STUDY: Multiple Stab Wounds May Be Harmful

2007-09-07T08:08:00.001-07:00

This study, reported on Onion News Network, speaks volumes about why tax dollars and animal lives must be sacrificed in the pursuit of ground-shaking scientific discovery.

New Blog Launched, BBT Already Hates It

2007-05-16T08:46:00.000-07:00

New Blog Launched, BBT Already Hates It

Kuala Lampur - Hing News, an independent Vaisnava news blog, threw its cyber-hat into the ring this morning, with a curt and mysterious announcement that it is officially open for business. The announcement -- made a few seconds ago via a blog posting on hingnews.blogspot.com -- sent shockwaves throughout the Hare Krishna movement, inciting a flurry of philosophical debate and bookmark list re-arranging among the devotee geek demographic.

The blog, brainchild of editor Hasmukh Das, aims to provide a balanced, informed perspective on news and events within the International Society for Krishna Consciousness. In the tradition of both bloggers and ISKCONdevotees, the project will start off with a big bang, generate some buzz, and promptly fizzle away -- at which point it will be updated only sporadically and with profuse but empty apologies.

Self-acclaimed devotee web-guardians, meanwhile, called emergency Skype meetings to speculate what Hing's pungent presence will do to Gaudiya-gossip mainstays Dandavats.com and Chakra.org. Dandavats has attracted a steady following, thanks in part to the site's catchy "the website that will fall over to serve you" motto, while Chakra -- who opted for the more aggressive "we will trip you, kick you while you are down, and steal your beadbag" tag line -- has witnessed steadily declining numbers.

"With Hing, we're really trying to do something different [than Dandavats or Chakra]," Hasmukh Das explained, "Essentially, we're trying to create a news network for devotees. One might even call it a Vaisnava news network."

Despite the fact that it has only been online for a few seconds, the renegade website has already drawn sharp criticism from the Bhaktivedanta Book Trust, publishing arm of the Voltron that is ISKCON. In a stinging statement issued by the Trust, believed to be the world's largest publisher of BBT books, trustees expressed "grave doubt that these so-called internets are anything more than passing fads," and urged fellow devotees to arm themselves with Prabhupada quotes and anecdotes.

"Quite frankly, this whole blog thing seems a little too post-1975 to me," BBT typesetter Granthanatha Das told reporters via telex, cautioning bloggers not to "jump over like monkeys."

"A vedabase search revealed that Prabhupada never once mentioned blogs or the internet," Granthanatha said, "Shouldn't we be asking ourselves why that is?"

Open for Business

2007-05-15T09:26:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Hing, your one-stop resource for fair, balanced, and nectarian news about ISKCON on the web.