Movie studios struggling to silence bad buzz - Business - International Herald Tribune: "The humiliating box office returns for "All the King's Men" trickled in during the weekend - a pathetic $3.8 million - but the death knell sounded almost a year ago, and unintentionally came out of the mouths of the film's producers.
When Sony Pictures announced, just two months before the film's planned Christmastime release, that its opening would be pushed into the next year, the official reason given was that more time was needed to complete the editing and score. But the unmistakable message sent to savvy audiences (pretty much everyone now) was: This movie is in trouble.
The studio ignored one of the harshest realities of movie marketing today: It is almost impossible to recover from bad buzz. It does not help that most delayed movies, like "The Alamo," really are turkeys. Last year's troubled delayed films included Terry Gilliam's leaden "Brothers Grimm" and the Jennifer Aniston dud "Rumor Has It.""
Wednesday, September 27, 2006
Tuesday, September 26, 2006
All eyes on Musharraf's book
All eyes on Musharraf's book - NDTV.com - News on All eyes on Musharraf's book: "Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's book, In the Line of Fire, hit bookshelves in Pakistan on Monday ahead of its release in the United States. NDTV had special access to the advance manuscript of the memoirs. Musharraf reveals how a former top US diplomat threatened to bomb Pakistan back to the Stone Age if Islamabad did not support Washington's war on terror after 9/11.
On Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Musharraf said, "the initial signs of sincerity and flexibility that I sensed in Manmohan Singh seem to be withering away. "I think the Indian 'establishment'- the bureaucrats, the diplomats and intelligence agencies and perhaps even the military has had the better of him". Musharraf also talks about the failed Agra Summit of 2001, which he says humiliated both him and then Prime Minister Vajpayee. After two drafts of the Joint Declaration failed to materialize, which he blames on India backing out.
" I met PM Vajpayee at about 11 o clock that night in an extremely somber mood. I told him very bluntly that there seemed to be someone above the two of us who had the power to overrule us. I also said both of us had been humiliated. He just sat there, speechless. I left abruptly, after thanking him in a brisk manner"
US attack threat
On the US threat, Musharraf writes that he was forced to look at his options, but found that he had none if he took on the United States.
* Our military would be destroyed.
* We had no oil and we did not have the capacity to sustain our economy in the face of a US attack.
* Worst of all, we lack the homogeneity to galvanise the entire nation into an actively confrontationist stance.
Musharraf felt there was more to gain by falling in line with the US. "We would be able to eliminate extremism from our society and flush out foreign terrorists in our midst. We had been victims of Taliban and al-Qaida and their associated groups for years."
Adverse reaction
But in reality the General was licking his wounded ego. He writes: "Needless to say I felt very frustrated by Armitage's remarks. It goes against the grain of a soldier not to be able to tell anyone giving him an ultimatum to go forth and multiply, or words to that effect." President Musharraf writes about being hedged in at home while aligning with the US in 2001. "The mullahs would certainly oppose joining the US. There would be an adverse reaction too in the NWFP. Sindh, Karachi and Balochistan would be lukewarm. The Punjabis would understand me."
9/11 attacks
Terming September 11, 2001 as the day that changed the world, Musharraf writes: "America was sure to react violently, like a wounded bear. If the perpetrator turned out to be al-Qaida, then that wounded bear would come charging straight towards us. Powell was quite candid: You are either with us or against us." Musharraf also writes about how US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage warned Pakistan. "In what was to be the most undiplomatic statement ever made, Armitage added, if we chose the terrorists then we should be prepared to be bombed back to the Stone Age."
Al-Qaida suspects
In another startling revelation, President Musharraf in his book has apparently also said that CIA has secretly paid the Pakistan government millions of dollars for handing over hundreds of al-Qaida suspects to America. The US government has strict rules banning such reward payments to foreign powers involved in the war on terror. General Musharraf does not say how much the CIA gave in return for the 369 al-Qaida members that he ordered should be passed to the US.
India-Khan links
Musharraf made yet another claim that could make many in the Indian establishment very angry. He has claimed that India's uranium enrichment programme has connections with Pakistan's rogue nuclear scientist Dr A Q Khan. India's Department of Atomic Energy in its reaction said, "we developed our nuclear technology on the basis of indigenous research and development.
Musharraf has written in his memoirs:
In early 1999 I started seeing the first signs of some suspicious activities by Dr AQ Khan. I was concerned that Dr Khan might have been involved in illicit activities prior to March 2001, but I strongly believe that we have now ensured that he could not get away with anything more, and that once he was removed, the problem would stop. I was wrong. Khan carried out secret nuclear transfers to Libya, Iran, North Korea and other countries.
In September 2003 CIA Director George Tenet showed Musharraf a detailed blueprint of Pakistan's P-1 centrifuge that had been seized from Khan's nuclear network. Investigations revealed that AQ Khan had started his activities as far back as 1987 primarily with Iran. In 1994-95 Dr AQ Khan had ordered the manufacture of 200 P-1 centrifuges that had been discarded by Pakistan in the mid-80s.
These had been dispatched to Dubai for onward distribution. Dr Khan was running a very personalized underground network of technology transfers around the world with his base in Dubai. The irony is that the Dubai-based network had employed several Indians, some of whom have since vanished. There is strong probability that the genesis of the Indian uranium enrichment programme may also have its roots in the Dubai-based network and could be a copy of the Pakistani centrifuge design. This has also been recently alluded to by an eminent US non-proliferation analyst.
The chapter on nuclear proliferation describes in detail how Khan built his nuclear proliferation network with bases in Dubai and Europe - from 1975 when he first offered his services to Pakistan till March 2001 when he retired as chairman of Khan Research Laboratories. Accusations that India's nuclear programme was based on Pakistan's could very well have ramifications on the Indo-Pak peace process, if included in the published version of Musharraf's memoirs."
Royden D'Souza
On Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Musharraf said, "the initial signs of sincerity and flexibility that I sensed in Manmohan Singh seem to be withering away. "I think the Indian 'establishment'- the bureaucrats, the diplomats and intelligence agencies and perhaps even the military has had the better of him". Musharraf also talks about the failed Agra Summit of 2001, which he says humiliated both him and then Prime Minister Vajpayee. After two drafts of the Joint Declaration failed to materialize, which he blames on India backing out.
" I met PM Vajpayee at about 11 o clock that night in an extremely somber mood. I told him very bluntly that there seemed to be someone above the two of us who had the power to overrule us. I also said both of us had been humiliated. He just sat there, speechless. I left abruptly, after thanking him in a brisk manner"
US attack threat
On the US threat, Musharraf writes that he was forced to look at his options, but found that he had none if he took on the United States.
* Our military would be destroyed.
* We had no oil and we did not have the capacity to sustain our economy in the face of a US attack.
* Worst of all, we lack the homogeneity to galvanise the entire nation into an actively confrontationist stance.
Musharraf felt there was more to gain by falling in line with the US. "We would be able to eliminate extremism from our society and flush out foreign terrorists in our midst. We had been victims of Taliban and al-Qaida and their associated groups for years."
Adverse reaction
But in reality the General was licking his wounded ego. He writes: "Needless to say I felt very frustrated by Armitage's remarks. It goes against the grain of a soldier not to be able to tell anyone giving him an ultimatum to go forth and multiply, or words to that effect." President Musharraf writes about being hedged in at home while aligning with the US in 2001. "The mullahs would certainly oppose joining the US. There would be an adverse reaction too in the NWFP. Sindh, Karachi and Balochistan would be lukewarm. The Punjabis would understand me."
9/11 attacks
Terming September 11, 2001 as the day that changed the world, Musharraf writes: "America was sure to react violently, like a wounded bear. If the perpetrator turned out to be al-Qaida, then that wounded bear would come charging straight towards us. Powell was quite candid: You are either with us or against us." Musharraf also writes about how US Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage warned Pakistan. "In what was to be the most undiplomatic statement ever made, Armitage added, if we chose the terrorists then we should be prepared to be bombed back to the Stone Age."
Al-Qaida suspects
In another startling revelation, President Musharraf in his book has apparently also said that CIA has secretly paid the Pakistan government millions of dollars for handing over hundreds of al-Qaida suspects to America. The US government has strict rules banning such reward payments to foreign powers involved in the war on terror. General Musharraf does not say how much the CIA gave in return for the 369 al-Qaida members that he ordered should be passed to the US.
India-Khan links
Musharraf made yet another claim that could make many in the Indian establishment very angry. He has claimed that India's uranium enrichment programme has connections with Pakistan's rogue nuclear scientist Dr A Q Khan. India's Department of Atomic Energy in its reaction said, "we developed our nuclear technology on the basis of indigenous research and development.
Musharraf has written in his memoirs:
In early 1999 I started seeing the first signs of some suspicious activities by Dr AQ Khan. I was concerned that Dr Khan might have been involved in illicit activities prior to March 2001, but I strongly believe that we have now ensured that he could not get away with anything more, and that once he was removed, the problem would stop. I was wrong. Khan carried out secret nuclear transfers to Libya, Iran, North Korea and other countries.
In September 2003 CIA Director George Tenet showed Musharraf a detailed blueprint of Pakistan's P-1 centrifuge that had been seized from Khan's nuclear network. Investigations revealed that AQ Khan had started his activities as far back as 1987 primarily with Iran. In 1994-95 Dr AQ Khan had ordered the manufacture of 200 P-1 centrifuges that had been discarded by Pakistan in the mid-80s.
These had been dispatched to Dubai for onward distribution. Dr Khan was running a very personalized underground network of technology transfers around the world with his base in Dubai. The irony is that the Dubai-based network had employed several Indians, some of whom have since vanished. There is strong probability that the genesis of the Indian uranium enrichment programme may also have its roots in the Dubai-based network and could be a copy of the Pakistani centrifuge design. This has also been recently alluded to by an eminent US non-proliferation analyst.
The chapter on nuclear proliferation describes in detail how Khan built his nuclear proliferation network with bases in Dubai and Europe - from 1975 when he first offered his services to Pakistan till March 2001 when he retired as chairman of Khan Research Laboratories. Accusations that India's nuclear programme was based on Pakistan's could very well have ramifications on the Indo-Pak peace process, if included in the published version of Musharraf's memoirs."
Royden D'Souza
Monday, September 25, 2006
Is Arianna Huffington the new Oprah?
MediaGuardian.co.uk | Media | Is Arianna Huffington the new Oprah?: "Once a raging conservative, Arianna Huffington is now one of the world's most influential liberals. As her personal profile rockets, she seems set to become a brand name, says Suzanne Goldenberg "
Sunday, September 24, 2006
John Updike talks about his dreams
WSJ.com - Rabbit, Golf: For nearly half a century, John Updike -- his 25th novel, "Terrorist," arrived in June -- has managed to integrate his writing life with his golfing life, even merging the two, from time to time, in both his fiction and his essays. Ten years after the publication of "Golf Dreams," the collection of his golfing prose and poetry, Mr. Updike sat down to talk about his continuing relationship to the game.
