Commentaries on our Society...

I read and I liked them. Until I realized I had just more than few likes on Hindu’s editorial section in two days. That is when I sat and reflected on why just following articles …

A tussle an honest teacher goes through her day. A tussle between her professional duties and her teaching aspirations. A teacher speaks her mind - http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/a-teacher-speaks-her-mind/article4017272.ece
	Breaking the shackles of draconian/colonial laws. It is about “Mental Health Care Bill, 2012”. Recognizing them as not lunatic or idiots but with genuine disability. Mental illness, choice and rights - http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/Harsh_Mander/mental-illness-choice-and-rights/article4009222.ece
Spate of shameful incidents in Haryana followed by unimaginable solution provided by khaps and the former chief minister. Toughen your daughter, sensitise your son http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/toughen-your-daughter-sensitise-your-son/article4017263.ece
	The final commentary is our attitude towards simple facts in life. How forgotten we are of greatest discoveries surrounding us at present and then too knocking the blanks, the heaven abode. Let’s ignore science at our peril http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/lets-ignore-science-at-our-peril/article4017252.ece

The authors above have started with describing the nature of problem and then gone into how our current society evaluates and addresses such problems..

मेरा धर्म

मेरा धर्म क्या है?

• मेरे भगवान? 
• मेरा देश? 
• मेरे माँ बाप? 
• मेरा प्यार? 
• या सिर्फ मेरी सोच?

• किस सोच ने बनाया मुझे?
• किस सोच ने मुझे बड़ा किया?
• किस सोच कि आधार पे, मैं अपना रोज निकालता हूँ?
• किस बात पे मुझे गुस्सा आता है? किस सोच पे में जग उथता हूँ?
• यह सोच केवल एक कल्पना या एक fact?

जीवन की यह अनोखी यात्रा पे भटकती मेरी सोच ...

Earth in a Clock

What follows 77 seconds after 11:58:43PM is http://www.rika-saurabh.com/2012/05/we-have-just-started-fire.html...

image source:http://flowingdata.com/2012/10/09/history-of-earth-in-24-hour-clock/#comment-176137

Doubt Wonder & Question

In this entire length of video (50 min) Richard Feynman might seem to say there is no ultimate truth, but, he definitely will make you believe in ultimate journey he has had while searching for smaller truths. He starts with how he learned to explore truths and ends with how he wishes everyone did. He cautions against taking the journey too casually or dares anyone adorning it with epaulets. His voice, ideas and experiences have sweetly profound affects! I have wasted 100 minutes on this video already :)

Spain's Sun orbiter!

Sun is our nearest one-end of the space frontiers and the following, European Space Agency, mission looks likely to accomplish it by 2017.
The extreme fun watching this video is in solution they have devised to reach near orbit of Sun. Sequence of sling shots using geosynchronous orbit of planet Earth and Venus alternatively - and not just once. Hopefully they are able to time those jumps exquisitely ..   

more on the news - http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/global-observer/spain-leads-quest-to-the-sun/6058?tag=nl.e660

Sandy weds Ruchita

                       anand:acha btw sandy ruchita

9:53 PM me: yea?

 anand: june 20

  i guess

 me: what???

 anand: shadi

 me: what??????????????????????????

 anand: ya atleast thats what ruchita rold

  told

  today

 me: **ck!!!!!!!

9:54 PM anand: kay

  ?

9:56 PM         

u there

Congratulations my friends!

We have just started the fire ..

(during this 50 years) Newton explored the meaning of gravity. Last month electric lights and telephones and automobiles and airplanes became available. Only last week did we develop penicillin and television and nuclear power, and now if America's new spacecraft succeeds in reaching Venus, we will have literally reached the stars before midnight tonight..

so said JFK in a speech to Rice university 1962. A breathtaking thought as far as I am concerned. Entire speech and video can be found here http://er.jsc.nasa.gov/seh/ricetalk.htm

Minimalist culture in USA

I recently bumped onto few hilarious "downsides" of being minimalist - a new american eye-rolled-upon pop culture - as put by author here - http://mnmlist.com/pshh/

• If you travel lightly for a few weeks with only a small carry-on, customs officers might get suspicious — who travels with almost nothing, besides maybe a terrorist?

