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Jun 12th, 2006 by ravi

Slate: Pulp Covers for Classics

[via BoingBoing]Pulp Covers for Classic Books

Slate's take on the covers that never were, for the classics.

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Jun 9th, 2006 by ravi

Polling Report: Evolution

So, here's what the public thinks about the origins of life and evolution:

The report lists multiple surveys with many versions of this and related question, and in almost all cases, the majority (or plurality) have the anti-evolutionary view of things. Perhaps I should not be surprised by that?

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Jun 9th, 2006 by ravi

Chris Floyd on Zarq’s timely demise

This is good stuff. Go read the whole thing!

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Jun 8th, 2006 by ravi

Beatles before Ravi Shankar

This is too freaking hilarious! [via BoingBoing] A YouTube video of a desi movie song that copies The Beatles' I Want to Hold Your Hand. Shammi Kapoor is just the icing on the cake on this one. Finally, a Beatles song I can listen to without barfing ;-).

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Jun 7th, 2006 by ravi

Wal-Mart’s organic strategy

The New York Times tells us that Wal-Mart wants to sell organic food:

The concerns raised (in the quoted section and elsewhere in the article) are important. Perhaps I am a bit paranoid, but additionally, what worries me is that this effort on Wal-Mart's part, perhaps unintentionally, has a divide and conquer effect by doing an end run around worker's issues (its current bete noir), since this could divert the attention or alter the priorities of liberals/progressives who would support (in general) both initiatives (worker's rights and organic food).

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Jun 5th, 2006 by ravi

Iran and the West

Below is an excerpt from the NYT about the history of Western meddling in Iran, with a sub-theme (reflected in the title) that is inessential to basic understanding of the politics and motivation of all parties.

A few other worthwhile sources of information: