An Almanack

Gov. Paterson Should Withdraw

S. G. Rajeev — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 03:08:04 +0000

I have had it with the accidental Governor. Until now, you could argue that Gov. Paterson’s problems are caused by the recession, which has hit New York especially hard. While Wall St. is handing out big bonuses again, the State revenues are down and the Governor has had to make many [...]

To The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee

S. G. Rajeev — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:31:32 +0000

Dear DSCC, Your frequent letters and phone calls are so endearing. Try doing something before asking for more money. For example, pass health care legislation. Who died and made Sen. Liebermann King? Yours Sincerely, Democrats

Conservatives Rebel In NY Dog Catcher Race

S. G. Rajeev — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:06:02 +0000

Here in the town of Gananoga, in upstate New York, a dog catcher is just what it sounds like: he (or she, but it has been a he for thirty five years) catches wayward dogs. In most cases, he finds the owner and returns them. Otherwise, it goes to the pound, to be [...]

The Old Country

S. G. Rajeev — Mon, 07 Sep 2009 13:08:26 +0000

All the talk in the US is about National Health Care. A colleague, who always has his finger in the wind, whispers that growth area in medical research is Alzheimer’s disease. How can we, as a Physics Department, cash in on that? The signs that old people (we like to call ourselves middle aged, [...]

Prayag

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 23 Aug 2009 14:37:30 +0000

The Harish-Chandra Research Institute is located on the banks of the Ganga, within sight of where the Yamuna flows into it. From its magnificent gardens you can see the sand bank that marks the confluence of the two most sacred rivers of Hinduism. Everyone-mythical figures such as Rama and Krishna, poets such as Kalidasa and [...]

My Name Is Khan

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 16 Aug 2009 04:37:57 +0000

Shah Rukh Khan, the hero of many Bollywood movies, was detained by US immigration for two hours because his surname popped up on a watch list. Khan is the most common last name among South Asian Muslims; there are more Khans in the world than Smiths. Even in the US, it is the 665th most [...]

The Entrance Exam Frenzy

S. G. Rajeev — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 08:02:16 +0000

Here in Kerala, the teenagers are the busiest people. They start their day at 7:00 in the morning with classes to prepare them for the brutal competition in the entrance examinations to publicly run colleges. 9:30 to 3:30 is school. Then its off to classes again. Often till 9 pm. Weekends are even busier. Classes [...]

Mechanics In One Dimension

S. G. Rajeev — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 05:07:58 +0000

Finally I post something about physics. Here are notes from lectures on mechanics to freshmen at the IISER-TVM. I didn’t have time to edit it. Any corrections ( spelling mistakes, algebraic errors etc.) are welcome. It usually takes me a few iterations to get everything right.

How To Watch A Chick Flick

S. G. Rajeev — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 22:34:08 +0000

There are three kinds of chick flicks. Type A often has Meryll Streep and always involves a disease. There is no way to watch this type. Run. Don’t walk. May be there is a hospital fire somewhere that only you can put out? Doubly beware if the name of the movie ends [...]

KO Quotes A Diary! I Mean Wow!

S. G. Rajeev — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:15:12 +0000

My life has meaning now. KO quotes a diary from DKos on his show. OK, it wasn’t my diary, but I read it. Before KO quoted it. On TV! Yes, sometimes if you live a good life and work hard it all pays off in the end. Life is not all unfair. A celebrity quoted [...]

Sarah Palin Resigns As President Effective 2012

S. G. Rajeev — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 03:22:32 +0000

Gov. Sarah Palin has a short announcement to make, after which she will be answering your questions. Hi America, I appreciate speaking directly TO you, over the heads of the Liberal Media. People who know me know that besides faith and family, nothing’s more important to me than our troops who are serving so well defending [...]

The Legend of Lawrence of Arabia

S. G. Rajeev — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 04:08:03 +0000

T. E. Lawrence, the illegitimate son of an Anglo-Irish Baronet has been immortalized by Hollywood as Lawrence of Arabia. But there is another, less well known, legend about his years as Assistant to H. E. Hogarth, the renowned archeologist. They were digging at Carchemish, a remote dusty outpost of Syria. The nearest [...]