Friday, September 22, 2006
Water in race for Oscar
NDTV: "Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta's critically acclaimed film Water, starring John Abraham and Lisa Ray, has been chosen as Canada's official entry for the 2007 Oscars in the Foreign Film Category. Water is Mehta's third in her trilogy on women in India. The first two films were Fire and Earth.
The filmmaker, who is based in Toronto has received critical acclaim for Water the world over, including at last year's Toronto film festival."
The filmmaker, who is based in Toronto has received critical acclaim for Water the world over, including at last year's Toronto film festival."
Giving it all away
MediaGuardian.co.uk | Media | Giving it all away: "From Milton Keynes to Manchester, Stockholm to New York, free newspapers are on the march. In London alone, two titles have been launched in the past month. Can the paid-for press survive the competition? Or is this the death-knell for quality journalism? Patrick Barkham investigates "
Society And Suicide By Amit Chamaria
Society And Suicide By Amit Chamaria: "Sociologically, the incident of farmer suicides in Punjab, Andhra Pradesh, and Maharashtra due to indebtedness is actually the result of the combined effect of 'Relative deprivation' and 'Sudden crises', which came in the category of anomic suicide. Significantly, the feelings of relative deprivation are the outcome of the first green revolution and these feelings has been augmented by the present market policy of Globalization"
Amit Chamaria is a freelance journalist.He has done PG in Sociology From PU.
Amit Chamaria is a freelance journalist.He has done PG in Sociology From PU.
Gandhi And Sexuality
Gandhi And Sexuality By Stanzin Dawa: "What lesson we can learn from Gandhi's life on sexuality and sexual health? Was Gandhi a lustful human being? Did Gandhi transform the sexual energy into spiritual and social energy? Did Gandhi say "Kastuba is my mother"? Was Gandhi a faithful husband? What makes Gandhi so strong, influential and powerful? Can we extract some messages from the Gandhi's sexuality for today's youth for a healthier, safer and happier lifestyle?"
The author is a scholar on Gandhian and Peace Studies at International Center for Gandhian Stuides and Research New Delhi
The author is a scholar on Gandhian and Peace Studies at International Center for Gandhian Stuides and Research New Delhi
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Kamal’s stunt double in VV – Logu is no more
Tamil movies : The unsung heroes on the sets of VV and Sivaji: "By now, most of us would have seen Vettaiyaadu Vilaiyaadu, the latest blockbuster starring Kamal Hassan. Those who have seen the movie will for sure remember the hair-raising climax scenes where Kamal chases one of the serial killers on a bike in his Tata Sumo. The chase scene ends with the Sumo taking a giant leap over the bike and landing safely in front of it. The scene has become so popular that Tata Sumo is actually using the scene as an advertisement.
In the movie we all saw Kamal in the driver’s seat. But who performed the leap, if anyone thinks it was Kamal then it is time for that person to get some counseling.
A professional stuntman known in film circles as Logu performed the leap. He has been part of the film industry for many years now. There are no leading heroes in the Tamil industry for whom Logu has not performed as a ‘dupe’. His name is synonymous with daredevilry in the industry. He has worked for almost all the major film industries in India including the Hindi industry. He has performed many stunts that are far more dangerous and risky than the car jump in VV. But fate was cruel.
Kamal
What was not shown on screen was that on the first attempt the car with Logu in it did not land the way it was planned to. From such heights, even a minor error is enough to let things go haywire. The fall and the resultant shock severely damaged Logu’s spinal cord. Even though he was immediately taken to the Apollo hospital and given emergency treatment he failed to recover. After battling for three months, Logu breathed his last on the 11th of this month.
Kamal & Goutham menon
The last salute
A large number of people from the Cinema Stunt Union paid their homage to this daredevil whom they all looked up to. Gautham Menon, director of VV too paid his respects. Siva the stunt director of VV was present alongside the body of Logu till the last rites were performed. Later, he spoke about Logu, the professional. He said that the stunt performed in VV was quite ordinary by Logu’s standards. He recounted many of the stunts that Logu had performed without fear.
Rajamani, the secretary of the stunt union too had the same opinion. He also added that Logu was very popular among the heroes of Kollywood not only for his skills but also for his friendly nature. Logu is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son who is also a stuntman. The stunt union took care of all the treatment expenses and has paid the family a fair amount as compensation. Kamal who is quite busy with his next project Dasavatharam is yet to issue a statement on the stunt man. Sources say that Kamal was not able to visit ailing Logu in hospital nor take part in the final rituals. This is kind of an unusual gesture from Kamal who is always known to recognize the sincere efforts of his co-workers."
In the movie we all saw Kamal in the driver’s seat. But who performed the leap, if anyone thinks it was Kamal then it is time for that person to get some counseling.
A professional stuntman known in film circles as Logu performed the leap. He has been part of the film industry for many years now. There are no leading heroes in the Tamil industry for whom Logu has not performed as a ‘dupe’. His name is synonymous with daredevilry in the industry. He has worked for almost all the major film industries in India including the Hindi industry. He has performed many stunts that are far more dangerous and risky than the car jump in VV. But fate was cruel.
Kamal
What was not shown on screen was that on the first attempt the car with Logu in it did not land the way it was planned to. From such heights, even a minor error is enough to let things go haywire. The fall and the resultant shock severely damaged Logu’s spinal cord. Even though he was immediately taken to the Apollo hospital and given emergency treatment he failed to recover. After battling for three months, Logu breathed his last on the 11th of this month.
Kamal & Goutham menon
The last salute
A large number of people from the Cinema Stunt Union paid their homage to this daredevil whom they all looked up to. Gautham Menon, director of VV too paid his respects. Siva the stunt director of VV was present alongside the body of Logu till the last rites were performed. Later, he spoke about Logu, the professional. He said that the stunt performed in VV was quite ordinary by Logu’s standards. He recounted many of the stunts that Logu had performed without fear.
Rajamani, the secretary of the stunt union too had the same opinion. He also added that Logu was very popular among the heroes of Kollywood not only for his skills but also for his friendly nature. Logu is survived by his wife, two daughters and a son who is also a stuntman. The stunt union took care of all the treatment expenses and has paid the family a fair amount as compensation. Kamal who is quite busy with his next project Dasavatharam is yet to issue a statement on the stunt man. Sources say that Kamal was not able to visit ailing Logu in hospital nor take part in the final rituals. This is kind of an unusual gesture from Kamal who is always known to recognize the sincere efforts of his co-workers."
Tuesday, September 19, 2006
'A man with little sympathy for other faiths'
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | 'A man with little sympathy for other faiths': Pope Benedict is being portrayed as a naive, shy scholar who has accidentally antagonised two major world faiths in a matter of months. In fact he is a shrewd and ruthless operator, argues Madeleine Bunting - and he's dangerous
More from Pope Benedict
On homosexuality
"Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder. Therefore special concern and pastoral attention should be directed toward those who have this condition, lest they be led to believe that the living-out of this orientation in homosexual activity is a morally acceptable option. It is not."
On Buddhism
"Auto-erotic spirituality."
The ordination of women
On the excommunication of seven women who called themselves priests: "... the penalty imposed is not only just, but also necessary, in order to protect true doctrine, to safeguard the communion and unity of the church, and to guide consciences of the faithful."
On same-sex marriage
"Call[s] into question the family, in its natural two-parent structure of mother and father, and make[s] homosexuality and heterosexuality virtually equivalent, in a new model of polymorphous sexuality."
On rock music
"[A] vehicle of anti-religion"; "the complete antithesis of the Christian faith in the redemption."
On cloning
"[A] more dangerous threat than weapons of mass destruction."
More from Pope Benedict
On homosexuality
"Although the particular inclination of the homosexual person is not a sin, it is a more or less strong tendency ordered toward an intrinsic moral evil; and thus the inclination itself must be seen as an objective disorder. Therefore special concern and pastoral attention should be directed toward those who have this condition, lest they be led to believe that the living-out of this orientation in homosexual activity is a morally acceptable option. It is not."
On Buddhism
"Auto-erotic spirituality."
The ordination of women
On the excommunication of seven women who called themselves priests: "... the penalty imposed is not only just, but also necessary, in order to protect true doctrine, to safeguard the communion and unity of the church, and to guide consciences of the faithful."
On same-sex marriage
"Call[s] into question the family, in its natural two-parent structure of mother and father, and make[s] homosexuality and heterosexuality virtually equivalent, in a new model of polymorphous sexuality."
On rock music
"[A] vehicle of anti-religion"; "the complete antithesis of the Christian faith in the redemption."
On cloning
"[A] more dangerous threat than weapons of mass destruction."
Biography of Shakespeare
The Hindu : Book Review / Language Books : Biography of Shakespeare: PREMA NANDAKUMAR
WHAT A relief to know that Tamil critics are turning increasingly to bring English writers to their milieu with crisp monographs like Natakamalla Vaazkkai!
There was a time when Shakespeare was familiar enough to kitchen-bound housewives through imaginative translations like Amaladittan (Hamlet), but now even graduate students do not seem to give much attention to the Bard of Avon. How come this turning away from a writer who is eminently contemporaneous?
A hearty welcome then to N. Chokkan's refreshing biography of Shakespeare that is the very stuff of romance.
He misses no detail of importance though almost all these details remain conjectures. William Shakespeare might have studied in the local Grammar School and may have stopped his studies for no known reason. It appears that his was a gunshot wedding to Ann Hathaway. Did he poach deer? Did he become an ostler in London playhouses? Did he become an actor? How about his poetry? And the immortal dramas?
So we gather information about Shakespeare's sonnets and his first published poem, `Venus and Adonis'; his patron Henry Wriothesley; the admiration of Queen Elizabeth I for Falstaff; the various theatres like The Globe and The Blackfriers; some of the sex scandals associated with our playwright; and Francis Bacon and Christopher Marlow who vie for Shakespearian authorship.
The author concludes: "In short questions like who was Shakespeare and whether he really wrote all the dramas that go by his name continue to thrive. No one can give an assurance that `this is the truth'. Yet, scholars in general opine that the true Shakespeare is the Stratford Shakespeare whom we have been referring to so far.
The other names are considered to be only surmises and no more."
The summaries of 17 dramas of Shakespeare (including Twelfth Night and King Lear) form a helpful appendage to this stimulating reconstruction, as impossible a feat as taking up a few holes to produce a fishing net. Two cheers for Natakamalla Vaazkkai!
