The wonderful thing about the movies is that, unfailingly, they help provide a context to some of the things that are happening in the world. They can serve as a helpful point of reference– something that we can hold up things against and compare how they stack up against what we have already seen in cinema.
Not all global events can be [...]
Posts in category News & Commentary
Why An Indian Tribe “Dongria Ko...
The wonderful thing about the movies is that, unfailingly, they help provide a context to some of the things that are happening in the world. They can serve as a helpful point of reference– something that we can hold up things against and compare how they stack up against what we have already seen in cinema.
Not all global events can be [...]
Hamara Bajaj No More: Bajaj To Roll O...
What is a scooter? Depends who you ask. For many Europeans and Americans, it is most often the two-stroke Vespa, a bulky two-wheeler that was the vehicle of choice for Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck’s adventures around Rome in the classic “Roman Holiday.”
For an Indian growing up in the eighties–a scooter is a “ [...]
The Internet Gets a Stab at The Nobel...
Gather around all ye LOLcat lovers, YouTube watchers, rabid facebookers and diligent tweeters, for there is good news for you. Our beloved Internet is in the running for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.
The Nobel committee’s decision last year to award the Peace Prize to the freshly elected President Obama was considered by many to be an unusua [...]
Beijing Vs. Washington: Bad Reality S...
Watching China and the United States point fingers at each others “human rights situation” is as painful as watching bottle blondes bicker on a bad reality show. And in the latest edition of “Beijing Vs. Washington – Extreme Foreign Relations,” the finger pointing has morphed to mild jabbing.
It all started this [...]
Want To Rid The World of Landmines? A...
Struggling for a gift idea? How about gifting a rat through “Adopt-a-HeroRat.” These are no regular New York City-type rats, creepily scampering across train tracks or spreading disease; these so-called HeroRats help save lives by sniffing out unexploded landmines in Mozambique. For just six dollars a month, you can choose to support the good [...]
Pakistani Delegation Refuses To be Sc...
Talk about a long flight going to waste.
A delegation of six Pakistani politicians, refused to step into a body scanner at Dulles International Airport in Washington, saying it was an affront to them.They chose, instead, to go right back home.
The pols, senators from the National Assembly from the restive Federally Administered Tribal Areas ( [...]
MTA Public Hearings Annoy Queens Comm...
Angry straphangers and elected officials gathered at the Sheraton LaGuardia East Hotel in Flushing on Tuesday for the borough’s public hearing on plans for massive service cuts intended to close the MTA’s $750 million budget deficit.
In Queens, the MTA proposed not just eliminating the W subway line and numerous bus routes, but also city-wide [...]
West Side Story: School Overcrowding ...
I.S 44 building, seen here, is expected to house five schools this Fall (Pic Courtesy: Andrew Schwartz for West Side Spirit)
Despite the urging of District 3’s Community Education Council, the Department of Education said it was not possible to increase the number of grades at P.S. 452, a new school slated to open in the I.S. 44 building on W [...]
A Day In The Life of Knut, The Polar ...
Knut, one time awesome polar bear; now reduced to looking like grubby run-of-the-mill polar bear
Life for Knut, the awesome once-so-cute polar bear, seems to always be in the fast lane.
First, his mom rejects him. Sniff.
Then he moves to the Berlin zoo to become an instant celebrity. His furry good looks and tubby charm enthralled TV audience [...]
Holy Giant Flying Bag of Poop! PeePoo...
Anyone who has ever lived in a developing country (See also: India, Kenya) can attest to the fact that giant piles of poop by the roadside are a common site. In incredibly poor areas, where there is not just a lack of hygiene but proper methods of sanitation and waste management, the spread of filth often contributes to deadly diseases like C [...]