The week in re(ar)view
Weird news is good news

Target practice
2 Bangladeshis have been shot on the border by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on 14 July. Then there were two more the previous days. Few days before that there has been a battle going on with hundreds participating between BSF and local BDR. You'd think they were using us for target practice.

EC has discovered youth potion
Apparently 7 crore voters have not been allowed to age in 6 years. Even more surprising is that the world is actually round but that is another story. According to the Election Commission's (EC) rules the voter list created in 2000 with age and job mentioned there will remain as it used to be. So the age mentioned in 2000 is still valid now. Of course, the list will contain a column showing the particular voter's age as listed in 2000. So many calculators will be needed. Our Resident Conspiracy Theorist has theorized that EC has made a secret deal with a calculator manufacturing company and is using this ploy to sell more units.

BIMAN new slogan
BIMAN hikes up domestic fare by 6 percent. The ailing state airline is ailing already such that people do not want to fly. Maybe their plan is to increase fares and as a result get the same amount from the reduced number of passengers as they would get from a full load. There will be a time when 1 passenger will be charged a ticket price high enough to run BIMAN for an entire year.
Old slogan: You home in the air
New slogan: We are nowhere in the air

Chickens decide not to cross road
This is true in Dumria Upazila where chickens have finally realized crossing the road is not a very smart idea. So they have decided to actually live UNDER the road. A picture on 12 July showed that a part of the river bed under a bridge is silted up and used for poultry farming. The chickens live under the bridge where there is suppose to be water. Poor planning, design, misappropriation of funds will cost the government but at least save the chickens.

HIGHLIGHT: Business venture of the year 2006
Car import is apparently a hot business still. 11 August report showed that about 12000 cars are brought into the country by tax evasion to avoid paying out 25 crore. Papers are doctored to bring in older cars and sold as relatively news ones. Government rule is that no car above 4 years old can be imported. Abdul Mannan Khoshru, president of Bangladesh Reconditioned Vehicles Importers and Dealers Association (BRVIDA) says that stringent import policy inspires a section of importers to resort to illegal activities. Interesting. Does that mean if rules are relaxed they will be honest?

By Gokhra and Mood Dude

RS Mailbx

Helloo Iris! Do you know that my favorite song is Iris? It's sung by this awesome band called the Goo Goo Dolls. You must have heard it. It's the theme song of City of Angels. For some reason many people don't like it- calling it a sissy and silly movie. But I still tell everyone it's a cool movie in the risk of social ostracizing. It's always ok to express your opinion- if you have solid arguments for it. Actually its solidness is tested by expression and by the test we can come up with the truth. Whoa! You must be wondering how all this is related to SSC? But wait, are you supposed to? After all you don't seem to have ever heard of 'irony'? Sure, you found the words 'absurdly awesome' to be repulsive. It does sound awful. Forgive me; I am not as blessed in English as you are. But the words do have a nice effect. I mean your results are awesome! Actually I am falling head over heels over it! But at the same time they are absurd. How else can you explain the dramatic, fantastic, expansive, awesome increase of marks? It defies everything! Sure you can point out a bucket load of insults and arguments but you seem to have conveniently 'forgotten' the main issue here. I have only one simple question. Please give one reasonable explanation of the result trend? That's all I need to ask. Period.

Hmm, understandably you are angry. But bear with me, please. At the end of the essay you might just find some 'accountable information'

You berated my grading system explanation. However I didn't forget about it. Its inclusion is absolutely un-necessary, because before 2001 the GPA 5 system didn't even exist. It was a mark system, with top marks getting top awards. As you can clearly see, there would be inflation, yes. But it doesn't affect the way the examines are rewarded. But I admit I forgot to mention the fact that from 2004 onward- it was decided to include the optional marks. And when did all the dramatic increase start? Mr. Manzoor Ahmed, the Director of Education and Development, BRAC wrote in the Daily Star: “Since 2004, the scores above 40 percent for an optional subject (the so called fourth paper) were added equally to all the compulsory subjects, thus artificially boosting the grade point average.”

Easy Exams:
Of course I can't answer any of your papers. But that's because we underestimate the importance of memorizing and blurting out 'relevant' scientific content, like Isaac Newton's birthday. I never knew physics involved memorizing history. Oh and about the memorization culture- anyone can memorize. Period. Not everyone can use these problems creatively to solve problems. That's how you distinguish the good from the great and the great from the average. That's what exams are all about.

English Exams:
Ah, this was my favorite part Iris. You wrote, “If anyone can stretch that paragraph to write a 15 marks' worth Essay then s/he deserves 80% marks in English any day”- am I hearing correctly hear? So you say that if you can basically reproduce my letter to write another letter you deserve an A+. Very enlightening.

You know what the worst part about the letter is. You made me sound like a vindictive arrogant English medium-er. I have nothing against Bangla medium students. I have nothing but admiration for you. The effort you put in is amazing and even in my entire life time I can't replicate the struggles you go through. I clearly wrote that in my essay, a fact which you conveniently, overlooked. Did I also mention that you guys don't deserve the grades you got? No, my point was that the awarding system is disproportionate. It works in the disadvantage of those who are really good.

I have something against the system. I can't help but feel sad that with the effort you put into your education, you could do so much better. I can't stop feeling that your efforts are going in vain. You are struggling. Yes, you people have brains. Your mathematical skills are amazing. But just stop and think, for once. What are your exams really proving?

About teachers helping you out and you guys studying a lot. Do I think it's wrong? No. What I think is wrong is that the exams don't evolve along with you guys. The system doesn't change at all…to better test the smarts of a smarter and more equipped generation. Because of this stagnancy, the pedestrian ways the exams are constructed, I think we have a problem. Or just ponder this simple fact: Would you rather give an exam where everyone knows everything. Or would you rather give an exam where everyone knows everything but not everyone knows what to apply where.

Reggie