Weekend joy, grief for new NRI minister
NEW DELHI: The ministry of overseas Indian affairs has a new head in
Vayalar Ravi, a veteran Congress party leader from Kerala and a Rajya Sabha
member, who was Sunday given charge of the portfolio as a cabinet minister.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: For Ravi, the weekend was a time of seesawing between
grief and joy - he was attending the cremation of his favourite grandson a
few hours before being sworn in as a central minister.
Ravi came with the body of the six-year-old boy, who died Friday, from
Chennai to his hometown in Vayalar near Alappuzha and soon he received a
message from the Prime Minister's office about his induction in the Central
ministry
---
Kerala tribals get a Jeevani jolt
Yoga Rangatia/ New Delhi
For the Kani tribes in Kerala, an American company profiting from their
indigenous knowledge without sharing the profits with them was bad enough.
What is worse is the ominous silence, against the violation, of the
Government research institute in which they reposed faith.
Since ancient times, Kani tribals knew that arogyapacha (Trichopus
zeylanicus) was a stress-buster. After nearly a decade of research, the
Thiruvananthapuram-based Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute
(TBGRI) made a herbal product, Jeevani, from the herb and transferred the
technology to Coimbatore-based Arya Vaidya Pharmacy to produce and market
the drug.
The profit from the licence fee was routed to Kerala Kani Samudaya Kshema
Trust, set up for the welfare of the Kani tribe. The move was hailed
worldwide as a sterling example of successful commercialisation of
traditional knowledge and the benefits were reaped by the tribal community
for sharing their knowledge with the world.
That was the story until Great Earth, a US nutrition store, discovered the
benefits of Jeevani. The American company is selling the drug under its own
brand name - Jeevani Jolt 1000 - without having the permission to do so.
Surprisingly, there have been no protests from those who incurred financial
loss as a result of the trademark violation.
The controversy has raised concerns about the real commercial value of
Jeevani. The technology transfer from the institute to the pharmacy cost the
company Rs 20 lakh. The pharmacy has requested licence renewal for another
three years. "It is a clear violation of trademark. The name is already
existing and has been incorporated in the patented Jeevani. It should be
contested. TBGRI should take it up with the US authorities," said Dr P
Pushnangadan, director of Lucknow-based National Botanical Research
Institute, who helped develop Jeevani.
But the Kerala administration is clueless how it should protect its
intellectual property. "The (American) company is buying the product (from
retail market) in India and reselling it in the US. We do not have a
trademark right in the US. It costs Rs 30-40 lakh to contest (the
violation). Who will give the money, The Indian Government is not giving the
money," TBGRI director S Ganesan said. TBGRI says it will speak out only
after the process of licence renewal is settled.
---
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----- Original Message -----
From: Kumar_Nair@makshaff.com
Sent: Wednesday, January 25, 2006 12:53 PM
Subject: Vicks Action 500 is not a very safe medicine
Vicks Action 500 is not a very safe medicine because one of its ingredients
(PPA) is banned in nearly all European and North American countries.
PPA has been implicated in causation of stroke - a potentially dangerous
and life-threatening side effect.
Unfortunately the Indian drug control system due to a variety of
non-scientific reasons has not banned the use of PPA in India.
---
Let your floors glow deep and red
Red oxide flooring, unique to Kerala, is back in favour after falling from
grace in the seventies.
The deep crimson hue of the red oxide flooring is something unique to
Kerala. Many people from the northern India and abroad exclaim at the
richness and velvety gloss of a well-made red oxide floor.
Cement floors enhanced with colours were the first step of modern flooring
in Kerala. But, the technique of red oxide flooring had arrived here much
before the advent of reinforced cement concrete roofing. Commonly found in
the palaces and the houses of nobility of the early days, the red and black
oxide floors had become associated with tradition in Kerala.
The best example of traditional red and black flooring is found in the
400-year-old Padmanabhapuram Palace in Thakkala. Though once the seat of the
Travancore Royal House, this palace is at present in Kanyakumari district of
Tamil Nadu.
http://www.hindu.com/pp/2006/01/28/stories/2006012800690200.htm
---
---
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----- Original Message -----
From: Harikrishnan.K.P
To: naamhs@gmail.com
Sent: Thursday, January 19, 2006 12:02 PM
Subject: SR633m Goes Up in Smoke Yearly
SR633m Goes Up in Smoke Yearly
P.K. Abdul Ghafour, Arab News
Saudi Arabia consumes more than 15 billion cigarettes annually. (File photo)
JEDDAH, 19 January 2006 - The hazardous habit of smoking, the main cause of
lung cancer that kills more than 1.5 million worldwide annually, is growing
in Saudi Arabia, especially among its younger population.
According to a report issued by the executive office of Gulf Cooperation
Council health ministers, Saudi Arabia consumes more than 15 billion
cigarettes worth SR633 million a year. The Kingdom is one of the world's
largest importers of cigarettes, it said.
"Lung cancer is spreading among Saudi men and women at the rate of 3.9
percent," it pointed out.
Smoking is rampant even among doctors, the report said, adding that about
six percent of female doctors in the Kingdom have joined the bandwagon of
smokers.
The Kingdom's Western Region, whose main cities are Jeddah, Makkah, Madinah
and Taif, accounts for the highest number (26.8 percent) of smokers while
the Northern Region represents the lowest number with 14.9 percent.
Saudi women compete with their male population to smoke off their health and
pollute the country's clean environment. Women in the Eastern Province have
got the credit of being the country's largest tobacco consumers (45.5
percent).
Diseases caused by smoking kill more than 1.5 million people worldwide
annually, the report said, adding that the figure could hit 10 million by
2020.
The Saudi Health Ministry has taken a series of measures to reduce the
number of smokers in the country. It used this Haj season as a suitable
occasion to educate smokers to quit the unhealthy habit.
Entitled "Let's Make Makkah and Madinah Free from Tobacco," the ministry's
anti-smoking campaign was focused on keeping the pilgrims posted on the
serious health and economic consequences of smoking.
The event coincided with a landmark decision taken by the Madinah
Municipality on Jan. 1, banning the selling of tobacco and its ingredients
at shops around the Prophet's Mosque.
The government has banned smoking in many public places, such as schools,
universities, health and sports institutions, government buildings and
public transport. Violators of the rule would be fined SR200 on the spot.
