Wishing everyone out there in cyberspace a wonderful New Year with joy, prosperity and friendship. Here's to hoping that the world is a lot more peaceful in 2006.
Friday 30 December 2005
New Year Greetings !
Wishing everyone out there in cyberspace a wonderful New Year with joy, prosperity and friendship. Here's to hoping that the world is a lot more peaceful in 2006.
Wednesday 28 December 2005
Pre-partition Map of Punjab
Punjab was a huge area prior to the 1947 partition, and further subsequent dismemberment into Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Click on map for a larger view (after clicking you should be presented with another icon option in bottom right hand corner to expand to full size)
Here's an updated recent version of the current East Punjab. I hail from the region between the cities of Moga and Ludhiana which are located in the centre of the map. (Click to expand map)
Here's an updated recent version of the current East Punjab. I hail from the region between the cities of Moga and Ludhiana which are located in the centre of the map. (Click to expand map)
Friday 23 December 2005
Review: Kong
Watched 'Kong' last night at the big screen. Oh.my.god - the film is a chick-flick ! Never realised I'd put it in the same category as something like 'Bridget Jones'.... The 'romance' between the over-sized ape and the anorexic blonde was just a little too much to bear (somebody pass me a bucket). LOL...reminds of how some desi men court their women. :)
There were some interesting creature fight scenes, and I thought the atmospheric build-up for the barbaric island that Kong lived on was excellent. Definitely one could see the Peter Jackson input that was put into this lavish 3 hour epic.
I would have given this movie a 9/10 but I deducted 2 points for the 'it loves me, it loves me not' scenes between the chimp and the actress.
7/10....worth watching just for the island scenes.
There were some interesting creature fight scenes, and I thought the atmospheric build-up for the barbaric island that Kong lived on was excellent. Definitely one could see the Peter Jackson input that was put into this lavish 3 hour epic.
I would have given this movie a 9/10 but I deducted 2 points for the 'it loves me, it loves me not' scenes between the chimp and the actress.
7/10....worth watching just for the island scenes.
Wednesday 21 December 2005
White Christmas
Sings..."I'm dreaming of a white Christmas, just like the ones I used to know..."*Okay, wake up, wake up* - Spheric's alter-ego starts slapping him around the face... :)
Man, I long for a white Christmas....and I don't mean weather-wise, but in an ethno-cultural sense. You ever seen any of those tv scenes/commercial ads which feature a gora (white) family with perfect teeth and smiles, complete with sane grandparents, sat around some elegant table loaded with Christmas culinary dishes (albeit bland and tasteless by Punjabi standards but let's not go there today) ? Well, believe or not in true Ripley style, I want one of those social experiences.
Let me explain and qualify my comments further before I get added to the Shiv Sena/Babbar Khalsa hitlist...LOL. Experience to date suggests that whenever there's a tribal gathering of fellow Punjabis, everything is just so over-the-top in terms of eating, drinking, inane gossip and character assassinations (LOL) but it is also fragmented with separate areas for different ages, men and women. Walk into one room and you'll see Punjabi men eagerly living upto their self proclaimed shere (lion) reputations by ravenously devouring tandoori chicken legs by the plateful and washed down with copious amounts of whisky....another room will resemble a zenana scene from Mughal-e-Azam with some bored looking women in their radioactive bright silk outfits... :) According to this model, women, children and other life forms will eat at a separate time to their lords and masters, the latter group only coming to the dining table once they have reached the required alcohol induced coma state of (un)consciousness.....LOL.
As utopian as this may sound, for once I'd love to have some civilized conversations where everyone gets involved - all ages, men, women, and maybe we could eat together too ?
End of rant. :)
Tuesday 20 December 2005
First Sikh officer in Pak Army
Oh great....Khalistan fauj is now on both sides of border - cries of 'Bole So Nihal' on one side of the border will now be greeted by 'Sat Sri Akal' on the other side. :) From Dawn: http://www.dawn.com/2005/12/20/nat12.htm
LAHORE, Dec 19: Harcharan Singh, 19, of the Nankana Sahib, is the first Pakistani Sikh in the country’s 58-year history who has been commissioned in the Pakistan Army as an officer.
The minorities in Pakistan are allowed to sit in all examinations, including the one conducted by Inter Services Selection Board (ISSB), but neither a Hindu nor a Sikh could get selected for the army service since the country’s inception. However, many Christians served in the army.
Harcharan was sceptical this year while appearing in the ISSB’s preliminary tests, thinking that such examinations were not meant for them (Sikhs) as he could not get through the initial phase last year.
“This year, I got through the preliminary phase and appeared in the ISSB examination. However, I was mentally prepared to take admission in BA (Architecture) in the National College of Arts”.
“It was the happiest moment of my life when I came to know about my selection in the army. I am privileged to have this honour which none of my predecessors could ever achieve,” Harcharan told Dawn.
Harcharan, who passed his FSc (pre-engineering) in 2004 with 726 marks, wants the government to open the doors for his community to the law enforcing agencies as well.
Harcharan passed his matriculation from the Government Guru Nanak High School, Nankana Sahib, with 677 marks. He says that his school should be equipped with modern laboratory and competent teaching staff.
He says when his fellow Sikhs in Nankana Sahib learnt about his selection in the army they really felt proud of him. It has also changed their perception. Now they believe that young Sikhs have a fair chance to join the country’s most prestigious institutions.
Having a younger brother and three elder sisters, he wants his brother to follow suit. He says after the death of his father, a shopkeeper, some seven years ago, the credit of their education goes to his mother. “My mother wants me to earn a good name for the country.”
He says that his family migrated to the Northern Areas at the time of partition and in 1970s shifted to Nankana Sahib.
Beware of killer samosas
What with the festive season upon us, here is a Spherical public health announcement... :)
From BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3325175.stm
Health chiefs are warning the south asian community about the health risks of their favourite foods. They are concerned that too many people are feasting on tasty, but unhealthy snacks such as samosas. And they believe this is a major reason why diabetes and heart disease are increasing in British cities with large south asian populations.
In Birmingham, health workers are visiting Sikh temples to issue warnings, and offer health checks. Diabetes among the city's Sikhs is now three times higher than within the white European population - and heart disease is one-and-a-half times more prevalent.
Rishpal Chana, an Aston-based health visitor for Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust, has found that nearly a third of those weighed and checked in the Sikh gurdwaras need immediate help from a GP.
Samosas, and other traditional foods from the sub-continent such as pakora and bhajis, are packed with fat.
Ms Chana said: "Samosas are one of the worst foods you can eat and I am trying to get people to eat less of them or cook them with olive oil instead of ghee.
"The Asian diet is very fattening because a lot of the food is fried in this way, yet people don't realise just how bad for you they are." Ms Chana said just one samosa had 25 grams of fat - the same as a large slab of butter.
Blood pressure and blood sugar tests are being offered in the temples on Sundays when they are at their busiest.
From BBC:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3325175.stm
Health chiefs are warning the south asian community about the health risks of their favourite foods. They are concerned that too many people are feasting on tasty, but unhealthy snacks such as samosas. And they believe this is a major reason why diabetes and heart disease are increasing in British cities with large south asian populations.
In Birmingham, health workers are visiting Sikh temples to issue warnings, and offer health checks. Diabetes among the city's Sikhs is now three times higher than within the white European population - and heart disease is one-and-a-half times more prevalent.
Rishpal Chana, an Aston-based health visitor for Heart of Birmingham Teaching Primary Care Trust, has found that nearly a third of those weighed and checked in the Sikh gurdwaras need immediate help from a GP.
Samosas, and other traditional foods from the sub-continent such as pakora and bhajis, are packed with fat.
Ms Chana said: "Samosas are one of the worst foods you can eat and I am trying to get people to eat less of them or cook them with olive oil instead of ghee.
"The Asian diet is very fattening because a lot of the food is fried in this way, yet people don't realise just how bad for you they are." Ms Chana said just one samosa had 25 grams of fat - the same as a large slab of butter.
Blood pressure and blood sugar tests are being offered in the temples on Sundays when they are at their busiest.
I feel like Superman...
...well almost, and a cross between Archimedes and the dude who built the Great Pyramids in Egypt.:)) Last weekend I installed one of those over the range microwave appliance that sit 'suspended' in mid-air over the cooker (stove for North Americans). The previous "made-in-the-good ol' U.S of A" microwave had died (surprise, surprise). And after selecting and taking delivery of a replacement Samsung model, I spent most of Sunday with pencil and tape measure, (occasionally scratching my head at the installation instructions) making the theoretical calculations required to locate and drill the required holes both in the wall and cabinets to fit the new appliance. The point of no-return was when I started the drilling..........and guess what, the damn thing actually fitted !!! Yep, no tears, no recriminations, no beating myself over the head !
And as a bonus - to date, fingers crossed, the microwave hasn't collapsed or anything.... :))
I vant this for Christmas....
Oh balle balle.....so I just happened to be browsing the UK Amazon site vhen I came across 'Desi Monopoly'. It's a south asian version of the famous property trading board game presumably set in the Little Punjab(s)/Gujarat(s) of London. Sounds interesting. Vunder if it includes the standard desi hera-pheri and tax avoidance options...... :)
Monday 19 December 2005
Consultants: Money for nothing ?
"That ain't workin' that's the way you do it
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free" (Dire Straits)
Okay, musical trip down memory lane aside, how many of you have actually got value for money from external consultants ? Specifically those involved in system implementations ? I'm looking at 2 consultant documents in front of me - 1) a sub-standard system design document with what amounts to an incomplete defined scope, non-descript testing and training strategy, a tendency to use verbose abstract concepts which means little to anyone outside of an MBA class and 2) an invoice for payment of consultants whose hourly rate is $250+ per hour.
I am sooooo definitely in the wrong job...
Money for nothin' and your chicks for free" (Dire Straits)
Okay, musical trip down memory lane aside, how many of you have actually got value for money from external consultants ? Specifically those involved in system implementations ? I'm looking at 2 consultant documents in front of me - 1) a sub-standard system design document with what amounts to an incomplete defined scope, non-descript testing and training strategy, a tendency to use verbose abstract concepts which means little to anyone outside of an MBA class and 2) an invoice for payment of consultants whose hourly rate is $250+ per hour.
I am sooooo definitely in the wrong job...
Friday 16 December 2005
Why are white people..white ?
Well now you finally know.....
ps. I'm just glad I have a sun-kissed complexion. :)
SM starts singing play that funky music white boy... :))
From The Times:
A GENE that partly explains why white people have pale skins has been identified for the first time.
Scientists in the United States have discovered that a tiny mutation in a gene plays a key role in determining skin colour, with Caucasians inheriting a different version from other racial groups.
While it is known that colour is genetically determined, this is the first research to pinpoint a particular stretch of DNA that underlies normal differences in human pigmentation.
The findings promise new insights into cancer and other diseases influenced by genes, and shed light on the evolution of different hues of skin.
The discovery of the gene, named slc245a5, has emerged from research into cancer that used zebrafish as an animal model. A team led by Keith Cheng, of Pennsylvania State University, noted that a variant of the fish, known as “golden”, had paler markings than usual, and that this lighter pigmentation was caused by a mutation in slc245a5.
As the gene is known to exist in people, Dr Cheng wondered whether it might be responsible for some of the variation in human skin colour. First he transplanted the human gene into fish and found that it had the same effect on pigmentation. He then teamed up with a colleague, Mark Shriver, to investigate how different versions of the gene were distributed across human populations, using the recently completed HapMap, which charts genetic variation.
The researchers have found that while people of African and Chinese origin carry one version of slc245a5, those of white European ancestry have a different one. The results, published today in the journal Science, indicate strongly a big influence over skin colour.
The work suggests that the dark version of the gene occurs as a default, and that the light variant is a mutation that probably evolved as humans moved out of Africa and migrated into northern latitudes. This supports a theory that lighter skin evolved as an adaptation to the weaker sunlight of northern climes. Sunlight is essential for the body to manufacture vitamin D, and pale skins make this easier when the Sun’s rays are not particularly strong.
The slc245a5 gene does not vary between Africans and much lighter-skinned Chinese, or between Europeans of Swedish and Greek ancestry. It is thought to be responsible for between 25 and 38 per cent of colour variation between Europeans and Africans, and other genes are certain to be involved.
While genes that are mutated in albino people have been identified, this is the first that has a significant influence on normal variations.
The results promise to assist research into malignant melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, which is rarer among dark-skinned people. They should also help scientists seeking to tease out the genetic contribution to conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, which are often influenced, like skin colour, by multiple genes.
Dr Shriver said: “We cannot expect to use human genetics to understand complex diseases most effectively without first working out how fundamental characteristics, such as eye, hair and skin colour are determined.”
SKIN DEEP
- Scientists generally assume that the first anatomically modern humans, who evolved in Africa, had dark skins.
- The evolution of other skin types, particularly the fair complexions of Europeans, has long been one of the big mysteries of biology. It has been suggested that dark skin is an adaptation to strong sunlight in the tropics, and protects against skin cancer. While this might be possible if dark skins had evolved from light ones, the process happened the other way around
- A more plausible theory is that light skin evolved as an adaptation to the weaker sunlight of northern latitudes.
- Sunlight is necessary for the body to produce vitamin D, and dark-skinned people struggle to do this when the Sun is weak. Some ethnic minorities in northern Europe have higher rates of rickets, a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency
- Many scientists, however, think the adaptive advantages of light skin are too small for the effect to be the result of natural selection
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1934310,00.html
ps. I'm just glad I have a sun-kissed complexion. :)
SM starts singing play that funky music white boy... :))
From The Times:
A GENE that partly explains why white people have pale skins has been identified for the first time.
Scientists in the United States have discovered that a tiny mutation in a gene plays a key role in determining skin colour, with Caucasians inheriting a different version from other racial groups.
While it is known that colour is genetically determined, this is the first research to pinpoint a particular stretch of DNA that underlies normal differences in human pigmentation.
The findings promise new insights into cancer and other diseases influenced by genes, and shed light on the evolution of different hues of skin.
The discovery of the gene, named slc245a5, has emerged from research into cancer that used zebrafish as an animal model. A team led by Keith Cheng, of Pennsylvania State University, noted that a variant of the fish, known as “golden”, had paler markings than usual, and that this lighter pigmentation was caused by a mutation in slc245a5.
As the gene is known to exist in people, Dr Cheng wondered whether it might be responsible for some of the variation in human skin colour. First he transplanted the human gene into fish and found that it had the same effect on pigmentation. He then teamed up with a colleague, Mark Shriver, to investigate how different versions of the gene were distributed across human populations, using the recently completed HapMap, which charts genetic variation.
The researchers have found that while people of African and Chinese origin carry one version of slc245a5, those of white European ancestry have a different one. The results, published today in the journal Science, indicate strongly a big influence over skin colour.
The work suggests that the dark version of the gene occurs as a default, and that the light variant is a mutation that probably evolved as humans moved out of Africa and migrated into northern latitudes. This supports a theory that lighter skin evolved as an adaptation to the weaker sunlight of northern climes. Sunlight is essential for the body to manufacture vitamin D, and pale skins make this easier when the Sun’s rays are not particularly strong.