• You don’t get as good a workout walking around with a light bag instead of one laden with lots of stuff. I put weight plates in my backpack if I want to compensate for this

• When you go to other people’s houses, you might start mentally fantasizing about getting rid of their stuff for them 

• People will ask you, almost non-stop, how you can be a minimalist with so many kids .. 

I thought the last one was really funny!!

And now when I read beyond some of the above, there I was thinking again. It is crazy how this is such an enduring task for an individual. Being minimalist is preparing against this extreme authority of consumerism. They are really trying hard!

However, they might not have to (struggle) if this society didn't have such an inherent pressure of being productive every hour in a day. I know it is a far fetched deduction, but it is not entirely disconnected. This culture is about subjugating oneself to producing and then pampering oneself for doing so. And as more and more work force gets into industry of producing services for others, more this idea is getting out of hand. The returns of ones' production ability is going down, however, methods of pampering oneself is only following additive nature. Thus increasing gap between production and consumption. Aided by idea of sourcing cheap services from other countries (like soft services from third world, oil from middle east and goods from Asia pacific).

Coming in fair terms with one's productivitability is what first world "minimalist" and wait ... millions around the world!! .. have probably achieved (or trying to). Only difference is, it is so much an habit in other countries vs. the struggle in american culture.

p.s. when i say "american culture" it is really the "culture" that i am referring to and not entire population of Americans. This culture could and is easily found in many other parts of world including metro cities in India. My deductions could be hampered by my prejudices and I do not disclaim them. I do have some, as everyone does, because my deductions are solely a thought process and no where reflects actual research in topic.

Battlestar Galactica

The Cylons Were Created By Man.

They Were Created To Make Life Easier On Twelve Colonies.

And Then The Day Came When The Cylons Decided To Kill Their Masters.

PERFECT!

Something to couch potato on, after really really long time!

We

It has been a journey. A year long. It took one small night. I wrote that worthy email. And next i find standing worthy with her. There is a space we share with each other. There is a bigger space we share with others who made it our journey so special. This is dedicated to my better half and then to everyone around us.

Today I bought www.rika-saurabh.com name on web for us. This piece of ownership is worthless. Nor it is part of investment planning I should take up. However, it is special. It is an intent. It is a start.

Brand games

After long time I found myself stuck with me and current issues. Only current issue which is visible enough to me is Lokpal, of course. So I was watching debate between Karan Thapar and Arvind Kejriwal. I have seen Karan before and his attitude wasn’t any surprise and neither was Arvind's. The issues pertaining to Janlokpal movement among the thinkers is plain. Hunger strike is suicidal and therefore a blackmail. The faith in democracy parliament should be restored. And thus Arvind spoke, he has lost any lasting hope and he doesn’t think public is willing to put anymore either. I think he defended pretty it well as to what he thinks is required of democracy parliament as to maintain that faith. Gave well established facts, both affecting general public and him personally. Nothing has really helped.

However, Karan Thapar didn't buy or his devil tells him that he can not. So to keep the brand of Karan Thapar alive he kept asking same question again and again. So came the thought - why does every one to be playing a brand games.

The news readers are establishing their own, interviewers their own, panelist their own, every person on facebook their own. The living and making money satisfaction comes with sticking with your brand of philosophy. Agnostic, spiritual, atheist, nationalist, opportunist, religious, introvertist, extrovertist, questioner, answerer, back bencher, front runner, and each one of us put carry them around with varying weight-age and thus building our claim to being living individual.

Just a thought.

Living a dream...

Rahul has lived his dream and he thinks it's time to move on

are the words of his wife Vijeeta. Living the dream is fantastic. Made me go into my own reverie of living a dream.. err.. wait .. what is my dream??? :( :(

The sub-conscience being able to acknowledge the idea is a beautiful feeling and brings you to the blog editor. And then you almost sense to lose the idea. As if you never had it.

So, what happens if you live a dream?

Will find out.