in New rear wing for Lotus in Brazil By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Fri, 18 Nov 2011 13:11:54 GMT Lotus will be bringing a new rear wing to the Brazilian Grand Prix which should see it close the gap to the midfield in qualifying Full Article
in Razia to run in FP1 in Brazil By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Tue, 22 Nov 2011 10:09:29 GMT Luis Razia will drive for Lotus in Friday's first free practice session ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix Full Article
in Webber quickest in competitive session By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Fri, 25 Nov 2011 14:52:33 GMT Mark Webber was quickest of a very competitive first practice session for the Brazilian Grand Prix Full Article
in Who said what after Friday practice in Brazil By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 15:35:19 GMT Read what the drivers had to say after Friday practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix Full Article
in Vettel edges out Button in FP3 By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 14:13:37 GMT Sebastian Vettel set the fastest time of final practice for the Brazilian Grand Prix as the weather stayed dry ahead of qualifying Full Article
in Who said what after Qualifying in Brazil By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 20:12:42 GMT Read what the drivers had to say after qualifying at the Brazilian Grand Prix Full Article
in Vettel takes record-breaking pole in Brazil By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sat, 26 Nov 2011 17:20:57 GMT Sebastian Vettel took his 15th pole position of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix, breaking Nigel Mansell's record for the most in a season from 1992 and lining up on the front row alongside Red Bull team-mate Mark Webber Full Article
in Webber leads Red Bull one-two in Brazil By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Sun, 27 Nov 2011 18:54:01 GMT Mark Webber took his first win of the season at the Brazilian Grand Prix as team-mate Sebastian Vettel struggled to second with a race-long gearbox problem Full Article
in Lotus appoints Iley from McLaren By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Thu, 08 Dec 2011 10:59:04 GMT Lotus has announced the appointment of John Iley as performance director, with him joining the team from McLaren Full Article
in Destiny in our hands - Gascoyne By en.espnf1.com Published On :: Thu, 15 Dec 2011 09:56:33 GMT Mike Gascoyne believes that Caterham's new identity will allow it to push on and beat the more established teams in Formula One Full Article
in Is activism against Deepavali firecrackers a one-day campaign against Hinduism? By www.thenewsminute.com Published On :: Fri, 20 Oct 2017 05:40:22 +0000 Air pollution Why are activists opposing an ‘old tradition’, and why not complain against other festivals? An environmentalist answers.Nityanand JayaramanPTIThe run-up to Deepavali this year saw a fierce debate on religion and tradition versus the environment and pollution. This after the Supreme Court imposed a ban on the sale of firecrackers in New Delhi and NCR in an attempt to curb pollution. With public opinion polarised on the issue, environmentalist Nityanand Jayaraman, working with the Vettiver Collective in Chennai, answers some fundamental questions raised in the debate. There are four questions which I am going to address here. The first is - It is just a few days of celebration. How much harm can it cause? Second - What about the air pollution during the rest of the year? Third – This is a tradition that we have followed for millennia. This was never a problem when we were growing up. Why is it a problem now? Fourth – What about the pollution caused by other festivals? Here's my response. 1. It is just a few days of celebration. How much harm can it cause? The intensity of the celebration (bursting firecrackers) depends on the number of people bursting, the duration of the celebration and the quantity and type of firecrackers they burst. This can be ameliorated or worsened by weather conditions, and whether you live in a congested area or an open neighbourhood. The unfettered bursting of firecrackers can send air quality plummeting as it did yesterday (Wednesday), when air quality index (AQI) was 15 times worse than satisfactory levels. As I have written, it is a scientific fact that AQI above 400 will harm even healthy people, and may send children and other vulnerable populations to the emergency ward. Even brief exposures to such high levels can cause extreme distress to such people. Our tradition does not teach us to harm others, and I'm sure people who are bursting firecrackers are not doing that to harm others or send children and the elderly to the hospital. They are doing that because they don't know, and are not told that there are healthier ways to celebrate. At such high levels, there is no escape from the killer dust, which will go deep into your bodies and harm you over a long term. The damage due to short exposures to intense pollution can be significant and prolonged. This is particularly so, when the remaining 365 days are also spent in unhealthy conditions, and you allude to that. This brings me to your second challenge. Read: Chennai chokes on Deepavali, air pollution at hazardous levels 2. Why is enough not being done about air pollution during the rest of the year? Why do people cry and shout only during Diwali? You are right that enough is not being done about air pollution during the rest of the year. I work in a collective that lends support to communities in Ennore, a port near Chennai, where coal-fired thermal power plants and heavy vehicle movement has rendered air quality unhealthy throughout the year. No matter how loudly we shout, we are unable to make ourselves heard. We also talk about pollution of the Ennore Creek with oily wastes from the Manali petrochemical refinery. Every day, the refinery and the industrial estate discharges tonnes of toxic, noxious oily wastes into the Ennore Creek and the Bay of Bengal. Fisherfolk have been shouting about it since 1990s. But they are not being heard. It is not because the fisherfolk are not loud enough. Rather it is because we are deaf or unwilling to listen. It was ironic then that when the oil tanker collision sent oily wastes into the Bay of Bengal, all of Chennai was self-righteously indignant. You are right that after