Back in India at last. Only positives to report from Delhi, where the encounter with the mighty central ministry of health was stressful, but the fact that I was able to travel from the outskirts of Delhi to Rajghat in 40 min through minimum stress and dirt via the Delhi Metro to push files, took away the tedium.
Saw Rang de Basanti. Jingoistic to say the least. Some of the songs are cool. Aamir Khan just manages to pull off the college passout routine. The film is basically a parody of British and present India. Ends up with a whole lot of people dead. Blood makes good cinema.
Came across the world's funniest flyover. It begins like a single one way and joins another similar oneway from another road to funnel traffic into the main bridge- so looks a pregnant lady on with her legs astride on straps. Then suddenly in the middle of the flyover a lone traffic policeman blocks out traffic from one lane at a time. The reason- traffic on the left side of the road suddenly makes a shift to the right [aka from Indian to us style driving] so that traffic can rejoin on the right side in the road below. Whoever designed the bridge must have failed all his civil engineering exams. Also an effective way to make sure the traffic cop remains employed. God Help Bangalore.
Planning to hit home soon. And get drunk, Hallelujah
Thursday, February 02, 2006
Tuesday, January 17, 2006
Hmm
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/16
/science/16gene.html?incamp=article_popular
So the diabetes world just got a little more interesting. Another gene associated with a predisposition to DM 2 has been identified. I can see the pharmaceutical giants licking their fingers at the possibility of a new target for therapy. The world of diabetes therapy already has such a bewildering range of drugs many of them entire new groups that came out in the last decade. If a disease has many possible treatments it usually means that none of them present a clear advantage and less is known about the disease itself. So basically in medicine choice is bad. And so it is with Diabetes.
/science/16gene.html?incamp=article_popular
So the diabetes world just got a little more interesting. Another gene associated with a predisposition to DM 2 has been identified. I can see the pharmaceutical giants licking their fingers at the possibility of a new target for therapy. The world of diabetes therapy already has such a bewildering range of drugs many of them entire new groups that came out in the last decade. If a disease has many possible treatments it usually means that none of them present a clear advantage and less is known about the disease itself. So basically in medicine choice is bad. And so it is with Diabetes.
Monday, January 16, 2006
MoMa.
Couldn’t they have abbreviated it to something else. Anyways the museum of modern art or MoMa, is free Friday nights. The whole of New York turns up there Friday night 4-8 pm. Nice because everyone is well dressed and all the girls are lovely. Quite a young crowd for an art museum. But MoMa has an entire floor dedicated to Pixar, so prepare to be surprised.
The first and ground floor are dedicated to Pixar. Going through the exhibits really gives you a sense of the imagination these guys have.
I missed the Prints section on the 2nd floor and the sculptures in the garden. For some other Friday I guess.
The 3rd floor has the photographs and design section. The design section was nice, there was these models and photographs of a ‘house of spiritual something’ which caught my eye. It has a two walls meeting each other at right angles, with the main living area located underground within the right angle. The walls just serve as the doorway into the underground dwelling. Kind of looks like a wing. And the photographs of the house and the area surrounding it are marvelous.
The Robin Rhode media exhibits are a must see. He takes what is a simple idea [his works are basically graffiti on a wall and his interactions with them, to depict motion, caught as stills either as photographs or a movie of stills] and runs with it. The photographs of him catching fridges, furniture, and even an automobile as they appear to fall out from the sky are amazing. I mean you can’t help but feel good at the end by the childish spirit in his art.
