The world is one second away from a new age

In terms of millennium timeline, a minute is like 10,000 years. So a second... you do your own math.
Unless you have been spending the last few years on planet Uranus, you would have known that there's something funny going on terra firma as well as in the atmosphere.
You don't need to have a degree in meteorological science to feel it in your guts that something is not quite right. Not that Al Gore hasn't influenced you in some great way.
Al Gore is right about the dramatic changes that have been plaguing Earth for the past 12 years. It is disconcerting how many leaders around the world still have their heads in the ground, much like the famous feathered creature we know about.
Are these people not concerned? I have a hunch that they feel by the time, the game is at set point, they won't be around to feel the full impact of Nature's fury.
So what are we to do? Those of us who are now in our 20s will probably live to see all the earth-shaking changes that will alter Earth's geographical direction.
There are some things we can do to alleviate future aftershocks but it is only with a willingness to change that we can buy future generations some time.
This is not going to be the end of the world. This is going to be the end of the world as we now know it. How future earth will look like is anyone's guess. It won't look the same though in 2020, as it is now in 2008.
From now up till 2020 is 12 short years. I was thinking of last year's Christmas celebrations because the memories are still fresh in my mind, and already I am sniffing at the threshold of April. That's four months ago.
Everything changes in time and with time. The Earth is a living organism. As with any living form, if conditions are conducive, it will grow stronger, prettier and brighter.
Poor conditions will lead to it withering, being in a sad state and lead it down the road to a premature destruction. If we were to apply these conditions to Earth as a living planet, the conclusion is as clear as the morning sky on a cloudless day.
The choice is yours as well as mine. We really have no time to lose.

Political leaders - where are the good ones?

Many countries around the world suffer from a dearth of good leaders, let alone great ones.

It seems to be a global issue that many troubled nations are governed by people who shouldn't be at the helm in the first place. The question that is foremost in most politically conscious people's minds is "where have all the good leaders gone?"

Sometimes, we are tempted to proclaim that those countries have trouble with their leaders have only themselves to blame. Here, I am referring to those countries that dutifully hold elections once every five years.

If the majority pick the wrong leader, or so it seem, who do the people have to blame? But looking at the issue with some depth, sometimes the matter is not as simple as it seems.

For example, in some countries that have known nothing but military regimes for decades, this can be a problem. One fine example is Burma or Myanmar. This blessed country has been under the military yoke for as long as my young memory can remember.

As a result of the army's iron fist, quite a number of its people have gone overseas to eke out a decent living. Perhaps there's a moral to it all, but right now it escapes me.

Good or bad, all national leaders shall one day be compelled to step down, either due to old age or poor health. Nobody lives forever and that is the universal truth.

The popular phrase: And this too shall pass... has been applied to many circumstances in the history book of mankind. Civilisations that stretch from North POle to South Pole have their ups and downs but we humans have very limited life spans.

For most of us, 70 years of earthly existence is about it. But the basic truth to any nation's destiny is that the future is in the hands of its people. We alone will decide who shall lead us.

But people's memories are short. In many instances, politicians prefer to tell us that they are the only ones who can decide our future. Never has there been a bigger lie.

Ordinary people need to be told and reminded that their future and the country's future SHOULD be decided by themselves!

And if the people pick the wrong guy, they can always throw him out in the next election. Everything that goes around comes around. If the people pick the wrong candidate, they shall have to put up with the joker's antics for the next five years.

That is why it is very important to have an educated population, or as many people as possible being aware of the choices that they have. And there's also the right to choose.

Choose wisely then, my friends.

Why Obama is good for America

Before you read any further, let me tell you that this is a biased piece and nothing is based on facts, and everything on emotion and intuition.

Barack Obama is probably the first African-American since the American Independence to stand a realistic chance of entering the White House. He talks like JFK, has shades of Abe Lincoln in him and occasionally rises to the occasion with a reverberating tempo of Martin Luther King Jr.

Does that vocal prowess make him the perfect president? Realistically no. But he sure has a lot going for him at this point. For one thing, Obama has a certain naivety that's charming.

He's obviously widely read and fairly intelligent. Intelligence is not THE quality that makes a great president. Take for example Ronald Reagan. Everybody knows that he's not the brightest of the lot but many people remember him for his warmth, his likeability and his ability to rouse a nation to their feet with a few well chosen phrases.

Sure, he might have borrowed some of those lines from his Hollywood past, but who cares, they worked!

Obama comes from a background of mixed races. He's under 50, still has that twinkle in his eyes and a little bounce on his feet. America needs someone like him to remind the nation that it's not all about foreign policy and oneupmanship.

Sometimes, the best qualities of a president are not found in his resume. It's how he relates to people. It's how he touches their hearts and brings out the best in all of them.

