spire game for the Nintendo DS/DS Lite/Dsi.

Don’t forget to level up your  band of heroes, save often (you can save anywhere in the dungeon) and bring along some heal potions as well as some antidotes.

You will also need these in case your Priest runs low on his  Heal spell. Oh, and it does get addicting after a while, just in case you were wondering.

And the  music is also great.

My Rating: 10 out of 10 For Graphics

Music: 10 out of 10

Gameplay: 10 out of 10 for simplicity but can get addicting

Nintendo’s Rating:

E for Everyone 10+

For: Alcohol Reference

Fantasy Violence

Language

Suggestive Themes.

Paying A Website To Find You A Match? Try This, It’s Free

Usually, when I think about dating, finding romantic love or looking for a mate, other notions also enter my mind.

Notions such as: Love comes when you least expect it, or if you are not looking for it. But when you go out of your way to pay an online website  like eharmony or match.com to find you a match, what you are, in fact doing is looking for it, love, that is.

And if you are tired of paying all those hefty fees so the aforementioned websites can find you a match, here is a website that will bring some financial relief to you, your wallet  and your credit card account.

It’s: www.Plentyoffish.com and it’s free. Yes, free. Here, you can post photos of yourself, submit a profile, fill out a questionnaire and communicate with those whom you think are compatible with you.

And you can find people on the POF website from anywhere you like. Be it right there in your own city, state or country or from far off places as well.

So if  you want to lighten your wallet a bit or your credit card account, give Plentyoffish,com a sample. You just might be pleasantly surprised at who you will find without bothering about those hefty fees that other match making websites offer.

India’s unity: democracy and minorities by Gandhi Scholar: Dr. Ravindra Kumar

India is a country of diversities. Her population is basically made up of descendants of six ethnic groups. It doesn’t matter if all of them are of Indian origin or not. It is also not important whether they came from other parts of the globe. Today, what is important is that all of them are Indians. They all are followers of the Indian Way.

The adherents of world’s six major religious communities – Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism, Buddhism, Jainism and Christianity – dwell in India. People belonging to other religious communities, such as Zoroastrianism [Parasi], Judaism and Bahaism, also live here. Over 1,600 local languages are spoken throughout India. Indian people celebrate 29 major religious festivals. Hence, India can be seen as an exemplary nation of the world. It holds a special status among the countries of the world.

India is also known as a country of unity in diversity. The basis of India’s unity has been its harmonious and composite culture, but today democracy plays a vital role in maintaining and strengthening the unity of the country.
Undoubtedly, democracy is the rule by the people. But the basis of its management is the will of the people in terms of a majority. So there is always a need to pay attention to those in the minority within a democracy and particularly during the implementation of policies in equal public interest. If attention is not paid, the system is liable to be abused, and it is possible that interests of many people to be ignored, particularly those in the minority within society and the nation.

Democracy could become ideal and exemplary in a country like India if minorities were essentially coming within the scope of practical equality as well. It could flourish if minorities became more conscious, on the one hand, and part and parcel of the social, political, and economic life of the nation, on the other.
It is ironic that, after 62 years of independence from colonial rule and despite an increase in literacy rates, India’s minorities, particularly the Muslims, who are approximately 15 percent of the total population of the country, are comparatively backward in almost all walks of life, which is, indeed, a matter of serious concern.

Figures issued by the government and other reliable sources from time to time indicate that, despite a rapid increase in literacy rates among Muslims, Hindus are generally far ahead of them in the field of higher education, as is evident from the total number of university graduates in the country. Approximately 48 million men and women in India are university graduates. In the Hindu population, 22 percent are university graduates. Contrary to this, among the whole Muslim population only 3.5 percent hold university degrees. Furthermore, Muslims are far behind Hindus in literacy in rural areas, particularly in northern India, where up to more than 85 percent of Muslim women are unable to read or write. Moreover, Muslims are deprived of value education, which is necessary to get more job opportunities for one reason or the other. This disparity is unfortunate.