The Odilon Redon exhibit is strange. His charcoal and pencil work are undoubtedly beautiful. The images he conjures up are fascinating. I didn’t understand his interpretation of Poe’s ‘The Masque of Red Death’ but his vision of Berenice is apt. The Masque of Red Death is about the princes who with his courtiers enclose themselves in a castle to escape death from a plague epidemic that rages outside the walls. The ball that they have is unfortunately intruded upon by a masked stranger, who at the stroke of midnight reveals himself to be the plague. And everybody dies. Redon’s interpretation is like a mangled face in a red vista. I imagined it as an encounter between the prince who stares in stark horror at death. Anyways Berenice makes up for it. This is a story of a man infatuated with this lady. He loves everything about her. But most of all he is tortured by visions of her beautiful teeth. Classic Poe. Driven by the visions when the lady dies, He goes in and retrieves her teeth. I like Poe because of the way he minutely describes every scene, every person, and their strange obsessions. And the painting captures this quite aptly. When Redon goes color, his visions just explode with paint. ‘Roger and Angelique’ for example the blues of the rock face and the brilliant white of the surf are astounding. The main protagonists Roger and his hippograph, Angelique and the sea monster are faintly drawn into the grand image. Green Death is astounding because of the sheer contrast between red and green in the painting. ‘http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2005/redon/redon.html’ will take you through the collection.
The fourth and fifth floor has art. Some of it beautiful. Some strange. But that’s the way abstract art is. Sometimes you get the feeling that these artists’s get genuine pleasure from signing their names on crap, which is then highly valued by their patrons.
MoMa redefines what collectible art is. The building itself is astounding in that there are several corridors that feel like balconies opening out into open spaces.
Went on the same day to the International Center of Photography, which is down the same street. Wasn’t impressed as the collection is small and just too focused on a few topics. Definitely avoidable.
The first and ground floor are dedicated to Pixar. Going through the exhibits really gives you a sense of the imagination these guys have.
I missed the Prints section on the 2nd floor and the sculptures in the garden. For some other Friday I guess.
The 3rd floor has the photographs and design section. The design section was nice, there was these models and photographs of a ‘house of spiritual something’ which caught my eye. It has a two walls meeting each other at right angles, with the main living area located underground within the right angle. The walls just serve as the doorway into the underground dwelling. Kind of looks like a wing. And the photographs of the house and the area surrounding it are marvelous.
The Robin Rhode media exhibits are a must see. He takes what is a simple idea [his works are basically graffiti on a wall and his interactions with them, to depict motion, caught as stills either as photographs or a movie of stills] and runs with it. The photographs of him catching fridges, furniture, and even an automobile as they appear to fall out from the sky are amazing. I mean you can’t help but feel good at the end by the childish spirit in his art.
The Odilon Redon exhibit is strange. His charcoal and pencil work are undoubtedly beautiful. The images he conjures up are fascinating. I didn’t understand his interpretation of Poe’s ‘The Masque of Red Death’ but his vision of Berenice is apt. The Masque of Red Death is about the princes who with his courtiers enclose themselves in a castle to escape death from a plague epidemic that rages outside the walls. The ball that they have is unfortunately intruded upon by a masked stranger, who at the stroke of midnight reveals himself to be the plague. And everybody dies. Redon’s interpretation is like a mangled face in a red vista. I imagined it as an encounter between the prince who stares in stark horror at death. Anyways Berenice makes up for it. This is a story of a man infatuated with this lady. He loves everything about her. But most of all he is tortured by visions of her beautiful teeth. Classic Poe. Driven by the visions when the lady dies, He goes in and retrieves her teeth. I like Poe because of the way he minutely describes every scene, every person, and their strange obsessions. And the painting captures this quite aptly. When Redon goes color, his visions just explode with paint. ‘Roger and Angelique’ for example the blues of the rock face and the brilliant white of the surf are astounding. The main protagonists Roger and his hippograph, Angelique and the sea monster are faintly drawn into the grand image. Green Death is astounding because of the sheer contrast between red and green in the painting. ‘http://www.moma.org/exhibitions/2005/redon/redon.html’ will take you through the collection.
The fourth and fifth floor has art. Some of it beautiful. Some strange. But that’s the way abstract art is. Sometimes you get the feeling that these artists’s get genuine pleasure from signing their names on crap, which is then highly valued by their patrons.
MoMa redefines what collectible art is. The building itself is astounding in that there are several corridors that feel like balconies opening out into open spaces.
Went on the same day to the International Center of Photography, which is down the same street. Wasn’t impressed as the collection is small and just too focused on a few topics. Definitely avoidable.
Friday, January 13, 2006
The Met
Went to the Met yesterday. Wonderful experience. So much to see and ponder about. Easily could spend a week in there and still be unsatisfied with the experience.