Can someone with an IQ of 190 inspire 270 people to do their best for the country's future and for themselves? Probably not, if all he has to offer are some well thought out solutions to complicated global issues that may have little bearing on America's future.

In a way, Obama's limited experience with political administration is an advantage. He doesn't know that much about buttering up to those with shady motives. He's not quite aware yet of the intricacies that come with huge campaign funds and moguls who perpectually like returns on their financial investments.

Obama's greatest asset right now is that he has managed to awaken the spirit in the young of America. He has managed to convince a large number of these young people that they can do something about their future.

He has urged them to believe in themselves. He has talked them out of a political stupor. Obama's speeches have brought back a certain pride in being called an American.

Right now, America is not in a very good place. No nation can be perpectually in the right place or good place after two centuries. There will be challenging times. There exist confusing times. There will be time for reconciliation.

Obama seems to stand for all these and a little bit more. Can America survive without Obama? Most certainly, it could. Does America need a person like Obama now? Most definitely, it does.

Seasoned politicians are all good at spewing rhetoric but at the end of the day, that's all there is - words. What counts is what happens after the speeches have been delivered. Will there be action? Will there be a momentum that is created by a man's inspiring words?

This man who has come of age exists now to bring America back to her feet and stand proudly to face the rest of the world, and say: "We are Americans and we represent the best there is in our nation, and in our success, we will strive that all our allies will share in our glory and our wealth, so help us God!"

Obama or Hillary?

It is not a secret that the two frontrunners in the present Democract race to the White House are Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

From available statistics, Hillary as of now has a slight edge over Obama. The question is who wins if Obama loses? Or, should it be, who loses if Hillary wins?

Again, according to statistics, a lot of Americans are not really concerned about who gets to the White House first. The issue paramount in their minds right now is whether USA can withstand the tsunami of a recession that has already entered their front doors.

The credit crunch crisis, pluning global markets and escalating oil price all contribute to the real and imagined fears of a worldwide population.

If American slips into recession, as it already has (according to some economic experts), the rest of the world which trade with America will get the jitters.

What does that all entails? The scenario is not of catastrophic proportions but prolonged economic frustrations that could drag on for years. It simply slows down the engines of growth in Asia and in turn kickstart an economic chain-reaction that will rock the nations of lesser endowed economies.

Desperate countries with powerful armies may resort to desperate measures. Your guess is as good as mine.

For too long some industrialised nations have been recklessly managing their own economies. In a way, they can beat the clock, as most grand chessmasters are wont to do.

There are some things that can only be resolved through sheer hardwork, diligence and an overpowering sense of conventional wisdom and sacrifice.

But before all this economic ill wind blows over, there will be plenty more people making the streets their home. The years of plenty are fast coming to an end.

Frankly, most people really never learn. I guess the hard way is simply the best teacher.

Rain gently sweeps over the land

Soft sheets of water drops
Wind buffets the distant trees
Air circulates through the halls
Campus activities on hold

The Wealth Trap

Sometimes being wealth is such a pain. The fear of losing your millions never leaves your side.

You can't differentiate between friends, relatives and swindlers. You feel you have to keep up with appearances.

You can leave your home without being followed by cameras and news hounds. Life becomes a pain when your children think they own the world. Worse, your wife you owe her and not vice versa.

Nothing is a challenge anymore. You can buy most things. Even diamonds and cars lose their lustre. Who cares about automobiles when you have 50 in the humungous garage.

Colleagues and friends become too fawning and ingratiating. Who's the real friend? Poverty brings out the truth in all of us. Wealth blurs the lines of friendship. It is the harbinger of sad trails and even more sorrowful tales.

Fame is that elusive companion who keeps dogging you for all the wrong reasons. There's only so much you can accumulate without being de-sensitised and de-sanitised about living's truer paths and meaning.

If money is the arbiter of happiness, then only tycoons and moguls will be the only ones who have the key to peace of mind. Unfortunately, life plays jokes on all of us.

Wealth is not legal tender in the happy ranch. There's no currency but simplicity, honesty and integrity in the land of contentment.

Millionaires beware! The money trap buys not satisfaction but only a sense of well-being which, if allowed to fallow, leads to distraction and subtraction.

2008 may prove to be a year that dreams fall apart. So in a way, the playing field where joy is found will be levelled before long. Thus, we will find that at the end of life's journey, wealth is but another test that could make or break us.

Many rich people die unhappy. In fact, a large number of them are the saddest people in the world. If there's but one lesson we can learn from them, it is that true wealth like true happiness cannot be bought.

The real treasure is embedded in all our hearts and many of us wander all over the place and around the world looking for it when all the time, it is within us.

