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”
Category: People
Richard Feynman: To live with doubt and uncertainty
Richard Feynman (1908 – 1988) is one of my great heroes. Here’s a short video of his. Continue reading “Richard Feynman: To live with doubt and uncertainty”
Blaming People for Natural Disasters
What do Pat Robertson, Priyanka Chopra, Jerry Falwell and Mahatma Gandhi have in common? If you thought that they were all religious nutcases, you are wrong. Priyanka Chopra’s nuttiness doesn’t belong to the religious variety. So think again. Give up? OK, they all blame people for natural disasters. Continue reading “Blaming People for Natural Disasters”
Krugman became an economist because of Science Fiction
Excellent profile of Paul Krugman in the New Yorker by Larrisa MacFarquhar. It is long and interesting. A few excerpts below the fold. This is a must read if you have even a passing interest in economics. Economics is about people and it is done by people. Among contemporary economists, Krugman is as good as they come. Continue reading “Krugman became an economist because of Science Fiction”
A Wild Conjecture (or ‘What would Gandhi Do?’)
I have often wondered if there is a way to confirm whether or not someone was (is) genuinely good for India, or just inconsequential window dressing, or positively harmful. I have a tentative test. The test has to be tested. Exceptions prove the rule, they say. That is, exceptions test the test. So I am looking not just for instances that confirm the hypothesis but also those exceptions that test the soundness of the hypothesis. But first the hypothesis or what can be termed as a wild paranoid conjecture. Continue reading “A Wild Conjecture (or ‘What would Gandhi Do?’)”
Notes from Charlie Munger’s 2007 Commencement Speech at USC Law
Charlie Munger said, “Safest way to get what you want is to deserve what you want. Deliver to the world what you would buy if you were on the other end” in a commencement address to the USC Law School in 2007. A copy of full transcript is here. The “Cliff notes” of that speech was posted by some kind soul and I am reproducing them with gratitude (but without permission.) Continue reading “Notes from Charlie Munger’s 2007 Commencement Speech at USC Law”
The Tragic Hypocrisy of Christians Following Tragedies
Richard Dawkins, he of The Selfish Gene and The God Delusion, pulls no punches. He tells it as he sees it.
Continue reading “The Tragic Hypocrisy of Christians Following Tragedies”
Nehru’s Position on Corruption in High Places
Ever wonder why India is so corrupt? Because like three-day old fish, the rot starts at the top. Now you know what the top was at the time of India’s independence and therefore you must have had your conjectures. Now wonder no more.
Continue reading “Nehru’s Position on Corruption in High Places”
Bose, Gandhi, Ghadar and India’s Independence
Did you know there’s a connection between UC Berkeley and India’s political independence from the British? Let me get to that after this.
Continue reading “Bose, Gandhi, Ghadar and India’s Independence”
In Love, Losing is Winning.
On my way to Ahmedabad last week on Saturday, at Mumbai airport, I saw a poster which had increased the number of sri’s in Sri Sri Ravishankar. It proclaimed Sri Sri Sri Ravishankar. But I think I will stick with the SSRS short form instead of updating it to SSSRS.
One of the perils of reading newspapers in India is that you are exposed to some rather mindless nonsense. Sunday morning in Ahmedabad, I recklessly picked up a newspaper. It was the DNA Sunday. To my horror but not to my surprise, there was Sri Sri Sri Ravishankar’s hirsute image atop a column titled, “In love, losing is winning.”
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Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 