So, Harry Potter survives after all. The Boy who Lived, comes through in the end , against all the odds, vanquishing the dreaded Dark Lord, winning his lady love and settling down to a long and peaceful life dedicated to rearing kids, apparating between a 8 to 5 job , growing tubers in his garden on weekends perhaps….all in all, comfortable in the security of relative oblivion, with his family, friends, and memories of his heroic deeds . All this at the cost of a few, probably disposable, friends and allies ( possibly to keep a somber mood).
Isn’t that what everyone wanted…hordes of youngsters, adults, and greybeards alike had been pleading with Ms Rowling for the best part of 2 years, yearning for that ‘lived happily ever after….good conquering evil- love conquering hate’ ending. So are we satisfied? The majority , I do not doubt are, including the redoubtable author, to whom, if for nothing else, I doff my hat yet again for a brilliant narration and some genuinely fantastic creativity. The book , no doubt, will beat all previous collections by some margin, especially now that the people have been given the ending that they evidently craved.
Ah, but after all the hullaballo ,how so incredibly human and predictable a finale. Would children world over, have been able to sleep at night if it was Harry who had come out worse in the final struggle with his evil nemesis. What comfort would the people trapped in this misenchanted isle of daydreams called humanity have found if for once ‘good’ had failed to prevail over ‘evil’. What answers would Rowling have provided her legions of fans if , as Dumbledore called it , if Harry’s greatest weapon, his power to love, had come up miserably short against the malice of Voldemort.
For me Rowling had in her hands, the veritable chalice to creative immortality of a kind scarce attained , if she’d chosen to end her tale in a kind of equilibrium more suited to reality. Most of her characters were either too black or white , and the amount of white left unscathed at the end , made the whole scenario so bright, it hurt the eyes. Ah, for an ending like Tolkien’s masterpiece - “The Silmarillion”, which I consider , philosophically if not creatively (The Lord of the Rings has to come first in that regard) the most defining in the entirety of creative fantasy. Even the LotR, for its seemingly glorious finale, conveys a more than subtle gloom the very end to those who could discern it, in the form of the final waning of the firstborn in Middle-earth and the passing of the last remnants of the Eldar over the sea.
Without a doubt, as the years have numbered , the sheer mystique of literary characters has lessened considerably. Is it merely the power of the market that makes otherwise endowed authors mellow their characters and creations, or is it a tedious change into the well trodden path of memetic humanoid ‘values and social systems’. Can we possibly dream of a modern day Heathcliff, for me, the most fascinating character in all Literature, or say a Hamlet, a Dorian Gray …or even a Holmes ,with his single mindedly calculated and wonderfully unemotive persona.
Oh, for a tale akin to Orwell’s chilling 1984 or the equally memorable tale of Atticus Finch and his children.
Why do we so ardently seek escape in the form of perfection as envisaged by our culturally branded philosophies of good and bad….is it because reality has little, if anything to offer, at all ? Or perhaps, we are cocooned so securely and irrevocably in our little shells built built right from the times of childhood cathecism, that anything to the contrary seems well nigh unthinkable and outrageously blasphemous.
Is there one out there, to give us a welcome throwback to the days of old…the days when Charlotte Bronte remarked of her own sister’s creation… “I scarce think it is wise to create a character like Heathcliff…”, is there one to challenge the incumbent orthodoxy that humanity so comfortably seems to have slipped in….for me, in the present day, Gaiman with his wonderfully subdued hero Morpheus, is the only one who perwades beyond the tried and tested regimens of human acceptance…..Robert Jordan too seemed a likely contender, but he has let the narration meander far too long ; still it will be interesting to see what he has in store for Ran al’Thor and the rest of the cast of “The Wheel of Time”
……as for Potter, wishing him the best of a human life.
Saturday, July 28, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Dreams
The misty gloom at the fall of eve,
May serve to heal , and sever, from its wounded core;
The restless mind, and lend it wings,
Bid it speed to yonder surreal shore.
To rest awhile on fair starlit sward,
Sound the hunt in untamed beech and oak.
Scale the ancient snowy peaks,
Kingly clad in pearly moonlit cloak.
Or mayhap if thou glory seeks,
To fall or fell in the fields of death;
Which shall recount for ages hence,
The deeds of valour in one enamoured breath.
Walk in awe the enchanted streets,
‘Mongst heady fumes of incense divine,
Where bards create ecstatic harmonies,
Whence the maidens dance , and their lovers pine.
Hold converse with sages wise
On life and death and the unseen beyond.
Watch the forgotten tales, brought back
To life, with a wave of some enchanted wand.
Meetings aplenty in the Elysian fields,
With enlightened faces, burden free.
Soon perhaps your day might come,
To cross the river at the anointed fee.
May serve to heal , and sever, from its wounded core;
The restless mind, and lend it wings,
Bid it speed to yonder surreal shore.
To rest awhile on fair starlit sward,
Sound the hunt in untamed beech and oak.
Scale the ancient snowy peaks,
Kingly clad in pearly moonlit cloak.
Or mayhap if thou glory seeks,
To fall or fell in the fields of death;
Which shall recount for ages hence,
The deeds of valour in one enamoured breath.
Walk in awe the enchanted streets,
‘Mongst heady fumes of incense divine,
Where bards create ecstatic harmonies,
Whence the maidens dance , and their lovers pine.
Hold converse with sages wise
On life and death and the unseen beyond.
Watch the forgotten tales, brought back
To life, with a wave of some enchanted wand.
Meetings aplenty in the Elysian fields,
With enlightened faces, burden free.
Soon perhaps your day might come,
To cross the river at the anointed fee.
Sunday, June 10, 2007
Farewell to Pain
The American National Conference on Pain describes it as having 2 components, one purely sensory and the other being an emotional or affective component. Morphine, the drug of kings, is still one of the most potent drugs available to man for the relief of pain. Morphine selectively acts on the sub-cortical pain perception areas of the brain and abolishes the emotional/affective component of pain such that the patient feels a strange alien sensation from the periphery but it causes him no discomfort
The mind is a strange creature. It is forever at conflict – against the body, against its own self, against others of its ilk ,and against all known norms of the so called civilized society. They say it is this property of the mind that sets humans apart from all other forms of life. The ability to think , to reason and equally , if not more importantly, to feel. Feelings, not simply subjective sensations of touch, temperature or pain which have been scribbled age long in the books, but the capacity to harbour emotions, to love , to feel pity and mercy.
Since as far back as you can recall, they began cathecising you . They taught you good and evil – dividing them by boundaries you have struggled to see even to the latest day. Then they taught you to love – your parents, your family, your friends, your country and countrymen, and above all , to love ‘God’. “Why ?” You would fain question but the reply comes swift and stern , “Hush child! You must do so because we all do, because so we are told, because so it is written in the great books and chronicled by the wise – whose wisdom and authority we have no business to question.” Later when you grow up, you hear and read of a heretic named Darwin who suggests something rather absurd -
That chaos gives rise to order , that all creation and life is mere chance – and that every succeeding generation is more suited for survival and consequently more smarter than the previous. They laugh at you, “ What a preposterous and vulgar suggestion. Man was made God in His own form.” They tell you when to laugh and when to cry , of the times when you should hurt and the times when you should be happy.
However all the teachings come to naught. You stand a bystander on the brink of battle, amidst countless slain; your feet splashing in pools of blood and squashing beneath them mangled human limbs and organs. A voice within tells you that you should cry, that you should feel pain….but try as you might, the voice is alien and you cannot obey! Sooner might the thinking brain command the infracted and failing heart – “Beat ! For so I command you.”
When have the cognitive centers of the mind ever commanded the subtle, brilliantly varied and scarce understood primitive centers – of pain and emotion…of sleep and procreation. Your age old teaching struggles manfully, screaming at that ill-gotten perverted seat of pain… “Make him weep!”…but all that ever happens is the endorphins, those natural brethren molecules to morphine in the brain, simply propound. You sense there is something amiss – with you , your mind or your world – but it scarce bothers you, no more than a gnat from the marshes bothers an iron scaled dragon of many battles.
You are not euphoric…indeed far from it, simply indifferent; not autistic…oh, no- simply weltschmerz.
Your once loved ones depart your world…you put on a façade of grief but it matters little to you. They murmur against you in whispered voices…. “Heartless, that’s what he is .” But those voices are drowned by the ones that surge within you , coming from you very soul…..you descry what it says…like to a verse you heard upon a different time….it is after all a voice of the endless…of a king of sorts.
If you open your mind for me
You won't rely on open eyes to see
The walls you built within
Come tumbling down,
And a new world will begin.
Living twice at once you learn
You're safe from the pain
In the dream domain
A soul set free to fly
A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion, can you realize
Your dream's alive, you can be the guide but...
I- will be watching over you
I- am gonna help to see it through
I- will protect you in the night
I- am smiling next to you....
In silent lucidity.
The mind is a strange creature. It is forever at conflict – against the body, against its own self, against others of its ilk ,and against all known norms of the so called civilized society. They say it is this property of the mind that sets humans apart from all other forms of life. The ability to think , to reason and equally , if not more importantly, to feel. Feelings, not simply subjective sensations of touch, temperature or pain which have been scribbled age long in the books, but the capacity to harbour emotions, to love , to feel pity and mercy.
Since as far back as you can recall, they began cathecising you . They taught you good and evil – dividing them by boundaries you have struggled to see even to the latest day. Then they taught you to love – your parents, your family, your friends, your country and countrymen, and above all , to love ‘God’. “Why ?” You would fain question but the reply comes swift and stern , “Hush child! You must do so because we all do, because so we are told, because so it is written in the great books and chronicled by the wise – whose wisdom and authority we have no business to question.” Later when you grow up, you hear and read of a heretic named Darwin who suggests something rather absurd -
That chaos gives rise to order , that all creation and life is mere chance – and that every succeeding generation is more suited for survival and consequently more smarter than the previous. They laugh at you, “ What a preposterous and vulgar suggestion. Man was made God in His own form.” They tell you when to laugh and when to cry , of the times when you should hurt and the times when you should be happy.
