An MRI image of twins in mother's womb. Fascinating...............
June 28, 2012
June 26, 2012
June 24, 2012
The Hindu in the digital age
The Hindu went digital about a year and half ago (or maybe 2 years). By that, I don't mean the hyperlinked html website they had up on the web, much before these 2 years. The digital coming of age included the following:
- A more readable font
- Organization of content more suited for the web (by categories, columnists etc)
- Improved performance
- Presentation of content by Most Read, Most Commented
- Easy linking to FB
- And most crucially, ability to post comments on the articles. The "letters to the Hindu" becomes irrelevant.
One might say, what is the big deal? Aren't all newspapers doing the same? The answer lies (typical for the Hindu) in the quality. Other news paper sites are cluttered with colors and content, ads all over the place. The comments here are moderated, and hence worth reading - we are spared the absurd and ungrammatical rants that are a familiar site in all other websites.
Interestingly, the Hindu seems to undergone another shift starting at about the same time.The Hindu was always about objectivity, balance- criticism, when offered, was reproachful and the tone was benign. Passion was reserved for the sporting pages, where R Mohan previously and Nirmal Shekhar currently, would let loose and wax eloquent- As way back as 1990, I remember a poster of Agassi in the Sportstar that screamed the caption: Power and Pulchritude. The big words were paraded out to laud sporting achievements- otherwise, emotion was frowned upon in the main pages.
But over the last 1.5 year, the tone has changed - Editorials and Op-Eds seem to be written with acid ink. Irony and Sarcasm rule. The outlook is gloomier and the liberal stance is taken more stridently on most issues. It shows even in the titles of the editorials- here are a few samples:
Welcome to the Matrix of the Indian State (A delightfully sarcastic comparison to the Matrix movie: the Barkha Dutt incident in 2010) - 140
Reaping gold through cotton, and newsprint (In an unprecedented move for an Indian newspaper, the Hindu and P Sainath take on the unscrupulous Times of India) - 219
The austerity of the affluent (A biting take on Montek Singh Ahluwalia's Marie Antoinette like stance on rural poverty) - 153
‘India is drowning in its own excreta’ (This was about sanitation, with a provocative title) -58
There are many more. The other interesting thing are the numbers next to the links above: it is the count of comments received on these articles. Given that these are moderated comments, this actually represents a decent quality debate on those topics.
So with its digital shift, and its shift in tone, the Hindu is now the forerunner in India for the kind of quality reader-editor interaction that one sees in International news websites. I certainly look forward to my daily online session on the Hindu website.
- A more readable font
- Organization of content more suited for the web (by categories, columnists etc)
- Improved performance
- Presentation of content by Most Read, Most Commented
- Easy linking to FB
- And most crucially, ability to post comments on the articles. The "letters to the Hindu" becomes irrelevant.
One might say, what is the big deal? Aren't all newspapers doing the same? The answer lies (typical for the Hindu) in the quality. Other news paper sites are cluttered with colors and content, ads all over the place. The comments here are moderated, and hence worth reading - we are spared the absurd and ungrammatical rants that are a familiar site in all other websites.
Interestingly, the Hindu seems to undergone another shift starting at about the same time.The Hindu was always about objectivity, balance- criticism, when offered, was reproachful and the tone was benign. Passion was reserved for the sporting pages, where R Mohan previously and Nirmal Shekhar currently, would let loose and wax eloquent- As way back as 1990, I remember a poster of Agassi in the Sportstar that screamed the caption: Power and Pulchritude. The big words were paraded out to laud sporting achievements- otherwise, emotion was frowned upon in the main pages.
