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Monthly Archives: February 2022
The fall of Eric Lander and the end of science’s ‘big ego’ era – STAT
Posted: February 11, 2022 at 6:11 am
The resignation of Eric Lander as President Bidens lead scientific adviser is not just a blow to one presidents plans for advancing research, but a signpost on the death march of a certain way of doing science. Its not quite big science, which isnt going anywhere. Call it big ego.
In science, big ego isnt exactly a new phenomenon. But in recent decades it grew with the emergence of researchers who could both handle the kind of gloves-off debate that can mark academic discourse and marshal vast resources to make certain types of scientific discoveries, like mapping genomes or understanding how molecular changes in a cell lead to cancer.
Accomplishing those tasks once seemed to require an outsize personality, as well as the ability to translate not only the meaning of science but the excitement of doing it to laypeople, to donors, to politicians. It was in this world that Lander excelled. For decades, he was not only one of the worlds most cited scientists, but also an administrator who built a research empire.
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It started with the Human Genome Project, a government effort to sequence the first human genome that originated with Nobel laureate James Watson, who was, by the way, one of sciences biggest and most toxic egos. (E.O. Wilson famously called him the most unpleasant human being I had ever met.) In recent years, Watson was disowned by the scientific establishment for racist and misogynistic remarks. But in the 1990s, as the co-discoverer of the double helix structure of DNA, he was exactly the kind of person one brought before Congress in order to make research dollars flow.
When Lander became involved, he was a mathematician and former business school professor who had started a sequencing center at Massachusetts Institute of Technologys Whitehead Institute. Watson was replaced as the Genome Projects head after three years, and the effort was slowly progressing toward completion. But another giant personality, the scientist Craig Venter, began work with a for-profit company, Celera Genomics, to generate, perhaps patent, and certainly profit from the genome by sequencing it first. The contest was made for the media. Venter was not only a scientific cowboy, he loved fast cars and big boats and adrenaline.
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Lander muscled his way into increasing control of the project, changing the way that it was organized so that the work could be done faster using new technologies made by Celeras parent company, PE Biosystems. The effort was a success: The public effort raced Venter to a draw in 2001.
Lander was left overseeing a large DNA sequencing center at the Whitehead. In a feat of tough bureaucratic brawling, he moved it to a new organization, the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard an organization, incidentally, named for its wealthy donor. And under Landers leadership, the Broad became perhaps the premier center for genetic research in the world.
Its hard not to see what happened this week as hamartia, the classic Greek tragic flaw. Politico first reported that Lander had issued an apology to staff for speaking in a disrespectful or demeaning way, and then that a White House investigation had found credible evidence that he had bullied his general counsel and had spoken harshly to colleagues in front of others. Perhaps the same behavior that was forgivable when he was fighting for the free availability of genetic information was not permissible in a modern White House. Perhaps his efforts at creating a new Cancer Moonshot and ARPA-H, a new science funding mechanism within the government, led old bad habits to metastasize. Perhaps he could always be a jerk.
When he was sworn in, Biden had promised to fire anyone who was disrespectful on the spot. But neither Lander nor the Biden administration seemed to see the train that was about to hit them. Lander waited to resign until Politico made public its investigation, which dated back to December. There was plenty of kindling for furor. Many scientists still seethe over a 2016 paper Lander wrote about the gene-editing technology CRISPR that seemed to inflate the Broads efforts and minimize the contributions of Jennifer Doudna and Emmanuelle Charpentier, who later won the Nobel for their work.
The consequences of Landers most recent behavior could be severe, with his role as a public intellectual severely reduced. Already, the American Association for the Advancement of Science has disinvited him from its annual meeting, one of the largest gatherings of scientists. But there are questions over where Lander goes next, and whether hed be welcome back at the Broad.
