தமிழ் ஓவியா: எதிர்காலத் தமிழீழம் எப்படி அமையும்? - சுப.வீ .: "பிறந்த இடத்திற்கே வந்துவிட்டேன்!
- பேராசிரியர் சுப.வீரபாண்டியன் நெகிழ்ச்சி"
Sunday, May 31, 2009
Saturday, May 30, 2009
The Hindu : Magazine / Personality : The Desai verdict
The Hindu : Magazine / Personality : The Desai verdict: "HINDOL SENGUPTA
Maverick economist Lord Meghnad Desai reveals his take on the recent elections.
What will win elections is the politics of hope."
Maverick economist Lord Meghnad Desai reveals his take on the recent elections.
What will win elections is the politics of hope."
The Hindu : Magazine / Culture : A dancer’s dream
The Hindu : Magazine / Culture : A dancer’s dream: "HARIHARAN BALAKRISHNAN
Danseuse Swapnasundari on her plans to restore dance to the temples they came from.
I am fully in support of any legislation that removes moral corruption or degradation that spoils social values.
Back to the past: Some Devadasis were trained specifically to sing and dance as part of worship"
Danseuse Swapnasundari on her plans to restore dance to the temples they came from.
I am fully in support of any legislation that removes moral corruption or degradation that spoils social values.
Back to the past: Some Devadasis were trained specifically to sing and dance as part of worship"
The Hindu : Magazine / Issues : A time for real men
The Hindu : Magazine / Issues : A time for real men: "VISA RAVINDRAN
As a new government takes the reins, how do we bridge the existing gulfs of inequity?
How does a nation tackle yawning gulfs between dream and possibility, ability and necessity?"
As a new government takes the reins, how do we bridge the existing gulfs of inequity?
How does a nation tackle yawning gulfs between dream and possibility, ability and necessity?"
The Hindu : Magazine / Columns : Lessons for new MPs
The Hindu : Magazine / Columns : Lessons for new MPs: "BY KALPANA SHARMA
Will our MPs listen to the people and understand what they want?
The primary lesson in governance for our newly elected MPs is: talk to the women…"
Will our MPs listen to the people and understand what they want?
The primary lesson in governance for our newly elected MPs is: talk to the women…"
The Hindu : Magazine / Tribute : Burnished music
The Hindu : Magazine / Tribute : Burnished music: "K. Ramachandran’s latest film, “Saamam”, reveals the man behind the musical genius of M.D. Ramanathan.
For the filmmaker, the main inspiration was the quality of MDR’s voice."
For the filmmaker, the main inspiration was the quality of MDR’s voice."
Tamil Magz: Journals, Popular Culture: Surveys
தமிழ் இதழ்கள் -ஓர் கருத்தாய்வு: "தமிழில் வெளியாகும் இதழ்கள் குறித்து ஓர் கள ஆய்வினை மேற்கொண்டுள்ளேன். உங்கள் கருத்துக்களை அறிய ஆவலாக உள்ளேன். உங்கள் கருத்துக்களை கீழே உள்ள படிவத்தின் வழி தெரிவியுங்கள்."
Friday, May 29, 2009
The Hindu : Metro Plus Kochi / Music : Shifting scales
The Hindu : Metro Plus Kochi / Music : Shifting scales: "Seasoned author-musician Peter Lavezzoli speaks about the global impact of Indian music"
Bhairavi (the Global Impact Of Indian Music)
Amazon.com: The Dawn of Indian Music in the West: Peter Lavezzoli: Books: "In the 1960s, the wonders of Indian music and its message of peace were spread in the West by Ravi Shankar, George Harrison of the Beatles, and John Coltrane. In 1971, Harrison and Shankar organized the Concert for Bangladesh, the first superstar charity event, in hopes of stopping a war and feeding the hungry. But Indian music also had a profound impact on the work of Mickey Hart and the Grateful Dead, John McLaughlin, Philip Glass, Terry Riley, Talvin Singh, and many others. At the dawn of the 21st century, Indian music's spiritual message is more timely than ever before. Here is its story.
The Dawn of Indian Music in the West finds musician and author Peter Lavezzoli sharing his uncommon ability to articulate the intimate nature of music while at the same time narrating a history. Lavezzoli engages in thought-provoking conversation with a score of musicians including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Philip Glass, David Crosby, Bill Laswell, and John McLaughlin. These artists bring their own unique insights on the spiritual implications of Indian music to the discussion; and Lavezzoli's exploration of the relationships between Indian music and jazz, rock, and electronic music has few if any parallels.
From the Foreword by Ravi Shankar: 'It is amazing to see the dedication and amount of hard work Peter Lavezzoli has gone through in creating this book....Readers will be rewarded with much information - hitherto unknown.'
Among the many thought-provoking quotes in Peter Lavezzoli's new book is this one from tabla player Tanmoy Bose. "If you talk to any music lover in the West, they know more about [Indian music] than Indians ... they have a thirst for it, and they are very critical in the West for that reason." At first, I was tempted to reply that these Western fans are so enthusiastic because they (we) are such a small minority. In India, interest in Indian classical music runs the gamut from devotion to mild interest. There is, for example, a sense of national pride that makes Indians feel they ought to like classical music even if they don't. In the West, you are either a devoted fan or completely ignorant on the subject, and it often seems to us that all the devoted fans are gathered in the Bay Area. However, Lavezzoli paints a significantly different picture, arguing quite convincingly that Indian music has deeply influenced both American and European music for over half a century.
Peter Lavezzoli's first book, "The King of All, Sir Duke," took a controversial approach to biography. He devoted relatively little space to Duke Ellington, the book's ostensible subject matter, and instead wrote about Ellington's influence on other prominent musicians (including Frank Zappa, Stevie Wonder, and George Clinton). His newest book, "The Dawn of Indian Music in the West: Bhairavi," follows a similar format, but it is not a story of one musician's impact on other musicians. It is the story of the influences of one entire musical culture on another, and the tracing of those influences from connection to connection is the perfect format. Lavezzoli's goal is to document every aspect of that impact with interviews and historical summaries. The result is a long and engrossing read, full of remarkable anecdotes and thoughtful discussions with some of the most important creative people in many different Indian and Western musical domains.
About a fifth of this book will probably produce a sense of déjà vu for regular readers of this magazine. There are detailed interviews with many local artists, including Cheb i Sabbah, Ali Akbar Khan, Zakir Hussain, Terry Riley, George Ruckert, and Mickey Hart. If you know little or nothing about these people and their music, you get all the introduction you need. But no matter how much you may think you know, Lavezzoli has new information for you. Those of us who live in the Bay Area know that there are lots of Americans and Europeans who have carefully studied Indian music. But Lavezzoli shows us who was first, where they did it, and how things developed from there.
The book is subtitled "Bhairavi" because the first significant musical contact between Indian and Western classical music was a recording of that raga in 1955 by Ali Akbar Khan. Bhairavi is also a morning raga traditionally played to close a concert that has gone on past midnight, so Lavezzoli also uses the word as an allusion to the "dawn" of Indian music. This recording was the first 33 rpm long-playing record of Indian classical music. Prior to this, the only recordings of Indian music were 78 rpm records, which had poor sound quality and lasted five minutes or less. This was also the first performance of Indian classical music in the West, except for an unrecorded concert at Columbia University by Inayat Khan. (It is a tribute to Lavezzoli's thoroughness that what little is known about that Columbia concert is in this book.) The Bhairavi recording included a verbal introduction by Yehudi Menuhin, who had discovered Indian music while touring India. Menuhin's endorsement helped to convince his colleagues that this music was a serious disciplined art form, not an exotic ethnic curiosity. Lavezzoli has some interesting parallels between the harsh pedagogic methods used by both Indian gurus and Western conservatories, which justified labeling both traditions as "classical."
There were, however, parallel influences occurring in rock and jazz, spearheaded by George Harrison and John Coltrane respectively, who were both great admirers of Ravi Shankar. Rock and jazz musicians were attracted not only by the complex use of rhythms and microtones, but also by the freedom to improvise, and by altered states of spiritual consciousness. These musicians usually associated altered states with drugs, creating a controversy that endures to this day. For most Westerners during the 1960s, Ravi Shankar's sitar was the soundtrack for drug experiences. This was a serious misunderstanding: Shankar did compose scores for psychedelic movies like Chappaqua, but he also insisted that his audiences not use drugs. Lavezzoli asks almost all of his interviewees about drugs, and discovers a spectrum of opinions that reveal another great contribution of Indian music to the West.
Western music had fragmented into two conflicting elements: the emotional drug-tinged intensity of improvised jazz and rock, and the tightly controlled intellectual discipline of European classical music. Because Indian music had never separated emotion and thought, it could show Westerners how to reunite them. It challenged rock musicians to acquire discipline, enabled jazz musicians to see their improvisation as a spiritual practice, and reminded European classical musicians that music is not just marks on paper, but is played by a musician, and heard with the ears. Sometimes Western musicians tried to capture the mood of Indian music with little awareness of technical details. Other times, they took Indian techniques and reworked them to create very different moods. But Lavezzoli shows us that all forms of Western music now have a healthier relationship to each other, and to the rest of the world because of the Indian influence. Perhaps in the new millennium, there may even be Westerners who will be great virtuosos of Indian music. Will this music then still be Indian, and will its players still be Westerners?
This historical study is full of detailed information about a disparate collection of the most inventive musicians of the 20th century, all drawn together by the thread of a fascination with India. The book gives equal attention to legends like John Coltrane, and more marginal avant-garde figures like Don Cherry, John Mayer (of Indo-Jazz Fusions), and John Handy. It also refers to rock stars like David Crosby, and contemporary classical composers like Philip Glass. Each musician's biography is woven into the text, so the entire book (nearly 500 pages) gives you an intense impression of the deep spirituality of this generation of musicians.
Peter Lavezzoli is a very astute critic of the key albums of this movement, and I learned a lot from his detailed discussion of Duke Ellington's "Far East Suite," Coltrane's "India," and Don Cherry's "Mu." When reading this book, you really feel you are being guided by someone with a highly developed intuitive feel for integrity and truth in music, as he himself is a musician who is concerned, as he admits, with "the connection between musical and spiritual expression."
In this book, historical narratives are interspersed with interviews with the leading musicians in Western and Indian music, such as Terry Riley and Shujaat Khan. These interviews are not your average magazine interviews, however, as the central concern of Lavezzoli is always wisdom, and his questions are always subtle and searching. If you glanced at this book, you might be put off by the way the text is crammed on the page, the lack of margins and smallness of type making it seem somehow a hurried book or not carefully thought out, but do not be deceived by bad design--this book is a true labour of love. It will inspire all musicians to take their work on to the next level, and it will inspire all record collectors to rush out and get hold of Alice Coltrane's "World Galaxy."
This is a fantastic book for many reasons; Peter Lavezzoli has done an amazing amount of research, delivering a lovingly written treasure trove of well-rounded details that will interest music enthusiasts from many different schools and tastes. Fascinating connections are drawn from the histories and influences of Indian music on rock, jazz, western classical and more. Included are vivid chapters on the pivotal history of Allauddin Khan, teacher of Ravi Shankar and the father and teacher of Ali Akbar Khan; Yehudi Menuhin's discovery and presentation of Indian music to western audiences (he is pictured with Ravi Shankar on the cover); the fabulous chapter on George Harrison; and a powerful section on John Coltrane, to name just a few personal favorites, with numerous connections to Ravi Shankar, who is widely referenced and featured (in too great a depth to summarize in a brief review).
A good portion of the book features the musicians and associates themselves having their say through remarkable interviews with Ali Akbar Khan, Mary Johnson Khan, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Jim Keltner, Terry Riley, Cheb i Sabbah, Zubin Mehta, Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar, Tanmoy Bose, John McLaughlin, Bill Laswell, Shujaat Khan, George Ruckert, Shubhendra Rao, Suskia Rao-de Haas, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, and Philip Glass. The author asks good questions and gets rich answers, making for a highly enjoyable reading experience.
This is a book I can spend hours re-reading. I've learned enormous amounts about a wide variety of music forms within each chapter. Readers with virtually any level of music interest will find something of value here. A real stunner! Highly recommended.
Winner of the 2007 Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research, awarded by the ARSC: Association for Recorded Sound Collections.
Peter Lavezzoli is the author of The King of All, Sir Duke: Ellington and the Artistic Revolution, also available from Continuum."
The Dawn of Indian Music in the West finds musician and author Peter Lavezzoli sharing his uncommon ability to articulate the intimate nature of music while at the same time narrating a history. Lavezzoli engages in thought-provoking conversation with a score of musicians including Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Philip Glass, David Crosby, Bill Laswell, and John McLaughlin. These artists bring their own unique insights on the spiritual implications of Indian music to the discussion; and Lavezzoli's exploration of the relationships between Indian music and jazz, rock, and electronic music has few if any parallels.
From the Foreword by Ravi Shankar: 'It is amazing to see the dedication and amount of hard work Peter Lavezzoli has gone through in creating this book....Readers will be rewarded with much information - hitherto unknown.'
Among the many thought-provoking quotes in Peter Lavezzoli's new book is this one from tabla player Tanmoy Bose. "If you talk to any music lover in the West, they know more about [Indian music] than Indians ... they have a thirst for it, and they are very critical in the West for that reason." At first, I was tempted to reply that these Western fans are so enthusiastic because they (we) are such a small minority. In India, interest in Indian classical music runs the gamut from devotion to mild interest. There is, for example, a sense of national pride that makes Indians feel they ought to like classical music even if they don't. In the West, you are either a devoted fan or completely ignorant on the subject, and it often seems to us that all the devoted fans are gathered in the Bay Area. However, Lavezzoli paints a significantly different picture, arguing quite convincingly that Indian music has deeply influenced both American and European music for over half a century.
