I am writing these lines from a computer in the hospital where I work. I have to spend the night here today and hence decided to peruse the net post dinner. It is very often in the quiet after-5-pm hours of this hospital that you tend to be much calmer in thinking things out,as opposed to the mad rush of the out-patient hours.
A few points I would like to mention:
1)Your parents did the best they could. You will also screw up when you become a parent,but perhaps in ways that are diametrically opposite to how you got screwed by your own parents.But it will happen. The sacrifices they made for you,you will understand when you become one yourself.
2)Things are not as bad as how they seem.Unless you're a starving child in Africa,they're not.
3)Sometimes you can't help people screwing up.They may be your dear friends but they will do it anyway,even though you try hard to avert the potential disaster. Hell,whole countries make catastrophic blunders while the world watches in quiet amusement and pity.Look at the most powerful country in the world; it's citizens voted a president who has been singlehandedly responsible for bringing Armageddon closer. Plus,he's dumb.He can hardly read.He definately doesn't know English. Still,it happened and we couldn't do a single damn thing to stop it from happening.
4)Dire Straits and Mark Knopfler rule. Ditto Eddie Van Halen,Pearl Jam,Matchbox 20,Queen,REM,Tom Petty,Bob Dylan,Mr.Big and many more.People who let their work do the talking is who i'm talking about. Same for Gandhi,Syu-Kyi,A.P.J.Abdul Kalam,Manmohan Singh,Al Gore,Nelson Mandela and a few others.
5)Dogs are nice and they DO NOT KILL unless provoked.
6)Although we get the Government we deserve,the political crisis in Karnataka makes even the most absurdist ideas we had about Government seem like Nobel Prize winning material.Because things have become so dumb that the thermostat has to be reset and new definitions have to be formulated regarding the future use of that word,and in the context it can be used in.
7)Its ok to be neurotic.But its not ok to put on a falsely gung-ho appearence to hide the fact.
8)Before you decide to blame someone,ask yourself if you were also responsible for the misunderstanding. Most likely you would have been.
9)Don't listen to people who tell you that you can't do it.However,listen to people who tell you what your shortcomings are,provided they're honest and have nothing to gain from it.
10)There in nothing more peaceful than waking up in the morning as the sun rises and the birds are chirping. Try to keep that peace with you throughout the day in the helter-skelter of your daily life.
11)Smoking is bad.Period.And if you do it,don't be upset that you can't quit.It is THE most addictive substance in the world.If you do quit it,tell me how.Because i'm trying to quit it too but somehow can't get myself to do it.
12)There is always time to do the things we really want to.
13)Sleep less,eat less,drink lots of water,don't gorge on fast food, and walk 5 km a day to stay in shape.
14)Play an instrument.Even if what comes out is noise,do it anyway.
15)It ain't over till the fat lady sings.
16)Watch The Matrix,The Godfather, and The Shawshank Redemption at least two times each.You will learn how to dream,how to make a fucking amazing movie,and how to keep trying and never lose hope respectively.
17)Dancing stars and Glitzy musical numbers do not a fine movie make.
18)Laugh at something,even if its the jokes you crack in your own head.
19)Take pride in the fact that you're an Indian.Never believe yourself to be inferior to anybody....let's not be pushovers but quitely and assertively state that we are here to stay.
20)Give money to the poor. They need it a helluva lot more than we do.Ask yourself this question :"Is this person's need greater than mine?"
Phew!!Thats all I could think about at the moment.
Just to remind you all that The Dark Knight will hit theatres on July 18th,2008.And appearently Heath Ledger is bloody amazing.Can't wait!!
Monday, October 8, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Updates and confessions.
Recently I had realised that people(I,to be more honest) want the easy way out of everything. I am one of them. We(more suitably I) have had the vaccination of a previleged upbringing that makes us(me,actually) loathe to really endure times that are so shitty,so bad,that you hang in there just because you believe there is a light at the end of your tunnel.And unlike James Hetfield of Metallica,we should believe that it isn't just another freight train coming our way.
