Inner Universe

Looking at the eternal problems in this external world, I was under chaos and confusion and wanted a solution for it. There were a lot of solutions that led to other problems and did not give an end to it.
Thinking about the chaos and confusion that was going on in my mind, i was trying to elminate it in all possible ways and the inner universe is so troubled that it needed peace to think clearly what is happening exactly within and around. I realized that if i could not attend to myself, who else will. Even when there are loving people and caring people around me helping me to get rid of it, i could not. Then i tried to get to the self to know myself more clear what am i doing and where i am. It took me to another universe which i have formed. It was so messed up and i regretted being the creator of it. I was so engaged in cleansing
it and i had no time for this external world. There was no harmony in myself and how can i expect the same from the external world. Desire, expectations, possessions, wealth, ego all these things were so much accumulated that my SELF lost its identity or humanity what it is meant for. By even thinking about all these worldly things, i was again sucked into same mess by question myself, what am i going to do in the world without desire or possessions.

I found no language to communicate with my soul and it was difficult for me to attend it to it. At times i have heard from many people say that. It is my turn to realise that with this introspection. The more i got into it, it only added meaning for the word insanity, which we have coined for this external world. In this process, i lost myself being in this physical world and there was only silence and i was busy finding the language to communicate with the inner self that i did long back. In the process i forgot to live for which i am meant to be. If i could not exhibit my humanity with the people close to me, where else can i exhibit them.
It was time to turn my fingers to point towards me and clean up the mess. The first and foremost thing that anyone can bring a change is the " self" and not others or the external appearance or the world. Because those are in the endless process of change. I realised mind is only a tool to connect to the external world and most of the time it puts everyone in trouble with more analysis and assumptions. Whoever forgot to use it to connect it to the outer world were defined under the category of being "insane".

I has conquered the "self" and it needs to be attented and to restore what i am meant for and be a human to help the humanity. I am in the process hoping to succeed....!

Self-Discipline > Intelligence/Academic Brilliance

Here's an entry that I read in Desh's blog that indicates that Focus, Hard Work & Intelligence are the key for success (in that order), that Intelligence is only secondary to Focus/Self-discipline. True, but are we following it?

He talks about a journalist 'who found her librarian predict the kids getting the first class degrees with remarkable consistency and accuracy!'
Here's the article:
"A DECADE ago when I was an undergraduate psychologist, a departmental librarian called Anne was doing something any psychologist would say was impossible. Every year, with near-perfect accuracy, she would predict which third-year undergraduates would be awarded first-class degrees.
Anne didn't know how their essays were rated, what A-level grades they had under their belts, or how they scored on IQ tests. (All information many would say was essential to forecasting final results.)
All she knew was how often she had seen students in the department library: reading course notes, photocopying journals, borrowing books. And the handful of students who Anne saw a lot - conspicuously more often than the other students in the same year - were going to get a first.
Anne was working on the principle that in academic achievement it is self-discipline, not talent, that counts. Ten years on, a study published recently in Psychological Science has come to exactly the same conclusion.

Now a research study has found the same thing! After all it is the self-discipline that is a better predictor of better grades of students than raw talent!

Psychologists Angela Duckworth and Martin Seligman descended on the eighth grade of a large public school in the northeast of the US. As the autumn leaves fell, each of the 160-odd children took an IQ test, then they (and their parents and teachers) answered questionnaires that probed self-control. Are you good at resisting temptation, they were asked. Can you work effectively towards long-term goals? Or do pleasure and fun sometimes keep you from getting work done?
The children were also given a real-life test of their ability to delay gratification. Each was handed a dollar bill in an envelope. They could choose either to keep it or hand it back and get $2 a week later. Their decision was carefully recorded.
The researchers returned in spring. They took note of each child's grades and then looked back to see both how clever, and how self-controlled, that student had been in autumn. What, they wanted to know, was the most important factor in school grades?
The psychologists discovered it was self-control, by a long shot. A child's capacity for self-discipline was about twice as important as his or her IQ when it came to predicting academic success.
At first glance, research of this sort is a comfort to those of us not exploding with raw talent. The science seems to back up the writer Kingsley Amis's well-known advice that "the art of writing is the art of applying the seat of one's trousers to the seat of one's chair". Why, in that case anyone can write a book. Yet a small problem remains; namely, the problem of keeping the seat of one's trousers applied to the seat of one's chair.

What if??

Is it good to have "WHAT IFs" in your life?
Think about it and let me know...

Begging - business or desperation?

Retort Doesn't Pay!

Is it better to let go or retort when you clearly are aware of the fact that someone is ignorant and is criticizing your very existence just for the sake of fun??

I truly agree that Retorting does not reflect wisdom in any way. But who is to educate that ignorant person that he or she is wrong? It would be better to stay calm and then try to explain to them the situation of how offended you are and how it is wrong for them to criticize without caring.If they still do not care then, it is not up to us to correct them. We should let them learn it themselves because whatever we give, good or bad, comes back to us - no matter what!

I came across this article when I had the above question in my mind...

"An incident at a public meeting taught me a lesson of self-control That was thirty years ago. I was addressing an elite gathering on "Atheism". The prejudice against atheism was still high.

As usual I greeted the audience with a salutation at the start of the talk. Then at the e question time, a gentleman asked me in an excited mood, why I greeted the audience at the start of the meeting. I answered that it was out of courtesy and that the greeting would announce the start of the meeting. Evidently the gentleman wanted a plea to mock at atheism. So at once he remarked that, as an atheist, I could change the form of greeting from salutation to a slap on the face of anyone whom I wanted to greet. The suggestion was clearly absurd. I should have left it there. Instead, I retorted that the method of slap could be adopted, provided one was prepared to receive a slap in return of the greeting. The audience enjoyed the joke with a loud laughter. The gentleman was fooled and he left the hall.

The matter did not end there. When the meeting dispersed, a group of friends of the gentleman gathered round me and accused me of humiliating their friend. They admitted that the remark of their friend regarding the slap was foolish indeed. But as an advocate of a cause, I should have shown a better sense of forbearance and humour than giving a retort. Obviously they were displeased with me.

