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www.frankmulder.info
English - Filosofie magazine (October 2012)
'All of these people come here for philosophy?'
Foreign philosophers often react with surprise: why is philosophy so popular in the Netherlands? Dutch philosophers write bestsellers, the "philosophical cafes" are full, and the Month of Philosophy is flourishing. Does it have something to do with the national character of the Dutch? And does this say anything about the quest for meaning in the Netherlands?
This article is discussed on Opinionator, the opionion blog of the New York Times.
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Lees ook: De moderne maatschappij door kunstenaarsogen (Filosofie magazine)
There is a festival-like atmosphere on the creaking stairs of Felix Meritis, a large canal house that has been converted into a debate center. The Night of Philosophy is taking place here, as it does every year. Dozens of people are waiting in line to go downstairs, where five leading thinkers will be discussing the role of religion in secular society. At the same time, another part of the audience is heading upstairs, where a few well-known speakers will be having one-on-one debates about ideas related to this year's popular theme: the soul.
The atmosphere is light and festive, but that doesn't detract from the fact that deep analysis is taking place in some of the rooms. While stand-up philosophers debate with the audience about the existence of the soul, on the second floor a lecture is being given about Nietzsche, and on the top floor the French philosopher Frédéric Lenoir is explaining to thirty people how money has become a religion.
"To be honest, I don't come here for the content," says a participating philosopher who spends most of his unscheduled time in the backstage area, where the free beer is. "Debates are always disappointing, but I don't mind that. This is basically theater, this is fun! It's like a puppet show."
But with a thousand visitors, the event is once again full, like it is every year. "Although it might be hard to believe in other countries, a lot of Dutch people just really enjoy philosophy," said Erno Eskens, who organizes courses and readings at the ISVW, the Dutch acronym for the International School of Philosophy. "The Dutch see an evening of philosophizing as a night out. Maybe it's comparable to French culture; that's where the salons began, whereas the Netherlands is where is the phenomenon of readings began. We love readings, since they fit in with our Protestant writing culture."
At the ISVW, idyllically located in the woods near Amersfoort in the middle of the Netherlands, it is so busy at lunchtime that the restaurant can't accommodate all the diners at once. The American philosopher Martha Nussbaum can't believe her eyes. "All of these people come here for philosophy? My country is many times bigger, but we don't have anything like this. In terms of public philosophy, the Dutch are really a role model."
A look at the top-10 shelf in the bookstores shows that philosophy is indeed popular in the Low Countries. Every year there are philosophers who manage to reach the general public with accessibly written books, in which they shine their philosophical light on everyday topics such as friendship, happiness, politics, or Facebook.
One of the most popular philosophy books of recent years is "Dus ik ben" ("Therefore I Am") by Stine Jensen and Rob Wijnberg. It's an interesting example, because the writers are both young, in their thirties, and are active in many different media: both are columnists, and Jensen produces television programs, whereas Wijnberg is the editor in chief of a newspaper. On different levels, they try to show people that philosophy can teach them to question their own assumptions, says Jensen. "Philosophy gives you a kind of autonomy. And it's healthy for any democracy if citizens learn how to understand other people's standpoints." Her book is part of an eponymous television series, which airs on the Humanist Broadcaster, which is part of the Dutch public television system. She's currently working on "Therefore I Am: Junior," for children aged 9-12.
The revival of philosophy in the Netherlands began in the 1990s. Summer courses, philosophical cafes, workshops in the art of living, and news debates are buttressed by philosophers who know how to write well and accessibly about current topics. The Night of Philosophy is only part of the so-called Month of Philosophy, during which libraries and universities across the country organize debates and readings.
"My friends abroad are surprised at what's happening here," says Hans Achterhuis, a Dutch philosopher to whom Filosofie Magazine has given the honorary title of "Thinker of the Fatherland". Achterhuis often writes authoritatively about philosophical issues in the Dutch opinion pages. "There are so many debates that I have to say no to a lot of them. And their level of quality is also high. There are more and more philosophical book clubs. Sometimes I'm invited to discuss my latest book, "The Utopia of the Free Market." But they will have already done Plato and Heidegger, and they will have already read my book beforehand."
Filosofie Magazine
The popularity of philosophy here is mainly due to Filosofie Magazine, Achterhuis says. "The magazine was introduced twenty years ago by philosophers who had the courage to address a broad audience. Academic philosophers said it wasn't possible, but it was. The magazine also organizes the Month and the Night of Philosophy."
With a circulation of 20,000, Filosofie Magazine was for a long time the most popular philosophy magazine in the world, in a language area consisting of about 23 million people in the Netherlands and Belgium. By comparison, in the United States that would amount to 270,000 readers. There are now similar magazines in France and Germany.
"Our aim isn't to report news about academic philosophy, but rather to use philosophy to provide insights into current issues," said Daan Roovers, Filosofie Magazine's editor in chief. "We want to give people tools that teach them how to think. Kant's notion of 'dare to know' is an important mission for us." Roovers has noticed that the popularity of philosophy is having a major impact on society. The magazine has been the driving force behind all kinds of events and campaigns, such as the Night and Month of Philosophy, a philosophy prize, the honorary Thinker of the Fatherland title, philosophical cafes, and more. "Interest in philosophy books has really increased in recent years. Our magazine is a springboard for philosophical writers."
Another important node in popular philosophy is the International School of Philosophy, a conference center in a wooded area in Leusden, in the middle of the country. Every year, about four thousand people come here to attend readings, special weekends, and summer courses. There are also seventy people studying here to become philosophical coaches, in order to help people grapple with life's questions in a professional way.
"These things are also happening in neighboring countries, but in the Netherlands, the rise of popular philosophy has been absurdly fast, and it also started sooner here than it did elsewhere," says René Gude, the director of the ISVW. "I see it as a reaction to the neoliberal zeitgeist, where there wasn't much need for theory. You could just let the winners win, and you didn't have to do any extra research into ethical standpoints. But fortunately, people again began to feel the need to think more deeply about ideologies."
Joep Dohmen, an author of popular books on the art of living, also notices a dissatisfaction with commercialism and hyper-individualism. "Our society is determined by the market, the media, and the experts. But there are major social problems. People are discovering more and more that most scientific expertise about life is one-sided, or wavering. That's where philosophers come into the picture. People realize that they need a kind of Bildung, an art of living, which Foucault also discussed, that helps you to relate to a world where you no longer have a community that defines the rules of life for you."
Political significance
Gude also thinks that this "Bildung" has a political significance. And this is not only true of today, but has been throughout Dutch history. "For centuries, the Dutch have formed a small, densely populated country that was constantly battling against the water. They were forced to talk to people they genuinely hated. And this led to the tolerance that Hugo Grotius and Spinoza championed." According to Gude, the Dutch learned early on to question their own insights and behavior, and to arrive at a language that allowed them to talk to people who had different opinions. "Today we call this the 'polder model', a politics in which the winner doesn't call the shots, but instead has to come to a compromise. Now that the old bonds, like religion, have faded away, we need to see philosophy as a training program that enables this 'consultation culture'."