The slc245a5 gene does not vary between Africans and much lighter-skinned Chinese, or between Europeans of Swedish and Greek ancestry. It is thought to be responsible for between 25 and 38 per cent of colour variation between Europeans and Africans, and other genes are certain to be involved.
While genes that are mutated in albino people have been identified, this is the first that has a significant influence on normal variations.
The results promise to assist research into malignant melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, which is rarer among dark-skinned people. They should also help scientists seeking to tease out the genetic contribution to conditions such as heart disease and diabetes, which are often influenced, like skin colour, by multiple genes.
Dr Shriver said: “We cannot expect to use human genetics to understand complex diseases most effectively without first working out how fundamental characteristics, such as eye, hair and skin colour are determined.”
SKIN DEEP
- Scientists generally assume that the first anatomically modern humans, who evolved in Africa, had dark skins.
- The evolution of other skin types, particularly the fair complexions of Europeans, has long been one of the big mysteries of biology. It has been suggested that dark skin is an adaptation to strong sunlight in the tropics, and protects against skin cancer. While this might be possible if dark skins had evolved from light ones, the process happened the other way around
- A more plausible theory is that light skin evolved as an adaptation to the weaker sunlight of northern latitudes.
- Sunlight is necessary for the body to produce vitamin D, and dark-skinned people struggle to do this when the Sun is weak. Some ethnic minorities in northern Europe have higher rates of rickets, a disease caused by vitamin D deficiency
- Many scientists, however, think the adaptive advantages of light skin are too small for the effect to be the result of natural selection
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,11069-1934310,00.html
Thursday 15 December 2005
Badminton musings
When played well, and I ain't talking about the genteel back garden variety played by folks who think it is played over a volleyball net, badminton is one of the fastest reaction sports in the world. I've made many friends over time through membership of the 5-7 clubs I've been at and it is a rewarding sport. :)Couple of observations:
1) I've always enjoyed playing a style of badminton which is hard and fast yet also tactical and cerebral....but one inescapable conclusion remains. For the most part, playing mixed doubles remains essentially a game of men's singles with two women standing at the net....LOL Admittedly this may sound parochial but I base this on the average standard of play I've seen over the years both in England and Canada (but more so in the latter). Guys should be prepared to sweat buckets and cover the entire court, as well as shadow his female partner to 'cover' that 'invisible hole' that exists in middle of her racquet...... :)
2) Feather shuttlecocks are over-rated for game play and their exhorbitant price and durability is questionable. I could easily smash through a tube of crappy (and expensive) Yonex feathers in an evening if I was so inclined. The air resistance of feather birds appear to mitigate against a fast smashing game, and it renders cross-court backhand shots ineffectual. And the thing that gets me is the lack of flight consistency viz a viz synthetic shuttles......each feather bird will not always land in the target baseline zone. And I'm not prepared to do some voodoo mumbo-jumbo of steaming the damn things just so that they can supposedly reach a similar flight path quality as their synthetic counter-parts. Their only redeeming feature is the crack sound when hit, but I'll forgo that and the illusion of 'quality' play, in favour of consistency and equitable economy of price for all. (Plus, I ain't really in the mood to catch avian bird flu either...LOL).
Monday 12 December 2005
It's karaoke time !
It just occurred to me whilst driving to work this morning and singing along to Malkit Singh's Midas Touch 2 album at full blast, that I may have found my true vocation and passion in life ! The one thing that has been missing in my life is....*drum roll please*........is a karaoke machine ! Jee haa meray pyare dosto - you have been deprived for too long of my singing talents and smooth vocals. LOL. For too long I have been selfishly keeping my vocal talents to myself and the shower, but this is all about to change ! :)Now being the realistic rational Virgo type :) I don't think my local Walmart is going to stock bhangra/bollywood karaoke tunes, but I would be happy just to belt a few 90s or even 80s songs to my adoring audience. We can go on a collective trip down memory lane and sing Wacko Jacko, Madonna, 2 Unlimited, Duran Duran, Culture Club (I sing a wicked 'Do you really want to hurt me?'..LOL) or even Frankie Goes to Hollywood......oh the memories. :)
Wednesday 7 December 2005
Where are my Clementines ?
I've given up on eating tangerine oranges.....besides, I always thought they looked a bit creepy sitting there in the supermarket fruit section.In the absence of my preferred (seedless) clementines I bought a bag full of tangerines the other day so as to allow me to cope with hitting the 3pm wall, but everytime I got my jaws into salivating eating mode I had to stop to spit out a mouthful of seeds. What is with that ? Where is the instant gratification ? Is this the gastronomic version of coitus interruptus ? You would have thought the way the US government and big agro-food corporations have tried to bully the world into eating genetically modified Frankenstein foods, that they could create some seedless orange varieties for yours truly.... :)
Tuesday 6 December 2005
Faux pas
I was witness to an unintended social faux pas last weekend. It was with a sense of sympathetic empathy that I felt for the hapless transgressor left to make conciliatory amends.....
...Life can be uncomfortably complicated with it's multi-layered tiers of social norms for those used to a simpler way of life....
...Life can be uncomfortably complicated with it's multi-layered tiers of social norms for those used to a simpler way of life....
Wednesday 30 November 2005
Iraq is the new Vietnam
Seems like the USA is going to continue their illegal occupation of Iraq for the forseeable future....
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4484330.stm
President George W Bush has said he will not accept "anything less than complete victory" in Iraq. In a major policy speech, Mr Bush refused to set an "artificial deadline" to withdraw US troops, saying it was "not a plan for victory".
It comes after the release of the first Iraq strategy document, which rejects widespread calls for a timetable. Mr Bush has come under growing pressure from Democrats on Iraq. Polls give him the lowest approval of his presidency.
They also suggest that six out of 10 Americans think the war in Iraq is not worth the cost. As such, this was a speech from a president in deep trouble, says the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4484330.stm
President George W Bush has said he will not accept "anything less than complete victory" in Iraq. In a major policy speech, Mr Bush refused to set an "artificial deadline" to withdraw US troops, saying it was "not a plan for victory".
It comes after the release of the first Iraq strategy document, which rejects widespread calls for a timetable. Mr Bush has come under growing pressure from Democrats on Iraq. Polls give him the lowest approval of his presidency.
They also suggest that six out of 10 Americans think the war in Iraq is not worth the cost. As such, this was a speech from a president in deep trouble, says the BBC's Justin Webb in Washington.
Friday 25 November 2005
Genetic basis for caste ?
What do you think ? The evidence is anecdotal and subjective, but I've always seem to notice a physical similarity in people of the same caste. I'm thinking that hundreds and possibly thousands of years of strict marriage within caste has resulted in subtle DNA differences.
If you have the time, read the following academic research paper entitled "Genetic Evidence on Origins of Indian Caste Populations" (pdf file).
http://jorde-lab.genetics.utah.edu/elibrary/Bamshad_2001a.pdf
If you have the time, read the following academic research paper entitled "Genetic Evidence on Origins of Indian Caste Populations" (pdf file).
http://jorde-lab.genetics.utah.edu/elibrary/Bamshad_2001a.pdf
Wednesday 16 November 2005
Matilda is truly spinning....
Congratulations to Australia in beating Uruguay in the play-offs, and qualifying for the 2006 World Cup for the first time since 1974. As perennial winners of the Oceania qualifying group, they've always come up against the juggernaut of competing with South American teams in a play-off to grab the last spot in the World Cup.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/4435400.stm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/internationals/4435400.stm
Tuesday 15 November 2005
Is time passing you by ?
Do you ever feel that the relentless march of time is a little too relentless ? Ever wish you could slow time down ? Does continually procrastinating and delaying a task until next week eventually aggregate into next month and then next year ?
It's quite remarkable how one year seamlessly rolls into another, and you get that constant feeling of deja vu (eg. this Xmas is just like last Xmas, or this summer might as well been last summer etc).
I'm guessing there are a lot more people in the same boat than would care to admit. After all, go-getting types get much more adulation and peer respect than those whose lives seem to be perenially set on auto-pilot - no matter how close those mountain peaks appear to be...
It's quite remarkable how one year seamlessly rolls into another, and you get that constant feeling of deja vu (eg. this Xmas is just like last Xmas, or this summer might as well been last summer etc).
I'm guessing there are a lot more people in the same boat than would care to admit. After all, go-getting types get much more adulation and peer respect than those whose lives seem to be perenially set on auto-pilot - no matter how close those mountain peaks appear to be...
Friday 11 November 2005
Today is Remembrance Day
Remembering the sacrifices of all soldiers, including the 5 million troops from United India who fought in both World Wars.
Check out this British Ministry of Defence link below which highlights the sacrifices made by soldiers from the Commonwealth nations:
http://www.mod.uk/wewerethere/intro.html
Check out this British Ministry of Defence link below which highlights the sacrifices made by soldiers from the Commonwealth nations:
http://www.mod.uk/wewerethere/intro.html
Monday 7 November 2005
How do you punish yourself ?
In the 'Da Vinci Code' a member of the Opus Dei sect punishes himself for personal transgressions by use of a cilice - a barbed chain worn around his leg. That is an extreme example, but have you ever felt remorse or regret for something you did and if so, how did you atone for it ? In such circumstances do you deny yourself some worldly pleasure, go into temporary social exile, or subject yourself to some self-imposed onerous task ? Did it make you feel better afterwards ?
Article reference:
http://www.rickross.com/reference/opus/opus56.html
The best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" pays hostile attention to the zealously conservative Roman Catholic order Opus Dei and its use of "corporal mortification" - voluntarily punishing one's own body as a spiritual discipline.
This practice may seem odd if not odious to many nowadays but it was used by such revered Catholic saints as Francis of Assisi, England's Thomas More, Jesuit founder Ignatius Loyola and Jerome, translator of the Latin Bible.
In modern times, mortification is associated with some Catholic and Eastern Orthodox monks, but Opus Dei advocates it for lay members in everyday life.
The Rev. Michael Giesler, an Opus Dei priest in St. Louis, defends mortification in the current issue of Crisis, a Catholic magazine. He describes two methods: the cilice, a sharp chain worn around the leg, and "the discipline" or flagellum, a small whip of knotted cords applied to one's back.
One of his arguments is that the practice "dates back to biblical times."
Giesler finds biblical precedent for self-whipping in the scourging of Jesus before his crucifixion. The intent is for the believer to identify with the savior's sufferings. However, Jesus himself provided no example for self-abuse of the body; his punishments were inflicted upon him by others.
The cilice, Giesler says, is a version of the ancient hairshirt, a rough garment of animal hair worn next to the skin for penance. In turn, the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1914 says the hairshirt "was probably the same thing" as sackcloth, an Old Testament garment usually made from goat's hair. Giesler also sees sackcloth as a biblical precedent.
But others disagree. Perhaps with Catholic practices in mind, a Protestant work, "The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible," says "there is no indication that the coarseness of the (sackcloth) produced physical discomfort when worn or that it was used for the purpose of self-punishment, but it was put on as a sign of mental anguish at times of personal loss and national calamity."
Sorrow was indeed the stated motive when Old Testament figures wore sackcloth. However, three verses specify extreme circumstances where sackcloth was worn next to the skin, possibly providing background for the hairshirt: Job 16:15, 1 Kings 21:27 and 2 Kings 6:30. The third passage seems to indicate the garment was worn beneath outer clothing to keep it secret, not necessarily for physical punishment.
From the New Testament, Giesler quotes Paul's statement, "I pommel my body and subdue it" (1 Corinthians 9:27), translated in Catholicism's New American Bible as "I drive my body and train it." This passage compares athletic training with spiritual discipline and modern Catholic commentaries do not apply it to mortification.
Other New Testament teachings cited by Opus Dei are generalized admonitions of self-denial or overcoming of bodily temptations, for instance Jesus' statement, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
In another passage cited by Opus Dei, Paul spiritualizes punishments others inflicted upon him: "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24).
There are ample and unambiguous examples from Jesus and other biblical figures for one form of physical denial: fasting (going without food for the purpose of spiritual cleansing and concentration).
Biblical materials aside, it's certain that physical mortification began to be practiced by the hermits and monks during Christianity's early centuries. Giesler acknowledges that things got out of hand with the fanatical "flagellants" in certain 14th-century sects that were repeatedly condemned by Catholic authorities.
Opus Dei notes modern support for its practice in writings by the recent popes John XXIII and Paul VI and by Wisconsin's Bishop Robert Morlino, in a 2003 article criticizing "The Da Vinci Code." Also, Giesler says, Opus Dei founder Josemaria Escriva, who died in 1975 and was named a saint 27 years later, "performed heroic mortifications."
Article reference:
http://www.rickross.com/reference/opus/opus56.html
The best-selling novel "The Da Vinci Code" pays hostile attention to the zealously conservative Roman Catholic order Opus Dei and its use of "corporal mortification" - voluntarily punishing one's own body as a spiritual discipline.
This practice may seem odd if not odious to many nowadays but it was used by such revered Catholic saints as Francis of Assisi, England's Thomas More, Jesuit founder Ignatius Loyola and Jerome, translator of the Latin Bible.
In modern times, mortification is associated with some Catholic and Eastern Orthodox monks, but Opus Dei advocates it for lay members in everyday life.
The Rev. Michael Giesler, an Opus Dei priest in St. Louis, defends mortification in the current issue of Crisis, a Catholic magazine. He describes two methods: the cilice, a sharp chain worn around the leg, and "the discipline" or flagellum, a small whip of knotted cords applied to one's back.
One of his arguments is that the practice "dates back to biblical times."
Giesler finds biblical precedent for self-whipping in the scourging of Jesus before his crucifixion. The intent is for the believer to identify with the savior's sufferings. However, Jesus himself provided no example for self-abuse of the body; his punishments were inflicted upon him by others.
The cilice, Giesler says, is a version of the ancient hairshirt, a rough garment of animal hair worn next to the skin for penance. In turn, the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1914 says the hairshirt "was probably the same thing" as sackcloth, an Old Testament garment usually made from goat's hair. Giesler also sees sackcloth as a biblical precedent.
But others disagree. Perhaps with Catholic practices in mind, a Protestant work, "The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible," says "there is no indication that the coarseness of the (sackcloth) produced physical discomfort when worn or that it was used for the purpose of self-punishment, but it was put on as a sign of mental anguish at times of personal loss and national calamity."
Sorrow was indeed the stated motive when Old Testament figures wore sackcloth. However, three verses specify extreme circumstances where sackcloth was worn next to the skin, possibly providing background for the hairshirt: Job 16:15, 1 Kings 21:27 and 2 Kings 6:30. The third passage seems to indicate the garment was worn beneath outer clothing to keep it secret, not necessarily for physical punishment.
From the New Testament, Giesler quotes Paul's statement, "I pommel my body and subdue it" (1 Corinthians 9:27), translated in Catholicism's New American Bible as "I drive my body and train it." This passage compares athletic training with spiritual discipline and modern Catholic commentaries do not apply it to mortification.
