Here it is!!!!

My daughter has always wanted a pet. We allowed her to buy a Betta [fighter] fish about 2 years ago. At Petsmart they predict the life between 12 -  18 months, and we thought it might be the easiest way out of a long-term commitment

My daughter named it thee "Thithee thee thithee thee thee thee", yeah the longest name ever

Anyway, it has survived for more than 2 years in her warmth. Even now, when she calls from India, she asks if I fed her fish, and changed its water. She is so considerate, caring, and thoughtful. I did not realize this until I met a couple of other children who have already unknowingly harassed a long length of pets to death :) Maybe this is how they will learn about the value of life. I feel sad for this, but different people have different ways of teaching their kids, not all have to be the same.

Maybe we should have a license for raising pets too…

Asian parents are proud when their kids can calculate, read, and write well ahead of other kids. They ought to. But more importantly, look closely as to how that attribute was arrived at. If a child was taught mechanically to do these on rote memory, please stop. it shows that the child did not analyze and learn but was fed instructions expected to vomit it out at parents’s will. Isn’t that the saddest thing a parent can do to a child?

I guess a parent should NEVER measure a kid with another child.  After n number of examples we have from our own presidents and CEOs, it is time to realize ACADEMIC success doesn’t translate into life success.

I recently read another article in favor of late bloomers where the argument was late bloomers know the joy and secrets of achieving success on their own, which catapults them to top management jobs. A survey was done to prove that most people at the top rated jobs were late bloomers.

I encourage parents in teaching kids ahead of the school, but please have a sensor to realize when ENOUGH Is ENOUGH. Don’t push these cootie pies, believe me, not worth it.

Don’t believe me, chk out the below links:

http://www.womensenews.org/article.cfm?aid=2891

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/05/16/asian.suicides/index.html

Property Tax department of Plano has issued values for all residential properties for year 2006 making home-owners happy, market/tax value of houses in my neighborhood have risen by 15 - 20 %

We called the department and said we don’t believe that. Since the tax rate was reduced last year in City of Plano, it looks like the city has increased home values, to manage the budgets. I am not denying the fact that market has seen a great influx due to a lot of immigrants from coastal areas, but come on, DFW is planned in a way that progress happens in a well-spread area and not just in Plano. If you raise home-values, people with vehicles don’t mind travelling a couple of miles north into McKinney or east into Murphy.

Of course PISD has been in top 10 national ISDs for quite some time. That might be a reason why Plano cannot be substituted with any other place in DFW metroplex, including Coppell.

As far as I am concerned, I am not planning to sell my house anytime in the next 13 years, why pay more on tax that is based on market value?

I like the way California bases its property tax on last deed value i.e. the purchase value. Anyhow, when you sell it, you are going to pay tax on the profits, right?

A very close relative is paralyzed and hopes everyday for a miracle to happen that will let him be less of a burden to his family. His nervous system is damaged to the extent he can’t feel hunger, even his lungs don’t coordinate to breathe. Without dependence on others for more than a few hours, he may rot to death

Whenever he talks with me from India over the phone, he asks me if there is any progress on Stem Cell research.

Conservatives have put legal and financial restrictions on these research claiming it will cause a lot of unborn fetuses (fetii?) death.

However, we have lost more than 3200 American lives on the recent war, add to it 1000s of innocent Iraqi and Afghani civilians, versus 3000 people from various nations lost on 9/11. These honorable USA soldiers have sacrificed their lives to make us feel protected. After all, the whole reason for war[bio-chemical war weapon sites ??] was nulled.

Can you please explain why we have different policies on taking away the lives of unborn from that of young lads/women who have been nurtured with love for years by their friends and family.

Definitely rich people can go outside of USA, to Mexico or Europe, to get an abortion or Stem Cell surgery. It is the poor who get affected.

I pray sincerely, law of land doesn’t discriminate the actions based on economic status of its subjects. Will a person who travels abroad to perform procedures to overcome the legality in USA be prosecuted on their return? If not, how about removing these stupid restrictions biased against lower income classes?

In  certain aspects, I feel India has a broader mind-set, especially when it comes to female prime-ministers, pro-choice et cetera.

I maybe entirely wrong. Please enlighten me. I feel disturbed on both of these topics.

PS: This doesn’t mean I take abortion lightly or that I won’t hold arms to protect the nation that has accepted me as a citizen. I absolutely love being part of this nation. I cannot imagine living in any other place on this world.

Whole-heartedly quoting Shah Jehan  on Kashmir: If there a heaven on earth, it is USA, it is USA, it is USA.

I want to write about so many things

1. People at 2452: I love hosting parties, especially with ppl who I have been around for eons. It may come as a surprise, contrary to the image I project, I cannot move easily with strangers, I am very self-conscious I take tons of time before I give out my hand.

2. Reverse Discrimination: While it is considered good manners not to bring up someone’s career non-achievements in a social conversation, it is absolutely fine for some people to criticize others’ cooking/cleaning habits. I hate it when it happens. Same goes for ridiculing slim people while even saying ‘chubby’ is considered insensitive.

3. Home Alone: - Has its rewards. I feel energized and relaxed, while still being busy with all kinds of stuff I have wanted to do, no, not get drunk unconscious, which is further down in the list

4. Living Spaces: I am a person who prefers contemporary minimalistic furnishing style. Due to some sudden change, I have been eyeing on displaying multiple pieces of fine-art. Will it suit me in the long run or will I trash it one day???? What do u think…?