Tuesday, February 16, 2010

“Indian-American philosophy professor wins distinguished honour (New Kerala)” plus 3 more

“Indian-American philosophy professor wins distinguished honour (New Kerala)” plus 3 more

Indian-American philosophy professor wins distinguished honour (New Kerala)

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 08:32 PM PST

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New York, Feb 16 : Indian-American Ashok Kumar Malhotra, a noted professor of philosophy at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Oneonta, will be honoured with the Distinguished Alumni Award by the University of Hawaii Alumni Association.

The award, instituted in 1987, identifies an outstanding former student who has used his university education for excelling professionally, providing inspirational leadership to others, and helping the community.

''I feel very much honoured by the announcement. With this I am more indebted to America,'' Mr Malhotra told UNI.

A master's degree holder from the University of Rajasthan, Mr Malhotra has done charitable work in India, including setting up three schools in Rajasthan and two in Gujarat for the underprivileged sections of society.

According to him, 'nishkaama karma' (selfless service) should be performed as mentioned in the Bhagavad Gita. Religion and philosophy deal with the ultimate reality. People now are more inclined toward spirituality, he opined.

He arrived in the US in 1963 at the East-West Center in Hawaii and earned his doctorate from the University of Hawaii at Manoa in 1969.

At the SUNY Oneonta, Mr Malhotra was among the founders of the philosophy department. He was instrumental in initiating a study abroad programme there in 1979. Since then he has taken 17 groups to India comprising 200 students.

He instituted annual Seva Awards at the University of Hawaii and SUNY Oneonta to recognise selfless service to humanity.

Mr Malhotra has been nominated for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize by the International Society for the Comparative Study of Civilizations for his efforts to spread literacy in India.

Among his honours were Chancellor's Award for Excellence, Bharat Excellence Award and Jewel of India Gold Medal Award. Among his major works were Introduction to Yoga Philosophy and Jean-Paul Sartre's Existentialism.

The professor will be given the award at a ceremony at the University of Hawaii in May.

--UNI

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Book World: David Ignatius reviews 'Point Omega' by Don DeLillo (Washington Post)

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 09:00 PM PST

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Scribner. 117 pp. $24

The "omega point" that gives this book its title is drawn from the philosophy of the French Jesuit priest Pierre Teilhard de Chardin. He used the term to describe a supreme level of consciousness and complexity, a spiritual singularity, free from the limits of space and time. But for Don DeLillo, the omega point seems to be something closer to a dead end. In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, he explained Teilhard's vision of human consciousness "reaching a point of exhaustion." What comes next, DeLillo said, might be a "paroxysm or something enormously sublime," but in this small novel it seems closer to stony silence.

His three characters all reach omega points where time collapses and "the mind transcends all direction inward." The narrator of the tale is Jim Finley, a filmmaker. He is pursuing Richard Elster, a "defense intellectual" involved in the Iraq war, in the hope of getting him on film, presumably in the mea-culpa manner of Robert McNamara in "Fog of War."

Elster, the central figure of the book, is maddeningly ill defined, given to spouting things that no war strategist I've ever met would say (or probably think), such as: "I wanted a haiku war. I wanted a war in three lines. . . . Things in war are transient. See what's there and then be prepared to watch it disappear."

Elster has left the Pentagon for a house in the California desert, an exile that the book gratuitously likens to former deputy secretary of defense Paul Wolfowitz's postwar sojourn at the World Bank. It's a cheap way of sketching character by reference to a real person. DeLillo told the Journal he "wanted to suggest things rather than explore them fully," and I think that's a weakness of this book.

What an achievement it would be for a writer of DeLillo's talent to truly take the measure of a Wolfowitz or Donald Rumsfeld; we have enough cartoon representations of these men already and could use the novelist's fine eye and ear. But DeLillo's brief account of the warmaker Elster is a writer's sketchbook fantasy. "Bulk and swagger," Elster says of his time on "the third floor of the E ring at the Pentagon." Stuff and nonsense.

What's intriguing about Elster is the way he resists Finley's (and the reader's) desire for explanation. "It's what no one knows about you that allows you to know yourself," he says. Over the arc of this brief narrative, he disappears from our view. Elster yearns for nonbeing, as he explains: "Father Teilhard knew this, the omega point. A leap out of our biology. Ask yourself this question. Do we have to be human forever? Consciousness is exhausted. Back now to inorganic matter. This is what we want. We want to be stones in a field."