This is a gigantic change from the way things used to be, one that will likely have a positive impact on the way big-name scientists behave. This is not because ego will no longer play a role in science. It is because the consequences of behaving badly at work have become so large; those who would have openly bullied or disparaged co-workers will simply know that they cant do it if they want to accomplish their goals. In the same way Lander and Venter were selected by the era of big science, this next eras stars will be made of stuff that is less rude.
For years, a camera-grabbing persona and big achievements were enough to grant indulgence for just about any sin. It wasnt until 2007 that Watsons star finally faded completely, after he told a British newspaper that Black people were not as intelligent as white people; it was only after he made similar remarks again in 2019 that he was stripped of his final honorary titles.
Lander has never been accused of anything on that scale. But he did find himself apologizing, in 2018, for agreeing to toast Watson at a scientific meeting.
Lander was a force of energy and connection. When he would rise in the audience at scientific meetings, it was as if he stole the spotlight. He taught introductory biology at MIT for years, and turned mathematicians into biologists. He was immensely quotable. I remember one time when I was granted hours with other Broad scientists, and a short amount of time with Lander. He was pithy and clever and his words coursed with argument and excitement.
But being quotable isnt enough. That rare ability seemed so important, perhaps, in an era when sequencing even a single human genome required assembling rooms the size of football fields full of expensive machines. But it wasnt, really. And other big-name scientists are casting public images that reset the armwrestling, argumentative tone of the genome age. Doudna now heads the Innovative Genomics Institute at UC Berkeley and UCSF, and is in many ways the anti-Lander.
Science, in the end, is built on ambition and curiosity. It requires egos. But they neednt be quite so big.
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US trucker reveals why he would support a ‘Freedom Convoy’ in America: We are against government tyranny – Fox News
Posted: at 6:10 am
Waukesha trucker Carl Tharp-Porter told "Tucker Carlson Tonight" Thursday he would support an American freedom convoy to fight for the "freedom of choice."
OTTAWA FREEDOM CONVOY: NONPROFIT SETS UP FREE LEGAL HOTLINE TO ASSIST TRUCKERS
CARL THARP-PORTER: Of course, with America being a forefront of freedom, all right, we've always.. It's in my blood to fight for what's right. And I believe that having the freedom of choice, which our Canadian brethren is actually just trying to get and receive, I think that it's a no-brainer. You know, why not stand on the forefront with those guys? And show our solidarity with that country and say, hey we are against mandates; we are against force; we are against tyranny of government. We want the same thing that everybody else wakes up and deserves. That is the freedom of choice. So I've always been growing up to know that it's my body, my choice. What's going on now?
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Freedom Caucus members square off for a plum post with all eyes on McCarthy – POLITICO
Posted: at 6:10 am
McCarthy knows as well as anyone that the Freedom Caucus made its name by undercutting GOP leaders, having seen his own path to the speakership blocked in 2015 in part by some of its members. Things are different these days, with the California Republican on an apparent glide path to the speakers gavel after years of courting his conservatives.
While Rep. John Katko announced his retirement only last month, a trio of Freedom Caucus members is eyeing his senior GOP seat on the Homeland Security Committee.|Alex Wong/Getty Images
The race to replace Katko on the committee, then, may be as much of a test of how aggressively the Freedom Caucus pushes for more power as it is of McCarthys willingness to appease the right.
The final decision is a long way off, made by a GOP steering panel typically stocked with leadership allies, but Republicans are already jockeying to succeed Katko on Homeland Security. While Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) no longer serves on the panel, the new Freedom Caucus chief previously ran against Katko for the top committee spot in 2020 and now he says he will be honored if Im considered again.
Two other current members of the Trump-aligned Freedom Caucus currently serve on the panel and are also laying the groundwork for their bid: Reps. Clay Higgins (R-La.) and Dan Bishop (R-N.C.). So far, Rep. Michael Guest (R-Miss.) is the only rank-and-file member outside of the conservative group whos seeking the role. The veteran prosecutor said hes already spoken to McCarthy to express interest.
