Saturday, November 26, 2005

slideshow

Take time to enjoy this slideshow of photos that I chanced upon. If you like colours and the use of colour-contrast in photos, I bet you would like these photos. Enjoy....

most admired women in India

If impact is a function of the public's admiration for a person, is admiration a function of visibility? In turn, does this mean that if visibility is high, then responsibility rises because impact is going to be high? Do personal and professional lives then mix in the public mindspace when opinion is formed? Do these people have to live their personal lives "responsibly"? Cases in point - Bill Clinton and Mohd Azharuddin.

There is another issue here - a person good at one thing is automatically seen to be an expert on many other things. Thus, Sania Mirza is asked for expert comments on Islam simply because she is a Muslim!

Read on...

Thursday, November 24, 2005

bbc's top 100 books

exporting america

Is he a rabble-rouser or is he genuinely concerned abt jobs in America? Easy to dislike but hard ignore, he is the most popular face attached to an important section of public opinion. I disagree with his macro-economic views, but can see why he is popular with middle-class America.

One more point - Lou is a great example of how FORM is important to communicate SUBSTANCE. Many intelligent people fail to argue with the conviction of a Lou, making the "average" viewer think that Lou's ideas are better.

Finally, note the subtle way in which the site equates creating overseas jobs with violating workers' rights.

Saturday, November 19, 2005

what's in it for me?

just what does Norway gain from "facilitating" peace in Srilanka? Since nobody does anything without something in return, I am curious. I read once that Japan and Norway wanted to get involved to gain important fishing rights post-settlement. That seems a little too far-fetched to me. Respectability in the international arena as a serious peace-broker? Really?

Japan might have some future strategic interest in the area (the way China, India and Pakistan already do), but Norway? Sorry for the bad pun, but this sounds too fishy to me.