tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-113010802024-03-07T18:35:34.200-06:00Quasi-Coherent RuminationsKrishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.comBlogger310125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-84452140632882152982010-02-16T16:51:00.005-06:002010-02-16T18:00:43.185-06:00Awesome Indian batting.Ian Chappell may or may not be right in suggesting that India can't be a long term Number One in tests because they lack quality bowling. Time will settle that. What is beyond dispute is the amazing Indian batting.<br /><br />In the <a href="http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/team/6.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=default;spanmax1=16+Feb+2010;spanmin1=16+Feb+2000;spanval1=span;template=results;type=team">last 10 years</a> India played 105 tests winning 42, losing 27 and drawing the rest. This is a win/loss ratio of 1.55. For the <a href="http://stats.cricinfo.com/ci/engine/team/6.html?class=1;filter=advanced;orderby=default;spanmax1=16+Feb+2010;spanmin1=16+Feb+2005;spanval1=span;template=results;type=team;view=innings">last 5 years</a> these numbers (55, 22, 11, 2) are even more impressive. For comparison, in their entire history India played 437 tests winning 103 and losing 137. The win/loss ratio is 0.75. No one can deny that batting is the force behind this transformation.It is true that bowling was also crucial because we need 20 wickets to win. However, the win/loss ratio could be improved simply by losing less (even if winning at the same rate). Indeed, while the winning rate (compared to history) improved significantly in the last 10 years, it did not change in the last 5 years (in both the 10 year and 5 year period, it is exactly 0.4). So the improvement in the win/loss ratio from 1.55 to 2 was solely because India lost less.<br /><br />Batting is the reason for this reduction in the number of losses. Big scores in wins loom large in memory. The batting in the current test again South Africa was beautiful and solid. Similarly in all the wins in the last few years in all countries, batting was awesome.<br /><br />But a major aspect of Indian test performances lately has been the dogged batting when needed to <span style="font-style: italic;">save</span> test matches.<br /><br />Ahmedabad last year against Sri Lanka, or Napier, or Bangalore (against Aus, 2008), or Lord's 2007, or St Kitts in 2006 -- in all these cases India needed to bat close to a day or more in the 4th innings to avoid defeat. A few years ago the outcome usually was all too painful and predictable: India would collapse under the pressure and fail to survive. But in the past 4 years or so, there is a clear and pleasing pattern of resistance and determined batting for close to 100 overs (or more) to survive test matches. <br /><br />This is surely one of the crucial reasons for our Number One position.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-64936748994585593522009-11-05T16:16:00.001-06:002009-11-05T16:18:10.322-06:00"Speaking" mother tongue from day 1.According to this <a href="http://www.scientificamerican.com/blog/post.cfm?id=newborns-may-start-honing-their-mot-2009-11-05">research</a>.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-75404842345595057802009-10-13T15:58:00.002-05:002009-10-13T16:14:06.868-05:00A book a day.<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/12/nyregion/12towns.html?scp=1&sq=readallday&st=cse">This</a> is amazing. <br /><br />Reading books has always been a passion with me. But it is also a constant challenge because I am barely keeping up with the books I want to read at any given time. Right now I am in the middle of <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Time-Travelers-Wife-Audrey-Niffenegger/dp/0224071912/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255467802&sr=8-1">one</a> book and would dearly love to finish it and get to at least 3 or 4 more books (<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Greatest-Show-Earth-Evidence-Evolution/dp/1416594787/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255467863&sr=1-1">this</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundation_series">this</a>, and <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Myth-Rational-Market-History-Delusion/dp/0060598999">this</a>). And this list keeps growing too.<br /><br />So it is quite appealing to see that this person has <a href="http://readallday.org/">read one book every day for nearly a year</a>. She also reviews each one of them. And thanks to her, I added a <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Dissolution-C-J-Sansom/dp/0142004308/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1255468335&sr=1-2">new</a> book to my list of to-be-read-as-soon-as-possible books.