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- Archives: October 2006
- Movie Review: Unakkum Enakkum (Something Something)
Almost everything tells me that the movie is fake. But darn it, it's watchable too.
- Petition Filed in Supreme Court Against Land Acquisition For SEZs
There has been a furor over the alleged acquisition of cultivation lands for setting up Special Economic Zones.
- Concert Review: Celtic Frost, Winnipeg, Canada (September 25, 2006)
Black-gothic-symphonic-thrash metal pioneers Celtic Frost return to form after a long hiatus.
- Chinese Grand Prix 2006: Dramatic Win For Schumacher
Ferrari's Michael Schumacher snatched a thrilling victory in the Chinese Grand Prix to take the top spot in the World Championships.
- DVD Review: MirrorMask Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean
MirrorMask is a remarkable story told in remarkable fashion by two of the best storytellers around right now.
- Is Islam a Violent Religion?
If this explanation is so true, then people of each faith should act accordingly with the character of their founder, their holy book and their
- No Other Like Parveen Babi
There will surely be many more Aishwariyas, Bipashas and Priyankas in Bollywood but there will not be another Parveen Babi.
- Space Tourist First To Publish Blog From Outer Space
Anousheh Ansari becomes the first space tourist to publish a blog from outer space.
- Remaking Movies? There's Nothing, Nothing To It!
Though it was just an old story rehashed, NVNV managed to sustain the audience's interest due to its treatment and the casting.
- Cartoon: Exporting Terrorists
Pakistani Economy Improved
- NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 2006 - Blues vs Reds
A rundown of the first game.
- With a Grain of Salt: One Swallow Does Not a Summer Make; Ten Million Make a Swarm!
Migrations have been a problem since the year dot. Whether we are talking about animals, birds, or people, we always have issues in some shape
- Concert Review: The Wailin' Jennys, Winnipeg, Canada (September 22, 2006)
Favorites of Garrison Keillor, the Wailin' Jennys performed a rare hometown performance in Winnipeg, tripling their ticket sales.
- Chick Flicks: What's So Wrong With Them?
Chick flicks give me a warm, cosy feeling that lets me deal with real life much better.
- The Times of India Anti-Blog Rant: Mainstream Media Returns the Compliments
ToI(let) Paper decides to take on its tormentors - the bloggers - in a fitful, frothing-at-the-mouth meaningless rant.
- Egg On Their Faces - And in Their Hair
I have little doubt that we will not be waiting too long before the ICC treats us to yet another self-emasculation.
- A Sudden Visit to Pakistan: Heera Mandi - The Dream House of the Whores
Taking a midnight stroll in the sinful red light district of Lahore, Pakistan.
- Writer's Notebook: Reading And Writing
I've always been a voracious reader... now I've become a writer...
- Movie Review: Dor
Dor, like RDB, is the voice of India today, our voice.
- Reform, Reprogram, Reset: Islam's Fifth Stage?
Time is now to start working towards a lead age and then move on to aluminum, copper...and later perhaps gold
- Media: Transparency Begins at Home
Who is paying for my news and why?
- Book Reviews: Eragon, Eldest
Author Paolini's influences include Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Tolkien
- NKP Salve Challenger Trophy 2006 - Blues vs Greens
Ironically, the game that I was watching was also as starkly one-sided as an Internet RFC document.
- Cartoon - Bend It Like Musharraf
In the line of fire, Musharraf shoots himself in the foot - Gulf News
- How To Take Over World Sport
A 5-step guide to world domination in light of the BCCI's decision to bid for the ICC's media rights.
- Jessica Lall Trial: Manu Sharma's Murder Confession
The confession audio CD never made it to court.
- Communication: Listen And Learn
...we are scared and react emotionally to that which we don't understand.
- Poetry: Shashi Tharoor Bows Out - UN's Loss, Fiction's Gain
a quatrain on the occasion of Tharoor's bowing out of the UN Secretary-General race
- Résumé Design: the Art of Articulate, Targeted Presentation
Offered here some general guidelines along with examples for writing a successful résumé for experienced professionals in technical fields.
- Yes, I Cry at Movies
The thing is, I never cried at movies, and would stare, fascinated, at any one who did.
- Eqbal Ahmad: Writer, Peace Activist, And to Many, Just Eqbal
Eqbal supported freedom struggles around the world. Castro sent him cigars, but stopped when Eqbal continued arguments for greater civil liberties and democracy.
- Music Review: Strictly Off Limits Accademia Amiata Ensemble: Music Of Frank Zappa & Tommy Fortmann
He (Zappa) would probably be the one most capable of composing work of serious merit
- The Mohammed Afzal Execution Debate - A Family Stands Divided
Eavesdropping on the conversations of an Indian Muslim family - do they want the terrorist Muhammad Afzal to be hanged?
- Racism in Las Vegas - Travelling While Brown
This incident simply highlights the nature of individuals who use religion as their target for their inconvience, grief and anger without any rationale.
- Peer to Peer Media: Communication and Resistance
The new PR people are being forced to unlearn all of this and speak more freely and honestly.