I will tell you that I was encouraged in the meeting because [McCarthy] also recognized the fact that my background would be the type of background that would be very good for Homeland Security, Guest said, adding that his experience would hopefully work for some sort of smooth transition as Katko retires, if I was able to take over the committee.
But you know, thats a long way off, he added.
The Freedom Caucus is not currently making a concerted push for members to get the Homeland Security gavel, but that could change; prominent members said they want to see more of their own involved in party leadership roles.
I personally would love to see more conservatives at the table, said Rep. Jeff Duncan (R-S.C.), a founding member of the group. If you look at the numbers, we make up a sizable part of the conference. And if were asking for a seat at the table or our voices to be heard thats just normal.
First-term lawmaker Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.), a Freedom Caucus board member, echoed Duncan and argued that leadership roles shouldnt be based on seniority.
I dont think that it should be seniority-driven. Thats not how I got here, Boebert said. I didnt work my way up the ladder or wait my turn to have a seat in Congress. And I dont think that Congress should operate that way either.
Multiple Republicans stressed the importance of seniority as the conference weighs its committee leaders, but House GOP history is replete with cases of the leadership-allied Steering panel advancing rank-and-file members over more conservative rabble-rousers. Roughly two years ago, Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.) snagged the top Oversight Committee role rather than four Freedom Caucus members who had panel seniority, though at least one had also chafed leadership in the past.
Following Katkos retirement, Higgins would be the next most-senior eligible Republican on the dais after Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas), whos already the partys top member on the House Foreign Affairs Committee and term-limited out of contention. After that, Guest would be the second most-senior contender, followed by Bishop.
When asked about his bid in the context that Freedom Caucus members have been previously passed over, Higgins replied: I am not necessarily the description of the kind of fella that would normally ascend to a position like that within this body, but I am exactly the kind of fella that America needs in a chair right now. Im a boots-on-the-ground, actual cop.
As McCarthy and his allies weigh Katkos successor on the committee, they can look to one prominent example of a Freedom Caucus member who came into their fold: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), a co-founder of the famously combative group. While members of the Steering panel warned McCarthy about installing Jordan as the partys top Oversight panel member in 2018, the Ohioan has since won over McCarthy and the Steering panel naysayers.
Lately Jordan, the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, serves as an informal intermediary between the Freedom Caucus and leadership. And Jordan is rooting for Bishop to ascend on Homeland Security, saying that he plans to advocate for it to McCarthy.
Bishop pointed to Jordans rise from leadership antagonist to McCarthy ally as a template hed like to follow.
It is important to be on the team, but push the team in order to do the right things, Bishop said in an interview.
While Jordan has McCarthys ear, its unclear how much he can help Bishop, one of his closest friends in the House. The North Carolinian may have alienated some Steering panel members by calling for Katko to be removed from the Homeland Security committees top GOP spot last year during a short-lived Freedom Caucus-driven push to punish the retiring centrist for a series of bipartisan votes he took this Congress.
Different members of the current Steering panel had varying views on the state of the playing field and favored different Katko successors when asked: Some said they see Guest as the best; others said Guest, Perry and Higgins are all on even footing. Some didnt like that Higgins suggested, in a letter after Katkos retirement announcement, that he planned to run for the role whether or not Katko stuck around.
If Perry were to get the partys top Homeland Security role, some colleagues privately fear that his more radical views could do serious damage to the panel. Though others predicted he could balance the Freedom Caucus chair role with committee work, given that both positions focus on border security.
And several Republicans suggested that, should Perry pull a Jordan-style move of his own and convince McCarthy he can stay on side while leading the party on Homeland Security, that could deliver the GOP leader a big get: a cooperative House Freedom Caucus chair.
CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story incorrectly described the nature of the punishment that some Freedom Caucus members sought for Rep. John Katko (R-N.Y.).
