"Its elementary my dear Watson". These words echo in my ears as frequently as does the reality of their being ficticious. The world of words have many decorated characters that have absolved themselves from the test of time. Every individual has his favorite character based on his proximity to a subject. My favorite is Sherlock Holmes and his eloborate and extremely lovable chronicler Dr.Watson.
When you write about them, you tread a very perilious path. A path that has been walked by such illustrious owners of quills and pens that my attempt may never see the light of a critic's censure. I have read the adventures of this legendary duo since my childhood, but to this day they are my favorite sleeping pill. Dont get me wrong ! They alone have the capability to send me into a dream of that aristrocatic and stiff upper lipped and orderly british society that does exists ever so scarcely today.
I will try to tell you today what I think of these sleuths who upheld the law with reasons as varied as day and night. With due respects to Sir Arthur, this whimsical piece of litreature will pen my thoughts of them.
For an retired medical surgeon of the British Army, who has seen the war in Afghanistan and has seen a jazail bullet pierce his body, what could Sherlock Holmes offer? You must remember that the best of partnerships in any trade is formed between the most unlikely of individuals. John.H.Watson is a practical man. He worries about his finances but scarcely mentions them after his illustrious association with Holmes begins. Does it mean that Holmes cared for him from the monetary credit he received for his adventures? Its a debateable topic when seen with the eyes of a economist. But you need different an different eye for this kind of friendship. Forget not that its the good doctor who has been his life saver in many occasions. He is the fuel to Holmes's genious. He asks some simple questions. These questions give way to the author to unleash the immense power of Holmes's grey cells.
Dr. Watson draws upon his reserviours of medical knowledge to warn Holmes of the dangers of opium. Holmes considers them as stimuli on dull days. " The London criminal is certainly an unenterprising fellow", he remarks. This forms an excuse to consume the harmful drug when the great sleuth is out of work. Our dear Doctor's remonstrances have a slow but deciding effect as it manages to wriggle our hero out of the clutches of that dreaded drug.
Inspite of being a medical man, he is seen as a man of action. Often in combats with hideous villians whom Holmes desires to append to his list of criminal trophies. In the "Three Garidebbs" he takes a scratch from a bullet. " The adventure of the Empty House" is another shining example of how he instantly falls into Holmes's symphony after a long hiatus. This and many other demonstrations help me understand the deep loyalty that Watson possesed towards Holmes and in no uncertain measures. There have been umpteen number of times when i so wished to be transported into that era and gain an entry as an apprentice to the great sleuth. For my inspiration is found to a slightly greater extent in Watson than in Holmes.
Our dear Watson is also at the end of many a humourus tirades by Holmes. Holmes wakes him up one morning saying - "The young lady knocked on Mrs. Hudson, She knocked on me and I retorted on you !! " He bears all those harmless tomfoolery with such diginity as can a character of Watson alone can. He makes you subtly smile without making you laugh. This ingenunity is rare to find in all the Detective duo epics that encircle the world of litreature. Holmes often nudges him for the slowness in his methods when entrusted with some detective work. But there is absolute accuracy of execution of directions by Watson as shown in the final adventure of Sherlock Holmes when facing a vary adversary called Professor Moriarty.
About Sherlock Holmes to pen is blasphemy itself. Rarely has a character won such public acclaim as has Sherlock. He has been depicted in numerous reels of cinema and in umpteen reproductions in print. Still his aura lives on. When you read his adventures today, you often are left eliminating the modern era equipments which would have helped him immensly. If he had the benefit of their use, then I may safely say that atleast the greater part of England would be fairly be rid of crime. For a pre ameature penner like me, I find his behaviour extremely fascinating. He loathes the commonalities that are abundant. He seeks the extra ordinary, his powers of deduction and observation are exemplary. In a famous extract, he ventures to unveil the truth about the life and character of Dr.Watson's brother by the sheer examination of his watch. When you read them, you are often left wondering how it would be to see him in action.
Of his abilities there is enough foolscap to last a man's lifetime. There is one aspect that I felt has been subtly over shadowed by his other prowesses. That is his true passion for the art of detection and absolvement of crime. He is shown as a person who is willing to work purely for the sake of art. He does not insist on credit when he solves another of those baffling mysteries. However, as Sherlock as he is, he too is human. For Dr.Watson, rightly observes on one occasion - " Holmes was accessible on the side of flattery". Can we not concede that? This super sleuth has one chink in his armour and its harmless enough not to come in the way of upholding the law.