Paul Cliteur, a Dutch philosopher of law based in Leiden, thinks that Dutch philosophy is much too light for this purpose. "It consists of little more than popularizing the great philosophers and writing what I call 'gift books'. These are slight books that take mild standpoints which everyone can agree on."
A similar tendency has also been also detected by Ad Verbrugge, a social philosopher at VU University Amsterdam, who is well-known from public debates and television programs. "We must not forget that the sixties and seventies were also very philosophical," he says. "The world needed to be reshaped on the basis of philosophy. It became a quasi-religious force, with a mission. That's when it became very politicized and dogmatic. When those ideologies ran into a crisis, the leftist ideology was also watered down. What remained was a kind of non-political philosophy, more of a lifestyle really, which consisted of courses in the art of living, cafes, and weekends in Leusden with 'our kind of people.' To some degree, this was very easy and politically correct, a form of gently railing against the bourgeoisie. But since the 2002 assassination of Dutch politician Pim Fortuyn, things have become more political."
It was not only the death of Pim Fortuyn, but also the rise of Islam that woke philosophers up, and got them thinking about what they were really fighting for. Someone who played a major role in this process was Cliteur. "I'm a proponent of prophetic philosophy," he says. "Having the pretense of being Moses, coming down from the mountain and knowing what direction the people need to move in."
At the beginning of the millennium, he and several others began expressing their displeasure with the culture of "everything is possible, all opinions are equal". Is the value of a Sharia council that decides an adulteress should be stoned equivalent to the values of the rule of law and equality between man and woman? Is it forbidden to say that Western society is superior to another society? Should you be allowed to immigrate to the Netherlands if you hold the Koran above the constitution?
"Anyone who denies that one culture can be superior to another is nothing but a moral nihilist," wrote Cliteur in Filosofie Magazine in 2002, after he had published the book "Modern Papuans: Dilemmas of a Multicultural Society."
"There is no kind of integration possible without insisting that the foundations of the democratic constitutional state are 'superior.' A politician needs to be able to say that people have to meet certain conditions and standards in order to be allowed to move to the Netherlands."
Soon the entire community of Dutch opinion-makers began to weigh in on this issue. What are Western values? And what is Enlightenment? Do all religions need to go through an "enlightenment" in order to adapt to a democratic society? The debate was very fierce. On the opinion pages, Cliteur and those who felt similarly were opposed by philosophers who felt that the liberal Netherlands was losing its tolerance. They accused Cliteur's group of enlightenment fundamentalism: a tolerant attitude towards everything and everyone, except for those who aren't enlightened enough. In 2006, for example, the New York-based Dutch-British philosopher Ian Buruma published an influential book, "The Death of a Healthy Smoker," in which he argued that Islam can actually help Muslims to become democratic citizens, in their own way. The debate has yet to completely subside, but this example shows that philosophers have once again discovered the political debate.
Civilizing Mission
This example also shows that many well-known philosophers are very ambitious. Their goal is not only to help people understand social issues; they are also on a civilizing mission. Gude is one of them. "Absolutely, no question about it. Religion used to be a means of civilizing, but now philosophy has to take over that role. Philosophy is way of becoming human. We need to develop reason to become civilized people. The role of public philosophy in this process should be to get through to people at every layer of the population."
It is striking that for many philosophers, this civilizing mission has an atheistic character. Likewise, the philosophical audience also consists largely of people who have left the church. "I would estimate that eighty percent of the people who participate in our programs are not religious," says Eskens.
Many popular philosophical courses in the Netherlands explicitly mention that they aim to offer a worldview, or even a kind of spirituality, that provides an alternative to Christianity. One of the best-known proponents of the art of living is Dries Boele. He organizes holidays, courses, and Socratic dialogues. "For me, philosophy is primarily something practical, a way of life," says Boele. "It doesn't consist only of argumentation and conceptual analysis, but also involves exercises such as dialogue, writing, and forms of meditation. I'm striving for a secular spirituality. Today's secularism is too meager, and is mainly a kind of anti-attitude. It doesn't make our civilization any more attractive. I see Christianity as the past. And I think philosophy and the art of living form a good alternative."
In terms of this atheistic dimension, the Netherlands resembles France, says Fabrice Gerschel, the man who launched a French version of Filosofie Magazine in 2006, without knowing about the existence of the Dutch version; last year he also launched a German version. "Germany is different; it's still a very religious country," he says. "There's a lot of overlap there between philosophy and theology, and there's also a great tradition of theologian-philosophers like Joseph Ratzinger, the current Pope. People there are especially interested in moral issues and ideological debates, almost obsessively so. In France, people are much more interested in philosophy itself. Religion doesn't play any role at all. People are free thinkers, looking to find new truths, and in general they're not interested in traditional ideas. Which is why we don't cover religion very much in the French version."
It's an unalloyed good when people leave theology behind in favor of philosophy, says Cliteur, who is also the author of "The Secular Outlook." "Religion is pseudo-philosophy," he says. "The goal of philosophy is enlightened citizens, who take standpoints that are based on reason."
Overestimation
This urge towards civilization is still a bit too much for some philosophers. "More deep thinking can't do any harm, but philosophers have also done a lot of damage to the world with their doctrines," said Verbrugge. "And anyway, I don't even think that philosophers are capable of civilizing the Netherlands. You're lucky if people absorb a bit of what you say, and if you're able to translate that into a concrete political vision."
Of course, philosophy's popularity is relative. Four thousand people a year going to the ISVW is about the same number who go to church every week in a mid-sized provincial town, or who go to a museum every day, to name just two other examples of places where reflection and civilization take place. The 3.5 percent of total non-fiction sales that philosophy books represent (not including cooking, travel and hobby books) has been stable for years. As Verbrugge says, "That's not enough to mobilize the population. That would be a serious overestimation of what philosophy can do."
Someone who agrees with Verbrugge is Henk Oosterling, a philosopher at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. "That kind of civilizing mission is much too modernist for me," he says. "Dutch philosophy is very much alive, and great things are taking place at the ISVW, but it's by no means universal. Who goes there? People with money. All of these philosophers live in Amsterdam and preach to the converted. Like the Night of Philosophy, for example; I think it's pure entertainment. And I think the idea of a 'civilizing offensive' is nonsense."
Achterhuis is modest about his mission. "When I'm giving a lecture, there aren't many people in the audience who vote for the anti-immigrant Freedom Party of Geert Wilders. I'm mainly speaking to a highly educated audience. But it's not my mission as the 'Thinker of the Fatherland' to give my opinions to the whole world. I'm just a social philosopher who's trying to understand the world, and to help others do the same. If I'm talking about euthanasia, I don't say what I think about it, but instead I'll refer to Thomas More and why he wanted to kill the elderly, to place the discussion in a broader context."
