The new President of the United States

Finally the United States has its 45th President and it was not approved by many people as there were demonstration and clashes to protest his election as they claim that it is not legitimate due to the Russian hacking and also due to his views on several issues that they don’t like. Anyway despite this, as per constitution, he was sworn in with many supporters cheering him on. His speech after inauguration (which I have not read or heard) stated that he will make America First in everything like jobs, economy etc. Although people are protesting his election but I as a neutral observer think that people should give him a chance as he is the President of the United States and not only for the states who voted for him. As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover, let’s face these four years united as a country and let him do the job he is elected to do. Many people who are elected to the office temper their views after facing reality, and to be fair, he would not be able to please everybody even the people who voted for him and there will be lots of disappointments and heartaches and broken promises, but in the end this is what democracy is all about, you get the good with the bad. But the good thing is that if you don’t like it, you will have experienced the next four years to decide if what he is doing is okay with you and if not, you can always vote for the next candidate.

The Swimming case in Switzerland

I don’t know if you have read this news but there was a case brought by a Turkish Swiss couple who filed suit in a Swiss court that he does not want his daughter to swim with boys at an early age. The girls were less than 10 years of age. After the Swiss court decided against the parents, they went to the European court of Human Rights and there they lost the case again. Now it is not that they were not denied any special treatment as they were allowed to change clothes without the presence of boys and also were allowed to wear full body covered clothing for swimming, still the parents refused. Now here in the U.S. the situation is different as girls can and have the opportunity of all female swimming pools but the Swiss case is different as they are not used to accommodate different cultural and religious sensitivities. Although I don’t like the decision by the courts but the parents will have to abide by it or leave the country or do home schooling if it is at all possible. Now here is my honest opinion, although Muslims knows that when they are migrating to European countries, they will have to abide by their rules and not to impose their own on them, they still want to come and instead of assimilating decide to create isolated enclave where they want to insulate themselves and their children. If you are really worried about what the European culture will do to their kids, then either they should not come to Europe and struggle in their own countries or try to pick and choose their battles. They should try to adhere to the cultural and religious sensitivities of their own as much as possible without going on an all out war with the state. Religious teaches compassion and accommodation and tolerance and not isolation and shut out from the rest of world. It is a difficult balance but it is achievable, you just need to know how to do it.

On the lighter side-Movies-Keeping up with the Joneses (2016)

A normal suburban couple gets involved in espionage when they get involved in the lives of their seemingly innocent neighbors. Not funny. Not Recommended

On the lighter side-Movies-The girl on the train (2016)-Emily Blunt

A girl who takes a train everyday to work becomes involved in the murder mystery of a couple who she sees every day through the train window. Slow moving. Recommended with caution

On the lighter side-Movies-Train to Busan (2016)-Korean

As a zombie epidemic breaks out in South Korea, a couple of passengers try to survive a train ride from Seoul to Busan. Good Korean horror movie. Recommended

On the lighter side-Movies-Ouija: Origin of Evil (2016)

Better than average horror movie about a widowed mother of two who adds a twist to her business inviting evil presence into her house. Recommended with caution

Ending of Special Immigration status for Cubans

Although I knew that Cubans have some special status as soon as they come to the United States like they will not be deported but I was quite surprised to learn that as soon as the reach the U.S. soil, they were automatically granted asylum without or without having a visa and within a year, they could apply for a green card. Now with the ending of this policy, some of the Cubans waiting to join their families are feeling a sense of betrayal by the United States. I am not so sure that they should now complain about a policy which was very unfair to other group of people who were also trying to enter the U.S. I meant to say how it is fair that Cubans got to come to the U.S. illegally mostly and then apply for a green card while all other desperate and destitute people who are fleeing war and persecution and certain death have to wait for many years before they are allowed to enter the U.S. Now I believe that it is selfish on the part of the Cubans to fret about a policy which was unfair to start with as there was no level playing ground to enter the U.S. like all the other countries, just because Cuba was communist and the U.S. wanted to help the Cubans gain entry to the U.S. while unsuccessfully undermine the Cuban government. Now when this unjust policy is scraped by the U.S., it should only seem fair to stand in line like all other poor and destitute people from war ravaged countries to enter the U.S. with proper paper work. The Cubans have enjoyed this policy since 1995 and it was now time to end it but they will still able to fast track their immigration process if they can now convince the U.S. that they will be persecuted back home if not allowed in the U.S. so they are still the privileged class of immigrants.

The hacking that won’t go away

Since the U.S. election has ended and even before that hacking of the internet has been a main topic for all business. Hacking has been going on for years now with each new hacking being bigger and bolder and the victims’, mostly big corporations scrambling to contain the fallout on their businesses and customers. It seems that the businesses either are losing the war on cyber security or their shrug it as long as their customer understand that they will be protected or the customer just shrug it and move on. But this time hacking has taken on a whole new threat when increasingly the U.S. intelligence agencies have come to a conclusion that some Russian hackers backed by the Russian government combined their forces to under the U.S. election and elect their favored candidate over the other. As the Russian government has denied any involvement in the plot to hack the U.S. elections, there have been increasing calls to investigate this allegation and if true punish the Russians in some form. I don’t know how far this investigation will go as the President Elect is not convinced of the Russian hacking. But as the calls are coming increasingly from both parties to investigate, this should be thoroughly investigated and if some decision is to be taken, it should be taken sooner and we should protect our election next time around and move on to the next big issues facing the U.S. Or if you don’t like their hacking, you should hack some of theirs too. I think it is simple as that, although it will become another tit for tat cold war fight which will not be good for the world.