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Connecticut governor says ‘you have earned this freedom’ as he rolls back school mask mandate – Fox News
Posted: at 6:10 am
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In his 2022 State of the State address Wednesday, Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont joined a handful of fellow Democrats in rolling back some of their coronavirus-era restrictions, saying at one point of the sunsetting school mask mandate, "from a public health perspective, you have earned this freedom."
"I appreciate the authority you have granted me to keep this state safe for almost two years during the pandemic. But I am even more appreciative of each and every one of the residents who stepped up and did the right thing for themselves, their families and their communities," Lamont said from the legislative chamber in Hartford.
MASK MANDATES EASED ACROSS US AS COVID-19 HOSPITALIZATIONS DROP BELOW 100,000
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont delivers the State of the State address during opening session at the State Capitol, Wednesday, Feb. 9, 2022, in Hartford, Conn. (AP Photo/Jessica Hill)
"I know that we can do it safely. Our Department of Public Health [via Commissioner] Manisha Juthani will provide clear guidance along the way."
The power, he said, would rest with local school boards.
The Connecticut Republican Party later responded to Lamont's choice of words, saying in a statement on social media, "We are born free. Freedom is not granted by government FYI, Gov. Ned Lamont."
The first three words of the Constitution, "We the people," and the Declaration of Independence states: "Governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed."
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont speaks to reporters at Gay City State Park in Hebron, Conn. on Thursday May 21, 2020. The governor held his daily COVID-19 briefing for the media at the park in advance of the Memorial Day weekend. (AP Photo/Pat Eaton-Robb)
Connecticut's official nickname is the Constitution State.
Lamont went on to say that he has been closely working with neighboring state governors throughout the pandemic.
Early in the pandemic, several northeastern governors aligned to communicate about the ebb and flow of some restrictions.
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Lamont said Connecticut residents now have the "tools and experience" to keep themselves safe, and he lauded the state for being one of the "best-vaccinated in the country."
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How one province is trying to squash a Freedom Convoy rally before it begins and why some ask whether its a step too far – Toronto Star
Posted: at 6:10 am
In the face of a looming Freedom Convoy-style protest of its own this weekend, New Brunswick has moved swiftly to take what can only be construed as preventative measures.
But observers are questioning whether in making it illegal to organize, participate in or offer other support for such a protest the East Coast province may have driven over a line.
I dont agree at all with what (the protesters are) talking about, but I do like the fact that were in a free country and we have the right to protest, Kerri Froc, associate professor at the University of New Brunswicks Faculty of Law, said Thursday.
Any time that the state tries to tamp down that protest, they have to do so in a way that is reasonable, thats measured, thats proportionate.
The New Brunswick government revised its Mandatory Order for COVID-19 on Wednesday a process it goes through every couple of weeks. This time, though, the move came ahead of a demonstration expected to hit Fredericton this weekend, in a show of support for the convoy now occupying downtown Ottawa to protest vaccine mandates and health restrictions.
Accordingly, there was a new twist to the governments revision of its emergency order. Section 34 now prohibits the full or partial blockading of any roadway in the province and bans the gathering of people along any roadway so as to create a safety risk.
In enforcement terms, the revised order gives police the power to seize any motor vehicle involved in a blockade and to seize any supplies delivered in support of any such blockade. It also gives the province the power to fine individuals $3,000 to $10,000, and to suspend for 12 months the drivers licence of anyone convicted of breaching the section.
The new measures are similar to those implemented in other jurisdictions, said Premier Blaine Higgs. Just prior to the convoy arriving in Ottawa, Nova Scotia enacted a similar emergency measures prohibiting protests blocking or partially blocking highways, specifically citing the highway near the New Brunswick border.
It gives police the ability to act as necessary to avoid a situation like Ottawa, Higgs said.
New Brunswicks revised order, however, also contains a paragraph that bans participation, organization or financing or other support including food, fuel, construction materials and noise making implements for such a protest.