And that's a good thing, says Oosterling. Philosophers, in his opinion, shouldn't be involved in the meaning of life. "Values arise within a society. If you were raped by a drunken father and then started philosophizing, that would lead to something very different than if you grew up quietly in a happy family." But that doesn't mean that philosophy can't do a very good job of helping people learn how to live together. "I see it as a tool, as a skill, to leave behind the hectic pace of life and then, after some reflection, to move forwards."
'Skillcity'
This is why Oosterling has developed an educational program to help children become mentally resilient, via an organization he runs called Rotterdam Vakmanstad ('Skillcity'). This program has been running for several years in one of the Netherlands' poorest neighborhoods, the Rotterdam district of Bloemhof. Oosterling believes that the program has already helped the children become more confident, resilient and intelligent. In the program, the children take a number of courses that teach them to relate to each other and to their environment: gardening, cooking, judo, and: philosophy.
"I want to teach children how to discuss without arguing, and I want to teach them to think critically," said Leonie Van Wees, who leads some of the philosophy classes at this school. She has a small class today, with thirteen 10-year-olds. None of them has a Dutch name, but they genuinely enjoy philosophizing.
"Today I want to talk about Erasmus," she says. The class knows that name. "That's a bridge!" "No, it's a university!" Van Wees explains that Erasmus was a famous philosopher from Rotterdam. She shows a short film that includes a rap about Erasmus. He thought that people should read the Bible in their own language, so that they could think about it themselves. He also believed that you had to learn good manners, including table manners, and that you had to accept others.
"Which of Erasmus's ideas do you agree with?" asks Van Wees.
"The idea that you should give your own opinion," answers Okan.
"And why is that important?"
"Because otherwise, you have to say yes if someone tells you to do something," says Ayoub. "And that makes life boring."
"But if someone is older than you are, then you can't always give your opinion," says Shenill. "You have to respect that."
"I don't agree with Shenill," said Duncan. "You can have your own opinion, but just convey it in a certain way."
"But you can also have respect for someone and still give your opinion," says Ayoub.
The children continue philosophizing like this for another hour, under the teacher's guidance. Some discussions eventually wind up in "Only Allah knows that," but Van Wees thinks they're getting better and better at having discussions without quarreling.
And in this way, these children are unwittingly continuing a centuries-old tradition: learning how to debate in a very small country inhabited by many people who sometimes have very annoying opinions. And that's something that all philosophers, with or without a civilizing mission, would agree on: philosophy is an excellent way of supporting this process.
But, the children discover together, Erasmus was wrong about one thing: if you order chicken strips at Kentucky Fried Chicken, his table manners won't help you, because you don't get a knife and fork there. But fine, philosophers can't know everything.
Author: Frank Mulder
Translation: Douglas Heingartner
De nieuwe geest van het kapitalisme (De Groene Amsterdammer)
Zijn mensenrechten ook dierenrechten? (De Groene Amsterdammer)
'Ik heb het niet gedaan' (De Groene Amsterdammer)
Als seks wordt uitgekleed (overig)
Het occulte denken van de nazi's (Trouw)
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Home » Newsmaker: Abraham Thomas
Architecture NewsInterviews
Newsmaker: Abraham Thomas
Fred A. Bernstein
KEYWORDS Thomas Heatherwick
Photo courtesy Sir John Soane's Museum
Abraham Thomas became the director of the Soane Museum last December.
In 1833, an act of Parliament allowed the architect John Soane, an inspired interpreter of classical forms, to leave his London townhouse to the public. Since then, Sir John Soane's Museum has had many directors, including Tim Knox, who began a major renovation project that will open more rooms to the public. Knox's successor, Abraham Thomas, 36, took the helm last December, and is as comfortable talking about 21st-century architecture as he is about Soane (who lived from 1757 to 1837). Before coming to the Soane, Thomas was curator of designs at the Victoria and Albert Museum, where he mounted a 2012 show on Thomas Heatherwick and the 2010 exhibition 1:1—Architects Build Small Spaces, which included installations by Sou Fujimoto and Rural Studio. At the Soane Museum, in Lincoln's Inn Fields, Thomas pointed to examples of Soane's inventiveness while talking about his own plans for the museum, which receives more than 100,000 visitors a year.
What would Soane, who couldn't have been more citified, have made of the Rural Studio?
He would have admired that the studio takes architectural education very seriously. His own practice was influenced by the teaching he did at the Royal Academy; at the same time, the lecture drawings he presented there often depicted his own projects. And he'd offer up his house and collection to students the day before and the day after his lectures.
Can you name some contemporary architects and designers with connections to Soane?
One practice that I particularly enjoy is Grafton Architects, which created a project for the Royal Academy of Art's Sensing Spaces exhibition earlier this year that was directly inspired by Soane. And Thomas Heatherwick, whose work ranges from the smallest object through to urban planning. When you walk around the Soane museum, you really get a sense of the conscious decision he made to work at all scales.
Your predecessors have shown work by Zaha Hadid, Frank Gehry, and Daniel Libeskind here. Will you continue to display contemporary architecture?
We will, and we would also like to engage with younger, emerging architects too, and to engage in a deeper way with architecture schools and students.
What would Soane be doing if he were alive?
I think he would be rather like Heatherwick, looking at city-making. A famous project of his, which was never realized, was a grand processional route through London linking Windsor all the way through to Westminster, including a series of triumphal arches. And the Bank of England, really a whole complex, was Soane's 45-year experiment with urbanism.
What's contemporary about Soane's work?
Throughout the house you see architectural experiments involving the articulation of space through light and shadow, the use of reflective surfaces—there are more than 100 mirrors in the breakfast room alone—and framing devices, whether they're apertures or doorways. It's eternally inventive and provocative.
The world is getting more crowded. Are there lessons in Soane's work for using space?
In the picture room, he presents 118 paintings in a very small space, showing how to use every available surface, including the backs of hinged panels. Even after all these years, it comes across as very radical.
Soane is often cited as an influence by postmodernists. Aren't modernists also in his debt?
The postmodernists make some valid points, but Soane is a resource for the generations that have followed—young architects like David Kohn, who designed A Room for London [with Fiona Banner], which sits on top of the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Much of it is a tribute to Soane. I don't like seeing Soane pigeonholed.
How will you broaden the museum's appeal?
There are particular areas of the collection that allow us to engage with the world of contemporary architecture. Next spring we're going to open Soane's original model room. We are going to present 40 models, ranging from fully realized client presentation models to fascinating engineering models, exactly as he presented them, on his own three-level stand. Having this collection allows us to think about the ways models are used in contemporary practice. And in 2016, as part of our big refurbishment project, we will open a new project gallery, an agile space where we can have a faster turnaround for exhibitions. I'm keen on the museum becoming a space of debate and discussion again.
You showed me a model by Richard Rogers. What does it represent for the Soane?
It is a model for a weekend house, designed for Lord and Lady Rogers for an estate in Buckinghamshire. The idea was, you could close it up during the week, so there are flaps that go up and down. We have it next to a rare example of a client model by Soane, ofnTyringham Hall, which can come apart. You can take off the roof and take out the rooms; there's a performative aspect to it. That's the type of dialogue I'd like to explore in future programming.
