Mature democracy

As it happens from time to time, after a long gap, I was compelled to visit my blog and update. The reason - a remark by the Italian ambassador. In the context of the row about the marines who were allowed to go home and are now refusing to return, he remarked the two mature democracies would sort this out.

Mature democracies - ha, ha, ha - I laughed my head off, had to really wipe my tears. Hilarious comments if one knew what is really going on in the Italian politics and in Indian politics.

Brokeback Mountain

I have great respect for Ang Lee that I knew it was going to be difficult for me to not like Brokeback mountain. Not that I tried.

I was asked how I could forgive a movie where two men cheat on their wives. I think the answer
lies in the shot in which Ennis explains about the blokes who were killed, most likely by his father.
That fear that runs through him till the very end absolves the other issues.

Ang Lee has mastered the ability to show steady progression of things with clever framing of shots. The whole initial sequence depicts so beautifully the slow pace of life, the amount of time they both have in hand. And it also shows the two characters the taciturn Ennis gradually opening up and talking 'more than he had probably talked in a year'.

There is no melodrama even at the end when Heath comes to know of his lover's death, only immense sadness at the way things are.

Beautiful, beautiful movie.

Write home about

I watched quite a few uninspiring movies, traveled a bit - even to Madurai which usually at least inspires a blog or two, but haven't found anything to write home about. It is the dilemma of a blog that is sort of neither here nor there. My blog is not intended as an update of what I am doing on a particular day or week to my friends, nor is it the Bridget Jones's diary equivalent. Though I could potentially write it as the latter - we do share one thing in common. Nevertheless, I am unable to fight the ennui that engulfs me from time to time when it comes to blogging.

Anyway, 'The Hindu' newspaper today took an interesting diversion from convention that I thought was worth blogging. The broadcast media stuck to conventional coverage of the demise of Bal Thackeray. So did all the western media with their predictable epithets. 'The Hindu' had the editorial - A troubling legacy' and an article 'Why I can’t pay tribute to Thackeray' that were interesting in its lack of sensational adjectives and in its objective commentary despite the time of publication.

Salute to Mary

One of the TV channels flashed the headline - Hail Mary!  And Rajyavardhan Rathore said it right - what a story - woman, married with kids and from the northeast.  I think north east aspect is especially worth noticing. It was quite touching to watch her family celebrating.

On a busy news day - Curiosity on Mars, Gurudwara shooting and Anna disbanding his team, the news channels covered the story with remarkable and unusual sensibility.  Same thing can't be said about the Gurudwara shooting though.

Got reminded of the great Ali.

Covey

I attended one of Stephen Covey's lectures many years ago. After some clever videos and nuggets of wisdom, he opened the floor for questions. And that's when the real fun started.

It was readily apparent Covey was not one of those speakers who would preface their answers mindlessly with 'great question' or had high level of tolerance for anything in the name of question.

There was quite a clamour as many from the audience ostensibly wanted to ask a question. The mic was frantically passed around and many distinguished looking men and women stood up and spoke. But as it happens many times, they were not really questions.

The surprising part was Covey called it. He said, not once but repeatedly, looking the person in the eye, "Sir, I am opening the floor for questions. Not assertions, not comments, not arguments, not opinions disguised as questions. Please step up only if you have a question"

Every time I attend a conference when invariably there is at least one person who does the above, I think of Stephen Covey.