A New Way or just a Weird Idea ?

Religion has long been touted as the "opiate of the masses". Events of recent past and until date around the world makes one wonder if that is an understatement and the real religious scenario is more close to addiction than alleviation.

One interesting event unfolding in that regard in the post 9/11 era is the proposed construction of a mosque at or near the ground zero site. There has been support and vehement opposition to the idea with the supporters calling for peace and religious tolerance (should be religious "appreciation") and opponents going to the extent of equating it to a "hitler memorial at auschwitz". Whatever the outcome is going to be, the idea sure is a novel one, not sure if we have precedence in history. If one were to put on a Gandhian hat, its actually a masterstroke and a humbling reponse to the religious extremists from the victims and their survivors - the type even Christianity espouses.

Of course, I being neither a muslim nor an american, can pass any arm-chair criticism or comment. Will my opinion be the same had I been in either's shoes, I don't know.

In the course of this discussion between my wife and I, she commented, albeit on a lighter vein though, that if one were to build a small mosque near all important sites targeted by such religious terrorists would it deter them from committing such heinous acts - after all its a place of worship and all religion mean good its just the true meaning gets lost in translation sometimes. Well, her statement struck to me as a seemingly innocuous but definitely one that has a deeper meaning and one that merits a great deal of thought from every one of us. After all religion is man's creation intended for our own good.

Today's pic is a famous tourist spot - downtown SFO - taken by me from a tourist chopper flying low on the SFO skyline - where such a mosque could add to its safety. Okay, if you havent got it till now - it was just the San Diego Legoland's mini replica of the SFO downtown.

Whose Line Is It Anyway ? - #14

Of late, our young one's mind is over serious matters in life. Here are a few samplers -

• We did not realize that our boy was intently listening to a conversation I and my wife were having one day about marriage in general, until the young one came out with a barrage of questions on marriage - "Can i get married?", a brief pause, "then, what can I name my wife ?", a few seconds later, "where can I live when I get married ?". Boy, he is relating stuffs he is hearing to the extent his overhead processor can handle.
  
• When he was asking us questions about a friend of his having recently got a baby brother or sister, I thought of provoking him a bit and asked, "Did your friend's baby brother came out his mommy's tummy or daddy's ?". Without hesitation came the reply, "He is a boy so its daddy's tummy". Now I retorted back, "Then how come as a boy you came out of mommy's tummy?". Now the young processor overworked a few seconds before he came out with the reply "The first one always come out of mommy's tummy". Okay. !!!
• With the current capabilities of his brain's ALU, the age of a person only progresses like 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5 etc and not any finer yet. Incidentally some of his friends claim they are 4.5 and he is only 4. Our boy just turned 4 a month ago. This worrisome thought took over the better of him one day when he was sitting in the toilet bowl of all places. With a worried look, he asked "Appa, why is it taking me so long to turn 4.5 ?". I tried to explain it takes the same time for a boy to turn from 3.5 to 4, 4 to 4.5 etc. The look on his face left me with a feeling that he just gave up questioning further thinking thats all his dad knows about aging.

Pic: The young trying his had slugging at the YMCA class for toddlers.

Pixel Poems - #4

Today a tree outside our apartment patio abruptly fell just like that neatly uprooted at the base as if cut by a saw. First time I and my wife are seeing something as bizzare as this. No wind, no rain just a sound and its down. Today morning thought of capturing it in pixels. How often do you come across a uprooted tree lying horizontally outside our patio. The tree was kind of old. Hence thought of putting a spin on it by placing a budding potted of ours near that to give a perception of life and how it begins in one and ends in other and keeps going on.

Had to shoot with small aperture to get everything in focus and heavily underexposed and reduced flash compensation to prevent the morning sky getting washed away in the picture while trying to get the tree's bark a bit darker still showing some details. Hence had to use flash for the plants. Albeit a bit harsh, flash conveys the intent of emphasizing on the newly forming life blossoming over the faded old tree giving hope of life. A sun-light-reflector would have given more soft light for the plants.

Pixel Poems - #3

Pixel Poems - #2

I have never bothered to think too much about the non-dairy creamer my office has in the coffee break-rooms excepting that they are a poor substitute to milk and I have put up with that for many years now. Recently when putting creamer into a cup using a plastic spoon, I noticed the creamer leaving a rather fine art in the spoon. Initially I thought it was something engraved in the spoon. But its the creamer powder still sticking to the spoon. Each day it was different. I captured two of them here with my cellphone camera. Notice the fern plant like pattern drawn by the creamer.

Whose Line Is It Anyway ? - #13

My wife started trying to drive on highways recently. And invariably our young man is sitting in his car seat the back and waiting to ask tons of questions while she is driving. To make a point, I told him, "When mom is driving, you should not keep talking to her as she is new to highways". Immediately a question was shot, "if so appa, are you old for highways ?". Being my early thirties, I dont like to hear me categorized as "old for" anything. So, I tried to rephrase it to salvage my pride. I told, "I meant I am experienced for highways and amma is a newbie". The only bee he knows is the actual flying insect. Thinking I was playing with him, with a smirk, he asked "then are an old bee ?". I am done.

In our patio garden, a couple of Dill seeds we planted in a pot got really taller that they were almost touching the ceiling if kept on the patio wall. While his mom was watering them one day, this young lad noticed it and quipped - "Don't put water on those plants. If they grow more bigger they will come in the way of aeroplanes". All this with a matter-of-fact serious face !!!

While I was riding in my car with this inquisitive mind in the car seat, I thought of engaging him in a productive conversation. Here goes the transcript -

"What do you want to be when you grow up ?" - me.

" I want to be big when I grow up"- the reply.

Okay. Let me try another way to make him think along lines of profession etc.

"What does appa do when I go to office daily ?" - me.

"You check mail, eat lunch, sleep, throw away trash, check more mails, come back home". For him sitting before PC is checking mail, and he mixed that with what he does in preschool. I decided to try it again later after I develop a better image for what I do for a living.

Stills: The fighter jet and peeping into library return box pics taken with my cellphone camera. I desperately wanted to capture the library moment when I saw him doing this peeping. I had to use my cellphone camera from inside of my car.

Pixel Poems - #1

Bamboo door and Conifer leaves - symbol of Japan and its local fauna - at Japanese Garden at Balboa Park, San Diego.