February 2012 – Page 19 – Smriti "Simmi" D. Isaac

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

On This Day: February 3

Updated February 2, 2012, 1:28 pm

On Feb. 3, 1917, the United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, which had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
Go to article »

On Feb. 3, 1874, Gertrude Stein, American author and literary stylist, was born. Following her death on July 27, 1946, her obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1809 The territory of Illinois was created.

1913 The 16th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified.

1917 The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, which had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.

1924 Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, died in Washington, D.C., at age 67.

1959 Rock ‘n’ roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.

1971 Apollo 14 astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr. and Edgar D. Mitchell landed on the lunar sufrace during the third successful manned mission to the moon.

1988 The U.S. House of Representatives rejected President Ronald Reagan’s request for more than $36 million in aid to the Nicaraguan Contras.

1994 The space shuttle Discovery blasted off with a woman, Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Collins, in the pilot’s seat for the first time.

1998 Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker for the pickax killings of two people in 1983.

2006 An Egyptian passenger ferry sank in the Red Sea during bad weather, killing more than 1,000 passengers.

2011 Tens of thousands of protesters staged unprecedented demonstrations against Yemen’s autocratic president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key U.S. ally in battling Islamic militants.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Actress Blythe Danner turns 69 years old today.

AP Photo/Danny Moloshok

Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley turns 69 years old today.

AP Photo/Phil Rawls

1940 Fran Tarkenton, Football Hall of Famer, turns 72

1945 Bob Griese, Football Hall of Famer, turns 67

1947 Dave Davies, Rock musician (The Kinks), turns 65

1947 Melanie, Folk singer, turns 65

1950 Morgan Fairchild, Actress, turns 62

1956 Nathan Lane, Actor, turns 56

1962 Michele Greene, Actress (“L.A. Law”), turns 50

1965 Maura Tierney, Actress (“ER,” “Newsradio”), turns 47

1976 Daddy Yankee, Reggaeton singer, turns 36

Historic Birthdays

Gertrude Stein 2/3/1874 – 7/27/1946 American writer.Go to obituary »

38 Felix Mendelssohn 2/3/1809 – 11/4/1847
German composer/pianist/teacher

61 Horace Greeley 2/3/1811 – 11/29/1872
American newspaper editor

72 Sir William C. Van Horne 2/3/1843 – 9/11/1915
American-bn. Canadian railway official

102 Naruhiko Higashikuni 2/3/1887 – 1/20/1990
Japanese imperial prince/prime minister

84 Norman Rockwell 2/3/1894 – 11/8/1978
American illustrator

62 Juan Negrin 2/3/1894 – 11/14/1956
Spanish Republican prime minister during Spanish Civil War

78 Alvar Aalto 2/3/1898 – 5/11/1976
Finnish architect/city planner

90 James Michener 2/3/1907 – 10/16/1997
American novelist/short story writer

34 Simone Weil 2/3/1909 – 8/24/1943
French mystic and Resistance activist

75 Helen Stephens 2/3/1918 – 1/17/1994
American Olympic gold medal runner

1809	The territory of Illinois was created.
1913	The 16th Amendment to the Constitution, providing for a federal income tax, was ratified.
1917	The United States broke off diplomatic relations with Germany, which had announced a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare.
1924	Woodrow Wilson, the 28th president of the United States, died in Washington, D.C., at age 67.
1959	Rock ‘n’ roll stars Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and J.P. “The Big Bopper” Richardson died in a plane crash near Clear Lake, Iowa.
1971	Apollo 14 astronauts Alan B. Shepard Jr. and Edgar D. Mitchell landed on the lunar sufrace during the third successful manned mission to the moon.
1988	The U.S. House of Representatives rejected President Ronald Reagan’s request for more than $36 million in aid to the Nicaraguan Contras.
1994	The space shuttle Discovery blasted off with a woman, Air Force Lt. Col. Eileen Collins, in the pilot’s seat for the first time.
1998	Texas executed Karla Faye Tucker for the pickax killings of two people in 1983.
2006	An Egyptian passenger ferry sank in the Red Sea during bad weather, killing more than 1,000 passengers.
2011	Tens of thousands of protesters staged unprecedented demonstrations against Yemen’s autocratic president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, a key U.S. ally in battling Islamic militants.

