China Looks to Undermine U.S. Power, With ‘Assassin’s Mace’ | Danger Room | Wired.com

China Looks to Undermine U.S. Power, With ‘Assassin’s Mace’ | Danger Room | Wired.com: "Could China wipe out an American military advantage with a simple black box? Joshua Cooper Ramo’s thought-provoking book The Age of the Unthinkable challenges all kinds of conventional thinking about everything from venture capital to military strategy. One section caught my eye in particular, about how the Chinese might neutralize American air superiority, using a type of weapon known an “Assassin’s Mace.” The specific device in question is an unassuming little case; how worried should we be?

U.S. airpower depends on the ability to overcome surface-to-air missile (SAM) defenses, and one of the key weapons for this role is the AGM-88 High Speed Anti-radiation Missile (HARM), which homes in on radar emissions."

Interview: Selvaraghavan | Blogical Conclusion

Interview: Selvaraghavan | Blogical Conclusion: "Interview: Selvaraghavan

Posted in Cinema: Tamil, Cinema: Interview | Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 | 14 Comments » Trackback

[Picture courtesy: hindu.com]

THE BARD OF THE BRUTES

Selvaraghavan spouts eloquent about dancing on a knife, about death being the biggest orgasm, about living life in the midst of rainfall, and, oh, about his forthcoming film."

Karuppan GMail vs Kuppan Yahoo: Selvendhiran comments on Jyovram Sundar Story

மொழி விளையாட்டு: கும்மாங் குத்த: "கருப்பன்_ஜிமெயில் said...

//எல்லாரும் பரஸ்பரம் விட்டு கொடுத்து நல்ல நண்பர்களை இருப்போமே.//

அப்படியே மொத்தமா போய் விக்ரமன் படம் பார்ப்போமே?"

Thenaali Crime Fiction: Story vs Technology: Satyarajkumar

கதை vs தொழில்நுட்பம் « இன்று – Today: "அறிவியல், இணையம், சத்யராஜ்குமார், சிறுகதை, தமிழ், தொழில்நுட்பம், பத்திரிகை"

Letter to Nagarjunan by PK Sivakumar: Charu Nivethitha

பேசாப் பொருளைப் பேச நான் துணிந்

Celtics dancer tryouts - Boston.com

Celtics dancer tryouts - Boston.com: "Alyssa Guerin, 24, performs during auditions for the Celtics Dancers, held at the Boston Sports Club in Waltham on June 27."

The sijo poetry form captures a Harvard professor’s imagination - The Boston Globe

The new haiku?
Harvard professor David McCann says America is ready for sijo: "“If you have 15 syllables per line, that’s much more than the haiku. What it allows for is something haiku can’t do, which is the formation of narrative inside the poem. You can express complicated things. At the same time, they sound very natural.’’"

Slashdot Games Story | The Essentials of RPG Design

Slashdot Games Story | The Essentials of RPG Design

When Our Brains Short-Circuit

Op-Ed Columnist - When Our Brains Short-Circuit - NYTimes.com: "Evidence is accumulating that the human brain systematically misjudges certain kinds of risks. In effect, evolution has programmed us to be alert for snakes and enemies with clubs, but we aren’t well prepared to respond to dangers that require forethought.

If you come across a garter snake, nearly all of your brain will light up with activity as you process the “threat.” Yet if somebody tells you that carbon emissions will eventually destroy Earth as we know it, only the small part of the brain that focuses on the future — a portion of the prefrontal cortex — will glimmer."

What Is a Master’s Degree Worth?

What Is a Master’s Degree Worth? - Room for Debate Blog - NYTimes.com: "What degrees might be worth getting, and which are not? How does a student weigh the risks and benefits of taking that intermediate step in higher education?"

Ban the Burqa

Op-Ed Contributor - President Sarkozy was right: The burqa should not be welcome in France -- or anywhere else: "I am a Muslim, I am a feminist and I detest the full-body veil, known as a niqab or burqa. It erases women from society and has nothing to do with Islam but everything to do with the hatred for women at the heart of the extremist ideology that preaches it.

We must not sacrifice women at the altar of political correctness or in the name of fighting a growingly powerful right wing that Muslims face in countries where they live as a minority."

Mona Eltahawy is an Egyptian-born commentator on Arab and Muslim issues.

What's so funny in Cambodia? | GlobalPost

What's so funny in Cambodia? | GlobalPost: "Comedians attack NGO workers as gold chain-wearing, Mercedes-Benz-driving swindlers. Funny, maybe. But is it true?"

Taliban buying children for suicide bombers

EXCLUSIVE: Taliban buying children for suicide bombers - Washington Times: Pakistan's top Taliban leader, Baitullah Mehsud, is buying children as young as 7 to serve as suicide bombers in the growing spate of attacks against Pakistani, Afghan and U.S. targets, U.S. Defense Department and Pakistani officials say.

the going price for child bombers was $7,000 to $14,000 - huge sums in Pakistan, where per-capita income is about $2,600 a year.

