India - US Join on defence 20July2009

This statement was issued by the governments of the United States and India after U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton’s meetings in New Delhi on July 20, 2009.

External Affairs Minister S.M. Krishna and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton committed to building an enhanced India- U.S. strategic partnership that seeks to advance solutions to the defining challenges of our time.

They agreed to strengthen the existing bilateral relationships and mechanisms for cooperation between the Government of Republic of India and the Government of the United States of America, while leveraging the strong foundation of economic and social linkages between our respective people, private sectors, and institutions. Recognizing the new heights achieved in the India - U.S. relationship over the last two Indian and U.S. Administrations, they committed to pursuing a third and transformative phase of the relationship that will enhance global prosperity and stability in the 21st century.

Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton will chair an “India-U.S. Strategic Dialogue” that meets once annually in alternate capitals. This dialogue will focus on a wide range of bilateral, global, and regional issues of shared interest and common concern, continuing programmes currently under implementation and taking mutually beneficial initiatives that complement Indian and U.S. development, security and economicinterests.

Secretary Clinton looks forward to welcoming Minister Krishna for the first round of the Strategic Dialogue in Washington, D.C. in the coming year.

ADVANCING COMMON SECURITY INTERESTS

Recognizing the shared common desire to increase mutual security against the common threats posed by international terrorism, Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reaffirmed the commitment of both Governments to build on recent increased coordination in counter-terrorism. Secretary Clinton invited Home Minister Chidambaram to visit Washington in the near future. External Affairs Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton also reaffirmed their commitment to early adoption of a UN Comprehensive Convention against International Terrorism which would strengthen the framework for global cooperation.

DEFENCE CO-OPERATION

Noting the enhanced co-operation in defence under the Defence Co-operation Framework Agreement of 2005, External Affairs Minister and Secretary Clinton reiterated the commitment of both Governments to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation in the field of defence. External Affairs Minister Krishna announced that both sides had reached agreement on End Use Monitoring for U.S. defense articles.

SEEKING A WORLD WITHOUT NUCLEAR WEAPONS

India and the United States share a vision of a world free of nuclear weapons. With this goal in sight, Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton agreed to move ahead in the Conference on Disarmament towards a non-discriminatory, internationally and effectively verifiable Fissile Material Cut-off Treaty. India and the United States will also cooperate to prevent nuclear terrorism and address the challenges of global nuclear proliferation. A high-level bilateral dialogue will be established to enhance cooperation on these issues.
CIVIL NUCLEAR CO-OPERATION
Building on the success of the India –U.S. Civil Nuclear Initiative, on July 21, India and the United States will begin consultations on reprocessing arrangements and procedures, as provided in Article 6 (iii) of the 123 Agreement for Peaceful Nuclear Cooperation between India and the United States.

GLOBAL INSTITUTIONS

Secretary Clinton affirmed that multilateral organizations and groupings should reflect the world of the 21st century in order to maintain long-term credibility, relevance and effectiveness, and both Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton expressed their interest in exchanging views on new configurations of the UN Security Council, the G-8, and the G-20.

PURSUING SUSTAINABLE ECONOMIC GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT
As members of the G-20, India and the United States have pledged to work together with other major economies to foster a sustainable recovery from the global economic crisis through a commitment to open trade and investment policies. Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reaffirmed the commitment of both Governments to facilitating a pathway forward on the WTO Doha Round.

They pledged to co-operate to not only preserve the economic synergies between the two countries that have grown over the years, but also to increase and diversify bilateral economic relations and expand trade and investment flows. The two sides noted that negotiations for a Bilateral Investment Treaty would be scheduled in New Delhi in August 2009. They resolved to harness the ingenuity and entrepreneurship of the private sectors of both countries with a newly-configured CEO Forum that will meet later this year.

EDUCATION

External Affairs Minister Krishna and Secretary of State Clinton affirmed the importance of expanding educational cooperation through exchanges and institutional collaboration, and agreed on the need to expand the role of the private sector in strengthening this collaboration.
SPACE, SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND INNOVATION
Recognizing the great potential in India-U.S. science and technology collaboration, the two sides have concluded a Science and Technology Endowment Agreement, and signed a Technology Safeguards Agreement that will permit the launch of civil or non-commercial satellites containing U.S. components on Indian space launch vehicles. Both sides welcomed India’s participation in the FutureGen Project for the construction of the first commercial scale fully integrated carbon capture and sequestration project and India’s participation in the Integrated Ocean Development Project, an international endeavour for enhancing the understanding of Earth and Ocean dynamics and addressing the challenges of climate change.
HIGH TECHNOLOGY CO-OPERATION

Noting the high potential that exists due to the complementarities in the knowledge and innovation-based economies of the two countries, it was agreed that the agenda and the initiatives in the bilateral High Technology Cooperation Dialogue should continue, with the objective of facilitating smoother trade in high technology between the two economies reflecting the present strategic nature of the India-U.S. relationship.