The third character in the novel, Elster's daughter, Jessica, disappears quite literally. She exists in the book as a haunted and utterly passive figure: the object of Finley's sexual fantasies, her father's cold disdain, her mother's lack of interest, a mysterious phone stalker's pursuit. Her fate is never fully explained -- "passing into air, it seemed this is what she was meant to do" -- but it appears that she has been killed with a knife in a desert wilderness called, in freighted DeLillo language, the "Impact Area."

"She was imaginary to herself," he writes. One senses that poor Jessie can't wait to get off the page and into that single dimension of nonbeing. Finley and Elster try to find her, sort of, but they understand that "people come to the desert to commit suicide." DeLillo's most precise formulation of his theme comes in Finley's description of Elster's sense of loss for his extinguished daughter: "The omega point has narrowed, here and now, to the point of a knife as it enters a body. All the man's grand themes funneled down to a local grief, one body, out there somewhere, or not."

This bleak story is bracketed by two meditations on time, both set at the Museum of Modern Art's 2006 performance art video "24 Hour Psycho," which was a continuous, ultra-slow showing of the famous Hitchcock movie. In these scenes, we savor DeLillo's gifts as a writer, his ability to set and sustain a disorienting but rich interior monologue.

DeLillo's art has been condensed in this book into its own dense singularity. The sprawling canvas of "White Noise" and "Underworld" is abandoned here for a small, oblique fable. The critic D.T. Max, in an essay in the New Yorker, quoted a letter from DeLillo to fellow novelist David Foster Wallace written in 1997: "I realized that precision can be a kind of poetry, and the more precise . . . then the better my chances of creating a deeper and more beautiful language."

DeLillo has achieved a precision and economy of language here that any writer would envy. But the larger ambition of storytelling -- of bringing people and events to life for the reader through the power of the author's language and imagination -- is not even attempted. Indeed, it is disdained. "The true life is not reducible to words spoken or written, not by anyone, ever," says DeLillo in the opening sentence of Chapter 1. If that were true, why would a serious person read a novel, or write one?

Ignatius is a columnist for The Post and the author of seven novels, including "Body of Lies" and, most recently, "The Increment."

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Jim Shi: New York Fashion Week, Day Four: Calvin Klein Collection Men's, DKNY, Diane von Furstenberg, Philosophy ... (The Huffington Post)

Posted: 15 Feb 2010 05:05 AM PST

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Diane von Furstenberg"I always wanted to live a man's life in a woman's body." That mantra--her inspiration for her fall collection--said it all. The blazer is the DVF girl's new uniform; power trips came strutting down the runway in many forms, all comfortably encased in felted wool dresses and crepe blouses. Furthering the menswear-inspired trend, pinstripes prevailed on everything from jackets and skirts to slightly oversized blazers, which featured plenty of tweet and felted wool. Femme fatale came in the form of cable-knit sweaters woven with link chains, jersey tees paired with suede biker jeans and jacquard tiered skirts. Not one to give up her femininity, however, there was also exploration of nature. A beetlebug water satin dress was a chic option, as was the gray and pink bolero covered in chiffon rosettes. A new silhouette to a classic, DVF's LDB was reworked in black with cap sleeves in a chain mail inset. This was creative director Nathan Jenden's last collection as DVF's right-hand man; undoubtedly the two were happy to end on a highly-positive note.

Calvin Klein Collection Men's
Italo Zucchelli continues to elevate and build upon the momentum of why he is, without a doubt, at the top of the men's wear game. His fall collection--tough and tactile--further explored the designer's passion, not to mention self-challenge, of exploring new and innovate fabric manipulation. The results for fall quite literally knocked the socks off everything he's done in the past. Sleek and replete with technical fabrics, tailoring and construction were at the peak of their game in the form of suits and overcoats that were sturdy and comfortable to grasp. Zucchelli designs for a confident man; who else would be extroverted enough to wear a suit made of iridescent nylon or silk mesh? But it all works fabulously together without ever being overbearing or intimidating. The neck took center stage for fall, surrounded by an assortment of turtlenecks and collars that encased itself much like a protective wall. Much like how many of the women's collections shown this week have sought that fine line between masculine and feminine, Zucchelli's play on shiny versus matte was cleverly balanced in a worldly palette of earthy and metallic tones.