Malaysia's Najib targets affirmative action | csmonitor.com

Malaysia's Najib targets affirmative action | csmonitor.com: "The prime minister, his ruling coalition under pressure, vows to end policies that favor ethnic Malays and to boost foreign investment."

Turkey plans to restart work on controversial dam project | Environment | The Guardian

Turkey plans to restart work on controversial dam project | Environment | The Guardian: Turkey today announced plans to resume a controversial £1bn dam project in the face of environmental protests that it would displace thousands of people, destroy habitats and drown priceless archaeological treasures.

The Hindu : Metro Plus Chennai : A Tweet-eat-Blog world

The Hindu : Metro Plus Chennai : A Tweet-eat-Blog world: "Two-line updates… 140 characters are changing the way the world communicates. SUDHISH KAMATH reports on the impact of Twitter"

100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World | Best Universities

100 Best Blogs for Those Who Want to Change the World | Best Universities: "The world is full of students and visionaries and people who want to make a difference in the world, and many of those people share their knowledge online through their blogs. Whether you want to change the world through environment, humanitarianism, business, or any other way, there’s a blog out there that can offer you guidance and inspiration. Read on, and you’ll find 100 blogs that can help you change the world."

Kadavu Tamil Literary Conference: Tamil Nathy, Aadhavan Dheetchanya, Konangi, S Ramakrishnan

பொன்னியின் செல்வன்: Lit Meets in Madurai: "கடவு - எஸ்ரா, கோணங்கி மற்றும் தமிழ்நதியின் விவாதம்..!!!"

Vijayawada Architecture: Photos, Visits, Tour

கல்லிலே கலைவண்ணம் கண்டோம் « Blog Archive » விஜயவாடா மொஹல்ராஜபுரத்து அதிசயங்கள் - பாகம் 2: "துவாரபாலகன், மொகல்ராஜபுர, பல்லவ, குடவரை"

Australian coroners fake information on Indian deaths

Australian coroners fake information on Indian deaths: "Over 54 students from overseas died of various reasons in Australia last year of which nearly half were Indians. The public officials tried to hide details of the deaths, to protect the lucrative $15.5 billion education market in the country, 'The Age' in Melbourne reported."

Sufi Story: Indirect Interpretation: Uyirosai - Uyirmmai weekly

தமிழின் முதன்மையான முன்னணி கலை-: "சூஃபி கதைகள் - தமிழில் : சஃபி"

உள்குத்து Sufi கதை: பாரசீகம்: World; துருக்கி:TN; பிரேதம்: Lit; குரு: நாகார்ஜுனன்; சீடர்: சாரு; நீதிபதி: பைத்தியக்காரன்:

Pakistan focuses on Islamic extremism - Los Angeles Times

Pakistan focuses on Islamic extremism - Los Angeles Times: "For years, the government and the army have not dealt with the Taliban and Al Qaeda in the tribal regions, but as the threat becomes clear, Islamabad will need international help."

Can This Man Save Pakistan? BY: Stephan Faris | Foreign Policy

Hopelessly overcrowded, crippled by poverty, teeming with Islamist militancy, careless with its nukes—it sometimes seems as if Pakistan can’t get any more terrifying. But forget about the Taliban: The country's troubles today pale compared with what it might face 25 years from now.

The Abandonment of Democracy

The Abandonment of Democracy - WSJ.com: "If democracy and human rights are high values, then all societies are not morally equal. This thought cuts sharply against Obama's multicultural sensibilities."

A few days after being sworn in, President Obama pointedly gave his first foreign press interview to the Saudi-owned Arabic-language satellite network, Al-Arabiya. The interview was devoted entirely to U.S. relations with the Middle East and the broader Muslim world, and through it all Obama never mentioned democracy or human rights.

Los Angeles Ram: Trichy NRI Investor

Los Angeles Ram: யாம் பெற்ற இன்பம் -4

Madurai Meets: S Ramakrishnan

:: RAMAKRISHNAN ::: "கூடல் இலக்கிய சந்திப்பிற்காக மூன்று நாட்கள் மதுரை"

Startup Experience: VC, Entrepreneurship, Self-Analysis & The Road Ahead

SEOmoz | My Startup Experience: VC, Entrepreneurship, Self-Analysis & The Road Ahead: "My Top Advice for Other Entrepreneurs"

Literary Review - Richard Overy on Stalin's Nemesis by Bertrand M Patenaude

Literary Review - Richard Overy on Stalin's Nemesis by Bertrand M Patenaude: "ICE-COLD IN COYOACAN
Stalin's Nemesis: The Exile and Murder of Leon Trotsky
By Bertrand M Patenaude (Faber & Faber 340pp £20)"

Review - Between Two Worlds - Philosophy

Review - Between Two Worlds - Philosophy: "Review - Between Two Worlds
A Reading of Descartes's Meditations
by John Carriero
Princeton University Press, 2008
Review by Michael Pereira"

A welfare state of mind

sp!ked review of books | by Nathalie Rothschild: "Andrew Brown’s Orwell Prize-winning book about fishing in Sweden casts slivers of light on how Sweden has changed and why its welfare state model is not something to emulate.