Oh dear! It's raining cats and dogs outside

It is now 6pm, Equatorial time. Here I am, fresh from a tea session at the office cafeteria, with nothing to kill but time.

Already, the distant sounds of the rolling thunder have penetrated the confines of this thick-walled office. Thoughts meandered like an ox-box lake in the labyrinth of my mind.

My spirit has already left for home even though the body is still here. Truly, our thoughts travel faster than our bodies. As if you don't know that!

It is Jan 4, 2008. We are now eight years into the 21st century. The world has nothing much to show except regional conflicts, blizzards, sporadic violence in the African continent, nuclear uncertainty in North Korea and Iran, and the race to the White House is gathering momentum.

If you are an ordinary Joe like me, you really can't spare a thought for these global concerns. The only one that has held my attention for some time is global warming and all its unnatural consequences.

It is a bit late in the evening to think of what we can do. The scientists are trying to rationalise that the situation is not as serious as Al Gore made it out to be, even though some eggheads are genuinely concerned.

As in the past, the world will only wake up when the earthquakes have shaken their homes to their very foundations or when the lava has reached their front doors.

Otherwise, nobody is really bothered. So much for the progress of manking. We are often too busy with our little and pathetic selves. Thank God for some really conscientious people who battle for all mankind against great odds.

What would we do without these good people? The thunderstorms that shake the trees and sometimes break the sound barriers portend an interesting time ahead (for want of a better word).

Humans on the whole are always Johnnys-come-lately. We never really learn until the last minute of our lives.

I have always had a morbid fascination for dark clouds, thunder-and-lightning and flash floods. One of the reasons is because I have been caught in the maelstrom of these natural occurrences once too often.

Like they say, if you have been staring at the eyeballs of adversity too many times, you begin to develop an unusual fascination, not fear, for Nature's angry brother.

I like to believe that one day when the earth has released all its pent-up fury, we can all begin to rebuild our lives and our homes. It's all part of the celestial game plan.

Good luck to us all. We really need it.

Happy New Year, Everyone!

I know I have been a bit on the lazy side these past weeks, but hey, I have recovered. It's January 1, 2008 and from the first few hours, things are looking good.

I wish to to be sanguine about the whole thing. Why kick off the new year with dark clouds hovering over one's head. That's not very mature, as they say.

Last night, I was among tens of thousands watching double fireworks displays in my neighbourhood. Where did those organisers find the cash to bankroll these pyrotechnics, I asked myself.

Before I could answer myself, I was caught up in the maelstrom of exploding technicolour lights in the dark sky.

People were milling about in their pajamas. Yes, nobody wanted to miss anything. Afterall, such entertainment that comes once a year is free!

If you wish to make any new year resolution like all of us normal full-of-flaws earthlings do, make one that you think you got a chance to succeed. No point telling yourself rather foolishly that you want to have a million bucks in your bank account by July.

Your girlfriend may want to believe you but members of your family will certainly laugh you out of the house. This year, 2008, will be a great year for you if you want it to be so.

Don't think nothing is unachievable. Everything, short of the ridiculous, incredible and downright nonsensical, can be attained if you put your heart, mind and soul into it.

About six months ago, I told myself that I wanted a digital DSLR and a high-end compact camera. By last month (December 2007), I had both. I am not boasting but merely telling you that somethings can be obtained, bought and possessed if the spirit is in full gear.

Now, what do you want? Seriously, what do you really want? Don't be wishy-washy about the whole thing. Nobody, particularly yourself, is going to believe you if the core of your own being rebel against such a thought.

Set your standards high, and your dreams higher and watch yourself soar. If this sounds like another one of those high-priced management seminar talk, it isn't. I am merely stating an age-long secret.

Those who know what they want, just go ahead and get them. Put no time frame to your targets. Just focus on them and plunge ahead.

Dream beautiful dreams. Think great and positive thoughts. Believe it or not, you deserve them. Don't think of trampling on your nasty neighbourhoods flower garden. Those kind of thoughts produce a bad karma.

Positive thinking is multi-fold. It generates wonderful consequences for yourself and for others. Why bother to plan another person's downfall when you could use the same energy to get great gifts for yourself.

The world does not need another tyrant or dictator. We are drastically short of Mother Teresas, Pope John Paul II and a few more selfless people working perpectually for the good of others.

The pain you feel throughout last year was probably a result of your own actions. Not a very nice thought but nevertheless true. So before you repeat the unpleasant consequents of 2007, change direction and be kind in thought, word and deed.

In the aftermath of such a decision, watch the flowers bloom in the garden of humanity. And be astounded by the effects of your own selfless actions and kind thoughts.

Nobody is asking you to be a saint but do the right thing and the rest will follow.