I reflected on the incident and I have learnt that I made a mistake in retorting and thereby losing the sympathy of that gentleman and of his friends. Anyone, especially a public worker, ought to keep cool in the face of provocation. Otherwise he loses sympathy for the cause for which he stands. Retorts exhibit wit but not wisdom."

Source:
http://www.positiveatheism.org/india/gora51.htm

Immortal Computing!

How far would someone go in search for the truth? Especially if the perceptions are so different and each person has his/her version of the perfect truth. I personally feel that TRUTH is intangible...Then what is the purpose of History?
How sure are we of whatever happened 100 or 200 years ago??
Whatever we hear or see from the past is someone else's draft right?
But check this effort from Microsoft guys...

E-mail from the grave? Microsoft seeks patent on 'immortal computing'

Originally posted by Todd Bishop

In this culture of instant information, some Microsoft Corp. researchers are pursuing a radical notion -- the concept of saving messages for delivery in decades, centuries or more. The project, dubbed "immortal computing," would let people store digital information in physical artifacts and other forms to be preserved and revealed to future generations, and maybe even to future civilizations.
After all, when looking that far in the future, you never know who the end users might be.
For more on this go to...
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/business/300636_msftimmortal22.html

Network Impermanence!

What is permanent in this Universe? Only Change we would say. We take so many things for granted and this is the latest thing that has been added to our list!
How many of us remember the numbers of our friends that is stored in our cellphones? How many of us have stored numbers in mails and take refuge of the mail every time we need to call someone? Ask yourself what else you take for granted.
In the end, it is only change that is permanent!

Here is an interesting article about how fragile the Internet is too.

The Fragile Network
Originally posted by Bill Thompson

One of the more persistent founding myths around the internet is that it was designed to be able to withstand a nuclear war, built by the US military to ensure that even after the bombs had fallen there would still be communications between surviving military bases.

It isn’t true, of course.
For more details....go to
http://www.circleid.com/posts/the_fragile_network/

ONE VOICE MOVEMENT!!

This is really an eye opener and it is the only solution to the existing chaos in the Earth. All the common masses have to come together and realize their power to restore peace to this traumatized world.
NON VIOLENCE and UNITING all like minded individuals should be our key objective!
Take a look at this website which gives so much hope and the YouTube video that follows...
A really huge campaign for PEACE led by all the young adults and children will definitely make the rest of the world stop their mechanical activities and do something about this never-ending restlessness!

http://www.onevoicemovement.org/wps/portal

The link to the video...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34bVcLMrcRs

Education in Public Schools in U.S

We recently saw a documentary that was in the YouTube and it is about the education system that prevails in PUBLIC SCHOOLS in the U.S.

It speaks for itself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pfRUMmTs0ZA&mode=related&search=

Children of the World, UNITE! 1

I recently contacted my film maker friend Ms. Mitra Sen to share with her the concept behind Siragu post card painting workshop!
She was very much interested and was happy to know that I contacted her when I thought of connecting kids throughout the world.

This is what she said.

“My students would be delighted to
get involved as we're just launching a global peace tree ambassadors
network.”

So, when I called her after some time, she told me that I could get in touch with a Peace Tree Ambassador NEIL WU and ask him to give me an idea as to how to go about spreading the word of PEACE among kids.

So I emailed Mr.NEIL WU and after explaining to him about our documentary film on Siragu School, I told him about the post card workshop and how we could all share the cards between schools and bring the kids together.

All the while, in my mind, I was under the impression that Mr.NEIL WU was the Peace Tree Ambassador and he would definitely be an adult. UNTIL today evening when I got an email from him saying this.

“Hi. I'm Neil. I think that you've misunderstood Ms. Sen. I'm only 13, I was in Ms. Sen's class and she told us about starting a Peace Club and Peace Center. So I joined it.

We think it's a wonderful idea for the children and school in India to join us. We would love to hear from them and write to them. Would it be possible for you to send us the copy of the film of Siragu Montessori School when you are finished. We'd like to see them. Thank you very much for your email.

We're really excited to have the children in India as part of our Peace Tree Ambassadors Network and hope we can share some wonderful ideas of spreading PEACE around the world.”

HAHAHA…our team had a good laugh at this.

On one hand, I felt that I were too prejudiced to think that a Peace Tree Ambassador could only be an adult and wondered about how we judge everything with a past knowledge!

On the other hand, I was filled with happiness and hope that a 13 year old could have so much understanding of PEACE in this world!

I immediately replied to him saying, “We are happy that kids of today's world possess such an understanding of PEACE and also work for it. Keep up the SPIRIT Neil!
The world needs kids like you to bring all of us together.
Well, I appreciate you writing to me about it and I am very happy to be in touch with you directly. You are our link to this world of kids!!”

So, amidst all this prejudice and misunderstanding, we have connected with a young and beautiful soul who has so much insight about Peace and is actually doing something about it! We underestimate children most of the times. But at least it is not too late to learn something from them.

So, I also asked Neil to be in touch with me and we intend to introduce the Siragu kids and the Ontario kids as the beginning to this wonderful chain of love!

Fall - Short Film

Our Short film "FALL" is now on YouTube.

Racism and Crossing Borders

Here's an excellent article on how racism is still a prevalent practice in the West. Many of us are so used to being subjected to such practices that we tend to overlook how much of a basic human rights violation this is. Read this article by a Black journalist Gary Younge, who is a UK citizen who writes for The Guardian. Although this might seem all too obvious, what are we doing about it?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1995856,00.html

Some More Yanni/Samvel

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3ork0msQ_o

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rSPCqmbG0OU&mode=related&search=
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyIOVegOUZM&mode=related&search=

more will follow...

NYC shopkeeper sues to shoo homeless-Yahoo News

NEW YORK CITY - An antiques dealer sued four homeless people, seeking to keep them away from his store on a posh shopping street because, he says, they alienate customers and block window displays.

Store owner Karl Kemp also seeks $1 million from the four, named in the lawsuit as John Doe, Bob Doe, John Smith and Jane Doe.