- Movie Review: V for Vendetta
Entertaining at its best.
- The Nobel Prize For Medicine, 2006 - RNAi & C. elegans
It has been said that most revolutionizing concepts begin with a simple and fundamental observation
- South Asian Film Festival, Seattle: Suk Bahadur and The Great Indian School Show
The moment the students hear HIS voice, they all stand up, and the teacher too gets up from her bench!
- Sourav Ganguly: Farewell Dear Friend
Alas, this is the end. There will be no more attempts at re-selection, only memories. It was good having you around Dada.
- LeT: Terrorists or Militants?
A person who deliberately kills innocents is not a terrorist but a militant. According to the BBC that is.
- Music Review: Pete Seeger Brothers And Sisters
...we can never have enough recordings of Pete or anybody singing those songs.
- The Hairy Oval Mess Continues
All said and done, quite a mess this, and Hair, for all you know may have received the 500,000 dollars he had asked for in
- Forbes' Most Powerful Women List: The Wrong Notion of Power
To list Indra Nooyi among the most powerful women of the world only shows one thing—that we have the wrong notion of what power is
- Travel Essay: San Francisco, A Tourist Hot Spot
If there is a city other than Sydney that I would love to settle down in, it would have to be San Francisco.
- India: A Reality Check: Manual Scavenging
India enjoys a GDP rate of over 7%, but there are people who still carry shit on their heads!
- Photo Reporting From Jantar Mantar – A Manipuri Girl Brings Her Iconic Protest Against the Indian Army to the Country’s Capital
Ms. Chanu continues with her hunger strike to demand the repeal of the controversial Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act 1958 from Manipur.
- Call Centres: The Great Data Theft - Channel 4's Dispatches
The Indian economy boom owes a great deal to the call centres, BPOs and associated industries which could come down like a house of cards.
- Why Clemency Should Be Denied To Mohammed Afzal
Why Mohammad Afzal SHOULD be hanged
- Living In Israel – Yediot Ahronot Distorts a Man's Misfortunes, Pushes Agenda of Killing Immigration to Israel
What a sickening sight to see: The descendants of the glorious enterprise of "settling the Land" taking a knife to their own nation's throat.
- For Name's Sake: Ten Years Since Bombay Became Mumbai
The Great Ganesha rants about the name change from Bombay to Mumbai on the ten-year anniversary of the change.
- Graffiti: Cravings in Engravings
State of cleanliness or the lack of it, especially in Indian toilets.
- Concert Review: The Who, Winnipeg (October 3, 2006)
Showing their age, but performing admirably, The Who rocked 10,000 fans in Winnipeg after a 30-year return.
- Photobloggers Exposed: Smart, Talented, and Young
At 16, 17 and 18 years young, meet three photographers are already well on their way to a successful career in photography, should they choose
- Kerala's Churches Battle Mammon and Marxists
It is this morally degraded cultural milieu that has become the fertile breeding ground for self-financing institutions and courses in higher education.
- One Agonizingly Long Morning in the Life of a Book Lover
It’s not easy - to live with books; to read all the books you buy; to decide which book to read today.
- What Is in a Name?
When Indian names are anglicized for pure convenience...
- Book Review: Compost called Indlish
Sanyal's book should serve as the Bible to journalists who want to write clean, sparkling copies.
- Mera Corruption India Ltd. Mahan
We don’t purge – we add. And thereby we don’t clean up corruption – we add to it. With every successive Government and bureaucracy.
- Changing Chartered Accountants
I keep harping about getting a good CA when you start your business. I should have been heeding my own advice.
- Lost in Transition
An opinionated commentary on the transitory period between apartment leases; based on experiences in a typical college-town setting
- Travel Episodes: Mayajaal
Surprise! It rained in Chennai. And the timing couldn’t have been better.
- Nobel Thoughts: On the 2006 Prize for Chemistry
There was some disgruntled murmurs about the Nobel Prize in Chemistry being awarded for research that was essentially biological.
- If Saleem and Anarkali Blogged
Which movie characters should have had blogs and in what ways would their blogs have changed the movie plots?
- BCCI's Sponsorship Agreements: Lalit Modi - Time To Shut That Trap
Get your act together boys, otherwise you will have no more than the shirts on your back - not even your own names.
- Travel Essay: Goodbye Malgudi, Hello Mysore
R.K. Narayan would have turned 100 on October 10. But would he have approved of today's Mysore?
- Music Review: George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars Take It To The Stage
You don't know what your missing if you've not experienced George Clinton & The P-Funk All Stars.
- India: A Tough Country To Live In If You Are Disabled
One in ten people in India suffers from one form of disability or the other and faces public humiliation and social ridicule.
- Book Review: Richard Wagamese Dream Wheels
...a great story about finding your way in an ever increasingly difficult world.
- I Wish I Could Quit You, Blog!
What if your favourite movie characters had taken up blogging? Would it have helped the movie plot or not? Perhaps....
