Diversity Visa Lottery 2009 (DV-2009) Results
The Kentucky Consular Center in Williamsburg, Kentucky has registered and notified the winners of the DV-2009 diversity lottery. The diversity lottery was conducted under the terms of section 203(c) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and makes available *50,000 permanent resident visas annually to persons from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States. Approximately 99,600 applicants have been registered and notified and may now make an application for an immigrant visa. Since it is likely that some of the first *50,000 persons registered will not pursue their cases to visa issuance, this larger figure should insure that all DV-2009 numbers will be used during fiscal year 2009 (October 1, 2008 until September 30, 2009).
Applicants registered for the DV-2009 program were selected at random from over 9.1 million qualified entries received during the 60-day application period that ran from noon on October 3, 2007, until noon, December 2, 2007. The visas have been apportioned among six geographic regions with a maximum of seven percent available to persons born in any single country. During the visa interview, principal applicants must provide proof of a high school education or its equivalent, or show two years of work experience in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience within the past five years. Those selected will need to act on their immigrant visa applications quickly. Applicants should follow the instructions in their notification letter and must fully complete the information requested.
Registrants living legally in the United States who wish to apply for adjustment of their status must contact the Bureau of Citizenship and Immigration Services for information on the requirements and procedures. Once the total *50,000 visa numbers have been used, the program for fiscal year 2009 will end. Selected applicants who do not receive visas by September 30, 2009 will derive no further benefit from their DV-2009 registration. Similarly, spouses and children accompanying or following to join DV-2009 principal applicants are only entitled to derivative diversity visa status until September 30, 2009.
Only participants in the DV-2009 program who were selected for further processing have been notified. Those who have not received notification were not selected. They may try for the upcoming DV-2010 lottery if they wish. The dates for the registration period for the DV-2010 lottery program will be widely publicized during August 2009.
*The Nicaraguan and Central American Relief Act (NACARA) passed by Congress in November 1997 stipulated that up to 5,000 of the 55,000 annually-allocated diversity visas be made available for use under the NACARA program. The reduction of the limit of available visas to 50,000 began with DV-2000.
The following is the statistical breakdown by foreign-state chargeability of those registered for the DV-2009 program:
Natives of the following countries were not eligible to participate in DV-2009: Brazil, Canada, China (mainland-born, excluding Hong Kong S.A.R., and Taiwan), Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Haiti, India, Jamaica, Mexico, Pakistan, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom (except Northern Ireland) and its dependent territories, and Vietnam.
The 30 Greatest Battles of World War II
http://www.strategypage.com/
Battles are ranked by a combination of Importance in the outcome of World War II, Amount of Men and Materials committed to the Battle, Intensity of Fighting and Casualties and Losses incurred in Men and Materials.
1.) Battle of Kursk (July 5, 1943 to July 13, 1943) Germany launches its 3rd Summer Offensive against the Russians and its last. The largest 
Tank Battle ever fought in History. German aim to capture 66 Soviet Divisions fails as the Battle becomes a battle of attrition. Germany accepts a tactical draw and withdraws. Germany lost 100,000 killed/wounded/captured and Soviet Union lost 250,000 killed and 600,000 wounded and the destruction of 50% of their tanks.
2.) Battle of Prussia (June 22, 1944 to August 16, 1944) Soviet Union launches the greatest offensive in human history. Its aim is to destroy 100 German Divisions guarding Prussia and Poland. Hitler does not give the order for the Massive German Army Center to withdraw and the Army is totally destroyed. Germany lost 800,000 killed/wounded/captured and Soviet Union lost 1,300,000 killed and wounded. This was the greatest disaster to befall on the German Army in World War II.
3.) Battle of Stalingrad (August 23, 1942 to February 2, 1943) The Bloodiest battle ever fought in history and the greatest urban battle ever fought. The biggest defeat on the German Army since the war began. Germany lost 300,000 killed/wounded/captured and Soviet Union lost 1,200,000 killed.
4.) Battle of Vistula (January 12, 1945 to March 30, 1945) The Soviets launch the Biggest offensive of World War II even bigger than their Summer offensive 6 months ago. The German Army guarding the Vistula River is totally destroyed and a massive German army retreats to the final defenses around Berlin. Germany lost 500,000 killed/wounded/captured and Soviet Union lost 600,000 killed and wounded.
5.) Battle of Berlin (April 16, 1945 to May 7, 1945) The 2nd most fierce urban warfare battle. Germany lost 200,000 killed and over 200,000 civilians killed and Soviet Union lost 600,000 men killed and wounded.
6.) Battle of Normandy (June 6, 1944 to July 24, 1944) The Invasion of Western Europe by the Allied forces. Germany lost 216,000 men killed/wounded/captured and Allies lost 209,000 killed/wounded/captured.
7.) Battle of Moscow (November 17, 1941 to January 28, 1942) The German attack to capture the city fails due to Soviet counter offensives and severe winter storms which paralyzes the German Army. Germany lost 200,000 men killed/wounded/captured and Soviet Union lost 700,000 killed/wounded/captured.
8.) Battle of Ardennes (December 16, 1944 to January 28, 1945) The last great German offensive in World War II. Germany lost 100,000 killed and USA lost 81,000 killed/wounded/captured and 1,400 British losses.
9.) Battle of Atlantic (September 1, 1939 to June 6, 1944) The longest Battle of World War II in which German Submarines tried to sink supply ships going to England and Soviet Union. The Battle peaked in 1942 but slowly German Submarines were subdued. Germany lost 50,000 Naval Officers and Allies lost 50,000 Merchant and Sailors.
10.) Battle of Britain (July 10, 1940 to October 31, 1940) The largest Air Battle in History. Germany aim to crush the RAF before Invasion of England fails. Germany loses 3,000 Pilots and England loses 1,800 Pilots as well as 20,000 British Civilians are killed.
11.) Battle of France (May 10, 1940 to June 22, 1940) The German invasion of France through Belgium and Holland completely catches the French Army off guard. The ill-prepared British and Belgium army are totally defeated by the German Armored Divisions. The British Army evacuates from Dunkirk leaving the French to fend for them. The Bulk of the French Army is deployed on the German border and is unable to move to counter the German Army coming through the Belgium border. France loses 350,000 Men killed and wounded, England loses 100,000 men killed/wounded/captured with 40,000 prisoners taken at Dunkirk and Germany loses 100,000 men killed and wounded.
12.) Battle of Midway (June 4, 1942 to June 7, 1942) The Greatest Air Craft Carrier Battle in History. Japanese attempt to threaten Hawaii by invading the island of Midway ends in total disaster. They lose 4 Air Craft Carriers and USA loses 1. Japan lost 3,500 Sailors and USA loses 500. This was Japan?s final offensive in the Pacific War and after this it?s Navy will only be used in Defensive operations.
13.) Battle of Leyte Gulf (October 22, 1944 to October 25, 1944) The Largest Naval Battle in History. Japan?s attempt to destroy US transport ships carrying troops and supplies to the Philippines ends in total destruction of the Japanese Navy. Japan loses over 10,000 Sailors and USA around 2,000 half of them dying on the American Air Craft Carrier St. Lo, from a Kamikaze Attack.
14.) Battle of Imphal (March 6, 1944 to June 22, 1944) Japan?s attempt to Invade India ends in its greatest Land defeat. The Best Army troops in the Japanese Army with a force of 120,000 men tried to break through at the Indian city of Imphal. British and Indian troops fought the most intense Urban Battle in the war against Japan on par with Stalingrad and Berlin. In the end, 30,000 British and Indian soldiers are killed and wounded and 80,000 Japanese troops die.
15.) Battle of Okinawa (April 1, 1945 to June 16, 1945) The Last Battle of World War II and the bloodiest battle in the Pacific War. USA attempt to use Okinawa as a stepping stone for the Invasion of Japan. Japan lost 120,000 soldiers defending the Island and 100,000 Japanese civilians also die. USA had 58,000 Casualties.
