Randy Pausch - Achieving your childhood dreams

When we are small little kids and people ask what do you want to be? and most say - doctor, engineer, painter, tennis player, cricketer, scientist, managing director (yes that was me), etc etc. Not one says economists! I cant remember a single kid say that. I guess because you read about science, u see tennis players and cricketers play, you see buildings, bridges and in my case I saw my dad's business card on which it was written MD. Economics on the other hand is more virtual, you cant see the product of the economist. Plus the chances of still doing a job related to economics are slim, even after doing a course, so its less likely that one of your parents have it written on their business card 'Economist'. When I was a kid, I wanted to be a tennis payer and then as I got older I wanted to be a movie director. I have already won 10 bathroom Oscars, no baftas yet though:). There is this talk by Randy Pausch about achieving your childhood dreams (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo). I listen to this when I am sulking in office, it's not had a life changing impact on me as other people, but for hour plus I feel stronger, hearing a strong nice person. He was a professor of computer science and human - computer interaction at Carnegie Mellon University. He talks about achieving your childhood dreams and his dreams are smaller specific things like being is zero gravity, Joining the NFL etc. Its not a blanket question of what you want to be, instead its what you dream about. Whenever I hear this talk i get something new out of it, like right now when I heard it he said if no one is criticising you when you are doing a bad job, that's a bad place to be. That means they have given-up on you. I am there right now and didn't even realise it.

Three days of holiday

Professor Brian Cox - Wonders of the Universe - BBC series

I know its useless to talk about a Tv series which has gone off air, but what the heck, you can still catch it on You Tube. If you like seeing good looking fellow talk and you love to see science programs - especially the ones about the universe - then this is for you (and me of course). If not then .... I guess there is something wrong with you! The anchor is Professor Brian Cox, everyone describes him as the rock star physicists. I would describe him as someone who has a really cool life. How many people manage to be in a rock band , do a PHD in physics and investigate the origins of the universe as a job. Not me, I don't have no PHD, yet most people kindly tell me that I am geeky as opposed to boring! How can one person do so many things and how can some people do so little (me again). He is not even that old :( and has shiny skin, no pimples and most importantly keeps smiling. The best part about his shows are that he goes into the details, stuff like - if a planet's gravity is weak because of its small size, but not so weak that it cant hold any liquids on the surface. Then on these planets when it rains the raindrops will not have the small tiny size as we have on earth, but it will be large chunks. I don't remember anyone telling me this in school!. All I remember is trying to cram the equation. Teaching is an art and it should be done by extraordinary people. Its that one chance you have to an impact on someones life, to take someone who is heading towards a dead end and put them on the track meant for them.

Hung-over part deux

Don't ever take your mother to see this movie, even if you are the loneliest loooser on earth! What was I thinking, apparently not much. Mental note to myself must think things through. I should have known its set in Thailand and what is Thailand famous for?. Please don't say Thai food!. As for the movie, OK so you are making a sequel that doesn't mean you repeat everything from the first part and just change the place and the guy they lose again! Things that almost saved the movie - the bald hairy guy and the dentist :D.
Verdict: yuck :(

The art of Origami

Origami or the art of paper folding originated in China in 1st or 2nd century AD and then reached Japan in 6th century, according to this book I have started reading by Rick Beech. You have to use sheets of paper, no cutting, no glue, just paper folds to make anything ... cranes, swans, elephants, ... etc, etc. I realised while making the first most basic shape (a paper cup), that it kind of teaches you about life. You have a set of restrictions (no cutting, no glue) and you have to work around them to realise your dreams (or in my case make a butterfly). The folds of paper are used to make the paper fold into these incredible angles or take forms you cant figure out until you follow through with all the steps. They are like life experiences, it makes it easier for you to mould you life as you get wiser and are able to deal with things smoothly or as you look back on your life, you see how things fell into place. Another way of seeing it is that those odd folds or life experiences, which make no sense, are all a part of God's plan. My only problem with this interpretation is that I really dont want to find out that in the end I was meant to be a jumping frog and not a lucky crane. But some people actually like frogs more :).

I totally recommend the book, it has pictures instead of confusing diagrams and its available in the grown-up section of bookshops :) (Price: Rs 499).

And they remained friends forever...

I love movies which end with the line "and they remained friends forever". The first time I saw this was in "Catch me if you can" and then in the "King's Speech". I feel its more powerful than they lived happily ever after because friendships still last, you cant divorce your friend. I guess the reason why friendships have endured is because your only job as a friend is to be nice to your friend and have their back when things get tough thats it. No changing family alliances, no becoming responsible, no joint health insurance cover, no announcement of your status. I guess friendships are natural, like everything in nature, it starts simply enough and even if it ends it doesnt define your life like a break in marriage would - AD( after divorce) and BD(before divorce). No defined roles, nothing just knowing this person I can trust.