- Making College Dreams a Reality
A brainchild of young college grads, PrepMe prepares students for the SAT
- Desicritics Editors' Picks - July 24- July 30,2006
Highlighting some articles that you may have missed inadvertently.
- Movie Review: The Departed
What are the chances a director will take an ensemble cast, an Americanized script of a Hong Kong classic, terrific background score and botch it
- California Bay Area Politics
With a sobriquet of "Sandhu: Can Do" he has a plan for Mountain View called Vision 2020 that gives direction to the fiscal and social
- The Mangalore Riots - What Really Happened
Communal violence flares up in the coastal city of Mangalore after nearly a decade.
- DVD Review: Pow Wow Trail Episode 7: Pow Wow Rock
It's not about making a quick buck or converts, it's about celebrating.
- Astrology Can Detect Homosexuality - So Says India TV
These guys believe in out-doing themselves when it comes to reporting worst "Invented News" segment.
- Japanese Grand Prix: Suzuka Spells Doom For Schumi, Victory For Alonso
Only a miracle can now see Schumacher win the championship.
- Photo Essay: Ram Lila - Backstage with the Gods - The Anthropology of Theatre
That would possibly have been the best ever blogger profile pic but alas it wasn't to be.
- Teaching Your Child To Be A Good Sport
As we approach the Diwali holidays, we should look at encouraging our kids to participate in a sport.
- Graphic Novel Review: Virgin Comics' Devi
Though the message on the surface may seem simple, yet there is a deeper undertone to the series.
- Customer, Guest or Athithi?
Over time I came to realize that my friends abroad did not mean any insult by not walking me to the parking lot.
- Film Review: The Departed
Tight, razor sharp thriller that makes the current crop of films pale in comparison. Scorcese does it again.
- With a Grain of Salt: The Political Impact of Terrorism
The political aim that these terrorists are looking for is to overthrow the current political order and replace it with something of their own ideology.
- CD Review: Nuages Du Monde (Clouds of the World), Delerium
Ethno-ambient cinematic music beautifully recorded with a host of top talented female singers, but lacking in distinctive, memorable material.
- Travel Episodes: Down Memory Lane
It was also this very house, which would bring the biggest ever change to my life. It gave me my first ever feel of death
- Concert Review: An Evening in Red Fort – When Sufi Went Phuss
Purani Dilli, Ramadan night; brightly-lit Laal Quila; Pakistani pop stars; Sufi concert; October breeze – and yet the evening backfired! What went wrong?
- London Bombings 2005 - A Sinister Ashes Twist
Apparently, the Australian and English cricket teams were the original targets. Should we buy it?
- One Year Later: A Reflection on Azad Kashmir After The Quake
The writer reflects on the natural beauty of an area of Pakistan hit by an earthquake on October 8, 2005.
- Security Cover, Amitabh Bachchan, and The Common Man
Why does a rich person like Amitabh Bachchan who is capable of paying for his own security expenses needs a Z-level cover in the first
- Reflections of Jewish Destiny: Getting From Here to There – Emerging From the First Flowering of Our Redemption
The State of Israel is unwilling to do what it needs to do to survive; therefore it will not last.
- Indian Geo-Politics: India At The Crossroads
Has India lost its moorings under the current UPA administration?
- DVD Review: Classic Albums: Bob Marley And The Wailers, Catch A Fire
Bob Marley And The Wailers: Catch A Fire is a wonderful documentary on the process of building a great album
- Kashmir - Notes on Plebiscite
Understanding plebiscite with respect to unresolved conflict of Kashmir.
- Sino-Indian War October 10, 1962: If the IAF Were Not Muzzled
If the IAF would have played a larger role in the Sino-Indian war of 1962, things would have been different today.
- Movie Review: Naksha Ka Side Effects By An Irate Gynecologist
This weekend saw me experiencing the Good, the not-so-Bad and the without-any-doubt-Ugly.
- Confessions of a Laundromat Virgin
Eighty-five bloody minutes, on top of the twenty I have already put in! Someone's having a laugh and it certainly wasn't me!
- Mohammed Afzal Guru: To Be Or Not To Be?
It will be a travesty of justice to hang Mohammad Afzal without ascertaining answers to these questions.
- BCCI's Bid for Global Rights Irks Some People
BCCI's announcement that it is going to bid for global marketing rights of ICC events has elicited some interesting responses from certain quarters.
- Travel Essay: Meeting Ms. Liberty
The minute you set your eyes on her, you can't help but feel the hair on the back of your neck stand up.
- Cartoon: IMF - Size Doesn't Matter
The IMF conundrum
- German Poverty - Poor Children In A Rich Country
Berlin is the poorest state in Germany, the tourists will disagree.
- Daring to Dream – What To Do When You Want Indians And Pakistanis To Come Close To Each Other?
Indians say Pakistan is a terrorist nation; Pakistanis say India has hegemonic tendencies; both say peaceniks are fools.
- Kashmir: Is It An Integral Part Of India?
A look at some of the historical events that shaped up Kashmir being an entity within India.
