Review ; Zane Grey's " Riders of the Purple Sage" ***. 96

Wild West

books of Zane Grey on my shelf

Introduction
I have a great love for books about the Wild West and my favorite writer is Zane Grey. This man brings alive the Wild West and it’s a pleasure to read his books. In my opinion Zane Grey is in the top bracket of writers who brought the Wild West alive with all its glory. This is one chapter of American history that has captivated the world. The Wild West is generally associated with the 19th century and covers both periods before and after the civil war (1861-65). This period of American history really made America, what it is today and history and love for guns can be traced to this period.

Zane Grey

zane Grey

Zane Grey appeared on the scene and he gave pen to that thrilling period. He was a prolific writer and I have read at least 25 of his books. His” Riders of the Purple Sage’ is in my view is his best work. It’s a lovely tale of love, revenge and gun fights and brings out the type of life that existed during those tumultuous days.
Zane Grey wrote tens of books and many have been made memorable by Hollywood. Zane was born in 1872 and died in 1939. He is famous as the man who he idealized the American frontier He was the driving force in shaping the myths of the Old West; his books and stories were adapted later by both TV and cinema. It is on record that he wrote over 90 books and his total sales exceeded 40 million copies. Zane became even more famous after his death as his books were reprinted and sold millions of copies. Truly Zane Grey was the great American dream.

The novel

most famous book

The story revolves around a gunfighter named Lassiter who arrives at a ranch owned by a lovely girl called Jane Withersteen. This girl is besieged by a Mormon gang and Lassiter not only wins her love but destroys the Mormon gang. What a lovely tale. It’s a story that one can read and read again. I wonder why such books are no longer written,
It’s a simple story, but the way Zane Grey writes is the clue as his style engrosses the reader as he creates a tale of love in a situation where danger lurks. Zane Grey always wrote of macho men and beautiful women. This is indeed the dream of most human beings and Zane Grey pandered to that dream. In fact I can say he was a seller of dreams which he created in an era that is now history.
The novel grips from the word ‘go” and at every moment the reader looks for the end as to when Lassiter will destroy the Mormon gang and win the love of the women with who he has fallen in love with. It’s a stupendous tale and one can read and re-read it any number of times

Ko

Muslim Mayor of London: not a bad thing Really

Background

The Labour Party candidate Sadiq Khan has been elected as Mayor of London. For Asians, it is good news and no wonder Pakistan is exulting at the idea of a Muslim being head of the business capital of the world and the pride of the English state.

Mr. Sadiq Khan is a practising Muslim who has relations living in Pakistan. He has been a practicing lawyer and a more important fact is that he beat the Conservative candidate by 1.1 million votes. This is an eye opener and frankly I am at a loss to explain the win of Sadiq Khan.The Conservative candidate Zach Goldsmith failed and in the bargain indicated that a Teutonic shift has taken place in England.

It is just 7 decades back at the end of World War II when the English ruled half the world. Their demise started with the loss of India which was characterised as the brightest jewel in the English crown. Slowly the Empire faded away and the British were left bereft of colonies and status. The fact remains they were reduced to being a fifth rate power and it is to the credit of the English people they accepted this fact. the election of a Muslim mayor, something that could not be thought of in the wildest of dreams means that England in due course could lose its character as well.


The Repurcussions For England

Sadiq Khan's win in the election, in fact, signals the end of Imperialism as practiced by the English for over 200 years. It also shows that the English are at a loss to decide their role in world politics. I recollect reading a joke. It went like this. A British coast guard vessel intercepted 2 Muslims in a boat trying to enter England illegally. The men were arrested and asked as to what they were planning. One of them replied that they had instructions to invade England. The Custom's officer laughed and said " invasion? just the two of you?".After a moment's silence, one of the arrested Muslims replied " listen we are the last contingent as two million of us are already there"

This anecdote is plain humour, but the reality is stark. England must be in dire straits that they could not find a local Englishman to be the Mayor of London and had to vote in a Muslim with close connections to Pakistan. Sadiq Khan is a fine man and I feel happy that he is the Mayor of London, but the fact is the English are finished as a power.

