TROUBLE WITH RISK?

“If you don’t risk anything, you risk even more!” is a legendary quote by Erica Jong, the American author best known for Fear of Flying. It does really appear a pointless exercise to elaborate on what the line purports to convey. Because we are in such times that ideas as these are assumed necessarily, before embarking on anything. Without much ado, let us look at it from a different angle.
Endeavors fraught with risk are generally reckoned with awe and the result coveted by many. Fair enough, given that it is such a high feeling you get after having done something, which most others would chicken out of. So do we believe that all things that are potential deterrents of a given exercise are risks, characteristically? Risks are often debilitating in nature and sometimes act as known side-effects of a particular action. And going ahead with resolve, to get to the end despite such odds, calls for cheer. But there is this thing about hassles in life. And I’m confident not many would disagree that these are things we could do away with. When hassles take over every stage of an activity, they start morphing into hurdles so prominent that they are regarded with annoyance and eventually, with trepidation. And that’s when they get a tag of a risk. So, “risk is not all glory, but an unnecessary pain, nobody would lament its absence” is how it comes to be argued. Such a shame! We could really do without hassles. Mind you, the author is not for a moment suggesting that everyone can steer clear of all bother. Unfortunately, the magnitude of efforts is in such proportions that there is bound to be a spot or two here and there. What’s essential (if I may use the word) is it may make sense to show a cold shoulder to occasions which have trouble as a part of the package. Especially, if we already have things going fine and dandy. There’s this bloke the author happens to know, who was apparently in rapport d’amour with a sprightly young lady. Or so the latter believed. From what we saw of her, she is quite an emotional girl, who wears her heart on her sleeve and trusts people a tad too easily. Now, our lad is said to have lived in this idyllic world wherein he would find the lady crafted for him, someday. Not that he dismissed the proposition that lay before him outright, because hope springs eternal in the human breast! Now he would argue he was being a man enough, and almost risk-loving, in giving someone a chance. Fair enough! Just when we thought he was pulling along the yoke of life, along comes this girl who is smart and funny, and projects a firm head on shoulders. And quite chatty when it matters. She takes an instant liking to our man in question, and he doesn’t see anything obviously wrong in it either. A fine situation to be in, eh? And this, the author would agree, is a spot of bother he could have well avoided. Now that the first mentioned is not someone known to be impulsive enough to snap ties for good at the first available cue, he is all but peaceful within. It may appear that he could have traded the trouble for the risk! Well, these are matters of the heart, and it’s agreeably criminal to speak of them in such a fashion.
From the spectrum of humanity we interact with everyday, there are many who would narrate to us how they have things going well for them, and some who say are still yet to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Isn’t it generally the situation that folks who genuinely are thankful for their state of well-being are those who wouldn’t want to face situations that disturb the peace that prevails? If such a chap were to embark on a road trip across the breadth of the sub-continent, he wouldn’t shy away. There are inherent dangers in the very nature of the expedition, but the very thought of reaching the finish line after many grueling days, would be sure to send him into a tizzy. Or another of his ilk may vow to cram up and come out tops in Civil Services entrance, in spite of being employed in enviable capacity. That’s akin to challenging limits and works towards greater objectives. And there are many who believe who have so much to do and have to do so much more to reach the set objectives. It’s just that the end point moves with time, back and forth. Because the distance to the finish line from the point of progress appears to be proportionate to the quantum of hurdles that come in the way of reaching them. (This, the author argues is his line!) He would like to clarify that he doesn’t necessarily mean hurdles in concept, but other overheads – read hassles - which eventually would end up being major concerns. Disentangling oneself from red tape when a chap has it going easy with what he owns, raising Cain over a non-issue that has only grazed someone’s ego, and other phenomena on similar lines. It is apparently a vicious circle and it only widens the deeper one gets into it.
It is an amazing feeling to go about life like it was on a roll, and avoiding anxiety if we could help it. The person, who put pen to paper here, believes it was a big risk that he chose to write on something that he is no expert on, and did it straight from the gut. And argues that he wasn’t hassled one bit when he set about doing it.

-Metafore

ಧಾತ್ರಿ - The Accordion Meets The Harmonioum

A talented team of musicians from Bangalore have come together to meld the best of eastern and western musical traditions. Their latest musical effort with original compositions, is a world's first - a CD compilation of music from the Accordion and the Harmonium.
Having the production and sales support from Amazon.com they are now offering the CD for sale at https://www.createspace.com/1724383.

Do let your musical minded friends know about this CD and post reviews wherever you see fit. That's like applause in the Web space!!

Please also note that the album is available on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001J548NA

You could also download as MP3 at the following link:

http://www.amazon.com/Dhatri/dp/B001KR6164

Thanks!

Blog Overs - Citizens Called to Field

“Blowing the whistle a little too late – bemoaning a crime that could have been averted” “Fashion Guru is a faggot, no less!” ;“20 different ways to beat the traffic in peak hour!” ;“Best store for used second-hand books ” ; “Movies connect to reality, movie stars don’t!”