NATAKAMALLA VAAZKKAI: N. Chokkan; Kizhakku Pathippagam, No 16, Karpagambal Nagar, Mylapore, Chennai-600004. Rs. 60.
WHAT A relief to know that Tamil critics are turning increasingly to bring English writers to their milieu with crisp monographs like Natakamalla Vaazkkai!
There was a time when Shakespeare was familiar enough to kitchen-bound housewives through imaginative translations like Amaladittan (Hamlet), but now even graduate students do not seem to give much attention to the Bard of Avon. How come this turning away from a writer who is eminently contemporaneous?
A hearty welcome then to N. Chokkan's refreshing biography of Shakespeare that is the very stuff of romance.
He misses no detail of importance though almost all these details remain conjectures. William Shakespeare might have studied in the local Grammar School and may have stopped his studies for no known reason. It appears that his was a gunshot wedding to Ann Hathaway. Did he poach deer? Did he become an ostler in London playhouses? Did he become an actor? How about his poetry? And the immortal dramas?
So we gather information about Shakespeare's sonnets and his first published poem, `Venus and Adonis'; his patron Henry Wriothesley; the admiration of Queen Elizabeth I for Falstaff; the various theatres like The Globe and The Blackfriers; some of the sex scandals associated with our playwright; and Francis Bacon and Christopher Marlow who vie for Shakespearian authorship.
The author concludes: "In short questions like who was Shakespeare and whether he really wrote all the dramas that go by his name continue to thrive. No one can give an assurance that `this is the truth'. Yet, scholars in general opine that the true Shakespeare is the Stratford Shakespeare whom we have been referring to so far.
The other names are considered to be only surmises and no more."
The summaries of 17 dramas of Shakespeare (including Twelfth Night and King Lear) form a helpful appendage to this stimulating reconstruction, as impossible a feat as taking up a few holes to produce a fishing net. Two cheers for Natakamalla Vaazkkai!
NATAKAMALLA VAAZKKAI: N. Chokkan; Kizhakku Pathippagam, No 16, Karpagambal Nagar, Mylapore, Chennai-600004. Rs. 60.
Monday, September 18, 2006
Retrieve encroached temple lands
Retrieve encroached temple lands: CPM - Newindpress.com: "The Communist Party of India (Marxists) has demanded the government to retrieve encroached temple lands and distribute them to landless poor farmers in the State.
Speaking to journalists here on Monday, general secretary of the Party, S. Dhanasekar said, people encroached upon several lakh acres of arable temple land and reserve forestland, over the centuries.
Kings and bigwigs had donated their lands to temples in the past. The shrines had raised huge revenue by leasing out the lands to the people.
While welcoming the government scheme of distributing 2 acres of developed wasteland to landless farmers and agricultural workers, Dhanasekaran said the government has a daunting task ahead.
On a rough estimate, the State should possess at least 60,000 acres of land for providing the same to 30,000 eligible farmers in the coastal district alone. He said that people in the district had encroached upon more than 1.5 lakh acres of temple and reserve forestlands.
Government must take action to retrieve the lands and distribute them to the beneficiaries. He said that the 50,000 acres of reserve forestlands in the cashew belt and 12,000 acres of reserve forestlands in Thittakudi had been illegally occupied by the people.
Similarly, over 600 acres belonged to Vadalur Vallalar Thirugnanasaba; several hundred acres of land, which were owned by Lord Nataraj temple, Chidambaram; Thiruvaduthurai Aathinam; Thirupanandal Aathinam; Sri Padaleeswara temple, Cuddalore; Lord Devanatha temple, Thiruvaheendipuram; Sri Veeratineswara temple, Thiruvathigai; Lord Siva temple, Thiruthuraiyur; Sri Viruthambigi temple and Sri Vedappar temple, Vriddachalam; Lord Perumal temple, Thirumuttam and even a Mosque at Parangipettai had been encroached upon by the people.
The government must take action to retrieve the encroached lands and distribute the same to beneficiaries of new scheme, he said. Highlighting the issue, the CPI (M) and its wings - All India Kisan Saba and All India Agricultural Workers Union, would stage a statewide demonstration on Thursday, he said."
Speaking to journalists here on Monday, general secretary of the Party, S. Dhanasekar said, people encroached upon several lakh acres of arable temple land and reserve forestland, over the centuries.
Kings and bigwigs had donated their lands to temples in the past. The shrines had raised huge revenue by leasing out the lands to the people.
While welcoming the government scheme of distributing 2 acres of developed wasteland to landless farmers and agricultural workers, Dhanasekaran said the government has a daunting task ahead.
On a rough estimate, the State should possess at least 60,000 acres of land for providing the same to 30,000 eligible farmers in the coastal district alone. He said that people in the district had encroached upon more than 1.5 lakh acres of temple and reserve forestlands.
Government must take action to retrieve the lands and distribute them to the beneficiaries. He said that the 50,000 acres of reserve forestlands in the cashew belt and 12,000 acres of reserve forestlands in Thittakudi had been illegally occupied by the people.
Similarly, over 600 acres belonged to Vadalur Vallalar Thirugnanasaba; several hundred acres of land, which were owned by Lord Nataraj temple, Chidambaram; Thiruvaduthurai Aathinam; Thirupanandal Aathinam; Sri Padaleeswara temple, Cuddalore; Lord Devanatha temple, Thiruvaheendipuram; Sri Veeratineswara temple, Thiruvathigai; Lord Siva temple, Thiruthuraiyur; Sri Viruthambigi temple and Sri Vedappar temple, Vriddachalam; Lord Perumal temple, Thirumuttam and even a Mosque at Parangipettai had been encroached upon by the people.
The government must take action to retrieve the encroached lands and distribute the same to beneficiaries of new scheme, he said. Highlighting the issue, the CPI (M) and its wings - All India Kisan Saba and All India Agricultural Workers Union, would stage a statewide demonstration on Thursday, he said."
Do women really want a lap dance?
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Do women really want a lap dance?: Lap dancing has been huge for years - so why is Britain's first male lap dancing club only opening now? And will it make any money? Ellie Levenson reports
Indian hockey has turned around: Gill
NDTV: "In spite of India's dismal show in the recently concluded Hockey World Cup in Germany, Indian Hockey Federation chief KPS Gill says that he will continue in his post and that contrary to perception Indian hockey has turned around.
In an exclusive interview to NDTV in Raipur he said, "Well you have to keep losing before you start winning I think. We have had some tragedies in the past three-four years, which have been great setbacks to us. One was Jugraj's injury and the other was Sandeep Singh's accident."
He said the International Hockey Federation president Els Van Brieda Vriesman had told him that India would find the going difficult in Germany without the services of Sandeep Singh.
"When the FIH President Els Van Brieda Vriesman came to India, I told her I was optimistic about India making the semi-finals of the World Cup, but she clearly said that without Sandeep Singh we would not manage it."
Asked about his dictatorial style of functioning, he said, "sometime you have to put your foot down".
"For example, I insisted on Jugraj's inclusion against the 'coaches' wishes. Also there was a one-eyed player who was going to be selected for the Asian Games but I put my foot down. Other than that I have never been dictatorial in running the IHF," he said
He said India's 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Dutch was expected.
"The 6-1 defeat to Holland was expected. I have never seen our defence being so poor, we had the best defence for a number of years."
Gill brushed aside the question of accountability saying," Our football team lost 7-1 (in the Asian Cup qualifiers to Saudi Arabia). Is anyone talking about accountability?
"Our cricket team lost the other day and if Tendulkar was not there they would have crashed down on their faces. Is anyone talking about accountability?"
Gill, who has headed the IHF for the last 12 years, added that such a long time was indeed required to turn around Indian hockey.
"When I took over, I had said it would take me 10 to 12 years to turn around Indian hockey. It has turned around. We have a pool of Junior players coming up and the future of Indian Hockey is very bright.
"We had won the Asiad in 1998 and in recent times we have encountered success in minor tournaments, it's just that we have not been able to translate that into medals at major tournaments like the Olympics and World Cup," he added.
Dispelling notions that he wanted to hold on to the top job, he said: "I wanted to leave in 2003 after we won the Asia Cup and at the Afro-Asian Games."
In an exclusive interview to NDTV in Raipur he said, "Well you have to keep losing before you start winning I think. We have had some tragedies in the past three-four years, which have been great setbacks to us. One was Jugraj's injury and the other was Sandeep Singh's accident."
He said the International Hockey Federation president Els Van Brieda Vriesman had told him that India would find the going difficult in Germany without the services of Sandeep Singh.
"When the FIH President Els Van Brieda Vriesman came to India, I told her I was optimistic about India making the semi-finals of the World Cup, but she clearly said that without Sandeep Singh we would not manage it."
Asked about his dictatorial style of functioning, he said, "sometime you have to put your foot down".
"For example, I insisted on Jugraj's inclusion against the 'coaches' wishes. Also there was a one-eyed player who was going to be selected for the Asian Games but I put my foot down. Other than that I have never been dictatorial in running the IHF," he said
He said India's 6-1 defeat at the hands of the Dutch was expected.
"The 6-1 defeat to Holland was expected. I have never seen our defence being so poor, we had the best defence for a number of years."
Gill brushed aside the question of accountability saying," Our football team lost 7-1 (in the Asian Cup qualifiers to Saudi Arabia). Is anyone talking about accountability?
"Our cricket team lost the other day and if Tendulkar was not there they would have crashed down on their faces. Is anyone talking about accountability?"
Gill, who has headed the IHF for the last 12 years, added that such a long time was indeed required to turn around Indian hockey.
"When I took over, I had said it would take me 10 to 12 years to turn around Indian hockey. It has turned around. We have a pool of Junior players coming up and the future of Indian Hockey is very bright.
"We had won the Asiad in 1998 and in recent times we have encountered success in minor tournaments, it's just that we have not been able to translate that into medals at major tournaments like the Olympics and World Cup," he added.
Dispelling notions that he wanted to hold on to the top job, he said: "I wanted to leave in 2003 after we won the Asia Cup and at the Afro-Asian Games."
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Your online mohalla
Life & Leisure
Auroville: http://www.auroville.org
Templenet: http://www.templenet.com/
Indian Autorickshaws: http://www.indianarc.com/iarc_blog.php
At http://dupb.blogspot.com/, the demolition of many of Bombay’s slums during 2004-05 is documented; in P Sainath’s words: “How agonised we are about how people die.
How untroubled we are by how they live.” Robert Neuwirth, a writer who spent two years living in squatter communities in four continents, documents the vibrant energy of these “misunderstood” settlements at http://www.pkblogs.com/squattercity.
Documenting Nangla Maachi: http://nangla.freeflux.net/
At places like Open Space India (http://openspaceindia.org) and Sarai (www.sarai.net), a new urban dialogue has started.