I guess that life has generally become so much more easier and convineant for us that we don't want to strech ourselves anymore.What if there is to be another Great Depression coming?How will we deal with it? Will we have the spiritual arsenal to cope?
Which is why I take inspiration in(NOT The Bible or The Bhagvad Gita) the Rocky series of movies,which depicts a 30 year old fighter(played to perfection by Sly Stallone) who fights in seedy clubs at night and works as a loan shark during the day. He isn't smart,but has a stout heart which helps him when he is challenged by the World Heavyweight Champion for the Heavyweight Title bout after the latter's original contender pulls out due to medical reasons. How a down and out 30 year old (whose locker is given to another,more promising boxer in the first half of the movie) trains with the help of his manager Mickey,and prepares himself for the biggest day of his life is depicted with the standard inspirational music and heavy sweat and training sequences that are now cliched. But it is in the fight in the end that your heart goes out to Rocky and you see that all it takes is the heart to hang in there and stay for a while longer in the ring, and give your best shot while trying to duck the opponents fist.
I always knew that Stallone was Rocky,but it was only recently that I discovered that he has written all the scripts of the franchise as well as directed 4 of them. Suddenly the mumbling muscleman became a man who has written a story to stand the test of time.At least in my eyes. What most people do not know is that Stallone himself had about a 100 dollars in his bank account when he wrote the script of the first Rocky movie with a family in tow. So it goes to show that miracles do happen if you work at it long enough.And provided you don't lose heart.
I personally struggle with pessimistic and occasionally fatalistic patterns of thinking and I hope to adopt a more positive,or at least realistic,attitude in the days to come.And I sincerely hope that all you guys do too.
Updates are hard to come buy owing to paucity of time. I suppose I too am slowly becoming more and more immersed in daily goings on that time to ponder is hard to find.(At least,its hard to find time to type my thoughts:-) )
Books....bought a whole lot of them but unfortunately haven't opened a single one. Looks like its going to be only academic books for the next 4 months,as the entrances are coming soon. Now its time to put into practice what I wrote in the paragraphs above:-) Cheeky!!!!
Please discount the whole aversion to pain-themed-first 2 paragraphs if you have streched yourself and achieved something you're proud of. Drop in an e mail to tell me your story. I'd love to hear it!!
Bye-Bye.
I guess that life has generally become so much more easier and convineant for us that we don't want to strech ourselves anymore.What if there is to be another Great Depression coming?How will we deal with it? Will we have the spiritual arsenal to cope?
Which is why I take inspiration in(NOT The Bible or The Bhagvad Gita) the Rocky series of movies,which depicts a 30 year old fighter(played to perfection by Sly Stallone) who fights in seedy clubs at night and works as a loan shark during the day. He isn't smart,but has a stout heart which helps him when he is challenged by the World Heavyweight Champion for the Heavyweight Title bout after the latter's original contender pulls out due to medical reasons. How a down and out 30 year old (whose locker is given to another,more promising boxer in the first half of the movie) trains with the help of his manager Mickey,and prepares himself for the biggest day of his life is depicted with the standard inspirational music and heavy sweat and training sequences that are now cliched. But it is in the fight in the end that your heart goes out to Rocky and you see that all it takes is the heart to hang in there and stay for a while longer in the ring, and give your best shot while trying to duck the opponents fist.
I always knew that Stallone was Rocky,but it was only recently that I discovered that he has written all the scripts of the franchise as well as directed 4 of them. Suddenly the mumbling muscleman became a man who has written a story to stand the test of time.At least in my eyes. What most people do not know is that Stallone himself had about a 100 dollars in his bank account when he wrote the script of the first Rocky movie with a family in tow. So it goes to show that miracles do happen if you work at it long enough.And provided you don't lose heart.
I personally struggle with pessimistic and occasionally fatalistic patterns of thinking and I hope to adopt a more positive,or at least realistic,attitude in the days to come.And I sincerely hope that all you guys do too.