But over the last 1.5 year, the tone has changed - Editorials and Op-Eds seem to be written with acid ink. Irony and Sarcasm rule. The outlook is gloomier and the liberal stance is taken more stridently on most issues. It shows even in the titles of the editorials- here are a few samples:
Welcome to the Matrix of the Indian State (A delightfully sarcastic comparison to the Matrix movie: the Barkha Dutt incident in 2010) - 140
Reaping gold through cotton, and newsprint (In an unprecedented move for an Indian newspaper, the Hindu and P Sainath take on the unscrupulous Times of India) - 219
The austerity of the affluent (A biting take on Montek Singh Ahluwalia's Marie Antoinette like stance on rural poverty) - 153
‘India is drowning in its own excreta’ (This was about sanitation, with a provocative title) -58
There are many more. The other interesting thing are the numbers next to the links above: it is the count of comments received on these articles. Given that these are moderated comments, this actually represents a decent quality debate on those topics.
So with its digital shift, and its shift in tone, the Hindu is now the forerunner in India for the kind of quality reader-editor interaction that one sees in International news websites. I certainly look forward to my daily online session on the Hindu website.
June 20, 2012
Our Alaska Cruise - part 5 Circus Finale
Day 7: Circus Day and Victoria, BC
Day 7 could not have dawned early enough, as we ran into an unexpected freak storm on our way out from Skagway. Being in a mid-ship cabin, we did not throw up, but we definitely felt the roll of the ship as it traversed through rough seas with gale force 9 winds and 25+ foot waves. Those 24 hours have given me second thoughts for an Atlantic cruise, where such storms are somewhat expected, unlike the calm Pacific ocean.
But by mid-day we were out of the storm and geared up for Aditya's stage performance for a Circus act. The kids club trained these kids on circus acts all week and put on a great show with them. I was actually quite impressed with the hand-to-eye coordination of Aditya as he did a good job on plate spinning. I don't know where he got it from, definitely not from me!!!!!!!
Our final stop was a brief 6-hour stop in Victoria, Canada, a city famous for its gardens. I remembered Amma as I walked through neighborhoods with beautiful home gardens, flowers in abundance. Apparently in a couple of months, the rose specatcular takes off, and we were a little early.
We took a quiet stroll through the city and returned to our room, making preparations for disembarkation the next day.
Day 8: Back to Seattle and a flight to San Jose
Aditya and Srinivas happy to be back home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More Pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/100439682375564182182/Alaska2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOfg_fmJj_zzjgE&feat=directlink
Day 7 could not have dawned early enough, as we ran into an unexpected freak storm on our way out from Skagway. Being in a mid-ship cabin, we did not throw up, but we definitely felt the roll of the ship as it traversed through rough seas with gale force 9 winds and 25+ foot waves. Those 24 hours have given me second thoughts for an Atlantic cruise, where such storms are somewhat expected, unlike the calm Pacific ocean.
But by mid-day we were out of the storm and geared up for Aditya's stage performance for a Circus act. The kids club trained these kids on circus acts all week and put on a great show with them. I was actually quite impressed with the hand-to-eye coordination of Aditya as he did a good job on plate spinning. I don't know where he got it from, definitely not from me!!!!!!!
Our final stop was a brief 6-hour stop in Victoria, Canada, a city famous for its gardens. I remembered Amma as I walked through neighborhoods with beautiful home gardens, flowers in abundance. Apparently in a couple of months, the rose specatcular takes off, and we were a little early.
We took a quiet stroll through the city and returned to our room, making preparations for disembarkation the next day.
Day 8: Back to Seattle and a flight to San Jose
Aditya and Srinivas happy to be back home!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
More Pictures:
https://picasaweb.google.com/100439682375564182182/Alaska2012?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCOfg_fmJj_zzjgE&feat=directlink
Our Alaska Cruise - Part 4 Glacier Bay & Ketchikan
Day 5: Glacier Bay
The next best part of the trip was undoubtedly Glacier Bay national park, accessible only via sea. We entered the national park early in the morning, and as we traveled deeper, the sea became more littered with icebergs big and small, from the calving, or the breaking up of large chunks of ice from the glaciers at their terminal faces. We ended up at the terminus of the Marjorie Glacier, as it meets the ocean.
