An Ode to the Dictionary

We look through a collection of alphabetically arranged definitions of words and phrases in a dictionary and accept the whole content as dogma,right down to the spellings and word pronunciations.A dictionary is meant to be consulted by everyman.Thoughts are sown,moulded and externalised in the form of actions courtesy the lexicon.It is the single most important book in any society.
To be without a dictionary is to be without a life sustaining system.One would be reduced to being an amputee. Some people claim their own experience will guide them through anything,including the understanding of words. These people’s experiences are frequently reduced to observing the number of times a word is spoken by other people who have taken the trouble of browsing or sifting a dictionary.They are thus limited by their immediate surroundings and complex guesswork.This kind of parochial overview must be outrightly rejected.
The English language dictionary first came into prominent use after the publication of Samuel Johnson’s “A Dictionary of the English Language” in 1755.The Oxford English Dictionary would later become the mainstream English language dictionary.There have been two print editions of the Oxford dictionary.However technology is making its impact felt even with the use of the dictionary.The click of the mouse to get the meaning of a word from the digital version of the Oxford English Dictionary is now an easier option than lifting the 20 volume set of the printed version of the dictionary or for that matter lifting the abridged Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary.The third print edition of the dictionary may no longer be released as there are plans of making the dictionary fully computerised.
Whether the print or online version reigns supreme,what matters in the end is the looking up of the word.What is important is that would be poets as well as ambitious corporate climbers read through.It boils down to the word,not the medium.Our thirst for knowledge and consequent satiation should remain constant.It is hoped that instead of odes we are not reduced to writing elegies with regard to the dictionary.

Why I Like History

History-it's the most maligned subject in your schooldays.People are afraid to cross its path.They'd rather be off cuddling their physics and biology books which by their sheer weight should give them spondylitis.They say they would rather use their brains."Phooey"is what i say to them.
The truth is they cannot see history in is fullest display.They're told by their peers that history is about memorising dates and names.They do not realise you do not ''know" about Ashoka 's reign by intaking pre -written qualitative descriptions according to how much marks the questions relating to the Mauryan emperor will have.No Sir no.
Knowledge is deeper and more immense than that.It was not meant to be like that.I want to do well in the history paper to improve my grades like the next person but i want to learn something too.And it's something the so called anti-humanities group should understand-knowledge is not about just technical terms and figures;it's about ordinary people as well,people who were there before us,people who lead their own way of life,good or bad,different from ours.I want to know how the world came to where it is now,and if in the process i get an idea of how the world will go from there on then so be it.I do not think knowing about other people's lifestyles involve leaving your brains at the doorstep.
It's not a foolhardy thing to do.It shouldn't be about whether the only mentionable job prospect you have at the end of the day is an archaeologist;and it definitely should not be about letting social approval dictate whether you like a subject or not.How you want to look at the world,and what you want to do in consequent to that decision should not boil down to how much you will earn per annum.I imagine the classification of subjects were not made on the basis of financial stability .I may be wrong.Maybe going through history books will enable me to know correctly.
But ground realities occupy a place in our lives.I myself spurned a chance to study history further.It's easier to say these things than actually lead our lives based on them.Maybe that's another reason to study history-present day presures don't occupy a place in those dusted shelves.
Let us hope the world gets rid off some more shackles from our personnel.

SEXUAL REVELATIONS

The three lettered word "sex" creates a flutter that is world wide in magnitude.Almost everyone has his or her opinion about it and everyone seems to be affected by it,one way or the another.It is also the basis of the world's oldest profession(kinda makes you wonder what else people did during that time).It's now there in the list of things you can get addicted to,along with drugs and alcohol.
The implications of even talking about it seems to send a shiver,especially among conservative parents in respect to their children.You might have to know about it from other sources,not necessarily reliable ones.Most politicians and would be socially responsible organisations say that sex is a disgusting topic to be discussed and the indian public finds it obscene.They know this because they are the people's representatives.India's the second largest nation in the world with over 1 billion people and it also has 2.3 million people(as of 2007,as given in the site avert.org)suffering from hiv/aids.It seems to me there is some discrepancy between opinion and fact.
A lot of these could arguably be prevented if everyone is well informed.India is a country which does not hesitate to put a moralistic spin to everything.If certain people came down from the higher altar a lot of people would be better off; they would not be left to fumble in the dark because some people dont want to shed light.Maybe everyone's in the same pool of ignorance and hence the secrecy,or maybe certain people are uncomfortable to dicuss what they believe to be a private thing;some people are losing out.I am no better than most people.I'm still trying to find my way.It has not been a comfortable ride.
A mature atitude is needed. I dont know how that can come about.A piece of legistlation may not mould that,especially if people indulge in hypocrisy and use salacious jokes as a means of reference.The people themselves need to know,and hopefully at the right time.

