Biography of Marshal Blucher: The Man who reached Late at Waterloo

 

Marshall Blucher was a veteran of many of the European wars fought in the late 18th and early 19th century, indeed he had fifty fears of military service behind him by the time Waterloo was fought. Prior to the Napoleonic Wars the Prussians had a high military reputation mainly because of the astonishing victories of Frederick the Great. However the French once they recovered from the revolutionary turmoil became masters of mainland Europe. 

Blucher was a Prussian military commander of the old school and had lived through some of his country’s biggest successes not to mention worst defeats, in particular the savage mauling at Jena in 1806. That shattering defeat had led to the restructuring of the Prussian army and a subservient role to France.  

Blucher had played a prominent role in the campaigns against France in 1813 – 14 that led to the abdication of Napoleon and the restoration of the Bourbon monarchy. The Prussian victory at Leipzig was crucial to weakening the French. However the following year the erstwhile Emperor returned for 100 days after escaping from exile.

Alongside Wellington he was tasked with defeating the French.

Unfortunately the Prussians were not linked to the British / Dutch / Hanoverian forces and Napoleon intended to defeat them separately.  The Prussians were defeated at Ligney on 16 June yet the French did not stop them reaching Waterloo two days later. The late arrival of the Prussians completed the defeat of the French already badly mauled by Wellington's forces. Blucher and his forces were the straw, which broke the camel's back. 

RSS Women do Not Wear Shorts, Why?

 The RSS has been around for decades. It has a checkered history and its aim is to revive Hinduism in its pristine glory. One can have no crib with this aim, but its interpretation of the sexes and their rights can certainly be questioned. The RSS for all practical purposes is a male chauvinistic organization.

 Let's have a look at their dress code. Rahul Gandhi has very rightly pointed out that the RSS men wear shorts;why not the women?. Why can't they wear shorts as well. Wearing shorts per se is not important, but it's the idea behind it that is not acceptable. Look at the hulla bulla created on love Jihad. Even simply mixing among couples is frowned upon.

 

One should not forget that during the days of the Raj, the RSS was a pro- British organization and encouraged Indian youth to join the army to fight the axis. They never supported Bose. All this can be forgiven( some may not) but the bias against equality of sexes is what matters. We will accept the RSS view if they allow their girl sevaks to wear shorts. Let's see!

I also wonder why a woman has never headed the RSS or reached anywhere near the top echelon of the leadership. Wonder if RSS chief can explain.

 

The Alain Zoo in Abu Dhabi is a Delight

 

AlAin zoo in Abu Dhabi in the UAE

Image Source - Photo by the author

No visit to Dubai is complete without a visit to the famous Alain zoo in the green belt of Abu Dhabi with all its exotic animals.

I have already written that a visit to Dubai is like going on a visit to Eldorado. Dubai is a part of the UAE and the capital city is Abu Dhabi about 150 km from Dubai. This is an extremely exotic place also and covers a vaster area than Dubai.  From the city of Dubai, one can take a cab or a bus to the city of Alain. This is part of the green belt of the UAE and the desert has been transformed into a land of greenery with trees and lawns.

Close to Alain is located the famous zoo. It charges 100 AED ( $25) as entrance fee and will require a complete day. The Zoo is a replica of the habitats of the animals and going through this vast place will give the visitor a new insight into the wildlife of the planet.

Despite the high temperatures during the summer, the authorities supported by a retinue of helpers/workers from the sub-continent work to help the animals survive the heat. many are kept in air-conditioned enclosures but many adjust to the heat like the African lions.

The zoo has exotic animals which will delight adults and children. One can see the big cats, lions and tigers, Rhinoceroses and elephants, alligators and crocodiles and even small animals like the stork and ibis and the eagles. its a wonderland of animals and to keep you company is a number of eating joints that will serve you anything. On the day I went, an only beef burger was available and veg, of course, was there, but better to leave food fads back at home.

You will need a full day and if you want to walk around its OK, but an electric car is available for $10 to take you around. If you are short on time, no harm on hopping on it. The zoo does not have the Indian great Asiatic lion, and I mentioned this in the suggestion book. A great way to spend a day. If you visit do let me know. 