It was a spectacular sight, getting so close to these icebergs and seeing these ice chunks fall. We bundled up well and observed them from the comfort of our balcony.
We also were extremely fortunate to see the elusive Arctic black wolves, a mutation of the gray wolf caused by their isolation on the dirt covered glaciers. We spotted a few arctic terns, the majestic Bald eagles and the common seagulls flying around as well. Apparently, a few folks on the cruise spotted a bear but we were not that lucky.
From Glacier bay, as we headed out towards Ketchikan, our next stop, we passed through Whale country. We spotted multiple clusters of humpback and killer whales, as they blew water through their blow holes, and marveled at the size of their flukes( tail fins. trust Aditya to know the proper name) as they breached out of the water. Unfortuantely, while we had binoculars that could spot them, we did not have a camera powerful enough to catch them, so here is a stock photo for you.
Day 6: Ketchikan
By day 6, we were quite exhaused from the shore trips and decided to take a chill day at port. We just walked around the town, shopped for some souveniers and took some pictures.
The next best part of the trip was undoubtedly Glacier Bay national park, accessible only via sea. We entered the national park early in the morning, and as we traveled deeper, the sea became more littered with icebergs big and small, from the calving, or the breaking up of large chunks of ice from the glaciers at their terminal faces. We ended up at the terminus of the Marjorie Glacier, as it meets the ocean.
 |
| Marjorie Glacier |
It was a spectacular sight, getting so close to these icebergs and seeing these ice chunks fall. We bundled up well and observed them from the comfort of our balcony.
We also were extremely fortunate to see the elusive Arctic black wolves, a mutation of the gray wolf caused by their isolation on the dirt covered glaciers. We spotted a few arctic terns, the majestic Bald eagles and the common seagulls flying around as well. Apparently, a few folks on the cruise spotted a bear but we were not that lucky.
From Glacier bay, as we headed out towards Ketchikan, our next stop, we passed through Whale country. We spotted multiple clusters of humpback and killer whales, as they blew water through their blow holes, and marveled at the size of their flukes( tail fins. trust Aditya to know the proper name) as they breached out of the water. Unfortuantely, while we had binoculars that could spot them, we did not have a camera powerful enough to catch them, so here is a stock photo for you.
Day 6: Ketchikan
By day 6, we were quite exhaused from the shore trips and decided to take a chill day at port. We just walked around the town, shopped for some souveniers and took some pictures.
Our Alaska Cruise - Part 3 Skagway
Day 4: Skagway
Skagway had the longest port time, from 7AM to 8PM.
Skagway is a small town of 500 residents and is primarily dependent on tourism. There is no doctor, the closest hospital is in Juneau by air, or is in Canada, 3 hours by road. Our guide became a Canadian citizen because his parents couldn't find a flight to Juneau in time. There are only 3-restaurants in town, each serving only breakfast, lunch or dinner, as there is no sense competing in such a small town. Mail is not delivered to the houses, which are so isolated that home owners get to name the streets to their houses. This leads to some creative names such as Rocky Road and Big Ass Pothole Road.
Alighting from the ship, we boarded a charter bus to drive over the White Pass into the Yukon territory, land of the Alaskan gold rush. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klondike_Gold_Rush
We drove along the Klondike Highway, crossing over to Canada, where we boarded the White Pass & Yukon Rail back to Skagway.
We headed back to the ship, to cool our heels (or rather warm our heels), waiting for our helicopter ride in the afternoon.
If the glaciers were the cake, wildlife was the icing and helicopter & sled rides were the Cherry on top. They were definitely the highlight of the trip.
We boarded a helicopter at Skagway airport and flew over the Fairweather mountains, into the meade glacier, where the dog training camps are established for the summer. In these camps, trainers run sled dog teams in preparation for the winter dogsled races, the most popular being the famous Iditarod trail immortalized by Balto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balto)
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March from Anchorage to Nome, in Alaska. Mushers and a team of 12-16 dogs, cover the distance in 9–15 days. Teams frequently race through blizzards causing whiteout conditions, sub-zero temperatures and gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to reach −100 °F (−73 °C).
