Viral of the bad kind.

There’s something in the air. And its not just love. Something viral. And its not any video, or much shared selfie. Nor is it any of those maths question which divides the internet .Pun unintended. And its also not a picture which fools the eyes.

In that last decade or so, the word ‘viral’ has gone on to take a meaning of entirely its own. People encourage it, creators tried to come up with new ‘viral’ content. So it feels strangely awkward, when the word returns to its true meaning in the common tongue. A new strain of deadly virus strain has emanated out of China, and has now travelled to 24 countries, including India and Australia. The number of people affected, cured and of those who have succumbed to the strain varies depending on which news agency one tunes to. But the general trend is that all three numbers are increasing. Yes, many have been cured, but then ten times more are affected by the next wave.

The new strain has now been named the 2019 Novel Corona virus. But after more than 2 months of the initial infection been reported, little is known about it more than this name. And the fact that ground zero is in China has not helped at all. All the news and reports coming out of China has always been heavily censored. The outside world does not get latest updates. And the attack of fake-news has entered into exactly this vacuum. False, unverified and hoax news about the disease now spreads faster than the strain itself. Along with the 1500 people who already succumbed, the strain affects global economy and supply chain networks due to misinformed fears. Countries and companies are refusing to trade with China; many countries have already placed blockades on flights originating from China. Travellers are warned, and are looked upon with suspicion.

And various places are reporting a growing behaviour of racism towards people from China. Some of the strain related news claimed that the original hosts of the virus were bats, or snakes, or pangolins. People in China are known to trade and eat these kind of game animals. Most of those affected in the first viral wave where workers in Wuhan’s meat market. It is now proven that the virus can spread through human contact, and it does not show symptoms for the first 14 days. This has resulted in people in other countries just avoiding places frequented by Asians, and the people themselves.

This is unprecedented. And all this is fuelled by the simple fact that all of mankind’s medical science have yet failed to identify the source of this strain, and the best ways to prevent its spread and it sure-footed cure.

The common consensus is that it will take he world’s scientists more months to properly identify and create the cure. A possible vaccine. Hopefully, mankind will come together and annihilate this freak of nature. Like how we fought SARS , and nipah. Because otherwise, the future looks bleak for us. Medical science needs to continue to grow and co-operate to fight these strains. 

Because if there is one thing this new virus has proven yet again, it is that we as a species, is more connected than ever before.

PS: Source of the virus or not, IMHO, people should just stop eating bats.

1917 - A Heros’ journey

1917 -  A Heroes’ journey

I watched 1917, Sam Mendes’s movie set in World War I, a week ago, and I still recall overwhelming scenes from it. By now the whole world is talking about it, about how the story unravels in real time, about how the whole movie appears to be a single , continuous take. Set in a few hours of the war, the story starts one fine afternoon, and the climax is set in next day morning.

This movie is an epitome of technical achievement in movie making. One of those projects which take months to plan and schedule, and if everything works out as predicted, could be shot in a few hours. The location they chose, building the French country side in England, the costumes, weapons, ammunition, all period correct. The soldiers all speak in different English accents, telling us the whole of the country has been called to action. The sounds , and sometimes lack of sounds of action. This is one big immersive experience. The movie may not win awards for its acting, but it will be talked about for its technical brilliance for years to come.

It was almost like playing a third person shooter video game. Those of us who have played the original Call of Duty video game will be able to relate to this kind of experience instantly. A single soldier , being tasked with a secret and vital mission to save lives, and has to travel through enemy territory armed with only a rifle and a few grenades.

It is not fully in real time, because a large part of the night is cut out, with our lead character soldier unconscious. This one, loud and clear cut is essential to the runtime of the movie, there is no way they could have told the story of the entire night if they wanted it to be in realtime. Overall, the soldier passes through every stage of the hero's journey, redeeming himself in the end.

The truth is that although political leader and nationalists glorify war, the ground reality was the polar opposite. Big or small, wars are horrible. Countless young lives have been lost in order to preserve the way of life of the free world. You could read a thousand books about the sheer pointlessness of wars, or you could watch a movie like this one, which instantly transports you to a different time and place. And shows you how brutal and painful it really was.

