Sand, Sea and Sun

make Aruba. We spent a week there. Soaked up lot of sun along with alcohol accompanied by some great and some not so great food. Bhupen was in heaven because he could eat Pineapple every meal. It is his favorite fruit.

Map Of the Island

A Caribbean desert island 19 by 6 miles in area with a population of 120000 to 130000. Desert because it does not rain much here. Local languages, Dutch, Papiamento and Spanish. Mostly undeveloped and yet a heavenly place for tourists.

Staple food, colorful Iguanas who run all over the isalnd. Locals say they taste like chicken.

Iguanas



The tourism is served mostly by immigrants from Venezuela, Cuba, Phillipines, Dominican Republic, Colombia and Mexico. A melding spot.

A few photographs of the island and the resort we stayed in.

Caribbean Sea

Palm Trees on Resort campus

Waves of the Sea

Another hotel across

Palms in Rains

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This is cute.........

A friend sent this to us. I do not know who originated this video.  But, I enjoyed it very much.

 

"Commerce in Human Souls"

A close friend at the University Of Illinois at Chicago has been working tirelessly for past year or two at putting together an exhibit of rare books and manuscripts on Atlantic Slave Trade. She sent us the catalogue of her work.

I am posting the Cover and two inside pictures of the catalogue. The exhibit is supposed to be on display until, I believe,  May 2013. I think we will take a tour.

Outlook for E-mails......

is misbehaving...........................

Have called an expert..............

Playing waiting game............

King, Queen, Knave-By Nabokov

Why am I always disappointed in a book when I have finished it. This one is no exception.

After finishing a book I try to put together the plot of the story which is almost always not very complicated. The story can be related in no more than fifty to seventy pages. And yet, the book is no less than three hundred pages.

I have concluded that author writes and repeats same points,  as for example, two people being in love, in various surroundings and in various words. Perhaps, to show author's mastery of the language. This is to me extraneous.

This author is a masterful writer. He commands the language beautifully. I love him for that. I was enamoured when I read following, "he was a bachelor with a beautiful marble wife, a passionate hobbyist without anything to collect, an explorer not knowing on what mountain to die, a voracious reader of unmemorable books, a happy healthy failure."

(Of course, I would have preferred "unwritten" in place of "unmemorable" and "a successful failure" in place of "happy healthy failure".)

I have come across many more new words in his books than I have ever in any other author. For example;

fripperies-luxury
plage-sandy beach
vivieur-enjoyer of excesses
revanche-revenge
adumbrated-obscure

I will continue to forage his books.

David Petraeus

Since last ten days Ex-CIA chief David Patraeus romance story has disappeared from the face of the news media. Is it hushed up? If so, why?

Life of Pi and Lincoln

We made the best use of our fourday long week-end. We saw  two movies; Life of Pi  and Lincoln by highly acclaimed directors, Ang Lee of Sense and Sensibility fame and  Steven Spielberg of Schindler's List acclaim.

Life of Pi, though visually grand and in many ways enthralling was not quite satisfying movie.

Lincoln, on the other hand, was riveting. I predict it will win Best Direction, Best Actor, Best Screen-Play and Best Make-up Oscar awards in February. I think this is Spielberg's best yet movie.

Highly, highly  intelligent  and thought-provoking.

I want to see it again; and my husband says, I shall.

Skyfall

We saw Skyfall on Saturday. 

 I felt, movie is made wholesome in the sense that there was less of nudity, less of sexual inuendos, less of gadgetry, less of brutality and less of chasing around.

The most attractive features were Adele's singing, Music and Titles.  The James Bond music has changed over the years. My favorite was the original score. At one point Bond is using his old Aston Martin. Since it was like going back into history they played the old score which I thought was a great touch.  

I still believe, Titles is one category that Oscar Committee has overlooked throughout its history. I vehemently say it has its place in cinematic art and should be so recognised.

World, Broken

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Invitation to a Beheading

I just finished reading "Invitation to a Beheading" by Vladimir Nabokov, of "Lolita" fame. The book was originally written in Russian but was later translated into English by author's son, I believe, Dimitri Nabokov.

The hero of the story Cincinnatus C. has been charged with an imaginary crime in an imaginary country; but reading between the lines one could guess it to be in Russia. He is to be executed but does not know when. He keeps asking his jailer, lawyer and the director, but no one seems to give him the straight answer. He wants to narrate the absurdity of entire experience to his wife, but cannot start the project without knowing if he has enough time to complete it.