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-46719815993191985052009-06-16T06:31:00.002-05:002009-06-16T06:46:09.169-05:00Excessive!It was sickening to see the mania created by media and other vested interests before the current World T20 tournament started. Wherever you go, you were likely to see signs of this mania with people wishing good luck to the players and praying that India brings the cup back home. It was there on TV channels (not just on sports channels) and it was there on bill boards. <br /><br />Now it is equally sickening to see the reaction to the loss. I made this point here before, and it bears repeating. The India cricket team does not represent the people of India. If they fail to do well, there is no justification in feeling that they wronged the people of India. Moreover, we seem to forget the almost self-evident point that victory or defeat in sports is a function of various factors and to draw a line straight from defeat to incompetence/internal rifts/lack of motivation is quite uncalled for. What is needed is a measured reaction, which seems frankly in short supply. It is very disheartening that reactions like <a href="http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Cities/Dhoni-effigy-burnt-in-Ranchi/articleshow/4657911.cms">this</a> are no longer on the fringes, though that particular form of expression may be still rare.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-84743102165011644342008-11-20T23:23:00.002-06:002008-11-20T23:42:53.228-06:00Effect of large monetary reward.This is a very <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/20/opinion/20ariely.html?ref=todayspaper">interesting</a> experiment. Though, it seems counter-intuitive, it does make sense to me.<br /><a href="http://web.mit.edu/ariely/www/MIT/"><br />Dan Ariely</a> does intriguing research. His <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Predictably-Irrational-Hidden-Forces-Decisions/dp/006135323X">book</a> has been on my list of must-reads for the last few months. May be I should get to it now.<br /><br />He and three collaborators went to India and asked 87 people to do various tasks requiring memory, concentration, attention and creativity. They divided the 87 people and offered different monetary incentives to the three groups for the same tasks. First group got 50 cents, the second $5 and the third $50.<br /><br />In real terms, these sums are much larger in India than they seem.<br /><br />Their conclusions:<br /><blockquote>The people offered medium bonuses performed no better, or worse, than those offered low bonuses. But what was most interesting was that the group offered the biggest bonus did worse than the other two groups across all the tasks. </blockquote><br />They reached similar conclusions in experiments conducted in Boston and Chicago too. For any task that requires some level of mental skill as opposed to mere mechanical effort, their research shows that large monetary reward may not have the clear motivational advantage that is usually imagined.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-69964176001499363492008-11-12T22:14:00.002-06:002008-11-12T22:26:37.661-06:00Bail me out!As the complex and twisted debate (see <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/13/business/economy/13bankruptcy.html?hp">this</a>, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/jamessurowiecki/2008/11/now-is-not-the.html">this</a> and <a href="http://robertreich.blogspot.com/2008/11/real-difference-between-bankruptcy-and.html">this</a>, for a sample) on whether to bail out large companies in general, and General Motors in particular rages on, <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/humor/2008/09/29/080929sh_shouts_borowitz">here is something amusing</a>.<br /><blockquote>Before you throw this letter into the proverbial round file, let’s be clear: this is the first time I have ever asked for a bailout from the Federal Reserve. I know what you’re thinking. Why do I deserve your largesse, and I do mean largesse, since I’m asking for five million big ones? The answer is simple. Like many of our nation’s financial institutions, I am simply too big to fail. If investors were allowed to witness the collapse of Freddie, Fannie, and then Andy, I can’t begin to describe what havoc it would wreak on their already frayed nerves. Actually, I can describe it: global financial calamity. I think we can both agree that, to dodge this bullet, ten million dollars is a small price to pay. (I know that I originally asked for five, but since I started writing this letter my financial situation has deteriorated in grave and unexpected ways.)