Blank Noise Project: http://blanknoiseproject.blogspot.com/
An old India hand takes a nostalgic look at “Bathrooms I have known” (http://www.namasteindiatours.com/electricshower.htm), from the one in Bundi where you can shower as you sit on the toilet to the ubiquity of the resident loo lizard.
For the uninitiated, Jesse A Todhunter offers a hilariously illustrated step-by-step guide (http://www.pbase.com/jtodhunter/indian_toilet) to using the Indian squat toilet. Only Sulabh Shauchalya would think, however, of creating an online Toilet Museum, which covers the evolution of the Indian toilet and offers useful tips.
“Before going for defecation one was to chant the following mantra from Narad Puran: “Gachhantu Rishio Deva/ Pishacha ye cha grihya ka/ Pitrbhutagana surve/Karishye Malamochanam”. Unmissable.
Sulabh Toilet Museum: http://www.sulabhtoiletmuseum.org/
Auroville: http://www.auroville.org
Templenet: http://www.templenet.com/
Indian Autorickshaws: http://www.indianarc.com/iarc_blog.php
At http://dupb.blogspot.com/, the demolition of many of Bombay’s slums during 2004-05 is documented; in P Sainath’s words: “How agonised we are about how people die.
How untroubled we are by how they live.” Robert Neuwirth, a writer who spent two years living in squatter communities in four continents, documents the vibrant energy of these “misunderstood” settlements at http://www.pkblogs.com/squattercity.
Documenting Nangla Maachi: http://nangla.freeflux.net/
At places like Open Space India (http://openspaceindia.org) and Sarai (www.sarai.net), a new urban dialogue has started.
Blank Noise Project: http://blanknoiseproject.blogspot.com/
An old India hand takes a nostalgic look at “Bathrooms I have known” (http://www.namasteindiatours.com/electricshower.htm), from the one in Bundi where you can shower as you sit on the toilet to the ubiquity of the resident loo lizard.
For the uninitiated, Jesse A Todhunter offers a hilariously illustrated step-by-step guide (http://www.pbase.com/jtodhunter/indian_toilet) to using the Indian squat toilet. Only Sulabh Shauchalya would think, however, of creating an online Toilet Museum, which covers the evolution of the Indian toilet and offers useful tips.
“Before going for defecation one was to chant the following mantra from Narad Puran: “Gachhantu Rishio Deva/ Pishacha ye cha grihya ka/ Pitrbhutagana surve/Karishye Malamochanam”. Unmissable.
Sulabh Toilet Museum: http://www.sulabhtoiletmuseum.org/
Nagesh Kukunoor’s next project after Dor
NDTV: "Percept Picture Company will commission two films with Nagesh Kukunoor as the director in the year 2007.
Percept and Nagesh announced their next film together after Dor titled Aashayein. John Abraham has been finalized for the lead role.
“Working with Percept on Dor gave me the comfort of associating with someone who has the guts to support cinema that bends the rules. I would like to take this relationship further. Aashayein is the first step and Bemisal will be the next. This is what we hope to do- content cinema that makes box-office sense,” said Kukunoor.
Aashayein is a story of a compulsive gambler who discovers new meanings of fortune and life through some dramatic turn of events.
Apart from John, the rest of the cast is yet to be finalized.
The second film with the working title Bemisal is scheduled to go on floor in July 2007. The cast of the film is to be finalized as well. Both these movies will be in association with SIC productions. (Source: Indiafm.com)"
Percept and Nagesh announced their next film together after Dor titled Aashayein. John Abraham has been finalized for the lead role.
“Working with Percept on Dor gave me the comfort of associating with someone who has the guts to support cinema that bends the rules. I would like to take this relationship further. Aashayein is the first step and Bemisal will be the next. This is what we hope to do- content cinema that makes box-office sense,” said Kukunoor.
Aashayein is a story of a compulsive gambler who discovers new meanings of fortune and life through some dramatic turn of events.
Apart from John, the rest of the cast is yet to be finalized.
The second film with the working title Bemisal is scheduled to go on floor in July 2007. The cast of the film is to be finalized as well. Both these movies will be in association with SIC productions. (Source: Indiafm.com)"
After 'Munna', its 'Circuit'
NDTV: "First Munnabhai M.B.B.S. then Lage Raho Munnabhai. It’s Circuit now.
This is not producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and director Rajkumar Hirani's new film. Circuit is the title Percept Picture Company has registered for a film they plan to make.
Akhauri Sinha (Business Head – Feature Films, P.P.C.) doesn't deny the development.
"Yes, we’ve registered the title Circuit. We are looking at various options right now; registering the title is just the first stage," he states.
Did the popularity of the character Circuit prompt Percept to register the title?
"You could say that. Like I said, everything is still in the developing stages currently. We haven’t decided on anything yet, not the cast or the script," Sinha adds. Knowing how popular this character is, it would be interesting to see who’d step in to play the title role in this Percept-produced film. (Source: Indiafm.com)"
This is not producer Vidhu Vinod Chopra and director Rajkumar Hirani's new film. Circuit is the title Percept Picture Company has registered for a film they plan to make.
Akhauri Sinha (Business Head – Feature Films, P.P.C.) doesn't deny the development.
"Yes, we’ve registered the title Circuit. We are looking at various options right now; registering the title is just the first stage," he states.
Did the popularity of the character Circuit prompt Percept to register the title?
"You could say that. Like I said, everything is still in the developing stages currently. We haven’t decided on anything yet, not the cast or the script," Sinha adds. Knowing how popular this character is, it would be interesting to see who’d step in to play the title role in this Percept-produced film. (Source: Indiafm.com)"
Saturday, September 16, 2006
La Fallaci
OpinionJournal - Citizen of the World :: BY TUNKU VARADARAJAN
Even as Oriana Fallaci breathed her last through lungs marinaded in enough nicotine to sink a ship (leave alone a birdlike creature who weighed no more than 80 pounds at best, pearl necklace included), protests rumbled in the Muslim world over a recent utterance by Pope Benedict XVI in which he faulted the prophet, Muhammad, for exhorting his followers to spread Islam by the sword. Effigies of the pope have been torched by mobs, although the irruption has also included unintended drollery; a spokeswoman for the Musharraf dispensation in Pakistan observed yesterday that "anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence."
Even as Oriana Fallaci breathed her last through lungs marinaded in enough nicotine to sink a ship (leave alone a birdlike creature who weighed no more than 80 pounds at best, pearl necklace included), protests rumbled in the Muslim world over a recent utterance by Pope Benedict XVI in which he faulted the prophet, Muhammad, for exhorting his followers to spread Islam by the sword. Effigies of the pope have been torched by mobs, although the irruption has also included unintended drollery; a spokeswoman for the Musharraf dispensation in Pakistan observed yesterday that "anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence."
Five Best novels about the pursuit of money
OpinionJournal - Five Best
Literary Wealth
1. "The Gilded Age" by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner (1873).
2. "The Financier" by Theodore Dreiser (Harper, 1912).
3. "Something Happened" by Joseph Heller (Knopf, 1974).
4. "Babbitt" by Sinclair Lewis (Harcourt, Brace, 1922).
5. "American Pastoral" by Philip Roth (Houghton Mifflin, 1997).
Literary Wealth
1. "The Gilded Age" by Mark Twain and Charles Dudley Warner (1873).
2. "The Financier" by Theodore Dreiser (Harper, 1912).
3. "Something Happened" by Joseph Heller (Knopf, 1974).
4. "Babbitt" by Sinclair Lewis (Harcourt, Brace, 1922).
5. "American Pastoral" by Philip Roth (Houghton Mifflin, 1997).
Friday, September 15, 2006
Shooter's dark world full of hate
Shooter's dark world full of hate: "Kimveer Gill fantasized about the day he'd exact revenge on the ''wretched world'' he despised, right down to the weather. Nine months after writing the above entry in an online journal, Gill, 25, dressed from head to toe in black, drove his black Sunfire under grey September skies to Dawson College, took three guns out of the trunk and opened fire on students, killing one and injuring up to 20.
the young man who lived in the basement of his parent's Laval, Que., home listening to heavy metal bands Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne, left behind an intriguing cyber trail that offers at least a glimpse into a killer's disturbed mind. nlike Marc Lepine, whose hatred for women led him to murder 14 at Ecole Polytechnique in 1989, Gill defends women in his writing."
the young man who lived in the basement of his parent's Laval, Que., home listening to heavy metal bands Marilyn Manson, Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne, left behind an intriguing cyber trail that offers at least a glimpse into a killer's disturbed mind. nlike Marc Lepine, whose hatred for women led him to murder 14 at Ecole Polytechnique in 1989, Gill defends women in his writing."
Govt offers incentive for inter-caste marriages
NDTV:
"Marrying a scheduled caste person, if you belong to the general category, will now be a very rewarding experience. A reward of Rs 50,000 for such marriages is the latest brainwave from the ministry of social justice and empowerment. State governments would reward such marriages in an effort to encourage inter-caste marriages. The ministry will bear half of such rewards.
Need for more
State government incentives for inter-caste marriages already exist, but the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar, says they aren't enough. "Yes I know this is not the only way to end the caste discrimination, but one has to start somewhere. I am very keen on this and I have asked all states to get back to me. Let's see," she said.
While Gujarat gives Rs 50,000, West Bengal gives a mere Rs 2,000 for such marriages. And for states that have reacted with skepticism, the government has promised financial help from the planning commission. Though therein arises the question of misuse, the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment is not deterred.
"All proposals have initial hiccups. That does not mean that we give them up," said Meira Kumar. Secretaries from all states are in the capital to meet the minister today. And while Meira Kumar is sure her strategy will work, the issue of such marriages is clearly already on the rocks."
"Marrying a scheduled caste person, if you belong to the general category, will now be a very rewarding experience. A reward of Rs 50,000 for such marriages is the latest brainwave from the ministry of social justice and empowerment. State governments would reward such marriages in an effort to encourage inter-caste marriages. The ministry will bear half of such rewards.
Need for more
State government incentives for inter-caste marriages already exist, but the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment Meira Kumar, says they aren't enough. "Yes I know this is not the only way to end the caste discrimination, but one has to start somewhere. I am very keen on this and I have asked all states to get back to me. Let's see," she said.
While Gujarat gives Rs 50,000, West Bengal gives a mere Rs 2,000 for such marriages. And for states that have reacted with skepticism, the government has promised financial help from the planning commission. Though therein arises the question of misuse, the Minister for Social Justice and Empowerment is not deterred.
"All proposals have initial hiccups. That does not mean that we give them up," said Meira Kumar. Secretaries from all states are in the capital to meet the minister today. And while Meira Kumar is sure her strategy will work, the issue of such marriages is clearly already on the rocks."