Deepavali the air (pollution) clears. When we think that air has returned to normal, air quality levels will still be high enough to harm us. What that should tell us is not that Deepavali pollution should be condoned, but that the pollution during the rest of the year needs to be curbed by tackling its causes – private vehicles, air pollution intensive electricity generation, poor construction practices and inadequate vegetative cover within the city. Also, it is not only during Diwali that we shout. You will notice a similar spike in concern over air pollution in January around Bhogi, when the burning of old things (including tyres) and unfavourable meteorological conditions intensify air pollution. In September, when the Velankanni Church celebrates the Feast of Our Lady, the beach in Chennai and all roads leading to Besant Nagar are just trashed by earnest devotees. Clearly the problem is not restricted to any one religion, and all religions and all rituals need to be re-evaluated in light of growing evidence that human lifestyles are harming the environment and humans who need air, water, and food to survive. Also read: Air quality plummets in Hyderabad on Diwali day 3. This is a tradition that we have followed for millennia. This was never a problem when we were growing up. Why are we making it a problem now? This is incorrect. Deepavali is a festival of lights, not a festival of noise and smoke. You are right that bursting firecrackers was a part of the Deepavali ritual when we were growing up. But it was not always that way. Lighting lamps which was an important part of Deepavali is hardly done nowadays, and bursting firecrackers has become more common place. The difference between when we were growing up and now is two-fold: a) There were a lot fewer people. In 1970, India's population was 550 million less than half of what it is now. Chennai had a population of 3 million as against a population of 5 million today – two million additional people live in the same land area. b) Overall, there were fewer people, and disposable incomes were small. Today, the middle class has expanded and the disposable income has increased. Hence, more people bursting more crackers. The same thing that we did a few decades ago with little impact has now become deadly. Traditions are not unchanging. Neither are the changes uniformly bad or good. Complaining about Deepavali's pollution is not an attack on Hindu tradition. It is a plea to change that tradition so that Deepavali can actually become a happy one. But Deepavalis of this loud and smoky kind are not happy for many, and particularly traumatic for animals. We would not permit our children to entertain themselves by stoning a kitten or a puppy; rather, we may teach them to enjoy themselves by petting it or feeding it. Similarly, why can't we kindle the spirit of celebration by engaging in compassionate but equally fun engagements? Why can't Deepavali be a festival of lights – a gentle festival, where we invite friends, sing songs, eat good food? 4. What about pollution caused by festivals of other religions? All our places of worship, and our rituals – irrespective of religion – have become anti-life. Christmas is a vulgar occasion of shopping and gifting things we never knew we needed to people who have no need for any more things. Increasingly, Christmas is less and less about Christ and more and more about shopping. So, you're right that we should be questioning and challenging any practices that make one person's celebration into another person's pain. I can appreciate your angst at the use of loudspeakers for religious purposes. This is done by “followers” of all religions, and there is a prohibition on this beyond 10 p.m. We could do better. Happy Smokeless, Noiseless Deepavali! Full Article
in From 'chutzpah' to being branded 'cheats': A let-down Aussie cricket fan writes By www.thenewsminute.com Published On :: Mon, 26 Mar 2018 08:27:41 +0000 SportAn Australian team cheated and I will never forgive those involved for tainting, what was a way of life for me.Steve Smith Aditya CS Back in 1993, playing cricket for me meant hitting a plastic ball with a plastic bat. I was all of 4 then. Over the next three years, I played cricket with a rubber ball and a wooden bat while trying to emulate Sachin Tendulkar, much like most other Indian kids at the time. These were my first memories of cricket and Sachin was the only cricketer I knew. Then came the 1996 World Cup, the year I turned 7 years old and put up a poster of Sachin from Sportstar magazine in my room. This was also my last act as a fan of Indian cricket. During the 1996 World Cup, all I could understand was that Sri Lanka had gone on to win the World Cup and it was a big deal. But the thing that stood out from the tournament was watching these chaps in yellow kits play. Guys who played differently. I enjoyed watching them play in spite of not knowing why. I experienced disappointment as a cricket fan for the first time when Damien Fleming dropped Asanka Gurusinha off Mark Waugh's bowling in the finals and the second time when Paul Reiffel dropped Aravinda DeSilva in the same game. The World Cup was lost but since then I always wanted to watch the Aussies play. Cricket for me was not just about Sachin or playing with my friends anymore. It was about the guys in yellow who stood out for some reason for a 7-year-old kid from Chennai. Before I knew it, I had become an Aussie fan. Eventually, I realised why I had become one. These guys were tough competitors. They never gave up. They were quicker and stronger than most other teams. They produced some of the best pacers the game has ever seen and pace bowling is still my favourite facet of this lovely sport. Their leg spinner was a legend in the making. Over the next three years I had a Shane Warne poster, an autographed photo of Warnie, a picture of the Waugh brothers and one of Ian Healy, alongside my poster of Sachin. By the time the 1999 World Cup started, I knew that the Aussies were a special team. They played a different brand of cricket. Brash, competitive, energetic, taking charge of the game, converting ones to twos, taking blinding catches, converting half chances and most importantly they did it all with aggression! I started playing sport like them, only to become an outcast in South India where humility is a characteristic one is expected to possess even in a boxing bout. The