Truly need to go back to look at the entire upper floor again. Just managed a cursive look. Lots of Bodhisattva statuettes in the Asia section. Maybe that’s all the stuff that they could get out. But truly gives an idea of how important Buddhism was and is to Asia. Makes you wonder how Hinduism managed to win the encounter in the Indian Peninsula.
Lasting impressions,
Salvador Dali’s Crucifixion – He plays with light and distance, orientation, to give the impression of a levitating Christ superimposed on cross of cubes.
Calatrava’s exhibit – He gives such a sense of balance to his ideas that some of them actually seem to float. And most of his creations are functional. Not just art. His versions of the human head on the spine, and the spine in itself make you rethink all the anatomy that you are so sure of and have accepted as too complex to represent, in straight lines. Beautiful. The whole exhibit makes you think about lines of weight transmission and tension, and the way he makes them come together in magical sculptures.
Ah and all the nudes, easily the reason I missed seeing so much of the other art on display.
Truly need to go back to look at the entire upper floor again. Just managed a cursive look. Lots of Bodhisattva statuettes in the Asia section. Maybe that’s all the stuff that they could get out. But truly gives an idea of how important Buddhism was and is to Asia. Makes you wonder how Hinduism managed to win the encounter in the Indian Peninsula.
Lasting impressions,
Salvador Dali’s Crucifixion – He plays with light and distance, orientation, to give the impression of a levitating Christ superimposed on cross of cubes.
Calatrava’s exhibit – He gives such a sense of balance to his ideas that some of them actually seem to float. And most of his creations are functional. Not just art. His versions of the human head on the spine, and the spine in itself make you rethink all the anatomy that you are so sure of and have accepted as too complex to represent, in straight lines. Beautiful. The whole exhibit makes you think about lines of weight transmission and tension, and the way he makes them come together in magical sculptures.
Ah and all the nudes, easily the reason I missed seeing so much of the other art on display.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Hi
Hoping for a peaceful and happy New Year world. Will set of on a new trail. But at least I am secure in the knowledge that I chose education over everything else. For a guy who ultimately wants money so as just to be able to afford a paraglider and float of into the sunset, that isn’t strange. I hope that India will one day be able to accommodate another specialist, and disappointment be damned.
In the mean time, I intend to live and learn and fly when I can, physically and spiritually, and enjoy every part of it.
Peace.
In the mean time, I intend to live and learn and fly when I can, physically and spiritually, and enjoy every part of it.
Peace.
Sunday, December 25, 2005
BUGATTI VEYRON 16.4
THIS IS IT. THE DREAM RIDE.
CAN ONLY LET DEAR JEREMY TELL YOU ABOUT IT
'http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12529-1890873,00.html'
CAN ONLY LET DEAR JEREMY TELL YOU ABOUT IT
'http://driving.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,12529-1890873,00.html'
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Doom
If a game has a mature rating, be afraid to play. Especially a game in which the gamer has only a torchlight worth of light in massive cathedrals of darkness. And even worse, if on sighting the ghoul you press the mouse with all your might, it results in a weak swing of the flashlight, while the ghoul takes away mounds of your avatars flesh and all your sense of confidence with it. You need to have the presence of mind to change to a weapon to blow the ghoul away, but as a result lose the little light that the flashlight provided. And the darkness envelopes you.
Dying a trillion times really affects the spirit. Especially when the process of dying is revealed as a growing peripheral hemorrhage that grows to envelope the screen, which actually pulsates like as if you busted an artery. Doom 3 for you folks.
Any more realistic and nobody will buy their game.
Dying a trillion times really affects the spirit. Especially when the process of dying is revealed as a growing peripheral hemorrhage that grows to envelope the screen, which actually pulsates like as if you busted an artery. Doom 3 for you folks.
Any more realistic and nobody will buy their game.
Friday, December 16, 2005
Tennessee
Back from Tennessee. Land where the trees are still green and there’s not a spot of white on the ground.
Nice hospital. What stood out was that they had free food in their cafeteria. And the cafeteria was open 24/7. So the residents there use it like a grocery store. No yoghurt at home pick it up at the cafeteria, they have all the brands. Estimated savings of 16000 dollars in 3 years, if you can subsist on only cafeteria food.