However all the teachings come to naught. You stand a bystander on the brink of battle, amidst countless slain; your feet splashing in pools of blood and squashing beneath them mangled human limbs and organs. A voice within tells you that you should cry, that you should feel pain….but try as you might, the voice is alien and you cannot obey! Sooner might the thinking brain command the infracted and failing heart – “Beat ! For so I command you.”
When have the cognitive centers of the mind ever commanded the subtle, brilliantly varied and scarce understood primitive centers – of pain and emotion…of sleep and procreation. Your age old teaching struggles manfully, screaming at that ill-gotten perverted seat of pain… “Make him weep!”…but all that ever happens is the endorphins, those natural brethren molecules to morphine in the brain, simply propound. You sense there is something amiss – with you , your mind or your world – but it scarce bothers you, no more than a gnat from the marshes bothers an iron scaled dragon of many battles.
You are not euphoric…indeed far from it, simply indifferent; not autistic…oh, no- simply weltschmerz.
Your once loved ones depart your world…you put on a façade of grief but it matters little to you. They murmur against you in whispered voices…. “Heartless, that’s what he is .” But those voices are drowned by the ones that surge within you , coming from you very soul…..you descry what it says…like to a verse you heard upon a different time….it is after all a voice of the endless…of a king of sorts.
If you open your mind for me
You won't rely on open eyes to see
The walls you built within
Come tumbling down,
And a new world will begin.
Living twice at once you learn
You're safe from the pain
In the dream domain
A soul set free to fly
A round trip journey in your head
Master of illusion, can you realize
Your dream's alive, you can be the guide but...
I- will be watching over you
I- am gonna help to see it through
I- will protect you in the night
I- am smiling next to you....
In silent lucidity.
Wednesday, May 09, 2007
Shadows and Chains
The shadows of the twilight realm criss-cross through the waking world. You find yourself walking strange, nameless paths : under canopied forests, floors of which have not known light for ages unrecounted ; struggling over pine clad mountain slopes, slipping on the verglass, drinking from the icy streams; beaten down by the unrelenting malice of the raging sun in parched lands blasted to desolation by design or devilry beyond your waking or dreaming imagination.
Then, in an instant, the unfamiliarity fades away into lands, towns, and streets you know well. Familiar faces clog your vision…well, faces that should have been familiar. Something is different . The smiles warm not your heart, the casual friendly banter springs back off you like leaden darts, off armour forged by the lame smith. The meat and bread hold no taste….even the beloved rum seems strangely queer. An undeniable alienation envelops you amidst these phantom shapes in this seemingly phantom land. You seek desperately for some semblance of reality, but what is a dream and what is real – the boundaries have faded , well nigh irrevocably.
Why is everything so unfamiliar ? Are they unfamiliar?
The reality dawns. You have trodden paths from which mortals may scarce emerge unscathed.
“The higher you are, the further you fall…the longer the walk, the farther you crawl”
The words hit home with a chill. Nothing has changed, save perhaps you., so much so that the waking world which succours you seems an overwhelming burden. For a moment you toy with the idea of severing this burdensome cord….but something recalls Nietzsche to you, and his discourse on life and knowledge…and annihilation.
What then should your recourse be?
The Bifrost gleams invitingly…but mortals may not leave the grey lands of Midgard however weary they seem. In Asgard you would tire and fade away in an instant, like moths before a flame too strong.
“Mirror! Mirror! On the wall,
True hope lies beyond the coast.
You’re a damned kind can’t you see,
The tomorrow bears insanity”
Chains and shackles have scared you from your childhood days. You have forever refused to be bound. Some chains are inescapable- life is the most burdensome of them all , and all others are secured to it. However, not all is lost, there are many chains you may yet stave off; indeed many you have successfully done. They say, not all chains are evil ; every man must at a time grow roots deep into the earth and drink of the ancient wells. Somehow, all this talk of growing and digging does not appeal to you. You would sooner take wing, from airy bower to some distant mountain crag….
….but does it serve to think and speak of wings and flight, when all about you are growing roots.
Amidst such quagmires, you find no answers, ….but maybe we shall get some soon . Oh, yes! Indeed …maybe we shall , my precious!!!
“There are times,
When all the world’s asleep;
The questions run too deep,
For such a simple mind”
Then, in an instant, the unfamiliarity fades away into lands, towns, and streets you know well. Familiar faces clog your vision…well, faces that should have been familiar. Something is different . The smiles warm not your heart, the casual friendly banter springs back off you like leaden darts, off armour forged by the lame smith. The meat and bread hold no taste….even the beloved rum seems strangely queer. An undeniable alienation envelops you amidst these phantom shapes in this seemingly phantom land. You seek desperately for some semblance of reality, but what is a dream and what is real – the boundaries have faded , well nigh irrevocably.
Why is everything so unfamiliar ? Are they unfamiliar?
The reality dawns. You have trodden paths from which mortals may scarce emerge unscathed.
“The higher you are, the further you fall…the longer the walk, the farther you crawl”
The words hit home with a chill. Nothing has changed, save perhaps you., so much so that the waking world which succours you seems an overwhelming burden. For a moment you toy with the idea of severing this burdensome cord….but something recalls Nietzsche to you, and his discourse on life and knowledge…and annihilation.
What then should your recourse be?
The Bifrost gleams invitingly…but mortals may not leave the grey lands of Midgard however weary they seem. In Asgard you would tire and fade away in an instant, like moths before a flame too strong.
“Mirror! Mirror! On the wall,
True hope lies beyond the coast.
You’re a damned kind can’t you see,
The tomorrow bears insanity”
Chains and shackles have scared you from your childhood days. You have forever refused to be bound. Some chains are inescapable- life is the most burdensome of them all , and all others are secured to it. However, not all is lost, there are many chains you may yet stave off; indeed many you have successfully done. They say, not all chains are evil ; every man must at a time grow roots deep into the earth and drink of the ancient wells. Somehow, all this talk of growing and digging does not appeal to you. You would sooner take wing, from airy bower to some distant mountain crag….
….but does it serve to think and speak of wings and flight, when all about you are growing roots.
Amidst such quagmires, you find no answers, ….but maybe we shall get some soon . Oh, yes! Indeed …maybe we shall , my precious!!!
“There are times,
When all the world’s asleep;
The questions run too deep,
For such a simple mind”
Sound of Wings
The urban woods are sombre, dark but not a trace of loveliness do you discern; like battlements and bastions grinning at each other across barren lands wasted by malice and anarchy. There are no promises that beckon - no oaths to be fulfilled…the weariness eats into your bones…but all that awaits you is endless, ceaseless, mindless toil; a veritable ocean; stretching wave after wave, mile after mile; beyond the sight of the keenest eyes.Sleep! Ah, Murphy….Sleep is not your lot, not yet anyway , not by a long way! You strain your eyes far into the madding crowd seeking her, the eldest of the endless, and those disarmingly mischievous eyes….at times you think maybe you see her…you hear in earnest for the sound of wings….but the algesic cacophony of the noisome crowd drowns all sound. The sound of the wings she brings with her, and she comes not for you, yet. The mind gropes the darkness in vain, till at last it hits upon him, the Dreamlord, alone and unaided, in battle before the legions of Lucifer…. “I am hope”…….You smile amidst your toil, the paths have to be travelled ….the wings shall find you yet!“Indeed, what power would hell have if those that dwelt here dreamt not of heaven”
Friday, April 13, 2007
GOD ?
Of late , I have been speaking to lots of people with regard to their belief in god, divinity and their religious philosophies. As a confirmed atheist, I’m quite frequently dumbfounded at how educated people with otherwise extremely logical minds, are all of a sudden, trapped in a cell of insecurity when approached with this topic. More than once have I sensed the feeling , indeed occasionally, the overwhelming desire among such individuals to break free from these age old shackles, but the fear and insecurity of the unknown grips them at the last moment; and they willingly continue to let the memetic virus of god and divinity prey on their minds and hence the society as a whole. I have no doubts that were such people to read a little bit more on the subject , namely authors like Dawins and Dennet, a lot of their ill-founded insecurities and fears would be removed. However suggesting books to people is one thing and , and them acquiring and reading the same is quite another. Hence the purpose of this post is to bring out in a nutshell the most basic arguments pertinent to this matter. Indeed reams could be written , and have been written on the subject, but my objective is to condense all the major arguments into as brief a post as possible. As I have just mentioned , most of my points are grounded firmly on the bastions set by Richard Dawkins and Daniel Dennet, 2 of the greatest thinkers of the modern era ; whose works are in turn based chiefly upon Darwinism and the great theory of Natural Selection.
Definition of God
Before mounting any discussion on god, I think it is pertinent to first clear up what the word implies to the educated, amenable to reason , 21st century man. On the face of it, I think most individuals would deny god as being a kind of ‘every breath you take, every move you make, I’ll be watching you’ tyrant Big Brother…as depicted in most scriptures. I fathom that the modern theist’s identity of god is based on the following philosophy – Creation of the universe and of life by intelligent design…. all leading towards some final purpose….the purpose : which most people believe to be the existence of man and his civilization.
To quote the creationist philosopher John Locke – original intentionality springs from God ; we are God’s creatures and derive our intentionality from him
From this stems the cosmic pyramid of Locke, at the top of which sits god, who in turn gives rise to the mind. Most creationist philosophy derives itself from the origin of the mind from God…..when there is a mind , anything that springs from it must have intention. Hence everything that exists and the way it exists is because it was specifically intended to be so by the mind of god and his mind……in other words , a Human- Centric view of life.