Updates are hard to come buy owing to paucity of time. I suppose I too am slowly becoming more and more immersed in daily goings on that time to ponder is hard to find.(At least,its hard to find time to type my thoughts:-) )
Books....bought a whole lot of them but unfortunately haven't opened a single one. Looks like its going to be only academic books for the next 4 months,as the entrances are coming soon. Now its time to put into practice what I wrote in the paragraphs above:-) Cheeky!!!!
Please discount the whole aversion to pain-themed-first 2 paragraphs if you have streched yourself and achieved something you're proud of. Drop in an e mail to tell me your story. I'd love to hear it!!
Bye-Bye.
Saturday, September 15, 2007
Why Friends and Seinfeld struck a chord...
Have there ever been times when you've felt that you are completely alone and isolated from the whole world,prefer to live in a cave for the rest of your life,with cigarettes,caffeine and alcohol(or whatever you deem comforting) as your sole companion(s)?
Of course you have!!
What I am confused about is that we were told that this would happen during puberty,and I remember that a Doctor had come to my school and spoken to us about how this was a time of change,etc etc etc. What he did not mention was that this would stay with us throughout the majority of our adult life!! It's only when we are 60+ that we (hopefully) sit back and realise that our demons have been tamed,and that we are,finally,at peace.
In which case shouldn't puberty extend upto we're 45 or so?
Sitcoms like Friends and Seinfeld were such a hit because they showed adults who had issues that one normally sees during adolescence. "Will she like me?" "I can't say no to him" "Is it too early to call back?" "What happens next?" "What do i want to be doing for the rest my life?"
Such issues never leave us. Those who have resolved them,we label as sages and new-age gurus.
Dravid has resigned as captain of the Indian Cricket Team,which is a good move. Like Tendulkar before him,he couldn't juggle both captaincy and batting. Hopefully from now The Wall will make us remember again why we named
him so.
Of course you have!!
What I am confused about is that we were told that this would happen during puberty,and I remember that a Doctor had come to my school and spoken to us about how this was a time of change,etc etc etc. What he did not mention was that this would stay with us throughout the majority of our adult life!! It's only when we are 60+ that we (hopefully) sit back and realise that our demons have been tamed,and that we are,finally,at peace.
In which case shouldn't puberty extend upto we're 45 or so?
Sitcoms like Friends and Seinfeld were such a hit because they showed adults who had issues that one normally sees during adolescence. "Will she like me?" "I can't say no to him" "Is it too early to call back?" "What happens next?" "What do i want to be doing for the rest my life?"
Such issues never leave us. Those who have resolved them,we label as sages and new-age gurus.
Dravid has resigned as captain of the Indian Cricket Team,which is a good move. Like Tendulkar before him,he couldn't juggle both captaincy and batting. Hopefully from now The Wall will make us remember again why we named
him so.
Friday, September 14, 2007
The Watchmen.
Right now is one of those times when i'm pissed at the whole world,for reasons that are not important. But this overwhelming sense of frustration is there,and i guess that time is the best healer for periods like these.
Anyways,I had read Alan Moore's graphic novel-The Watchmen. And it is striking. Not as much as for the intense characterizations of their leads-these are real people,man-than for the underlying theme i.e one of Spock's most Zen like statements-the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. If you haven't read it yet,then its best that you avoid the following paragraph.
One of the Watchme-Adrian Veidt(if that is the spelling),actually organizes this elaborate plot that culminates in a part of NYC being blown to bits by an extraterrestrial being that is suddenly teleported there.As a result of which the impending nuclear war with Russia is avoided,all hostilities are forgotten,and a new age of friendship and empathy dawns on man,at the expense of a few million lives.
On the surface,it might seem that what Veidt has done is horrendous,but on closer inspection,he actually did change the world.He ended the threat of Mutually Assured Destruction,and the annihilation of the world at the same time. But there were casualties,lots of them.
