Obama Mania

Just because a man is halfwhite-halfblack, halfcross-halfcrescent, halfamerican-halfkenyan, he does not become the Narasimha avatar everyone seems to think he is. Barack Obama is the man. Jon Stewart of the Daily Show had to say this hilarious thing about Obama's pre-election trip to Germany, "There is something strangely familiar about a charismatic leader drawing huge crowds of German's to the Central Square" obviously alluding to another such 'leader' who caused extensive damage to his supposedly superior race and the rest of the world.

I dont have anything personal against Obama. I think he is a very idealistic guy and has leadership capabilities good enough to inspire and unite the Americans during this time. My concern is that people are considering him to be a once in a million year phenomenon and expecting him to do something impossible. Lets face it. Obama is the sum total of all hopes expressed for change. In fact, his very unique background is a testament to the fact that people want something different.

But,
1. Does different here necessarily mean good.

2. How much different is Obama's change going to be from the past.

Musings at midnight

My blogging frequency has gone awry. Now I wish I had not deleted the earlier posts I had in a different blog. They would have served as a good memory for renewing my blogging. However, no regrets. What is in my hands is the present and I am happy to use that to shape my future. Also, I am sure that once i get back to blogging, I will recollect my earlier posts sooner than later.

So, whats going on in my life right now. I am acutely aware that I am a half man half boy right now. seriously. thats the way you feel at 25. The boyhood in me makes me behave rashly and immaturely at times and the manhood in me makes me realize and learn from experiences. Sometimes I wonder what is the point in growing up if all it does to you is make you dull and dumb and monotonous. The routine starts to grow on you and kill the spontaneity. People treat you as an adult and expect you to be all understanding and all prepared to take on the world. I am still a kid at times. I like to be so. Thats were the fun lies.

Its pretty much life at the half way stage. A general lack of direction. I sometimes wonder if I were Alice tumbling down the hole. I come to the cross roads and see roads going in different directions. I dont know which one to take. I dont know where I want to go. Just a curiosity to know where each road leads to. However, the Cheshire cat reminds me that if i dont know to what end I am heading to, then it does not matter what road I take. The answer sounds appealing but i am still not convinced. Everyone around me seems to know which road they want to take, almost as if they were aware of the end destination they are headed to. But i know that they have taken the road based on how far of it they can see. They dont know where they are going either.

Many memories of childhood race through my head. It is not nostalgia. It is not about happy days and memorable days. When there is a lot of change in you, you become acutely aware of the past. You keep seeing distinct snapshots that remain etched in your head for all times to come. They are always there to remind you of incidents and circumstances that have made you the way you are today. Sometimes you wish things would have been different. At other times you just want to keep it from rising to the surface and overwhelming you. And then a general sense of calmness prevails.

Fire - As it is

This one is to illustrate how different people tend to perceive the nature of fire (as a personification of both good and bad)

the invisible force asked the kid, "who am I?"
and the child exclaimed, "you are the golden orb lighting up the sky"
"very true", replied the inner essence of the sun,
"i watch you playing all day and having fun"

"recognize me?", asked the invisible force of the forest fern,
and the tree yelled, "Oh No!! here comes the one that makes me burn"
said the force then, "surely, you must know, that was never my intention"
cried the tree, "whatever you might say, you bring forth my destruction"

"do u know me?", asked the invisible force of the lady of the house,
said the mistress, "you are the heat that cooks what is unripe",
"quite true", responded the invisible one,
"I help you prepare the food that everyone likes"

Everyone exclaimed in unison, "pray tell us who then are thee!"
the invisible force answered, "fire is me"
"i am to you, what you want me to be,
of my own, i have no nature"

I am the fire that lights up the funeral pyre,
I am the fire that is invoked by the holy sire,
I am the fire that burns with consequences dire,
I am the fire that fills up the heart with desire

Color Psychology

I recently read this article on the impact of colors on human thought. It so happens that colors have some effect on the way people think. According to a study published in the journal Science, the color red boosts attention to detail in tasks such as memorization, while blue encourages creativity.

I was curious to find the effects of other colors, including yellow, as it happens to be my favorite color.

Here is what some prominent people had to say about different colors:

Black: Black is real sensation, even if it is produced by entire absence of light. The sensation of black is distinctly different from the lack of all sensation. -Hermann von Helmholz

White: White...is not a mere absence of colour; it is a shining and affirmative thing, as fierce as red, as definite as black...God paints in many colours; but He never paints so gorgeously, I had almost said so gaudily, as when He paints in white. - G. K. Chesterton

Red: Red has guts .... deep, strong, dramatic. A geranium red. A Goya red ... to be used like gold for furnishing a house ... for clothes, it is strong, like black or white. - Valentino

Blue: Blue color is everlastingly appointed by the deity to be a source of delight - John Ruskin

Green: Green, which is Nature's colour, is restful, soothing, cheerful, and health-giving. - Paul Brunton

Yellow: How wonderful yellow is. It stands for the sun.- Vincent Van Gogh

Melancholia

the filtered day draws to a close,
and the mind goes into a tailspin morose

a deep sorrow veiled behind a smiling face,
wishing for better times, as the heart slows in pace

moments of despair follow moments of pain,
a memory of happiness is all that remains

a silent prayer in the middle of the night,
to bring back from the shadows, the source of light

a worn down spirit passes into effortless sleep,
with thoughts of tomorrow's promises to keep

a new day begins to dawn once more,
with hazy eyes staring at the empty floor

Self Perception

Most of the times when someone is confronted with the 'tell me about yourself' question, the context is largely a formal or social situation. Also, the focus in such cases is on presenting our best self, and not necessarily our true self. It is very seldom that we introspect on our own character, nature and beliefs. I have tried to do this and this is the way i perceive myself.

I am neither a philosopher, nor am I a fool,
I belong somewhere in the middle school

I am not a writer, neither am I a singer,
Nor am I a soothsayer or death’s harbinger

I am seldom to be found making the news,
But I surely do have my share of views

Sometimes I collaborate, sometimes I compete,
Sometimes I conquer, sometimes I concede

I am mostly warm and gentle and calm,
But at times I turn into a raging storm

I believe there is a Grand Author writing the plot,
picking names for all the roles, by drawing a lot

I think it is better to make thoughtful amends,
than take hasty decisions in a matter of seconds

I see life as a game of chance,
At times you cry, at times you dance

I believe that love and forgiveness go together,
When one is absent, you will not find the other

I think that of all sights and sounds,
Sleep and silence are the most profound