- Mohammed Afzal, Kashmir, and India
Unfortunately, Kashmiri politics may affect the outcome.
- How Much Should We Experiment With the Cricket Team?
Recently a few players have started questioning the non-conventional methods of their team's coaches
- Friday The Thirteenth - Why So Unlucky?
Superstition is the stuff of ignorance and fear which gives rise to hatred and intolerance
- Actress Rekha - 52 and Still Rocking
Some people say that "Life begins after 50" and she is a perfect example of that.
- Kabhie Alvida Na Kehna: All Hype and Alvida To Film Critics
A film critic can no longer play god.
- Movie Review: Little Miss Sunshine - Drugs, Death and Dysfunction
Creating the ideal scenario for dysfunction, the film-makers take a warm, but satirical look at family dynamics.
- Ostriches Eating Turkey: A Media Round-up of Foley-gate, Politkovskaya, Indian Child Labour Laws
Ever seen Ostriches eat turkey with such abandon?
- North Korea - Who Cares?
This is a good time for someone to start caring and stop posturing about North Korea.
- Graphic Novel Review: Virgin Comics' Devi
Devi, Virgin Comics' second series after Sadhu is a much better effort. Recommended for fantasy fans.
- Music Review: From The Big Apple To The Big Easy
From The Big Apple To The Big Easy does the remarkable - it captures the spirit of New Orleans.
- Mumbai Politics - Thackeray-giri or Hoodlum-giri?
Mumbai life becomes even scarier because now it confronts two forms of hoodlumgiri.
- Kiran Desai Wins the Man Booker Prize 2006 - The Booker-book Row Is Here Again
I generally read about, rather than read Booker authors.
- Sunshine India: Encounter Killings, Torture and Custodial Deaths
Legislation to eradicate torture, encounter killings and custodial deaths may be somewhat effective and may decrease human rights abuse marginally.
- Movie Review: Sillunnu Oru Kaadal
Big, fat, disappointment. Best avoid this if you are not die-hard Surya-Jo fans.
- Glaring Lack of Original Content in Indian Media
Why is there no original contect in Indian media, whether it is news, opinion or analysis?
- Simple Marital Problems Can Lead to Fatal Consequences
People on the verge of commiting suicide can also kill others. Society must provide an outlet for these people.
- Movie Review: Cars - Not As Bad As Made Out To Be
When Cars came out, everybody wanted to jump on it and say that this was Pixar's first failure since 1995 when the studio made Toy
- Grammar 101: It's Not Its Fault It's So Confusing!
It's just an apostrophe that separates the two but wrongly used, could spell a catastrophe (an exaggeration, for sure, but you get my point).
- Satire: George Clooney Up to Hijinx
Upen Piggybhai Patel has always held Clooneybhai in the highest esteem.
- Canadian Politics: Steven Harper: George Bush's Dummy
George Bush is pulling the strings that make Steven Harper dance.
- On English: Surviving and Adapting
English is resilient and can outlive this onslaught too. Hasn't it accepted google - and even changed it to a verb?
- Desicritics Editors' Picks - August 01 - 31, 2006
Highlighting some articles from August that you may have missed.
- Are Our Trade Unions Obsolete?
While the trade unions were effective in the past, they aren't all that relevant in this day and age.
- Nobel Prize in Literature: Orhan and His Istanbul
I applaud Pamuk on his Nobel prize - rarely has an award been so well deserved.
- Does Gandhi Matter?
He still lives on in the hearts of the secular Indians and as long as he is remembered, he will serve as a guiding light
- DVD Review: Classic Albums: Steely Dan's Aja
...a first rate documentary from a first rate series.
- Ramadan's Simple Pleasures
There's much more to Ramadan than just fasting.
- Music Review: Steve Goodman Live From Austin City Limits...And More
...one human being can light up a city with the power of his or her convictions.
- George Fernandes - Winter Sets on a Giant Killer
George Fernandes is one example of a man who began so well and seems to be finishing the race as a rootless political pilgrim
- Beyond Black, White and Grey
People aren't black or white; neither are they grey. They're every shade of colour imaginable!
- 2006 Nobel: Peace Prize for Microfinance and Muhammad Yunus
In the aftermath of the decision, Yunus is being hailed as having 'introduced capitalism to the poor'. That is hardly true.
- Does Jane's Ghost Haunt Tolstoy's Epic?
The introductory chapters of Leo Tolstoy's 'War and Peace' appear to be ghost written by Jane Austen.
- Not a Man(n) Enough
What the heck is wrong with these Punjabi pop singers?
- Taking Squash To The Masses
Over recent years, the Squash Rackets Federation of India has taken firm steps to increase the popularity and level of squash in India
- Great Day To Be Bangladeshi: Dr. Yunus and Grameen Bank Bag Nobel Peace Prize 2006
Dr. Yunus said once "One day our grandchildren will go to museums to see what poverty was like." I hope his dream comes true some
- Merits of Religious Conversion: Let the Youth Decide
Resurgence in religious faith is cutting across all ideologies.