Their call rooms were good to. Mandatory TV and computer, bed always made for you with clean smelling sheets. If you could live in the call room and eat in the cafeteria, your only expenses would be taxes. Imagine that. It takes an Indian to come up with this, that’s why we are admired the world over.
Not going there though, no science going on. It feels to comfy too. Not the place I did fit in. Also too many females. A certain amount is ok more than that the only conversation will be about family.
Nice hospital. What stood out was that they had free food in their cafeteria. And the cafeteria was open 24/7. So the residents there use it like a grocery store. No yoghurt at home pick it up at the cafeteria, they have all the brands. Estimated savings of 16000 dollars in 3 years, if you can subsist on only cafeteria food.
Their call rooms were good to. Mandatory TV and computer, bed always made for you with clean smelling sheets. If you could live in the call room and eat in the cafeteria, your only expenses would be taxes. Imagine that. It takes an Indian to come up with this, that’s why we are admired the world over.
Not going there though, no science going on. It feels to comfy too. Not the place I did fit in. Also too many females. A certain amount is ok more than that the only conversation will be about family.
Friday, December 09, 2005
gaming
‘Gold farming’- people playing online games till they drop for the developed country gamer who isn’t willing to play the initial level of the game and is only interested in playing at the level 60. Basically these are guys who sit around all day play games collect all the gold, weapons, chants etc to make the most formidable avatar to sell to the highest bidder. Hah you gotta love the internet for the way it makes foreign exchange inequalities into money making opportunities.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/09
/technology/09gaming.html?pagewanted=1
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/12/09
/technology/09gaming.html?pagewanted=1
So I’m reading ‘The brothers Karamazov’. Sounds like vodka, reads like premchand ki amar kahaniya.
It was written in the 1850`s. So it’s a classic piece of literature, the type that causes aspergillosis in the reader because of the spores inhaled while taking it out.
He knocks me out every time I read a page. Soldiering through though.
It was written in the 1850`s. So it’s a classic piece of literature, the type that causes aspergillosis in the reader because of the spores inhaled while taking it out.
He knocks me out every time I read a page. Soldiering through though.
Wednesday, December 07, 2005
Chicago
I wanted to write everyday that I was in Chicago. But every time I went out, every line of thought just froze out of existence. The only thing that remained was the thought that if I wiped my nose any harder it might fall off.
Beautiful place. Explored their museum campus in some detail. Lakeshore-so exceptionally cold and windy. Spectacular view of the downtown at night though. The Fields museum has Sue –a T rex and the stuffed man-eaters of Tsavo [of Colonel Patterson fame]. Besides this there are zillions of stuffed animals, gems, and artifacts on display. There is this particular group of life-sized bronzes of the Masai alert, spears out hunting down a lion and lioness in full charge. The bronzes seem alive except for the air in their lungs. The Masai stand victorious on the lion in the next statuette, akin to Shakti over Mahisasura.
Ah, the Egyptian exhibit is marvelous. Its arranged as a tomb and you view the exhibits within the sanctum. Several mummies and books of the dead are arranged for perusal. Genuine respect for the civilization is palpable as you make your way through the exhibit. Truth is by the time you view all the exhibits your mind is just so overwhelmed that if Tut`s tomb was around the corner you would probably skip it.
Went to the aquarium round the corner, nice. Saw a couple of belugas. Huge white whales with a perennial grin on their faces. They just keep going round and round the insignificant pool they are enclosed in. Lots and lots of fish in several exhibits- of every color and shape imaginable. The aquarium has sections devoted to species from the Amazon, coral reefs, Rift valley and several other habitats. The Amazon exhibit just takes the cake in terms of absolute size of the fish. Forget piranhas, there were so many big fish displayed that you leave with a sense of wonder as would be befitting the longest river in the world.
You leave with a sense that the world is so much more varied and beautiful than even the most spectacular of human creations. Hope it survives us.
