Miscellaneous Facebook posts & comments in February 2019
When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer).
FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2424661054417124, dated 25th Feb. 2019
Miscarriage of justice is a horrible thing but being imprisoned in USA for 39 years for murders that were committed by somebody else is mind-blowing level of injustice
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/24/us/craig-coley-simi-valley-21-million-wrongful-conviction/index.html
The guy (Craig Coley) was in the process of breaking up with the lady who was murdered in 1978 (her child was also murdered). I guess that the police then would have felt that he had the motive for the murder. And as they could not get anybody else, they pinned the blame for the murder on this guy!
Coley seems to be a white man and so racial bias against non-whites (which unfortunately has been part of the history of USA justice system) does not seem to be the issue here. I must say here that I have read about some horrific miscarriages of justice done in USA courts of law in the past against black Americans.
What an extraordinarily unjust thing to happen to Coley! And this is in the lifetimes of my generation of people and not in some distant past!
Coley always said that he did not commit the crime. DNA evidence seems to have shown **somewhat recently** that a key piece of evidence used to convict him, had DNA of other persons but not Coley!
Perhaps the worst thing to happen to a person is to be falsely convicted of a crime that he/she did not commit, and live for decades with that false conviction hung on one's life which would terribly poison one's very existence during this period.
It is wonderful to know that he was finally able to establish his innocence with the help of people who took up his case, and that he now has been awarded a big sum of damages so that he can live the rest of his life as a rich man (provided he does not squander the money he gets).
What an extraordinary, harrowing, terrible and very long test to go through in life!
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In https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2424034991146397, dated 24th Feb. 2019, I wrote:
Hmm. I don't know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing in India with a population of over 1.3 billion people. But then perhaps in the 70s and 80s many people said the same of computers! Perhaps repetitive and routine tasks being assigned to robots which improves service and lowers cost, may be a good thing. But it ***should NOT*** create an unemployment problem. That has to be always borne in mind.
[Shared FB video: https://www.facebook.com/TimesofIndia/videos/2775790039097758/]
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In FB post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2423610711188825, I wrote:
For those interested in Travancore history, here's an interesting chapter 3 of thesis, "TRAVANCORE-BRITISH RELATIONS SINCE 1795" by Sugeetha. B, Department of History , University of Calicut, 1997 http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/49270/9/09_chapter%203.pdf
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2418407208375842
Here's an interesting video of the press meet of USA President Bill Clinton and Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in the White House, USA in May 1994 (close to a quarter century ago), Bill Clinton and P. V. Narasimha Rao meeting 1994, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZajqHfledvY, around 30 mins.
I would have liked to transcribe the initial remarks of both President Clinton and PM Rao but am not in a position to spare time now for that.
I must also say that I like Bill Clinton. Videos of him remind me of another Bill who was my boss in Wang Labs, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA in 1987-88 for a year long software development assignment - Bill (William) Reynolds. Bill Reynolds then was, and I am quite sure continues now to be, a friendly guy and a nice guy. He now runs a Seafood restaurant (quite a change of profession from Software R&D to running a restaurant) in Mountain View area of California called Billy's Boston Chowder House, https://www.facebook.com/BillysBostonChowderHouse/ . If my Facebook friends in California (or those visiting California) do drop in there for a seafood meal, do say Hi to Bill from me. I recently re-connected with him on Facebook.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2415462758670287
This must be really tough times for BSNL employees. But such is life in early 21st century India, as free enterprise forces public sector companies to be competitive to private sector companies. All the best to BSNL to somehow tide over these difficult times for it.
[Shared article: Govt tells BSNL to look at options, including closure,
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/govt-tells-bsnl-to-look-at-options-including-closure/articleshow/67968289.cms]
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2415036688712894
Very interesting! Some of my Belgian colleagues in a VS Videotex project in Wang International Telecommunications Research Centre (ITRC) in Brussels in 1985-86 where I and two others were contractors from Datamatics Bombay, a software company, to Wang ITRC, were (Computer Science/Engineering, I guess) graduates from KU Leuven (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KU_Leuven).
A small extract from KU Leuven wiki page: "The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (in English: Catholic University of Leuven), abbreviated KU Leuven, is a research university in the Dutch-speaking town of Leuven in Flanders, Belgium. It conducts teaching, research, and services in the sciences, engineering, humanities, medicine, law, and social sciences."
Glad to know about Leuven, Belgium and KU Leuven's efforts to connect "the innovation ecosystem of Leuven with India" and I wish the efforts all the very best.
