Oct 1st was a virtual bandh in TamilNadu.
Virtual? Yes,virtual. The supreme court had declared government sponsored bandh illegal. So,the ruling DMK part and its octogenarian leader pretended to observe a peaceful day of fasting while calling off most essential services. The net result? People stranded at railway stations.
Poor Patients coming into chennai, hapless.
Loss of a day's wage for those who eke their livelihood from day to day
A day of rest for the well-heeled and the over-payed with promises to compensate for the lost man hours on a weekend
Free publicity for the DMK and the chance to fire a few volleys at the Enemy a.k.a anyone who objects to the poorly thought out Sethusamudram project.
Now for the reason behind the bandh. The Tamil Nadu government, both present DMK and past AIADMK is keen on building a bridge in the Palk Strait, between India and Sri Lanka. The claim an economic bonanza
This would destroy the Adam's Bridge, a natural formation in the ocean, destroying fragile ecosystems claim the environmentalists.
This destroys Rama's bridge,the bridge built by his army from India to SriLanka claim the Hindu fundamentalists.
The economic bonanza is a pipe dream claim some economists.
Each faction makes so much noise, it is impossible to let those who are qualified to decide on the feasibility of this project or find the courage to announce their decision.
Case in point? The Archaeological Society of India first declared Adams's Bridge was NOT built by Lord Rama and then Hastily withdrew the statement!!!!
Personally if any govt promises untold riches especially around election time, I am suspicious. Besides,my natural inclination is to side with the environmentalists. I would also like to see Sri Lanka achieve a modicum of peace before we offer a direct path to potential Militants.
I also want someone to investigate just how much kickback the present and past governments get from the companies building the bridge.
The Communist leader comes on TV and declares anyone who opposes the bridge opposes progress!?
When I prepared for GRE, GMAT, CAT etc... one of our frequent logic exercises was determining the of kernel of truth in reams of flowery language seeking to confuse and confound. Such exercises should be taught to every student in every school in every town and every village all over the country.
We should NOT let our own stupidity enslave us. Let us learn to identify the kernel of truth in the bedlam created around us.
Tuesday, October 02, 2007
Monday, October 01, 2007
Learning through Inquiry and Discovery
Skimming through todays NYT email edition, I came across a rather refreshing article on Engineering education at Olin College of Engineering. This gave the Tag Line for one of my long set desires.
I want to change the direction of my blog. I want to focus on learning. I want the e.m.f (education motivating force* ;) to be inquiry and discovery.
To be perefectly honest, my blog has been sorts of l. through i. and d. so far.
But it has been my learning to the frequent detriment and occasional nirvana of my husband's and mother's palette!
I have learnt what works for my son's lunch box, what combinations work together, how to make authentic Kollu rasam etc... I have made some super disgusting Pumpkin curry, Sprouted Horsegram adai etc... Now I am hoping to write about basic science and math education. Exploring the world anew along with a super-smart 5 year old.
Coming down the stairs of my 5th floor office in IITM, we encountered something that looked like a sleeping insect to me and a dead leaf to my son. I prodded it with my foot and a beautiful, black-yellow and orange moth, flew right at him, then over him and coming to rest on the floor, promptly went back to sleep!
I will remember my son's squeal of shock and delight for quite some time.
A few minutes of online research indicated such Moths are found in Montezumo, Costa Rica. But I am just going to let him hold on to the image of what he saw.
* e.m.f is electro-motive force, a.k.a Voltage .
I want to change the direction of my blog. I want to focus on learning. I want the e.m.f (education motivating force* ;) to be inquiry and discovery.
To be perefectly honest, my blog has been sorts of l. through i. and d. so far.
But it has been my learning to the frequent detriment and occasional nirvana of my husband's and mother's palette!
I have learnt what works for my son's lunch box, what combinations work together, how to make authentic Kollu rasam etc... I have made some super disgusting Pumpkin curry, Sprouted Horsegram adai etc... Now I am hoping to write about basic science and math education. Exploring the world anew along with a super-smart 5 year old.
Coming down the stairs of my 5th floor office in IITM, we encountered something that looked like a sleeping insect to me and a dead leaf to my son. I prodded it with my foot and a beautiful, black-yellow and orange moth, flew right at him, then over him and coming to rest on the floor, promptly went back to sleep!
I will remember my son's squeal of shock and delight for quite some time.
A few minutes of online research indicated such Moths are found in Montezumo, Costa Rica. But I am just going to let him hold on to the image of what he saw.
* e.m.f is electro-motive force, a.k.a Voltage .
End of first term of school..
Gautham finishes his first term in Ist standard. He has the whole week off to rest and recoup; Or drive his mother and grandmother up the wall ;)
After nearly 66 more or less unsuccesful packed lunches I have made a few discoveries about Gautham's food habits:
Remember Lucy in an episode of "I Love Lucy" where She has to delay Ricky's visit to a play because she lost thetickets or something?
She orders a salad and chews each bite an excruciatingly slow 40 times!
Yeah, that was hilarious.
But Gau doing that in his 30 minutes power lunch half-hour? NOT so much. He once bought his lunch box home having just finished 4 carrot sticks. Wish I could eat as little as that and function as well. Sniff!
The lunch box has to have easily swallowable yet really pretty meals.
Gerber-like purees out, but the selfsame mush stuffed into a sandwich say a Dabeli Sandwich a la Food For Thought is in.
French fries and other roasted vegetables in their ilk are out, but a tottering on the edge of mush poriyal, especially stuffed into a sandwich or a wrap is definitely in.
Crunchy salads are out but sundals, a tamil speciality are in.
Carrots are out, cherry tomatoes are in.
Beetroot raitas are out - he does NOT prefer fuchsia, but finely chopped-onion raitas are in.
I also fix a snack box for the van - some almonds. raisins, dates and maybe a few biscuits (cookies in American parlance). He comes home with a reasonably full tummy and behaves more like a naughty angel than something out of a stephen king flick.
I am close to achieveing 90% completion meals now ;)
After nearly 66 more or less unsuccesful packed lunches I have made a few discoveries about Gautham's food habits:
Remember Lucy in an episode of "I Love Lucy" where She has to delay Ricky's visit to a play because she lost thetickets or something?
She orders a salad and chews each bite an excruciatingly slow 40 times!
Yeah, that was hilarious.
But Gau doing that in his 30 minutes power lunch half-hour? NOT so much. He once bought his lunch box home having just finished 4 carrot sticks. Wish I could eat as little as that and function as well. Sniff!
The lunch box has to have easily swallowable yet really pretty meals.
Gerber-like purees out, but the selfsame mush stuffed into a sandwich say a Dabeli Sandwich a la Food For Thought is in.
French fries and other roasted vegetables in their ilk are out, but a tottering on the edge of mush poriyal, especially stuffed into a sandwich or a wrap is definitely in.
Crunchy salads are out but sundals, a tamil speciality are in.
Carrots are out, cherry tomatoes are in.
Beetroot raitas are out - he does NOT prefer fuchsia, but finely chopped-onion raitas are in.
I also fix a snack box for the van - some almonds. raisins, dates and maybe a few biscuits (cookies in American parlance). He comes home with a reasonably full tummy and behaves more like a naughty angel than something out of a stephen king flick.
I am close to achieveing 90% completion meals now ;)
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