About Arabs / Muslims (& Allies!) Voting "Against" The USA at UN

I got this typical forwarded email from some friend about how Arabs/Muslims voted "against" the US at the UN. It would have been funny and dumb had it not been so dangerous, because many people read such stuff and think it is true. Please feel free to share this blog article with friends so decent people do not become bigots based on reading junk stats they get in forwarded emails from unknown sources.

The original item is marked with ">" marks, my comments are entered between the lines. This is something I have seen before but the person who put together this list forgets (and deliberately ignores) what the fasts are.


> This oughta upset everybody:

This selective and thinly veiled bigotry of the writer against Muslims oughta upset people more.

> How they vote in the United Nations:
>
> Below are the actual voting records of various Arabic/Islamic
> States which are recorded in both the US State Department and
> United Nations records:

It is interesting to see most Latin American, European and African countries not included here. Unfortunately it would show that they TOO often disagree with US and its policies. Additionally, look at CLOSE US allies on that same page at snopes.com and you see how often these allies voted "against the US". ''

Even Israel, which sucks up more US resources than everyone else AND ALSO SPIES ON THE USA, opposed us 11% of the time.

Australia 33 26 44%
Canada 31 32 51%
Israel 56 7 11%
Japan 26 36 58%
UntKng 40 27 40%
France 36 31 46%

An intelligent person would then at least ask the question, "Hmmm, could the whole world be wrong, or could it be that my government does things almost everyone else hates?" Ah. but asking that question in America today would get you labeled "unpatriotic."

> U S Foreign Aid to those that hate us:
>
> Egypt, for example, after voting 79% of the time against
> the United States, still receives $2 billion annually in US Foreign Aid.

I am laughing my butt off. This is the country were the US has kept a dictator in power for THIRTY YEARS and where Laura Bush was just recently PRAISING his sham elections (HE picked who could run against him!!! And Laura loved it).... You will love this piece, it's a must read (on this blog)... "BUSH BURNING (IN) THE MIDDLE EAST" ...Comments welcome.

> Jordan votes 71% against the United States
> and receives $192,814,000 annually in US Foreign Aid.

Another country where we keep an unelected so-called King in power....

> Pakistan votes 75% against the United States
> receives $6,721,000 annually in US Foreign Aid.

Pakistan is ANOTHER country we ONLY give aid when military generals overthrow elected governments. I am from Pakistan before I became an American. I have seen this happen over and over, even today. Also, what is amazing is how the writer shows this HUGE number as the aid to Pakistan.... it was just over Six Million Dollars... Just for comparison we are spending $186 MILLION DOLLARS EVERY DAY in our self-inflicted war in Iraq that Bush started with lies and to enrich Haliburton.

> India votes 81% against the United States
> receives $143,699,000 annually.

This is amazing.... I did not realize India was an Arab or a Muslim country.... in either case, this is the country that American companies are falling over each to export American jobs to, which was a Soviet ally for 50 years, and is now allying with China and IRAN.... while Bush has promised to give them nuclear (well, he said NUCULAR) technology too. How else can we shoot ourselves in the foot?

> Perhaps it is time to get out of the UN and give the tax savings back to the
> American workers who are having to skimp and sacrifice to pay the taxes (and gasoline).

Yes, let's start with $186 MILLION DAILY being burnt in Iraq, not counting Afghanistan and not counting the 2000 Americans killed there to avenge those killed on 9/11 not by Iraqis but by Saudis ( whose King Bush KISSES {yewwww} and HOLDS HANDS with and Bush family does business with... INCLUDING the Bin Laden family )....

> Pass this along to every taxpaying citizen you know.
> And send to your congressman, who should be disgraced but couldn't care less.

We really oughta find the person who wrote the original piece and ship him off to serve the country for real, in Iraq.

Let's face it....

First he spits on the world's face, then he has Iraq blow up in his face, now he is begging for the world's & UN's help to fix Iraq with egg on his face.

Let's face it....It's George W. Bush who is not relevant anymore.

