The River of Time Runs Backwards

This is so elegant, and seems so important, I can't resist sharing this-

Finally, we all know that practice improves learning. Bem tested students' memory for word lists and then had them engage in extensive practice (e.g. typing out) for some of the words but not others. His finding? That memory performance was superior for words that the students went on to practice afterwards - a kind of reverse learning effect whereby your memory is improved now based on study you do later.

-Dramatic study shows participants are affected by psychological phenomena from the future

Rockmelt- the Social Browser

I don't know about you, but if I were someone who is connected to my friends on the net through Facebook and Twitter and other such social sites, Rockmelt looks like a brower tailormade for me. I am scared that Facebook and Twitter would drain my time, but the looks of it makes go all trembling at the knees.

Great concept. This is their blog.

Do take a look at it, give Rockmelt a try. It is probably Chrome meets Facebook type of product.

The Art of Blogging- and Journalism

Extremely good writing. Brings out the distinction between blogging and journalism in the most fundamental sense.

By the way, if you want to be a good blogger, read this real close: this will serve you better than you'd ordinarily expect.

Really good print journalism is ego-free. By that I do not mean that the writer has no skin in the game, or that the writer lacks a perspective, or even that the writer does not write from a perspective. What I mean is that the writer is able to let the story and the reporting process, to the highest possible extent, unfold without a reporter's insecurities or parochial concerns intervening. Blogging is an ego-intensive process. Even in straight news stories, the format always requires you to put yourself into narrative. You are expected to not only have a point of view and reveal it, but be confident that it is the correct point of view. There is nothing wrong with this. As much as a writer can fabricate a detachment, or a "view from nowhere," as Jay Rosen has put it, the writer can also also fabricate a view from somewhere. You can't really be a reporter without it. I don't care whether people know how I feel about particular political issues; it's no secret where I stand on gay marriage, or on the science of climate change, and I wouldn't have it any other way. What I hope I will find refreshing about the change of formats is that I will no longer be compelled to turn every piece of prose into a personal, conclusive argument, to try and fit it into a coherent framework that belongs to a web-based personality called "Marc Ambinder" that people read because it's "Marc Ambinder," rather than because it's good or interesting.I Am a Blogger No Longer - Marc Ambinder - Politics - The Atlantic

In our Best Interest

President Obama, as our national television channels fondly call him, made a reference to Pakistan in the speech he gave at our Parliament. His speech possibly is a reasonable indication of the basis of our policy vis a vis Pakistan:

Our strategy to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda and its affiliates has to succeed on both sides of the border. That is why we have worked with the Pakistani government to address the threat of terrorist networks in the border region. The Pakistani government increasingly recognizes that these networks are not just a threat outside of Pakistan-they are a threat to the Pakistani people, who have suffered greatly at the hands of violent extremists.

And we will continue to insist to Pakistan's leaders that terrorist safe-havens within their borders are unacceptable, and that the terrorists behind the Mumbai attacks be brought to justice. We must also recognize that all of us have and interest in both an Afghanistan and a Pakistan that is stable, prosperous and democratic-and none more so than India." - IBN Live

A Pakistan that is stable, prosperous and democratic! Good luck on that.

Short of dismantling all of the governing apparatus in Pakistan, there is not much that either India or US can do to help them get there, despite it being in the best interests of India. And as our beloved Leader, President Obama put it, none more so than India that would breath a sigh of relief to see a stable, prosperous and democratic Pakistan, and none more helpless than India to help them in any way to get there.

Not that anyone in Pakistan in their right senses would want India to help Pakistan get better. In fact, there could be sizable section of intelligensia in our country, that would bristle at any such conceit on the part of our government.

Pakistan is hopeless. It lives only in dreams, and nightmares.

"The first indication that something was wrong came from a cryptic message left as a status update on the player's Facebook page. 'Leaving Pakistan cricket because get bad msg fr 1 man fr lose the match in last game.'""- Pakistan news: Zulqarnain in UK, mystery over exit from Dubai | Pakistan Cricket News | Cricinfo.com:

When things like this happen, and the man who has been threatened by bookies, find refuge not somewhere across the border, but all the way to Britain, there is not much hope for anyone, least of all, not Pakistan or India.

Given the historic and cultural similarities, one would have thought that India could be the better option for him than Britain. Not that he would find potentially better economic opportunities in Britain.

Remember Taslima Nusreen. She might be better off in Britain or somewhere in the west.

Probaly Zulqarnain is not only honest, but also realistic.

Good luck for him- he has much better chances of enjoying it than Pakistan or India.

Or our beloved Leader, President Obama for that matter.

Postscript: President Obama's speech seems to have found a chord in the liberal and enlightened heart of The Hindu- Obama's Parliament speech a hit.

Thanks for letting us know you appreciate that one.

Deepak Chahar- a Dream Spell

A dream spell at Jaipur- see the magic weave, swerve the ball on the air and off the pitch.  Brilliant. Breathless. Hope Deepak Chahar moves forward from here.



More of this is at The Ranji Trophy Chronicles.

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