Do you like lists? I love ’em. My favorites include “100 things to do before you die,” “50 ways to lose your blubber,” and “25 ways to hide your bald spot.” (No, I don’t have a bald spot. I have a bald zip code.)
I just found another list. It’s called “Ten people who could change the world” and — surprise, surprise — Bobby Jindal is on it. The man never ceases to amaze me. I mean, he’s destined to change the world, whereas I have enough trouble changing my little son’s diaper.
The list appeared in the British magazine New Statesman, along with a profile of the Louisiana governor and future president.
Bobby Jindal talks too fast. That, both admirers and detractors agree, is the most noticeable flaw in the impressive presentation he offers as the first Indian-American governor and perhaps the best prospect for revitalising a Republican Party that has just started its tour of the wilderness … [Link]
Come on, guys. He doesn’t talk too fast. You just need to brush up on your Punjabi. You do know that he isn’t always speaking English, don’t you?
The man is brilliant. He speaks Punjabi, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, French, Spanish, Arabic, Swahili and Xhosa, to name just a few. He’ll be the first U.S. president who can talk to foreign leaders in their native tongues. That would be a stark contrast from the last Republican president, who could barely talk to foreign leaders in his native tongue.
His rush of words is likely linked to the rush of his ambition, and his ambition – at 37, just two years above the minimum to be president – appears beyond restraint. He began his assimilation aged four, when he announced to his parents, a civil engineer and state official who moved from the Punjab to Louisiana before their son was born, that he wanted to be called “Bobby”, after a character in the 1970s sitcom The Brady Bunch, rather than his given name, Piyush. [Link]
You hear that? Bobby began his assimilation at age 4! The only thing I was assimilating at age 4 was payasam. Changing my name was the farthest thing from my mind. I was focusing on more exciting things, such as climbing the tree in the front yard, bouncing a ball off the neighbor’s wall, and pulling my sister’s hair.
He further adapted to his surroundings in his late teens when he left behind his Hindu heritage and converted to Catholicism, a move he chronicled in lengthy confessional writings while at Brown University and then Oxford, where he was a Rhodes scholar. [Link]
Lengthy confessional writings while in college? The only lengthy thing I wrote in college was a love poem to a young lady who, unfortunately, ran off with a man who had wooed her with a lengthy confessional writing.
After a brief stint as a management consultant, he got his first job in government at 24, when, with the backing of a congressman he had interned for, he submitted a proposal to reform the state’s public health-care system. [Link]
When he was 24, he submitted a proposal to reform the state’s public health-care system. When I was 24, I submitted a proposal to reform my roommate’s bathroom cleaning system. (His system involved staring at the dirty tub, shaking his head and shouting, “Hey Melvin, isn’t it your turn to clean the bathroom this year?”)
While many have already declared Jindal the “Republican Barack Obama”, the differences between the two men are telling. Where Obama has, after much soul-searching, memoir-writing and Kenya-visiting, embraced his biracial identity, Jindal has sought more to find common cause with white Americans. He loves McDonald’s and took to wearing cowboy boots during his second run for governor. And although he married a fellow Indian American, some relatives in the Punjab complain that he downplays his ties to his ancestral homeland. Where Obama was adrift in his early years, Jindal was raised in a steady household with high expectations and forged straight ahead from early on, showing up at college in penny loafers while Obama slouched with a cigarette. And where Obama has benefited from his eloquence and style, Jindal’s appeal is more workmanlike. He lacks Obama’s big smile and, at 5ft 8in and 135lb, offers little in the way of physical presence. [Link]
Bobby does have a big smile (see pic). He may be small in stature now, but if experience teaches us anything, it’s that the man never stops growing. By the time he runs for president, he’ll be 6-foot-three and 220. An extra helping of Cajun cooking will do the trick, not to mention those cowboy boots.
Yes, don’t be surprised if you see him on another list, this time in Forbes magazine: “The 25 most well-heeled politicians in the world.”
Interesting. When I was little I would only answer to the name ‘Stacy.’ Looking back, it is an embarassing moment- one I wish I could take back. Piyush seems to relish it. That’s more than a little disturbing.
neetu sez
🙂
and… there was a time I would go eat lunch alone because i was embarassed for the parathas my parents had packed me.
You cant trust someone that hates who they are and where they come from. Still calling himself Bobby at 37 huh? I’m no fan of Jindal.