Movies are of great therapeutic value

I have been watching movies for as long as I can remember. For the billions who have watched movies since their teenage years, films have doubled up as a marvellous form of de-stressors.
There are movies that inspire us to do great things. There are movies that touched the core of our souls. There are movies that so easily draw the tears. These are the creations of great film makers who unwittingly or deliberately make us think positively, feel deeply and forgive easily.

We live this life now so that we can be better individuals. We like to think that we are capable of greater things in life. Indeed, we can but our fears and lack of self-confidence create obstacles to our own progress.

I have credited classic movies for providing the impetus for me to strive for things that I could otherwise have not attained. Hours spent in cinemas intermittently throughout my growing years and then later in adulthood have reaped long term benefits.

I am ever grateful to those great stories that have been portrayed so well by good actors and their screen lives and experiences have acted as engines of encouragement to me to emulate my imagined heroes.

Every body needs a hero. He who says he doesn't is probably lying to himself and probably doesn't know it. Films like It's A Wonderful Life and Life Is Beautiful have inspired me to follow life's paths that look so mundane in the past but they are ever so fruitful when treaded upon.

I really couldn't imagine what my life could have been, if not for those enjoyable and yet inspiring movies that have crossed paths with me.

Looking beyond November

November to me means December is just around the corner. So what's so great about November? Well, personally, it means one year has almost over and I look back and assess my life's journey.
People say if you are having a great time, the months fly swiftly by. If that's the criterion then I must be having a grand time. The journey thus far has been exciting, eventful and truly a chronicle of memorable happenings.
It's not true to say I have an Indiana Jones-type of life but every individual, depending on his preferences, needs and priorities, has his own life chart.
On looking back, I am glad to sad my regrets are few, if any I care to remember. There have been some hilarious moments and there have been some very happy occasions. I try to keep the anxious times to as few as I can count on one hand.
Who wants to remember bad times? Unless you are a glutton for self torture, you really shouldn't dwell over unhappy times. It is not a healthy habit and it is downright depressing.
That's my policy anyway. Why flog yourself unnecessarily when there are other better, more exciting things to do in life.

I don't know about you but I am always on the lookout for some fun things to do. I tell myself every day that I don't have time to be sad or wallow in misery. Why do to the grave crying and moaning?
Surely, life is bigger than all that. All of us will eventually slide into the grave. We are all biodegradable life forms. Let's face it, if you don't want to be happy, there are billions of others (six billion at last count) who would be more than happy to put a smile on their own face.

It's coming to December for heaven's sake. Cheer up and sing!

What's going on, Mother Earth?

Hurricane Katrina caused havoc in New Orleans and Lousiana in 2005. Hundreds of thousands of people were affected. Damage control came late and life has not exactly returned to normal even now - two years later.

Since February this year, tornadoes have been appearing in various parts of North America, namely Florida, Lousiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Texas, Okhlahoma, Colorado, Kansas, Nebraska, South Dakota, Illinois, New York and the MidWest. Fatalities from these outbreaks of tornadoes or twisters are numbered about 60.

Currently, we have fires sweeping across Southern California. That's water, wind and fire. Are these some of the side-effects of global warming, or these natural disasters portend something more terrible is on the way?

Frankly, I don't know the answers. Can someone enlighten me?

How do you sleep at night?

The above question is not asked in the vein that you may be a party to an unknown crime committed recently but in the normal sense as how do you actually slip into oblivion for a better part of an eight-hour stretch?

Most of us at one time or another have trouble sleeping like a baby. Honestly, those who sleep like a baby are the babies themselves. Nature is on their side. Nature however seems to have abandoned us on the wrong side of the bed by the side we skip past the 30-year mark.