Top Ten Reasons Sarah Palin Quit

S. G. Rajeev — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 23:16:17 +0000

10. Wants to go hiking the Appalachian Trail. 9. This is not a retreat. It is an advance in the direction opposite to forward. 8. Wants to be appointed Ambassador to Africa. She still thinks it is a country. 7. Will be appearing on Wife Swap, with Jenny Sanford. 6. Michelle Bachmann was getting too much attention for [...]

Moussavi Is Not The Obama of Iran

S. G. Rajeev — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 09:58:29 +0000

Duh. Next week’s revelation: Water is Wet. Really. The Liberal blogosphere has turned Green. TPM and Rachel Maddow have become cheerleaders for what they think is the democratic movement of Iran. Obama and Kos have decided to stay out of the fray, while not criticizing others for commenting on the situation. On the Right Wing, there [...]

So Who Voted For Bush?

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 11:39:47 +0000

Nobody speaks of Bush anymore. It is Cheney who haunts us as the ghost of errors past. Hard to believe that a little less than half of voters went for Bush in 2000, and then again a slight majority in 2004. Right after 9/11, Bush had the support of 90% of people. Even [...]

The Unreasonable Effectiveness of Conciliation

S. G. Rajeev — Sat, 23 May 2009 17:31:57 +0000

That sound you are not hearing is the roar of conservative activist groups enraged at the progressive in the White House. Other than a few buffoons like Limbaugh, right wing activists are demoralized, without a target to hit at. The Globe The arrival of a big-city liberal president backed by Democratic majorities in Congress should have given [...]

Highly Trained Individuals

S. G. Rajeev — Sat, 16 May 2009 07:06:10 +0000

When I came to the US thirty years ago, coffee was this brown muck that cost about a dollar per gallon. In the generation that has passed since then, coffee has become a spiritual experience, a political statement and a way to save the planet. Sleek new devices that hiss and [...]

Does Cheney Think He Is Churchill?

S. G. Rajeev — Wed, 13 May 2009 10:30:23 +0000

The Cheney-Churchill comparison has not yet been made. But it is coming. Sooner or later every conservative thinks he is the next Churchill. Dick Cheney is on TV every day. Even calls in to a radio talk show in North Dakota. Not only is it out of character for him, it is against the [...]

Nixonian

S. G. Rajeev — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 23:29:50 +0000

Look at 6:14. Condoleeza Rice says: So by definition-it was authorized by the President- it did not violate our obligations under the convention against torture It is a long video, but watch the rest of it for context. She claims she did not authorize it, only conveyed the authorization. I didn’t rob the [...]

59

S. G. Rajeev — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 00:24:48 +0000

Sen. Arlen Specter (D-PA)

Defending Torture Will Wreck The GOP

Staff — Sat, 25 Apr 2009 12:53:15 +0000

There are two sources of political power. The more obvious is that of patronage. When you hold office, you hold the purse strings,can make appointments, pass bills and set policy. The less obvious is the power of insurgency. When you are out of power, you get to sit back and criticize, watch for abuses [...]

The Indian Railway II

Staff — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:39:17 +0000

What Went Right? The Railway was a failure when it was a monopoly. Now it has competition from trucks plying the recently built highways. So they had to shape up to survive. The Government owned airlines are struggling due to competition from the newly licensed private carriers. The Indian Airlines (the domestic airline) [...]

The Indian Railway I

Staff — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:38:54 +0000

The Indian Railway is the world’s largest employer. The main lines were built in British times. Mostly to move the army around to quell rebellions in different parts. The Madras regiment in Punjab, the Punjab Regiment in Assam and so on. But later, it also became the common man’s mode of travel in India. For [...]

A Certain Swagger

Staff — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 01:37:24 +0000

I mentioned to a colleague that Varadhan, a mathematician of Indian origin at NYU, won the Abel Prize. One of the top honors in the field. My colleague turned to the person sitting next to him, a visiting academic, and said: In the middle of all that corruption, they are good in statistics. [...]

So This Is What Obama Is Made Of

Staff — Tue, 14 Apr 2009 22:49:36 +0000

I don’t oppose all wars said Barack Obama in a speech back in 2002. What I am opposed to is a dumb war. What I am opposed to is a rash war…A war based not on reason but on passion, not on principle but on politics… As Sen. Clinton pointed out back then, this speech is [...]