16.) Battle of Chang-te (November 2, 1943 to November 17, 1943) The Bloodiest Battle between the Japanese and Chinese in World War II. The battle was to determine who controlled the Chinese Rice Bowl in the Hunan Province. China lost over 300,000 Soldiers and 100,000 Civilians died. Japan lost 60,000 Soldiers. Despite these heavy losses, China continued to fight as the over extended Japanese slowly began to retreat.
17.) Battle of Kirovograd (January 5, 1944 to January 17, 1945) The Soviet Winter offensive after the Battle of Kursk the previous summer. The German defeat in this battle caused the Soviets to re-take the Ukraine and the Crimean peninsula. Germany lost 100,000 killed/wounded/captured and Soviet Union lost 400,000 killed and wounded.
18.) Battle of Poland (September 1, 1939 to September 29, 1939) The ill-equipped Polish Army was no match for the German and Russian invasion forces. Poland was portioned between the Germans and Russians. Germany lost 10,000 troops with 3,000 being killed and Poland lost 100,000 Soldiers killed and wounded.
19.) Battle of Burma (March 19, 1945 to May 1, 1945) The Japanese defeat at the Battle of Burma ended the Japanese threat to India and paved the way for the allies to supply China through Burma. This was the last Battle that the British Army was involved in World War II. Japan lost 40,000 Soldiers and Allied forces lost 6,000 men.
20.) Battle of Philippines (October 20, 1944 to March 3, 1945) The battle ended after the fall of Manila in very Heavy Street fighting reminiscent of Warsaw. Japan lost nearly 150,000 Soldiers and killed 200,000 Pilipino civilians and 100,000 in Manila alone. USA had 30,000 casualties in the Invasion and conquest of the Philippines.
21.) Battle of Guadalcanal (August 7, 1942 to March 6, 1943) One of the largest Naval, Marine, and Army engagements in the Pacific War. This was one of the longest Battle in the Pacific War. Japanese defeat at Guadalcanal ended the Japanese dominance in the South Pacific. Japan lost 70,000 Men killed/wounded/captured and the Americans suffered 30,000 Casualties with 10,000 being killed.
22.) Battle of Anzio (January 23, 1944 to May 25, 1944) Allied attempt to the end stalemate in Italy fails in Battle of Anzio. The American forces are trapped for 4 months in this pocket until troops break through the German defenses in Italy and link up with Anzio. Anzio was perhaps the biggest Allied blunder in World War II. Germany lost 100,000 killed/wounded/captured. The Allies lost 135,000 killed/wounded/captured.
23.) Battle of El Alamein (October 23, 1942 to November 3, 1942) The defeat of the German Army in Egypt signaled the end of Axis Empire in North Africa. Germany and Italy lost 60,000 Troops with 30,000 being taken prisoner. The British Empire lost 25,000 Men being killed or wounded.
24.) Battle of Tunisia (February 14, 1943 to May 12, 1943) The cornered German and Italian Forces in Tunisia launch a final attack against the Americans at Kasserine Pass which defeated the US forces. The Americans soon recovered and began a gradual retreat of German forces back to the Sea. The Allied forces had 45,000 Casualties in their conquest of Tunisia with 10,000 killed. Germany and Italy lost 300,000 Troops with 275,000 being taken prisoner and 25,000 being killed and injured.
25.) Battle of Seelow Heights (April 10, 1945 to April 15, 1945) The last German defense before Berlin. Germany lost 80,000 killed/wounded/captured and Soviet Union lost 200,000 killed and wounded.
26.) Battle of Iwo Jima (February 19, 1945 to March 25, 1945) The most intense and bloody and compact battle in the Pacific War. With over 100,000 US Soldiers fighting 25,000 Japanese on a small Island. In the end, USA had 30,000 Casualties and Japan had 20,000.
27.) Battle of Manchuria (August 8, 1945 to August 16, 1945) The Soviet Union after defeating Germany declares war on Japan and launches a massive attack on the Japanese Troops in the Chinese province of Manchuria. Russians suffer 5,000 casualties and 300,000 Japanese troops taken prisoner.
28.) Battle of Singapore (February 10, 1942 to February 15, 1942) The Biggest defeat in British Military History. Singapore an impenetrable fortress falls in 5 days. Japan lost 5,000 men taking the City but 25,000 British and Commonwealth Troops surrender. This signaled the beginning of the end of the British Empire.
29.) Battle of Warsaw (August 1, 1944 to October 2, 1944) The uprising of the Polish Home Army against the Germans. The Germans brutally crush the uprising as the Russian Army standing outside the gates of Warsaw looked on. 50,000 Poles lost their lives and 3,000 German Soldiers died.
30.) Battle of Saipan (June 15, 1944 to July 9, 1944) One of the fiercest Island Battles in the War in the Pacific. This was the last line of Defense for the Japanese before the Philippines and Japan it self. Japan lost 30,000 Soldiers and 10,000 Civilians and USA had 15,000 Casualties with 4,000 Dead.
GLG Adds Investment Strategist
Hedge Fund Daily, 25-Jul-08
GLG Partners has hired Jamil Baz as chief investment strategist focusing on global asset allocation. Baz will also work with Driss Ben-Brahim to develop the firm's global macro platform and thematic funds.
Baz was a portfolio manager at PIMCO and a senior member of the firm, helping to create an asset allocation strategy and developing macro and micro trading models. Before that, he was a managing director in Goldman Sachs’ proprietary trading group. Before Goldman, he was chief investment strategist at Deutsche Bank. At present, he also teaches mathematical finance at Oxford University.
“Jamil's extensive background in developing asset allocation and trading models, and his unique strategic perspective on the markets make him an important addition for GLG,” said GLG co-ceo Manny Roman.
History in the making
NepaliTimes Issue #407 (4-Jul- 2008 to 10-Jul-2008)
Rupa Joshi
The Sindhuli Highway is not just a new shortcut to eastern Nepal, it takes us back into history
Nearly 250 years ago, this was the road to defeat for Captain Kinloch as his East India Company troops were crushed by Gorkhali soldiers near Sindhuli Gadhi. Today, other foreigners-this time the Japanese-have created a magnificent new highway that sweeps past the now crumbling fort.
With Prithbi Narayan Shah breathing down his neck in 1767, a desperate Jayaprakash Malla, the king of Kantipur, had sent an SOS to the East India Company in Bettiah, asking to be rescued. Kinloch was despatched with 2,400 soldiers and approached through Sindhuli, heading for Panauti and the most direct route into the Kathmandu valley.
He never got there. As legend has it, his army was defeated by a simple hornets' nest, hurled from Pauwa Gadhi by a handful of wily Gorkhali soldiers.
Were a similar invasion launched today, the soldiers would find themselves cruising up a smooth mountain highway from the plains. The road is built to Japanese specifications, with massive retaining walls, culverts and drainage channels. The only problem, say bus and truck drivers, is that the gradients are too steep in places and the road is too narrow.
Under construction for the past 12 years, the 158km highway is now nearing completion. Winding from Dhulikhel down to Bardibas, it will reduce travel times for people journeying east from the capital by up to eight hours. At present, a bus from Kathmandu to Biratnagar first has to make a 200km detour west to Mugling and back.
The stretch of road from Sindhuli Bajar to Sindhuli Gadhi was completed a couple of years ago and, because it has not seen much traffic, it still looks pristine. The grass on the verges, free of the garbage that normally litters Nepali roads, appears almost manicured.
At Sola Bhanjyang, a path clambers up the hillside from the road to reach the old ruined fort of Sindhuli. For such a historic site, it is in a sad state of neglect. Nature is beginning to lay claim to the old walls, and the nearby palace is a derelict shell, barely a shadow of its former elegant self as immortalised by the late Krishna Bikram Thapa in the song "Sindhuli gadhi ghumera herda, suntalimai, katti ko ramro darbara …"
When the highway is finished, probably in the autumn, Sola Bhanjyang will be an exciting and easy 80km from Dhulikhel. Maybe then heritage conservationists, researchers and students will take an interest in restoring the fort that harks back to the glory of our past.