Imran

The Harder They Fall, The Higher They Go™

Bush and his team of "leaders" is helping me enter a new business... I am ordering T-Shirts....

The Harder They Fail, The Higher They Go..... is the slogan I am putting on them.

Imran

With Great Failure Comes Great Reward

At no time in history have I seen a President publicly praise so many obvious and abject failures.

Even worse, the harder they fail/fall, the higher they go in George Bush' book.... ooooops, sorry, I used Book and Bush in the same sentence.

Look at some recent examples of failures and the "punishment" they gave. Why can't we all get jobs like these?

Person /Failure/Punishment/Result
-------------

- W Bush / War On Terror, Iraq, North Korea / Actually Elected President this time / We are hated AND at more risk

- Bolton / Nuclear Nonproliferation, Diplomacy / UN Ambassador / Laughing stock, face to sink a thousand ships

- Brownie / Katarina / Back to DC instead of in unemployment line / Thousands dead, even more devastated

- Roberts / Can't Differentiate Legal Work and Lobbying / CHIEF Justice nomination / Farewell Constitution.

What do you think?

What if.....?

The media has reported George Bush supporter, fundamentalist Christian extremist preacher, Pat Robertson's calls to assassinate the President of Venezuela.

How ironic. It made me wonder, "What If...?"

Had it been a Muslim bearded religious extremist murderer Taliban cleric like Mullah Omar or even some fundamentalist Jewish terrorist settler rabbi, who had called for taking out the American President then this guy Pat Robertson would have been preaching against "those" religions of hate.

Shame on George "Duh" Bush for not even having the morals (or intelligence) to speak out against Robertson's ugly message..... probably because Robertson DOES speak for Bush.... well, actually even a retard like Robertson speaks a lot more clearly than Bush does. ;-)

If you disagree, feel free to comment.

9/10/2005 1020 PM: (Since this posting the outcry has made that Christian fundamentalist terrorism inciting figure to back down from his dumb statements, more for PR than for genuine change of heart).

If The Iraq Adventure Is Like World War II...

If, as George Bush thinks, his Iraq adventure is like World War II, then I wonder:

- How many days was FDR on vacation then?
- Was the biggest news story a missing teen in Aruba?
- Were most Americans discussing American Idol?
- Were movie or music stars visting troops or dancing on SUVs outside a courthouse?

Yeah, sure, I can see we are in the middle of World War III. But we can sleep well at night simply because our combat-avoiding Commander in Chief George Bush is SO hard at work.... playing Golf AND taking more vacations than any President in HISTORY.

Good Night.... We'll chat about Michael Jackson and American Idol in the morning.... Zzzzzzz....

Murder's OK, But Make Love & You're Dead!

Let me get this straight.

The US military, with two recent draft-dodging Presidents as Commanders-in-Chief, Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, has punished and dishonored a General who actually proudly served this nation in Vietnam and elsewhere. Because he committed..... adultery?

And, even that he did with someone who is neither his subordinate, nor his intern and not even a vendor offering him a job on retirement.

Yet, today a military court (where else but in Texas) let Pfc. Willie Brand go with a slap on the wrist, though he basically murdered two Afghan prisoners.

Way to go. Murdering unarmed prisoners under your control is fine, but God help you if you make love to an adult consenting woman. What would Jesus think.

You never know how much a top General can learn from a soldier. Perhaps the decorated General should have learnt from the murderous Pfc. Willie Brand.

The General would have been better off having sex with a non-consenting woman, that he should have held prisoner; torturing, maiming, raping and finally murdering her. The punishment would have been less severe than what he got now!

That's just, In My Humble Opinion.

All Roads Lead To 'Bridge To Nowhere'

You probably think I always say the current President Bush says ONLY dumb things or tells lies only. Not true. For once, he IS right (not just too Far Right). We DO need more (or at least better) roads. OK, STOP. That is as far as I can Yield to his point of view, which is too driven by extreme agendas, instead of middle-of-the-road policies. And, yes, enough with the bad traffic puns. Let's get back on course. (Sorry, can't resist!).