Other New Testament teachings cited by Opus Dei are generalized admonitions of self-denial or overcoming of bodily temptations, for instance Jesus' statement, "If anyone wishes to come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23).
In another passage cited by Opus Dei, Paul spiritualizes punishments others inflicted upon him: "I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of his body, which is the church" (Colossians 1:24).
There are ample and unambiguous examples from Jesus and other biblical figures for one form of physical denial: fasting (going without food for the purpose of spiritual cleansing and concentration).
Biblical materials aside, it's certain that physical mortification began to be practiced by the hermits and monks during Christianity's early centuries. Giesler acknowledges that things got out of hand with the fanatical "flagellants" in certain 14th-century sects that were repeatedly condemned by Catholic authorities.
Opus Dei notes modern support for its practice in writings by the recent popes John XXIII and Paul VI and by Wisconsin's Bishop Robert Morlino, in a 2003 article criticizing "The Da Vinci Code." Also, Giesler says, Opus Dei founder Josemaria Escriva, who died in 1975 and was named a saint 27 years later, "performed heroic mortifications."
Thursday 3 November 2005
Escape Velocity & Survival of Life
Technical description can be found on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escape_velocity
In physics, for a given gravitational field and a given position, the escape velocity is the minimum speed an object without propulsion, at that position, needs to have to move away indefinitely from the source of the field, as opposed to falling back or staying in an orbit within a bounded distance from the source. The object is assumed to be influenced by no forces except the gravitational field; in particular there is no propulsion, as by a rocket, there is no friction, as between the object and the Earth's atmosphere (these conditions correspond to freefall) and there is no gravitational radiation. This definition may need modification for the practical problem of two or more sources in some cases. In any case, the object is assumed to be a point with a mass that is negligible compared with that of the source of the field, usually an excellent approximation. It is commonly described as the speed needed to "break free" from a gravitational field.
In the simple case of the escape velocity from a single body, it can be calculated by setting the kinetic energy equal to minus the gravitational potential energy. This is because the positive kinetic energy is needed to increase the negative gravitational potential energy to zero, which applies when the object is at an infinite distance.
where ve is the escape velocity, G is the gravitational constant, M is the mass of the body being escaped from, m is the mass of the escaping body (factors out), and r is the distance between the centre of the body and the point at which escape velocity is being calculated, and μ is the standard gravitational parameter.
Two moans and you're out !
Interesting article about how to stop negativity in workplace...
**********************************************
A German businesswoman has launched a campaign to stop her fellow countrymen whining, threatening her employees with the sack if they complain.
Ramona Wonneberger, 42, head of a Leipzig IT company, said she introduced a "two moans and you're out" policy to clamp down on "negative energy" stunting its growth.
She has since launched a website called "Be happy" to spread her message across the country.
"Unfortunately, Germans are the world's most inveterate whingers and bellyachers, particularly concerning things they cannot change like the weather or a late train," she said.
"I thought 'I have to do something to change this mentality'."
After a particularly bad bout of complaining at Nutzwerk, her company, "about everything from the traffic to the fact that a husband had forgotten a wedding anniversary", she decided to act, and took her employees to a comedy show.
"After a serious evening of constant laughter which did us a lot of good, I put it to them that we should ban moaning in the company from then on," said Mrs Wonneberger.
Employees now have a clause in their contracts which states: "moaning and whingeing is forbidden... except when accompanied with a constructive suggestion as to how to improve the situation".
So far three employees - two of whom had been given warnings, one of whom chose to go voluntarily, claiming she was being "censored" and had nothing to talk about any more - have been dismissed.
Mrs Wonneberger, whose motto is: "Those who moan rob others of energy and time", says that the company's turnover has doubled to £2 million thanks to the policy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/03/wmoan03.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/03/ixworld.html
**********************************************
A German businesswoman has launched a campaign to stop her fellow countrymen whining, threatening her employees with the sack if they complain.
Ramona Wonneberger, 42, head of a Leipzig IT company, said she introduced a "two moans and you're out" policy to clamp down on "negative energy" stunting its growth.
She has since launched a website called "Be happy" to spread her message across the country.
"Unfortunately, Germans are the world's most inveterate whingers and bellyachers, particularly concerning things they cannot change like the weather or a late train," she said.
"I thought 'I have to do something to change this mentality'."
After a particularly bad bout of complaining at Nutzwerk, her company, "about everything from the traffic to the fact that a husband had forgotten a wedding anniversary", she decided to act, and took her employees to a comedy show.
"After a serious evening of constant laughter which did us a lot of good, I put it to them that we should ban moaning in the company from then on," said Mrs Wonneberger.
Employees now have a clause in their contracts which states: "moaning and whingeing is forbidden... except when accompanied with a constructive suggestion as to how to improve the situation".
So far three employees - two of whom had been given warnings, one of whom chose to go voluntarily, claiming she was being "censored" and had nothing to talk about any more - have been dismissed.
Mrs Wonneberger, whose motto is: "Those who moan rob others of energy and time", says that the company's turnover has doubled to £2 million thanks to the policy.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/11/03/wmoan03.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/11/03/ixworld.html
Monday 31 October 2005
Amrita Pritam
From BBC:
Renowned Indian writer Amrita Pritam has died at her home in the Indian capital Delhi after a long illness. Known as the doyenne of Punjabi literature, 86-year-old Ms Pritam also wrote extensively in Hindi and Urdu.
Her first story collection, in the Punjabi language, was published when she was 16 years old. She received many awards, including India's highest literary award, Jnanpith, in 1981. Born to a Sikh family in Gujranwala, Pakistan, in 1919, Ms Pritam crossed to India after the partition of the sub-continent in 1947. Moving to Delhi, she began writing in Hindi and also worked for the state-owned All India Radio till 1961.
The first prominent woman Punjabi poet and fiction writer, many of Ms Pritam's writings dealt with the pain she felt at the division of the sub-continent. One of her famous novels, Pinjar (Skeleton), was made into a feature film a few years ago.
The story is set against the backdrop of the violent frenzy and rioting that engulfed the whole of Punjab in the months preceding partition.
"Her death symbolises the end of an era. Punjabi literature, after the country's independence, will be known as her era," said London-based Punjabi poet, Amarjit Chandan.
Ms Pritam's literary works have been translated in several languages including French, Japanese and Danish.
She has written several novels and short stories.
She often wrote on the condition of Indian women and her writings reflected their neglect and suppression in Indian society.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4393970.stm
Renowned Indian writer Amrita Pritam has died at her home in the Indian capital Delhi after a long illness. Known as the doyenne of Punjabi literature, 86-year-old Ms Pritam also wrote extensively in Hindi and Urdu.
Her first story collection, in the Punjabi language, was published when she was 16 years old. She received many awards, including India's highest literary award, Jnanpith, in 1981. Born to a Sikh family in Gujranwala, Pakistan, in 1919, Ms Pritam crossed to India after the partition of the sub-continent in 1947. Moving to Delhi, she began writing in Hindi and also worked for the state-owned All India Radio till 1961.
The first prominent woman Punjabi poet and fiction writer, many of Ms Pritam's writings dealt with the pain she felt at the division of the sub-continent. One of her famous novels, Pinjar (Skeleton), was made into a feature film a few years ago.
The story is set against the backdrop of the violent frenzy and rioting that engulfed the whole of Punjab in the months preceding partition.
"Her death symbolises the end of an era. Punjabi literature, after the country's independence, will be known as her era," said London-based Punjabi poet, Amarjit Chandan.
Ms Pritam's literary works have been translated in several languages including French, Japanese and Danish.
She has written several novels and short stories.
She often wrote on the condition of Indian women and her writings reflected their neglect and suppression in Indian society.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4393970.stm
Saturday 29 October 2005
Forgotten Soldiers of WW1
My maternal great-grandfather fought and died during the First World War in France, so I found this article about forgotten Indian soldiers in Germany a rather poignant one.
Luke Harding in Wünsdorf
Saturday October 29, 2005
The Guardian
Until recently there was nothing to identify the quiet, leafy spot where Jafarullah Mohammad and Mata Din Singh were buried. The two servicemen were among thousands of Indian volunteers who fought for Britain in the first world war, and were captured at sea or on the western front.
For more than 80 years the German graveyard where Mohammad, Singh and 204 other Indian volunteers are buried was forgotten. But today the war cemetery in Wünsdorf, in a forest 40km south of Berlin, is to be officially reopened.
The restoration is a recognition of the role played by troops from undivided India, who fought in the bloody battles of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle and Loos. Many died. Others ended up interned in German prisoner of war camps.
"Very few people are aware of the role Indian troops played in both world wars," Peter Francis of the Commonwealth Graves Commission said. "In some Indian units the casualty rate was 80%. In three days' fighting in Neuve Chapelle in 1915, for instance, some 4,200 Indian soldiers perished." Most of the soldiers and sailors buried at Wünsdorf died of disease while stationed at the PoW camp in the nearby town of Zossen. The Nazis later used the area as a vast military training camp.
After the second world war, the Russians took over the camp, including the graveyard - using the surrounding heathland for mock tank battles. Locals, meanwhile, looted the headstones; the plot disappeared under rhododendrons and fallen oaks. It was only after the fall of the Berlin Wall that British officials were able to gain access to the site.
Diplomats from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will attend today's rededication ceremony, as well as officials from Russia and France, to honour Tartar soldiers who are buried on the same site.
Luke Harding in Wünsdorf
Saturday October 29, 2005
The Guardian
Until recently there was nothing to identify the quiet, leafy spot where Jafarullah Mohammad and Mata Din Singh were buried. The two servicemen were among thousands of Indian volunteers who fought for Britain in the first world war, and were captured at sea or on the western front.
For more than 80 years the German graveyard where Mohammad, Singh and 204 other Indian volunteers are buried was forgotten. But today the war cemetery in Wünsdorf, in a forest 40km south of Berlin, is to be officially reopened.
The restoration is a recognition of the role played by troops from undivided India, who fought in the bloody battles of Ypres, Neuve Chapelle and Loos. Many died. Others ended up interned in German prisoner of war camps.
"Very few people are aware of the role Indian troops played in both world wars," Peter Francis of the Commonwealth Graves Commission said. "In some Indian units the casualty rate was 80%. In three days' fighting in Neuve Chapelle in 1915, for instance, some 4,200 Indian soldiers perished." Most of the soldiers and sailors buried at Wünsdorf died of disease while stationed at the PoW camp in the nearby town of Zossen. The Nazis later used the area as a vast military training camp.
After the second world war, the Russians took over the camp, including the graveyard - using the surrounding heathland for mock tank battles. Locals, meanwhile, looted the headstones; the plot disappeared under rhododendrons and fallen oaks. It was only after the fall of the Berlin Wall that British officials were able to gain access to the site.
Diplomats from India, Pakistan and Bangladesh will attend today's rededication ceremony, as well as officials from Russia and France, to honour Tartar soldiers who are buried on the same site.
Friday 28 October 2005
Thursday 27 October 2005
Lion,Witch & the Wardrobe
As a kid I grew up reading the Narnia Chronicles by C.S.Lewis before graduating onto Tolkien. So I was pleased to hear that the movie version of LWW is coming out in December at cinemas nationwide. Anyone else read the books, or planning to watch the film ? (There is also an excellent animated version which has been around several years).
Of the other Narnia books my other faves include Prince Caspian, The Horse and His Boy and The Silver Chair (the latter I'm re-reading now). There have been several analyses of Lewis's interpretation of 'good' versus 'evil' struggle which manifests itself throughout the books.
Of the other Narnia books my other faves include Prince Caspian, The Horse and His Boy and The Silver Chair (the latter I'm re-reading now). There have been several analyses of Lewis's interpretation of 'good' versus 'evil' struggle which manifests itself throughout the books.
Wednesday 26 October 2005
Bright
There was a young lady called Bright,
Whose speed was much faster, much faster than light,
She departed one day in a relative way,
And arrived on the previous night.
(Author unknown)
Whose speed was much faster, much faster than light,
She departed one day in a relative way,
And arrived on the previous night.
(Author unknown)
Monday 24 October 2005
Cultural significance of the Bindi ?
I always wondered about the social anthropological meaning of the Bindi in Indian society. Well now you know.......LOL. :)
Friday 21 October 2005
Thursday 20 October 2005
The age of miracles is dead
Main Entry: mir·a·cle
Pronunciation: 'mir-i-k&l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin miraculum, from Latin, a wonder, marvel, from mirari to wonder at
1 : an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs
2 : an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment
3 Christian Science : a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law
^ ^ ^ ^
My comment:
I don't think the world will ever see a religious miracle on the scale documented in the all the main religious scriptures that exist in this world, either in the East or West. In fact I don't believe any historical episode where apparently some supernatural feat was performed by some messiah, prophet or guru. The tales of resurrection after death, flying chariots, individual faith worshippers killing 100 of the enemy single-handedly, or duels with the devil in the desert are just that - tales - to be treated in the same incredulous grain as the existence of Santa Claus flying around the world on Christmas eve with his herd of reindeer. They are metaphorical allusions to the power of faith - but nothing more.
In an age where digital media and recording devices are as common as sliced bread, of real time streaming internet news, and where every other person has a camera-cellphone and/or mini-camera, how is it that no miracles have yet been captured on film ? The reason: miracles of a divine nature do not exist, never have and never will.
Pronunciation: 'mir-i-k&l
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Old French, from Late Latin miraculum, from Latin, a wonder, marvel, from mirari to wonder at
1 : an extraordinary event manifesting divine intervention in human affairs
2 : an extremely outstanding or unusual event, thing, or accomplishment
3 Christian Science : a divinely natural phenomenon experienced humanly as the fulfillment of spiritual law
^ ^ ^ ^
My comment:
I don't think the world will ever see a religious miracle on the scale documented in the all the main religious scriptures that exist in this world, either in the East or West. In fact I don't believe any historical episode where apparently some supernatural feat was performed by some messiah, prophet or guru. The tales of resurrection after death, flying chariots, individual faith worshippers killing 100 of the enemy single-handedly, or duels with the devil in the desert are just that - tales - to be treated in the same incredulous grain as the existence of Santa Claus flying around the world on Christmas eve with his herd of reindeer. They are metaphorical allusions to the power of faith - but nothing more.
In an age where digital media and recording devices are as common as sliced bread, of real time streaming internet news, and where every other person has a camera-cellphone and/or mini-camera, how is it that no miracles have yet been captured on film ? The reason: miracles of a divine nature do not exist, never have and never will.
Review: The Tiger Claw
Finally finished it ! :)"December moved in, taking up residence with Noor in her cell, and freezing the radiator. Cold coiled in the bowl of her pelvis, turning shiver to quake as she lay beneath her blanket on the cot. Above, snow drifted against glass and bars. Shreds of thoughts, speculations, obsessions...some glue still held her fragments together."
There are writers and there is Shauna Singh Baldwin. The breadth and depth of her latest novel is breathtaking, and leaves you both exhausted and enthralled at the same time.