“The ‘Swedish model’ was a clean and well-mannered society in which everyone was rich and rational”"

Books discussed:

Fishing in Utopia: Sweden
the Future That Disappeared, by Andrew Brown

Negotiating peace in Sri Lanka

Negotiating peace in Sri Lanka: Programme to mark CFA anniversary - TamilCanadian: "Foundation for Co-Existence on Tuesday February 21 is launching two volumes of a book titled, “Negotiating Peace in Sri Lanka: Efforts, Failures and Lessons,” dealing with the peace processes spanning two decades.

According to FCE Chairman Dr. Kumar Rupesinghe Vol. I and Vol. II will document the history of peace negotiations in Sri Lanka starting with the Thimpu Talks in 1985 up to recent talks initiated by the UNF government."

TamilNet: 23.02.06 Sri Lanka Peace: Efforts, Failures and Lessons: "Volume two of 'Negotiating Peace in Sri Lanka: Efforts, Failures and Lessons,' edited by Dr Kumar Rupesinghe, chairman, Foundation for Co-Existence, was launched in Colombo Wednesday. Volume 2 deals with United National Front (UNF)– LTTE negotiations of 2002-2003, including a detailed chapter on the background to the Cease Fire Agreement (CFA) and its security, implementation issues by former Defense Secretary, Austin Fernando."

swisspeace: Sri Lanka Resources

Negotiating Peace in Sri Lanka: "Efforts, Failures and Lessons, Volumes I & II

Review by Shanthi Sachithanandam, Daily Mirror"

South Asia News Agency :: www.sanagency.com :: Features and Analysis: "The book, comprising of contributions by participants of these talks, not only provides the historic background but also insight into developments at each stage from various aspects. They tell us what happened at different stages, how it failed and where we stand today. Thus, it is a reference book on the complicated negotiations for all, including researchers, journalists and others involved.

Amongst those who contributed were active players such as Prof G. L. Pieris, Bradman Weerakoon, Austin Fernando, Thomas Abraham, J. N. Dixit, Bernard Tilakaratna, M. K. Narayanan, M. I. M. Mohideen, Erik Solheim and Hagrup Haukland."

Key players piece together the peace process :: sundaytimes.lk - Plus: "Reviewed by Shimali Senanayake"

LTTE hoodwinked Sri Lanka on ceasefire- Hindustan Times: "The LTTE hoodwinked the Sri Lankan government into signing the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in 2002 and cleverly exploited it to expand its political, economic and military hold over the Tamil-speaking North Eastern Province, officials who took part in the 2002-2003 peace talks have said."

The Hindu : Book Review : The pursuit of peace: "Lessons from the efforts taken to bring about a political solution to the conflict in the emerald isle"

Don't goto 'Nadodigal' Tamil Movie: Why Nadodikal cinema sucks?

நாடோடிகள் நல்ல படமா? « வடக்கு மா�

How qualified is your I&B Minister?

How qualified is your I: "What is the real educational qualification of Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting S Jagathrakshakan?"

Official Gmail Blog: Labels: drag and drop, hiding, and more

Official Gmail Blog: Labels: drag and drop, hiding, and more

Blogger Contest: Singapore Tamil Writers: Non-Fiction Topics in Sangam, Lit, Politics, Society

மணற்கேணி 2009

Tamilnadu Magz on Eelam Tamils vs Uyirmmai Sponsorship Issues: Manushyaputhiran

தமிழக எழுத்தாளர்கள் ஈழத்தமிழர்களுக்கு செய்தது என்ன?

* கவிஞர் தேவேந்திரபூபதியின் கடவு இலக்கிய அமைப்பு சார்பாக மதுரையில் சமீபத்தில் நடந்த ஒரு இலக்கிய கருத்தரங்கு பற்றி கவிஞர் தமிழ்நதி

* சாருநிவேதிதா, ஜெயமோகன் போன்றவர்கள் வேறொரு தளத்தில் இருந்து எதிர்வினையாற்றியிருக்கலாம். இதெல்லாம் ஈழப் போராட்டத்தின் சிக்கலான அரசியல் எதார்த்தம் சார்ந்தவை.

* சி.மோகன் நூலை வெளியிட சுகிர்தராணி பெற்றுக்கொண்டு உரையாற்றுவதாக ஏற்பாடு.

* எஸ். ராமகிருஷ்ணனுக்கு பதில் சுகிர்தராணியை ஏன் வெளியே போகச் சொல்லமுடியவில்லை என்பது எனக்குப் புரியவே இல்லை.

* 'சுகிர்தராணி, வெண்ணிலா முதலான கவிஞர்கள் நீங்கள் தலைமையேற்பதை கடுமையாக எதிர்க்கிறார்கள்.'

* வெண்ணிலா என்னிடம் நட்புணர்வுள்ளவர். உயிர்மை ஏற்பாடு செய்த கூட்டத்தில் பேசியிருக்கிறார்.

* சமீபத்தில் அப்பாஸ்-சி.மணி நினைவுக் கூட்டம் நடந்தபோது அந்த அமர்வை ஒருங்கிணைத்தவர் சுகிர்தராணி.