The Soane Museum already has more than 100,000 visitors a year. Are you sure you want publicity?
To preserve the special experience of going through a domestic space, we hope to develop audiences through research collaborations, touring exhibitions, lecture programs at other venues, and programs on the Internet. The last thing we want is to ruin the experience by funneling thousands more visitors a year through the house.
How important are U.S. supporters to the Soane?
Very important. We have a foundation in New York. At our annual gala in September, we'll be honoring David Adjaye and Phyllis Lambert. I have been fascinated with Adjaye's museums and libraries—very appropriate topics for the Soane—and Lambert's work at the Canadian Centre for Architecture, which, like the Soane, has an extremely important collection of drawings and models.
Recent Articles by Fred A. Bernstein
Taipei Music Center by Reiser+Umemoto
Commentary: HouseZero Data Is Both "Positively Promising" and Reveals "An Opportunity to Make Improvements"
Tribute: Richard Rogers (1933-2021)
Fred Bernstein, a RECORD contributing editor, studied architecture at Princeton and law at NYU and writes about both subjects. He has published articles about embodied energy—a significant component of the climate crisis—in Oculus and the Architect's Newspaper, among other publications.
Newsmaker: Barry Diller
Thomas Heatherwick and Diamond Schmitt Architects to Collaborate on Geffen Hall Renovation
Newsmaker: Henry Urbach
Architectural Record November 2021 Issue
If Architecture is a Language, Then a Building is a Story

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What's new at Great Rail Journeys
By Jack Stacey
Chartered cruises coming to the best of the European rivers
You may well have noticed across our social media feeds and our brochures that we're very excited about our latest venture. You might also have noticed the home video of our launch featuring our very own cruise king, queen and enormous cruise ship cake. Perhaps you've received a brochure and already booked your cruise holiday.
Our brand new cruise charter collection is so exciting we just can't stop talking about it. We've dabbled before in river cruising and enjoyed every aspect, as have our customers, so after considerable research and customer feedback - we've decided to add another string to our bow by chartering our very own ships!
Cruising across a greatest hits list of European rivers including the Rhine and the Danube, the Great Rail Journeys Charter Cruises are completely designed from the ground up by our experts to amaze and enthral. From meals to excursions, accommodation to destinations and tour managers to special touches, these cruises have our indelible Great Rail Journeys' stamp all over them. These are our ships for the duration of the cruise, and we think we've created something fairly special with them.
For more information, follow this link - /holiday-types/exclusive-charter-river-cruise/
On board with Michael Portillo in India
Unsurprisingly, we're big fans of Michael Portillo and especially his railway programmes, whisking us away across the world on various adventures. We've been catching up on his recent offering, the wonderful Great Indian Railway Journeys and have been following it on all of our social media feeds.
Across the series, Michael's been to some of our favourite Indian destinations including the spectacular Amritsar to Shimla train which rises up through the mountains and beyond the clouds on an adventure through the foothills of the Himalayas. His stellar presenting style and sparkling charm are perfect for bringing out the wonder and enchanting magic of India, and the rail journeys which he goes on are really something special.
While the series has ended now, you can still find all the episodes on BBC iPlayer here (we recommend the Amritsar to Shimla episode). - http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b09x4pvh
New tours galore!
With a new year, we bring a whole wealth of new tours coming to each of our collections. For all the information on these fresh products, be sure to visit our websites at www.greatrail.com and www.raildiscoveries.com.
You may already have received our worldwide brochures, but have you seen our latest holiday additions yet? On our new Great Rail Journeys' tours, we head out to explore the dramatic wilderness of America's Yellowstone Park, uncover the breath-taking nature of Canada's Cabot Trail and celebrate Christmas Russian style. Further south, we venture to the mystical Himalaya mountains, soak up the exotic colours of Java and Bali, and experience the majesty of China and Japan.
Our Rail Discoveries offerings are just as exciting, as we learn more about the history of South Africa, the beaches of Southern India, the intrigue of Vietnam, the glamour of Japan and the charm of the American West Coast.
Keep an eye out for our new European tours that detail the delights of special events and celebrations such as festive Switzerland, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Scottish Hogmany, Germany at Christmastime, and much more!
Finally, we hope you all enjoyed our Great Rail Journeys (http://ow.ly/r1Fn30josFS) April Fool's Joke! While we'd love to get both of these airship ventures off the ground (har har), they're both probably endeavours for the future.
We're also relieved to announce that we didn't get any enquiries on the day either over Facebook or through the phones, which might have been a tad hard to explain!
The Jazz of the railway world
Apr 26, 2018 · By Jack Stacey
The world of rail travel has had a long connection with the hallowed halls of jazz.
Travel trends in 2018
Apr 27, 2018 · By Sukie Chapman
Just like fashion, travel experiences seasonal ebbs and flows in destination popularity, but unlike fashion – there's no Versace-style puppet master behind the scenes pulling strings that dictate where you'll be journeying to over the next year; travel trends are much more consumer led.
Celebrating India in Colour: White
Aug 07, 2015 · By Sukie Chapman
The many shades of white come alive in Indian culture. Experience them for yourself on a luxury train tour of India.
The history and legacy of the British Raj in India
Every August 15th India commemorates the momentous occasion when it finally gained its independence from British colonial rule, and 2018 marks the 72nd anniversary of the country's emancipation.
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Discover This: TAPE TOY
Posted on 24/07/2019 by robilaz
Born out of being 'forced' together by their school headmaster, Dutch band TAPE TOY have come a long way in the last two years. The Amsterdam quartet of Roos (vocals and guitar), Wesley (guitar and vocals), Maurice (bass) and Marc (drums) have honed a sound that they describe as 'bubble grunge' – like Gwen Stefani but louder, like Nirvana but happier.
So you'd be right in thinking it's upbeat, lively and super-catchy. It's also seen them enjoy plenty of streams on Spotify and a support act with Skunk Anansie in a few weeks time.
We took a listen to their latest single Sad Girl, which opens up with a funky little guitar riff then Roos' laid-back vocals "I'm really mad at you but I'm afraid, To be left all alone so please explain, I'm so scared but I might not want to watch you from the sidelines, While I am stuck and you are hopping through you sad life."
A more dreamy atmosphere takes over, then "I'm not gonna stand here being all poetic, I'm not gonna stand here being all pathetic," before picking up pace and diving into a more energetic chorus of catchy repeats of "I'm not gonna be your sad girl." A second chorus drops into a chilled out section of light vocals and trippy little synth sounds then gradually builds up to a final blast of the singalong chorus.
We are loving the sound of TAPE TOY, especially the lively, synthy, rocky Dive Deeper. Give it a listen below:
We had a chat with the band to find out more about them, their music and the Dutch scene, which you can read below….
GR: Who are TAPE TOY? What's the backstory and how did you get together?
TT: "TAPE TOY is a musical baby born out of a school project two years ago. The four of us were put together by our headmaster and we were 'forced' to create twenty minutes of original music. So in the first place, we didn't even know each other that well. But after the first rehearsals, there was the well-known spark. Fireworks all over the place. The whole shebang.