'Tiger Claw' is based on the true life of Noor Inayat Khan, of Anglo-Indian Muslim origin (and a direct descendent of Tipu Sultan), who served as a secret agent transmitting radio messages from Vichy France during the Second World War. As her life story is in the public domain, I'll make no secret of the fact that she was betrayed and then subsequently captured by the Gestapo and rather than being treated as a prisoner of war, instead was held as a 'night and fog' prisoner (ie. officially does not exist), and eventually executed by her German Nazi captors.
What starts off as a spy thriller, meanders into themes of love, betrayal and idealism. As the tides of fortune slowly turn against Noor, she still harbours the belief that one day she would be re-united with her Jewish lover who is held in an unknown concentration camp. The more poignant parts of the book are when she is almost resigned to the inevitability of death in prison, yet steadfastly refuses to show her fears and still stubbornly clings onto hope where there is none. There is a message in there for all of us somewhere in this book.
One of the more powerful parts of this book, is the parallels that Baldwin draws between German occupied France and British occupied India. Both were acts of aggression, and yet I wasn't aware until reading this book, that 4 millions Bengalis died of starvation during 1943-44 due to a deliberate policy by the British to divert rice to other parts of the empire. Almost as many people died in the Bengal famine as during the Jewish holocaust.
This book will leave a huge impression on me for a very long time. A quality read.
ps. You can read more of her life story here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Noor_Inayat_Khan
On natural justice and Saddam Hussein
If Saddam Hussein is to eventually hang from his neck, as inevitably he will given the charade of a show trial he is now involved in, then so should Bush, Rumsfeld, Blair and other war criminal terrorists who illegally invaded and occupied Iraq on the basis of lies, and caused untold genocide upon the ordinary men, women and children of Iraq. Yes, Hussein was a mass murderer, but he was not the only one in the circle of international leaders, and he could not have acted alone in the killing of Kurds and Shias without the active support of the US in the pre-Gulf War days.
There is a difference between 'natural' justice and 'constitutional' justice. The latter is something that can written to appease one's puppet masters (think of Nazi occupied Vichy France, or British occupied India), but natural justice is something that overrides paper charters written in meanigless legal speak. Natural justice can potentially call for an 'eye for an eye', of satiating the human blind rage that has the potential to exist in each one of us, or collectively, in an orphaned brotherhood or nation.
They say history is written by the victors. Never has a statement sounded more truer than that.
Friday 14 October 2005
If you could see the end...
Last week's terrible devastation from the earthquake in Pakistan has got me thinking as to how fragile human life is. None of us knows when it will be our turn to leave this physical abode known as 'life' and depart forever. The thousands who died never had a chance to say goodbye to their surviving loved ones, and many of those who did survive are now destitute and left to endure a living death of sorts. I pray that through the grace of Waheguru, recovery and relief will be as quick as humanly possible, especially given that the first snow flakes have already landed in some areas heralding the imminent arrival of winter.
Carrying on the theme of an earlier point, what would you do if you knew your final day was to come ? (It's sometimes hard enough driving a loved one to the airport for a long absence abroad, and no matter how much one's eyes may well up with tears at the departure gates, at least in your heart you know they will come back or you can go see them again one day). But what if you knew - this is it. Finito. The End. Then what ? And let's assume, you had a choice of either one month, 6 months or 1 year to live - then what ? Who would you see, what would you do, what would you say? How much more would you talk, joke, laugh, love ? And should it matter what the timeframe is ? Why can't we live life cherishing each day as if this could be our last ?
Carrying on the theme of an earlier point, what would you do if you knew your final day was to come ? (It's sometimes hard enough driving a loved one to the airport for a long absence abroad, and no matter how much one's eyes may well up with tears at the departure gates, at least in your heart you know they will come back or you can go see them again one day). But what if you knew - this is it. Finito. The End. Then what ? And let's assume, you had a choice of either one month, 6 months or 1 year to live - then what ? Who would you see, what would you do, what would you say? How much more would you talk, joke, laugh, love ? And should it matter what the timeframe is ? Why can't we live life cherishing each day as if this could be our last ?
Wednesday 5 October 2005
Khamosh Pani (Silent Waters)
After searching for what felt like eons, I finally found a copy of 'Khamosh Pani' over the weekend. Will watch it probably tonight. Have heard nothing but good reviews about this film.
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/dec/02pani.htm
There is a side to Pakistan most of us are blind to. At least visually. Director Sabiha Sumar presents that side to us -- a desolate, barren Pakistan, a magnificent, sprawling wasteland worthy of a Sergio Leone classic. For someone used to the congested streets of an Indian metropolis, seeing this grand, hilly Pakistani village, full of whispered secrets and echoed threats holds a surreal poignancy.
In the Charkhi village of Punjab in Pakistan, life is quirky, quaint, and increasingly foreboding. The setting itself presents a paradox: there are fortresses available for youngsters to romantically rendezvous, but no place for a kafir (non-Muslim) to hide.
Khamosh Pani revolves around the life of a simple, middle-aged woman, Ayesha, played by Kirron Kher. She seems normal enough, a typical Pakistani lady, living the placid life of a widow, supporting her family by giving Quran lessons to neighbourhood children. As the film builds slowly into its plot, we begin to suspect the central protagonist is actually her wistful son, Saleem.
Saleem, played by Aamir Malik, looks exactly in the Jimmy Mistry (The Guru, East Is East) mould, just floppier, lazy, and intensely likeable. With a boyish grin firmly in place, he is smitten with girl-next-door, the no-nonsense Zubeida, who's trying to goad him into getting a job. As the two murmur besotted secrets to each other across the roofs of conveniently empty minarets, Saleem realises that Zubeidaa's dreams of going to college and fashioning her career and her own riches far outweigh his own. In fact, he doesn't have any dream at all, just shuffling through life listlessly. He needs a vocation, a higher cause to believe in.
At this crucial juncture in his youth, Charkhi's naïveté is shattered by the arrival of Islamic fundamentalists. We suddenly realise that the year is 1979, and we're told emotionally that Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has just been hanged.
There is ample scope for over-dramatisation, but the scene has been handled with wonderful restraint -- a postman stands by his bicycle, seemingly lost. When Ayesha repeatedly asks him what's wrong, he just shakes his head and shows her the paper, muttering in disbelief that the prime minister has been hanged. Immediately, we're framed into uncannily familiar perspective:
General Zia's period of marshal law has begun.
As the Sikhs are allowed to cross the border and revisit their native places of worship, dissent and fundamentalism sets in deeper. Saleem is now one of them, a misguided boy strongly hanging on to a deluded version of Allah.
The film turns darker and more sombre as an important issue comes evocatively to the fore. A gentle visiting Sikh alludes to the prospect of some female relatives being left behind during Partition, but is silenced vehemently by those around him. It is an issue of pride, and we are awakened to the nightmare that families actually killed their own, sacrificing them brutally to avoid dishonour at the hands of the enemy.
The irony is painfully simple: the womanfolk were actually safer in the hands of the very enemy, whose attempt at dishonour was probably preferable to the slaughter their own families put them through.
Zubair (Navtej Johar), however, is a Sikh determined to find his long-lost elder sister, and is sure she lived around these parts. The film is based on true incidents of the time, and as we shuttle through flashback and the present, Khamosh Pani confronts us with information many of us are unaware of.
The film is subtle, and refreshingly free of hysteria, enough to make it one of the best films in the increasingly crowded Partition genre, and reminds us that the subject still has so much to explore. It's a film striking in its simplicity, unlike most recent attempts that usually peter off into melodrama or pander to clichés and even propaganda.
Most directors, with an eye on the festival circuit, try to exaggerate their viewpoints, and show off cinematic abilities. Mira Nair is a case in point. Here, the debutante filmmaker has made a commendable first effort, with visible sincerity. Her lead actress, Kher, has done an overwhelming job, underplayed but truly a wonderfully written role.
http://www.rediff.com/movies/2004/dec/02pani.htm
There is a side to Pakistan most of us are blind to. At least visually. Director Sabiha Sumar presents that side to us -- a desolate, barren Pakistan, a magnificent, sprawling wasteland worthy of a Sergio Leone classic. For someone used to the congested streets of an Indian metropolis, seeing this grand, hilly Pakistani village, full of whispered secrets and echoed threats holds a surreal poignancy.
In the Charkhi village of Punjab in Pakistan, life is quirky, quaint, and increasingly foreboding. The setting itself presents a paradox: there are fortresses available for youngsters to romantically rendezvous, but no place for a kafir (non-Muslim) to hide.
Khamosh Pani revolves around the life of a simple, middle-aged woman, Ayesha, played by Kirron Kher. She seems normal enough, a typical Pakistani lady, living the placid life of a widow, supporting her family by giving Quran lessons to neighbourhood children. As the film builds slowly into its plot, we begin to suspect the central protagonist is actually her wistful son, Saleem.
Saleem, played by Aamir Malik, looks exactly in the Jimmy Mistry (The Guru, East Is East) mould, just floppier, lazy, and intensely likeable. With a boyish grin firmly in place, he is smitten with girl-next-door, the no-nonsense Zubeida, who's trying to goad him into getting a job. As the two murmur besotted secrets to each other across the roofs of conveniently empty minarets, Saleem realises that Zubeidaa's dreams of going to college and fashioning her career and her own riches far outweigh his own. In fact, he doesn't have any dream at all, just shuffling through life listlessly. He needs a vocation, a higher cause to believe in.
At this crucial juncture in his youth, Charkhi's naïveté is shattered by the arrival of Islamic fundamentalists. We suddenly realise that the year is 1979, and we're told emotionally that Prime Minister Zulfikar Ali Bhutto has just been hanged.
There is ample scope for over-dramatisation, but the scene has been handled with wonderful restraint -- a postman stands by his bicycle, seemingly lost. When Ayesha repeatedly asks him what's wrong, he just shakes his head and shows her the paper, muttering in disbelief that the prime minister has been hanged. Immediately, we're framed into uncannily familiar perspective:
General Zia's period of marshal law has begun.
As the Sikhs are allowed to cross the border and revisit their native places of worship, dissent and fundamentalism sets in deeper. Saleem is now one of them, a misguided boy strongly hanging on to a deluded version of Allah.
The film turns darker and more sombre as an important issue comes evocatively to the fore. A gentle visiting Sikh alludes to the prospect of some female relatives being left behind during Partition, but is silenced vehemently by those around him. It is an issue of pride, and we are awakened to the nightmare that families actually killed their own, sacrificing them brutally to avoid dishonour at the hands of the enemy.
The irony is painfully simple: the womanfolk were actually safer in the hands of the very enemy, whose attempt at dishonour was probably preferable to the slaughter their own families put them through.
Zubair (Navtej Johar), however, is a Sikh determined to find his long-lost elder sister, and is sure she lived around these parts. The film is based on true incidents of the time, and as we shuttle through flashback and the present, Khamosh Pani confronts us with information many of us are unaware of.
The film is subtle, and refreshingly free of hysteria, enough to make it one of the best films in the increasingly crowded Partition genre, and reminds us that the subject still has so much to explore. It's a film striking in its simplicity, unlike most recent attempts that usually peter off into melodrama or pander to clichés and even propaganda.
Most directors, with an eye on the festival circuit, try to exaggerate their viewpoints, and show off cinematic abilities. Mira Nair is a case in point. Here, the debutante filmmaker has made a commendable first effort, with visible sincerity. Her lead actress, Kher, has done an overwhelming job, underplayed but truly a wonderfully written role.
Monday 26 September 2005
Scotia Half-marathon
It's a rainy Monday afternoon outside, and right now my legs feel so stiff and sore after running in the Toronto Waterfront Half-Marathon yesterday.
There is a definite price to pay for running the 21 km (13 miles), but just like the other few thousand runners who took part, it was well worth it. The elated sense of achievement after crossing the line is unbelievable. :)
There is a definite price to pay for running the 21 km (13 miles), but just like the other few thousand runners who took part, it was well worth it. The elated sense of achievement after crossing the line is unbelievable. :)
Sunday 11 September 2005
Brothers in arms
The lyrics from this classic Dire Straits song have an almost spiritual feel to them. I'm in this kind of mood today...
These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptism of fire
I've watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
These mist covered mountains
Are a home now for me
But my home is the lowlands
And always will be
Some day you'll return to
Your valleys and your farms
And you'll no longer burn
To be brothers in arms
Through these fields of destruction
Baptism of fire
I've watched all your suffering
As the battles raged higher
And though they did hurt me so bad
In the fear and alarm
You did not desert me
My brothers in arms
There's so many different worlds
So many different suns
And we have just one world
But we live in different ones
Now the sun's gone to hell
And the moon's riding high
Let me bid you farewell
Every man has to die
But it's written in the starlight
And every line on your palm
We're fools to make war
On our brothers in arms
Monday 5 September 2005
The Nature of Happiness
What makes you happy ?
At an outer level ? At an inner level ?
Once you have achieved the basics required for human existence - food, clothing, shelter - how do you determine the discretionary components of your life that will make you happy/content/satisfied ? How much love do you need ? How much money ? Spirituality ? Good health ? Sense of social belonging and being able to connect ? What about giving and receiving ? Does a law of diminishing returns also apply to happiness - beyond which one cannot get any happier ?
Perhaps the irony of happiness is that sometimes you need to experience anxiety in order to appreciate the former. Just like you need to experience winter to enjoy summer, or darkness to appreciate light ? And does our definition of 'happiness' change as we get older, or are there a common set of denominators that stay with us throughout our lives ?
At an outer level ? At an inner level ?
Once you have achieved the basics required for human existence - food, clothing, shelter - how do you determine the discretionary components of your life that will make you happy/content/satisfied ? How much love do you need ? How much money ? Spirituality ? Good health ? Sense of social belonging and being able to connect ? What about giving and receiving ? Does a law of diminishing returns also apply to happiness - beyond which one cannot get any happier ?
Perhaps the irony of happiness is that sometimes you need to experience anxiety in order to appreciate the former. Just like you need to experience winter to enjoy summer, or darkness to appreciate light ? And does our definition of 'happiness' change as we get older, or are there a common set of denominators that stay with us throughout our lives ?
Wednesday 31 August 2005
Brown paper bag test
I always wondered how light and dark skinned blacks perceived each other....
The paper bag test
By BILL MAXWELL, Times Staff Writer
St. Petersburg Times
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Each year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission receives about 85,000 discrimination cases, a phenomenon to be expected in a society that touts itself as a "melting pot."
Many of these cases involve the complaints of minority groups against majority groups. We rarely expect a member of a minority group to discriminate against someone else in the same group. But that is exactly what happens among African-Americans.
More than any other minority group in the United States, blacks discriminate against one another. The discrimination, called "colorism," is based on skin tone: whether a person is dark-skinned or light-skinned or in the broad middle somewhere.
Most African-Americans refuse to discuss this self-destructive problem even in private. According to the EEOC, though, the number of such cases are steadily increasing, jumping from 413 in fiscal year 1994 to 1,382 in 2002, a figure that represents about 3 percent of all cases the agency receives yearly.
The most recent case making news in the black press involves two employees of an Applebee's restaurant in Jonesboro, Ga., near Atlanta. There, Dwight Burch, a dark-skinned waiter, who has left the restaurant, filed a lawsuit against Applebee's and his light-skinned African-American manager.