The ministry has established specialized clinics to help people quit
smoking. But nicotine makes it hard for them to quit as it is as addictive
as heroin and cocaine.
Smoking causes not only lung cancer but also other kinds of cancer such as
cancer of the mouth, voice box (larynx), throat (pharynx), esophagus,
bladder, kidney, pancreas, liver, cervix, stomach, colon and rectum, and
leukemia.
Smokers are twice as likely to die from heart attacks as are nonsmokers.
Women who smoke are more likely to have a miscarriage or a lower
birth-weight baby, medical experts say.
Smoking is no more considered a fashion or a matter of prestige. Studies
show smoking employees cost businesses more as they are out sick more
frequently. Smokers put the health of those around them in danger. Studies
have shown that secondhand smoke causes thousands of deaths each year from
lung cancer and heart disease in healthy nonsmokers.
---
Don't vote against Iran again
When the International Atomic Energy Agency convenes an emergency meeting of
its Board of Governors in the next few weeks, India must not allow itself to
be dragooned into joining the Washington-led nuclear lynch mob against Iran.
http://www.hindu.com/2006/01/19/stories/2006011901171000.htm
---
---
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K. Narayanan, The Hindu's first Readers' Editor
Aim is to institutionalise the practice of self-regulation, accountability &
transparency
CHENNAI: The Hindu has perhaps become the first newspaper in India to
appoint a Readers' Editor, who will be "the independent, full-time internal
ombudsman."
Making the announcement at the conclusion of "two lectures" by the Editor
and the Readers' Editor of The Guardian, The Hindu 's Editor-in-Chief N. Ram
said: "The key objectives of this appointment are to institutionalise the
practice of self-regulation, accountability and transparency; to create a
new visible framework to improve the accuracy, verification, and standards
in the newspaper; and to strengthen bonds between the newspaper and its
millions of print platform and online readers."
Editor of The Guardian Alan Rusbridger spoke on the topic "Do newspapers
have a future?" while the newspaper's Readers' Editor Ian Mayes outlined his
role and the canvas of his interaction with the readers as "The news
ombudsman - a visible presence, an independent voice."
---
On Resource Mobilization
Resource mobilization, in any economy, entails taxing the rich.
Unfortunately, the experience of the past decade-an-a-half has shown that
successive Governments at the Centre have not only abdicated their
responsibility in this regard, but have handed out largesse to the affluent
sections year after year through tax-cuts of all varieties. Besides
contributing to rising inequalities, this has also resulted in a significant
fall in the tax-GDP ratio in India and constrained the ability of the
Government to undertake development expenditure. The UPA Government has to
muster the required political will in order to reverse such policies. Some
proposals for resource mobilization are suggested below.
1. Collect Tax Arrears: Income Tax arrears to the tune of nearly Rs.
99,000 crore and customs and excise arrears of another around Rs. 16,000
crore have piled up till 2005-06. Collection of central and excise arrears
had registered significant growth in 2004-05. Stepping up the momentum, the
Government should make a determined effort to recover the huge income tax
arrears. The recovery of even a fraction of the Rs. 1,15,000 tax arrears
would go a long way in generating resources for the Government. The
Government should set an overall target of recovering tax arrears worth Rs.
1,00,000 crore.
2. Tap Cash Reserves of CPSUs: An analysis of 57 Central Public Sector
Undertakings having positive net worth and net current assets, based upon
the Public Enterprises Survey, 2003-2004, indicated that only 17 PSUs had
invested more than 33 % of their Reserves and Surplus in the year 2003-04.
The remaining 40 PSUs have invested less than 33 %, and a considerable
number have practically not invested at all. In the aggregate, there are 50
CPSUs, which collectively have reserves and surpluses of Rs 2,21,157 crore,
amounting to nearly 7.5 % of GDP, but are actively investing only Rs 81,805
crore, i.e. 37 % of the available resources. A part of these reserves are of
course lent to the Government by holding securities. However, this
disturbing trend towards underinvestment needs to be reversed at once and
the CPSUs reinvigorated to undertake massive capital expenditure,
diversifying their activities if necessary. The Government should also seek
special dividends from those CPSUs, which are holding very high levels of
liquid reserves, in order to finance expenditure in social sectors or
infrastructure. Moreover, they should also be asked to raise the rate of
nominal dividends. The Government should set a target of Rs. 25,000 crore to
be mobilized through dividends from the CPSUs.
3. Restore Capital Gains Tax: The abolition of the long-term capital
gains tax on traded shares and units of Mutual Funds and the reduction of
the short-term capital gains tax to 10 % in Budget 2004 were unnecessary
moves, which has led to revenue losses to the tune of thousands of crores
and encouraged speculative activities in the stock market. Prof. Amaresh
Bagchi of the NIPFP has written, "Since much of economic power accrues to
asset owners in the form of rise in asset values, a tax system that fails to
tax capital gains remains gravely deficient and creates a strong bias in
favour of the rich. Not taxing capital gains also offends efficiency in that
it discriminates in favour of activities like speculation, which beget large
gains quickly, as against risk taking in ordinary business.exempting
long-term gains from only listed equities, as is now proposed, offends not
only fairness but also efficiency by discriminating against the unorganised
corporate sector and unincorporated enterprises - the small and medium
sector - where the bulk of our economic activities take place. In sum, there
is no good reason to exempt long-term capital gains from taxation, and that
too selectively for gains from listed equities, or for taxing short-term
gains at a rate lower than applicable to other incomes, as has been proposed
now. It will grievously damage the income tax base and offend both equity
and efficiency. Can the transaction tax be a substitute for a tax on capital
gains? The answer plainly is "no".[it] can in no way replace the income tax
any more than a sales tax can." (Business Standard, 21.07.04) In order to
correct this pro-speculation, pro-rich slant in the tax system, the
Government should tax capital gains at a flat rate of at least 15%. (It is
noteworthy that most investors in the US pay capital gains tax @ 15% with
some categories of assets inviting capital gains tax @ 25% to 28%)
4. Strengthen Securities Transaction Tax: The primary purpose of the
Securities Transaction Tax (STT) is to check speculative activities and
prevent volatility in the capital market. What the Government seeks to
achieve through differential rates for short-term and long-term capital
gains (i.e. to discourage short-term speculative activities) can be attained
through the STT, provided it is executed properly. The proposed rate of the
STT in Budget 2004 was 0.15 %, to be paid by the buyers in all segments of
the market (equities, bonds, government securities, and derivatives). Due to
protests from market players and intermediaries, the rates were reduced. It
was decided that 0.075 % STT would be charged both on the buyer and the
seller for equities in the case of delivery-based transactions, a paltry
0.015 % for day traders, 0.01 % for the derivatives segment, and nil for
bonds and government securities. The Government lost hundreds of crores
because of this dilution of the STT brought about under pressure from the
speculators and brokers. The STT for day traders was increased from 0.015 %
to 0.02 % cent in Budget 2005. Experience has shown that the doomsday
scenario painted by the critics of the STT were wrong, with the stock
indices surpassing all future highs even after the STT has been introduced.