Beautiful place. Explored their museum campus in some detail. Lakeshore-so exceptionally cold and windy. Spectacular view of the downtown at night though. The Fields museum has Sue –a T rex and the stuffed man-eaters of Tsavo [of Colonel Patterson fame]. Besides this there are zillions of stuffed animals, gems, and artifacts on display. There is this particular group of life-sized bronzes of the Masai alert, spears out hunting down a lion and lioness in full charge. The bronzes seem alive except for the air in their lungs. The Masai stand victorious on the lion in the next statuette, akin to Shakti over Mahisasura.
Ah, the Egyptian exhibit is marvelous. Its arranged as a tomb and you view the exhibits within the sanctum. Several mummies and books of the dead are arranged for perusal. Genuine respect for the civilization is palpable as you make your way through the exhibit. Truth is by the time you view all the exhibits your mind is just so overwhelmed that if Tut`s tomb was around the corner you would probably skip it.
Went to the aquarium round the corner, nice. Saw a couple of belugas. Huge white whales with a perennial grin on their faces. They just keep going round and round the insignificant pool they are enclosed in. Lots and lots of fish in several exhibits- of every color and shape imaginable. The aquarium has sections devoted to species from the Amazon, coral reefs, Rift valley and several other habitats. The Amazon exhibit just takes the cake in terms of absolute size of the fish. Forget piranhas, there were so many big fish displayed that you leave with a sense of wonder as would be befitting the longest river in the world.
You leave with a sense that the world is so much more varied and beautiful than even the most spectacular of human creations. Hope it survives us.
Friday, November 25, 2005
Today
Here’s something to chew on. A movement to passively bring about human extinction
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/
a/2005/11/16/gree.DTL
http://www.vhemt.org/aboutvhemt.htm#vhemt
The penalty for short circuiting evolution - either control reproduction or find new biospheres to plunder.
I sincerely would love the idea that there are worlds out there where we may survive- but since we have not yet found any sign of this yet we must assume that quitting the earth may prove a dream. Which comes to the question as to how much time do we have left before we either eat ourselves up or nature purges itself of us.
As a healer I guess I’m confronted with the idealism that every man deserves to live as long as he chooses. But what I find inexcusable is that individuals can choose life and life giving treatments but are prevented from making a conscious choice to die. Why the taboo. Why is it that the most advanced of human societies find it impossible to address this simple dilemma?
http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/
bnd/jammergroups.php is also interesting. It’s basically about people who hate the useless consumption of Black Friday and so decide not to shop on that day. A couple of guys actually go to Wal-Mart, fill up shopping carts with stuff and deposit them in various areas and go back for more shopping carts. The eventual log jam they theorize will prevent rampant greedy shopping. Would be fun to be involved in such nonsense but would hate to be at the receiving end.
Trust the Internet to allow the kookiest of organizations to become a part of the global consciousness. Anyways it’s a start – lets hope we eventually understand our role as the first of the earth’s self aware creatures and the evolution into Gaia.
http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/g/
a/2005/11/16/gree.DTL
http://www.vhemt.org/aboutvhemt.htm#vhemt
The penalty for short circuiting evolution - either control reproduction or find new biospheres to plunder.
I sincerely would love the idea that there are worlds out there where we may survive- but since we have not yet found any sign of this yet we must assume that quitting the earth may prove a dream. Which comes to the question as to how much time do we have left before we either eat ourselves up or nature purges itself of us.
As a healer I guess I’m confronted with the idealism that every man deserves to live as long as he chooses. But what I find inexcusable is that individuals can choose life and life giving treatments but are prevented from making a conscious choice to die. Why the taboo. Why is it that the most advanced of human societies find it impossible to address this simple dilemma?
http://www.adbusters.org/metas/eco/
bnd/jammergroups.php is also interesting. It’s basically about people who hate the useless consumption of Black Friday and so decide not to shop on that day. A couple of guys actually go to Wal-Mart, fill up shopping carts with stuff and deposit them in various areas and go back for more shopping carts. The eventual log jam they theorize will prevent rampant greedy shopping. Would be fun to be involved in such nonsense but would hate to be at the receiving end.