Catholics of Convenience Against Obama’s Address At Notre Dame

Staff — Sun, 12 Apr 2009 20:55:30 +0000

Today is Easter Sunday. The day that Jesus is said to have resurrected himself after being executed by a State that found him guilty after a trial. This could explain why the modern Catholic Church is against capital punishment. A cross is the best reminder that a Government’s system of justice can go [...]

An Order Or A Request?

Staff — Tue, 07 Apr 2009 23:32:26 +0000

There is an apocryphal story about Gandhi, said to have taken place when he was working as a lawyer in London. It was unusual for an Indian to have an Englishman working under him, but Gandhi had an English assistant. One day Gandhi asked him to do something and the Asssistant asked, Mr. Gandhi, is [...]

GMAC Chairman Was Also Madoff Agent

Staff — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 02:41:20 +0000

Frank Rich, NYTimes As if to confirm that much of our so-called legitimate financial world has been six degrees of separation from Bernie Madoff, GMAC’s chairman was none other than J. Ezra Merkin. In addition to presiding over losses of nearly $8 billion at GMAC, Merkin had a separate investment management business that threw away [...]

I Recommend

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 05 Apr 2009 11:25:30 +0000

Amazon.com Widgets

Pres. Obama Speaks Up For Andre’

Rajeev — Sat, 04 Apr 2009 14:55:11 +0000

Politico reports: Arrayed around a long mahogany table in the White House state dining room last week, the CEOs of the most powerful financial institutions in the world offered several explanations for paying high salaries to their employees — and, by extension, to themselves. We have all heard these explanations. These are complicated companies. We’re competing for talent on [...]

What Went Wrong With General Motors?

Staff — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 15:34:52 +0000

What Went Wrong? is the title of a book by the Orientalist scholar Bernard Lewis about the Decline and Fall of the Islamic Civilization. There was a time when the Islamic Empires ruled from Spain to India and beyond. They had the best scientists, the most sophisticated literature. The basic degrees given [...]

India Gets Spy Satellite From Israel

Rajeev — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:46:00 +0000

So that is the payoff. A few months ago India launched a spy satellite for Israel, using its PSLV rocket. So why take the risk of doing a favor for Israel, when the political situation in South Asia is so inflammatory? Now we know. Indian satellites lack the Synthetic Aperture Radar that can [...]

Our First Townhall Meeting About Layoffs

Richard Saunders — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 22:28:45 +0000

Hat tip BIDMC Looking at these smiling people, you would never think that the topic of the day was possible layoffs, reduction of employee benefits, and other such matters. As promised in my message a couple of days ago, we held the first of a series of town meetings yesterday to explain our [...]

When Only The Clowns Tell The Truth

Richard Saunders — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 17:31:00 +0000

The best part of Stewart’s merciless takedown of Jim Cramer was the old videotape where Cramer brags about manipulating the market. Just a few months ago people would have watched that tape and nodded in admiration. But now it exposes him as a fraud and possibly a criminal. Every time Cramer would try to [...]

RIP DLC

S. G. Rajeev — Fri, 06 Mar 2009 15:05:50 +0000

The Democratic Leadership Council was formed by Al From in the wake of Reagan’s victories. Its aim was to move the Democratic Party to the center. It claimed that America was a center-right nation. Bill Clinton is its most prominent former head. Zel Miller and Joe Lieberman had a [...]

Let That Be A Lesson To You, Bobby

S. G. Rajeev — Thu, 05 Mar 2009 20:11:53 +0000

Bobby Be Good Rush Limbaugh is Bobby Jindal’s main sponsor in the Republican Party. They need a couple of dark skinned guys and a gal or two to show that they are open-minded too. As long as the new faces obey the guys who run the Party they are allowed to stand in front [...]

Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount of Brenchley

Rajeev — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 20:49:48 +0000

I had to write a report this week and was looking through my calendar from last year. Noticed a curious entry, a talk I missed because I was out with a cold. Who exactly is Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount of Brenchley, this denier of Global Warming? The magic of Google and Wikipedia allows us [...]