On the lighter side-Movies-The Accountant (2016)-Ben Affleck

An accountant by day acts as assassin for hire by night. Good action movie with great acting by Ben Affleck. Recommended

On the lighter side-Movies-Deepwater Horizon (2016)-Kurt Russell, Mark Wahlberg

The biggest oil spill disaster in U.S.history in April 2010 is dramatized in this movie. Recommended

On the lighter side-Movies-Max Steel (2016)

A teenager teams up with a robot to fight villains. Not as great as it sounds. Not Recommended

On the lighter side-Movies-A girl walks home alone at night (B&W-2014)-Iran/US

Strange movie made in the U.S. but with Persian cast and language about a vampire who is feeding on the inhabitants of a dying western town. I did not enjoy it that much. Not Recommended

On the lighter side-Movies-Blair Witch (2016)

Unnecessary remake of the mother of all found footage movies as a group of friends try to find the truth behind and Blair witch and fall into its curse one by one. Avoid it. Not Recommended

The Eighth Anniversary of my Father’s Death

It is that time of the year, where I remember my Father passing away to the next world and leaving me crying and lonely in this world. There is never a day where I don’t miss him. If I can only hear his voice and record it so that I can preserve it and listen to it whenever I feel sad or depressed. I have some of the handwritings in a letter he has written and I have preserved it. I know that it is crazy to even mention it to anyone who has not lost a loved one as precious as your parent but it is what is that I have at least a collection of the memory I had with him in my possession. I am sure some of my siblings may have the same. Even after so many years, it is hard to believe he is not here to guide me when I need some guidance or support in his advice and wisdom or just encouragement to not lose hope and keep on trying. There is no other person in the world that can be as sympathetic and supportive as your father. I just can’t believe it been such a long time since I lost him as it seems like yesterday that I used to talk to him on the phone or just enjoy his company. It is so emotional for me to even talk about him that I will end this tribute to him and may he rest in peace in a place where there are no worries and it is always happiness and tranquility. I miss you and love you daddy.

The Year in Review-2016-2

The European migrant crisis got out of control but by the end of the year seems to be in better shape than before as migrants both economic and war refugees have realized that Europe has started to withdraw its welcoming mat in the face of the local population and also by the uncontrolled migration with no check in place. Many of migrants although genuine still harbor a small number of radical Muslims who have no sympathy with how the genuine refugees are treated have resorted to terrorize their local hosts and this in turn have soured the mood against the migrants. The cause of the migrants, mostly Muslims, have also not helped that almost all of the terror attacks are being done by Muslims radicals who sympathize or have pledged allegiance to the Sunni Muslim Terror group, ISIS. There were attacks in Nice, France by a truck killing dozens and also in Orlando, Florida, US, there was an attack on a gay bar and also in Germany, there have been several attacks by sympathizers of ISIS and this has already aggravated the hostility towards anything Islamic. In addition to the above mentioned major events, the world lost a lot of famous celebrities during the year including, George Michael, Prince, Carrie Fisher, Debbie Reynolds and many others. Hopefully the New Year will be better than last year and that is the only thing we can wish as the year starts to roll by.

The Year in Review-2016

2016 was a year when something unexpected happened around many areas of the world. I would not go into much detail on every event but the major ones were always on my mind as the year went by, the biggest of which were the British decided that they don’t want to part of a European Union where they have to give up their sovereignty (meaning Immigration mostly) and in a referendum which many predicted would have the British stay in, shocked many when the results just came the opposite that Britain would leave the European Union. Since that time the decision has become chaotic as both sides the remaining European Union countries and Britain are digging their heals to make sure each get the maximum benefit when the separation occurs. The next big news was the election of the President Elect Donald Trump in the United States, despite all the polls telling the opposite. It was a nasty election with attacks and counter attacks but it awoke the rural white population who seemed to be left out of all the economic achievements of the past several years. In the election process, many outrageous promises were made which to me and several experts seems impossible to achieve but let’s see if even half of the promises are going to be kept. The Syrian conflict has completed five years with no end in sight for the refugees and no clear winner in the conflict but with the arrival of the Russian forces, the tide appears to be turning in favor of the government.

Happy New Year-2017

As I sat watching the ball drop in Times Square, New York city ushering in a New Year, I was sad to hear the news a few hours before that I gunman in Istanbul, Turkey carried out an attack at a night club killing more than 35 people and injuring several dozen. As of this writing the gunman is still at large and a manhunt is on. Although I hope that the gunman is caught or killed, the difficulty in this case is that he or she may have many sympathizers who may hide or have him or her elude police if they can. Partying in a Muslim country even as liberal as Turkey has become a hazardous and dangerous chore and I would advise people to avoid it if they can. Anyway as the New Year ushers in, the U.S. will have a new President elect to look forward to in January and the different policies that it may bring with it. But anyway I wish everybody a very Happy New Year and I hope that there is less violence, less bigotry, less hatred and racial tension and less evil. Hopefully I will be able to blog more this year with your help and encouragement.

On the lighter side-Movies-Don’t Breathe (2016)

Three burglars try to rob a blind person’s house only to find that it is not an easy job as it seems. Excellent little horror movie. Recommended

On the lighter side-Movies-Dead Snow (2009-Norway)

Norwegian horror movie about a group of friends who try to fight of Nazi Zombies in the snow covered mountains. Extremely gory and bloody, but fun movie to watch. Recommended

On the lighter side-Movies-When the bough breaks (2016)

A surrogate mother becomes dangerously obsessed with the father to be in this made for cinema TV movie which should be watched when it becomes available for streaming. No need to spend money. Not Recommended