GOD
M I N D
D E S I G N
O R D E R
C H A O S
N O T H I N G (The Cosmic Pyramid)
Reversal of the Pyramid : Complexity from Simplicity
The major upheaval that Darwinism brought to science was a complete reversal of the cosmic pyramid. In its most basic form Natural Selection can be defined as a blind , utterly purposeless, mindless, algorithmic process which over long stretches of time gives rise to complex designs from primitive beginnings of sheer chaos and simplicity. These complex forms that have evolved through billions of years , have no purpose; or meaningful existence- they are simply there because at various stages in the past, their ancestors were better suited for survival and propagation under the conditions that prevailed at that particular time- than other species, who did not meet the desired survival criteria and hence do not have any ancestors today. We humans find it impossible to imagine such species and hence cannot imagine their possible existence. For instance, say , if 500 million years ago there were different climatic and environmental survival stresses, then who knows, instead of humans we might have had fire-breathing dragons , and goblins as the dominant life form on earth. Absurd as this may sound, who is to say that of all possible A/G/C/T combinations that form genes and hence , genomes – there could be a possible combination that if expressed correctly could give rise to a Pegasus or a Sphinx. The chances are extremely unlikely, just like randomly picking up letters from the English alphabet for a length of time and expecting to end up with Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. However, that is precisely what natural selection is - a mindless game of chance which over billions of years gives rise to design and organized form from chaos. Thus, what the reversal of the cosmic pyramid has most effectively achieved , is to overthrow the ‘Human-centric’ view of life- which essentially claims that the universe , the earth and all the laws governing them were made so that humans and their civilization could exist . Humans exist simply because their ancestors had survived and undergone serial modifications in their genome , culminating in the 46 XX/ 46 XY.
The Weak Anthropic Principle and the final rejection of intelligent design
The weak anthropic principle is a summation of the above concepts and serves aptly to deal a veritable death blow to Human-centrism. In its most basic form it states that – “the world does not exist so that we , humans, may live here ; but if the world existed in any other form , we would not be here to see it.”….simple and lucid enough, I think , to not warrant any further explanation.
A lot of theist scientists still hold onto one final hope for intelligent design by postulating that – for life to exist, even at the origins, where 2 nucleotides drifted together in the primitive soup to form the first semblance of nucleic acid (i.e. RNA/DNA); at least the original machinery of replicator and replicator power – i.e. of DNA and protein – that makes further evolution of comples design possible , in an intelligent meaningful manner. In other words , god created the start of life , set the laws for its evolution and thereafter let nature take its course.
Dawkins convincingly refutes this theory and the final hope for intelligent design in the following statement – “ Organised complexity is the thing we are having difficulty explaining. Once allowed simply to postulate organized complexity , if only the complexity of DNA/protein replicating engine – it is relatively easy to evolve it as a generation of yet more organized complexity…..but any God capable of intelligently designing something as complex as DNA/protein replicating machine , MUST HAVE BEEN AT LEAST AS COMLEX & ORGANISED as the machine itself.” In other words, it is far more likely and easier to explain for life to have originated totally by random chance in the primitive soup, than by the designs of an intelligent creator.
Thus, Darwinism , at its very core explains the existence of a world that is purely mechanistic and entirely devoid of any ‘meaning’ or ‘purpose’ – working blindly within the framework of the scientific laws without a single thought to what the end product is ; and as a result , very efficiently bringing to naught the hypothesis of intelligent design and creation …in other words, GOD.
Occam’s Razor : The Celestial Teacup
The final point which I wish to touch upon is to encounter the accusation of philosophers who claim that the God hypothesis is beyond science, and since science cannot effectively disprove the existence of God, you cannot comment on his non-existence….in other words atheism v agnosticism .
The analogy of the celestial teacup is a delightful counter to this point. What would your reaction be if someone told you there is a huge teacup…say 30 kms wide , which orbits the sun ; somewhere between the orbits of earth and mars. You cannot see it evenwith your mostpowerful telescopes, but you have to simply have faith and believe in it…in case you cannot do so remain silent. Even the strongest theist would laugh at the idea , saying that although it cannot be disproved , the idea is so improbable that it is not worth believing. The same applies to the God Hypothesis – the absolute non-existence of god cannot be proved ( till date at least) – but science has made the probability of god’s existence so micro-miniscule that it is not worth believing in. Since you are not agnostic about the teapot, why should you be agnostic about god ?
There are plenty of points, theories, examples which I would dearly have loved to toush upon but that would have compromised on the brevity of the post…something I was very loth to do . Already , I fear, the length of the post maybe too long for the patience of some . For those who’ve read through the whole post , would be glad to discuss any points , objections , contradictions etc etc ….drop me a mail or a comment .
Suggested Reading :
Charles Darwin : The Origin of Species
Richard Dawkins : The Selfish Gene
The Blind Watchmaker
The God Delusion
Daniel Dennet: Darwin’s Dangerous Idea
Matt Ridley : Genome
Definition of God
Before mounting any discussion on god, I think it is pertinent to first clear up what the word implies to the educated, amenable to reason , 21st century man. On the face of it, I think most individuals would deny god as being a kind of ‘every breath you take, every move you make, I’ll be watching you’ tyrant Big Brother…as depicted in most scriptures. I fathom that the modern theist’s identity of god is based on the following philosophy – Creation of the universe and of life by intelligent design…. all leading towards some final purpose….the purpose : which most people believe to be the existence of man and his civilization.
To quote the creationist philosopher John Locke – original intentionality springs from God ; we are God’s creatures and derive our intentionality from him
From this stems the cosmic pyramid of Locke, at the top of which sits god, who in turn gives rise to the mind. Most creationist philosophy derives itself from the origin of the mind from God…..when there is a mind , anything that springs from it must have intention. Hence everything that exists and the way it exists is because it was specifically intended to be so by the mind of god and his mind……in other words , a Human- Centric view of life.
GOD
M I N D
D E S I G N
O R D E R
C H A O S
N O T H I N G (The Cosmic Pyramid)
Reversal of the Pyramid : Complexity from Simplicity
The major upheaval that Darwinism brought to science was a complete reversal of the cosmic pyramid. In its most basic form Natural Selection can be defined as a blind , utterly purposeless, mindless, algorithmic process which over long stretches of time gives rise to complex designs from primitive beginnings of sheer chaos and simplicity. These complex forms that have evolved through billions of years , have no purpose; or meaningful existence- they are simply there because at various stages in the past, their ancestors were better suited for survival and propagation under the conditions that prevailed at that particular time- than other species, who did not meet the desired survival criteria and hence do not have any ancestors today. We humans find it impossible to imagine such species and hence cannot imagine their possible existence. For instance, say , if 500 million years ago there were different climatic and environmental survival stresses, then who knows, instead of humans we might have had fire-breathing dragons , and goblins as the dominant life form on earth. Absurd as this may sound, who is to say that of all possible A/G/C/T combinations that form genes and hence , genomes – there could be a possible combination that if expressed correctly could give rise to a Pegasus or a Sphinx. The chances are extremely unlikely, just like randomly picking up letters from the English alphabet for a length of time and expecting to end up with Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. However, that is precisely what natural selection is - a mindless game of chance which over billions of years gives rise to design and organized form from chaos. Thus, what the reversal of the cosmic pyramid has most effectively achieved , is to overthrow the ‘Human-centric’ view of life- which essentially claims that the universe , the earth and all the laws governing them were made so that humans and their civilization could exist . Humans exist simply because their ancestors had survived and undergone serial modifications in their genome , culminating in the 46 XX/ 46 XY.
The Weak Anthropic Principle and the final rejection of intelligent design
The weak anthropic principle is a summation of the above concepts and serves aptly to deal a veritable death blow to Human-centrism. In its most basic form it states that – “the world does not exist so that we , humans, may live here ; but if the world existed in any other form , we would not be here to see it.”….simple and lucid enough, I think , to not warrant any further explanation.
A lot of theist scientists still hold onto one final hope for intelligent design by postulating that – for life to exist, even at the origins, where 2 nucleotides drifted together in the primitive soup to form the first semblance of nucleic acid (i.e. RNA/DNA); at least the original machinery of replicator and replicator power – i.e. of DNA and protein – that makes further evolution of comples design possible , in an intelligent meaningful manner. In other words , god created the start of life , set the laws for its evolution and thereafter let nature take its course.
Dawkins convincingly refutes this theory and the final hope for intelligent design in the following statement – “ Organised complexity is the thing we are having difficulty explaining. Once allowed simply to postulate organized complexity , if only the complexity of DNA/protein replicating engine – it is relatively easy to evolve it as a generation of yet more organized complexity…..but any God capable of intelligently designing something as complex as DNA/protein replicating machine , MUST HAVE BEEN AT LEAST AS COMLEX & ORGANISED as the machine itself.” In other words, it is far more likely and easier to explain for life to have originated totally by random chance in the primitive soup, than by the designs of an intelligent creator.
Thus, Darwinism , at its very core explains the existence of a world that is purely mechanistic and entirely devoid of any ‘meaning’ or ‘purpose’ – working blindly within the framework of the scientific laws without a single thought to what the end product is ; and as a result , very efficiently bringing to naught the hypothesis of intelligent design and creation …in other words, GOD.
Occam’s Razor : The Celestial Teacup
The final point which I wish to touch upon is to encounter the accusation of philosophers who claim that the God hypothesis is beyond science, and since science cannot effectively disprove the existence of God, you cannot comment on his non-existence….in other words atheism v agnosticism .
The analogy of the celestial teacup is a delightful counter to this point. What would your reaction be if someone told you there is a huge teacup…say 30 kms wide , which orbits the sun ; somewhere between the orbits of earth and mars. You cannot see it evenwith your mostpowerful telescopes, but you have to simply have faith and believe in it…in case you cannot do so remain silent. Even the strongest theist would laugh at the idea , saying that although it cannot be disproved , the idea is so improbable that it is not worth believing. The same applies to the God Hypothesis – the absolute non-existence of god cannot be proved ( till date at least) – but science has made the probability of god’s existence so micro-miniscule that it is not worth believing in. Since you are not agnostic about the teapot, why should you be agnostic about god ?
There are plenty of points, theories, examples which I would dearly have loved to toush upon but that would have compromised on the brevity of the post…something I was very loth to do . Already , I fear, the length of the post maybe too long for the patience of some . For those who’ve read through the whole post , would be glad to discuss any points , objections , contradictions etc etc ….drop me a mail or a comment .