times when I served an ace in a game of tennis and followed it up with a smirk or engaged opponents in banter on the basketball court, I knew it was only adding to my 'bad boy' image. But I didn't care much like my heroes who played cricket for Australia. Despite being the bad guys, they were winning by stamping their authority on the sport. Though I wasn't much of a sporting success, I believed their approach was one that lets you take charge of things. Hook the bouncers, take them on, dive to take a catch, go for the direct hits and trust your teammates to back up your throw. And when you have the cherry in your hand, hit them with bouncers, say things that would put them off and get them out. Once the game is over, invite the opposition for a beer to your team's dressing room. This was the 'Aussie way'. The 'in your face' approach was working for them. Between 1997 and 2007, some of the most exciting cricketers to have played for Australia emerged. Steve Waugh, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath, Ricky Ponting, Brett Lee, Adam Gilchrist, Matthew Hayden, Andrew Symonds to name a few. These 10 years were also my formative years (from the age of 8 to 18) - a period during which I copped a lot of criticism because I was an Aussie fan. Be it at school, playgrounds or anywhere I went, I would always gloat when Australia won a game and rub it in the faces of those (pretty much everyone around me) who were cheering for India. After games, some Indian fans would go on to condemn the very players they had put on a pedestal before the game and in some parts of the country, fans would even resort to vandalism. But I stood by my team (the Aussies) through thick and thin because every Aussie fan was certain that their team would bounce back soon after a defeat. While India was bleeding blue I was bleeding yellow. I had been labelled an anti-national much before it became mainstream. I would root for Leander Paes at the Chennai Open as he, like the Aussies, was possessed with a never-say-die spirit. People who could not differentiate between sport and patriotism were asking me to go to Australia. I never really gave two hoots and continued being an Aussie fan, come what may! Even when I heard people from earlier generations talk about cricketing greats from yesteryears, the stories about Lillie (Dennis Lillee) and Thommo (Jeff Thomson) always had something about them that was missing in the narrative about the great Windies or that of Gavaskar standing up to defend a bouncer and make the ball fall in front of his feet. It was the chutzpah that was missing! It took me 11 years to understand why these guys in yellow stood out, back in 1996. Good old chutzpah! During their decade of dominance from 1997 to 2007, they lost an Ashes series in 2005, a couple of series’ against India and weren't dominating the T20 format but there was no doubt that they were the best team of the decade. They won three consecutive World Cups during this time. From 2007 onwards however, I had my fair share of disappointments. Teams had proved that the Aussies were no longer invincible and could be beaten. They were not the same formidable force anymore. But I was still an Aussie fan. I did not give up on my favourite cricket team. In 2011, India beat Australia in the World Cup quarter-finals. That was perhaps one of the worst days of my life. Friends from school, college, my neighbourhood, colleagues vented out years of pent up frustration of having to listen to me sledge them every time Australia beat India. It was my turn to cop some and I did it just the way the Aussies would. I answered every phone call and replied to every text saying 'wait till 2015'. I did not shy away from it. Even though 2011-2013 saw an up and down patch, I still did not give up supporting the Kangaroos. Then came Mitchell Johnson in 2013 and along with Michael Clarke's batting prowess, I was back to my obnoxious best. And in the 2015 World Cup semi-finals, Australia beat India and went on to win the tournament and it felt like normalcy had been restored. There were many controversies the Australians found themselves mired in. There were allegations that they sledged, they were bullies, they don't walk (well no batsman ever did except Gilchrist) and I would defend them tooth and nail because I did not see anything wrong with bouncing a batsman or getting in his face and claiming a wicket. It was fine, they played tough and it worked for them. In 2003, Warne failed a dope test and I was sure that it was not to gain an unfair advantage. Ponting claimed a catch that hit the ground in 2007 and still I believed that they were not trying to cheat. Australians wouldn't cheat. They will bounce you, sledge you, bully you, stare and glare at umpires but wouldn't cheat. The belief was so strong that when Indian cricket was recovering from a match fixing scandal in 2001, the likes of Sachin, Dravid, Kumble and Sourav said what Indian cricket needed the most at that time was a series against Australia to restore the faith of Indian cricket fans. They needed to play a side that respected the sport and would give every game their all. A side that you know wouldn't think of losing at any cost. And most of all a side that loved the game of cricket. And boy, what a series that was! Indian cricket fans believed in their team once again. Yes they belonged to the other camp but I was happy for them. This is what I loved about the way Aussies played cricket. More than two decades of Australian cricket has been a part of my life and remains an influence on me, the way I looked at things, the way I faced situations head-on, the “never-say-die” attitude that was instilled in me during my formative years. But today I feel let down. I have nothing to say. I still can't believe what has happened. It still hasn't sunk in. An Australian team tampering with the ball. They cheated and they planned to do it. I feel sick in my stomach. I am swamped with thoughts of how the Aussie greats would be feeling. The guys who were my childhood heroes. Gilly, Warnie, Brett Lee, Steve Waugh. Guys I idolised. I wanted to live my life the way they played cricket. It's more than just being a fan or guzzling a few beers after winning an Ashes series. The way the Aussies played cricket, established a way of life for me. Brash? Yes. Obnoxious? Maybe. Arrogant? Perhaps. Tough? Definitely. Cheat? Never! Today Smith and his team have sinned. This is not something an Aussie side can ever do. Smith described his first reckless on-field mistake as a ’brain fade’ in Bengaluru last year and I felt uneasy then but still chose to believe, it was an error while using a relatively new provision in the game. But today it's carved in stone. An Australian team cheated and I will never forgive those involved for tainting, what was a way of life for me. For taking away from me my favourite retort to those who asked me, "Aren't you being a bit too aggressive/harsh/arrogant/abrasive?" by saying, "Perhaps I am, but that's also how the Aussies play their cricket.” Because from this day on, using that retort could also mean I have been cheating. Full Article