However, if the objective of the STT is to reduce market volatility and
encourage long-term investments in the stock market, there is no good reason
why the rates of the STT should not be the same for all kinds of stock
transactions, be it delivery-based or non-delivery based, especially since
more than half of the total trading volume in the Indian stock market is
non-delivery based (day-trading). A flat rate of the STT should be fixed at
least at 0.10 % for both delivery-based as well as non-delivery based
transactions. There is no good reason to exempt bonds, derivatives and
government securities transactions from the STT and the same rate should
apply to them as well. The proposed rate of STT, along with the proposed 15%
capital gains tax, can together contribute an additional Rs. 5000 crore to
the exchequer.
5. A Nominal Tax on Foreign Exchange Outflow: The Government should
consider imposing a nominal tax on all foreign exchange outflows. This can
be done easily by levying a nominal 0.5% tax on all purchases of foreign
exchange in India with an exemption limit of $5000. Overseas aid and debt
repayments made by the Government should of course be exempted. The
Government can also exempt items of essential imports from its purview. This
small tax would not only generate substantial revenue but also help to
stabilize 'hot' money flows into our economy and provide some protection
against capital flight. This would also discourage capital flight through
overinvoicing of imports. A sum of Rs 5000 crore can be mobilized through
this tax.
6. Rationalize Corporate Tax Exemptions: Despite having a scheduled
corporate tax rate, which is comparable with developed countries, the
effective tax rate for the private corporate sector in India continues to be
low due to the myriad exemptions. Although some steps were taken in Budget
2005 to do away with some of the corporate tax exemptions, the corporate tax
rate itself was slashed at the same time. This was avoidable. The various
tax exemptions that exist today need to be rationalised. The Government
should urgently review the tax incentives under Section 80IA and 80IB of the
Income Tax Act. Currently, 100% profits are exempted from taxation for a
period of 10 years for infrastructure projects like Highways and Ports,
provision of Telecommunication services, development, operation and
maintenance of Industrial parks and Special Economic Zones and generation,
transmission and distribution of Power. The rate of deduction as well as the
period of the tax concession can be reduced for these infrastructure
projects as well as for industrial undertakings set up in the industrially
backward states. Moreover, exemptions that have been allowed for sectors
like Housing, Shipping, Hotel, Oil Refining etc. should be phased out.
7. Review Export Incentives: The existing set of export incentives also
needs to be reviewed. An estimate made by the Revenue Department suggested
that total duty foregone on account of export incentives was Rs. 39,704
crore, which was 13.6% of total export revenue in 2003-04 (Business
Standard, 08.08.04). Multiplicity of export incentive schemes has also led
to their misuse. The Government should immediately phase out schemes like
the DEPB and EPCG besides curtailing revenue losses on account of Drawbacks
and Advance Licence. Moreover, the tax incentives provided to the SEZ units
under the SEZ Act 2005 also needs to be revisited. Since SEZ units enjoy
customs and excise duty exemptions any way, the case for providing 100%
exemption from tax on profits for the first 5 years and 50% for the next 5
years does not seem to be justifiable. The Exim Policy of Government also
allows duty concessions to the SEZ units for conditional sales to the
Domestic Tariff Area (DTA), which clearly discriminates against exporters
outside the SEZs. Such concessions should be phased out. Overall, the
Government should be able to mobilize Rs. 10,000 crore through the
rationalization of the corporate tax exemptions and export incentives.
8. Broaden Service Tax Base: Although the Service sector accounts for 52
% of India's GDP, tax mobilization from this sector is a small proportion of
total tax revenue. The increase in the rate of the Service Tax to 10% in the
Budget 2004-05 and the broadening of the Service Tax net in 2005-06 were
steps in the right direction. However, the Service Tax target for 2005-06
remained at Rs. 17,500 crore only. M. Govinda Rao of the NIPFP had quoted
estimates by a Government appointed Expert Group to show that the size of
the tax base in respect of some key services like transportation and
storage, post and telecommunications, banking and financial institutions was
likely to be almost Rs 70,000 crore in 1999-00 (EPW, October 20, 2001). He
had suggested broadening the Service Tax base to cover all services except a
well-defined negative and exemption list. The Government should move fast in
this direction. While drawing the exemption list, the Government should be
cautious in avoiding further concessions for sectors, which already enjoy
the benefits of tax incentives, like the Information Technology Enabled
Services. The Government should set an immediate target of mobilizing an
additional Rs. 10,000 crore by broadening the Service Tax base.
9. Mobilize more Wealth Tax: The rate of the Wealth Tax should be
increased from the current 1 % to 3%. The base of the Wealth Tax should also
be broadened. It is evident from the collection of only Rs 265 crore on
account of Wealth Tax in 2004-05 that a lot of scope remains to improve upon
the collection efficiency as well. In rural areas, the base for Wealth Tax
is very low since agricultural land is exempted from being a taxable asset.
The Government should consider the imposition of a land ceiling beyond which
Wealth Tax exemption should not be granted. Moreover, a tax on conversion of
agricultural land for non-agricultural purposes may also be considered.
10. Introduce Inheritance Tax: India does not have any inheritance tax,
while almost all developed countries do. The Government should consider
imposing a progressive Inheritance Tax with a base level of 1% and an
exemption limit of Rs. 15 lakhs. An additional Rs 5000 crore can be
mobilized through the Wealth and Inheritance Tax.
11. Increase Excise Duty on Luxury Vehicles Run on Diesel: Diesel
prices in India are kept low through subsidies in order to facilitate
affordable public transport, low-cost carriage of goods across the country
and benefit the farmers who use diesel in running pump-sets and tractors.