</blockquote>Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-40965680716289953112008-11-05T18:21:00.009-06:002008-11-05T23:11:08.318-06:00232 years later.232 years ago, a country that held "all men are created equal" was self-evident. <br /><br />Till 143 years ago, a country of "slave-warehouses": <br /><br /><blockquote>A slave-warehouse in New Orleans is a house externally not much unlike many others, kept with neatness; and where every day you may see arranged, under a sort of shed along the outside, rows of men and women, who stand there as a sign of the property sold within. Then you shall be courteously entreated to call and examine, and shall find an abundance of husbands, wives, brothers, sisters, fathers, mothers, and young children, to be "sold separately, or in lots to suit the convenience of the purchaser;" and that soul immortal, once bought with blood and anguish by the Son of God, when the earth shook, and the rocks rent, and the graves were opened, can be sold, leased, mortgaged, exchanged for groceries or dry goods, to suit the phases of trade, or the fancy of the purchaser.</blockquote><br /><br />A 100 years ago, country of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lynching_in_the_United_States">lynchings</a>.<br /> <br /><img src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/26/Lynching-of-woman-1911.jpg" /><br /><br />Till a half century ago, a country of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jim_Crow_laws">Jim Crow</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Racial_segregation_in_the_United_States">segregation</a>. <br /><br />In a little over 2 months from now, a country with a negro president. <br /><br />This last does not erase or excuse what preceded it. Far from it. <br /><br />What it does is give meaning to the American national commitment to perfect their union. It proves, in the words of <a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/bensmith/1108/Remarks_of_PresidentElect_Barack_Obama.html?showall">the man himself</a>, that "a government of the people, by the people and for the people has not perished from this Earth".Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-59575852024939356402008-10-02T13:33:00.002-05:002008-10-02T13:49:01.097-05:00McCain is pissed.He does not look at Obama once in the debate. He looks <a href="http://blogs.cqpolitics.com/beyond/2008/10/obama-makes-mccain-very-uncomf.html">distant</a> as Obama <a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/not-so-secret-handshake/">approaches him</a> in the Senate. He gets testy with the editorial board of Des Moines Register. <br /><br />I have a theory. McCain is shocked that his poll numbers are falling, and he is getting very angry. I think he believes that his campaign suspension last week should have been popular. I think he really believes that people should simply accept that Palin is a maverick and love her. In the absence of these phenomenon, McCain is losing it. <br /><br />This <a href="http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/10/mccain_says_bailout_bill_he_vo.php">video</a> is another case in point. He seems completely insane there. I don't even know what he is saying. They were talking about his vote for the bailout plan. Then out of nowhere, he mentions he is proud of suspending his campaign. He knows that a majority of American people thought the suspension was stupid. But he can not accept it. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.politico.com/blogs/jonathanmartin/1008/McCain_pulling_out_of_Michigan.html">The latest news</a> is not good for him.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-88399446002303657862008-09-26T14:55:00.003-05:002008-09-26T15:02:45.139-05:00Country First!Words fail:<br /><br /><object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/iv6CRObROV0&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/iv6CRObROV0&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object><br /><br />Not for <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/hendrikhertzberg/2008/09/foreign-countri.html">Hendrik Hertzberg</a> though. As usual, he hits the nail on the head.<br /><br /><blockquote>In the “Putin rears his head” answer, jagged shards of the hasty briefings lately stuffed into Palin’s pretty head clang tinnily against one another. “We send those”—those? those what?—”out to make sure that an eye is being kept on this powerful nation, Russia.” Those what? We send what? My hunch is that this alarming jumble must have something to do with the path that Russian intercontinental missiles would take on their way to the lower Forty-eight and/or the air-defense installations that NORAD maintains in the state Palin is executive of. But who knows? The whole thing reads like something rendered from the Finnish by Google Translate.<br /><br />For a seventy-two-year-old cancer survivor to have placed this person directly behind himself in line for the Presidency was an act of almost incomprehensible cynicism and irresponsibility. It makes a cruel—what’s the word?—mockery of his slogan. “Country First” indeed.