in What growing up with a sports-obsessed mother taught me about life and learning By www.thenewsminute.com Published On :: Wed, 27 Jun 2018 06:42:15 +0000 BlogWhile Amma is passionate about sports, Appa just cannot understand what the hype is all about. But she has allies in my sister and me.SS VenkateswaranAmma looking at the Football World Cup schedule pasted on the door.It was June 9, 1990. Cameroon had done the unthinkable. They had defeated World Cup champions Argentina, led by the great Diego Maradona. Two images remain engraved in my memory forever. One that was playing on the television - Claudio Caniggia brought down by Benjamin Massing, which also meant the end of my footballing hero Maradona’s career. Another was playing at home the tension between Amma and Appa. Appa believed that sports were another form of entertainment (now that I think of it he was so right!!). He ardently believed that it makes us unproductive. He simply could not understand the 'adrenaline rush' that is associated with sports. And, on the other hand, Amma loved sports and learned to appreciate games like cricket, football and tennis by observing and listening to the commentary. She loved Sunil Gavaskar, Maradona and Martina Navratilova. Appa, whose sleep was broken by the commotion, was surprised to see his son crying, but was aghast to see his otherwise stoic wife heartbroken for an alien sport and for a faraway country, Argentina. I will never forget his reaction all my life. Amma, Meenakshi, born in Coimbatore, was born in a middle-class Tamil family. She was a promising student; however, economic conditions and the general apathy towards girl children’s education means she did not study beyond Class 10. But that did not stop her from learning. Binaca Geetmala and Ameen Sayani were her windows to Bollywood. After her marriage, radio commentary became her medium to fall in love with cricket. The Football World Cup and Wimbledon television telecast helped her fall in love with more 'alien' sports like tennis and football. The fact that her husband was not attracted to sports meant that she learned about the game by meticulously watching the proceedings and listening to the commentary closely. She would follow it up by reading about it in the newspaper or a sports magazine. She often tells me how she struggled to understand the idea of a deuce and advantage in tennis as she was not aware of the existence of a word ‘deuce’. It took her a great bit of persistent observation to decipher this unique format in tennis to break a tie. Amma at the Centre Court in Wimbledon. At times her battle was lonely as not many in the family had similar likings as her. It was not until my sister and I grew up that she found someone to share her passion for sports with. It is with extreme doggedness that she seeks to learn new things. Years later we went to see Wimbledon; we saw a game at the Centre Court. She was as excited as a child when we got tickets for the London Olympics. I had promised her a trip to Europe and asked her to select the places of her choice. She chose Switzerland (her love for Bollywood, I guess), Paris and then she asked me if we could watch a football match at Camp Nou. She wanted to see her favourite Lionel Messi play. Amma and the author at the London Olympics. This year, I am home in Coimbatore for the Football World Cup. Amma has meticulously updated her knowledge about the teams (Panama and Iceland playing their first World Cup) and had stuck the schedule of the tournament on the door. I ask her who should win. Amma says, "I want Messi to win, a player of his calibre needs a cup to sign off. A bit like Tendulkar needed a cup before he retired." How could I argue with her? Nothing has changed - her spirit, her keenness to learn and her strong opinion. I remember she always made coffee for me during the late-night games. I told her to take a nap for I can wake her up and make coffee for her; after all, I can do this bit for the lady who taught me to observe, learn, and keep learning. She is still a child, and I am holding on to the one in me. SS Venkateswaran returned to India after an 8-year stint in the UK. Before moving to Bengaluru, he will watch the Football World Cup 2018 with his Amma in Coimbatore. Full Article
in Dealing with coronavirus: A not-so-serious take on surviving the lockdown By www.thenewsminute.com Published On :: Thu, 26 Mar 2020 08:09:07 +0000 CoronavirusDo all the things you always wished you had the time to do, like working on a script that will be picked up by Leonardo DiCaprio or perfecting the pincha mayurasana.Anuja ChandramouliPixabayCorona or not, it sucks to be cooped up like chickens with our loved ones without the comfortable distance required to make the heart grow fonder. In a bid to do my part to save the world from this crippling pandemic without actually moving my backside for fear of stepping over the Lakshman Rekha, I decided to draw up a survival guide of Dos and Don’ts to weather the tsunami of trouble stirred up by this nasty critter. Trust me, preliminary studies conducted by the reputed folks at WhatsApp University have confirmed their efficacy beyond a shadow of doubt. The first step is to make soap and water your most intimate acquaintances. They have proven themselves good friends to humanity long before diamonds and dogs usurped their rightful spot and will continue to prove their worth long after corona has shrunk back into the bowels of hell from which it has erupted like a particularly foul effluent. It would also help if one were to make personal hygiene a priority and public hygiene an even bigger one if only as a preventive measure against the spread of communicable diseases and