I wonder what will happen if a similar permutation of votes and alliances could put a Muslim or a Hindu as the prime minister of England. This cannot be dismissed as mere speculation. The election of Mr. Khan shows that England is now no longer a power of any standing. One cannot expect a Muslim or a non English to perpetuate Englands role as a world power. In effect it means that the English as a power have reached the nadir and one wonders how much lower they will go.

Last Word

The election of Sadiq Khan as the mayor of London means that the clock for the English is ticking. I do not subscribe to the view that its a step in the Islamization of the UK , which is a dream of most devout Muslims. But certainly it will give a fillip to such people, though Atiq Khan is not a supporter of Jihad. Sometimes appearances can be deceptive and they also convey a wrong impression. The election of Khan as the Mayor of London is the first step and one cannot forecast what will happen in future, but the dream of men like Rudyard Kipling of the East as a "white man's burden" is dead and gone.

Memoir: Loving Fair Girls **. 78

Sometimes, I write on a topic which to many may appear outlandish. Yet, I mean no offense and I would vehemently deny the charge of racism though I have affairs and loved only fair skinned girls and women. I am now going to touch a half century of life and yet feel fit as I was when I was 25.

I have served in the Air Force earlier and that has been my gateway to the world of women. Girls and women have been fascinated with meeting a man who flies planes at Mach 2.5 + and that adds to the aura of mystery in life for them.

The Fair Girls and Life

lovers

Women as is known, for all men are a permanent fixture in life and in my case it is also the same. I have had more than my fair share of fair damsels and the word rejection does not exist , yet I have not followed  women who are darkish or not fair. I do not know why, but my loves have all been fair women and the fairer the better. Thus an entire legion of dark women has never been part of my life. In India my preference is only for Punjabi, Kashmiri and Tamil Girls (only fair Brahmins). Yes only Brahmins and not others, but I am not a racist.

Outside India, Russian and American girls with many from Eastern Europe have been part of my life. I recollect on my first visit to the USA I preferred corporal a pure white blonde girl to a black girl NCO. Nothing racist about it, but my choice was the fair blonde and that led to a rollicking affair, for which I got a reprimand for sleeping with a non commissioned ranker. You can’t break the officer- men divide in the military. But I have no explanation for it. But my benefactor the old Foggier stood behind me.

I had some lovely golden Russian girls as dates and mates. It was common among the Indian officers and I know of at least two colleagues who resigned their commission to marry and live in Russia. Russia is great, but their women are simply the fairest of all.

The Fair Factor

Fair girl

American white women have also been part of my life and the last affair with a young American blonde doctor was the most serious of them though she was 20 years younger. There have been fleeting affairs all over. Earlier at least two Brahmin extremely fair Tamil girls from Chennai were my source of inspiration simply unforgettable, but I have no regrets.
I remember at a dance as a young subaltern, I waited to dance with the fairest girl till I got my chance and swept her off to the land of love. Yes, so may dark girls who eyed my Air Force emblem, wanted to dance. I danced, yes but my preference was for the fair skinned Brahmin girl. I won.

Last word

Beautiful girl

.These are just a few stray thoughts from my journal. I remember Nirad Choudhary wrote Autobiography of an Unknown Indian and rocketed to fame. Maybe it’s about time I wrote something similar and put my thoughts of fair women, guns and planes on paper. I have a confession, beautiful fair women remind me of them witha snake, I don't know if there is a connection
All photos /drawings from wiki commons

How King Solomon Conquered Queen of Sheba. *.

great seduction

ancient wall mural

The Tale of Solomon and Sheba and their love affair is mentioned in the Bible. This is not the only source and we have other corroborative tales as well. One tale from Ethiopia recounts how Solomon seduced the Queen of Sheba. When the queen reached the kingdom of Solomon, she agreed to stay in his palace, provided he did not touch her. Solomon readily agreed, but as he was a very intelligent man he added a condition. He said that his oath not to touch her would stand, but would not be valid in case the queen used any personal item or thing of his. there are many versions of this tale, but the central theme is the same, attraction and sex between the Queen of Sheba and the great king Solomon. In a way it is a tale that has been replicated millions of times and each one of us has lived through a similar episode.

When the Queen came visiting Solomon she was givena bedroom adjacent to the great king. Solomon had seen the queen an he longed for her. Can we call it love at first sight? He made a devious plan to bed the queen and he resolved to possess her.