I wish to end this epilouge with my personal homage to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle for having introduced to us a character which will stand the test of time. Even if this script is read another 100 years from now on a mobile screen when you are on a flight from here to Mars on a family occasion.
Will we ever forget him?
Wednesday, October 04, 2006
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them?
There are about a million opinions on this topic. Each as varied as the other and yet echoing similar sentiments. Profiling a workplace is a task laced with peril and must be undertaken under the strict supervision of an unbiased and mature mental state of mind. The point being that while you draw inferences about things around you, you conveniently forget yourself.
Ofcourse you can try to paint yourself to be the very cornerstone of austerity and dignity or you can be honest about your abilities to bitch about one and everyone. The choice is yours and there is no need to feel bad about either. We need characters in this story called life. If all were virtuous, the dictionary would suffer a great loss called - Adventure.
A good writer writes about the times he lives in. There is a saying that compliments this behavior - "Hit the iron when it is hot"( or something to that effect). He derives mileage by doing so. When you write about a topic that has been recently discussed, you advertise your efforts well. It is to that extent that I will extend my liberties and try to improve upon my frail abilities as a documenter.
Of these insignificant and unflattering performances with different enterprises, I have spent the most in one, counting upto five and some half. Its there that our rigmarole of human classification at a workplace starts. Ofcourse all characters will not be named and all inferences on your part are to be done on your own accord. I will humbly subside from taking all responsibilities arising and occurring out of reactions to this simple monograph.
He/She is the silent one. Has only one friend and three acquaintances. Is never seen in public ceremonies and loathes cultural performances demanding profound reflexes of the human body. The supervisor rarely acknowledges his/her presence and never misses his/her absence. Timing is of the utmost importance to this person. May come in late at times much to the agony of the co-workers, but always leaves on time compounding the agony further. This person only gets calls from one person in the day and during the days off. More often than not, it’s either home or his/her only friend. If you hear them talking, it would be about the same topic that they were talking a week ago. A peculiar characteristic of this kind of demography at the workplace is that they never seem to progress beyond the yearly increase to their wages.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them? They do their work. They rarely complain. They are not too ambitious, at least on the face of it. They don’t backbite. Plainly, they are not even interested with anyone else. I wont answer it.. take your time and answer it yourself.
He/She is often the court jester! Bringing much needed relief to the team. Often at the high end of their vocal thresholds. Their humor is often physical but mostly harmless. Their activities involve from making distorted faces to pulling out network wires, to extremely perfect imitations of more sober colleagues. They are friends of everyone and yet may not have a friend for life. He/She will get many calls but important ones may be none. They often hide their ambitions behind their loud humor. Often turn out uncontrollably bitchy. People will smile at this person and will only remember him/her for the office party of the year. Project of the year may not list this person on the credit roll.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them? They are a curious mix of virtues and vices. Which side the balance tilts is very opiniated, and therefore inclusive to me. What about you?
Then there is the mixed fruit jam. This person tastes differently to different people. They smile and they can sulk. They have many friends and a few close ones. They are mostly introverts by nature but can muster up courage for a public performance. They have pockets of comfort zones and moments of brilliance. They may grow in their roles or stay put on one for a long time until luck changes it for the worst or better. They are often termed dependable and mostly are known for their positive qualities. Creativity and attention to details are admirable qualities of these individuals. Lack of ambition may sometimes be a inconsolable folly.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them?
This Jam is a good spread until it spreads too much. How much you want on your bread is your call..
They might claim to have known about gravity and relativity much before than Isaac or Albert did. They often chew gum and after a month at work, resent it in public. They seek attention and will bully new comers with their exaggerated knowledge of the work. They will help you discover failings in the supervisor and co-workers that never may have existed. They will also think that the chair in the cabin is as much theirs as it is of the manager. They would have received a few awards for the brilliance they once had and many bitchy tales of the attitude that they now display. Their resumes are released in most job sites with the regularity of a cinema release at the box office. They might grow in their roles or succumb to their negative tones.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them?
I sometimes feel that they lend themselves to the balance of the workplace. They either fuel a healthy competition or change themselves over the years to sober into a more efficient machine whose abilities are chronicled with great imagination. What do you chose competition or imagination?