The price differential between petrol and diesel, however, is exploited by
the auto industry to produce diesel run models of their popular cars, which
have less running costs. These private vehicles running on diesel get undue
advantage from the subsidy. Besides, this segment should be taxed with a
higher rate in order to discourage private cars and encourage public
transport, keeping in mind the immense damage that vehicular pollution is
doing to the environment in our cities. The Central Excise Duty levied on
luxury cars and SUVs run on diesel should be increased from the current rate
of 24%. The customs duty on imported cars as well as imported components for
luxury cars should be increased as well.
12. Increase VAT/Sales Tax Rate on Items of Luxury Consumption: Luxury
consumption has to be taxed at a higher rate. A Schedule of luxury items,
which are consumed only by those who are very rich, like diamond jewellery,
luxury cars etc. should be drawn up by the Government. Consumption in places
like Five-Star Hotels should also be included. This Schedule of luxury
consumption items should invite a higher rate of sales tax/VAT. Over 400
shopping malls are currently operating in India and many more are likely to
come up in the near future. These large organized retailers earn huge profit
margins because of economies of scale. Small unorganized retailers find it
difficult to compete with them. A surcharge on the sales tax/VAT payable at
shopping malls should be levied, which besides generating revenue, would
also help in creating a level playing field for small retailers.
---
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Indian shares King Faisal international award
The award consists of 24 carat, 200-gram gold medal and a cash award of
$200,000
DUBAI: An Indian mathematician has been named the co-winner of the King
Faisal International Prize for 2006, in recognition of his path-breaking
research, which has strengthened links between mathematics and physics.
M. S. Narasimhan, an honorary fellow at the Tata Institute of Fundamental
Research in Mumbai, shares the prize with United Kingdom's Simon Kirwan
Donaldson, president of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences and Professor
of Mathematics at Imperial College, London, for their seminal contributions
to mathematics, which also helped provide a foundation for physical
theories.
Prince Khaled Al-Faisal, Director-General of the King Faisal Foundation,
said the prizes would be distributed to the winners on February 18.
The two mathematicians' work has helped to establish strong ties with the
formulation of quantum chromo dynamics for which the King Faisal Prize in
physics was given last year, the Foundation said. Each of the five prize
categories consists of a certificate, hand-written in Arabic calligraphy,
summarising the laureate's work; a commemorative 24 carat, 200-gram gold
medal, uniquely cast for each prize; and cash award of $200,000. - PTI..
---
`Exhumed bodies' case: CBI probe ordered
Ahmedabad : The Gujarat High Court on Thursday directed the Central Bureau
of Investigation (CBI) to investigate the case of "exhumed bodies,"
suspected to be those of post-Godhra riot victims, near Lunawada in
Panchmahals district.
Justice C. K. Buch issued the direction in response to a writ petition
jointly filed by social activist Teesta Setalvad and riot-affected victim
Ameena Habib Hasool, demanding that the case be transferred to the CBI. The
CBI has also been ordered to file its report before January 30.
---
----- Original Message -----
From: nowshad yusuf
To: Rifa Group Mail
Sent: Thursday, December 29, 2005 9:46 AM
Subject: Free e-books
Dear Friends,
Are u interested in reading ? Visit the following site and enjoy reading of
thousands of e-books FREE!!!!!
www.gutenberg.org/
rgds
NOWSHAD PALAKKAD
---
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----- Original Message -----
From: saraswathy menon
To: malininam@hotmail.com
Sent: Saturday, December 10, 2005 1:42 PM
Subject: FW: Kaun Banega Crore Pati claims its first victim!
Kaun Banega Crore Pati claims its first victim!
New Delhi- The tremendously popular TV game show,"Kaun Banega Crore Pati"
claimed its victim in the capital. Mrs Neelam Arora, utterly disgusted with
her husband's inability to answer the simplest of questions, divorced him
immediately after the end of the show. The
entire event has shaken the capital to the core and has left the local
populace in a state of daze. Mrs Neelam Arora, when contacted, was all fire
and fury. "How can you stay married to a dumb brick who cannot answer even
the first 1000 Rupees question? Even a 6 year old
can answer such questions, but my husband, I mean, my ex-husband
*%$#@&*(unprintable) couldn't do it.
That's why; I called a lawyer immediately and filed divorce papers."
She also added that all her friends and relatives supported her move. She
also dismissed the suggestion that her husband, for motives best known to
him, could have deliberately flunked the question. Mr. Pankaj Arora, a
property dealer in one of the colonies of East Delhi, was happy when he got
the news from the Star TV network that he had got selected, one among
millions, for participating in the popular show and he considered himself
lucky to be so chosen. He was also told to bring his wife along to the
studios at Mumbai where the game shows were to be hosted by Mr Amitabh
Bachhan. Winning a crore was hardly in the mind of Mr Arora and all Mr
Pankaj Arora wanted to do there was to gape at his idol and may be he
thought he could try to sell him a few of the plots of his clients to
Amitabh at a small tidy margin. But Mrs Arora was made of sterner stuff.
Mrs Neelam Arora, ever the ambitious wife, now took charge of her indolent
husband. She hired the best tutor from Sachdev Tutorials, made him learn all
the countries and capitals in the world, currencies of different countries,
names of different states, rivers, towns in the country etc. After 3 weeks
of gruelling schedule of cramming, Mr Arora and Mrs Arora confidently
embarked on their journey to Mumbai, little knowing that the game show was
to
change their lives forever. Mr Arora was one among the 10 hopefuls selected
for the 'fastest finger first' event.
Amitabh appeared in flesh and blood and Mr Pankaj Arora, whose lifetime
ambition, was to see his childhood hero in person, felt a sense of
fulfillment and pressed some buttons in a hurry. Mr Arora couldn't believe
it! Mrs Neelam Arora felt like a mother whose favourite kid had won the best
baby show. Not only had he given correct answers, but he had done so even
before others could begin!
There was a hubbub around the auditorium as Mr Pankaj Arora gingerly took
the seat from Amitabh for everyone was convinced that history was going to
be made that day. There was suspense in the air and the audience could sense
money floating all around them. Amitabh Bachhan started the show by smiling
benignly at the nervous Mr Arora, the kind of smile he would give to a ABCL
investor, clapped his hands and read out the question. "Mr Pankaj Arora,
yehi hai aap ka pehla sawaal. Who wrote 'Valmiki Ramayan'? The choices are
A. Tulsidas B. Ramanand Sagar C. B R Chopra D. Valmiki?" Mr Pankaj Arora
very
promptly said, "Ramanand Sagar!". He had not forgotten the days when he used
to get up early on Sundays solely to watch the epic. Amitabh again smiled
the benign smile, cajoled him to use his lifeline, audience poll etc., but
Mr Pankaj Arora, like a true blue property
dealer, didn't budge from his position. He later told everyone sobbingly
that he wanted to preserve the lifelines for using them after touching the
25 lac mark Amitabh commiserated with him and told a shocked Mr Arora that
his answer was wrong. The pin-drop silence that followed immediately was
only to be broken by loud angry shriek from a female, that vidently from a
female, who had been done in by her husband.
