Saturday, August 03, 2013

On Iftar

Nobody posted pix of the food at the
White House Iftar?!!
This is the only kind of pic I could find.
There are two ways to break the fast, and the difference has to do with personal preference and physiology:

My mother is of the school that likes to break the fast and have a full meal immediately, and THEN pray.

I, on the other hand, cannot eat a full meal immediately, so I go with the traditional "iftar" first. This consists of a favorite hydration source—we South Asians are partial to a rose/rosemary drink sold under the brand "Rooh Afza" [which means "soul refresher/uplifting"], but I'd think the average American might just as well

Thursday, August 01, 2013

Quick thoughts on Reza Aslan on Fox News; Your Brain on Infotainment

Apropos of the video clip circulating of a Fox News interviewer getting it very wrong, as most in my circles see it, with Reza Aslan. I have said this myself at various times, and agree with those who say that anyone that thinks of Fox (or, for that matter MSNBC, CNN, etc.) as news rather than infotainment has what in the computer industry we call a PEBKAC issue [Problem Exists Between Keyboard and Chair].

However, Fox et al are infotainment and as a pop culture phenomenon, they do have impact on the conventional wisdom. That needs watching.

Personally, I actually didn't feel that this was Fox's worst.