1940	Fran Tarkenton, Football Hall of Famer, turns 72
1945	Bob Griese, Football Hall of Famer, turns 67
1947	Dave Davies, Rock musician (The Kinks), turns 65
1947	Melanie, Folk singer, turns 65
1950	Morgan Fairchild, Actress, turns 62
1956	Nathan Lane, Actor, turns 56
1962	Michele Greene, Actress (“L.A. Law”), turns 50
1965	Maura Tierney, Actress (“ER,” “Newsradio”), turns 47
1976	Daddy Yankee, Reggaeton singer, turns 36

38	Felix Mendelssohn 2/3/1809 – 11/4/1847 German composer/pianist/teacher
61	Horace Greeley 2/3/1811 – 11/29/1872 American newspaper editor
72	Sir William C. Van Horne 2/3/1843 – 9/11/1915 American-bn. Canadian railway official
102	Naruhiko Higashikuni 2/3/1887 – 1/20/1990 Japanese imperial prince/prime minister
84	Norman Rockwell 2/3/1894 – 11/8/1978 American illustrator
62	Juan Negrin 2/3/1894 – 11/14/1956 Spanish Republican prime minister during Spanish Civil War
78	Alvar Aalto 2/3/1898 – 5/11/1976 Finnish architect/city planner
90	James Michener 2/3/1907 – 10/16/1997 American novelist/short story writer
34	Simone Weil 2/3/1909 – 8/24/1943 French mystic and Resistance activist
75	Helen Stephens 2/3/1918 – 1/17/1994 American Olympic gold medal runner

via learning.blogs.nytimes.com

Posted on February 3, 2012 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

297/365/01

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Hot Breakfast? It Must Be Thursday!

Egg, cheese, hash buttermilk biscuit with peppered bacon and a half avocado on the side.

Posted on February 2, 2012January 19, 2013 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

Feeling Secure About Your Job? Go Ahead, Take That Last Muffin!

via gocomics.com

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

So, how much cleavage and cigarette-smoking does it take to bust into Bollywood? Well, apparently lots. Which is what we see in The Dirty Picture, courtesy of Vidya Balan. The rise and fall of a soft-porn film star is fascinating, no doubt, but I think it could have been even more fascinating if it were packaged within a storyline that was a little more gripping. Because what we have here is a threadbare plot of a story that seems to fall apart in the scenes in which Ms. Balan is not present.

And speaking of Ms. Balan, I think she’s done a fine job, only it would have helped if her hips were a little more substantial. At the risk of invoking the displeasure of all her many fans in this movie, I would say that she’s unfortunately lacking that extra measure of ‘oomph’ that would need to have been a staple in every single frame of this movie. Fact is, she’s got too sweet of a face that makes her look like the girl next door when she’s not showing cleavage. But for whatever it is worth, she does work hard to convey that care-not attitude of a woman trying to make it in a man’s world.

Naseeruddin Shah, on the other hand, does a most excellent job in portraying a Bollywood actor who is as insecure as he is creepy. Bravo, Mr. Shah– you’ve still got it going on! The other two love-interests in Ms. Balan’s character are so-so. Where’s the chemistry, please?

If anything, this movie has piqued my interest in checking out some of Silk Smitha’s movies, the hot-potato actress this movie is supposedly based on.

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Simmi D. Isaac — 2 Comments

Why a Liberal Arts Education Matters: A Perspective (That I Echo) from an Indian Graduate of Harvey Mudd College

Well, what is it going to be: engineering, medicine or commerce?

Most 12th-grade students in India are faced with this question, as they struggle to fit themselves into one of a few narrowly defined boxes. Heaven forbid someone might enjoy reading both Newton’s laws and Plato’s dialogues! Plato is clearly a waste of time with no practical, remunerative value. Or is it?

I grew up in Kolkata, India, and came to the United States as a freshman to study physics at Harvey Mudd College in Claremont, Calif. Harvey Mudd is a unique liberal arts college which specializes in science and engineering, while also honing its graduates to be well read in the humanities and social sciences. While taking intensive physics and mathematics classes, I also studied history, economics, linguistics, philosophy and creative writing. I am now pursuing a Ph.D. in theoretical physics at Princeton University.

Based on my experiences, I wanted to advocate for the value and necessity of a broad, liberal education rich in both technical subjects and the humanities.

The pragmatic attitude taken by most Indian students and parents is certainly understandable in a country where millions of students regularly compete for scarce college placements and job opportunities. The entrance requirements at Indian universities have steadily risen, with certain premier colleges in New Delhi posting the mind-boggling admission cutoff of 99 percent last year.