Suggested Reading :
Charles Darwin : The Origin of Species
Richard Dawkins : The Selfish Gene
The Blind Watchmaker
The God Delusion
Daniel Dennet: Darwin’s Dangerous Idea
Matt Ridley : Genome
Friday, March 30, 2007
Favourite Rock Albums
Well…back after a long hiatus, more due to laziness than any genuine reason. Anyhow, this post was inspired by a friend , with whom I was chatting last night discussing rock n roll. I realized that I’d yet to make a post on music on the blog. My plan over the next few posts is to recount my all my favourites in rock n roll…albums, artists, bands, songs etc etc….Today , I’ll start with my all time favourite Rock albums.
Whenever you make an all-time great list of any kind in rock n roll, even if it is of your personal favourites , you tend to get stuck very badly , at least at having to choose between a number of pretty similarly matched contenders for a limited number of positions. Interestingly, my 5 favourite albums were never in any doubt…the problem lay in ranking them , especially separating the top 3. After a lot of soul searching (which included some personal sypathies, as you shall see), the list of my favourite rock albums of all time is :
1. Nightfall in Middle-Earth : Blind Guardian
2. Led Zeppelin (IV / The ZOSO album) : Led Zeppelin
3. Appetite for Destruction : Guns n Roses
4. Metallica (the Black Album) : Metallica
5. Back in Black : AC/DC
I plead guilty at the outset that the list is bereft of any album from the likes of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who and other stalwarts of rock n roll. People may also say that the list is not a rock list but a pure metal- list. I guess my only explanation is that metal is dominated by the album concept (esp that of the concept album…sorry for the play of words),whereas rock n roll in general , esp old time was more dominated by singles. The concept album, where the entire album proceeds to narrating a story , often spread over 2 or even 3 albums , has always fascinated me. In my list , only the Blind Guardian album is perhaps a genuine concept album, but in all the rest ,individually great songs as they are, all come together with an undeniable and quite unexplainable sense of cohesion. So , without further adieu , lets examine the albums separately.
1. Nightfall in Middle-Earth : Blind Guardian
Guardian, a german power metal band, famed for deriving inspiration from fantasy tales and classical mythology for their lyrics ,and combining them with a potent cocktail of powerful vocals (replete with harmonies and choir), searing and where required soulful guitar, and great percussion. NiME is based on JRR Tolkien’s epic work “The Silmarillion”, which describes the events of the first age of Middle Earth and the war of the jewels between the high elves (the Noldor) and the great enemy Morgoth, events which later led to his far more well known work , The Lord of the Rings.
The entire album is a whirlwind ride through the lays of beleriand…augmented aptly at places by dialogues, and commentaries. Hansi Kursch is at his masterful best with vocals that even elves the kind of Daeron and Maglor would be hard pressed to surpass. Songs like “When Time stands Still”…describing Fingolfin’s battle with Morgoth at the gates of Angband; Noldor (dead winter reigns)…describing the doom of Mandos and the legendary crossing of the helcaraxe are standouts. However the 2 songs which steal the show are the title track “Nightfall”….describing the darkening of Valinor and the oath of Feanor ; and “Thorn”…a heart-rending ballad dedicated to Maeglin , the ill-gotten and ill-famed prince of Gondolin.
Throughout the album Andre Olbrich is at his best on the guitar, displaying all at once a mastery over blues and metal roots. Thomen (The Omen ) Staunch is as powerful as ever behind the drums.
Those who haven’t heard NiME can never comprehend the sheer melody , power and ultimately unsurpassed beauty of the album…almost akin to the Ainulindale itself;….those who’ve heard it will never deny it a rightful place among the greatest of the great rock albums of all time.
2. Led Zeppelin
This ground breaking album has been famously been referred to by rock fans by a number of fond titles….The Unnamed Album /Four Symbols/ ZOSO /Stairway to Heaven / Led Zeppelin IV. As far as Jimmy Page and the rest of the band were concerned , the album had no name…as Jimmy famously told Atlantic Records in the tussle before the release of the album , “Its not the name, its our music that will sell the album”. Atlantic were concerned that releasing an album without a name, fearing that it would affect sales adversely. After a long drawn out battle of words the band had its way….the rest, as they say , is history. It went on to become one of the top-grossing albums of all time selling in excess of 40 million copies world over. There can hardly have been more rock n roll classics assembled on a single album than Zep managed on ZOSO….songs like Black Dog, Rock n Roll, Misty Mountain Hop would become part of rock folklore . In addition there were unique songs such as “The battle of Evermore” created on the pattern of a celtic folk song with the lyrics inspired from Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” and the acoustic masterpiece “Going to California” which showcased both Plant’s phenomenal vocal range and Jimmy’s unparalleled ability in songwriting / creating .However the album will forever be remembered for giving to the world “Stairway to Heaven”…to my mind , the greatest rock anthem ever
written/composed, becoming the most requested song ever on radio….and not least, the title going on to become an idiomatic expression in the English language itself. From the soul searching opening bars to the adrenaline rushing closure…there is not a single bar out of place….quite simply placing Zeppelin firmly on the pedestal as the greatest rock band ever.
3. Appetite for Destruction : Guns n Roses
“Welcome to the Jungle”….with these words , a harsh guttural screech and a searing guitar riff; Guns n Roses announced its arrival with the most ground-breaking, path-defining and bestselling debut album of all time. The face and ideology of rock was never to be the same again . The band , carried on the shoulders of 2 of the most talented (not to mention controversial) musicians of all time, was for the next 6-7 yrs, to rule the roost of rock and heavy metal while simultaneously being mired deeper and deeper in controversy . On one hand you had Axl Rose, one of the greatest frontmen in rock history , and on the other, one of the true blue guitar geniuses in the top-hatted, chain-smoking Slash…a welcome throwback to the Jimi Hendrix style combining classical rock , blues and metal guitaring all at once. Songs like Sweet Child , Paradise City, and Rocket Queen are all time rock legends. If.their music was a refreshing change from the late 80’s style where classic rock was losing its definition to disco, pop and the likes; their lyrics offered a no- nonsense, in your face, urban reality check and at times rising to sheer poetry and poignancy. The album sold in excess of 30 million copies and was voted the greatest heavy metal album of all time ahead of Led Zeppelin, Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid” and Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”
4.The Black Album : Metallica
Its ironical that if I were to list out the greatest metal albums of all time , at least 2 other albums of Metallica would find a place ahead of the Black album ( or Metallica’s unnamed album).The Black Album was a sudden deviation from the thrash metal perfection they achieved in previous albums like “Ride the Lightening” and “Master of Puppets”. The new album revealed a hitherto unknown softer, more cerebral and surprisingly darker side to Metallica, a kind of versatility few thought they possessed. For me , the lyrical mastery achieved on the album , places it among the pantheon of rock’s greatest.The haunting tunes of “Enter Sandman”and “Nothing Else Matters”, the typical thrash number “Sad but True” and the dark ballad “The Unforgiven” are all classics but the lyrical perfection of the album is best borne out on the song “Wherever I Roam”. In that one song Hetfield effortlessly plays nomadic prophet, clairvoyant and not to mention wanderlust traveler , all at once; in a vocal performance for the ages. The quartet produce one after another moment of sheer thrill and wizardry of vocals, guitar and drums on a backdrop of stirring poetry throughout the length of the album…. culminating in the bridge and chorus of the song “The God that Failed”….
….I see faith in your eyes,
Never you hear the dispirited lies,
I see faith in your eyes…
Broken is a promise…Betrayal!
The healing hand held back
By the deepened nail…
…Go, Follow the God that failed!!!
5.Back in Black : AC/DC
The “Black” is all there is in common between the Black album of Metallica and AC/DC’s legendary Back in Black. The thrash rockers from Oz do what they do best….an onslaught of kickass guitar and banshee vocals with no-holds barred, between the thighs, lyrics that send you shooting through the roof quicker than a triple shot of the fiercest tequila. The sly salacious screams of the flat-capped Brian Jhonson and the adrenaline rushing riffs of rock’s most well known school-boy, Angus Young are guaranteed to provide the most phenomenal and sustained rock n roll orgasm ever. Songs like Shoot to Thrill, Hells Bells, You shook me up all night sum up what AC/DC is all about. There are time when we all wish to forget the higher senses, all kind of logic and sense and just submit to the throes of the most primitive and carnal emotions….you do not have to look further than Back in Black. It is rock n roll at its rawest, uninhibited and embryonic best.
Whenever you make an all-time great list of any kind in rock n roll, even if it is of your personal favourites , you tend to get stuck very badly , at least at having to choose between a number of pretty similarly matched contenders for a limited number of positions. Interestingly, my 5 favourite albums were never in any doubt…the problem lay in ranking them , especially separating the top 3. After a lot of soul searching (which included some personal sypathies, as you shall see), the list of my favourite rock albums of all time is :
1. Nightfall in Middle-Earth : Blind Guardian
2. Led Zeppelin (IV / The ZOSO album) : Led Zeppelin
3. Appetite for Destruction : Guns n Roses
4. Metallica (the Black Album) : Metallica
5. Back in Black : AC/DC
I plead guilty at the outset that the list is bereft of any album from the likes of the Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who and other stalwarts of rock n roll. People may also say that the list is not a rock list but a pure metal- list. I guess my only explanation is that metal is dominated by the album concept (esp that of the concept album…sorry for the play of words),whereas rock n roll in general , esp old time was more dominated by singles. The concept album, where the entire album proceeds to narrating a story , often spread over 2 or even 3 albums , has always fascinated me. In my list , only the Blind Guardian album is perhaps a genuine concept album, but in all the rest ,individually great songs as they are, all come together with an undeniable and quite unexplainable sense of cohesion. So , without further adieu , lets examine the albums separately.
1. Nightfall in Middle-Earth : Blind Guardian
Guardian, a german power metal band, famed for deriving inspiration from fantasy tales and classical mythology for their lyrics ,and combining them with a potent cocktail of powerful vocals (replete with harmonies and choir), searing and where required soulful guitar, and great percussion. NiME is based on JRR Tolkien’s epic work “The Silmarillion”, which describes the events of the first age of Middle Earth and the war of the jewels between the high elves (the Noldor) and the great enemy Morgoth, events which later led to his far more well known work , The Lord of the Rings.
