Whats with the strikes?

Lufthansa employees on strike. British Airways employees on strike. Greek unions strike after government freezes pay. Boeing employees strike after threats of job cuts. Strike and what? Decrease profits even more?

Don't they know that all it will do is lead to even bigger layoffs down the road e.g. GM/Chrysler/Ford? Profitability issues slowly morph into spectacular losses and bankruptcy (or near bankruptcy as in the case of Ford.). Maybe apart from Greece, most of these countries have pretty good labor laws which really obviates the need for unions. Unions end up behaving like a cartel, basically holding the company hostage to extract a disproportionate share of economic output.

Speaking of strikes. Lets talk about a strike out. Whats with the fun crap shoot in Iraq, when it is turning out to be that the nukes are in Iran after all? All Saddam did was build big palaces, abuse the football team for losing matches and defile historical sites by having his name inscribed on every brick. It saddens me though. Countries like Iraq, Iran and Afghanistan were at the forefront of art and culture for 3000 years. Why are they in such a mess now? At least India and China are coming back after a century or two of colonial dacoity.

Ridonculous

US college graduation rates by state. By not completing college, one loses the 50% boost to lifetime income. Its also a waste of state resources to have an institution where over half the students don't even graduate. (Click on the picture for more detail.)

Amusingly, only 22.4% percent of students in Alaska complete college. Hmm. Gets one thinking.

Bloomberg Headline

"Allied Rockets Kill 12 Civilians in Afghan Fighting; McChrystal Apologizes"

A single murder leads to jail, but a mass killing leads to a sincere apology. Oh well.

What is..

the similarity between these two songs?

- Gold Digger by Kanye West

and the R&B classic

- I got a woman by Ray Charles

Answer (highlight to see the text): The hook for the first song is lifted straight out of the second. Amusingly, Ray Charles sings about a woman who "gives me money when I am in need, a friend indeed", while Mr. Kanye refers to those who prefer to take rather than give. "Gives me money" becomes "takes my money". "Friend indeed" becomes "trifling friend indeed". Tsk tsk Kanye. Ray Charles was blind for much of his life, and lost his parents as a teenager. So, Kanye do you really need to complain about women you take all your money?

Red Earth and Pouring Rain

What could my mother be
to yours? What kin is my father
to yours anyway? And how
did you and I meet ever?

But in love our hearts are as red
earth and pouring rain:
mingled
beyond parting.

- Cempulappeyanirar

Its a translation of a poem from Karunkotai, a 2nd century collection of Tamil Sangam poetry. Interestingly, I read a book by Vikram Chandra called "Red Earth and Pouring Rain", which quotes these as its opening lines. Just happened to come across the verse again.

Another one I liked -

Only the dim witted says its evening
when the sun goes down
and the sky reddens,
when misery deepens,
and the mullai begins to bloom,
in the dusk.

But even when the tufted cock,
calls in the long city,
and the long night
breaks into dawn,
it is evening:
even noon
is evening,
to the companionless.

- Milaipperun Kantan

A couple of nice ones from a 7th century collection of Sanskrit poetry by Bhartrihari. Yes, most of the poetic structure has most likely been mangled in translation.

For one short act, a child; next act a boy
In love; then poor; a short act to enjoy
Status and wealth; till in the last act, Man,
Painted with wrinkles, body bent with age,
Ending the comedy which birth began,
Withdraws behind the curtain of life's stage.

---

A man lives long who lives a hundred years:
Yet half is sleep, and half the rest again
Old age and childhood. For the rest, a man
Lives close companion to disease and tears,
Losing his love, working for other men.
Where can joy find a space in this short span?

---

In former days we'd both agree
That you were me, and I was you.
What has happened now to us two,
That you are you, and I am me?

---

Her face is not the moon, nor are her eyes
Twin lotuses, nor are her arms pure gold:
She's flesh and bone. What lies the poets told!
Ah, but we love her, we believe the lies.

---

The ignorant are quickly satisfied,
And argument will soon convince the wise;
But Heaven's own wisdom scarcely will suffice
To contradict a half-baked scholar's pride.

Not bad eh?!

Gita and Oppenheimer

We all know of the of the famous Robert Oppenheimer when the first atomic bomb was exploded.

If the radiance of a thousand suns were to burst at once into the sky, that would be like the splendor of the mighty one. Now I am become death, the destroyer of worlds.

Obviously, there is a connection with the mechanics of an atomic bomb, and the destruction it leaves in its wake.

However, I think there is a deeper significance to the quote. In the epic Mahabharata, the Bhagvad Gita comes right before the battle as Arjuna, his charioteer Krishna and the Pandavas, face their cousins the Kauravas in battle. Arjuna has serious misgivings about the war - whats the point destroying one's own kith and kin for a kingdom? Of what value is a kingdom obtained by such means? Krishna, an avatar of Vishnu, talks to him about the value of karma (or duty) and not getting swayed by attachments.

Oppenheimer, not being psychotic like Adolph Hitler, possibly had serious misgivings about the work he was doing. He in some ways felt like Arjuna, as he (rightly) felt that the result of his work could lead to untold death and destruction for years to come. Like Arjuna, he did his duty as a scientist.

Book Of The Month (BOTM)

Back in the 30's and 40's, the dance you did to 'swinging' jazz and big band music was the Lindy Hop. Jazz of course was the precursor to many of the musical forms that developed in the 70 years since.

Frankie Manning was born in the South but was part of the great migration, and settled down in Harlem in the 20's. He used to hang around and dance at the ballrooms there, which were the home to Count Base, Duke Ellington, Ella Fitzgerald and pretty much every major African-American musician of that era. He sets off on a showbiz career though it takes a pause in the 40's as America goes to war. He fights in the Pacific, and when he returns to the US he sees the popularity of swing music decrease as other forms become more popular. He then takes up a job in a post office in Manhattan and works there for 30 years. All of a sudden, in the 1980's swing has a revival, and guess what he becomes one of the primary figures in it. He died a couple of months back at the young age of 95.

'Frankie Manning : Ambassador of Lindy Hop', is a wonderful autobiography. It feels almost like an history of blacks in 20th century America. Always cheerful and upbeat, despite all the racial bigotry he had to face early on in his life. If you enjoy a good story, you will enjoy this.

PS: If you are planning to read the Twilight series or Dan Brown, please consider reading this instead. :)

This and that

Has anyone read Nikolai Gogol? His short stories are phenomenal. Reminds one of Franz Kafka. Weird perspectives and surreal storylines, though Gogol is funny and Kafka depressing. It isn't surprising that they were more than a little nutty in real life!

Isn't the Blues awesome? Went to this event called Bluetopia, it was in a studio in the middle of nowhere (warehouse district in West Chicago, where you go to get robbed), but the music - intoxicating.

Holiday shopping. Nothing for me. 70% off still means you are paying the remaining 30%. Heh.

Why do people develop a patina of superciliousness? In some ways everyone wants to feel important, and this is a mechanism to assert that I suppose. See it in specific sections of the populace. In this Facebook for yuppies called ASW, which is so selective that you can join only by invitation from specific privileged members. Having finagled an invitation, the only 'benefit' from membership is that I get a weekly stream of emails trying to sell me overpriced watches and vacations. Another section is the newly anointed NYC/London set, who see themselves as the 'nouveau sophisticates' from their theatre/art/music soaked lives. Pah to the bumpkins.