Meaning of it all

What's up with these astrophysicists? Is it the countless hours of contemplating black holes and red giants, grappling with worm holes and space-time, or pondering about expanding and alternate universes? Is it the requirement to be able to think on things that are so abstract and so unreal?  What is it that makes them transition to the realms of philosophy so easily and so beau...tifully?

I am talking of course of Neil deGrasse Tyson's answer to the little boy who asked him what was the meaning of life. The answer was simple yet profound - I especially liked his words, a bit of paraphrasing - Meaning is not something that is waiting there somewhere to be discovered but it is something you have to make for yourself. You have to make your life meaningful in ways that makes sense to you.

Spy stories

Have always been a fan of spy stories. Have been watching this season of  'Homeland' with considerable interest. The series has definitely gotten better with the death of Brody.

While some of the dialogues about US interest in Saudi oil etc. is overdone already, it is quiet courageous of the writers to explore the grey areas like the way Carrie recruits or attempts to recruit Aayan. It almost works in her favor.

Last week's episode ending was predictable with Carrie clinging to the handsome, ISI operative Aasar Khan lamenting, 'Brody, Brody.' I think Aasar Khan is going to be a good guy after all.

Statesman

It was a grand spectacle. The crowd went crazy about him no doubt. I wasn't really sure how to interpret the Madison Square Garden show. I mean Prime Minister Modi's visit of course.

Balloons, Hugh Jackman, Star Wars quote... Seriously? In many levels, it resembled a high level sales call than a state visit. The kind where you put up a good show, you razzle-dazzle potential investors.And that's great. We do want our economy to strengthen, for India Inc to be oversubscribed.  It must really be my old fashioned misguided sense of restraint that wanted the revelry to be toned down.

Despite what John Oliver said I thought the Force quote was fun, Mr. Modi delivered it with commendable aplomb. Our PM cannot possibly quote Wolverine from X-Men First Class, can he now?

News, news

Mr. Modi somberly paying homage at 9/11 site, Hilfiger weighing in on his fashion sense, twitterati comparing his visit to that of Swami Vivekananda, Goswami on the streets of NY, all took a back seat. Amma has been convicted.

I wonder why no one picked up the clues. The fact that the judgement was scheduled on a Friday just before the 10 days high-court holiday should have told us it was conviction and that too over 3 years. As an armchair conspiracy theorist I could speculate all kinds of scenarios. The same prevents me from writing them.

Rain

It poured heavily couple of days ago. The traffic was a bitch, the long, clogged roads with fallen branches torturous, the journey in the dark pot-holed roads with sudden pedestrians precarious. I sat watching the thick curtain of water on the windows of my car, thankful.