Jon Stewart cracks me up.
September 29, 2008
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
Monthly Archives: September 2008
September 28, 2008
by Atanu Dey
6 Comments
Why Pakistan is Useful Just the Way it is
The Acorn says that now is the time to drop trade barriers with Pakistan. Pakistan’s economy is in a tailspin. Since the second last thing that the international community wants in Pakistan is an economic meltdown, Friends of Pakistan are … Continue reading
September 26, 2008
by Atanu Dey
19 Comments
On the US Financial Crisis
Richard Feynman has claimed that “it is safe to say that nobody really understands quantum mechanics.” He was serious about it because of the complexity of the subject and the counter-intuitive consequences of the theory. Sometime I think that the … Continue reading
September 24, 2008
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
Not your average Nigerian email scam
Steve, a friend in San Diego, forwarded me this email. It’s doing the rounds and sooner or later you are bound to read it. So you may as well read it here.
September 23, 2008
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
Another blogger on Nehru
I suppose you all know that I love them internets. It is the most potent instrument for the minor enlightenment of humanity. By “minor” I mean that which enables knowledge and therefore prepares the way for the major enlightenment. Once … Continue reading
September 20, 2008
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
We must free the Kashmiris
The op-ed “India can’t afford to fall victim to psywar” in the New Indian Express of Sept 19th did not make much sense to me. I find the entire piece confusing. Perhaps I am simple-minded and cannot navigate through contradictions, … Continue reading
September 19, 2008
by Atanu Dey
5 Comments
On Competition and Ideas
The Dance of Creative Destruction At the shining bright core of our galaxy of ideas lie a bunch of super-massive ideas that are tightly bound to each other. The core’s gravitational attraction holds the galaxy together, draws in stuff and … Continue reading
September 18, 2008
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
Stopping terrorism by securing WiFi
Well, now we can be assured of our security and safety from Islamic terrorism. TRAI — the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India — is taking steps to combat terrorism by securing WiFi networks. With terrorists using unsecured wireless fidelity (WiFi) … Continue reading
September 16, 2008
by Atanu Dey
7 Comments
Pranab Bardhan on Authoritarianism and Democracy
Prof Pranab Bardhan in the Financial Times on “What does this authoritarian moment mean for developing countries?” India’s experience suggests that democracy can also hinder development in a number of ways. Competitive populism– short-run pandering and handouts to win elections– … Continue reading
September 16, 2008
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
Hitchens: “Pakistan is the problem”
Christopher Hitchens writing in Slate: The very name Pakistan inscribes the nature of the problem. It is not a real country or nation but an acronym devised in the 1930s by a Muslim propagandist for partition named Chaudhary Rahmat Ali. … Continue reading
September 15, 2008
by Atanu Dey
9 Comments
Oh noes, the internets are down!!
For the last few days, internet service has been terrible at my end and I could not get online. Tata Indicom VSNL at its best. And when I tried to call in to their customer service, I realized how utterly … Continue reading
September 12, 2008
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
Keeping the US afloat
They say that if you owe the bank $1,000 you cannot repay, you are in trouble; but if you owe the bank $1 billion and you cannot repay, the bank is in trouble. Think of the rest of the world’s … Continue reading
September 11, 2008
by Atanu Dey
18 Comments
Five years of Opinions and Perspectives
Everything we hear is an opinion, not a fact. Everything we see is a perspective, not the truth. – Marcus Aurelius [121 CE - 180 CE] (Emperor and stoic philosopher.) This blog had its first post on this day in … Continue reading
September 10, 2008
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
Jaime Lerner: “City is not a problem, city is a solution”
If you needed more convincing on the matter of why India needs to build cities (and not futz around in villages), here’s a video of a TED presentation by Jaime Lerner. A video made more delightful by the way he … Continue reading
September 8, 2008
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
The Large Hadron Collider at CERN
Now for some smashing news. The European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN) will be firing up the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). It will happen at 1 PM (IST) on Wednesday. The first attempt to circulate a beam in the LHC … Continue reading
September 7, 2008
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
Happy Ganesh Utsav
I missed posting on Ganesh Chaturthi this time. I was in Mumbai last Monday. Tuesday evening was when I foolishly decided to make my way to Pune from Mumbai. As a matter of practical importance, I made the proper offerings … Continue reading
September 7, 2008
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
A couple of education related TED videos
Richard Baraniuk: Goodbye, textbooks; hello, open-source learning. (Filmed Feb 2006) Jonathan Drori: Why we don’t understand as much as we think we do. (Filmed Feb 2007) [Thanks to Manish Dharod for the links.}
September 6, 2008
by Atanu Dey
3 Comments
Two consonent views on the 123 Agreement
The American administration sent a letter to the Congress clarifying what the 123 Agreement with India entails for the US. The letter was leaked recently. There’s nothing in the letter which should come as a surprise because its contents are … Continue reading
September 5, 2008
by Atanu Dey
1 Comment
The Transantiago Story
This story comes from the other end of the world but has lessons for any part of the world. It is “a parable about the combustible combination of optimism and ignorance.” Go read “Planning Order, Causing Chaos: Transantiago” by Michael … Continue reading
September 3, 2008
by Atanu Dey
2 Comments
On the proposed spectrum auction for 3G services
Today’s Mint has an opinion piece by yours truly which they titled “India needs a good 3G order.” I confess that I don’t know what that title means. Whatever that means, here is the full text of the piece below … Continue reading