Oh, goody!! Yet ANOTHER thread where we can beat the “he changed his name!!” and “he converted to that icky Christianity” horses to death. Because really, when it’s been commented on over a thousand times, have we said enough? This Christian with an “easy” name is now going to shut her laptop and go outside. Life is too short to read about repetitive allegations of conversion for political gain and how Desis who are Christian have it SO EASY.
I don’t know why he converted, but I do know that in almost all of the conversations which center around that choice of his, people like me are often left feeling uneasy at best, “grandfathered in” (because we converted a millenia or so ago) at worst. Ugh, ugh, ugh.
I am wondering how all these people, who comments in this thread, can trace their ancestry(and names) to Lord Brahma directly. Oh Mea Culpa! I forgot that is what some of the stupid people in some other religion do.
While many have already declared Jindal the “Republican Barack Obamaâ€, the differences between the two men are telling.
For one thing Jindal was not raised by white people like Obama and his grandparents.
Ok, ok, ok. Can we get above this crap? Forget his name and discuss what he’s doing as governor of Louisiana. Like his hypocrisy on the stimulus bill, massive education cuts and other boondoggles. Start your reading here.
And although he married a fellow Indian American, some relatives in the Punjab complain that he downplays his ties to his ancestral homeland.
That is a good thing, cause most punjabi’s can’t let go of the fact they are from the Punjab and make it there purpose in life to let everybody know that they are proud to be punjabi. Even here in Canada all the punjabi in political office spend alarge amount of time talking about there punjabi background.
Oh, goody!! Yet ANOTHER thread where we can beat the “he changed his name!!” and “he converted to that icky Christianity” horses to death.
The post is a little humorous. I mean the guy who wrote it is Melvin and that’s not a traditional Indian Hindu name.
3 · suman said
I am also wondering how you can trust a devotee who left his sacred land to earn a few dirty bucks on the savage land of the Americas.
Let’s not sell Bobby Short. He’s 5 ft 9″ tall……
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/How_tall_is_Bobby_Jindal
1 · neetu said
I am wondering whether that is to do with something called ‘Historical revisionism’!
Christ, all the build up from a left liberal outfit like the New Statesman and the swooning over by all the desis. When the truth comes out, Jindal shall be revealed to be the charlatan he is and perhaps the most protean of politicians in the US today – a biology major who swears by Creationism to pander to his constituency, a failure at budgeting – look at his latest budget mess at a time the state of La. is awash in oil/gas revenues. I could go on and on, but this guy is a fraud if ever there was on. If he is to be the face of the ‘new’ GOP, there is no hope for it. With mountebanks like Jindal and Steele at the helm, the GOP should be in for a long period in the political wilderness
Anna, while his religious background doesn’t bother me one bit nor his choice of changing his name, I can’t get over the fact that he is an ardent supporter of Creationism. I can accept his abortion stance since that’s a debate (I am not saying I like it), but surely not Creationism again. Please!!! We should not be having that in the public debate again…
5ft9 is average. Im 6ft tall and I am a F-ing midget compared to all of the new generation of kids who have just got done with puberty. I am at the library alot and there are alot of teens here and even the Indian kids are huge. Like 75% of them are taller than me.
And sorry Anna, but be prepared for more “Name Changing” jokes. Comedian Aziz Ansari is going to star in a new tv show on NBC with Amy Poehler called “Parks and Recreation” and he is playing a small time politican(I think) who goes by “Tom Haveford”, but his real name is some hardcore Indian name.
The other issue I do want to see Bobby coming into the limelight and after a few months, he becomes another joke like Sarah Palin because of how fake he turns out to be, and we will be stuck with that stereotype for another two decades. Not defending Hinduism, but the hippies and Hollywood collectively ruined its image in America. Don’t need another one. Again, I am not saying all Indians are Hindus but you get the point..
That reminds me of the scene in “The Namesake” where Gogol tells his 1st grade teacher that he wants to be called Gogol, not Nikil.
14 · KJ said
Oh, my. I wouldn’t want you to get over that! Ever. I have no issues with us DISCUSSING THE ISSUES. Unfortunately, it often isn’t about Creationism or other policy positions. Instead, conversations about Jindal devolve in to bitching about two things: his name and his chosen faith. That. Gets. Old.