The suit, filed this week, says they can often be found sleeping on the sidewalk, drinking alcoholic beverages and "performing various bodily functions such as urinating and spitting" outside Karl Kemp & Associates on Manhattan's Madison Avenue. Kemp seeks to keep them 100 feet from the store.

Kemp said he decided to sue after complaints to police brought no changes. He also said he was concerned about the health of one of the three men.

"You and I pay taxes in New York City, and some of that is to maintain decent shelters. And he should take advantage of that," Kemp said.

Advocates for the homeless called the lawsuit hardhearted.

"Until we see to it that every single homeless individual has a place to stay, this is our reality," said Shelly Nortz, a deputy executive director of the Coalition for the Homeless.

"The complaint that they somehow occasionally occupy a space that is also home to Gucci and Chanel doesn't mean that they're breaking any law," she said.

To think of it, the homeless sit in front of the shop because the warm air conditioner outlet is situated on the platform.

Believe it or not!

What more can I say?

What will be the consequence of such ignorance??

The Eternal Inspiration - MUSIC

Talking about inspiring Music, have you heard YANNI? His music never seems to be enough and you never get to the point where you feel it is enough...what more can i say?
And with the YouTube, you can literally hear any piece of composition anytime you want!
Long Live music and the musicians who share their creativity to the world.
Music is ETERNAL! Don't you think?
Enjoy this piece from one of Yanni's best composition and feel how Samvel brings his violin to life with his music!
The first one is Prelude and Nostalgia composition...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U79esEAO7kk
The second is the Rainmaker...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RvJH_POzxmc
ENJOY more from YouTube!!!

WHAT IS UNIVERSAL?

I think of...
1. Love
2. Music

Whadoyuthink????

Optical Illusion:1

Not Alone...

Sometimes....
I think I stand alone in this Universe,
But then, I suddenly realize that I feel that way,
becoz each and every other creation around me is within my being!
I then shake off the feeling of loneliness and,
Try to compliment the creation with...
My Presence!!!

An inspiration forever...

Yesterday, January 15th, was Martin Luther King Jr Day. And I remember him from my school days when we used to recite his speeches for elocution events. I cannot imagine how different the world would be if people like him were not killed mercilessly. He chose the path of non-violence and love and proved that it was possible to achieve anything with just the determination and the will power.
When I think of such people, I see only love in all their deeds and senses and I think we should follow their path of love and non-violence to erase the chaos from this world. We are currently witnessing so much turmoil in Nature and it is clearly proven that violence does not make anything better. It destroys, destroys and only destroys!

Martin Luther King Jr Major events in 39 years of life...
Montgomery Bus Boycott, 1955-1956.
Birmingham Protests and the "Letter from a Birmingham Jail," April 1963.
"I Have a Dream" Speech and the March on Washington, August 1963.
Nobel Prize, December 1964.
Martin Luther King Jr., once said, " I am afraid that many among you are more concerned about making a living than making a life. You are prone to judge the success of your profession by the index of your salary and the size of the wheel-base on your automobile, rather than the quality of your service to humanity."

Isn't it so true in today's Capitalist world???
We have alienated ourselves from our souls and killed reason beyond recognition along with these people and more others who represented truth!

Looking back to the past....

Observing the existing life style and the social setup I question myself “are we progressing with regards to civilization?” My answer would be, No!
While thinking about the amazing structures like pyramid, great wall of china etc., and the scientific and astronomical calculations our ancestors left for us, I would say we are in no way more advanced than them. Being an Indian, I have heard people say that all the technology and the inventions we have now, have already been mentioned in Indian Vedic scriptures as a possibility in future. Due to the fear that selfish people would misuse them, they were not revealed long back.
Man started living on this planet millions of years ago, but only in past two centuries there seems to be a lot of progress in the aspect of technology and speed, after discovery of oil. Can anyone imagine a world with out oil when you wake up tomorrow?
Your bike, car, automobile would be of no use. All the years, what ever you have saved to travel the world is of no use, because all the flights will be grounded. You could imagine this situation by recollecting the three days when the flights were grounded in the US after the 9/11 attacks. Flying will become a history for everyone until another means of energy is invented.
Traveling and transportation will be cumbersome by then. Goods from one place to other place will take a longer time to reach. US entirely depends on other countries for imports.
Once the mobilization of goods is difficult, people should start thinking about producing the materials locally. All the weapons manufactured will stay with in US. All the computers manufactured with stay within china. etc.. America and Britain came into empowerment with industrial revolution. This was possible only because of fossil fuel, oil and its usage in the machineries. Without oil …..you can imagine what will become of all this!!
This is what America is afraid of. These powerful nations will need food till its death, which is oil, which they are mainly dependent on.
Research is going on to harness energy from renewable resources, but people are not ready for it. These so-called powerful nations are diverting the common man in their country in the name of terrorism. Germans had Nazism, Italians had fascism, and now Americans have terrorism. Terrorism is a tool to conquer the OPEC ( oil producing and exporting countries). Although these countries produce oil, they are valued only in dollars and even their currencies are reference currencies which a factor of US dollars. This will continue while they divert all the oil to its countries towards the depletion of its resources. Oil for other countries apart from US and Britain will be a question.
It is a blind act to create a terror among the common people rather than creating awareness about the depletion of fossil fuel and works towards the change the political setup. If there is no more oil, US will no more be interested in gulf regions or rage war against the innocent people in the name of terrorism.
People will fight for food and water and this is going to be the situation everywhere in this world. It is time to use brain memory to think calculate, store etc., rather than relying on machines.
If some of you are saving money to travel the world by flying after twenty or thirty years. It will only be your dream. Make hay while the sun shines.
Spare some time to see this documentary for you will get a broader perspective of what is happening and what will happen in the future.

http://www.documentary-film.net/search/watch-now.php?&ref=76

The Peace Tree

I would like to introduce you all to one of our Filmmaker friends who we met at the IFFLA 2006. Talking about like minded individuals who want to create a world of Love with the help of children, we never cease to find such dedicated people who work for that cause.
Apart from being a filmmaker, Mitra Sen is also a dedicated schoolteacher in the Inglewood Heights Junior Public School, Scarborough, Ontario, Canada.
You can check out her website for details about her concept THE PEACE TREE.

www.sandalwoodproductions.com/peacetree/

We spoke to Mitra after the screening of her film THE PEACE TREE and she too believes that children, with the love and innocence they hold, have the ability to transform this world and make it a better place. Simple, yet determined she gives us the hope that it is possible to change the world by directing children in the path of love and harmony.

