Archive for February, 2007
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Princess Bride by Rob Reiner: A popular movie I did not like
Posted on February 10, 2007 | No CommentsThe Princess Bride Year: 1987 Writer: William Goldman Length: 98 Category: Children’s Rating: 1 out of 5 I was in a mood for a romantic comedy and chose this highly rated movie from rotten tomatoes. I am not sure if the movie was aimed at children, at any rate it completely failed to convince me. I almost lost some friends when I told them that I did not like it. Two of them almost started rattling off all the dialogues in the movie! Obviously, it seems to be a hit with some people. I should confess though that I liked... -
Documentary on MKSS and right to information campaign
Posted on February 7, 2007 | No CommentsThis documentary by Jan Madhyam Productions gives a very good introduction to the right to information campaign in India and on how RTI is used with social audits to combat corruption. In case you have trouble viewing it, please go to the permanalink by clicking the title above, or here http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-3238128636848285898 -
Edward Said’s talk on ‘Clash of Civilizations’ by Samuel Huntington
Posted on February 7, 2007 | 4 CommentsMany talks and interviews with well known people are now available online. I’ve put together a series of them that I have specially enjoyed. To see the rest, click here This is a wonderful lecture by Edward Said on Samuel Huntington’s idea about “Clash of civilizations”. In this lecture Edward Said analyses in detail the arguments of Samuel Huntington in his paper on Clash of civilizations (with a question mark) that ultimately became his book (this time without a question mark!). Edward Said incisively analyzes Huntington’s notion that differences in culture between the ‘West’ and ‘Islam’ will lead to conflicts... -
Visualise ideas with Mind Maps, Concept Maps and Diagraming tools
Posted on February 4, 2007 | No CommentsVisualising ones ideas is a great way to think through complex issues or arguments. Here are three free utilities to put our ideas into neat pictures Last year I used a mind-mapping software called FreeMind productively. Mind maps start with a simple core from which one can have multiple nodes that lead to multiple nodes and so on. Free mind allows the user to link different nodes, make comments on certain nodes, link them to files, insert a number of images, etc. Last year I did a course on Social Movement Theory. Towards the end of the semester a friend... -
Look, I don’t have a surname
Posted on February 4, 2007 | No CommentsHi: I am Vivek. If you insist, I am S. Vivek and I don’t have a surname. If you wish to be formal, you can call me Mr. Vivek, which in my culture is quite appropriate. My identity cards in the US specify my name as Vivek Srinivasan and I get quite a few polite letters calling me Mr. Srinivasan; which happens to be my father. Much as I like him, I find it odd that he gets the credit for things I do. For example, a local newspaper reported a talk I gave at Syracuse as ‘Srinivasan said this... -
Online tool to schedule meetings among many participants
Posted on February 3, 2007 | No CommentsI recently tried using an online utility to find a suitable date for all students in my programme to meet. Normally, this is a hugely time consuming affaire. This time around, I tried an online utility called MeetingWizard.com and it turned out to be fantastic. It’s a simple utility that works like a poll. The organizer can choose an initial list of times and send invitations to chosen people. The invitees just have to click a link and choose merely click on the times that suit them. The site offers a lot of other useful features too. For example, apart... -
All about my mom
Posted on February 2, 2007 | No CommentsTodo sobre mi madre Year: 1999 Director: Almodovar Length: 101 minutes Category: Drama Rating: 5 out of 5 Almodovar continues to dazzle. After her son dies in a road accident Manuela starts looking at his diary and discovers his thoughts about his father whom he has never met. With this she begins her search for the father whom she had left behind when the child was born 17 years ago. The story then develops into a maze of relationships starting with Manuela’s friend who’s a transexual prostitute, later joined by a young Nun who is pregnant. I will not go...
