An ordinary Joe at the gas station (note the car license plate at the start of the video.)
Abolish the Haj Subsidy
A few days ago the Supreme Court of India admitted a petition challenging the subsidy for haj. (Link). The Rs 280 crore (~ US$ 60 million) a year subsidy for Muslims to visit Saudi Arabia, the petitioners claim, is not just unconstitutional but discriminatory.
Continue reading “Abolish the Haj Subsidy”
India and Australia
There can be no doubt that Australia is looming larger and larger on the Indian horizon. Speaking personally, thanks to my participation with the LAFIA2008 — Leading Australia’s Future in Asia-Pacific — delegation in July, I have gained an increased appreciation of the issues that will draw Australia and India into a deeper strategic and economic relationship.
Continue reading “India and Australia”
Pat Condell
Of large colliders and terrorism
A modern digital computer is a general purpose machine, as opposed to say a toilet flush which is a special purpose machine. General purpose machines can be programmed to do an infinitely wide array of tasks. Humans are the ultimate general purpose machines.
Humans can be programmed to do astonishing feats of technological and scientific marvels. Take the large hadron collider (LHC) which will go online in a few days. What seemingly superhuman planning, coordination, determination, knowledge, curiosity, foresight, . . . I am running out of adjectives to properly spell out the amazement I feel at the LHC . . . is demonstrated by the LHC? I get goosebumps just looking at the pictures of the LHC.
At the other end of the spectrum of human capacity lies something that is abhorrent, something that is driven by an ideology that is ignorant, anti-human, anti-progress, anti-life, anti-inquiry, anti-knowledge, . . . A cult of death and destruction that spawns monsters. Here is the story from Mirror.co.uk of how children as young as 5-year olds being taught by the taliban to become killers.
India continues to suffer from terrorism. The terrorists are home-grown but the ideology that fuels the terrorism is imported from Arabia. Kanchan Gupta’s article “The Truth about Islamofascism” should be required reading for Dr “BT” Singh. But I suppose he is fast asleep — perhaps catching up on the sleep that he lost while worrying about the pain and suffering of terrorists.
Karma, neh?
POSTSCRIPT: Do check out the amazing blog The Big Picture “News stories in pictures.”
Open Thread — Your turn
This is an open thread. Say what you will. In case you need a login to comment, email me atanudey at gmail and I will add your selected user name.
The OLPC in India
I spent the last evening in the American Center near Churchgate, Mumbai, at a presentation on the launch of the “one laptop per child” — OLPC — in India. The event was hosted by a bunch of institutions: Asia Society, Digital Bridge Foundation (created by the Reliance ADA Group), MIT Alumni Association of India, and Consulate General of the US.
I had received an email saying that Prof Negroponte would like to meet with me after the presentation. Negroponte, as most people know, is the founder and chairman of the OLPC project and a co-founder of the MIT Media Lab. The announcement said, “Professor Nicholas Negroponte will discuss the MIT-Media Labs developed XO-laptop which is widely seen as revolutionizing primary education around the world…”
Continue reading “The OLPC in India”
Paging Dr “BT” Singh
“Paging Dr Singh, paging Dr Singh. Dr Singh, please pick up the house telephone. Mr M J Akbar has an urgent message to deliver regarding the health of the Mango Man.”
Sorry, Dr Singh is busy driving a taxi.
What the hell is that supposed to mean, “driving a taxi”?
You know, busy doing other things. And besides he is not that type of doctor, the type you call in hospitals.
So what exactly is he doing. I demand to know. I don’t know why he should be driving a taxi.
Perhaps I should use a Hindi expression. “Sir-ji roti bel rahen hai“
This is bloody ridiculous. Why is Dr “BT” Singh roti-bailing? Is he in the kitchen?
No. He’s in the kitchen cabinet. It’s an Eye-tay-leean kitchen. He is the “commie” chef. The chef is Eye-tay-leean. So now you know that paging Dr “BT” Singh is pointless. Mango Man should go fug himself. After all, it was Mango Man who ordered the Eye-tay-leean dish. Now he has to eat it.
Continue reading “Paging Dr “BT” Singh”
Profiting from Education
My contribution to the August issue of Pragati. I am reproducing the piece here below the fold, for the record. Regulars to this blog pretty much know my position on what needs to be done on education. Still you may find something of use.
Continue reading “Profiting from Education”
Atanu Dey : Life is a Random Draw 