On the way to the camp, we got rare glimpses of vistas that normally require either strenous hiking/climbing or crazy snowmobile rides, such as a mountain lake partially frozen over, origin of a waterfall running under layers of ice and snow capped peaks fiery with the rays of mid-day sun. However, the sun was quickly obscured as we got deeper into the mountains, giving way to gray clouds and falling snow.
As we approached the camp and got ready to land, we were amazed by the desolation surrouning the camp, and could not help but admire the folks who spend their precious summer braving the cold and snow.
Once we landed, our guide took us to meet the dogsled team being led by Cujo(look it up). We spent time petting the friendly sled team, which was excitedly yelping at the prospect of going for a run. Our guide was very friendly, answering our questions and giving us pointers on dogsledding basics. He rode in the Iditarod once, and trained dogs that finished in the top 3.
In no time, the dogs were harnassed, we were seated in the sled, and it was time to MUSH!!!!!!!!
Though the video made it appear as though the sleds were running slowly, it felt quite fast sitting in the sled, our bums freezing from the cold seats and the bumpy rides. But soon, we were away from the camp and on the dog trail, whereupon the ride became much smoother.
We returned to camp after a sled run, which just was not long enough........and flew back to Skagway for our onward journey to Glacier Bay.
Skagway had the longest port time, from 7AM to 8PM.
Skagway is a small town of 500 residents and is primarily dependent on tourism. There is no doctor, the closest hospital is in Juneau by air, or is in Canada, 3 hours by road. Our guide became a Canadian citizen because his parents couldn't find a flight to Juneau in time. There are only 3-restaurants in town, each serving only breakfast, lunch or dinner, as there is no sense competing in such a small town. Mail is not delivered to the houses, which are so isolated that home owners get to name the streets to their houses. This leads to some creative names such as Rocky Road and Big Ass Pothole Road.
 |
| City of Skagway |
We drove along the Klondike Highway, crossing over to Canada, where we boarded the White Pass & Yukon Rail back to Skagway.
 |
| Leaving Alaska to Canada |
 |
| At the Canadian border |
This railway was used by miners during the gold rush era, and it took us through some spectacular mountain scenary, finally dropping us back in Skagway.
 |
| Whitepass Railway |
If the glaciers were the cake, wildlife was the icing and helicopter & sled rides were the Cherry on top. They were definitely the highlight of the trip.
We boarded a helicopter at Skagway airport and flew over the Fairweather mountains, into the meade glacier, where the dog training camps are established for the summer. In these camps, trainers run sled dog teams in preparation for the winter dogsled races, the most popular being the famous Iditarod trail immortalized by Balto (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balto)
The Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race is an annual long-distance sled dog race run in early March from Anchorage to Nome, in Alaska. Mushers and a team of 12-16 dogs, cover the distance in 9–15 days. Teams frequently race through blizzards causing whiteout conditions, sub-zero temperatures and gale-force winds which can cause the wind chill to reach −100 °F (−73 °C).
On the way to the camp, we got rare glimpses of vistas that normally require either strenous hiking/climbing or crazy snowmobile rides, such as a mountain lake partially frozen over, origin of a waterfall running under layers of ice and snow capped peaks fiery with the rays of mid-day sun. However, the sun was quickly obscured as we got deeper into the mountains, giving way to gray clouds and falling snow.
As we approached the camp and got ready to land, we were amazed by the desolation surrouning the camp, and could not help but admire the folks who spend their precious summer braving the cold and snow.
Once we landed, our guide took us to meet the dogsled team being led by Cujo(look it up). We spent time petting the friendly sled team, which was excitedly yelping at the prospect of going for a run. Our guide was very friendly, answering our questions and giving us pointers on dogsledding basics. He rode in the Iditarod once, and trained dogs that finished in the top 3.