This latest highway bill will probably do some useful road building, some repairs, some new stuff, but does it matter how great a road is if it goes to Nowhere, or as in this case, to the $231 MILLION Dollar bridge to nowhere that will be built in Alaska?

What road are we on? As a nation. With Bush, it's "My Way Or The Highway" except, in this case, the highway our nation is on, is going his way, the wrong way --- and there's no two ways about it.

I know we do not have job security, or even security in the subway. Many of us have no medical insurance (health security) nor do we have financial security. Even he says social security is a mess and security around the world is even worse for us Americans.

So, the only hope we have is to make a brighter future for kids here. A road for smart, hardworking people to reach an environment in which high-tech, high-quality, high-paying jobs ensure our economic well being, and standards of living.

Bush says this bill will create jobs of the future.

THAT has me worried. Really worried.

We put man on the moon (forget Bush's now totally MIA plans to visit Mars). We built F16s, Stealth bombers, nuclear weapons, microprocessors, laser surgery, microsurgery, software, operating systems, artificial intelligence, speech recognition, telephones, the Internet and all the jobs Bush can promise are road building crew or bulldozer assembly plant jobs?

Should we allow our nation to stay on this road? To Nowhere?

I say, No. Let's take the next exit behind the Bush.

Whose Dying Throes? Rumsfeld's Living Dream

Sorry, I am still trying to figure out if it's the insurgency in its dying throes or Bush/Rumsfeld's political future. More than 2000 more Americans are dead because these people sent them off to war, while their kids are getting arrested for underage drinking and partying.

Bush says this is making us safer at home..... just like Blair made London safe? Now Rumsfeld makes it sound like the insurgents are just fighting because there is no constitution.

So, as soon as a constitution is done, they will say, "Great, I don't need to kill Americans. Who needs 72 virgins anyway, I got me a new constitution, Hallelujah."

I am not holding my breath for that, but I await with bated breath what new idiotic logic or white lie or laughable excuse is invented by the White House, Bush, Rumsfeld and Rice. The suspense is killing me, while unfortunately, their policies are killing American soldiers and putting us all at greater risk.

Imran

Can (they) handle the truth? Re: "logical plan" supposedly from Robin Williams

God Bless America for being a free country that allows anyone to spout any kind of "logic".... even such selectively bigoted stuff as the purported "Robin Williams proposal" I see recirculated every few months.

I am told Robin Williams is NOT the source of this list, but someone is obviously trying to make SOME point, and my response applies to the person(s) who wrote it and those who so gladly forward it to their mailing lists. Can they handle the truth?

The writer is correct on many counts, but we should not be selective in applying this "logic". Here is how it actually looks when you read the reality. So, shall we apply this "perfect plan" or are we having second thoughts?

Imran
http://imran.TV

====
> You gotta love Robin Williams...... Even if he's nuts! Leave it to Robin Williams to come up with the perfect plan What we need now is for our UN Ambassador to stand up and repeat this message.
>
> Robin Williams' plan....(Hard to argue with this logic!)
>
> I see a lot of people yelling for peace but I have not heard of a plan for peace. So, here's one plan."
>
> 1..) "The US will apologize to the world for our "interference" in their affairs, past & present. You know, Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin, Tojo, Noriega, Milosevic, Hussein, and the rest of those 'good ole boys,' We will never "interfere" again.

Hitler was allowed to run amok with the US looking the other way. American companies continued to do business with Nazi Germany. Jews were being killed off but the US did nothing (see NY Times {I think August 6, 2005} piece for a historical timeline of what the US did and when) until Japan attacked US.

Stalin was allowed to rape Eastern Europe, the US also sold out Poland to the Soviets. Noriega was a CIA paid killer friends with Bush Sr. Saddam Hussein was a US supported killer (I love those pics of Donald Dumbsfeld hugging Hussein while he was carrying out gas attacks on Iranians). I do not even have time to go into the list of Latin American dictators we kept in power to brutalize their populations.

