The Joy Called Music

Music - the name spells peace and well-being. Calmness encompasses the soul that listens to thou! Forgive the poetic license!! Each person's perspective on music differs and sometimes the same individual's take on the subject varies with time. I present here my version on this universal phenomenon. What's yours?

Let's first touch on the roots and rich history of this art; has music existed as long as we think it has; is it as old as man is? Find out here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music#History

This page also lists some interesting information and if you are familiar with Wiki and you know your way around, wou might stumble on some serious gyan!

The aspect I intended to outline in this post and hopefully subsequent posts too is the Folk Music of India - a Desi artform that stays till date but seems to have lost some of its lustre.

The Myth Craze

Why do tales of fantastic creatures and extraordinary civilizations fascinate us so much? Why are fairy tales so addictive, or for that matter the futuristic sci-fi novels equally absorbing? If you are as infatuated with the plethora of mythology and world of fantasy as I am then join me on this fun ride!

Let’s explore the history of mythology to begin with. I plan to write this in parts:
Part I – The world of "invented" mythology
Part II – "Discovery" of fantastic creatures
Part III – Folklore and its impact
Part IV – Religion & mythology
Part V – Culture and Mythology – Emphasis on Indian and Greek mythology
Part VI – Science & mythology
Part VII – Where does "myth" end and "reality" begin

The human mind never ceases to amaze! So look out for part I coming soo.

Reviving A Lost World

I have been considering this for a long time now. To revive a long lost blog. I had a few plans for this blog, and while I am ruminating on where that will lead, I am going to be posting some stuff of general interest. I hope that my regular readers will find the new posts informative.

Feel free to share comments.

Elections - A New Facet to the N-Deal Dilemma

As the possibility of mid-term polls looms large, one is faced with the obvious question. How far will the N-Deal dilemma pose threat to the Manmohan Singh regime, or strengthen it if you will! The Congress seems clear on its absolute no-no to taking any U-turns and backtracing, and several religious proponents to the deal maintain that the deal will go thru'.

On one end is the Left, consistently warning the Government that any commencement of negotiations with the IAEA would be regarded as a surefire way to doom. Seems like the Left's almost whimsical dagger-in-the-throat to withdraw support has drawn little if any dent to the Government's stand. Asks one ardent N-deal supporter "How can the Congressmen allow themselves to be blackmailed by the Communists?"; clearly he was concerned on 'fundamentalist ideology' I am sure. Mmmm, worth pondering over depending on which side you are on!

As if to top it all hardcore acolytes of the Indo-US deal in the capital's strategic community insist that the last word on the deal has not been said, yet. Yeah right!

Is India's Fall Good for the Game?!

What a strange question isn't that - Is India's fall from the World Cup so early into the tournment really good for the game itself? Now I never would have made such a shocking observation. But coming to think of it it really isn't so difficult to realise.

[Photo Courtesy: http://www.cricinfo.com]

First things first, it's quite plain that India's exit was well-deserved and will have a purging effect. The better qualified teams might get a fair chance then. Second and something less evident, it might provide for a clean WC - don't believe it? Well, an article I read recently went to the extent of saying that the South Asian nations are the primary focal points for cricket corruption - enter the infamous bookies. You might want to have a look at the article here
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/6491053.stm?lsf

So well people, this time cricket fans world wide will have a truly uncluttered super 8 - a world cup with talented and in-form teams having a go. Should be a good one ahead I'm sure. What do you think!

Capital Punishment vs Amnesty

Yes, this has been in the news lately. Whoever hasn't heard of the riots cropping up over the proposed execution of the infamous Afzal must have been on a trip to Mars! Now what could possibly be the reason that the entire hungama is being staged, you wonder? Well that's the Indian political arena for you.

India's take on capital punishment, and for that matter on most such sensitive topics, has always been non-committal and one of careful detachment. A lack of taking a strong ground on matters of significance is conservative at best and decidedly escapist at worst. It seems to me that a passive approach is an accepted phenomenon of sorts in our land.