Higgs changed the order while at the same time announcing progressively loosening COVID restrictions for the province because public health data indicated it, not because of the protests, he insisted. He held out the hope, though, that the coming easing of restrictions would take the air out of Fredericton protesters sails.
Im hopeful that protesters who are there for the right reasons will find no reason to be there. And the ones that do show up, we have to question why.
Although New Brunswicks revised orders may ultimately help to fend off the kind of occupation in Fredericton that has paralyzed much of Ottawa, questions have to be asked about both the orders platform and their legality, said Froc.
In the nations capital, anti-COVID restriction protesters have occupied the downtown core for almost two weeks, choking traffic in the downtown core, forcing many of the businesses there to close their doors and until a recent court injunction harassing the citys residents with near-constant horn-blowing.
There have also been reports of harassment of the staff of various businesses, of the desecration of war memorials and of protesters carrying flags with hate symbols, including swastikas.
Ottawa police have been roundly criticized for not being active enough at the beginning of the convoy; protesters got so thoroughly entrenched that police suggested that enforcement of the law is not possible.
The Emergency Measures Act in New Brunswick gives the province wide authority for emergency orders. If emergency measures are in place because of the pandemic, though, the question can be asked whether Section 34, which relates to protests, is closely enough linked to public health to warrant inclusion.
If the protest was about an unrelated subject matter, could these terms still be wedged into the emergency order as it stands now? Froc asked.
Froc said the other question is whether, given that Section 34 prohibits gathering in support of a blockade protest, or any kind of support of that protests, the restrictions are a proportionate response to the threat. The answer has implications not just for the weekend protest in Fredericton, but potentially for other, future protests.
Governments are allowed under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms to limit rights, but it always has to be in service of an important objective, said Froc. I think weve got that here. (In Ottawa), the evidence there was that the noise level was equivalent to someone running a lawn mower in an apartment. So theres the potential for harm.
But is it proportionate?
That might be difficult to demonstrate in the case of charging people of providing support to a protest, she said. If a person donated $5 to a protest, is it proportionate for them to be fined $3,000 to $10,000, as the order seems to imply?
I think a judge might have some difficulty with that, she said.
Fredericton Mayor Kate Rogers said the concerns that the city has centre not around the anti-vaccine mandate protests, but the convoys that come with it, and the possible repetition of the problems caused by that convoy in Ottawa.
Fredericton police, in anticipation, have beefed up their numbers, calling upon nearby municipal police forces and the RCMP for resources. Rogers said shes been assured that demonstrators will be restricted to an area around the legislature, and the streets of downtown will be kept clear of the convoy.
Certainly everyones been following whats been taking place in Ottawa, said Rogers. Its been going on for a very long period of time, disrupting peoples day-to-day lives, the noise disruption, its impacted businesses, its impacted how people move around the city, which interferes with quality of life.
But it also interferes with public safety and with business. We dont want any of that in our city. Were doing everything in our power to keep that at bay.
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Quad grouping deserves the freedom to work together, says Antony Blinken – Business Standard
Posted: at 6:10 am
Raising concern about the increasing aggressiveness of China, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday said Quad grouping deserves the freedom to work together and associate with whom they choose to benefit people.
Australia is hosting India, Japan and the United States for the fourth Quad Foreign Ministers' meeting in Melbourne on Friday and the top diplomats are seeking to bolster cooperation in areas including economy, security, COVID-19 pandemic and free and open Indo-Pacific.
Blinken made these remarks in the presence of Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison, Australian Foreign Minister Marise Payne, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
"What's so striking to me as we get together is, that this is a group of countries brought together not by what we are against but what we are for. That quite simply is a free and open Indo-Pacific," said Blinken.
"People deserve to live freely, countries deserve to have the freedom to work together and associate with whom they choose. Together we can demonstrate that we are effective in bringing benefits to all of our people," US Secretary of State added.
Responding to a question on confrontation with China in Indo-Pacific, Blinken said that "nothing is inevitable".