ORDINARY PEOPLE

I saw the 1980 film on UTV World Movies yesterday.In these times of academic pressure it's often difficult to unwind by watching a film,certainly not as regularly as you want to.I have a class test tomorrow but i decided to watch 'Ordinary People'anyway.
It was a good decision.It 's because of films like ordinary people that i watch films.The film is about a well off family having to cope with the loss of the eldest son in a drowning.The film centers on three members on the family-Calvin Jarrett(the father),Beth Jarrett(the mother) and Conrad Jarrett(the younger son).
The initial focus of the film is on Conrad.He was with his brother Buck when he died.He blames himself for not holding onto Buck;soon after his brother's death he tries to committ suicide.He survives and goes to a psychiatric hospital.The film starts a year after his return from there.
He cant get over his demons and consults a psychiatrist.This meeting would turn out to be a turning point for him.
Conrad Jarrett is not the only one who cannot get over the loss.His parents are coping with it their own way.
Conrad's mother is one of those persons who believe that the outward demeanor matters a lot, if not everything.She's a person who suffers the loss of her son; she does not manifest it in grief but in other ways.She does not get along with her younger son;Buck was a favourite of hers;Conrad's attempts at making a serious conversation are met with a metaphorical blank stare.She dismisses Conrad as provocative and tells her husband not to indulge him.She is not one of those manipulative people either.She frequently changes the topic if she comes across anything uncomfortable.Towards the end of the film one frequent plea of her will be that she is who she is and she cannot change.sshe says she cannot take any more pressure.thus she is damaged in her own way.
Conrad's father goes through the same amount of change as Conrad.A person who is considered to have a passive tempermant by both his son and wife,he tries to set things right for them but while doing so discovers uncomfortable truths .Thinking can be a painful process.
Like conrad's psychiatrist Dr.Berger says,''just because you feel something don't expect it to tickle.''
The film is about people's attempts to face their problems in a direct manner even when they are not in the best state of mind and still cannot quite get over the fear that nothing can be changed.The film is also about the people who would not even start to think so directly.Talking can provide a reilef.But it's not a smooth ride for anyone.The film also talks about something not often heard-sometimes it isn't really anyone's fault.
The director of the film does a masterful job of showing the characters as they are and stays with that depiction till the end;he uses flashbacks qute well.The most dramatic scenes are between conrad and Dr.Berger but the gradually developing confrontations between the husband and wife packs a punch.At no time is there any room for sterotype,though admitedly the moment when berger tells conrad that he is his friend made me cringe a bit.But all in all it's a worthwhile experience.

Grizzly Bear

People often talk of a song that can save your life.For me that song is Grizzly Bear's "Two Weeks".It has a heavenly ambience that can be truly appreciated only if you listen to the song;that is created via the amazing vocal work of all the four members of the band.Truly stunning;you feel nothing can go wrong while you listen to the song.The music provides a steady beat in the meantime.
The next Grizzly Bear song i heard was "Knife".It seemed to lack the momentous impact of "Two Weeks". It 's a bit overlong,but the vocals can do no wrong.
The song which probably surpasses "Two Weeks" is "While You Wait For The Others".Impatience regarding an unwanted person has never been expressed so bitterly and so eloquently.I think music wise this is the song i liked the most.The gradually increasing crescendo of the aforementioned vocals at the end of the song packs a punch.
The most recent song i've heard is "Cheerleader".They're still going strong.
All the four songs i've heard are from the album "Veckatimest".After hearing them i cant stop listening to them;am not even motivated to seek out the remaining songs of the album.
I'd like to thank Sanjoy Narayan,the editor of the Hindustan Times whose weekly column "Download Central" is the reason i got to hear this USA band in the first place.God bless.