I suppose it was one of those presidential style decisions that has to be taken by world leaders. My father once told me that Heads of Government are presented with problems that have an equal number of pros and cons. And which way to take it is left in their hands. Which is why that its a bitch to be the President of the USA,or any other country. They have blood on their hands,but if it means more lives saved than expended,the decision is one worth taking.Similar to the manner in which Harry S.Truman dropped those 2 bombs to result in the ending of the 2nd World War.In the end lots more lives were spared.I am not supporting what he did,and I'm not condoning it either. But I am saying that sometimes these are hard decisions that everybody will have to take at some point or the other in their lives,although of not such a dramatic scale.
And Rorscach rules!!The philosophy he practices has been described as "Moral Absolutism" by Wikipedia.Its a nice description. Although I would like to live like how he did,I am realizing,by bitter experience,that it may not the right way to live. Because in the end you'll end up being defeated by a power higher than you,in much the same manner that Rorscach was killed by Dr.Manhattan. I don't like the way it turned out with Rorscach,but somewhere in the back of my head was the phrase "Was expected". Which is why characters like Rorscach and Howard Roark exist only in books and not in the real world....they don't live long enough for their story to be told!! Sad,but true.
Anyways,I had read Alan Moore's graphic novel-The Watchmen. And it is striking. Not as much as for the intense characterizations of their leads-these are real people,man-than for the underlying theme i.e one of Spock's most Zen like statements-the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. If you haven't read it yet,then its best that you avoid the following paragraph.
One of the Watchme-Adrian Veidt(if that is the spelling),actually organizes this elaborate plot that culminates in a part of NYC being blown to bits by an extraterrestrial being that is suddenly teleported there.As a result of which the impending nuclear war with Russia is avoided,all hostilities are forgotten,and a new age of friendship and empathy dawns on man,at the expense of a few million lives.
On the surface,it might seem that what Veidt has done is horrendous,but on closer inspection,he actually did change the world.He ended the threat of Mutually Assured Destruction,and the annihilation of the world at the same time. But there were casualties,lots of them.
I suppose it was one of those presidential style decisions that has to be taken by world leaders. My father once told me that Heads of Government are presented with problems that have an equal number of pros and cons. And which way to take it is left in their hands. Which is why that its a bitch to be the President of the USA,or any other country. They have blood on their hands,but if it means more lives saved than expended,the decision is one worth taking.Similar to the manner in which Harry S.Truman dropped those 2 bombs to result in the ending of the 2nd World War.In the end lots more lives were spared.I am not supporting what he did,and I'm not condoning it either. But I am saying that sometimes these are hard decisions that everybody will have to take at some point or the other in their lives,although of not such a dramatic scale.
And Rorscach rules!!The philosophy he practices has been described as "Moral Absolutism" by Wikipedia.Its a nice description. Although I would like to live like how he did,I am realizing,by bitter experience,that it may not the right way to live. Because in the end you'll end up being defeated by a power higher than you,in much the same manner that Rorscach was killed by Dr.Manhattan. I don't like the way it turned out with Rorscach,but somewhere in the back of my head was the phrase "Was expected". Which is why characters like Rorscach and Howard Roark exist only in books and not in the real world....they don't live long enough for their story to be told!! Sad,but true.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
There is always this sense of doom coupled with a hope of better things to come whenever it's your birthday. Resolutions are made,new dreams written down on paper and the mood is generally upbeat. On the other hand,when we realise that not much has actually changed compared to our birthday last year,we go into a self pity trip that destroys much much more than it comforts.
So,when i celebrated my birthday recently,I was cautious not to fall into either of the two extremes listed above. Instead I hope ,and I truly hope,to be more aware of the fact that I am living a life that is my own,with its own unique issues and triumphs,and that comparison with others is folly. The reason most of us are unhappy is that we compare our current positions to others,or we wish that we were in a happier,more financially secure place than where we are now.
Because the truth is that we are damn lucky to be able to have a roof over our heads,with food to eat and water to drink,and people who love us-family,friends,whoever. And we have the luxury of wasting food that is enough to feed a starving African family. The bigger picture is what i'm thinking about,and urging readers to do the same.