I don’t bring it up as often as I want to, but sometimes, when people are really mad here, there’s some icky conflating going– in the process of attacking the Governor, people like me who never changed their name or their religion are inadvertently attacked, as well. Over the course of my life, (and especially over the past five years, via emails I’ve received because of SM) I’ve met many Desi Christians who have lamented how they’re made to feel as if they are less than brown because of their names or their religion. That’s pretty shitty. I don’t think I should be faulted if I try and make sure that doesn’t happen here, on a blog which I co-founded.
Creationism? Go to town!
Ah..Didn’t know he is a polygot.
Sure. In fact past any website link here. It is fun..Web 2.0 time pass.
aside of the fact that this is a humor post, it’s a bit of a reach to compare jindal to palin. the guy had a stellar academic career, was a rhodes scholar, worked for a blue chip consulting firm and transformed a bankrupt government program to a surplus. The guy’s got serious credibility and yu all seem to be hung up on his personal religious beliefs or his name. Wow!
why is creationism so taboo. most religions believe in a creator. heck i am not too hot on evolution either. if i can take care of my corporeal needs [food and sex] and feel spiritually ok, that’s all man. if your uncle was a cow dont push that on me yaar. not my problem.
Why are Muslim/Arabic names never considered “Not authentic” with Indians? None of them are Indian, but have a name like “John” and you automatically trying to be something your not?
It is obviosly a race thing. So, you see Anna, most Indian’s just are fearfull of people leaving the dark side and leaving one less soldier for us when the race wars start.
I have already determined that If I ever have a wife who has a daughter that the name “Celina” be a top contender for name. I dont give a shi# if people think it is to “spanish” sounding. It is a damn pretty name.
the guy had a stellar academic career, was a rhodes scholar
Don’t know what’s worse: an ignorant belief in Creationism or an educated one.
Don’t get too excited. Last year that same list had indian tennis player Sania Mirza as one of its “Ten people who could change the worldâ€.
You also failed to notice that another indian, Dr Regina Papa, is on this years list as well. Looks like the makers of this particular list tend to favor africans, muslims and desi christians.
http://www.newstatesman.com/asia/2009/01/women-papa-india-auw
23 · Maitri said
So what do you think of the Creationist beliefs of educated hindu vaishnavites (probably the majority of hindu-americans), who believe that the universes originate from the pores of MahaVishnu’s skin?
22 · ShallowThinker said
I already decided that I’m naming my future son “Bear.” It’s just too cool a name not to have.
Still working on a name for my future daughter though.
Hells yeah, he speaks punjabi. You’re a punjabi if you speak punjabi, not because of a religion. speak punjabi = apna.. pretty simple.
25 · Rama said
“Creationism” in the American political discourse is more than just an idea that there is a broad creator, it usually refers to the idea that the origin of the universe as interpreted by a literal interpretation of the Book of Genesis should be thought as a legitimate alternative to scientific theories (such as evolution by natural selection) in science classrooms.
There’s the problem. You can talk about David Hume and other academic ideas about creationism in a philosophy class. Keep it out of the natural sciences. Of course, the fragile egoes of the hardcore fundies who usually push for these probably wouldn’t be able to handle it when any philosophy professor worth a damn systematically dismantles their literalist world-view.
Simple solution to creationism in classroom problem…put it in morality, religion or XYZ-101. Make it an elective so only republican-voter-parents will choose that course for their kids. Perfect solution via freedom of choice. Why do humanities folks/lawyers/politicians complicate the problem ?
29 · Priya said
The objective was never for children to actually get an education in natural philosophy. The objective behind pushing creationism in schools is to ram the most right-wing iteration of Christianity down everyone’s throats.
30 · NV said
Stop exagerrating. Creationists want their views to be taught along with darwinism. Darwinism requires as great a leap of faith as creationism.
I don’t know much about his policies or the man (i always thought he was south indian), but in general, i disagree with republicans. Wanting to teach creationism in public schools as a science is a joke. If there’s a class that teaches creationism, as well as other religious beliefs on how the world started, fine. But my kids will never go to a school that teaches creationism as how the world started. Luckily i live in cali so that wont happen. Sure, evolution might be proven wrong (which i doubt will ever happen) or have many flaws exposed, but at least there’s research/evidence behind it. There’s no proof of creationism. There’s no evidence of creationism. I have no problem with people believing it, but don’t try to teach my kids creationism.
