Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
I would certainly not find this boring. Can I buy it in India? Or do I have to Amazon it. An ethnomethodologist friend is visiting, I'd like to buy him a copy too. Adit. On Dec 12, 2007 1:16 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: May I recommend a recently published book -- Anthropology in the East edited by Patricia Uberoi et al (Permanent Black, 2007). It's a collection of articles about important figures in the history of Indian sociology / social anthropology, and one of its purposes was to make a beginning at trying to understand the reasons for the sorry state of the discipline, by tracing its history. I also have a piece in this volume, in which I try to understand certain aspects of the discipline by looking at the work of one of the founding 'fathers', GS Ghurye. But you might find such a tome rather boring! Carol
Re: [silk] You farted - was Wikipedia
On 11-Dec-07, at 7:13 PM, shiv sastry wrote: Too late. You're hopping mad now :D and I am not playing your game. Once again, thanks but no thanks. You may have heard of this new game. It's called bait the skeptic. Here's how it works: Person A, our hero, makes an exaggerated claim. Person B, the skeptic, demands to know the basis of this claim. Person A narrates the details of the farting game and claims he's been baited. Person B reiterates that he merely wants the basis of the claim. Person A insists he will not fall for the bait, laments on the poor quality of research in general, and effectively comes out having painted person B as the villain. You win, Shiv.
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
thanks carol for the post. yes, i have been waiting to get my hands on this volume. and of late, Permanent Black has been coming out with so many interesting titles... i just wish they update their website to include more of the past volumes. http://permanent-black.blogspot.com/ i thought that this site gives a better feel for the titles than the catalogue they had a slim volume on South Asian scholars in the west [1] - which was more of a collection of personal recollections by scholars like Appadurai, Gyan Prakash, Partha Chatterjee, tracing their own intellectual history and how they see their engagement with the western academia. so though they were not strictly academic papers, they nevertheless gave you a sense of how these practitioners have framed their engagement with their respective discipline - history, anthropology, cultural studies. [1] At Home in Diaspora : South Asian Scholars and the West by Jackie Assayag and Veronique Benei http://www.biblio.com/details.php?dcx=7349674aid=frg On Dec 12, 2007 1:16 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, from the resident sociologist on silklist. Shiv is quite correct -- sociology is a tired, underdeveloped, nelected, and largely irrelevant discipline in India, despite the fact that (I think) it produces more PhDs than any other. There are many reasons for this, and I would not like to bore members with a long discussion of these. It has to do with the history of the discipline in India, institutional problems, and many others. The language problem is also acute -- most of the 'good' sociology is carried out in English, with little link to debates going on in regional/ Indian languages. But there are nonetheless some sociologists around who are doing relevant and interesting work (in a few good centres such as DU and JNU), and who are also concerned about this problem -- hence the frequent lamentations from sociologists themselves about the state of the discipline. (To its credit, sociology is probably the most reflexive discipline around; we do a lot of navel gazing.) And quite a few sociologists do actually carry out important policy-related research, sit on government committees, submit reports on current issues (never read!) and so on. But there is much more that needs to be done. There is some research funding available from ICSSR and others bodies, even Tatas and others do cough up money sometimes; but most of us seek outside sources of funding (ie, outside of India). Another problem is that many of the best social scientists have flown the coop, and teach in western universities (I am a reverse migrant!), so we are not reproducing outselves. But now we see some returnees, coming back as fresh PhDs or with a few years of teaching -- this may change the picture ... A perennial conundrum for Indian sociology has been figuring out the correct frame of analysis; if all the theories and categories of sociology are imported from the West, how can they help us to undestand India? On the other hand, it has tended to be insular, looking only at India, without a sufficient comparative perspective. An unresolved debate ... and there are many others. Thanks to Shiv for highlighting this issue, since the general public, including intellectuals, seem to think that disciplines like sociology are quite irrelevant and unimportant. With the unbridled faith in science, technology and economic growth that seems to have gripped the middle classes, some critical reflection on India's current development trajectory is in order -- which is precisely what sociologists (and others) are supposed to be good at. Yet they do not often enough air their views, or their knowledge, in public. May I recommend a recently published book -- Anthropology in the East edited by Patricia Uberoi et al (Permanent Black, 2007). It's a collection of articles about important figures in the history of Indian sociology / social