Peter Lavezzoli's first book, "The King of All, Sir Duke," took a controversial approach to biography. He devoted relatively little space to Duke Ellington, the book's ostensible subject matter, and instead wrote about Ellington's influence on other prominent musicians (including Frank Zappa, Stevie Wonder, and George Clinton). His newest book, "The Dawn of Indian Music in the West: Bhairavi," follows a similar format, but it is not a story of one musician's impact on other musicians. It is the story of the influences of one entire musical culture on another, and the tracing of those influences from connection to connection is the perfect format. Lavezzoli's goal is to document every aspect of that impact with interviews and historical summaries. The result is a long and engrossing read, full of remarkable anecdotes and thoughtful discussions with some of the most important creative people in many different Indian and Western musical domains.
About a fifth of this book will probably produce a sense of déjà vu for regular readers of this magazine. There are detailed interviews with many local artists, including Cheb i Sabbah, Ali Akbar Khan, Zakir Hussain, Terry Riley, George Ruckert, and Mickey Hart. If you know little or nothing about these people and their music, you get all the introduction you need. But no matter how much you may think you know, Lavezzoli has new information for you. Those of us who live in the Bay Area know that there are lots of Americans and Europeans who have carefully studied Indian music. But Lavezzoli shows us who was first, where they did it, and how things developed from there.
The book is subtitled "Bhairavi" because the first significant musical contact between Indian and Western classical music was a recording of that raga in 1955 by Ali Akbar Khan. Bhairavi is also a morning raga traditionally played to close a concert that has gone on past midnight, so Lavezzoli also uses the word as an allusion to the "dawn" of Indian music. This recording was the first 33 rpm long-playing record of Indian classical music. Prior to this, the only recordings of Indian music were 78 rpm records, which had poor sound quality and lasted five minutes or less. This was also the first performance of Indian classical music in the West, except for an unrecorded concert at Columbia University by Inayat Khan. (It is a tribute to Lavezzoli's thoroughness that what little is known about that Columbia concert is in this book.) The Bhairavi recording included a verbal introduction by Yehudi Menuhin, who had discovered Indian music while touring India. Menuhin's endorsement helped to convince his colleagues that this music was a serious disciplined art form, not an exotic ethnic curiosity. Lavezzoli has some interesting parallels between the harsh pedagogic methods used by both Indian gurus and Western conservatories, which justified labeling both traditions as "classical."
There were, however, parallel influences occurring in rock and jazz, spearheaded by George Harrison and John Coltrane respectively, who were both great admirers of Ravi Shankar. Rock and jazz musicians were attracted not only by the complex use of rhythms and microtones, but also by the freedom to improvise, and by altered states of spiritual consciousness. These musicians usually associated altered states with drugs, creating a controversy that endures to this day. For most Westerners during the 1960s, Ravi Shankar's sitar was the soundtrack for drug experiences. This was a serious misunderstanding: Shankar did compose scores for psychedelic movies like Chappaqua, but he also insisted that his audiences not use drugs. Lavezzoli asks almost all of his interviewees about drugs, and discovers a spectrum of opinions that reveal another great contribution of Indian music to the West.
Western music had fragmented into two conflicting elements: the emotional drug-tinged intensity of improvised jazz and rock, and the tightly controlled intellectual discipline of European classical music. Because Indian music had never separated emotion and thought, it could show Westerners how to reunite them. It challenged rock musicians to acquire discipline, enabled jazz musicians to see their improvisation as a spiritual practice, and reminded European classical musicians that music is not just marks on paper, but is played by a musician, and heard with the ears. Sometimes Western musicians tried to capture the mood of Indian music with little awareness of technical details. Other times, they took Indian techniques and reworked them to create very different moods. But Lavezzoli shows us that all forms of Western music now have a healthier relationship to each other, and to the rest of the world because of the Indian influence. Perhaps in the new millennium, there may even be Westerners who will be great virtuosos of Indian music. Will this music then still be Indian, and will its players still be Westerners?
This historical study is full of detailed information about a disparate collection of the most inventive musicians of the 20th century, all drawn together by the thread of a fascination with India. The book gives equal attention to legends like John Coltrane, and more marginal avant-garde figures like Don Cherry, John Mayer (of Indo-Jazz Fusions), and John Handy. It also refers to rock stars like David Crosby, and contemporary classical composers like Philip Glass. Each musician's biography is woven into the text, so the entire book (nearly 500 pages) gives you an intense impression of the deep spirituality of this generation of musicians.
Peter Lavezzoli is a very astute critic of the key albums of this movement, and I learned a lot from his detailed discussion of Duke Ellington's "Far East Suite," Coltrane's "India," and Don Cherry's "Mu." When reading this book, you really feel you are being guided by someone with a highly developed intuitive feel for integrity and truth in music, as he himself is a musician who is concerned, as he admits, with "the connection between musical and spiritual expression."
In this book, historical narratives are interspersed with interviews with the leading musicians in Western and Indian music, such as Terry Riley and Shujaat Khan. These interviews are not your average magazine interviews, however, as the central concern of Lavezzoli is always wisdom, and his questions are always subtle and searching. If you glanced at this book, you might be put off by the way the text is crammed on the page, the lack of margins and smallness of type making it seem somehow a hurried book or not carefully thought out, but do not be deceived by bad design--this book is a true labour of love. It will inspire all musicians to take their work on to the next level, and it will inspire all record collectors to rush out and get hold of Alice Coltrane's "World Galaxy."
This is a fantastic book for many reasons; Peter Lavezzoli has done an amazing amount of research, delivering a lovingly written treasure trove of well-rounded details that will interest music enthusiasts from many different schools and tastes. Fascinating connections are drawn from the histories and influences of Indian music on rock, jazz, western classical and more. Included are vivid chapters on the pivotal history of Allauddin Khan, teacher of Ravi Shankar and the father and teacher of Ali Akbar Khan; Yehudi Menuhin's discovery and presentation of Indian music to western audiences (he is pictured with Ravi Shankar on the cover); the fabulous chapter on George Harrison; and a powerful section on John Coltrane, to name just a few personal favorites, with numerous connections to Ravi Shankar, who is widely referenced and featured (in too great a depth to summarize in a brief review).
A good portion of the book features the musicians and associates themselves having their say through remarkable interviews with Ali Akbar Khan, Mary Johnson Khan, Mickey Hart, Zakir Hussain, Jim Keltner, Terry Riley, Cheb i Sabbah, Zubin Mehta, Anoushka Shankar, Ravi Shankar, Tanmoy Bose, John McLaughlin, Bill Laswell, Shujaat Khan, George Ruckert, Shubhendra Rao, Suskia Rao-de Haas, David Crosby, Roger McGuinn, and Philip Glass. The author asks good questions and gets rich answers, making for a highly enjoyable reading experience.
This is a book I can spend hours re-reading. I've learned enormous amounts about a wide variety of music forms within each chapter. Readers with virtually any level of music interest will find something of value here. A real stunner! Highly recommended.
Winner of the 2007 Award for Excellence in Historical Recorded Sound Research, awarded by the ARSC: Association for Recorded Sound Collections.
Peter Lavezzoli is the author of The King of All, Sir Duke: Ellington and the Artistic Revolution, also available from Continuum."
The Bear - Film by Jean-Jacques Annaud
The Bear - Film by Jean-Jacques Annaud: "'The Bear' is an unusually involving film about animals that will give you a fresh perspective on their world."
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Free Engineering college admissions (with no fees) for qualified Dalit students: Viduthalai Siruthaigal Ravikumar
இலவச பொறியியல் கல்வி - Writer Ravikumar's Website: "புதுச்சேரிக்கும் திண்டிவனத்துக்கும் இடையில் அமைந்துள்ள பால்ஸ் என்ஜினியரிங் கல்லூரி நிர்வாகம் அப்பகுதியைச் செர்ந்த இருபத்தைந்து தலித் மாணவர்களை எவ்வித கல்விக் கட்டணமும் இல்லாமல் சேர்த்துக்கொள்ள முன்வந்துள்ளது."
Andharangam: Tamil Poems by Selvaraj Jagadeesan - Book Reviews: Kavidhai
நவீன விருட்சம்: புத்தக விமர்சனம்: "அந்தரங்கம் - ஆசிரியர் செல்வராஜ் ஜெகதீசன் - பக்கம் 112 - விலை ரூ.60 - வெளியீடு - அகரம், தஞ்சாவூர்"
Politics & Tamil Tigers: LTTE in Sri Lanka, Tamilnadu
இதுதான்டா அரசியல் ! « அறிவென்றொன்று…!?: "அரசியல், சமூகம் | அரசியல், இலங்கை, ஈழம், சமூகம், தமிழகம், தமிழீழம், தமிழ்நாடு, தேர்தல், புரட்சி, புலிகள்"
Pakistan & South Asia: Terrorism, Suicide Bombing
EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Uzbekistan: Suicide Bombing in Andijan Ups the Ante for Karimov: "A suicide bombing in Andijan on May 26 offers strong evidence that Islamic militants are returning to Uzbekistan after an extended sojourn in Pakistan. The bombing, along with the abortive militant raid in the border town of Khanabad, suggests that President Islam Karimov’s administration may be in for a volatile summer."
EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Tajikistan: Are Islamic Militants Trying to Make a Comeback in Central Asia?: "Officials in Tajikistan are adamantly denying a large-scale government security operation in the eastern Rasht Valley has anything to do with reports that a notorious Islamic militant commander has returned to the area from Pakistan. Authorities are sticking with the story that the beefed up security presence in the mountainous region is connected with a government anti-drug offensive."
EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Uzbekistan: If a Taliban Outpost falls in Pakistan, is the Ripple Felt in the Ferghana Valley?: "Are anti-Taliban operations in far-away Pakistan prompting Uzbek Islamic militants to flee safe havens in the Southwest Asian nation’s tribal areas and to return to Central Asia? A suicide bombing in Andijan, as well as an armed clash between gunmen and security forces in the Uzbek border town of Khanabad, suggests this may be a possibility."
EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Tajikistan: Are Islamic Militants Trying to Make a Comeback in Central Asia?: "Officials in Tajikistan are adamantly denying a large-scale government security operation in the eastern Rasht Valley has anything to do with reports that a notorious Islamic militant commander has returned to the area from Pakistan. Authorities are sticking with the story that the beefed up security presence in the mountainous region is connected with a government anti-drug offensive."
EurasiaNet Eurasia Insight - Uzbekistan: If a Taliban Outpost falls in Pakistan, is the Ripple Felt in the Ferghana Valley?: "Are anti-Taliban operations in far-away Pakistan prompting Uzbek Islamic militants to flee safe havens in the Southwest Asian nation’s tribal areas and to return to Central Asia? A suicide bombing in Andijan, as well as an armed clash between gunmen and security forces in the Uzbek border town of Khanabad, suggests this may be a possibility."
Alagiri Special - 9 Ministers Have Criminal Background
Press Release - National Election Watch
1. There are pending criminal cases against 9 ministers and 1 of them has a serious IPC charge against him. INC has 7 such ministers; Trinamool Congress & DMK have 1 minister each with criminal records.
2. There are 47 crorepati ministers in the new Lok Sabha. INC has 38, DMK has 5, NCP has 2 and JKN & AITC has 1 crorepati minister each.
3. Maximum assets (self-declared) in the ministers are those of Mr Praful Patel of NCP.
4. Mimimum assets are those of Ms Mamta Bannerjee of AITC
5. Average asset of the ministers in this Lok Sabha is 7.63 Crores, while that of the MPs is 5.12 Cr.
1. There are pending criminal cases against 9 ministers and 1 of them has a serious IPC charge against him. INC has 7 such ministers; Trinamool Congress & DMK have 1 minister each with criminal records.
2. There are 47 crorepati ministers in the new Lok Sabha. INC has 38, DMK has 5, NCP has 2 and JKN & AITC has 1 crorepati minister each.
3. Maximum assets (self-declared) in the ministers are those of Mr Praful Patel of NCP.
4. Mimimum assets are those of Ms Mamta Bannerjee of AITC
5. Average asset of the ministers in this Lok Sabha is 7.63 Crores, while that of the MPs is 5.12 Cr.
Yesuving Thozhargal: Indira Parthasarathy: Novel: Reviews: Fiction: Ve Sabanayagam
Thinnai: "இந்திரா பார்த்தசாரதியின் 'ஏசுவின் தோழர்கள்' :: வே.சபாநாயகம்"
நூல் : ஏசுவின் தோழர்கள்.
ஆசிரியர் : இந்திரா பார்த்தசாரதி.
வெளியீடு : கிழக்கு பதிப்ப்ககம், சென்னை.
நூல் : ஏசுவின் தோழர்கள்.
ஆசிரியர் : இந்திரா பார்த்தசாரதி.
வெளியீடு : கிழக்கு பதிப்ப்ககம், சென்னை.
"Aalahayude Penmakkal" by Sara Joseph in Tamil: Book Reviews by Paavannan
Thinnai: "நிதர்சனம் நாளை!கனவுகள் பொசுங்கிய உலகம் :: பாவண்ணன்"
( ஆலாஹாவின் பெண்மக்கள். சாரா ஜோசப். மலையாள நாவல். தமிழாக்கம் நிர்மால்யா. சாகித்திய அகாதெமி வெளியீடு, குணா பில்டிங்க்ஸ், தேனாம்பேட்டை, சென்னை. விலை. ரூ130)
( ஆலாஹாவின் பெண்மக்கள். சாரா ஜோசப். மலையாள நாவல். தமிழாக்கம் நிர்மால்யா. சாகித்திய அகாதெமி வெளியீடு, குணா பில்டிங்க்ஸ், தேனாம்பேட்டை, சென்னை. விலை. ரூ130)
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Urban legend? Snopes.com rumor? Church says it doesn't believe in prayers; Antichrist bar owner accuses Jesus
குமரன் குடில்: பார் திறக்க சம்மதிப்பாரா கடவுள்?: "“நான் என்ன தீர்ப்பு வழங்க போகிறேன். எப்படி வழங்க போகிறேன் என்று எனக்கு தெரியவில்லை. ஆனால், என் முன்னால் இருப்பவற்றை காணும்போது ஒன்று புரிகிறது. இங்கே பிரார்த்தனையின் சக்தியை கூற நம்மிடம் ஒரு பார் ஓனர் இருக்கிறார். அதை முற்றிலும் நிராகரித்து எதிர்ப்பு தெரிவித்தப்படி முழு தேவாலயமும் இருக்கிறது.”"