related hazards that could prove to have epic stakes in the survival game. Roughly translated, that means not ever dumping your trash outside the sparkling interiors of your home into the streets, using the great outdoors as a spittoon or latrine, defacing public property by scratching your lover’s name, throwing up pornographic sketches on every available surface or blowing your nose and allowing the discharge to fly every which way. Steer clear of social media if you value your sanity or at least use it in moderation especially if you lack the balancing power of a monkey on stilts to take the better while leaving out the bitter, barf – inducing garbage out there. Ever since some wiseacre got word out that democracy works best when your voice is heard out loud, people have been screaming themselves hoarse to make sure that their endless torrent of nonsense is amplified to the furthest reaches of the internet, bolstered by twitchy fingers compulsively hitting like and share in the desperate hope that they will be rewarded in kind. Therefore we have internet idiots and savants with interchangeable attributes raving and ranting fit to burst. The insufferably self-righteous and superior types tend to drip scorn for everyone and everything from the admitted showmanship of the supreme leader and inadequacy of the ruling party to the extreme foolishness of the folks who tentatively stepped out of their homes to find a bite to eat or medicine for an ailing grandmother only to be sneakily photographed or recorded so that they may be viciously trolled, endlessly abused and publicly shamed for putting millions at risk. Then there are the fanatical religious nuts who swear that India need not be subjected to a lockdown because Indians practise the downward facing dog regularly on their balconies with their rear ends strategically raised towards the benign sun which unleashes the Kundalini Shakti with all its serpentine strength which is more than sufficient to slay corona, sharona and whatever else have you or something equally ludicrous about the virus killing power of pots and pans banged in unison. Relatively innocuous Instagram must also be avoided at all costs too. According to the illustrious professors of WhatsApp University, those pretty pictures have great envy-inducing powers which can corrupt the best and brightest till they are reduced to gibbering, glass-eyed cyber stalkers who can spend years staring at pics and videos of Janhvi Kapoor sexily pretending to eat a slice of pizza, giving her puppy a bath or showing you the correct technique for applying lipstick to the exclusion of all things useful or worthy. Avoid fake news like the plague. Fear and panic cause a lot more damage than pandemics. Be sure to verify the credentials and reliability of all purveyors of information and check the facts. Even if you can’t be bothered, be sure to think thrice before you join hands with the mob to tear apart the hapless medical personnel getting off a gruelling nightshift because they are suspected to be carriers of COVID-16 (or is it COVID-17?). And believing self-proclaimed experts who have declared that the only country in the world that is currently corona free is Kailasa and you are considering applying for permanent citizenship under the benevolent rule of HDH Nithyananda even if you run a far higher risk of contracting HIV, do yourself a favour and check yourself into the nearest hospital for a lobotomy. While many endorse vegetating in front of Netflix, it is advisable to take time out to work out, read a book, cook a meal, take the dog for a walk, play with the kids or teach them something useful that does not involve staring at a screen, converse with the spouse about something other than whose turn it is to do the dishes or swab the floors and do whatever it takes to tough things out as long as it is legal and non-fattening. Do all the things you always wished you had the time to do, even if it is something impracticable like working on a script that will be picked up by Leonardo DiCaprio at an exorbitant price or perfecting the pincha mayurasana in the hopes that a video of you executing the same or at least the blooper version will go viral on the internet. If you are inclined to feel that this survival guide is lacking in scientific detail, didn’t once mention social distancing, testing, gaumutra, masks, sanitiser and is somewhat on the rambling side not unlike the supreme leader’s impassioned addresses to the nation, allow me to stress that if the buzz on WhatsApp is to be believed I am a shoo-in for the Noble Prize thanks to this priceless contribution towards the greater good, entirely free of cost. If that doesn’t convince you to take every word put down here as the gospel truth which deserves to be liked and shared till it has spread to the furthest corners of civilized society like a contagion, I don’t know what will. Body 2: Full Article
in Of sunrise service and eating vivika: Memories of a south Indian Easter By www.thenewsminute.com Published On :: Sat, 11 Apr 2020 05:26:06 +0000 EasterEaster breakfast was special - it was the first meal with non-vegetarian food in a while. Navin SigamanyEaster - the Christian festival that celebrates the resurrection of Jesus Christ - is this Sunday. This year, thousands of Christians will be observing it from their homes, following their church’s online services on their phones or computers. When I was a boy in Coimbatore, many many moons ago, Easter meant being rousted out of bed at the unholy hour of 4 AM to get ready to go to church for the sunrise service. For my brother and me, getting to the 8 AM service every Sunday was in itself quite an achievement. But, growing up in a south Indian Christian household, we didn’t really have a choice. So, on Easter day, we were woken up, bathed, dressed in new clothes and turned out shiny and clean so we could fall asleep in the pews of the church that had been moved outdoors while the service happened. As we grew older, we learnt to experience the novelty of participating in a service outdoors, instead of within the confines of the ancient stone church. The pews faced East and the service began before sunrise. There would be a nip in the air when the service began. As the service progressed, the sun would rise from behind the altar, bathing the whole setting in a golden glow. Of course, the golden glow turned hot quite quickly - we said our