> 2..) We will withdraw our troops from all over the world, starting with Germany, South Korea, the Middle East, and the Philippines. They don't want us there. We would station troops at our borders. No one allowed sneaking through holes in the fence.

I fully agree. There are too many Hispanic vote seeking politicians who are selling out the US. Heck, I am all for the vigilante patrols on the Mexican border. If a Mexican drug dealer and gang member can crawl in, how difficult will it be for AlQaeda to hop on over too? Shoot anyone coming over illegally.

> 3..) All illegal aliens have 90 days to get their affairs together and leave. We'll give them a free trip home. After 90 days the remainder will be gathered up and deported immediately, regardless of who or where they are. They're illegal!!! France will welcome them.

90 days? Why? 30 oughta do it. And, if politicians and "activists" cry out to support illegals, have each one house at least 6 of them in their own homes and pay their bills (and TAXES).

> 4..) All future visitors will be thoroughly checked and limited to 90 days unless given a special permit!!!!!!!! No one from a terrorist nation will be allowed in.

I assume that includes terrorist nations like Israel (with an indicted war criminal Premier) that occupy civilian populations, use OUR tax-payer financed "defense" F-16s to drop 1000 lb. bombs in civilian neighborhoods killing 27 innocent people, while missing the ONE suspected terrorist they wanted to get. Oh, sorry, saying anything against Israel is so politically incorrect lest one be declared an anti-Semite for that. I am amazed that we Americans are made afraid to criticize Israel because we will be called anti-Semitic. That is baloney. I say, if someone us caught spying, as 3 American Jews were just charged, shoot them the same way as a Russian, Chinese or Saudi would and should be. Does saying that make me anti-Semitic? No, it makes me a loyal, patriotic American.

> If you don't like it there, change it yourself and don't hide here. Asylum would never be available to anyone. We don't need any more cab drivers or 7-11 cashiers.

Nor do we need any more people whose alliances are with the state of Israel or any other country instead of the United States. We should also ship off any people who are hyphenated Americans. Be an American, nor NOT an American. If you are "African-American" but do not speak an African language, were not born in African, do not have family in Africa, do not have property in Africa, heck, have not even visited Africa, then wake up, you are an American. If you do not like that, take the next ship to whatever country in Africa will take you. Now, for those pure racist readers smiling at my words, this applies to you. If you are Italian-American, Irish-American, Israeli-American, Indian-American, Pakistani-American or whatever hyphen you belong to, go ahead, take pride in your parents' heritage, but be a proud American or take the next flight/ship to your country of hyphen.

At the same time, if immigrants from Nigeria, Korea, Pakistan, Phillipines, India, Poland and other places are willing to come here and work in nail salons, newspaper kiosks, 7-11s, cabs, nurses, caregivers, or other jobs that do not require a rocket science degree but are not done by hyphenated-Americans, then welcome the immigrants and stop giving welfare to such hyphenated-Americans. For example, If a Korean can apply nail polish on a woman's hands, a person getting fat on welfare ought to be able to do the job.

> 5..) No foreign "students" over age 21. The older ones are the bombers. If they don't attend classes, they get a "D" and it's back home baby.

Ironically, if it was not for foreign students, many engineering schools would actually shut down as local American kids focus on courses that will make them burger flippers. The luckier ones may become B-grade movie actors or comics. Mr. Williams should know.

> 6..) The US will make a strong effort to become self-sufficient energy wise. This will include developing nonpolluting sources of energy but will require a temporary drilling of oil in the Alaskan wilderness. The caribou will have to cope for a while.

But, the Bush family, with decades of brotherhood with the evil corrupt Saudi regime, (I love the pics of Bush kissing the Saudi King ..... eeeewww and holding hands with him) stands to gain.

Did anyone notice the latest energy bill passed while diverting our attention to the "abortion" debate? Exxon-Mobil types, that made $25 BILLION in Profits last year, get BILLIONS more in tax-breaks. The caribou can rest easy knowing the ass in the White House is an oil industry stooge. So, with oil industry agents in the White House, the bigoted whiner who wrote the list will have to cope for a while.