I got to be in touch with her recently and we are looking forward to doing something creative with her and help get all the children of the world together. We hope that the children of the world will all unite with love someday and know each other and with the help of the Internet, we can make this world easily accessible to anyone in any corner of the Planet.

We are positive that with the help of good intentions, children’s love and cooperation from like minded individuals, we can make this world a wonderful place to live and coexist with Nature!

Also check this link…

www.thepeacetree.blogspot.com

If you know a Secret let the World know without revealing yourself

Wikileaks is developing an uncensorable Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis. Our primary interests are oppressive regimes in Asia, the former Soviet bloc, Sub-Saharan Africa and the Middle East, but we also expect to be of assistance to those in the west who wish to reveal unethical behavior in their own governments and corporations. We aim for maximum political impact; this means our interface is identical to Wikipedia and usable by non-technical people. We have received over 1.2 million documents so far from dissident communities and anonymous sources.

We believe that transparency in government activities leads to reduced corruption, better government and stronger democracies. Many governments would benefit from increased scrutiny by the world community, as well as their own people. We believe this scrutiny requires information. Historically that information has been costly - in terms of human life and human rights. Wikileaks will facilitate safety in the ethical leaking movement.

Wikileaks opens leaked documents up to a much more exacting scrutiny than any media organization or intelligence agency could provide. Wikileaks will provide a forum for the entire global community to examine any document for credibility, plausibility, veracity and falsifiability. They will be able to interpret documents and explain their relevance to the public. If a document comes from the Chinese government, the entire Chinese dissident community can freely scrutinize and discuss it; if a document arrives from Iran, the entire Farsi community can analyze it and put it in context. Our first sample analysis is available from the news page, providing a look into the future of what Wikileaks can provide.

In its landmark ruling on the Pentagon Papers, the US Supreme Court ruled that "only a free and unrestrained press can effectively expose deception in government." We agree.

The ruling stated that "paramount among the responsibilities of a free press is the duty to prevent any part of the government from deceiving the people and sending them off to distant lands to die of foreign fevers and foreign shot and shell."

We believe that it is not only the people of one country that keep their government honest, but also the people of other countries who are watching that government. That is why the time has come for an anonymous global avenue for disseminating documents the public should see.

Other articles about Wikileaks

http://www.newscientist.com/channel/tech/mg19325865.500-how-to-leak-a-secret-and-not-get-caught.html

Get ready to post all your secrets anonymously via http://www.wikileaks.org/index.html

For the Pseudo-Intellectuals & the Wannabees

I came across an excellent list called "Must-know terms for the 21st Century intellectual: Redux" formulated by George P. Dvorsky, a blogger I came to know about through Desh's (an intent blogger) blog. The thing that drew me to this list is the fact that I've always played the devil's advocate when it came to being the Generalist(Jack of all trades) Vs. the Specialist. How much ever I tried to be a specialist, it never came to be, for I had been and rather will always be a Generalist.
And Dvorsky, with his comment below, made me even more biased towards being a Generalist. He says
"First, I am trying to come up with a list of the most fundamental and crucial terms that are coming to define and will soon re-define the human condition, and that subsequently should be known by anyone who thinks of themselves as an intellectual. I admit that there's an elitist and even pompous aspect to this exercise, but the fact of the matter is that the zeitgeist is quickly changing. It's not enough anymore to be able to quote Dostoevsky, Freud and Darwin. This said, while my list of terms is 'required' knowledge, I am not suggesting that it is sufficient.
My definition of an 'intellectual' also requires explanation. To me an intellectual in this context is an expert generalist -- a polymath or jack-of-all-trades who sees and understands the Big Picture both past, present and future. While I value and respect the work of specialists, they can be frustratingly out of touch with other disciplines and some of the more broader applications of science, technology and philosophy. Given the obvious truism that nobody can know everything, there is still great value in having individuals understand a diverse set of key principles."
Don't get me wrong, this list is for anyone and everyone, not just the true intellectuals and the pseudo-intellectuals, but even for the wannabees. Chances are, if you are a true intellectual, you are probably gonna know this all.I have listed just a few of the terms but if you are really curious, go check out the full list here.

Anthropic Principle: Once considered a philosophical lark, the anthropic principle has become an integral methodological tool with which to best analyze the extreme unarbitrariness of the Universe's parameters. The AP, which suggests that our Universe's qualities are unavoidable in consideration of the presence of observers, has helped cosmologists, astrobiologists and quantum physicists as they work with such related concepts as the fine-tuning hypothesis, string theory, and various multiverse theories.

Artificial General Intelligence: This ain't your daddy's AI. Rather, AGI describes the kind of intelligence that you and I have -- the commonsense knowhow we have when we're put into unfamiliar situations. Once developed, artificial agents endowed with AGI will be non-specialized intelligent entities that will come to represent the bona fide synthetic equivalent to human intelligence, and then move beyond.

Cosmological Eschatology (aka physical eschatology): CE is the study of how the Universe develops, ages, and ultimately comes to an end. While hardly a new concept, what is new is the suggestion that advanced intelligence may play a role in the universe's life cycle. Given the radical potential for postbiological superintelligence, a number of thinkers have suggested that universe engineering is a likely activity for advanced civilizations. This has given rise to a number of theories, including the developmental singularity hypothesis and the selfish biocosm hypothesis.