how does it feel to be completely on your own like a complete unknown?
i'm not here this is not happening
the best thing that you've had is going away
do you want to make a memory
kill yourself to never ever stop
turn it into something you're not
oh yeah
when you're feeling sad remember how we felt upon an accidental paradise
no surprises please

WORDS

"Words are like a sawed off shotgun"-Radiohead
"And words are all i have to take your heart away"-the Bee Gees
Technology is such that we cannot access each other's brains yet.Thus we are left to guessing other people's motivations through their actions and words;others will similarly gauge us.People say your actions matter a lot.But people are not going to look favourably towards you if you behave like a mute at the same time.That is the prevalent reality.In one respect it makes sense.After all words are the primary mode of comunication.It is traditionally assumed you are who you speak.
Words can come in a couple of formats-written and vocal.People generally prefer the latter over the former,though the written format has risen in prominence because of social networking sites and text messages.People interact everyday and judge each other by what words they use.Some phrases are used for a short period of time in the form of catchphrases.Sometimes we're reduced to using catchphrases only it seems.People talk .In the midst of a verbal communication if someone is seen not talking , it's a strange sight indeed.
Talking in itself is never an end.Sometimes you can't always say what's on your mind.Social approval matters ,a bit too much at times.But at the very basic level,if you want to get along with people, then you'll have to talk.Hopefully you wont be reduced to following courtesies in this way.There's an art in speaking.That quality is measured by a parameter called articulation.You cannot take back your words.
But what about those people who are accustomed to leading a mute way of life?Do they have any chance to get back into a favourable social standing?Do they try and talk for the sake of convention and speak in a conventional format as well?How are these people going to be regarded in job interviews where somebody will have to make a snap judgement?All your life and how you've lead it will be decided will be scanned instaneously.How you lead your life in the future will also be decided at the same time. Another potent question is how will we try to woo someone.What words are we to use then?
"Be yourself" may not be a very applicable maxim in these cases.I personally believe you cant coach someone to talk.
Silence contributes as much as words.It is sometimes as judicially used as words.To somebody speaking, silence from a would be listener is not always golden.Nobody appreciates words always being spoken in a song.It's a medley of lyrics and music.Music can be free of words at least explicitly.An emotional outburst from within can be potentially released because of a compelling piece of music.
I don't think we'll be leading a very happy life if we have nobody to talk to.Sometimes it's a question of frequency in regard to appearance ,ours and others.Hopefully they will meet.

ALBUMS

Some of the albums i've been listening to recently or have been listening to on a repeated basis:
1.Abbey Road(The Beatles)
2.Acthung Baby (U2)
3.A Rush of Blood To The Head(Coldplay)
4.A compilation album of Jal songs
5.In Rainbows(Radiohead)
6.Ok Computer(Radiohead)
7.After the Gold Rush(Neil Young)
8.Sticky Fingers(The Rolling Stones)
One album i've been wanting to hear in its entirety is Grizzly Bear's Veckatimest.

"THE TRUTH SHALL SET YOU FREE"

Robert Altman's 1992 film "The Player" is about a studio executive stalked by a disgruntled screenwriter via annonymous death threats. The executive while searching for his persecutor meets a writer whose screenplay he had rejected.In an accident the executive kills him.Later he has an affair with the dead man's girlfriend,an artist.there comes a moment when they are making love for the first time,that the executive feels that he should tell the artist about the death he was responsible for.However the girl ,despite the executive's repeated attempts,rejects the opening of any such conversation.Did she guess what the man was about to talk about?The man was after all the primary suspect;it was known that he was the last person who had met her ex boyfriend.Did she not want to ruin what she was having?Maybe she was feeling happier wth her current lover.In the very next scene the man is told that the police is searching for him;they have found a witness.The girl sits beside him impassively all the time.
The question that "The Player" poses is -how convenient is the telling of the truth?Whether it's worth ruining the moment ,all the happiness that there is to be followed by doubt,suspicion and hostility.Is the truth to be achieved at the cost of our present contentment?
We often face situations like this :when is it all right ,if at all, to tell somebody we do not like them?How long do we say quiet or indulge in innuendo then?When is it okay to tell someone we have some feelings for them?When is it worthwhile to tell someone close to us we think what they're doing with their lives could be fundamentally wrong or that we dont like their public demeanour?
The truth is sometimes by asking questions like this we might have to look inwards.We may have to make a painful choice.The truth really does not set us free.It puts us in fetters in this case.
Germany immediately after World War 2 had to face the prospect of complete alienation because of its primary role .Today it has banned all references to the Swastika,the symbol of the Nazi party at the helm during the war.It thus still smarts over its role.How we smart when we see someone whose unhappiness we think we have been a cause of.Some things cant be changed.And thus we try to be impervious to change.