It was also agreed that working groups would be formed to focus on new areas of common interest in nano-technology, civil nuclear technology, civil aviation and licensing issues in defence, strategic and civil nuclear trade.
ENERGY SECURITY, ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton pledged to intensify collaboration on energy security and climate change. Efforts will focus on increasing energy efficiency, renewable energy, and clean energy technologies through the India-U.S. Energy Dialogue and a Global Climate Change Dialogue.

Both sides also agreed to launch a process of bilateral scientific and technological collaboration to support the development, deployment and transfer of transformative and innovative technologies in areas of mutual interest including solar and other renewable energy, clean coal and energy efficiency, and other relevant areas.

India and the U.S. affirmed their commitment to work together with other countries, including through the Major Economies Forum, for positive results in the UNFCCC Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen in December 2009.
GLOBAL ISSUES
The two sides noted the valuable engagement between both Governments on global issues of common concern such as strengthening democracy and capacity building in democratic institutions as co-founders of the UN Democracy Fund.

The two sides agreed to develop a Women’s Empowerment Forum (WEF) to exchange lessons and best practices on women’s empowerment and development and consider ways to empower women in the region and beyond.
CONCLUSION

Minister Krishna and Secretary Clinton reaffirmed that the excellent relations between India and the United States rests on the bedrock of kinship, commerce and educational ties between the Indian and American people.

Secretary Clinton thanked External Affairs Minister and the people of India for their warm reception and hospitality.

Lets buy a piece of Micheal - $15 only

TIME Magazine is an opportunist...
Like this recent July 09 issue of TIME Magazine, there is an advertisement on the last page, selling something that looked like a Cover Page - and YES it was; a cover of TIME Magazine 1984. The cover sported a unique portrait of MJ that was specially created by Andy Warhol for TIME Magazine.
So according to the ad, now this portrait is available to public [everyone] as a print-out, 'framed', or 'unframed' on as low as 15 something Dollars.

Selfishly did TIME Magazine plan to make money out of an artists death, whether he R.I.P's or not, they are out there making a blast of a monetary gain.
So what exactly is this called? 'Merchandising MJ'?, or more dramatically 'Feeling for the artist?', or they mentioned in the ad, 'Preserving the art?' or so they implied......
The point is if TIME felt so much, and wanted to celebrate MJ, they could have offered some of these framed portraits as gifts to different museums, libraries and other such places. Instead, they are off selling a unique piece like this to the masses with such a petty price tag is pretty insulting to not only the immense significance of MJ but also to the role that MJ played and how he contributed to the entire World's Music Industry.... He was ahead of our time and we couldn't catch up...

The ad persuaded in its last line "OWN A PIECE OF HISTORY" [while we make money out of it]. Did they not do it in his life because ????
I am sorry I'm blank here... and I'm sorry MJ they are taking advantage of your absence ... and I assure you, your real fan wouldn't go for the offer - if that is to de-value your presence.

I mean C'mon TIME; you make me bite my nails off.
Xoxoxo


P.S: Im not buying it - He's too prestigious for me to 'OWN' him. :P

I lay alone

I lay alone.
All on the road.
Blunt in my words.
I sing the song of lonliness.

They go past me.
Look at me..?
they do sometimes.
Sometimes, they don't.
Like, I am in-evitable.
In this maddening crowd.
I lay alone.

Im juvenile.
So what, if I have to work in the sun???
Bare foot.
Empty Stomach.
Drenched in sweat.
I know they shrug me off...
and that is why.
Over here..
I still...
Lay alone!

And when tiredness is past my solitude.
Again..
I come back here..
to my throne.
Under this maple tree.
To lay alone.
And so I, lay alone.

See through

There is a Japanese proverb that says, "Fear is only as deep as the mind allows."

It's a mental thing, a form of insanity really. We silly humans create all this anguish when our actual circumstances are just wonderful. Why do we do this?

One idea I have is that we are creatures of habit. We enjoy the comfort that comes with the familiar. We are experts at our jobs we go to everyday, the distant bond we have with our brother, and our favorite processed foods that we pick up at our neighborhood grocery store. We may bitch and moan about these people and situations and things, but there is a kind of comfort that comes from this complaining as well.
So, you are probably wondering...what does this have to do with fear? I love wenting out. It relieves my negative energy. But sometimes...
Fear comes in when we catch ourselves complaining, and realize that we are unhappy. In my case, this realization propels me into some kind of action. Maybe I decide to conduct a workshop or take a class at a college, uni or to write an honest and revealing letter to my brother, or to start shopping for some exotic or organic greens and veggies. Sometimes I would just eat Yogurt in strawberry flavor and smile.