The entire album is a whirlwind ride through the lays of beleriand…augmented aptly at places by dialogues, and commentaries. Hansi Kursch is at his masterful best with vocals that even elves the kind of Daeron and Maglor would be hard pressed to surpass. Songs like “When Time stands Still”…describing Fingolfin’s battle with Morgoth at the gates of Angband; Noldor (dead winter reigns)…describing the doom of Mandos and the legendary crossing of the helcaraxe are standouts. However the 2 songs which steal the show are the title track “Nightfall”….describing the darkening of Valinor and the oath of Feanor ; and “Thorn”…a heart-rending ballad dedicated to Maeglin , the ill-gotten and ill-famed prince of Gondolin.
Throughout the album Andre Olbrich is at his best on the guitar, displaying all at once a mastery over blues and metal roots. Thomen (The Omen ) Staunch is as powerful as ever behind the drums.
Those who haven’t heard NiME can never comprehend the sheer melody , power and ultimately unsurpassed beauty of the album…almost akin to the Ainulindale itself;….those who’ve heard it will never deny it a rightful place among the greatest of the great rock albums of all time.
2. Led Zeppelin
This ground breaking album has been famously been referred to by rock fans by a number of fond titles….The Unnamed Album /Four Symbols/ ZOSO /Stairway to Heaven / Led Zeppelin IV. As far as Jimmy Page and the rest of the band were concerned , the album had no name…as Jimmy famously told Atlantic Records in the tussle before the release of the album , “Its not the name, its our music that will sell the album”. Atlantic were concerned that releasing an album without a name, fearing that it would affect sales adversely. After a long drawn out battle of words the band had its way….the rest, as they say , is history. It went on to become one of the top-grossing albums of all time selling in excess of 40 million copies world over. There can hardly have been more rock n roll classics assembled on a single album than Zep managed on ZOSO….songs like Black Dog, Rock n Roll, Misty Mountain Hop would become part of rock folklore . In addition there were unique songs such as “The battle of Evermore” created on the pattern of a celtic folk song with the lyrics inspired from Tolkien’s “Lord of the Rings” and the acoustic masterpiece “Going to California” which showcased both Plant’s phenomenal vocal range and Jimmy’s unparalleled ability in songwriting / creating .However the album will forever be remembered for giving to the world “Stairway to Heaven”…to my mind , the greatest rock anthem ever
written/composed, becoming the most requested song ever on radio….and not least, the title going on to become an idiomatic expression in the English language itself. From the soul searching opening bars to the adrenaline rushing closure…there is not a single bar out of place….quite simply placing Zeppelin firmly on the pedestal as the greatest rock band ever.
3. Appetite for Destruction : Guns n Roses
“Welcome to the Jungle”….with these words , a harsh guttural screech and a searing guitar riff; Guns n Roses announced its arrival with the most ground-breaking, path-defining and bestselling debut album of all time. The face and ideology of rock was never to be the same again . The band , carried on the shoulders of 2 of the most talented (not to mention controversial) musicians of all time, was for the next 6-7 yrs, to rule the roost of rock and heavy metal while simultaneously being mired deeper and deeper in controversy . On one hand you had Axl Rose, one of the greatest frontmen in rock history , and on the other, one of the true blue guitar geniuses in the top-hatted, chain-smoking Slash…a welcome throwback to the Jimi Hendrix style combining classical rock , blues and metal guitaring all at once. Songs like Sweet Child , Paradise City, and Rocket Queen are all time rock legends. If.their music was a refreshing change from the late 80’s style where classic rock was losing its definition to disco, pop and the likes; their lyrics offered a no- nonsense, in your face, urban reality check and at times rising to sheer poetry and poignancy. The album sold in excess of 30 million copies and was voted the greatest heavy metal album of all time ahead of Led Zeppelin, Sabbath’s ‘Paranoid” and Metallica’s “Master of Puppets”
4.The Black Album : Metallica
Its ironical that if I were to list out the greatest metal albums of all time , at least 2 other albums of Metallica would find a place ahead of the Black album ( or Metallica’s unnamed album).The Black Album was a sudden deviation from the thrash metal perfection they achieved in previous albums like “Ride the Lightening” and “Master of Puppets”. The new album revealed a hitherto unknown softer, more cerebral and surprisingly darker side to Metallica, a kind of versatility few thought they possessed. For me , the lyrical mastery achieved on the album , places it among the pantheon of rock’s greatest.The haunting tunes of “Enter Sandman”and “Nothing Else Matters”, the typical thrash number “Sad but True” and the dark ballad “The Unforgiven” are all classics but the lyrical perfection of the album is best borne out on the song “Wherever I Roam”. In that one song Hetfield effortlessly plays nomadic prophet, clairvoyant and not to mention wanderlust traveler , all at once; in a vocal performance for the ages. The quartet produce one after another moment of sheer thrill and wizardry of vocals, guitar and drums on a backdrop of stirring poetry throughout the length of the album…. culminating in the bridge and chorus of the song “The God that Failed”….
….I see faith in your eyes,
Never you hear the dispirited lies,
I see faith in your eyes…
Broken is a promise…Betrayal!
The healing hand held back
By the deepened nail…
…Go, Follow the God that failed!!!
5.Back in Black : AC/DC
The “Black” is all there is in common between the Black album of Metallica and AC/DC’s legendary Back in Black. The thrash rockers from Oz do what they do best….an onslaught of kickass guitar and banshee vocals with no-holds barred, between the thighs, lyrics that send you shooting through the roof quicker than a triple shot of the fiercest tequila. The sly salacious screams of the flat-capped Brian Jhonson and the adrenaline rushing riffs of rock’s most well known school-boy, Angus Young are guaranteed to provide the most phenomenal and sustained rock n roll orgasm ever. Songs like Shoot to Thrill, Hells Bells, You shook me up all night sum up what AC/DC is all about. There are time when we all wish to forget the higher senses, all kind of logic and sense and just submit to the throes of the most primitive and carnal emotions….you do not have to look further than Back in Black. It is rock n roll at its rawest, uninhibited and embryonic best.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Better late than never: post WC sentiments
This post has been in the pipeline for a very long time.....however procrastintion abd heartache ...and also some genuinely busy times had intervened . Hope to write more frequently.
As an ardent sports lover and die hard fan of Dutch football and Arsenal , I have too often been at the short end of the straw as far as results go. There have been times when you wonder the sense of so much anticipation and yearning simply too see it end in heartache and misery. Happy are those who attain their sustenance from the silver screen and Saas bahu serials- I would remark. But then along come giants like Lance Armstrong , Roger Federer and Tiger Woods to restore your faith and conjure up such magic that in reel life would be dismissed as too fantastical and far fetched. The latest in this line was the mega football event we just witnessed.
The curtains are finally down on the world cup. Perhaps not the most exciting in terms of sheer attacking play but for sheer romanticism and poetic fulfillment , this tournament has to be unrivalled in the entire World Cup history. If any still had doubts that fact is stranger than fiction then just take a look at the number of unbelievable stories the past month has thrown up. Call it coincidence if you are a sceptic or destiny if you are a believer, the fact remains that from the first day to the hair raising last , we were on a roller coaster ride of breakthroughs and redemptions liberally interspersed with abject failure and disgrace. None bear this out better than the extraordinary tales of champions Italy , hosts Germany and a shell shocked France.
Italy, well what can I say of the Azzuri. At the start of the tournament my personal prediction was that if Italy could emerge unscathed out of the first round, they would play the finals against Brazil. Too much has been written about the match fixing scandal in Italy’s serie A which could see 4 maj clubs being relegated and Juventus (which in the final had 11 players who had represented it at some point or the other) likely to be relegated to serie C. Surely lightening could not strike twice . After all in 1982, Italy came off a similar controversy back home to win the event….incidentally that year too Brazil had been made overwhelming favourites. There is something about these Europeans (with the exception of course of the venerable England) that makes them rise like a phoenix from the ashes every single time…the like of which I haven’t seen in any other community or class. What do you know…they produced a master class of team-spirit , single minded devotion and doggedness to overshadow the controversy back home and return with the trophy. The innumerable moments of romance in Italy’s fairy tale journey can best be summarized by looking at the 5 wonderful men who exorcised the ghosts of Roberto Baggio (incidentally another former Juventus man) on a sveltering day in the Rosebowl 12 yrs earlier.
Andrea Pirlo: scored the first spot kick ….after having tragically missed in the 2005 Champions league final for Milan against Liverpool.
Marco Materazzi: Simply put he was in every way the man of the final, from conceding the penalty, to providing the equalizer, to getting Zidane sent off and finally converting his own penalty.
Daniel de Rossi :Sent off in the groups stages for a petulant elbow and subsequently banned for 4 games , the youngster returned in the final as a replacement for Totti and sought redemption at the greatest stage.
Fabio Grosso: From diving in the 95th minute to secure the penalty against Aus to scoring that sublime first goal against Germany in the 119th minute, he was at the heart of all that was good , bad and ugly in the Italian campaign.
Alessandro del Piero : I kept him for the last as a lot of personal sentiments ride with him. He has been my sentimental favourite ever since school days.The golden boy of Juventus widely criticized for not reproducing his club form for his country finally arrived with the goal in the semi final and the penalty in the final. For one who has followed his career every inch of the way, you could sense his relief by the sheer outpouring of emotion at the end of it all.
To round off Italy, in a sheer footballing sense I have to mention Captain Cannavaro. Too often have previous world cups been known by the name of the dazzling player or striker who terrorized defences off all and sundry but never before for a defender. Thus you have Puskas-54, Pele-58 & 70, Cryuff-74, Rossi-82 and of course Maradona-86.However Cannavaro’s performance in the world cup earns him the right to be mentioned in this breath. From the very first match , his amazing anticipation , organization , starting of attacks from the defense, carrying of an at times suspect Materazzi on his shoulders and all this with that characteristically mischievous grin. His play was a joy to behold and for the first time I derived as much pleasure from watching defensive skills as that of the attacking flair of Brazil and Argentina.