Existential Risks: The development of nuclear weapons marked a disturbing turning point for the human species: we are increasingly coming into the possession of apocalyptic technologies. Soon to join the list are such problems as a malevolent superintelligence, deliberate or accidental misuse of nanotech, runaway global warming, a killer artificial virus, an antimatter holocaust, or a particle accelerator disaster. Read more here and here. Adding insult to injury is the Doomsday Argument.

Human Exceptionalism (aka human racism): Not everyone is in favour of human enhancement and the prospect of greater-than-human intelligence. Nor is everyone in favour of extending personhood outside the human sphere. These 'human exceptionalists', a group that includes anti-transhumanist Wesley Smith, argue that being human is what matters, and that to give equal moral currency to non-humans is a violation of human dignity and worth. The opposing viewpoint to this is that of Non-Anthropocentric Personhood -- the notion that nonhumans, be they animals, robots, or uploaded minds, have the potential for personhood status, and by consequence, are worthy of moral consideration.

Post-Scarcity Economy: A post-scarcity economy is a hypothetical form of economy or society in which things such as goods, services and information are free, or practically free. Such a future could come about due to abundance of fundamental resources (think nano, AI, alternative energy, etc.), in conjunction with sophisticated automated systems capable of converting raw materials into finished goods (namely by molecular assemblers). In such a world, manufacturing would be as easy as duplicating software.

The Humbling Effect...Niagara Falls!

These sights will always humble my soul &

remind me that I am just a tiny speck in this
magnificent creation called UNIVERSE!

Endless Possibilities...

The wonderful things in this world do no stop amazing me..i am fascinated by the different possibilities in this world for a simple multiplication process...
Can u imagine what possibilities will be available for living lives in a beautiful way...if we make an attempt??
It is time we explored the endless possibilities and made use of our inexhaustible potential to live our lives!
In the last post another method of multiplying was given...in this i have included another method from YouTube...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T_0qft0aPM

My Three Weeks of Vacation in South India

How does it feel like when u go to your home land after 3 years? Yes, I felt it when I went back to India after so many years. I flew to Muscat and then I to Chennai, India. This time it was not just a vacation for me, I also had to shoot a documentary film about the Siragu School in Chennai.

A week at Siragu:

The first week I spent the day at Siragu and the evenings in T.Nagar, Chennai. My friend Packiya was helping me with the documentary in the day time and brought me food from different restaurants at night J. Kids at Siragu are amazing and they are so full of love. I never knew I could get along with the kids so well. I learned lots of new things in that school from the kids and teachers there. The kids there talk to trees and treat them as their friends. If we could have done the same thing all the past years we would not have caused the environmental pollution and global warming. One of the kid was saying “Hi Tree, How are u? Sorry for hurting you… We wont hurt you anymore…. “ Isn’t it amazing?

And they teach Vedic Maths and Practical learning to their kids, I wish I were in such a school. I would like to share something I learned there. It is a simple math process for you all. What is 9 times 6 and how did you come up with the answer, I just knew the answer all these days because I had memorized the tables so many times in my mind.

Here is how they teach at Siragu...this is for numbers above 5 to 10...

9 * 6

1. Take your 2 hands

2. First with your left hand you count up to 9. You will be left with 4 fingers open for 9. Isn't it?

3. Then with your right hand, count up to 6. You will be left with 1 finger open for 6, Right?

4. So now you have 4 open fingers on your left and 1 open finger on your right.

5. Count the number of open fingers in both the hands and then multiply them with 10. You add 4 on your left and 1 on your right and multiply them with 10. That gives you 50 right? (4 from left+ 1 on right * 10 = 50)

6. Then count the number of closed fingers on the left and right...which gives you 1 on the left and 4 on the right and multiply them together. ( 1 from left * 4 from right = 4)

7. Now, add results from step 5 and 6. (50 + 4= 54)

So, 9*6= 54!

Isn’t it cool? Now try 8 * 7

Practice well, that is the key to faster learning!

Like this they learn everything practically.

Other than learning, we played football, cricket, took pictures, ran around… and laughed all the time. Uma and Muthuram are the founders of Siragu, they are very helpful and cooperative. Right now our documentary about Siragu is under post-production and we will keep you posted with the updates. I feel that every kid in this world deserves the best quality of education no matter where he/she is (from streets or from a house) and it should be free. Only proper education will make our World a better place and take us away from all the chaos happening around us right now.

To know more about Siragu School, visit http://siragu.org/

Second Week:

I went to my home town Pondicherry (soon it might be officially called as Pudhucherry ;) ). Yes, the place where we have Aurobhindo Ashram, Auroville, beaches and of course discount/cheap liquors. Nehru street the happening place in Pondicherry got so congested full of 2 wheelers, bicycles and cars. And in the evening I hardly found any place to stand in the beach. For those who need more sand to run around, take sun bath or build sand castle, we have the Auro beach. It is a few kilometers away from heart of the city. People are still the same- kind, friendly, helpful and more. I loved to be there after such a long time. I revisited all the usual hang-outs - my school, the beach, the train station, Nehru Street, temples, Ashram, Auroville, the pani-poori shop etc.

After 2 days I went on a trip with my family to Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, the southern most point in India where the three oceans meet. It is a must see place in South India. I was there on the Dec,26^th and it was so crowded there. Only later I realized it was the same time when Tsunami had struck a few years back. And it was also the time when Swami Vivekananda was last seen on that rocks there. Saw the sunset and stayed there that night. Then we went to Nagerkovil and visited few temples there (Of course you know temples are the places where u go when u are on a family trip ;) ). Kumarakoil, where you can take bath in the lakes. After seeing the lake I got reminded of the movie "Motorcycle diaries" where Che swims across the river to celebrate his birthday with the patients on the other side, and I swam across to the other side with a little struggle. Then the nearby Manimutharu, and went to Kalaraikuruchi to see the Pabanasam Dam and the Agathiyar Falls and took bath in the falls. One thing which you cannot experience in Niagara falls and of course run behind the monkeys if they take ur towels, soaps or your snacks. And then finally to Tiruneveli (to buy alwa (sweet)) ;)

No matter what changes in time, people in those villages are very kind and helpful as always. That is the best things u get there in villages. No matter where u are from, if you ask for directions or any help they will go out of their way to help you… and offer something to drink and to eat.