"We decided to raise our newborn baby into a slightly rebellious teenager and we kept on writing and rehearsing. Two years later we are best friends and see each other almost every day of the week due to the numerous shows we play in The Netherlands."
GR: You just released Sad Girl. What should people be expecting from the song?
Roos: "I was really upset with someone. After a somewhat difficult conversation with that person, I wrote this song on my ten-minute bike ride home. The person in question and I made it up and are cool again. But at that point, I was just amazed by how someone can think and talk the way she did. Even though I was so upset, I didn't want the song to be heavy and dark. 'Cause that is not who we are as a band. So we made a danceable song out of it. Everyone can dance to my misery!"
How would you describe your sound to people that haven't listened to you yet?
TT: "We would describe our sound as bubble-grunge. We write pop songs, but they are played on loud, electric guitars. The most important thing for us is that everybody's having fun while they listen to our music. Live or at home."
What influences you to write music? Any key themes or topics that you write about?
Wesley: "The joy of daily life and the flowers in the meadows, while dancing in really short sport shorts."
GR: We've met a few cool Dutch bands, but not many yet. What are your thoughts on the rock/music scene in the Netherlands? And how much support is there for new Dutch bands?
TT: "I think there's a cool Dutch scene with alternative bands. We all quite know each other – 'cause The Netherlands is the size of a peanut – and we run into each other quite often at festivals and stuff. I also think it's kinda cool that there are more female (fronted) bands upcoming. It is important to create a 50/50 music scene. We've got a lot of badass chicks over here!
GR: Which bands/musicians are/have been your strongest musical influences?
TT: "The funny thing is that we don't have a joint source of inspiration because we were put together. We listen to a lot of different music and everybody has a different musical background. Of course, we have some artist we all love listening to – Bon Iver, Arianne Grande, Unknown Mortal Orchestra – but they are not necessarily musical influences.
GR: What have you got coming up through the rest of 2019?
TT: "Last year we recorded seven songs. We are releasing them separately and now that Sad Girl and 020 are out, we have three songs left. They will be released throughout the year. This summer we will play festivals and on 6 September we will be supporting Skunk Anansie at her Amsterdam show.
"Right now, while writing this interview, we are in Texel – a small Dutch island – to write new music. Can't wait to share it with you! But that won't probably be earlier than 2020."
GR: Anything else you'd like people to know about you/your music?
TT: "Did you know that our previous released track, Dive Deeper, was the first-ever song we wrote when we were put together?"
Now you know! And you can find out more by following TAPE TOY on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, and check out their music on Spotify,
AmsterdamBubble GrungeDutch bandsGrungeNew bandsNew musicrockTAPE TOYLeave a comment
Discover This: Kin Capa
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Discover This: HALOGRAM
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Introducing: Slay Duggee
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New Band of the Week: Captives


Modern tool materials, ranging from powder metallurgical high speed steel to super hard materials such as polycrystalline cubic boron nitride and diamond, are used as cutting tools in the metal cutting industry. In order to further improve the cutting performance, these tools are frequently coated by thin, hard PVD coatings such as TiN, TiAlN, AlCrO3, etc. In order to develop and design new PVD coatings it is important to characterize the mechanical properties of the coatings and understand the coating/substrate deformation mechanisms in a tribological contact, e.g. metal cutting. For example, it is important to be aware that the mechanical properties of the substrate (tool material) have a significant impact on the practical coating adhesion and the coating failure mechanisms.
In the present study scratch testing has been used in order to evaluate to increase the understanding of the mechanical response and potential coating failure modes of cathodic arc evaporated TiAlN deposited on high speed steel, cemented carbide and polycrystalline cubic boron nitride. Post-test characterization of the scratched samples using optical profilometry, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy were performed and the cohesive and adhesive surface failure mechanisms are described and related to the substrate material properties. The results clearly show that, although all substrate materials can be regarded as hard, they result in completely different coating failure mechanisms at the normal load corresponding to substrate exposure. Also, coating failure resulting in substrate exposure does not necessarily correspond to interfacial cracking resulting in adhesive fracture along the coating-substrate interface.


One paper, "Systematic investigation of the impact of operation conditions on the degradation behaviour of perovskite solar cells," was authored by a group of researchers in Lausanne, Switzerland and appeared on January 1, 2018 in Nature Energy. Its abstract reads: Continue reading UPDATED: Elsevier retracts a paper on solar cells that appears to plagiarize a Nature journal. But the reason is…odd.
Posted on August 23, 2018 August 30, 2018 Author Ivan OranskyCategories elsevier, materials science, nature publishing group, pakistan retractions, plagiarism30 Comments on UPDATED: Elsevier retracts a paper on solar cells that appears to plagiarize a Nature journal. But the reason is…odd.
Given the potential importance of the data, it would be nice to know what exactly went wrong, and why. However, the retraction notice doesn't provide many details, and doesn't even specify if the authors did indeed fail to reproduce the data.
Two journals have retracted five recent papers by a researcher in Saudi Arabia after discovering extensive overlap, which one journal called plagiarism.
In one retracted paper, all schemes and figures are copies from other publications; in another, more than half of the figures are lifted. The journal that retracted the other three papers did not provide details about the nature of the overlap.
All five retracted papers—originally published within the last 15 months—have the same corresponding author: Soliman Mahmoud Soliman Abdalla, a professor of physics at King Abdulaziz University in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
According to a spokesperson for Polymers, readers flagged two papers in July 2017; both were retracted in August.
A group of authors have withdrawn a paper after revealing a litany of issues to the journal that published it. Among those issues were "scientifically misleading errors," "insufficient" validation, and a disagreement between the researchers on whether it should have been published at all.
"Optimal DNA structure of reverse-hairpin beacons for label-free and positive surface enhanced Raman scattering assays," originally published in June in Optical Materials Express (OMEx), was retracted Aug. 7. The paper purported to describe a detection method for RNA associated with influenza virus. It has not yet been cited, according to Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science.
Just before the March ceremony to bestow the coveted Leibniz Prize, the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) received some disturbing allegations. An anonymous tipster accused one of the 10 scientists slotted to receive the award, materials scientist Britta Nestler, of misconduct. So the DFG held the ceremony on March 15, but suspended Nestler's award.
Four months later, Nestler now has her Leibniz, along with the €2.5 million in prize money. This week, the DFG — which awards the Leibniz — announced that it had given Nestler her prize on July 4, during its annual meeting, after determining the accusations were without merit.
The corresponding author of a 2015 nanotechnology paper has penned a lengthy — and revealing — retraction notice, explaining why he is not certain about the findings.
The 2015 paper has been considered "highly cited" by Clarivate Analytics' Web of Science, formerly part of Thomson Reuters, meaning it has received a disproportionate amount of cites given its field and publication year.
A researcher has threatened to sue publisher Taylor & Francis for mentioning a misconduct investigation into his work in a retraction notice.