By the way all three personnels' names start with an "R". The names sound similar, too. Another interesting observation was that Cincinnatus hardly participates in any of the conversation that takes place in the book. One infers about his character through what other people talk about him among themselves.

During his confinement he is visited by his wife Marthe and her family. The entire visit; the talk, or the absence of talk by his wife, their behaviour including the fact that they brought furniture with them was quite unreal.  Finally, his execution itself turns out to be just as surreal as the story itself.

It reminded me of the book I read by Franz Kafka, "the Trial". The similarity of the plots is that the heroes of both books were charged with an imaginary crime and nobody was willing to help them.

But I liked the book. It held my interest. It held my interest because the writing style is exquisite.

Rightly or wrongly I judge movies and books by how well they hold my interest.

Kleptocracy

  
I heard a word I had not before: Kleptocracy

It means the government by thieves. Those in power rob and steal lands' resources and those governed alike.

Today, Kleptocracy is rampant all over the world. They steal when no one is looking. 

Commoners have no escape.

Another Side

I just saw an another side, an elemental side, of Obama. He wiped streaming tears while thanking his team of supporters. He was overcome with an overwhelming sense of gratitude although he continued to speak as he always does, with  steady thoughtful voice.

 http://news.yahoo.com/tearful-obama-credits-staff-history-books-campaign-032609276--abc-news-politics.html

This may not go down very well among conservative circles. They will call and see him weak. I expect a barrage of verbal abuse from them.

I see nothing wrong.

My man, Obama

won.

It was a hard fought, hard earned and well deserved win.

Photograph; Yahoo Internet news

I do not believe Democracy works. But at the moment Obama was declared winner, my disbelief was suspended. People spoke against racism, big money and bullying in politics. Civility of voting, versus rebellion,  prevailed.

For a split second I was ecstatic; welcome ho-hum.

Now that election is over, Obama better think who reelected him and why.

Republicans with their overt racism, power of mega bucks and bullying better retreat in a backroom and huddle. What did just happen? And Why?

Adoption in Reverse

Before I consider adopting her, I call Kitty, she adopted me. She visits me at least once a day. I give her warm milk. She wants to linger on in our warm house but I will not let her. Because she is wild and a hunter.

When she visits she puts a smile on my face.

Kitty 1

Kitty 2

Dependability in Election

I do not put faith in polls.

And yet if the polls are any indication, the third and last debate seem to have shifted the voters in favor of Mitt Romney. Even women segment which was leaning towards Obama before is now fleeing.

I know why.

Romney has moved to the center. He has become a moderate Republican. He is getting more and more alligned with Obama. The policies he proposed and supported  during Primary campaign  are no longer his policies.

This is a tactic he has employed just to get elected. The people are getting drawn into it.

I think everyone should be concerned that he is not dependable. He has changed from the Primaries to now. What is the guaranty that he will not change back to his original position; worse yet, move to even further right after he is elected? I am certain he will succumb to Tea Party and all the lobbyists as well as donors who have contributed mega bucks to his campaign. They will want their money's worth, and they will want it NOW.

Absurdity II

To follow up on my prvious post:


 If we jail the scientists who fail to predict siesmological activities, what shall we do with all the palmistry artists and fortune tellers whose predictions never come true?

Fascination with Longevity

Instinctively, humans do not want to die. Not wanting to die is one thing but to want to live an inordinately long life is quite another. I fail to grasp why so.
                                                         
                                                                                                           



Courtsey NYTimes



http://nyti.ms/RxhGh4

NYTimes: The Island Where People Forget to Die

Unraveling the mystery of why the inhabitants of Ikaria, an island of 99 square miles that is home to almost 10,000 Greek nationals, live so long and so well.

Absurdity

I used to think American Legal system, in some ways,  is absurd. It has created an economy unto itself by allowing people not to assume responsibility for their actions but sue others at the drop of a hat.  I also thought that the rest of the world, especially Europe, is slightly wiser in penal codes than USA.

My belief has been dashed.

Read the article and weep for insaneness of this case in Italy

Courtsey NY TImes

http://nyti.ms/RdGgpg

NYTimes: Italy Orders Jail Terms For 7 Who Didn’t Warn Of Deadly Earthquake
Prominent earthquake experts were convicted of manslaughter in connection with the earthquake that gutted the historic center of the city of L’Aquila.



.

