Einstein came close to being God

Ever notice how energetic a baby is when it’s first born. Hands and legs kicking, twinkle in their eye, full of life. I came up with a theory last night.

A man (and this is not gender bias here) is most alive when he is first born. After that he begins dying everyday. Not in the pessimistic sense. A person who is 28 years old, is in fact 28 years deader than a baby who is just born. Energy levels from the first day on are constantly on the conserve and decline.

Around the time you reach teenage, you can’t take the decline of energy any more so you resort to consuming other forms of energy. Now this could be anything. Food, drinks, and drugs apart, you consume knowledge and energy from other people. Social groups are an outcome of direct need for energy. Social associations such as a relationship are the outcome of the need for a shot in the arm of energy. And a person who can give us a shot in the arm everyday, more or less ends up becoming our life partner for whatever duration his/her supply lasts. A baby on the other hand is most independent in terms of crutches. He only needs one woman and some milk.

And then we grow older, and our need for energy far surpasses any amount of need we felt earlier, which we expect our children and grandchildren to provide. Until we don’t want to deal with this energy in packets and finally kick the bucket. When we become energy – just a quantum – according to some theories or converted to potential energy sources for other forms of existence.

Science has other terms for this – biodiversity, ecological balance. We up the tempo of biological phenomenon with our emotions and choose to have an enjoyable or suffering trip. But at the end of the day, it all depends on how much or how little energy you consume from your environment.

This didn’t come out the way I wanted it to.

What should I be doing?

I once had this birthday party where the DJ according to my euphemistic friend was mixing a terrible beat with an even more terrible one. Picture this: DJ console, rookie DJ, trying to look confident while mixing 2 immiscible beats, and what’s more amazing, he was bebopping and grooving to a third one. That didn’t make me want to dance. But I did get drunk and pass out before most of the other guests.

Okay but that’s not the point. I am currently listening to this track, on loop since morning, and those who know me from inside a particular white zen car, would know that this track will loop non stop whenever I am alone for the next 2 months. When I do anything else while listening to it, it is almost like I feel this DJ calling out to me, “Come dance with me..” I can tell whoever made that beat, wanted me to dance with them.

The same goes for a painting. The painter seems to tell you, ” I feel strongly about this, come feel it with me.” Or with a movie, when the director says “I reacted strongly to this situation, come emote with me.” And a book, the author says “Come think with me.”

In short, all artists or creators, are only saying “Come [insert action] with me.” I don’t find that happening in technical writing all that much (there are exceptions of course), like my content doesn’t say “Come deconstruct this application with me. I feel strongly about it”

So obviously, technical writing is not my thing. It’s just something I can do, and no as popular job postings advertise, I am not passionate about manuals. Seriously, you get that so often. Or another one, I do not have a burning desire to communicate about technology. And that doesn’t mean I cannot do a good job of it. I just don’t emote in my documents that’s all.

But a very important thing has dawned upon me with this idea. That all art emotes. All creativity emotes. And you only have to be true to your feeling about anything that you feel strongly about. Like potatoes for instance or soap suds. And that becomes artistic. Which brings me to my “whats-innit-for-me” question. I don’t feel strongly about many things (and I reckon that’s a good thing, else I’ll need therapy).

I am not a thinker. At least not a deep thinker (and I guess you can tell that by reading my blog post). I am not a musician. I cannot draw or paint for nuts. The only thing I can do is communicate. I can communicate well, and of late I have started communicating surprisingly accurately. So what are my options?

Ponderings of the occasional dangerously empty mind

Shouldn’t soap be edible?

Considering we must be eating a good amount of residual soap suds off various surfaces including dishes and skin (gutter minds, think licking your fingers after pickle)…

This would make it necessary for the perfume used in the soap to be edible as well. This in turn could revolutionalize the food industry because musk-flavored cheese cake and lavender tarts could then be reality.

Also, when I drink water here from a bottle meant for long term usage for drinking water, I notice residual minerals forming those stains that I can only assume and pray to god are minerals and not some dangerous cancerous chemical, we could have mud baths with mud cakes. Making mud edible as well.