We Just May Have To Lay Off Andre’.

Richard Saunders — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 19:36:40 +0000

Hat tip Public D Publisher’s Note The original author of this photo-cartoon remains anonymous. I took it from a post on Daily Kos and added the following speech explaining Andre’s fate. The photo has since appeared on many websites. The second speech below is a totally unfair parody of one by the CEO of [...]

Guest Column by Gov. Bobby Jindal

Richard Saunders — Fri, 27 Feb 2009 10:12:58 +0000

I was humbled and honored to be chosen to give the Republican response to Pres. Obama’s address to the nation last Tuesday. The response to my response has been consistent. Democrats think it was awful. The Republicans are hanging their heads in shame. Only Rush Limbaugh stood up for me. God bless him. He might [...]

Dumbai

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 22 Feb 2009 09:49:47 +0000

A couple of years ago I stopped by Dubai on the way to India. Because many Malayalis work there, Kerala is better connected to the Middle East by air than to the rest of India. I wanted to avoid the maddening crowds at Mumbai airport and also look up my brother who worked in [...]

No CEOs in the Obama Cabinet

S. G. Rajeev — Fri, 20 Feb 2009 14:36:39 +0000

Change we can believe in: In President Barack Obama’s Cabinet, there is a Nobel Prize winner, a former mayor, and a veteran CIA agent. Surrounding him in the White House West Wing are a former four-star general, one of the nation’s most eminent economists, and a handful of this generation’s most talented political operatives. There are [...]

This Is Why We Elected Obama

S. G. Rajeev — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 03:10:53 +0000

That was a masterful performance. It has been eight years since we had a President who could utter a coherent sentence. Too long. When is the last time we had a President who could go from describing the desperate situation of the economy, comparing it to Japan’s crisis of the last decade, and [...]

Nothing Good Ever Comes of Great Hair

S. G. Rajeev — Sat, 31 Jan 2009 17:13:15 +0000

As soon as I saw a picture of Rod Blagojevitch (back during the Dem Primaries) I knew he was up to no good. This judgement, now vindicated, did not come from deep knowledge of IL state politics. I just knew that someone with such a lush growth of hair on his head had [...]

A Pakistani Technical University

S. G. Rajeev — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 08:15:25 +0000

Engineering is the most sought after career among the Indian middle class, replacing Civil Service in the British days. In addition to several elite schools like the IITs, India has several hundred Engineering colleges that churn out techies by the thousands. There is no shortage of talented and well-prepared students for these professional schools, despite [...]

No Cricket For You

S. G. Rajeev — Tue, 13 Jan 2009 12:17:10 +0000

For someone living within American culture, India’s response to the Mumbai attacks looks either suicidally passive or diabolically clever. Despite daily statements that make vague threats (”all options are still open”) the most direct action India has taken so far is to cancel a cricket match with Pakistan. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister [...]

The Inauguration Will Be Televised

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 14:03:08 +0000

I come home from a business trip to see a large envelope from the Presidential Inaugural Committee. Inside is a handsome card embossed with a Golden Seal. The Presidential Inaugural Committee requests the honor of your presence to attend and participate in the Inauguration of My heart beats faster. Finally, all those blogs I [...]

India or Israel: Who Has The Right Response to Terrorism?

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 11 Jan 2009 12:36:44 +0000

India and Israel have both been victims of terrorist attacks in recent months. Their response could not be more different. Israel has opted for direct action, in a bold and widely condemned attack on Gaza, from where Hamas launched rockets to attack Israeli civilians. India has taken a judicial approach, collecting [...]

Fatwa On Demand

S. G. Rajeev — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 05:04:29 +0000

Ever since the Salman Rushdie incident, the word Fatwa has had a negative connotation. Perhaps no word has been as misunderstood, with the exceptions of jihad and madrassa. It turns out that a fatwa is a kind of judicial opinion from an islamic religious authority. In nations that have adopted the Shariah as [...]

Who Is On The Line?

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:17:03 +0000

Hoax phone calls used to be funny. As a teenager, Steve Wozniak, the inventor of the Apple computer, figured out the Bell System technical protocols- he and Steve Jobs had found the manual at the SLAC Library. Woz used this knowledge to call the Pope, pretending to be Henry Kissinger. [...]