Sri Lanka Guardian: Lion, Tiger and lies
Sri Lanka Guardian: Lion, Tiger and lies: "Too many loose ends in Lankan army's version of Prabhakaran's death
By Anita Pratap"
மருதன்: பிரபாகரன் குறித்து இரு கட்டுரைகள்
dbsjeyaraj.com » Observations on the LTTE from a Kurdish Nationalist Comrade
By Anita Pratap"
மருதன்: பிரபாகரன் குறித்து இரு கட்டுரைகள்
dbsjeyaraj.com » Observations on the LTTE from a Kurdish Nationalist Comrade
: Prabhakaran | The Economist
: Prabhakaran | The Economist: "Velupillai Prabhakaran, commander of the Tamil Tigers, died on May 18th, aged 54"
The QFI Open Quiz 2009 « The Quiz Foundation of India (Chennai)
The QFI Open Quiz 2009 « The Quiz Foundation of India (Chennai):
"Date: 7th of June, 2009 (Sunday)
Venue: Museum Theatre"
"Date: 7th of June, 2009 (Sunday)
Venue: Museum Theatre"
Corporate India loses $8.64 Billion in power downturn
Corporate India loses $8.64 Billion in power downturn: "The India Inc has suffered a loss of $8.64 billion (Rs.43, 205 crore) in the power downturn in the year 2008-2009, says a study by the Manufacturers' Association for Information Technology (MAIT) and Emerson Network Power (India). The study was an in-depth analysis of the impact of downtime in corporate India due to high occurrence of power outages, loss incurred are scheduled and non scheduled expenses, which is just double the loss incurred in the year 2003, when it was only Rs.22, 000 crore"
Only peace will deliver
The Sunday Indian - The Nation's Greatest News Magazine - Far Pavilions - Only peace will deliver: "The Tiger has been taken in his lair. LTTE is just one more acronym. So what should Sri Lanka do? Engage of course, argue N Asokan and Saurabh Kumar Shahi"
Valar - Eezham, LTTE, Prabhakaran
சிதைவுகள்...: நண்பர் வளர்மதியின் பின்னூட்டம், தனிப்பதிவாக: "'ஈழம் + பிரபாகரன்: நாம் ஏமா(ற்)றிய கதை'"
Kabeer & Kumara Guruparar
கபீரின் கனிமொழிகள்: அந்தபுரம் சுற்றும் பூனை: "கபீர், கபீர்தாஸ், குமரகுருபரர்"
Kavinjar Sukumaran: 'Pesalam' Manikandan
பேசலாம்: கவிஞர் சுகுமாரன்: "சுகுமாரனின் 'பூமியை வாசிக்கும் சிறுமி'க்கு 'சிற்பி' விருது"
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Monday, May 25, 2009
Ramesh-Prem: Ingum Angum Udalgal; Angum Ingum Kathaigal: Book Reviews on Tamil Post-Modernism Fiction: Novels
செப்புப்பட்டயம்: கருத்து சுதந்திரமும் பின் நவீனத்துவமும்: "ரமேஷ் பிரேமின் இங்கும் அங்கும் உடல்கள் அங்கும் இங்கும் கதைகள் என்ற நாவலில் இருந்து எடுக்கப்பட்ட குறிப்புகள்."
The Man Who Destroyed Eelam
Tehelka - India's Independent Weekly News Magazine: "Prabakaran had everything: territory, international support and committed fighters. Senior journalist SHYAM TEKWANI, who has covered the LTTE and Sri Lanka for almost three decades tracks the alarming rise and astonishing fall of a man who sought to live to fight another day, but found only death at the hands of his nemesis."
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Eezham - Sri Lanka - LTTE - Tamil Tigers: Ravikkumar MLA: Dalit - Viduthalai Siruthaigal
ஈழம்: இந்தியாவின் கடமை என்ன? - Writer Ravikumar's Website: "இலங்கையில் கடந்த இருபத்தைந்து ஆண்டுகளுக்கு மேலாக நடைபெற்று வந்த போராட்டம் மிக மோசமான முறையில் ஒடுக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கான தமிழர்களை படுகொலை செய்து அவர்களது பிணங்களின்மேல் சிங்களர அரசு தனது வெற்றிக்கொடியை ஏற்றியிருக்கிறது. தமிழர்களின் நியாயமான கோரிக்கைகள் நிறைவேறாத காரணத்தால்தான் அவர்கள் போராட்டத்தில் ஈடுபட்டார்கள். அந்த கோரிக்கைகள் இப்போதும் அப்படியேதான் இருக்கின்றன. இன்னும் சொல்லப்போனால் தமிழர்களின் வாழ்நிலை மேலும் மோசமடைந்து இருக்கிறது என்பதே உண்மை. இதை முன்வைத்து போராடி வந்த இயக்கத்தை சிங்கள ராணுவம் இன்று போரில் வெற்றி கொண்டு விட்டதாக அறிவித்திருந்தாலும், தமிழர்களுக்கான உரிமைகள் வழங்கப்படாதவரை இந்தப் போராட்டம் ஏதோவொரு வகையில் தொடரும் என்பதையே அரசியல் நோக்கர்கள் குறிப்பிடுகின்றனர்."
Elections: Ravikkumar MLA: Dalit - Viduthalai Siruthaigal
ராமன் ஆண்டாலும் ராவணன் ஆண்டாலும் ! - Writer Ravikumar's Website: "நாடாளுமன்றத் தேர்தல் நடந்து முடிந்துவிட்டது. அடுத்து ஆட்சி அமைக்கப்போவது யார் என்ற கேள்விக்கு நாளை விடை தெரிந்துவிடும். இதுவரை நடந்த தேர்தல்களிலிருந்து இந்தத் தேர்தல், பல விதங்களில் வேறுபட்டது."
The Public Editor - The Writers Make News. Unfortunately. - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com
The Public Editor - The Writers Make News. Unfortunately. - Op-Ed - NYTimes.com: "Thomas Friedman, the star columnist, returned a $75,000 speaking fee after accepting it from a California government agency in violation of a Times guideline. Maureen Dowd, another star columnist, was roughed up on the Internet for using a paragraph from a blogger without attribution. And Edmund Andrews, an economics writer, began promoting a memoir describing how he took out subprime mortgages he couldn’t possibly repay even as he covered the subprime mess — including efforts to help homeowners in danger of default, like him."
Civil wars tend to last 20 times as long as international wars. Why?
Civil Wars - The Fights That Do Not Want to End - NYTimes.com: "Last week, after more than 25 years of conflict, the Tamil separatists of Sri Lanka admitted defeat in their war for an independent homeland. And so ended Asia’s longest-running civil war, one of some 20 civil conflicts burning around the globe, from Colombia to Iraq to Pakistan."
S. MUTHIAH : A 40-year correspondence
The Hindu : Metro Plus Chennai / Madras Miscellany : A 40-year correspondence: "A little over a month ago, when the centenary year of Tamil writer Chitti was celebrated, 93-year-old Krithika, a Tamil and English writer, passed away. P.G. Sundararajan, Chitti to all, and Mathuram Bhoothalingam, Krithika to many, were friends for over 45 years and wrote to each other regularly during that period. Mina Swaminathan, Krithika’s daughter, going through her mother’s papers, has found a large amount of unpublished material which she hopes will now get published.
Their views on literature and the world are bound to be of wide interest, especially if they reflect what happened at their first meetings. "
Their views on literature and the world are bound to be of wide interest, especially if they reflect what happened at their first meetings. "
The new supermodels
The Hindu : Metro Plus Chennai / Arts and Entertainment : The new supermodels: "Ad filmmaker Prakash Varma talks about the making of Vodafone’s Zoozoos"
SEVANTI NINAN : MEDIA MATTERS : Getting it wrong
The Hindu : Magazine / Columns : Getting it wrong: "If reporters talk to candidates more than voters, how can they get their predictions right?
They are good at being wise after the event, and they are very good at being prescriptive."
They are good at being wise after the event, and they are very good at being prescriptive."
The Hindu : Magazine / Issues : Caste and the world
The Hindu : Magazine / Issues : Caste and the world: "What is shocking has been the near-total absence of any debate in the Indian public sphere about the setback..."
Efforts to treat caste-based discrimination on a par with racial discrimination at the recent Durban Review Conference did not fructify because caste remains an intractable issue for the international audience. Why is it that only Dalits are vocal about this problem?
Efforts to treat caste-based discrimination on a par with racial discrimination at the recent Durban Review Conference did not fructify because caste remains an intractable issue for the international audience. Why is it that only Dalits are vocal about this problem?
Saturday, May 23, 2009
dbsjeyaraj.com » The last days of Thiruvenkadam Veluppillai Prabhakaran
dbsjeyaraj.com » The last days of Thiruvenkadam Veluppillai Prabhakaran: "a senior central govt minister from Tamil Nadu initiating a fresh attempt for a ceasefire in Sri Lanka. He even persuaded Sonia Gandhi to go along with the plan.
The LTTE was asked to issue a declaration that it was prepared to lay down its arms pending negotiations. Even the tiger declaration was drafted for LTTE approval.The Sri Lankan govt was also asked to proclaim a unilateral ceasefire.
But the LTTE failed to utilize the opportunity. The tigers consulted their chief supporters in Tamil Nadu like P. Nedumaran and Vaiko. Unwilling to let the Congress and DMK gain credit the duo advised the LTTE to reject the offer.So the LTTE said “illai” (no)
Nadesan, Pulidevan and Vijitha the Sinhala wife of Nadesan came out with the released prisoners, carrying white flags.The idea was to negotiate terms of surrender with the army.
Subsequently all three were found dead in mysterious circumstances. The LTTE has charged that both were shot dead in cold blood. A Tamil website says that Nadesan’s wife an ex-police constable hailing from Matara district had remonstrated with the army to save her husband and got shot. She had come along for interpreting.
It is alleged that 35 tigers were following Nadesan a little behind to surrender. They too were shot dead.
But foreign secretary Palitha Kohona has said that some tigers who disapproved of surrendering to the Army had fired and killed Nadesan and Pulidevan.
While these moves were on the LTTE launched a massive attack on the armed forces shortly after midnight on Sunday. This was because of numerology as Sunday was the 17. Once midnight passed it was Monday 18th. There was a time when the LTTE would not engage in major operations on the 8th, 17th or 26th. Because No 8 was considered unlucky.Subsequently these superstitions became irrelevant but at this critical juncture the “Eight” phobia was on.
The attack was in three directions but mainly directed towards the Nandhikkadal lagoon area held by the 53 division. After fierce fighting led by Bhanu, the three tiger contingents broke through.
One was led by Jeyam, one by Pottu Amman and one by Soosai. The three contingents together numbered about 250-300."
The LTTE was asked to issue a declaration that it was prepared to lay down its arms pending negotiations. Even the tiger declaration was drafted for LTTE approval.The Sri Lankan govt was also asked to proclaim a unilateral ceasefire.
But the LTTE failed to utilize the opportunity. The tigers consulted their chief supporters in Tamil Nadu like P. Nedumaran and Vaiko. Unwilling to let the Congress and DMK gain credit the duo advised the LTTE to reject the offer.So the LTTE said “illai” (no)
Nadesan, Pulidevan and Vijitha the Sinhala wife of Nadesan came out with the released prisoners, carrying white flags.The idea was to negotiate terms of surrender with the army.
Subsequently all three were found dead in mysterious circumstances. The LTTE has charged that both were shot dead in cold blood. A Tamil website says that Nadesan’s wife an ex-police constable hailing from Matara district had remonstrated with the army to save her husband and got shot. She had come along for interpreting.
It is alleged that 35 tigers were following Nadesan a little behind to surrender. They too were shot dead.
But foreign secretary Palitha Kohona has said that some tigers who disapproved of surrendering to the Army had fired and killed Nadesan and Pulidevan.
While these moves were on the LTTE launched a massive attack on the armed forces shortly after midnight on Sunday. This was because of numerology as Sunday was the 17. Once midnight passed it was Monday 18th. There was a time when the LTTE would not engage in major operations on the 8th, 17th or 26th. Because No 8 was considered unlucky.Subsequently these superstitions became irrelevant but at this critical juncture the “Eight” phobia was on.
The attack was in three directions but mainly directed towards the Nandhikkadal lagoon area held by the 53 division. After fierce fighting led by Bhanu, the three tiger contingents broke through.
One was led by Jeyam, one by Pottu Amman and one by Soosai. The three contingents together numbered about 250-300."
Off the Charts - U.S. Unemployment Rate May Soon Top Europe’s - NYTimes.com
Off the Charts - U.S. Unemployment Rate May Soon Top Europe’s - NYTimes.com: "In March, the American unemployment rate stood at 8.5 percent, the same as the average rate for the first 15 members of the European Union — the countries that were part of the group before it began to expand into Eastern Europe.
Because countries calculate unemployment rates differently, the rates used in the accompanying graph are the harmonized rates calculated by Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical agency. Harmonization does not change the American rate, but does affect some other rates.
Eurostat publishes harmonized rates for the entire European Union and for three countries outside the union, the United States, Japan and Turkey."
Because countries calculate unemployment rates differently, the rates used in the accompanying graph are the harmonized rates calculated by Eurostat, the European Union’s statistical agency. Harmonization does not change the American rate, but does affect some other rates.
Eurostat publishes harmonized rates for the entire European Union and for three countries outside the union, the United States, Japan and Turkey."
