The Indiana schools are being forced to re-think the punishment pattern for students. Recently Sandy Washburn, a researcher at the Indiana University’s Center for Evaluation and Education Policy, criticized the strict and stern disciplinary interventions practiced in the Indiana schools in a report. She along with her fellow researchers proposed the three-tiered Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports discipline program instead.

Apparently, the PBS worked quite well for a school in the Minnesota district. The school has developed a common language for expectations from a student across the district. The educationists teach the expectations in context, like what are the expectations from a student when traveling in a bus. Positive behavior isLa popularidad del Caribbean poker continuó creciendo desde entonces, y en la actualidad existen muy pocos casinos, ya sea en tierra o mediante Internet, que no ofrecen el juego. appreciated and encouraged. Staff is encouraged to have a 6 to 1 positive to negative interaction ratio. The program has successfully reduced behavior incidents by 39% in just the first year!

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And history repeats itself. Year 2000 had American Vice Prez Al Gore lose the presidency because most liberals voted for Ralph Nader, who is an activist and had no chance of winning. Not only did Nader sweep away Gore’s chances of winning, but also gave the American’s the nightmare of the George Bush administration. Had Nader bowed out of the race, the USA would have had a new history in the recent past.

A similar scenario is being played out now with John Edwards. Hillary Clinton is the status quo candidate where as Edwards and Barrack Obama stand for change. Voters desiring change are forced to choose between Edwards and Obama. Edwards is clearly running the third spot in the race. He also has very little money backing further reducing his chances at winning. And we know how Clinton has been smearing Obama’s image through chain emails claiming he is a muslim set to destroy the United States.

In other words, if John Edwards doesn’t drop out, Barack Obama doesn’t have a chance. If Edwards goes away, Obama will be the only candidate left representing real change.

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The death of popular actor and Academy Award nominee Heath Ledger has left all his fans stunned. He was found dead in one of his residences in Soho by his housekeeper at 3:35 pm.

The 28 year-old actor, is father to a two year-old girl with former fiancée Michelle Williams. After having received critical acclaim and an Academy nomination for his work in ‘Brokeback Mountain’, Ledger was slated to play the Joker in the upcoming Batman film ‘The Dark Knight’.

According to the maid servant, a masseuse arrived at Apartment 5A at 3:31 pm for an appointment with Ledger. The masseuse was led by her to Ledger’s bedroom where they found the actor in an unconscious state. They tried to revive him but failed. So, they immediately called the police. Cops do not suspect foul play but they found some pills near the body. Wonder what actually happened? Could it be the effect of Heath’s soured relationship with his fiancée or his liason with Mary Kate Olsen?

Via GlossLip

The year 2007 went very well for Bollywood. Can’t say the same about Hollywood’s business in India, I remember only ‘Blood Diamond’ and ‘I am Legend’. There is a reason why. To begin with, the bharatvaasis were quite taken by the desi flavor which brought them a spectacular treat of modern cinema.

Let’s starting from the beginning. Yes, Rahul Dholakia’s ‘Parzania’ comes to my mind first. A soul-stirring film set against the backdrop of the Gujarat riots, telling the real-life story of a Parsi boy who got separated by his family when his housing society was struck by the fundamentalists. The film was tense, no masala here, but it gave a very strong message of non-violence.

The next film that struck a cord with me was ‘Chak De’. And for the first time in my life, I was immediately caught by the performance of the 16 girls and didn’t have eyes for SRK alone (which is a big thing considering the die hard fan I am). The plot was lively, very real, and the social message was given so masterfully! The film presented two aspects about our country that our sports teams have innate talent but do not perform well due to the absence of team spirit. Second, sexism still prevails in our society and even in the hockey board. Despite not having any songs and dances, the film is a wholesome entertainer. Like the year, my list will end with Aamir Khan’s directorial debut ‘Taare Zameen Par’.

The movie was fabulously done and one just couldn’t stop the tears from trickling down the cheeks. Darsheel Safary was brilliant as the ‘affected’ kid victimized by the education system and his over-expectant father. It was a story about all of us. Yes, also add two more names to the list – the comic satire ‘Bheja Fry’ and the gruesome documentary ‘Black Friday’ based on the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts.

Featuring a remake of the epic saga Ramayana is a safer bet for channel owners than having yet another one from the infamous K series. Though, in all honesty, the actors playing the mythological characters look like they have stepped from those sets. But that is not our focus this time. We are pondering over the big question: Are we really going to call our cable operator and beg to have this channel added to our monthly subscription?
The same applies to all other channels which require an extra payment before they can be seen on our TV sets. NDTV Good Times is one of them. It was all right to watch when free to air but definitely one will not be picking up the phone and command to the cable guy, “I want this!”

And it’s not the money involved. After all we don’t mind spending 40 bucks for a cup of coffee. It is INERTIA, the default option. Like they say the US always has a shortage of organ donors where as the French face no such problem. Does this the French are more generous? No. The answer is simple. In France, Austria and Hungary everyone is a potential donor unless they opt out. In the US you have to opt to be a donor. In the same breath, expecting Indian viewers to opt in for a channel is not going to work unless it’s for cricket!

Via NDTV

Harish Damodaran’s book ‘India’s New Capitalists: Caste, Business and Industry in a Modern Nation-State’ has once again made everyone sit up and notice. This isn’t the first time Damodaran has won accolades. Being a journalist for the past 16 year, he is also well-known as a specialist in agri-business and commodities coverage. His insights and contributions have benefited in macroeconomic issues. Damodaran is also a recipient of the World Food Day Award-2000 from the UN Food & Agricultural Organization and the Indian Association for the Advancement of Science, which was given to acknowledge his work as a farm reporter.