Microsoft scrambles to fend off hacker tool
Microsoft scrambles to fend off hacker tool - Technology - International Herald Tribune
A computer hacker has entangled Microsoft in a battle of wits by releasing a free program that strips away the software lock that the company created to protect digital movies and songs from being freely copied.
A computer hacker has entangled Microsoft in a battle of wits by releasing a free program that strips away the software lock that the company created to protect digital movies and songs from being freely copied.
E. coli cases traced to bagged spinach
E. coli cases traced to bagged spinach - Yahoo! News: "Consumers nationwide should not eat fresh bagged spinach, say health officials probing a multistate outbreak of
E. coli that killed at least one person and made dozens of others sick. Eight states were reporting a total of 50 cases of E. coli.
The death occurred in Wisconsin, where 20 people were reported ill, 11 of them in Milwaukee. The outbreak has sickened others — eight of them seriously — in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah. In California.
Other bagged vegetables, including prepackaged salads, apparently are not affected. In general, however, washing all bagged vegetables is recommended. Thorough cooking kills the bacterium.
"We're telling people if they have bagged produce and they feel like it's a risk, throw it out," Michigan Department of Community Health spokesman T.J. Bucholz said. "If they feel like they have to eat it, wash it first in warm water."
E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and typically is linked to contamination by fecal material. It causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection, including 61 deaths, each year in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sources of the bacterium include uncooked produce, raw milk, unpasteurized juice, contaminated water and meat, especially undercooked or raw hamburger, the agency says on its Web site.
In December 2005, an E. coli outbreak sickened at least eight children in Washington state. Officials traced the outbreak to unpasteurized milk from a dairy that had been ordered to stop distributing raw milk.
Last October, the FDA warned people not to eat certain Dole prepackaged salads that were connected to an outbreak of E. coli infections in Minnesota. At least 11 people were sickened.
In 1993, a major E. coli outbreak sickened about 700 people and killed four who ate undercooked Jack in the Box hamburgers in Washington state. That outbreak led to tighter Agriculture Department safety standards for meat and poultry producers.
E. coli that killed at least one person and made dozens of others sick. Eight states were reporting a total of 50 cases of E. coli.
The death occurred in Wisconsin, where 20 people were reported ill, 11 of them in Milwaukee. The outbreak has sickened others — eight of them seriously — in Connecticut, Idaho, Indiana, Michigan, New Mexico, Oregon and Utah. In California.
Other bagged vegetables, including prepackaged salads, apparently are not affected. In general, however, washing all bagged vegetables is recommended. Thorough cooking kills the bacterium.
"We're telling people if they have bagged produce and they feel like it's a risk, throw it out," Michigan Department of Community Health spokesman T.J. Bucholz said. "If they feel like they have to eat it, wash it first in warm water."
E. coli lives in the intestines of cattle and other animals and typically is linked to contamination by fecal material. It causes an estimated 73,000 cases of infection, including 61 deaths, each year in the United States, according to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Sources of the bacterium include uncooked produce, raw milk, unpasteurized juice, contaminated water and meat, especially undercooked or raw hamburger, the agency says on its Web site.
In December 2005, an E. coli outbreak sickened at least eight children in Washington state. Officials traced the outbreak to unpasteurized milk from a dairy that had been ordered to stop distributing raw milk.
Last October, the FDA warned people not to eat certain Dole prepackaged salads that were connected to an outbreak of E. coli infections in Minnesota. At least 11 people were sickened.
In 1993, a major E. coli outbreak sickened about 700 people and killed four who ate undercooked Jack in the Box hamburgers in Washington state. That outbreak led to tighter Agriculture Department safety standards for meat and poultry producers.
Thursday, September 14, 2006
Surfing the Internet for Spoken Words
WSJ.com - Surfing the Internet for Spoken Words: New Technology Allows Searchers to Scour
Online Audio, Video to Target Advertising
Online Audio, Video to Target Advertising
EM-Magan - Review
Regional Tamil Review | Empton Magan - Review: "Director M. Thirumurugan and his group have done a great job delivering an excellent movie reflecting family values and true love. Vidhyasagar has given exceptional music, which should contribute to the movie's success. His song "Kolli Kuntu Kanna Padal" is one of the hit songs of the movie. The producer of the blockbuster hits Munraam Pirai, Killaku Vasal and Parthiban Kanavu, T.G. Thiagarajan has produced this movie in accordance with the current family trends.
Cast- Bharath, Gopika, Nasser, Vadivelu, Gajala, Saranya, Shanmugarajan.
Banner - Sathya Jyothi Films
Story, Screenplay, Direction - M. Thirumurugan
Producer - T.G. Thyagarajan
Cinematographer - Sevilo Raja
Editing- M. Jaykumar
Music - Vidhyasagar
Arts - Kathir
Dialouges- Bhaskar Sakthi
PRO - Nikil Murugan
Date of Release - 7th September, 2006
Cast- Bharath, Gopika, Nasser, Vadivelu, Gajala, Saranya, Shanmugarajan.
Banner - Sathya Jyothi Films
Story, Screenplay, Direction - M. Thirumurugan
Producer - T.G. Thyagarajan
Cinematographer - Sevilo Raja
Editing- M. Jaykumar
Music - Vidhyasagar
Arts - Kathir
Dialouges- Bhaskar Sakthi
PRO - Nikil Murugan
Date of Release - 7th September, 2006
Three 9/11s — choose your own
The Hindu : Opinion / Leader Page Articles : Three 9/11s — choose your own: " There were three 9/11s in history. The New York one of 2001. The neo-liberal one of Chile 1973, and the non-violent one of 1906 — Gandhiji's satyagraha in South Africa. The authors of all three tried to change the world. Two brought bloodshed, destruction, misery, and chaos. But the Mahatma's WMD — Weapon of Mass Disobedience — helped change the world for the better."
Wednesday, September 13, 2006
The changing role of IT in business
Great expectations: The changing role of IT in business: "CIOs and IT managers today face no shortage of challenges, from overseeing the convergence of voice and data networks to grappling with compliance, data security and tight spending budgets. Their jobs are set to become tougher: CEOs and boards expect information technology‘s mission to expand from cost cutting to revenue generation, and relatively quickly."
Tuesday, September 12, 2006
Will Wikipedia Mean the End Of Traditional Encyclopedias?
WSJ.com - Will Wikipedia Mean the End Of Traditional Encyclopedias?
Can Wikipedia's everyone's-an-editor approach produce a reliable resource tool without scholarly oversight? Are traditional encyclopedias like Britannica limited by lack of input? The Wall Street Journal Online invited Mr. Wales to discuss the topic with Dale Hoiberg, editor-in-chief of Britannica. Their exchange, carried out over email, is below.
Can Wikipedia's everyone's-an-editor approach produce a reliable resource tool without scholarly oversight? Are traditional encyclopedias like Britannica limited by lack of input? The Wall Street Journal Online invited Mr. Wales to discuss the topic with Dale Hoiberg, editor-in-chief of Britannica. Their exchange, carried out over email, is below.
Monday, September 11, 2006
Security breach at Logan — ‘It’s Keystone Kops’
BostonHerald.com - Local & Regional: Security breach at Logan — ‘It’s Keystone Kops’: "Veteran aviation security specialists called the loss of a powerful Semtex plastic explosive device at Logan International Airport this week the result of “sloppy police work” by state troopers who should never have taken their eyes off the volatile material.
“It’s Keystone Kops,” said Bruce Schneier, an airport security and technology expert from California and the author of “Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly about Security in an Uncertain World.”
“I mean, c’mon, people. If you’re going to run a security drill like this you can’t lose the explosive.”
The troopers say they did not notice when a Massport worker drove away in an agency truck to which 8 ounces of Semtex had been affixed as part of an effort to train bomb-sniffing K-9 dogs.
The lost explosive was thought to be somewhere along Harborside Drive, which is surrounded by a security fence and juts into an airfield near Runway 4L. But airplane traffic and airport operations were unhindered by the Semtex snafu, and safety expert Douglas Laird called that a good response.
Laird, former security director for Northwest Airlines, said Semtex is safe and most people would not know what it was if they found it. “It’s sloppy police work,” Laird said. “But it sounds like they handled it appropriately.”
“It’s extremely stable,” he said. “You could shoot it and it wouldn’t go off. You could burn it. To detonate it you need a blasting cap.” Laird said cases of lost explosives are more common as law enforcement works harder to train officers to handle the threat.
During Wednesday’s drill, a K-9 trooper put the Semtex on the rear bumper of a pickup truck parked in a Massport pool lot. Troopers have so far disassembled a street sweeper in the hope of finding it sucked into the device. Last night it remained as lost as luggage."
“It’s Keystone Kops,” said Bruce Schneier, an airport security and technology expert from California and the author of “Beyond Fear: Thinking Sensibly about Security in an Uncertain World.”
“I mean, c’mon, people. If you’re going to run a security drill like this you can’t lose the explosive.”
The troopers say they did not notice when a Massport worker drove away in an agency truck to which 8 ounces of Semtex had been affixed as part of an effort to train bomb-sniffing K-9 dogs.
The lost explosive was thought to be somewhere along Harborside Drive, which is surrounded by a security fence and juts into an airfield near Runway 4L. But airplane traffic and airport operations were unhindered by the Semtex snafu, and safety expert Douglas Laird called that a good response.
Laird, former security director for Northwest Airlines, said Semtex is safe and most people would not know what it was if they found it. “It’s sloppy police work,” Laird said. “But it sounds like they handled it appropriately.”
“It’s extremely stable,” he said. “You could shoot it and it wouldn’t go off. You could burn it. To detonate it you need a blasting cap.” Laird said cases of lost explosives are more common as law enforcement works harder to train officers to handle the threat.
During Wednesday’s drill, a K-9 trooper put the Semtex on the rear bumper of a pickup truck parked in a Massport pool lot. Troopers have so far disassembled a street sweeper in the hope of finding it sucked into the device. Last night it remained as lost as luggage."
Proposal would ban women at key Mecca site
Proposal would ban women at key Mecca site | Chicago Tribune: "Officials are considering an unprecedented proposal to ban women from performing the five Muslim prayers in the immediate vicinity of Islam's most sacred shrine in Mecca. Some say women are already being kept away.
The issue has raised a storm of protest across the kingdom, with some women saying they fear the move is meant to further restrict their role in Saudi society. But the religious authorities behind the proposal insist its real purpose is to lessen the chronic problem of crowding, which has led to deadly riots during pilgrimages to Mecca in the past.
Officials say they have concerns about crowding, particularly at Mecca's Grand Mosque, which contains the Kaaba, a large stone structure that Muslims around the world face during their prayers.