> 7..) Offer Saudi Arabia and other oil producing countries $10 a barrel! for their oil. If they don't like it, we go some place else. They can go somewhere else to sell their production. (About a week of the wells filling up the storage sites would be enough.)

Hahahaha. I love Robin Williams; witty, often brilliant. The above logic more likely came from someone with the wisdom of an 11 year old redneck. But this is funny. We are the ones sending Cheney and Co. over to suck up to the Saudis to please keep their oil lines open for us, instead of selling it to China and India, the next two countries who will swallow our lunch ---- and our oil.

> 8..) If there is a famine or other natural catastrophe in the world, we will not "interfere." They can pray to Allah or

Ah, could we get any more bigoted and Muslim-bashing than this. Allah is the Muslim word for ONE GOD, the same one Christians and Jews believe in. Interestingly, most US AID goes to Christian nations in Africa etc. and also to Muslim and non-Muslim countries. But Jewish/Zionist ISRAEL sucks most US resources, even without a catastrophe, WHILE it SPIES on the US. But, of course, Mr. Williams is Jewish and I do not expect him (or the writer claiming to be Mr Williams) to remember that.

> whomever, for seeds, rain, cement or whatever they need. Besides most of what we give them is stolen or given to the army. The people who need it most get very little, if anything.

VERY true --- because it is the US that keeps evil dictators in power in most countries around the world. Noriega, Hussain, Zia etc. in the past, Saudis, Musharaff, Mobarak, and many more, today.....

> 9..) Ship the UN Headquarters to an isolated island some place. We don't need the spies and fair weather friends here. Besides, the building would make a good homeless shelter or lockup for illegal aliens.

It could also make a good place to arrest and detain so-called Americans who spy on America because their alliances lie with another state. I would also throw in people who are getting fat on welfare, redneck militia members, drug dealers, organized crime family members, latin gang members, and other assorted scum. Let's unite them and then gas the building.

> 10.) All Americans must go to charm and beauty school. That way, no one can call us "Ugly Americans" any longer. The Language we speak is ENGLISH.....learn it...or LEAVE.....

I agree with that....... unfortunately, considering the poor state of English (and education in general) we would probably lose half our own native-born American population in that case.

> Now, isn't that a winner of a plan?

Yes, when you fill in the blanks, I think we have a more fair and equitable plan. That is just In My Humble Opinion ( http://imrananwar.blogspot.com - comments welcome)

Regards

Imran
http://imran.TV

Posted August 10, 2005

"Didn't Bin Laden work for the CIA?" . "Well,...."

Someone asked recently, "Didn't Bin Laden work for the CIA? Didn't they train him and give him loads of money?"

Well, I do not think Bin Laden was technically a direct recruit of the CIA or an employee.

I understand he went to Afghanistan on his own to fight the Russians, for their invasion of a Muslim land. US said he is a good man for feeling that way.

The CIA and the US Govt. were busy actually promoting the word JIHAD in Muslim countries like Pakistan so uneducated masses could be exhorted to volunteer to go into battle against Russians, many times knowing they would be suicide missions. So, Bin Laden was a Godsend to the CIA and they worked well together. Training and resources were surely provided to him.

Of course, now we are paying the price. We said he was a hero when he wanted outside armies out of Muslim lands like Afghanistan. When he said OK, now American armies out of Saudi Arabia (his actual home country)Blair and Bush started talking as if this is some ideology from 1000 years ago. Now, last time I checked 1979 was not 1000 yers ago when the US Govt. and CIA created the JIHADI soldier.

The Russians are probably laughing at us every day we get mad dogs we trained biting at us around the world now.

Imran

Post date: Aug 4, 2005

Bolton, Liar And/Or Idiot, Is Ideal Candidate For Bush

So, our lying, idiotic, President, has done it again. He has picked another candidate who all intelligent and patriotic Americans oppose. But, I think Bolton is the perfect candidate, at least in Bush' book. Here's why.

It is one thing to be a determined President, another to be a stupid, stubborn, scumbag shoddily installing incompetent idiots like Bolton. My Bush-worshipping fellow Americans have to take a pick.