Third Week:

Was back in Pondicherry, got sick with fever and cold for 2 days but did some important last minute shopping …. (sweets and snacks for my friends here, without which they wouldn’t let me in)

Natural Consequences - PAYBACK TIME?

This is a graphic representation of what we saw on the National Geographic Documentary Channel last night...

A few questions arise in my mind right at this moment...
1. Should we feel responsible and take the blame without complaining because it is a Natural Consequence or should we blame everything else except ourselves???
2. Are we supposed to feel pity for the people who are being killed or for the Sharks who have been forced into this and are left with no choice??
3. Is this how it is all supposed to happen and end??
4. What part does our reason play here??
5. Have we drowned reason along with our consciousness in an endless ABYSS??

Documentary Update

Good news! The tapes just arrived a couple of days back and we have started sifting through them. Although we just looked at a couple of them, it was in black & white, because of format constraints. One concern, the tapes are in 25p PAL format and our Sony DSR 25 deck has a problem. FCP isn't recognizing the deck, I think there's a problem with the Firewire port. We tried every option but now seems like we have to go through an external source. Have been asking around and hopefully soon we'll figure out a way. But anyways, the footage does look good from whatever we have seen. Can't wait to digitize and start editing...
More photos to be up soon. Watch out.

Endless Cycle of Violence - Verdict on Saddam

By now, we have been inundated with the news of the debacle of justice that is Saddam's hanging. We cannot even begin to get into the details of what went wrong where and how. But the cycle of revenge and the so-called 'justice' meted out to him and the way the whole issue was covered by the media is really deplorable. In fact, Saddam's execution only showed us a glimpse of the barbaric and vengeful world we all live in now.
At a time when we need the world to be more understanding, tolerant and forgiving(words that seem too far-fetched), we only see death, anger, hatred, revenge and needless destruction. This is not just a mere linear unfolding of historical events, but a cycle that has been going on and on for a long time now and that seems to go on forever. But the question is, will this ever stop? Or rather, can we ever stop this? And how?
There's an article that I came across on "Forgiveness Vs Anger", which promotes forgiveness that is most needed in our world right now. It raises the question of who will put an end to all the violence and hatred which is seemingly an impossible one to answer, but nevertheless, one that we MUST answer.

Films and Updates

Just a little update on what's happening with our films

1. Men of Burden - Pedaling Towards a Horizon
After the NYC premiere at IAAC, there hasn't been much happening. Although our plans for future screenings are on. We have been talking to some folks in the Cycle Rickshaw (Pedicab) industry here in New York for arranging private screenings. Hopefully by mid-January, we'll know more. So far, DIY distribution seems to be the way to go. More on that later.

2. Wait No More
Our new completed short film is all ready to go places (crossing fingers). We got some good reviews for the film from our inner circles, but still, until it hits the big screen and people outside our inner circles say something good, we aren't going to rejoice. The DVDs are burnt and ready too, and some have hit the submission currents, so let's see what's in store.

3. New Untitled Documentary film
Yes, our documentary on Siragu school based on underprivileged/homeless children in India still is 'Untitled'. We have a few options but they are just 'ok'. Nothing too exciting. We will be getting the footage in our hands next week and then we will start Post-production. Very excited. But, so long.

Conversations with a friend...part 6

We all say God is everywhere.
It is obvious that God is also inside us. We say God has His influence on anything and everything. So He can influence us from inside. Now if we consider God as this enormity as a whole, then it is obvious that we are inside Him. Now when God can influence us from inside since He is in us, then we can equally influence Him since we are inside Him.
Is it so ? or not?

Conversations with a friend...part 5

We know all the living beings grow from inside. Growing is nothing but an action or a happening. Happening is nothing but a change. No change can happen without a cause. Now the origin of the cause is internal or external?
Our growth is perfectly a physical change.
Again, any physical change must have a physical cause. What exactly would be the physical nature of that cause?

Conversations with a friend...part 4

Let us once again ponder over the creation of the baby. The single cell splits into innumerable cells and all the cells assume their own functions simultaneously.
Can we identify the exact nature of influence or authority or command that is possessed by the single cell over the rest of the cells?
During the process of growth almost all the cells are equivalent.
Now tell me if each and every cell represents the single cell or the single cell represents all the cells?

This would directly relate to the all-powerful omniscient divinity that is a part of us all. We cannot say exactly whether the divine represents all of us or we represent the divine.
We do not know whether the baby in the womb is conscious or not (even though a great search, debate, theories and incidents are prevailing on this particular issue) but when it comes out, we can be sure that it is physically unorganized. First it takes control of the nose when it is able to smell and recognize the mother; then the ears play their role in sensing the mother- with louder noises; then sometime in the third month, the eyes when it is able to focus and smile; then with great difficulty the hands and fingers, when it learns to grip; then the legs, when it stands up to walk, then it analyses everything when slowly taking the control of mind and behavior and it walks the whole life to achieve towards a great organization at first to realize itself as a whole and later to realize some other whole.

Now without such a great course of growth with full of events, will there be any meaning for the single cell?

Thoughts and Expressions...

This is a topic on alienation and this particular paragraph from the book "Marx's Concept of Man written by Erich Fromm and it shows so much depth that I cannot even explain how overwhelmed I was when I read it...

Karl Marx says,
"Among the many forms of alienation, the most frequent one is the alienation in language. If I express a feeling with a word, let us say, I love you, the word is meant to be an indication of the reality which exists within myself, the power of my loving. The word "love" is meant to be a symbol of the fact love, but as soon as it is spoken it tends to assume a life of its own, it becomes a reality. I am under the illusion that the saying of the word is the equivalent of the experience, and soon I say the word and feel nothing, except the thought of love, which the word expresses. The alienation of language shows the whole complexity of alienation. Language is one of the most precious human achievements; to avoid alienation by not speaking would be foolish; yet one must be always aware of the danger of the spoken word, that it threatens to substitute itself for the living experience. The same holds true for all other achievements of man: ideas, art, any kind of man-made objects. They are man's creations; they are valuable aids for life yet each one of them is also a trap, a temptation to confuse life with things, experience with artifacts, feeling with surrender and submission."