Keeping his promise to the queen in mind, Solomon got a large ornamental glass filled with water and took a big sip from it. He later placed the glass by the bedside of the queen. At night the queen felt thirsty and got up and drank from the glass. Solomon who was waiting in an adjoining chamber with an artificial partition was able to watch the Queen not only undress herself but reinforced his plan to enforce his part of the promise. Solomon entered at once and claimed that as the queen had drunk from his glass she was his. The queen who was in a state of undress had no choice but to acquiesce and she gave herself to Solomon. Perhaps she secretly desired him. It is reported that Solomon made ferocious love to her and soon teh Queen after this bout became his consort. Solomon shifted to her bedroom. All the same, it’s an interesting tale and the union bore fruit as the queen conceived a child from Solomon.

This tale from the bible is wonderful to read and was very well presented on celluloid with Yul Brynner and Gina Lolobrigida in the movie " Solomon and Sheba".

Horse Riding, Polo and Women * 75

Horses and Women have been part of my life for long years. I started off early on horses from a young age and perfected my skill later at the military academy. I also picked up horse polo at the academy, though I dare say I was not a champion in this field of sport.

Horses drew me closer to women and after varied experiences have concluded that riding a horse can be an exhilaration that is almost akin to a conquest of a woman. My first experience of horse riding was when I was in my 6th standard. My dad an officer in the. Indian armed forces got me enrolled with his influence at the local BSF horse battalion. After initial pains and aches, I began to love riding horses. I realized I had a good vibration with my horses and I understood them as they understood me. I realized the rider had an invisible bond with the horse. I realized this as I galloped across hills and dales at Mhow. 

When I entered the academy, I had a head start over the others who had just begun t ride horses. I was an adept rider and so the instructor gave me a lot of leeways. I was left alone for long periods. At the academy our chief horse trainer a Sergeant Major was an Englishman who had come on an exchange program from the English army. He was a hard taskmaster but gave me a lot of latitudes as I had a way with horses. He also introduced me to his daughter who was a blonde and as good a horse rider as anyone can come across.

By a quirk of fate, we were often thrown together and when riding we developed an intimacy that has lived with me down the years.So often we would ride to the distant hills and then tether the horses to a tree when we followed up with time in each others arms.

Sally( I will give her this name , not the real one) was also a wonderful polo player and that's how I got hooked on the game. It gives me great pleasure now that I played  horse polo as it is a game which earlier was the preserve of the Maharajas like Bhupinder Singh of Patiala and the maharajah of Jaipur. This was the most exhilarating term at the academy. But all good things come to an end the Sergeant Major got transferred back to England. The going of Sally affected me and I never developed my Horse polo after she left, but riding continued. Even now whenever I am in Mumbai I ride at the Amateur Riders Club, Mahalaxmi and also at Singapore at the Police academy. I thus remain fit and thank my dad that he forced me to learn to ride.

Riding has its spillover effect.The first is physical fitness and greater stamina. These two are the ingredients that drive life. I have been saddened that this sport is out of reach for 99% of my countrymen and only if one joins the police or armed forces can one have access to horses and be a rider or if one is rich. The last category has tons of money and some like my  Parsi friend own dozens of stallions. Some also have horse farms that that develop race horses. I have ridden a few and I can say riding a race horse requires greater skill as the horse once in gallop can be mastered only by a skillful rider. It can also be dangerous as was seen when a horse threw the Superman Star Steeve Reeves off his back and the great star broke his neck. Certainly this is a macho sport, but in my view the thrill is great.

There is a spillover  as I have found women are attracted to horse riders. I won't dwell on this aspect much as its a personal matter. But if one has seen the Hindi film " Zubieda" starring Manoj Bajpai as the Maharajah and Karishma Kapoor as his love says it all.  A horse is a great animal, he senses the mood of the rider. I remember I was in a surly mood at the Mahalaxmi after a tiff with my girl and the great beast sensed it. He refused to gallop and sauntered around to where my girl was on a horse. What an animal, who can believe it ?