A Banyan tree in a rustic village square would be more apt for this person. He is almost troubled deeply that he has to move his fingers to drink the glass of water in front of him. The only muscle he is pleased to work is his jaw. Their ramblings can range from politics to domestic chores to land rates in prime areas. Often directionless on their own, they will follow the compass of another man's drive. They would only be too glad to shed their workload to other more enterprising colleagues. They are remembered for the great tales that they had spun on a lazy day at work. And also for the embarrassing errors that they may have committed on an important errand. Often their exit from the system is quick and non negotiable. They somehow manage to leave with no bitter taste on any tongue.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them?
They are like camels at a horse race. They may not be the stars of the show but they sure can transport people around the arena. How you mould these camels to do your bidding can be a great learning to our developing minds.
There are many more facets and personalities that a mere blog can never do justice to. I too may be in one of the categories that I have ventured to dissect. Who am I to pass these judgmental and biased opinions? I don’t know..
Will you identify yourself with any of the characters mentioned above? May be.. Would you know people who suit the characteristics mentioned above? Almost yes... That itself is an interesting question...
Isn't it easy to judge a person into a category and at the same time try not to fit ourselves into one, because of some of the demerits mentioned for each? More often than not we will subscribe our character to the best possible fit. Is it a folly? Not at all.. After all a half filled glass is better than a half empty one...
Are you thinking yet??
Ofcourse you can try to paint yourself to be the very cornerstone of austerity and dignity or you can be honest about your abilities to bitch about one and everyone. The choice is yours and there is no need to feel bad about either. We need characters in this story called life. If all were virtuous, the dictionary would suffer a great loss called - Adventure.
A good writer writes about the times he lives in. There is a saying that compliments this behavior - "Hit the iron when it is hot"( or something to that effect). He derives mileage by doing so. When you write about a topic that has been recently discussed, you advertise your efforts well. It is to that extent that I will extend my liberties and try to improve upon my frail abilities as a documenter.
Of these insignificant and unflattering performances with different enterprises, I have spent the most in one, counting upto five and some half. Its there that our rigmarole of human classification at a workplace starts. Ofcourse all characters will not be named and all inferences on your part are to be done on your own accord. I will humbly subside from taking all responsibilities arising and occurring out of reactions to this simple monograph.
He/She is the silent one. Has only one friend and three acquaintances. Is never seen in public ceremonies and loathes cultural performances demanding profound reflexes of the human body. The supervisor rarely acknowledges his/her presence and never misses his/her absence. Timing is of the utmost importance to this person. May come in late at times much to the agony of the co-workers, but always leaves on time compounding the agony further. This person only gets calls from one person in the day and during the days off. More often than not, it’s either home or his/her only friend. If you hear them talking, it would be about the same topic that they were talking a week ago. A peculiar characteristic of this kind of demography at the workplace is that they never seem to progress beyond the yearly increase to their wages.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them? They do their work. They rarely complain. They are not too ambitious, at least on the face of it. They don’t backbite. Plainly, they are not even interested with anyone else. I wont answer it.. take your time and answer it yourself.
He/She is often the court jester! Bringing much needed relief to the team. Often at the high end of their vocal thresholds. Their humor is often physical but mostly harmless. Their activities involve from making distorted faces to pulling out network wires, to extremely perfect imitations of more sober colleagues. They are friends of everyone and yet may not have a friend for life. He/She will get many calls but important ones may be none. They often hide their ambitions behind their loud humor. Often turn out uncontrollably bitchy. People will smile at this person and will only remember him/her for the office party of the year. Project of the year may not list this person on the credit roll.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them? They are a curious mix of virtues and vices. Which side the balance tilts is very opiniated, and therefore inclusive to me. What about you?
Then there is the mixed fruit jam. This person tastes differently to different people. They smile and they can sulk. They have many friends and a few close ones. They are mostly introverts by nature but can muster up courage for a public performance. They have pockets of comfort zones and moments of brilliance. They may grow in their roles or stay put on one for a long time until luck changes it for the worst or better. They are often termed dependable and mostly are known for their positive qualities. Creativity and attention to details are admirable qualities of these individuals. Lack of ambition may sometimes be a inconsolable folly.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them?