As this wonderful tournament progressed , you wondered whether it was Germany’s destiny to triumph. Our bards of yore could not have set up a more picture perfect or romantic and evanescent setting. A country …which for decades has been ridden by the overwhelming burden and shame of the most gruesome genocide in history . A once proud fatherland where for years greybeards and striplings alike grappled in vain with the demons of their own conscience . A land which for half a century was breached by the most notorious wall in history….which even nigh 2 decades has left unsightly scars on the hearts and souls of the German people.
However it seemed that the most unlikely bunch of 23 modern day gladiators, led by a somewhat deposed erstwhile icon , had taken upon themselves the task of providing salvation to the people of a great nation….to once and for all root out the scars of the holocaust and the wall and finally, gain redemption for their countrymen. Anyone who witnessed the amazing quarter final match against Argentina could not help but feel a sense of awe and history. Not least ,in the setting , the magnificent Olympiastadion of Berlin, which had been chosen specifically with the purpose of showcasing the Nazi might in the 1936 Olympic games. They say the arena still retains a few pillars and architectural remains of the original stadium where Deutschland first imposed itself on the world. The Germans might then have stolen the games but the plaudits and hearts went ironically to 2 dark skinned men…ebony express Jesse Owens and the Indian wizard , Maj Dhyan Chand. In those days , proud soldiers of the Reich would stand impeccable with faces carved as if of granite silently conveying the devastation they were about to wreak on the world. Every thing was in perfect decorum and not a hair was out of place.
You get the feeling that the spirits of those men lingered in the till the 30th of June 2006….exactly 70 yrs till an event of similar magnificence and aura but portraying totally contrasting values ;that the passion and euphoria of that wonderful night finally released those guilt ridden souls. There you saw Chancellor Angela Merkel hugging Franz Beckenbauer at that final penalty save by Jens Lehmann of Esteban Cambiasso. The captain Michael Ballack, deemed earlier as the last great of a decaying football powerhouse, hobbling through the entire extra time in excruciating pain but staying on the pitch as the team had used up all their substitutions. What is more , stepping up to take a vital penalty kick. As the commentator most aptly summed it up “ you’d have put your mortgage on him scoring then.” The coach , a former great and world cup winning hero himself , oft critisised for his unorthodox tactics , knew that there were more important things than winning the cup…winning the minds and uniting the hearts of the German people.
Sport defies all prediction . The Germans have not won the cup but Klinsmannn's dream has been achieved , of uniting the people under one banner , something not even the great sporting heroes the likes of Michael Schumacher , Steffi Graf and Beckenbauer himself could achieve. For those who witnessed the tumultuous scenes at the Brandenburg Gate after the third place match, it was a sight to take home ……a sight of redemption for a nation flapping vainly in the dark for more than half a century.
As an ardent sports lover and die hard fan of Dutch football and Arsenal , I have too often been at the short end of the straw as far as results go. There have been times when you wonder the sense of so much anticipation and yearning simply too see it end in heartache and misery. Happy are those who attain their sustenance from the silver screen and Saas bahu serials- I would remark. But then along come giants like Lance Armstrong , Roger Federer and Tiger Woods to restore your faith and conjure up such magic that in reel life would be dismissed as too fantastical and far fetched. The latest in this line was the mega football event we just witnessed.
The curtains are finally down on the world cup. Perhaps not the most exciting in terms of sheer attacking play but for sheer romanticism and poetic fulfillment , this tournament has to be unrivalled in the entire World Cup history. If any still had doubts that fact is stranger than fiction then just take a look at the number of unbelievable stories the past month has thrown up. Call it coincidence if you are a sceptic or destiny if you are a believer, the fact remains that from the first day to the hair raising last , we were on a roller coaster ride of breakthroughs and redemptions liberally interspersed with abject failure and disgrace. None bear this out better than the extraordinary tales of champions Italy , hosts Germany and a shell shocked France.
Italy, well what can I say of the Azzuri. At the start of the tournament my personal prediction was that if Italy could emerge unscathed out of the first round, they would play the finals against Brazil. Too much has been written about the match fixing scandal in Italy’s serie A which could see 4 maj clubs being relegated and Juventus (which in the final had 11 players who had represented it at some point or the other) likely to be relegated to serie C. Surely lightening could not strike twice . After all in 1982, Italy came off a similar controversy back home to win the event….incidentally that year too Brazil had been made overwhelming favourites. There is something about these Europeans (with the exception of course of the venerable England) that makes them rise like a phoenix from the ashes every single time…the like of which I haven’t seen in any other community or class. What do you know…they produced a master class of team-spirit , single minded devotion and doggedness to overshadow the controversy back home and return with the trophy. The innumerable moments of romance in Italy’s fairy tale journey can best be summarized by looking at the 5 wonderful men who exorcised the ghosts of Roberto Baggio (incidentally another former Juventus man) on a sveltering day in the Rosebowl 12 yrs earlier.
Andrea Pirlo: scored the first spot kick ….after having tragically missed in the 2005 Champions league final for Milan against Liverpool.
Marco Materazzi: Simply put he was in every way the man of the final, from conceding the penalty, to providing the equalizer, to getting Zidane sent off and finally converting his own penalty.
Daniel de Rossi :Sent off in the groups stages for a petulant elbow and subsequently banned for 4 games , the youngster returned in the final as a replacement for Totti and sought redemption at the greatest stage.
Fabio Grosso: From diving in the 95th minute to secure the penalty against Aus to scoring that sublime first goal against Germany in the 119th minute, he was at the heart of all that was good , bad and ugly in the Italian campaign.
Alessandro del Piero : I kept him for the last as a lot of personal sentiments ride with him. He has been my sentimental favourite ever since school days.The golden boy of Juventus widely criticized for not reproducing his club form for his country finally arrived with the goal in the semi final and the penalty in the final. For one who has followed his career every inch of the way, you could sense his relief by the sheer outpouring of emotion at the end of it all.
To round off Italy, in a sheer footballing sense I have to mention Captain Cannavaro. Too often have previous world cups been known by the name of the dazzling player or striker who terrorized defences off all and sundry but never before for a defender. Thus you have Puskas-54, Pele-58 & 70, Cryuff-74, Rossi-82 and of course Maradona-86.However Cannavaro’s performance in the world cup earns him the right to be mentioned in this breath. From the very first match , his amazing anticipation , organization , starting of attacks from the defense, carrying of an at times suspect Materazzi on his shoulders and all this with that characteristically mischievous grin. His play was a joy to behold and for the first time I derived as much pleasure from watching defensive skills as that of the attacking flair of Brazil and Argentina.
As this wonderful tournament progressed , you wondered whether it was Germany’s destiny to triumph. Our bards of yore could not have set up a more picture perfect or romantic and evanescent setting. A country …which for decades has been ridden by the overwhelming burden and shame of the most gruesome genocide in history . A once proud fatherland where for years greybeards and striplings alike grappled in vain with the demons of their own conscience . A land which for half a century was breached by the most notorious wall in history….which even nigh 2 decades has left unsightly scars on the hearts and souls of the German people.
However it seemed that the most unlikely bunch of 23 modern day gladiators, led by a somewhat deposed erstwhile icon , had taken upon themselves the task of providing salvation to the people of a great nation….to once and for all root out the scars of the holocaust and the wall and finally, gain redemption for their countrymen. Anyone who witnessed the amazing quarter final match against Argentina could not help but feel a sense of awe and history. Not least ,in the setting , the magnificent Olympiastadion of Berlin, which had been chosen specifically with the purpose of showcasing the Nazi might in the 1936 Olympic games. They say the arena still retains a few pillars and architectural remains of the original stadium where Deutschland first imposed itself on the world. The Germans might then have stolen the games but the plaudits and hearts went ironically to 2 dark skinned men…ebony express Jesse Owens and the Indian wizard , Maj Dhyan Chand. In those days , proud soldiers of the Reich would stand impeccable with faces carved as if of granite silently conveying the devastation they were about to wreak on the world. Every thing was in perfect decorum and not a hair was out of place.
You get the feeling that the spirits of those men lingered in the till the 30th of June 2006….exactly 70 yrs till an event of similar magnificence and aura but portraying totally contrasting values ;that the passion and euphoria of that wonderful night finally released those guilt ridden souls. There you saw Chancellor Angela Merkel hugging Franz Beckenbauer at that final penalty save by Jens Lehmann of Esteban Cambiasso. The captain Michael Ballack, deemed earlier as the last great of a decaying football powerhouse, hobbling through the entire extra time in excruciating pain but staying on the pitch as the team had used up all their substitutions. What is more , stepping up to take a vital penalty kick. As the commentator most aptly summed it up “ you’d have put your mortgage on him scoring then.” The coach , a former great and world cup winning hero himself , oft critisised for his unorthodox tactics , knew that there were more important things than winning the cup…winning the minds and uniting the hearts of the German people.
Sport defies all prediction . The Germans have not won the cup but Klinsmannn's dream has been achieved , of uniting the people under one banner , something not even the great sporting heroes the likes of Michael Schumacher , Steffi Graf and Beckenbauer himself could achieve. For those who witnessed the tumultuous scenes at the Brandenburg Gate after the third place match, it was a sight to take home ……a sight of redemption for a nation flapping vainly in the dark for more than half a century.
Sunday, June 04, 2006
The evolution of a crisis
I sincerely wished to desist from commenting on this topic as myviews are quite tangential from those which have been aired so far.However grant me the ramblings of an idle mind .
