To V Belong Here

 



I like reading here but I hesitate to post for neither do I have the vision nor the wisdom. And certainly not any skills either.

So, something I can do let me share with you. To the wonderful posters here a photograph of a bee in a mustard field in IARI (Indian Agricultural Research Institute - Pusa Institute).

(Taken with a simple Kodak automatic, minor adjustments on Adobe Photoshop CS2)

Dollar and America's supremacy

Today marks the end of an era in world cricket with Australia losing the BG trophy, though they will remain the no. 1 side as per rankings. They are no more the invincible or the supreme ones. Likewise the big brother is showing signs weakening. It is now more worried about himself than concerning the affairs of the world. It's president elect Obama recently said something to the effect that the economic ruin is now more of a global problem and requires a global reaction than just America's. Though this is partially true it came across more as a rumble than a concrete, world grabbing statement.

America's power is dollar. If dollar loses its position as the pre-eminent and popular currency of the world, it will sound death knell to America's supremacy in world affairs. Euro's gain and acceptance among world investors is worrying development for America, though dollar still continues as the stock currency. Somewhere I read that Iran is promoting a trading centre for petroleum where crude will be traded in Euro. If it happens and happens successfuly then dollar will come under severe pressure.

Obama's biggest challenge is not how cosy he can get to his middle-class but whether he will able to steer through the current climate and restore dollar's position as the unquestionable, pre-eminent currency. This requires order in American financial markets and revival of American economy. In my view, if America can reduce its huge trade deficit and source more at home, it's external position will improve and reduce the impact that countries like China can have on dollar with their huge reserves.

Choler rising

Outside drawn curtains
misty lamp posts stand guard
over vacant lots

How People Change!

This photo is the point of this post.

Apparently the whole world knew of this photo at least 8 years before me, but i saw it just yesterday in a book review.

There is no sense in being coy about this, because if I don't say who all this people is, I can't get on with this post any further.

The boy whose head is circled in red, is, Osama Bin Laden.

Apparently Osama's family is big. He has 52 half-siblings engendered by his father through more than twenty wives. This is one part of the happy family that went to Falun, Sweden in 1971 and innocent of what was to come, posed in front of a pink Cadillac.

How happy they all are, and how unimaginably westernised, even the girls are in jeans and T-shirts. I wonder whether Osama still retains memories of that life, long back in his past, and feels guilt for himself and his brothers and sisters, all dressed inappropriately, and shamelessly posing in front of a Pink Cadillac?

Or would that memory shame the Osama that he is now?

It is hard to think all that happiness went wrong, and is deemed to be evil- the freedom and happiness that he, with his brothers and sisters shared, is denied to the children of today.

Back again

Here I am, back again.

I really missed this blog, but because of the peculiarity of my temperament, it had to be this way.

I missed this blog, and I missed you all (what all, just the five to ten people here, but you were the world as long as I were doing this!).

Will try to blog again regularly...

May be now that Obama has come to the White House, we are also inspired to change, so that we bring some joy and freshness here.

A personal note here:

You remember that Michael Jackson song, "The Man in the Mirror"? There is a refrain running in that song, i think: it goes, "i am talking with the man in the mirror, and i am asking him to change his ways." And then the chorus sounds, "change! change! change!"

One night, somehow my brain tripped, and I woke up from sleep in a sweat, because those voices were shouting, "change! change! change!' in my head. I could not go back to sleep. It was so unnerving.

I am one of the most stolid, predictable people, but when it comes to what goes in my head, it is always, "change! change! change!'. So when I do something for some time, suddenly it goes, "Change!", and then, I usually stop doing it.

It is nothing to be proud of, to say that I've been inspired by Michael Jackson, is it? I think that song and those words happened to articulate my own feelings.

Anyway coming back to this blog, let us hope there is some change of tone, of attitude and of interests, because if there is no change, it would be an evidence of the sad truth that there is no growth any more.

Regards to you all.

Deepavali Greetings to you all

May you all have a joyous, healthy and prosperous year ahead!

Break

This day, we celebrate the Day of Implements. Hope our instruments, whatever they are, bring us joy and happiness.

This will be my last post for some time to come.

I have had such great time blogging here, but this has got a bit monotonous for me. I don't know how it is with you.

I have intentionally kept my personal issues out of this blog. And also the religious side, though it might have crept in now and then.

I feel that I have to take a break from this for some time, and read some religious book without any distraction. Kandharalangaram is the book I have chosen to study, and if you are interested, I shall be blogging about that. Please click the link here for Kandharalangaram.

I hope Siva and Balajhi will blog here so that it does not fall silent.

Thanks for SB and Kartikey for the interest you have taken, and for your insightful comments. I have made two really good friends in you.

Thanks a lot.

Siva, Balajhi, I will be following this blog, so please do post something for me to read and comment, please.

I wish you all a wonderful, great time.