Who Attacked Mumbai and Where Are They?

Rajeev — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 13:03:20 +0000

The Lahore Country Club in Muridke The US National Intelligence Director has taken the unusual step of placing blame in public: AP The same group that carried out last week’s attack is believed to be behind the 2006 Mumbai train bombings that killed more than 200, National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell said Tuesday during a [...]

What Next?

Rajeev — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 14:45:42 +0000

Anger in India is currently focused on its own Government. The mindless bloodbath that followed some previous attacks has not happened. What we see instead is a quieter rage, one that can be channeled to something constructive. For, rage has its uses too. Every one, the US Sec State included, seems to be counseling the [...]

The Obama Criteria

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 30 Nov 2008 22:23:49 +0000

President-elect Barack Obama is about to announce his foreign policy team.No matter who is on it, Obama promises that the policy will be set by him. Nowhere is his intellect more needed than on policy towards Pakistan. On 1 Aug 2007 Obama said: The first step must be getting off the wrong battlefield in [...]

Mumbai Culprits

S. G. Rajeev — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:07:46 +0000

At this early stage, public information has to be gleaned from the Indian media: most sources here are quoting Indian reporters. Indian TV is aggressive in its reporting. But it can also be even more sensationalist and exploitive than the American media. Imagine CNN on acid and you get their partner IBN. [...]

Mumbai Lesson: Defund The Pakistani Military

Rajeev — Fri, 28 Nov 2008 13:47:09 +0000

So what do we know so far about what is going on in Mumbai?

The Next Iceland

Rajeev — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 20:59:47 +0000

.. Until a couple of months ago, Iceland was considered the fourth most productive country in the world with a per capita GDP of $65K. After fishing declined, Iceland opted not to industrialize itself: too polluting. Instead, they went into biotechnology, software and the like. And most of all, banking.

Yes We Can

Rajeev — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 13:53:10 +0000

Exhale Now. The US and the world came so close to a disaster and survived only because the right leader showed up. Just in time. Think back to the dark days after 9/11 when we almost destroyed ourselves by lashing out in blind rage. Hitting at imaginary enemies, while the real ones were regrouping [...]

FDR’s First Inaugural

Rajeev — Tue, 30 Sep 2008 07:25:59 +0000

The headlines today make us look back at a time when the country faced even greater economic peril. Now we stare into the abyss. Then we were at the bottom of that abyss. Yet we survived, and even thrived. In no small measure it is because the people had the wisdom to choose the right [...]

What Is A Tall Americano?

Rajeev — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 16:58:22 +0000

At the campus Starbuck’s Coffee Shop: “I would like a small coffee please” “Actually, our coffee machine is broken. So we don’t have coffee today” “Oh.” “You can get a Tall Americano.” I look around. There are many Americans around, most of them taller than me. Confused. “What is a Tall Americano?” “Small coffee”. “Oh Ok.”

The Drinking Age

Rajeev — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 20:25:46 +0000

At eighteen you are old enough to vote. To be registered for a potential draft, if you are male. Old enough to enlist in the armed forces, regardless of gender. And certainly to drive. But you cannot be trusted with a glass of beer until you are twenty one. That is the law [...]

Victory Lap

Rajeev — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 19:57:19 +0000

What seemed only an idealistic dream a year ago has come to pass. Elections were held in Pakistan. Both of the main political parties took part. Musharraf has resigned. One of the intellectual leaders of the opposition to Musharraf’s military regime, Husain Haqqani, is now the Pakistani Ambassador to the United States. But [...]

4000

Richard Saunders — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 03:05:43 +0000

The Education of Dr. Markey

Richard Saunders — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 04:09:26 +0000

Daniel Markey was Policy planning staff member, South and Central Asia portfolio, U.S. Department of State (2003-2007). He is now a senior fellow for South Asia at the Council on Foreign Relations. It is interesting to listen to the diissolution of Musharraf through the words of Dr. Markey: Mar 3 2008 Musharraf [...]

