Here is a story about iPod's impact on the culture, commerce and coolness...
"The iPod arrived in October 2001, bringing the promise of pleasure to a world in transformation from its comforting analog roots to a disruptive digital future. But no one expected that the iPod would become the signature artifact of our young century, selling more than 60 million units in its first five years. No one envisioned vast swaths of humanity escaping reality via the White Earbud Express. And no one would ever have believed that a 2005 survey would report that the iPod is more popular on college campuses ... than beer."
Read on ...
Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Society. Show all posts
Sunday, October 15, 2006
Homework outsourced!!
US homework outsourced to India
Private tutors are a luxury many American families cannot afford, costing anywhere between $25 to $100 an hour. But California mother Denise Robison found one online for $2.50 an hour -- in India.
"It's made the biggest difference. My daughter is literally at the top of every single one of her classes and she has never done that before," said Robison, a single mother from Modesto.
Her 13-year-old daughter, Taylor, is one of 1,100 Americans enrolled in Bangalore-based TutorVista, which launched U.S. services last November with a staff of 150 "e-tutors" mostly in India with a fee of $100 a month for unlimited hours.
Read on...
Private tutors are a luxury many American families cannot afford, costing anywhere between $25 to $100 an hour. But California mother Denise Robison found one online for $2.50 an hour -- in India.
"It's made the biggest difference. My daughter is literally at the top of every single one of her classes and she has never done that before," said Robison, a single mother from Modesto.
Her 13-year-old daughter, Taylor, is one of 1,100 Americans enrolled in Bangalore-based TutorVista, which launched U.S. services last November with a staff of 150 "e-tutors" mostly in India with a fee of $100 a month for unlimited hours.
Read on...
Gandhigiri - Revival of Gandhism
It took a comedy to revive Gandhi's ideals in India...
Here is a story about a Bollywood mega hit "Lage Raho Munnabhai" (a hindi movie) in Christian Science Monitor...
"On Oct 2nd, India paused to remember the life of Mohandas Gandhi. Like every year on this national holiday commemorating the birth of the Father of India, there were grand words, garlands, and one nagging question: Is this little man, swaddled in homespun cloth and armed only with his own reason, still relevant in an India of Internet millionaires and nuclear weapons?"
"This year, an answer and a revival of sorts has come from a most unexpected source - a Bollywood comedy about a witless Mumbai gangster.
Here is a story about a Bollywood mega hit "Lage Raho Munnabhai" (a hindi movie) in Christian Science Monitor...
"On Oct 2nd, India paused to remember the life of Mohandas Gandhi. Like every year on this national holiday commemorating the birth of the Father of India, there were grand words, garlands, and one nagging question: Is this little man, swaddled in homespun cloth and armed only with his own reason, still relevant in an India of Internet millionaires and nuclear weapons?"
"This year, an answer and a revival of sorts has come from a most unexpected source - a Bollywood comedy about a witless Mumbai gangster.
Puneet Sood, a smartly dressed software analyst fresh out of college, says he "could never relate to Gandhi before this movie." Yet "Lage Raho Munnabhai," with its light-hearted take on a gangster's conversion to Gandhian nonviolence, is providing the perfect antidote to decades of solemn ceremonies and austere textbooks, which have increasingly cast Gandhi as a museum piece of impractical ideals.
For some young Indians, it has been a call to action. For example, college students in Lucknow recently abandoned a history of violent protests in favor of handing out flowers - a tactic taken directly from the film. Far more, however, echo the feelings of Mr. Sood when he says that this Oct. 2, he looked at Gandhi with new eyes - perhaps not converted, but certainly understanding better why a nation in crisis came to call him "Bapu," father."
Thursday, October 05, 2006
10 myths about school shootings
"The profile of the gun-toting student in a trench coat is just one of the myths about the rare but murderous attacks in the nation’s schools.
Here are 10 myths about school shootings, compiled by MSNBC.com from a 2002 study by the U.S. Secret Service and the U.S. Department of Education. The researchers studied case files and other primary sources for 37 attacks by current or former students, and also interviewed 10 of the perpetrators."