In the suit, Burch alleged that during his three-month stint, the manager repeatedly referred to him as a "black monkey" and a "tar baby." The manager also told Burch to bleach his skin, and Burch was fired after he refused to do so, the suit states.
Colorism has a long and ugly history among American blacks, dating back to slavery, when light-skinned blacks were automatically given preferential treatment by plantation owners and their henchmen.
Colorism's history is fascinating: Fair-skinned slaves automatically enjoyed plum jobs in the master's house, if they had to work at all. Many traveled throughout the nation and abroad with their masters and their families. They were exposed to the finer things, and many became educated as a result. Their darker-tone peers toiled in the fields. They were the ones who were beaten, burned and hanged, the ones permanently condemned to be the lowest of the low in U.S. society. For them, even learning - reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic - was illegal.
When slavery ended, light-skinned blacks established social organizations that barred darker ex-slaves. Elite blacks of the early 20th century were fair-skinned almost to the person. Even today, most blacks in high positions have fair skin tones, and most blacks who do menial jobs or are in prison are dark. Believe it or not, popular black magazines, such as Ebony as Essence, prefer light-skinned models in their beauty product ads.
For many years, entrance to special social events operated on the "brown paper bag" principle, which I will explain. Until quite recently, black fraternities and sororities, for example, recruited according to skin tone. Spike Lee's film School Daze satirizes the problem, and Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple makes it a biting subtext.
In his 1996 book The Future of the Race, Henry Louis Gates Jr., chairman of the Afro-American studies department at Harvard, described his encounter with the brown paper bag when he came to Yale in the late 1960s, when skin-tone bias was brazenly practiced: "Some of the brothers who came from New Orleans held a "bag party.' As a classmate explained it to me, a bag party was a New Orleans custom wherein a brown paper bag was stuck on the door.
"Anyone darker than the bag was denied entrance. That was one cultural legacy that would be put to rest in a hurry - we all made sure of that. But in a manner of speaking, it was replaced by an opposite test whereby those who were deemed "not black enough' ideologically were to be shunned. I was not sure this was an improvement."
Gates was overly optimistic. The brown paper bag test remains in black culture in various incarnations, as the Applebee's case and the EEOC's statistics confirm. We separate ourselves by skin tone almost as much as we ever did. If, say, you check out the "desired" female beauties in rap videos, you will find redbones galore.
Back to the Applebee's case. A spokesman for the chain issued this statement: "No one should have to put up with mean and humiliating comments about the color of their skin on the job. . . . It makes no difference that these comments are made by someone of your own race. Actually, that makes it even worse." Although the chain denied the allegations, it paid Burch $40,000 to settle the suit.
Now for the irony of ironies: Applebee's has added a protection, along with cultural sensitivity training, against skin-tone discrimination to its antidiscrimination policies.
In other words, the company must protect African-Americans from other African-Americans.
Discrimination from whites and other groups remains a big problem for blacks. But colorism is just as serious, if not more so. Colorism saps our strength from the inside. It weakens our power and ability to fight the outside forces that keep us marginalized in larger society.
The paper bag test
By BILL MAXWELL, Times Staff Writer
St. Petersburg Times
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Each year, the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission receives about 85,000 discrimination cases, a phenomenon to be expected in a society that touts itself as a "melting pot."
Many of these cases involve the complaints of minority groups against majority groups. We rarely expect a member of a minority group to discriminate against someone else in the same group. But that is exactly what happens among African-Americans.
More than any other minority group in the United States, blacks discriminate against one another. The discrimination, called "colorism," is based on skin tone: whether a person is dark-skinned or light-skinned or in the broad middle somewhere.
Most African-Americans refuse to discuss this self-destructive problem even in private. According to the EEOC, though, the number of such cases are steadily increasing, jumping from 413 in fiscal year 1994 to 1,382 in 2002, a figure that represents about 3 percent of all cases the agency receives yearly.
The most recent case making news in the black press involves two employees of an Applebee's restaurant in Jonesboro, Ga., near Atlanta. There, Dwight Burch, a dark-skinned waiter, who has left the restaurant, filed a lawsuit against Applebee's and his light-skinned African-American manager.
In the suit, Burch alleged that during his three-month stint, the manager repeatedly referred to him as a "black monkey" and a "tar baby." The manager also told Burch to bleach his skin, and Burch was fired after he refused to do so, the suit states.
Colorism has a long and ugly history among American blacks, dating back to slavery, when light-skinned blacks were automatically given preferential treatment by plantation owners and their henchmen.
Colorism's history is fascinating: Fair-skinned slaves automatically enjoyed plum jobs in the master's house, if they had to work at all. Many traveled throughout the nation and abroad with their masters and their families. They were exposed to the finer things, and many became educated as a result. Their darker-tone peers toiled in the fields. They were the ones who were beaten, burned and hanged, the ones permanently condemned to be the lowest of the low in U.S. society. For them, even learning - reading, 'riting, 'rithmetic - was illegal.
When slavery ended, light-skinned blacks established social organizations that barred darker ex-slaves. Elite blacks of the early 20th century were fair-skinned almost to the person. Even today, most blacks in high positions have fair skin tones, and most blacks who do menial jobs or are in prison are dark. Believe it or not, popular black magazines, such as Ebony as Essence, prefer light-skinned models in their beauty product ads.
For many years, entrance to special social events operated on the "brown paper bag" principle, which I will explain. Until quite recently, black fraternities and sororities, for example, recruited according to skin tone. Spike Lee's film School Daze satirizes the problem, and Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple makes it a biting subtext.
In his 1996 book The Future of the Race, Henry Louis Gates Jr., chairman of the Afro-American studies department at Harvard, described his encounter with the brown paper bag when he came to Yale in the late 1960s, when skin-tone bias was brazenly practiced: "Some of the brothers who came from New Orleans held a "bag party.' As a classmate explained it to me, a bag party was a New Orleans custom wherein a brown paper bag was stuck on the door.
"Anyone darker than the bag was denied entrance. That was one cultural legacy that would be put to rest in a hurry - we all made sure of that. But in a manner of speaking, it was replaced by an opposite test whereby those who were deemed "not black enough' ideologically were to be shunned. I was not sure this was an improvement."
Gates was overly optimistic. The brown paper bag test remains in black culture in various incarnations, as the Applebee's case and the EEOC's statistics confirm. We separate ourselves by skin tone almost as much as we ever did. If, say, you check out the "desired" female beauties in rap videos, you will find redbones galore.
Back to the Applebee's case. A spokesman for the chain issued this statement: "No one should have to put up with mean and humiliating comments about the color of their skin on the job. . . . It makes no difference that these comments are made by someone of your own race. Actually, that makes it even worse." Although the chain denied the allegations, it paid Burch $40,000 to settle the suit.
Now for the irony of ironies: Applebee's has added a protection, along with cultural sensitivity training, against skin-tone discrimination to its antidiscrimination policies.
In other words, the company must protect African-Americans from other African-Americans.
Discrimination from whites and other groups remains a big problem for blacks. But colorism is just as serious, if not more so. Colorism saps our strength from the inside. It weakens our power and ability to fight the outside forces that keep us marginalized in larger society.
Friday 26 August 2005
My Friday afternoon confession...
I feel so embarrassed...
About a month ago whilst channel surfing I came across 'Sinndoor' - a Hindi drama serial which shows nightly on ATN Zee. It's full of over-the-top melodramatics, family politics, wailing mother-in-laws, errant sons and victimized daughter in laws.
...now I'm hooked. I need my daily fix of drama. Life completely stops for me as I eagerly watch each roller coaster episode. Till now, the only people I thought who avidly watched Hindi drama serials were lobotomized retards....
About a month ago whilst channel surfing I came across 'Sinndoor' - a Hindi drama serial which shows nightly on ATN Zee. It's full of over-the-top melodramatics, family politics, wailing mother-in-laws, errant sons and victimized daughter in laws.
...now I'm hooked. I need my daily fix of drama. Life completely stops for me as I eagerly watch each roller coaster episode. Till now, the only people I thought who avidly watched Hindi drama serials were lobotomized retards....
Saturday 20 August 2005
Review: The Kite Runner
Just finished 'The Kite Runner' recently. I kept seeing the book in the bookshops and I was for a long time reluctant to read/purchase it because a) it was set in Afghanistan (not exactly the most progressive of societies) and b) dealt with Muslim Pashtun/non-Punjabi characters and I felt I might not be able to relate to the story. But on both counts I'm glad I was proved wrong (it took somebody on another site to persuade me to read it).
Khaled Hosseini's style of writing is beautifully simple and direct, and his portrayal of friendship, love and loss against the background of war-torn Afghan social life is illuminating.
Reading this book has helped me see friendships and the fragility of life in a completely different filter.
I wish the novel would go on and on.....
Thursday 18 August 2005
My Yashica T4
Last week I discovered my trusty Yashica T4 camera lying behind some books on a shelf. Finding that was like being re-united with an old friend. Looking at the elegant design of the body I slid the power switch and the lens motor effortlessly came to life, and all the self-check lights reassuringly blinked ready for action.
I purchased my T4 about 10 years ago from a speciality photo retail store in Gloucester, England. I've lost count of the rolls of film I shot on the T4, capturing many memories of days gone by. I took it all over the place, from Milton Keynes to Paris, Barcelona, Toronto, Ludhiana and back. The Carl Zeiss lens (one of the best on the market) never once failed me, and took pictures comparable in quality and detail to SLRs. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the T4, it is a point and shoot camera regarded by many photo/camera websites as one of the best ever manufactured. My current digital camera (Olympus Stylus 410) comes nowhere close to the quality of pictures I could get with the T4. Sadly, Yashica ceased production of the T4 about 3 years ago.
Anyway, in the last couple of days I bought several rolls of Fuji film (from 400 ISO to 800 ISO speed) determined once again to make use of this faithful keeper of memories.
I purchased my T4 about 10 years ago from a speciality photo retail store in Gloucester, England. I've lost count of the rolls of film I shot on the T4, capturing many memories of days gone by. I took it all over the place, from Milton Keynes to Paris, Barcelona, Toronto, Ludhiana and back. The Carl Zeiss lens (one of the best on the market) never once failed me, and took pictures comparable in quality and detail to SLRs. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the T4, it is a point and shoot camera regarded by many photo/camera websites as one of the best ever manufactured. My current digital camera (Olympus Stylus 410) comes nowhere close to the quality of pictures I could get with the T4. Sadly, Yashica ceased production of the T4 about 3 years ago.
Anyway, in the last couple of days I bought several rolls of Fuji film (from 400 ISO to 800 ISO speed) determined once again to make use of this faithful keeper of memories.
Monday 15 August 2005
White Gold
I just spent my lunch hour lounging on a sofa in a bookshop, being totally mesmerized by 'White Gold' - an historical account of white slavery on the north African coast in the 18th century. Some of the accounts of cruelty and religious persecution are truly sickening. I'll be back tomorrow to finish the rest of the book....
*****************************
In the meantime, here's a review of 'White Gold' I found on the net:
From the bestselling author of Nathaniel’s Nutmeg comes White Gold: The Extraordinary Story of Thomas Pellow and North Africa’s One Million European Slaves. Giles Milton’s latest book is a valuable work simply because the story of slavery belongs to us all. Furthermore, this spine-tingler is also important in that it has managed to find a publisher, and therefore an audience. (In Europe, some politically sensitive history books don’t always see the light of day.)
Much is written about the slave trade, but rarely does one read a book about the likes of Thomas Pellow. Barbary corsairs captured the Cornish cabin boy and his shipmates in 1716. Sadly, such kidnappings were commonplace. Between the years 1550-1730, Algiers alone was home to around 25,000 European slaves. At times, there were around 50,000 captives. Slave markets also flourished in Tunis and Morocco where little Thomas was sent. The lad was only 11 years old.
There are many ways to read White Gold. I’ve long tried, albeit clumsily, to put my empathy cap on and think about how it would feel to struggle as a slave. This book was a great help and worked a treat. Mile’s vivid descriptions backed with thorough research make the task easier. When Thomas Pellow was entering a life of servitude, my heart sunk into my boots. Miles describes the scene:
"As the sun rose spectacularly over the city’s eastern ramparts and the men were led through the principal gate, they were tormented by jeering, hostile Moors. “We were met and surrounded by vast crowds of them,” wrote Pellow, “offering us the most vile insults.” As word of their arrival spread through the souks, more and more people flocked to the city in order to mock the hated Christians. They surged towards the frightened captives and tried to beat them with sticks and batons."
Readers will be tempted to ask, “Were Pellow’s capturers tyrannical and bloodthirsty barbarians?” The politically incorrect answer to that is, “Yes”.
Whatever you do, don’t read this book before meal times. Milton, unlike some historians, doesn’t shy away from awful truths. The book’s most disturbing figure is Moulay Ismail, the sultan of Morocco. It is he who buys the young Thomas and routinely executes people whom rub him up the wrong way. Not content with hijacking ships, the Islamic slave traders would make “home visits” to Europe’s coastal villages and kidnap family members. So popular was the demand for Christian slave labour that some rich Barbary pirates, funded by even richer Sultans, pillaged Reykjavik and returned with 400 very frightened Icelanders. Distance was obviously no barrier. Later, travelling Americans also became sitting ducks. Does this sound uncomfortably familiar?
Like some Islamic extremists of today, the Sultans laughed about holding Europe to ransom. They were rarely met with force. Obviously, Thomas Pellow’s experience takes place within a wider context, and Giles Milton gives us this. As a learned writer, he provides his audience with sufficient primary resources and solid secondary ones. Of particular interest, are the graphic illustrations of torture techniques and photographs of the now crumbling Meknes palace built by Christian slaves. This is not for the faint hearted.
Whereas, the tireless work of feisty born-again Christians led to the abolition of slavery in America, this was not the case in North Africa and other Islamic strongholds. Ironically, years after Pellow’s death, a descendant of his took to the seas to fight against the barbaric slave masters. Without revealing too much, the book’s amazing epilogue reads like a tribute to the actions over words principle.
Giles Milton’s White Gold is a treasure, and we owe it to North Africa’s one million European white slaves to never forget. They were a stolen generation. But this book is not just about victims. Many brave English souls who advocated for the abolition of black slavery turned their attention to the plight of European captives. Groups like the Society of Knights Liberators of the White Slaves of Africa (pdf file 684KB) were instrumental in creating awareness. So too were some Church of England churches. Yet, after marathon “talkfests” with barbarian traders, the abolitionists only made significant gains after adopting hawkish strategies. Arguably, this lesson has been lost to some of us.
As a wise man once said, “If you want peace, prepare for war”. And, if you want a good read, consider getting your hands on a copy of White Gold.
*****************************
In the meantime, here's a review of 'White Gold' I found on the net:
From the bestselling author of Nathaniel’s Nutmeg comes White Gold: The Extraordinary Story of Thomas Pellow and North Africa’s One Million European Slaves. Giles Milton’s latest book is a valuable work simply because the story of slavery belongs to us all. Furthermore, this spine-tingler is also important in that it has managed to find a publisher, and therefore an audience. (In Europe, some politically sensitive history books don’t always see the light of day.)
