If You Happen To Be In Washington, DC

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There was a remarkable new museum connected to books that we posted about not long back.  Now, an exhibition in one of the world’s great libraries answering the question (so to speak): do books matter?  You still have more than one month to catch it in person (but if you cannot catch it in person take half an hour with this podcast about the exhibition).  Click the banner above to go to the exhibit’s website, which notes:

Books That Shaped America

June 25–September 29, 2012

Books That Shaped America marks a starting point—a way to spark a national conversation on books and their importance in Americans’ lives, and, indeed, in shaping our nation. The titles featured here (by American authors) have had a profound effect on American life, but they are by no means the only ones.

Read more about Books That Shaped America »

Malabar Nut (Adhatoda Vasica)

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Malabar Nut is a large smooth-barked shrub endemic to the Western Ghats that grows up to 4-6 meters in height. The plant has been part of the the Ayurvedic pharmacopeia for 2000 years. The leaves are especially effective in treating irritating cough and other respiratory disorders. Midwives have also used the plant as a natural stimulant to labor.   Continue reading →

Green Urbanity

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Plants grow on a rooftop farm in Greenpoint, New York. Photo: Mike Di Paola/Getty Images

Click the image above for the story in The Guardian:

Advocates say green infrastructure isn’t just about being green — it makes financial sense, as well. Its cost-effectiveness depends on how benefits are assigned and valued, and over how long a time scale, but green has been shown to be cheaper than gray.

A 2012 study by American Rivers, ECONorthwest, and other groups examined 479 projects around the country. About a quarter of the projects were more expensive, they concluded, and 31 percent cost the same; more than 44 percent brought the costs down, in some cases substantially. New York City, for example, expects to save $1.5 billion over the next 20 years by using green infrastructure.

Dear Pretenders, Best In Category Is Here

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Commencement speech season is long over, and I barely remember this last batch, though from time to time I have an opportunity to watch those of people I admire. Thanks to the internet for that, among all its wonders. This one above does credit to the genre, and to the school, not to mention the speaker himself. I believe he is as good as any commencement speaker I have ever heard. The video of his talk has not gone viral, nor is it likely to.  But Robert Krulwich, hitherto known to us mainly by his froggy nasal tones on Radio Lab and elsewhere, has arrived. At least, he is in our pantheon.

It is rare to find a half hour so well spent as this, whether or not you have university-aged kids, are a recent or soon to graduate university student yourself, or just plain curious how the man of wonders might mete advice given the opportunity.  And thanks not least to him for introducing us to this amazing-sounding college.  We will be interviewing for interns there soon, no doubt.

p.s. Jad, our feelings about you remain the same, but your buddy is now playing leap-frog.

Trailing Eclipta (Eclipta aalba)

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Trailing Eclipta is an erect annual plant with rooted nodes and many branches. The leaves have fibrous hairs on both sides and the flowers are white. These plants thrive in the high ranges of Kerala and the rest of Western Ghats. In Ayurveda these plants are effective in treating inflammation, filariasis, wounds, skin diseases, leprosy, jaundice and fever.

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Memo To CJ

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Be careful what you wish for.  According to a story in the New York Times someone has been trying something similar:

To John Sims, the Himalayas, with some of the finest mountain slopes in the world, seemed like the perfect place to build India’s first Western-style ski resort.
But he got his first clue about the uphill challenge he faced when the local gods – or at least the holy men who claimed to speak for them – came out against his project here.
In the seven years since, Mr. Sims, an American hotel developer with years of experience working in India, has encountered seemingly endless setbacks.

Bon Anniversaire, Henri

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If you happen to be in Paris, celebrate in person at the location he chose as repository for his photographic legacy.  Thanks to the foundation that he, his wife and daughter created, you can do so here.  If, like most people, you are not in Paris then their website will have to suffice for now:

“The 20th century was the century of the image …To tell Henri Cartier-Bresson’s story and to unravel his work is essentially to tell the story of a look. Continue reading →

Thank You to All Cardamom County Staffs & Friends

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Even though I’m truly happy to be back at school, saying farewell to the staffs that I have been working with for more than 2 months was not easy. Every day I would pass by them saying “Namaskaram” which is “hello” in Malayalam or “Sukamano?” which is “how are you?” For every encounter, they kindly answered back to my poor Malayalam greetings and made my Kerala experience SUPER (as Indians often say)! To show my gratitude to all resort staffs, I drew some sketches as thank you notes. Thank you all, and I hope to see you soon. 🙂

Jamanthi Flowers

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Jamanthi Flowers are native to Southern India and grow widely in and around Kerala. These flowers are found in different colors such as yellow, white, cream and pale red. Jamanthi flowers blooms throughout the year and in Kerala these flowers are popular in all types of gardens.  An additional attraction is that the chemical content of this flower is used as a mosquito repellent. Continue reading →

Bluefin Activism

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Click on the logo image below to go to the main page of this activist organization.  Click here for the story where the text below the logo and after the jump comes from.

…The company which owns the tuna farm where the fish were released is called Kali Tuna and is part of the US based company Umami Sustainable Seafood. Umani is a major player in the bluefin tuna industry with operations in US, Mexico and Croatia. The firm went public last year with shareholders from around the world now cashing in on the company’s lucrative bluefin tuna trading, which is set to have landed them with over $54.000.000 US in profits last year. With slogans such as ‘Aquaculture – Growing to the tune of Mother nature’ and ‘Keeping Bluefin tuna stocks thriving’, the company is keen to portray itself as a ‘sustainable’ bluefin tuna trader. Continue reading →

August 22, A Big Day For Tigers

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Click the headline above to go to the story, in advance of tomorrow’s ruling in India about a controversial ban.  These issues are at the core of the entrepreneurial conservation concept:

“If the ban on tourism continues, it will be the end of the tiger in India,” he said. “We’re the ones who put energy into tracking them. We deter poachers. Tourists are only allowed in the park for six hours every day, but we guides take it in turns to patrol the park from sunrise to sunset. Voluntarily.” Continue reading →

Wax Begonia

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Begonia flowers are particularly popular for planting in flowerbeds and window-boxes. These bushy plants produce single or double blooms in wonderful strong colors like white, yellow, orange and pink. In high-ranges  these flowers are  popular in all gardens.

Rethinking Good & Evil

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Activists launch a long-range drone from the deck of the Steve Irwin to locate a Japanese whaling ship. Photograph: Observer

If cormorants can possibly be defined as evil, can drones be re-redefined in the opposite sense in which we commonly think of them–namely related to death and destruction, including innocent “collateral damage.”  Click the image above to see what these environmental activists are doing with drones:

They are better known as stealthy killing machines to take out suspected terrorists with pinpoint accuracy. But drones are also being put to more benign use in skies across several continents to track endangered wildlife, spot poachers, and chart forest loss. Continue reading →

From Behind the Wheel

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Road sign in Kerala’s Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary

Driving in India can be an eye opening experience.  Or you can close your eyes if you have the confidence. We’ve written about it several times over the past year, usually from the point of view of the passenger’s seat, but occasionally from the “right-hand seat” as well.

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Indian Gooseberry (Embeklic myrobalan)

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Indian Gooseberry, also known as Amla, grows throughout the country in deciduous forest and hill slopes up to an altitude of 900 meters and is also cultivated in plains  for commercial purpose. This medium sized tree can grow up to 10- 15  meters in height and produces round and juice fruits. The leaves are used to treat conjunctivitis, inflammation and diarrhoea. The fruits are used in wide range of disorders including colic, ulcers, diarrhoea, and cardiac disorders.

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