A long and winding road
Construction of the Dhulikhel-Sindhuli-Bardibas road started in November 1996, funded by a grant from the Japanese government.
When completed, the 158km road will provide the most direct route between Kathmandu and the eastern Tarai, linking Dhulikhel on the Arniko Highway with Bardibas on the East-West Highway, and reducing the distance from Bardibas to the capital by 200km.
The first section, the 37km from Bardibas to Sindhuli Bajar, was finished in March 1998 and is open to traffic, with 26km tarmacked and 11km on gravel. In January 2001 work began on the second part, the 39km from Sindhuli Bajar to Khurkot. All except 10km of this section has been finished. The 50km stretch between Dhulikhel and Nepalthok has also been finished, but work on the final section, the 32km from Khurkot to Nepalthok, has not yet begun although a rough track has been opened.
Shiva Ghimire, the senior project engineer, says the road may not be convenient for heavy trucks as it is only 5.5m wide and is intended for light vehicles. He says it had to be designed this way because of the difficult terrain and lack of funds. Work on the road was delayed two years by the conflict.
Bite-sized thru Italy
By Elaine Paoloni
Special to amNewYork
Small-plate sharing isn’t just a Spanish thing. Italian tapas, known as cicchetti in Venice, stuzzichini in Southern Italy and antipasti to many Italian Americans, are great for passing around over a few glasses of vino. While true cicchetti dishes tend to be modest — olives, sardines, meatballs — you can make a meal out of some of the more Americanized small plates such as scaled-down versions of lasagna and paninis. So no matter your appetite, you can satisfy hunger and culinary curiosity at the same time.
Gonzo
140 W. 13th St.
212-645-4606
about $10 each
In true cicchetti fashion, Gonzo’s small plates have small prices to match. Graze on mixed olives, eggplant caponata and rice balls amid a convivial crowd. Tucked away in the basement of a brownstone on a tree-lined street, the restaurant also has a sidewalk cafe that embraces the quaint Village ambiance.
Bar Stuzzichini
928 Broadway
212-780-5100
$3-$10
At this spacious Grammercy spot, the bite-sized stuzzichini menu is broken down into crostini (toasted bread with toppings), fritti (fried foods), verdure (veggies), pesce (fish), formaggi (cheeses) and salumi (meats). Can’t decide what to order? Create your own sampler with a stuzzichini misti. Don’t miss the lightly crispy zeppole di baccalà (cod fritters) and stuffed arancini (risotto balls).
Bacaro
136 Division St.
212-941-5060
$9-$12
From its Chinatown address to its secret-hideaway subterranean-vibe, this date spot has a strictly cicchetti menu, although dishes tend to be more substantial than snacky. Share a plate of crostini if you want to play it safe, or show your date your wild side and try the octopus and potato salad. The lasagna Treviso with smoked mozzarella and radicchio is a tasty Northern Italian twist on the classic baked pasta.
Le Zie
172 Seventh Ave.
212-206-8686
$19.95 for two people
If you call yourself a Venetian trattoria, then you have to have cicchetti on your menu. And at Le Zie, tradition holds. Bring a friend (there’s a two-person cicchetti minimum) to share a medley of snacks including stuffed fried olives, marinated zucchini, shrimp cakes, sardines in saor, and chickpea salad.
Bocca Lupo
391 Henry St., Cobble Hill,
Brooklyn, 718-243-2522
$2.50-$14
Another small-plate specialist, Bocca Lupo serves antipasti including salads, cheeses and cured meats. The bruschette come topped with mounds of savory flavors such as spring peas, mascarpone and prosciutto, or gorgonzola, roasted tomato and balsamic vinegar. A selection of mini sandwiches completes the menu. Try the wonderfully earthy truffled egg salad and asparagus tramezzino. 
Book Review: Ranas of Nepal
Contributions to Nepalese StudiesWhelpton, John, 1-Jan-05
Rana, Prabhakar S.J.B., Pashupati S.J.B. Rana, Gautam S.J.B. Rana 2003. The Ranas of Nepal. New Delhi: Timeless Books, 272 pp. 178 colour illustrations and 140 B/W. 1 map. ISBN: 2-8313-0374-5. NRs 5,600.
This lavishly produced volume was published in India (but printed at Jagadamba Press in Nepal) a year after the original Swiss edition. (1) The book is the work of many hands, including Prashant Panjiar as photographer and Brindat Datta as designer, but it is primarily the work of three prominent members of the Rana clan. Prabhkar Shamsher is a great-grandson of Maharaja Juddha Shamsher and a highly successful businessman with interests in the hotel industry, hydro-electric power, tobacco and other fields. Pashupati, a grandson of Mohan Shamsher, is now a leader of the Rastriya Prajatantra Party as well as scholar and businessman. Gautam, a great-grandson of Chandra and nephew of Gorkha Parishad (and then Nepali Congress) leader, Bharat Shamsher. The title page carries acknowledgements to Rani Juni of Saila, who apparently inspired the project, and there are prefaces by the heirs to the royal houses of Mewar and Kashmir and to that of the central European state of Moldavia. The book is thus very much a production by the Nepalese aristocracy, stressing both their status within Nepal and also their links to their counterparts in India and beyond.
As one would expect from the coffee-table format, the book's strongest point is its illustrations. Some of the historic photographs reprinted here have been published before, in volumes such as Padma Prakash Shrestha's Nepal Rediscovered or Adrian Sever's Nepal under the Ranas but this new collection is a particularly impressive one. First, many of the illustrations are in colour, including both reproductions of conventional oil paintings and also monochrome photographs to which colour was added by hand; the latter was a natural development seeing that it was the Chitrakars, traditionally court painters, who also took many of the early photographs. Second, there are many particularly interesting illustrations which this. reviewer at least has not come across before. These include the portrait of Mohan Shamsher with his many Indian in-laws on the occasion of his inauguration as Maharaja in 1948, a painting of the surrender of Nepalese forces to Ochterloney's expeditionary force at Makwanpu; another of Chandra Shamsher in the front rank of the Indian princes at the 1911 Delhi Darbar; and a photograph of Chandra bowing as he shakes hands with George V. This last gesture, of course, was not an acknowledgement of British sovereignty over Nepal but rather of the king-emperor's status as head of state. Chandra himself, autocrat though he was in practice, was technically subordinate to the Shah king.
The text includes accounts of the Ranas' general life style, their eating habits, palace architecture, big game hunting, wedding ceremonies and other rituals, with essays on individual topics by one or other of the two senior authors whilst Gautam Shamsher contributes a section on their jewellery collection. Past and present are blended together in both texts and photographs, with pictures of weddings half a century or more ago juxtaposed with recent ones and Pashupati Shamsher and Prabhakar Shamsher adding personal childhood memories to more conventional cultural history. Among the most interesting modern material is a series of photographs of the biennial ceremony at the Panchayani Temple which involves the descendants of all seven original Kunwar brothers, whilst the fascinating vignettes from an earlier era include the account of ritual Dasain gambling in Singha Darbar, when vast sums were won or lost on the toss of a few corrie shells and debts settled the following morning by transporting cartloads of coins between the Rana residences. Pashupati Shamsher rightly stresses the contrast between the Ranas' westernised consumer habits (criticised from early on by nationalistically-inclined intellectuals) and their continuing adherence to a strongly traditionalist Hinduism. Right up until 1950, for example. English-educated Maharajas would still ritually purify themselves after shaking the hand of mlecchas such as the British ambassador. Here one might add the point made strongly by Mark Liechty, that foreign objects were valued not so much for their intrinsic attractiveness as because the elite's own superior status was confirmed by their access to something beyond the reach of the mass of the population. Much the same could be said of the earlier vogue in court circles both Nepal and other Hindu states for Moghul dress, or the preference for French fashions amongst 18th century European aristocrats.
In the context of borrowings from western culture the authors might also have said a little more about the introduction to Nepal of photography itself, a subject analysed in detail by Pratyoush Onta (1998). The book does mention that Damber Shamsher, the Shamsher brother, who fired the first shot in the 1885 murder of their uncle Maharaja Ranoddip Singh, was probably also the first Nepalese photographer. It is silent, however, on the role of Clarence Taylor, the assistant resident who took the first photographs in Nepal in 1863 and for whom Jang Bahadur and other members of the political elite were immediately willing to pose.