- Is ‘What Is Good For India’ Good for Kashmir?
We can’t imagine, believe nor accept that Kashmiri Muslims are actually fighting us, including our values.
- Travel Report: City of Los Angeles - Nothing More Than Hollywood
...Sunset Boulevard, the Hollywood sign, expensive designer wear boutiques, posh cars and famous Hollywood personalities that bumping into a famous face would have been a
- Ian Botham Walks for Leukaemia Research Charity
Ian Botham has continued to raise funds for charity and has just embarked on a walk around major cities in England.
- The Rise and Fall of the Indian Restaurants in the US
Indian restaurants in the US start with a bang and then they limp around only to die out and for others to start.
- Depiction of Racism in Films
Three films shed light on the incendiary question of race and prejudice: To Kill a Mocking Bird, Australian Rules, and Crash.
- Graphic Novel Review: Virgin Comics' Ramayan 3392 AD
Ramayan 3392 AD combines the ancient with the futuristic and although it holds a promise it does not blow your head off.
- Muslim Group Alleges Apple's Store To Be Blasphemous
Unnamed Muslim group alleges Apple's cube-shaped NYC Store is an insult to their religion.
- Gandhigiri - Is it Worth all the Hype?
Gandhigiri never was and never will be of any use to our country.
- Is It About Words…
A four-letter word (L _ V E) that every living being feels and goes through it.
- Increasing Share of the Small Business Market
SMBs---What are you waiting for?
- Common Errors in Technical Writing
Gurudutt Kamath or Guru (as he is popularly known) was speaking on common errors in technical writing.
- Movie Review: Dor - Sensitive Intertextuality
This is what good cinema is about. This is what we have expected from our new breed of directors but have not seen much of
- Is Creativity Dead?
Disturbing ennui among the arts.
- With a Grain of Salt: Children, Between Hope and Despair
Killing, raping, ethnic cleansing, all the worst parts of human behaviour became ingrained in the minds and nature of the "child soldiers".
- You Know Your Body As Well As Your Doctor Does - Listen To It
...if fewer of us were to treat them (doctors) like gods, perhaps they would stop thinking of themselves as such.
- Child Labour Prohibition Act: What Will Become of Chotu?
The government must solve the problems of poverty which leads to child labour and exploitation if it wants to eradicate child labour.
- Media Roundup: On a Nice Sunny Day in Toronto, Buffalo Snowed, Tigers Rolled, The Buddha Was Embraced
Herschelle Gibbs talks, Zimbabwe and Bangladesh walk and we eat Haleem.
- Champions Trophy 2006: England v/s India - Not Upto Scratch
It was a "scratch and win" for the Indian Team.
- Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif Doped Out Of Champions Trophy 2006
Shoaib Akhtar and Mohammed Asif test positive for a performance enhancing drug.
- Kashmir: Paradise Lost
Both Pakistan and India must answer to the tragedy that has befallen this beautiful region and its people.
- Indians and Fair Skin
What is with Indians and fair skin? Looks like we are obsessed with the color white.
- A Comparison of AIIMS, PGI and JIPMER
Is JIPMER getting its due?
- NGOs Play Havoc with Orissa's Attempts Towards Progress.
Medha Patkar is campaigning against industrialisation in Orissa. Why can not she give the poor people of the State a chance to make a living?
- Muslim Group Alleges Blasphemy Without Attribution - And the Media Falls for It
How MEMRI reported a lie and the blogsphere is buzzing with yet another racial issue.
- Canadian Politics: Afghanistan, What Were We Fighting About Again?
It would be ironic if the war everybody else seems to have forgotten about brings down a government in Canada.
- The 'Celebritization' Of News - Lage Raho Bhatt Sahib
That word - celebritization - would not have found itself in print, had it not been used by a celebrity.
- Tracking M.C.Mehta – Delhi, CNG and Persistence
For 15 years, Mehta has showed how courts can preserve and restore clean air and water for millions of people
- Book Review: Prince of Ayodhya, Ashok K. Banker
A well-crafted beginning for a retelling of the ancient tale, the Ramayana.
- Diwali Mela: London Istyle!
Bright sparks, in a myriad of different hues, took over the skies amidst shouts of 'Happy Diwali'.
- Photo Essay: Inside and Outside the Jama Masjid - The World’s Greatest and Grandest Mosque
Jama Masjid has fallen from its original royal stature to a mere sad reminder of its former glory.
- North Korea Faces Sanctions - Will It Make a Difference?
That economic sanctions alone are unlikely to work does not mean that they cannot make a useful contribution toward the changes that are sought to
- The Priyadarshini Mattoo Case - Justice Finally Served
Finally Priyadarshini Mattoo has won her battle.
- Book Review: John Le Carre The Mission Song
Le Carré is as in tune and aware of the world around him as he ever was
- Durga Puja(o) and Its Changing Meaning Through the Years
Bengalis love to write about Durga Puja. It's their favorite festival and for most, it is THE festival.