News Analysis - 2 Challenges for India’s New Government - Lifting Up the Economy and the Poor - NYTimes.com
News Analysis - 2 Challenges for India’s New Government - Lifting Up the Economy and the Poor - NYTimes.com: A decisive victory for the Indian National Congress offers hopes for a stable administration at a time when India faces daunting trials.
Sri Lanka's consul blames Tamil sympathizers for restaurant fire a week after temple torched
TheStar.com | GTA | Eatery targeted, Sinhalese say: "An early-morning fire at a Sinhalese restaurant in Brampton yesterday was set by Tamil sympathizers, Sri Lanka's consul-general in Toronto believes, while investigators say the blaze is 'suspicious.'
Standing with an RCMP bodyguard outside the scorched Lanka Gardens restaurant on Wexford Rd., in the Kennedy Rd.-Bovaird Dr. area, Bandula Jayasekara urged Canadian politicians to take a strong stand against violence targeting Sinhalese Canadian citizens, businesses and places of worship.
Jayasekara said an RCMP officer was assigned to accompany him for security in public about two weeks ago in response to the tensions escalating here over the recently ended war in Sri Lanka.
He had met earlier yesterday with a representative of federal Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney to express his concerns over a fire last Saturday set by intruders at a Scarborough Sinhalese Buddhist temple, causing $20,000 to $30,000 damage. He also spoke to Kenney about yesterday's incident.
The temple fire coincided with the announcement by Sri Lanka that the Tamil Tigers had been defeated."
Standing with an RCMP bodyguard outside the scorched Lanka Gardens restaurant on Wexford Rd., in the Kennedy Rd.-Bovaird Dr. area, Bandula Jayasekara urged Canadian politicians to take a strong stand against violence targeting Sinhalese Canadian citizens, businesses and places of worship.
Jayasekara said an RCMP officer was assigned to accompany him for security in public about two weeks ago in response to the tensions escalating here over the recently ended war in Sri Lanka.
He had met earlier yesterday with a representative of federal Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney to express his concerns over a fire last Saturday set by intruders at a Scarborough Sinhalese Buddhist temple, causing $20,000 to $30,000 damage. He also spoke to Kenney about yesterday's incident.
The temple fire coincided with the announcement by Sri Lanka that the Tamil Tigers had been defeated."
Friday, May 22, 2009
In Praise of Dullness - NYT
Op-Ed Columnist - DAVID BROOKS - NYTimes.com: "What mattered, it turned out, were execution and organizational skills. The traits that correlated most powerfully with success were attention to detail, persistence, efficiency, analytic thoroughness and the ability to work long hours.
In other words, warm, flexible, team-oriented and empathetic people are less likely to thrive as C.E.O.’s. Organized, dogged, anal-retentive and slightly boring people are more likely to thrive.
These results are consistent with a lot of work that’s been done over the past few decades. In 2001, Jim Collins published a best-selling study called “Good to Great.” He found that the best C.E.O.’s were not the flamboyant visionaries. They were humble, self-effacing, diligent and resolute souls who found one thing they were really good at and did it over and over again."
In other words, warm, flexible, team-oriented and empathetic people are less likely to thrive as C.E.O.’s. Organized, dogged, anal-retentive and slightly boring people are more likely to thrive.
These results are consistent with a lot of work that’s been done over the past few decades. In 2001, Jim Collins published a best-selling study called “Good to Great.” He found that the best C.E.O.’s were not the flamboyant visionaries. They were humble, self-effacing, diligent and resolute souls who found one thing they were really good at and did it over and over again."
Mammootty, Sarath Kumar in Palasi Raja with Kanishka, Padmapriya: Tamil Movies
jeyamohan.in » MT Vasudevan Nair » பழசி ராஜா: "பேட்டி: திருவட்டர் சிந்துகுமார்"
Tweeting Your Way to a Job - NYTimes.com
Tweeting Your Way to a Job - NYTimes.com: "Three weeks ago Murphy-Goode began a search for a “social media whiz,” a wine enthusiast interested in moving to Healdsburg, Calif., for six months to promote the vineyard’s malbec and chardonnay on blogs, Facebook and Twitter. The job — which comes with the official title “lifestyle correspondent” — pays $10,000 a month, plus free accommodations at a private home within walking distance of the tasting room. Ms. Casgar, a former magazine marketing executive, has been endorsing herself as enthusiastically as she would a bottle of petit verdot."
What You Don’t Know Makes You Nervous - Happy Days Blog - NYTimes.com
What You Don’t Know Makes You Nervous - Happy Days Blog - NYTimes.com: "The severe economic downturn has forced many people to reassess their values and the ways they act on them in their daily lives. For some, the pursuit of happiness, sanity, or even survival, has been transformed.
Happy Days is a discussion about the search for contentment in its many forms — economic, emotional, physical, spiritual — and the stories of those striving to come to terms with the lives they lead."
Happy Days is a discussion about the search for contentment in its many forms — economic, emotional, physical, spiritual — and the stories of those striving to come to terms with the lives they lead."
The Case for Working With Your Hands - NYTimes.com
The Case for Working With Your Hands - NYTimes.com: "Matthew B. Crawford lives in Richmond, Va. His book, “Shop Class as Soulcraft: An Inquiry Into the Value of Work,” from which this essay is adapted, will be published this week by Penguin Press."
Brain Power - At Card Table, Clues to a Lucid Old Age - Series - NYTimes.com
Brain Power - At Card Table, Clues to a Lucid Old Age - Series - NYTimes.com: "The 90+ Study
For all that scientists have studied it, the brain remains the most complex and mysterious human organ — and, now, the focus of billions of dollars’ worth of research to penetrate its secrets.
This is the second article in a series that will look in depth at some of the insights these projects are producing."
For all that scientists have studied it, the brain remains the most complex and mysterious human organ — and, now, the focus of billions of dollars’ worth of research to penetrate its secrets.
This is the second article in a series that will look in depth at some of the insights these projects are producing."
Letter From America By ANAND GIRIDHARADAS
Letter From America - Will India Lose Its Charm as It Becomes ‘World Class’? - NYTimes.com: When I visit America, I wonder if this is where India is bound: a society that is fairer and more ordered, but in which something of the warmth of improvisation is gone.
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Monday, May 18, 2009
How Unions Could Stimulate the Economy
Unionization: A Private Sector Solution to the Economic Crisis :: Dissent Magazine: The Employee Free Choice Act, which was introduced to Congress on March 10, would make it easier for workers to form unions. By doing so, it could help restore the financial viability of the struggling middle class, making it an integral part of the solution to the economic crisis. And it wouldn’t add a dime to public spending.
The Little Unions That Couldn't - T. A. Frank: "Card check is worth fighting for — except for the 'card check' part."
Now playing: The Employee Free Choice Act | Reuters: Economists like unions because, unlike federally mandated, one-size-fits-all labor standards, collective bargaining is a flexible, situation-specific tool—workers have a vested interest in negotiating a compensation package that will ensure the companies' financial success as well as their own.
Unions Are Good for the American Economy: "Union members in the United States earn significantly more than non-union workers. Over the four-year period between 2004 and 2007, unionized workers’ wages were on average 11.3 percent higher than non-union workers with similar characteristics. That means that, all else equal, American workers that join a union will earn 11.3 percent more—or $2.26 more per hour in 2008 dollars—than their otherwise identical non-union counterparts.
Yet union coverage rates have been declining for several decades. In 1983, 23.3 percent of American workers were either members of a union or represented by a union at their workplace. By 2008, that portion declined to 13.7 percent."
Mind the Wage Gap | The American Prospect: "Forget Wall Street -- Main Street is really too big to fail."
What we need to get by—A basic standard of living costs $48,778, and nearly a third of families fall short
The key findings of this report, which updates an earlier EPI study calculating family budgets (Allegretto 2005), include the following:
• On average nationwide, working families with two parents and two children require an income of $48,778 to meet the family budget. In major urban areas, expenses for this four-person family range from $42,106 in Oklahoma City to $71,913 in Nassau/Suffolk, N.Y.; families in small towns and rural areas start from a low of $35,733 in Marshall County, Miss. to $73,345 in Nantucket and Dukes Counties, Mass.
• Much of the regional variation in family budgets is pushed by price differences in just a few items: housing, health care, and child care.
• Young families, families with a low degree of education, and minority families face substantially greater difficulties meeting the economic standards set out by these budgets.
• Over three times as many families fall below family budget thresholds as fall below the official poverty line.
What do family budgets consist of?
Housing
Food
Child care
Transportation
Health care
Taxes
Other necessities: These represent costs incurred by families for items that are not included above, such as clothing,
entertainment,
personal care products and services,
reading materials,
educational materials, and other miscellaneous but mostly necessary items.
The Little Unions That Couldn't - T. A. Frank: "Card check is worth fighting for — except for the 'card check' part."
Now playing: The Employee Free Choice Act | Reuters: Economists like unions because, unlike federally mandated, one-size-fits-all labor standards, collective bargaining is a flexible, situation-specific tool—workers have a vested interest in negotiating a compensation package that will ensure the companies' financial success as well as their own.
Unions Are Good for the American Economy: "Union members in the United States earn significantly more than non-union workers. Over the four-year period between 2004 and 2007, unionized workers’ wages were on average 11.3 percent higher than non-union workers with similar characteristics. That means that, all else equal, American workers that join a union will earn 11.3 percent more—or $2.26 more per hour in 2008 dollars—than their otherwise identical non-union counterparts.
Yet union coverage rates have been declining for several decades. In 1983, 23.3 percent of American workers were either members of a union or represented by a union at their workplace. By 2008, that portion declined to 13.7 percent."
Mind the Wage Gap | The American Prospect: "Forget Wall Street -- Main Street is really too big to fail."
What we need to get by—A basic standard of living costs $48,778, and nearly a third of families fall short
The key findings of this report, which updates an earlier EPI study calculating family budgets (Allegretto 2005), include the following:
• On average nationwide, working families with two parents and two children require an income of $48,778 to meet the family budget. In major urban areas, expenses for this four-person family range from $42,106 in Oklahoma City to $71,913 in Nassau/Suffolk, N.Y.; families in small towns and rural areas start from a low of $35,733 in Marshall County, Miss. to $73,345 in Nantucket and Dukes Counties, Mass.
• Much of the regional variation in family budgets is pushed by price differences in just a few items: housing, health care, and child care.
• Young families, families with a low degree of education, and minority families face substantially greater difficulties meeting the economic standards set out by these budgets.
• Over three times as many families fall below family budget thresholds as fall below the official poverty line.
What do family budgets consist of?
Housing
Food
Child care
Transportation
Health care
Taxes
Other necessities: These represent costs incurred by families for items that are not included above, such as clothing,
entertainment,
personal care products and services,
reading materials,
educational materials, and other miscellaneous but mostly necessary items.
Murder, Corruption, and Inciting Financial Panic on Twitter
Murder, Corruption, and Inciting Financial Panic on Twitter: "Guatemala has been on edge since a video of the murdered lawyer Rodrigo Rosenberg surfaced, in which Rosenberg blames Guatemalan President Álvaro Colom for his anticipated assassination. Guatemalans turned to the internet to express their outrage, leading to the arrest of one Twitter user, Juan Ramsés Anleu Fernández, for inciting “financial panic.”"
Sri Lanka: 25 years of civil war with Tamil Tigers | World news | guardian.co.uk
Sri Lanka: 25 years of civil war with Tamil Tigers | World news | guardian.co.uk: "The third round of peace negotiations resume between the Tamil Tigers and the government of Sri Lanka"
Prabhakaran is Dead - Kumudam Reporter
Pa. Raghavan | writerpara.com » Blog Archive » முடிந்தது:
---கிளிநொச்சி விழுந்த சமயத்தில் போர் நிறுத்தத்துக்கு இலங்கை அரசு தயாராக இருந்ததையும் புலிகள் அப்போது ஆயுதங்களைக் கீழே போட ஒப்புக்கொள்ளாததையும் மட்டுமேனும் நினைத்துப் பார்க்கவேண்டியிருக்கிறது.---
அப்படியா??
அப்பொழுது வாசித்த செய்தி:
War on LTTE enters decisive stage after fall of Kilinochchi (News Analysis): "N. Srikantha, a parliamentarian of Tamil National Alliance, known to be a proxy of the LTTE, has warned that the fall of Kilinochchi would be “the beginning of a prolonged guerrilla war”.
“This will not be the end of the war. There will be no victor or vanquished in a war of this nature. Even at this stage the LTTE holds a sizable land area and we appeal to the government to act sensibly and agree to a ceasefire as a prelude to a political settlement,” Srikantha said."
---கிளிநொச்சி விழுந்த சமயத்தில் போர் நிறுத்தத்துக்கு இலங்கை அரசு தயாராக இருந்ததையும் புலிகள் அப்போது ஆயுதங்களைக் கீழே போட ஒப்புக்கொள்ளாததையும் மட்டுமேனும் நினைத்துப் பார்க்கவேண்டியிருக்கிறது.---
அப்படியா??
அப்பொழுது வாசித்த செய்தி:
War on LTTE enters decisive stage after fall of Kilinochchi (News Analysis): "N. Srikantha, a parliamentarian of Tamil National Alliance, known to be a proxy of the LTTE, has warned that the fall of Kilinochchi would be “the beginning of a prolonged guerrilla war”.
“This will not be the end of the war. There will be no victor or vanquished in a war of this nature. Even at this stage the LTTE holds a sizable land area and we appeal to the government to act sensibly and agree to a ceasefire as a prelude to a political settlement,” Srikantha said."
Tamil Tiger Rebels Admit Defeat in Sri Lanka, Vow to Silence Guns - washingtonpost.com
Tamil Tiger Rebels Admit Defeat in Sri Lanka, Vow to Silence Guns - washingtonpost.com: "Swamy, the author. 'The Tigers could have transformed itself into a democratic organization. That never happened.'"