As far as his name/religion change, its not a big deal. Even if he only did it to fit in, what does it matter. Maybe as a kid, he didn’t have the confidence to stick up for himself. And its not like he grew up with other south indians that he could lean on for support. If fitting in made him happy, more power to him. Had he not made the change, who knows what would’ve happened. Maybe he would’ve constantly been picked on, beat up, etc., and his life would’ve turned out differently. As it stands now, the man is a governor that is well liked in his state. Many of my friends have cut their hair just to fit in, which is like the homeless version of changing religions.
Well if it is such a divisive issue and desired topic in syllabus then what is the harm in adding an addendum that also talks about the rival concept and what is the scientific status wrt to each and who believes in what and why ? Shouldn’t this satisfy the non-creationists ?
31 · JF said
Creationism in general, sure. But I think the popular term for that these days is “intelligent design.” I’ll grant the theory of natural selection (your use of the term “Darwinism” is both inaccurate and ideologically loaded) requires a leap of faith. But saying it needs as big a leap of faith as Biblical creationism is just nuts. Natural selection wants me to trust that the scientific method is a valid one for describing the natural world. Biblical creationism demands that I actually ignore what my senses and the scientific method tells me in order to adhere to a literalist interpretation of a specific scripture.
Plus, it’s a science class. Science class is for learning the scientific method. Not for learning about philosophy or metaphysics.
Ah..I guess there are many more useful things to teach in science and non-science course. they might as well teach history and geography of world religions so that it more useful to them later on in a globalized world of conflicts.
He’d have to compose morose poetry on live journal. It would be awful.
31 · JF said
The issue with teaching biblical creationism is that it arbitrarily picks just one of mankinds numerous Creation Myths and rejects the rest as undeserving to be taught. Why? How does that make sense?
Also, it is absurd to equate Darwinism with biblical creationism. Evolution can be observed not just in nature but in labs as well.
This is a good point. But why is Darwinism such an important topic to be taught in a science class at the early school level ? And wherever Darwinism is taught teaching other -isms too has a strong merit as an argument. I guess the only fear of non-creationists is teaching right-wing concepts under the hood of creationism/intelligent design as pointed by some commenters. Are there any other problems with creationism/intelligent design in syllabus ?
Evolution ‘theory’ has a lot of holes in it. Scientist accept it simply because there is nothing better out there. I personally believe that we were created by the Annunaki of the planet Niburu. http://www.cyberspaceorbit.com/dm_report.html
Now how do I get people to make beheading videos in the name of my faith…
Back to jindal. Smart capable guy…makes economic sense and seems to be more honest than average politician. Not telegenic though.
actually melvin linked a rather deep article. Here’s the winning excerpt for me.
i relate to him and it just isnt about him being indian – just that he’s more substance than style.
20 · khoofi said
it’s not his personal religious beliefs, he is trying to push his belief system on the wider public with lies. as for deficits, have you looked at the mess he’s made of louisiana? it was all good when oil was flying high, but like bush, he used that to cut taxes and not invest, and now the state is hurting giantly. and third, transforming a govt program into a surplus by cutting off pretty much all of its social beneficial value is i don’t know what kind of victory. But while the leading good-government group here, citing that addiction, warned last May against the Legislature’s plan for a $360 million income tax cut, Mr. Jindal called the tax break “terrific news†and happily signed it into law as legislators cheered.
Admonitions on fiscal prudence went unheeded, as they have so often here, and the bill is now due. Earlier this year there was an $865 million surplus; now Louisiana has a $341 million shortfall in its current-year budget, and next year the projected deficit is $2 billion.
There could be some $109 million in education spending cuts alone, and an additional $160 million in health care cuts, much from Medicaid — unfavorable circumstances for the rollout of Mr. Jindal’s ambitious new plan to partly privatize Medicaid in the state.
has anybody mentioned his fabulous essay on personally recommending and participating in an exorcism yet?
and are people seriously asking why it is ok to teach kids religious fairy tales in class and call it science?
i know that was intended more for comic effect, but you DO realize that our knowledge of the absolute and of knowledge itself has changed over time. coast of england and all that sort of thing.
true. that’s a mistake many have made. including here in canada and we’re hurting rather bad. actually, that’s a rather sensitive topic for me. my heart is paining paining at the hot mess our p.m. has got us into. i dont dispute your point on the fiscal shithole – but it’s just weird when people take cheap shots about his name or his personal faith.
now… since we are encroaching on melvin-land… i have to add the last melvin i knew was this character. and he REALLY was a character.
ok. i’m off to drink some chai.