Bolton is either:

a- A LIAR, who lied to lawmakers
b- An IDIOT, who cannot remember being questioned by a select committee or a grand jury or a special prosecutor.

In either case, such an idiot or liar would be the perfect choice to be our face to the United Nations only under a lying, stupid, President like Bush, who can surely relate to him on BOTH counts.

Imran

Imran interview in Beijing Review, China

This is an interview in the latest edition of Beijing Review, discussing the "war on terror" and many other issues. Please read. Comments welcome.

http://imran.com/IMRAN/MediaCoverage/BeijingReview_WarOnTerror.html

IMHO: Imran Anwar videolog statement on London Bombing Terror Attacks

Please take a look at the vlog statement at:

Imran Statement On London Bombings & Terrorist Attacks .

You decide if the London terrorists' actions were dumb and evil, or not.

Guilty or Not? It's Backbreaking Work Being Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson had to go to hospital for back problems. Awww....that is so sad. His back gave out.

The lower back is a really strange part of the body.

One day you can be out dancing on the roof of an SUV, giving high fives and the next thing you know you need 5 hours in hospital to be able to move again.

Either way, Michael Jackson needs a much stronger lower back now.

He'll need it to give pelvic thrusts to the next underage male victim if he's found Not Guilty, or.... for receiving them from some 7 feet tall guy named "Bubba" in prison, if he is found Guilty.

Imran

How Traditional Publications Can Become The Future Of Publishing

How Traditional Publications Can Become The Future Of Publishing
--- The Shape Of Prints To Come ---

Comment By Imran Anwar

People often ask me "Is there a future for traditional newspapers and magazines, and will digital devices not make these "traditional" publications obsolete?"

Well, the answer depends on how "traditional" publishers respond to the threats from digital devices - as their doom, or as new opportunities for them to expand the horizons of publishing.

What we call traditional publications may likely not be around in 25 years, much less in 50. However, I still see a bright future for magazines and newspapers, if we look at them from just two of several possible new angles I can imagine.

One, is a magazine or newspaper considered that only if it is printed on paper? Won't it still be a "traditional" newspaper 50 years from now if I, or more likely my children, are sitting at the beach, flipping the pages of a silicon film digital ink based publication that can be refilled with tomorrow's newspaper wirelessly every night or every few hours even?

Two, even if almost all of the content we seek becomes available in various colorful, handheld devices, traditional magazines can still make a niche for themselves.... by being non-traditional.

The digital devices most people envision replacing paper publications have their own limitations..... e.g. the need to have a one-size fits all device, regardless of whether I am reading the NY Times' news or MacWorld's reviews.

But, "traditional" publications can be printed in almost any size or shape, and, thanks to modern printing technology, on almost any material.

Thus, content design for these new shapes, textures, materials and sizes will allow publication designers huge opportunities of expression that no "all purpose" digital reader can match.

I do not see any reason why imaginative publishers will not create and design their publications in varying paper sizes (poster size or pocket) or with irregular shapes (triangle, continuous scroll, 100-fold single sheet) or having unique textures (cotton, holographic paper, parchment, aluminum, suede) or have different pages filled with aromas (for recipe pages for example) and who knows what else.

Their imagination is the limit. With so much creative freedom in "paper" publications, digital devices may then seem to be limited and limiting of the "reader experience"!

Imagine people wondering, in 2025 perhaps, if "traditional electronic reading devices" will be around in 20 years and if the "real" and "sensory" (i.e. including touch, feel, smell....) magazines and newspapers will replace them. Never say Never.

====
© 2005, Imran Anwar
IMRAN.TV

Imran Anwar condemns suicide bombers, demands their excommunication

Newswire: (New York - February 28, 2005) Respected and popular media personality and community leader IMRAN ANWAR, regularly a guest on Fox News Channel and CNN, issued an urgent statement on the latest suicide bombing reported in the news today.