Much is written about the slave trade, but rarely does one read a book about the likes of Thomas Pellow. Barbary corsairs captured the Cornish cabin boy and his shipmates in 1716. Sadly, such kidnappings were commonplace. Between the years 1550-1730, Algiers alone was home to around 25,000 European slaves. At times, there were around 50,000 captives. Slave markets also flourished in Tunis and Morocco where little Thomas was sent. The lad was only 11 years old.
There are many ways to read White Gold. I’ve long tried, albeit clumsily, to put my empathy cap on and think about how it would feel to struggle as a slave. This book was a great help and worked a treat. Mile’s vivid descriptions backed with thorough research make the task easier. When Thomas Pellow was entering a life of servitude, my heart sunk into my boots. Miles describes the scene:
"As the sun rose spectacularly over the city’s eastern ramparts and the men were led through the principal gate, they were tormented by jeering, hostile Moors. “We were met and surrounded by vast crowds of them,” wrote Pellow, “offering us the most vile insults.” As word of their arrival spread through the souks, more and more people flocked to the city in order to mock the hated Christians. They surged towards the frightened captives and tried to beat them with sticks and batons."
Readers will be tempted to ask, “Were Pellow’s capturers tyrannical and bloodthirsty barbarians?” The politically incorrect answer to that is, “Yes”.
Whatever you do, don’t read this book before meal times. Milton, unlike some historians, doesn’t shy away from awful truths. The book’s most disturbing figure is Moulay Ismail, the sultan of Morocco. It is he who buys the young Thomas and routinely executes people whom rub him up the wrong way. Not content with hijacking ships, the Islamic slave traders would make “home visits” to Europe’s coastal villages and kidnap family members. So popular was the demand for Christian slave labour that some rich Barbary pirates, funded by even richer Sultans, pillaged Reykjavik and returned with 400 very frightened Icelanders. Distance was obviously no barrier. Later, travelling Americans also became sitting ducks. Does this sound uncomfortably familiar?
Like some Islamic extremists of today, the Sultans laughed about holding Europe to ransom. They were rarely met with force. Obviously, Thomas Pellow’s experience takes place within a wider context, and Giles Milton gives us this. As a learned writer, he provides his audience with sufficient primary resources and solid secondary ones. Of particular interest, are the graphic illustrations of torture techniques and photographs of the now crumbling Meknes palace built by Christian slaves. This is not for the faint hearted.
Whereas, the tireless work of feisty born-again Christians led to the abolition of slavery in America, this was not the case in North Africa and other Islamic strongholds. Ironically, years after Pellow’s death, a descendant of his took to the seas to fight against the barbaric slave masters. Without revealing too much, the book’s amazing epilogue reads like a tribute to the actions over words principle.
Giles Milton’s White Gold is a treasure, and we owe it to North Africa’s one million European white slaves to never forget. They were a stolen generation. But this book is not just about victims. Many brave English souls who advocated for the abolition of black slavery turned their attention to the plight of European captives. Groups like the Society of Knights Liberators of the White Slaves of Africa (pdf file 684KB) were instrumental in creating awareness. So too were some Church of England churches. Yet, after marathon “talkfests” with barbarian traders, the abolitionists only made significant gains after adopting hawkish strategies. Arguably, this lesson has been lost to some of us.
As a wise man once said, “If you want peace, prepare for war”. And, if you want a good read, consider getting your hands on a copy of White Gold.
Sunday 14 August 2005
Wednesday 27 July 2005
Compromise
Main Entry: com·pro·mise
Pronunciation: 'käm-pr&-"mIz
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, mutual promise to abide by an arbiter's decision, from Middle French compromis, from Latin compromissum, from neuter of compromissus, past participle of compromittere to promise mutually, from com- + promittere to promise -- more at PROMISE
1 a : settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions b : something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things
2 : a concession to something derogatory or prejudicial
^ ^ ^
Ain't life one big enormous compromise ??? And not everyone wants to meet halfway....
Pronunciation: 'käm-pr&-"mIz
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, mutual promise to abide by an arbiter's decision, from Middle French compromis, from Latin compromissum, from neuter of compromissus, past participle of compromittere to promise mutually, from com- + promittere to promise -- more at PROMISE
1 a : settlement of differences by arbitration or by consent reached by mutual concessions b : something intermediate between or blending qualities of two different things
2 : a concession to something derogatory or prejudicial
^ ^ ^
Ain't life one big enormous compromise ??? And not everyone wants to meet halfway....
Wednesday 6 July 2005
Google Earth
If there is one software you should download - download this. It is mindblowing. The global satellite imagery is fantastic.
http://kh.google.com/download/earth/index.html
http://kh.google.com/download/earth/index.html
Sunday 3 July 2005
Guess the profession...
Ever wondered what job you'd be doing if your folks never emigrated from the sub-continent ? Would you be a farmer, tailor, doctor, subservient wife, teacher, writer, chai-walla maybe ? ;)
Let me see now...my father served in the military, as did my maternal uncles - who saw action in '71, so did my great-grandfather who fought in a Sikh regiment in France during the First World War. Hmm...wonder what I would have ended up doing ? :) No airy-fairy liberal arts studies for this nau jawan...
Some habits die hard...many years later in England, I remember my father used to drag me out of bed at 6.00am on a Sunday morning and insist we went out running and did sit-ups. Thing is though, I was only 8 years old.
Another time, when he became exasperated at my slow speed of eating breakfast (I think it was cornflakes) - he said to me: "Beta, you really should hurry up your food. If you were in the navy like I was, you would realise that anytime you could come under enemy attack!!!" ...and meal times were never the same since...I spent half the time looking over my shoulder and skywards than at my dinner plate.
...sometimes, changing countries can be a liberating experience.... :)
Let me see now...my father served in the military, as did my maternal uncles - who saw action in '71, so did my great-grandfather who fought in a Sikh regiment in France during the First World War. Hmm...wonder what I would have ended up doing ? :) No airy-fairy liberal arts studies for this nau jawan...
Some habits die hard...many years later in England, I remember my father used to drag me out of bed at 6.00am on a Sunday morning and insist we went out running and did sit-ups. Thing is though, I was only 8 years old.
Another time, when he became exasperated at my slow speed of eating breakfast (I think it was cornflakes) - he said to me: "Beta, you really should hurry up your food. If you were in the navy like I was, you would realise that anytime you could come under enemy attack!!!" ...and meal times were never the same since...I spent half the time looking over my shoulder and skywards than at my dinner plate.
...sometimes, changing countries can be a liberating experience.... :)
Friday 1 July 2005
Life Chess
Life is like a game of chess...you just can't defer a move forever.
And sometimes your previously overlooked weakest piece is the one that is holding your entire game plan together...
End of chess lesson. :)
And sometimes your previously overlooked weakest piece is the one that is holding your entire game plan together...
End of chess lesson. :)
Wednesday 29 June 2005
Of Greeks and Persians.
It's quite remarkable how your personal perceptions of any one individual can colour your views about an entire race or ethnicity. (I say that without qualification, because life is too short to delve into statistics that will disprove this sterotype - and right now, I don't care for any politically correct insights). In the past few days I've had business dealings with 4 individuals - 2 Greeks and 2 Iranians, none of whom knew each other. Without going into specific details, both Greeks tried to either renege on the deal or short change me, whilst the Iranians were willing to go the extra mile and put their personal credibility on the line...after all, personal trust still forms the basis for the wheels of commerce to flow smoothly.
I will never look at Western pro-Hellenic accounts of ancient Greek-Persian conflicts in the same light again...the phrase "beware of Greeks bearing gifts" has never sounded so true. The only Greeks I want to meet now are those who are either serving me in a restaurant or who are located on the other side of the TV screen....
...and I wish Iran all the best for World Cup 2006. :)
ps. just in case you were wondering - no, I'm ain't no drug dealer. ;)
I will never look at Western pro-Hellenic accounts of ancient Greek-Persian conflicts in the same light again...the phrase "beware of Greeks bearing gifts" has never sounded so true. The only Greeks I want to meet now are those who are either serving me in a restaurant or who are located on the other side of the TV screen....
...and I wish Iran all the best for World Cup 2006. :)
ps. just in case you were wondering - no, I'm ain't no drug dealer. ;)
Tuesday 14 June 2005
Udham Singh
Asian Dub Foundation
Song: Assassin (a tribute to Udham Singh)
Album: Rafi's Revenge (1998)
Mohammed Singh Azad
Zindabad
No apologies
Not a shot in the dark
This is a warning
The Sleeping tiger awakes each and every morning
The time is now right to burst the imperial bubble
My act of revenge is just a part of the struggle.
A bullet to his head won't bring back the dead
But it'll lift the spirit of my people!
We'll keep on fighting
We've been a nation abused
Your stiff upper lip will bleed
And your pride will be bruised.
No apologies
Not a shot in the dark
This is a warning
The Sleeping tiger awakes each and every morning.
We'll keep on fighting
We've been a nation abused
Your stiff upper lip will bleed
And your pride will be bruised
The time is now right to burst the imperial bubble
And my act of revenge is just a part of the struggle.
Synchronise time
Vengeance will be mine
As I cross the curzon line into his mind
I will burn the trophies he owns
Symbols of a future postponed.
Mohammed Singh Azad
Zindabad!
A bullet to his head won't bring back the dead
But it'll lift the spirit of my people!
A bullet to his head won't bring back the dead
But it'll lift the spirit of my people!
I'll shake hands with the hangman
I'll wear the noose with pride
For unlike the British I've no crimes to justify
Pentonville will be my last place on earth
And death will return me to the land of my birth.
**************************************
On the 31st July, 1940, Udham Singh was hanged at Pentonville jail, London. On the 4th of June in the same year he had been arraigned before Mr. Justice Atkinson at the Central Criminal Court, the Old Bailey. Udham Singh was charged with the murder of Sir Michael O'Dwyer, the former Lieutenant-Governor of the Punjab who had approved of the action of Brigadier-General R.E.H. Dyer at Jallianwala Bagh, Amritsar on April 13, 1919, which had resulted in the massacre of hundreds of men, women and children and left over 1,000 wounded during the course of a peaceful political meeting. The assassination of O'Dwyer took place at the Caxton Hall, Westminster. The trial of Udham Singh lasted for two days, he was found guilty and was given the death sentence. On the 15th July, 1940, the Court of Criminal Appeal heard and dismissed the appeal of Udham Singh against the death sentence.
Prior to passing the sentence Mr. Justice Atkinson asked Udham Singh whether he had anything to say. Replying in the affirmative he began to read from prepared notes. The judge repeatedly interrupted Udham Singh and ordered the press not to report the statement. Both in Britain and India the government made strenuous efforts to ensure that the minimum publicity was given to the trial. Reuters were approached for this purpose.
Shorthand notes of the Statement made by Udham Singh after the Judge had asked him if he had anything to say as to why sentence should not be passed upon him according to Law:
Facing the Judge, he exclaimed, 'I say down with British Imperialism. You say India do not have peace. We have only slavery. Generations of so called civilization has brought for us everything filthy and degenerating known to the human race. All you have to do is read your own history. If you have any human decency about you, you should die with shame. The brutality and bloodthirsty way in which the so called intellectuals who call themselves rulers of civilization in the world are of bastard blood...'
MR. JUSTICE ATKINSON: I am not going to listen to a political speech. If you have anything relevant to say about this case say it.
UDHAM SINGH: I have to say this. I wanted to protest.
The accused brandished the sheaf of papers from which he had been reading.
THE JUDGE: Is it in English?
UDHAM SINGH: You can understand what I am reading now.
THE JUDGE: I will understand much more if you give it to me to read.
UDHAM SINGH: I want the jury, I want the whole lot to hear it.
Mr. G.B. McClure (Prosecuting) reminded the Judge that under Section 6 of the Emergency Powers Act he could direct that Udham Singh's speech be not reported or that it could be heard in camera.
THE JUDGE (to the accused): You may take it that nothing will be published of what you say. You must speak to the point. Now go on.
UDHAM SINGH: I am protesting. This is what I mean. I am quite innocent about that address. The jury were misled about that address. I am going to read this now.
THE JUDGE: Well, go on.
While the accused was perusing the papers, the Judge reminded him 'You are only to say why sentence should not be passed according to law.'
UDHAM SINGH (shouting): 'I do not care about sentence of death. It means nothing at all. I do not care about dying or anything. I do not worry about it at all. I am dying for a purpose.'
Thumping the rail of the dock, he exclaimed, 'We are suffering from the British Empire.' Udham Singh continued more quietly. 'I am not afraid to die. I am proud to die, to have to free my native land and I hope that when I am gone, I hope that in my place will come thousands of my countrymen to drive you dirty dogs out; to free my country.'
'I am standing before an English jury. I am in an English court. You people go to India and when you come back you are given a prize and put in the House of Commons. We come to England and we are sentenced to death.'
'I never meant anything; but I will take it. I do not care anything about it, but when you dirty dogs come to India there comes a time when you will be cleaned out of India. All your British Imperialism will be smashed.'
'Machine guns on the streets of India mow down thousands of poor women and children wherever your so-called flag of democracy and Christianity flies.'
'Your conduct, your conduct - I am talking about the British government. I have nothing against the English people at all. I have more English friends living in England than I have in India. I have great sympathy with the workers of England. I am against the Imperialist Government.'
'You people are suffering - workers. Everyone are suffering through these dirty dogs; these mad beasts. India is only slavery. Killing, mutilating and destroying - British Imperialism. People do not read about it in the papers. We know what is going on in India.'
MR. JUSTICE ATKINSON: I am not going to hear any more.
UDHAM SINGH: You do not want to listen to any more because you are tired of my speech, eh? I have a lot to say yet.
THE JUDGE: I am not going to hear any more of that statement.
UDHAM SINGH: You ask me what I have to say. I am saying it. Because you people are dirty. You do not want to hear from us what you are doing in India.
Thrusting his glasses back into his pocket, Udham Singh exclaimed three words in Hindustani and then shouted, Down with British Imperialism! Down with British dirty dogs!'
As he turned to leave the dock, the accused spat across the solicitor's table.
After Singh had left the dock, the Judge turned to the Press and said:
'I give a direction to the Press not to report any of the statement made by the accused in the dock. You understand, members of the press?'
Rest in peace Udham Singh.
A random thought
What or who created the world, the universe ? Apparently our universe, comprising of an infinite number of galaxies and solar systems, is expanding....but what is the universe expanding into ? What is outside of the box ? What existed before the supposed Big Bang ? ...and don't say nothing...coz I ain't gonna believe ya.
Friday 10 June 2005
Guess the film :)
We're off to see the Wizard,
The wonderful Wizard of Oz,
We hear he is a wiz of a wiz,
If ever a wiz there was.
If ever oh ever a wiz there was,
The Wizard of Oz is one because,
Because, because, because,
Because, because...
Because of the wonderful things he does!
We're off to see the Wizard,
The wonderful Wizard of Oz!
...I bet you're still wondering which from film that song was taken from... :-))
The wonderful Wizard of Oz,
We hear he is a wiz of a wiz,
If ever a wiz there was.