Please also do refer the September post on Language and expression. Expression is the most essential part of human life and living and is very much needed in the surrent scenario...
http://acchor.blogspot.com/2006/09/language-expression.html

Conversations with a friend...part 3

We see a lot of people in our lives and we interact with a lot of them. When you see somebody can you visualize him or her with a totality that is right from the baby to an older one?
It is assumed that each and every human takes numerous births. As a second step, can you imagine somebody with a lot of forms? A greater totality over a great period of time?
Can you imagine at one sight, all the human beings, at the same time with the entire history, right from the earlier man to a greatly organized society in the future?
On an interaction with somebody, can you imagine yourself as the person with whom you interact? Can you imagine yourself in all the human beings, along with all the pleasures and sorrows, pains and comforts, births, lives and deaths, all the emotions as if you are undergoing and experiencing them in the most objective way?
As a next step, can you imagine yourself in all the living forms with varied emotions and secondly in all the non-living forms?

Conversations with a friend...part 2

Only that single cell takes a form of you or me. And we know that the cell is more knowledgeable than us. Now, tell me if that single cell has grown towards the present form of you or me, or that it has decayed towards this form?

Conversations with a friend...part 1

A friend asked me recently....

When a sperm gets fused along with an egg or ovum, they together form a single cell with 46 chromosomes, containing all the genetic information. Only that single cell is the origin of any one of us. Now the point to be noted is, that single cell not only contains the genetic information, that is a great past, but also all the information about us, which comprises our future. Whether we are black or fair, fat or thin, bald or hairy, tall or short, our physiological structure, physical being, i.e., when we would get what disease, also our temperament, and our psychological make up, and so on; that is our entire life is concentrated in that.

Can we say that is exhaustive? Along with that a lot of cells are formed along with innumerable information and assumes a form of any one of us.

We know that the single cell has everything about us. But even to know that, we need science, experience and a great historical process. and, we are in the process of knowing more.

We can very well say that we can never be exhaustive with respect to knowledge.

Now, can you tell if we are conscious or whether that single cell is conscious?

When every information of our life is somehow embedded in us, then what about our free will?

Mythology in Movies

Ahh...a cliched pair, huh?
But whatever we may call it, they are still the basis of our imaginations running wild. Wild in terms of what we can't seem to achieve in the 'real' life. There have been so many thinkers and writers who have extolled the relationship of mythology and what role it plays in stories, films, civilizations and life itself. Having read the likes of Campbell, James Bonnett, etc, I have to admit I'm finding myself increasingly attracted towards the genre.
I recently saw the trailer for 300, which is an adaptation of Frank Miller's graphic novel. It'll be out in 2007 and has been directed by Zack Snyder, who is a cousin of a friend's friend. Was really amazed at the amount of effort they had put in towards the making of the movie. Imagine, LOTR, Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnya, Superman and now 300, they all take us to a world devoid of our mundane existence here in the 'real' world as we see it. It makes us wanna break out of our monotony and do something outrageous which is primarily because the films and the stories serve as metaphors for our 'true' existence. It's just spectacular how we translate them into our lives and sometimes try and become better versions of ourselves. Maybe someday we can be the superhero we've always been dreaming about. Up, up and away!

Global Warming on the Loose??

Whatever happened to the snow this year- 2006?? Today is December 24^th and still there is absolutely no trace of snow in New Jersey. My anticipations have turned into disappointments with the warm sun smiling at me even during the supposed winter. Well, it is a wait that brings so many questions to the mind… is there is something wrong on a larger scale? Three four years back when people talked about Global Warming, no one had any clue as to what it meant. But I guess the meaning is slowly getting into our understanding. The fluctuations in the weather and the warm temperatures indicate something worse that is impending. The rest of the world is already suffering the consequences. There are some parts of the world which are already deprived of good drinking water and Nature has her own way of expressing her disappointment I guess. SIGH!

Where do we start? Many people would not know…but, for a start, let us begin to respect our trees and hope we can correct our mistakes sooner and not let anything drastic happen to this beautiful world around us.

I pledge not to hurt any tree and see to it that I plant at least a 100 trees in my lifetime.

Principal Photography: Complete

Can't believe we are done with Principal photography. So many things have happened over the last few days that we are finding it hard to believe the primary work on location is behind us now. In the last couple of days, we did the interview bits with Uma and Muthuram, you know, asking them about the specific activities that the children did over the days of the shoot. Seemed like their thoughts fit in quite well with the overall objectives and the goal of the documentary.
An irony is that we still haven't come up with the Title of the film, weird but true. The same thing happened to our new short film, Wait No More, we came up with the title only during post-production. But hey, if any of you have any ideas just holler.
The picture above is that of the kids during the football games, I think. We got a lot more pictures, but they are still in India. We are waiting for the tapes too. Man, can't wait to get our hands on them and start post-production. Ok, gotta go, a movie's waiting to be seen.

Production Updates

Well, well, well, guess what?
Our Universal concept for kids is shaping up pretty good. The kids are much, much smarter(hyperbole) than we thought and the story-making exercise was a real eye-opener, not for them, but for us...the kids taught us a lot with their creativity. More in detail about that, later.
The world languages exercise is also proving to be a great tool for the kids. They have already started wishing us in Greek, French, etc. Everyday, the teachers would teach the kids new words from new languages. The primary world languages that are being taught are Arabic, Chinese, Greek, French, German, Hindi, Russian, Spanish, Swahili and Tagalog. I guess the next time we meet them they are gonna talk about things we wouldn't have a clue about.
Postcards - They also created postcards with drawings, paintings, poems, written messages, etc for kids in other parts of the world. This exercise was primarily to help them connect with kids universally and maybe in future develop life-long relationships with them.
Most in the crew were exhausted after continuous shooting, day and night. Our Cinematographer became sick and we continued despite that, nevertheless, we got some great shots. We also got routines of the kids' activities as we followed some kids on their daily journeys. There's lots more to discuss, but we'll soon update you within a couple of days.
In the pics, you can see the crew with the kids in the playground with one of the teachers. The other pic is a painting done by them on aliens and space.