BOREDOM 2

A potent observation before starting:the Beatles rock.Last week we had talked about boredom and its background.This week we try and look at some solutions regarding that.1.Be absolutely miserable.Dont waste any time otherwise.1 second wasted is a second getting bored.2.Watch soap operas in all the languages that you can understand.Two reasons for doing so.You 'll be wasting time by just watching them and at the end of it all you're brain will be so addled that you wont even know you're being bored.3.Hope somebody is mentally or physically harassing you.You'll be so busy being scared that time will just fly away.4.Learn a new skill like swimming.So many new people will try to convince you that they know better than you that you might just work hard and long enough to prove them wrong.5.Blog.6.Count your missed opportunities.7.Say whatever 's the first thing on your mind and watch other people's reaction.8.If nothing else works sleep 24 /7;the in between times when you cant sleep and feel tempted to be bored will be hopefully lessened(if you're a successful sleeper that is).

BOREDOM

With a capital b.As i trudged along the balcony in an empty stance staring at nothing in particular my attention, so to speak, shifted to an employee of my father.He was sitting outside the house doing nothing .Unless he will be asked to do an odd job he will continue sitting like that.I realised that boredom can cut across a lot of barriers.People of various dispositions have to reckon with it.One of my friends's email id starts like this: "dont wanna be bored...".
Sam Mendes's 2005 film "Jarhead" deals with the boredom faced by a group of soldiers who see very little action in the war that they are in name,involved in.Boredom is thus clearly an universal emotion. I imagine people have undergone it throughout the various periods of human civilisation starting from the primitive stone ages to the technology driven modern era.Boredom being a part of human emotions has undergone as much of a transformation as other emotions. If the pundits are to be believed today's people have developed the shortest attention spans in human history.
The future looks bleak in this respect.
Boredom can affect every person in a different way.It can also occur for a variety of reasons.The causes and outcomes are generally negative,the consequences occasionally irrefutable.
Next week some sort of solution/solutions will be attempted to be brought out to deal with this malaise.

RANDOM

Just some random thoughts.
Save Me-can you save me come on and save me if you could come and save me....
Every Breath You Take-every breath you take every step you take ... oh cant you see you belong to me.....
London Calling-london calling in a faraway town come out of your cupboard you boys and girls....london is drowning and i live by the river........oh oh oh.........
The Scientist-come up to meet you tell you i'm sorry you dont know how lovely you look tonight
Fake Plastic Trees- ....i cant help but feeling i could blow through the ceiling if i had just
turned and run... if i could be who you wanted all the time.....
Wise Up-it's not going to stop so just wise up ...no it's not going to stop so just give up.......
All I Have To Do Is Dream-all i have to do is dream ...whenever i want you all i have to do is dream ...the only problem is i'm dreaming my life away.....
Angel's Share-when you're feeling sad remember how we felt upon an accidental paradise...if you ought to rescue someone please dont rescue me.........

Anybody else has thoughts like this?I'd be glad to know.