Dubai: Great Place for Fun and Entertainment

 

Dubai is the El Dorado of the East

Image Source - Photo by Madan G Singh

Dubai is a entertainment center that is the place to let your hair down and have fun. It also has a rich cultural life.

If somebody was to ask me where to go for a holiday to "get away from mundane daily life, I would without battling an eye say "Dubai". Yes, it's true there is no place like Dubai and having been here for a decade, I can say a visit here is time well spent.

A holiday means relaxation, fun, good female company, good food and a great way to let your hair down.Good female company is applicable to men, I  apologize for it and say that single women on a holiday can also relish this place.

Dubai has bars, beaches, cultural events and global food festivals. It is also a shoppers paradise with goods at prices far below New York. You can pick up anything except a tiger or lion cub.Women will like the exotic gold jewelry available, glittering in 22 and 24 carat gold. American women love to deck themselves in gold jewelry and get themselves photographed. Well if you can't buy, one can at least keep a photo has a remembrance.

Traveling in Dubai is like a soft breeze.

There are trams, metro and cabs as well as A.C. buses. Just go anywhere at any time of the day or night , even at 4 am. Dubai is a Great place, just a stone's throw from Mumbai and the Dubai Dinar is easily exchangeable with the rupee. It's the place to do whatever you want. Dance at the bars, drink, eat and swim in pristine beaches. Visit cultural shows and Art exhibitions. It's a great place. Yes you can also pray at a Hindu temple, church or gurudwara. No place matches Dubai and the best part is it is so safe. No mugging or molestation.Maybe the Sharia has something to do with it.

King Croc in the Aquarium at Dubai Mall

 

King Croc from Australia in the Dubai Mall Aquarium is first such Display in World

Image Source - Photo by the author

Dubai is an entertainment city for adults and children. Every year new entertainment vistas are added and now there is the King Kroc from Australia with a partner who lives in the Aquarium delighting children and adults.

Dubai Aquarium located in the largest shopping Mall in the world -The Dubai Mall is something unique and thrilling. Nowhere in the world such a vast species of animals are available in a aquarium and that too located inside the center of a shopping Mall. The Aquarium  has anew addition  and is part of the Dubai Tourism efforts to have new vistas of entertainment open up in the city. The Aquarium has now a pair of King Crocodiles as its guests. The crocs were imported from an crocodile farm in Australia and transported by experts to Dubai. They are no living along with sharks and 3000 other species of aquatic animals in a vast aquarium with millions of cubic feet of water.

The crocs can be observed at close quarter, as close as a few inches away from a glass partition.

He has a female partner also and both of them have produced a baby croc as well. The Dubai Aquarium is the largest suspended fish park in the world and one will need at least 2-4 hours to do justice to the wild marine life preserved in the aquarium.

The croc is part of a special enclosure and also has a separate entry fee as well. The entry ticked to watch the King croc with his gnashing teeth is AED 210 or $52. It's pretty steep as far as the price is concerned, but worth it. The king crocodile in the Dubai Mall is about 5 meters in length and is fully grown. It is about 20 years old and was bred in a crocodile farm in Australia. He and his companion were transported in a special container to Dubai last year.

The Dubai Mall is the worlds largest mall and for visitors this is the best time to have a holiday, as the "Dubai Shopping Festival" is on till end of January.  Watching the king beast and the other aquatic animals is an added bonus, not forgetting the Burj Khalifa , the tallest tower in the world that rises from the Mall. For me watching the crock slumbering and resting from close quarter is the cake and I loved it. Some animal lovers have felt that a captive crocodile is not a good thing, but then how does one conserve wild life for generations?

The Enigma of the Rajah of Chittor Showing his Wife to Allauddin

 

Legend tells us that the Raja of Chittor showed his wife's reflection in a mirror to Allauddin. Was it appeasement or a sign of weakness. It was certainly not bravery and many feel it was an act of cowardice.

The film" Padmavati" is due for release.It has generated a lot of controversies and peoples passions are inflamed in Rajasthan and Gujarat. I will focus on one aspect of this tale and wonder how Sanjay Leela Bhansali is going to show it on the screen. Allauddin was the Sultan of Delhi, about a thousand miles from Chittor. He was a great soldier and had subdued most of North India. He was rumored to be gay and loved a slave, who later became emperor and launched the Slave Dynasty. The Delhi Sultan also was fond of women and had a harem with many lovely women, both Hindus and Muslims.