In no time, the dogs were harnassed, we were seated in the sled, and it was time to MUSH!!!!!!!!
Though the video made it appear as though the sleds were running slowly, it felt quite fast sitting in the sled, our bums freezing from the cold seats and the bumpy rides. But soon, we were away from the camp and on the dog trail, whereupon the ride became much smoother.
We returned to camp after a sled run, which just was not long enough........and flew back to Skagway for our onward journey to Glacier Bay.
Our Alaska Cruise - Part 2 Juneau
Here is the part 2.
Day 1-2: Sea Days
Sunday afternoon and Monday were sea days. We got settled into our cabin and explored the ship. We went to the shipboard library and got some reading material. Dropped Aditya off in the Kid's club for some adult free time. Went to a show in the Stardust Theater. Ate excellent food in the dining rooms and the buffett ( The indian food was surprisingly good and spicy). Watched a movie on TV. Relaxed on the bed, enjoying the moving theater out of our balcony window.
Day 1-2: Sea Days
Sunday afternoon and Monday were sea days. We got settled into our cabin and explored the ship. We went to the shipboard library and got some reading material. Dropped Aditya off in the Kid's club for some adult free time. Went to a show in the Stardust Theater. Ate excellent food in the dining rooms and the buffett ( The indian food was surprisingly good and spicy). Watched a movie on TV. Relaxed on the bed, enjoying the moving theater out of our balcony window.
 |
| View from my bed |
Day 3: Juneau
After 2 days of non-stop travel, we arrived in Juneau, Alaska at 2PM and were welcomed by, RAIN!!!! We had originally booked a helicopter tour, which was no longer feasible due to snowy weather in the mountains. We quickly made alternate arrangements for a bus tour to the Mendenhall Glacier, the only glacier in Alaska that one can drive up to see.
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the fall of snow exceeds its melting, over many years, often centuries. It can be thought of as a "river of ice". Glaciers are important to the health of the planet as they are the source of about 1/3 of fresh water on the earth.
The glacier ice is compacted over centuries, eliminating all air in the snow, giving glacial ice its characteristic deep blue color. You can see the deep blue at the bottom of the glacier. Glacier ice lasts upto 5 times longer than the ice from the refirigirators and the locals "harvest" glacial ice to store their fish. Glacial erosion helps form lakes and valleys, providing flat lands for animal habitation as the glaciers recede. The dirt and rocks pulled along this river of ice give the dirty color to the glaciers.
 |
| Mendenhall Glacier |
The tour guide had interesting information about Juneau. It is accessible only via air or sea, and is often cut off for days during winter. He had a funny story about how when McDonald's first opened in Juneau, folks from the neighboring small towns arrived in their seaplanes and boats, each ordering 200-300 hamburgers for their whole town, blowing through a week's worth of inventory in a day.
He also told how folks in this region gather the food they need for the whole year in 3 months ( primarily fish and game, hunted during the summer) so that winter time is mostly spent in recreational activities ( as if one could do much!!!!!!)
We spent some time in the visitor center, looking for mountain goats up in the hills and observing the various artifacts such as bear heads. We returned to the ship by 9PM and departed for Skagway.
 |
| All bundled up for the cold and rain |
Our Alaska Cruise - Part 1 Seattle
Adi, Srinivas and I just returned from a 9-day trip to the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, with a 7-day cruise aboard the Norwegian Pearl. Here is the trip report, and as usual it is a long and patient read, what with my tendency to wax lyrical!!!
A weeklong sojurn into misty(rious) icy waters and gray skies; sightings of brilliant blue glaciers and breaching humpback whales; majestic snowy mountains and deep fjords; arctic terns, bald eagels, seals and sea otters; helicopter rides into the deep ice fields of the (ironically named) fairweather mountains; the famed Iditarod mushers and sled dogs; forays into the Yukon gold rush lands of British Columbia, Canada; rough seas with gale force winds; spectacular views and 20 hours of daylight. Alaska, the last Frontier.