Lastly a bit of baring the soul. Horses and women go together. But this is a different game and there are exhilarating moments and sad ones. Sad when one of my friends captain Sangha died playing polo after a fall and happy at some of the loveliest women who I have dated were also riders like me. The best was a date from royalty at Bhopal in an exhibition match. 

Lastly, what can I write further? I will just add that horses and women go together and I hope many young men and women can ride this sport. India is the laggard and it's about time we caught up with the world. Let's not forget those great Indian Hindu warriors like Bindusara and Chandragupta who were great horse riders. For Hindu kings and warriors it was a manly sport, so let's pick up the threads.

The Economics of Dubai: Rising Again

The Economic Scenario In Dubai

Dubai has risen from a nondescript place to a world economic centre. This shows the pragmatic nature of the leadership and resilience of Dubai

Dubai at the turn of the century was a nondescript Place. For the next 50 years Dubai developed slowly and by the fifties and sixties had become a trading hub. This was because of its  advantageous location. But one man Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum had a fantastic dream to make Dubai a sought after location in the world. He  visualized a future in which merchants, bankers, businessmen and tourists would all come to Dubai for  business and pleasure. For this, he felt the need for infrastructure and built the largest artificial harbour in the world. The Jebel Ali port which was inaugurated in 1977 after his death is a tribute to his vision.

Dubai did not rest there but expanded further. The great development can be attributed to the son of Sheikh Rashid. This man simply referred to as Sheikh Mohammed was given power by his elder brother Sheikh Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum who declared him the crown prince in 1995.

 Sheikh Mohammed fueled a spiral of economic development as he built  skyscrapers by the dozen. A point to be noted is that the  Maktoum family has controlled Dubai since 1833.
Sheikh Mohammed developed his economic theory on a model constructed by  Michael Porter of Harvard University. Micheal porter  advocated bringing businesses with similar backgrounds and affinity together. The purpose was to attract the best talent and finance like the rush to silicon valley in California.

So far so good but a few years back the  dream had started turning sour. It was something expected but not anticipated. Perhaps the reason is  hard to analyse but one can make a surmise. Firstly it is possible that the Sheikh Mohammed was carried away by his own euphoria and did some fantastic unrealistic investments like his grand project in Las vegas. The second point concerns real estate where his projects began to flounder and his company was the first to seek a settlement with creditors as it had defaulted.

 The situation became bad, but one can still say that after  a bailout by Abu Dhabi the situation has changed and Dubai is back to square one. Property prices had  crashed by 50% have come back to normal and there is widespread buying of property.

The sheikh was perhaps himself stunned by the turn of events. An example of the downside  was of  Damac Properties in Dubai which Failed to Pay Employees Full Settlement on Dismissal. Another property group Nakheel had cut 500 jobs and Al-Shafar had laid off over 1000. All this looks like a bad dream as the resilient economy of Dubai boomeranged and once again Dubai has become the favourite of all investors. Once again there is a beeline for Visa and jobs in Dubai.

 But there is a silver lining to this depressing scenario as the Sheikh is making amends. Secondly, Dubai by virtue of its location on the east-west route has bounced back and the world markets cannot let Dubai wither away.  Dubai has recovered its economic health and the world has heaved a sigh of relief.

Review Sholokov's Novel" And Quiet Flows the Don"

A Monumental Novel

Book cover

Background
Mikhail Sholokhov is Russian writer who wrote his epic “And Quiet Flows the Don”. It’s a lovely book that won a Nobel Prize for the author in 1965. Sholokhov was an unabashed communist and supporter of Stalin. This is something that was not liked by Western authorities and for long Sholokhov was denigrated as a writer of “no consequence”. Unfortunately, there were many academicians who were convinced that Sholokhov was a great writer and this led to him being awarded the Nobel Prize for literature. It was a richly deserved prize.
The Novel