She shouted immediately, "Is there a lawyer in the house?".
Before the pandemonium that broke out could settle in, Mr Arora and Mrs
Arora had parted ways as husband and wife. This event has caused great
sensation among the community of TV viewers and the effect has been electric
among the chronic followers of this game show. Whether this
'wife-divorcing-husband -for-flunking-the-first- question' event, will drive
away all husbands from the show or pull them with magnetic attraction to the
greatest TV game show ever, only time alone can tell - Agency news.
KAUN BANEGA CHORPATI
Its regarding Kaun Banega Chorpati - 2 (KBC - 2)
You all know it's a good business. But have you ever pondered. How Good??
Any guesses?? Let's see..
Airtel is charging Rs. 6 per SMS sent for this contest.
Assuming only 100 entries from say 10 cities of some 20 districts and 20
states.
6(Rs/SMS)*100(entries)*10(cities)*20(districts)*20(states) =
6*100*10*20*20=Rs.24,00,000
24 lakhs in 20 minutes. (People trying for the 2 lakhs cash prize).
Imagine what if 1000 entries try out from 100 cities????
The figure simply grows by 2 more zeroes and yields a whooping 24 Crores!!!!
And it does not stops there... In practice it could be another multiple of
100 or worst case a multiple of 1000 on an average.
In that case it is 24*100 crores earnings in just 20 minutes on every
episode!!! And the prize money : mere 2 crore (and from whose pocket ? )
Smart Business By Siddharth Basu!
And the best part of this calculation is just the SMS earning!!
What about the Ad money ??? A rough annual profit calculation goes like
this.
2400*(5*4)(episode/month)*12 = 576000 crores.
Let even 50% get dissolved in taxes and other payments, still you will be
left with (which includes even the meager 480 crores of prize money. i.e.,
if every episode bags 2 crore prize!)2,88,000 crores profit (only from SMS).
---
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Most time capsules involve cramming stuff into a metal box and burying it in
a hole in the ground. It's a method that works--but it's so primitive. What
if you could write an e-mail to yourself and be assured of receiving it 20
years in the future?
That's what we've done with this e-mail time capsule. Simply fill out the
fields below, decide how long you want the capsule to be sealed for and hit
send. We'll do our best to make sure the message gets delivered.
http://forbes.codefix.net/capsule/
---
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On-line storage alternatives
New on-line back-up tools allow sharing of files/documents
The feature-packed on-line storage service e-snips (http://esnips.com),
which provides you one GB space for free, will be quite handy in tackling
your storage problems.
Recently this author tried out the new on-line backup product, Mozy
(https://mozy.com/) which is still in its testing phase. This utility allows
you to encrypt/store files on its server for free. To back up data, you need
to download the Windows XP based Mozy client. This author is yet to make
extensive use of the service.
Another web based storage solution worth a trial is Streamload
(http://www.streamload. com). It lets you store up to 10 GB for free; but
the free account holders cannot download files of size above 10 MB.
On-line word-processors
The on-line word-processor market is currently agog with action and many
such products are emerging (even big players like MicroSoft are planning to
enter this segment -
http://www.microsoft.com/office/officelive/default.mspx).
The on-line document editor Zoho Writer (http://www.zohowriter.com/Home.do)
is another Office product worth a mention. An additional feature of this
service is that it provides an e-mail id to which you can send documents. A
document thus sent will be stored on Zoho's server under your account and
you can edit or share it with anyone.
WideWord (https://wideword.net/) is yet another web based document editor
trying to get some foothold in this segment. Here, you can create a document
by just providing an e-mail id. The service will store the document on its
server and send you mail with a link for accessing/editing the newly created
document.
Opencourseware Finder
Reputed educational institutions such as MIT (http://ocw.mit.edu/index.html)
publish course materials on a range of subjects that include engineering,
biology and economics for free download. The newly launched search engine,
Opencourseware Finder (http://opencontent.org/ocwfinder/), helps you locate
such materials with ease.
J. MURALI He can be contacted at: jmurali@gmail.com
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Region | Bahrain
Published: 24/11/2005, 09:51 (UAE)
Call for prudent labour import policy
By Habib Toumi, Bureau Chief
Manama: The overwhelming presence of foreign workers in the Arabian
Gulf has become a national security issue amid international calls to equal
rights in their host nations, a Gulf Cooperation Council official warned on
Tuesday.
GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al Attiya.
"The GCC countries need to look at the massive presence of expatriates
basically as a national security issue, and not merely as an economic
matter, particularly in light of global changes and international
conventions," GCC Secretary-General Abdul Rahman Al Attiya said.
"International accords are pressing for the settlement of expatriates
and imposing giving them salaries equal to nationals and greater rights in
the areas of education and health. This new situation calls for a more
rational and more prudent policy by the GCC states in importing labour," Al
Attiya said at the opening of the two-day GCC labour ministers meeting in
Manama.
Zero-tolerance policy
"The GCC countries should resort to expatriate labour only when there
is a deep need for them and there are no local or regional alternatives," Al
Attiya said.
"The countries should implement a zero-tolerance policy towards
violators because it is matter of national security," he said.
"The GCC states need to gradually replace the expatriate force and to
address the causes of their overwhelming presence and to draw up a relevant
strategy that includes developing local human resources and boost
competitiveness in the public and private sectors," Al Attiya said.
Observers say that very high levels of foreign labour can cause a
variety of problems in the GCC countries, with profound political, social
and cultural consequences.
Earlier this month, James Zogby, President of the Washington-based
Arab American Institute, warned that the "guest workers" were a "time bomb
waiting to explode and unleash riots like those that rocked France."
"In this region, as well, in many places, workers are trapped in
horrible conditions, denied justice and their basic humanity. It hurts not
only them, but the image and the moral fibre of the countries which host
them. You must see them, incorporate their rights into your vision and
defend them," Zogby said.