And to realize that we have but barely touched the southwestern tip of the largest state in United States brings the granduer of Alaska into perspective.
Pre-Cruise: Saturday and Sunday
We flew to Seattle early saturday morning, visiting my friend from intermediate, Swarna. After a nice brunch, we headed off to tour the Boeing factory in Seattle, where final assembly of the aircrafts takes place. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any pictures, but here are some stock pics.
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/tours/tourphoto.html
A weeklong sojurn into misty(rious) icy waters and gray skies; sightings of brilliant blue glaciers and breaching humpback whales; majestic snowy mountains and deep fjords; arctic terns, bald eagels, seals and sea otters; helicopter rides into the deep ice fields of the (ironically named) fairweather mountains; the famed Iditarod mushers and sled dogs; forays into the Yukon gold rush lands of British Columbia, Canada; rough seas with gale force winds; spectacular views and 20 hours of daylight. Alaska, the last Frontier.
And to realize that we have but barely touched the southwestern tip of the largest state in United States brings the granduer of Alaska into perspective.
Pre-Cruise: Saturday and Sunday
We flew to Seattle early saturday morning, visiting my friend from intermediate, Swarna. After a nice brunch, we headed off to tour the Boeing factory in Seattle, where final assembly of the aircrafts takes place. Unfortunately, we were not allowed to take any pictures, but here are some stock pics.
http://www.boeing.com/commercial/tours/tourphoto.html
After the tour, we settled in our hotel for the night, eagerly awaiting the next day when we embark the Pearl.
On sunday morning, bright and early, we headed off to the famous Pike Place Market, in search of breakfast at the Crumpet Shop.
After a filling meal of authentic, yeast risen, round and fluffy breakfast choice of the boys at St.Austin( reread your pothunters if you missed the reference), we meandered into the year-round farmer's market famous for its fresh seafood.
Holding our noses, we beat a hasty retreat to the pier, where our mammoth ship awaited us.
Day 1 : Sunday 4PM Cast-off
After the completion of check-in procedures, we boarded our ship at 2PM and were directed to our balcony mini-suite stateroom on Deck 11, midship.
After grabbing a buffett lunch, we wandered onto the afterdeck for the cast-off. Sipping cups of hot coffee, watching the seattle skyline with Mt.Rainier in the distance, we waved goodbye to land and headed off to the icy straits of the Inside Passage.
June 19, 2012
Back after cruising the Alaska coastline for 7-days
Trip report to follow shortly. Was totally unplugged this whole week. No internet. Limited phone access......
June 10, 2012
"YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL"
From
YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL
Social media was buzzing about a Boston-area high school teacher's blunt commencement speech that told students they "are not special."
Wellesley High English teacher David McCullough Jr. told graduates "You are not special. You are not exceptional," quoting empirical evidence:
"Across the country no fewer than 3.2 million seniors are graduating about now from more than 37,000 high schools. That's 37,000 valedictorians ... 37,000 class presidents ... 92,000 harmonizing altos ... 340,000 swaggering jocks ... 2,185,967 pairs of Uggs," he said in the speech published in the Boston Herald.
He added: "Even if you're one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you."
McCullough makes a statement on parents who overdo it in a modern society focused on collecting achievements. "You've been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble wrapped ... feted and fawned over and called sweetie pie." But he adds in a video on Wellesley Channel TV YouTube page, "You see, if everyone is special, then no one is. If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless. ... We have of late, we Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement."
McCullough's address does push students to recognize real achievement: "The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life is an achievement," and he encourages graduates "to do whatever you do for no reason other than you love it and believe in its importance."