Mikhail Sholokhov’s novel runs into 5 volumes and is a monumental work, which needs some time to read. I read this novel over a period of almost a month, but I liked it and realized that Sholokhov is a great writer. His theme is simple. The novel recounts the lives of two protagonists who see Russia through a period of wars, civil war and the Tsarist and communist rule. There is violence and war and love all around. But in this turmoil, the river Don flows quietly and eternally into the sea.
The river Don is unchanging and an anchor of the novel. I have read the epic at least twice and now I can relate the book to my personal life as well. Sholokhov writes about contrasting characters and protagonists who support the Communists and the Czar. What a lovely scenario he paints of rural Russia and the final triumph of the communists. All credit to Sholokhov for the epic. I understand it took him almost 14 years to write. After reading this novel one is apt to get nostalgic of communist rule under Stalin. Despite the propaganda by the West, I am convinced Stalin was one of the greatest figures of the 20th century.
Last word. 
Sholokhov was born in 1905 in what is known as the land of the Cossacks. He died in 1984 and did not live to see the disintegration of Russia. Sholokhov also wrote Virgin Soil Upturned, which earned the Lenin Prize, took 28 years to complete. He also wrote Seeds of Tomorrow (1932) and Harvest on the Don (1960).
Sholokhov has a permanent place in Russian and world literature. He earned his respect among western writers as well, but he was a strong supporter of the communist regime and accompanied Nikita Khrushchev on his visit to USA in 1959. This contrasts with the anti-communist approach of Boris Pasternak who also won the Nobel Prize, but merely because he wrote against Communism.

Visiting Dubai: Holiday Fun and Pleasure

Introduction

View of Dubai

Ever wanted to visit the beautiful city of Dubai? Dubai is a unique City and a major metropolis in the Middle East. In an area notorious for anarchy and strife, Dubai is an oasis of peace. This is important as a tourist is safe here and above all Dubai is a cosmopolitan place and Indians make up almost 30% of the population here.

Dubai is a modern city and one does not discern the trappings of the restrictive code seen in other Muslim countries. The rulers are pragmatic and overall Dubai is a world of entertainment, that cannot be rivaled. Dubai is a tourist paradise and whether you are rich or a budget traveller, Dubai has something for everybody. I have catalogued a few of the things for which Dubai is famous. here they are

Shopping

Shopping mall

Everybody wants to shop and buy things, especially if they are cheaper than back home. Dubai is a shoppers paradise as there are no taxes levied and as such goods are much cheaper than those available in other countries. The entire Dubai is a duty-free area. Dubai offers around 25 shopping malls and the more traditional open air markets. In fact, some of the shopping malls are among the biggest in the world and your legs will get fatigued, just walking through them. Topping this are unbelievable discounts and of course some bargaining as well. In one word its a place to shop.

Boat ride

Boat ride in the creek. These are always scheduled in the evening. You are picked up in a boat and sail out into the Arabian Sea. You can see the shimmering lights of the city and there is an excellent barbecue spread as well, with whiskey and drinks on payment. Some may have a belly dance as well, but its good fun and worth it

Desert safari

Belly dance

This is a signature item of Dubai and costs about $ 50 per head. It requires an entire day and includes a desert drive and then a visit to a Bedouin village. this is fun as you can see the local handicrafts as well as ride on a camel.If you are the modern type you can hire and belt around the sand in a sand scooter You end up with a barbecue meal and in case you want alcohol , it is available, but you pay extra for it.
The last item in the safari is a desert belly dance. This is not only lovely but sexy as well. Lovely girls dance to Arabic music and it is the finale of the safari. Girls are Arabic , mostly from Lebanon, but now Indian girls are a hit.

Burj Khalifa

Tower

. This is the piece de resistance of Dubai. The Burj is the tallest tower in the world and one can go up to the 46th floor. There are wonderful eateries there and at night, Dubai shimmers brightly. You can also visit The Burj al Arab, it is a lavish 7-star hotel, but if you are on a budget I doubt this hotel will fit your budget.

Beaches parks and gardens

Lush gardens

This will surprise you that such things exist in the desert. Yes, they are and one can visit the Miracle garden, The beaches( swimwear or simple Bikini is not barred). There are lovely roads and the sea has excellent waterfronts. Dubai also has a zoo and lots of places to just while away the time. The Dubai Museum is worth a visit as well as the Gold Souk( market).You will love the gold jewellery, cheaper than anywhere else in the world.
In case you are looking for female company. No sweat, lovely Russian and Ukraine girls are available and they will sing, play the piano and do everything else. 