Early Voting

I performed my civic duty today.   I voted.  And I have a decal to prove it!!!

Malala Yousafzai

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/10/11/opinion/malala-yousafzais-courage.html?_r=0

A fourteen year old Pakistani girl was singled out by Taliban and shot at point blank. Reason: she advocated education for girls and women. The bullet has been removed from her body. While prognosis is good, she is not out of the woods yet. She is reportedly doing well in London hospital. That is a great news. I am rooting for her complete recovery.

What I am afraid of is all the media as well as the public attention she is getting; without her being aware of it. She is a fourteen year old girl who launched her idealist view of educating girls and women. I, myself, am all for it. As we know, all teenagers are idealists. So is she; and she has not had a chance to formulate her life's real objective. She does not have realistic world-view yet, which is as it will be and should be.

My concerns are: when she recovers and recovers fully, she will have an onerous obligation  pushed on her willy-nilly by public and media. An obligation that she has to carry on and push for her cause when she wakes up.

What if she is afraid and does not want to pursue it? What if she wants to pursue a different cause? What if she just wants to live a normal family life? What if someone is really successful in killing her?

Unbeknownst to her, a great obligation and therefore a greatness is being thrust upon her and I for one object it.

Roy Lichtenstein....



http://nyti.ms/VajUTR

NYTimes: Cool. Commercial. Unmistakable.
"Roy Lichtenstein: A Retrospective," at the National Gallery of Art, is the first major survey of the artist’s work since his death in 1997.

A Rogue Experiment......

http://nyti.ms/QuHkmM

"NYTimes: A Rogue Climate Experiment Outrages Scientists
An environmental entrepreneur scattered 100 tons of iron dust in the Pacific Ocean this summer without any academic or government oversight, startling researchers and regulators"

Haryana Rapes, on BBC Radio

BBC Radio reported that there have been a flurry of rapes in the state of Haryana, India. The news in itself is not only heart breaking but also infuriating. On top, it was also reported that it is widely acknowledged and understood among locals that the rapes ocurred because the rapists had had some oriental food, prior to the incidents, that caused hormonal imbalance in their bodies which made them rape the women. 

Is this a joke?

Second Presidential Debate of 2012

I was reluctant to watch last night's debate for the fear that Obama will not perform well, once again. He surprised me, pleasantly. He did extremely well.  He recouped some of the grounds he had lost in his last debate. I am glad I watched.

Romney came across as a badgerer, last night and prviously.

Next and last debate will be on Foreign policy. I expect Obama to do well there, because he has actually performed very well in that field during his Presidency.

Regardless, I want this election to be over with. It has frayed my nerves.

Abstract 101312

Abstract 101312

First Presidential Debate of 2012

It was a flop for Obama. 

Having said that, all presidential debates are flops; for one candidate or the other. I do not believe stage debate is a good forum to present one's case. While I watch them I do not give much credence to them.

These debates have to discuss serious issues at national and international levels. You cannot present solutions to such complex issues like economy,  job creation, growth etc.  to general public within allotted two minutes' time and expect common people to deduce whose solutions are better for them and the country! It is a fallacy that by debating the issues back and forth accurate picture of candidates' ability to resolve them will emerge; at least for common people. 

My thought is that each candidate, individually and severally, should present and lay out the issues first. Identify how each issue is connected with another issue, if it does. If necessary, use a black board, just like in a class room; use numbers; use math to explain. Once the issues are identified, lay out the solutions next to them.  Next, connect the dots; how one solution is connected with another solution or another problem. Present why your solution if adopted will solve it  and what are the consequences if not adopted.

Afterall, all issues and solutions are somehow interconnected.

Avoid criticizing the opponent for his solutions. Concentrate only on your position.

 More than debates what we need is to root out the bad elements that have crept into our government over the years; corruption, bribery, lobbying, lying, cheating, blatant disregard for the laws, superpacs, creating laws to serve one's own purposes, interpret the laws unjustly and unfairly.

If we do that, which I doubt will ever happen, we will never need debates.

I for one know neither candidate will create jobs, convert deficit into surplus and get economy rolling right away. It will require time; months perhaps years. Romney will require time along with shift in strategy which will undo what has so far been done by Obama.  I would rather give Obama time only.

Obama has my vote!

Party

I had little too much fun at a friend's Birthday party last night.

Can I blame it on the new brand of Gin I imbibed? I think I will.

