20 November, 2006

Random Thoughts - 20/11/2006

OK, I haven't posted here in a week. That's entirely my fault... I didn't get any inspiration to post. Sometimes your thought processes just run dry. But today, I'll try :-). I love my blog, and I love you who are reading it.

So, I'll start with
Films and Books

Now, as you know, I love films. But before I got addicted to movies, I liked books: not the fiction ones much (except some Perry Mason copies from the library), but the non-fiction. In school, I just devoured every book on science I could buy. Somehow, that love disintegrated in the college years. And I began to appreciate film-making: Copolla, Scorcese, Speilberg. And I became a "movie-connosieur"... I am addicted to films.

Now, I am back to books again, after watching some truly great movies this Diwali vacation. Anne Blythe suggested books, like Shantaram, and supplied me with two by Bertrand Russell. So, the bibliophile in me has a chance to leap out again. And I am happy for it. :D

There were two guys from Mumbai
Who believed they had the eye
And the brain
To film a train
But they had no resources to buy!


About films, our college, this year, has a film festival called Montage (details at this blog). Me and Absconding Soul have made plans for a short film on Mumbai Trains (oh how we love them), and even shot some scenes (which have turned out great :D). But there is a problem: the resolution of out camera. It is inadequate for a film which is to be presented on a screen. I wish we had more resources... Well, even if we don't get to project our movie, we'll make a heel of a movie and post it on Youtube. We're hoping to learn something from this experience, because we are both avid movie-lovers.

Blog thoughts

Where has my blog been going lately?
I confess it isn't very stately
And few read
Or pay heed
But I hope you won't find it hate-ly.

Why haven't I written here for days? Why has my blog posting been infrequent? Well, many reasons... firstly, time scheduling. When I sit on the net, I start surfing and chatting immediately. There's no time to write something on the blog (that requires some thoughts). Most of the day is spent idling. I am a lazy guy... But, as I said, I love my blog. I'll try to post more often, like the frequency I had during my blog's peak days (August). Don't worry, I won't abandon this.

Secondly, I don't know why, I don't get inspired. I write to be read. Maybe I am discouraged by the fact that many people don't read this blog. Maybe I can't write because I think people won't like it. The solution to this is simple... I will not think of what people will judge, just keep writing about what I wish to. I wn't let you down, either. If I do so, complain.

Finally... since you've made it so far ;-) , a few thoughts on spirituality:

Speaking ... and Doing

I thought I had all the methods,
I had read much advice
To get great marks I would follow:
The ways they had, those mice.

I felt those guys had given me heaven
And gave my exams without fear
But following the books cost me dear
My marks were all of percent 47!

Every day, the Time of India carries, on it Editorial page, a little bullshit. I'm talking about "Speaking Tree". On a page filled with sensible articles and letters, this thing stands out. Not that everyone thinks of it as crap... I'm sure millions read it every day. After all, India is a very spiritual nation, a country of true spirituality which millions believe fully with their heart. It's sacrilege to even point out some so-called "rationality"...

Firstly, such "Value Education" benefits no one. There's a thick line between believing and doing. In practice, even a simple thought may be too complicated: "Love everyone". Why do I love a child molester, or a national enemy? It's easy for us to believe in Love, but hard to practise it when the issue of capital punishment for a terrorist comes up. Being a hypocrite is so very easy.

Secondly, I hold that (most of) spirituality is useless. Like an article the other day trying to find analogies between stability in Physics and stability in life. (There's something known as "carrying analogies too far".) I found it hard to believe the article found place in the most popular paper in India. There was nothing there that would help anyone. Speaking tree is just a tree: shade for a while before you travel again on the road of life. I'd rather goto a roadside dhaba. Many of them these days.

2 comments:

  1. Ya it HAS been a long time since you had a post up and I like bloggers who post regularly.

    Having said that, I am probably the most irritated with our experiments in film-making this Sunday. We took some amazing shots of the Bombay locals but the effort seems to have been a fruitless exercise as we do not have the resolution for the shots to project them onto the screen.

    I admire the fact that Anonick has not given up hope and has somewhat amazingly been an optimist throughout, perhaps for the first time.

    The Speaking Tree is a bit irritating to say the least. Especially when its authors percolate their spiritual thoughts with ideas from Mathematics, Physics and what have you. Many famous personalities have gone on record saying that it is their favourite column in The Times of India. ("It gives me strength" ; "It gives me inner peace" ; "Blah Blah .") The accompanying Sacred Space is better as it sometimes has nice quotes, thoughts and even some really great poems.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Oh but TOI is the best newspaper isn't it?

    ReplyDelete