The chief of the King Fahd Institute for Hajj Research, which came up with the plan, said Thursday the new restrictions are already in place. There have been reports of women being asked to pray away from the area surrounding the Kaaba.
But Sheik Youssef Khzeim, deputy chief of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, a Saudi government organization in charge of implementing the proposal, denied the reports.
Many Saudis say the proposal violates the spirit of Islam.
"The prophet, who is the first leader of Muslims, didn't do it," said Mohsen al-Awajy, an Islamist lawyer and cleric. "Those who are proposing the change after him have to come up with legal justification for it."
The issue has raised a storm of protest across the kingdom, with some women saying they fear the move is meant to further restrict their role in Saudi society. But the religious authorities behind the proposal insist its real purpose is to lessen the chronic problem of crowding, which has led to deadly riots during pilgrimages to Mecca in the past.
Officials say they have concerns about crowding, particularly at Mecca's Grand Mosque, which contains the Kaaba, a large stone structure that Muslims around the world face during their prayers.
The chief of the King Fahd Institute for Hajj Research, which came up with the plan, said Thursday the new restrictions are already in place. There have been reports of women being asked to pray away from the area surrounding the Kaaba.
But Sheik Youssef Khzeim, deputy chief of the Presidency of the Two Holy Mosques Affairs, a Saudi government organization in charge of implementing the proposal, denied the reports.
Many Saudis say the proposal violates the spirit of Islam.
"The prophet, who is the first leader of Muslims, didn't do it," said Mohsen al-Awajy, an Islamist lawyer and cleric. "Those who are proposing the change after him have to come up with legal justification for it."
Innovation Awards - The Winners Are...
WSJ.com - The Winners Are...
By MICHAEL TOTTY
Bryan Cantrill and a team of engineers at Sun Microsystems Inc. have devised a way to diagnose misbehaving software quickly and while it's still doing its work. While traditional trouble-shooting programs can take several days of testing to locate a problem, the new technology, called DTrace, is able to track down problems quickly and relatively easily, even if the cause is buried deep in a complex computer system.
The Silver award went to HelioVolt Corp., of Austin, Texas, which has come up with a way to make lightweight solar-energy panels that are powered by an alternative to the more common silicon solar material and that can be applied to glass or other building materials.
Pfizer Inc. of New York and Nektar Therapeutics, of San Carlos, Calif., won the Bronze award for their development of a powdered, inhalable insulin designed to replace shots for the treatment of diabetes.
BIOTECH-MEDICAL
Pfizer's and Nektar's Exubera powdered insulin won in the biotech-medical category. Researchers for years have been looking for a substitute for insulin shots to control diabetes, and several leading pharmaceutical companies are in the process of developing their own inhalable alternative. But Exubera is the first to market, and the leading competitors are still in clinical trials.
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
The Sonos digital-music networking system was the winner in this category. While other companies offer products that wirelessly broadcast music around a home, Sonos's use of mesh networks -- basically an efficient way to route data among multiple devices -- enables it to stream music between distant rooms without lost signals. Sonos got extra points from judges for its user-friendly design, the result of its decision to bring in an experienced product designer early in the development process.
ENERGY AND POWER
HelioVolt won in this category for its process of making ultrathin solar-power materials. Dr. Stanbery founded HelioVolt in 2001 to devise a procedure to manufacture CIGS film cheaply and efficiently.
ENVIRONMENT
ET Water Systems LLC, of Corte Madera, Calif., won for a landscape-irrigation system that promises to reduce water use by gauging the precise watering needs of a home or business based on the location's plants, soil types and rainfall. Unlike other electronically controlled watering systems, the technology uses Web-based controls for users to enter details about their irrigation needs -- landscape features, local watering restrictions, and soil and plant types.
MATERIALS
Eikos Inc., of Franklin, Mass., won in this category for a transparent, electrically conductive coating that can be used, among other things, to make solar cells, flexible displays, and touch-screen monitors that are less prone to dead spots. The company (www.eikos.com) uses carbon nanotubes -- microscopic structures that can conduct electricity -- which it purifies and spreads as a clear coating. It has received contracts from the Air Force to develop a coating for aircraft canopies that can dissipate electrostatic charges, and from the Department of Energy to research the use of the coating in solar cells.
MEDICAL DEVICES
Incisive Surgical Inc., of Plymouth, Minn., won for a new mechanical skin stapler, which uses absorbable skin staples to close wounds after surgery. Traditionally, surgeons could choose mechanically applied metal staples, which are fast but require additional visits to have the staples removed, cause unsightly scarring and have a higher risk of infections. Or they could use absorbable sutures, which leave less scarring but take much longer to sew into place.
IT SECURITY AND PRIVACY
AuthenTec Inc., of Melbourne, Fla., won for its fingerprint-reading technology, used to authenticate users of personal computers, cellphones and other devices. The TruePrint sensor uses radio-frequency waves to get more-accurate fingerprint readings by detecting the patterns under the surface of the skin.
SECURITY (FACILITIES)
AxonX LLC, of Sparks, Md., won for a security-camera system that uses artificial-intelligence software to detect and identify smoke and fire in large commercial buildings. While typical fire-detection systems either respond when smoke reaches a sensor or when a fire's heat triggers a sprinkler system, the axonX system analyzes video images picked up by security cameras to spot smoke or flames before fire advances. In March, Johnson Controls Inc. announced it would distribute the technology as part of its building-controls products.
SEMICONDUCTORS
Semprius Inc., a start-up based in Chapel Hill, N.C., won for a process for making large-scale, high-performance electronic circuits that can be applied to any surface.
SOFTWARE
Sun Microsystems, of Santa Clara, Calif., won in this category for its DTrace trouble-shooting software.
TECHNOLOGY DESIGN
Seagate Technology LLC, of Scott's Valley, Calif., won for a hard-disk recording technology that dramatically increases the amount of information that can be stored on a single disk. Seagate's "perpendicular" recording method stores data bits on end, which allows information to be more tightly packed than traditional methods, which store data bits parallel to the disk surface. Seagate began shipping disk drives using the technology earlier this year, and expects that by the end of the year all of its disk-drive products will use the technology.
WIRELESS
Zensys Inc., of Fremont, Calif., won for wireless technology for controlling home lighting, entertainment and security systems. Like Sonos, Zensys uses a mesh network to transmit signals around a home -- in this case, radio waves convey on-off commands to any electrical device connected to the system. By using a mesh network, instead of simple radio controls, the Zensys system can detect when a new device is added to or removed from the network and can route commands without interruption anywhere in a home. More than 125 home-electronics companies sell products that can work with the technology.
By MICHAEL TOTTY
Bryan Cantrill and a team of engineers at Sun Microsystems Inc. have devised a way to diagnose misbehaving software quickly and while it's still doing its work. While traditional trouble-shooting programs can take several days of testing to locate a problem, the new technology, called DTrace, is able to track down problems quickly and relatively easily, even if the cause is buried deep in a complex computer system.
The Silver award went to HelioVolt Corp., of Austin, Texas, which has come up with a way to make lightweight solar-energy panels that are powered by an alternative to the more common silicon solar material and that can be applied to glass or other building materials.
Pfizer Inc. of New York and Nektar Therapeutics, of San Carlos, Calif., won the Bronze award for their development of a powdered, inhalable insulin designed to replace shots for the treatment of diabetes.
BIOTECH-MEDICAL
Pfizer's and Nektar's Exubera powdered insulin won in the biotech-medical category. Researchers for years have been looking for a substitute for insulin shots to control diabetes, and several leading pharmaceutical companies are in the process of developing their own inhalable alternative. But Exubera is the first to market, and the leading competitors are still in clinical trials.
CONSUMER ELECTRONICS
The Sonos digital-music networking system was the winner in this category. While other companies offer products that wirelessly broadcast music around a home, Sonos's use of mesh networks -- basically an efficient way to route data among multiple devices -- enables it to stream music between distant rooms without lost signals. Sonos got extra points from judges for its user-friendly design, the result of its decision to bring in an experienced product designer early in the development process.
ENERGY AND POWER
HelioVolt won in this category for its process of making ultrathin solar-power materials. Dr. Stanbery founded HelioVolt in 2001 to devise a procedure to manufacture CIGS film cheaply and efficiently.
ENVIRONMENT
ET Water Systems LLC, of Corte Madera, Calif., won for a landscape-irrigation system that promises to reduce water use by gauging the precise watering needs of a home or business based on the location's plants, soil types and rainfall. Unlike other electronically controlled watering systems, the technology uses Web-based controls for users to enter details about their irrigation needs -- landscape features, local watering restrictions, and soil and plant types.
MATERIALS
Eikos Inc., of Franklin, Mass., won in this category for a transparent, electrically conductive coating that can be used, among other things, to make solar cells, flexible displays, and touch-screen monitors that are less prone to dead spots. The company (www.eikos.com) uses carbon nanotubes -- microscopic structures that can conduct electricity -- which it purifies and spreads as a clear coating. It has received contracts from the Air Force to develop a coating for aircraft canopies that can dissipate electrostatic charges, and from the Department of Energy to research the use of the coating in solar cells.
MEDICAL DEVICES
Incisive Surgical Inc., of Plymouth, Minn., won for a new mechanical skin stapler, which uses absorbable skin staples to close wounds after surgery. Traditionally, surgeons could choose mechanically applied metal staples, which are fast but require additional visits to have the staples removed, cause unsightly scarring and have a higher risk of infections. Or they could use absorbable sutures, which leave less scarring but take much longer to sew into place.
IT SECURITY AND PRIVACY
AuthenTec Inc., of Melbourne, Fla., won for its fingerprint-reading technology, used to authenticate users of personal computers, cellphones and other devices. The TruePrint sensor uses radio-frequency waves to get more-accurate fingerprint readings by detecting the patterns under the surface of the skin.
SECURITY (FACILITIES)
AxonX LLC, of Sparks, Md., won for a security-camera system that uses artificial-intelligence software to detect and identify smoke and fire in large commercial buildings. While typical fire-detection systems either respond when smoke reaches a sensor or when a fire's heat triggers a sprinkler system, the axonX system analyzes video images picked up by security cameras to spot smoke or flames before fire advances. In March, Johnson Controls Inc. announced it would distribute the technology as part of its building-controls products.
SEMICONDUCTORS
Semprius Inc., a start-up based in Chapel Hill, N.C., won for a process for making large-scale, high-performance electronic circuits that can be applied to any surface.
SOFTWARE
Sun Microsystems, of Santa Clara, Calif., won in this category for its DTrace trouble-shooting software.
TECHNOLOGY DESIGN
Seagate Technology LLC, of Scott's Valley, Calif., won for a hard-disk recording technology that dramatically increases the amount of information that can be stored on a single disk. Seagate's "perpendicular" recording method stores data bits on end, which allows information to be more tightly packed than traditional methods, which store data bits parallel to the disk surface. Seagate began shipping disk drives using the technology earlier this year, and expects that by the end of the year all of its disk-drive products will use the technology.