I figure that the more we have,the more we want,and once we can't get it,we curse and abuse our fate and go into that self pity trip I was talking about earlier. I know this sounds very pop psychology,but let's just stop for a moment and think about what we have with us now,and picture ourselves without it. Then let's see what we value,and hopefully then we can differentiate between what we really need and what we want.
Apart from that,I'm confused about what subject to pursue for my residency-Internal Medicine or Psychiatry.Hopefully I'll come to a decision soon.
Good Night and Good Luck.
So,when i celebrated my birthday recently,I was cautious not to fall into either of the two extremes listed above. Instead I hope ,and I truly hope,to be more aware of the fact that I am living a life that is my own,with its own unique issues and triumphs,and that comparison with others is folly. The reason most of us are unhappy is that we compare our current positions to others,or we wish that we were in a happier,more financially secure place than where we are now.
Because the truth is that we are damn lucky to be able to have a roof over our heads,with food to eat and water to drink,and people who love us-family,friends,whoever. And we have the luxury of wasting food that is enough to feed a starving African family. The bigger picture is what i'm thinking about,and urging readers to do the same.
I figure that the more we have,the more we want,and once we can't get it,we curse and abuse our fate and go into that self pity trip I was talking about earlier. I know this sounds very pop psychology,but let's just stop for a moment and think about what we have with us now,and picture ourselves without it. Then let's see what we value,and hopefully then we can differentiate between what we really need and what we want.
Apart from that,I'm confused about what subject to pursue for my residency-Internal Medicine or Psychiatry.Hopefully I'll come to a decision soon.
Good Night and Good Luck.
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Updates
I am unable to write as often as i'd like to,what with starting work and all,but I hope this entry will suffice in providing updates(or lack thereof)
There is this one movie called "Cinderella Man" starring Russell Crowe which I would advise anybody to see. Because in the tradition of the "Rocky" franchise,it speaks about the triumph of the human spirit,but it also says that we do need a break once in a while,when the chips are down.
I have always found Crowe to be a tad overrated. I was not particularly impressed by his performances in "Gladiator" or "The Beautiful Mind", but on this occasion he has delivered a truly remarkable performance as a professional boxer who goes from riches to rags during The Great Depression.Only to fight back and finally come out triumphant. Mostly understated,he lets the strength of his characters spirit do tha talking. Ditto Renee Zellweger,who is one of the most underrated actors of our generation,as the loyal wife who is paranoid about the safety of her boxer husband.
In current news,you would have all heard of the rift between the Congress and the Left front,over the nuclear deal with the United States. There are,as always,two sides to this story. The deal will bring with it much needed electricity and other essential requirements.On the condition that we do not conduct any more nuclear tests. Which I think is silly. It's not that we are so bellicose as a nation to expand our arsenal at any given opportunity to counteract the slightest possible threat,real or imaginary. The world would be a much more peaceful place if everybody were libertarian,which translates into..Leave others alone and vice versa. But it will never work out.Because sometimes what others want will impinge on your way of living,and if you are to stick to your word,then it would mean that you get screwed in the name of being a Libertarian. There is a thin fine line to walk,which we will never find,not in all our lifetimes,between letting people be and an intervention that is needed to protect ourselves. Like i said,we'll never find it,let alone walk it.
Apart from that,Sanjay Dutt is in jail. Which is the supreme irony,like many things in life. Christopher Reeve plays Superman on screen only to be paralysed from the neck down in real life. You take the bus instead of your bike on a rainy day because you fear the bike may slip and you might injure yourself,only to have a humongous crash involving the very bus you took. Munna Bhai is convicted and sent to jail. Will this ever end? Its cruel,very cruel,and the exact reasons for such events happening in such a sequence are poorly understood.
The song "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles is one of my favorites,but the number of times it has been covered and remixed is a stark reminder of the fact that creativity is wearing out in the entertainment world. Not to mention the countless mediocre sequels to movies that were a box office hit. It's basically sticking to a formula. And the results are there for everyone to see. Whatever happened to spontaneity? To original thinking? To being open to the idea that one might actually fail,but at least one has failed at trying to do something original.
