Friday, July 29, 2011
Thursday, July 28, 2011
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Pakistan Bids To Change The Minds Of Swat Radicals : NPR
The same Pakistani army that crushed the Taliban extremists two years ago in the Swat Valley is trying to deradicalize 200 young militants from that conflict. Doctors, teachers and psychologists are taking up the challenge.
Monday, July 25, 2011
Mu Harikrishnan (4)
Mu Harikrishnan (4)
கட்டியக்காரி குழுவினர் வழங்கிய மொளகாப்பொடி நவீன நாடகம் குறித்தொரு பகிர்வு. சென்ற வாரம் ஞாயிறன்று மொளகாப்பொடி நாடகம் பார்க்க கொளத்தூருக்குப் போயிருந்தேன்.
Saturday, July 23, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
The Only Way to Get Important Things Done - Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review
The Only Way to Get Important Things Done - Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review:
Abiding by a specific bedtime to ensure that I get 8 hours of sleep. Nothing is more critical to the way I feel every day. If I'm flying somewhere and know I'll arrive too late to get my 8 hours, I make it a priority to make up the hours I need on the plane. Work out as soon as I wake up. I've long since learned it has a huge impact all day long on how I feel, even if I don't initially feel like doing it. Launching my work day by focusing first on whatever I've decided the night before is the most important activity I can do that day. Then taking a break after 90 minutes to refuel. Today — which happens to be a Sunday — this blog was my priority. My break was playing tennis for an hour. During the week it might be just to breathe for five minutes, or get something to eat. Immediately writing down on a list any idea or task that occurs to me over the course of the day. Once it's on paper, it means I don't walk around feeling preoccupied by it — or risk forgetting it. Asking myself the following question any time I feel triggered by someone or something,: "What's the story I'm telling myself here and how could I tell a more hopeful and empowering story about this same set of facts?"
Arts Interviews: Tamil Folk Performances: Therukoothu Artist Mahalingam - Thavasi Karuppusami, Va Parthiban
Mu Harikrishnan
தெருக்கூத்துக் கலைஞர் எலிமேடு மகாலிங்கம் அவர்களுடன் ஒரு சந்திப்பு. உடன் உரையாடியது:வ.பார்த்திபன்,தவசிக்கருப்புசாமி
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
XKCDB: The #xkcd Quote Database
< logic> God damn it.
< logic> I need a new phone.
< logic> I got drunk after seeing transformers last night.
< logic> And I was playing about with the settings on my phone.
< logic> Found 'Airplane mode.' and thought "Fuck yeah!"
< logic> Activated it and threw my phone into the sky!
< logic> It just fell and hit the ground, cracking the screen.
< logic> Worst. Transformer. Ever.
< logic> I need a new phone.
< logic> I got drunk after seeing transformers last night.
< logic> And I was playing about with the settings on my phone.
< logic> Found 'Airplane mode.' and thought "Fuck yeah!"
< logic> Activated it and threw my phone into the sky!
< logic> It just fell and hit the ground, cracking the screen.
< logic> Worst. Transformer. Ever.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
PR and corruption theater « BuzzMachine
PR and corruption theater « BuzzMachine
Was Rupert Murdoch’s dottiness a strategy handed down from Edelman or was that him abandoning his libretto to declare himself suddenly humble (if that’s humility…)? Was James coached to be a parody of a droning MBA?
Monday, July 18, 2011
Ten Principles to Live by in Fiercely Complex Times - Tony Schwartz - Harvard Business Review
1. Always challenge certainty, especially your own.When you think you're undeniably right, ask yourself "What might I be missing here?" If we could truly figure it all out, what else would there be left to do?
2. Excellence is an unrelenting struggle, but it's also the surest route to enduring satisfaction. Amy Chua, the over-the-top "Tiger Mother," was right that there's no shortcut to excellence. Getting there requires practicing deliberately, delaying gratification, and forever challenging your current comfort zone.
3. Emotions are contagious, so it pays to know what you're feeling. Think of the best boss you ever had. How did he or she make you feel? That's the way you want to make others feel.
4. When in doubt, ask yourself, "How would I behave here at my best?" We know instinctively what it means to do the right thing, even when we're inclined to do the opposite. If you find it impossible, in a challenging moment, to envision how you'd behave at your best, try imagining how someone you admire would respond.
5. If you do what you love, the money may or may not follow, but you'll love what you do.It's magical thinking to assume you'll be rewarded with riches for following your heart. What it will give you is a richer life. If material riches don't follow, and you decide they're important, there's always time for Plan B.
