Victories, awakenings, knowledge

This week has been crazy – not busy, just crazy! First, last week ended with a cricket frenzy that started on Feb 19 with India winning the World Cup after 28 years! That was reason enough to act nuts. After a long celebration and incessant chatter about the heroics of the team, reading countless articles and watching every possible video, I concluded I’d had enough. Certainly it qualified for cricket overdose. The next season of the Indian Cricket League (IPL) starts today but I am out of the picture. I need normalcy. I need to go back to my old shows where rape victims are served justice (Law & Order: SVU), where destructions of parallel universes are planned (Fringe) and where a benign American manager struggles to cope with localism (Outsourced). So that’s that!



Nope, I couldn't stop myself and had to share the winning moment!
Woohoo!

After a fun filled weekend, the flu demons decided I was their next target so I had to live the week with a horrible sinus infection. Suffice to say, I was annoyed. Not only was I suffering from constant sneezing (about 50 times a day) but I also had to face the wrath of my head unsuccessfully trying to crush itself. Forget Dr. Bishop’s fight to save the universe from self annihilation, the annihilation of the self had started in my own head. And unfortunately, I was powerless to stop it but let it run its course. Good news awaited me though -- I am happy to report I haven’t sneezed even once today. Aaach…ah never mind, it went away.

Yesterday I read about an activist in India who is on the war path! No, he is not using any form of violence, remember India, the land of Gandhi, fast unto death? No, you don’t know? Shame on you! For those who do, Anna Hazare, a social worker/politician with an untarnished reputation – those are a dying breed there – has entered into his 4^th day of fast unto death unless the government meets his demands. What does he want? For many years now, the government of India to appease the public enacted a bill to fight corruption. If it was effective, it was only on paper. Corruption is synonymous with pollution in India. It might not be long before they ask for a bribe in order for the people to breathe clean air! Yes, of course it’s an exaggeration but you get the point! Anyhow, so Mr. Hazare wants the government to enact a bill that is actually effective and which would bring the perpetrators to justice and not allow them to make money by looting tax payers and freely roam the streets of the country. The country is up in arms! Thousands of Indians all over the world and in India – sportsmen, actors, everyone is supporting this 70+ year old man with a simple vision. He wants the current and next generation of Indians to live in an atmosphere where you don’t have to bribe in order to secure an admission in school, or have a telephone that works or have uninterrupted flow of water or ensure that bridges built during Common Wealth Games don’t simply fall off. Will India be the next Egypt? I certainly hope so! Last I read, the government has accepted his demands and Mr. Hazare is to end his fast tomorrow. Let’s pray for a brighter shape of things to come.

Lastly, the book I’ve been reading – Beyond the Big Bang – we’ve all at some point in our lives looked up at the heavens and wondered what is out there. Some ask the question and move on with life, others take it up in vital pursuit; still others pursue it as a part time hobby. I fall in that last category. Those who’ve read the slightest bit about the universe will know about the Big Bang which innocently integrates with the Catholic belief of let there be light but the Endless Universe talks about precisely that: an endless universe, with no beginning and no end. This theory aligns very much with the ancient Greek, Indian and many other older religions point of view. We didn’t come out of nothing – really how can we? We were here and will always be here – at least for the next billions of years. The big bang according to this ekpyrotic model occurs when two membranes (read String and M theory to understand more) collide with each other. This dispels matter and radiation and creates all the stars, galaxies, planets, plasma and virtually everything else we see before us today. I won’t go on and on because I realize it’s not the easiest thing to understand but if the origins of this universe and its end interest you definitely probe more in these theories. They give more food for thought than you can imagine. And who knows, someday your faith and science just might align!

For now, I hope the weather man and the weather align to create a much awaited/deserved weekend in the 60’s. Have a nice weekend!