According to the notice, the publisher retracted a 2008 paper and a book chapter after learning about a misconduct investigation into the work of Mark Jackson, a department head and endowed chair, respectively, at universities in Kansas.
Unfortunately, we don't know much about the nature of the misconduct investigation; Jackson told us he initiated the retractions after raising concerns his colleagues had violated intellectual property. He has since told the publisher he would take legal action if it didn't remove the phrase noting that the retractions stem from a misconduct investigation into his work from the notice.
A paper by a promising nanotechnologist has been retracted for data falsification.
Dmitri Lapotko, a Belarusian researcher with a background in laser weaponry, made a name for himself at Rice University in Houston, where he studied the use of nanotechnology to diagnose and treat human diseases. That work earned him significant press coverage, including stories in the New York Times and Science.
But that nanobubble may be bursting. The journal Theranostics has retracted a 2011 paper on which Lapotko is the last and corresponding author, citing questions over data falsification. What's more, another journal has warned readers there may be a problem with a figure in a 2012 paper on which Lapotko is listed as last author.
Lapotko has since left Rice for Masimo Corp., a developer of monitoring devices for patients in the operating room.


Product prices and availability are accurate as of 2019-04-23 07:52:27 UTC and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on http://www.amazon.com/ at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
This manual treadmill will allow you to work out at home whenever you want.
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Train and get fit at home with this compact and flexible folding treadmill!
Multi-function: Running ,Sit-ups , Waist exercise.


Microorganisms have a considerable impact in the environment as well as in our daily lives, as they can gradually modify an ecosystem, cause disease to plants, animals, and humans or they may be used for the production of compounds such as antibiotics, vaccines, enzymes added to detergents, or food such as wine and yoghurt.
Thanks to the genetic manipulation of microorganisms, they can be used to synthesize products foreign to their natural metabolism (e.g., the human hormone insulin, bovine growth hormone, and the factor VIII involved in coagulation). It is important to isolate bacteria, yeasts, and filamentous fungi from their natural habitats, and to be able to purify, characterize and classify them.
An important distinction is their capacity to live under various environmental conditions, sometimes even in extreme conditions of temperature, pH, and salinity that other organisms cannot tolerate.
In this experiment, students will isolate microorganisms from different environments and observe them through an optical microscope. The method used here is the agar plate method using selective media that allows for the growth of specific types of microorganisms [i.e., nutrient agar is used for the growth of bacteria, while potato dextrose agar (PDA) is preferred for yeast growth, and Sabourad medium for filamentous fungi].
Therefore, the observed microorganisms represent only a fraction of the total viable bacterial or yeast population.


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BANK ACCOUNTS: Fiji regime sets up bank accounts for YOU to donate for Winston victims - let us hope there will be accountability of donations
This family of eight from Nacobau Village were injured after strong winds uprooted their home
and dumped them a few metres away. Source: Fiji Times
International and local donations can be made through the following account:
Bank: Australia New Zealand Banking Corporation
Account Number: 12628523
Account Name: Prime Minister's National Disaster Relief and Rehabilitation: Cyclone Winston
Swift Code: ANZ BFJFX
Local donations can be made through the following accounts:
Bank: Westpac Banking Corporation
Account Number: 9806094927
Bank: Bank of the South Pacific
Bank: Home Finance Corporation Bank
Account Number: 17822 s10
STORMY EXCHANGES: Rajendra Chaudhry's claim that WINSTON was God's Wrath on Bainimarama regime attracts wrath of condemnation:
Rajendra Chaudhry
1 hr · Auckland, New Zealand · 2016
What an ass!
Good to see the regime's mouthpiece attacking me over my Facebook posts re TC Winston.
Says I am enemy number one of the State! Utters swears on social media whilst holding the law and order chair in Parliament.
Such words from a political driftwood doesn't faze me one bit. I have dealt with and knocked out totally many more credible political opponents than this ass.
Doesn't this idiot realise that the regime he serves under is itself illegal and has no moral or legal basis?
Assneel's posting shows that my and that of others are doing serious damage to the regime - which is now wobbly and struggling to survive. Having plundered the State's finances and borrowed to the hilt the regime will not be able to make any real impact on the repairs required.
Assneel appears to let his emotion rather than logic address my postings on TC Winston and that is that the calamity is the wrath of God on a nation that has become to a large extent ungodly.
Such wrath of God are nothing new and the Bible and other religious scriptures aver to it in their writings. Perhaps Assneel may wish to do some reading on this.
Further Assneel needs to be reminded that his leader is a murderer, a treasonist and a thief who will one day face and the gallows for the offence of treason.
These are facts and no amount of emotional bullshit by Assneel can change such statements of fact.
And next time you post something about someone Assneel then give that person the right to respond. Don't be a bloody coward like your leader!
And it is not I who will rot in hell but your leader and that day is fast approaching boy.
Fijileaks: Since Mahendra Chaudhry did not relocate to Australia after the 2000 failed George Speight coup, nor he returned the money to his shadowy Indian donors, he should DONATE the $2million to
Cyclone Winston victims:
"Dear Mr Mahendra Chaudhry,
Further to my earlier questions, I would be extremely grateful if you could indicate whether you are willing to confirm or deny that the interim Cabinet Minister is none other than yourself. As I mentioned, I am working on a general tax story and your co-operation as interim Minister of Finance would be greatly appreciated.
You will also agree that although the Income Tax Act requires the FIRCA to maintain secrecy, it does not permit the taxpayer not to be untruthful in reporting his tax details.
Again, I would be extremely grateful if you could explain why you did not submit your tax returns in 2000, 2001, 2002, and 2003, presuming you are the minister in question?
Also, why were you allegedly wrong in calculating your earnings, given that you are a former government auditor, a former finance minister in the ousted Bavadra government, and now the official purse keeper of the nation?"
I would also be grateful if you could answer the questions that I sent you on the Cyclone Ami and the Haryana funds. I hope you fully understand the seriousness of the matter and that your name is now being floating around on the Internet; especially on Why Fiji is Crying website.
It is therefore in your own interest and in the interest of the nation and the interim government to confirm or deny that you are the minister in question, and are willing to give your side of the story… I look forward to hearing from you, preferably by the end of the week, as my deadline for the story is approaching, and as required by the Media Council's Code of Ethics."
Victor Lal."
CYCLONE AMI RELIEF FUND
Where did thousands of dollars end up?
Victor Lal had based his "Cyclone Ami" article from the following bank statements and had sent Mr Chaudhry a copy for comments but as usual, Mr Chaudhry did not reply to the questions.
By Victor Lal
Fiji Sun
And it was to this bank account that many of us from around the world wholeheartedly responded, in the hope that the money would reach the victims. I had first raised the whereabouts of the Cyclone Ami funds in August 2006, and had sent Mr Chaudhry a list of questions, to which he is yet to reply.
The ICFI sent to me a detailed account of how much they had collected and distributed to the Cyclone Ami victims. The Congress had provided $300 cash each to ninety-four families to rebuild their homes and provided food parcels to 250 families immediately after the cyclone, it said.
