Annoyingly I dont remember the channel which showed this program - history channel or discovery...well, it doesn't matter. The program was interesting. It featured what the attitude of the US presidents - right from Roosevelt to George Bush - was about UFOs and our extra-terrestrial friends.
I could not believe that there are books written on the subject...one of them being "UFO Politics at the White House" by Larry W. Bryant. God!! These people do write about everything under the sun (and in the space). There really isnt any ground where "no man has gone before" as far as the world of words goes, is it? :-))
As I watched the program I couldnt help but think about the scene in the movie "Independence Day" when the US president says that there never was a Roswell....and one of his security advisors says "Mr. president, thats not entirely true" :-))
Friday, August 31, 2007
Air Force One Is Haunted
Presently I am reading this book "Air Force One Is Haunted" by Robert J. Serling. The plot can be summed up in a line as: the president of the US - who is plagued with many domestic issues such as unemployment and a looming recession along with the international issue of dealing with the (then) USSR - starts seeing the ghost of a famous ex-US president aboard Air Force One. And this ghost advises him on many issues.
The plot outlined on the back of the book made me smile. Makes one just wish that leaders of many countries in the world be visited by saner personalities from an era gone by. :-)) There would be so much peace on earth.
The plot outlined on the back of the book made me smile. Makes one just wish that leaders of many countries in the world be visited by saner personalities from an era gone by. :-)) There would be so much peace on earth.
Hole-in-the-wall featured on "Daily Planet goes to India"
I was watching this program "Daily Planet goes to India" on the Discovery channel. There was a clip on the activities done in Delhi by Hole-in-the-wall - a site I had mentioned about 3-4 days back on this blog. An alumni from my B School had forwarded the link to the community.
They showed how they simply installed 3 computers in the wall at a location where education is not easy to obtain for the children. These children were to learn to use these computers on their own w/o any supervision. One of the ladies working for the cause talked about how one of the children referred to the mouse pointer as a "Sui" - that is a Hindi word which in English means a Needle. When asked what the needle does the boy replied that he has to move it to make things happen. Another child termed the folders as "Cupboards". He explained that when it's opened things come out. It was fascinating to see how these children use their own vocabulary to understand things.
The founder Dr. Sugata Mitra also talked about the pattern of learning that they observed. The bullies would crowd around first edging out the smaller quiter children, but they wouldnt be able to figure out things, then a small quiet child would come and do something, the bullies would step back and actually ask the child how he/she did it.
We need many such holes in the wall to crash the wall that stands between education and many of India's under-privileged children!
They showed how they simply installed 3 computers in the wall at a location where education is not easy to obtain for the children. These children were to learn to use these computers on their own w/o any supervision. One of the ladies working for the cause talked about how one of the children referred to the mouse pointer as a "Sui" - that is a Hindi word which in English means a Needle. When asked what the needle does the boy replied that he has to move it to make things happen. Another child termed the folders as "Cupboards". He explained that when it's opened things come out. It was fascinating to see how these children use their own vocabulary to understand things.
The founder Dr. Sugata Mitra also talked about the pattern of learning that they observed. The bullies would crowd around first edging out the smaller quiter children, but they wouldnt be able to figure out things, then a small quiet child would come and do something, the bullies would step back and actually ask the child how he/she did it.
We need many such holes in the wall to crash the wall that stands between education and many of India's under-privileged children!
Monday, August 27, 2007
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