Caught my eye:

1.   Fantastic story bookending. The movie begins with corporal Schofield sitting below a tree, and it ends with the (spoiler) corporal sitting under a different tree on the new battle ground. He finally gets to rest after his epic journey.

2.   This is a moving film. Not that kind of moving, emotionally moving too. There is a death scene right before the half time mark, which is totally unexpected. Gut wrenching. When Blake asks a question, Schofield hesitates to answer. The film makers further ensure that the face of the person about to die turns pale; he is loosing blood, and we get to see it before they do.

3.   There is an Indian soldier in the movie. This is factually accurate and kudos the movie for setting aside one of its thousands of on-screen soldiers as a sikh solder from India. This sepoy ni he movie gets on well with his comrades, but points out to them that “you eat meat”; implying that he probably is vegetarian. Over one million Indian troops served overseas, of whom 62,000 died and another 67,000 were wounded. Some of their letters have been preserved and tell shocking and sad stories.

14.   Loved the music. Thomas Newman. Who also composes for Disney animations. Haunting and inspiring at the same time. He has been nominated again for an Oscar for his score. I hope he finally wins one this time, after all those nominations for his genius.

KNPH - 20 year review

Happy New Year. 2020 ! Well, who would have known ? Time does fly by , doesn’t it. As Ferris Bueller adviced, life is fast. If you don’t pause once in a while, you could miss it. Or something of that sort.

Now I really did not want to start this new year discussing a movie. But I too, sadly , am running out of time. A tonne of things happening in my life, but no time to really discuss it, contemplate it. Today, while in the gym, all of a sudden, I felt like listening to some old tunes. I have been thinking of my younger days for some time now, ever since this new year. Oddly, I thought of looking up old hindi music, a genre which I totally avoid nowadays. The hindi movie and music industry is garbage these days. And my search for hindi movies landed on Kaho Na Pyaar Hai. Now at the time, I did now know that it came out 20 years ago on 14th January. I found that out later in office. What a coincidence !

On hindsight, it is amazing how positively this movie was received in its hayday. Today, the absolute cheesiness and pothole size plot holes are obvious. But back then, it seems the world’s largest democracy did not care about these things. Back then, they got something they have wanted for long, but never got to vote about. 3 hours of feel good,  movie time, with good sights and good music. Some of the songs still hold up. But the movie itself does not.

Like swiss cheese, the movie is riddled with clichés. The whole double role story, rich girl – poor boy track(second time the guy is rich too), the girls father is a bad guy, so he arranges for the boy to be killed, he serenades her with songs, he has a loyal and shorter sidekick, and a kid brother who is too young, all her friends are ok with him, she has a rich cousin in NZ who is best friends with the rich double role guy, she also has a rich male good friend but never sees a romantic relationship with him, the rich desi in NZ has never been to India, but speaks hindi & urdu without any foreign accent, sings hindi songs, they are so rich that he never has to work, he just rides around on big bikes and cars, he goes to India to find bad guys and all its dangers,and gets shot right at the airport !, finally beats up all the baddies and decides to return with the kid brother, and she finally falls for his looks again.

The End.

If released today, a movie like this would have bombed. Hands and feet down. But this was 20 years ago, so the audience and critics lapped it all up. Me too. The songs in the movie ruled the charts, people got some new dance moves, and all the cheesy dialogues, and the nation got a new actor they began calling the greek god.

It would take Hritik many more years , and countless more movies to properly act in character, and I think that movie was Jodhaa Akbar, when he finally learnt to and spoke bespoke urdu ! I now read that the movie itself won so many awards that it entered some record books. For what, you ask ? For serenading viewers and critics aside.

Those were truly fun times. We are all equally guilty of eating into the chocolate hero movie. In a cheesy movie.

And a part of me is still there.

PS: Sample plot hole: In India, everyone already has cellphones. Mallik and Sirjee converse on cell phones. In NZ, Sonia’s cousin, Neeta, has to get out of her convertible to go to a red phone booth to call home. So she leaves her car on the main road ! It is at this time that Raj comes by without wearing a helmet.