These acts, in and of themselves, are not fear-inducing. (It is not like we decided to punch a polar bear in the nose!) What causes the fear are the scenarios that we play out in our minds: What if I fail the class? What if my brother ignores my heartfelt letter? What if I do not have the discipline to eat healthier non-fatty food? I will be a failure. I will be embarrassed. I will be unhealthy and unattractive and fat.

As Dostoyevsky so eloquently put it, " Taking a new step, uttering a new word, is what people fear most."

Self-inflicted negative messages keep us from following through on our action. Or we may act, but with little heart. And our feeble efforts will likely deter us from taking action in the near future.

This is tragic because taking action is living. And I'm not talking about just surviving; I'm talking about soaking up and experiencing all there is each and every day.

But keep in mind we humans are individuals, and we are each wired differently. What may seem like a walk in the park to one person may seem like a tight rope walk over a vast gorge to another. You know who you are.

So, take a look inside yourself, and dig as deep as you can go. And when you are fully aware of your surroundings, use that deep true part of yourself to propel yourself forward. Act with a certainty that comes from knowing you are capable. And don't be afraid to congratulate yourself for stepping out of your comfort zone. Each of us has own security blanket that we need to walk away from. What's yours?

Once you discover that, you can consciously put it down, and step beyond it. From there things will become easier.

"Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to lose sight of the shore."

-Andre Gide (French writer, humanist and moralist, 1947 Nobel Prize for literature, 1869-1951)

Sometimes I think my writing & singing is my security blanket. I love to come very tired very late at night from my busy day at work.. and then, just write by myself, sing to myself. But, even though I want to push past my fears, and begin leading seminars & conferences, I know I will return to my writing & singing. And, just because we leave our security blankets to venture off, does not mean that it is not healthy to return to them for comfort from time to time...in my humble opinion, that is.

Of course, there is no such thing as security, whether it is a blanket or a job or a relationship. Note this down, to remember it.
Since the only constant is change, the sooner we embrace the scary, but enticing roads not taken, the sooner we realize that who we are is not defined but what we cling to.


Who we are is what we should be happy in. With no strings attached. If you know what I mean

Mistakes - make me some more.

There is one thing inevitable in life –apart from death and unwanted presidents. They come to you and you can’t not only stop them but you can’t even seem to deal with them. Mistakes.
No, no you don’t make mistakes; it’s just all a gory misconception. The reality is that mistakes make you. They make you who you are and who you will be.
How you lead your life is all dependent upon how many mistakes have you made and how horrible or not-so-horrible they have been, but by the way mistakes are always horrible. In the effort of staying away from as many mistakes as possible you loose a lot of other worthy things from life. You hurt people. People hurt you. You loose friends and sometimes even family while you are just trying to escape from one mistake and unconsciously falling trap into another.
When you make too many mistakes and pay too much for them you feel the need of hiding from them. You now work on changing your mind from being a strong person or a wise person that you have been while you dealt with the odds of life. You feel the need of wanting to go back in time and erasing things. When frustration brims the surface you do crazy things. You want to ban mistakes or wear a shield all around you that protects you to catch the terrifying disease of life. Well we all know that this obliteration never happens and such dreams just keep us numb in oblivion. No good. No good.
This is just a brief message:
I have learnt in life….
If you want to recover from your mistakes, there is only one thing you can do to recover from the loss. Forgive or be forgiven.

We all make mistakes and none of us can take them back. What we can do is correct them, and correction starts with letting go of things....
Let go! Let flow.

Only then will you find peace.

its- Your own little sorrow

Inquisitive people. Greedy for more knowledge. Something more to gain. Happy looking faces, as if they are happy with the world; when they are not really that content. They are just gifted with artificiality. Easy disguise behind a smile of satisfaction; and deep down they are nothing but scheming machines. Material minds, greedy for success, always thirsty, always jealous of their finer kin. What keeps the thirst unquenched is that ever rising altitude of their own gluttony and lust for a temporary world. A temporary gain.
They are good only good in the eyes of themselves.
They think they are winning but what they are actually doing is digging their own depths within a temporary world.
Who doesn’t know greed is a bad word, who doesn’t know wealth can be threatening, who doesn’t know smoking kills? Yet the lust goes on. The love affair with the worldly desires.


I walked across an empty land
I knew that path lie at the back of my hand
I felt the earth, beneath my feet
Set by the river and it made me complete
I look around
Where have you been
I ask myself
Then close my eyes again.