In his media statement, Mr. Imran Anwar:

*CONDEMNS SUICIDE BOMBER AS HELL-BOUND EVIL-DOER WHO SHOULD BE EXCOMMUNICATED FROM ISLAM
- Calls it as it is, helps wake up silent Muslims who are looking the other way
- Helps prevent other illiterate idiots from signing on as bombers if they know they will go to hell

*CALLS ON MUSLIM LEADERS AND ESPECIALLY CLERICS AND IMAMS TO DECLARE THAT SUCH BOMBERS WILL GO TO HELL, AND NOT TO ANY PARADISE
- It is the DUTY of Muslim clerics to save Islam from these heretic murderers and to prevent future bombings
- Islam requires people to stop, prevent and speak against evil when they see it

*AKS WHY US GOVT. HAS NO DIRECT OUTREACH TO MUSLIMS THAT TERRORISTS ARE ENEMIES OF MUSLIMS EVERYWHERE
- No effort to speak directly to the Muslims of the world using plain facts, terrorists are killing more Muslims than Americans
- Bombings are killing innocent civilians, not soldiers
- Can bring Muslim majority on board to help eradicate insurgency

Opinions? Ideas?

How iPod will become MyPod - Response to Forbes magazine

How iPod will become MyPod: And, Why Forbes Is Wrong About The Future Sales Of iPods

By Imran Anwar

The media, and consumers, are excited beyond belief at the incredible performance of Apple Computer in the last few years. It's recent release of a Mac MINI and an iPod (mini) Shuffle has generated even more buzz. It sold close to 5 MILLION of the existing iPods in just the last quarter. Even previous naysayer journalists have begun to sing praises of the iPod and Apple.

Forbes generally has great analysis. Their Mr. Hesseldahl usually writes logically and sensibly on technology issues. His recent piece (When iPod Sales Run Out Of Steam - Forbes 1/14/05) on iPod sales sounds similarly logically written. But, unfortunately, the logic is so flawed I had to laugh. Except, I am a satisfied Apple iPod user, MacUser and currently also hold a few hundred shares in Apple - so I had to respond to it.

Using the logic of his article, Microsoft should have gone out of business a few years ago, as well as IBM. After all, PCs and clones reached a much higher penetration of the market than iPod enjoys at present. Yet, more personal computers are sold today than ever before. People's needs increase. They upgrade. CPUs become more powerful. Applications require more resources and new hardware is needed.

Eventually, as machines become more affordable, people buy more PCs.

Similarly, with Apple's new $499 Mac Minis I can bet millions more of these and Windows PCs will sell even where people already have PCs

In My Humble Opinion, Apple iPods can conceivably sell in much higher numbers than personal computers, for various reasons.

A personal computer has the word "personal" in its name but often a whole family can share a SINGLE personal computer, especially because MacOS, Windows, etc. also allow separate user accounts to run on the same machine.

The iPod on the other hand is a TRULY Personal device. You take it with you. You keep your music on it. Your spouse or brother has their own iPod even if you both share the same computer. So, conceivably, a family with 2 parents and four kids that shares one PC (which could be in the range of $500-$3000) can easily also own six iPods.

If this family has a Mercedes or BMW or one of the newer models coming out with iPod support built-in, I could also imagine there being an iPod just for the car.

Sounds far-fetched? Think about it. We have cassette and CD players at home and in the car. For more than 5 years I have had a car with an integrated Motorola cell phone.

Now I have more than one cell phone. And, I am not even including the cellular numberless cell phone that is built into the car for the security and tele-aid system.

Over time, I just got used to leaving the Motorola cell phone in the car. Calls to it are automatically forwarded to my "handheld" cell phone when I am not driving. So, having a "car-iPod" in addition to the family's various iPods is not unthinkable.

This past Christmas, I bought a 40GB iPod for a friend who had done me a favor. I had considered taking his wife and him to dinner and a Broadway show. Instead, I spent approximately the same money on getting him the iPod. Whether he uses it (on his boat, car, motorcycle, hotrod, or just tooling around his family business where he is first to arrive and last to leave) or gives it to his wife or son or grandchildren, the iPod was the perfect gift. And, it will last a lot longer than that dinner I would have taken him to.