More than 10m foreign workers
a.. Foreign labour makes up 88 per cent of the workforce in the UAE,
83 per cent in Qatar, 81 per cent in Kuwait, 72 per cent in Saudi Arabia, 55
per cent in Bahrain, and 54 per cent in Oman, according to official figures
in the Gulf states.
b.. In all, the number of foreigner workers exceeds 10 million, or
up to 70 per cent of the GCC's labour force, a figure that a Bahraini
economist describes as "frightening" especially given the large population
growth and economic problem.
c.. Observers say that very high levels of foreign labour can cause
a variety of problems in the GCC countries, with profound political, social
and cultural consequences.
d.. Foreign workers hail mainly from Asia (especially the Indian
subcontinent) and from the Arab East. Asians tend to work as domestic help
or as manual workers, while Arabs are employed in administration and
government positions.
e.. Over the past few months, thousands of low-paid Asian workers
staged protests, some violent, in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE for not
receiving salaries on time.
The Internet: a case of `founders keepers?
Anand Parthasarathy
The second World Summit on the Information Society that opens in Tunis on
November 16 will see a renewed effort by developing nations, with U.N.
backing, to transfer `control' of the Internet from the U.S. to an
independent body.
THE WORD "cyber space" was coined long before the Internet was born. In fact
it is the creation of American novelist William Gibson who used it in his
novel Neuromancer a good ten years before the World Wide Web gradually
became a reality.
At the turn of the century, Gibson, asked to comment on the shape taken by
his unintended brainchild said perceptively: "The Internet is extra national
and post geographical. It is happening largely outside the jurisdiction of
politicians. It is truly one of the strangest things we have done as a
species. and we have done it inadvertently. If we take care of it, it may be
a step towards a better world." His instinct was right in one important
aspect: the relative freedom from political control that Internet enjoyed.
Indeed its origins lay in a network called DARPANet, a creation of the U.S.
government's Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency, which was initially
handed over to a consortium of American academic institutions, then grew and
grew... to become today's Internet.
By late 1980s the number of Internet users - and hence addresses - became
unmanageable without some regulation. The U.S. Department of Commerce and
the Post and Telecommunications Department established the Internet Assigned
Numbers Authority (IANA), which in 1998 became the Internet Corporation of
Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a private corporation that includes a
number of stakeholders.
http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/14/stories/2005111407501100.htm
---
Ravishing charm of the Ravi Varmas
The song, `Pinakkamano..' showcases the grandeur of Ravi Varma paintings in
cinematic style. PREMA MANMADHAN speaks to the crew that created it
PHOTOS OF KAVYA: HARI THIRUMALA
HISTORY VERSUS THE PRESENT The three Ravi Varma paintings juxtaposed with
the poses that Kavya Madhavan strikes in the song, `Pinakkamano..' in the
movie, `Ananthabhadram'
Raja Ravi Varma was once dubbed the creator of `calendar art' and `kitsch'.
Detractors took a back seat before long and the royal artist's works are
today one of the most sought after in the international art world. That he
made art accessible to people through reprints in those days is what puts
him above most others. All the gods and goddesses who adorned pooja rooms in
Kerala in the best part of the last century were certainly Ravi Varma
reprints.
The song, `Pinakkamano... ', penned by Gireesh Puthencherry and composed by
M.G. Radhakrishnan in `Ananthabhadram', is a celebration of Ravi Varma
works, a tribute to the Raja, as Santosh Sivan, director and
cinematographer, puts it. The song, sung by M.G.Sreekumar and Manjari, with
orchestration by Kannan, appeals for a specific reason.
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2005/11/19/stories/2005111902870100.htm
---
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Artists' forum, the Left speak up for Kushboo
DPI leader denies that his party and PMK are behind agitations
http://www.hindu.com/2005/11/20/stories/2005112013270100.htm
---
Found dead in U.S.
New Delhi: Nayyar Pervez, son of the former MP, Syed Shahabuddin, was found
dead in a hotel room in the United States. He was a professor in Columbia
University.
---
THE SHASHI THAROOR COLUMN
The great digital divide
Today, the dividing lines between the rich and the poor, between the North
and the South, are the fibre-optic and high speed digital lines.
"But access to the Internet is of little value if the information that it
contains is ... in a language you don't understand, or if it fails to deal
with the life and death questions ... ."
MILES TO GO: New technologies are shrinking the world, but a huge percentage
of the world population has been left out.
WHEN these words appear I shall just have attended the World Summit on the
Information Society in Tunis, a serious attempt to grapple with the
challenges of our information-technology-driven times - the digital divide,
the governance of the Internet, the hope that the new technologies can drive
development. But the information revolution, unlike the French Revolution,
is at present one with much liberté, some fraternité and no égalité. It is
yet to deliver the goods, or even the tools to obtain them, to many of those
most in need.
Today, the dividing lines between the rich and the poor, between the North
and the South, are the fibre-optic and high speed digital lines. If "digital
divide" is an over-used phrase, it represents a reality that cannot be
denied. Fifteen per cent of the world's population controls around 80 per
cent of the world's telephones and about 90 per cent of access points to the
Internet, and they are 13 times more likely to own personal computers than
the rest. And the rest are the 85 per cent of the world's population living
in low and lower-middle income countries.
---
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http://www.shootmeanemail.com/
Forgetful? ShootMeAnEmail.com is your solution. People are forgetful, but as
Internet users we all have one thing in common.
We check our email every day.
The premise of ShootMeAnEmail.com is simple.
1.. You give us an email address.
2.. You tell us an event for which you need a reminder.
3.. You tell us when to send you the reminder.
4.. We send you an email on that day and time to a specified mailbox.
It's that simple. You check your email and there is a self-written reminder,
delivered to your inbox from ShootMeAnEmail.com's servers. No misplaced
post-it notes. No complicated scheduling programs. Just a quick note of your
own design delivered into your Inbox when you think you'll need it.
---
---
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New library movement on the anvil in Kerala
Special Correspondent
Every school in the State to have better library facilities soon
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: T he Education Department in Kerala has charted out a
task programme called `Vayanayilude Valaruka' (Grow up by Reading) for
encouraging reading habit among schoolchildren.
At a press conference here on Wednesday, Education Minister E.T. Mohammed
Basheer said libraries in all government schools and government-aided
schools in the State would be modernised and strengthened under the
programme. And a `library period' will be added to school timetable shortly.