Admittedly, there are always two sides to a coin. However, it is undeniable that the absence of any decisive ruling by the government only helps in making a pseudo-celebrity out of the likes of Dhananjoy Chatterjee (check this link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhananjoy_Chatterjee). To what extent will the government pose silent spectator and let people go berserk over the execution of traitors - Afzal Guru for example. The Centre seems to be buckling under pressure to issue clemency to Afzal for appalling reasons - possible negative effects on peace process in Kashmir, political pressure from the opposition and the parties in Kashmir and other such. Again, there is talk that the man in question seems to have been denied a fair trial. Why does the government not take matters into hands and ensure that the accused is proved guilty beyond any reasonable doubt rather than play political games over granting pardon?

Is amnesty a virtual joke in this nation? Explore this further. Post your inputs and opinions. You may certainly join the silent masses but the least you can do is voice your views. Afterall what else is a blog for?!!

See Also:
http://asiadeathpenalty.blogspot.com/
http://www.kmsnews.org/Kashmir%20News%20Archive/05/News051006-05.htm

Ignorance is Bliss

We all have heard of pharmaceutical research and clinical trials that build toward a new drug being released in the market. The miracle portions that tumble out of this multi-billion dollar industry is staggering. It is estimated that the cost for developing a new drug until release would be in the range of about 1 billion USD (this titbit is disputed however!).

The process of drug development may be essentially chemical (a chemical compound that is created for medicinal usage) or biological (extracted from living cells, e.g., antibiotics). Once a drug's efficacy is ascertained (technically speaking Lead Identification and Optimization procedures would be employed), safety and toxicology testing begins and the duration of each of these stages vary depending on the nature of the drug and understanding of the drug family, as well as its ultimate purpose and usefullness. Needless to say, the more the market value of the drug the more stringent the testing procedures, the more advanced the trials and the higher the quality standards adhered to. The conventional phases of pharmaceutical research in clinical trials include:

• Phase I and Phase II clinical trials, which examine the acute, dose-related toxicities of new drugs as well as the drug efficacy to an extent. While Phase I is usually conducted on healthy subjects Phase II is restricted to humans with specific diseases. However, Phase I clinical trials now increasingly include persons with specific diseases in whom all conventional therapy has failed (e.g., terminal cancer or AIDS); these would be termed as mixed PhaseI/II studies in this case.
• Phase III clinical trials primarily examine the pharmacological efficacy and the short-term toxicities—of new drugs to a degree.
• Once a regulatory agency approves a new drug (FDA - Food and Drug Administration - for drugs marketed in the U.S), pharmaceutical companies may conduct additional studies such as Phase IV clinical trials. These are post-approval surveillance studies on the long-term efficacy and toxicity of already-marketed drugs.

As we mull over all the information overload not to mention the statistics, we are faced with that usual question - exactly what is the role that 'ethics' plays in clinical research? Is it ethical to conduct Phase III trials and double-blind studies? Does this border on an unassuming patient being used as a laboratory guinea pig? Is one of the principal precepts of medicine - the concept of Primum non nocere - which means "First, do no harm" merely a myth? Do the biggies in the industry such as Pfizer and Merck consider the ethics in the issue of clinical research?

Perhaps ethics is an oft-discussed topic, especially owing to the controversy surrounding the issue. One can go to any extent quoting some authority on the area or reveal the extensive documentation on the studies conducted to support the reasoning of medical research. But the question remains unanswered. How much of the reality truly comes out in the open? How much is ethical and when is this border breached? is it a question of morals alone or one of survival?

Too many uncomfortable questions right? Yes, ignorance is truly bliss!

Is Criticism an Art?