This Jam is a good spread until it spreads too much. How much you want on your bread is your call..
They might claim to have known about gravity and relativity much before than Isaac or Albert did. They often chew gum and after a month at work, resent it in public. They seek attention and will bully new comers with their exaggerated knowledge of the work. They will help you discover failings in the supervisor and co-workers that never may have existed. They will also think that the chair in the cabin is as much theirs as it is of the manager. They would have received a few awards for the brilliance they once had and many bitchy tales of the attitude that they now display. Their resumes are released in most job sites with the regularity of a cinema release at the box office. They might grow in their roles or succumb to their negative tones.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them?
I sometimes feel that they lend themselves to the balance of the workplace. They either fuel a healthy competition or change themselves over the years to sober into a more efficient machine whose abilities are chronicled with great imagination. What do you chose competition or imagination?
A Banyan tree in a rustic village square would be more apt for this person. He is almost troubled deeply that he has to move his fingers to drink the glass of water in front of him. The only muscle he is pleased to work is his jaw. Their ramblings can range from politics to domestic chores to land rates in prime areas. Often directionless on their own, they will follow the compass of another man's drive. They would only be too glad to shed their workload to other more enterprising colleagues. They are remembered for the great tales that they had spun on a lazy day at work. And also for the embarrassing errors that they may have committed on an important errand. Often their exit from the system is quick and non negotiable. They somehow manage to leave with no bitter taste on any tongue.
Are they good? Are they bad? Do we need them?
They are like camels at a horse race. They may not be the stars of the show but they sure can transport people around the arena. How you mould these camels to do your bidding can be a great learning to our developing minds.
There are many more facets and personalities that a mere blog can never do justice to. I too may be in one of the categories that I have ventured to dissect. Who am I to pass these judgmental and biased opinions? I don’t know..
Will you identify yourself with any of the characters mentioned above? May be.. Would you know people who suit the characteristics mentioned above? Almost yes... That itself is an interesting question...
Isn't it easy to judge a person into a category and at the same time try not to fit ourselves into one, because of some of the demerits mentioned for each? More often than not we will subscribe our character to the best possible fit. Is it a folly? Not at all.. After all a half filled glass is better than a half empty one...
Are you thinking yet??
Saturday, August 26, 2006
An Absence of Logic
It is with great fervor that a close friend of mine and I argued one warm night about the existence of intelligent life outside the thores of this solar machinery. Its a topic dear to me. It allows avoiding the shallow problems that life presents to me periodically without failure. The very thought of alien worlds instigates a profound flow of imagination in me and allows me to take leave of other trivialities.
Of course in this radical and rapidly evolving world, time for such fantasies is incoherent. To dwell on such thoughts by a man on the wrong side of twenty will be viewed with as much suspicion to his sanity as to his lunacy. This part of life's journey is to be spent in establishing oneself as an ideal citizen of the society and attempt to claim as high a grade as is possible on the counts of being a self made man.
I have scored poorly on the above subjects. Thus having attained an alibi to exhibit my immense love for this intriguing puzzle, I will venture to put logic to it and be sure to be defeated for my endeavors by a more intelligent public. So it is for a lost cause that I will subscribe to in the coming lines.
"Is it not possible that another sun should exists with the same dimensions as can physics define in another part of the universe", I queried.
"Very much so.” replied my friend knowing fully well that he had his defense well prepared.
"Is it also not possible that such a sun should boast of a planetary system", I quipped with an eagerness to make a point on deductive logic.
"Yes."
"And some of those solar satellites should be of rocky constitution?"
"Quite possible"
"Can one of those rocks be at the same distance from the sun as our little home is from our sun?"
"Yes!” came a tired reply.
"Then should not life take the same form of evolution as it has in this world!!! ", I cried. I felt I had scored one over my dear friend.
"Well, what you say is a complete theory with no biological, zoological or physics behind it", he remarked.
"But surely, probability has its merits", I insisted.
"It has and it ends here, it does not prove anything", he closed my argument like a razor on a chicken's neck.
I suddenly found myself gasping for more reasoning. Ofcourse if it were to be taken literally, I would still be short of breath.
It pays to get good grades in science, which Ofcourse Yours Truly never got. I firmly believe that I would have been well positioned to pitchfork my argument into more scientific directions had I those qualities.
