A lotus bloomed over a puddle
Glistening in the morning sun.
A cheer to the shepard
and to the maiden alike,
While the fisherman pondered on.
Continue reading
The puddle in the mind
2
Category Archives: Notes
Dispatched
What’s wrong with death sir? What are we so mortally afraid of? Why can’t we treat death with a certain amount of humanity and dignity, and decency, and God forbid, maybe even humor. Death is not the enemy gentlemen. If we’re going to fight a disease, let’s fight one of the most terrible diseases of all, indifference.
– Patch Adams (in the movie) played by Robin Williams
Robin Williams, a brilliant actor who pulled off comic roles so naturally in Hollywood
Robin Williams in the movie Patch Adams
movies committed suicide earlier today. One of his better known movies, Mrs. Doubtfire for example, is known in our parts for its adaptation by Kamal Hassan in the Tamil movie Avvai Shanmughi or re-made in Hindi as Chachi 420. Continue reading
Health system regulation in India
The medical establishment has become a threat to health
– Ivan Illich begins his book “Limits to Medicine: Medical Nemesis” (1975) with these lines
Going by recent events, Illich’s trenchant criticism of Western medical
Ivan Illich’s classic 1975 book “Limits to Medicine: The Medical Nemesis”. Clink image to download pdf of book
establishments is also pertinent to healthcare in India. First, there was Aamir Khan’s Satyameva Jayate TV episode on corruption in India’s healthcare sector, which provoked anger at the system and discomfort at (what some felt was) his sanctimonious treatment of the issue. Then, the entry, exit, and re-entry of an allegedly corrupt doctor, Ketan Desai, as head of the Medical Council of India
made news.
Yali’s ponder and the “new” world
The appellation New world says it all about the Americas; that this landmass was
The medieval Icelandic conception of northern regions, based on an interpretive sketch. Illustration by David Trochos for Wikimedia Commons. Based on A.A. Bjornbo “Vikings: The North Atlantic Saga” (ISBN 1560989955) p262.
a world that was not known to have existed before the old world. What made Americas new? And for whom was it new? And why were they discovered so late? Continue reading
Remembering Hitchens
Hitchens’ spirited debates on religion, particularly the monotheistic religions earned him a lot of (un)friends
Today would have been Christopher Hitchens’ 63rd birthday. He died young. A few more years would have certainly produced more than a fair share of good debates and provocatively enlightening reactions that were characteristic of Hitchens; youtube is full of many such.