[Shared FB post of Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi titled "A high-level round table was organised at the residence of Belgian Ambassador H.E. François Delhaye on connecting the innovation ecosystem of Leuven 🇧🇪 with India 🇮🇳": https://www.facebook.com/embassybelgiumdelhi/posts/2016736511755000]
British Parliament Speaker Bercow handles the 'special place in hell' remark related issue in the House of Commons, very well. I enjoyed watching it :-). Perhaps readers may too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewWzOV29oqE, around 4 mins.
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In FB post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2409823475900882, dated 7th Feb. 2019, I wrote:
One of the great fast bowlers and a man who I think was respected as a fair cricketer - Richard Hadlee of New Zealand. Awesome effort by him to bag 15 of the 20 wickets of the Australians in this match and win it in 1985 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2xWREQ5KME, 4 mins.
-----
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FB post: https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2424661054417124, dated 25th Feb. 2019
Miscarriage of justice is a horrible thing but being imprisoned in USA for 39 years for murders that were committed by somebody else is mind-blowing level of injustice
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/24/us/craig-coley-simi-valley-21-million-wrongful-conviction/index.html
The guy (Craig Coley) was in the process of breaking up with the lady who was murdered in 1978 (her child was also murdered). I guess that the police then would have felt that he had the motive for the murder. And as they could not get anybody else, they pinned the blame for the murder on this guy!
Coley seems to be a white man and so racial bias against non-whites (which unfortunately has been part of the history of USA justice system) does not seem to be the issue here. I must say here that I have read about some horrific miscarriages of justice done in USA courts of law in the past against black Americans.
What an extraordinarily unjust thing to happen to Coley! And this is in the lifetimes of my generation of people and not in some distant past!
Coley always said that he did not commit the crime. DNA evidence seems to have shown **somewhat recently** that a key piece of evidence used to convict him, had DNA of other persons but not Coley!
Perhaps the worst thing to happen to a person is to be falsely convicted of a crime that he/she did not commit, and live for decades with that false conviction hung on one's life which would terribly poison one's very existence during this period.
It is wonderful to know that he was finally able to establish his innocence with the help of people who took up his case, and that he now has been awarded a big sum of damages so that he can live the rest of his life as a rich man (provided he does not squander the money he gets).
What an extraordinary, harrowing, terrible and very long test to go through in life!
==================================================================
In https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2424034991146397, dated 24th Feb. 2019, I wrote:
Hmm. I don't know whether this is a good thing or a bad thing in India with a population of over 1.3 billion people. But then perhaps in the 70s and 80s many people said the same of computers! Perhaps repetitive and routine tasks being assigned to robots which improves service and lowers cost, may be a good thing. But it ***should NOT*** create an unemployment problem. That has to be always borne in mind.
[Shared FB video: https://www.facebook.com/TimesofIndia/videos/2775790039097758/]
==================================================================
In FB post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2423610711188825, I wrote:
For those interested in Travancore history, here's an interesting chapter 3 of thesis, "TRAVANCORE-BRITISH RELATIONS SINCE 1795" by Sugeetha. B, Department of History , University of Calicut, 1997 http://shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in/bitstream/10603/49270/9/09_chapter%203.pdf
===================================================================
Awesome response by California, USA police officer when shot at, https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/police-bodycam-video-shows-moment-suspect-opens-fire-deputy-through-n973916
The officer was shot at, and in response fired back a volley of shots that killed the man who shot at her. The death of the man is unfortunate. But he fired at the officer!
I have to say that I admire the courage and super-fast response of the police officer.
It is a tough world out there and police officers have to deal directly with criminals some of whom are armed and ready to kill police officers who question them!
It is these brave and adept at gun-battles police officers who provide protection to the ordinary citizens of California (and other parts of USA). Hats off to such US police officers for their service.
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Hmm. The Swedish company Ericsson which had sued Anil Ambani for not repaying them, seems to have won the battle in the Supreme Court of India.
What power courts of law have in democracies like India and USA! No wonder top lawyers are in heavy demand and earn ***big*** money.
The court can simply give an ultimatum like this! Pay up the money you owe to so-and-so or go to jail! And this is to the son of Dhirubhai Ambani who founded the Ambani industrial empire, and the brother of the richest man and industrialist of India - Mukesh Ambani (https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/meet-india-s-top-10-richest-on-forbes-list-118100401029_1.html)!