DAMON

I thought I first saw Matt Damon in Gus Van Sant's 1997 film "Goodwill Hunting".As the titular character ,Will Hunting,Damon was effortless in the role of a janitor at MIT whose carefully concealed genius is found out by a professor. Seeing the film I realised I had seen him play supporting roles in two earlier films -"Courage of Fire "(1996,directed by Edward Zwick) where he played the role of a soldier suffering from a guilty conscience(for this role he lost 18 kilograms;in the very next year he gained his normal weight for GWH)and in " School Ties"(1992,directed by Robert Mandel)where he played an anti semitic college goer.GWH turned out to be his breakthrough role ;in the very same year as GWH he starred in Francis Ford Coppola's adaptation of John Grisham's "The Rainmaker."Here he was a fresh out of law school lawyer handling his first case against a greedy corporation.In the 2000s he starred in two franchises -the Ocean series and the Bourne series.The Bourne series was a physically arduous challenge for him as he performed various stunts on his own;he also managed to make a character who is mostly seen running from his adversaries a very compelling one.Even today he is regarded as one of the most reliable character actors in Hollywood acting for directors like Clint Eastwood and Steve Sodenbergh.His list of previous directors include Steven Spielberg and Anthony Minghella as well .An impressive resume if one may say so. His willingness to play various roles is at odds with the image of a typical Hollywood star(in fact he is probably the actor least mentioned in the page 3 news);his acting chops are as apparent today as they were a decade ago.Let's hope he does not lose his touch.

HABITS

It's 11.36 pm on Sunday night.Another 24 mins to go before the week ends and my resolution of writing a weekly blog expires.Which leads me to think -do we make habits or habits make us?Often one goes to sleep at 2 am.;the next day you do the same and so on.Or you may fall into a habit of reading one particular newspaper first even if quality wise the other newspaper we subscribe to may not be that different.A college friend of mine believes in going out through one particular gate everyday inspite of the fact that there are at least five gates in total and one such gate(besides the particular one)may be nearer to where he is at that moment.Again there is a question of the habits related to our personal hygiene,like eating our nails in nervousness or even nose picking;it may not be socially approved but its'still done.It's hard to get out of this no matter what other people say.More often that not it may not be consciously done.Of course there are some things that we do on a regular basis rather consciously.Like thinking in a very determined manner of the next vital thing to do when we're supposed to be studying(at least that is so in my case).That's just one instance.In any case habits supplement us wherever we go and are by definition an inexorable part of our life.
Looks like my resolution stays intact.Cheers.p.s-note to thyself :should really start practising what thy preaches.

http://freedomofspeechorthelackofit.blogspot.com/

DONT WEAR IT OUT

We often have a tendency to exaggerate or overelaborate on some topic.The topic could be a career choice or a choice of what we're going to wear today.The reasons for doing something like this could be we're conscious of the fact that we'll be under public scrutiny,including the opinion of our loved ones.Public opinion is very fickle and flexible.You might as well choose your personal criteria.Sometimes we're quite aware of the fact that we give someone some knowledge which we think is quite rare(and quite true of course);we feel a quiet surge of pride inside us.That pride can blow up into full scale complacency.Often we will use so called clever idioms for the sake of it.We feel good even though what we're saying is something which we may or may not be relevant.And it's quite foolish to think that other people will be dumb enough not to realise that.Complacency,vanity,pride and popularity can help you till a certain limit.After that you're on your own meaning that YOU have to think straight.We lose sight of the fact that there's often a reason we got the praise in the first case.
Admittedly if we dont have our flaws life can be a little boring.But at what cost?

GETTING FEEDBACK FROM OTHER PEOPLE

We're(or at least i am)often caught in a dilemma as to how much to let other people have an say in our lives and the things we see and experience.Often it's often a question of how much we like that person.A triggering factor can be a lyric in a song that captures our attention and tells us where we should go("Did You Try to Live On Your Own" in the Green Day song "21 Guns" is an inspiration for me in this regard).Ultimately it's all subjective.Other people may have their points of view .We should try and adopt the thinking process of others if we like the way they think;not blindly adopt their point of view as our own.A situation in the film "Life of Brian" (1979,directed by Terry Jones and written by the Monthy Python team)comes into mind where the unwilling people appointed messiah tells everyone in exasperation that they are all people and can think for themselves.The people agree by shouting in unison what the messiah says ,word by word.One person protests in regard to this but he is shouted down by the others.That situation was comical.In real life it's more of a tragic nature.Being original is sometimes looked on as being a freak.Somehow the principles of democracy are being subverted by their wrong application.