</blockquote>Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-3121208895854632942008-09-10T15:47:00.003-05:002008-09-10T16:02:55.825-05:00The myth of John McCain.I have personally believed, and heard many rational people assert, that John McCain is an independent man. That he is saner than the crowd that controls the White House now. That he is better than the various others who vied with him for the Republican nomination. <br /><br />I do not believe this any more. <br /><br />It may be argued that under pressures of campaigning, politicians occasionally do ill-advised things. But McCain displays a pattern of behavior which goes well behind this dubious, but necessarily limited, moral blank check. <br /><br />From the moment he allowed his campaign to portray Obama as a an empty celebrity, when he questioned Obama's patriotism, when he picked Palin, and today when he sits idly as the Republicans create a "<a href="http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/10/obama-responds-to-phony-outrage/?hp">phony outrage</a>" over Obama's comments, McCain is proving himself to be anything but independent. His campaign is being controlled by the same tactics and methods that, ironically, defeated him in 2000. There is little expectation that a possible McCain administration will be any different. <br /><br /><a href="http://andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com/the_daily_dish/2008/09/mccains-integri.html#more">Andrew Sullivan</a> captures these thoughts admirably. <br /><blockquote>And when he had the chance to engage in a real and substantive debate against the most talented politician of the next generation in a fall campaign where vital issues are at stake, what did McCain do? He began his general campaign with a series of grotesque, trivial and absurd MTV-style attacks on Obama's virtues and implied disgusting things about his opponent's patriotism.<br /><br />And then, because he could see he was going to lose, ten days ago, he threw caution to the wind and with no vetting whatsoever, picked a woman who, by her decision to endure her own eight-month pregnancy of a Down Syndrome child in public, that he was going to reignite the culture war as a last stand against Obama. That's all that is happening right now: a massive bump in the enthusiasm of the Christianist base. This is pure Rove.<br /><br />Yes, McCain made a decision that revealed many appalling things about him. In the end, his final concern is not national security. No one who cares about national security would pick as vice-president someone who knows nothing about it as his replacement. No one who cares about this country's safety would gamble the security of the world on a total unknown because she polled well with the Christianist base. No person who truly believed that the surge was integral to this country's national security would pick as his veep candidate a woman who, so far as we can tell anything, opposed it at the time.</blockquote>Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-69391253364782576422008-07-25T15:54:00.003-05:002008-07-25T15:58:10.760-05:00Barack Obama's gmail accountI always wonder who the special people are that get their choice user ids on free email services like yahoo, hotmail and gmail. Here is an <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/07/28/080728ta_talk_bethea">article</a> in New Yorker which talks about the owner of barackobama@gmail.com.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-76410450687702706262008-07-21T03:54:00.002-05:002008-07-21T03:58:49.588-05:00Inept American media.John McCain implied <a href="http://www.kansascity.com/703/story/710218.html">recently</a> that Obama was a socialist. His argument for that was spurious, of course. This article in <a href="http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/comrade_obama.php">Columbia Journalism Review</a> does a nice job of pointing that out, and simultaneously shows up the inept American media.<br /><blockquote>The larger point is this: about two minutes worth of close scrutiny would be enough to convince any reasonable observer that to suggest Obama is a socialist is to drain the term of any meaning. Everyone involved knows this, including McCain (which is why he settled for implying, rather than saying so outright.) But by the rules of today’s political press, the “news” is that McCain made an explosive-sounding attack. Whether that attack is substantively valid just isn’t relevant to reporters.</blockquote>Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-15732214803701755972008-07-06T12:31:00.001-05:002008-07-06T12:36:37.578-05:00Despite losing, Indian team looks good.India just lost the final of Asia Cup, its second loss in a final in less than a month (after the <a href="http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/kitplycup/engine/current/match/345471.html">loss</a> to Pakistan in <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Kitply</span> Cup). Much will be said and written about the team and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Dhoni's</span> decision to field first in the final today.