6. You need less than you think you do. All your life, you've been led to believe that more is better, and that whatever you have isn't enough. It's a prescription for disappointment. Instead ask yourself this: How much of what you already have truly adds value in your life? What could you do without?
7. Accept yourself exactly as you are but never stop trying to learn and grow. One without the other just doesn't cut it. The first, by itself, leads to complacency, the second to self-flagellation. The paradoxical trick is to embrace these opposites, using self-acceptance as an antidote to fear and as a cushion in the face of setbacks.
8. Meaning isn't something you discover, it's something you create, one step at a time.Meaning is derived from finding a way to express your unique skills and passion in the service of something larger than yourself. Figuring out how best to contribute is a lifelong challenge, reborn every day.
9. You can't change what you don't notice and not noticing won't make it go away. Each of us has an infinite capacity for self-deception. To avoid pain, we rationalize, minimize, deny, and go numb. The antidote is the willingness to look at yourself with unsparing honesty, and to hold yourself accountable to the person you want to be.
10. When in doubt, take responsibility. It's called being a true adult.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Why Netflix Raised Its Prices - NYTimes.com
PCWorld.com has a nice summary of Netflix alternatives. There’s Amazon Prime (no DVDs by mail, small streaming selection). Blockbuster by Mail (pricier mailed DVDs, no free streaming at all). Hulu Plus (no DVDs at all). Redbox (no streaming, pay by the day). In other words, even at $16, Netflix still gives you more than anyone else.
Why Netflix Raised Its Prices - NYTimes.com
Why Netflix Raised Its Prices - NYTimes.com
News Desk: Ahmed Wali Karzai’s Treacherous Circle : The New Yorker
When I visited Kandahar for The New Yorker in early 2002, just a few weeks after the rout of the Taliban, “AWK” (as the Americans and other Westerners involved in the NATO war effort in Afghanistan came to refer to him) had clearly emerged as the regional powerbroker.
On a return visit to Kandahar, in late March 2005, I paid a call on Ahmed Wali Karzai.
On a return visit to Kandahar, in late March 2005, I paid a call on Ahmed Wali Karzai.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
The Pioneer :: Home : >> Manibens diary reopens Sardars rift with Nehru
The contents of the diary which are going into print also throw some rare insight about other personalities’ comments on Nehru’s ‘secular’ image.
Nehru’s close friend Sriprakash told Sardar “there was no trace of Hindutva in Motilal Nehru. He was three-quarters Englishman and one quarter Muslim. How can you expect any Hindutva in his son?” Maniben’s diary notes on October 12, 1950.
Another entry, on September 13, 1950, quotes Ghanshyamdas Birla as saying “Nehru’s whole family would have embraced Islam is they had not come in contact with Gandhiji.”
With revelations like this, Maniben’s diary is sure to raise a storm once again regarding Nehru legacy.
Nehru’s close friend Sriprakash told Sardar “there was no trace of Hindutva in Motilal Nehru. He was three-quarters Englishman and one quarter Muslim. How can you expect any Hindutva in his son?” Maniben’s diary notes on October 12, 1950.
Another entry, on September 13, 1950, quotes Ghanshyamdas Birla as saying “Nehru’s whole family would have embraced Islam is they had not come in contact with Gandhiji.”
With revelations like this, Maniben’s diary is sure to raise a storm once again regarding Nehru legacy.
The entry in Maniben’s diary on September 20, 1950 says that Sardar told Nehru that the Babri Masjid’s renovation was different from reconstruction of the Somnath Temple for which a trust was set up that raised nearly `30 lakh for the purpose. Government money was not spent on reconstruction of the Somnath Temple, Sardar told Nehru following which the Prime Minister kept quiet, Maniben’s diary notes on September 20, 1950.
Kabhi apni shakal dekhi hai? – The Express Tribune
discussions between Pakistani and Indian intellectuals at a dinner. One of the topics of discussion was inevitably Kashmirand all around me my fellow citizens were confidently arguing that the people of Kashmir should be allowed to fulfil their natural destiny by joining with Pakistan. But the thought which kept going through my head was: Kabhi apni shakal dekhi hai?
The purpose of this column is to ask the members of our intelligentsia, who so confidently assume that the Kashmiris are protesting and dying in order to become Pakistanis, kabhi apni shakal dekhi hai?
