Month: March 2010

GDP is Not a Measure of Happiness

The recent Princeton University Press book by former Harvard president Derek Bok titled “The Politics of Happiness: What Government Can Learn from the New Research on Well-Being” got some reviewers unhappy, as this article in the Atlanticwire.com reports. I have only read that article and the reviews of the book quoted by the publisher, not the book itself. Here I want to focus on the concept of “Gross National Happiness” which crops up in discussions of this nature. Continue reading “GDP is Not a Measure of Happiness”

Dawkins says, “Ratzinger is the Perfect Pope”

I am doing my bit to show how terrible the monotheistic organized cults religions are. Richard Dawkins answers the question “Should the pope resign?” with a definite “No.” He writes in yesterday’s Washington Post: Continue reading “Dawkins says, “Ratzinger is the Perfect Pope””

The Commodification of Education

I was telling my friend CJ about a presentation I made yesterday to the trustees of a school. The proposal was to hand over the management of the school to a firm that will manage the school for a fee. One of the trustees had brought up the point that the firm was a for-profit organization and therefore it would be improper for the school to be associated with it. CJ’s reaction was, “That’s the basic problem with the whole education system, isn’t it?” Continue reading “The Commodification of Education”

Please if you are still alive . . .

“I see dead people,” whispers the little guy in the movie “The Sixth Sense.” That must be very unfortunate for the ability is of dubious utility and seeing dead people walking about certainly would scare the crap out of the normal fellow. It’s more of an affliction than a talent. My affliction is that I see stupid people. Continue reading “Please if you are still alive . . .”

Harris, Hitchens and Gadkari

Two men I admire most are Harris and Hitchens. Awesome speakers and writers, they have the courage to say it like they see it. In an age where politically correct mealy mouthed prevarication oozes out of spineless leaders leaving a slimy track for the mindless to follow, Harris and Hitchens restore my faith in humanity and I am assured that this is just a temporary phenomenon because truth abides. Here’s a video, an editorial, and a news item. Continue reading “Harris, Hitchens and Gadkari”

The Devil in the Vatican

There is a very famous woman in India who is a Roman Catholic. Roman Catholics take as their undisputed leader the Bishop of Rome, aka the Pope, or Papa. You’d have thought that in this day and age, people would have given up on medieval superstitions. Most have but some — even some very powerful people — are superstitious. How superstitious? Continue reading “The Devil in the Vatican”