"We share concerns in recent years, China has been acting more repressively, and more aggressively in the region, and, indeed, potentially, beyond. But, as I said, what brings us together what unites us is an affirmative vision for what the future can bring," Blinken said.
Talking about the Quad group's focus, Blinken said, "But also a commitment to defend the rules-based system that we have spent tremendous time and effort building over these many years, wherever it's vital, never it's challenged. So that's what we're focused on."
He further reiterated that "what brings us together is very much about the future that we're for that we're trying to build together."
The Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad) is a partnership of four nations, each of whom shares a commitment to openness, transparency and challenges coming out of the current global order.
(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
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Deputy Secretary General at Global Conference for Media Freedom: Even during crises, human rights apply and must be respected – Council of Europe
Posted: at 6:10 am
Even during crises, human rights fundamental rights do apply and must be respected, highlighted Deputy Secretary General Bjrn Berge while addressing the Global Conference for Media Freedom held in Tallinn (Estonia). The Deputy Secretary General underlined how extraordinary circumstances are marking our times, with an unprecedented rise of digital technology and several changes in the political environment, including the spread of fake news, hate speech and disinformation, during the ongoing impact of COVID-19. Moreover, he made reference to Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights, protecting freedom of expression for all Europeans, including media freedom.
The big question is of course: how can we apply the fundamental principles safeguarding freedom of expression?, emphasised Mr. Berge in his keynote speech. We are taking a range of initiatives, including developing specific guidelines for all our 47 member States, with a comprehensive approach to combating hate speech (particularly on-line), ensuring that digital technologies are used in an open, transparent and accountable way.
Finally, Deputy Secretary General stressed the relevance of the Platform for the safety and the protection of journalists since in recent times, intimidation, restrictions and attacks have increased. Last yearalone six journalists were killed in Europe, he concluded.
Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dmitry Muratov also delivered a strong message on media freedom. Meetings with Minister of Foreign Affairs Eva-Maria Liimets and Minister of Justice Maris Lauri were also part of the Deputy Secretary Generals agenda on his visit to Estonia, together with an exchange of views with Uzra Zeya, Undersecretary for Civilian Security, Democracy and Human Rights for the United States of America (USA).
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Hawaii and West Virginia are taking steps to protect student press freedom – Student Press Law Center
Posted: at 6:10 am
What do Hawaii and West Virginia have in common? They both took huge steps toward restoring and protecting student press freedom on February 3, when legislative committees in both states recommended New Voices legislation for passage.
Students in both states testified remotely before their representative Education committees, highlighting both the stories they have been able to tell and their hope that all student journalists will soon be able to do so. Hawaii student journalist Althea Cunningham told the committee: I want all student journalists to be protected. I want them to be able to chase and report truth in confidence like how we can. Schools are supposed to help prepare students for the future, How is letting administrators get away with killing articles they dont agree with helping our future journalists? This is not the ethics nor law I was taught. That is not how journalists works and thats not how our schools should work.
In West Virginia, Duncan Slade highlighted the recent work by WVU student journalists in reporting on health code violations at the university dining hall and decisions since reversed by the university to stop publishing COVID-19 health metrics. Those are all stories that are important because they hold the institution accountable, he said. Emily Caracciolo agreed, saying, I believe student journalism is too often relegated to second-class First Amendment status.
This is the first time New Voices legislation has moved forward in West Virginia, having been introduced for the first time in 2021 before the session ended without so much as a hearing. Hawaii in 2020 very nearly became the 15th New Voices state, when three House committees, the full House and a Senate committee approved the bill before it had to be tabled as a direct result of the emerging COVID-19 pandemic.
As of February 9, New Voices bills are on the docket in nine states. This includes Florida, which has not had a New Voices bill in several years, and Illinois, where the legislature is considering strengthening the New Voices law to protect teachers and ensure student journalists can robustly enforce the law.