Bastion of communism crumbles
BBC NEWS | South Asia | Bastion of communism crumbles: "For decades it was a fortress for the Left, but now Indian voters have radically reshaped the politics of West Bengal. The BBC's Subhir Bhaumik, in Calcutta, considers where it all went wrong for a once untouchable political force."
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Will DMK take part in Anti-Tamils Congress Ministry? - Karunanidhi Decision on Sonia + Manmohan Govt
மாதவிப் பந்தல்: அமைச்சரவையில் த: "'மத்திய அமைச்சரவையில் திமுக பங்கு பெறாது!' என்று தமிழக முதல்வர் டாக்டர் கலைஞர் அறிவித்துள்ளார்!"
Andhra Analysis: Chiru vs DMDK Vijayganth
2 percent votes made the difference in AP assembly: "Chiranjeevi's [Images] Praja Rajyam Party caused good amount of damage to the opposition was apparent from the fact that in its first election the party polled 15.6 percent of the votes and bagged 18 assembly seats. The BJP which contested 269 assembly seats polled 2.88 percent of votes and bagged two seats. The Lok Satta polled 1.72 percent of votes and got one seat. MIM increased its strength to 7 against five in last elections and polled about 1 percent of the votes."
In the Telangana region, where Congress looked weaker on the paper, the party bagged 50 of 119 assembly seats. The TDP, which contested 69 assembly seats in the region secured 39 seats.
However the TDP's performance was the worst in its traditional stronghold of coastal Andhra where out of 123 assembly seats it could win only 37. Its performance was poor in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasham, Nellore and north coastal Andhra belt. The Congress swept the region with 73 seats. It was in this region that the Praja Rajyam bagged 13 of its 18 seats
Of the 52 assembly seats in Rayalaseema region, the Congress won 32 and the TDP only 17 seats. In Kadapa, the home district of the chief minister, the Congress won nine of ten seats. The TDP also did very badly in its strongholds of Anantapur and Chittoor districts.
In Chittoor, the home district of Chandrababu Naidu, TDP got only six of the 14 seats. It was among the districts where the TDP was generally expected to sweep the polls.
In the Telangana region, where Congress looked weaker on the paper, the party bagged 50 of 119 assembly seats. The TDP, which contested 69 assembly seats in the region secured 39 seats.
However the TDP's performance was the worst in its traditional stronghold of coastal Andhra where out of 123 assembly seats it could win only 37. Its performance was poor in Krishna, Guntur, Prakasham, Nellore and north coastal Andhra belt. The Congress swept the region with 73 seats. It was in this region that the Praja Rajyam bagged 13 of its 18 seats
Of the 52 assembly seats in Rayalaseema region, the Congress won 32 and the TDP only 17 seats. In Kadapa, the home district of the chief minister, the Congress won nine of ten seats. The TDP also did very badly in its strongholds of Anantapur and Chittoor districts.
In Chittoor, the home district of Chandrababu Naidu, TDP got only six of the 14 seats. It was among the districts where the TDP was generally expected to sweep the polls.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Why Tamil Nadu chose DMK, rejected Congress
Why Tamil Nadu chose DMK, rejected Congress: "Political analyst and editor of Thuglak weekly, Cho Ramaswamy, however, maintained that it was the unpopularity of the Congress leaders than the Sri Lankan issue that caused their downfall. 'I still maintain that the Sri Lankan issue was not a plank in this election. Had that been the case, the DMK must have also lost big time. They were all along running with the hares and hunting with the wolves.'"
மத்திய மந்திரிகள் யார் யார்?: தி�
மத்திய மந்திரிகள் யார் யார்?: தி�
2004ம் ஆண்டு லோக்சபா தேர்தலில், காங்., - தி.மு.க., கூட்டணி புதுச்சேரி உட்பட 40 தொகுதிகளிலும் வெற்றி பெற்றதால்,
காங்., சார்பில்
சிதம்பரம்,
மணிசங்கர் அய்யர்,
வாசன் மற்றும்
இளங்கோவன் ஆகியோரும்,
தி.மு.க., சார்பில்
டி.ஆர்.பாலு,
ராஜா,
ராதிகா செல்வி,
சுப்புலட்சுமி ஜெகதீசன்,
ரகுபதி
காங்., தரப்பில் தற்போது
உள் துறை அமைச்சராக உள்ள சிதம்பரம்,
திண்டுக்கல் தொகுதி எம்.பி., சித்தன்,
திருநெல்வேலி தொகுதி எம்.பி., ராமசுப்பு மற்றும்
ராஜ்யசபா எம்.பி.,யாக உள்ள வாசன்
ஆகியோருக்கு மீண்டும் பதவி வழங்கப்படலாம்.
மேற்கு வங்கத்தில் காங்., சார்பில் பிரணாப் முகர்ஜியும், திரிணமுல் காங்., சார்பில் மம்தா பானர்ஜியும், அவரின் கட்சியைச் சேர்ந்த வேறு சிலரும், கேரளாவில் காங்., சார்பில் அந் தோணி மற்றும் சசி தரூரும், தேசியவாத காங்., சார்பில் சரத் பவாரும், காஷ்மீரில் தேசிய மாநாட்டுக் கட்சியைச் சேர்ந்த பரூக் அப்துல் லாவும்,
2004ம் ஆண்டு லோக்சபா தேர்தலில், காங்., - தி.மு.க., கூட்டணி புதுச்சேரி உட்பட 40 தொகுதிகளிலும் வெற்றி பெற்றதால்,
காங்., சார்பில்
சிதம்பரம்,
மணிசங்கர் அய்யர்,
வாசன் மற்றும்
இளங்கோவன் ஆகியோரும்,
தி.மு.க., சார்பில்
டி.ஆர்.பாலு,
ராஜா,
ராதிகா செல்வி,
சுப்புலட்சுமி ஜெகதீசன்,
ரகுபதி
காங்., தரப்பில் தற்போது
உள் துறை அமைச்சராக உள்ள சிதம்பரம்,
திண்டுக்கல் தொகுதி எம்.பி., சித்தன்,
திருநெல்வேலி தொகுதி எம்.பி., ராமசுப்பு மற்றும்
ராஜ்யசபா எம்.பி.,யாக உள்ள வாசன்
ஆகியோருக்கு மீண்டும் பதவி வழங்கப்படலாம்.
மேற்கு வங்கத்தில் காங்., சார்பில் பிரணாப் முகர்ஜியும், திரிணமுல் காங்., சார்பில் மம்தா பானர்ஜியும், அவரின் கட்சியைச் சேர்ந்த வேறு சிலரும், கேரளாவில் காங்., சார்பில் அந் தோணி மற்றும் சசி தரூரும், தேசியவாத காங்., சார்பில் சரத் பவாரும், காஷ்மீரில் தேசிய மாநாட்டுக் கட்சியைச் சேர்ந்த பரூக் அப்துல் லாவும்,
Friday, May 15, 2009
Charu predicts TN Elections: Polls 2009
தேசத்தை விற்றவர்கள் (தொடர்ச்சி): "நாளை முடிவு தெரிந்து விடும். தி.மு.க. முன்னணி ஒரு சீட் கூட வாங்காது என்று எழுதியிருக்கிறேன். பார்க்கலாம்."
Charu: Movie - One liner: Take a Movie with me
தேவை ஒரு தயாரிப்பாளர்!: 1 வயது வரை கிட்டத்தட்ட அரவானியாக இருந்த – அல்லது, அப்படி மாற முயற்சித்துத் தோல்வியுற்ற ஒருவன், பிறகு அந்த வாழ்க்கை பிடிக்காமல் தன்னுடைய பாதையை மாற்றிக் கொண்டு ஜேப்படித் திருடனாகவும், பெண் தரகனாகவும், ஸ்த்ரீ லோலனாகவும் வாழ்ந்து, கடைசியில் தன்னுடைய வாழ்க்கை அனுபவங்களை எழுத்தாக மாற்றிப் புகழ் பெறுகிறான். இதுதான் படத்தின் ஒன் லைனர். மூன்று பகுதிகளைக் கொண்ட கதை. மூன்றாவது பகுதியில் அவனுக்கும் ஒரு கல்லூரி மாணவிக்குமான காதல். அவள்தான் அவனுடைய அனுபவங்களைத் தொகுத்து எழுதச் சொல்லி, அவனுக்குப் பக்கபலமாக இருந்து அவனைப் பிரபலப் படுத்துகிறாள்.
Plus Two toppers: Eight years Later: SN Kannan
www.sanakannan.com - ச.ந.கண்ணன் - நாங்களும் தமிழர்கள்தான்!: "'மேஜிக் ஆணி' என்கிற பெயரில் புத்தகமாக வெளிவந்துள்ளது. வெளியீடு - ப்ராடிஜி, விலை ரூ 25)."
Thursday, May 14, 2009
Why don't we care about Sri Lanka? - Telegraph
Why don't we care about Sri Lanka? - Telegraph: "Western governments and societies are always quick to condemn atrocities in the Middle East and Africa. But there's been a lack of comparable outrage over the events in Sri Lanka, says Dean Nelson."
Now, hear about Rajnikanth's life
Now, hear about Rajnikanth's life: "In a path breaking experiment, Karnataka's leading audio company, Lahari Audio, is coming out with a book on Tamil super star Rajnikanth [Images] in CD and audio cassette format.
The book Vikshiptha, Vishishta, Vichitra written by journalist Mahesh Devashetty documents the struggles of the actor before he attained superstardom. The book was released three years ago during the release of Rajnikanth's movie Sivaji. The book contains a number of articles that had appeared in Kannada's leading daily Vijaya Karnataka, when Mahesh Devashetty was working as a senior sub editor."
The book Vikshiptha, Vishishta, Vichitra written by journalist Mahesh Devashetty documents the struggles of the actor before he attained superstardom. The book was released three years ago during the release of Rajnikanth's movie Sivaji. The book contains a number of articles that had appeared in Kannada's leading daily Vijaya Karnataka, when Mahesh Devashetty was working as a senior sub editor."
Cloudy day: Google falters; Packets lost in key cities | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com
Cloudy day: Google falters; Packets lost in key cities | Between the Lines | ZDNet.com: "I was informed that it’s an AT&T routing issue. Anything that touches Google via AT&T is down. Trying to confirm that now so take it for what it’s worth."
The outages ran across all of Google’s properties such as YouTube, Gmail, Google Analytics, Google Maps and Google Docs. The Twitter Gmail-o-meter for Google fail and Gmail is running amok. Also see the Internet Storm Center and Stephen Shankland and Techmeme.
The outages ran across all of Google’s properties such as YouTube, Gmail, Google Analytics, Google Maps and Google Docs. The Twitter Gmail-o-meter for Google fail and Gmail is running amok. Also see the Internet Storm Center and Stephen Shankland and Techmeme.
Here’s the report from via Just Ping:
Radical chic
New Statesman - Radical chic:
"The Frock-Coated Communist: the Revolutionary Life of Friedrich Engels
Tristram Hunt
Allen Lane, 459pp, £25"
He seeks to recover Engels’s reputation from those who have portrayed him as responsible for Stalinist excesses, and he suggests ambitiously that a fresh examination of the works of Engels and Marx “can offer not just an insightful critique of global capitalism but new perspectives on the nature of modernity and progress, religion and ideology, colonialism and ‘liberal interventionism’, global financial crises, urban theory, feminism, even Darwinism and reproductive ethics”. These are heavy-duty claims that might look good in a newspaper article but they are not easy to substantiate and make readable in a book.
"The Frock-Coated Communist: the Revolutionary Life of Friedrich Engels
Tristram Hunt
Allen Lane, 459pp, £25"
He seeks to recover Engels’s reputation from those who have portrayed him as responsible for Stalinist excesses, and he suggests ambitiously that a fresh examination of the works of Engels and Marx “can offer not just an insightful critique of global capitalism but new perspectives on the nature of modernity and progress, religion and ideology, colonialism and ‘liberal interventionism’, global financial crises, urban theory, feminism, even Darwinism and reproductive ethics”. These are heavy-duty claims that might look good in a newspaper article but they are not easy to substantiate and make readable in a book.
Digital lit: How technology is changing what we read
Digital lit: How technology is changing what we read: "Today's literature isn't only available on paper and Web pages -- tech enthusiasts are coming up with new ways to read"
Tech enthusiasts are coming up with new ways to read, like Aya Karpinska's "zoom narrative" for the iPhone, "Shadows Never Sleep."
Tech enthusiasts are coming up with new ways to read, like Aya Karpinska's "zoom narrative" for the iPhone, "Shadows Never Sleep."
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
Opinion Polls - ADMK, NDA, UPA: BJP, Congress
Editorial - Dinamani: வாக்குக் கணிப்பு: தமிழகத்தில் அதிமுக கூட்டணிக்கு 28 இடங்கள்
டைம்ஸ் நவ்: காங்கிரஸ்-154, பாஜக 142, இடதுசாரிகள்-38, இதர கட்சிகள்-209.
சிஎன்என்-ஐபிஎன்: காங்கிரஸ் 145-160, பாஜக 135-150, 3-வது அணி 110-130, இதர கட்சிகள் 70-100.
ஸ்டார் நியூஸ்: காங்கிரஸ்-199, பாஜக 196, 3-வது அணி 100, இதர கட்சிகள்-36.
ஹெட்லைன்ஸ் டுடே: காங்கிரஸ்-191, பாஜக 180, இடதுசாரிகள்-38, இதர கட்சிகள்-134.
இண்டியா டிவி: காங்கிரஸ்-195, பாஜக 194, 3-வது அணி-108, இதர கட்சிகள்-46.
நியூஸ் எக்ஸ்: காங்கிரஸ்-199, பாஜக 191, 3-வது அணி-104, இதர கட்சிகள்-48.
தமிழகத்தில்
அதிமுக 23,
அதன் கூட்டணிக் கட்சிகள் 5,
திமுக 7,
காங்கிரஸ் 4.