Six members of the Governing Council of ICFI visited Fiji at their own expense and provided assistance. It must be stressed that ICFI's contribution was independent of Mr Chaudhry and his NFU. GOPIO also confirmed sending its contributions to account number CA 155728.
A perusal of the bank statements relating to CA 155728 anonymously sent to me reveal that a total of $258,287 was deposited into the above account, and $237,196 withdrawn. The question that can be asked of Mr Chaudhry and the NFU, on behalf of the Cyclone Ami victims, is as follows: what was done with $237,196?
In 2003, there was also a deposit of $17,160, and a simultaneous withdrawal of $5,383. Again, if the money was intended for the Cyclone Ami victims why, it could be questioned, the whole sum was not distributed to them? Why was $12,000 not given out to the cyclone victims?
Similarly, for 2003 and 2004, there was a combined deposit of $85,860 and withdrawal of $60,880. Where did this sum end up, it could be asked? If one were to exclude the $5,383 withdrawn in 2003, where did $55,000 end up in 2004 from the account?
Also, has the Cyclone Ami account ever been audited or presented to a general meeting of the NFU? There seems to be no list of beneficiaries who benefited from the collections ever published to any NFU general meeting.
The widely variant sums withdrawn, according to the bank statements, suggest the absence of any method or criteria for distribution to Cyclone Ami victims, if any, at all. The statements also disclose foreign transactions. There are other large cash deposits and withdrawals, raising questions whether some of the sums had been used for other unrelated purposes.
The obvious question is with the Cyclone Ami victims largely rehabilitated shortly after 2003, then why this account no CA 155728 was not wound up? Why is the money still sitting in the bank? What were the money coming in and the payments being made for three to four years after Cyclone Ami in 2003?
The large and regular withdrawals from mid-2005 to mid 2006 seems to coincide during the 2006 general election? What were the monies used for during this period?
According to reliable bank sources, Mr Chaudhry is allegedly the sole signatory to the Cyclone Ami funds.
The above figures exclude all the donations given to the FLP cause in person by dozens of party well-wishers in Australia, NZ, Canada, US and the UK
After his release from captivity following the 2000 coup, Mr Chaudhry was presented donations totalling $82,394.88 in functions held in his honour as Prime Minister in Canada and the United States during his visit to these countries in September 2000.
The moneys were donated to enable the FLP to pay for legal costs in relation to its High Court challenge on the abrogation of the 1997 Constitution following the Speight coup.
Similarly, we had donated in hundreds to the Cyclone Ami Funds, and therefore have the right to ask questions, and obtain answers from Mr Chaudhry since it was in his name that account number CA155728 was set up in the Bank of Baroda in Suva.
The PMs National Disaster Relief Fund in Fiji has a notorious history of abuse. It has been used for political patronage and propaganda and vote buying.
It's better to fund civil society groups directly engaged in community work.
Chodri
And our Leader Chaudhary has left the relief appeal to others this time. He says his detractors are always unfairly critical of him raising very well-intended relief funds for himself.
sad face
Lets hope that this time the accounts will be audited and accessible to the General public ..How and whom it was spent for
Having it called the PM's National Disaster Relief fund gives it a bad name. Instead of money being donated when there is a natural disaster is short term planning. There should be a fund setup through tax's or levies where money can be tapped immediately to assist. In saying that lies the problem of who manages it etc. and with the current state of accountability leaves this option less to be desired as well. Damn if you do and damn if you don't.
A low cost cyclone proof housing needs to looked at as well to assist people in the Villages. This would assist mitigate the cyclone impacts on peoples homes and lives.
The cyclone has revived the issues surrounding Chaudary's fundraising and the question still needs to be asked "where has the money gone". This leaves Chaudary as leader of the FLP untenable.
Fiji First Party
This is a severe humanitarian CRISIS.
Politics aside, let's give Bainimarama and his Government our sincere support. Let us all truly put Fiji First.
Bainimarama has a lot to learn from Chaudhary's past.
Like father like son
Ahh rajen chaudhry, what can one say. Like father like son. Someone who relies on his father for his survival, even as a 50yr adult, attacking cyclone victims from the cormfort of NZ, where he lives a lavish lifestyle funded from money his dad raised in the name of the poor but decided to pocket.
No one has forgetten that Mahen Chaudhry was the first to support the coup followed by son, as usual hanging on dad's coatails old.Only after Mahen was sacked when secret bank account stink got too strong that rajen turned champion of democracy. Both father and son consummate users and self servers who totally lack self awareness.
People will rebuild their lives and livelihoods. People will raise and shine and laugh again –for sure!
But the wrath of God which has befallen on Chaudharys' reputation (as fallen human beings) as Fiji's 'celebrity CHORS' (and that too STEALING from the Poorest of the Poor) can NEVER be redeemed.
Besides all these,dont worry-people from Fiji with come back and shine out again.They will come back with the same smiles on the face and same strength to rebuild and move forward.All countries have their share of natural setbacks..its no curse-its Mother Nature
Like father indeed
well said "Like Father like Son".
This incident indeed reminds us the millions Mahendra Pal Choudhury stole from the rightful owners - the people of Fiji
to whom those funds were given. But instead of fulfilling his
legal duty as a trustee to distribute those funds to the people as beneficiaries,
Choudhury senior stole it. Even of this day he thinks he has done nothing wrong. How on earth such a scum was a former PM and later Finance Minister beggars belief.
And now his son Rajen is enjoying the loot by spending his
lavish lifestyle in NZ and to make matters worse, cursing the people
of Fiji by asserting that the devastation by the cyclone was God's
punishment.
How can these 2 evil father and son ever lay claim on their true allegiance to Fiji. Shame on both. They both give hard working
and true Indians a bad name.


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Ryan Kavanaugh Video – A Peek At What This Man Is All About And Why You Need To Be Inspired By Him
Ryan Kavanaugh is the success story everyone wants to follow, his story is an inspiration to millions, and his journey to the top is as fascinating as his personality. With his incredible accomplishments, he has shown that anyone can achieve success if they have the courage and energy to pursue it relentlessly. If you want to understand his persona more, check out Ryan Kavanaugh Video interviews that will tell you more about him.
Honoring Ryan Kavanaugh
Ryan Kavanaugh is a man who has accomplished a lot. He has been honoured by many organizations, including ADL or Anti Defamation League, one of the leading Anti-hate organizations, of which Ryan Kavanaugh is an active member. The Honoring of Ryan Kavanaugh by ADL is an achievement on its own. Attended by many popular faces in the Hollywood film industry, the red carpet event was a sight to behold.
The success story of Ryan Kavanaugh
Ryan Kavanaugh has a lot to be proud of; his career in Hollywood began at a young age, though he had a brief stint in the financial industry shortly after graduating. His experience in the financial world has been extremely beneficial to him on his journey.
He was born on December 4th, 1974, in Los Angeles, which was the ideal location to achieve all of his success. His parents were prosperous; his father was a dentist, and his mother was a real estate broker.