Hawaiis Senate bill will be heard by the Senate Education committee on Friday, February 11. The House bill will still need to be heard by the committee on Judiciary and Hawaiian Affairs. West Virginias bill next needs to be heard by the Judiciary committee.
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Hilary Fannin: I coveted the freedom other women’s money bought them – The Irish Times
Posted: at 6:10 am
A room of my own is part of the deal, a perk of the fellowship.
I picked up the key from the office on campus, where the warmly enthusiastic woman behind the desk reassured me that nobody should worry for one second about their age when taking up a new work challenge. Life, she posited, would continue to open doors as long as we kept knocking on them.
I nodded away in agreement, like one of those plastic dogs people used to stick inside the rear windows of their Cortinas, and told her, sincerely, that it was very nice to meet her.
I left and went about finding my abode. In truth, while being extremely interested in the process of maturation, I have never considered age a deterrent when it comes to beginning anew. In my limited (and profoundly privileged) experience, there are far tougher obstructions to fulfilling ones aspirations than a birth date.
Times in my life when Ive been skint and times when Ive had to steady up and take care of small children have been much greater hindrances to ambition (worthy or not) than whatever decade happened to be decorating my bones.
I dont suppose it holds true for all of us, but Im pretty sure that, for many, financial and parental responsibilities occlude desire, sap energy and make the process of creating and pursuing fulfilling work much tougher.
When I was a young(ish) mother, there were things I longed for, such as travel, or the attention of my peers, or the freedom to drink wine in a dark bar at 5pm, instead of being at home grilling fish fingers and singing the Barney theme tune.
Indeed, there were times when that oppressively jolly purple dinosaur felt like some kind of reptilian Big Brother, making sure I diligently fulfilled my parental duties rather than slipping away into the hazy night.
(For those of you at a loss to know what Im prattling on about, Barney is a giant all-talking, all-singing tyrannosaurus, a patrician puppet and star of a sickly-sweet American childrens TV programme which plagued our modestly sized screens in the 90s and noughties. A dino in a heliotrope sweat-suit, he peddled, among other things, solid family values and optimal oral hygiene, and wouldve had no time at all for artsy mothers having a fit of the vapours. Oh, were brushing our teeth and having so much fun, / but we never let the water run, no! he sang, in his wholesomely coercive way. No, we never let the water run!)
Before the financial collapse, when my children were small and I was slumped over the kitchen table trying to put one word in front of the other, I was aware on occasion of feeling quite alone.
I could hear a cacophony of consumerism through the wall, an insouciant song sung by a monied tribe, a cohort my life sometimes brushed against. I remember feeling a pulse of envy in those boom years, watching women flick their silky hair over their shoulders while choosing between the pearl grey or the baby blue. It wasnt their lifestyles I coveted (cashmere sweaters dont, as far as Im aware, make your life more interesting); it was the freedom their money might have bought them.
Im sure if Id listened hard enough, Barney, that saintly theropod with the hugely sinister laugh, would have had a pithy piece of advice about sticking quiet rage and broken artistic endeavours up ones purple posterior and getting on with embracing parenthood. But if he did, I didnt hear him.
Ive been lucky. My children are now independent, my responsibilities have lessened, and I find myself inhabiting one of lifes sweet spots.
Anyway, having left the university office, key in hand, I nosed my way around campus, found my room, put my books away and went out to get a takeaway coffee. On my return, I encountered a mother and daughter, seemingly lost, attempting to locate the daughters student room.
Ask that lady! the mother instructed loudly as I approached.
The daughter reluctantly did as she was told, embarrassed by her harassed mother, who interrupted her anyway to better explain their plight.
Its her first day, she said. If its not this building, then what building is it?
I apologised, telling her that it was my first day also and suggesting that they visit the kind, non-ageist woman in the office.
Good luck, the daughter said quietly, before turning to follow her mothers determined back.
You too, I replied. You too.