anthropology, and one of its purposes was to make a beginning at trying to understand the reasons for the sorry state of the discipline, by tracing its history. I also have a piece in this volume, in which I try to understand certain aspects of the discipline by looking at the work of one of the founding 'fathers', GS Ghurye. But you might find such a tome rather boring! Carol - Original Message - From: shiv sastry [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Tuesday, December 11, 2007 8:15 pm Subject: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India? To: silklist@lists.hserus.net I don't mean to hurt anyone, although it is possible that people may feel hurt. I apologize in advance for any hurt I may cause as I post opinions. What I write below are OPINIONS. Not research findings. Using Google it is easy to find references that point to the failure of Sociology in India. One paper spoke of sociology in India being a tired specialty. Another spoke of failure to
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
At 2007-12-12 13:32:06 +0530, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Can I buy it in India? Permanent Black is an Indian publisher. See https://www.orientlongman.com/permanentblack.asp -- ams
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
Aditya -- This book can be easily purchased in India, it's published here -- any good bookseller. If you're in Bangalore, try Premier. Carol - Original Message - From: Aditya Kapil [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 1:33 pm Subject: Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India? To: silklist@lists.hserus.net I would certainly not find this boring. Can I buy it in India? Or do I have to Amazon it. An ethnomethodologist friend is visiting, I'd like to buy him a copy too. Adit. On Dec 12, 2007 1:16 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: May I recommend a recently published book -- Anthropology in the East edited by Patricia Uberoi et al (Permanent Black, 2007). It's a collection of articles about important figures in the history of Indian sociology / social anthropology, and one of its purposes was to make a beginning at trying to understand the reasons for the sorry state of the discipline, by tracing its history. I also have a piece in this volume, in which I try to understand certain aspects of the discipline by looking at the work of one of the founding 'fathers', GS Ghurye. But you might find such a tome rather boring! Carol
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
Hi -- I'll forward your message about the website to Rukun Advani, I'm sure he'll appreciate the feedback. Yes, Permanent Black has been cornering many of the best social science / history publications recently. I have also sent them my book proposal, on none other than IT Bangalore! Carol - Original Message - From: Abhishek Hazra [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 1:56 pm Subject: Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India? To: silklist@lists.hserus.net thanks carol for the post. yes, i have been waiting to get my hands on this volume. and of late, Permanent Black has been coming out with so many interesting titles... i just wish they update their website to include more of the past volumes.http://permanent-black.blogspot.com/ i thought that this site gives a better feel for the titles than the catalogue they had a slim volume on South Asian scholars in the west [1] - which was more of a collection of personal recollections by scholars like Appadurai, Gyan Prakash, Partha Chatterjee, tracing their own intellectual history and how they see their engagement with the western academia. so though they were not strictly academic papers, they nevertheless gave you a sense of how these practitioners have framed their engagement with their respective discipline - history, anthropology, cultural studies. [1] At Home in Diaspora : South Asian Scholars and the West by Jackie Assayag and Veronique Benei http://www.biblio.com/details.php?dcx=7349674aid=frg On Dec 12, 2007 1:16 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, from the resident sociologist on silklist. Shiv is quite correct -- sociology is a tired, underdeveloped, nelected, and largely irrelevant discipline in India, despite the fact that (I think) it produces more PhDs than any other. There are many reasons for this, and I would not like to bore members with a long discussion of these. It has to do with the history of the discipline in India, institutional problems, and many others. The language problem is also acute -- most of the 'good' sociology is carried out in English, with little link to debates going on in regional/ Indian languages. But there are nonetheless some sociologists around who are doing relevant and interesting work (in a few good centres such as DU and JNU), and who are also concerned about this problem -- hence the frequent lamentations from sociologists themselves about the state of the discipline. (To its credit, sociology is probably the most reflexive discipline around; we do a lot of navel gazing.) And quite a few sociologists do actually carry out important policy-related research, sit on government committees, submit reports on current issues (never read!) and so on. But there is much more that needs to be done. There is some research funding available from ICSSR and others bodies, even Tatas and others do cough up money sometimes; but most of us seek outside sources of funding (ie, outside of India). Another problem is that many of the best social scientists have flown the coop, and