Last word

Burj

Dubai has lots of other entertainment centres. there are night clubs where Indian and Russian girls dance. It's simply great fun. No wonder it is known as the El Dorado of the East. Just for the record millions come to Dubai and after JFK airport it is the busiest in the world, so I suggest be a part of this sea of humanity and visit Dubai.
All photos by me. Perhaps needed better camera

Buying a Villa in Dubai ** 80

Introduction

cheaper villa

Dubai has diversified from a fishing village at the turn of the last century to the present day mega city. The city in a bid to attract the best and the richest has taken to the construction of villas like a fish to water. Luxury villas are the new mantra to attract the rich and well-heeled to Dubai. The idea is to give a grand lifestyle to the visitor or an expat worker. The charm of owning your own villa with a private swimming pool and garage id definitely greatly desired and Dubai caters to this in a big way.

Villas in Dubai

New age villa

The villas in Dubai can either be bought as an investment or hired during your holiday in Dubai. The latest architectural designs are formulated for these villas and owning one can definitely add an extra page to your lifestyle. They are also a good investment for your money. A lot of people prefer leasing the villas in case they are not sure about buying them.

As the rulers of Dubai have positioned it as a holiday get away you could if you have the money rent a villa. There are many companies in Dubai who can help you find a villa for yourself during a planned holiday in Dubai. If you are coming with your family you will have the chance of all staying together than in different rooms as in hotels. With the present economic scenario, you can work out a good deal and that may not be too expensive.

Prices

Luxury villa

Villas in Dubai cover a wide spectrum of costs .The prices vary from their size to location.Dubai, in fact, is dotted with Villas. Unlike apartments which are finding it difficult to sell themselves the villas are comparatively better off. Dubai boasts of posh villas at the Marina which is a statement of style and reasonably pricey. Similarly, villas at Jumeirah which are a few minutes from the Jumeriah beach from Sheikh Zayed Road are also quite costly and only the rich stay here. You can also rent or lease a villa at the exclusive Palm Island. This is the high end of the spectrum of social life and celebrities including film stars, sportspersons and eminent persons could be your neighbors.
. Staying in a villa on the palm means that Atlantis Dubai one of the top end hotel resorts is nearby and you can always visit it for leisure activities. Villas in Dubai can be a statement of your life’s intent. In fact with the downturn of real-estate in Dubai, some of the upmarket villas are available for a lot less than the original price and can be a good investment.

Other Thoughts

Row Villas

However, there is a dark lining to the silver cloud. Dubai does not allow landlords or tenants to share their villas with another family. The general concept in Dubai is one family per villa and the authorities will not let you break that. In case you share your villa with another family then you are open to fine that could go up to AED 50000 one $130000.Thus breaking this law is not advisable. This law is perhaps rooted in the Islamic life of Dubai and has put off a lot of customers.
The matter may not end with a fine as Hussain Nasser Lootah, Dubai Municipality’s director-general, in a statement is attributed to having said that a fine could also be followed by legal action as Dubai frowns on villa sharing. 

Donald Trump is on Way. ** 80

Trump and his nomination

.

Donald Trump is a billionaire businessman who is aspiring to get the GOP nomination for presidential election. These elections are slated this year and before that the Republican convention will take place to decide on the GOP nominee. Trump is aiming to get the maximum number of delegates so that he can win the nomination. As on date, Trump is the leader and way ahead of his nearest rivals Ted Cruz and Rubio. Trump's victory in Indiana has sealed the fate of his opponents who have now thrown in the towel and the field for Donald is clear.

What is the reason that a man like Trump is leading the race for the GOP nomination? The reason is simple as this man has come with an agenda to restore American pride and as part of that has picked on Muslim terror. He is clear that the greatest danger to America is Islamic terror. The present president Barack Muhammed Obama has left things to meander and overall treated terror groups with kid gloves. He failed to identify Islam as a source of terror. Maybe he had a personal agenda, as his father was a Muslim and he also attended a Madrasa, religious Islamic school for 2 years.