Coming back to Damodaran’s latest offering, the book is written in a simple style, blending analytical rigor with a journalistic flair. It talks about how business in India was considered to be the job of only the Bania community which fell under the Vaishya order of the traditional Hindu ‘chaturvarna’. However, since early 20th century, significant changes started taking place. The social base of our country gradually widened and soon entrepreneurship was no longer exclusive to a few castes alone. It now includes a wide spectrum of communities. But such a pattern of inclusive capitalism is restricted to only the southern and western states of our country, for we are yet to see a Dalit industrialist of note.

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Bollywood sells. Yeah, we already know that. But why don’t we talk about the same things all over again. For revision? Saif Ali Khan’s made an appearance in a new avatar, that of a rockstar. His performance with Parikrama in Mumbai two days back once again confirmed that for our countrymen, the Hindi film industry is the religion, the stars are the ‘bhagvaans’ and whatever they do is fashion enough for one to follow suit without even thinking twice.

The public will barely come for the music. What’s rock? A big stone, right! Yes, that is the status rock music has ‘enjoyed’ in our nation. In fact, those who have harbored a love for this kind of music know that it hasn’t lasted long. A rock band barely goes beyond one’s college years. And the smart ones who realized it in time made a clean switch to Bollywood. I’m talking about Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy and Vishal & Shekhar, who come from a rock background and have added a fresh breath of air to Hindi music.

Parikrama is the only Indian band that lasted. But see, even they need a Bolly start to pull the crowds. Are we all really that music ignorant? I think rock should get the respect it so deserved in India.

Via YouthCurry

Is Bangladesh treading on Pakistan’s path? Consider the current state of Bangladesh. Not only is it strengthening Islamic movements but also delegitimizing democracy. It should ideally be containing Islam and its belief and allow a healthy environment for democracy to prosper. But sadly, it isn’t. Wonder what the masses and their leaders are thinking.
An unbiased and an unfoggy attitude is what India’s eastern neighbor needs. It should continue sticking to the formalities of preparing for elections with the help of technical and not political benchmarks. In fact, the act of enforcing reforms within political parties should also be stopped completely and let the electorate perform its duties.

What are the supporters of democracy doing? They should gather without wasting a second and raise a voice against the state of emergency. Democracy should be restored at the earliest. I agree that Bangladesh and democracy, together have faced a lot of hiccups in the past but that is the way democracy moves ahead. The problems coming along democracy are solved within the context of democracy and not that of military rule.

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How did one survive growing up in the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s ?
We had no seatbelts, no airbags and sitting in the back of a rickshaw was a treat…Our baby prams had the most gorgeous lead based colors…No such thing as tamper proof bottle tops…Opening kitchen cupboards was a breeze… as safety locks were unheard off…Cycling was like a breath of fresh air…no safety helmets, knee pads or elbow pads, with plenty of cardboards between spokes to make it sound like a motorbike…

When thirsty we only drank tap water, bottled water was still a mystery…We kept busy collecting bits & pieces so we could build all sort of things … and we were fearless on our bikes even when the brakes failed going downhill…We were showing off how tough we are, by how high we could climb trees & then jumping down….It was great fun….We could stay out to play for hours, as long as we got back before dark, in time for dinner…We walked to school, or sometimes we even rode our bike. We had no mobile phones, but we always managed to find each other….How? No one knows…

We lost teeth, broke arms & legs, we got cuts and bruises and bloody noses…. nobody complained as we had so much fun, it wasn’t anybody’s fault, only ours. We ate everything in sight, cakes, bread, chocolate, ice-cream, sweet sugary drinks, yet, we stayed skinny by fooling around. And if one of us was lucky to find a 1 litre coca cola bottle we all had swag from it & guess what? Nobody picked up any germs…

We did not have Play Stations, MP3, Nintendo’s, I-Pods, Video games, 99 Cable TV channels, DVD’s, Home Cinema, Mobile phones, Home Computers, Laptops, Chat-rooms, Internet, etc … BUT, we had REAL FRIENDS!!!!

We called on friends to come out to play, never rang the doorbell, just went around the back…We loved being let loose in the big bad world…without bodyguards…We played with sticks and stones, played cowboys and Indians, doctors and nurses, hide and seek, soccer games, lover and over again…When we failed our exams we were given a second chance by simply repeating the same grade…without visiting psychiatrists, psychologists or counselors… such were the days…We had freedom, success, disappointments and responsibilities…Most of all, we learned to respect others…

Are YOU from that generation??

This is surely a relief pill though momentary, enabling you to do away with the stress that surrounds us these days….and brings a smile to your face as you recall what life was really like in the good old days……

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‘Surprises every minute’, the revamped mobile service provider Vodafone’s tagline makes similar promises in that unusual bright carroty red ads that you get to see all around. And they are so true. A blogger shares the completely unexpected surprise she got. Apparently, she received a bill from Vodafone that said she needs to pay 25 rupees for two downloads – callertune from Onmobile for 15 rupees and wallpaper from Hungama at a cost of 10 rupees. Exact dates and times of the two downloads are mentioned. But even that didn’t help with the image of mobile service provider’s, because the blogger had not made any of these downloads. Interestingly, she has had the same caller tune for months now and she doesn’t like wallpapers either. Wonder where did the fake data come from?
No, she did not accidentally click on a link in one of the oh-so-many SPAM messages sent by Vodafone. Now, even wasting 10 minutes on a call to customer care will not guarantee a solution for her because there is always some policy that the customer care rep doesn’t know and so usually reverts later…how much later? So, like million other Vodafone subscribers our dear blogger too gives up. Wasn’t I talking of surprises in the beginning?
Via YouthCurry