Bill Foster Elected to Congress

Rajeev — Sun, 09 Mar 2008 14:01:14 +0000

Bill Foster, the former Fermilab physicist, won the special election to replace Speaker Dennis Hastert in the House of Representatives for the next eleven months. There will be a regular election with the rest of the country in November, for a full term of two years. The margin of victory, 53-47, would be respectable [...]

Musharraf Loses

Richard Saunders — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:30:00 +0000

The most important election this year could be the one just concluded in Pakistan. In spite of the rigging, and the low turnout from an electorate in mortal danger, it looks like a fairly credible result. Musharraf’s allies lost. A good first step on a long road to recovery for Pakistan.

North Vs South

Rajeev — Sat, 16 Feb 2008 22:33:55 +0000

North Indian migrant workers in Mumbai are being attacked by a militant organization (known by the acronym MNS) which exploits the resentment of the local population. The most odious of the political leaders egging the violent mob on is Raj Thackeray. A generation ago the same folks (Raj’s uncle Bal was the leader [...]

The Trolley Problem

Richard Saunders — Wed, 13 Feb 2008 03:22:40 +0000

Whenever a nation has done something deeply embarrassing, which shames its decent citizens, moral philosophy thrives. As though the obvious atrocity can somehow be hidden behind sophisticated reasonings about abstract thought experiments. Psychologists must have some fancy name for this phenomenon. We live in such a time now. You cannot open the New Yorker [...]

How to Deal with Office Spam

Richard Saunders — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 14:30:10 +0000

Everyone gets office spam in their email. I don’t mean the ads for Viagra or requests to help a worthy gentleman smuggle millions of dollars out of Nigeria. I mean the email where some colleague (say Tom) is replying to a note about some one else (Dick) by a third person [...]

The Sound of Coins

Rajeev — Sat, 09 Feb 2008 18:33:37 +0000

A parable, possibly of Buddhist origin: The baker dangled the freshly made bread under the Bodhisatva’s nose. He knew it was overpriced, but the smell still enticed Him. So He breathed in deep. The baker, knowing he had lost the sale, said “Hey, if you are enjoying the smell of my bread, [...]

Neck and Neck

Rajeev — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:51:08 +0000

National Poll: AP reports that Obama is catching up even in New York (Quinnipiac University Polling Institute) ___ THE NUMBERS - DEMOCRATS Hillary Rodham Clinton, 53 percent Barack Obama, 39 percent ___ A Quinnipiac poll on Jan. 22 had him trailing, 51 percent to 25 percent.

The New Faith

Rajeev — Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:26:45 +0000

I am at my daughter’s birthday party the other day, chatting with the father of one of the girls. “So, what do you do?”

FermiLab is in Trouble

Rajeev — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:02:39 +0000

FermiLab (Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory) is the premier High Energy Physics research facility in the US. Located outside Chicago, it is named for the renowned Italian-American physicist Enrico Fermi. SLAC is the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center, the second most important center in the US for High Energy Physics. Both institutions are in deep trouble [...]

When It is Time to Leave-2

Richard Saunders — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 19:53:42 +0000

When we published the post reprinted below, we did not have President Clinton in mind. All of us are familiar with leaders who find it hard to bow out, even after their time is up. The wisdom of the American people in imposing a limit of two terms on Presidents [...]

India Launches Israeli Spy Satellite

Rajeev — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 06:44:01 +0000

Times, they are a-changing. It was not too long ago that Indian diplomats used to make speeches at the UN General Assembly condemning Israel. A new, more pragmatic, generation is in charge of India now. Fewer speeches at the UN. More interested in development and return [...]

Bill Foster for Congress

Rajeev — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 00:52:48 +0000

Congress makes decisions that require scientific knowledge all the time. Yet very few Congressmen have a science background. So it is in all of our interests to have scientists run for Congress. Bill Foster, a physicist with a distinguished career at Fermilab, is doing just that. (I know him only by [...]

Big Science

Rajeev — Sat, 19 Jan 2008 11:46:35 +0000

An analogy is often made between scientific research and exploration. In High Energy Physics, the accelerator physicists are the ship builders, the theoreticians the map makers, phenemenologists the navigators and the experimentalists are the sailors. The spokesman for the experimentalists is the captain of the ship, a dashing figure with power over life [...]