The concept of reservations and equal representation are a smalltenet of an inescapable aspect of human evolution into a thinkingspecies with an immensely complicated social structure. The solecause for this stems from an aberrant development of the humanbrain, which makes it think that it is the supreme being on theplanet that the earth and everything on it is meant for humansalone. From hereon developed our social structure with its multi-layered hierarchy. Contrary to what most people believe, and what isone of the more universally prevalent behavioral patterns innature ; humans are possibly the most altruistic species on theplanet. By this, I do not imply that everything humans do arealtruistic …they are definitely not, but that humans show morealtruistic actions than any other species on the planet. I do notbelieve that there is any other organism which concerns itself soclosely with the welfare and the survival of the entire species.Altruism in other species is restricted to the family , the group orin extreme cases the herd. Most organisms however are solelyconcerned with themselves and their progeny. Paradoxically, we arealso one of the more selfish species doing the rounds. As in manyother species , you will find in humans examples of individualsconflicting with others to gain dominion over the ecosystem. Thecomplicated bodily and mental makeup of humans along with theextensive social structure gives countless dimensions to thisselfish behavioral pattern. This constant conflict betweenaltruistic and selfish behavioral patterns finds an extremelyinteresting outlet in the present scenario of reservations in India.Consider an example. If an external environmental change threatenedthe welfare of an organism, most or all organisms would tend tomodify themselves physically, socially or genetically so as toenable itself and its progeny to combat the impending threat.Humans are possibly the only species, which tries to modify theenvironment to overcome the threat. Of course, in the present day wecan argue that we are so dominant over our ecosystem and so mentallyadvanced that this is an easier method for us; but for whateverreason the fact remains that we do so, that we are inherently madeto do so : and in doing so , not least in our reasons comes the oftsited " for the betterment of mankind".Again we humans are the only species, where as a rule rather than asan exception, the stronger sections are concerned with the welfareof the weaker sections. There is an inherent tendency within us toform social groups, but despite having done so, still be concernedwith the welfare of members of all groups. So strong is thisbehavioral pattern that it is only disrupted when a dire andimmediate threat is perceived to self and family, a phenomenon whichis mirrored almost to precision in the ongoing events in our countrytoday.I do not think any examples are required but still- just a few dayswe were all very concerned about genocide and HR violations inDarfur. For a moment, laying aside the humane aspect, is there anyreason why we in India should be concerned about events halfwayacross the globe : No , but we still are because that is how we haveevolved and for all of Ayn Rand's philosophising cannot change whatis an inherent trait to our species. I am not a Rand fan simplybecause I do not believe that humans can inherently display suchbehaviour.So , fortunately or unfortunately, we humans have this habit ofcarrying everyone in our train. It is our `duty' to uplift theweaker sections of our species. The result: we are a tremendousecological success having attained dominion over the entire planetbut evolutionarily we are slowing down , reaching a dead end or assome put it even going in a opposite direction. Agreed , evolutiondoes not work in a handful of generations but our evolution andsubsequent ecological success have robbed quite few of the basicrequirements of evolution. It is not my lot to discuss Darwinismhere as I have already deviated a lot but one final point isrequired . At the very core of evolution is a much derided wordcalled `Purge'. Evolution tends to purge species of the weaker andthe ill fitted for survival, ultimately paving the way for origin ofnew species. Quite paradoxically , evolution of humans hasinculcated them with this behavioral pattern of altruism whichappears to inhibit evolution itself. The result appears only to bethe imminent extinction of the species. It may not come within thenext 2 or 20 generations , but sure as an arrow, it is imminent.Before proceeding further let me emphasise that these views are notmy own but these are what we humans are . Secondly coming back toour main agenda of reservation in India , I am not for one momentsaying that there is any altruistic motive behind it. It is simplyone of vote-bank politics but the idea is drawn from age old humanideals of upliftment of the weak and equal representation of allgroups.History is replete with such examples. All the major religions :Christianity , Islam and Hinduism cite numerous instances of uniformrepresentation, not necessarily from weaker sections but from allsections of society . The 13 apostles were from diff areas andsects. The Argonauts came from all corners of Greece, the 9 gems inAkbar's court were all from different castes, religions and havingdifferent trades. These are not merely coincidences. Cutting back tothe present area , I can think of an all too obvious example in theforthcoming WC Football. If we were to concentrate just on merit (which in football parlance translates to exciting skillfulfootball), we should ideally be having only European , S Americanand possibly a couple of African teams. Why then do we have quotasfor all continents and bear with Asian teams which either depress uswith their sub-standard football or as in the case of S Korea , useFIFA's considerable backing to gain semi-final entries by the backdoor.On the present scenario in India, I have nothing but contempt forreservations …mind you , reservations of any kind, be it SC/ST,OBC , or have what you may. I think even the most vehement socialistwould ultimately agree that in spite of our best efforts wecannot ever completely eradicate economic inequality . Theeconomically strong translates in evolutionary parlance to a fittermodel more suited for survival by a better combination of `nature vsnurture' i.e. gene pool + environment. By our inherent altruistictendencies we try an improve the ill fitted , a concept I can stillreconcile with. However I do have very strong reservations againstthe horizontal fragmentation of society based on caste , religionand the likes , something that is a virus in the society and canonly serve to impede our progress and quest for excellence. Ibelieve we are civilised enough to at least stop the division ofsociety on the basis of these superstitious cultural beliefs .However I do not have much sympathy for the protesting groups eitherbecause I believe that their allegations and accusations are toomyopic and more importantly are based more on selfish motives thanon any fundamentally conceptual beliefs and philosophies. To sitean example, tomorrow when the UK and US denies visas to Indianstudents on grounds that they would settle down there and encroachon the employment of that nation's own citizens, I do not see anyIndian come forth to say that it the correct thing is being done.Rather, people behave almost as if a fundamental right of theirs isbeing snatched away. People protest in the name of reservationsagainst SC/ST and OBC's in the name of equality but noone is heardthat such a classification should be done away with in the firstplace. Unfortunately, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.There has to be some kind of consistency in your views.In my eutopian world, there would be no social divisions, noreligion, caste or countries. The entire humankind would work onlytoward one common goal…. Progress. The emphasis would be solely uponexcellence and nothing else would supersede it. However it is justwishful thinking…. it will never be. For humans are nor made toexist in that manner. Till then, que sara sara.
The concept of reservations and equal representation are a smalltenet of an inescapable aspect of human evolution into a thinkingspecies with an immensely complicated social structure. The solecause for this stems from an aberrant development of the humanbrain, which makes it think that it is the supreme being on theplanet that the earth and everything on it is meant for humansalone. From hereon developed our social structure with its multi-layered hierarchy. Contrary to what most people believe, and what isone of the more universally prevalent behavioral patterns innature ; humans are possibly the most altruistic species on theplanet. By this, I do not imply that everything humans do arealtruistic …they are definitely not, but that humans show morealtruistic actions than any other species on the planet. I do notbelieve that there is any other organism which concerns itself soclosely with the welfare and the survival of the entire species.Altruism in other species is restricted to the family , the group orin extreme cases the herd. Most organisms however are solelyconcerned with themselves and their progeny. Paradoxically, we arealso one of the more selfish species doing the rounds. As in manyother species , you will find in humans examples of individualsconflicting with others to gain dominion over the ecosystem. Thecomplicated bodily and mental makeup of humans along with theextensive social structure gives countless dimensions to thisselfish behavioral pattern. This constant conflict betweenaltruistic and selfish behavioral patterns finds an extremelyinteresting outlet in the present scenario of reservations in India.Consider an example. If an external environmental change threatenedthe welfare of an organism, most or all organisms would tend tomodify themselves physically, socially or genetically so as toenable itself and its progeny to combat the impending threat.Humans are possibly the only species, which tries to modify theenvironment to overcome the threat. Of course, in the present day wecan argue that we are so dominant over our ecosystem and so mentallyadvanced that this is an easier method for us; but for whateverreason the fact remains that we do so, that we are inherently madeto do so : and in doing so , not least in our reasons comes the oftsited " for the betterment of mankind".Again we humans are the only species, where as a rule rather than asan exception, the stronger sections are concerned with the welfareof the weaker sections. There is an inherent tendency within us toform social groups, but despite having done so, still be concernedwith the welfare of members of all groups. So strong is thisbehavioral pattern that it is only disrupted when a dire andimmediate threat is perceived to self and family, a phenomenon whichis mirrored almost to precision in the ongoing events in our countrytoday.I do not think any examples are required but still- just a few dayswe were all very concerned about genocide and HR violations inDarfur. For a moment, laying aside the humane aspect, is there anyreason why we in India should be concerned about events halfwayacross the globe : No , but we still are because that is how we haveevolved and for all of Ayn Rand's philosophising cannot change whatis an inherent trait to our species. I am not a Rand fan simplybecause I do not believe that humans can inherently display suchbehaviour.So , fortunately or unfortunately, we humans have this habit ofcarrying everyone in our train. It is our `duty' to uplift theweaker sections of our species. The result: we are a tremendousecological success having attained dominion over the entire planetbut evolutionarily we are slowing down , reaching a dead end or assome put it even going in a opposite direction. Agreed , evolutiondoes not work in a handful of generations but our evolution andsubsequent ecological success have robbed quite few of the basicrequirements of evolution. It is not my lot to discuss Darwinismhere as I have already deviated a lot but one final point isrequired . At the very core of evolution is a much derided wordcalled `Purge'. Evolution tends to purge species of the weaker andthe ill fitted for survival, ultimately paving the way for origin ofnew species. Quite paradoxically , evolution of humans hasinculcated them with this behavioral pattern of altruism whichappears to inhibit evolution itself. The result appears only to bethe imminent extinction of the species. It may not come within thenext 2 or 20 generations , but sure as an arrow, it is imminent.Before proceeding further let me emphasise that these views are notmy own but these are what we humans are . Secondly coming back toour main agenda of reservation in India , I am not for one momentsaying that there is any altruistic motive behind it. It is simplyone of vote-bank politics but the idea is drawn from age old humanideals of upliftment of the weak and equal representation of allgroups.History is replete with such examples. All the major religions :Christianity , Islam and Hinduism cite numerous instances of uniformrepresentation, not necessarily from weaker sections but from allsections of society . The 13 apostles were from diff areas andsects. The Argonauts came from all corners of Greece, the 9 gems inAkbar's court were all from different castes, religions and havingdifferent trades. These are not merely coincidences. Cutting back tothe present area , I can think of an all too obvious example in theforthcoming WC Football. If we were to concentrate just on merit (which in football parlance translates to exciting skillfulfootball), we should ideally be having only European , S Americanand possibly a couple of African teams. Why then do we have quotasfor all continents and bear with Asian teams which either depress uswith their sub-standard football or as in the case of S Korea , useFIFA's considerable backing to gain semi-final entries by the backdoor.On the present scenario in India, I have nothing but contempt forreservations …mind you , reservations of any kind, be it SC/ST,OBC , or have what you may. I think even the most vehement socialistwould ultimately agree that in spite of our best efforts wecannot ever completely eradicate economic inequality . Theeconomically strong translates in evolutionary parlance to a fittermodel more suited for survival by a better combination of `nature vsnurture' i.e. gene pool + environment. By our inherent altruistictendencies we try an improve the ill fitted , a concept I can stillreconcile with. However I do have very strong reservations againstthe horizontal fragmentation of society based on caste , religionand the likes , something that is a virus in the society and canonly serve to impede our progress and quest for excellence. Ibelieve we are civilised enough to at least stop the division ofsociety on the basis of these superstitious cultural beliefs .However I do not have much sympathy for the protesting groups eitherbecause I believe that their allegations and accusations are toomyopic and more importantly are based more on selfish motives thanon any fundamentally conceptual beliefs and philosophies. To sitean example, tomorrow when the UK and US denies visas to Indianstudents on grounds that they would settle down there and encroachon the employment of that nation's own citizens, I do not see anyIndian come forth to say that it the correct thing is being done.Rather, people behave almost as if a fundamental right of theirs isbeing snatched away. People protest in the name of reservationsagainst SC/ST and OBC's in the name of equality but noone is heardthat such a classification should be done away with in the firstplace. Unfortunately, you cannot have your cake and eat it too.There has to be some kind of consistency in your views.In my eutopian world, there would be no social divisions, noreligion, caste or countries. The entire humankind would work onlytoward one common goal…. Progress. The emphasis would be solely uponexcellence and nothing else would supersede it. However it is justwishful thinking…. it will never be. For humans are nor made toexist in that manner. Till then, que sara sara.