The book begins with just over a hundred pages by Pashupati Shamsher briefly summarising Npal's earlier history and then giving an account of the Rana era itself. This is competently done, though, not surprisingly given the complexity of the subject, there are a number of mistakes or questionable interpretations on points of detail. In his treatment of Jang's violent seizure of power in September 1846, the author states boldly that King Rajendra was behind the murder of Gagan Singh, which triggered the whole episode. Most historians in fact now believe that Jang Bahadur and other ministers in the coalition were either assisting file king in this or were themselves the originators of the assassination. The account of the Kot Massacre itself (pp. 39-40) has the violence start with the cutting down by one of Jang Bahadur's brothers of the son of prime minister Fateh Jang. In fact, it probably started with a volley of shots that hit Fateh Jang himself and two other ministers as they climbed steps to the room where Queen Rajyalakshmi Devi was waiting. This latter version was given in a report to Calcutta a few months after the events by the British Resident, probably the only full account independent of Jang Bahadur and his supporters.
In discussing the background to the Shamshers' 1885 coup (p.54), it is suggested that the eldest of the brothers was having an affair with Lalit Kumari, the mother of the infant King Prithvi, and that Khadga Shamsher was similarly involved with Deep Kumari, Lalit's full sister and the wife of a cousin of the king. Bir certainly get on well with Lalit Kumari, with whom he had been brought up in Jang Bahadur's household. However, Kashinath Acharya Dixit, a priest attached to Deep Kumari's household, wrote in his memoirs that it was Khadga who was particularly close to both sisters and only suggested an improper relationship between Khadga and Deep Kumari (Dixit 1974/5:5, 13). Reconstructions of court intrigue are always conjectural, but Dixit's version is the one accepted by the leading modern authority on the period (Manandhar 186: 89).
There are similar small slips in the account of the Shamsher maharajas. Top Kumai was the name of Bir's Newar concubine, not of her rival, his original senior queen (p.58). It is only conjecture, not estalished fact that Chandra Shamsher's discussed his plans with Lord Curzon before the 1901 overthrow of his brother Dev (p.65), although he did certainly hint at his intentions in a letter to Col. Wylie, a former British resident. The author is probably also wrong in claiming that 200,000 Nepalis fought on the British side in World War 1. This is an oft-quoted figure, originating from a speech made in Kathmandu in 1923 by another British resident, but the actual total may have been nearer half this (Onta 1996: 104-6, cited in Chalmers 2003).
Dates are also occasionally inaccurate. Jang Bahadur's seizure of power is dated to 1845 on p. 40 (though 1846 had been given correctly two pages earlier) and the photo of the inauguration of the equestrian statue of Jang Bahadur on the Tundikhel, on pages 114-15, dates from 1884, not 1854. Finally, on pp.204--5, the marriage of Sharad Shamsher's daughter to a son of the Maharaja of Jaisalmer is variously placed in April 1950, October 1950 Coy implication) and also in 1951!
These are relatively minor matters but Pashupati Shamsher'narrative does also take controversial approaches on some fundamental issues concerning the Rana perid and its signifince in Nepalese history. To start with the basic question of who Nepal's Ranas actually are, he accepts uncritically the truth of the legend that the Kunwars (as they were known in Nepal before 1849) were descended from a cadet branch of the ruling house of Mewar in Rajasthan. The reader new to the subject would thus remain blissfully unaware that such claims of a connection to prestigius Indian Rajput families were widespread in the Himalayas and that modern scholars are very dubious about their authenticity (Whelpton 1987). We can be certain that Jang Bahadur's great-grandfather, Ahiram Kunwar, did move from Kaski to Gorkha in the 18th century but no reliance can be put on family legends about their earlier history and the best guess must be that they were basically of Khas extraction.
In dealing with the Ranas' record as rulers, Pashupati, not unexpectedly, is often concerned to argue a case for the defence. This is particularly the case when he discusses his own immediate relatives, including his great-grandfather, Chandra, his grandfather, Mohan ('generous to a fault and the only Rana ruler unwilling to make personal use of state coffers') and his 'brilliant' father Bijay. He argues that the ruthlessnes and autocratic nature of the early Rana maharajas have to be seen in the context of their times and the contributions made by both Jang Bahadur and Chandra to strengthening and consolidating the Nepalese state should be acknowledged. He sees the great failure in Rana statesmanship as the inability of later rulers to move with the times--a charge which Pashupati Shamser allows against his grandfather, even though lauding some of his personal qualities.
There has for many years been a 'revisionist' trend in Nepalese historiography questioning the kind of blanket condemnation of the Rana regime prevalent in the early years after 1951 and so many of the points that the author makes would be quite widely acepted. The contrast between the earlier and later parts of the Rana period is a valid one, and the author is also right to give Chandra credit for securing the UK's unequivocal reognition of Nepal's independence; to point out that it a as the British opening of a rail route to Darjeeling, not Chandra's collaboration with the Younghusband expedition, which dealt the fatal blow to the Kathmandu Valley's entrepot trade; and to praise Juddha's reconstruction efforts after the 1934 earthquake.
However, the author does go rather too far in his rehabilitation of Chandra. Whilst citing his foundation of Trichandra College as a constructive move, he fails to point out that a major aim was probably to reduce the numbers of wealthy Nepalese sending their sons to study in the increasingly radicalised atmosphere on campuses in Calcutta and other Indian universities. He also claims that Chandra's abolition of slavery was accompanied by 'an immaculately well-planned programme for resettlement of the freed' (p.78). In fact, this was no more the ease in 1924 than with the emancipation of the kamaiyas in 2000. As a recent study has shown, very few of the sixty thousand freed slaves accepted Chandra's offer of land in the unhealthy environment of Amalekhgunj ('Emancipationville') in the Tarai and the majority remained in de facto dependence on their former masters (Whyte 1998).
A policy of Close co-operation with British India characterised the Rana regime from beginning to end. There was, however, also an initial wariness on Jang Bahadur's part and, although, throwing his support behind the British in the 1857 crisis, he obstructed British efforts to expand recruiting for their Gurkha regiments. Pashupati Shamsher credits Ranoddip with reaching an understanding with the British on this issue and he was indeed more accommodating than Jang had been. However, Ranoddip had given way reluctantly, and the book fails to point out that it was with the Shamshers' takeover in 1885 that full collaboration with the British became the norm. With Jang Bahadur's surviving sons in exile in India, Bir Shamsher was in no position to withstand British pressure for greater assistance but, in addition, the English-educated Shamshers did not share the intense suspicion of British intentions that characterised Jang and Ranoddip as it had earlier Nepalese leaders.
Pashupati Shamsher argues that collaboration with the British served Nepal's national interests down to the recognition of country's full independence in 1923 but that Juddha was unwise to commit Nepal's resources to the defence of a weakening British Empire in 1939-45. We are, of course, on very shaky ground trying to speculate what might have been had Chandra and Juddha made different decisions, particularly as we first have to decide whether we think Britain and her allies would still have won the global struggles without Nepal's substantial assistance. If, for example, Nepalese neutrality had tipped the military balance and allowed a Japanese invasion of India, would an authoritarian government under Subhas Chandra Bose have respected Nepalese independence or regarded it as princely state to be liberated and brought under New Delhi's control as Tibet was under Beijing's? However, there is certainly evidence that some of the Rana elite were afraid Juddha was backing the wrong horse. In contrast, Juddha himself is portrayed inmost sources as always confident in the outcome, but there is evidence that he, too, had doubts, actually asking for the Gurkhas to be kept out of the Burma campaign lest their participation put Nepal in danger of Japanese retaliation (Cross 2002: 10).