The formal inauguration of the programme is scheduled to be held at a
function at St. Teresa's School in Ernakulam on Thursday. Mr. Basheer said
2,393 high schools and 2,827 upper primary schools would get better library
facilities during the first phase of the programme by the first week of
January 2006. Lower primary schools will get the facility subsequently.
The idea is to implement the programme with the participation of local
bodies, non-governmental organisations, local clubs, financial institutions,
school parent-teacher associations, Grandhasala Sanghom, cooperative
societies, public sector institutions and media houses.
Help will definitely flow in from all corners for such a programme, Mr.
Basheer said.
---
yahoo \YAH-hoo\ noun
: a boorish, crass, or stupid person
Example sentence:
The local teenagers' reputation as a bunch of yahoos was belied by their
courteous treatment of the stranded motorists.
Did you know?
We know exactly how old "yahoo" is because its debut in print also marked
its entrance into the English language as a whole. "Yahoo" began life as a
made-up word invented by Jonathan Swift in his book Gulliver's Travels,
which was published in 1726. The Yahoos were a race of brutes, with the form
and vices of humans, encountered by Gulliver in his fourth and final voyage.
They represented Swift's view of mankind at its lowest. It is not
surprising, then, that "yahoo" came to be applied to any actual human who
was particularly unpleasant or unintelligent. Yahoos were controlled by the
intelligent and virtuous Houyhnhnms, a word which apparently did not catch
people's fancy as "yahoo" did.
---
U.S. used white phosphorous against Iraqi civilians, charges Italian TV
The shells of the weapon burn every living thing within 150 metres of impact
- PHOTO: AP
INDISCRIMINATE USE?: White phosphorous being allegedly used by U.S. forces
in Iraq in November 2004 seen in this image from video made available by the
website of RaiNews24, the all-news channel of Italian RAI state television.
ROME: Italian state television aired a documentary on Tuesday alleging that
the United States used white phosphorous shells ``in a massive and
indiscriminate way'' against civilians during the November 2004 offensive in
Fallujah.
The report said the shells were not used to illuminate enemy fighters at
night, as the U.S. Government has said, but against civilians, and that it
burned their flesh ``to the bone.''
The documentary by RaiNews24, the all-news channel of RAI state television,
quoted former marine Jeff Englehart as saying he saw the bodies of burned
children and women after the bombardments.
Host of allegations
``Burned bodies. Burned children and burned women. White phosphorous kills
indiscriminately. It's a cloud that, within ... 150 metres of impact, will
disperse and will burn every human being or animal.''
There have been several allegations that the U.S. used outlawed weapons,
such as napalm, in the Fallujah offensive.
On November 9, 2004, the Pentagon denied that any chemical weapons,
including napalm, were used in the offensive.
On its web site, the U.S. Government has said it used phosphorous shells
``very sparingly in Fallujah, for illumination purposes.'' It noted that
phosphorous shells were not outlawed.
---
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..http://www.incompetech.com/beta/plainGraphPaper/
Free Online Graph Paper / Grid Paper PDFs
Downloadable and very printable, I find these PDFs extremely useful.
So, you can make a 24x30 inch sheet with a green one-inch 10 point grid.
Obviously I cannot anticipate all needs, but the grids below should cover
most common ones.
Notice to people with Spam Blocks
If you have a Spam blocker that requires authentication, such as those from
ChoiceMail or Earthlink - I will not take steps to add myself to your
whitelist. Add me to your whitelist before you send out your email, or you
won't ever receive my replies.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lined Paper
Lined Paper PDF Generator - Just horizontal lines. I needed this a while
back, so I figured other people might also need it.
Graph Paper
Graph Generator Lite - Specify the number of squares you want - and the size
of them.
Plain Graph Paper PDF Generator - Set your border and grid spacing (i.e. 4
lines per cemtimemter) to get as much graph as possible on your paper.
---
Indians, most sexually content and committed!
Tuesday, 08 November , 2005, 17:47
New Delhi: When it comes to making love, Indians are not only the safest but
are also the most committed to their partners and do not find their sex life
monotonous, according to the Durex Global Sex Survey.
The survey conducted by the world's leading condom brand said Indians have
had least (21 per cent) unprotected sex without knowing their partner's
sexual history, as compared to the global average of 47 per cent (Norwegians
73 per cent and Greeks 70 per cent are most likely to have unsafe sex
without knowing their partners sexual history).
As far as the number of sexual partners are concerned, Indians had the
fewest with an average of three as compared to nine globally. Turks with an
average of 14.5 partners have had more sexual partners than any other
nationality in the world.
That Indians are committed to their partners is vindicated by the fact that
only 13 per cent of them have had one-night stands, which is the least
compared to 44 per cent worldwide, it said.
The survey, which interviewed over 3,17,000 people from 41 countries,
including India, said apart from being the safest love-makers very few
Indians find their sexual relationship with their partner monotonous.
Only three per cent of Indians experienced monotony in sex compared to seven
per cent globally. While 46 per cent of Indians said they were happy with
their sex lives compared to 44 per cent globally.
Indians were rated slow when it came to losing their virginity at an average
age of 19.8 years as compared to 17.3 years, the average age when people had
sex for the first time worldwide, the survey said.
People from Iceland have sex younger than any other country (15.6) followed
by the Germans (15.9) and Swedes (16.1), it said.
Believing in safe sex, however, did not deter Indians in seeking sexual
contentment. Pornography (37 per cent) and pleasure enhancing condoms (28
per cent) are the top two sexual enhancers preferred by Indians. Globally,
23 per cent voted in favour of pleasure enhancing condoms.
Indians, like many other nationalities around the world, believe that
HIV/AIDS was the most important area that needed greater public awareness.
While 87 per cent of Indians voted it as a top priority area, which needed
greater awareness in the society, 72 per cent of people globally felt so.
Therefore, a majority of Indians (47 per cent) felt that government should
be investing in sex education in schools while 34 per cent around the world
believed so, the survey said.
The Indian priority to sexual safety was re-emphasised when close to a half
(49 per cent) said that with regard to encouraging the young people priority
should be to abstain from sex before marriage. Globally, only 8 per cent of
the people felt so.
Almost three quarters of adults worldwide (74 per cent) believed that young
people should be encouraged to practice safe sex while 41 percent of the
Indian opined the same.