<br /><br />Despite today's loss, I believe that the Indian team is doing well generally. Test team has been doing well for a while now as can be seen from our <a href="http://icc-cricket.yahoo.com/rankings/rankings.html">second position</a> in ICC rankings. One-day team has struggled recently, but the team improved under <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Dhoni's</span> captaincy, with the <a href="http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/cbs/content/current/series/291340.html">CB series win</a> in Australia being the highlight. I am impressed by the way this young team is playing together. A couple of years ago, there was concern regarding how will India cope after the Big Three depart. I think that concern has been resolved satisfactorily. While <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Sachin</span> remains a key ingredient, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Dravid</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Ganguly</span> are not terribly missed.<br /><br />Today we basically lost because of a single outstanding spell from <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Ajantha</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Mendis</span>. It is true that some of the batsmen played bad shots and they needed to be more responsible. But this loss is not what this Indian team is about.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-28375733695327920152008-07-02T18:07:00.003-05:002008-07-02T18:12:15.724-05:00A short-lived first for India.After their recent <a href="http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/asiacup/engine/match/335352.html">win against Bangladesh</a> in Asia Cup, India achieved a record: for the first time since they started playing one-days, they had more wins than losses. The team record stood at 328 wins and 327 losses. After today's <a href="http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/asiacup/engine/match/335355.html">loss against Pakistan</a>, we are back to <a href="http://stats.cricinfo.com/statsguru/engine/stats/index.html?class=2;team=6;template=results;type=team">50% win percentage</a>.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-19527386173536840522008-07-01T03:56:00.003-05:002008-07-01T04:04:47.498-05:00The best pick for VP.........turns out to be the same for both candidates! According to an algorithm used by a company called Affinnova, <a href="http://www.affinnova.com/Optimize08/results1.html">Colin Powel</a> might be the best running mate for both Obama and McCain.<br /><br />They have an <a href="http://www.affinnova.com/Optimize08/">interesting page</a> of results obtained by their methods. There is also a demo poll.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-1927497608605572812008-06-29T18:38:00.001-05:002008-06-29T18:44:42.628-05:00Evolution.The <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evolution">theory of evolution</a> is the hypothesis that all life on earth originated from a single source via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mutation">genetic mutation</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_selection">natural selection</a> of beneficial mutations. Ever since Charles Darwin first proposed the idea of evolution in mid-19th century, a growing body of evidence is emerging to support it. One of the reasons evolution is difficult to study in laboratory is the large time frames that are involved. Modern human beings first appeared around 200,000 years ago, while the family containing humans and great apes has been evolving over millions of years.<br /><br />This difficulty, however, can be overcome by studying the evolution of micro-level organisms under specifically designed conditions in a laboratory. The tiny size of these organisms and the quickness with which they reproduce make the study of evolution accessible. Also, the development of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DNA_sequencing">DNA sequencing</a> techniques allows the scientists to study the genetic modifications behind the evolutionary changes they observe. A new class of evidence for the theory of evolution is being established using <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2007/06/26/science/26lab.html?ex=1347336000&en=ec02dfd3f6fb0b49&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink">these methods</a>.<br /><br />One of the pioneers has been <a href="https://www.msu.edu/%7Elenski/">Dr Richard Lenski</a>. He, along with his associates, is conducting a 20 year experiment using the E.coli bacteria. He started with a single E.coli and began to observe its behavior under adverse conditions. After hundreds of generations, he saw that they began to reproduce more efficiently, meaning that they adopted to the new conditions. He also observed that, after about 33,000 generations, the bacteria exhibited a behavior trait (feeding on citrate) that is absent among E.coli in natural conditions. This trait developed solely due to its advantage in the circumstances created by Dr Lenski. A very accessible summary of Dr Lenski's research is <a href="http://scienceblogs.com/loom/2008/06/02/a_new_step_in_evolution.php">here</a>.