டைம்ஸ் நவ்: காங்கிரஸ்-154, பாஜக 142, இடதுசாரிகள்-38, இதர கட்சிகள்-209.
சிஎன்என்-ஐபிஎன்: காங்கிரஸ் 145-160, பாஜக 135-150, 3-வது அணி 110-130, இதர கட்சிகள் 70-100.
ஸ்டார் நியூஸ்: காங்கிரஸ்-199, பாஜக 196, 3-வது அணி 100, இதர கட்சிகள்-36.
ஹெட்லைன்ஸ் டுடே: காங்கிரஸ்-191, பாஜக 180, இடதுசாரிகள்-38, இதர கட்சிகள்-134.
இண்டியா டிவி: காங்கிரஸ்-195, பாஜக 194, 3-வது அணி-108, இதர கட்சிகள்-46.
நியூஸ் எக்ஸ்: காங்கிரஸ்-199, பாஜக 191, 3-வது அணி-104, இதர கட்சிகள்-48.
தமிழகத்தில்
அதிமுக 23,
அதன் கூட்டணிக் கட்சிகள் 5,
திமுக 7,
காங்கிரஸ் 4.
NDTV.com - General Elections, 2009
NDTV.com - General Elections, 2009:
"# Bihar sees a clean sweep for JDU-BJP Alliance
# Congress retains dominance in Andhra Pradesh
# Split in BJP-BJD Alliance, lets Congress through in Orissa
# Decisive win for BJP in Gujarat
# Uneven vote distribution results in convincing victory for BJP in Karnataka
# Neck-and-neck between AIADMK and DMK Front in Tamil Nadu"
"# Bihar sees a clean sweep for JDU-BJP Alliance
# Congress retains dominance in Andhra Pradesh
# Split in BJP-BJD Alliance, lets Congress through in Orissa
# Decisive win for BJP in Gujarat
# Uneven vote distribution results in convincing victory for BJP in Karnataka
# Neck-and-neck between AIADMK and DMK Front in Tamil Nadu"
Left ready for Cong-led minority govt
Left ready for Cong-led minority govt: Prakash Karat- Elections Home-Politics/Nation-News-The Economic Times: "This would mean, according to top CPM sources, that the four Left parties and a “nucleus of unwavering Third Front partners” tactically letting a Congress-led minority government run, a strategy to keep the BJP out of power. The government that launched India’s economic reforms in 1991, led by PV Narasimha Rao, had been a minority government.
There appears to be a calculation in the Left camp that letting a minority government run, while making appropriate policy interventions as a resposnsible opposition is the best option once the Congress refuses to participate in a “broad anti-BJP, secular government headed by a non-Congress prime minister”."
There appears to be a calculation in the Left camp that letting a minority government run, while making appropriate policy interventions as a resposnsible opposition is the best option once the Congress refuses to participate in a “broad anti-BJP, secular government headed by a non-Congress prime minister”."
Sun TV Ratings: Before IPL and during IPL
Krishnamoorthy Blogs: Sun TV Ratings: Before IPL and during IPL: "Though, other TV channels rating dropped during the IPL to give way for the MAX Television, Sun TV's share has increased.
This shows how Tamil people are obsessed with Sun TV. With just 7 crore Tamil speaking population, they are able to compete with Hindi channels which has advantage in terms of Hindi speaking population( >30 crore )"
This shows how Tamil people are obsessed with Sun TV. With just 7 crore Tamil speaking population, they are able to compete with Hindi channels which has advantage in terms of Hindi speaking population( >30 crore )"
The Biggest Puzzle
Atanu Dey on India’s Development » Polls, Elections, 2009 MP: "Are there no depths that the Congress party led UPA government will not plumb to protect the criminally corrupt? When exactly will the Indian public wake up to the realization that the pervasive corruption that hollows out the Indian state is the sole achievement of the Congress party over its decades of misrule — practically all of India’s existence as an independent country in modern times? If even the unspeakable misgovernance by Mr Manmohan Singh does not enrage the Indians, what on earth will it take — a thousand thermonuclear devices?"
The New Twitter @ Reply Changes
What’s The Big Deal About The New Twitter @ Reply Changes? Share how they are affect YOUR Twitter experience | Blog of Mr. Tweet: "There’s plenty of hoopla surrounding the new changes to Twitter @ replies. For those that are unaware, Twitter has announced that you’ll no longer have the option to decide whether or not to receive all @replies. Previously, you could either receive them all or only those that consist of individuals you’re following. The latter was the default, but the former option has now been completely removed."
Punters favour Jaya in TN, Manmohan as PM
for every rupee you bet on Jayalalithaa, you will get 45 paise extra. Should DMK chief Karunanidhi confound poll pundits and register victory, every rupee you bet on him will fetch you Rs 1.80: At the national level, according to bookmakers based in Mumbai, odds are in favour of Manmohan Singh as prime minister with a rupee placed on him bringing a return of 70 paise more. BJP’s L K Advani is a distant second with a rupee on him bringing you Rs 3.50 more. Unrealistic and most improbable of all, a bet on Sharad Pawar will bring you 12 times more on your rupee.
The Mumbai satta market is also predicting Milind Deora of Congress to be the next big thing in that metropolis with a 20 paise profit on a rupee and Priya Dutt coming in a close second with 35 paise more value to a rupee. BJP candidates Ram Naik and Dr Kirit Somaiya are expected to bring in 70 paise and 75 paise respectively.
The Mumbai satta market is also predicting Milind Deora of Congress to be the next big thing in that metropolis with a 20 paise profit on a rupee and Priya Dutt coming in a close second with 35 paise more value to a rupee. BJP candidates Ram Naik and Dr Kirit Somaiya are expected to bring in 70 paise and 75 paise respectively.
NewsX Exit Poll Lok Sabha Election 2009 | NewsX
NewsX Exit Poll Lok Sabha Election 2009 | NewsX:
"Tamil Nadu
* Congress - 9
* AIADMK - 9
* CPM - 2
* DMK - 16
* PMK - 3
Total - 39"
Pondicherry
* Cong - 1
"Tamil Nadu
* Congress - 9
* AIADMK - 9
* CPM - 2
* DMK - 16
* PMK - 3
Total - 39"
Pondicherry
* Cong - 1
Exit polls predict slender Cong advantage
Exit polls predict slender Cong advantage
CNN-IBN Final projection:
UPA : 185-205
NDA : 165-185.
Third : 120-130.
CNN-IBN Final projection:
UPA : 185-205
NDA : 165-185.
Third : 120-130.
'The BJP will be secular if it gets 170 seats'
'The BJP will be secular if it gets 170 seats': "'Cho' Ramaswamy, editor of the Tamil magazine Thuglaq, is well known for his unique political observations. In this interview to rediff.com's Shobha Warrier, Cho analyses the 2009 Lok Sabha election."
Arundhati Roy in Karachi
DAWN.COM | Pakistan | Arundhati Roy in Karachi: "‘I’m here to understand what you mean by Taliban’ by Salman Siddiqui"
OUTLOOK - Blogs: Arundhati Roy In Pakistan: On Taliban, RSS & More
OUTLOOK - Blogs: Arundhati Roy In Pakistan: On Taliban, RSS & More
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
BJD: Orissa Patnaik - Biju Janata Dal
அறிவுஜீவி அரசியல்வாதி...: "அப்பாவுக்குப் பிள்ளை தப்பாகப் பிறந்திருக்கிறது' என்று ஒரு பழமொழி இருக்குமேயானால் அதற்கு எடுத்துக்காட்டு இன்றைய ஒரிசா முதல்வர் நவீன் பட்நாயக்கும் அவரது தந்தை பிஜு பட்நாயக்கும்தான். அரசியல்வாதியான முதல் விமான ஓட்டி பிஜு பட்நாயக்தான். இந்தியா சுதந்திரம் அடைவதற்கு முன்பே சொந்தமாக "கலிங்கா ஏர்லைன்ஸ்' என்கிற விமான நிறுவனத்தை நடத்தி வந்ததுடன் அதன் பைலட்டாகவும் இருந்தவர். சொந்த டாக்சி ஓட்டுவதுபோல சொந்த விமானம் வைத்துப் பறந்து கொண்டிருந்தவர் அவர்.
அசாத்தியத் துணிச்சல், அதிரடி அரசியல், அதீத செல்வாக்கு இவற்றிற்கெல்லாம் சொந்தமானவர் பிஜு பட்நாயக் என்றால், ஆழ்கடல் அமைதி, எதிலும் நிதானம், அறிவு ஜீவித்தனம் இதற்கெல்லாம் சொந்தக்காரர் மகன் நவீன் பட்நாயக். சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட காலத் தலைமுறையினருக்கு பிஜு பட்நாயக் ஒரு ஆதர்ச புருஷர் என்றால், தான் உண்டு, தன் வேலையுண்டு என்று ஒதுங்கி இருக்கும் நவீன் பட்நாயக் இந்தத் தலைமுறையினர் சந்திக்கும் வித்தியாசமான அரசியல்வாதி.
அசாத்தியத் துணிச்சல், அதிரடி அரசியல், அதீத செல்வாக்கு இவற்றிற்கெல்லாம் சொந்தமானவர் பிஜு பட்நாயக் என்றால், ஆழ்கடல் அமைதி, எதிலும் நிதானம், அறிவு ஜீவித்தனம் இதற்கெல்லாம் சொந்தக்காரர் மகன் நவீன் பட்நாயக். சுதந்திரப் போராட்ட காலத் தலைமுறையினருக்கு பிஜு பட்நாயக் ஒரு ஆதர்ச புருஷர் என்றால், தான் உண்டு, தன் வேலையுண்டு என்று ஒதுங்கி இருக்கும் நவீன் பட்நாயக் இந்தத் தலைமுறையினர் சந்திக்கும் வித்தியாசமான அரசியல்வாதி.
தமிழ்ச் சொற்களஞ்சியம் கண்ட சிதம்பரநாதன் செட்டியார்
என்.நவநீதகிருஷ்ணராஜா: தமிழ் எனும் சேயைச் சீராட்டிப் பாராட்டி வளர்த்த புலவர்களும் அரசர்களும் பலராவர். தமிழின் பெருமையையும், தொன்மையையும் உலகறியச் செய்த உயர்ந்தோர் சிலராவர். அவர்களுள் ஒப்பற்ற ஒருவராயிருந்து செந்தமிழ்க் காவலராய் விளங்கியவர் டாக்டர் அ.சிதம்பரநாதன் செட்டியார். கும்பகோணம் இவரைப் பெற்றெடுத்த திருத்தலமாகும். அமிர்தலிங்கம்-பார்வதி அம்மையார் தம்பதிக்கு மகவாக 1907-ஆம் ஆண்டு ஏப்ரல் 3-ஆம் தேதி பிறந்தார்.
இவர் குடந்தை "நேட்டிவ் உயர்நிலைப்பள்ளி'யில் பள்ளியிறுதி வகுப்புவரை படித்துத் தேர்ந்தார். 1928-ஆம் ஆண்டில் குடந்தை அரசுக் கல்லூரியில் இளங்கலைத் தேர்வில் மாநிலத்திலேயே முதல் மாணவராகத் தேர்ச்சி பெற்றார். தமிழில் சிறந்த தேர்ச்சி பெற்றதற்காக "டாக்டர் ஜி.யு.போப் நினைவு' தங்கப் பதக்கத்தைப் பெற்றார்.
1933-ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் 1935 வரை அண்ணாமலைப் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் படித்து முதுகலைப் பட்டம் பெற்றார். அப்பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் 1943-ஆம் ஆண்டு "தமிழ்ச் செய்யுள் வரலாறு' என்ற தலைப்பில் ஆய்வு செய்து முனைவர் பட்டத்தை முதன்முதலில் பெற்ற சிறப்புக்குரியவர் என்ற பெருமையையும் பெற்றார்.
இவர் குடந்தை "நேட்டிவ் உயர்நிலைப்பள்ளி'யில் பள்ளியிறுதி வகுப்புவரை படித்துத் தேர்ந்தார். 1928-ஆம் ஆண்டில் குடந்தை அரசுக் கல்லூரியில் இளங்கலைத் தேர்வில் மாநிலத்திலேயே முதல் மாணவராகத் தேர்ச்சி பெற்றார். தமிழில் சிறந்த தேர்ச்சி பெற்றதற்காக "டாக்டர் ஜி.யு.போப் நினைவு' தங்கப் பதக்கத்தைப் பெற்றார்.
1933-ஆம் ஆண்டு முதல் 1935 வரை அண்ணாமலைப் பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் படித்து முதுகலைப் பட்டம் பெற்றார். அப்பல்கலைக்கழகத்தில் 1943-ஆம் ஆண்டு "தமிழ்ச் செய்யுள் வரலாறு' என்ற தலைப்பில் ஆய்வு செய்து முனைவர் பட்டத்தை முதன்முதலில் பெற்ற சிறப்புக்குரியவர் என்ற பெருமையையும் பெற்றார்.
"தமிழ் புளூராக்' படைத்த சைமன் காசிச் செட்டி
பொ.வேல்சாமி: தமிழகத்தில் 1812-ஆம் ஆண்டு நிறுவப்பட்ட சென்னை கல்விச் சங்கம் என்பது தமிழ்நாட்டில் ஆங்கிலமும் தமிழும் அறிந்த ஒரு புதிய மாணவத் தலைமுறையை உருவாக்கியது. இதே காலகட்டத்தில் இலங்கையின் யாழ்ப்பாணப் பகுதியில் ஐரோப்பிய நாடுகளைச் சேர்ந்த பல்வேறு கிறிஸ்தவ நிறுவனங்கள் நிறைய பள்ளிகளையும் கல்லூரிகளையும் நிறுவி, ஆங்கிலமும் தமிழும் கிறிஸ்தவ மதத் தத்துவங்களும் அறிந்த மாணவர்களைப் பல்லாயிரக்கணக்கில் உருவாக்கத் தொடங்கின. இந்தப் பின்புலத்திலிருந்து வெளிவந்த மாணவர்களில் பலருக்குத் தமிழ்மொழியின் பழைமையையும் தமிழ்ப் புலவர்களின் வரலாற்றையும் ஐரோப்பியப் புலவர்களின் வரலாறு போன்று உலகத்தினருக்கு வெளிப்படுத்த வேண்டும் என்ற எண்ணம் ஏற்பட்டது. அவர்களில் ஒருவர்தான் சைமன் காசிச் செட்டி என்ற பல்துறை அறிஞர்.
