Dog in Car - Saratoga, CA, USA

Dog in Car - Saratoga, CA, USA, a photo by medhekar2000 on Flickr.

Was waiting for my brother to pick me up from the mall when I noticed this alert Corgi (?) leaning out of his master's car. What was interesting was that the dog didn't try to jumpt out or bark or look uncomfortable. Must be a great pet!

Birds of a feather, Spanish Bay, CA, USA

Birds of a feather, Spanish Bay, CA, USA, a photo by medhekar2000 on Flickr.

Birds on the beach at Spanish bay, CA, USA - nearly all looking one way. Notice how birds of a kind stay together - the browns to the left, the centre occupied by white breasted sea gulls and black birds to the right!

Jackals at the RCGC Kolkata

Jackals at the RCGC Kolkata, a photo by medhekar2000 on Flickr.

I spotted this young pair of jackals on the 17th fairway of the Royal Calcutta Golf Club in Kolkata (http://www.rcgc.in/). I am told that there are several of this species on the premises of this very old golf club (it is the oldest golf club outside Great Britain - it was founded in 1829!). These lovely animals roamed free in these parts till urbanization left only the golf club premises with the natural habitat that they require. Then the club was fenced off and so these furry animals live in peace in the woods surrounding the club. I am told that the club provides them with food and water. They are out on the fairway sunning themselves after a weeks' heavy downpour(Took this with the the only camera available - my Nokia E71 mobilephone camera)

Dancing Peacock

Dancing Peacock, a photo by medhekar2000 on Flickr.

Caught a peacock with his fan of tail feathers fully extended, dancing to attarct his harem next to the 7th (?) tee box on the Delhi Golf Course with my Nokia E71 mobilephone camera. Rain was moments away, and the mating calls of this and other peacocks filled the air.

Intelligence failure - what's that?

"Intelligence failure" has become a cliche of sorts - no one is sure of what the term means and yet each time we have a law & order situation or a terrorist strike, this two-word phrase is bandied about by "experts on TV shows etc who would have one believe that while nothing in this world is or can be perfect, intelligence collection is so simple that by mere application of the right sort of effort (no one is sure what this means!), we would have perfect intelligence!

I think we need to desist from such general comments that serve no purpose. Also, I don't think anyone expects intelligence to be 100% correct *and* available 100% of the times. To presume that each and every terror strike is always preceded with accurate intelligence on place, time and participants, failing which we must conclude that there was "intelligence failure" is, to say the least absurd if not outright stupid. Intelligence failure is not the same as say, "Power failure" or "Mechanical breakdown". This is obvious. Intelligence failure is a term that should be used sparingly when an entire system of intelligence collection, collation and dissemination has grossly failed over a period of time. This has not been the case and, therefore, if we use this phrase loosely we will do gross injustice to our intelligence organizations in particular and to security agencies and the police in general.

Old Post Box on Lower Mall Rd., Kasauli

Old Post Box on Lower Mall Rd., Kasauli
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

Spent a delightful couple of days at this old cantonment town of Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh - a quaint hill-station (built in 1842 or 1845) which is a great getaway during the oppresive Delhi summers - just four and a half hours away by road. There is also a train from Delhi up to Kasauli from where one can drive up to Kasauli. Spotted this old post box on one of our long walks - htere are several great trails and walks in and around this town.

Smiling Man, Serai Amanat Khan, Punjab, India

Smiling Man, Serai Amanat Khan, Punjab, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

On way from Amritsar to Chandigarh we stopped by a serai (resting place), Serai Amant Khan, built during the Mughal rule. It's being restored by the Archeological Department, Govt. of India. The beautiful Serai Amanat Khan houses the tomb of Amanat Khan, majestically guarded by the minarets on the four sides of the tomb. The mosque in the vicinity is adorned with beautiful verses in Persian. This serai like the others served as a resting place for the people passing the royal road from Atari to Govindwal. All of them, including the Amanat Khan Serai, has water tanks to serve the inmates staying in the serais.

There I chanced upon this proud, smiling old man who was all too willing to be photograhed. We hardly spoke but the few moments we spent together were as if we were old friends. That's the charm of rural India - dignified informality.

The Howrah Bridge (now known as the Rabindra Setu), Kolkata, India

The Howrah Bridge (now known as the Rabindra Setu), Kolkata, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

Remember the Geeta Dutt song "Mera naam Chin Chin Choo..." in the Shakti Samanta film "Howrah Bridge" (1958) which was reused in Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay"? That song kept ringing in my head as we cruised along the Hoogly at night. The cool evening breeze, the silent darkness and the Howrah Bridge emerging out of the dark waters - I felt I was in a dream!

Crows in conference!

Crows in conference!
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

"Well I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow / Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there, counting crows / One for sorrow, two for joy / Three for girls and four for boys / Five for silver, six for gold / Seven for a secret never to be told."

From: "A Murder of One" on the album 'August and Everything After' - Band: Counting Crows.