Accidental Blogger
A general interest blog
Category: Educational, Cultural & Social Matters
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The Nobel Prize is awarded for extraordinary achievement, not for special wisdom or emotional maturity. One of this year's three Nobel laureates in chemistry is Venkatraman Ramakrishnan. Ramakrishnan is the seventh Indian born person to win this honor. Although he was born in India and received his early education there, he did his graduate studies and the…
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We have discussed this topic a couple of times here, the last time was not so long ago. What do modern nations owe each other regarding the return of or restitution for art and artifacts (some of them very ancient and invaluable) removed from their place of origin by way of sale, stealth or superior military power? In the current climate of globalization, international trade and treaties…
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A Diplomatic Diary: Maddening Nigerians, Dishonest Nicaraguans, Lewd Thais, Unimpressive Canadians …
And bloviating bureaucrats! Recently disclosed letters from UK diplomats to their home office in London reveal the contempt and exasperation they harbored for their foreign hosts. To their credit, the supercilious officials sniffed equally impatiently at cocktail parties and the "stuffiness" of their own ministry. LONDON – It's not exactly diplomatic – details of what British ambassadors really…
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Gotta love the GOP ignoramuses. I mean, what would we be doing here without the endless stream of gaffes, Freudian slips and calculated outrages that emanate from the right wing corridors of power? This one comes from South Carolina: After his words attracted national attention and drew condemnation from a Jewish state senator, a South Carolina…
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An interracial couple has been denied a marriage license by a justice of peace in Louisiana. Keith Bardwell, the man refusing to issue the license, claims he is not a racist but that he is concerned for the well being of any future children the couple may have. HAMMOND, La. — A Louisiana justice of the…
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Swine Flu Once Again: This came to me via e-mail – a doctor's guide to protect against the influenza virus, H1N1included. The doctor is Indian born and you will note that his pointers are almost identical to my own advice, posted here a couple of months ago. The only portals of entry of the H1N1 virus are the…
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Divorce is good for marriage! At least, that is proving to be true for a gay married couple in Texas, as a current court case here illustrates. HOUSTON — A judge in Texas paved the way for a court battle over the state’s ban on same-sex marriage when she ruled this week that two men married in another state can get divorced…
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President Barack Obama is this year's surprise winner of the Nobel Peace Prize. It was a surprise for me too when I woke up this morning and saw the news. It is unusual for world leaders to win this honor so early in their career without much of a political or social legacy to their credit. OSLO —…
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I don't want to come across as cynical or grumpy. In fact, I am for the most part a happy person and have nothing against other happy people. After all, most human enterprises, be it work, pleasure or leisure, are geared toward increasing the happiness quotient in our life's ledger book. Civilizing efforts through the ages – family, community, religion, philosophy,…
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Although he may no longer be eagerly sought out by the reading public in the country of his birth, P.G. Wodehouse enjoys an enviable degree of popularity in India. Every so often I come across reports and articles puzzling over why a long dead British humorist from a long lost era continues to charm a couple of generations of modern Indians who have very little fascination (outside the academic…
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Two newspaper articles about the decline of public etiquette in the age of Internet caught my eye – one about students behaving rudely with teachers and the other describing the increasingly frequent display of incivility by public figures. I have seen similar lamentations before, some recently and others from my own teachers and parents during the 1960 - 70s when drugs, rock and roll and student revolts began…
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I am a day late for this Labor Day post at 3 Quarks Daily by Manisha Verma. Having returned from my trip yesterday, I only saw the essay this morning. Manisha writes about child labor and in that context she has interviewed Bangladeshi photographer G.M.B. Akash who has taken some stunningly moving photographs of children engaged in hard, sometimes hazardous…
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From school districts all over the country, we have been seeing the likes of this statement from school boards and school administrations. "We have been receiving many anxious phone calls from parents concerned about the content of the President's proposed speech to schoolchildren on September 8, so we will not be telecasting it live to…
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A recent chance conversation with an Indian friend and Dean's comment on class and meritocracy, reminded me that although I have discussed racism in America and Europe on several occasions, I have probably never addressed the same issue vis-a-vis India in particular and Asia in general. Rampant racism, casteism, privilege by virtue of *high birth* and family connection is an…
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The Houston Public Library system's newest plan for distributing books is a modern twist on the book mobile where books were deliverd on wheels to eager readers. This time, the reader is the driver and librarians act as car hops. Love the idea. Anything that makes it easier to lay one's hands on books gets my vote. There'll be no…
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