Gov. Jin is more Southern by the day.
By next election time, he will have a grandfather that was a bootlegger and have a mother that every night for supper would collar up some greens, get some crawfish out the paddy, and serve some crab apples for desert now ya hear.
Science isn’t about understanding the absolute. Philosophy and theology are separate departments, often in completely separate buildings. The nature of knowledge itself is also not science. That’s called “epistemology” and it also is in a different building (usually the same one as philosophy.)
Science is a methodology for observing natural phenomena and testing our observations to see whether or not they line up with the real world in a logically consistent manner. That’s all it is. People who try too hard to have science grasp at philosophy do terrible violence to both disciplines and evangelists (I refuse to refer to Biblical literalists as “theologians”) are similarly self-absorbed and self-destructive.
I understand that compartmentalizing knowledge is a facet of Western culture and a result of “academics” being rooted in an Aristotlian heritage and largely foreign to Indian philosophy’s Dharmic roots, but we don’t live in a Dharmic country. So we work with the system we have. Ceding ground in the science class will do nothing but guarantee that none of our kids ever gets a decent understanding of biology. Natural selection is a theory upon which almost all of modern biology is based. You literally can’t go anywhere in the field if you’re going to willfully deny it for some ideological end.
3 · suman said
What makes you think he hates himself? I’m Punjabi and Bobby’s a very common name for Punjabis. One of my brothers is called Bobby.
Jindal–Petraeus 2012!!
it seems if jindal tones down his creationism-mania a bit the “desi putthar” can unseat the “celebrity” in 2012 ?
NV@44 …separate buildings in university is a very important concept…but you can also have interdisciplinary programs to satisfy the others. But there is already academic politics in univs. on fronts similar to creationism/intelligent design vs. Darwinism in schools. For e.g. should should corporates, defense contractors influence research agenda, curtail academic freedom with their clout and money ?
There is proof of natural selection at work. There is no proof of adam and eve. There seems to be a new trend merging evolution and creationism though. People say god created man in his image and his image was one of evolution. In the end, no logical person would want creationism to be taught alongside evolution. If it was covered in a section which covered other beliefs, fine. But to be pushing only creationism is hypocritical. I haven’t seen one argument made in favor of creationism other than, its what i believe. At least with evolution, there is tangible evidence. In christian belief, the world is only something like 5,000 years old. Then people say, no, back then, we don’t know what defined “day.” A “day” could’ve been millions of years. The thing that really puts it over the edge for me is how creationism changes due to new discoveries in science. Not to say, science hasn’t been proven wrong or corrected. But science has always been proven wrong by newer science. Creationism only changes when there’s a new discovery in science.
Also, you can’t put all the blame of Louisiana’s woe’s on Jindal. A state that is quite the opposite, Cali, is begging for money as well. We still haven’t passed our budget and the state is near a collapse. LA county is threatening to not pay the state, counties are running out of money for entitlement programs, schools are on the verge of not having enough money to pay for meals, and it goes on and on. In this current world wide economy, everyone is hurting. To say the budget crisis falls on Jindals shoulders is a lazy and uninformed opinion.
The real problem with Piyush Jindal the Hindu turning into Bobby Jindal the extreme right wing Christian is that this was the only way he could get elected as Governor and be a star in the GOP, regardless of the sincerity of the conversion. Minorities are not that accepted in the US for higher office unless they assimilate and “whiten” themselves.
We are all aware of race and gender prejudice in higher office, but one of the most pervasive prejudices is religion. Heck, you have to be even a Protestant until Kennedy was elected and opened the door for Catholics, and still no Catholic has been elected since to President. Biden as VP is the closest in 40 years. Piyush Jindal the Hindu would have had zero chance of being elected in Louisiana, forget about being a Presidential contender.
As of today you have to sell out and whiten yourselves as much as possible if you want the top position. I don’t blame him. He is doing the best he can with the prejudices of today.
It’s a free world & Mr. Jindal is entitled to practice whatever religion the way he pleases. But for the sake of convenience, he only had to drop 2 letters in his Hindu name (Piyush) to the Catholic name of Pius (as in Pope Pius XII whose real name was Eugenio Maria Giuseppe Giovanni Pacelli.) Bobby Jindal is a better name than Shawn Valentino.