Bijay Shamsher, Pashupati Shamsher's father, was a key figure in the negotiations with India during the 1950-51 crisis. His son portrays him as an advocate of compromise and a member of a soft-line faction including his uncle, Krishna, who had been an assistant to Maharaja Padma and went into voluntary, exile after Mohan took over in 1948. The importance of Bijay's personal role in the internal debate is perhaps exaggerated but the overall account is plausible and more or less tallies with that of Rishikesh Shaha, whose version of these events (Shaha 1990: II, 204-40) is file best yet published. Shaha was himself an associate of Padma Shamsher, and later a member of the Nepali Democratic Congress, but relied to some extent on information from Kaiser Shamsher, brother of Mohan and Krishna and one of file conservative groups who Pashupati Shamsher sees as vying with the progressives for Mohan's support. Both authors agree that had the Ranas added to the 1948 constitution a commitment to fully representative government as a long-term aim, this would have been sufficient to prevent the Indian government from throwing in its lot with file anti-Rana dissidents.
After Tribhuvan's flight to India and the Nepali Congress's launching of an armed struggle, Pashupati Shamsher, like many others, sees the defection of the Palpa garrison in January 1951 as the decisive event. It is, though, clear from Shaha's account that even before file end of 1951 the regime was already veering towards acceptance of the return of King Tribhuvan. This perhaps strengthens the likelihood that apprehension by individual Ranas that their assets in India might be confiscated was an important consideration.
Pashupati Shamsher presents Bijay as a progressive not only in the politics of 1945-1950 but also in earlier discussions on economic policy under Juddha. He claims that he wanted to mobilise the private fortunes of the Rana elite for industrial development in Nepal. More detailed research would be needed to substantiate this, but in any case Juddha's hopes for industrialisation were dependent on securing suitable tariff arrangements with India, and this was never achieved.
In his concluding reflections on the regime, the author argues that, though exploitative, it did succeed in maintaining law-and-order, in dramatic contrast to Nepal's current situation. This assertion is a fair one, but the additional claim that 'no hint of corruption' was tolerated needs to be qualified. Corruption in the sense of clandestine and illegal diversion of public money to individual government employees was negligible in comparison to today, but not entirely unknown. More importantly, the practice of the reigning maharaja treating any surplus of revenue over current expenditure as his personal income might itself be regarded as corruption on a grand scale. In addition, the demands which officials were permitted to make openly on ordinary citizens could be as vexatious as demands for under-the-table payments made by their more modern counterparts.
Although the 'History' section stops at 1951, the book includes material on the prominent life still played by many Ranas in public life, including profiles of the authors and some of their relatives in an additional chapter authored by Dubby Bhagat and Nikesh Sinha. A glaring omission is any mention of the relationship between Pashupati Shamsher's daughter Devyani and Crown Prince Dipendra and its role in the build-up to Dipendra's massacre of family members in 2001. Devyani is not even named, in the book, which refers only to Pashupati Shamsher's 'two daughters'. The personal and political reasons for passing over so much in silence are readily understandable and, indeed, readers my suspect that one motive behind the writing of the book was to provide some favourable publicity for the family to offset the tragic events of three years ago. However, even that aim might perhaps have been better served by briefly acknowledging those events rather than ignoring them.
The book would also have been improved if the tone had been a little less self-congratulatory, with an acknowledgement that the present-day Ranas must accept a share of responsibility for the country's present condition. This is not because they are Ranas but simply because they are now members of a broader elite which has failed to overcome the challenges presented to Nepal after 1951.
Overall, The Ranas of Nepal is a useful addition to the literature and has certainly proved a best-seller--a second Indian edition has already been released. However, those seeking a general introduction to Rana history are still better served by the work of Rishikesh Shaha (1990), Ludwig Stiller (1993) and Adrian Sever (1993).
References
Chalmers, Rhoderick A.M. 2003. "We Nepalis-Language, literature and the formation 'of a Nepali public sphere in India, 1914-1940". Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. University of London.
Cross, John, 2002. Whatabouts and Whereabouts in Asia. London: Serendipity.
Dixit, Kashimani Acharya. 1974/5 (2031 V.S.). Bhaeka Kura [Things Gone By], Kathmandu: Narendramani Acharya Dikshit. (in Nepali)
Liechty, Mark. 1997. "Selective Exclusion: Foreigners, foreign Goods, and Foreignness in Modern Nepali History." Studies in Nepali History and Society 2(1):5-68.
Manandhar, Triratna. 1986. Nepal: The Years of Trouble (1877-85). Kathmandu: Puma Devi Manandhar.
Onta, Pratyoush. 1996. The Politics of Bravery. A history of Nepali nationalism. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. University of Pennsylvania.
Onta, Pratyoush. 1998. "A Suggestive History of the First Century of Photographic Consumption in Nepal." Studies in Nepalese History and Society 3(1): 181-212.
Sever, Adrian 1993. Nepal under the Ranas. Delhi: Oxford & IBH Publishing Co.
Shaha, Rishikesh. 1990. Modern Nepal: a Political History 1769-1955. New Delhi: Manohar.
Stiller, Ludwig. 1993. Nepal: Growth of a Nation. Kathmandu: Human Resources Development Research Center.
Whelpton, John. "The ancestors of Jang Bahadur Rana: History, Propaganda and Legend". Contributions to Nepalese Studies, Vol. 14, No.3 (Aug 1987), pp. 161-92.
Whyte, Timothy. 1998. "The legacy of slavery in Nepal?" Studies in Nepali History and Society 3 (2): 311-39.
Hitler’s lady disappears from Dehra Dun - No trace of car gifted by Fuhrer
The Telegraph, July 6, 2008
Mandira Nayar
She’s royalty and an ageless beauty, an international celebrity with a World War II and Nazi past. And at 72, she’s elusive as hell, leading two countries a merry dance.
Excited Dehra Dun residents had reported a flurry of “sightings” in the past three weeks after learning she could be hiding in their midst.
But now it appears that the olive green 1936 Mercedes-Benz that Adolf Hitler had gifted the Nepal palace in 1939 has given the hill town the slip just as surely as she took Kathmandu’s new government for a ride the other day.
All the excitement began when Nepal’s new republic, after turning King Gyanendra out of Narayanhitti and declaring the palace a museum, said the Hitler car would now be displayed as its star exhibit.
Only if they could find it, though. The car was apparently not in Nepal but in Dehra Dun with the descendants of the Rana family who were Nepal’s Prime Ministers for generations, and its de facto rulers between 1846 and 1953.
And sure enough, old-timers here swear they often saw the custom-made car parked at the Rana mansion on Guru Road. But that was decades ago.
The Ranas say the car was brought to Dehra Dun by Juddha Shumshere Jang Bahadur Rana, Prime Minister from 1932 to 1945, when he settled in India after handing power over to his nephew.
They bristle at any suggestion that Juddha had usurped what belonged to the Shah king, saying the Fuhrer had gifted the car to the powerful Prime Minister and not King Tribhuvan, probably to buy the fierce Gorkha fighters’ loyalty.
“It was my father-in-law’s,” said Chandra Rajya Laxmi Rana, 75, who had travelled in the Merc many times. “He gave it to my mother-in-law. Then it passed to my husband, Colonel Shashi Shumshere.
“It came to our house after my mother-in-law died in 1955. It was parked there. But I don’t know where it is now.”
Colonel Shashi died in 1988, taking with him the details of what happened to the car, she said.
The Ranas don’t want to talk about the car, uncertain about their future following the Nepal revolution and unwilling to see their links to the deposed Shah dynasty brought under the spotlight again. But they believe in the Shahs’ right to the throne, unlike the Merc.
“Gyanendra was the only Hindu king,” said Amrita Rana, granddaughter of Juddha. “The monarchy has been around in Nepal for 240 years. We can’t help but feel sad.”
“There is a belief, however, that Gyanendra will come back. His horoscope says so,” said Biyoya Sawian Singh, wife of Alark Singh, great-grandson of Deb Shumshere Jang Bahadur, the first Rana to settle in India.
The Ranas hope the people of Nepal would reinstate Gyanendra, if only as a titular head.
If Nepal has spurned its royals, Dehra Dun hasn’t had much time for its hallowed old four-wheelers either before the hoopla over the Hitler car.