The Ponzi scheme is now 100 years old

 

Heard of a Ponzi scheme ? This fraudulent gimmick to fool investors out of their money was at first started by Charles Ponzi, in January 1920. He found and tried to exploit a weakness he had found in postal reply coupons introduced around that time. Ponzi made millions out of this scheme, but he owed even more debt to his investors. He was later arrested and served time in jail. He died in poverty, having spent the last of his days in a charitable hospital.

But a hundred years later, even today, people still fall for this kind of ‘investment’ scheme, having learnt nothing from the past.

Today the internet is a fertile ground for ‘get rich quickly’ money schemes. But the underlying foundation is still fraud. People fall for it not because they are greedy, but due a fear of missing out. You see, if a new investment schem works, those who DON’T invest are going to miss a rare opportunity.

So the next time someone tells you of a new investment opportunity, and promises to double your money, don’t fall for it. Its nothing new, it is a very old form of fraud.

 

Things will be allright

 

Time flies.  Even if Einstein had not discovered relativity, time has a funny way of passing by at different speeds. Faster , when you least notice it. Slower, when you really take notice. I caught myself sneaking up on the years today, when  I looked at the calendar. 2020. That is a funny year. When the year matches its century. How many years have passed since the various milestones in my life ?

It is now 15 years since I left college. And 19 years since I left high school. Twenty years into the new millenium, the new century. I try to go back and remember what I my hopes and aspirations were, all those years ago.

Twenty years ago, I didn’t have the slightest idea what I wanted to become in life. Sure, I wanted to become an engineer, but that was only because everyone else was doing it, and because I liked computers. But I honestly could not foresee  where that career choice would take me. And it was the same state of mind for everyone else in my class.  We were all confused and lost. Will this IT bubble last ? How long should a doctor study ? What are my changes in finance ? My parents want me to get a government job, but I want to travel the world. Is it too late to change my stream of study ? None of could see our futures, excep maybe a few years. Hmm..I wonder what happened to them ?

I still stay away from social media. But I try to hunt everyone else down. What happened to the brightest, smartest minds of my class ? Well, most of them have become far more successful than me , and have ended up in different parts of this world. Some have joined dream technology companies in the great mecca of such companies, the USA. Others have become experienced and respected doctors, and have saved countless lives since. The dumbest guy in my college year, who could not even write the simplest computer program is now a project manager for a top indian IT firm. Turns out anyone can become a PM, if you can just get others to do all the work.

The smartest girls in my class ? Well, most of them have quit jobs, and are now stay at home moms. But I guess they only did it because thats how far the industry let them proceed. Many of them have become teachers , and are now teaching the next generation of aspiring students.

And some others, the back benchers of our classes, have defied their teacher’s expectations and have now become successfull leaders and business owners. It took them a while to find their footing, but better late than never. A few of us where so bad at studies in college, but they then went on to do their masters, the desire to study was rekindled when they passsed out of that god forsaken undergratuate college we went to.

I now see a younger generation of students , giong through the same phases that I went through, decades ago. Many of them enquire about my supposedly successful career. And hope for some advice. Should I take up engineering  , they ask, or medicince ? Should I go abroad for higher studies ? Doe IT really have a future in this age of automation ? I am a budding youtuber, should I drop out of college ? Should I go into manamagement and finance ?

All I can tell them is,  that they will find their own way. Life is a series of struggles, its not always smooth. Had it been so, it would have been very boring. The thrill of life is not knowing the future.  And life has a funny way of being allright. Its all right to pick the wrong subject, today a student has more opportunity to change streams. Its all right to fail a subject, as long as you learn from that mistake. There are plenty of colleges in India to go for higher studies, but if you can afford to go abroad, then do that, by all means. That is going to add so much more your experience and learning. College is important.

Never think of dropping out. None of the education tests can predict your future for you, most of them failed me when I tried them. Many who cleared the tests, failed later. But then got up again. Many who flunked upfront, later went on to find their calling some place else. The world has so much to offer, if you are willing to learn. Don’t worry,

Things will be allright.