Marie antoinette could have eau de parfums that could be poured onto shrimp, and salad dressings. After alcohol is way low cal than say, vinaigrette.

Top 10 “Everyone must do this” – Films/Documentary/Visual Media

There are some things that I think are SO exemplary that I must shove it down the throat of anyone I like. Which I have done, no less, or plan to do, no less. It’s like watching a film and going “Wow! I have to show this to everyone.” It’s the kind of film that makes you grind your teeth, and clench your fist, and react. Period. Any reaction is good.

This evangelistic instinct does not come from all the films that you completely digg. For example, I like Reality Bites. A lot. But it’s  a personal joy to watch the dialogs, and I’d rather savor them by myself. Also, A love song for Bobby Long. That’s all for personal pleasure.

Then there are the duet kinda films. I’d rather watch them with a co-enthusiast. Like watching a chick flick with a chick or a guy playing the role of a chick companion, watching a Rasta film with Chivas, or watching a doomsday conspiracy movie with Tinda, or watching evolutionary movies with J.

And then there are the group movies. That must be seen as a group. As a community, as a nation, as a people, as a race and species, as any being entitled to a brain on this planet that is in the act of cognition, feeling, and subscriberism. Even if we don’t watch them in the same room. We must all watch them.  I am talking about those kinda movies.

So why did I bring this up now. Because I am reaching a critical mass of information that I agree with, feel strongly about, identify with, cannot do anything about most of the time, but would want to amplify the message. Because everyone must know about these. Because everyone will understand this irrespective of their background, race, color, religion or language (assuming sub titles). Because I simply must.

#1 1 Giant Leap

It started with the music. Then the quest for why these guys made this brilliant music and how. And then a study of their journey and their idea. In short, they wanted to combine “video, sound, and the written word to highlight the unity that underlies all of us, despite our heavily accentuated diversity”. Brilliant music, and a goose-bump-giving documentary.

#2 The Zeitgeist Movie and the Addendum

The most compelling documentaries of our time that put together, in an extremely coherent and logical fashion, the message that we all have been aware of, but never sat down and thought too much of it. Because no one told it like that.  No one viewed it like that. No one could afford the long-range vision and broad-range speculation to coherently arrive at so many conclusions at the same time. And it talks about the biggest delusions in prevalent times, freedom.

#3 Baraka

If imagery didn’t work more than words did, I would put this a rank lower. In fact a couple ranks lower. But it does. For serious imagery, for lost treasures, for rhythm, groove, beauty, and a decidedly wide screen HDTV experience, Baraka takes the crown.

“Baraka is an ancient Sufi word, which can be translated as “a blessing, or as the breath, or essence of life from which the evolutionary process unfolds.”  For many people Baraka is the definitive film in this style. Breathtaking shots from around the world show the beauty and destruction of nature and humans. Coupled with an incredible soundtrack…“

# 4 Koyanisqaatsi, Powaqqatsi, and Naqoyqqatsi

Darker version exploring man’s existence. Hardhitting imagery that will drain you and music that will churn your psyche.

“The title is a Hopi Indian word meaning “life out of balance.” Created between 1975 and 1982, the film is an apocalyptic vision of the collision of two different worlds — urban life and technology versus the environment. The musical score was composed by Philip Glass.

KOYAANISQATSI attempts to reveal the beauty of the beast! We usually perceive our world, our way of living, as beautiful because there is nothing else to perceive. If one lives in this world, the globalized world of high technology, all one can see is one layer of commodity piled upon another.“

# 5 Network

We saw this film today. After looking at the credits in the Zeitgeist Movie. It blew our minds. Everyone who watches television, must watch this. Amazing, that the same thoughts are true and repeated in 2009.

# 6 George Carlin

Again inspired after watching The Zeitgeist Movie, I went looking for this guy on YouTube. J has been a fan for ages and guided me through the best. Standing ovation material.