The town once hosted a vintage-car rally but it was stopped after residents protested the cars were ruining their air.
One of the cars in the rally was the 1930 Studebaker Dictator that Nathuram Godse had driven to Birla House on January 30, 1948, to shoot the Mahatma dead.
“It used to be here and participated in a rally a few years ago,” said Vijay Aggarwal, a garage owner who restores old cars in Dehra Dun. The car, aptly named “Killer”, is now in Delhi.
Lady Edwina Mountbatten’s Jaguar, however, seems to have made the Uttarakhand capital its permanent home. Owned by Chaya Khanna, a schoolteacher with Scholar’s Home, it has collectors salivating but will not be sold.
“Mrs Khanna loves it. It was her husband’s,” a vintage-car expert said.
Compared with Hitler’s disappearing Merc, Lady Edwina’s car is having a rather quiet life, retired in a corner of a garage.
Sobhraj finds spokesperson in Nepalese sweetheart
The Times of India, July 6, 2008
Charles Sobhraj, the celebrity criminal serving life term in Nepal, has not only found a new sweetheart in 20-year-old Nihita Biswas, but a devoted spokesperson who is convinced that the media has projected her lover ‘in a bad light’.
The love affair of the criminal mastermind and his "engagement" to the Nepali beauty has grabbed media attention in the Indian subcontinent.
The college girl turned celebrity, Nihita describes Sobhraj a caring man. She who met the international fugitive in Kathmandus central jail while he was looking for an interpreter, said she had been attracted to him because of his humbleness. "Media always puts Sobhraj in a bad light," the confident young woman said.
"Of course, I believe that he is innocent," she says, alleging that the police has tried to involve him in three decade-old murder case by producing false documents. Nicknamed the 'Bikini killer' and 'Serpent', Sobhraj has been accused of luring young women and killing many of them. He has been sentenced to life imprisonment by a District Court in July 2004 on charges of murdering an American and a Canadian tourist in Kathmandu in 1975.
"I don't want to talk to media now as I have been misquoted by many newspapers," she told journalists, a day after appearing on a number of national and international television channels.
After learning that their marriage to Sobhraj could land both of them into jail, the young heartthrob is planning to wed Sobhraj secretly.
"I will wait till he is released from jail," says Nihita, adding "In France there will be no legal barrier on our marriage."
Nihita said in love "there is no age-bar". "Sobhraj was my right choice, but the media has done some damage through negative publicity," she alleged.
However, analysts here think there could be ulterior motives to their love affair.
"Either Sobhraj influenced her so that he could get public sympathy in his favour or she wanted to get over night publicity by establishing links with him," a senior journalist said on condition of anonymity. Sobhraj, who claims he was put in jail without any evidence, is awaiting a final hearing on his appeal in the Supreme Court. 
Come on down! Real Game Shows
Forget watching “Family Feud” or “Jeopardy!” on television. New York City has real-life game shows that will keep you thinking — and drinking — until the wee hours of the morning. Here are some places to check out the next time you want to give your brain a nighttime workout.
W’burg Spelling Bee
Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer St., between
Richardson and Frost streets,Williamsburg, Brooklyn
718-302-3770
petescandystore.com
Every other Monday, signup: 7 p.m., bee: 7:30 p.m.
Free
Want to prove you can spell just as well as those kids on TV? Go to Pete’s Candy Store and stand up to the mike — if you dare. This bimonthly event is a great chance for you to avenge that fifth-grade spelling bee defeat, though unlike fifth grade you aren’t eliminated until you spell three words wrong. Also unlike fifth grade, you will be spelling while slightly buzzed. You can continue that buzz trend by winning a free bar tab.
Smart Ass Rock & Roll Trivia
Pianos
158 Ludlow St., between Stanton and Rivington streets
212-505-3733
www.pianosnyc.com
Mondays, 7:30 p.m.
Free
Think you know your music? Here is your chance to prove it by testing your knowledge of all things rock ’n’ roll at this LES favorite. Host Todd Satterfield tries to not make the questions too obtuse, so you won’t leave thinking you know nothing about music, but you may leave with free drinks if you come out on top of the three-round contest.
Quiz Night at Crocodile Lounge
Crocodile Lounge
325 E. 14th St., between First and Second avenues
212-477-7747
Wednesdays, 8:30 p.m.
Free
Host of one of the most popular trivia nights in the city (sometimes up to 30 teams compete), this small bar with no air conditioning can get hot in a hurry. People put up with the cramped conditions for two good reasons: the $75 bar tab for the winning team and the free pizza for every drink you order. That’s right, with every drink you order. Think of how many that is with a $75 bar tab!
Gameshow Speakeasy
The Fortune Cookie Cabaret at Lucky Cheng’s
24 First Ave., between First and Second streets
212-473-0516
gameshowspeakeasy.com
Third Thursday of every month, 8 p.m.
$5
Like a live edition of the board game “Guess Who?” a panel of NYC nightlife’s big guns attempt to guess the identity of a mystery guest (past stars have included Martha Plimpton, Zach Galifianakis and Mo Rocca). Burlesque star Clams Casino and Neil O’Fortune host.
Chelsea Mind Games
Chelsea Market
75 Ninth Ave., between 15th and 16th streets
212-727-1111
www.chelseamindgames.com
Wednesdays, 6:30 to 10 p.m.
Free
On Wednesdays at Chelsea Market, you’ll find happy-hour competitions on everything from spelling to trivia to math to vocabulary. Comedian and writer Jennifer Dziura hosts these evenings, which also feature musical performances. If you can’t round up a group of friends, head over solo and join a group for team trivia and see if you can win prizes such as tickets to Comix Comedy Club.
Drunken Smartass Olympics
Dempsey’s Pub
61 Second Ave., between Third and Fourth streets
212-388-0662
Wednesdays, 7:30 p.m.
Two-drink minimum
Covering the spectrum from current events to literature to fashion to pop culture, this is one hopping trivia night. Comedian Janet Rosen and songwriter Tony Hightower host, and prizes range from books to Broadway tickets and dinner for two. But, hey, it’s all about having fun, right? Oh, and beer.
Secret gardens for good eats: Enjoy a delicious dinner under the stars at these hidden outdoor retreats
By Jacqui Gal
Special to Metromix
Nothing thrills us more than stumbling on a hidden restaurant garden — probably because, as New Yorkers,
we often have to do without our own little patch. So with the warm weather here to stay, get some green at these hidden gems.
Le Jardin
25 Cleveland Place
Between Spring and Lafayette streets
212-343-9599
This classic French bistro has an expansive outdoor area, paved with stones and covered in grape vines. French menu staples like tuna tartare, bouillabaisse and a croque monsieur are reproduced faithfully, alongside a selection of regional wines. There are profiteroles and crème brulee for dessert, although the handsome French waiters might be all the sweetness you need.
Jeeb
154 Orchard St.
Between Rivington and Stanton streets
212-677-4101
With an entrance tucked below ground level, it’s easy to walk right past Jeeb on the Lower East Side — but don’t. Head downstairs, past the kitchen and outside to a spacious back garden, where Thai classics are served alongside an innovative “Thai tapas” menu. At $5 or $6 a plate, you can order a round of salmon dumplings, crab cakes and chive pancakes before delving into the wider menu of authentic curries, noodles and duck specials.
Max
51 Avenue B
Between Third and Fourth streets
212-539-0111
This beloved East Village Italian spot consistently hits the mark on three basic measures: quality, price and garden. The only trouble is deciding: the creamy mozzarella Caprese salad or the tomato bruschetta? Homemade gnocci or rigatoni with eggplant? From the meat group, there’s a veal shank, chicken cutlet and meatloaf just like Nonna used to make. Portions run large and the bill is comparatively small, so don’t forget your tiramisu for dessert.
Quartino Bottega Organica
11 Bleecker St.
Between Bowery and Lafayette streets
212-529-5133
For the vegetarians in your social circle, Quartino is a good bet. The back garden space isn’t enormous, so you’ll need good timing to snag a table. The menu emphasizes light, healthy and organic fare, with whole-wheat sandwiches and pasta dishes such as homemade tagliarini with avocado and tomatoes. Plus, there’s a good selection of wines, served by the bottle or — as the name suggests — by the quartino.