More later. 'Night.
There is this one movie called "Cinderella Man" starring Russell Crowe which I would advise anybody to see. Because in the tradition of the "Rocky" franchise,it speaks about the triumph of the human spirit,but it also says that we do need a break once in a while,when the chips are down.
I have always found Crowe to be a tad overrated. I was not particularly impressed by his performances in "Gladiator" or "The Beautiful Mind", but on this occasion he has delivered a truly remarkable performance as a professional boxer who goes from riches to rags during The Great Depression.Only to fight back and finally come out triumphant. Mostly understated,he lets the strength of his characters spirit do tha talking. Ditto Renee Zellweger,who is one of the most underrated actors of our generation,as the loyal wife who is paranoid about the safety of her boxer husband.
In current news,you would have all heard of the rift between the Congress and the Left front,over the nuclear deal with the United States. There are,as always,two sides to this story. The deal will bring with it much needed electricity and other essential requirements.On the condition that we do not conduct any more nuclear tests. Which I think is silly. It's not that we are so bellicose as a nation to expand our arsenal at any given opportunity to counteract the slightest possible threat,real or imaginary. The world would be a much more peaceful place if everybody were libertarian,which translates into..Leave others alone and vice versa. But it will never work out.Because sometimes what others want will impinge on your way of living,and if you are to stick to your word,then it would mean that you get screwed in the name of being a Libertarian. There is a thin fine line to walk,which we will never find,not in all our lifetimes,between letting people be and an intervention that is needed to protect ourselves. Like i said,we'll never find it,let alone walk it.
Apart from that,Sanjay Dutt is in jail. Which is the supreme irony,like many things in life. Christopher Reeve plays Superman on screen only to be paralysed from the neck down in real life. You take the bus instead of your bike on a rainy day because you fear the bike may slip and you might injure yourself,only to have a humongous crash involving the very bus you took. Munna Bhai is convicted and sent to jail. Will this ever end? Its cruel,very cruel,and the exact reasons for such events happening in such a sequence are poorly understood.
The song "Eternal Flame" by The Bangles is one of my favorites,but the number of times it has been covered and remixed is a stark reminder of the fact that creativity is wearing out in the entertainment world. Not to mention the countless mediocre sequels to movies that were a box office hit. It's basically sticking to a formula. And the results are there for everyone to see. Whatever happened to spontaneity? To original thinking? To being open to the idea that one might actually fail,but at least one has failed at trying to do something original.
More later. 'Night.
Thursday, August 2, 2007
23 and what it meant,plus The Dark Knight
I was seeing the movie "23" a few days back,starring Jim Carrey.And it was a good movie,no doubt,although a bit cliched,as all suspense films these days tend to be. Although I had a vested interest in watching the movie(to see the beautiful Virginia Madsen as well), there was a line in the movie that really hit home:
"There's no such thing as destiny,there are only different choices..Some are easy,the others aren't. Those are the ones that define who we are as people"
I suppose the screenwriter,whoever he is,has summed up the whole search for the meaning of existence in those 2 sentences.
Because,in the end,it's all about the choices we make. And the choices you make define who you are. Even if we don't do anything and sit around on our arses all day long,we are making a choice in deciding to do nothing. Although I am one of those people who are more happy to sit back and let things happen to them instead of taking a more proactive stance in life,it is only recently that I have realised that you need to do things for yourself in this world and make things happen,instead of letting things happen to you. Should you fail in your attempt,at least you know that you have tried the best you could,and that is what we should all strive for in our lives,be it in the work place or in the sphere of human relationships and interactions. Because the pain of not trying for anything just because we were scared of the result,or worse,because we were lazy, is the most excruciating experience we will ever feel,and it is certain to leave a bad taste in our mouth for a long time to come.
(Borrowed heavily from Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch,a must read)
Now,on to more exciting stuff...the teaser trailer of The Dark Knight, the new Batman film directed by Christopher Nolan,That Genius amongst film directors,has been released,and although it did not have any visuals,I had an idea as to the central theme of the movie.