<br /><br />Finally, here is an <a href="http://www.badscience.net/2008/06/all-time-classic-creationist-pwnage/">interesting exchange</a> between Dr Lenski and <a href="http://www.conservapedia.com/Andrew_Schlafly">Andrew Schlafly</a>. It tells you a little about the ridiculousness of the quack <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_design">intelligent design movement</a> which is just <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creationism">creationism</a>, in a harmful disguise.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-68216514820621384952008-06-27T23:16:00.000-05:002008-06-27T23:20:20.937-05:00Religion in America.<blockquote>Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.</blockquote><br />This was the text of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Amendment_to_the_United_States_Constitution">first amendment</a> to the constitution of the United States, enacted in 1791. This was one of the most remarkable events in history. All over the world at that time, religion served as the sole source of morality and was taken to be the only legitimate foundation for a civilized society. In such circumstances, for a country to codify the above principle as a constitutional backbone was unbelievable, to say the least.<br /><br />The founding fathers came from different shades of the religious spectrum. There were non-religious people (Jefferson) as well as moderately pious (Washington, Adams, Hamilton and Madison). But one thing they all agreed on was the essential requirement of a republic: irreligiosity of the state.<br /><br />This wisdom of two centuries ago is now in short supply. At least, that is the impression one gets from the current politics of the US. There was always a thought, usually on the fringes, in the American society which did not accept that a rigorous foundation of a civilized society can be nonreligious. This thought appears to be becoming mainstream. It reached a high in the current administration. <br /><br />These trends are analyzed in <a href="http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/articles/media/The%20Stupidity%20of%20Dignity.htm">this article of Steven Pinker</a>. The specific subject of the article is a report released by the President's Council on Bioethics. This council was "charged with advising the president and exploring policy issues related to the ethics of biomedical innovation, including drugs that would enhance cognition, genetic manipulation of animals or humans, therapies that could extend the lifespan, and embryonic stem cells and so-called 'therapeutic cloning' that could furnish replacements for diseased tissue and organs". The council's 555-page report introduced a narrow religious angle into these issues and elevated a vaguely defined concept of "human dignity" as a litmus test for deciding on them. Needless to say, many of the conclusions fit the agenda of the religious wing of the Republican party. The article reveals the close ties between Bush administration and the intellectuals behind the report. <br /><br />This is, of course, one of many disquieting aspects of George Bush's presidency. There are some welcome indications that the sway of the religious right on GOP is on the decline. However, the question remains:<br /><blockquote><br />How did the United States, the world's scientific powerhouse, reach a point at which it grapples with the ethical challenges of twenty-first-century biomedicine using Bible stories, Catholic doctrine, and woolly rabbinical allegory?</blockquote>Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-31176957969180244042008-06-24T23:22:00.002-05:002008-06-24T23:33:17.259-05:00Words are also deeds.One of the key aspects of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Obama</span> which draw me toward to him is his ability to give inspiring speeches. It is not only the way he talks - it is also what he says. I find again and again that his speeches are intelligent and beautiful. His various primary victory speeches and especially his <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWe7wTVbLUU">speech in Pennsylvania on race</a> are absolute gems. I rooted for him in the primaries partly because I am excited to hear him speak at the convention in August. I am rooting for him in the general election partly because I would like to hear him giving important speeches in the next few years.<br /><br />It is easy to dismiss his speeches as mere words and skillful rhetoric that have nothing to do with substantive issues. But as with many easy conclusions, it is incorrect. The style of his speaking does convey something about his substance.<br /><br />This is precisely the gist of this <a href="http://nymag.com/guides/summer/2008/48007/">wonderful article in New York magazine</a> by Sam Anderson. He looks forward to the coming speech of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Obama</span> in Denver and analyzes what <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Obama's</span> speeches tell about him.