Indians are, however, late to receive sex education with the average age of
getting the first sex education being 15.6 years while globally 13.2 years
was the average age for the same.
---
Let us have another '9/11'
NILEEN PUTATUNDA
NOVEMBER 8: The terror strikes of September 11, 2001, so transformed the
world it even invaded our lexicon: "9/11" became a metaphor for cataclysmic
destruction. But let us pause and see if these dates can be turned around.
For instance, September 11, 1893, was the first day of the World's
Parliament of Religions in Chicago where representatives of all organised
religions participated with the declared objective of presenting the
important truths held in common by the different religions of the world and
to bring the nations of the earth into a more harmonious relationship.
Let us have another such World's Parliament of Religions, with the greatest
scholars/sages of all faiths along with all the world's leaders, in India,
the land of Swami Vivekananda's birth. In other words, let us have another
"9/11", the real "9/11".
Swami Vivekananda was the unmatched hero of the Parliament of Religions in
Chicago. The unknown, monk became known throughout America and the world. In
his speeches, Swamiji stressed the idea of the validity of all religions and
their harmony.
---
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http://savefile.com/files/6299651
---
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----- Original Message -----
From: Kumar_Nair@makshaff.com
To: naamhs@gmail.com
Sent: Wednesday, November 02, 2005 11:41 AM
Subject: google
Go to www.google.com
Type "failure" (without double quotes) in the search text box.
Press "I'm Feeling Lucky" button just next to "Google Search" button.
See what happens.
---
When will we stand up to the carmakers?
George Monbiot- © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2004
THE BAN on smoking in bars will save some fraction of the bar staff who die
every year as a result of passive smoking. The moral case is clear: people
are being exposed to a risk for which they have not volunteered. While
smokers have an undisputed right to kill themselves, they have no right to
kill other people. This case being generally applicable, what does the U.K.
Government intend to do about passive driving?
Every year, according to a paper published by the British Medical Journal,
some 54 bar staff in the U.K. die as a result of their exposure to other
people's cigarette smoke. And every year, according to the EU, some 39,000
deaths in this country are caused or hastened by air pollution, most of
which comes from vehicles. This is a problem three orders of magnitude
greater than the one that has filled the newspapers for the past six months,
and no one is talking about it.
It is true to say that British air, like that of most parts of the rich
world, is much cleaner than it used to be. Since the great smog of 1952
forced the Government to legislate, since coal gave way to gas and factories
fitted filters to their chimneys, acute pollution crises of the kind which
once killed thousands in a couple of days have not recurred. Between 1992
and 2000, traffic fumes fell steeply. But in 2000 the decline in the most
dangerous pollutant - small particles of soot - came to a halt. Since then
the levels have held more or less steady (with a spike in the hot summer of
2003). The British Government is in breach of European rules, and the
European Commission is in breach of any serious effort to do something about
it. So 39,000 lives are shortened every year.
---
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Please take a look at the following link, the same order
http://static.flickr.com/31/55125900_e7056056d1_b.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/24/55125914_94e2347b9d_b.jpg
http://static.flickr.com/28/55125894_c1b56e33aa.jpg?v=0
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----- Original Message -----
From: Raveendran Muraleedharan
To: naamhs@gmail.com
Sent: Sunday, October 23, 2005 11:00 AM
Subject: please post in your group
Dear friend,
As responsible people from kerala the gulf malayalees are very
much concerned about the total social and economic development of the
ordinary people of kerala. The governments that ruled kerala since
independence implemented various measures for the emancipation of the poor
and the downtrodden. How far they succeeded in achieving the target?
It is now certain that in April-May 2006 a new government will
take office. What ought to be their agenda for the comprehensive development
of the ordinary people in the coming years?
RIFA is organizing a seminar on the above mentioned subject "New
Agenda for Kerala Development" on 28 October 2005. The presenter of the
subject is Mr. Suresh Kumar Mundiyath.
The October issue rifa monthly magazine "aksharam" will also be
released on that day.
The presentation will start at 7.00 PM, soon after the ifthar
party being organized by rifa
Space constraint is forcing us to make the attendance by
invitation only. Anyone from this group seriously aspiring for participation
in the ifthar and discussion may write to us.
With best regards,
Ahmed Melattur
Secretary,RIFA
0503119147
---
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|
Duncan Campbell
 Noam Chomsky
LONDON: He is in his 70s and first became known for his theory of transformational grammar — and now he is top of the thinkers' hit parade. Noam Chomsky, the Professor of Linguistics who has become one of the most outspoken critics of American foreign policy, has won a poll that names him the world's top public intellectual. Prof. Chomsky, who was underwhelmed by the honour, beat off challenges from Umberto Eco, Richard Dawkins, Vaclav Havel and Christopher Hitchens to win the Prospect/Foreign Policy poll. More than 20,000 voters from around the world took part in selecting the winners from a list of 100. Missing segments The most striking aspect of the list is the shortage of the young, the female and the French. Only two of the top 10, Mr. Hitchens and Salman Rushdie, were born after the War, and Naomi Klein is the highest placed woman, at 11. France provides one name in the top 40, fewer than Peru and Iran provide. Since the poll was for the world's leading intellectuals, it should come as no surprise that websites manned by supporters of Prof. Chomsky, Mr. Hitchens and Abdolkarim Soroush were used to draw attention to it. Prof. Chomsky's supporters are clearly the most energetic: he took 4,800 votes to Mr. Eco's 2,500. The voters came mainly from Britain and the U.S. Sceptical winner "I don't pay a lot of attention to them," said Prof. Chomsky on Monday night of the poll. "It was probably padded by some friends of mine!" Pondering the absence from the list of younger intellectuals, David Herman asks in the new issue of Prospect: "Who are the younger equivalents to [Jurgen] Habermas, Chomsky and Havel? Great names are formed by great events. But there has been no shortage of terrible events in the last 10 years." Only two of the Top 20 have yet to reach the age of 50. Alternative perspectives The choice of Prof. Chomsky will be welcomed and contested by many of the same names who responded delightedly or furiously to the award of the Nobel Prize for Literature to Harold Pinter last week. In recognition of this, Prospect offers some alternative perspectives, with Robin Blackburn arguing for Prof. Chomsky's right to head the list as both a brilliant expositor of linguistics and a vital critic of the U.S. abroad. Oliver Kamm, however, dismisses him as a knee-jerk anti-American who is cavalier about his sources. |
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