The lines above definitely seem a jumble at first glance, if not gibberish. If we were to take a second look, it’s a disparate set of article/news headings, ranging from city-wise information to facts of life. And the topics shifting between expository to opinionated. This is typically the stuff that we come across in news pamphlets, blogs, newsletters, email forwards and the like. Of course, open spaces in newspapers and magazines for readers to contribute their thoughts are a mainstay. And this is how the literate public has started doing its own bit in news dissemination which has for most part been journalists’ bastion. Citizen/Participatory journalism, as you’d fancy it. The greater populace today is having its say in things and how! Well actually, citizen’s voices have always found a platform for expression, be it in Letters to the Editors of dailies and monthlies, college and corporate journals – albeit for a limited audience, or in news pamphlets on themes, say Racism, a la WLRIs regular update in the UK and Europe on issues of xenophobia. However this movement gained momentum in the late 1980s, aided by the disillusionment of the American media with the standard of reporting and the declining faith in the political system in general. It has since become an indispensable part of the process of change in the world. Shayne Bowman, formerly the chief of development at one of the big media companies in the US, published a white paper on Citizen Journalism, “We Media: How Audiences are Shaping the Future of News and Information” which was regarded as seminal in many ways. The report says “the intention of this participation is to provide independent, reliable, accurate and wide-ranging information that a democracy requires.” Of course, the role of citizens has moved beyond plain reporting, as evidenced in the first few lines.

Netizens are typically the ones who have created a good measure of impact on reporting today. Blogging is the word of course. And that about serves to spread news faster than most other channels. Technorati did a count and estimated the total to be around 113 million English web logs in the blogosphere as of 2007. Quite obviously, this number excludes the 70 odd million Chinese blogs, and these are numbers which are only growing by the day. So, if we were to put things in perspective, participatory journalism has never had it so good. The amount of information one has access to, is mind boggling to say the least. Hell, its overkill! It only goes to show that the process which started off as an alternative is now a staple for millions, and that people have taken to it with religious fervour. Some of the top news agencies and journals have their own blogs, which go beyond world news headlines. The Reuters blog, for instance, provides good insight on affairs across the seven oceans. And then you have plain news blogs like Newsbloke, one of the extremely popular blogs these days, which draws in feeds from most of the top news providers world wide. This is pretty much a convenience destination for people who’d rather have all top news by the masters at one place. CEO Blogs are a great bet on getting to see the other face of corporate top brass. Brian Clark’s CopyBlogger is considered as one of the best blogs today for writers. PassionForCinema looks at cinema as a religion and is a serious forum for anyone who simply loves movies. Some of the geniuses of the industry find respite in this blog, where they just open up, which they wouldn’t have generally. There is every chance that you get to understand a particular flick in a totally different light from all the trash that come in the name of reviews in dailies and tabloids. Blogs are there all over today, a trend which is simply irreversible. RapeCrisis purports to bring to the forefront the sad reality of rape victims throughout the world in the 21st century. HorseRidingLessons is a popular blog on you-know-what! Suffice to say, we have blogs of all hues and sizes. The channel has gotten so pervasive that authorities in different parts of the world are vouching for regulation on blogging, in order to ensure benevolent content in cyberspace. For instance, EU, which proposed regulation, was concerned that blogs could prove a useful tool for the ‘less principled’. We could take heart to the fact that such regulations are not a norm throughout yet.

Blogs are for sure a powerful rider on the information superhighway. They have been a big help in most cases and also gotten malicious in some. A classic example would be Gaurav Sabnis’ blog Kitabkhana, which made light of IIPM’s (a private business school) claims on it’s superiority over the IIMs and raised serious questions on the credibility of its programmes. IIPM is reported to have reacted in a puerile way, like burning all laptops of IBM, of which Sabnis was an employee. In this light, it is imperative that we take blogging in particular and citizen journalism in general to the next level. After all, every one of us has something to say about the state of things around us. Syndicate blogging or re-blogging needs to catch up, more conscientiously. Anyone who feels he’s responsible enough, or that he can add to the flow of the blog, simply needs to go and check out a particular post, add comments and build a thread. There are blogs where the discussion has exceeded several thousand comments. And that is a sign of activity on that subject. Armchair criticism could be avoided at all costs. If it’s really reporting that a person wants to do, perhaps a greater degree of patience in getting the facts right, by way of research, and wherever possible, shooting away to add credibility would do a whole load of good. A blogger on sport could perhaps patch up with a player to get a ring-side view of the game, and get the latter to add comments regularly. There are obviously countless and more alternatives one could ideate. None of us would want to keep at it till horizon. The idea is to underscore the importance of enterprise and innovation in people’s participation. We have journos working hammer and tongs on stories, braving the traffic snarls in the metros and toiling in the hinterlands, shrugging off contempt by powers-that-be. An approach that cries urgent and strives for results appears to be the need of the hour.

-Metafore

Hogenakkal - Getting Out for Some Fun

Courtesy: Photobucket.com

A fairly green and smooth drive on a Saturday morning, the eagerness to behold water as the element of nature in its glory, the anticipation of a good feed for the camera, and the spectacle itself! The trip to Hogenakkal, situated on the Karnataka-TamilNadu border, could truly be defined by innervations as such.

