Rain falls steadily down
Light shoots from heaven strikes earth
Water drips calmly
Friday, October 17, 2008
Saturday, October 11, 2008
Monday, October 6, 2008
I'm turning Japanese...
I decided that I'm going to start writing haiku as stress relief and to learn something new. Here is my freshman attempt:
Pages turning slow
Eyes darting fast like lightening
stifling hot summer
Pages turning slow
Eyes darting fast like lightening
stifling hot summer
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Things I Miss (in no particular order) - Part II
Another post on things I miss back home that are not readily available to me in India:
Cereal and cold milk
Cultured people (By cultured I mean people that have read non-medical books, can talk about anything and listen to music besides Top 40)
Labatt and Leinenkugels
Non-Idiot girls
Fireplaces on chilly nights
Late night strolls with my dad
Using iChat and Skype with full functionality
That is all for now. Stay tuned for more later.
Cereal and cold milk
Cultured people (By cultured I mean people that have read non-medical books, can talk about anything and listen to music besides Top 40)
Labatt and Leinenkugels
Non-Idiot girls
Fireplaces on chilly nights
Late night strolls with my dad
Using iChat and Skype with full functionality
That is all for now. Stay tuned for more later.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Sound and Vision
I very recently saw The Dark Knight and Iron Man, two very opposite and at the same time, very similar characters. A couple of years ago, I also saw Casino Royale, the reboot of the James Bond franchise, starring Daniel Craig as 007. The reasoning I am mentioning these movies and characters is because of the nature of the story lines and the characters the actors play. Bond, Batman and Iron Man all walk very fine moral lines.
In The Dark Knight, Batman is faced with the choice of whether to meet fire with fire against the Joker. This would mean doing what he promised he would not do: Kill in the name of justice. I won't give away the ending, but Batman makes the moral decision that justice is served best through due process of law. He chooses not to escalate his war with the Joker, but rather becomes the "immovable object" to Joker's "unstoppable force". What strikes me the most about this new version of Batman is the non-campy and very gritty and dark characterization. It is very refreshing and allows the characters to be more believable.
As for Iron Man, the life of Tony Stark is not hard. With money at his disposal (like Bruce Wayne/Batman) as well as women, he does what he wants, when he wants. But Iron Man is a flawed character, just like people in real life. He is an alcoholic, obsessive and at first only has his self interest to look after. Then, after a stroke of conscience, he decides to care for himself and his company. This is very interesting because it shows a single man making a stand for morality and self dignity. It is what we all strive for in one way or another, but few achieve.
Now, James Bond has made a very interesting transformation. Going from a suave, womanizing gentleman to a gritty, troubled and brash gentleman makes a huge impact on his dynamic. What is most noticeable is that he is not refined, operationally speaking. He is of course THE epitome of gentlemanly behavior (wearing a jacket to dinner, standing up when a lady leaves or returns to the table), but also at the same time, he is rough around the edges and guards himself. Honestly, that is something that most men could aspire to be. Be gentlemen superficially, but once that first layer is peeled back, men should do everything in their power to get their work/goals accomplished (short of killing one, unless you are a spy). Daniel Craig's rendition of Bond is very refreshing and reinvigorates the character.
What is even more fascinating about the three characters mentioned above is the fact that they reflect some of the feelings and troubles we have at home. This is similar to what happened during the 1920s and 30s Depression Era and the recession of the 1970s. As we are going through economic hardships, we look to heroes that we can aspire to be like and emulate. Moreover, the characters represent the angst, desperation, physical and mental anguish that people in this day in age go through. Although not everyone is saving a city from a psychopath, stopping terrorists from destroying the world or having a clarity of conscience through invention and battle, these characters show what people have the potential to be.
As we approach a new decade, we have to ask ourselves whether we can have a clarity of conscience and duty to do what we must to get the job done or our goals met. And at the same time, maintain ourselves as pristine and exemplary people.
In The Dark Knight, Batman is faced with the choice of whether to meet fire with fire against the Joker. This would mean doing what he promised he would not do: Kill in the name of justice. I won't give away the ending, but Batman makes the moral decision that justice is served best through due process of law. He chooses not to escalate his war with the Joker, but rather becomes the "immovable object" to Joker's "unstoppable force". What strikes me the most about this new version of Batman is the non-campy and very gritty and dark characterization. It is very refreshing and allows the characters to be more believable.
As for Iron Man, the life of Tony Stark is not hard. With money at his disposal (like Bruce Wayne/Batman) as well as women, he does what he wants, when he wants. But Iron Man is a flawed character, just like people in real life. He is an alcoholic, obsessive and at first only has his self interest to look after. Then, after a stroke of conscience, he decides to care for himself and his company. This is very interesting because it shows a single man making a stand for morality and self dignity. It is what we all strive for in one way or another, but few achieve.
Now, James Bond has made a very interesting transformation. Going from a suave, womanizing gentleman to a gritty, troubled and brash gentleman makes a huge impact on his dynamic. What is most noticeable is that he is not refined, operationally speaking. He is of course THE epitome of gentlemanly behavior (wearing a jacket to dinner, standing up when a lady leaves or returns to the table), but also at the same time, he is rough around the edges and guards himself. Honestly, that is something that most men could aspire to be. Be gentlemen superficially, but once that first layer is peeled back, men should do everything in their power to get their work/goals accomplished (short of killing one, unless you are a spy). Daniel Craig's rendition of Bond is very refreshing and reinvigorates the character.
What is even more fascinating about the three characters mentioned above is the fact that they reflect some of the feelings and troubles we have at home. This is similar to what happened during the 1920s and 30s Depression Era and the recession of the 1970s. As we are going through economic hardships, we look to heroes that we can aspire to be like and emulate. Moreover, the characters represent the angst, desperation, physical and mental anguish that people in this day in age go through. Although not everyone is saving a city from a psychopath, stopping terrorists from destroying the world or having a clarity of conscience through invention and battle, these characters show what people have the potential to be.
As we approach a new decade, we have to ask ourselves whether we can have a clarity of conscience and duty to do what we must to get the job done or our goals met. And at the same time, maintain ourselves as pristine and exemplary people.
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