Two of my favorite videos include:

The Modern Man

Religion is bullshit

Kind of makes me appreciate form over function. Why the way you say something is sometimes more important in driving in the point than what is being said.

# 7  South Park

It’s not for kids. It’s as Douglas Adamsian toilet humor as American television can deal with. It’s deep-rooted satire and it comes with a laugh. Not too many people can look at their lives or those of others’ this way. All hail, Eric Cartman, Kyle Broflowski, Stan, and Kenny. You guys rule!

# 8 Waking Life

If you can deal with passionate 4 paragraph dialogs. If an anthology of truth, opinion, speculation, and philosophy, beautifully intertwined in a gripping anime entices you, then Richard Linklater’s animated film is a pot of gold.

I still always have a copy of the script with me at all times. Still. It’s been 6 years and counting.

# 9 Story of Stuff

# 10 Les Carabiniers

Godard’s take on war. And I could have sworn, my best war film before this one was Life is Beautiful. The optimistic war film. The happy war film. Or Platoon. The raw war film. But the dark humor won me over here.

If you have any such experiences (and not necessarily films) that you absolutely must share with the rest of the world (read shove it down my throat, mine at the least), and not to share would be tantamount to blasphemy, please put up a post like this one and leave me a link.

It’s always fun to be angry about and at the same thing.

In a new land …

…things about yourself confront you from new mirrors. It’s like going to one store and finding that widening mirror when all along your home mirror has been telling you of a narrowing waistlines.

I am brand conscious to a degree. To be precise, I don’t want to be caught wearing the same jacket as 3 others at a vacation spot in another state. Obviously a popular choice, but then obviously a very en masse availability. I didn’t know I had these airs till I saw those jackets. I am ashamed of myself, but that jacket is going back unworn. I will buy myself a cheaper or different one from a beat store in hippie land. But I feel this strong need to assert my individuality here.

Whining aside. I have come to realize other selfish things about myself. My life revolves around my job, which I do really well. Take that away and I am like a lost puppy on crack sniffing glue. Nope the yoga doesn’t help. Neither does the walking. The only thing that does seem to help some is reading, watching sitcoms, or doing mundane routine work like cleaning the house.

Further whining aside, on a brighter note.

Dub. The music is so chill, I wonder why it took me 3 years to realize that. Bob Dylan has finally made a place for himself in my heart. 1 Giant Leap is a definitely recommended watch for anyone with a soul and ear for good music. I swear by the music and have made all true friends listen to it if they haven’t already. Now my quest is to show other people this documentary that I procured with great effort and cost.  It’s wonderful and you deserve to see it.

Saw Amadeus. It’s definitely worth one watch. But everything about the movie pales in comparison to the last one hour. Watch it at least once.

J introduced me to  the Zeitgeist movie that comes from the Zeitgeist movement. It’s a free Divx download. Do watch it. Yet another thing has broken down my belief mechanism. So I thought I will take it a step further, by reading not just The Autobiography of  a Yogi, but also The Selfish Gene at the same time. So far the experiment is having no effect on the lost puppy on crack sniffing glue. But I am not believing anything anymore.

Beauty continues to rock. Be it in America or in India. Take a peek … 

Lake Powell, Page, Arizona

Yup-date

Things that I have been up to:

- Doing nothing

- Traveling

Dec 09 Arizona/Utah Roadtrip Route

 

- Pictures: looking, taking, and uploading

Coming soon on facebook.

Oh yea, discovered this quote at the beginning of the trip. Was telling J-man about how it is impossible for me to completely enjoy a trip if I am shooting it, and he threw this line at me. Turns out its old man Thoreau again:

My life has been the poem I would have writ,
But I could not both live and utter it.

The man had made a point. A heavy point. And I agree. So I lived some and uttered much less. Sneak peak coming up soon. Until then Facebook obliges me.

Of course the new year happened and we didnt even realize it was the 31st until the waitress at the Chinese restaurant we ended up at for dinner wished us Happy New Year! So much for turn of the year arrivals.