World, the rotten world

Syria is burning. Egypt is unsettled. Almost entire Muslim world is up in arms over video and cartoons. In Libya they attacked American Embassy and killed four people. Iran and Israel are at each other's throat. Somalia and Kenya are at each other too. Pakistan is in turmoil. Iraqis are still fighting among themselves. Afghan war is still raging.

As if this was not enough China and Japan have started over the ownership of Islands in South Sea.

The Ice Shelf is shrinking, Drought is raging, people are starving all over Africa and elsewhere.

Is anyone even tired of this? I am; sad, tired and helpless.

I think only way to unite the world to a single purpose, survival, would be to know that a massive extra-terrestrial object, like an Asteroid or a Comet is heading towards the Earth threatening annihilation.

I wish there was something like this in offing.........

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Gene Pool



Gene Pool





A headline and the article from New York Times.


"At least four million gene switches that reside in bits of DNA once thought to be inactive turn out to play critical roles in health, researchers reported. "

http://nyti.ms/OTFJo8

Neil Armstrong

The first man to print his footsteps on our Moon's soil has died. 

I mourned.

Fareed Zakaria and Plagiarism-part 2

Fareed Zakaria is reinstated by Time and CNN both. He is back in business. Hip hip hooray!

Abstracts



Positive?






Negative?



Fareed Zakaria and Plagiarism

Fareed Zakaria, of Sunday morning Global Public Square on CNN and a contributor to the Time Magazine; is he in dust that he has allegedly stolen someone else's words for his article in The Time magazine?

Dust to dust; ashes to ashes. All idols are made of clay. If they fall they will crumble.  Mine, perhaps, is no exception.

I esteemed him highly.  A class man who provided balanced and objective world views, perhaps, had a lapse in judgement. I want him to rebound; pick himself up and move forward.

I wish him well!

The String Theory




Space

 

Of late I am taking a lot of interest in knowing and learning about the Space and the Physics that governs it. I know nothing about Physics nor do I have any knowledge of Mathematics. I am not reading tomes on the subject either. One might call my learning a bit of a fun learning. Pastime!

The reason I got interested in this subject is due only to hearing and reading about politics, bipartisanships, environmental disasters, wars, massacres, mayhems et cetera. It is all too frequently all too dirty, unpleasant and painful. This is one of very few subjects which, if allowed to,  can remain pure of politics and the rest. While directionless, dark, unpredictable and scary, space is also beautiful, and pristine. It is an orderly chaos; I am in love.

Why I write this is only to bring clarity about what I have learned so far to my own head. It is only a lay person's understanding and narration. 

The Theory of General Relativity explained all matters of Universe at Super Atomic level. The theory based on Gravitaional principle explains that the  fabric of this universe bends and warps. This feature grounds all things in their own places through Gravitational force. The fabric of this universe is smooth.

When one digs deeper at Atomic and sub-Atomic levels the fabric of the universe is bumpy and chaotic like bubbling lava.  The workings of this universe is explained through Quantum Mechanics. Protons, Neutrons, Electrons, Photons and Quarks interact with one another based on three types of forces; Strong Force which allows Electron to bind Proton with Neutrons, Electro-Magnetic Force that provides light and energy to Photons and Weak Force allows the particles to decay. 

Physicists could not unify the workings of smooth fabric made of large objects with chaotic fabric of Atomic and sub-atomic particles.

In search of an only one and a cohisive principle to govern the large scale as well as the small scale universes they accidentally found the String Theory. Each sub atomic partcle contains either an open ended or a close ended string which bounces randomly and offers this universe the bumpy feature. The scientists also found that there is a massless and therefore invisible particle known as Graviton, at a very small scale level, calms the chaotice fabric of Quantum Mechanics. It helps seam the two universes into a cohisive state.

As happens in all scientists worlds, not all mathematicians or physicists have bought into this theory. The String theory may or may not eventually explain all workings of all universes. But the mere exercise of learnig it was fascinating.

Abstracts one and two

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Abstract 2

Another Graphic



Another Graphic





Last ten days.........

have been, food, drinks, party, laughter, discussions with friends and house guests.

We got to hear a very old song from a very talented  singer... "Ayega, ayega, ayega anewala..." from Mahal.

I hope to hear her again, someday.

