The Secret Life of A National Geographic Writer!!!

According to Reuters, "Police in Kathmandu find contraband artifacts and animal hides in the rented properties of a U.S. adventure writer. The illegally possessed goods were seized after police received a tip off. Authorities say it is one of the biggest hauls they have ever recovered. The items were found in the rented property of adventurer and writer Ian Baker, who has lived in Nepal for many years. Baker has written several books and contributed to National Geographic and other magazines."

How Far Can Artists Go?

Dissolving the controversy surrounding M.F. Hussains art, a court has
basically dissolved the controversy surrounding his art and says he
needs to be back home painting.

The New York Times reports that -- "A court in India has quashed three
obscenity cases against M. F. Husain, one of the country's most famous
contemporary painters, the BBC reported. The charges contended that
Mr. Husain, 92, offended Hindus with a work, above, that represented
India as a nude goddess. The court in Delhi ruled that the painting
was not obscene. Mr. Husain, who has been accused of obscenity in at
least seven cases, apologized for the painting, which he declared an
"expression of purity." He has been living in the Middle East because
of the lawsuits, but his lawyer, Akhil Sibal, quoted the court as
saying Mr. Husain "deserves to be at home, painting his canvases."

Whereas a website by Hindu Jagruti says that Hussain is painting
derogatory art of Hindu gods, why is he not doing so of his own
religion? You can see some of the paintings at their site listed
below. An article in Frontline magazine, has some paintings by Hussain
of Hindu Gods which are not derogatory, so what does that mean?

New York Times article is at --
http://select.nytimes.com/mem/tnt.html?emc=tnt&tntget=2008/05/09/arts/09arts-INDIANCOURTD_BRF.html&tntemail0=y

Hindu Jagruti website is at this URL--
http://www.hindujagruti.org/activities/campaigns/national/mfhussain-campaign/

Frontline magazine article on Hussain is here--
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1416/14160820.htm

Indian Man Responsible for Standoff Near Florida Mall

I was listening to CNN yesterday, while trying to coax my 4 year old
to come to the lunch table, when I heard mention of a suspicious
looking East Indian man in an Orlando bank. My ears popped up of
course.

Apparently, Nirvair Singh, who holds an Indian passport walked into a
Wachovia Bank at 7950 S. Orange Blossom Trail at 10.52 on Tuesday
November 27th. He sat down there after asking for tickets to India
with his luggage beside him, and refused to move. After negotiations,
a standoff, and a 3 hour traffic chaos, he surrendered later in the
evening.

The Orlando Sentinel reports -
" "He refused to leave and when he unbuttoned his shirt there was some
sort of vest underneath," said sheriff's spokesman Chief Steve Jones.
"That kind of alarmed people." As the bank emptied, a force began to
assemble that totaled more than 70 deputies, troopers and agents from
the FBI, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Federal Bureau
of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Border Patrol,
Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the sheriff's Crisis
Management Team and Negotiating Team."

The whole situation is quite odd cosidering that he was also
reportedly driven to Sand Lake Hospital for treatment of dog bites
before being jailed on charges of disorderly conduct and trespass.

The Sentinel reports that --
"There's no reason to believe he has any mental issues" but he will be
evaluated at the hospital, Jones said. "The bomb squad blew up his
bags but there was nothing there except clothing."

Full article photos and video at :
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/orange/orl-bk-wachovia112707,0,5847828.story?coll=orl_technology_xpromo