The Pi Precision

 Remember Pi? We all met that imprecise precision during our school days, right? Must be in the eighth standard, I suppose. Pi, the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter, is by definition irrational, as it is not equal to the ratio of any two whole numbers. 

As old as the Babylonians and our dear Eureka Archimedes (remember how fun n crazy he appeared during the school days), the famous pi travelled via Newton to our very own Ramanujan. Its famous symbol would steal our sleep when the school exams would approach fast, right?

Though just the mere approximations of the pi are taken in to consideration while busy with actual calculations, pi is the fulcrum of architecture, civil engineering, electrical engineering, and mechanical engineering.

Literature as usual is hugely broad-minded. So, yet again, as an avid reader, it was nice meeting Pi, the story behind the name, and the tremendous saga of his travel with Richard Parker, the fierce bengal tiger, in "The Life of Pi" by Yann Martel. Despite the inevitable animation, truly awe-inspiring was the intensely surreal film based on the novel, and directed by Ang Lee.

Pi, unlike its homophonic  'pie', is both simultaneously, infinite uncertainty and perfect precision. May be, hence, it is a factor everywhere, in our daily lives, in our effective communications, in our careers, in our small decisions that have a big effect, in our relationships; the list can be endless, right?

May be, pi is that sudden moment of not breathing that makes an alive existence in to a 'body'. May be, pi is that point of epiphanic illumination that suddenly explodes the meaning that we have been exploring for a lifetime. Yes, pi is that forever search of the infinite in the finite, whatever may be the name you may give it, God being one of them. Pi, in short, remains with us even after school days and childhood ways transform in to nostalgia, a blurred memory!

Pratima@On this Day dedicated to the phenomenal Pi/a genuine attempt to "re-search" its how, what and why!

Post Population

 Remember Wordsworth's poem entitled "We are seven"? Right now, all of us in this heavenly existence on this earth, too, can say, we are seven, though the only word we would have to add after the numerical, that is, seven, would be billion! Yes, we are seven billion right now, and we are heading fast towards eight billion. Hence this post on population, as we are indeed post (beyond, too and also concerned with) population!

Whatever might be the density of population region and/or continent wise, each country is grappling with population explosion in its own way. So far, China was the most populated country. India, however, has overtaken the dubious honour! 

Yes, right now we are the most populated country. That is indeed a bothersome truth, however much we may crow about the 'population alias demographic dividend' which at times threatens to be a ticking bomb.  For an example, look at the competitive exam scenario, gotten notorious after the unfortunate Pune incidents. The posts may be intermittently getting declared, and while endlessly preparing for the qualifying exam, without a Plan B, the young do not realise when they grow middle-aged!

 Similarly, there is a gerontological explosion as well. Given the medical in(ter)ventions and slightly better life conditions, the typical life span has increased. Every household these days has at least two senior citizens above seventy-five. Given the break down of the joint family system and children not always being nearby, the elderly, often without a proper pension, have their own huge problems.

Hence today, on the World Population Day, the need to think through the issue. How to humanely control the exploding population? How to put to use the energy of the inefficiently skilled youth, especially when the AI era is ruling the roost? How to make use of the excellent expertise of the highly productive elderly? Many are the issues that need urgent answers in our over populated world. Hope soon as many answers would emerge as many are the people!

Pratima@ Why populate the world much too much if sustainable development is the objective!?!

The Causes and the Cures of the Iago Phenomenon

 Shakespeare's "Othello" is indeed (one of) his best. There are very many reasons that make it a perfect play. Let us not right now go in to all these. Let us instead explore the Iago Phenomenon.

Who is Iago? An ensign! The first remarkable aspect of his personality, in my opinion, is that he is wonderful at creating perceptions. He is a master at creating images, setting and releasing narratives. He makes the foolish Roderigo believe, for example, that Desdemona loves him. Another perception he creates right from the beginning is that the simple, genuine, naive, straightforward Desdemona is good at  double games! Thus he makes Brabantio, her father, agitated, irritated against her.