This may be a topic widely spoken about and also something I have discussed on occasion. But I thought it would be useful to explore at length the finer aspects of this almost forgotten art - constructive criticism. Yeah, I realise this term is perhaps as clichéd as it gets but then you have to admit that this is perhaps the root cause of most misunderstandings - personal or professional. Don't agree? Ok, when was the last time your boss said that your work sucks (!), or well something just a bit more civilised? Or perhaps your spouse or parent gave you a piece of their mind and basically made you fret and fume all day long?! Has something on these lines ever happened to you and made you wish people knew how to critisise with more poise?

If you have reached this far I am assuming that I have your attention! A friend of mine talks about his rather nit-picking dad. I would not call him a nag per se - he seems the picture of perfection - the ever smiling, affectionate dad. Yeah, I have witnessed the dad in question reprimand his son for leaving bags lying around or something equally frivolous, but do stuff like this classify him as a nag? In any case, fact is that my friend is on frayed nerves around his dad!

The way I see it, I think people should really consider being more empathetic when pointing out another's follies. Afterall if you have to put your displeasure in words why be mean and scathing? Trust me, criticising nicely will not spoil the effect of the admonition! And giving virtual dressing downs will only earn one the reputation of a tyrant. So is criticism a key area to work on in building relationships? Absolutely!

Pluto Pluto Everywhere

'Pluto Stripped of Planet Status' screamed the headlines. Astronomers around the world set new standards implying that Pluto does not qualify as a planet owing to its size and the fact its orbit overlaps with that of Neptune. In a move to pacify the pluto lovers, astronomers tried declaring that Pluto would be a prototype for a new category of the so-called 'trans-Neptunian' objects. Big words those but when it comes to astronomy, it pays to trust the star gazers!
Pluto has been considered a planet since 1930 - the dwarf planet of the solar system in other words. The very classification of Pluto as the ninth planet was an oft-contested one and it seems to have been just a matter of time before the issue was resolved once and for all.

With its eccentric orbit highly inclined with respect to the other planets, it is placed closer to the Sun than Neptune during certain periods of its revolution. Smaller than several natural satellites or moons in our solar system, Pluto itself has a large moon named Charon.

In this context, a very interesting aspect seems to be rather explicit disappointment expressed by the toon-world! Apparently the seven dwarfs have extended an open invitation to Pluto (remember the Walt Disney character with those funny ears?!) to let him join 'em as the eighth dwarf. How cute you say? Hear hear! There is also talk that Pluto (the dog) is rather unconcerned about these developments, and as the gossip goes Pluto couldn't be bothered about the planetary motions except for an 'occassional howl toward the sky'!

For those with the astronomic streak:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pluto

Dreaded Sticklers!

Do you get frustrated when people are such sticklers to grammar and spelling? Do you groan when your boss gets all worked up over some punctuation missed out in an official mail? Do you feel like beating the living daylights of those who crib about little errors in the written language? Well then trust me you are not alone. Not alone in that there are others who would like to join you in your mission to wipe out this community of overzealous moralists - the Dreaded Stickers!!

Well, this topic came up as I and a friend were rambling about nothing in particular. And jokes apart, the truth is I am perhaps more inclined to call myself a stickler than being lenient to grave bloopers in writing! Of course I try not to overdo it knowing that it sounds condescending and terribly critical. I talked about a similar situation when someone who was obviously a stickler (or was pretending to be one!) ranted and raved about a post in a forum (here http://sowmyaravindran.blogspot.com/2006/07/when-rudeness-is-condoned.html).
I am opposed to making impolite remarks and terribly rude comments, and I realise that sticklers have this innate tendency to go overboard. Intentional or not, this is an unacceptable quirk - nit picking and patronising critique are definitely unseemly.

Perhaps you have something to say on this? Make the world know how you cannot stand people making a big hue and cry over practically invisible misspellings and forgivable flaws. Or would you rather talk about some blunders that left you reeling! My only request is let's keep it nice and without sarcasm. Be witty! Post your comments.

PS: Here's a popular link you might like to check out.
http://eatsshootsandleaves.com/eslex.html