இவர் 1859-இல் "தமிழ் புளூராக்' என்ற பெயரில் ஆங்கிலத்தில் தமிழ்ப் புலவர்களைப் பற்றியும் அவர்களின் வரலாறு குறித்தும் ஒரு நூல் எழுதினார்.
இவர் 1859-இல் "தமிழ் புளூராக்' என்ற பெயரில் ஆங்கிலத்தில் தமிழ்ப் புலவர்களைப் பற்றியும் அவர்களின் வரலாறு குறித்தும் ஒரு நூல் எழுதினார்.
A Reading of 'Vitae Lampada' by Henry Newbolt
Epoch Times - A Reading of 'Vitae Lampada' by Henry Newbolt: "The Antidote—Classic Poetry for Modern Life
By Christopher Nield"
There's a breathless hush in the Close to-night –
Ten to make and the match to win –
A bumping pitch and a blinding light,
An hour to play and the last man in.
And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat,
Or the selfish hope of a season's fame,
But his Captain's hand on his shoulder smote
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"
The sand of the desert is sodden red, –
Red with the wreck of a square that broke; –
The Gatling's jammed and the colonel dead,
And the regiment blind with dust and smoke.
The river of death has brimmed his banks,
And England's far, and Honor a name,
But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks,
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"
This is the word that year by year,
While in her place the School is set,
Every one of her sons must hear,
And none that hears it dare forget.
This they all with a joyful mind
Bear through life like a torch in flame,
And falling fling to the host behind –
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"
In the second stanza, we are transported to a distant war zone. The scene is based on an incident in Sudan in 1885, but we could be in Iraq or Afghanistan at this very moment. The line “the sand of the desert is sodden red” unreels across our mind like a piece of documentary film.
Is Newbolt suggesting that war is a sport? That wielding a gun is the same as wielding a cricket bat? The idea is absurd. His nightmarish vision of the “river of death” destroys any such reading. So what is he saying?
By Christopher Nield"
There's a breathless hush in the Close to-night –
Ten to make and the match to win –
A bumping pitch and a blinding light,
An hour to play and the last man in.
And it's not for the sake of a ribboned coat,
Or the selfish hope of a season's fame,
But his Captain's hand on his shoulder smote
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"
The sand of the desert is sodden red, –
Red with the wreck of a square that broke; –
The Gatling's jammed and the colonel dead,
And the regiment blind with dust and smoke.
The river of death has brimmed his banks,
And England's far, and Honor a name,
But the voice of a schoolboy rallies the ranks,
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"
This is the word that year by year,
While in her place the School is set,
Every one of her sons must hear,
And none that hears it dare forget.
This they all with a joyful mind
Bear through life like a torch in flame,
And falling fling to the host behind –
"Play up! play up! and play the game!"
In the second stanza, we are transported to a distant war zone. The scene is based on an incident in Sudan in 1885, but we could be in Iraq or Afghanistan at this very moment. The line “the sand of the desert is sodden red” unreels across our mind like a piece of documentary film.
Is Newbolt suggesting that war is a sport? That wielding a gun is the same as wielding a cricket bat? The idea is absurd. His nightmarish vision of the “river of death” destroys any such reading. So what is he saying?
Tamil minister plots a route to equality
FT.com / Asia-Pacific - Tamil minister plots a route to equality: "Vinayagamoorthy Muralidharan has come a long way since he was a senior military commander of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, going by the code name Colonel Karuna Amman.
Now vice-president of Sri Lanka's ruling party and minister for national integration and reconciliation, Mr Muralidharan greets visitors in a plush bungalow in a trendy central district of the capital. The fanatical cadres who used to wait on his every word have been replaced by an effervescent government private secretary.
Mr Muralidharan is one of a number of Tamils who, after aligning themselves with the hardline Sinhalese-led government, are positioned to take leading roles in the island's north, where the army is poised to wipe out the LTTE's last redoubt."
Now vice-president of Sri Lanka's ruling party and minister for national integration and reconciliation, Mr Muralidharan greets visitors in a plush bungalow in a trendy central district of the capital. The fanatical cadres who used to wait on his every word have been replaced by an effervescent government private secretary.
Mr Muralidharan is one of a number of Tamils who, after aligning themselves with the hardline Sinhalese-led government, are positioned to take leading roles in the island's north, where the army is poised to wipe out the LTTE's last redoubt."
Sri Lanka Says World Duped by Tamil Tigers Over Civilian Deaths - Bloomberg.com
Sri Lanka Says World Duped by Tamil Tigers Over Civilian Deaths - Bloomberg.com: "Sri Lanka said the international community is being duped by false reports of civilian deaths from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as the group faces defeat in its 26-year battle for a separate Tamil homeland.
The “biased reporting is to draw the attention of the international community and to effect an intervention by the United Nations, which is the only way out for the LTTE terrorists,” the Defense Ministry said on its Web site."
The “biased reporting is to draw the attention of the international community and to effect an intervention by the United Nations, which is the only way out for the LTTE terrorists,” the Defense Ministry said on its Web site."
Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority | PBS
Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority | PBS: "Patsy Mink: Ahead of the Majority explores the remarkable political story of Patsy Takemoto Mink, an Asian American woman who, battling racism and sexism, redefined American politics.
Small in stature but a giant in vision, she began her life on a Maui sugar plantation and rose to become the first Asian American woman and woman of color in the United States Congress, where she served from 1965-1977 and again from 1990 until her death in 2002."
Small in stature but a giant in vision, she began her life on a Maui sugar plantation and rose to become the first Asian American woman and woman of color in the United States Congress, where she served from 1965-1977 and again from 1990 until her death in 2002."
Tamil Eelam?
CNN International Desk: Blog Archive - Monday Poll « - Blogs from CNN.com: Should The International Community Intervene In Sri Lanka?
Playboy Names America's Sexiest CEOs
StreetInsider.com - Playboy Names America's Sexiest CEOs (LWAY, LTD): "Limited Brands' (NYSE: LTD) Victoria's Secret CEO, Sharen Turney, made Playboy's Sexiest CEO list.
After going through the list it appears only two of the women on the list are public company CEOs.
Those two CEOs are Lifeway Foods (Nasdaq: LWAY) CEO Julie Smolyansky. She is pictured in this article and runs the food processing company. Julie Smolyansky is 33 and was appointed as a Director, and elected President, CEO, CFO and Treasurer of the Company by the Board of Directors to fill the vacancies in those positions created by the death of her father, Michael Smolyansky, in June 2002."
Hottest female CEO: India Today - Latest Breaking News from India, World, Business, Cricket, Sports, Bollywood.: "Rashmi Sinha, CEO of presentation sharing website SlideShare, isn’t just a sexy face of course. Originally from Delhi but currently based in San Francisco, Sinha has a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Brown University."
After going through the list it appears only two of the women on the list are public company CEOs.
Those two CEOs are Lifeway Foods (Nasdaq: LWAY) CEO Julie Smolyansky. She is pictured in this article and runs the food processing company. Julie Smolyansky is 33 and was appointed as a Director, and elected President, CEO, CFO and Treasurer of the Company by the Board of Directors to fill the vacancies in those positions created by the death of her father, Michael Smolyansky, in June 2002."
Hottest female CEO: India Today - Latest Breaking News from India, World, Business, Cricket, Sports, Bollywood.: "Rashmi Sinha, CEO of presentation sharing website SlideShare, isn’t just a sexy face of course. Originally from Delhi but currently based in San Francisco, Sinha has a PhD in Cognitive Psychology from Brown University."
Pakistanis blame India for 26/11
42 per cent Pakistanis blame India for 26/11: India Today - Latest Breaking News from India, World, Business, Cricket, Sports, Bollywood.: "'When asked if they believed it to be true that the attacks were carried out by Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), only 7 per cent replied yes, another 7 per cent replied maybe, and 78 per cent said no. In response to an open-ended question as to who they thought was responsible for the attacks, the top three replies were India (42 per cent), I don't know (33 per cent), and America (20 per cent),' the International Republican Institute (IRI) said in a release."
Monday, May 11, 2009
Rahul Gandhi Profile: Dinamani - Congress
காங்கிரஸின் "கிராண்ட் மாஸ்டர்'
'க்ளோஸ் - அப்'- சத்தீஷ்
: "சிரித்தால் பளிச்சென்று குழிவிழும் கன்னம். சுறுசுறுப்பான நடை. நறுக்குத் தெரித்தாற்போலப் பேசும் பாங்கு. எந்தவொரு விஷயத்தையும் ஆழமாகத் தெரிந்து கொள்ள விழையும் ஆர்வம். அப்பாவைப்போலவே அப்பாவித்தனமான குழந்தை முகம் - இதுதான் ஜூன் 17, 1970-ல் பிறந்த ராகுல் காந்தி!"
'க்ளோஸ் - அப்'- சத்தீஷ்
: "சிரித்தால் பளிச்சென்று குழிவிழும் கன்னம். சுறுசுறுப்பான நடை. நறுக்குத் தெரித்தாற்போலப் பேசும் பாங்கு. எந்தவொரு விஷயத்தையும் ஆழமாகத் தெரிந்து கொள்ள விழையும் ஆர்வம். அப்பாவைப்போலவே அப்பாவித்தனமான குழந்தை முகம் - இதுதான் ஜூன் 17, 1970-ல் பிறந்த ராகுல் காந்தி!"
Journalist who reported on internment camps in Sri Lanka tells his story | World news | The Guardian
Journalist who reported on internment camps in Sri Lanka tells his story | World news | The Guardian: "A Channel 4 News team was deported from Sri Lanka yesterday . Here its Asia correspondent, Nick Paton Walsh, tells what happened:
When Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, rang he got quickly to the point.
'Is this Channel 4? You have been accusing my soldiers of raping civilians? Your visa is cancelled, you will be deported. You can report what you like about this country, but from your own country, not from here.'
Our 'crime' had been to broadcast a report from internment camps at the northern town of Vavuniya, which can only be reached with the permission of the Sri Lankan army. The army orchestrates the visits and escorts you wherever you go. But someone working for us had managed independently to get a camera into the camps and record a series of interviews. The allegations were startling: bodies left for days, children crushed in the rush for food, the sexual abuse of women, disappearances."
When Sri Lanka's defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, rang he got quickly to the point.
'Is this Channel 4? You have been accusing my soldiers of raping civilians? Your visa is cancelled, you will be deported. You can report what you like about this country, but from your own country, not from here.'
Our 'crime' had been to broadcast a report from internment camps at the northern town of Vavuniya, which can only be reached with the permission of the Sri Lankan army. The army orchestrates the visits and escorts you wherever you go. But someone working for us had managed independently to get a camera into the camps and record a series of interviews. The allegations were startling: bodies left for days, children crushed in the rush for food, the sexual abuse of women, disappearances."
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Between Reviews: The New Tamil Cinema | Blogical Conclusion
Between Reviews: The New Tamil Cinema | Blogical Conclusion: "village in Swades. I refer to craft being applied in service of the content (and the context) of the scene – as, for instance, in Taare Zameen Par, when the little boy, Ishaan, is dropped off, for the first time, at boarding school."
Saturday, May 09, 2009
Whitewashed: America’s Invisible Middle Eastern Identity < Books | PopMatters
Whitewashed: America’s Invisible Middle Eastern Identity < Books | PopMatters: "In a 2004 cover story “Jose Can You See?” in the Foreign Policy journal, political scientist Samuel Huntington posited that the greatest threat facing America was not terrorism, but an erosion of values brought upon by the waves of Latino immigration to the United States. This would result in two Americas – “two peoples, two cultures and two languages.” This argument was in essence an extension of his “clash of civilizations” theory. To put it simply, future conflict would not be waged between nation-states, but between cultural civilizations, whose core values would be so dissimilar as to provoke conflict."
Shyam K. Sriram is a Political Science Instructor at Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston, GA. He volunteers with Project Downtown, the Muslim Suicide Survivor Association (MuSSA), Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence and Men Stopping Violence. His favorite book is Battle Cry by Leon Uris.
Shyam K. Sriram is a Political Science Instructor at Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston, GA. He volunteers with Project Downtown, the Muslim Suicide Survivor Association (MuSSA), Muslim Men Against Domestic Violence and Men Stopping Violence. His favorite book is Battle Cry by Leon Uris.
AA: Alcoholism - Addiction among Poor in Tamil Nadu: Jeyamogan
jeyamohan » குடி: "‘குடிபோதை:புனைவுகள் தெளிவுகள்‘ தொகுப்பாசிரியர்கள் அ.கா.பெருமாள், சின்னச்சாமி. தமிழினி வெளியீடு."
Raasa Leela: Charu Nivethitha - Book Reviews: Trash?
வார்த்தைகளின் விளிம்பில்: Rasa Leela review: "ராஸ லீலா - சாரு நிவேதிதா எழுதிய இந்த புத்தகம் இரண்டு பாகங்களைக் கொண்டது. இந்நாவலை இரண்டு பாத்திரங்கள் எழுதுவதைப் போல சாரு எழுதினாலும் படிக்கையில் ஸீரோ டிகிரி போல பல அடையாளங்களில் சாரு எழுத முற்பட்டது தெரியும். முதல் பாகம் கண்ணாயிரம் பெருமாள் என்ற தன்னடையாளத்தைப் பற்றி சாரு கூறுவது. இந்தப் பகுதியில் பெருமாள் எழுதும் நாவலாக விரிகிறது இரண்டாம் பகுதி. "
வார்த்தைகளின் விளிம்பில்: ராஸ லீலா புத்தக விமர்சனம் - ஒரு வேண்டுகோள்.