Yet another narrative he sets up is his so-called closeness, concern and care for Othello. In fact, he makes Roderigo and Casio, too, believe that their welfare is his concern. Excellent he is at telling half-truths as the handkerchief trap proves. One can go on adding up his awful oddities.

The real issue though is not the 'how' and the 'what' of his devilry. Rather it is the 'why'. Why does he ruin an innocent life? Is it because of the race issue, the black Othello getting all sorts of goodies? Is it personal jealousy of Othello? Is it an attempt to get even with Casio who got an undeserved promotion, which  in Iago's opinion he himself should have got? 

Why the corrupt viciousness indeed? His "motiveless malignancy" is indeed a mystery within a jumble! In my opinion, however, he is obsessed with power, power over personalities, over events, even when, and, in fact, precisely because he is a nobody. 

Well, in real life, too, the Iago phenomenon abounds because Iago is not merely a literary character. It is a personality trait. Around us, too, there are very many curious characters who try to "finish off" our image, our future, our simple, innocent life for no rhyme, no reason.

 Even when supportive Emilia's are extremely rare in real life, how to tackle the Iago types? How to confront the sly? How to untangle the web of multiple lies they manage to weave with subtle expertise? How to Confront the web maker? Any solutions?

Pratima@Tit for tact does not work always!

Perspective

 Perspective it is, I believe, that makes or mars our attitudes,opinions and assumptions about everything, be it people, be it places, be it animals.

Let me give you a concrete example. Most people hate it when dogs howl, especially at night. Well, as for me, the doggy howl may not exactly be music to my ears. It never ever bothers me though, as I LOVE  dogs! In fact, I feel a little worried when they howl because I feel that they must be in real agony, facing genuine trouble such as an upset stomach, for instance. 

In brief, since my perspective is that of loving kindness, i am never ever irritated with any sound the doggie may choose  to make, be it a howl or be it a snore.

Well, my perspective/attitude is innocent. Hence there are not any worries. However, when perspectives ossify in to prejudices, they can indeed be a bother. This fact holds good for everything and everyone.

I suppose, an example may prove my point yet again. Look at the current season itself. Initially much in demand, given the horrible holiday temperature, not to mention the pre- monsoon sultry climate,  the rains appear to be THE boon itself. But that initial enthu lasts just a little, a week(end) long supposedly.

Thereafter, the monsoon becomes a bitter bother, what with the moonwalk along the pot-holed paths during the day, and the mosquitoes feasting on your blood at night! Absolutely tiresome! You literally wait eagerly for the divine intervention. Finally, the rains stop. You enjoy, in brief, any season in perspective, with(in) your opinions. In brief,  dear perspective, long live! Long live, the perspective!

Pratima@Remember the story of the old man whose elder daughter was a farmer's wife, and the other, a potter's? Never ever could the poor soul bless properly, given the contrasting perspectives!

Curiosity kills

 On June 25, early morning, i wrote the blog about the tragedies the refugees suffer. I must say that this theme is real close to my heart so much so that I recently wrote in a reputed Marathi magazine an article on refugee childhood through the example of Ailan Kurdi, and Khalid Hosseni's book on the child's sad death. 

On June 25 afternoon, I got a very interesting forward by my brother. Raju is himself a shippie, and is currently teaching future shippies. So his forward about the two recent drownings and sea burials matter. Indeed they mean a lot. 

The forward talked about the death by drowning of the three hundred Pakistani refugees off the Greek coast, while contrasting it with the richie rich five aboard the Titan  drowning literally in the deep seas.

 Indeed what a tragic loss and what a colossal waste of lives! The Pakistani refugees were dreaming of happy stable lives in the new land of acquisition. To attain this apparently impossible task, they had illegally paid astronomical sums to rapacious, ruthless middlemen. To raise the amount, they had literally sold off their very trace in the motherland. The real tragedy is that since it was a contraband covert operation, nobody even knew their names when they drowned! Curious about a safe life, they were defeated by destiny!