The long and short is, that he coveted the Rani Padmavati for his harem and for this reason marched against Chittor.

The tale relates that when Allauddin reached the gates of Chittor fort, he offered to go away in case the Raja showed his wife to him. He grandly passed the message, that he just wanted to see the queen and then would march back with his army. Was the Raja petrified of Allauddin? Yes, he had a fearful reputation but no historian has said why the Raja agreed to show his wife Rani Padmavati to Allauddin? There is no explanation for it and now we can only make conjectures. Needless to say, that was the period of Purdah and seclusion for women, yet the Raja did the unthinkable and showed his wife's reflection in a mirror to Allauddin.

This act on the face of it is cowardice and in case it took place, one has to sadly conclude that the Raja was dictated by something.Was it fear or dread?. It was not an act of bravery and there is no record of any such incident elsewhere in World history. This will remain a million dollar question. I have raised this point, as many just treat this incident as routine. In the 13th century, it was not routine and one wonders what were the motives of the Raja. He certainly didn't cover himself with glory

Royal Navy Dismisses Seven sailors and Two officers for Drugs and Sex on board Warships.

The Royal Navy is a shadow of the great naval force that ruled the world for 300 years. At that time the adage "The sun never sets on the British empire" was true . After World War II the emaciated, United Kingdom is keeping a minimum deterrent, which is difficult to finance. This force is now beset by new problems of drug abuse and indiscriminate sexual liaisons between the sexes on board the warships, seriously undermining the security of the United Kingdom.

The Stars and Stripes News Paper has reported that when the nuclear-powered submarine HMS Vigilant docked in the US to replenish its stock of Trident nuclear missiles, the crew held rave parties at which drugs flowed freely. A mandatory drug test revealed that nine sailors were positive and these nine have been dismissed. Considering that the submarine has a complement of 11 officers and 121 sailors, dismissing 9 sailors is perhaps the tip of the iceberg. It is inconceivable that only 9 sailors took part in the 'rave parties'.

This was not all and two officers a Commander and Lieutenant Commander have been removed from command for bedding two junior female officers while the warship was on the high seas. These sexual liaisons seriously undermined the discipline and efficacy of the crew and the submarine. In turn, the defense of the UK was in jeopardy. Both the officers have been removed from command though no action is taken against the female crew who slept with the officers. The Defence Minister was seriously perturbed at this moral turpitude. He has ordered a detailed investigation into the state of affairs aboard all warships

MMC: Membership of Much Married Club

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Divorce one leads to another

Recently my friend from America mentioned that she had gone in for a divorce and had thus become a member of the MMC, which stands for multiple marriages club. I was surprised at this terminology, which I had not heard earlier. It obviously means a woman or a man who has been married many times. The MMC is unique and I am told that once you have gone through the first divorce you are heading for membership of the MMC.

My discussion with her revealed certain facts that can be of help to others. So before you go in for divorce you might like to keep yourself abreast off. It is a sad story that 45-50% of marriages in America end in divorce and most of them are in the first 3 years of marriage. One stark fact that stands out is that in case you divorce once, it’s like breaking the ice and that could be the beginning of a second and maybe third divorce and then you will qualify for the MMC.

The first divorce is like a watershed in one’s life. It’s like sailing into uncharted waters. There is the fear of the unknown but after that, the second and third divorce is relatively easy. This is because know what is the cost involved and what you are expected to do. You will know where to cut corners and how to go about in the entire matter. It’s like moving into a familiar road.

Bear in mind that whatever you do the first divorce may have effects that carry on for a long time. You could pay alimony and even lose your house. It can be quite a disaster and I think it’s a very good thing as this can put the brakes on a divorce, but sadly it is not happening.

Membership of the MMC is of course voluntary and imaginary. There is no such club, but it is there in the mind. I asked my friend whether she felt happy with this terminology. She said ‘NO” emphatically and she was sad that divorce had taken place. That is the bottom line that divorce does not lead to happiness. I think the east is better where getting a divorce is a herculean task. Why not make divorce in America more stringent