Then there are those who brag that they sleep moments after their heads hit the pillow. If only all of us were so lucky. If you are too tired, you may have trouble sleeping.
If you worry too much, again sleep will continue to play hide-and-seek with you. Of course, there are techniques to usher a person into the land of REM (rapid eye movement). Frankly, I am not even sure I know the exact meanign of REM.
My guess is that when a person is in a state of REM, he is supposed to be in deep sleep. It is said that a baby spends about 80 per cent of his sleep time in REM land, whereas adults only experience about 20 to 25 per cent of his sleep in REM.
Now, I sometimes brag that I truly sleep like a baby because I kick the blanket aside during the course of the night. That of course doesn't create a bountiful amount of goodwill from my partner next to me.
Short of slugging me with the bolster, she just turns over to the other side and slip into her own never-neverland.
People who suffer from insomnia receive much sympathy from me because it is one of the worse punishments that a human being can receive. Insomniacs also suffer from intense bouts of worry.
What does a person to do when the body wants to rest but the mind refuses to let go. In the ensuing desperate moments of non-repose, the human condition careens into the zone of imagined fears.
When you can't sleep, there will come a time when you begin to think your time on earth is up. Simply put, the spectre of death seems quite real. Death itself may start tickling the feet of your mind. Here's the rub: you can't scratch the itchy spots in your cerebrum.
My answer to an overactive mind and a body that resists oblivion is to engage in a series of pleasant thoughts. The argument is simple: if you can't sleep, at least you have a pleasant time dreaming of some of the nicest things that could happen to you.
After a while, your body begins to relax because of the steady flow of endorphin (the feel-good biological chemical in the body).
Deep breathing helps too. But don't be too enthusiastic, otherwise you may end up gasping as if you are drowning. Now, we don't want that, do we?
Wear loose clothes. Go naked if you so wish but don't catch a chill. Tight clothing tends to be detrimental to a good night's sleep. And also, breathe with your stomach.
Watch a sleeping baby very carefully. His tummy rises and falls very gently. That is the correct way to breathe. If you breathe right, everything else follows the correct path.
If only an infant can be eloquent, how much we adults can learn from the toddler.
It's true to say that money doesn't buy sleep, it just buys you a bed.
Good night then.

Life's on the slow lane

MUCH has been said about being on the fast track. Modern conveniences inadvertently spell out to be Instant this, and Instant that. It seems so long ago that our forbears used to take their time walking from one cottage to the next and never count the distance or the time taken.
These days, we are always in a hurry. We rush from department meeting to board meeting. Most of the time, or rather half of the time, we forget what transpired at these meetings.
Some of us buy expensive PDAs (personal digital assistant) to help organise our thoughts. We all think it's pretty cool to have an iphone, a Blackberry and GPS cellphone.
Sometimes I wonder how our ancestors a century ago would have handle all these modern gadgets. Yes, no doubt if these ancestors were alive today, they would be flabbergasted.
Some of these modern devices still have not entered my front door, even though I have seen pictures of them or read about them on the Internet.
But how much do we really need to make our lives more exciting, more interesting and more convenient? A long time ago, when these conveniences didn't exist, life then continued nevertheless.
People nowadays seem to think that without some of these technological wonders, life will come to an instant end. Perhaps life is passing us by while we are considering what other new gadgets we want to add to our collection.
For many years now, I have deliberately learnt to slow down. Take for example, in congested city streets. The tendency among motorists is to be the first one off the block. Sometimes when the traffic lights are on the verge of bursting green, you can hear the roar of revving engines.
Everybody seem to be in a hurry. Frankly, what's 20 seconds in your life? Once, I was at a traffic junction, the light turned green, I was about to dash across to the other side when I hesitated, a mere three seconds.
Suddenly, like a bolt out of the blue, a speeding truck dashed in front of me. Obviously, that trucker had beaten the red lights by exactly three seconds. Now, if you were to ask me what had I learnt from that, my answer would be those precious few seconds separated me from crossing over to God's green acre.
When I amble along on life's slow lane, I find out that birds are actually quite beautiful. They chirp without a care in the world. And somewhere at a nearby tree, its mate returns Nature's call.
What a wonderful litte discovery. If I had moved my feet a bit faster, I would have missed all that. I also found out that trees rustle in rhythm to the winds. Yes, there are swaying palms on my side of the world. In fact, if you really close your eyes, you can imagine those palms whispering.
Thus that unforgotten song that has those words: "whispering palms..."
The Buddhist monks learnt this important tenet of life millennia ago. They call it mindfulness. If you take your time with your actions as well as study the movements of other life-forms around you with great deliberation, you will allow all your five senses to partake in a feast of recognition.
Leonardo Da Vinci practised this centuries ago. There's actually a book entitled Think Like Leonardo Da Vinci. It tells you that such deliberate actions will add volumes to your personal intelligence.
Life on the slow lane is not for those who exist, it's for those who live to love, study and appreciate and finally rejoice.