Friday, March 10, 2006
Today i'd like to talk about hollywood and a rather disturbing trend that i've noticed in movies over the past 5-6 yrs. Watching this year's academy awards , a rather low key affair by the way ( made watchable only by the redoutable George Clooney and the gorgeous Kiera Knightley), I came to the sad conclusion that hollywood is experiencing a rather lean patch .Not since 2003-04 when "THE LORD OF THE RINGS : THE RETURN OF THE KING" so overwhelmingly swept 11 oscars , has there been a majoraward and money spinning movie. Before going further let us just consider the more imp movies from 1990 - 2000(a) and those from2001-06(b).
a) Forrest Gump , Philadelphia, Schindler's List, Pulp Fiction,Titanic, Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan , Jurassic Park, Silence of the Lambs, Braveheart.(just to name a few)
b) LotR trilogy, Matrix trilogy , Star wars (I,II,III), A beautiful mind, Chicago, Million Dollar Baby
Its easy to see that in the 2nd list probably only the Tolkien adaption (that too only part 3) would probably merit a place amongthe Thinking Man's Hall of Fame of Hollywood Classics (sorry to disappoint matrix fans but I do not consider any of the films to be classics).However in the first list, all the movies and perhaps a few that I've not named would certainly run very close if not find their place amonst the great all time movies. To add to this you have the steadily increasing list of attempted big budgeted epics which have bombed at the box ofice...your Troys , Alexanders and War of the Worlds . The popcorn fare of the Harry Potter series (& the more recent Narnia) fade miserably in comparison to the great fantasy classics e.g The Wizard of Oz. King Kong for all its wonderful effects would be hard pressed to surpass the undeniable nostalgia of the original black & white clasic.I have not seen a single one of the movies to headline this year's oscars (except Kong) but something tells me that things are not going to be too different from last year. .I watched all of million Dollar Baby, Aviator, Ray, Finding Neverland...all very good movies without bieng great. In none could I detect , either the grandeoise or the finesse or the take home punch so inherent of the classics of old.I personally believe that the best judge to a movie's real quality is the person's emotions as he leaves the theatre. So a great film is one where you feel extremes of emotion- exhilaration, deep sympathy , or simply a sense of awe . It is thus that over the years we either rejoiced as with the Von Trapp family's escape from nazi clutches, or had the good, the bad and the hideous ugly ofwar brought right into our living rooms at the opening D Day sequence in SPR. Over the past 4-5 yrs Hollywood has been built up a strange monotony , either trying to disturb still deeply conservative American roots with themes like Homosexuality and racism , or merely stitching together a 2hr visual effects roller coaster ride lacking the element of thought. (classic case in point : compare Jurassic Park to the 2 sequels or Gladiator to Troy). Somewhere along the line we have lost that spontaneous human emotion, the element which excited us with merely a scream of "Run Forrest Run" , or an embittered Huphrey Bogart drowning his heartache with the line " of all the gin joints in all the cities inthe entire world, she has to walk into mine" . The movie making touch which sent shivers down your spine at the mention of a single " Clarice" or at the word of the proud Colonel in a hostile courtroom " You can't handle the truth" ,is unfortunately missing over the past few years. What is more astonishing is that in these very same years , our own bollywood has acually taken giant steps in churning out cerebrally orgasmic movies the ilk of which would have done Hollywood of yore proud. Be it Black ,RDB, DCH, Lagaan, Page 3 . What a welcome relief to get fare so radically different form the diabetically sweet Yash chopra brigade.
So where do we go from here . Simple , you expect Hollywood to recover but hope it is sooner rether than later. Let us see what Tom Hanks dishes out in 'The DaVinci Code'. You also hope Bollywood keeps up the excellent work of these past few years. Indian film makers deserve a pat on thier backs. For once,they have at least matched ,if not beaten hollywood at their own game. Let us also hope ,1st that RDB is sent to the Oscars next year, and 2nd that it goes one step better than Lagaan. Surely no one will deny the immense potential of the same.
a) Forrest Gump , Philadelphia, Schindler's List, Pulp Fiction,Titanic, Gladiator, Saving Private Ryan , Jurassic Park, Silence of the Lambs, Braveheart.(just to name a few)
b) LotR trilogy, Matrix trilogy , Star wars (I,II,III), A beautiful mind, Chicago, Million Dollar Baby
Its easy to see that in the 2nd list probably only the Tolkien adaption (that too only part 3) would probably merit a place amongthe Thinking Man's Hall of Fame of Hollywood Classics (sorry to disappoint matrix fans but I do not consider any of the films to be classics).However in the first list, all the movies and perhaps a few that I've not named would certainly run very close if not find their place amonst the great all time movies. To add to this you have the steadily increasing list of attempted big budgeted epics which have bombed at the box ofice...your Troys , Alexanders and War of the Worlds . The popcorn fare of the Harry Potter series (& the more recent Narnia) fade miserably in comparison to the great fantasy classics e.g The Wizard of Oz. King Kong for all its wonderful effects would be hard pressed to surpass the undeniable nostalgia of the original black & white clasic.I have not seen a single one of the movies to headline this year's oscars (except Kong) but something tells me that things are not going to be too different from last year. .I watched all of million Dollar Baby, Aviator, Ray, Finding Neverland...all very good movies without bieng great. In none could I detect , either the grandeoise or the finesse or the take home punch so inherent of the classics of old.I personally believe that the best judge to a movie's real quality is the person's emotions as he leaves the theatre. So a great film is one where you feel extremes of emotion- exhilaration, deep sympathy , or simply a sense of awe . It is thus that over the years we either rejoiced as with the Von Trapp family's escape from nazi clutches, or had the good, the bad and the hideous ugly ofwar brought right into our living rooms at the opening D Day sequence in SPR. Over the past 4-5 yrs Hollywood has been built up a strange monotony , either trying to disturb still deeply conservative American roots with themes like Homosexuality and racism , or merely stitching together a 2hr visual effects roller coaster ride lacking the element of thought. (classic case in point : compare Jurassic Park to the 2 sequels or Gladiator to Troy). Somewhere along the line we have lost that spontaneous human emotion, the element which excited us with merely a scream of "Run Forrest Run" , or an embittered Huphrey Bogart drowning his heartache with the line " of all the gin joints in all the cities inthe entire world, she has to walk into mine" . The movie making touch which sent shivers down your spine at the mention of a single " Clarice" or at the word of the proud Colonel in a hostile courtroom " You can't handle the truth" ,is unfortunately missing over the past few years. What is more astonishing is that in these very same years , our own bollywood has acually taken giant steps in churning out cerebrally orgasmic movies the ilk of which would have done Hollywood of yore proud. Be it Black ,RDB, DCH, Lagaan, Page 3 . What a welcome relief to get fare so radically different form the diabetically sweet Yash chopra brigade.
So where do we go from here . Simple , you expect Hollywood to recover but hope it is sooner rether than later. Let us see what Tom Hanks dishes out in 'The DaVinci Code'. You also hope Bollywood keeps up the excellent work of these past few years. Indian film makers deserve a pat on thier backs. For once,they have at least matched ,if not beaten hollywood at their own game. Let us also hope ,1st that RDB is sent to the Oscars next year, and 2nd that it goes one step better than Lagaan. Surely no one will deny the immense potential of the same.
Monday, February 20, 2006
a casual first time
this is my first go at a blog. quite frankly i'm stumped at what to do next.
Lets just say that i'm looking fwd to the champions league clashes tonight.
Barcelona vs chelsea , Real madrid vs Arsenal , AC Milan vs Bayern Munich are the clashes which stand out.
I'll be rooting for Barcelona . If ever there was any divine vengeance then surely this is it. Somebody(read Riijkard , Ronaldinho et al ) ..pl stop Jose "big mouth" Mourinho.
Arsenal have no chance .they're playing terribly. Henry's not scoring . They're leaking goals at the back. Honestly ,6th in the premiership flatters them .The gunners have been simply awful this season.
Lets just say that i'm looking fwd to the champions league clashes tonight.
Barcelona vs chelsea , Real madrid vs Arsenal , AC Milan vs Bayern Munich are the clashes which stand out.
I'll be rooting for Barcelona . If ever there was any divine vengeance then surely this is it. Somebody(read Riijkard , Ronaldinho et al ) ..pl stop Jose "big mouth" Mourinho.
Arsenal have no chance .they're playing terribly. Henry's not scoring . They're leaking goals at the back. Honestly ,6th in the premiership flatters them .The gunners have been simply awful this season.
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