If ever oh ever a wiz there was,
The Wizard of Oz is one because,
Because, because, because,
Because, because...
Because of the wonderful things he does!
We're off to see the Wizard,
The wonderful Wizard of Oz!
...I bet you're still wondering which from film that song was taken from... :-))
Is God dead ? (a statistical view)
So I was having a shower this morning, wondering why in Canada you can't seem to buy shower gel bottles with a built in plastic hook that you hang on the shower head, when I all of sudden I had a flashback to a philosophy tutorial I was once in many moons ago.
It occurred to me that the 19th century German philosopher, Nietzsche may have had a point when he stated that God is dead. His underlying premise was his idea of "life-affirmation," which involves an honest questioning of all doctrines which drain life’s energies, however socially prevalent those views might be. Nietzsche’s atheism was voiced in reaction to the conception of a single, ultimate, judgmental authority who is privy to everyone’s hidden, and personally embarrassing, secrets; his atheism also aimed to redirect people’s attention to their inherent freedom, the presently-existing world, and away from all escapist, pain-relieving, heavenly otherworlds.
However, the 17th century French philosopher, Blaise Pascal, formulated a wager in respect of God's existence. He reasoned that you might as well believe in God because if he did not exist you would lose nothing, whereas if he did exist, believing in him might earn you a place in heaven (or hell for non-believers). Expressed symbolically using decision theory we have:
If you prefer A (agnosticism) to B (existence of God), and prefer B (God) to C (eternal hell and damnation), then there is a gamble between A and C (A with probability p, C with probability 1- p, for some real-valued p) that you regard as equally desirable as B (existence of God) for sure. Therefore, you are better off believing in God than no God.
LOL - how was all that for arguing with myself ! :)
It occurred to me that the 19th century German philosopher, Nietzsche may have had a point when he stated that God is dead. His underlying premise was his idea of "life-affirmation," which involves an honest questioning of all doctrines which drain life’s energies, however socially prevalent those views might be. Nietzsche’s atheism was voiced in reaction to the conception of a single, ultimate, judgmental authority who is privy to everyone’s hidden, and personally embarrassing, secrets; his atheism also aimed to redirect people’s attention to their inherent freedom, the presently-existing world, and away from all escapist, pain-relieving, heavenly otherworlds.
However, the 17th century French philosopher, Blaise Pascal, formulated a wager in respect of God's existence. He reasoned that you might as well believe in God because if he did not exist you would lose nothing, whereas if he did exist, believing in him might earn you a place in heaven (or hell for non-believers). Expressed symbolically using decision theory we have:
If you prefer A (agnosticism) to B (existence of God), and prefer B (God) to C (eternal hell and damnation), then there is a gamble between A and C (A with probability p, C with probability 1- p, for some real-valued p) that you regard as equally desirable as B (existence of God) for sure. Therefore, you are better off believing in God than no God.
LOL - how was all that for arguing with myself ! :)
Tuesday 31 May 2005
Review: Jo Bole So Nihaal
Watched 'Jo Bole So Nihal' (translation: Blessed are those who call out God's name) to see what the political fuss in India was all about. My conclusion ? Overall a mediocre film, with occasional funny (albeit stereotypical) situations about Jats and sardars. Even the casteist subtitle to the movie - "No if's...no buts...sirf Jat!" portrays the low expectations this movie radiates from the outset. The key to being able to watch this film, without flinching at some of pointlessly embarrassing scenes, is to not view this as some kind of social commentary on the Sikh diaspora, but as an inane Bollywood flick where the interweaving of comedy within the themes of family village honour, terrorism, New York fast life and vulgar sexual innuendo results in a poorly concocted mixture which disappoint viewers at either end of the religious-secular spectrum.
Sunny Deol stars as 'Nihal' a Punjab village policeman (or Jat cop if you like) who through a combination of improbable circumstances, is transported to New York to chase down the notorious Romeo - a paid hitman who has a habit of killing priests after confessing about his murderous activities the previous week. Nihal makes it clear from the outset that his primary motivation for tracking Romeo is to restore his honour amongst his fellow villagers who mistakenly suspect he colluded with allowing Romeo to escape after an encounter in some fields. The message is clear - you can rob, steal or murder - but don't ever insult a Sardar Jat - the price is too heavy to even think about. The rest is all too predictable - apparently appealing to the gracious Waheguru (God) and shouting the Sikh war cry of 'Jo Bole So Nihal' every 2 minutes, allows one to defeat all and sundry and get out of the tightest of corners.
As expected from such a 'quality' production, the main female characters are there to provide little more than a fleshfest. I won't even bother mentioning who they were, as these days upcoming Bollywood starlets who are willing to strip are dime a dozen these days. Some might find the scene of Nihal finishing his session of fornicating with the culturally lost FBI Agent Suzanne (aka Satinder Kaur) a bit much, and which provides no added value to the storyline except to add further ridicule to the film.
After watching this film, I believe it should have been re-named something else. To evoke such a sacred mantra of words, and associate it with a commercial production which has no spiritual or uplifting content whatsoever, is to do grave injustice to a faith which shed much blood in it's history so as to have the right to say 'Jo Bole So Nihal'.
Film rating: 4/10.
Wednesday 25 May 2005
Insane or Insaan ?
Why do 'insane' and 'insaan' look and sound so similar ? Given that both words probably have their roots in the same Indo-Germanic family of languages, perhaps somebody is trying to tell us something ?? :)
Tuesday 24 May 2005
Mid Year Resolutions
Today could the perfect day to turn over a new leaf, acquire a new skill and step forward to a bright new future. Apparently, May 18 is the ideal time of year to make that New Year resolution you would not have kept if you had made it on January 1.
Psychologists say good resolutions stand a better chance when the sun is in the ascendence and the feelgood factor is on the increase.
All the auguries fit the formula M x O + Bh (H+R) x S, where M is for motivation, O for opportunity, Bh for proximity to a bank/public holiday, H for the increasing hours of daylight, R for reflection time and S, naturally, for success. It all adds up to May 18, according to psychologist Cliff Arnall.
Mr Arnall's formula is in the great tradition of wacky science. Experts have, in recent years, formulated the equation behind the perfect biscuit for dunking in tea; manipulated the mathematics of the ideal fried potato chip; explored the ideal geometry for stone-skimming across a pond; calculated the relative flatness of pancakes and the plains of Kansas; and even the established the variables in the formula for the perfect joke.
But behind the merry math ematics of good resolution, there is a serious purpose.
Mr Arnall is a lecturer in the department of lifelong learning at Cardiff University. Earlier this year he calculated that New Year resolutions were a bad idea because New Year's Day marked a decline for most people, who reached a nadir on January 24 - his mathematical model candidate for the most depressing day of the year.
May 18, however, marked a moment of maximum opportunity.
"It is really about encouraging people, motivating people. In terms of nature, you've got renewal, trees, flowers, longer hours, increasing energy.
"This is a really good time to take an excellent decision to really boost your confidence," he said.
However, there is no body of scientific evidence to back up the theory. Mr Arnall said he derived his motivational formula after observing people attending his workshops on those intangible topics of success, happiness and stress. "I see this on a day to day basis, and the difference it can make to people's lives," he said.
"There is no doubt at all that for people who are making decisions because they want to - rather than because of an external reason such as January 1 - it makes better sense. They are ready to make the change because they want to."
Psychologists say good resolutions stand a better chance when the sun is in the ascendence and the feelgood factor is on the increase.
All the auguries fit the formula M x O + Bh (H+R) x S, where M is for motivation, O for opportunity, Bh for proximity to a bank/public holiday, H for the increasing hours of daylight, R for reflection time and S, naturally, for success. It all adds up to May 18, according to psychologist Cliff Arnall.
Mr Arnall's formula is in the great tradition of wacky science. Experts have, in recent years, formulated the equation behind the perfect biscuit for dunking in tea; manipulated the mathematics of the ideal fried potato chip; explored the ideal geometry for stone-skimming across a pond; calculated the relative flatness of pancakes and the plains of Kansas; and even the established the variables in the formula for the perfect joke.
But behind the merry math ematics of good resolution, there is a serious purpose.
Mr Arnall is a lecturer in the department of lifelong learning at Cardiff University. Earlier this year he calculated that New Year resolutions were a bad idea because New Year's Day marked a decline for most people, who reached a nadir on January 24 - his mathematical model candidate for the most depressing day of the year.
May 18, however, marked a moment of maximum opportunity.
"It is really about encouraging people, motivating people. In terms of nature, you've got renewal, trees, flowers, longer hours, increasing energy.
"This is a really good time to take an excellent decision to really boost your confidence," he said.
However, there is no body of scientific evidence to back up the theory. Mr Arnall said he derived his motivational formula after observing people attending his workshops on those intangible topics of success, happiness and stress. "I see this on a day to day basis, and the difference it can make to people's lives," he said.
"There is no doubt at all that for people who are making decisions because they want to - rather than because of an external reason such as January 1 - it makes better sense. They are ready to make the change because they want to."
Thursday 19 May 2005
2005 Uefa Cup Final
Uefa Cup Final Result:
Sporting Lisbon 1 CSKA Moscow 3.
It's good to see an East European side win a trophy. :)
CSKA Moscow's Uefa Cup victory will herald a new dawn in Russian football, says CSKA coach Valery Gazzayev. Thousands took to the streets in Moscow to celebrate the 3-1 win in Lisbon that sealed Russia's first European trophy.
"It's is a great achievement of Russian football," said Gazzayev, who believes it is also proof a Russian side could reach the Champions League final.
"I'm proud of my players, I'm proud of our fans and I'm proud of my country."
The country's prime minister Mikhail Fradkov also joined the celebratory mood saying: "I would like to congratulate the CSKA players and coaches along with all Russian football lovers for a historic win."
Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the lower house of parliament, even suggested that 18 May could forever now be known as "The Day of Russian Soccer."
"People will be going to stadiums and seeing the appearance of new soccer idols," he said.
Gazzayev said it was a "landmark" for Russian football.
"Now every child in Russian youth football schools will know what to work for and what to dream about and will know those dreams can become true," he said.
"This...will give the nation the belief to go on and win more things at both club and international level. I hope the next medal I pick up will be a Champions League one," he said.
Powered by a £29m sponsorship deal with Russian oil company Sibneft, of which Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is still the majority shareholder, CSKA only just failed to make it into the knockout rounds of this season's Champions League.
Having come through a second qualifying-round tie against Azerbaijan's Neftchi Baku in July, CSKA were paired with Porto, Chelsea and Paris St Germain.
A 3-1 win over the French side in their final game did not prove quite enough - Porto's last-gasp win over Chelsea putting the Portuguese side through and leaving CSKA to settle for a place in the last 32 of the Uefa Cup.
As a result, captain Sergei Semak left for Paris St Germain and Czech midfielder Jiri Jarosik joined Chelsea.
The team also had to cope with the departure of homesick Brazilian striker Vagner Love, though he later returned, and it was his goals, capped by the third against Sporting, that helped CSKA seal their Uefa Cup success.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian teams have endured lean times. The national side has never advanced past the first stage of the World Cup or European Championship, while club sides have continued a barren run in Europe.
But there are also signs the growing financial muscle of Russian clubs means they can attract top players. Last week Dynamo Moscow splashed out £14m ($25.7m) to sign Porto pair Maniche and Costinha, who joined their former team-mate Derlei in the Russian capital. Spartak paid £8.2m (12m euros) for talented young Argentine Fernando Cavenaghi and Lokomotiv brought home Russia striker Dmitri Sychev from Olympique Marseille.
Sporting Lisbon 1 CSKA Moscow 3.
It's good to see an East European side win a trophy. :)
CSKA Moscow's Uefa Cup victory will herald a new dawn in Russian football, says CSKA coach Valery Gazzayev. Thousands took to the streets in Moscow to celebrate the 3-1 win in Lisbon that sealed Russia's first European trophy.
"It's is a great achievement of Russian football," said Gazzayev, who believes it is also proof a Russian side could reach the Champions League final.
"I'm proud of my players, I'm proud of our fans and I'm proud of my country."
The country's prime minister Mikhail Fradkov also joined the celebratory mood saying: "I would like to congratulate the CSKA players and coaches along with all Russian football lovers for a historic win."
Boris Gryzlov, speaker of the lower house of parliament, even suggested that 18 May could forever now be known as "The Day of Russian Soccer."
"People will be going to stadiums and seeing the appearance of new soccer idols," he said.
Gazzayev said it was a "landmark" for Russian football.
"Now every child in Russian youth football schools will know what to work for and what to dream about and will know those dreams can become true," he said.
"This...will give the nation the belief to go on and win more things at both club and international level. I hope the next medal I pick up will be a Champions League one," he said.
Powered by a £29m sponsorship deal with Russian oil company Sibneft, of which Chelsea's billionaire owner Roman Abramovich is still the majority shareholder, CSKA only just failed to make it into the knockout rounds of this season's Champions League.
Having come through a second qualifying-round tie against Azerbaijan's Neftchi Baku in July, CSKA were paired with Porto, Chelsea and Paris St Germain.
A 3-1 win over the French side in their final game did not prove quite enough - Porto's last-gasp win over Chelsea putting the Portuguese side through and leaving CSKA to settle for a place in the last 32 of the Uefa Cup.
As a result, captain Sergei Semak left for Paris St Germain and Czech midfielder Jiri Jarosik joined Chelsea.
The team also had to cope with the departure of homesick Brazilian striker Vagner Love, though he later returned, and it was his goals, capped by the third against Sporting, that helped CSKA seal their Uefa Cup success.
Since the fall of the Soviet Union, Russian teams have endured lean times. The national side has never advanced past the first stage of the World Cup or European Championship, while club sides have continued a barren run in Europe.
But there are also signs the growing financial muscle of Russian clubs means they can attract top players. Last week Dynamo Moscow splashed out £14m ($25.7m) to sign Porto pair Maniche and Costinha, who joined their former team-mate Derlei in the Russian capital. Spartak paid £8.2m (12m euros) for talented young Argentine Fernando Cavenaghi and Lokomotiv brought home Russia striker Dmitri Sychev from Olympique Marseille.
Tuesday 17 May 2005
Feeling blah !
I'm finding these days I am increasingly finding myself in situations where the disincentives exceed the incentives, and I don't have the energy nor the inclination to explore either people, places, thoughts or a combination of all three. Stimulatory ROIs appears negligible and negative net present values abound. Life is increasingly taking on a monochromatic tone, where sound appears to be pressed on Mute permanently, there is a disconnect between the subtitles and action taking place, and literally everything appears to happen in slow motion.
And when is summer going to show her head ?
And when is summer going to show her head ?
Thursday 12 May 2005
On umbrellas and superpowers....
How can China attempt to harbour imperial ambitions of superseding the US as the next global economic superpower when they can't even make decent umbrellas ??? Three hours later, I'm just about dried out after my new 'Made in China' umbrella broke on me during a raining lunchtime trip, leaving me drenched and silently cursing every slanty eyed oriental I came across in downtown Toronto. I had only bought it this very morning from a Shoppers' Drug Mart store for $4.99 CAD, thinking - vah ! - what a world beating competitive price those Cheenay importers are doing. In future, I'll stick to paying triple price for something made on this side of the Pacific....