In the meantime, we got two more iPods, for my siblings, and I am now in the market for a replacement. My 30GB iPod is close to full and I also want the iPod Photo version. The 80GB version of that should be here soon, and as soon as it does, I hope to get one.

With the launch of the $99 iPod Shuffle, I can actually get these for my sister and her husband, who both like music but are not listening to it all the time to justify getting them the high-end units. At $99, at their birthdays, I would have no problems getting one each for the kids in the family.

So, as far as I am concerned, even if Apple does not add video to iPod (I have no interest in that at present), I can see MUSIC-ONLY driven sales continuing to rise. Add the explosion of podcasting, and more audio-books, and one can see how even "serious" people can happily tote iPods on the subway or on the plane, on their walk to the beach or walking in the mall.

If, as I have been begging for years, Apple re-releases a PIM (personal information maanger) or PDA, built either into the cell phone they are launching with Motorola or into the iPod (I already carry my contacts, calendars, and some documents on the iPod) with or without Bluetooth - you can see the implications of the iPod becoming even more a MyPod.

What do YOU think?

Forget The Generals, Rumsfeld Knows Best

As I continue my (valiant or futile?) effort to catch up on my reading, I read with interest a recent news item that Donald Rumsfeld (the charming and infallible Secretary of Defence under our even more infallible President) is at odds with the top brass of the Air Force.



Apparently, the Air Force top brass - who have spent their lives working in and running the air force - are not the ones whose opinion counts on what kind of weapon systems we should be getting.



Given an expected "reduction" in military spending (when, in fact, our total bill on military operations, thanks for wars we chose to start, is increasing) the air force leaders want to get a lot of the Raptor aircraft that are incredible fighting machines. They have even shown a willingness to take a reduction in the number of JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) planes they will get, as long as they can get something like 500 Raptors.



However, Rumsfeld (whose brilliant military planning we are all witnessing on live TV in Iraq every night, and whose clear thinking was exposed when he blurted out that the fourth hijacked plane had been shot down in Pennsylvania) wants to kill off the Raptors and get more of the JSF.



What I find bothersome and distrubing is the logic behind this great man's thinking. The Raptor is more suited for air combat against a great adversary - so, I guess we do not expect China, or Russia, or others, to ever miltarily be a threat to us (or our allies). The JSF is more suited for supporting roles in ground attacks.....



Maybe I am wrong, but, that sounds disturbingly like a plan for us to ignore the resurgence of big military powers like China and Russia one day, while we focus on starting more wars with countries where we can simply go in and bomb our way to the targets Haliburton gives us.



In My Humble Opinion, both approaches are wrong and dangerous.



What do YOU think?



Imran Anwar.

http://www.imran.TV

Welcome to Imran Anwar's IN MY HUMBLE OPINION

Good morning, and a Happy New Year. It is that time of year, when resolutions are made, and even implemented - at least for a while. For the last few days, I have been furiously working on a list of resolutions - from 1995. OK, I am exaggerating, but not by much. ;-)



It IS amazing how quickly time (and life) pass by, and so many of our plans, desires, resolutions, promises, etc. fall, or at least, drop, by the wayside, as the business of "stayin' alive" makes demands on our time. And that is so for those of us lucky enough to be "stayin' alive" - unlike the hundred(s) of thousands either killed or devastated by the twists of fates, from wars they did not start to tsunamis, from murderers to malaria-carrying mosquitoes, from HIV rolling over countries to lousy Ford SUVs rolling over.



So, more than anything else, I resolve to do the things that I know are important. Important enough, they HAVE to be done - to have made life worth living. Wish me luck, say a prayer, and read on .....



To paraphrase Jerry McGuire... Help me help ME to help me do those things by reading these pages I write, linking to them, sharing them with others and encouraging us all to communicate better, to understand better, to make our lives, and the world, a better place. Amen/Aameen. And, thank you.



Imran Anwar,

http://www.imran.TV,

Heron Pointe, NY, 1/1/2005