teach in western universities (I am a reverse migrant!), so we are not reproducing outselves. But now we see some returnees, coming back as fresh PhDs or with a few years of teaching -- this may change the picture ... A perennial conundrum for Indian sociology has been figuring out the correct frame of analysis; if all the theories and categories of sociology are imported from the West, how can they help us to undestand India? On the other hand, it has tended to be insular, looking only at India, without a sufficient comparative perspective. An unresolved debate ... and there are many others. Thanks to Shiv for highlighting this issue, since the general public, including intellectuals, seem to think that disciplines like sociology are quite irrelevant and unimportant. With the unbridled faith in science, technology and economic growth that seems to have gripped the middle classes, some critical reflection on India's current development trajectory is in order -- which is precisely what sociologists (and others) are supposed to be good at. Yet they do not often enough air their views, or their knowledge, in public. May I recommend a recently published book -- Anthropology in the East edited by Patricia Uberoi et al (Permanent Black, 2007). It's a collection of articles about important figures in the history of Indian sociology / social anthropology, and one of its purposes was to make a beginning at trying to understand the reasons for the sorry state of the discipline, by tracing its history. I also have a piece in this volume, in which I try to understand certain aspects of the discipline by looking at the work of one of the founding 'fathers', GS Ghurye. But you might find such a tome rather boring! Carol - Original Message - From: shiv sastry [EMAIL
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
On Wednesday 12 Dec 2007 1:16 pm, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Hello, from the resident sociologist on silklist. Thanks for the reply Carol. I have dozens of unanswered questions and nobody is even thinking about asking them, leave alone finding answers. I have mentioned dome things on this list on and off, and most deal with unconscious behavior of Indians in general that make them say and believe certain things without any real questioning of belief. And when I say such things - people on a forum or list sometimes feel personally targeted. Perhaps they recognize themselves in the behavior I describe - but while I mean no harm, I feel compelled to say some things. Todays Hindu says in a headline (which I was unable to find online this morning) How IT has changed the city's crime scenario: The economic divide created by the IT boom has forced many youth from poor families to take to crime How cosy and comfortable. The problem is described and the answer revealed right at the top of the page before the text of the article. But the text of the article tells a different story. Most of the crime is extortion by real estate agents . Only one line says Police have found youth from lower income groups involved in robberies In fact an empirical examination seems to show that the people involved in crime against IT people are hardly poor by Indian standards. Most appear to be reasonably well off. I would call them middle class based on a definition of Indian middle class as earning Rs 5000 a month, owning a scooter/moped and a TV. We constantly employ some really poor people - our servants for whom only the most enlightened among us (excludes me) would give a day off in a week. These really poor people are not involved it seems. But a national newspaper, a stuffy and serious one at that, writes a headline that blames poor people for crime. It's not just the newspaper. The belief runs among wealthy Indians too. Poverty==crime. He is poor, therefore he is corrupt and takes bribes. He is poor therefore he is tempted by my money. Even a cursory examination of the idea does not support the correlation as some kind of general rule that should be splashed as a headline, to be read and internalized by the elite as they down their morning capuccinos. Oh but the editor of the Hindu does not think of that. If I ask him, he will ask me for research papers. And if I look for research papers there are none. The answer that suggests itself in Kannada is Helorilla. Kelorilla No one to ask. No one to tell. That itself becomes a comfortable truth drop the subject with a laugh. Indian society in my opinion mentally lives as it did 500 years ago, with a veneer of modernity, but with no real sense of the kind of movement and evolution that Western societies underwent. That just will not do. I have other questions, but I will state them as they occur to me - as they do frequently. shiv
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
Thanks Carol, Abhijit. I just ordered it. Should have it by tomorrow. Adit. On Dec 12, 2007 2:11 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Aditya -- This book can be easily purchased in India, it's published here -- any good bookseller. If you're in Bangalore, try Premier. Carol - Original Message - From: Aditya Kapil [EMAIL PROTECTED] Date: Wednesday, December 12, 2007 1:33 pm Subject: Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India? To: silklist@lists.hserus.net I would certainly not find this boring. Can I buy it in India? Or do I have to Amazon it. An ethnomethodologist friend is visiting, I'd like to buy him a copy too. Adit. On Dec 12, 2007 1:16 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: May I recommend a recently published book -- Anthropology in the East edited by Patricia Uberoi et al (Permanent Black, 2007). It's a collection of articles about important figures in the history of Indian sociology / social anthropology, and one of its purposes was to make a beginning at trying to understand the reasons for the sorry state of the discipline, by tracing its history. I also have a piece in this volume, in which I try to understand certain aspects of the discipline by looking at the work of one of the founding 'fathers', GS Ghurye. But you might find such a tome rather boring! Carol -- ...But always remember that irritation is what allows oysters to create pearls. Thank goodness for oysters because ulcers make crappy necklaces [Scott Adams]
