Skip to main content

Posts

In Tough Times, the Humanities Must Justify Their Worth

By PATRICIA COHEN Published: February 24, 2009 One idea that elite universities like Yale , sprawling public systems like Wisconsin and smaller private colleges like Lewis and Clark have shared for generations is that a traditional liberal arts education is, by definition, not intended to prepare students for a specific vocation. Rather, the critical thinking, civic and historical knowledge and ethical reasoning that the humanities develop have a different purpose: They are prerequisites for personal growth and participation in a free democracy, regardless of career choice. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/books/25human.html?em

SURAH 35: FATIR (THE ORIGINATOR OF CREATION)

"In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful. -43- On account of their arrogance in the land and their Plotting of Evil. But the Plotting of Evil will hem in only the authors thereof. Now are they but looking for the way the ancients were dealt with? But no change wilt thou find in Allah's way (of dealing): No turning off wilt thou find in Allah's way( of dealing)." Author By: Yusuf Ali. He knows well each and every thing so precisely with aboslute perfect knowledge, verily He has perfect knowledge. Human Beings are plotting, Plotting of Evils, though The Almighty Allah knows well about their plotting.

TWO CAUSES OF TERROISM.

By Amy Zalman, Ph.D. , About.com There Are Two Causes of Terrorism All terrorist acts are motivated by two things: Social and political injustice: People choose terrorism when they are trying to right what they perceive to be a social or political or historical wrong—when they have been stripped of their land or rights, or denied these. The belief that violence or its threat will be effective, and usher in change. Another way of saying this is: the belief that violent means justify the ends. Many terrorists in history said sincerely that they chose violence after long deliberation, because they felt they had no choice. This explanation of the causes of terrorism may be difficult to swallow. It sounds too simple, or too theoretical. However, if you look at any group that is widely understood as a terrorist group, you will find these two elements are basic to their story. http://terrorism.about.com/od/causes/a/causes_terror.htm

The Causes of Terrorism

By Amy Zalman, Ph.D. , About.com Terrorism is the threat or use of violence against civilians to draw attention to an issue. Those searching for the causes of terrorism -why this tactic would be selected, and in what circumstances- approach the phenomenon in different ways. Some see it as an independent phenomenon, while others view it as one tactic in a larger strategy. Some seek to understand what makes an individual choose terrorism, while others look at it at the level of a group. http://terrorism.about.com/od/causes/tp/Causes_of_Terrorism.htm

Learning Not to Love the Bomb

By PHILIP TAUBMAN Published: February 18, 2009 Stanford, Calif. THE Obama administration seems ready to resuscitate relations with Russia, including by renewing nuclear-arms-reduction talks. Even before the inaugural parade wound down, the White House Web site offered up a list of ambitious nuclear policy goals, with everything from making bomb-making materials more secure to the eventual abolition of nuclear weapons. That’s welcome news, but for such goals to be realized, the White House will need to be prepared to reimagine and reshape the nuclear era and, against strong opposition, break free from cold war thinking and better address the threats America faces today. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/opinion/19taubman.html?ref=opinion

A Swiss Bank Is Set to Open Its Secret Files

By LYNNLEY BROWNING Published: February 18, 2009 In the hush-hush world of Swiss banking, the unthinkable is happening: secrets are spilling into the open. UBS, the largest bank in Switzerland, agreed on Wednesday to divulge the names of well-heeled Americans whom the authorities suspect of using offshore accounts at the bank to evade taxes. The bank admitted conspiring to defraud the Internal Revenue Service and agreed to pay $780 million to settle a sweeping federal investigation into its activities. It is unclear how many of its clients’ names UBS will divulge http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/19/business/worldbusiness/19ubs.html?hp

Real Picture that spell.

With thanks of Little sister.

"Children of Heaven"

Children of Heaven ( Persian : بچه‌های آسمان) is a 1997 Iranian film by Majid Majidi . It was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film in 1998 . It deals with a brother and sister and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes. The film was shot in Tehran . It was attempted to keep the filming secret in order to capture a more realistic image of the city. The production costs have been estimated at US$ 180,000. Children of Heaven premiered in February 1997 at the Teheran Fajr Film Festival and was awarded several national film awards. It started in the US on 22 January 1999 , with a total US box office result of $930,000. After the film had become well-known worldwide due to the Oscar nomination, it was shown in several European, South American, and Asian countries between 1999 and 2001. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Heaven

A Turnaround Strategy

The central government is widely seen as weak, dysfunctional and utterly corrupt. Disgust with its performance has reopened the door for the Taliban, who are unpopular almost everywhere but who promise justice—albeit very rough justice—rather than the chaos of the Karzai reign. http://www.newsweek.com/id/182651/page/2