NYTimes Sees the Light

Richard Saunders — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 13:31:09 +0000

It’s official. The Grey Lady hath spoken. The Pakistani secret service (ISI) has been aiding terrorists even as they claim to be fighting them. Not only that, they rigged the original election that made Musharraf President. The plan was to hold the extremists in reserve, to use against India and Afghanistan when the Western powers [...]

What Would Gandhi Drive?

Rajeev — Sat, 12 Jan 2008 16:55:01 +0000

Nano Nano Nano has been a buzz word in physics for a while. Now it is also the name of a car, made by Tata Motors of India. It is cute, looking more like a toy car than a real one. It is small. I have seen potholes in Calcutta that [...]

Drona’s Revenge

Rajeev — Wed, 09 Jan 2008 22:52:04 +0000

Drona was the greatest teacher of his time. He had no peer in his command of the martial arts and sciences. But, at the end of many years of studying and perfecting his skills, he found himself destitute, and with a wife and son to support. He decided to pay a visit [...]

Bhutto Died of Indigestion

Richard Saunders — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 06:47:41 +0000

Breaking News…. The crack investigation team set up by General Musharraf to investigate the death of Mrs. Benazir Bhutto has submitted its report. The conclusions might surprise some who made hasty deductions based on a grainy video. Mrs. Bhutto died from a severe case of indigestion. Having lived abroad for so long, her stomach could no [...]

Environmentalism is a Conservative Cause

Rajeev — Wed, 02 Jan 2008 01:34:34 +0000

Something odd is happening with environmentalism. It is being opposed vehemently by American Conservatives. What is strange about this is that usually the drive to preserve nature comes from conservatives. It is not a coincidence that the words `conservative’ and `conservation’ have the same root.

Another Bhutto Assasinated

Richard Saunders — Thu, 27 Dec 2007 23:16:19 +0000

Other Posts on Pakistan Contrary to popular wisdom it really is the time now to assign blame. It lies squarely with the Pakistani Army and its Commander-in-Chief, Pervez Musharraf. The same army assassinated her father, Zulfikar Bhutto, after a sham trial. The same army has been plundering the country’s [...]

Names

Richard Saunders — Thu, 06 Dec 2007 19:05:41 +0000

Our publisher has described the origin of his name elsewhere. Interesting names are all around us. The Roman Catholic Church had a Cardinal named Sin. He was the Archbishop of Manila,

A Random Pursuit

S. G. Rajeev — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 18:08:15 +0000

A missile is launched when an airplane is directly overhead, at a height . The missile moves at a constant speed always heading directly towards the aircraft, which is moving along a straight line at constant velocity . What is the shape of the missile’s trajectory? How far will the aircraft fly before [...]

Helluva Job Mushie!

Richard Saunders — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 03:22:03 +0000

Other articles on Pakistan Excerpt from an interview with President Bush by ABC News Nov 2007. What’s his name has agreed to hold elections in January, and he’s agreed to take his uniform off. Frankly, I think he should do that in the privacy of his own home, but hey, [...]

Musharraf’s Departure is not Enough

Richard Saunders — Sun, 18 Nov 2007 04:15:18 +0000

Next in Line? Despite his willingness to blog on our site , I also think it is time for Musharraf to go. It is not enough that he `take off his uniform’. It is time for Musharraf to retire from the Army and give up the Presidency. If he is [...]

Musharraf’s decree

Richard Saunders — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:00:37 +0000

The Lincoln of Pakistan Other posts edited by P. Richard Saunders Editor’s note I am posting here the full text of my dear friend Mushie’s decree imposing emergency rule. A partial text of the decree has been published before by BBC. I have been able to obtain [...]

Welcome Richard Saunders

Rajeev — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 01:22:58 +0000

Please welcome to our midst blogger and editor P. Richard Saunders. In addition to his own posts, Richard will also be moderating comments and answering emails addressed to the blog.

Guest Column by Musharraf

Richard Saunders — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 04:15:21 +0000

My friends abroad, I am writing this with joy in my heart. Our long national nightmare is over. Full Democracy has been achieved and Full Justice has triumphed. Extremism in all its forms has been defeated. The humiliation of public servants by the judiciary has been stopped. Our Mission has been Accomplished.