- Afzal Guru: Alive or Dead a Lightning Rod
Afzal Guru poses a dilemma: alive or dead he will be a lightning rod.
- WebSite Review: StockHive.com- Invest Rationally
Web 2.0 is not only about social networking, video or music. It is about money & investing too. Introducing StockHive.com
- Book Review: Siege of Mithila by Ashok K. Banker
Even better than the first volume, this book carries the series forward brilliantly.
- Why Do We Criticize Our Nations?
While quick to embrace tools of modernity (cellphones, internet) it is slow to adopt the values of modernity- equality, tolerance, and liberty
- Ritwik Bhattacharya Enters The Main Draw At The Hong Kong Squash Open 2006
Ritwik, Saurav & Joshna prepare for the Asian Games by participating in various squash tournaments
- With a Grain of Salt: The US Mid-Term Elections: On Winners and Losers
"The two real political parties in America are the Winners and the Losers."
- The Priyadarshini Mattoo Case - Winning Against Giants - Media Support Turns The Tide
Compared to the profiles of the accused, the families of the victims can only be considered pygmies.
- Champions' Trophy 2006 : Sri Lanka v/s Pakistan - Surprising Win? Not Really
It would be a thriller if Pakistan were to meet India in the semis or the Finals
- Estimated 650,000 Iraqis Die In US War On Iraq
"There have been 654,965 excess Iraqi deaths as a consequence of the war, which corresponds to 2.5% of the population..."
- Canadian Politics: Defence Of Religion Bill Equals Hate Mongering
Steven Harper and the Conservative Party of Canada are hate mongers.
- Book Review: The Sea, The Sea, Iris Murdoch
An exploration of the pain and confusion of misplaced love, to vanity and the secret human need for self-satisfaction.
- Book Review: Demons of Chitrakut by Ashok K. Banker
Banker excels in the third part of the Ramayana series; simply glorious.
- Is Internet Addiction Harmful?
The radio was seen as the end of print, the TV portended the end of radio, blah blah.
- Book Review: Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro
So what is the book really about? It's about the steady erosion of hope. It's about repressing what you know.
- Poetry: Timeless Tales
in the marketplace sun / idols and ideals / competing for (market) share / freedom and choices aplenty / horns and speakers in competition
- Cricket Doping Scandal - Shoaib Akhtar Busted
It is up to Akhtar and Asif to come clean and tell us the real truth, no matter how bitter it may taste.
- Some Thoughts on the Anniversary of Veerappan's Death: Magic In His Moustache?
How could a man with a handlebar moustache elude the law for a decade and a half?
- Book Review: Such a Long Journey by Rohinton Mistry
A well written, often humorous, book, of one man's ability to cope with a multitude of problems, which suddenly disrupt his ordinary life.
- Writer's Notebook: No More NaNoWriMo Notes
I'm going to keep writing and keep seeing what comes ...only the end of this series after all, not me.
- Bollywood Celebrates Diwali and Eid With Don and Jaan-e-Mann
It's festive time for both movie-goers and movie-makers as Don and Jaan-e-Mann hit the screens.
- Salil Chowdhury - A Composer Par Excellence
A biographical analysis of Salil Chowdhury, an Indian composer, and his musical career.
- US Students In Mathematics - High on Confidence but Low on Scores
The question then is, does it pay to mix fun and work in the schools or is hard work the main ingredient?
- Book Review: Armies of Hanuman by Ashok K. Banker
Banker gets better with each book, and Armies of Hanuman is no exception.
- Imrana Wins Against All Odds
Hopefully a proactive judiciary will encourage others to come forward and raise their voices.
- Iraq And Vietnam: Lesson Of The Past Lost On The Pentagon
Public support depends on producing results as promised. That's the real lesson they've failed to learn from the Vietnam War.
- Potato Chips: A Bribe For All Seasons
The chips we get in India is high on fat and sodium content that is higher than the permissible limit.
- Book Review: Q&A by Vikas Swarup
A poor Indian boy wins a billion rupees on a quiz show. How he knew the answers are the stories.
- Auf Wiedersehen Schumi - The Brazilian Grand Prix
Michael Schumacher who retires this weekend holds nearly every record in Formula One racing.
- FC Barcelona Pays To Use The UNICEF Logo On Their Kit
Normally the jersey logo would earn a leading club nearly $20,000,000 per year. However Barca paid UNICEF to use their logo! Could we try
- Canadian Politics: Don't Worry About Them, Nobody Else Does
...my chauvinism says that it's a sign of our good quality that people don't need to read about us.
- The People of Jaan-E-Maan - Totally Fantastic
Do I like Jaan-E-Mann? I like Jaan-E-Mann ... I love Jaan-E-Mann ... Jaan-E-Mann is in my blood.
- Sting Masters or Wishmasters?
With what is happening, the media seem to look like the Wishmaster of that Hollywood movie series.
- What Does it Take to Hang a Person Till His Death in India?
India wants it collective conscience to be satisfied by legally organizing the murder of a person who might or might not be innocent.