Our country is a mess these days: Our economy is poised on the edge of a complete meltdown. Our largest city has just gone through a phase in which more than a hundred people were shot dead at random. Our industries are crippled by a lack of electricity.
CIA organised fake vaccination drive to get Osama bin Laden's family DNA | World news | The Guardian
Senior Pakistani doctor who organised vaccine programme in Abbottabad arrested by ISI for working with US agents
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Michigan Woman Faces 93 Days in Jail for Planting a Vegetable Garden : TreeHugger
Supposedly, Bass is in noncompliance with a city ordinance that states that only "suitable" plant material is allowed on the lawn area of residences. When local media asked city planner Kevin Rulkowski what that meant, he said suitable means "common:" lawn, nice shrubs, and flowers. However, the city ordinance does not specifically state that those are the only allowed plant materials.
Google+ Fan Art Compilation
Google+ Fan Art Compilation: "
"
Since Google+ launched we have seen a fair amount of fan art created to celebrate (or poke fun at) its arrival.
Here’s a roundup of some of the more popular images circling around Google+, listed roughly in the order of their appearance. We’ve been through so much already people, so many bad animated GIFs.
You can encircle me here.
by Josh Fisher
The Joy of Tech comic from GeekCulture.com
"
Who's Hiring? Not Who You'd Expect - WSJ.com
A close look at hiring shows some industries such as auto manufacturing and food service significantly boosted employment over the past year while telecommunications and construction continue to shed workers.
Book Review: I'm Feeling Lucky - WSJ.com
From the beginning, Google had uncompromising standards for hiring only the best engineers—and for the quality of its search algorithms. David A. Price reviews "I'm Feeling Lucky."
Branding, shmanding, a marketer was told. 'If we can't win on quality,' Larry Page said, 'we shouldn't win at all.
Twitter Announces One Millionth App, New Developer Site - Digits - WSJ
Twitter is showing a lot of love to these days to people who develop apps on the microblogging platform, after months of tensions and an inquiry by the Federal Trade Commission
Twitter Announces One Millionth App, New Developer Site - Digits - WSJ
Katango's Technology Helps Sort Facebook Friends - Digits - WSJ
Some people have too many Facebook friends--or at least it can seem that way when they want to post something they don't want too many people to see. Katango wants to help control the crowds.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Gregory Rodriguez: Land of the free, home of the fake - latimes.com
Three years ago, Time magazine decided we needed a guide to finding authentic corners of the US of A. " "Authenticity is hard to come by in this country," Reed Tucker wrote. "We don't get it from our … politicians, we don't get it from our lip-syncing pop stars." Or, he went on to say, in the places we choose to spend our vacations, like Disney World, Las Vegas or Universal Studios.
In 2006, in a CBS.com article, commentator Dick Meyer pined for the genuine. "We are surrounded by phonies. And phoniness," he complained. "We shop at malls that are designed to look like 'real' small town centers. We live in gated or planned 'communities' with names like Pheasant Crossing and River Run selected by real estate developers.... Even bodies are artificial; we have fake boobs, dyed hair, Botoxed eyes and liposuctioned thighs."
In 2006, in a CBS.com article, commentator Dick Meyer pined for the genuine. "We are surrounded by phonies. And phoniness," he complained. "We shop at malls that are designed to look like 'real' small town centers. We live in gated or planned 'communities' with names like Pheasant Crossing and River Run selected by real estate developers.... Even bodies are artificial; we have fake boobs, dyed hair, Botoxed eyes and liposuctioned thighs."
These days, a lot of authenticity-hungry Americans turn to ethnic food joints, reclaimed inner-city neighborhoods, organic food or the faux antiques of Restoration Hardware to counteract the incessant forward movement of U.S. life. Even a place as artificial as Las Vegas has tried to give itself a sheen of authenticity. Several hotel-casinos showcase paintings of past masters to give their European, high-culture stylings the feel of being more thanskin deep.
China's Bumpy Road Ahead - WSJ.com
• In Hunan, farmers pushed off their land by aggressive property developers discover that local authorities are not on their side. A farmer sets himself on fire, and protests spread quickly from town to town.
• A chemical spill into a Chinese river cuts off water supplies to Harbin, a city of four million people, sparking public fury.
• In Inner Mongolia, a Han Chinese truck driver kills a local herdsman in a hit-and-run accident, and ethnic unrest flares for days.
• Rioting in Xinjiang province spins out of control, forcing a state Internet shutdown across an area three times the size of California.