Siragu Documentary Update

The second and third days have been great. We made great progress with the shoot. We went with Uma and Muthuram to the actual Nadaipathai (pavement) where the parents of the children live.
You can see Uma and Muthuram in the photo above with the parents, talking to them. They showed us the whole environment where many pavement-dwellers lived. It was an amazing experience meeting people who are so straight-forward and simple.
Back at the school, Siragu, we played football/soccer with the children. Man, was it fun! Ramesh, Raja and almost all the crew members joined the game and were so exhausted after that.
At night, we had a campfire with the children where they were asked to write down what they didn't like and threw them into the fire - they threw 'War', 'Guns', etc into the fire. Babu (Ramanujam) was the one who initiated it, with the whole thing being a very deeply emotional experience - the children striving for peace, love and unity. Can you believe it?
The little girl(2nd photo) with the hat is Meenakshi who recently joined Siragu and she tagged along with the crew most of the time.
Watch out for more updates soon.

Siragu Documentary - In Production

Great News!
Our next documentary film on Siragu, a school(it's more than that) for street/homeless children, is under way. We started production/shooting yesterday in Avadi, Chennai, India.
The day started out great with the Production Crew leaving at 7 a.m from Chennai city. After a long 2 hour drive, Ramesh, Packya, Babu and Raja reached Siragu Home/School and met the children and checked out the school and the location. Ramesh, who is organizing and directing the whole shoot in India, is a trooper, who's been working constantly with sleepless nights and endless travel. Packya is associate producing with on-location logistics help. Raja, is our Cinematographer, with about 8 years experience in Chennai. A great team. Period.

We got lots of great shots of the children in the school and the surroundings. The school is located in the outskirts of Avadi, which is itself in the outskirts. It's amazing how the Founders/Managing team, Uma and Muthuram have built the school from the ground up. They are so committed in their goal to educate children from the most down-trodden areas of the society. They have been amazing in their cooperation and are guiding us through the entire shoot. Do check out their website www.siragu.org
The above are some pictures that we took immediately after we landed there. Enjoy and more to come right after this.

The Latest Epidemic!

This dis-ease has been spreading swifter than a forest fire and the germs come in all possible forms and in all mediums…
It is called the CREDIT SYSTEM…

I tried to collect a few definitions from some informative sources…you can see what this can do to your life...
A credit card is a small plastic card issued to users of a type of retail transaction settlement and credit system.
Courtesy: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Credit_card

1. A card that identifies a person as entitled to have food, merchandise, services, etc., billed on a charge account.
2. A plastic card having a magnetic strip, issued by a bank or business authorizing the holder to buy goods or services on credit.
3. A card allowing someone to make a purchase on borrowed money. Credit cards are one of the most popular forms of payment for consumer goods and services in the United States.

And some free advice…from the Investopedia Commentary…
Credit cards have higher interest rates than most consumer loans or lines of credit, so try your hardest to pay off your credit card each month.

Courtesy: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/credit%20card

Before you realize what is happening you are sucked into the abyss of the credit system making money (which is after all a tool and is supposed to assist us with exchange of goods) one of the most sought after things in life, pushing Love well behind in the race.
Where is this all leading us to?
Check these links for some more information on the students of the United States and how they are finding themselves caught up in the maze of the credit system and cannot seem to escape its poisonous fangs at such a young age.

http://www.usatoday.com/money/perfi/2006-10-01-college-credit-usat_x.htm
Courtesy: www.usatoday.com

And if you are young and in debt with your credit card loans, you have another set of people to help you out and that is not for free… there is a crowd to help you build your finances again…for money, of course!!
And, what about the rest of the world? They will soon join the credit clubs…sooner or later!

Reality or Illusion?

Is there a line that distinguishes Reality and Illusion?? If so, where does the line exist between the two?

All our lives we run behind things thinking that they are real, but can we really be sure about that Reality not being Maya?
What then constitutes MAYA or the Illusion?
Nature around us... all the while tries to show us Reality and Maya alternatively...but then is our perception too rigid??

R.K.Narayan - Those days...

I was reading the article below about R.K.Narayan (1906-2001), one of India's celebrated writers of realist fiction. Of course, anybody who knows him will know him primarily by his Malgudi Days - Swami & Friends.
Lucid, simple and powerful prose. To me, his stories are more about evoking that nostalgia, recreating those familiar memories that we all have buried inside. When we used to watch Malgudi Days back in the 80s, it would create an inexplicable pain, everytime. Now when I think about it, it not only brings back memories of our golden days but also the evocative narratives that were very much part of our psyche when we grew up. The reason why I can relate to it is the exitentialist nature of R.K.Narayan's characters. Maybe I see his perspective as part of my own, maybe that's why I've been having a lot of questions in my mind about being right or wrong, about good or evil, about the larger cosmic paradigm that we are all part of.
(picture courtesy: malgudidays.com)
http://www.newyorker.com/printables/critics/061218crbo_books

Wait No More - Completed

Wait No More - Our next short film starring Ragini Parmar and Patrick Fernicola is now complete. Gotta admit we are a little behind schedule, but hey, it's all good now. The project is ready for the DVD pipeline and soon for the Festival circuit.
Here's the link that's been up and we hope to update it soon. Watch out for more news.
http://www.accessiblehorizonfilms.com/waitnomore.html

Sharing...

Sharing is one of the most valuable tendencies of living beings. We see it in every possible species. Once the action of sharing starts, it opens up a lot of knowledge gates where you learn a lot of new things about the world and its mysteries. Apart from the uniqueness of every single being and the connection that brings all of them together, there is this element of sharing which further enriches the whole living process without which the planet would have stopped revolving. However big or small the invention or discovery, unless it is shared with the rest of the beings, it does not make any sense. How on this earth is it ever possible to live otherwise?