Many expressed their approval of the message on Twitter:
This is awesome. I don't remember my HS commencement speech. I think I would remember this one. — S.L. Gray
Fantastic speech which sums up the neglected duty of so many Americans in 1 phrase: "Be worthy of your advantages." — Benjamin Yee
the greatest commencement speech ever. — Neil Raden
My new hero. Tells grads "You're not that Special ... when everyone gets a trophy, the trophy doesn't mean anything." — Jason Dobrolecki
The Boston Herald also reported that McCullough's words were very well received by attendees. The teacher, a father of four, admitted he's guilty of the actions he pokes fun at in his speech.
But near the end of the address he says, "The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you're not special. Because everyone is."
YOU ARE NOT SPECIAL
Social media was buzzing about a Boston-area high school teacher's blunt commencement speech that told students they "are not special."
Wellesley High English teacher David McCullough Jr. told graduates "You are not special. You are not exceptional," quoting empirical evidence:
"Across the country no fewer than 3.2 million seniors are graduating about now from more than 37,000 high schools. That's 37,000 valedictorians ... 37,000 class presidents ... 92,000 harmonizing altos ... 340,000 swaggering jocks ... 2,185,967 pairs of Uggs," he said in the speech published in the Boston Herald.
He added: "Even if you're one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you."
McCullough makes a statement on parents who overdo it in a modern society focused on collecting achievements. "You've been pampered, cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble wrapped ... feted and fawned over and called sweetie pie." But he adds in a video on Wellesley Channel TV YouTube page, "You see, if everyone is special, then no one is. If everyone gets a trophy, trophies become meaningless. ... We have of late, we Americans, to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement."
McCullough's address does push students to recognize real achievement: "The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant life is an achievement," and he encourages graduates "to do whatever you do for no reason other than you love it and believe in its importance."
Many expressed their approval of the message on Twitter:
This is awesome. I don't remember my HS commencement speech. I think I would remember this one. — S.L. Gray
Fantastic speech which sums up the neglected duty of so many Americans in 1 phrase: "Be worthy of your advantages." — Benjamin Yee
the greatest commencement speech ever. — Neil Raden
My new hero. Tells grads "You're not that Special ... when everyone gets a trophy, the trophy doesn't mean anything." — Jason Dobrolecki
The Boston Herald also reported that McCullough's words were very well received by attendees. The teacher, a father of four, admitted he's guilty of the actions he pokes fun at in his speech.
But near the end of the address he says, "The sweetest joys of life, then, come only with the recognition that you're not special. Because everyone is."
Not very different from India isn't it?
But that was what we were telling our kids. Finally found someone agreeing with me.
June 9, 2012
Cluster maps
Was just going through the cluster maps on SH, its so funny people from islands like Guam, Mauritius are watching us! :)
June 8, 2012
FAMILY TREE
Kommalu-Kommalaki Remmalu, Remmalaku Rebbalu etc.---son and
daughter with their spouses and sons.
Saving Time, Money and the Environment(What is the black lining?)
Now-a-days I am working from home most of the week.
Half my development team is in Shanghai and the other half is in Kiev,Ukraine. My business owners are in Los Angeles and Singapore. My product manager colleagues are spread around LA and Kiev. My boss lives in San Diego and commutes to LA 3-4 days a week. So why go to office when most work is done via emails/skype and phone?
Plusses: Save commute time, petrol money and the environment
Minuses: 6AM and 9PM working hours, no water cooler gossip, increased housework (elagu intlone vuntavu ga)
Half my development team is in Shanghai and the other half is in Kiev,Ukraine. My business owners are in Los Angeles and Singapore. My product manager colleagues are spread around LA and Kiev. My boss lives in San Diego and commutes to LA 3-4 days a week. So why go to office when most work is done via emails/skype and phone?
Plusses: Save commute time, petrol money and the environment
Minuses: 6AM and 9PM working hours, no water cooler gossip, increased housework (elagu intlone vuntavu ga)
June 6, 2012
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