The Dancing Boys Of Afghanistan

Watch The Full Program | The Dancing Boys Of Afghanistan | FRONTLINE | PBS:

"In The Dancing Boys of Afghanistan, Afghan journalist Najibullah Quraishi (Behind Taliban Lines) returns to his native land to expose an ancient practice that has been brought back by powerful warlords, former military commanders and wealthy businessmen. Known as 'bacha bazi' (literal translation: 'boy play'), this illegal practice exploits street orphans and poor boys, some as young as 11, whose parents are paid to give over their sons to their new 'masters.'"

How Ping-Pong created the American suburb

How Ping-Pong created the American suburb. - By and - Slate Magazine

Interesting hypothesis - how ping-pong created the suburbia...more tahn ping-pong, I think the escape from "body order and nose in everyone's business" is the main reason...but interesting all the same. How about the desi connotations?

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Why is India in the Commonwealth? - By Juliet Lapidos

Why is India in the Commonwealth? - By Juliet Lapidos - Slate Magazine

Well, even if it is a big club, membership has its privileges - other than infrastructure improvements in the host country and hope for its recovery, there are voting benefits for people from member countries living in the UK...

How an ecology app for sharing nature photos built a community—and became a business.

How an ecology app for sharing nature photos built a community—and became a business. - By Jill Priluck - Slate Magazine

Interesting article about how a free app grew into a community, and then got investment from a giant...

How bathroom posture affects your health.

How bathroom posture affects your health. - By Daniel Lametti - Slate Magazine

Interesting theories...did the South Asians, the masters of the "East Asian Squat", have it right all along?

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Slumdog Billionaires

Slumdog Billionaires - By Sadanand Dhume | Foreign Policy

Simply Fly So you know about the Ambanis? What about Captain Gopi?

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Arkansas doctor convicted in bomb attack on medical board head

Arkansas doctor convicted in bomb attack on medical board head - CNN.com

Not a flattering article on desis, but informational none-the-less. Sigh...

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Amid Celebrity, a Long Legal Battle Over a Child

Amid Celebrity, a Long Legal Battle Over a Child - NYTimes.com

More a personal matter, not sure it deserved the attention of NY Times...

Nikki Haley - is she the next Bobby?

So we have all read the press references, her westernization, and her potential to be the next GOP star...but as South Asian Americans, do we accept or support her? 

"She says she's proud of her heritage and of the accomplishments of Indian-Americans - their educational attainment, their income levels, their philanthropy. But that's about as far as she'll go". 

"The fact that I happen to be an Indian female, of course that brings a new dynamic. But what I hope it does is cause a conversation in this state where we no longer live by labels, but we live by philosophies."

I had the opportunity to hear Bobby Jindal speak (not the response for Obama's acceptance speech), and he came across as an articulate and interesting speaker - Nikki Haley apparently is a better speaker than Sarah Palin - so do we really care if her real name was Namrata, or should we focus on the fact that Indian Americans should be proud that one of us is reaching new heights?

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