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-43101815145708202812008-06-18T14:51:00.002-05:002008-06-18T14:53:57.136-05:00Supreme Court.Men of judiciary, John Adams once wrote, should be "men of experience on the laws, of exemplary morals, invincible patience, unruffled calmness, and indefatigable application". His opinion counts because, as the author of the constitution of Massachusetts, oldest functioning in the world, he initiated many of the codes regarding judiciary that were later incorporated into the United States constitution. Prominent among these were appointment of judges by the executive (as opposed to election) and life-term appointments.<br /><br />There is no reason to suppose that the present judges on the high court fall short of the demands of Adams. Their ideological differences and narrow decisions on crucial issues notwithstanding. This is really the riddle of Supreme Court.<br /><br />In a significant decision last week, in <a href="http://www.supremecourtus.gov/opinions/07pdf/06-1195.pdf">Boumedience V Bush</a> (pdf), the Supreme Court opined that foreign nationals held on terrorism charges <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/13/washington/12cnd-gitmo.html?scp=1&sq=Boumediene&st=cse">have constitutional right to challenge their detention</a> in US courts. This is a rebuke to the philosophy of the Bush administration and some recent decisions of the Congress granting the administration rights to hold terrorism suspects indefinitely with minimal scope for any legal recourse.<br /><br />The 5-4 decision neatly broke along the ideological lines, with Justice Anthony Kennedy casting the decisive vote for the majority. The reaction too was largely on the ideological lines with the Bush administration and the Republican party disapproving and the Democrats praising it.<br /><br />Barack Obama <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/2008/06/12/obama_statement_on_todays_supr.php">welcomed</a> the decision. John McCain criticized the decision, <a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/06/16/AR2008061602041.html">ridiculously</a> calling it <a href="http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2008/06/14/mccain_blasts_ruling_on_guantanamo/">one of the worst decision ever</a> by the Supreme Court. He also made the <a href="http://openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=6360">dubious assertion</a> that the constitutional rights do not apply to foreigners held by US.<br /><br />It seems unlikely that there will be a resolution of these weighty matters anytime soon. The law of the land, as set forth by the interpretation of constitution by the Supreme Court, will swing one way or the other as the political power in this country changes hands. Issues will continue to be determined essentially through the rough and tumble of the democratic process.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-69756592382918166302008-03-10T13:11:00.002-05:002008-03-10T13:18:58.010-05:00Obama builds his delegate lead.Last week was a bad week for Obama. That is what we are told anyway. But as this article on Daily Kos points out, he actually <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/10/11748/6707/563/473353">came on top last week in the contest for delegates</a>. While Clinton might fight fiercely in the days and weeks to come, an Obama win looks more and more likely. Unless, of course, Obama is caught in bed with either a dead girl or a live boy.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-24487102010986533442008-03-05T15:08:00.000-06:002008-03-05T15:11:17.444-06:00Clinton keeps the race alive.Hillary Clinton has registered the needed victories in Ohio and Texas to keep her hopes alive, if barely. At the very least, the calls for her to quit will go. Her victory in <a href="http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#OH">Ohio</a> was impressive and in <a href="http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/primaries/results/state/#TX">Texas</a> she secured a narrow win, contrary to <a href="http://krishna23.blogspot.com/2008/02/obama-will-win-in-texas.html">my prediction</a>. According to exit polls, large percentage of late deciders went for Clinton. So some of her tactics in the days leading up to the election worked.<br /><a href="http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/03/05/doing-the-math/"><br />Here is the thing though</a>. In spite of her wins, she is not in a better position in the race that matters: the delegate count. Indeed, she is worse off now that before these primaries.