The Good Fork
391 Van Brunt St. at Coffey Street
718-643-6636
This Red Hook gem, which has gained a loyal following for its lively menu and cozy vibe, recently opened an outdoor area. The garden tables can’t be pre-booked, but ask to be seated there once you arrive. Then sit back for the parade: seared scallops, cornmeal crusted oysters, seared duck breast, pappardelle with spicy pork ragu. And, before you’re through, it’s probably worth trying the dumplings that beat Bobby Flay in a throwdown.
Gnocco
337 E. 10th St.
Between Avenues A and B
212-677-1913
There’s Italian-American and then there’s Italian-Italian food, which can be perfectly sopped up while sitting underneath the ivy in Gnocco’s back garden space. Start with baked artichoke hearts stuffed with goat cheese, or paper-thin octopus carpaccio among the antipasto. Then move on to homemade pastas, thin-crust pizzas topped with fresh mozzarella, or entree selections of beef, pork, lamb, fish and Cornish hen.
Jolie
320 Atlantic Ave. at Smith Street
718-488-0777
Private and romantic, the garden at Jolie restaurant in Boerum Hill is wooddecked and illuminated with delicate fairy lights — the perfect backdrop for a creative French bistro menu strewn with seared arctic char with spaghetti squash and pesto, venison filet with yam puree, and trusty old steak frites. There’s also a bumper brunch menu: think salads, sandwiches and omelets. Eager to please, the house even keeps a bottle of insect repellent on hand for sweet blooded patrons.
DuMont
432 Union Ave.
Between Keap and Devoe streets
718-486-7717
Since winning Time Out’s 2006 Eat Out award for best garden, DuMont is no longer a great secret, but it’s still a great place to eat. DuMont’s burgers are legendary, as is the gooey goodness of the “Dumac & Cheese” (fortified with gruyere and bacon). The back garden is decked out with wooden benches and a raised “tree house” space with several tables — plus an outdoor bar to keep the imported beers and house cocktails coming.
B Bar and Grill
40 E. Fourth St. at Bowery
212-475-2220
By Manhattan standards, the 3,000-square-foot garden at this Bowery bar is positively enormous. Covered in climbers and fairy lights, you’ll quickly forget that beyond those high walls is the bustling Bowery. Choose from six kinds of martinis or spring for a $35 pitcher of sangria — from there on in, making friends will be a snap. Bar bites and Latinstyle fare is served from brunch until 1 a.m.
Party it up like a rock star: Joints reflect musicians’ tastes, styles
By Ron Bishow
Special to amNewYork
What’s a musician to do with money to burn and time to kill between recording and touring? Why, open a bar, of course.
Unlike impersonal chains such as the Hard Rock Cafe, many of NYC’s musician-owned establishments dapt the feel and style of the artists who own them, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your taste.
Here are a few places you might want to check out for hero worship — or at least a beer.
Southern Hospitality
1460 Second Ave. at 76th Street
212-249-1001
Though Justin Timberlake has been busy bringing sexy back, on the side he’s also been trying to bring Southern etiquette back — up North. The food at this barbecue bar/restaurant is down home good (fried chicken, ribs), and it’s relatively cheap. Just be prepared to lose your voice, as the place is loud with blasting music and teens thinking they just saw co-owner JT or girlfriend Jessica Biel.
Snitch
59 W. 21st St., between Fifth and Sixth avenues
212-727-7775
Snitch is owned by former Velvet Revolver bandmates Scott Weiland and Duff McKagan and former Fuel vocalist Brett Scallions. Considering Weiland has just left Revolver and rejoined Stone Temple Pilots, it’s doubtful you’ll see the gang doing shots at the bar any time soon. Snitch has live rock music almost every night, and has instruments on hand in case any rockers want to do an impromptu set. Maybe Duff will get Guns N’ Roses back together one night.
National Underground
159 E. Houston St., between Allen and Eldridge streets
212-475-0611
Taking over the space Martignetti Liquors used to occupy, National Underground is an unprentious rock ’n’ roll club that is all about music. It has live acts seven nights a week, and the basement plays host to an additional band every Tuesday and Thursday through Saturday. Owned by singer songwriter Gavin DeGraw and his brother, Joey, Underground is refreshingly easy on the wallet. Even the curtained area in the back is open to anyone, and there isn’t bottle-service anywhere to be found.
The Bowery Electric
327 Bowery at Bond Street
212-228-0228
Jesse Malin has been a New York indie legend from his time with the bands Heart Attack and D Generation to a solo career. He’s also turning into quite the bar proprietor. Already part-owner of the popular East Village bar/music venues Niagara and Black and White, he recently helped open The Bowery Electric in the former Remote Lounge space. It is a simple, dimly lit bar with stools and beers on tap — no frills, just like Malin.
Angels and Kings
500 E. 11th St., between Avenues A and B
212-254-4090
Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz (Ashlee Simpson’s hubby) opened this bar in 2007 with his band and members of groups he helped launch — Gym Class Heroes and Cobra Starship. Kings is basically a one-room dive bar, in a good way. If you want to take a step further in your musical journey and pretend you’re in Fall Out Boy, play your heart out Wednesday nights at their weekly “Rock Band” battle.
40/40 Club
6 W. 25th St. at Broadway
212-832-4040
Jay-Z’s sports bar isn’t the kind of place you go to have a few beers and watch the game with friends; it’s the kind of sports bar you go to be seen watching the game. More of an opulent lounge than a typical sports bar, 40/40 has plasma and projection TVs, leather eggcup chairs suspended from the ceiling and $14 drinks. There are also three private rooms. A tip: Don’t show up in your baseball cap. Patrons are always dressed to the nines. 
Feast of nightlife out east: Beach bums turn up heat in Hamptons
By Gregory Robson
Special to amNewYork
Want to know which clubs are worth your time? Interested in spotting celebrities? Here is a sampling of the Hamptons’ best nightspots.
Pink Elephant
281 County Rd.
Southampton
631-287-9888
Stars abound at this trendy nightspot that features 6,000 square feet of beach, ambient lighting and a scent machine. There isn’t a celebrity who hasn’t danced the night away here.
Whitehouse
239 E. Montauk Hwy.
Hampton Bays
631-728-4121
Whitehouse hosted an event last weekend with Brody Jenner from MTV’s “The Hills.” Then on Sunday, Kim Kardashian’s White Ball was the headline event. ’Nuff said.
The Surf Lodge
183 Edgemere St.
Montauk
631-238-5190
Montauk’s Surf Lodge features a spa and live bands. It boasts a 32-room hotel and boutique and is only a halfmile from the beach.
Porky’s Hamptons
80 E. Montauk Hwy.
Hampton Bays
631-619-6666
Porky’s has a busy summer in store. Local favorite Airdate performs every other Thursday; Sundays are for after-parties and Saturday is ladies’ night.
Star Room
378 Montauk Hwy.
Wainscott
631-537-3332
No place has received more traffic in the past few years than Star Room. Owner Scott Sartiano cut his teeth
in the Manhattan nightclub scene and brings that flair to the Hamptons.
Neptune’s Beach Club
70 Dune Rd.
East Quogue
631-653-8737
For a beach-side clubbing experience, hit up Neptune’s. The multilevel deck overlooks the Atlantic and showcases top-notch DJs.
Southampton Publick House
40 Bowden Square
Southampton
631-283-2800
The Hamptons scene goes beyond rowdy, booze induced late-night parties. If frenetic crowds aren’t appealing, meander down to Southampton Publick House, which pours some of the top beers on the Island, and boasts the best happy hour around. Neptune Night Club
A View from the Top: The best bars to elevate your evening
By Perrie Samotin
Metromix.com
New York is a city obsessed with drinking sans ceiling, so it’s time to consider the alfresco options to get you through the summer. Since nothing beats the glamour of sky-high rooftops or the charm of sweeping balconies, we’ve highlighted a handful to heighten your open-air cocktail sensibilities.
