Desicritics Editors' Picks-- July 10-July 23

Another roundup of articles. If you're in the list, please vote in one article to be featured in the next Editors' Picks:

Prayer Of The Livid July 10, 2006 - PerihelionFlux writes:

her gaze was lifeless and cold
he hesitated for a moment,
wanting to do CPR on her;
but his first aid certificate had just expired the previous day.

how lice! the shopkeeper blurted in excitement
as he saw the bedraggled man squash a lice
between his thumbnails.

E-school Ranking Survey: Sins Of The Times July 11, 2006 - Arunn Narasimhan writes:

As I am in a profession where as an academic exercise my very existence is sometimes suspected, I am unable to watch the nebulous clouds of reason serenade past my youthful and immature hot-head. Hence, I made the above post with questions about the method of survey (and only that). If most of them have been or will be answered by Cfore or Outlook, no, need not be to my satisfaction, but to the satisfaction of any objective standard, I can start rejoicing.

After all, the survey reports my department to be the top in India (and I believe in that, with or without this survey).

On Gift Donkeys July 17, 2006 - bevivek writes:

Infant clothes and toys. Grammatically challenged text, in general, is the thin red line through many donkeys but reach their acme of imperfection in baby material. Clearly the copy writers have damaged language centres in what passes for their brains. Either grammar not existed or The meaning jumped over clause. Or they need better translators from Cantonese. My daughter's extensive wardrobe, almost entirely gifted, has the following communications.

Rabbit happies
Sweet children have sweet memories with sweet cake
Lion and Lamb Love
And the Koan-like
Smack, zzz, dance
Ribbit, meow, ribbit, meow

A final question. If someone has their brains up their bottom, and it hurts, is it piles or a headache?

Whoever gives me the best answer can have my two remaining Eagles.

Let It Not Cost Us The Earth July 17, 2006 – DesiGirl writes:

Another way of helping things is to reduce the usage of cars and bikes. While it is not feasible to take the train from Washington to Bangalore, you can do something to negate the bad effects of air travel by carbon offsetting. What is that, you ask? According to Carbon Footprint.com, carbon offsets enable people and organisations to reduce their carbon footprint. Carbon Offsets allow carbon dioxide, one of the main green house gases, to be either taken out of the atmosphere or reduced in another part of the world.

This can be something simple like planting a tree to changing to a green energy supplier for your electricity. Whatever the method is, we have to start doing something straight away.

Ain't No Pill For Memories> July 18, 2006 - Richard Marcus writes:

If at some point a patient is just given this drug to diminish the memories but does nothing to process the information, they are only doing half the work required for a full recovery. You won't know how these memories have affected your day-to-day existence if you just walk away from them. You are still the same person who was experiencing the flashbacks and really no further ahead then before you took the drug.

There are no shortcuts to mental and emotional health, and I worry that a pill like this will tempt people into believing that they will be able to solve all the problems caused by traumas in their past just by taking it once or twice. That is an unrealistic and false expectation (and hope) to be giving people.

Thatta Kedona July 20, 2006 - Shirazi writes:

Thatta Kedona is a project of the first Pakistan international NGO network in rural area where handmade quality dolls and toys are crafted using all indigenous material and traditional designs based on cultural and folklore themes. The workmanship of the dolls and toys has acclaimed international recognition and clientele through their participation in numerous international events, exhibitions, fairs and display at International Doll Museum Iceland and Deutsche Gesellschafr zur Foerderung der Kultar, Germany. These toys are the embodiment of dreams, hopes and most of all self-reliance of the hands, which breathe a part of the soul into them.

America: An Enigma? July 21, 2006 - Anil writes:

In the foreign policy front the world cannot thank America enough for its contributions to the world wars. America turned the tide of the wars and ensured that the good guys won both times. It was noble deed, one that was committed with selflessness and one that may have saved humanity from destruction. Compare it with the recent wars it has waged in Iraq, Kuwait and elsewhere with nothing but economic interests in it mind and you will understand my predicament.

I am sorry if this article reads like a collection of random peeves. The fact is that I am in awe of this country that was discovered just 500 years ago and what it has managed to achieve. At the same time I cannot fathom the poverty, intolerance and plain stupidity that seem to be prevalent in that country. America to me is nothing short of an enigma and I still don't have a certain opinion about it.