More...Can I use this excuse to start drinking???
Does Drinking Help Your Career?
One thing I am not sure is this assertion in the article...
"Regular drinkers make 10% to 14% more money than those who do not drink, according to the study, conducted by the Journal of Labor Research, published quarterly by the Department of Economics at George Mason University, and the Reason Foundation, a Los Angeles-based think tank."
It could also be that people who earn more money can afford to drink. The question is which one is the cause and which one is the effect...
But I agree with the article's general premise...
"CEOs, particularly those running smaller, fast-growing companies, say that social and professional networking is an essential business tool. And while Johnnie Walker and Grey Goose may not actually be career wonder-tonics, the reality is that a significant amount of this networking takes place at company happy hours and other social events involving alcohol."
One thing I am not sure is this assertion in the article...
"Regular drinkers make 10% to 14% more money than those who do not drink, according to the study, conducted by the Journal of Labor Research, published quarterly by the Department of Economics at George Mason University, and the Reason Foundation, a Los Angeles-based think tank."
It could also be that people who earn more money can afford to drink. The question is which one is the cause and which one is the effect...
But I agree with the article's general premise...
"CEOs, particularly those running smaller, fast-growing companies, say that social and professional networking is an essential business tool. And while Johnnie Walker and Grey Goose may not actually be career wonder-tonics, the reality is that a significant amount of this networking takes place at company happy hours and other social events involving alcohol."
What a stupid idea....
A Wisconsin state legislator wants teachers to carry guns...
"Rep. Frank Lasee, a Republican, said Wednesday that, while his idea may not be politically correct, it has worked effectively in other countries."
"To make our schools safe for our students to learn, all options should be on the table," he said. "Israel and Thailand have well-trained teachers carrying weapons and keeping their children safe from harm. It can work in Wisconsin."
More...
How about installing metal detectors in all schools? Or even better, how about eliminating guns from civilians altogether... The second amendment of US constitution ("the right of the people to keep and bear arms") is so 18th century concept...
More about 2nd amendment...
"Rep. Frank Lasee, a Republican, said Wednesday that, while his idea may not be politically correct, it has worked effectively in other countries."
"To make our schools safe for our students to learn, all options should be on the table," he said. "Israel and Thailand have well-trained teachers carrying weapons and keeping their children safe from harm. It can work in Wisconsin."
More...
How about installing metal detectors in all schools? Or even better, how about eliminating guns from civilians altogether... The second amendment of US constitution ("the right of the people to keep and bear arms") is so 18th century concept...
More about 2nd amendment...
Online matrimony: A big business in India
"The organised matrimonial business in India is worth about Rs 1,000 crore (Rs 10 billion). Until a few years ago, it operated mainly as a loose network of friends, astrologers, family priests and so on."
"Now, the business model has evolved further. Both companies are looking to housewives and retired people to help expand their business. The brick-and-mortar model will expand primarily through franchises sold to this group."
"Now, the business model has evolved further. Both companies are looking to housewives and retired people to help expand their business. The brick-and-mortar model will expand primarily through franchises sold to this group."
"Accordingly, initial investment in the franchise operation has also been pegged at an affordable Rs 800,000-10 lakh, and office space requirements kept at 600-800 sq ft. In the next two years, Shaadi Point (the offline model of Shaadi.com) plans to expand its current 100 centres to 500, while BharatMatrimony is aiming for 300 centres in the same period."
Tuesday, October 03, 2006
Sign a petition for Diwali
Got this email from Bharat_UCLA...
Friends,
Diwali is an important Hindu festival, and United States Postal Service is considering issuing stamps for this occasion. USPS has stamps for other festivals too like Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Eid, and Chinese New Year.
To do this, USPS needs 500,000 signatures to have a stamp release, and so far we have 338,551+ people who have signed the petition.
We are close.
Please go to the site below and support the release of the Diwali stamp. Also, please forward widely to others who would support this.
So lets get the Diwali stamp issued and let's make the presence of Indians felt here in
Click below to sign the petition:
http://www.petition
-Thank you
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