prayers a bit quicker, and sang the hymns a bit faster, so that we ended the service and retreated to the relative cool in the shade of the church gardens. There we would have coffee and biscuits and Easter conversations. We greeted each other with the words, “Christ is Risen” and responded with the words, “Risen indeed.” It was great fun for us - once a year we got to go to church out in the open, and then we got to go around greeting everyone there, rather like spies in the novels we read! After the service, we would head as a family to the nearest bakery, where we would buy Easter Eggs. The size of your palm, these were made of hard white cast sugar with fondant icing. The outside would be decorated with flowers and bows in icing, and when we broke into them, there would be a treasure of chocolates to be discovered. Needless to say, the eggs were often bones of contention between my brother and me - one of us would finish his quicker, and would then have to watch the other savour his egg and chocolates with deliberate slowness. Clearly, we did not get the message of the season, which was that Jesus had died and risen again to save us from our sins, and maybe we could treat each other slightly better because of that. Easter comes at the end of the Holy Week. The Holy Week begins with Palm Sunday, when we would all hold palm leaves and circumambulate (walk around) the church singing hymns to commemorate Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem on a donkey. Maundy Thursday commemorates the Last Supper, where Jesus predicts his betrayal and death. This is particularly important, as it also is where the sacred sacrament of communion originates. In short, the practice of consuming bread and wine as ‘communion’ in the Christian faith has its origin in the Last Supper. The Good Friday service was a long one commemorating the actual crucifixion. It was in the early evening and was a sombre affair that often ran into hours. The one thing I remember vividly about Good Friday was buying hot cross buns from the bakery and munching on them on the way home. There wasn’t much different about them - they were regular buns with a cross made of dough tacked on to them, but just the fact that they were called hot cross buns made them special! Easter also signaled the end of Lent, the 40 days of self-denial practised by Christians. For us, Lent was a time during which we gave up eating non-vegetarian food. This was a real sacrifice as our usual diet included a significant amount of chicken, meat and fish. Easter breakfast was special - it was the first meal with non-vegetarian food in a while. At our place, it was usually a sweet idli called vivika made of rice flour, bananas, raisins and sweet spices, accompanied by a savoury mutton curry. At the end of 40 days of no chicken, meat or fish - this was a sweet, sweet return to our normal, predominantly carnivorous culinary lifestyle. This year, it’s going to be different. I cannot think of a single year when my parents have missed going to church for Easter. One of the fundamentals of Christian worship is fellowship - worshiping with your fellow believers, and that is brought alive especially on festival days. This year, the service will be in an empty church, streamed live. The worshipers, my parents among them, will be attending from home. Happy Easter! Navin Sigamany is a Hyderabad-based photographer and heritage enthusiast who writes on food and culture. Body 2: Full Article
in COVID-19's Painful Lesson About Strategy and Power By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 26, 2020 Mar 26, 2020Joseph Nye writes that while trade wars have set back economic globalization, the environmental globalization represented by pandemics and climate change is unstoppable. Borders are becoming more porous to everything from drugs to infectious diseases to cyber terrorism, and the United States must use its soft power of attraction to develop networks and institutions that address these new threats. Full Article
in Urban Waste to Energy Recovery Assessment Simulations for Developing Countries By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 26, 2020 Mar 26, 2020In this paper, a quantitative Waste to Energy Recovery Assessment (WERA) framework is used to stochastically analyze the feasibility of waste-to-energy systems in selected cities in Asia. Full Article
in Confronting COVID-19: A Conversation with Columbia University Professor Scott Barrett By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 27, 2020 Mar 27, 2020Columbia University Professor Scott Barrett assessed the massive global efforts underway to address COVID-19 and the potential impacts of the pandemic on our lives in the future in a special episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Full Article
in Columbia University Professor Scott Barrett Compares Global Responses to COVID-19 and Climate Change in Special Edition of "Environmental Insights" By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Mar 27, 2020 Mar 27, 2020Columbia University Professor Scott Barrett assessed the massive global efforts underway to address COVID-19 and the potential impacts of the pandemic on our lives in the future in a special episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program,” a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Listen to the interview here. Full Article
in Factoring Pandemic Risks into Financial Modelling By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 1, 2020 Apr 1, 2020Today’s economic crisis leaves us with an unsettling and perplexing regret. Why weren’t financial portfolios already adjusted for risks that stem from health events such as pandemics? After all, financial portfolios are adjusted for liquidity risks, market risks, credit risks, and even operational and political risks. Full Article
in Cost Effectiveness Analysis and Finding the Best Policies to Fight COVID-19 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 3, 2020 Apr 3, 2020Robert Stavins: Cost Effectiveness Analysis and Finding the Best Policies to Fight COVID-19 Full Article