Salon de Ning
700 Fifth Ave. at 55th St.
212-956-2888
Newly opened, this rooftop bar and lounge on the terrace of the Peninsula Hotel aims for an East-meets-West vibe. Offering panoramic views over Fifth Avenue and the Manhattan skyline, the lounge features an intimate interior bar with an eclectic art collection, and two large outdoor terraces with Chinese-style day beds. A range of signature cocktails and Asian-inspired small plates are also on hand.
Pooldeck
44 W. 63rd St. at Broadway
212-265-7400
With swimming, lounging, cocktails, massages and glittering city views, the brand new bi-level Pooldeck atop the UWS Empire Hotel is now open for business, though not necessarily yours. Hotel guests can take advantage of the spectacular, resort style space whose top level features the pool and a rows of lounge chairs, plus a lower level with a full bar and tech-ready cabanas.
Highbar
251 W. 48th St., between Broadway and 8th Ave.
212-956-1300
This swanky rooftop bar comes complete with striped seating, a backyard barbecue menu, jaunty house cocktails and private beds for lounging. The space can hold about 200 people outdoors and 75 in the lounge.
The Eagle
554 W. 28th St., between 10th and 11th avenues
646-473-1866
The newest version of this classic “Leather & Levi” bar has everything its predecessor did and more. It still
caters to a leather-loving, S&M-embracing gay crowd, to whom the phrase “check your clothes at the door” isn’t something completely absurd. The mood is gloriously dark and sleazy, and music pulsates furiously throughout the bi-level space peppered with pool tables and old motorcycles. And the beloved roof deck is a 2,000-square-foot, fully landscaped affair with a full bar, barbecued grub and scores of shirtless men.
Me’Bar
17 W. 32nd St., between Broadway and Fifth Avenue
212-290-2460
Found in bustling Koreatown, this under-appreciated bar on the 14th floor of the La Quinta Inn provides a basic approach to outdoor boozing: white picket fence, a smattering of rickety iron tables, potted plants and a wood-paneled floor. The space attracts its fair share of young commuters, but stick it out a little longer and the crowd often thins out. There’s also a very tiny, skylit indoor area with a handful of tables for those who prefer a roof overhead.
The Delancey
168 Delancey St. at Clinton St.
212-254-9920
Part rock club and part lounge, the interior is a fineenough place to grab a drink or see a show, but it’s the tropical rooftop retreat that really draws people in. Plentiful potted palms and intense, vibrant lighting give the roof a distinct Miami vibe, while a reflecting pond with frog fountains adds a Zen element.
Bookmarks
299 Madison Ave. at 41st St., 14th floor
212-983-4500
There’s something decidedly glamorous about the whole idea of cocktails on the terrace at sundown and Bookmarks — the rooftop lounge perched atop the Library Hotel — fits the bill with its stacks of classic books, greenhouse solarium and outdoor terrace. Test out the decadent specialty cocktails, such as the eponymous Bookmark: Appleton Estate Rum VX, Grand Marnier, passion fruit juice and Moet & Chandon.
230 Fifth
230 Fifth Ave., between 27th and 28th streets, penthouse
212-725-4300
This hands-down warmweather favorite sits atop an unassuming office building across from Madison Park. After steering past the lobby’s mirrored walls and Deco furnishings, head upstairs to the lush rooftop bar, a spacious palm-tree-lined terrace offering almost 360-degree views of the Midtown skyline. Pair a romli (spiced beef) slider with a golden dream martini (a $12 boozy creamsicle) while you marvel at your server’s ability to deliver flawless service in such high, high heels.
Yes, We Will Have No Bananas
New York Times, June 18, 2008
By DAN KOEPPEL
ONCE you become accustomed to gas at $4 a gallon, brace yourself for the next shocking retail threshold: bananas reaching $1 a pound. At that price, Americans may stop thinking of bananas as a cheap staple, and then a strategy that has served the big banana companies for more than a century — enabling them to turn an exotic, tropical fruit into an everyday favorite — will begin to unravel.
The immediate reasons for the price increase are the rising cost of oil and reduced supply caused by floods in Ecuador, the world’s biggest banana exporter. But something larger is going on that will affect prices for years to come.
That bananas have long been the cheapest fruit at the grocery store is astonishing. They’re grown thousands of miles away, they must be transported in cooled containers and even then they survive no more than two weeks after they’re cut off the tree. Apples, in contrast, are typically grown within a few hundred miles of the store and keep for months in a basket out in the garage. Yet apples traditionally have cost at least twice as much per pound as bananas.
Americans eat as many bananas as apples and oranges combined, which is especially amazing when you consider that not so long ago, bananas were virtually unknown here. They became a staple only after the men who in the late 19th century founded the United Fruit Company (today’s Chiquita) figured out how to get bananas to American tables quickly — by clearing rainforest in Latin America, building railroads and communication networks and inventing refrigeration techniques to control ripening. The banana barons also marketed their product in ways that had never occurred to farmers or grocers before, by offering discount coupons, writing jingles and placing bananas in schoolbooks and on picture postcards. They even hired doctors to convince mothers that bananas were good for children.
Once bananas had become widely popular, the companies kept costs low by exercising iron-fisted control over the Latin American countries where the fruit was grown. Workers could not be allowed such basic rights as health care, decent wages or the right to congregate. (In 1929, Colombian troops shot down banana workers and their families who were gathered in a town square after church.) Governments could not be anything but utterly pliable. Over and over, banana companies, aided by the American military, intervened whenever there was a chance that any “banana republic” might end its cooperation. (In 1954, United Fruit helped arrange the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Guatemala.) Labor is still cheap in these countries, and growers still resort to heavy-handed tactics.
The final piece of the banana pricing equation is genetics. Unlike apple and orange growers, banana importers sell only a single variety of their fruit, the Cavendish. There are more than 1,000 varieties of bananas — most of them in Africa and Asia — but except for an occasional exotic, the Cavendish is the only banana we see in our markets. It is the only kind that is shipped and eaten everywhere from Beijing to Berlin, Moscow to Minneapolis.
By sticking to this single variety, the banana industry ensures that all the bananas in a shipment ripen at the same rate, creating huge economies of scale. The Cavendish is the fruit equivalent of a fast-food hamburger: efficient to produce, uniform in quality and universally affordable.
But there’s a difference between a banana and a Big Mac: The banana is a living organism. It can get sick, and since bananas all come from the same gene pool, a virulent enough malady could wipe out the world’s commercial banana crop in a matter of years.
This has happened before. Our great-grandparents grew up eating not the Cavendish but the Gros Michel banana, a variety that everyone agreed was tastier. But starting in the early 1900s, banana plantations were invaded by a fungus called Panama disease and vanished one by one. Forest would be cleared for new banana fields, and healthy fruit would grow there for a while, but eventually succumb.
By 1960, the Gros Michel was essentially extinct and the banana industry nearly bankrupt. It was saved at the last minute by the Cavendish, a Chinese variety that had been considered something close to junk: inferior in taste, easy to bruise (and therefore hard to ship) and too small to appeal to consumers. But it did resist the blight.
Over the past decade, however, a new, more virulent strain of Panama disease has begun to spread across the world, and this time the Cavendish is not immune. The fungus is expected to reach Latin America in 5 to 10 years, maybe 20. The big banana companies have been slow to finance efforts to find either a cure for the fungus or a banana that resists it. Nor has enough been done to aid efforts to diversify the world’s banana crop by preserving little-known varieties of the fruit that grow in Africa and Asia.
In recent years, American consumers have begun seeing the benefits — to health, to the economy and to the environment — of buying foods that are grown close to our homes. Getting used to life without bananas will take some adjustment. What other fruit can you slice onto your breakfast cereal?
But bananas have always been an emblem of a long-distance food chain. Perhaps it’s time we recognize bananas for what they are: an exotic fruit that, some day soon, may slip beyond our reach.Mr. Koeppel is the Author of Banana: The Fate of the Fruit that Changed the World