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Hilary Fannin: I coveted the freedom other women's money bought them - The Irish Times
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Making mistakes part of freedom but Mahaan makes one too many – ThePrint
Posted: at 6:10 am
By the end of two hours and 42 minutes of Mahaan on Amazon Prime Video, I was torn between two feelings whether to critique it as a competent massy entertainer or pen down the fundamentally unhinged ideology of the film. That does not happen often and nudged me to laud the film, at least to begin with, for being a well-crafted and directed piece of cinema.
For the most part, director Karthik Subbarajs Mahaan, shot in Tamil, is peppered with terrific performances by the lead actors and the supporting cast, coupled with intricate production, design, smart camera work, direction, and multi-lingual music. But then again, this comes as no surprise, considering that Subbaraj is the captain of this ship.
If only this was enough.
The eponymous hero Gandhi Mahaan (played by Chiyaan Vikram) is a man living in the closet with an insatiable desire to drink and gamble. Right from his childhood to marriage, he struggles to keep up with the expectations of his family. This is set by his namesake who happens to be the leading figure in Indias freedom struggle (no big deal!).
From his familys point of view, Mahaan has been blessed with raw ingredients to become mahaan (great) his ancestors participated in the freedom struggle and were staunch anti-liquor activists, his wife is an ardent follower of the Gandhian ideology. But at no point during the entire runtime does anyone ask him if he wants to lead that life. His father fabricates Mahaans birth certificate by a day, only to coincide the date of his birth with Independence Day. Cut to 28 years later, as Mahaan turns 40, he is still being hauled up (by his wife this time) for not living up to his name.
One fine day When Mahaans wife and child travel out of town for a day, he comes alive much like kids when parents leave them home alone. He ditches the plain white shirts and switches to colours, hops into a bar, tries liquor, dances, and gambles his inhibitions and rule-bound life away. But hell breaks loose when he returns home the following day (in his gaudy, multi-coloured attire and reeking of alcohol) to find his wife and relatives aghast to see him in this avatar. They are taken aback to know that he consumed alcohol a slip in his 40 years of life. Eventually, his wife leaves him, taking away the child with her too. Life changes hereon.
Also read: Cliched, monotonous, lazy Why I Killed Gandhi is not worth the hype
At one point, you hear a dialogue: Ideology defines you. Be it political, religious, or social. You follow an ideology, you live for it and you die for it. From the films perspective, it means that there is no room for discussion and your only choice is to deal with extremists.
Years later, when Mahaan is a liquor baron reaping the fruits of his monopoly in the business, his son, Dadabhai Naoroji, returns as a police officer with the agenda of (drumroll, please) ruining his fathers life. We are told that, unlike his fathers problematic ways, Dada has chosen the right way to seek revenge.
But he is no Singham, nor is he Chulbul Pandey or Simmba. Dada is, in equal measures, a headless chicken and a raging bull. His plan of action is fuelled by rage with nothing concrete in it. He is either brooding, laughing at odd moments (meant to be maniacal), or shooting people to punish his father. In simpler terms, the character is unhinged, much like the screenplay. However, Dhruv Vikram (real-life son of Tamil superstar Vikram) plays his part to the T, a big leap from his forgettable debut in Adithya Varma (2019), a remake of the 2017 Telugu blockbuster Arjun Reddy.
Mahaan is a film driven by flawed ideologies with alcoholism being the central conflict. But at no point does one get to see the ills of alcoholism. It rather comes across as one bunch disliking the audacity of the other enjoying a drink.
Towards the end of the film, Mahaan tells his son, Freedom is not worth having if it doesnt include the freedom to make the mistakes. Very true. But in the guise of freedom, Mahaan makes one too many of those. Justifying violence and murder, reducing Gandhian ideology to just alcohol prohibition are a few. In this nearly three-hour-long debate over the right way to do things, nobody wins.
(Edited by Humra Laeeq)
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Making mistakes part of freedom but Mahaan makes one too many - ThePrint
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