in Policy and Action on Plastic in the Arctic Ocean: October 2019 Workshop Summary & Recommendations By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 6, 2020 Apr 6, 2020The Belfer Center’s Arctic Initiative and the Wilson Center’s Polar Institute co-hosted a workshop with the Icelandic Chairmanship of the Arctic Council at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government entitled, Policy and Action on Plastic in the Arctic Ocean. The event convened global thought leaders, diverse stakeholders, and subject matter experts to begin developing a framework for tackling Arctic marine plastic pollution as one of the focus areas for the Icelandic Chairmanship. Full Article
in Harvard Business School Professor Rebecca Henderson Outlines Ways Organizations are Changing in Response to the Coronavirus Pandemic and Climate Change in New Edition of "Environmental Insights" By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 8, 2020 Apr 8, 2020Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor at Harvard University, shared her perspectives on how large organizations are changing in response to the coronavirus pandemic and climate change in the newest episode of "Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program," a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Listen to the interview here. Listen to the interview here. Full Article
in New Committee to Advise Bacow on Sustainability Goals By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 20, 2020 Apr 20, 2020Harvard University has created a Presidential Committee on Sustainability (PCS) to advise President Larry Bacow and the University's leadership on sustainability vision, goals, strategy, and partnerships. The Harvard Gazette spoke with committee chairs Rebecca Henderson, the John and Natty McArthur University Professor; John Holdren, the Teresa and John Heinz Professor of Environmental Policy at Harvard Kennedy School; and Katie Lapp, executive vice president, about why it is so important to act now; the role of the PCS in developing collaborative and innovative projects; and how the campus community can get involved. Full Article
in How COVID-19 is Testing American Leadership By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 26, 2020 Apr 26, 2020Joseph Nye suggests that a new U.S. administration might take a leaf from the success of the post-1945 American presidents that are described in Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump. The United States could launch a massive COVID-19 aid program like the Marshall Plan. Full Article
in What I Wish I Had Said on CNN About Trump's 'Lysol and Sunshine' Speech By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 29, 2020 Apr 29, 2020Joel Clement appeared on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront on April 23, 2020. In this blog post for the Union of Concerned Scientists, he elaborates on what he wishes he had said during that interview. Full Article
in The Arctic is Transforming… Can We? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: May 1, 2020 May 1, 2020Joel Clement describes how the Arctic is transforming into a warmer, wetter, and less predictable climate state, what the consequences are for the Arctic's indigenous inhabitants, and what measures can be taken to build resilience. Full Article
in Next Moves on Climate Policy: A Conversation with Sue Biniaz By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: May 8, 2020 May 8, 2020Sue Biniaz, former lead climate negotiator for the United States, shared her thoughts on the postponement of COP-26, and on the possible re-engagement of the U.S. in the international effort to address climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program,” a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Full Article
in The United States Is Getting Infected With Dictatorship By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 13, 2020 Apr 13, 2020The coronavirus pandemic has provided an opening for Donald Trump to attack transparency, voting rights, and accountability. Full Article
in After Social Distancing, a Strange Purgatory Awaits By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 16, 2020 Apr 16, 2020Life right now feels very odd. And it will feel odd for months—and even years—to come. Full Article
in Getting Smart on Pandemics: Intelligence in the Wake of COVID-19 By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 17, 2020 Apr 17, 2020This episode of Horns of a Dilemma touches on whether the failure to properly anticipate and warn about the novel coronavirus constitutes an intelligence failure, what changes might be required in the intelligence community in the wake of the pandemic, and what type of investigation or inquiry might be appropriate in order to learn lessons and incorporate changes for both the intelligence community and the whole of government moving forward. Full Article
in Bruce Schneier on Cybersecurity in the Age of Coronavirus By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 20, 2020 Apr 20, 2020Is Zoom secure? What about your home computer? Cyber expert Bruce Schneier says that we all need to be aware of the things cyber criminals thrive on during the confusion caused by coronavirus. Full Article
in The Global Pandemic Has Spawned New Forms of Activism — and They're Flourishing By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 20, 2020 Apr 20, 2020The authors have identified nearly 100 distinct methods of nonviolent action that include physical, virtual and hybrid actions. Full Article
in There's No Such Thing as Good Liberal Hegemony By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 21, 2020 Apr 21, 2020Stephen Walt argues that as democracies falter, it's worth considering whether the United States made the right call in attempting to create a liberal world order. Full Article
in How COVID-19 is Testing American Leadership By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 26, 2020 Apr 26, 2020Joseph Nye suggests that a new U.S. administration might take a leaf from the success of the post-1945 American presidents that are described in Do Morals Matter? Presidents and Foreign Policy from FDR to Trump. The United States could launch a massive COVID-19 aid program like the Marshall Plan. Full Article
in Why Bernie Sanders Will Win in 2020, No Matter Who Gets Elected By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 28, 2020 Apr 28, 2020Stephen Walt writes that even though Bernie Sanders is out of the presidential race, the time has come for many of the policies that he promoted: Universal Healthcare; Democratic Socialism; Income Redistribution; and Foreign Policy. Full Article