WIRELESS
Zensys Inc., of Fremont, Calif., won for wireless technology for controlling home lighting, entertainment and security systems. Like Sonos, Zensys uses a mesh network to transmit signals around a home -- in this case, radio waves convey on-off commands to any electrical device connected to the system. By using a mesh network, instead of simple radio controls, the Zensys system can detect when a new device is added to or removed from the network and can route commands without interruption anywhere in a home. More than 125 home-electronics companies sell products that can work with the technology.
Friday, September 08, 2006
Inflation crosses 5%
NDTV: "Inflation crossed 5 per cent mark for the week ended August 26 mainly due to increase in the prices of food articles including vegetables and wheat. The wholesale price-based inflation soared to 5.01 per cent during the week under review from 4.91 per cent in the previous week and 3.33 per cent during the corresponding week last year.
The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities was up by 0.1 per cent to 205.3 points and the index was 195.5 points in the year-ago period. Government revised the final inflation figure to 5.21 per cent for the week ended July 1 from the provisional estimate of 4.96 per cent while WPI stood corrected at 203.8 points as against 203.3 points.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said rising food prices and delays in fuel oil price adjustments are adding further inflationary pressures in India.
During the week under review, world oil prices rose slightly to 72.5 dollars a barrel as a tropical depression rolled across the Caribbean, and as edgy traders continued to follow diplomatic moves over Iran's nuclear programme. (PTI) "
The Wholesale Price Index (WPI) for all commodities was up by 0.1 per cent to 205.3 points and the index was 195.5 points in the year-ago period. Government revised the final inflation figure to 5.21 per cent for the week ended July 1 from the provisional estimate of 4.96 per cent while WPI stood corrected at 203.8 points as against 203.3 points.
The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Wednesday said rising food prices and delays in fuel oil price adjustments are adding further inflationary pressures in India.
During the week under review, world oil prices rose slightly to 72.5 dollars a barrel as a tropical depression rolled across the Caribbean, and as edgy traders continued to follow diplomatic moves over Iran's nuclear programme. (PTI) "
Video claims to show Bin Laden with 9/11 plotters
Guardian Unlimited | Special reports | Video claims to show Bin Laden with 9/11 plotters
· Al-Jazeera screens footage of masked men in training
· Testament in 'will' speaks of reprisal against west
"The Royal Institute of International Affairs issued a report yesterday arguing that although al-Qaida remained a powerful group its support was waning. The US-led response to the 2001 attacks had enhanced its reputation among radical Muslims but "seriously undermined" its ability to recruit, organise or raise funds, the report, titled Al-Qaida, Five Years On, said. It also argued that the group's attacks in Saudi Arabia and Jordan had killed Muslims and had therefore alienated many in the Islamic world.
The report said al-Qaida was being eclipsed in some parts of the Arab world by non-violent Islamic groups. It had also been outshone in the eyes of Arab militants by the recent military exploits of the Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah.
Yesterday, al-Jazeera also broadcast the first video statement by Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, leader of subsidiary group al-Qaida in Iraq. Muhajer, who took over the leadership of the group after the death in June of its founder, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
The video was produced by as-Sahab, al-Qaida's media arm, and appeared to have been issued to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. It included the video "wills" of two of the 19 hijackers, Hamza al-Ghamdi and Wail al-Shehri, in which they justified their actions as reprisals against supposed ill-treatment of Muslims by the west."
· Al-Jazeera screens footage of masked men in training
· Testament in 'will' speaks of reprisal against west
"The Royal Institute of International Affairs issued a report yesterday arguing that although al-Qaida remained a powerful group its support was waning. The US-led response to the 2001 attacks had enhanced its reputation among radical Muslims but "seriously undermined" its ability to recruit, organise or raise funds, the report, titled Al-Qaida, Five Years On, said. It also argued that the group's attacks in Saudi Arabia and Jordan had killed Muslims and had therefore alienated many in the Islamic world.
The report said al-Qaida was being eclipsed in some parts of the Arab world by non-violent Islamic groups. It had also been outshone in the eyes of Arab militants by the recent military exploits of the Lebanese Shia group Hizbullah.
Yesterday, al-Jazeera also broadcast the first video statement by Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, leader of subsidiary group al-Qaida in Iraq. Muhajer, who took over the leadership of the group after the death in June of its founder, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
The video was produced by as-Sahab, al-Qaida's media arm, and appeared to have been issued to mark the fifth anniversary of the September 11 attacks. It included the video "wills" of two of the 19 hijackers, Hamza al-Ghamdi and Wail al-Shehri, in which they justified their actions as reprisals against supposed ill-treatment of Muslims by the west."
YouTube :: Fact or Fiction
OpinionJournal - Taste: "Meet Bree. Bree is a home-schooled teenage girl somewhere in America who makes videos in her bedroom--no, not that kind of video. Over the past few months, her video blogs--dealing with boy troubles, parent troubles and her peculiar intellectual preoccupations with Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman--have been watched nearly two million times on the Web site YouTube.com. Oh, and then there's this--Bree may not exist.
In the last year, YouTube.com has come from nowhere to become one of the 10 most visited sites on the Web. For the most part, it is a collection of homemade videos uploaded by users. Last month, a man posted a video of himself eating Mentos and drinking Diet Coke at the same time, with unpleasant results. It was watched one million times in the 24 hours after it was published.
The man who made the video is, according to another one of his clips, a businessman and inventor who is married with children. To all appearances, he is both an intelligent and sensitive fellow, but he was best known on YouTube--before his Mentos catastrophe--as "renetto," a squeaky-voiced, intellectually challenged reviewer of others' YouTube videos. Paul Robinett, the man behind renetto, invented the character by sticking a toothpick behind his upper lip and acting dense on camera. His apparent stupidity made him an instant star, at least in YouTube-land."
In the last year, YouTube.com has come from nowhere to become one of the 10 most visited sites on the Web. For the most part, it is a collection of homemade videos uploaded by users. Last month, a man posted a video of himself eating Mentos and drinking Diet Coke at the same time, with unpleasant results. It was watched one million times in the 24 hours after it was published.
The man who made the video is, according to another one of his clips, a businessman and inventor who is married with children. To all appearances, he is both an intelligent and sensitive fellow, but he was best known on YouTube--before his Mentos catastrophe--as "renetto," a squeaky-voiced, intellectually challenged reviewer of others' YouTube videos. Paul Robinett, the man behind renetto, invented the character by sticking a toothpick behind his upper lip and acting dense on camera. His apparent stupidity made him an instant star, at least in YouTube-land."
Wednesday, September 06, 2006
Over three hundred held in bid to say devaram at Nataraja temple
Over three hundred held in bid to say devaram at Nataraja temple - Newindpress.com: "The move to recite Tamil devotional hymns, Devaram, at Lord Nataraja temple, was stopped with the arrest of 338 persons, including Perambur Legislator, and some Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) volunteers, at Chidambaram on Wednesday.
The group was attempting to defy a ban on reciting ‘Devaram’ and ‘Thiruvasagam’ at the world famous Saivite shrine.
Among others Perambur MLA and State president of DYFI SK Mahendran, Secretary Kannan, Vice-President S Velmurugan, Joint-Secretary S G Ramesh Babu and Arumugasamy Odhuvar addressed a protest meeting near EVR Periyar Statue at Melaveedhi.
Addressing the gathering Mahendran said the Tamil Nadu Government should take steps to lift the ban imposed by the court on reciting Tamil devotional hymns at the abode of the Cosmic dancer.
The government must enact legislation for taking over the temple and take steps to recite Tamil devotional hymns at the shrine. Diskhidars had been controlling the affairs of the temple illegally, he alleged.
It is said that they had been practising an inhuman act of untouchability for centuries. An ardent devotee of Lord Siva, Nandanar was prevented from entering the temple by the Dikshidars since he belonged to an SC community. This happened several decades ago.
Similarly, the priest had been objecting to offering of prayers in Tamil language. To protest this, the group took out a procession to the temple from Melaveedhi when police led by ASP Pradeep stopped it."
The group was attempting to defy a ban on reciting ‘Devaram’ and ‘Thiruvasagam’ at the world famous Saivite shrine.
Among others Perambur MLA and State president of DYFI SK Mahendran, Secretary Kannan, Vice-President S Velmurugan, Joint-Secretary S G Ramesh Babu and Arumugasamy Odhuvar addressed a protest meeting near EVR Periyar Statue at Melaveedhi.
Addressing the gathering Mahendran said the Tamil Nadu Government should take steps to lift the ban imposed by the court on reciting Tamil devotional hymns at the abode of the Cosmic dancer.
The government must enact legislation for taking over the temple and take steps to recite Tamil devotional hymns at the shrine. Diskhidars had been controlling the affairs of the temple illegally, he alleged.
It is said that they had been practising an inhuman act of untouchability for centuries. An ardent devotee of Lord Siva, Nandanar was prevented from entering the temple by the Dikshidars since he belonged to an SC community. This happened several decades ago.
Similarly, the priest had been objecting to offering of prayers in Tamil language. To protest this, the group took out a procession to the temple from Melaveedhi when police led by ASP Pradeep stopped it."
The Osama Bin Laden I Know
Foreign Policy: The Osama Bin Laden I Know By Fawaz A. Gerges
The Secret History of al-Qa’ida
By Abdel Bari Atwan
236 pages, London: Saqi, 2006
The Secret History of al-Qa’ida
By Abdel Bari Atwan
236 pages, London: Saqi, 2006
What They’re Reading: Israel
What They’re Reading: Living in the Land of the Book
FOREIGN POLICY: What nonfiction books are Israelis reading?
David Ehrlich: Biographies of political leaders are a big field here. Israelis look at their political figures sort of as family members. I’m reading a new biography about [former Prime Minister] Shimon Peres by Michael BarZohar. It’s called Like a Phoenix, because of politicians’ and terrorists’ nature to rise back again and again into the center of the Israeli political scene.
FOREIGN POLICY: What nonfiction books are Israelis reading?
David Ehrlich: Biographies of political leaders are a big field here. Israelis look at their political figures sort of as family members. I’m reading a new biography about [former Prime Minister] Shimon Peres by Michael BarZohar. It’s called Like a Phoenix, because of politicians’ and terrorists’ nature to rise back again and again into the center of the Israeli political scene.