[Shared link: Pay Rs 453 cr within four weeks or go to jail: SC to Anil Ambani, https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/videos/news/pay-rs-453-cr-within-four-weeks-or-go-to-jail-sc-to-anil-ambani/videoshow/68074691.cms]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2419175891632307
"#PresidentKovind accorded a ceremonial welcome to President @mauriciomacri of Argentina at Rashtrapati Bhavan", https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1097369531494805505
My exposure to Argentina is very limited. In my younger days I saw a play Evita in Mumbai. Alyque Padamsee directed it and Sharon Prabahakar played the lead role. From https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/alyque-padamsee-theatre-plays-5451120/, "In January 1982, Padamsee’s theatre group presented Evita with Sharon Prabhakar playing the role of Evita Perón, the wife of former Argentine President and dictator Juan Perón. In what was a rock opera on the Argentinian first lady, it left the Indian audience completely dazzled."
But now I have some Sai devotee Facebook friends who are from Argentina!
So I/we welcome the President of Argentina to India.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2419175891632307
"#PresidentKovind accorded a ceremonial welcome to President @mauriciomacri of Argentina at Rashtrapati Bhavan", https://twitter.com/rashtrapatibhvn/status/1097369531494805505
My exposure to Argentina is very limited. In my younger days I saw a play Evita in Mumbai. Alyque Padamsee directed it and Sharon Prabahakar played the lead role. From https://indianexpress.com/article/lifestyle/art-and-culture/alyque-padamsee-theatre-plays-5451120/, "In January 1982, Padamsee’s theatre group presented Evita with Sharon Prabhakar playing the role of Evita Perón, the wife of former Argentine President and dictator Juan Perón. In what was a rock opera on the Argentinian first lady, it left the Indian audience completely dazzled."
But now I have some Sai devotee Facebook friends who are from Argentina!
So I/we welcome the President of Argentina to India.
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Vishwanath century against Australia in Melbourne in 1980/81
I am sure I would have read up in the newspapers on this during those days but I don't recall seeing this video of Vishy's century. Sunny and Vishy were the two big cricket batsmen stars of India then.
Enjoyed watching these videos:
Gundappa Viswanath 114 vs Australia 3rd test MCG 1980/81 PART ONE, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeTQF_S95mk, around 10 mins
Gundappa Viswanath 114 vs Australia 3rd test MCG 1980/81 PART TWO, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sVFNElJrpg, around 10 mins.
Need to relax with some oldie Hindi film songs, and sharing them for interested readers/viewers
Teri Aankhon Ke Sivaa I - Sunil Dutt - Asha Parekh - Chirag - Old SuperHit Songs - Madan Mohan, (1969 movie), singer: the great Mohammed Rafi, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hD6pJW-CX0E, 4 min. 32 secs.
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Baghon Mein Bahar Hai - Rajesh Khanna, Farida Jalal - Aradhana - Superhit Romantic Song, sung by Mohd. Rafi and Lata Mangeshkar, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78JhA_TJvBI, 3 min. 28 secs.
Aradhana was released in 1969 and was a blockbuster hit. Even though I was only around 7 years old then, I recall how popular the movie had become and how popular its songs were. What a mega star Rajesh Khanna was then! It perhaps will be difficult for Hindi movie fans of today to appreciate how huge Rajesh Khanna was then in the Hindi film world, as I don't think there is that sort of dominance by a single hero now in Hindi films.
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I think this was the most famous song of Aradhana: Mere Sapno Ki Rani Kab Aayegi Tu - Aradhana (1969) 1080p HD, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2RP4yzUejIo, 4 min. 11 secs, sung by the great Kishore Kumar.
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A lovely song about mother's love for a child from the same movie Aradhana sung by the great Lata Mangeshkar, Chanda Hai Tu Mera Suraj Hai Tu (Lata Mangeshkar) - Aradhana (1969) 1080p HD, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxmM5dQ3PCQ, 3 min. 3 secs.
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Two versions of the Phoolon Ka Taaro ka song from Hare Rama Hare Krishna 1971 Hindi film movie
When the film's main stars are children: Phoolon Ka Taaron Ka Sabka Kehna Hai - Hare Rama Hare Krishna - Lata - HD, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHCHURktEBA, 3 min. 29 secs, sung by Lata Mangeshkar I think (using a boy child's voice).
When the main stars are grown up and the brother tries to wean away the sister from a spiritual cult organization she is caught up in: Phoolon Ka Taron Ka 1080p FullHD Kishore Kumar Tribute, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4h1bacPNTkA, 5 min. 10 secs, sung by Kishore Kumar.