In this high-stress setting, students want to study whatever will land them a job, creating a college experience much more akin to “technical training” rather than intellectual exploration. However, I believe it is precisely today’s environment with a rapidly expanding, educated working class in India that makes an interdisciplinary liberal arts education all the more necessary.

In a global world dominated by so-called knowledge workers, the ability to communicate effectively and work well on a team is imperative. But besides raw technical ability, how do you develop the myriad other skills needed to distinguish yourself and excel in your job? How can you learn to inspire people so they want to work towards the sales goals you’ve set?

As a start, try an oratory class and read speeches given by paradigm-changing leaders. To learn the brevity, precision and charisma needed to write a funding proposal for your dream project, try a creative writing class. To incorporate vastly different perspectives from your team members, try classes in psychology and philosophy. These may help you understand where they might be coming from.

And nothing could be more practical than the humanities.

As the story goes, when three blind men felt an elephant, one concluded it was flat like a wall, another thought it sharp like a spear and the last was sure an elephant was thin like a snake. All were correct in their own way, just incomplete.

The ability to synthesize different perspectives into the big picture is far more powerful than narrow expertise in any single field. The social sciences offer perspectives from vantage points separated by time, place and society. Drawing and painting offer perspectives on what perspective even means. Critical thinking is the logical result of being able to simultaneously synthesize multiple ideas in one’s mind.

Real-world problems rarely ever have textbook solutions. More than anything, the purpose of a college education is to learn how to think critically and what questions to ask. Liberal arts colleges aim to mold their students into well-rounded, well-informed global citizens with a wide skill set — whether it is through elective or voluntary courses that push specialized students to be broader, or general requirements that force every graduate to know at least something about certain subjects.

In the throes of our current economic crisis, all conventional strategies for success are moot. All the more reason for a liberal arts education that creates resilient people who can invent creative solutions and always have new ways by which to try things differently.

As Albert Einstein said, “Imagination is more important than knowledge. Knowledge is limited; imagination encircles the world.”

O.K., readers of “The Choice on India Ink,” now it’s your turn. What is your response to this essay and did you find the argument persuasive? Please use the comment box below to let us know.

Meanwhile, for a broad overview of the American college admissions process, you can read a two-part interview with Jacques Steinberg, editor of “The Choice on India Ink,” on the Web site of the Indian magazine Braingainmag.com. Read part 1 here or part 2 here.

via india.blogs.nytimes.com

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Simmi D. Isaac — Leave a comment

On This Day: February 2

Updated February 1, 2012, 1:28 pm

On Feb. 2, 1943, the remainder of Nazi forces from the Battle of Stalingrad surrendered in a major victory for the Soviets in World War II.

Go to article »

On Feb. 2, 1882, James Joyce, the Irish author of “Ulysses”, was born. Following his death on Jan. 13 , 1941, his obituary appeared in The Times.

Go to obituary » | Other birthdays »

On This Date

By The Associated Press

1536 The Argentine city of Buenos Aires was founded.

1653 New Amsterdam – now New York City – was incorporated.

1848 The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, ending the Mexican War.

1876 The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs was formed in New York.

1882 Novelist James Joyce was born near Dublin.

1887 Punxsutawney, Pa., held its first Groundhog Day festival.

1971 Idi Amin assumed power in Uganda following a coup.

1979 Punk rock musician Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols died of a drug overdose at age 21.

1990 South African President F.W. de Klerk lifted a ban on the African National Congress and promised to free Nelson Mandela.

2007 The world’s leading climate scientists said global warming has begun, is “very likely” caused by humans and will be unstoppable for centuries.

2008 French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former supermodel Carla Bruni were married at the presidential Elysee Palace.

2009 Hillary Rodham Clinton was sworn in as U.S. secretary of state.

2011 Supporters of President Hosni Mubarak charged into Cairo’s central square on horses and camels brandishing whips while others rained firebombs from rooftops in what appeared to be an orchestrated assault against protesters trying to topple Egypt’s leader of 30 years.

Current Birthdays

By The Associated Press

Rock singer-musician Graham Nash (Crosby, Stills and Nash) turns 70 years old today.

AP Photo/Charles Sykes

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, turns 60 years old today.

AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite

1925 Elaine Stritch, Actress, turns 87

1937 Tom Smothers, Comedian, turns 75

1942 Barry Diller, TV-film executive, turns 70

1949 Ross Valory, Rock musician (Journey), turns 63

1954 Christie Brinkley, Model, turns 58

1955 Kim Zimmer, Actress (“Guiding Light”), turns 57

1970 Jennifer Westfeldt, Actress, turns 42

1973 Marissa Jaret Winokur, Actress, turns 39

1977 Shakira, Singer, turns 35

Historic Birthdays

James Joyce 2/2/1882 – 1/13/1941 Irish novelist.Go to obituary »

43 Lodovico Ferrari 2/2/1522 – 10/5/1565
Italian mathematician

37 Nell Gwyn 2/2/1650 – 11/14/1687
English actress

84 Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand 2/2/1754 – 5/17/1838
French statesman/diplomat

59 Albert Sidney Johnston 2/2/1803 – 4/6/1862
American Confederate general in Civil War

80 Havelock Ellis 2/2/1859 – 7/8/1939
English essayist/physician

86 Fritz Kreisler 2/2/1875 – 1/29/1962
Austrian-born violinist

62 Jean de Lattre de Tassigny 2/2/1889 – 1/11/1952
French army officer

88 George Stanley Halas 2/2/1895 – 10/31/1983
American founder/owner of Chicago Bears

86 Jascha Heifetz 2/2/1901 – 12/10/1987
Russian-born American violinist

77 Ayn Rand 2/2/1905 – 3/6/1982
Russian-born American writer/philosopher

49 Jussi Bjorling 2/2/1911 – 9/9/1960
Swedish tenor

73 James Dickey 2/2/1923 – 1/19/1997
American author

1536	The Argentine city of Buenos Aires was founded.
1653	New Amsterdam – now New York City – was incorporated.
1848	The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed, ending the Mexican War.
1876	The National League of Professional Base Ball Clubs was formed in New York.
1882	Novelist James Joyce was born near Dublin.
1887	Punxsutawney, Pa., held its first Groundhog Day festival.
1971	Idi Amin assumed power in Uganda following a coup.
1979	Punk rock musician Sid Vicious of the Sex Pistols died of a drug overdose at age 21.
1990	South African President F.W. de Klerk lifted a ban on the African National Congress and promised to free Nelson Mandela.
2007	The world’s leading climate scientists said global warming has begun, is “very likely” caused by humans and will be unstoppable for centuries.
2008	French President Nicolas Sarkozy and former supermodel Carla Bruni were married at the presidential Elysee Palace.
2009	Hillary Rodham Clinton was sworn in as U.S. secretary of state.
2011	Supporters of President Hosni Mubarak charged into Cairo’s central square on horses and camels brandishing whips while others rained firebombs from rooftops in what appeared to be an orchestrated assault against protesters trying to topple Egypt’s leader of 30 years.

1925	Elaine Stritch, Actress, turns 87
1937	Tom Smothers, Comedian, turns 75
1942	Barry Diller, TV-film executive, turns 70
1949	Ross Valory, Rock musician (Journey), turns 63
1954	Christie Brinkley, Model, turns 58
1955	Kim Zimmer, Actress (“Guiding Light”), turns 57
1970	Jennifer Westfeldt, Actress, turns 42
1973	Marissa Jaret Winokur, Actress, turns 39
1977	Shakira, Singer, turns 35

43	Lodovico Ferrari 2/2/1522 – 10/5/1565 Italian mathematician
37	Nell Gwyn 2/2/1650 – 11/14/1687 English actress
84	Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand 2/2/1754 – 5/17/1838 French statesman/diplomat
59	Albert Sidney Johnston 2/2/1803 – 4/6/1862 American Confederate general in Civil War
80	Havelock Ellis 2/2/1859 – 7/8/1939 English essayist/physician
86	Fritz Kreisler 2/2/1875 – 1/29/1962 Austrian-born violinist
62	Jean de Lattre de Tassigny 2/2/1889 – 1/11/1952 French army officer
88	George Stanley Halas 2/2/1895 – 10/31/1983 American founder/owner of Chicago Bears
86	Jascha Heifetz 2/2/1901 – 12/10/1987 Russian-born American violinist
77	Ayn Rand 2/2/1905 – 3/6/1982 Russian-born American writer/philosopher
49	Jussi Bjorling 2/2/1911 – 9/9/1960 Swedish tenor
73	James Dickey 2/2/1923 – 1/19/1997 American author