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
On Wednesday 12 Dec 2007 1:16 pm, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: A perennial conundrum for Indian sociology has been figuring out the correct frame of analysis; if all the theories and categories of sociology are imported from the West, how can they help us to undestand India? On the other hand, it has tended to be insular, looking only at India, without a sufficient comparative perspective. An unresolved debate ... and there are many others. Sociology in India is heaven for people like me. I can say what I like and there is nobody to contradict me. But I don't believe I am firing random shots. My first impression that Indians are peculiar and different from observing myself, but was reinforced by Naipaul who characterized India as a stupefied nation I will quote from Naipaul's An Area of Darkness, Penguin, pp 208-209 Quote: ... The British pillaged the country thoroughly; during their rule, manufactures and crafts declined. This has to be accepted and listed against the achievements listed by Woodruff: a biscuit factory is a poor exchange for gold embroidery. The country had been pillaged before. But continuity had been maintained. . With the British, continuity was broken. And perhaps the British are responsible for this Indian artistic failure, which is part of the general Indian bewilderment, in the way that the Spaniards were responsible for the stupefaction of the Mexicans and the Peruvians. It was a clash between a positive principle and a negative; and nothing more negative can be imagined than the conjunction in the eighteenth century of a static Islam and a decadent Hindu India. In any clash between post renaissance Europe and India, India was bound to lose. (Naipaul follows this passage with a footnote that is informative, and I continue quoting from the footnote) If I had read Camus's The Rebel before writing this chapter I might have used his terminology. Where Camus might have said capable of rebellion, I have said positive[]; and it is interesting that Camus gives, as examples of people incapable of rebellion, the Hindus and the Incas. 'The problem of rebellion has no meaning except within our Western society. [...snip..] What is at stake is humanity's gradually increasing self awareness as it pursues its course. In fact, for the Inca and the Hindu parish the problem never arises because for them it had been solved by a tradition, even before they had had time to raise it - the answer being that their tradition is sacred. If in a world, things are held sacred, the problem of rebelion does not arise, it is because no real problems are to be found in such a world, all the answers having been given simultaneously. Metaphysic is replaced by myth. There are no more questions, only eternal answers and commentaries, which may be metaphysical. end Quote The longer I observe Indian society the clearer it becomes to me that Indians including every one of us have inherited weird (Probably Hindu, and some islamic) cultural characteristics that are unique. We tend to superimpose these characteristics on learned behavior that we acquire from the West or elsewhere and often produce a grotesque parody that does not convincingly correlate with what we aim to produce, but openly shows the really weird and different Hindu heritage in behavior. And nobody has bothered to really understand or unravel that complex Hindu behavioral heritage. Modernity (or should I say modernism?) and political correctness prevent us from acknowledging caste related influences. It is very difficult to openly point out behavior in an Indian that is plainly a vestige of the caste system for fear of arousing needless passion, but those vestiges are there all around for us to see. Ajit Mani, whom former CiXers will know, and who unsubscribed himself from Silk has a long list of linguistic vestiges of the caste system that Indians often use and perpetuate unconsciously and innocently, with absolutely no idea that they are doing it. Even Indians who are ostensibly sophisticated and world citizens who take umbrage at being associated with the India they have left behind in favor of modernity often unconsciously display open biases and hints of attitudes that are unique to India. It is often very difficult to point this out, because of a reaction called cognitive dissonance that tends to cause anger and denial when uncomfortable facts are pointed out. If Sociology departments suddenly bloom in every town and city in India, it will still be 150 years before India and Indian behavior is anywhere near being sussed out and sorted out intelligently and scientifically. The problem is that most developed nations understand the value of sociology. Indians, are babes in the wood, muddling through human evolution in fits and starts. shiv