- 3000 AD: Individuality Out, Conformism In
The human race will peak in the next 1000 years by about year 3000 AD and then start to decline due to its overwhelming dependence
- Revisiting Iraq Policy Aims and Implementation: A Response to Dr. Eric Davis
In this first of three articles, I dissect the arguments made by one academic on US Iraq policy.
- Reading From Writing: Rediscovering The Joy Of Reading
What more could a person ask for; to not only find what they are looking for but also extra treasure as well.
- Book Review: Bridge of Rama by Ashok K. Banker
Bridge of Rama is Banker's best book yet; the series heads for a resounding finale.
- Book Review: Lipstick Jihad by Azadeh Moaveni
Making love, snorting cocaine, planning raves, and launching other non-violent mutinies against the Islamic Republic of Iran.
- Crime: The Highest Paying Career Option in India
It is easier to be a terrorist and a terrorist supporter and endorse thousands of deaths than to be a Rapist in India.
- SET MAX's Extraa Innings - Marital Bliss Is Amiss
It’s a matter of knowing one’s job, and it seems, neither Charu nor Mandira are doing what they are supposed to do.
- Might As Well Face It, I'm Addicted To Words
I'm hopelessly addicted to the plague of excessive word use and love of the English language
- Poetry: monday masks
a child with a disney backpack / looks up and our smiles clash
- Why This Contempt For the Clock?
A public-spirited group of Ecuadorians brought together everybody in a coordinated crusade to make Ecuador a punctual nation.
- Media Roundup: Olmert Shouts, Ahmadinejad Yells, Bush Admits Failure, Experiments In Invisibility and More...
If the muse moves you to write on any topic mentioned here please do so
- Schumacher's Unforgettable Swan Song
On lap 10 of the Grand Prix though, my world crashed about my ears as Mikey's car threw a wobbly and swerved all over the
- Pakistan Cricket - Inzi in trouble
The turmoil in Pakistan cricket is not going to end any time soon.
- Book Review: Neil Gaiman Neverwhere
...a wonderful adventure story about a journey through a vast underground world full of wonders and horrors
- Nepal - Cautious Optimism or Continued Instability
While internecine conflict is not new to South Asian states, Nepal today is the exception impeding its growth and development.
- Movie Review: Vallavan: Melodrama of the Twisted Kind
Simbhu sets his directorial debut in the formative and vulnerable years between adolescence and adulthood.
- Pakistan Cricket - What is Normal?
The Pakistani team we have been treated to over the past season or two is hardly normal.
- Travel Report: Visiting Kolkata, City Of Life
The beauty of Kolkata lies in its melding of bygone colonial architecture with fast-paced modern development.
- News Storms Assail Britain: Madonna and Son, Mills vs. McCartney, the TA's Veil
Britain was never such a fun place to be in than the past week. It was like being in the thick of a myriad of
- The Fading American Dream
The American Dream has turned sour. The power of the American Republic has passed from the hands of its people.
- Don - The Chase Begins Again - Death of a Director
Farhan Akhtar's transition from passionate film-maker to a businessman.
- With a Grain of Salt: Let Them Eat Cake? If They Can Afford It?
Hunger has no demographics,no limits,does not obey any political philosophy and it cannot be held at bay indefinitely.
- Michael Schumacher - The Man And The Champion
It is truly ironic that I should be speaking about Formula One and a "brutal" champion called Michael Schumacher.
- Nuclear Proliferation - Why North Korea Wants Nukes
North Korea wants nuclear weapons for the same reason India and Pakistan wanted them.
- Junior Squash Nationals At The Calcutta Rackets Club Commence Today
Over 350 juniors will take part in the Squash Nationals which begin in Kolkata today
- Hyderabad: Stroll through the Old City
We made our way back and reached home way past midnight. I am not sure what this trip meant to me, but I was moved
- India & America - Two of a Kind?
Hidden in all these strands is a very important story of how India is replicating America.
- Book Review: My Friend Leonard by James Frey
My Friend Leonard is a tribute to the goodness in the human heart that refuses to fade no matter how tough life gets.
- Kashmiri Political Space – Civil Agitations Galore
Kashmir has witnessed a large number of civil agitations of late. Pragmatic policies need to control this trend
- A Guide to Setting Your Password
A password, I believe, should be as unique as you. And that is the reason, your creative instincts should take over.
- Book Review: Neil Gaiman American Gods
Belief is a very powerful weapon that can be exploited and used against those who are most devout
- Microsoft PowerPoint - Tips & Tools to Add Power to Your Point
Hope my exploration of Microsoft PowerPoint would help you add punch to your presentation and save you from Death By PowerPoint
- Playing Halaal Cricket in Pakistan, the Land of the Pure
All the problems Pakistan confront today is reflected in its primary pastime - cricket.
- Junior Squash Nationals At The Calcutta Rackets Club - Day 1 Report
A quiet first day at the Indian squash Junior Nationals being held in Kolkata
- BCCI v The World - Bindra Tells It Like It Is
It is high time the BCCI was run like a prudent corporate entity.
- Two Songs to Celebrate Diwali and Eid
Both holidays that have come to symbolize so much joy and hope always fall within a few days of each other.
- The Best Sports-based Movies
Surprisingly, four of the five movies have boxing as the background sport.
- The Protection of Women from Domestic Violence Act 2005 - Big Brother has Arrived
Simply passing an Act and jotting it down on legal paper does not ensure that its main purpose will be served.
- Book Review: King of Ayodhya by Ashok K. Banker
A glorious end to a memorable series.
- Defining Terrorism: Violence Is Violence
It doesn't matter to the person who is killed whether it was a terrorist bullet that took their life or that of a soldier
- Infosys Pays Its Social Dues to China; What About India?
Wouldn't it be a good idea if they were to sponsor a few seats in every training batch at the Mysore centre to the bright
- Poetry: A Short Story
A short story, versified.
- Photo Essay: Working Women of Delhi in Morning Rush Hour
Picture portraits of brave women who have chosen to live a tough but independent life.
- Book Review: Anansi Boys Neil Gaiman
"...who better then to tie all the strings of the world together and weave them into stories than Spider?"
- Great Movies - A Very Personal Review
An intensely personal review on some of the favorite movies of this author.
- Realism in International Relations
The study of International Relations is a very complex endeavour. The field has been changing and becoming more sophisticated and diversified.
- On Writing, for the Blogging Generation
Want to know how bad blogging might be for prospective authors?
- Failed Democracies Abound in South Asia
One might well ask as to what India did right that democracy - warts and all - at least exists in the country.
- Adam Bidapa and Nikhil Gowda: Sons in High Places Throw Tantrums
The script is typical of a celebrity family throwing its weight about, and the police throwing the book at them, citing the cliché, 'No one
- Stardom: It's Lonely at the Top
I thought of him – Him on the celluloid screen and Him worn out with his solitude.
- OPEC: A Fractious Cartel
OPEC depends on the individual member states not breaking rank. In practice this agreement does not occur as cheating goes on all the time.
- Indian Cricket: Five Bowlers? I Don't Think So
It is about time that the Indian think tank took a good hard look at themselves and got the team composition right.
- iPod or Zune? White Wire Revolution or Black Wire Revolution?
You see I belong to the black wire group. I grew up at at time of the black wire revolution. What is that you ask?
- Book Review: Fragile Things Neil Gaiman
These are Fragile Things that the passage of time will have difficulty folding, bending, or mutilating.
- ICC Champions Trophy 2006: India vs Australia - What Are They Hoping For?
Sunday's game at Mohali between India and Australia is a virtual quarter-final.
- Final Results - Indian Junior Squash Nationals Held At Kolkata
The national individual championships finals played at Kolkata were generally as per the seedings and we only saw major upsets in the Boys under 19
- Cheb Mami vs. Tam Rap: Creative or Wannabe Hip Hop?
Are we desis wannabes? An observation of Tam Rap.
- Book Review: MirrorMask: The Illustrated Film Script Neil Gaiman & Dave McKean
The visuals in this movie range from the opulent and spectacular to the stark minimalist of a black and white sketch
- Viveik Oberoi is Finally Famous - Credit to Blog Pardy
Most heart-felt compliment ever -"You look like Sanjay Dutt".
- Folk Mela at Bangalore
I celebrated my Deepavali with the true lights and sparkling stars of this country - my fellow folk artists and artisans.
- Bangalore VIP Kids Cause Fracas
VIP kids in Bangalore go on a rampage
- Our Cricketers Commit Adultery! Surely Not?
Wake up and smell the roses, ladies and gentlemen. Even when the spirit is willing, the flesh will always remain weak.
- Arming Iraq: Whoops! Wrong Arms
George and the rest of the gang should learn how to ensure they don't supply arms to the people they're fighting
- Why I Need a Loving Mate
This is what happens. I get up. I sneeze. Then I sneeze again. And again. And again. And it continues. And continues.
- Media Roundup: Kings and Pawns, Mid-term Adjustments, Champions No More
A look at cricket, baseball, wars, famines, mid terms, book seizures, discoveries and more in the week past
- Delhi Trader Bundh: A City Hijacked by Hubris
Today both the administrators and the administered are battling the monster that grows a new head everyday.
- Are We Afraid of the Pakistanis?
Linguistic and caste-based differences be damned, Indianness should be the only religion for us to follow.
- Music Review: The Arctic Monkeys - Defying All The Rules
The Arctic Monkeys came up the hard way with the surprising ease that characterises the digital age.
- Which Witch Is Which?
Humility and being humble are two very important parts of worship that Wicca and other New Age faiths seem to disregard
- The Abortion Non-Debate in India
How can we provide facilities for safe abortions when we cannot provide facilities for safe deliveries specially in rural areas?
- Satire: India's Tour of South Africa 2006 - ODI Team Selection
Selection Thoughts - What is playing on their minds?
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- Movie Review: Unakkum Enakkum (Something Something)
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