Fight or Flight

Amid rows of books in the Delhi office of political psychologist Ashis Nandy is a painting that’s striking in its sordidness: the head of a dead politician enveloped in a floppy garland, surrounded by numerous tags displaying his numerous identities. Ever the political dissenter, Nandy is back in news after the Ahmedabad- based National Council for Civil Liberties filed a case against him for his article, Blame the Middle Class, published in The Times of India in January, analysing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi’s victory in the Assembly elections. The charge against Nandy is “promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth and language”. Some 178 academics and intellectuals have signed a statement to protest the case against Nandy (http://www.sacw.net/FreeExpAndFundos/ defendNandy16June08.html). In an interview with TUSHA MIT...

Thinkers Thoughts on Thinking The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination. Albert Einstein Sometimes I think the surest sign that intelligent life exists elsewhere in the universe is that none of it has tried to contact us. Calvin from "Calvin and Hobbes" (Bill Watterson) Belief is the death of intelligence. Robert Anton Wilson The test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposed ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function. F. Scott Fitzgerald Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the the universe. Albert Einstein My mother used to say to me, ... "In this world, Elwood, you must be oh, so smart, or oh, so pleasant." For years I was smart. I recommend pleasant. You may quote me. Elwood P. Dowd in the play "Harvey" by Mary Chase (1907-1981) Many highly intelligent people are poor thinkers. Many people of average intelligenc...

N FEBRUARY 13 this year, as Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama rounded off nine days of sweeping primary victories smashing Hillary Clinton across more than half of America’s 50 states, a key strategist of the Republican nominee, John McCain, quietly announced he would retire rather than work against Obama. “I would simply be uncomfortable being in a campaign that would be inevitably attacking Barack Obama,” McCain adviser Mark McKinnon said in an interview with the non-profit National Public Radio in Washington DC. While insisting he disagreed with Obama on “very fundamental issues” and would still back McCain “100 percent”, McKinnon said: “I met Barack Obama. I read his book. I like him a great deal.” On May 20, two days after an astounding 75,000 supporters rallied to hear Obama at Portland in the northwest state of Oregon, McKinnon — who masterminded the advertising campaigns of George W. Bush’s 2000 and 2004 presidential bids — resigned from the McCain campaign even as r...

Its confirmed India's Bharti-Airtel will be launching 3G IPhone in India.Bharti is said to have signed the deal with Apple in May.The dual carrier business concept by Apple will permit another Indian contender for the bringing the 3G iPhone in India.The probability is Vodafone as it had announced earlier but with no later confirmation.With the IPhone priced in US at $199 for a 8GB model it won't be surprising if it launched in India with a price tag of around Rs 10000 range giving tough competition to Sony and Nokia phones.With the stylish looks and the cool touchpad with a 3.5 inch screen and the enterprise applications it won't be surprising if it builds up a huge fan following among college and office goers alike within a short period. With the cellular market in India growing at a phenomenal rate and the festive season starting in September it won't be surprising if India is one of the countries where IPhone will be launched on July 11,2008.No tentative dates have b...

DognightDan Standing in the rain, with his head hung low Couldnt get a ticket, it was a sold out show; Heard the roar of the crowd, he could picture the scene Put his ear to the wall, then like a distant scream He heard one Steve Jobs, just blew him away He saw stars in his eyes, and the very next day Bought a beat up iPod Touch in a secondhand store Didnt know how to use it, but he knew for sure That one iPod, felt good in his hands Didnt take long, to install the SDK Just one iPod, slung way down low Was one way ticket, only one way to go. So he started hackin Aint never gonna stop. Gotta keep on hackin Someday he's gonna make it to the top. And be a WWDC hero, got stars in his eyes He's a WWDC hero He took one iPod, WWDC hero, stars in his eyes WWDC hero, he'll go live tonight In a room without a light, in a heavy downpour Thought he passed his own shadow, by the coldroom door; Like a trip through the past, to that day in the rain And that one Steve Jobs made his whole l...