Trust the Internet to allow the kookiest of organizations to become a part of the global consciousness. Anyways it’s a start – lets hope we eventually understand our role as the first of the earth’s self aware creatures and the evolution into Gaia.
Tuesday, November 22, 2005
Indian Education
The Indian education system claimed one more. An IIT Bombay Kid killed himself yesterday [http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com
/articleshow/1302146.cms].
Do I hate that system? I abhor it; I know it’s faulty. It’s prevented me from finding my way, reaching out to what I want to be professionally. But I survived it, didn't prosper in it though. I’m what I'm today because of the way it shaped me and my reactions to it. But I've learnt that it really doesn’t matter, I will go the way I want to go, and be the person I want to be Irrespective.
/articleshow/1302146.cms].
Do I hate that system? I abhor it; I know it’s faulty. It’s prevented me from finding my way, reaching out to what I want to be professionally. But I survived it, didn't prosper in it though. I’m what I'm today because of the way it shaped me and my reactions to it. But I've learnt that it really doesn’t matter, I will go the way I want to go, and be the person I want to be Irrespective.
Sunday, November 20, 2005
black friday is on
I’m on gadget high.
Going through all the stuff that gonna be cheap on black Friday [BF2005.com, Gottadeal.com].
So went out looking at the stuff out this year. There’s a new canon digital SLR camera that’s a beauty. And yeah the nano’s cute too. Except for the fact that it costs 200 bucks and will last only a year and a half till its battery runs out. And yeah there was the robot vacuum cleaner that was awesome.
Dream- to be in a room with a big screen plasma TV with a laziboy in front of it. Cordless mouse and keyboard in the laziboy, CPU to the HDTV. Music through Bose speakers. And the entire area carpeted with the robot vacuum cleaner keeping it clean.
Hah that would be paradise.
Going through all the stuff that gonna be cheap on black Friday [BF2005.com, Gottadeal.com].
So went out looking at the stuff out this year. There’s a new canon digital SLR camera that’s a beauty. And yeah the nano’s cute too. Except for the fact that it costs 200 bucks and will last only a year and a half till its battery runs out. And yeah there was the robot vacuum cleaner that was awesome.
Dream- to be in a room with a big screen plasma TV with a laziboy in front of it. Cordless mouse and keyboard in the laziboy, CPU to the HDTV. Music through Bose speakers. And the entire area carpeted with the robot vacuum cleaner keeping it clean.
Hah that would be paradise.
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Ishmael
Read ‘Ishmael’. A 1000 repetitions for all of mankind.
Daniel Quinn makes points and draws images that draw attention to our imminent extinction. We know this. Its already common knowledge that we are heading towards our own death. But to be taught by another of God’s creations gives a wholly different take on it.
So here we go on an Ishmael triggered look at my understanding of my world.
Why am I here- To live and die like all of God’s creations
What do I ultimately want- Shanti [inner stillness]
When will I achieve this- When I die [the rishi`s of the Upanishad`s may have achieved this in this life, but I don’t see myself going through with all that it takes]
Who is my God- the universe in me, around me.
Saturday, November 12, 2005
Launchcast. [yahoo music venture]
Launchcast is the coolest.
Decided to see what these guy`s meant by personalized music. TO think that they could find all the music in the world that I liked, and play it to me. Anyways that was the hope. And its free and I’ve oodles of time to waste.
So went through the initial shit of known bands and I would like to see on My Station. Then It said I would like to add a few groups, musicians to it. Just what I was looking for. It wanted to play. I would play.
Typed in dire straits. It got it. Antonio Vivaldi, Jethro Tull, Vangelis, Carl orff [ I`ve only heard o`fortuna so I put Carmina Burana on]. It found them and I put them on.
Decided that if I wanted the station to play everything I liked it should play Indian classical. I was getting really hopeful here. Who better than U Srinivas. It FOUND it and I added him on. Dr Chitti Babu, was there. Sudha Ranganathan too.
You can put it in individual albums too. Songs if u like.
I love this, love love love this.
No bollywood music though. Was looking for roja. wasnt there. Maybe some day.
Check out my internet music station if you want. It will be called tallpox`s station i guess on yahoo music.
Friday, November 11, 2005
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