Creative commons
thescian | January 3, 2008Simple truths, simply written; one on unceasing Life and the other on what we make of that Life - the precarious gait that some call experience. How moving! Emily Dickinson and Walt Whitman: two of the America's greatest poets.
A noiseless patient spider
Walt Whitman
A noiseless patient spider,
I mark'd, where, on a little promontory, it stood, isolated;
Mark'd how, to explore the vacant, vast surrounding,
It launch'd forth filament, filament, filament, out of itself;
Ever unreeling them--ever tirelessly speeding them.
And you, O my Soul, where you stand,
Surrounded, surrounded, in…
thescian | January 1, 2008John Hockenberry on the big Media Networks and what he learnt by working for them, at TR. A passionately written account of why they are so fucked up.
The most memorable reporting I've encountered on the conflict in Iraq was delivered in the form of confetti exploding out of a cardboard tube. I had just begun working at the MIT Media Lab in March 2006 when Alyssa Wright, a lab student, got me to participate in a project called "Cherry Blossoms." I strapped on a backpack with a pair of vertical tubes sticking out of the top; they were connected to a detonation device linked to a Global…
thescian | December 30, 2007Great post at Neil Gaiman's journal on getting an agent (via reddit). Covers much more ground than just agents. Read up. I liked these best:
There is no substitute for writing a book that people want to buy and read. If you can do that, you can get published. If you can't, no clever workaround will help, because we can't force people to buy and read books they don't like.
Be obviously and extraordinarily good.
The first point above is common sense, the most uncommon of all senses. Please don't flatter yourself by imagining that it may hurt your creativity.
On the second, a few years of…
thescian | December 27, 2007 Measuring the world is a novel by the young Austrian writer Daniel Kehlmann who has been hailed as one of the most promising new generation of writers. This novel is the first to be translated into english (by Carol Brown Janeway) and has become a international sensation.
The novel examines the themes of Genius and Freedom through the extraordinary lives of two great Enlightenment era scientists: Gauss and Humboldt. Gauss is a consummate genius who is considered to be the greatest mathematician since Newton. Humboldt is one of the greatest naturalist and explorer the world has ever seen.…
thescian | December 23, 2007Coincidentally, I read two contrasting poems on the same day: Shakespeare's sonnet in the Oxford book and Philip Larkin in The Nation's Favourite Twentieth Century Poems.
Shakespeare's famous 12th sonnet that urges us to procreate
When I do count the clock that tells the time,
And see the brave day sunk in hideous night;
When I behold the violet past prime,
And sable curls, all silvered o'er with white;
When lofty trees I see barren of leaves,
Which erst from heat did canopy the herd,
And summer's green all girded up in sheaves,
Borne on the bier with white and bristly beard,
Then of thy…
thescian | December 18, 2007We needed a secular name. Some day, I hope considerations like secular names would be irrelevant. But, this is not that day. As a parent, I did not wish my child to bear a name that leans on blind faith.
What's in a name, we wondered at times, as we ruled out name after name which were biased in favor of religious outlook. Perhaps, we should just pick a sufficiently popular and sufficiently unique - that strange balance all new parents seek in a child's name - and be done with it. But, identity is all a person is, and name is an overarching part of that identity. Name is a label, a marker on…
thescian | November 28, 2007Why do Indian women drape their sari on the left shoulder normally? Is it just because of the preponderance of right handedness (so draping over left shoulder is just a bit more convenient) or is there some other reason?
thescian | November 26, 2007Only in Singara Chennai. During my seven years of madras monkey business I traveled by hanging onto a window rail with my left hand small finger like a gibbon. Never once did I have the privilege of seeing a wheel coming off, or even a screw popping out. Although, once the axle connecting the back wheels snapped and I sort of laid on the rails at a degree and grinned at those profusely sweating and praying for their lives inside the bus. Glory days in homeland...
thescian | November 26, 2007The Big Sleep at NY Times
Until the 20th century, few people needed money. Apart from salt and iron, everything could be paid for in kind. Economic activity was more a means of making the time pass than of making money, which might explain why one of the few winter industries in the Alps was clock-making. Tinkering with tiny mechanisms made time pass less slowly, and the clocks themselves proved that it was indeed passing.
The last bit is an astute observation! It could, of course, be completely wrong, but still..
thescian | November 14, 2007I made an error - corrected hastily before anyone could notice - in the last post that Ramya (wife, proof reader, grammar nazi) noticed, and then proceeded to give me a grave and admonishing look.
So, here's the rule for when to use "it's" and when to use "its": Use "it's" when you can use "it is", eveywhere else use "its".
Now, venture forth and conquer the world, thou proud grammaticus constructivus!
thescian | November 13, 2007RustyNeurons fired (previous post comment) a timely reminder. Ah. Prompted by my empty purse, I had deliberately forgotten ;-).
Here's the update: I have read all the stories and have written out detailed comments for three stories (one placed at first, two at second). I have also planned to write out comments for a few other good stories.
The comments will be sent out to the authors in another few days and I will bug them every day for an updated/polished version by the month end. Then, we shall have them up for your reading pleasure. Winners will get their prize by december along with a…
thescian | November 11, 2007Ladies and gentlemen, on this depressing monday morning of overcast skies and sullen dew drops, I present to your ungodly eyes a technology offering found at the beebs. A n Islamic car.
The Malaysian carmaker Proton has announced plans to develop an "Islamic car", designed for Muslim motorists.
Proton is planning on teaming up with manufacturers in Iran and Turkey to create the unique vehicle.
The car could boast special features like a compass pointing to Mecca and a dedicated space to keep a copy of the Koran and a headscarf.
A demostration of our remarkable ability to co-opt technology…
thescian | November 9, 2007A moving and passionate presentation. Watch and learn.
[link via Abi]
A few lines I noted down to think about:
ACCESS TO CULTURE, NEUTRAL PLATFORM TO SHARE BOTH FREE AND NON-FREE CONTENT
WE MUST LEGALIZE WHAT IT IS TO BE YOUNG, LET THE KIDS PLAY
THIS AGE OF PROHIBITIONS IS CORROSIVE TO KIDS, IT IS DEEPLY DEEPLY CORRUPTING, EXTERME BEGETS EXTREME
thescian | November 2, 2007
The Firefly
by Ogden Nash
The firefly's flame Is something for which science has no name
I can think of nothing eerier
Than flying around with an unidentified glow on a
person's posteerier.
thescian | November 1, 2007One small click of a mouse, a giant list of good books. Do recommend a book that comes to your mind now.