வார்த்தைகளின் விளிம்பில்: ராஸ லீலா புத்தக விமர்சனம் - ஒரு வேண்டுகோள்.
Photo Sites
முதல்ல காசை எடு - மையநீரோட்டம்
Flickr has a huge, committed, passionate photologgers. They had this successful model for the past 3/4 years. Lot of subscribers, focused community. Many counterparts like webshots, photobucket could not mimic them; even though their number of photos might easily be more than Flickr.
The motto of web is Get big very quickly and become indispensable?
Flickr has a huge, committed, passionate photologgers. They had this successful model for the past 3/4 years. Lot of subscribers, focused community. Many counterparts like webshots, photobucket could not mimic them; even though their number of photos might easily be more than Flickr.
The motto of web is Get big very quickly and become indispensable?
Letters from Sundara Ramasamy: Alagiya Singar: Virutcham
நவீன விருட்சம்: எஸ். வைதீஸ்வரனும: "படைப்பாளிகளுக்கு மெளனி, புதுமைப்பித்தன், அசோகமித்திரன் போன்ற படைப்பாளிகள் கைடு மாதிரி."
விருட்சத்தில் பிரசுரம் செய்யவில்லை என்று யோசித்துக் கொண்டிருந்தேன். எந்தக் கடிதம் எழுதினாலும் சுந்தர ராமசாமி பதில் எழுதி விடுவார். அழகாக டைப் செய்து கீழே சுரா என்று கையெழுத்திடுவார்.
விருட்சத்தில் பிரசுரம் செய்யவில்லை என்று யோசித்துக் கொண்டிருந்தேன். எந்தக் கடிதம் எழுதினாலும் சுந்தர ராமசாமி பதில் எழுதி விடுவார். அழகாக டைப் செய்து கீழே சுரா என்று கையெழுத்திடுவார்.
Angami Naga: Languages: Mmm - Fun
அங்கமி (நாகாலாந்தில் பேசப்படும�: "வன் ஒரு அங்கமி நாகா. அவனது தாய்மொழியின் பேரும் அங்கமி. மொத்தம் 17 dialects உள்ள மொழி"
Kid Safe Browsing: Internet for Children
நா: நீங்கள் மட்டுமா குழந்தைகளைய:
"1. ஓவியம் சிற்பம் போன்ற கலைகளை குழந்தைகளுக்குக் கற்றுக் கொடுக்க
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/Whats_New.asp"
2. விஞ்ஞானத்தை சின்ன மனசில இலகுவாய் புகுத்த
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
3. இயற்கையின் அதிசயங்களையும் அதன்வழி வந்த மிருகங்களையும் காட்டுவதற்கு
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
5. இசையால் வசமாகா இதயம் ஏது? அந்தச் சின்ன இதயமும் தான்
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/home.asp?pageid=1
"1. ஓவியம் சிற்பம் போன்ற கலைகளை குழந்தைகளுக்குக் கற்றுக் கொடுக்க
http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/Whats_New.asp"
2. விஞ்ஞானத்தை சின்ன மனசில இலகுவாய் புகுத்த
http://www.nasa.gov/audience/forkids/kidsclub/flash/index.html
3. இயற்கையின் அதிசயங்களையும் அதன்வழி வந்த மிருகங்களையும் காட்டுவதற்கு
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/
5. இசையால் வசமாகா இதயம் ஏது? அந்தச் சின்ன இதயமும் தான்
http://www.sfskids.org/templates/home.asp?pageid=1
SMS to find out your Voting Location: MP Polls Election Booth in Chennai
Badri, Nagarajan, Sathya - எண்ணங்கள்: உங்கள் வாக்குச் சாவட: "BOOTH
என்பதை 575758 என்ற எண்ணுக்கு எஸ்.எம்.எஸ்"
என்பதை 575758 என்ற எண்ணுக்கு எஸ்.எம்.எஸ்"
'Poo' Janaki: Tamil Cinema Actors
Madavaraj : தீராத பக்கங்கள்: பூ படத்தில் அம�: "ஜானகி. சாத்தூரில்தான் வசிக்கிறார்கள். தமிழ்நாடு முற்போக்கு எழுத்தாளர் சங்கம், சாத்தூர் கிளையின் செயலாளர். சத்துணவு ஊழியராக"
Friday, May 08, 2009
Windows 7 RC's 'free' reign to end with auto-shutdowns
Windows 7 RC's 'free' reign to end with auto-shutdowns: "users could run Windows 7 RC for 13 months, and compared that favorably to Vista RC's shorter 'free' periods. Actually, with the Windows 7 RC shutdown looming three months before expiration, the new operating system's free run is similar to Vista RC's.
In 2007, Vista RC1 and RC2 started rebooting on June 1, nine-and-a-half and nine months, respectively, after they were released. Those previews actually expired Aug. 28, 2007, nearly three months after the reboots began. Window 7 RC, at 10 months between release and auto-reboot, gives users only several weeks, not several months, more free time than they got with Vista."
In 2007, Vista RC1 and RC2 started rebooting on June 1, nine-and-a-half and nine months, respectively, after they were released. Those previews actually expired Aug. 28, 2007, nearly three months after the reboots began. Window 7 RC, at 10 months between release and auto-reboot, gives users only several weeks, not several months, more free time than they got with Vista."
Job Seekers: How to Tell Stories to Stand Out
Job Seekers: How to Tell Stories to Stand Out: "Every story has a structure—-a beginning, middle and end, or an introduction, confrontation and conclusion.
These narrative structures bring out the conflicts, tension and drama that enliven stories and keep audiences engaged.
Hansen recommends that job seekers employ the situation-action-result structure when describing their professional challenges and accomplishments. It works for résumés, cover letters and job interviews, she says.
The situation part of the situation-action-result formula sets the scene and establishes some tension or build-up to the problem the job seeker faced. The action, of course, addresses the measures the job seeker took to deal with the situation, and the result encapsulates the outcome of the situation."
These narrative structures bring out the conflicts, tension and drama that enliven stories and keep audiences engaged.
Hansen recommends that job seekers employ the situation-action-result structure when describing their professional challenges and accomplishments. It works for résumés, cover letters and job interviews, she says.
The situation part of the situation-action-result formula sets the scene and establishes some tension or build-up to the problem the job seeker faced. The action, of course, addresses the measures the job seeker took to deal with the situation, and the result encapsulates the outcome of the situation."
Thursday, May 07, 2009
The 25 most important movies ever made about war and diplomacy. - By Fred Kaplan - Slate Magazine
The 25 most important movies ever made about war and diplomacy. - By Fred Kaplan - Slate Magazine: "High Noon, Godfather II, Grand Illusion, and 22 other indispensable movies for understanding war and diplomacy."
Tuesday, May 05, 2009
Print on Demand: Make That a Double - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com
Print on Demand: Make That a Double - Freakonomics Blog - NYTimes.com: "As if you needed another reason to avoid the bookstore, you can now buy your book from an Espresso Book Machine, which prints and binds (albeit without flashy cover imagery, photos, etc.) your book of choice in just a few minutes. There are about five of them in the U.S., reports Publishers Weekly, and they were recently launched in the U.K. as well. At around $43 for a 300-page book and no wait time for out-of-stock or rare titles, will “book espresso” take off? And if so, what does the future look like for publishers, Kindle sales, or jacket designers?"
Book Reviews: Poonaigal Illatha Veedu: Chandira: Tamil Fiction
இவள் என்பது பெயர்ச்சொல்: பூனைகள் இல்லாத வீடு – சந்திரா: "சந்திரா பத்திரிகையாளராய் இருந்து, சினிமா துறைக்குச் சென்றவர். அமீரிடம் உதவி இயக்குனராய் இருந்து தற்போது தாமிராவிடம் இணை இயக்குனராய் இருக்கிறார். இவரின் சொந்த ஊர் தேனியின் கூடலூர்."
Uma Shakthi: Angaadi Theru Music Release: Veyyil Vasanthabalan with Jeyamohan
இவள் என்பது பெயர்ச்சொல்: உமாஷக்தி: "அங்காடித் தெரு - பாடல் வெளியீட்டு விழா"
MDMK Ganesamoorthy vs EVKS Elangovan: Erode MP Elections
கரையோரம்!!!!: இரு வேட்பாளர்கள் - ஈரோ: கார்வேந்தன் Vs கணேசமூர்த்தி
ஈ.வி.கே.எஸ்.இளங்கோவன் மறுத்துவிட திருப்பூருக்கு இடம் மாறி விட்டார் கார்வேந்தன்
ஈ.வி.கே.எஸ்.இளங்கோவன் மறுத்துவிட திருப்பூருக்கு இடம் மாறி விட்டார் கார்வேந்தன்
Malan: Congress Alliance: UPA vs NDA vs Communists
என் ஜன்னலுக்கு வெளியே...: யாருக்க�: "காங்கிரஸ் அணியை பரிசீலனைக்கு எடுத்துக் கொள்கிறேன். அதனுடைய ஆட்சி, அந்தக் கட்சி, அதன் அணியில் உள்ள கட்சிகள் என்று மூன்று"
என் ஜன்னலுக்கு வெளியே...: யாருக்க�
என் ஜன்னலுக்கு வெளியே...: யாருக்க�
In and Around Srivilliputhoor: Tourist Spots near Andaal
சோம்பேறி: ஸ்ரீவில்லிப்புத்தூர�: ஆன்மீகம், தலங்கள், நகைச்சுவை
* நீர் காத்த அய்யனார் கோவில்
* சதுரகிரி மலை
* தானிப்பாறை அருவியில்
* ஏழு மைல் ஏறிப் போனால் மூல ஸ்தானத்தில் இருக்கும் சுந்தர மகாலிங்கம் ஸ்வாமி
* நீர் காத்த அய்யனார் கோவில்
* சதுரகிரி மலை
* தானிப்பாறை அருவியில்
* ஏழு மைல் ஏறிப் போனால் மூல ஸ்தானத்தில் இருக்கும் சுந்தர மகாலிங்கம் ஸ்வாமி
Monday, May 04, 2009
Makkal Aagiya Naam: Book Review: A Ki Venkatasubramanian
செம்புலம்: மக்களாகிய நாம் - நூல் �: "நூலின் பெயர் - மக்களாகிய நாம்
ஆசிரியர் – அ.கி. வேங்கட சுப்ரமணியன்
பதிப்பகம் - கிழக்குப்பதிப்பகம்"
ஆசிரியர் – அ.கி. வேங்கட சுப்ரமணியன்
பதிப்பகம் - கிழக்குப்பதிப்பகம்"
Tamil Eelam: Charu Nivethitha in Kala Kaumuthi
மரண பூமி : வரலாற்றின் பைத்தியக்�: "கலா கௌமுதியில் கவர் ஸ்டோரி"
Why India's Teachers Do Not Spare the Rod - TIME
Why India's Teachers Do Not Spare the Rod - TIME: The death of an 11-year old girl re-opens the controversy over corporal punishment in India's immense and unmanageable school system
The World's Most Influential Person Is... - TIME
The World's Most Influential Person Is... - TIME: "The 21-year-old college student and founder of the online community 4chan.org, whose real name is Christopher Poole, received 16,794,368 votes and an average influence rating of 90 (out of a possible 100) to handily beat the likes of Barack Obama, Vladimir Putin and Oprah Winfrey. To put the magnitude of the upset in perspective, it's worth noting that everyone moot beat out actually has a job."
Rahul Gandhi: on the Bofors controversy-Lie Detector-Your Voice | Elections 2009
Rahul Gandhi: on the Bofors controversy-Lie Detector-Your Voice | Elections 2009: "The Bofors Gun deal with AB Bofors had a clause that no kickbacks would be paid to any agent. Later it came to light that AB Bofors had paid some money to the Hinduja brothers, Win Chaddha and Ottavio Quattrocchi. All of them said it was not commission, but payment for services they provided to the company. The Hinduja brothers were exonerated by a court in 2005, Win Chaddha has died and the case of Quattrocchi would also have been forgotten but for the fact that he was a member of Sonia Gandhi’s inner circle and there was an allegation that some of this money flowed back to Rajiv Gandhi and/or Congress’ coffers.
We don’t know if there was any truth in the allegation that Rajiv Gandhi got some part of the kickbacks. The fact is that he was exonerated by the court in 2004 and we have no reason to doubt the court’s verdict. But (and it is a big but) the way the Congress regime has dealt with the whole case—from a Congress minister passing on a slip to a Swedish prime minister, requesting him to go slow on the Bofors probe, to the CBI requesting that the British government de-freeze Quattrocchi’s accounts in 2005—has left little doubt that the party (read: the family) has some interest in protecting Quattrocchi."
We don’t know if there was any truth in the allegation that Rajiv Gandhi got some part of the kickbacks. The fact is that he was exonerated by the court in 2004 and we have no reason to doubt the court’s verdict. But (and it is a big but) the way the Congress regime has dealt with the whole case—from a Congress minister passing on a slip to a Swedish prime minister, requesting him to go slow on the Bofors probe, to the CBI requesting that the British government de-freeze Quattrocchi’s accounts in 2005—has left little doubt that the party (read: the family) has some interest in protecting Quattrocchi."
Sunday, May 03, 2009
SJ Soorya: Newton's Third Vithi: Tamil Movies
யுவகிருஷ்ணா: நியூட்டனின் 3ஆம் வி: ": Newtonin 3aam vidhi, Tamil Masala, Tamil Movie review"
Sridhar: Perundhu Entry: Tamil Shorts
ஒருபக்கம்: எரனைக்கல் மோதிரம்: "குறும்படத்திற்கான கதை வடிவம்" - சிறுகதை, பேருந்து, போட்டி