Spherical



Spherical



Mumuration

A friend forwarded a video with the description. I am posting the video only. What one sees is called Murmuration per the authors.  I vaguely remember seeing the groups of birds diving and flitting up, down and sideways and creating visually beautiful formations  even in India while growing up. I am not sure the birds I saw were starlings. But it brought back the childhood memory. Thanks to creators of the video.

http://vimeo.com/31158841


A film by: Liberty Smith and Sophie Windsor Clive
Music        Emmet Glynn and Band

"Great Men"

I was floored hearing Khalil Gibran Muhammad, the head of Schomburg Center of research on black culture at New York Public Library, on Bill Moyer and company show. He seemed to have a thorough knowledge and understanding of history of black culture. The man is eloquent, coherent and he does not once lose the thread of his argument. He responded to Moyer's questions to the point without digressing. In view of upcoming Fourth of July celebration the discussion was geared towards verbiage used in The Declaration of Independence.  The great minds, particularly of Thomas Jefferson's, who  helped write a dictum here that  
" all men are created equal"  and an another dictum there that blacks are "inferior to whites in the endowments of both body and mind" were at  the center of discussion. Also, when they wrote about "all men" they meant only white men;  not even white women or native Indians were considered in the definition. Jefferson talked/wrote about abolition of slavery, yet he kept hundreds of slaves who toiled in his five thousand acres of land. The children that he sired with a black woman of his staff, Sally Hemmings, remained with him as slaves.

One wonders how can authors of such great document be so flawed and conflicted; say one thing and behave just the opposite.

At the conclusion, I said, there are no "great men"; only men with random acts and words of greatness. Bhupen said, no; the great acts and words make them "great men".

Symbiosis

A lowly duck hitching a ride on a Swan's back

I have seen symbiosis within animal kingdom often. I bird picking lice from a water buffalo's body. A bird cleaning out a cow's nostril. This is the first time I saw two water fowls in a symbiotic relationship.

Among humans it has been reduced to something ugly which we commonly know as "quid pro quo".

Correction:

After I posted this I found out that I have been duped!!! The Swan is not real! It is fake and is kept floating to scare off the geese who have become a nuisance in the area.

-charu 07-17-2012

A Fishing Crane

I will outwait them

  

I see some swimming up

Almost here

I will have to get my feet wet!

 

 

Kinamand-Chinaman

Last night we saw a very simple Danish movie. Slow paced story runs like this:  a plumber, Keld,  is surprised to hear that his wife of long time wants to walk out on him on an adultery charge which he has not committed. She wants $8,000 to set him free. Lonesome plumber now decides to dine every night at a local Chinese Grill where he befriends the owner, Feng, who has an ulterior motive. Feng agrees to give Keld $8,000 on the condition.................


I liked the movie very much but adored the music even more. There is something very poignant about Chinese music.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs7Bse4Q4BQ&feature=results_main&playnext=1&list=PLD168E87DF9694907

Distortion



Distortion






 

A Perspective

A composite of parts
 Is a whole to him, and he
 Thinks the world is it

                                      ...charu

Poor Supplicant

A supplicant shall

Poorer be when he asks away

His last estate; Dignity

                             -----charu



 

A Graphic



Graphic


Pravin Gandhi commented:

would look like the political map of a certain portion of Europe



The birth of a Hummingbird

A friend forwarded this to me with a note from original sender to share it with others. Click on the link and then on to "next" page.

http://community-2.webtv.net/Velpics/HUM/

Shanghai and Ikea

BBC Radio today reported, elderly Chinese widows and widowers are using Ikea department store to find their next mates. Openly and flirtatiously!

Swedish department store also serves as sino-match-maker!

Who would have thought!

Paper Art

Beautiful!



Excerpt and the article from New York Times

"Ming Liang Lu, 57, snips and slices intricate portraits of commuters in his own unique style. Mr. Lu practices several ancient Chinese art forms and says he hails from a noted Shanghai teaching lineage. "

http://nyti.ms/JRN3kJ

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Untitled 102411





Lily



Trunk





A Quote

I am citing something I heard recently on a show full of politics, intrigues, religion, mayhem, debauchery, violence and all that is wrong with the civilization.


"Vengeance should never be seen as that; it should always be unexpected and it should rarely be public. Vengeance is patient; it can wait for lifetime if necessary and it never dies."

Hooghly and Howrah Bridge

Hooghly River



Howrah Bridge Construction 1935-1942





Howrah Bridge Construction 1935-1942

Howrah Bus Stand
(One of these Buses, #6 and #6A I used to take to my college; Shikshayatan)