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
On Wednesday 12 Dec 2007 1:16 pm, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: With the unbridled faith in science, technology and economic growth that seems to have gripped the middle classes, some critical reflection on India's current development trajectory is in order -- which is precisely what sociologists (and others) are supposed to be good at. Yet they do not often enough air their views, or their knowledge, in public. Carol your study was itself an eye opener. You showed how the IT boom was restricted largely to the forward castes. You were bold enough to mention the unmentionable R word that can earn you a fatwa -reservation!! As you pointed out (and as was mentioned in an article that I Googled) Engilsh rules the airwaves. People who use English in India get heard the most and their views are echoed and amplified by the dominance of the anglosphere courtesy the US of A. I have often felt (with no proof whatsoever) that the old (pre-independence) cliches about India, many of them negative, were based on interaction of foreign visitors and invaders with the upper castes of India. If you exclude ancient Indian literature, the narratives of India that exist are the narratives of the upper castes of India and their attitudes and habits. You will not find, for example, a narrative of a chamar or a bhangi, or even a mochi - a word that caused recent uproar for being used in a Bollywood song. I have no way of verifying this theory- there is no independent corroboration that I know of. But if that is true, it only adds on to another possible anomaly that can be verified if someone bothers to do that. I spoke of the way the views of the Indian anglophones are propagated and amplified. But a question that has always puzzled me is whether anyone has ever done a caste distribution study of Indian immigrants in the US. I suspect, without proof, that they are likely to be predominantly Indians of forward caste descent. If there is a correlation between Indian English-speakers and forward caste, we may be hearing a narrative of India that excludes the 95% of Indians by virtue of their lack of English that also correlates with a complete absence of serious information about the state of lower castes, non English speakers and the poor. In other words, there may be a complete dysjunction between what is said and discussed in the English media and issues on the ground in India. I would consider this a serious social anomaly. shiv
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
On Dec 12, 2007 8:45 PM, shiv sastry [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: On Wednesday 12 Dec 2007 1:16 pm, [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: With the unbridled faith in science, technology and economic growth that seems to have gripped the middle classes, some critical reflection on India's current development trajectory is in order -- which is precisely what sociologists (and others) are supposed to be good at. Yet they do not often enough air their views, or their knowledge, in public. Carol your study was itself an eye opener. You showed how the IT boom was restricted largely to the forward castes. You were bold enough to mention the unmentionable R word that can earn you a fatwa -reservation!! As you pointed out (and as was mentioned in an article that I Googled) Engilsh rules the airwaves. People who use English in India get heard the most and their views are echoed and amplified by the dominance of the anglosphere courtesy the US of A. I have often felt (with no proof whatsoever) that the old (pre-independence) cliches about India, many of them negative, were based on interaction of foreign visitors and invaders with the upper castes of India. If you exclude ancient Indian literature, the narratives of India that exist are the narratives of the upper castes of India and their attitudes and habits. You will not find, for example, a narrative of a chamar or a bhangi, or even a mochi - a word that caused recent uproar for being used in a Bollywood song. I have no way of verifying this theory- there is no independent corroboration that I know of. But if that is true, it only adds on to another possible anomaly that can be verified if someone bothers to do that. I spoke of the way the views of the Indian anglophones are propagated and amplified. But a question that has always puzzled me is whether anyone has ever done a caste distribution study of Indian immigrants in the US. I suspect, without proof, that they are likely to be predominantly Indians of forward caste descent. If there is a correlation between Indian English-speakers and forward caste, we may be hearing a narrative of India that excludes the 95% of Indians by virtue of their lack of English that also correlates with a complete absence of serious information about the state of lower castes, non English speakers and the poor. In other words, there may be a complete dysjunction between what is said and discussed in the English media and issues on the ground in India. I would consider this a serious social anomaly. shiv That was very thought-provoking and I am going to mull that over...this perspective had never occurred to me before...who the chroniclers were, and are... Ironic that English has to be the link language and is yet a sharp divider of the haves and have-nots, whether it is a bank balance or education or access to information that the haves have. But I suppose that is true everywhere in the English-speaking world? Deepa.
Re: [silk] Failure of Sociology in India?