===================================================================
Vishwanath century against Australia in Melbourne in 1980/81
I am sure I would have read up in the newspapers on this during those days but I don't recall seeing this video of Vishy's century. Sunny and Vishy were the two big cricket batsmen stars of India then.
Enjoyed watching these videos:
Gundappa Viswanath 114 vs Australia 3rd test MCG 1980/81 PART ONE, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BeTQF_S95mk, around 10 mins
Gundappa Viswanath 114 vs Australia 3rd test MCG 1980/81 PART TWO, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-sVFNElJrpg, around 10 mins.
===================================================================
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2418407208375842
Here's an interesting video of the press meet of USA President Bill Clinton and Indian Prime Minister Narasimha Rao in the White House, USA in May 1994 (close to a quarter century ago), Bill Clinton and P. V. Narasimha Rao meeting 1994, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZajqHfledvY, around 30 mins.
I would have liked to transcribe the initial remarks of both President Clinton and PM Rao but am not in a position to spare time now for that.
I must also say that I like Bill Clinton. Videos of him remind me of another Bill who was my boss in Wang Labs, Lowell, Massachusetts, USA in 1987-88 for a year long software development assignment - Bill (William) Reynolds. Bill Reynolds then was, and I am quite sure continues now to be, a friendly guy and a nice guy. He now runs a Seafood restaurant (quite a change of profession from Software R&D to running a restaurant) in Mountain View area of California called Billy's Boston Chowder House, https://www.facebook.com/BillysBostonChowderHouse/ . If my Facebook friends in California (or those visiting California) do drop in there for a seafood meal, do say Hi to Bill from me. I recently re-connected with him on Facebook.
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2415462758670287
This must be really tough times for BSNL employees. But such is life in early 21st century India, as free enterprise forces public sector companies to be competitive to private sector companies. All the best to BSNL to somehow tide over these difficult times for it.
[Shared article: Govt tells BSNL to look at options, including closure,
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/govt-tells-bsnl-to-look-at-options-including-closure/articleshow/67968289.cms]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2415036688712894
Very interesting! Some of my Belgian colleagues in a VS Videotex project in Wang International Telecommunications Research Centre (ITRC) in Brussels in 1985-86 where I and two others were contractors from Datamatics Bombay, a software company, to Wang ITRC, were (Computer Science/Engineering, I guess) graduates from KU Leuven (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/KU_Leuven).
A small extract from KU Leuven wiki page: "The Katholieke Universiteit Leuven (in English: Catholic University of Leuven), abbreviated KU Leuven, is a research university in the Dutch-speaking town of Leuven in Flanders, Belgium. It conducts teaching, research, and services in the sciences, engineering, humanities, medicine, law, and social sciences."
Glad to know about Leuven, Belgium and KU Leuven's efforts to connect "the innovation ecosystem of Leuven with India" and I wish the efforts all the very best.
[Shared FB post of Embassy of Belgium in New Delhi titled "A high-level round table was organised at the residence of Belgian Ambassador H.E. François Delhaye on connecting the innovation ecosystem of Leuven 🇧🇪 with India 🇮🇳": https://www.facebook.com/embassybelgiumdelhi/posts/2016736511755000]
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https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2414389872110909
A great oldie Ghazal from the famous Pakistani Ghazal singer Ghulam Ali - Apni dhun mein rehta hun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDGQDLFLCKs, 6 min. 30 secs.
https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2414389872110909
A great oldie Ghazal from the famous Pakistani Ghazal singer Ghulam Ali - Apni dhun mein rehta hun: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDGQDLFLCKs, 6 min. 30 secs.
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In FB post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2411129055770324, dated 8th Feb. 2019, I wrote:British Parliament Speaker Bercow handles the 'special place in hell' remark related issue in the House of Commons, very well. I enjoyed watching it :-). Perhaps readers may too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewWzOV29oqE, around 4 mins.
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In FB post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2409823475900882, dated 7th Feb. 2019, I wrote:
One of the great fast bowlers and a man who I think was respected as a fair cricketer - Richard Hadlee of New Zealand. Awesome effort by him to bag 15 of the 20 wickets of the Australians in this match and win it in 1985 - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2xWREQ5KME, 4 mins.
-----
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In FB post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/2407501849466378, dated 4th Feb. 2019, I wrote:
Extraordinary bowling from Windies quicks in Jan 2019!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qIp-EGRMzws, around 10 mins.
Hmm. Are we going to see a new era of Windies quicks like the 80s? That sure will make the game very interesting!
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