in The U.S. Is Now Resorting to Plan C By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 29, 2020 Apr 29, 2020Americans are not going to wait for sufficient testing. So what happens then? Juliette Kayyem describes "opening up" as a high-stakes version of a coloring book. States can use more and more crayons, but the goal is to avoid going over the edges. Full Article
in What I Wish I Had Said on CNN About Trump's 'Lysol and Sunshine' Speech By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Apr 29, 2020 Apr 29, 2020Joel Clement appeared on CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront on April 23, 2020. In this blog post for the Union of Concerned Scientists, he elaborates on what he wishes he had said during that interview. Full Article
in The Arctic is Transforming… Can We? By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: May 1, 2020 May 1, 2020Joel Clement describes how the Arctic is transforming into a warmer, wetter, and less predictable climate state, what the consequences are for the Arctic's indigenous inhabitants, and what measures can be taken to build resilience. Full Article
in Trump Turned the Death Count Into a Story About Himself By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: May 7, 2020 May 7, 2020Official figures exclude thousands who have died during the pandemic. To draw the right lessons, the United States needs an accurate tally of the victims. Full Article
in Next Moves on Climate Policy: A Conversation with Sue Biniaz By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: May 8, 2020 May 8, 2020Sue Biniaz, former lead climate negotiator for the United States, shared her thoughts on the postponement of COP-26, and on the possible re-engagement of the U.S. in the international effort to address climate change in the newest episode of “Environmental Insights: Discussions on Policy and Practice from the Harvard Environmental Economics Program,” a podcast produced by the Harvard Environmental Economics Program. Full Article
in Webinar: The impact of COVID-19 on prisons By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 13:46:55 +0000 Across America, incarcerated people are being hit hard by COVID-19. The infection rate in Washington, D.C., jails is 14 times higher than the general population of the city. In one Michigan correctional facility, more than 600 incarcerated people have tested positive — almost 50% of the prison's total population. In Arkansas, about 40% of the… Full Article
in Destroying trust in the media, science, and government has left America vulnerable to disaster By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 01 May 2020 15:34:28 +0000 For America to minimize the damage from the current pandemic, the media must inform, science must innovate, and our government must administer like never before. Yet decades of politically-motivated attacks discrediting all three institutions, taken to a new level by President Trump, leave the American public in a vulnerable position. Trump has consistently vilified the… Full Article
in How close is President Trump to his goal of record-setting judicial appointments? By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Tue, 05 May 2020 12:01:29 +0000 President Trump threatened during an April 15 pandemic briefing to “adjourn both chambers of Congress” because the Senate’s pro forma sessions prevented his making recess appointments. The threat will go nowhere for constitutional and practical reasons, and he has not pressed it. The administration and Senate Republicans, though, remain committed to confirming as many judges… Full Article
in Leaving all to younger hands: Why the history of the women’s suffragist movement matters By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 11:30:00 +0000 The campaign to win passage of the 19th Amendment guaranteeing women the right to vote stands as one of the most significant and wide-ranging moments of political mobilization in all of American history. Among other outcomes, it produced the largest one-time increase in voters ever. As important as the goal of suffrage was, the struggle… Full Article
in Get rid of the White House Coronavirus Task Force before it kills again By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 14:21:30 +0000 As news began to leak out that the White House was thinking about winding down the coronavirus task force, it was greeted with some consternation. After all, we are still in the midst of a pandemic—we need the president’s leadership, don’t we? And then, in an abrupt turnaround, President Trump reversed himself and stated that… Full Article
in How instability and high turnover on the Trump staff hindered the response to COVID-19 By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Thu, 07 May 2020 18:04:06 +0000 On Jan. 14, 2017, the Obama White House hosted 30 incoming staff members of the Trump team for a role-playing scenario. A readout of the event said, “The exercise provided a high-level perspective on a series of challenges that the next administration may face and introduced the key authorities, policies, capabilities, and structures that are… Full Article
in In the Republican Party establishment, Trump finds tepid support By webfeeds.brookings.edu Published On :: Fri, 08 May 2020 18:37:25 +0000 For the past three years the Republican Party leadership have stood by the president through thick and thin. Previous harsh critics and opponents in the race for the Republican nomination like Senator Lindsey Graham and Senator Ted Cruz fell in line, declining to say anything negative about the president even while, at times, taking action… Full Article
in 2020–2021 International Security Program Research Fellowships: Apply Now By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 9, 2020 Jan 9, 2020The International Security Program (ISP) is still accepting applications for 2020–2021. ISP is a multidisciplinary research group that develops and trains new talent in security studies by hosting pre- and postdoctoral research fellows. Full Article
in The battle of 'resistance' vs 'revolution' in the Middle East By feedproxy.google.com Published On :: Jan 15, 2020 Jan 15, 2020The events surrounding the US assassination of Iranian Quds Force leader Major General Qassem Soleimani brought to the surface the two main ideological forces that now battle each other across the Middle East - the anti-imperial "resistance" of Iran and its Arab allies, and the freedom "revolution" of domestic protesters in the same lands. Full Article
