NASA’s version
The Indian government has withdrawn a controversial report submitted in court earlier this week which questioned the existence of the Hindu god Ram. The report was presented to the Supreme Court on Wednesday in connection with a case against a proposed shipping canal project between India and Sri Lanka.
Hindu hardliners say the project will destroy what they say is a bridge built by Ram and his army of monkeys.
Scientists and archaeologists say the Ram Setu (Lord Ram’s bridge) – or Adam’s Bridge as it is sometimes called – is a natural formation of sand and stones.
Folks who think India will challenge China for economic and political leadership in the region should step back and look at how theocratic politics in India influences critical decisions.
Hindu Version
In the last two days, the opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has launched a scathing attack on the government for questioning the “faith of the millions”.
Worried about the adverse reaction from the majority Hindu population of the country, the Congress Party-led government has now done a U-turn and withdrawn the statement submitted in court.
How is the Indian government dealing with the controversy? Well, they started by suspending the archaeologists who drafted the report.
#81 – iGlobalHarmer,
BTW we have plenty of money already. The issue is how its spent. When bike trails have the same priority as highway bridges to name on [sic] example we have problems that more taxes aren’t going to solve.
When bike trails have the same priority as highway bridges, we’ll be well on our way to solving our problems. Fortunately, bicycle trails do not cost as much to maintain. Nor do bicycles themselves cost as much to run. Nor do bicycles damage the environment as much as cars. Nor do bicycles encourage obesity. Nor do bicycles take up the same ridiculous amount of space as cars. Each car takes about 10 times the space per person as a bicycle. So, we can have nice uncrowded places to go by shrinking roads and increasing bicycle and foot paths. And, we’ll get clean air and good health in the process.
In short, you bet we should be encouraging bicycling over driving.
>>Sorry, I can’t agree with you on that one. I can’t see a single
>>good argument that having kids is NOT bad for the planet.
I guess you never had any then, Scottie.
>>So, we can have nice uncrowded places to go by shrinking roads
>>and increasing bicycle and foot paths.
Gosh, Scottie, you should see if you can get on the PR team for My Town. We’ve got bike and foot paths up the wazoo, and they’re growing by leaps and bounds. I guess that’s one of the reasons I beat you out on the “walkability index” thing a few weeks ago.
#86 – Then you are correct – it’s a conspiracy
#92 – Like I said, a “cure” worse than the problem. It takes far too long to ride a bike 30 miles or more one way. Plus you’re forgetting about winter.
Bicycles are great for recreation, but that’s the extent of it.
#87 – “Let me ask you something specific with respect to sin tax though. If someone does something that literally costs society money, real quantifiable money, why should we all pay it equally?” Ask the reverse also – If someone earns more than someone else why should they be penalized? If we’re going to base our taxes on income, shouldn’t we all be taxes equally?
If the government has enough money to give grants to the arts, we certainly have given them too much. You want arts, fund them through ticket prices.
#90 – Do any of those monkeys drive tricycles or smoke cigars? That would be cool.
>>Like I said, a “cure” worse than the problem. It takes far too
>>long to ride a bike 30 miles or more one way.
I live 11 miles from where I work, and I’ve ridden my bike to work for over 4 years. Except during the winter. Then I take the bus.
>>If someone does something that literally costs society money,
>>real quantifiable money, why should we all pay it equally?”
“We” don’t. You want to smoke, pay the cigarette tax. You want to drink pay the liquor tax. You want to drive an environment-destroying gas guzzler, pay the gas tax. Can’t afford it or don’t want to pay? Don’t engage in those activities.
See how simple? Even an iGlobalWarmer could do it!
My point is that if you live close enough to work to bike, you’re too damn close to work. Commuting is a GOOD thing and to be encourages. Discouraging urban sprawl is a cure that’s worse than global warming.
If our tax system were set up properly in the first place, smokers and drinkers wouldn’t cost me or society anything in the first place. It would only cost them.
>>If our tax system were set up properly in the first place, smokers
>>and drinkers wouldn’t cost me or society anything in the first place.
>>It would only cost them.
You mean like through a “sin tax”?
Nope.
98,
Smokers and drinkers are TAXED like you wouldnt believe…
Every bottle of booze has $5+ tax, and beer is almost as bad, considering its cheaper then bottled water, THINK about how much you are paying for water. Cigs have about $2 in tax per pack…
AND yes, if you live close enough to work to BIKE… MOSt business’s like to be built in an area they can Raise the prices and charge the most. THEN hire a cheap work force… That work force is generally 1-5+ miles away… And many industrial areas, they are 10+ miles away.
trying to live CLOSE to work, isnt that easy anymore.
#94 – MM,
I would be very curious about your town. I assume, by the fact that you haven’t done so, that you’d rather not post it publicly. If you post a mostly null message on my blog, under just say hi, I’ll get your email address and can send you an email, if you’d like to discuss it offline.
#96 – The Monster’s Lawyer,
No. None that I’ve seen do. However, spider monkeys have almost no thumb on their hands (but do on their feet) which allows them to brachiate very quickly through the trees. Thumbs would slow them down and get in the way. Most monkeys travel on top of the branches and have thumbs.
#98 – iGW,
Commuting is a GOOD thing and to be encourages. [sic] Discouraging urban sprawl is a cure that’s worse than global warming.
You are off the freakin’ wall sometimes, you know that?
First, it’s suburban sprawl, not urban sprawl. Urban environments build up not out.
Second, there is no worse setup in the world than suburban sprawl. It makes for a truly horrific life. It’s the worst features of an urban environment combined with the worst features of a rural environment and none of the advantages of either.
Driving 30 miles to get to a damn stupid market is insane! I can’t imagine how awful that life would be. Going to the market must be a 2 or 3 hour chore. I go to the market and back in about half an hour or less.
And, my legs don’t atrophy into tiny little stubs barely able to support my enormous bulk of a stomach.
Commuting (presumably by car) is good??!!? How so? You like breathing exhaust? Yecch!! And, what does that encourage? Even if you don’t believe in
scienceglobal warming, you encourage war for oil. You pay money to the oil rich nations of the world, who pay a tithe to the terrorists that want to blow us up. This is good?Are you insane?
>>Commuting is a GOOD thing and to be encourages.
Wtf? Are you Dick Cheney? Or are you a die-hard lover of those suburban houses made of tickty-tacky? The ones that all look just the same?
#102 Scottie: No problem. I’d rather not say what it is, but I’ll give you a clue: It’s known as the “City of Lakes”, and it’s in a state where the license plates say “Land of Lakes”. If you’re ever in town, check out the “Northeast” neighborhood (known as “nord east” to the locals); the Nicollet Island Inn has a great Sunday brunch. Traffic may be a liittle rough down towards the U, though, through the end of ’08, until they finish rebuilding the 35W bridge.
#106 – MM,
Wow!! I didn’t know you lived in Kashmir … Interesting place.
Just kidding. But, it did come up ahead of your city on a google search for those names.