India's ban leads to lentil shortage here
India's ban leads to lentil shortage here - The Boston Globe
By Vijaysree Venkatraman, Globe Correspondent | September 6, 2006
In the hands of an Indian cook, lentils -- also called dals or pulses -- might be made into spinach dal or sambar. Whatever dish they go into, they feature prominently on the daily menu of most Indian-American families. Open a kitchen cabinet in a typical home and you can probably find a dozen dals of myriad shapes and hues: red masoor dal, green moong beans, or yellow toor dal. The pulses are so integral to the cooking, and such an important source of protein, that many families have a few pounds of these staples on hand.
In late June, the Union Commerce Ministry of India put a temporary halt on the international trade of pulses until the end of the year. Two weeks later, it extended the ban until March 2007. That means that no pulses will be exported from the Indian subcontinent. The ban is supposed to serve as a stop-gap measure to ease inflation in the Indian domestic market, where pulses that once cost about 40 cents per pound now sell for 50 cents. Earlier this year, moong dal in India cost about 80 cents per kilo (roughly two pounds) ; it now costs $1.20.
To understand the nature of the crisis, you have to understand how lentils fit in to the cuisine. Each dal has an important culinary role in traditional dishes. For all Indians, a warm bowl of dal complements the meal, but for vegetarians -- in fact, for a substantial percentage of the population, who shun meat for religious reasons -- dal is the main source of protein.
The lentil ban puts many people in the Indian-American community in a difficult position. Lavanya Marla, a graduate student at MIT, says, ``I use toor dal a lot, so I decided to stock up last week. I bought more than I needed, despite the increase in prices, because the store owner at Little India, where I shop, thinks that the prices are likely to go up even further." Even those in the industry were surprised by the sudden ruling. Large distributors in the United States, like the New York-based House of Spices, are now looking for alternative sources to fill the vacuum. Company president R.L. Soni says that containers of pulses that were ready to ship from India were pulled off docks. Some dals sought by Indian customers are grown in Africa and Thailand, but it will take time to strike deals and start imports from these nations. ``The prices of lentils, long overdue for a revision, could stabilize in the next two months once these arrangements are made," Soni says.
In the Boston area, where 43,801 Indians live, the cost of pulses has nearly doubled. Since the inventory is moving quickly, Indian grocery stores are rationing supplies. Malik Bokhari, the manager of the Waltham India Grocery store, says, ``About two in five customers have been over-buying dals in the last month."
``Right now, the price of gram flours has gone up, and eventually products made from pulses such as papads [savory wafers] and mithais [sweets] will also be affected by the price increase," says Sarabjeet Babla of the family-owned Shalimar India Food & Spices in Cambridge. Although warm dal is a staple for all Indian meals, South Indian food is particularly pulse-heavy. Urad dal, used in making crepes and pancakes such as dosas, adais, and uthappams, and toor dal for the accompanying gravy-like sambar, are fast disappearing from shelves.
The Dakshin restaurant in Framingham has increased the price of its popular weekend buffet by $2 (it now costs $12), though the items on the regular menu remain unaffected. Owner Rajan Viswanathan says that the restaurant is making an effort to put innovative dishes on the buffet table -- like chili-idli -- an Indo-Chinese variation on the regular lentil-and-rice dumpling, which uses bell peppers, onions, and soy sauce. This allows cooks to economize on the urad dal. ``The sambar will be runny if we try to lower the amount of dal in it, so that is hardly a solution," says the restaurateur, who is unwilling to compromise on the quality of the food.
Even bloggers are in on the act. ``It is going to be difficult for me as a lentil addict, but still I support the Indian government's decision," says Indira Singari of Boardman, Ohio, who writes the food blog Mahanandi (www.nandyala.org/mahanandi).
Singari is optimistic that Indian wholesalers will soon make arrangements with other lentil-exporting nations. ``I think of this as a chance to explore other cuisines and find vegetarian goodness in them," she says.
Less - modern cooks might disagree.
© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.
By Vijaysree Venkatraman, Globe Correspondent | September 6, 2006
In the hands of an Indian cook, lentils -- also called dals or pulses -- might be made into spinach dal or sambar. Whatever dish they go into, they feature prominently on the daily menu of most Indian-American families. Open a kitchen cabinet in a typical home and you can probably find a dozen dals of myriad shapes and hues: red masoor dal, green moong beans, or yellow toor dal. The pulses are so integral to the cooking, and such an important source of protein, that many families have a few pounds of these staples on hand.
In late June, the Union Commerce Ministry of India put a temporary halt on the international trade of pulses until the end of the year. Two weeks later, it extended the ban until March 2007. That means that no pulses will be exported from the Indian subcontinent. The ban is supposed to serve as a stop-gap measure to ease inflation in the Indian domestic market, where pulses that once cost about 40 cents per pound now sell for 50 cents. Earlier this year, moong dal in India cost about 80 cents per kilo (roughly two pounds) ; it now costs $1.20.
To understand the nature of the crisis, you have to understand how lentils fit in to the cuisine. Each dal has an important culinary role in traditional dishes. For all Indians, a warm bowl of dal complements the meal, but for vegetarians -- in fact, for a substantial percentage of the population, who shun meat for religious reasons -- dal is the main source of protein.
The lentil ban puts many people in the Indian-American community in a difficult position. Lavanya Marla, a graduate student at MIT, says, ``I use toor dal a lot, so I decided to stock up last week. I bought more than I needed, despite the increase in prices, because the store owner at Little India, where I shop, thinks that the prices are likely to go up even further." Even those in the industry were surprised by the sudden ruling. Large distributors in the United States, like the New York-based House of Spices, are now looking for alternative sources to fill the vacuum. Company president R.L. Soni says that containers of pulses that were ready to ship from India were pulled off docks. Some dals sought by Indian customers are grown in Africa and Thailand, but it will take time to strike deals and start imports from these nations. ``The prices of lentils, long overdue for a revision, could stabilize in the next two months once these arrangements are made," Soni says.
In the Boston area, where 43,801 Indians live, the cost of pulses has nearly doubled. Since the inventory is moving quickly, Indian grocery stores are rationing supplies. Malik Bokhari, the manager of the Waltham India Grocery store, says, ``About two in five customers have been over-buying dals in the last month."
``Right now, the price of gram flours has gone up, and eventually products made from pulses such as papads [savory wafers] and mithais [sweets] will also be affected by the price increase," says Sarabjeet Babla of the family-owned Shalimar India Food & Spices in Cambridge. Although warm dal is a staple for all Indian meals, South Indian food is particularly pulse-heavy. Urad dal, used in making crepes and pancakes such as dosas, adais, and uthappams, and toor dal for the accompanying gravy-like sambar, are fast disappearing from shelves.
The Dakshin restaurant in Framingham has increased the price of its popular weekend buffet by $2 (it now costs $12), though the items on the regular menu remain unaffected. Owner Rajan Viswanathan says that the restaurant is making an effort to put innovative dishes on the buffet table -- like chili-idli -- an Indo-Chinese variation on the regular lentil-and-rice dumpling, which uses bell peppers, onions, and soy sauce. This allows cooks to economize on the urad dal. ``The sambar will be runny if we try to lower the amount of dal in it, so that is hardly a solution," says the restaurateur, who is unwilling to compromise on the quality of the food.
Even bloggers are in on the act. ``It is going to be difficult for me as a lentil addict, but still I support the Indian government's decision," says Indira Singari of Boardman, Ohio, who writes the food blog Mahanandi (www.nandyala.org/mahanandi).
Singari is optimistic that Indian wholesalers will soon make arrangements with other lentil-exporting nations. ``I think of this as a chance to explore other cuisines and find vegetarian goodness in them," she says.
Less - modern cooks might disagree.
© Copyright 2006 Globe Newspaper Company.
Materazzi breaks Zidane silence
BBC SPORT | Football | Internationals | Materazzi breaks Zidane silence: "He said: "I was tugging his shirt, he said to me 'if you want my shirt so much I'll give it to you afterwards,' I answered that I'd prefer his sister."
Materazzi added: "It's not a particularly nice thing to say, I recognise that. But loads of players say worse things. "I didn't even know he had a sister before all this happened."
Materazzi added: "It's not a particularly nice thing to say, I recognise that. But loads of players say worse things. "I didn't even know he had a sister before all this happened."
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Magazines start web TV Channels
WSJ.com - Ready For Their Close-Up
Time for a Change: Magazines are looking to Web video as a way to tap TV ad dollars that typically have been beyond their reach.
Time for a Change: Magazines are looking to Web video as a way to tap TV ad dollars that typically have been beyond their reach.
Five Best :: Men of letters (the kind you mail)
OpinionJournal - Five Best :: Pushing the Envelope
1. "Keats: Selected Letters" edited by Robert Gittings and Jo Mee (Oxford, 2002).
2. "Jane Carlyle: Newly Selected Letters" edited by K.J. Fielding and David R. Sorensen (Ashgate, 2004).
3. "Letters of William James" (Kessinger, 2003, a reprint of the 1920 edition).
4. "Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde" edited by Merlin Holland and Rupert Hart-Davis (Fourth Estate, 2001).
5. "Letters From Oxford" by Hugh Trevor-Roper (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006).
Mr. Gross, a former editor of the Times Literary Supplement, is the author of "The Rise and Fall of the Man of Letters."
1. "Keats: Selected Letters" edited by Robert Gittings and Jo Mee (Oxford, 2002).
2. "Jane Carlyle: Newly Selected Letters" edited by K.J. Fielding and David R. Sorensen (Ashgate, 2004).
3. "Letters of William James" (Kessinger, 2003, a reprint of the 1920 edition).
4. "Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde" edited by Merlin Holland and Rupert Hart-Davis (Fourth Estate, 2001).
5. "Letters From Oxford" by Hugh Trevor-Roper (Weidenfeld & Nicolson, 2006).
Mr. Gross, a former editor of the Times Literary Supplement, is the author of "The Rise and Fall of the Man of Letters."
Parents Sex Memoirs
Guardian Unlimited Books | Special Reports | Bill Bryson recalls how sex was a confusing business in 1950s Des Moines: "To my surprise, my parents were in bed wrestling under the sheets. And my mother was winning
From sneaking in to see the steamy Peyton Place to stripping off in a tree house, sex was a confusing business in 1950s Des Moines - as Bill Bryson recalls in the latest excerpt from his hilarious new memoir "
This is an edited extract from The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, published by Doubleday at £18.99
From sneaking in to see the steamy Peyton Place to stripping off in a tree house, sex was a confusing business in 1950s Des Moines - as Bill Bryson recalls in the latest excerpt from his hilarious new memoir "
This is an edited extract from The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson, published by Doubleday at £18.99
Britain's Foreign Relations with India
Guardian Unlimited | Comment is free | We must forge a new special relationship - with India: For too long, politics in Britain has been obsessed with Europe and the US. It is time to look to where our strategic interests lie
David Cameron is the leader of the Conservative party
David Cameron is the leader of the Conservative party
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