 Those aboard Titan also paid indeed hugely (in both the senses of the term) for a dream ride which was as ambitious as the Titanic whose remains some thousands of miles deep on the dark  seabed of the Atlantic Ocean, they were going to view. Sure it was a grand adventure in a way. Imagine being ten thousand feet below the sea surface! Their curiosity, however, was fuelled by their aggressive, arrogant ambition born out of the power of money which funded such a travel. Their curiosity about the ill fated ship was equally ambitious , equally unfortunate. 

Two different curiosities! Both proved however the proverbial truth that curiosity kills, as coincidence would have it, be it the poor Pakistani's on the look-out for a better future or be it affluent Pakistani's the Shahzada father-son duo diving for a dekko of the ruins of another long lost ambition!

Pratima@Curiosity kills not only the proverbial cat, but also 'curious' (in all senses of the term) human beings!

Celebrity Praise!

 Celebrities are often praised sky high for their qualities, right? No complaints whatsoever about them as such. At times, however, i do feel that such praise sounds a little false, rather a P.R. job!?!

Can I give an example or two? Well, I have a high regard for Amitabh Bacchan's punctuality. Undoubtedly, unlike many others enjoying celebrity-dom, he does not prove it by reaching late. Great! Good! But it is so easy for him to be on time, right? He does not need to take care of any household duties or of a senior patient at home. There are multiple minions taking care of all such extremely tough but apparently mundane duties and jobs. 

Does he, like a woman homemaker, need to look after cooking, cleaning, buying milk, veggies, groceries? Does he need to look after the entire household, dusting, washing, mopping? Does he need to stand in bus queues, hop on to buses filled to capacities, lurching like mad while you hold on to the overhead bar for the sake of dear life? 

Does he really have to worry about the traffic jam, except, may be, once in a lifetime? All his small to big chores are taken care of proxy by the paid (and therefore proficient) servants of all sorts.

All he has to do is get up on time, exercise, eat a ready (- made by others) breakfast, get dressed in clothes made every which ready for him, get driven in a chauffeured car. True, other celebrities share these privileges, but are not punctual, unlike him. 

But how can anyone compare such parasitical punctuality with, for example, a one woman army who is multi-tasking every possible way, and without any help whatsoever? However, his punctuality would be made an impossible (i)deal for such non-celebrities who are made to marvel at it, rather like the impossible body shapes of made up, decked beauties strutting the shows of all sorts, be it the  screen , the bill boards, or the ramp.

This is NOT to minimise his great punctuality. Nor is it an excuse for lazy dilly-dallying by anyone, celebrity or non-celebrity. Rather, it is a pay-attention-please call for two very important aspects of life: one, celebrating the zealously maintained punctuality of the non-celebrities, and number two, not creating p.r. stuff that creates photoshopped images of real, lived lives!

Pratima@ Are not facts stronger than fictions?

Silence

 Being silent, keeping quiet! Are these good qualities? Depends on the sphere you belong to. If you are a very philosophical person, silence is your penance. Quietude is your crown. Often, the real fast can be keeping quiet. Philosophy and religion believe that silence energises you, quietude strengthens you, gives you the pure peace.

If you are a piece, however, who belongs to the hustle and bustle of the real world, may be, silence need not be a virtue. In fact, it could downright be a vice. In the real world, relations are often like the market. That is to say, only those who shout, scream, whistle, and do whatever is possible to attract attention, survive. 

Well, I am not so very sure about this claim. I think that even in the realistic world, words that are quiet matter. May  be, given  the real politik, not to forget politics,  everybody knows everybody. That is to say, people are constantly second-guessing each other and the underlying motives. In such a 'politics' of relationships, others 'know' everyone else better than (they) themselves. Hence the screams get sniggers!

Personally, I feel that it is better basically to be quiet, and if/when necessary to talk, the best is to 'speak', that is, begin and continue a conversation which is a give and take, a two way mode of talking, but also of active listening, of keeping quiet. What say?

Pratima@ Silence speaks volumes!