Ryan was raised with values that would help him achieve great things. After graduating from the University of California, Los Angeles, he began his career in the financial industry, but after a short time, he ventured into the entertainment world of Hollywood. His ideas and techniques were an instant hit with Hollywood's A-listers, and he founded the well-known Relativity Media.
At a young age, Ryan Kavanaugh had the vision that could change the film industry. He had new ideas about Algorithms and technology that would help the film industry make better films by spending less money. As a CEO of Relativity Media, he accomplished what many others couldn't:
He was the producer and distributor of more than 200 films.
More than 60 of his films were nominated for Oscars
He has had many successful deals in the film industry and also with online streaming companies like Netflix.
he is actively participating in many charity works and is an active member of many charitable organizations, including ADL
He was named showman of the year by Variety in 2011
He was honoured by Hollywood reporter with a leadership award in 2010
in the 13th Annual Hollywood awards gala, he was awarded the best Hollywood producer
His films have had many Box Office hits and have grossed 17 billion in profits, and Relativity Media was competing with some of the most reputed giants of the industry. After stepping down as the CEO of Relativity Media, he is currently the principal at Proxima. The Ryan Kavanaugh Videointerviews will prove that there is much more to this man, and he is here to stay.
Tags:Career
Deep Fryers Aren't All Created Equal Every Time
Why should you opt for outdoor dining?


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Guma's sacking an indictment on investigators' inefficiency
President Ian Khama's recent and rare admission that he was misled when he fired former assistant minister of finance and development planning Samson Moyo Guma from cabinet is a serious indictment on the professionalism and efficiency of the country's investigation and crime busting agencies.
The admission by the president gives a clear glimpse on the ineffectiveness of the authorities which feed the president and his government with information.
It would not be far-fetched if we were to conclude or assume that there could be other people who have suffered fates similar to that of Guma because the relevant officers had supplied unsubstantiated information.
The only difference would be that such cases have not come to the public domain.
The dangers associated with such shoddy work by these authorities may be very costly to the nation when scores of lawsuits are instigated against government by aggrieved parties.
In this particular case, it is fortunate that Guma has put the interest of the nation first by deciding not to sue for damages arising from the trauma he and his family were subjected to on the back of the misinformation.
We are aware that these agencies are vested with the powers to investigate and even prosecute wrong doers but if their professionalism is doubtful, there are potential dangers of a flood gate of suits that can come at heavy cost to the tax payer.
We have always believed that the investigating agencies were so thorough that before they arraigned people before the courts or supplied information to their principals, they had satisfied themselves that they had closed all the gaps and satisfied themselves that their conclusions were beyond doubt.
The number of people who are being acquitted because of lack of evidence by our courts is uncomfortably high. At times judicial officers have gone on record to say that the cases brought before them were not properly investigated.
These incidents call for serious introspection on the capability of our investigation and crime busting agencies.
It may be by sheer luck that the number of cases for malicious prosecutions in this country is not on the increase.
This particular incident gives an insight that most probably the country's investigators are ill-equipped to do their job.
We therefore call for proper training of the officers to avert recurrences of incidents of this nature.
It would be sad to discover that a lot of people are rotting in our jails for offences they have not committed especially that the larger part of the nation is not educated and is so poor as to afford services of lawyers.
GU on an unstoppable path
Guma Moyo working on dumping BDP
4Ds to have an impact on Monetary Policy as inflation rises


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Welcome Guest! You are here: Home » Regional
Asia's largest solar park functional in Gujarat
Thursday April 19, 2012 05:16:04 PM, IANS
Ahmedabad: A 600 MW solar power park, touted as Asia's first and largest, was Thursday dedicated to the nation by Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi in the state's Patan district, in a boost to India's efforts towards low carbon growth.
The solar power park with a power generation capacity of 600 MW, covering approximately 3,000 acres of wasteland bordering the Rann of Kutch, will generate two-thirds of India's total 900 MW of solar power production.
"Gujarat dedicates 600 MW of solar power to the nation today (Thursday). We are celebrating the launch of Agni V & dedication of 600 MW solar power park in Gujarat," Modi said on micro blogging site twitter.
According to the Gujarat government, the solar project will lead to a reduction in carbon dioxide emissions to the tune of eight million tonnes and save 900,000 tonnes of natural gas annually.
Under its Solar Power Policy, the state government had signed memorandums of understanding for generation of 968.5 MW of solar power by the end of this year.
Other projects will be developed at Anand, Banaskantha, Jamnangar, Junagadh, Kutch, Porbandar, Rajkot, Surat and Surendranagar.
The Gujarat Solar Park is an innovative concept of the state government to promote solar installations in which it allocated developed land to the project developers with the entire infrastructure, including power evacuation, roads and water for commissioning of the power project put on fast track.
Gujarat will also host the 'India Solar Summit 2012: Investment and Technology Expo' in Gandhinagar April 20 and 21.
Bihar to launch caste census from April 20
13 Mumbai college-goers kill friend
St. Jude to provide latest medical technologies to India
PM hails Agni-V milestone
India tests 5,000-km range Agni-V missile
Stinking of rotten fish, woman took 10 showers a day
Exposing Prejudices, Breaking Myths
Propagating lies about Afghanistan
Petition to close down Mossad quashed
Mamata among Time's 100 most influential people
Apex court rejects plea on election symbols
Glass of water key to exam success?
Google to launch online storage service
Backfired? Raj Thackeray's Malegaon rally turned voters against MNS
Bihar to move apex court against massacre case acquittal
Justice Katju for regulating social media
Press Council of India Chairperson Justice Markandey Katju Wednesday called for regulating social media, saying it would prevent unpleasant material from making it into the public domain. "Social media like Facebook »
Issue summons to Facebook through e-mail: Court
Bizarre case of India versus the Internet
India Thursday created history with the successful testing of the much awaited Agni-V long-range ballistic nuclear-capable missile, described as 'China killer', that can accurately »
Yet another gory murder shocked Mumbaikars when at least 13 teenagers clubbed to death a 17-year-old boy who had allegedly used expletives against the mother and girlfriend of one of the attackers, police said Thursday. While police have nabbed three of the attackers, including the prime conspirator, a manhunt has been »
Political observers noted that the fanfare with which Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) founder Raj Thackeray's rally was »
Book Review: Freedom Movement and Indian Muslims By Santimoy Ray, National Book Trust 2011, Delhi
How many people from this part of South Asia know the name of Soomru Allah Bux, (1900-1943) a legendary leader from pre-partition India, who fought against the communal politics »
"It's like I see in slow motion men dying for nothing and I can't stop it," said Lt. Col. Daniel Davis, a US Army officer who spent two tours in Afghanistan. He returned home last year consumed by outrage at the yawning gulf between the promises of success routinely issued by American »
Abdul Malik Yunus Esa (second from left), sitting Mayor of Malegaon, receiving certificate from election officer Ms Pragya Bede after winning the civic elections on April 16, 2011. Also seen in the picture is NCP stalwart Yunus Esa.
(Photo: ummid.com)