Philosophy di Alberta Ferretti
By eschewing her usual evening "runway" show format for a more intimate presentation at her Midtown headquarters, Alberta Ferretti set the tone for what was easily one of her most romantic Philosophy collections to date. All the more better for editors to witness--and appreciate--the craftsmanship of what was a pronounced Edwardian, not to mention romantic, collection (shown on Valentine's Day, no less). Minus the fuss and muss, the lineup edged closer to her main signature line with its ethereal gowns and dresses, several of which featured eyelet-encased high collars. Soft and romantic have always been Ferretti trademarks; beautifully tailored outerwear, not so much--so the slick lineup of leather jackets and trenches she paired with otherwise cozy separates and gowns was more grown-up and, at the same time, indicative that the Philosophy girl has graduated to the next stage in her effervescent life.

Spurr
Hiccups are part of the growing pains of life, and despite some forgetful handlers who failed to remove the plastic off the runway, the show went on--and beautifully so at that. For Simon Spurr's first-ever runway show, the designer proved he has the goods to back the hype. The strong collection featured beautifully tailored suiting and separates--easily some of the best of the season--that included strong double-breasted jackets and looked structured and polished. Colors were, for the most part, steered toward masculine territory and featured the occasional injection of stripes and checks. A waffle print grey suit was both warm and inviting to the touch. Snug--tailored to you and me--was a key element with the collection, from the three-piece suits to the cropped motorcycle jackets. These clothes are clearly for the well-defined man.

DKNY
If Donna Karan had one message to send with her DKNY collection for fall, it was this: get a coat--and make it a fabulous one at that. The bold fall collection she presented Sunday was filled with an endless array of beautiful outerwear; you name it--riding coats, vests, boyfriend jackets and peacoats--and she had it. And it all looked terrific. Inspired by her heart and soul New York, the palette ventured from rich vicuna and cognac into port and sapphire, with some plaid thrown in for good measure. The miniskirts were terribly sweet, particularly with their pleated precision. Karan explored collage prints for fall and the results were particularly finessed in a cravat dot print silk collage dress and deco beaded tissue flannel colorblocked dress. The geometric nature of it all was clearly a natural extension of Karan's inner-Manhattan, which made for a warm blend of her classic comfort silhouettes minus any of the cold, steely gaze.


Malandrino
Catherine Malandrino is toughening up for fall. Furry, feral and oh-so-savage, it seemed a far cry from her show inspiration, which was "a vision of earth as seen from above." It all looked, instead, very subterranean. Drama was the order of the day this time around: raw goat hair? Check. Animal prints? Check. Hoof-shaped footwear? Double check. Despite the more primitive, raw feel of it all, the cut remained signature Malandrino; that is, warm and body conscious with a few cocoon shapes thrown in for good measure. Don't worry, though--there's still plenty of luxe velvet pieces (some with croc-embossed sleeves) and delicate blouson dresses and gowns for the less adventurous set.


Follow Jim Shi on Twitter: www.twitter.com/jimshi809

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People on the Move (Lake County News-Sun)

Posted: 16 Feb 2010 02:02 AM PST

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MVP AWARDS: Four associates at Advocate Condell Medical Center, Libertyville, have received MVP awards recently in recognition of their contributions to the health-care environment. Mission, Vision, Philosophy (MVP) winners were nominated by patients, associates and physicians. Selected by a committee of peers were: Amanda Salzman of Libertyville, a registered nurse in West 3; Donna Persinger of Gurnee, an oncology RN; Debbie Anderson of Wonder Lake, finance; and Maria Vasquez of Libertyville, cafe. MVP leaders attend a celebration luncheon, receive a recognition pin and are eligible to receive the MVP value leader of the year award.

BOARD CERTIFIED: Dr. Mohammad Waseem Kagzi has successfully earned his Board Certification in Sleep Medicine from the American Board of Internal Medicine. Dr. Kagzi practices sleep medicine at Midwest Sleep Institute in Gurnee.

TEACHER OF THE YEAR: Navy Cmdr. Shane Vath , a Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes physical therapist, has been named the clinic's Teacher of the Year. Vath was one of four nominees, who included Jacqueline Thome , Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes pharmacist; Lt. Cmdr. Karen Parisien , Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes psychiatrist; and Dr. Jason Holdeman , Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes clinical psychologist. As a physical therapist, Vath teaches as part of his duties as physical therapist and department head of Physical Therapy. He will be recognized and receive a plaque at the next monthly Naval Health Clinic Great Lakes awards ceremony.

CERTIFIED: The Professional Landcare Network announced that Perry Kelly of Kelly's Yard Maintenance in Waukegan has passed the certified landscape technician-exterior exam and is now nationally certified. Kelly is also a member of the Illinois Landscape Contractors Assn.




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