America is in a stage of ferment. Attacks by Muslim terror groups  like the twin trade towers bombings, Boston race, and the California killings have alarmed the common man. Donald has played on these fears and promised stern action

Donald Trump has not minced his words and has threatened to take the war  to the Muslim lands, where terrorist groups, like ISIS, have sanctuary. His other proposals are equally revolutionary. He has proposed that there needs to be a total ban on Muslims entering the USA. This is a brazen statement and shows the bent of mind of the GOP contender. Alistair Maclean wrote, " Fear is the Key". This is a commodity that Trump treats with disdain. The reaction of the Muslim world holds no terror for him. This is in sharp contrast to India where the people and the government are loathed, to connect Islam with terrorism. So much so that TADA and POTA were scrapped as these acts offended the Muslims in India.

Trump has also proposed to confine all Muslims in the USA and inter them in camps, till they can prove their innocence. Many Americans find this proposal distasteful.  But Trump has pointed out that he is proposing nothing new. He has pointed out that president Roosevelt had during World War II ordered the confinement of all Japanese who lived in the USA, yet he is considered a great president.

Trump has got the feel of the pulse of the American citizen. This has led him to propose some radical steps. He has proposed a reciprocal treatment to all Jehadi outfits. He feels these organization's only understand the language of force. Trump says he will authorize forms of torture like waterboarding for captured terrorists. He will also allow reprisals against the families of terrorists. It should be like the old code of Hummarabi- an eye for an eye and tooth for a tooth. Trump thus has his priorities clear.

Trump also does not advocate a withdrawal from Afghanistan. His thinking is revolutionary as he feels America must remain in Afghanistan to protect the Pakistan nukes. Obviously, he does not have much confidence in Pakistan and its ability to safeguard their nuclear arsenal. He feels the Pakistan nukes at some stage may well fall into the hands of Muslim Jehadi groups.

Trump is on the rise. These are early days and anything can happen as another 35 states have still to vote. Trump has however shown guts in attacking Islam as the source of all terror. I wonder if anybody in India can emulate Trump. There is no doubt that Trump is a man with a mission. It will be interesting to see if he can win the GOP nomination. The biggest opposition  to a Trump nomination is  from within the party itself. The 'old guard' led by Mitt Romney( he was the GOP candidate in the 2012 election) are against his nomination. Yet Donald Trump may surprise them.

Painting Nudes: Whats the Meaning? * 69

Painting Nude Women

The dividing line between pornography and art is thin, yet there is a line. Painting a woman in the nude is an expression of love for god.

IIntroduction by my Uncle

art classMy uncle Parduman died last year. He was 88. The sad part was that he died unsung and un- heralded, though he was a painter of some standing. Sadder was the fact that he had left his family at the age of 80 and come back to Mumbai to paint. But he couldn't re-establish and died lonely. I wish I had been there to help him, but he was gone ere I came to know about him. My memory of him is a vibrant painter who once took me to a nude painting class. 

It was a wonderful experience as the nude model posed before some 14 artists including 2 girls, as each sketched her. The nude model had her thighs crossed and I felt she was a little self-conscious. But over the years, I have been wondering why painters have been painting nudes.

Nude and Naked

While in school our art master Mr. Paul once took us to an exhibition of paintings of the famous painter Roerich, a Russian. What caught my eyes were the large paintings of nude women that adorned the exhibition. Being an amateur painter myself, I did sketch one nude of a sleeping woman. Unfortunately, it is perhaps lying in a loft at my house.
The charm of painting a nude woman cannot be described. It differs from a naked woman, which somehow looks slightly distasteful. But the Greeks and our own ancient artists all brought forward the nude woman . Most of the Goddesses of the Hindus have been sculptured nude in the temples, so I wonder what the fuss is all about Hussein's paintings.

Nude women and beauty

painting Amrita

The fact of the matter is that a nude woman is an object of beauty. Hence, a painter will try to capture that beauty. One has to see the Paintings of Goya, Picasso, and Dali to realise this. But remember nude paintings are not for the voyeur. They are basically an expression of art. Maybe at some stage love and sex may also be a part of it, but that is what the Tantra and Acharya Rajneesh have been talking about.

Last Word

sketch by me

I for one respect the artists point of view. My friend an art teacher at the Art School commented ' Look it's just an expression of one's innermost feelings.' I will leave it at that. However, I have one last observation. remember painting a nude woman is something serious and perhaps that is the reason that all nude paintings never show women smiling. Ever thought of that ?