Like a poor loser I will tell you that he mumbled some scientific aberrations in my logic. He was definitive and built his argument on concrete as he assaulted my sandcastle. As is my wont, I reclined back on the large bed that I occupied and tried to help myself to another drink.
There he sat all victorious knowing fully well that he had beaten me yet again. He is a dear chap with a generous sprinkling of intelligence that lies beneath the mire of rebelisim that he outwardly displays. He is pompous of his ken and does not shy away from using it to beleaguer someone whose own knowledge is limited to sensing whether to leave the ball or not.
But I chuckled inside me. There is a scorecard that is never displayed on a playground. It is there in the player's mind. No matter how hard a defeat the public one displays, the internal one merrily points out the moments in the game where the loser had the upper hand.
And to this scorecard is what I turn to. He beat me no doubt, on the counts of my feeble logic that I still pride myself on. However, even he would concede that there is a thing called hope.
To tie science and mysticism in matrimony is inconceivable, but think long enough about it and you will find that it is this alliance that provides the fodder for the existence of this universe.
So having reclaimed an ounce of the vast land that I lost, I retreat to my world again. I will peep in awhile to see how sympathetic you have been to read my wasteful foolscaps.
Having reached the end, I will scour my mind for a question to pose to you.
Is your "hope" of a better tomorrow based solely on "Science”?
Of course in this radical and rapidly evolving world, time for such fantasies is incoherent. To dwell on such thoughts by a man on the wrong side of twenty will be viewed with as much suspicion to his sanity as to his lunacy. This part of life's journey is to be spent in establishing oneself as an ideal citizen of the society and attempt to claim as high a grade as is possible on the counts of being a self made man.
I have scored poorly on the above subjects. Thus having attained an alibi to exhibit my immense love for this intriguing puzzle, I will venture to put logic to it and be sure to be defeated for my endeavors by a more intelligent public. So it is for a lost cause that I will subscribe to in the coming lines.
"Is it not possible that another sun should exists with the same dimensions as can physics define in another part of the universe", I queried.
"Very much so.” replied my friend knowing fully well that he had his defense well prepared.
"Is it also not possible that such a sun should boast of a planetary system", I quipped with an eagerness to make a point on deductive logic.
"Yes."
"And some of those solar satellites should be of rocky constitution?"
"Quite possible"
"Can one of those rocks be at the same distance from the sun as our little home is from our sun?"
"Yes!” came a tired reply.
"Then should not life take the same form of evolution as it has in this world!!! ", I cried. I felt I had scored one over my dear friend.
"Well, what you say is a complete theory with no biological, zoological or physics behind it", he remarked.
"But surely, probability has its merits", I insisted.
"It has and it ends here, it does not prove anything", he closed my argument like a razor on a chicken's neck.
I suddenly found myself gasping for more reasoning. Ofcourse if it were to be taken literally, I would still be short of breath.
It pays to get good grades in science, which Ofcourse Yours Truly never got. I firmly believe that I would have been well positioned to pitchfork my argument into more scientific directions had I those qualities.
Like a poor loser I will tell you that he mumbled some scientific aberrations in my logic. He was definitive and built his argument on concrete as he assaulted my sandcastle. As is my wont, I reclined back on the large bed that I occupied and tried to help myself to another drink.
There he sat all victorious knowing fully well that he had beaten me yet again. He is a dear chap with a generous sprinkling of intelligence that lies beneath the mire of rebelisim that he outwardly displays. He is pompous of his ken and does not shy away from using it to beleaguer someone whose own knowledge is limited to sensing whether to leave the ball or not.
But I chuckled inside me. There is a scorecard that is never displayed on a playground. It is there in the player's mind. No matter how hard a defeat the public one displays, the internal one merrily points out the moments in the game where the loser had the upper hand.
And to this scorecard is what I turn to. He beat me no doubt, on the counts of my feeble logic that I still pride myself on. However, even he would concede that there is a thing called hope.
To tie science and mysticism in matrimony is inconceivable, but think long enough about it and you will find that it is this alliance that provides the fodder for the existence of this universe.
So having reclaimed an ounce of the vast land that I lost, I retreat to my world again. I will peep in awhile to see how sympathetic you have been to read my wasteful foolscaps.
Having reached the end, I will scour my mind for a question to pose to you.
Is your "hope" of a better tomorrow based solely on "Science”?
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