I Me My

Nostalgia - A Magical Quicksand?

2012-01-21T23:16:00.000-05:00

Is nostalgia becoming a modern day epidemic? Nostalgia for... a place that once was, a country one left behind, a people we once were, a lifestyle that once was, the person you once were, the friends you once had; the list is endless! If indeed nostalgia has taken such mammoth proportions, one wonders why that is so, and what it will lead to. Mohsin Hamid a renowned writer of "The Reluctant

Lac Su's "I Love Yous Are For White People" - A Gripping Immigrant Memoir

2012-01-09T18:59:00.000-05:00

Having read several autobiographies and memoirs of journeys undertaken by immigrants to come and settle in United States of America, and eventually making their American dream happen, I was not really gung ho about reading yet another immigrant memoir. In fact, I had Lac Su sitting on my to-read list for quite a while. It was only because I had nothing better to read today, did I pick up “I

"A Palace in the Old Village" by Tahar Ben Jelloun Explores Immigrant Dreams in North Africa

2012-01-02T19:25:00.000-05:00

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Noam Chomsky on 'Occupy Wall Street' Protests

2011-10-18T19:34:00.000-04:00

Noam Chomsky , a renowned scholar, linguist, and a Professor at M.I.T., supports the 'Occupy Wall Street' protests, and paints a grim picture of what is unfolding in the US. His claim is that: 'democratic system isn't functioning and the public knows it " 'campaign spending for each candidate in the 2012 US election is about 2 billion dollars...and campaign funds come from financial

Anna Hazare Uses Gandhi's Ahimsa to Battle Corruption in India

2011-08-19T08:18:00.004-04:00

For a man who has "no bankbook", lives "in a temple", and has "a plant and a bed" as his only two personal assets, Anna Hazare may bring about the Indian Summer to bring attention to and perhaps curb the rampant corruption that exists in India today. NEW DELHI — "In a “new” India often obsessed with wealth and status, where cricket batsmen and Bollywood movie

US Debt Ceiling Crisis Holding the Country Hostage? Congressman Rush Holt Feels Crisis a Result of "Economic Brinksmanship "

2011-07-27T17:15:00.006-04:00

I had sent an email to Congressman Rush Holt (Dem) on the current 'Debt Ceiling Crisis" and this was his reply:(the parts highlighted in red caught my attention)"Thank you for contacting me about the federal budget. I appreciate hearing from you. The debate over the budget goes to the heart of how we govern and how we increase economic opportunity and create jobs. On one side are those who

American Educators to "Stand and Deliver" - US Students Poised to Become Globally Competitive?

2011-07-24T17:35:00.001-04:00

"...winning the future depends on being able to out-innovate, out-build and—yes—out-educate our competitors" Barack Obama"President Obama’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology (PCAST) recently released Prepare and Inspire, a report on science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education. This report generated relatively little fanfare in the mainstream and online press, but

Visit to India Part II - "An Ode to Fairness".

2011-07-05T10:25:00.029-04:00

In India for a fortnight...Billboards, hoardings, and TV /radio commercials universally shout out- "Fair is Beautiful"! That appears to be the universal mantra in India. Ever since I landed at the T3 Airport in India's capital city New Delhi, the one thing I could not help but notice is India's preoccupation with skin whiteners. 'To whiten' seems to be the eternal pursuit of every Indian

"India Calling" - Anand Giridharadas' Planned Bestseller. A Smart Calling!

2011-06-12T20:53:00.003-04:00

An Intent - A Personification

2011-04-20T10:36:00.003-04:00

I am always hiddenyet highly sought after?I beget every actionbut then I cease to matter.Unless things go wrong!And then I'm hunted!They want me, one and allif only to defend or take offense.Yet mostly I am a 'pretend'one that you can't contend,so well hidden am I.My covertness on guile depends;tact with respectable demeanorwhich to some the body lends.Sadly, on my own I cannot fend,but usually

The 'Mahatma' Blinded in NY City - Is there a message therein?

2011-04-12T17:30:00.004-04:00

The Mahatma doesn’t need to see The bloodshed and the poverty of a weary n' strife-torn humanity. The Mahatma won’t want to seeWall Street' s corruption and apathy that's sapping dry the US economy. The Mahatma had better not see educators aspire to mediocrityand dwindling student alacrity. The Mahatma shouldn’t have to see the manifestations of ethical paucity in trends and

Full Veil Niquab Ban in France _ Sarkozy's 'Veiled' Agenda?

2011-04-11T21:31:00.005-04:00

"France's ban on full face veils, a first in Europe, went into force on Monday, making anyone wearing the Muslim niqab or burqa in public liable to a fine of 150 euros (133 pounds) or lessons in French citizenship."France has a 5 million Muslim population of which less than 2000 wear the face veil and it is this small group of individuals that will be affected by the new law that went into

Short Stories with Enigmatic Settings

2011-02-08T19:01:00.007-05:00

Body and the Brain - A Dialogue

2011-01-06T19:46:00.006-05:00

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Good bye 2010! Greetings 2011...

2010-12-31T23:30:00.010-05:00

Cheers to:new beginningsfond memoriesunconditional lovefriendships that feelproductive workplacesrelationships that holdchildren who careplaces that nurturewords that pacifyideas that intriguenuances that excitetouches that tingleuniversal health carenameless tiesminds sans boundariestechnology that facilitatesimmigrant workers who weather all worriesglobalization that makes differences

Sarah Palin's Run for Presidency - Palaver on a Non Issue!

2010-12-12T19:23:00.003-05:00

I am putting myself in the line of fire here, but I am willing to take it on because I believe in the sanity and intelligence of the American electorate, and because I have great respect for the American Presidency. I believe that the American electorate is neither naive nor stupid to want a simpleton like Sarah Palin to govern the country that the entire world calls the superpower, and that we

The "Dream Act" Passes in the House of Representatives!

2010-12-08T22:14:00.001-05:00

The US House of Representatives passes the "Dream Act" with a 216 'Yea' and 198 'Nay' vote. It is to be voted upon in the Senate at 11 AM tomorrow!Listening to the House debate over the Dream Act on CSPAN this evening, made it evident that some of the congressmen and women representing us are pretty vacuous and ill informed, even on those issues and causes that they call their own!For example

"Island Beneath the Sea" - Isabel Allende Living up to her Reputation as a Compelling Storyteller.

2010-11-11T14:55:00.005-05:00

I really liked the story, though I still wonder at the title " Island Beneath the Sea" or "La Isla Bajo El Mar", as it is called in its original Spanish version. Isabel Allende, as everyone knows, is charming with words, and in her recent novel "Island Beneath the Sea" she has spun a tale that strangleholds both your curiosity and your imagination. The reader is caught in a whirlpool of 'what

Laila Lalami's "Hope and other Dangerous Pursuits" Captures the Illegal Immigrant Experience Across the Strait of Gibraltar

2010-11-01T22:34:00.002-04:00

Laila Lalami's collection of short stories titled "Hope and other Dangerous Pursuits" was suggested to me by a friend while I was searching for contemporary writings on 'the immigrant experience'.Lalami's stories proved to be quite the page turners, with a delectable cast of characters sharing a common dream of making it out of Morocco in search of a better future. The theme of illegal

"Closures" - An Analysis

2010-09-28T18:24:00.007-04:00

Serving on a Jury.

2010-09-12T22:35:00.001-04:00

". . . We believe that trial by jury is fundamental to the American scheme of justice. . . . The jury trial provisions in the Federal and State Constitutions reflect a fundamental decision about the exercise of official power – a reluctance to entrust plenary powers over the life and liberty of the citizen to one judge or to a group of judges." Justice Byron White, in Duncan v. Louisiana (

South Africa's "Protection of Information Bill" - A Fledgling Democracy's Struggle to Define the Role of Media?

2010-08-25T15:30:00.001-04:00

“This is the threat of a return to the censorship under apartheid,” said Nadine Gordimer, a Nobel Laureate from South Africa whose books have been banned in the country, about the recently proposed Protection of Information Bill by the South African National Congress (ANC).Sensationalism sells, and that is true in any part of the world. However, does that mean that information be withheld from

Paulo Coelho's "The Alchemist" - Provides a Recipe for Cleansing the Soul.

2010-08-23T15:04:00.002-04:00

I was impressed by "The Alchemist"s reputation as the 'most translated book by a living author'; one which has been translated into 56 languages since the time it was written in Portuguese by Paulo Coelho in 1988. "The Alchemist" is a fairly short, feel-good read, that I managed to start and finish on my return flight to the USA.The novel is about the journey of young Santiago, searching for a

Thomas C Foster's Road Map to Literature - "How to Read Literature Like a Professor."

2010-08-15T13:39:00.000-04:00

For once I am glad I did not set aside this book because of its title! Thomas Foster's "How to Read literature Like a Professor" is a refreshing and engaging piece of non-fiction that every college bound student should read. In fact, I wish I had read this book in High School as it would have lessened my struggle in the English courses I took during the undergraduate years.Foster with his catchy

Visit to India........

2010-08-14T17:51:00.002-04:00

T 3 Indira Gandhi Airport New DelhiAll's well that ends well, and so it was with my visit to India. The much talked about Terminal 3 at the Indira Gandhi International Airport lived up to its reputation. The road access was well marked and easy, the check in was professional and the waiting lounges were comfortable and well kept, as were the bathrooms. I took off from New Delhi very impressed