Complex Time in Quantum Tunneling

S. G. Rajeev — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 11:46:48 +0000

Perhaps the most spectacular early prediction of quantum mechanics was tunneling: that particles can do things that are forbidden in Newton’s mechanics, although with a small probability.

The Geometry of Thermodynamics

S. G. Rajeev — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 18:57:52 +0000

Thermodynamics is perhaps the most remarkable of all physical theories. We have none other than Albert Einstein vouching for this:

A theory is the more impressive the greater the simplicity of its premises is, the more different kinds of things it relates, and the more extended is its area of applicability. Therefore the deep impression which classical thermodynamics made upon me. It is the only physical theory of universal content concerning which I am convinced that, within the framework of the applicability of its basic concepts, it will never be overthrown (for the special attention of those who are skeptics on principle).

Another President General

Richard Saunders — Wed, 19 Sep 2007 01:28:40 +0000

Read Also Part 1 , Part 2, Part 3 The shadowy machinations in Pakistan bring to mind another time and place where a President who had also been a General acted decisively to enforce a Court Order. The President was General (retd.) Eisenhower dealing with a crisis that started [...]

Reduction or Emergence

S. G. Rajeev — Wed, 05 Sep 2007 21:08:23 +0000

Earnest Rutherford used to say that all science is either physics or stamp collecting. This could have been a dig at the biologists of his time, who were still collecting samples and classifying species. He probably would have thought more highly of modern molecular biology, which is a lot like his physics in [...]

Matrix Diagonalization by Sampling

S. G. Rajeev — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 20:10:04 +0000

It is hard to think of a problem more ubiquitous than the diagonalization of a matrix.I will discuss today a statistical approximation method for finding the eigenvalues of a symmetric matrix.

President General Rani

Richard Saunders — Sat, 25 Aug 2007 21:52:08 +0000

We were just leaked a white paper on the situation in Pakistan written by up and coming analysts who used to man the South Asia Desk at State. Now they write in a blog named The Washington- Not!. For reasons of modesty they wish to remain [...]

Absurdistan

Richard Saunders — Thu, 23 Aug 2007 22:18:49 +0000

Perhaps a deal could be that Musharraf can continue as President if he will wear only pink dresses. Pink floral dresses with ruffles and a modest head covering. And he will be known from now on as General Rani. The previous General Rani was Zia Ul-Haq's mistress, but she just will have to give up her title.

Medieval Navigation in the Arabian Sea

Rajeev — Fri, 10 Aug 2007 03:28:27 +0000

Read First: Longitude Zero Indians call the bay between Africa and India the Arabian Sea. Throughout the medieval times it was controlled by Arab sailors. They established settlements down the East coast of Africa, as far down as Malindi in Kenya.

Longitude Zero

Rajeev — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:29:37 +0000

Continued in: Medieval Navigation in the Arabian Sea One of the early achievements of Indian Mathematical Astronomy (jyotisha) was the system of latitude (aksha-amsa) and Longitude (rekha-amsa). The prime meridian passed through Ujjaini, the capital of the country of Avanti.

Politicians and Generals

Richard Saunders — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 22:20:52 +0000

P. Richard’s Almanack Politicians are despised everywhere. According to most of us, they are corrupt, devious, self-serving, lazy, unprincipled, ignorant and dumb. Not a day goes by that we don’t hear about yet another politician doing something idiotic or getting into legal trouble1.Yet, we need these rogues.

The Almanack

Rajeev — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 12:23:35 +0000

If you like what you’re reading, click an ad to say thanks. What is the date today? A simple question, but with a complex answer. The story of calendars is the story of human civilization itself. The millenial 1 article by Amartya Sen tries to disentangle fact from fantasy in the history of calendars. Never [...]

The End of the World is Near-Not!

Rajeev — Wed, 25 Jul 2007 17:48:45 +0000

Read the latest in this series Environmentalism is a Conservative Cause Part 1 The debate on global warming caused by human consumption of hydrocarbons appears to be over. We are told that the polar ice cap will melt. Bangladesh will get inundated. Hurricanes will increase in intensity. Crops will fail. Riots will [...]