Hogenakkal, 150 kms (by road) south of Bangalore, is one of the more ideal weekend getaways, especially if the plans are for a good drive there and back home, in time to catch a movie on the telly the same evening. This, if you were to take the road less travelled. Bangalore-Hosur-Rayakottai-Palakkodu-Pennagaram-Hogenakkal. For folks who have more leisure at their disposal and for those from other places more distant, there’s Theerthamalai, around 16kms from Dharmapuri, the district headquarters of Hogenakkal. There is another big waterfall on the Kaveri river, right after Shivanasamudra in Karnataka. Of course, the former is the more spectacular of the two, given the formation of the rocks and the way the water dives down into a canyon.


Any rider is bound to not miss the terracotta statues, brightly coloured and installed at certain points in every hamlet in Pennagaram. They’re known as Aiyanars, the guardian deities as regarded by the villagers. No sooner have you passed them all, than you enter the manned road to the waterfall. It’s a narrow yet nice drive to the fall. The roads aren’t too bad really. In no time you’re there. You’d be nearly surprised at the size of the crowd there, given that you had an almost lonely drive up to the spot. The access to this place is much easier these days in all ways apparently. And here come the boatmen. You necessarily have to take one of those coracles to get across the river and explore the waterfall. Haggle on, and there are chances that you would end up paying at least three hundred quid if you’re fortunate. They call these round boats the ‘theppa’s. And once you start rafting across, the sight that beholds you is something that’s worth all the trouble. Roja, one of the best movies to have hit the screens in the last two decades, had a song sequence canned here. The sight of the waterfall, up close, is an imposing one and at times a bit intimidating too. This experience would be more telling if you were to make the visit soon after monsoon, when the river would be brimming. You could stop at all those vantage positions to click away. The whole ride would take around an hour or so. Once you’re back to the base, you could get a massage if you wanted to, or do a trek in the surrounding Melagiri hills, if you really are up to it.

We’re pretty much done with Hogenakkal this way. Once you do a loop and start homeward, you’re left with some kind of feeling of unrest. The one that conveys that good things don’t last too long and there isn’t much that could have helped either. Nevertheless, it wouldn’t go good to give this place a miss. After all, it’s not without reason that it earns the sobriquet ‘Indian Niagara’!

-metafore

Key Info:

Air: Nearest airport – Bangalore (130km)
Rail: Nearest trainstop – Bangalore
Stay: The Tourist Bungalow run by KSTDC, and Hotel Tamil Nadu.
Route: Bangalore-Hosur-Krishnagiri-Dharmapuri-Hogenakkal

Go Easy, You!

“It is the chiefest point of happiness that a man is willing to be what he is”. The legendary quote by Desiderius Erasmus, the Dutch theologian of the 15th century, pretty much conveys what it intends to.

We are living in the jet-set age apparently and, more increasingly than ever, men and women are ruled by the mind more than the heart. Which is fine as far as profession and career go. To close business deals or to succeed in an extremely dynamic work environment, a fair amount of tact and craft is essential, agreeably. But it’s quite remarkable that people are making their lives more complicated than necessary, by trying to be someone they aren’t, in every aspect of life. We could take the instance of people talking about tastes in the arts; though it might sound slightly inconsequential at first go. Haven’t we come across scores of men who profess to know much about music other than pop, and feign interest in esoteric stuff as such? More often than not, they are driven more by the desire to be in the company of a certain class of individuals who enjoy a good bit of popularity by the dint of their acquired tastes, than a true love towards an art form or any such thing. It’s really a waste of valuable time, trying to appreciate something that doesn’t strike a chord with us naturally. Its fine if someone doesn’t understand Beethoven, can’t digest Tom Clancy, or can’t sit through Othello on stage. He could still trip on Rahman’s tunes, devour a Businessweek or catch up on every Bond flick that hits the screens. What’s desirable perhaps is the spirit of enquiry and adventure; discerning the stuff he comes upon is a matter left to his own devices.
Again, if we were to look at the disposition of certain folks to act pretentiously, we wouldn’t be deprived of amusement. Some people try to give an impression that they court no nonsense. This is acceptable, as long as its just nonsense they want to stay from. We all do that, so to say! But in the process, if they appear a tad too rigid in all they do, aren’t they simply missing out on so much of fun? There are some who enjoy a joke privately, but would prefer to maintain a straight face in public. Then there’s the instance of people putting their altruism on display. Well, if they feel they’ve got to do something for the welfare of others, its fine if they’ve done it. Someone who doesn’t do charity is by no means a lesser mortal, is he?

We could all do with so much of natural identity, that our minds are free to pursue interests dearer to us. Don’t we already have enough on our plates? Is it really fun to shock someone after a long time, when he discovers that we are someone different from what he’d believed us to be all the while? That would only make people in general lose faith in fellow men, and at the same time give them ideas to play Jekyll and Hyde!

It really is not a bad idea to stay cool and true to identity, stop being stuck up all the time, and give time a chance!

-metafore