Much Ado About Eating

We are all creatures of predictable dietary habits. Most of us have our favourite dishes, our preferred fast food and our little culinary secrets.
Some of these we share with others, and then there are a few we simply prefer to keep to ourselves. God knows why, but we do.
For example, we may like our hotdog from the street vendor sprinkled with deep-fried onion rings, mixed with Tabasco sauce. It may not be another person's favourite kind but we don't really care because it brings a silly grin to the one who loves it to death.
Who knows why certain kinds of food ring all the bells in our heads? Perhaps 30 years ago when we were in our pre-teen days, one rainy day an unknown hotdog seller was on the right side of the street, and someone's child happened to be there as well.
His best friend, the one who has lots of pocket money, treated him to the above-mentioned hotdog with a so-called secret recipe. What transpired was an undying love born of a teenage culinary love affair for a simple bun with a sausage and some sauce.
That's what makes up our personality. We all grow up developing certain tastes and refining them as we grow along. Sometimes we think we know all that is to be learnt about eating, but then as the years pass, we know better.
However, eating can be considered a cultivated art. It breaks my heart to see diner labouring over their food at fine restaurants. Other than humans, I can't think of any other life-forms that enjoy food as much as we do.
Enjoying a great meal comprising excellent dishes is a gift from God. We all want to live to eat. Woe be he who eat to live and abide by rule for the rest of his miserable life.
That is a punishment exacted by no other than the sufferer himself. Therefore, it is my credo that as long as our mouths can move, as long as our jaws can open and close and our teeth can bite, eating should be counted as a great blessing because it puts us in touch with some of the finest moments of human living.
On that note, I shall have to keep my date with a restaurant in an hour's time.

My new digital camera - Nikon D40

First and foremost, I wish to declare that I am new to the world of DSLR, or digital single lens reflex.

My camera-mad friends have urged me incessantly to upgrade my rotten old Kodak DX7630 to an DSLR because the prices have become quite competitive. So by chance, I came across one recently that I thought would fit my budget.

That included sacrificing several days of lunches plus some proper dinners. So here I am with a Nikon D40 which I thought was pretty cool. For a DSLR camera, the D40 is one of the most basic but friends have attested to its reliability and efficiency as befitting the sterling reputation of Nikon.

I have taken a number of shots with my new camera and the results are impressive. Now, I have been bombarded by persuasions to acquire a 70-300 lens. The one which has been "thrown" at my face is the Sigma APO DG model.

It has been alleged that this lens is reported to be more superior than Nikon lens. Another reason to acquire this lens is the steep price for a similar VR Nikon lens in a similar category.

So there you go, one camera later and my wallet is beginning to get the shakes! But photography can be as addictive as golf. The good thing is I don't play golf, or rather I haven't yet been bitten by the golf bug.

Right now, somewhere tucked away in my home drawer are two compact cameras. One is the ancient Panasonic LC20 2-mega pixel and the other is the Kodak DX7630. I have had and is still having a great time with both compact cameras.

But as digital cameras go, their efficiency level drops with the passing of time, or when technology supersedes it after a brief six months. But then, some of the world's best pictures are taken with ordinary cameras, so I really have no excuse here.

Now that I am truly and thoroughly bitten by the shutter bug, I have to plead guilty to having lascivious thoughts of acquiring new accessories for my new D40. And D40 is not even anywhere near those other coveted digital DSLRs that the professional pixmen often lug around.

If you were me, what do you do? Well, I tend to follow my gut instincts but also keep a sharp eye on the thickness of my wallet. No point going around shooting pictures and wearing tattered clothes.

Wish me luck with my new camera. May I win a prize sometime in the near future.

Why you need to act now!

There's that much quoted line: Don't put off to tomorrow after you can do today. Let me rephrase that and say: "Don't put off what you can do NOW to the next hour!"

It's true. Have you ever wondered what you could have achieved if you have not hesitated a thousand times before? This applies to those good intentions that you secretly want to carry out but die a natural death because you pause and think about it for a couple of days.

By the time, you are ready and willing, the object of your desire or the subject of your intention has left the scene. Or, you yourself could be in a position where you no longer have the power to carry it out.

Now, isn't that a crying shame? The good deeds of tomorrow are acted upon NOW, not the next hour or the nex day.

Do it now. Don't hesitate. Just do it! Now, I am beginning to sound like a Nike ad. It may sound cornish to you but the long years I have spent gallivanting on earth have taught me one valuable lession - all good intentions remain just intentions if you merely dwell on them mentally.

The smallest good intention must be translated into action for it to achieve results. For example, if you plan to say something nice to your girlfriend, just say it the next time you meet her.

There's no such thing as timing. Just say it, for love's sake! If you want to buy your dad something that you know he loves. Don't hesitate till the fire in your belly dies out.

Just go out and buy it. The money in your wallet can be replaced. If something happens to your dad, I think you will be hard put to find a replacement.

If you think you stand a ghost of a chance of making a million dollar deal. Go ahead and try, you really have nothing to lose except the act of trying.

All attempts leads halfway to reality. Reality are dreams turned inside out. If you can imagine it, you can create it. If you can create it, it will come true.

That's what life's all about. Making dreams come true - for yourself and for others.
Why wait till you have the money to do this, do that and then act upon all the good intentions.

Do the things you can do first. Forget the money, or the timing, or even the stars to come out. Life's for the moment. Every moment counts. Every kind word uttered is action done.

Every charity performed is grace delivered. Every act of good deed is twice blessed. It blesses the one who receives as well as the one who gives.