On Dec 12, 2007 7:15 AM, shiv sastry [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: But a question that has always puzzled me is whether anyone has ever done a caste distribution study of Indian immigrants in the US. I suspect, without proof, that they are likely to be predominantly Indians of forward caste descent. If there is a correlation between Indian English-speakers and forward caste, we may be hearing a narrative of India that excludes the 95% of Indians by virtue of their lack of English that also correlates with a complete absence of serious information about the state of lower castes, non English speakers and the poor. Vijay Prashad's books[1], especially 'The Karma of Brown Folk'[2] deals with the question of forward and backward caste Indian minority in the US. Also see 'A Sacred Thread: Modern Transmission of Hindu Traditions in India and Abroad'[3] Edited by Raymond Brady Williams. Thaths [1]http://books.google.com/books?as_auth=Vijay+Prashadots=Lkgm6bw5N3sa=Xoi=printct=titlecad=author-navigationalhl=en [2] http://books.google.com/books?id=3h5WIQAACAAJdq=inauthor:Vijay+inauthor:Prashadei=cyBgR_ajHYKAsgOyhs2AAg [3] http://books.google.com/books?id=3VV0VntTpvMCprintsec=frontcoverdq=sacred+threadei=WyBgR5LHBpKetAPxxZ34AQsig=N8z1ffcYQg3q5sPVcPEJMirkuyw -- Bart: I want to be emancipated. Homer: Emancipated?! Don't you like being a dude? -- Homer J. Simpson Sudhakar ChandraSlacker Without Borders
[silk] sanctions and online services
I have the following scenario, with no clear answer : Lets say a Govt. department in Country-X purchases online services from an American company (for e.g. Web hosting...). Country-X subsequently, for various reasons, falls under a US govt. black-list (for e.g. economic sanctions...). Will the American company providing the online services be obligated to shut down services immediately ? Any ideas / pointers ? ashok
Re: [silk] sanctions and online services
ashok _ [13/12/07 01:31 +0300]: Will the American company providing the online services be obligated to shut down services immediately ? Google has previously done this in the case of Iran
Re: [silk] sanctions and online services
On Dec 13, 2007 2:02 AM, Suresh Ramasubramanian wrote: Google has previously done this in the case of Iran Is this something that just Google does or do other service providers also actively shut down services ? What options could be there for safer online service provision ... a scandinavian country ?
Re: [silk] sanctions and online services
On 12/12/07, ashok _ [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: I have the following scenario, with no clear answer : Lets say a Govt. department in Country-X purchases online services from an American company (for e.g. Web hosting...). Country-X subsequently, for various reasons, falls under a US govt. black-list (for e.g. economic sanctions...). Will the American company providing the online services be obligated to shut down services immediately ? Any ideas / pointers ? As a US-based lawyer who sometimes deals in related questions, the answer is ... it depends. :) The applicable rules vary from country to country (although some of the rules may end up being the same), and they are available here: http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/ The extent of economic sanctions varies from country to country, and there are numerous exemptions that may or may not apply. (In general, I'm guessing the exemptions would be less likely to apply to government agencies in the embargoed country.) And, of course, negative publicity may end up being more of a motivating factor for the US company than any legal requirements. Dave, with the typical lawyer disclaimer that this e-mail is informational and nothing in this e-mail should be construed as legal advice, etc., etc.
Re: [silk] sanctions and online services
On Dec 13, 2007 2:16 AM, Dave Kumar wrote: http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/ The extent of economic sanctions varies from country to country, and there are numerous exemptions that may or may not apply. (In general, I'm guessing the exemptions would be less likely to apply to government agencies in the embargoed country.) This is very helpful... thanks ! ashok
[silk] Terry Pratchet
Ouch! http://www.paulkidby.com/news/index.html AN EMBUGGERANCE Folks, I would have liked to keep this one quiet for a little while, but because of upcoming conventions and of course the need to keep my publishers informed, it seems to me unfair to withhold the news. I have been diagnosed with a very rare form of early onset Alzheimer's, which lay behind this year's phantom stroke. We are taking it fairly philosophically down here and possibly with a mild optimism. For now work is continuing on the completion of Nation and the basic notes are already being laid down for Unseen Academicals. All other things being equal, I expect to meet most current and, as far as possible, future commitments but will discuss things with the various organisers. Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there's time for at least a few more books yet :o) Terry Pratchett PS I would just like to draw attention to everyone reading the above that this should be interpreted as 'I am not dead'. I will, of course, be dead at some future point, as will everybody else. For me, this maybe further off than you think - it's too soon to tell. I know it's a very human thing to say Is there anything I can do, but in this case I would only entertain offers from very high-end experts in brain chemistry. -o-
[silk] Explaining the urban housing market in India
While this paper is really not aimed at India, the phenomenon described seems to be an acceptable explanation for the real estate prices in urban India. Interestingly, it also sets forth an estimate of the bubble's longevity. http://www.efficientfrontier.com/ef/405/housing.htm
Re: [silk] sanctions and online services
On Thu, Dec 13, 2007 at 02:16:21AM +0300, ashok _ wrote: What options could be there for safer online service provision ... a scandinavian country ? Have you tried http://www.metacolo.com/ ? In general you could just rent servers in several jurisdictions, and hook them up via UltraMonkey, or simple round-robin DNS. -- Eugen* Leitl a href=http://leitl.org;leitl/a http://leitl.org __ ICBM: 48.07100, 11.36820 http://www.ativel.com http://postbiota.org 8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A 7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE
