Bishnoi races towards victory in Hisar

Haryana Janhit Congress' Kuldeep Singh Bishnoi appeared set for victory in the Hisar parliamentary by-election while the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) was number two and the state's ruling Congress was trailing a distant third.

Bishnoi was leading by more than 30,000 votes over his rivals, Ajay Singh Chautala of the Indian National Lok Dal (INLD) and Congress' three-time MP Jai Parkash.

As speculation mounted over the role played by Anna Hazare and team, which stepped into the political fray to campaign against the Congress, Bishnoi said he owed nothing to the anti-corruption crusader.

"I attribute it only to my father and the (alliance with) BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party)," Bishnoi told reporters here, as officials placed him on the victory lap with a lead of 32,000 votes over his nearest rival.

By the time Team Anna began campaigning in Hisar against the Congress for its refusal to back the Jan Lokpal Bill, people had decided to vote for him, he said.

Bishnoi, son of former Haryana chief minister Bhajan Lal, however, added that he respected anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare and would vote for the Jan Lokpal Bill in parliament.

The Hisar seat had fallen vacant in June following the death of Bhajan Lal, a three-time chief minister.

Bishnoi races towards victory in Hisar                        As Bishnoi looked forward to victory, the son of another former chief minister was looking at second position in the crucial election result. Ajay Singh Chautala is the son of former Haryana chief minister, Om Prakash Chautala.

The Congress' Jai Parkash had come third in the last election as well. Although Bishnoi refused to give the Team Anna any credit, some analysts said the campaign had also affected the Congress prospects.

Surprisingly, Jai Parkash also denied that Team Anna had anything to do with the Hisar result. "The caste factor undid me," he said.

The election, held on Oct 13, witnessed 70 percent polling. About 9.3 lakh voters (nearly 70 percent) of 13.32 lakh registered voters had voted.

The Gilad Shalit Dilemma

In Haifa eight years ago, Asaf Zur was returning home from school.  Along the way, his fellow bus passenger, a Hamas suicide bomber, blew himself up and killed seventeen Israelis, mostly school children like 17-year-old Asaf.

The  bomb belt worn by the terrorist was made by Mawaz Abu Sharach and Majdi Amro. They trained him, planned his deadly assault, and drove him to his target. For their heinous cruelty they received seventeen life sentences. Interviewed from an Israeli prison on British television for a program called “Inside the Mind of a Suicide Bomber,” he said: “We will be released before our sentences’ time; we will go back to terror because we must kill more Jews.

MLK Memorial

MLK Memorial

Thousands of people gathered Sunday to give the new Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial a proper dedication on the National Mall after its opening in August.

Aretha Franklin, poet Nikki Giovanni and President Barack Obama were among those who honored the legacy of the nation's foremost civil rights leader during a ceremony scheduled to run more than four hours.

The crowd, some of whom came out as early as 5 a.m., included people of all ages and races. Some women wore large Sunday hats for the occasion.

The president arrived late morning with his wife and two daughters, which drew loud cheers from those watching his entrance on large screens. He was to speak from a podium set up with part of the memorial as a backdrop.

Cherry Hawkins traveled from Houston with her cousins and arrived at 6 a.m. to be part of the dedication. They postponed earlier plans to attend the August dedication, which was postponed because of Hurricane Irene.

"I wanted to do this for my kids and grandkids," Hawkins said. She expects the memorial will be in their history books someday. "They can say, `Oh, my granny did that.'"

Hawkins, her cousin DeAndrea Cooper and Cooper's daughter Brittani Jones, 23, visited the King Memorial on Saturday after joining a march with the Rev. Al Sharpton to urge Congress to pass a jobs bill.

"You see his face in the memorial, and it's kind of an emotional moment," Cooper said. "It's beautiful. They did a wonderful job."

A stage for speakers and thousands of folding chairs were set up on a field near the memorial along with large TV screens. Most of the 10,000 chairs set out appeared to be full. Many other people were standing.

World Food Day on October 16, 2011.

World Food Day on October 16, 2011

Did you know – together we can work towards fixing the food system? Join people around the world in a week of action on food, this week – October 15-22, 2011 – Oxfam’s GROW week.  This week is an opportunity to celebrate food and the people who produce it. The GROW campaign is calling for changes to fix the injustices in our food system that leave almost a billion of us going to bed hungry every night – the majority women and girls. GROW week includes the 30th anniversary of World Food Day on October 16, 2011.

So, what can YOU do to be a part of GROW week?  You can start by taking the World Food Challenge.  Oxfam is simply calling on you to enjoy a meal during GROW week.  That’s it.  Share a meal made with organic, fair trade and/or local ingredients – it could be a small and intimate gathering of friends or family; or a larger event like a potluck at a community centre, school or workplace. Whatever works best for you.  The key is to get people talking. Use Oxfam’s Tools for Change to get the conversation started. Host a meal that sparks a conversation about where your food comes from, who cultivates it, and how we can make the global food system fairer and more sustainable.

A couple more things – tell Oxfam how you’ll meet the challenge. Your participation counts: Oxfam is pulling together a record of events from around the world.  Secondly, spread the word. Let others know how you will meet the challenge — through your networks and online through Facebook, Twitter or your blog — and challenge friends to do the same.  Watch the Oxfam website for news of activities and join in an exciting GROW week of action by taking the World Food Challenge.

Neil and I have been making an effort to eat as much local produce and meat as possible, helped along by our bi-weekly organic box and the tomatoes and peppers from our garden this year!

Along with some local eggs, our World Food Challenge meal was a simple breakfast omelette with sautéed tomatoes, peppers and mushrooms, served with fingerling potato fries.

Sometimes simple tastes best. Make it local and it’s even better!

So what are you waiting for? Get eating, get talking and join Oxfam’s GROW Week and take the World Food Challenge as well!