Wednesday 11 May 2005
Desi lunch
Just around the corner from where I work there's an eating place I only recently discovered by accident. It's a Pak owned dhaba style restaurant frequented mainly by Toronto's desi taxi drivers (the number of parked taxis outside gives a clue to the clientele base). I'd been there once before with a work colleague to get a lunch take-out and so I didn't get much time to admire the salubrious surroundings. :)
Anyway, yesterday I was in the area on a lunchtime errand when I decided to step in again and go for a taste of home (albeit from the other side of the LOC - haha !). Step through the doors and it felt like I was in a different world. A hybrid mixture of Urdu/Punjabi was being spoken by customers and staff alike (all brown, all male, and 90% had a moustache). Framed photos adorned the walls of various Pak entertainment celebrities standing with the restaurant owner, there was a notice in English saying "Do not shout your order to kitchen staff. Please order here", and various other signs in that squiggly undecipherable right to left writing you folks are so fond of... :-)). And to top it all, there was this gigantic king kong sized large screen TV which appeared to be precariously suspended in mid-air playing a series of copied Punjabi/Bollywood video songs with what looked liked, (if memory serves me right of Lollywood movies), of an older looking white faced Reema running around on stage as if her feet were on fire.....
Looking at the food on display and it was a case of meat, meat, meat, veg, meat, meat, veg, rice and so on. I ordered and sat by the only vacant table. Either side of me, animated discussions were taking place. To the right were a group of men talking in Punjabi about the Liberal government and how they should lose the next election because of the gay marriage issue. To the left appeared to be mournful looking desi talking in Urdu to his pal about what seemed to be his marriage problems. From what I could gather, his begum appeared to be a bit of a dragon. Oh well...
Twenty minutes later, I was outside in the bright sunshine heading back to the anglo-saxon corporate world. But I'm sure I'll be back again soon.... :))
Anyway, yesterday I was in the area on a lunchtime errand when I decided to step in again and go for a taste of home (albeit from the other side of the LOC - haha !). Step through the doors and it felt like I was in a different world. A hybrid mixture of Urdu/Punjabi was being spoken by customers and staff alike (all brown, all male, and 90% had a moustache). Framed photos adorned the walls of various Pak entertainment celebrities standing with the restaurant owner, there was a notice in English saying "Do not shout your order to kitchen staff. Please order here", and various other signs in that squiggly undecipherable right to left writing you folks are so fond of... :-)). And to top it all, there was this gigantic king kong sized large screen TV which appeared to be precariously suspended in mid-air playing a series of copied Punjabi/Bollywood video songs with what looked liked, (if memory serves me right of Lollywood movies), of an older looking white faced Reema running around on stage as if her feet were on fire.....
Looking at the food on display and it was a case of meat, meat, meat, veg, meat, meat, veg, rice and so on. I ordered and sat by the only vacant table. Either side of me, animated discussions were taking place. To the right were a group of men talking in Punjabi about the Liberal government and how they should lose the next election because of the gay marriage issue. To the left appeared to be mournful looking desi talking in Urdu to his pal about what seemed to be his marriage problems. From what I could gather, his begum appeared to be a bit of a dragon. Oh well...
Twenty minutes later, I was outside in the bright sunshine heading back to the anglo-saxon corporate world. But I'm sure I'll be back again soon.... :))
Monday 9 May 2005
Mother's Day
Yesterday it was Mother's Day (well in Canada anyway, in the UK it happens earlier). It occurred to me as I was watching the tv advertisements for Florists and un-subtle reminders of this 'special' consumer day, that parenthood appears to be happening later and later in many people's lives here in the West. Part of it is undoubtedly to do with the transition from an industrial to a knowledge-based economy, with a greater emphasis on an educated workforce meaning more years having to be spent in higher education etc. Scanning the job adverts in local papers, nowadays it appears one needs a university degree as a pre-requiste before even consider applying for entry level clerical positions. Many individuals do not enter the job market until their mid-20s, and therefore would not be in position to entertain thoughts of marriage (and subsequent parenthood) until much later.
The second part is more cultural. We have a whole generation that has grown up on a diet of American cultural media products such as 'Sex and the City' and 'Friends' (or 'Coupling' - the UK product - just to keep things balanced :) ), where the focus is at the atomic individualistic level, where it's all about (in varying degrees) hedonism, about instant gratification, about lonely pathetic individuals trying vainly to seek 'fulfillment' on a bleak urban landscape who equate sex with love, and love with shopping. It's all about the ubiquitous 'finding yourself' - which you can explain to your 30-something superficial dinner party friends, who no doubt will rejoice in this affirmation of being 'independent' (and childless) urban white collar warriors....
Carrying on this theme of 'finding yourself' last week I had a conversation with a gora work colleague who is 35, about his girlfriend (of same age) who was expecting their first child. After congratulating him on his impending fatherhood, he mentioned they had decided to wait because a) they wanted to be sure that they liked each other (after living with each other for 9 years) b) wanted to go on holidays 2 or 3 times a year and c) now they were sure, and next year they could get married....
..I did some quick mental arithmetic afterwards. If his future offspring adopted the same attitude as him, got married at 35, and say decided to wait a couple of years to have first child(37 years), he would be like, 74 years old when he becomes a grandparent...wow - what a thought.
Addendum:
LOL...I'm not quite sure what the point of my post was. I probably sound like some fundamentalist mullah (complete with obligatory henna dyed beard), or some puppet of new Pope Benedict drumming the beat for 'family values' etc. I don't know why I wrote all of the above...I think I'm becoming mentally unstable.... :)
The second part is more cultural. We have a whole generation that has grown up on a diet of American cultural media products such as 'Sex and the City' and 'Friends' (or 'Coupling' - the UK product - just to keep things balanced :) ), where the focus is at the atomic individualistic level, where it's all about (in varying degrees) hedonism, about instant gratification, about lonely pathetic individuals trying vainly to seek 'fulfillment' on a bleak urban landscape who equate sex with love, and love with shopping. It's all about the ubiquitous 'finding yourself' - which you can explain to your 30-something superficial dinner party friends, who no doubt will rejoice in this affirmation of being 'independent' (and childless) urban white collar warriors....
Carrying on this theme of 'finding yourself' last week I had a conversation with a gora work colleague who is 35, about his girlfriend (of same age) who was expecting their first child. After congratulating him on his impending fatherhood, he mentioned they had decided to wait because a) they wanted to be sure that they liked each other (after living with each other for 9 years) b) wanted to go on holidays 2 or 3 times a year and c) now they were sure, and next year they could get married....
..I did some quick mental arithmetic afterwards. If his future offspring adopted the same attitude as him, got married at 35, and say decided to wait a couple of years to have first child(37 years), he would be like, 74 years old when he becomes a grandparent...wow - what a thought.
Addendum:
LOL...I'm not quite sure what the point of my post was. I probably sound like some fundamentalist mullah (complete with obligatory henna dyed beard), or some puppet of new Pope Benedict drumming the beat for 'family values' etc. I don't know why I wrote all of the above...I think I'm becoming mentally unstable.... :)
Friday 6 May 2005
Milkha Singh - the Flying Sikh
For the man who won 77 of the 80 races he ran, Milkha Singh has no medals. It has been some years that 'The Flying Sikh' donated his sporting treasures to the nation. No personal souvenirs line his living room walls, no trophies sit on the mantle. Instead, the walls make do with pictures of the surgeon in America who saved his wife's life and Havildar Bikram Singh, a Kargil martyr.
"I have given permission that my medals be transferred from the Jawaharlal Nehru stadium in New Delhi to the sports museum in Patiala," says the 72-year-old Singh. Strangely, the stadium gallery lined with many of India's sporting talent does not have a single picture of Milkha Singh. In a country where great sportspersons are few and far between, India has a strange way of honouring its stars.
Milkha Singh's achievements can do without such testimony. "The people of this country remember me. I may have started dyeing my beard but I am recognised at airports, railway stations -- anywhere. School textbooks have chapters on me, and somehow the sobriquet 'The Flying Sikh' has endured in people's memory," he says
Singh, however, has no complaints about the recognition given to him by the government. A Padma Shri winner, the legendary athlete who started his career on a Rs 10 wage went on to become director, sports, ministry of education in the Punjab government. "I have received more than I deserved."
It was a hard uphill climb for the refugee from Muzaffargarh in west Pakistan. The Partition massacres of 1947 took the lives of his parents and Singh was rejected by the army thrice. He subsequently enrolled in the army's electrical mechanical engineering branch in 1952 when his brother Malkhan Singh put in a word for him, and experienced his first sport outing at its athletics meet a fortnight later.
"That was the first time I saw a ground bedecked with flags," reminisces Singh. "I later participated in a crosscountry race with 300 to 400 jawans. And sat down after the first half mile before starting again -- that was my first race."
Determined to be the best and realising his talent as a sprinter, the jawan took to training five hours every day. Motivated by his coach Havildar Gurdev Singh, he left it to the elements to hone his craft -- running on the hills, the sands of the Yamuna river, and against the speed of a metre gauge train. He says so intense was his training that very often he vomitted blood and would collapse in exhaustion.
Every morning Milkha Singh still goes for a jog by the Sukhna lake in Chandigarh. Most afternoons are spent playing golf and he uses the gym in his house regularly. "Discipline. You have to be disciplined if you want to be world class," he says, "That's what I tell my son Jeev. I give him the example of Tiger Woods, and hope he would bring the medal I couldn't."
Jeev Milkha Singh, India's best golfer, was recently awarded the Arjuna Award and is striving to make a mark on the international golf circuit. Whether he does manage to bring the sporting glory that eluded his father, is yet to be seen. Till then, it is a disappointment that Milkha Singh will never forget. Forty years on, that failure in Rome still haunts him.
After clocking a world record 45.8 seconds in one of the 400 metres preliminaries in France, Milkha Singh finished fourth in a photofinish in the Olympics final. The favourite for gold had missed the bronze. By a fraction...
"Since it was a photofinish, the announcements were held up. The suspense was excruciating. I knew what my fatal error was: After running perilously fast in lane five, I slowed down at 250 metres. I could not cover the lost ground after that -- and that cost me the race."
"After the death of my parents, that is my worst memory," says Singh, "I kept crying for days." Dejected by his defeat, he made up his mind to give up sport. It was after much persuasion that he took to athletics again. Two years later, Milkha Singh won two medals at the 1962 Asian Games. But by then his golden period was over.
It was between 1958 and 1960 that Milkha Singh saw the height of glory. From setting a new record in the 200 and 400 metres at the Cuttack National Games, he won two gold medals at the Asian Games at Tokyo. The lean Sikh went on to win gold at the Commonwealth Games in Cardiff, and was awarded the Helms trophy or being the best athlete in 1959.
Three years before the Indo-Pak war of 1965, Milkha Singh ran that one race which made President Ayub Khan christen him 'The Flying Sikh.' His defeat of Pakistan's leading athlete and winner of the 100 metres gold at the Tokyo Asiad, Abdul Khaliq, earned him India's bestknown sports sobriquet. "It has stuck since," he adds.
Thirtysix years later, Britain's Ann Packer remembers him too. This time for his camaraderie. Jittery about her performance in the 800 metres against formidable French German and Hungarian athletes in the Tokyo Olympics in 1964, Packer clearly remembered her encounter with Singh in the lift they shared on the day of her event. 'Ann you vill win,' she recounted Singh's words to a The Sunday Times journalist at her home in Cheshire recently.
And vin she did. Packer clocked 2min 1.1 sec and set a new world record. Singh was among the first to congratulate her.
There are many who still congratulate Milkha Singh. "Sirji, I remember seeing you when I was a young recruit in the army," said Gairwar Singh as he chanced upon the former athlete getting into his car outside the Chandigarh Golf Club. Elated that Singh stops to shake hands with him, Gairwar Singh -- now a driver with a transport company in Delhi -- tells him about his interest in wrestling.
"It is appreciation from the people that helps me go ahead at this age," Singh had earlier said at his home in Sector 8. With two of his daughters married and one away in the United States, and his son travelling around the world regularly -- Singh says he enjoys the tranquility. Last year, he adopted the seven-year-old son of Havildar Bikram Singh who died in the Battle for Tiger Hill. The child is at a boarding school and Singh has taken on the responsibility of bringing him up.
"We owe it to those who have died for the honour of our country," he says, "Unlike our cricketers who have sold our country." Deeply disappointed with these ambassadors of India's most popular game, he firmly believes the guilty should be punished. "They cannot mock the aspirations of an entire nation," says Singh surveying the debris of many a fallen sporting icon.
Decades after he hung up his running shoes, one thing is for sure -- the Flying Sikh still stands tall.
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Jeev Milkha Singh on his father:
Whenever I look at Milkha Singh, I see a dedicated and determined human being. He enforced strict discipline in me in particular and was very tough at times.
He wanted me to become a better golfer. There is no way I can match him in any manner. I have always looked up to him for what he has done for the country. He is a great motivator and if anyone takes his advice he is bound to excel in life.
I was not even born when he quit running. This is my biggest misfortune. Of course, I have seen him jogging on the golf course to warm up before a game. I have watched some of the documentaries made on him and I am really impressed. It was nice to see him in action. To realise that 'The Flying Sikh' is none else than my father. I wish I had seen him participate in a competitive race in a stadium though, than see him on film.
I was 11 when I went to boarding school in Shimla. I had hardly entered my classroom when I heard a boy telling another boy that I was Milkha Singh's son. When I heard this, I realised my father was a big name in Indian sport. Till then it had never ever dawned on me that he is a legend.
He is a frank human being, a no-nonsense man, who does not take no for an answer. At 72, he still has the same drive. When I play golf with him, he wants to beat me. The zeal to be better than his opponent is still there. Like great athletes he believes there is nothing in the world you cannot achieve provided you have the will to do so.
If I were asked to list five of his great qualities, I would say he is honest, focussed and knows his goals. He has the determination to achieve his goals and has great motivation skills. Even an ordinary player can be moulded into a good one under his guidance. Last, but not least, he is a very disciplined human being.
He says if you have achieved one goal, then you should set your eyes on higher goals and continue your drive to do better and better. "If you have become the best in Asia, then you should try to be the best in the world" is what he tells me all the time.
He wanted me to become an athlete. But I wanted to play golf like he did after giving up athletics. He told me he had nothing against my playing golf. But he told me, "Son it is no use playing golf if you are not going to be the best. Whatever game you may play, you have to prove that nobody can beat you." When I am not doing well, he encourages me to do well. He has been a great source of inspiration.
But even Milkha Singh has his regret. Even now, he cannot forget the 400 metres at the Rome Olympics where he finished fourth in one of the most competitive races -- all four runners broke the world record and finished the race in four minutes. He is going to die with this regret at the back of his mind. Sometimes he becomes very emotional about this.
Milkha Singh is born once in many generations. I am lucky to have been born in his family and watch him from close quarters as his son.
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