<br /><br />According to various sources, her net delegate gain from yesterday's results could be less than 15. A final tally will not be known till full results from Texas caucus are known. Since Obama is going to win that Clinton's lead will surely come down. Some say that Obama might even have a net gain. According to Associated Press, Clinton won 185 delegates on Tuesday as opposed to Obama's 173. Obama maintains an <a href="http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/delegates/index.html">impressive lead of 140 among pledged delegates</a>. This will only increase as full results from Texas caucus come in. Some other sources which have the same broad message are <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/3/5/10254/37195/375/469481">here</a>, <a href="http://www.openleft.com/showDiary.do?diaryId=4344">here</a> and <a href="http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/03/latest_tally_hillary_may_emerg.php">here</a>.<br /><br />So why is Clinton in worse shape? Because there is less time for her now to make up the difference. On Tuesday, more than a third of the remaining delegates were on offer (about 360). If Clinton could cut Obama'a lead only by 10 after an "impressive" victory, with less than 600 delegates up for grabs, Obama's lead of around 140 looks impregnable. Moreover, Obama could very well offset yesterday's losses with wins in Wyoming and Mississippi in the next one week.<br /><br />So it is safe to say that Clinton can win the nomination only by convincing a majority of superdelegates to vote for her. That will be hard as most of the superdelegates will opt for the winner of popular support.<br /><br />The race now is set to last for at least another month and half, till the Pennsylvania contest in April. The tone of the campaigns in this period, particularly of Clinton campaign, could be damaging. Already, Clinton is damaging the prospects of Democrats in the general election by suggesting that <a href="http://jamesfallows.theatlantic.com/archives/2008/03/more_on_the_clinton_obama_and.php">McCain will be a better president than Obama</a>. While a tight and protracted race may not be such a bad thing, Clinton's tactics might be damaging. So hopefully, she will not cross some lines that should not be crossed.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-75625161848293629632008-03-04T10:59:00.006-06:002008-03-04T11:10:30.124-06:00Sachin silences his "critics"???It is highly irritating to see scores of muddle-headed arm-chair experts proclaim that (or wonder if) Sachin Tendulkar <span style="font-style: italic;">finally</span> answered critics by his pair of match-winning innings in the tri-series final. As someone wisely said, these people should think more and talk less.<br /><br />Sachin Tendulkar does not need to silence his critics.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-73662419878487910182008-02-28T20:55:00.000-06:002008-02-28T20:56:29.654-06:00<a href="http://www.prettycrazed.com/gore_snl.mov">This is really funny.</a>Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-38191233521267418122008-02-27T21:56:00.000-06:002008-02-27T21:54:18.409-06:00Obama will win in Texas.That is my guess. The polls have narrowed over the last few days and in fact, Obama leads the <a href="http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2008/president/tx/texas_democratic_primary-312.html">RCP average</a> over several polls in Texas. But I wouldn't predict a victory for Obama for this reason alone.<br /><br />At the first sign of trouble in Texas, <a href="http://www.texasmonthly.com/blogs/polldancing/2008/02/hillary-seat-michigan-florida-delegates.php">Clinton campaign began to trash Texas</a>. Undeniably, Democrats can't win Texas this November. That does not mean running an active campaign in Texas is meaningless or that Texas is irrelevant to Democrats. An efficient grassroots campaign there will help in several state elections and may change the color of the state in years to come. And it appears that in Texas, Obama campaign is "<a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/27/133736/812/677/465111">doing more to rebuild the party in two weeks than the party's done in years</a>".<br /><br />This awesome effort may not be enough to carry Texas in November (at least in 2008), but I think it is enough to deliver Texas to Obama next Tuesday.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11301080.post-8419298143817453292008-02-25T10:30:00.003-06:002008-02-25T10:43:03.062-06:00To contest an election or not?...Without doubt, several factors need to be considered. But one necessary, though not sufficient, condition is a reasonable confidence of winning the election. <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/25/us/politics/25nader.html?_r=1&ref=todayspaper&oref=slogin">Ralph Nader</a> does not have it. So he is one of the most vainglorious and irresponsible politicians in America today.<br /><br />This thought is expanded admirably <a href="http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/2/24/122941/145/621/463149">here</a>.Krishnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04218645318358322806noreply@blogger.com0