http://philippi666.gather.com Recent Articles on Gather by Firoze H. en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 Thu, 31 Dec 2009 00:12:46 GMT 2009-12-31T00:12:46Z en-us Copyright Gather Inc 2009 http://www.gather.com/images/header/logo_gather.gif http://www.gather.com/ http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977967290 Many Americans are congratulating themselves – perhaps deservedly so – on the fact that there hasn’t been a major terrorist attack in the United States after 9/11. That is undoubtedly . . . Tue, 29 Dec 2009 16:04:09 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977967290 Firoze H. 2009-12-29T16:04:09Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977963612 I was brought up to believe that religion, among other things, preaches tolerance; tolerance for another’s faults, tolerance for opposing points of view and tolerance for a different set of beliefs. . . . Sat, 26 Dec 2009 15:53:50 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977963612 Firoze H. 2009-12-26T15:53:50Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977928882 President Barrack Obama’s speech at West Point yesterday, where he outlined the new United States policy on Afghanistan, has drawn conflicting reactions. Almost predictably, Dick Cheney lambasted . . . Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:55:48 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977928882 Firoze H. 2009-12-03T13:55:48Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977924913 Remember those high school proms where the really “cool” guys tried to sneak in a hip flask filled with Jack Daniels…and how they usually ended up getting busted? Well, now getting . . . Tue, 01 Dec 2009 06:11:28 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977924913 Firoze H. 2009-12-01T06:11:28Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977922425 Cell phones and school teachers have been natural enemies for several years now. The ubiquitous gadgets are a constant source of distraction; text messaging instead of paying attention to the lesson; . . . Sun, 29 Nov 2009 16:22:29 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977922425 Firoze H. 2009-11-29T16:22:29Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977918520 This is one of those quaint true stories that have absolutely no impact on our lives, but bring a momentary smile to our faces nonetheless. And god knows, we can all use a smile or two in these difficult . . . Thu, 26 Nov 2009 05:48:28 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977918520 Firoze H. 2009-11-26T05:48:28Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977913235 Most Americans are diet conscious. When they go grocery shopping, they make sure the snacks they buy are low fat, low sodium and so on. It makes them feel good about themselves. The reality, of course, . . . Mon, 23 Nov 2009 05:10:06 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977913235 Firoze H. 2009-11-23T05:10:06Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977908581 Back in the 1970’s, one of my favorite television shows was “The Six Million Dollar Man”. It was about some sort of government agent who had his body crushed in a horrible accident; . . . Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:39:44 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977908581 Firoze H. 2009-11-19T15:39:44Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977843759 Unprecedented rains and flooding in South India and the Philippines, two major earthquakes and tsunami warnings – all in the space of a week. We have become so accustomed to major natural calamities . . . Thu, 08 Oct 2009 06:53:04 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977843759 Firoze H. 2009-10-08T06:53:04Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977833675 If there is one job that appears to be recession-proof, even in these tough economic times, it is that of a survey taker. They seem to have surveys for everything these days. A new gem involves rating . . . Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:02:26 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977833675 Firoze H. 2009-10-01T12:02:26Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977823430 There is a huge flap currently going on in the United States over the fact that Donald Trump has leased one of his properties in Westchester County to Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi as a temporary residence . . . Wed, 23 Sep 2009 16:21:54 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977823430 Firoze H. 2009-09-23T16:21:54Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977804172 Has it occurred to you that Facebook is killing the art of language? Previously, if you liked someone, you needed to express it in words. But in Facebookland, all you need to do is to send him/her a . . . Tue, 08 Sep 2009 13:43:19 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977804172 Firoze H. 2009-09-08T13:43:19Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977801955 Two items in today’s paper got me thinking about this whole business of human beings and deities. The first concerned four members of a family, who drowned while attempting to immerse their Ganpati . . . Sun, 06 Sep 2009 15:11:38 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977801955 Firoze H. 2009-09-06T15:11:38Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977788201 I woke up on Monday morning with an inexplicable air of foreboding. I couldn’t make sense of it till I went to the dining room for my morning cuppa and realized there were no newspapers on the . . . Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:38:41 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977788201 Firoze H. 2009-08-26T06:38:41Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977770743 Last week, the news headlines were dominated by the unfolding drama and release of two Korean-American woman journalists who had strayed into North Korea and had been captured by the authorities . . . Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:24:58 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977770743 Firoze H. 2009-08-12T14:24:58Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977762292 India’s diplomacy with relation to Pakistan can best be summed up by Shakespeare’s maxim: full of sound and fury, signifying nothing. India may tout itself as an emerging superpower, but . . . Tue, 04 Aug 2009 16:01:37 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977762292 Firoze H. 2009-08-04T16:01:37Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977714522   Watching the current turmoil in Iran following the recently concluded presidential election, on television, I can't help getting the nagging feeling that I've seen it all before. It's the common . . . Thu, 18 Jun 2009 12:19:12 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977714522 Firoze H. 2009-06-18T12:19:12Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977706088   The Mafatlals are one of the more prominent business families of India. They preside over a large industrial empire. The wives head part of the businesses and - being fabulously wealthy - are . . . Tue, 09 Jun 2009 16:17:31 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977706088 Firoze H. 2009-06-09T16:17:31Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977703218   If there is one dish Indians love to eat, it's curry - and the spicier the better. People in many South-East Asian countries eat a lot of it too and, surprisingly, so do the British - although . . . Sat, 06 Jun 2009 13:27:24 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977703218 Firoze H. 2009-06-06T13:27:24Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977702451   During the past 10 days, a string of attacks on Indian students has been receiving extensive coverage in the Indian media. Most of the attacks appear to have been carried out by young white . . . Fri, 05 Jun 2009 16:04:53 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977702451 Firoze H. 2009-06-05T16:04:53Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977700299 Are online gamers racist? OK, perhaps that statement is a bit extreme. Let me clarify that, on a personal level,  my wife and I have never encountered any overt racism on our many trips to Europe . . . Wed, 03 Jun 2009 16:04:52 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977700299 Firoze H. 2009-06-03T16:04:52Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977696328   A good friend, who tends to lean towards the Left, and I recently got into a heated debate about the attitude of the United States towards Islam and the rest of the world.   . . . Sat, 30 May 2009 15:50:14 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977696328 Firoze H. 2009-05-30T15:50:14Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977695299   During the past month, random attacks on Indian students in Australia have made news headlines. The inference was clearly that the attacks were racially motivated. One of the participants, G . . . Fri, 29 May 2009 14:10:45 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977695299 Firoze H. 2009-05-29T14:10:45Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977691346   Birds do it, bees do it, even Orthodox Jews do it - but not whenever the spirit moves them. Sex between couples, preferably married to each other, is fine provided the rules of purity related . . . Mon, 25 May 2009 16:20:34 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977691346 Firoze H. 2009-05-25T16:20:34Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977690895 I own shirts by Pierre Cardin, Arrow and Van Huesen. I own jeans by Lee, Levi and Dockers; and a jacket by Armani. Bear with me. I'm not bragging; I'm about to make a point. The one thing this apparel . . . Mon, 25 May 2009 01:51:21 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977690895 Firoze H. 2009-05-25T01:51:21Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977690563 You can take an Indian to America, but you can't take the Indian out of America. Indians love money. So do Americans, of course, but there is a difference. Americans make money so that they can almost . . . Sun, 24 May 2009 14:42:49 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977690563 Firoze H. 2009-05-24T14:42:49Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977686247 As a "foreigner" residing outside the United States, I have long marvelled at America's self obsession with itself. It is as if they are living in a time warp, where the rest of the world . . . Tue, 19 May 2009 05:41:30 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977686247 Firoze H. 2009-05-19T05:41:30Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977684162   I probably should have written this piece when the topic was red hot; but it was too close to home, too personal. I thought a week would give me time to cool down; to approach the tragedy . . . Sat, 16 May 2009 15:23:52 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977684162 Firoze H. 2009-05-16T15:23:52Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977674188   Like the saying goes (actually I made it up), one man's stinky fish eggs is another's caviar. At a time when many of us are struggling with pay cuts, job insecurity and the like, one . . . Tue, 05 May 2009 11:02:17 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977674188 Firoze H. 2009-05-05T11:02:17Z http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977650988 A young friend recently poured out to me his tragic story of unrequited love.   According to him, he did everything to prove to the object of his affections that he loved her deeply. Even after . . . Thu, 09 Apr 2009 09:08:52 GMT http://www.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474977650988 Firoze H. 2009-04-09T09:08:52Z