• In the coastal city of Xintang, security guards sent to break up a protest by migrant workers push a pregnant woman to the ground, igniting a firestorm that only paramilitary forces in armored personnel carriers can handle.
—Mr. Bremmer is the president of Eurasia Group, a consulting firm that specializes in political risk assessment. His most recent book is "The End of the Free Market."
The Divorce Generation - WSJ.com
The Divorce Generation - WSJ.com: "Having survived their own family splits, Generation X parents are determined to keep their marriages together. It doesn't always work"
Friday, July 08, 2011
Thursday, July 07, 2011
Are You a Level-Six Leader? — HBS Working Knowledge
Executive Summary:
Asking the question, whom do you serve? is a powerful vector on which to build a useful typology of leadership. Visiting professor Modesto Maidiqueoffers a six-level Purpose-Driven Model of Leadership ranging from Sociopath to Transcendent. Key concepts include:
- The most telling question to ask a leader is, whom do you serve? Yourself? Your group? Society?
- The answer to this question often reveals more about leaders than knowing their personality traits, level of achievement, or whether they were "transformational" or "transactional" leaders.
- The six levels of leadership are Sociopath, Opportunist, Chameleon, Achiever, Builder, and Transcendent.
North Shore Music Theatre - THE 2011 MUSICAL SEASON
July 12 - 24
KIDS 12 & UNDER SAVE 50% AT EVENING PERFORMANCES!
12 & UNDER | Regular | |||||
| $27.50 | $55.00 | ||||
| $22.50 | $45.00 | ||||
| $20.00 | $40.00 |
Google+ People - Notable folks in G+
Googlers: +Vic Gundotra, +Bradley Horowitz, +Larry Page, +Sergey Brin,+Natalie Villalobos (Community Manager for Google+), +Matt Cutts, +Andy Staudacher, +Owen Prater, +Joseph Smarr, +Trey Harris, +Andreas Koll,+Eric Cattell, +Darren Delaye, +Chee Chew, +Kelly Ellis, +Andrew Bunner,+Andy Hertzfeld, +DeWitt Clinton, +Matt Waddell, +Vincent Mo, +Yonatan Zunger, +Rick Klau, +Vanessa Schneider (Google Community Manager for Places), +Melissa Daniels (Google Community Manager for Chrome OS),+Brian Rose (Google Community Manager for Photos) & +Chris Messina(Inventor of the Twitter hashtag!)
From TWiT.tv: +Gina Trapani +Leo Laporte +Jeff Jarvis +Sarah Lane +Dr. Kiki Sanford
Other bloggers, press, and otherwise tech-affiliated people: +Ahmed Zeeshan, +Ben Parr, +Adam Pash, +Jesse Stay and +Steven Levy (check out his excellent story about Google+ in Wired: http://bit.ly/lc8LRh)
From Pandora: +Alida Brandenburg
From Twitter: +Biz Stone +Evan Williams
From MySpace: +Tom Anderson (Yes, it's really him... your first friend!)
From Revision3: +Kevin Rose +Jeff Cannata +Veronica Belmont +David Prager +Mauricio Balvanera
From xkcd: +Randall Munroe
Freedom fighter: +Lawrence Lessig
From Dell: +Michael Dell
Other geeks: +Felicia Day
Wine expert, author, and entrepreneur, +Gary Vaynerchuk
After all those people, if Google+ still feels empty, just add +Robert Scobleor +Chris Pirillo and you'll be all set!
From TWiT.tv: +Gina Trapani +Leo Laporte +Jeff Jarvis +Sarah Lane +Dr. Kiki Sanford
Other bloggers, press, and otherwise tech-affiliated people: +Ahmed Zeeshan, +Ben Parr, +Adam Pash, +Jesse Stay and +Steven Levy (check out his excellent story about Google+ in Wired: http://bit.ly/lc8LRh)
From Pandora: +Alida Brandenburg
From Twitter: +Biz Stone +Evan Williams
From MySpace: +Tom Anderson (Yes, it's really him... your first friend!)
From Revision3: +Kevin Rose +Jeff Cannata +Veronica Belmont +David Prager +Mauricio Balvanera
From xkcd: +Randall Munroe
Freedom fighter: +Lawrence Lessig
From Dell: +Michael Dell
Other geeks: +Felicia Day
Wine expert, author, and entrepreneur, +Gary Vaynerchuk
After all those people, if Google+ still feels empty, just add +Robert Scobleor +Chris Pirillo and you'll be all set!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)