If you are not sure, just ask William Shakespeare.

The cinema is now a Marvel Universe

An office colleague sauntered up to me a couple of hours ago and said, "hey, they are making The God of Thunder". I replied: "You mean that Viking God in the comics?"

Yes, he responded. Then, there's The Watchmen. Apparently, it has been cooked and ready to be served, meaning the casting, budget and other million dollar details are in the pipeline.

So these two comic titles are being added on to the Hollywood conveyor belt. The last two or three years have seen an enormous output of comics type films. We had the Hulk, Daredevil, Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Fantastic Four, Ghost Rider, Catwoman, X-Men and Elektra.

I have probably missed out on a few but who's counting? The big studio guys have suddenly realised that they have hit the motherlode as far as moviegoers' fascination is concerned.

Superheroes movies have struck a nerve and it leaves a lingering feel-good sensation that resonates with the tinseltown auditors and bankers. There's something to be said about comic books and mutants with superpowers.

There used to be a time when only children were fascinated with colour pages filled with out-of-this-world stories. Times have changed. These days everybody is involved. Who would have believed that in this day and age, movies about superheroes who have caught most of our fancy back three or four decades ago have all returned in the greatest CGI way.

After having said all that, I have to confess that I am a big time comic fan. I have not really left the world of Marvel, DC, Dark Horse, Valiant and what-have-you. There are also so many independent comic publishers these days that I have lost count.

But honestly, comics are also no longer a dime a dozen. Those were the good old days. These days, quality comics can actually make a kid cry with grief. Publishers blame it all on price of paper, escalating costs of expensive ink and the astronomical amount of money, successful comic writers and artists are demanding.

So what else is new? But coming back to the cinema or theatre, depending on which part of the world, you are from a cinema and theatre simply means the same thing. It's where ordinary people pay a few bucks to venture into the delightful world of escapism.

It's a place where anyone and everyone can be a superheroes. There are no barriers or boundaries in the realm of comics and superheroes. That's what so wonderful about the whole thing.

I know one day, this runaway comics cinema train will derail but till then, I am having the ride of my life. It's really fun. This is one train, any commuter regardless of age, can buy a ticket and get on board.

You can be like children again. Nobody in the darkened cinema is going to take notice of you because all of them are into their own world of marvels. Isn't that wonderful?

Truly, imagination is so stupendously wonderful. See ya at the cinema!

Learn to be angry

Learn to be angry about injustice that is becoming increasingly common.

Learn to be angry over poverty because it is not in the nature of man to be poor.

Learn to be angry about the lack of love anywhere.

Learn to be angry because too many people are going to bed with emtpy stomachs.

Learn to be angry about corruption in the country.

Learn to be angry over irrational wars around the world.

Learn to be angry with yourself for not being enthusiastic over the most mundane matters.

Learn to be angry for not showing enough love for those you care for.

Learn to be angry that you sometimes lack the passion to better yourself in so many easy ways.

Learn to be angry for lacking the will power to exercise your own body, so that 30 years from now you do not have to fill your cupboard with medicines.

Learn to angry with yourself for not saying thank you to those who have helped you in the smallest way.

Learn to be angry for not saying prayers for others.

Learn to be angry over too much waste because as humans we really need very little to satisfy our basic needs.

Learn to be angry over your own shyness in not making the first move to make new friends.

Learn to be angry for being too lazy to learn new skills and new languages.

Learn to be angry for not showing interest in little children, for they are our second chances.

Learn to be angry for not being kind enough, gentle enough and compassionate enough.

Learn to be angry over senseless crimes in your neighbourhood.

Learn to be angry over eating too much when you know you are already full.

Learn to be angry for not learning enough from people who can teach you a lot.

Learn to be angry that you have not paid attention to the examples of great people who have gone before you.

Learn to be angry that you have but one chance in your life to do the greatest things in a thousand most memorable ways.

Learn to be angry that you have not heeded the inner voice that tells you everyday that you can be what you imagine if only you act upon it now.

Learn to be angry that you have not awakened from dreaming because that's the only way to make your own dreams come true.

Sometimes bad things do happen to good people

I was just thinking about this after watching scenes of the Minneapolis bridge collapse on CNN this morning. About 20 cars plunged into the Mississippi river when sections of the bridge gave way.

Those who were at the scene and were caught in it must have suffered tremendously - physically and mentally.

This brings to mind the question: why do such things happen to innocent people? I have asked this question almost every time I witness a tragedy whether it be a natural disaster or a human tragedy.

There are many things we don't understand in this life but sometimes when least expected, disaster strikes. Families are caught in the maelstrom and a string of lives are altered forever.

There's actually no body to blame for such situations. All I know is those who have been stuck in situations like that usually recover after a while. The pain lingers for those who are immediate family members of the victims but somehow life marches bravely on.

In a way, there are lessons in everything that has happened and will happen. How well will it all play out? That remains to be seen.

We all hope and pray that life will be kind to us but we are never sure. Not every road we travel on is paved with rose petals. Sometimes, there are potholes, rusty nails and unseen bumps.

But we do take all that in stride. How can we not? We never really expected them in the first place.

Let it be known that all things, good and bad, happen to all at one time or another. There's no exception. Of course, some are luckier than others but to each, the problem comes to fit his situation.

We all learn to cope and we all learn to extend a helping hand in process. This is life and that is heaven's way of showing us that on the road of pain and sorrow, there are always little pleasant surprises.

Life is not that cruel as it is sometimes conjured to be.

Going potty over Potter

OKAY, I must speak my piece or forever be silent over this one. But I can't be quiet anymore. The planets are in alignment; my mind won't stop racing and my fingers are itching.
Blame it on this Potter kid. The world knows him as Harry Potter. Apparently, by this time tomorrow, thousands of people, kids mainly, will be happily digesting J.K. Rowling's final Potter tome.
Something called Deathly Hallows. All this hype over Harry Potter has finally got my goat. I didn't want to say anything for years because I thought it was just a passing fancy among the younger generation but the phenomenon persisted for years.
Well, the straw that broke the camel's back has finally been placed on the earlier tonne of hay strapped to the Ship of the Desert. Honestly though, the blame for this unusual human response towards a book title, not even deemed as literature material, is rather disquieting.
I don't imagine William Shakespeare had encountered this kind of reaction even at the height of his fame. I placed the blame squarely on the media. Seven years into the 21st century, we have begun to witness the enormous influence exerted by the media for other parties' percuniary ends.
For months now, the media, with the fullest co-operation of film producers, book publishers and probably the tacit compliance of the writer herself, have been harping on the final chapter of the Harry Potter saga.
From Europe to Asia, book stores, book publishers, and other agents of the printed word have been knocking on the doors of all media avenues possible to broadcast the message that Potter will cast his final spell.
And what does the world do? It joined in the biggest media game ever played. I have just received word from someone who has just seen the movie. Verdict: nothing really earth-shattering, either here on this planet or in any other dimension.
As a person who have occasional encounters with all things media, I fully understand the implications and ramifications of this kind of literary phenomenon. Kudos to Rowling for having achieved such stupendous success with her Harry Potter series.
For a woman who used to survive on burgers while writing on then an obscure teenager called Harry Potter in a Hogwarts school of magic, Rowling has indeed journeyed a long way.
But this frenzy of activity on a global scale over Potter does indicate to sociologists and behavariousl scientists that something is amiss with modern society. Why are we not equally worked up over global warming, Polar caps meltdown, famine in Darful, starvation in North Korea and endless conflagrations in Afghanistan, Iraq and Pakistan?
Are those issues not of worldwide importance? Whither human society as far as crucial matters are concerned? Let it not be said a hundred years from now that inhabitants of this planet in the year 2007 were moronically preoccupied with issues of little consequence while Earth teeter on a precipice of biblical proportions.
I am not shocked by this inexplicable reaction by so many Potter fans but actually saddened by the masses who are not Potter fans, who are in fact equally nonchalant about other issues that would affect their grandchildren and descendants in the generations to come.
Here we are, standing on the threshold of some of the most phenomenal technological achievements in the history of science and yet we go ga-ga over a fictional character called Harry.
What does this say about us? What will the people of the future think about us? It will be a sad day indeed if our response right now is: "who cares? we won't be around a century from now anyway!"
Tomorrow's world is built on the foundation of today's concerns. The Now phenomenon is just as vital as the targets of till-then era, even if the aims are slightly blurry just now.
I lament the state of right-thinking humans, not all of them but many of them. Surely, we have not become numbed to things that matter most. Entertainment is fine. Escapism is negligible if its effects are fleeting but obsession with a product of someone's imagination does not bode well for modern thinking.
When I see public reaction over the latest Harry Potter book and little reaction from the same people over global hunger, disease, massive corruption and killings, sadness grips my heart. My mind is ill at ease.
Will not these same people show some compassion too to the hungry in their midst? Are they not also concerned by the negative influences faced by their growing children in college, at work and elsewhere?
Sometimes, I figure that the world has gone over the deep end to become indifferent to a suffering society and on a global scale, uncaring about the millions who may not survive in the next five years.
A hundred years from now, books on Harry Potter would most probably be still available but humankind may no longer be concerned about Harry then, as they would be about finding their next meal or seeking a safer clime for their families.