Monthly Archives: April 2007

On Disraeli: Some Random Thoughts on Conservatism and Leadership

(Originally posted at WritingUp on 2006-06-28.) The quote below is from The New Yorker’s review of several new books about Disraeli. I know nothing about the man, and my comments are really speculative: “Trollope’s Daubeny [his Disraeli character] is certainly not a man of principle, but the novelist sees him as something more than an …

April 19, 2007 – 1:50 am | By ashok | Posted in politics | Tagged , , | Comments (3)

On Peter Singer’s "The Freedom to Ridicule Religion"

Originally published on WritingUp on 07-01-2006. One point of clarification – there is a distinction in this article about human rights/rights of citizens that invokes Jefferson for the latter. Now Jefferson does say that rights come from Nature’s God, but he also says that because of them governments are instituted among men. My point is …

April 18, 2007 – 8:50 am | By ashok | Posted in philosophy | Tagged , | Comments (0)

"Bachelor," a poem

Bachelor9.20.02 For P.D. Somewhere on the desk,between the computer, the sketchbooks, the coffee,lies the telephone.The floor is a mess.Containers of take-out Chinese,junk mail, old bills.Tempting to sift through a miniature hilland find that old men’s magazine,the one with that “Keeping a Scorecard” article. But then the phone rings.Knowing who it is,the eyes look up, quickly.Not …

April 18, 2007 – 7:59 am | By ashok | Posted in poetry | Comments (0)

"The Wind," Boris Pasternak

First posted at http://substantial.diaryland.com on 7.7.2005. The Wind Boris PasternakI am dead, but you are living.And the wind, moaning and grieving,Rocks the house and the forest,Not one pine after anotherBut further than the furthestHorizon all together,Like boat-hulls and bowspritsIn an unruffled anchorage,Rocked not from high spiritsOr out of aimless rage,But with a sad heart seekingWords …

April 18, 2007 – 2:14 am | By ashok | Posted in poetry | Comments (0)

On Google’s Blogsearch Service

I’m linking to this article because I think it is interesting from a “how stuff works” perspective – how much data would one need in order to be able to judge which documents are trustworthy? What’s funny is that the data consists of merely collecting what people are going to. Bringing people diverse, quality content …

April 17, 2007 – 11:54 pm | By ashok | Posted in blogging | Tagged | Comments (0)

For resolution: In what way are the Founding Fathers religious?

(Cross-posted at WritingUp, originally posted 1-11-06). To adbullock – I don’t agree with your views about how we in America are unfree today, although I do like your use of quotes. The first quote you picked, by Rabbi Sherwin Wine, probably merits some examination: “There are two visions of America. One precedes our founding fathers …

April 17, 2007 – 5:41 am | By ashok | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Comments (0)

Cryptic

cross-posted at WritingUp, originally posted 2006-01-10Time has been spent talking but not thinking.Most troubling, most troubling indeed.Talking to others seems to be, no matter what, a lowering, a condescension. It must be done and it is good to do: without it, we distance ourselves from the human, we become arrogant in ways we would never …

April 17, 2007 – 5:31 am | By ashok | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , | Comments (0)

Does Money Buy Happiness?

Originally posted on 2005-12-26 at WritingUp. This is a response to a rather sad but thought provoking post by Amy Lo Pan, whose journal is certainly worth reading.Your post is remarkable in that it raises the question most directly: Does money buy happiness for our society? Is money a necessary condition for our happiness in …

April 17, 2007 – 4:56 am | By ashok | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Comments (1)

What Constitutes Plagiarism Exactly?

I was recommended this article by a user at WritingUp, where this whole post below is cross-posted (it was originally posted 2005-12-28) – it is sitting there, though, doing nothing. It was a response to some thoughts of hers on what constitutes plagiarism – people were copying and pasting articles from other people’s blogs there …

April 17, 2007 – 4:01 am | By ashok | Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Comments (0)

Puppy Love

Note: This story is also from a while back. 2001 to be exact. And yeah, it’s girly. Oral exams are the 27th of this month, btw. Puppy Love 9.05.01 Ashok Karra The car ride was smooth and relaxing for the both of us. I normally hate driving, but things are different when she’s in the …

April 17, 2007 – 1:38 am | By ashok | Posted in writing | Tagged | Comments (0)