In such a situation, Muslims are affected in all areas of life – social, political and economic – which is not good for the health of India’s democracy. Therefore, as a first step, the greatest need of the hour is to awaken Muslims. They must receive more education and particularly have more opportunities for value education, which, as said already, paves the way in getting suitable work and making one self-sufficient in the workplace.

It is not only the responsibility of government and Muslim leadership, but also the responsibility of the majority community to come forward to do something concrete in this regard. Particularly, those who are committed to democracy in India, who desire the consolidation of democracy and through it the unity of the country, need to work honestly and sincerely and without prejudice for it.

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*Universally renowned Indologist and scholar Dr. Ravindra Kumar is a former Vice Chancellor of CCS University, Meerut, India

Items I Would Not Purchase Online

Going shopping for things you like is always an enjoyable experience. And just like everyone else, I enjoy shopping. Depending on where you shop, sometimes you will be amazed at what treasures you are likely to come across.

It makes the shopping experience all the more exciting. And even though online shopping has become an important part of  our lives, there are a few items I would hesitate to purchase online. Listed below, in no particular order, are some of those items.

CLOTHES: Because of my not so tall stature, some people have used the word ‘petite’ to describe my physique, I have to try on clothes before I buy them. Because the sizes vary according to the design, style and so on.

In fact, when I go shopping, sales persons who take a glance at me, have a way of directing me to the girls, juniors or petite section of the store, unless I am there to get a gift for someone.

VIDEO GAMES: If I cannot find what I am looking for at one of the local Gamestop stores, I wait until it’s in or move on to something else. Because with the computer age, also came the age of  software bootlegging. Anyone can make an illegal copy of a video game and try to sell it online.

And when you make that online purchase out of desperation or maybe you can’t find  that particular game anywhere else, you open it up and discover that it won’t play on your system. To be on the safe side, I visit a reputable video game dealer like Gamestop or Gamecrazy to ensure that my copy is in good working condition and not some non working, illegal bootleg copy.

SUNGLASSES OR SHADES: Whether you refer to them as sunglasses or shades, just like the clothes, I prefer to try these on before making that purchase to see if they fit and look right.

DISHES AND CUTLERY: Shipping weight can get costly. Unless it’s a souvenir from a reputable website, I prefer to buy those items from a store I can get to.

SHOES: It’s been said that when strangers are judging or checking us out for the first time, one of the items they tend to glance at on our person are the shoes we are wearing. And what’s also important about the way a pair of shoes looks, is the way it fits. The more comfortable you are in them, the better.

Just like the clothes, sizes may vary according to style and design. So I will want to be there to try these on as well before purchasing.

INTIMATE APPAREL: Since women should be measured once a year just to make sure they are wearing the right bra size, I prefer to be in a store where I can see these garments and be measured as well.

So there is my short list of items I would not purchase online. It’s not a lot of items, but they are important items. Just remember, you are the one who will be using and/or wearing such items. Be comfortable, and most of all, make sure you get your money’s worth.

Missing Jay Leno On The Tonight Show

I always found Jay Leno to be a creative, comic genius. From the Jaywalking segment on the Tonight Show down to the Iron Jay character he sometimes portrayed, Mr. Leno’s brand of humor always brought a smile or a round of laughter to me.

And although Conan O’Brien seems to be doing a fine job as his replacement on the Tonight Show, it is one show that will never be the same for me. Especially without Jay Leno at the helm.

I miss segments such as: the Monday nights’ Headlines portion of the program, the once popular and humorous Jaywalking part, items you can find at the 99 cents store segment among others and also the Monologues.

But most of all, even though Jay Leno is returning to the small screen in September with another nightly show, I just miss the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

Thanks Jay. You always managed to bring a smile to the days that did not end on a high or cheerful note for me. And no matter how well your successor does, the Tonight Show will never be the same for me without you.

Thanks again, and I wish you well.