Nolan and co-story writer David Goyer have said that this movie is a continuation of where the last movie ends.If you remember,Gordon and Batman are standing on the rooftop of a building and Gordon says that there is a possibility of escalation :"We start carrying semi-automatics,they buy automatics" just about sums it up. So this one looks as if there is going to be a murderous backlash from the criminal community,and of course,The Clown Prince of Crime himself,The Joker.
Heath Ledger's casting as The Joker took me by surprise. I was not disappointed,because Ledger has shown his ability to deliver the goods in "Brokeback Mountain". But my obvious thought was that "He just isn't physically right for the part". Lachy Hulme would be more physically in line with what The Joker looks like. And my personal favourite for the role was Alan Cumming. Or Sean Penn,whom Warner Bros first approached for the role.Penn would have been amazing!!Cumming too has the maniacal glint in his eyes which is so The Joker.
However,after hearing Ledger deliver his first threat as the homicidal maniac "Starting tonight,people will die. I'm a man of my word.HAHAHAHAH!!!",I feel a bit reassured.Chris Nolan is not one to follow stereotypes,for starters. And his choice of actors are such that they are exactly right for the role they play,or in other words,you can't imagine anyone else playing that part,instead of wondering whether they had been miscast or not. And Nolan does deliver.
Ok,ok,I'm a bigtime Batman geek alright!!!
"There's no such thing as destiny,there are only different choices..Some are easy,the others aren't. Those are the ones that define who we are as people"
I suppose the screenwriter,whoever he is,has summed up the whole search for the meaning of existence in those 2 sentences.
Because,in the end,it's all about the choices we make. And the choices you make define who you are. Even if we don't do anything and sit around on our arses all day long,we are making a choice in deciding to do nothing. Although I am one of those people who are more happy to sit back and let things happen to them instead of taking a more proactive stance in life,it is only recently that I have realised that you need to do things for yourself in this world and make things happen,instead of letting things happen to you. Should you fail in your attempt,at least you know that you have tried the best you could,and that is what we should all strive for in our lives,be it in the work place or in the sphere of human relationships and interactions. Because the pain of not trying for anything just because we were scared of the result,or worse,because we were lazy, is the most excruciating experience we will ever feel,and it is certain to leave a bad taste in our mouth for a long time to come.
(Borrowed heavily from Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch,a must read)
Now,on to more exciting stuff...the teaser trailer of The Dark Knight, the new Batman film directed by Christopher Nolan,That Genius amongst film directors,has been released,and although it did not have any visuals,I had an idea as to the central theme of the movie.
Nolan and co-story writer David Goyer have said that this movie is a continuation of where the last movie ends.If you remember,Gordon and Batman are standing on the rooftop of a building and Gordon says that there is a possibility of escalation :"We start carrying semi-automatics,they buy automatics" just about sums it up. So this one looks as if there is going to be a murderous backlash from the criminal community,and of course,The Clown Prince of Crime himself,The Joker.
Heath Ledger's casting as The Joker took me by surprise. I was not disappointed,because Ledger has shown his ability to deliver the goods in "Brokeback Mountain". But my obvious thought was that "He just isn't physically right for the part". Lachy Hulme would be more physically in line with what The Joker looks like. And my personal favourite for the role was Alan Cumming. Or Sean Penn,whom Warner Bros first approached for the role.Penn would have been amazing!!Cumming too has the maniacal glint in his eyes which is so The Joker.
However,after hearing Ledger deliver his first threat as the homicidal maniac "Starting tonight,people will die. I'm a man of my word.HAHAHAHAH!!!",I feel a bit reassured.Chris Nolan is not one to follow stereotypes,for starters. And his choice of actors are such that they are exactly right for the role they play,or in other words,you can't imagine anyone else playing that part,instead of wondering whether they had been miscast or not. And Nolan does deliver.
Ok,ok,I'm a bigtime Batman geek alright!!!
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