Len Kamei

As I lie on my bed, these amazing thoughts of possibilities rush in. Thoughts, which I think, may have come with all these discussions about the climate changes, Copenhagen, ice age etc. These thoughts are too stupid as it seems but can never be proved or disproved by laymen, I don’t know about the known physicists and astronomers    or the like who have spend their whole being on these thoughts.

What do we have now at present or what do we know:

1)     The Earth:

2)     The Axis of rotation:

3)     The Hemisphere:

4)     The solar system:

<Welcome to my Science now.>

I have made certain observations, oh well, you can’t call them observations but anyway, I have come up with some serious thoughts in my thinking process.

Well, I have bulleted it as “What if” (W-I).

W-I (1): What if the earth would think one fine day that it would defy the axis of rotation and start rotating along a different axis say, about the axis through the equator?

My axis:

I don’t care if it’s not even possible or is. But you see the implications. Forgetting all the geographical catastrophes.  Considering that all is well even after the change.

Consider the economic hustle around. All the warm countries of now will see ice and snow for the first time in their life. They would obviously need warm clothes and heater and what not. Ah! There would be business. Same for the cold climatic countries of now. They would burn in heat. They would want ACs or coolers etc.

Consider if the Axis had been through India, and India becomes the North Pole. We would have snow and ice all year round.

<This is the time you go have a glass of water and digest the point. .  >

My second theory is:

W-I (2): What if one day the earth thinks to get a pot-belly, say a bulge of a heavy mass, a lump at any place in the equatorial line.

Now think physically and geographically. The rotation will be havoc. Shouldn’t we be thrown out of the arc/path of revolution in a random manner? Close your eyes and think. Uhn huh? Since I think the gravitational force between the earth and sun is just sufficient to hold it in its path that we are now in, change in the mass at the current speed of rotation will put us in a random rotation and since it is free space-vacuum, we shall definitely be thrown away. The speed of rotation will be irregular. Roll an egg along its longer dia (I don’t know what it is called), you can kind of imagine it. It will be more massive than that though.

Now consider, we mankind survives this. Considering the concept of day and night still exists (forget the source for now. Since we are out of the path of revolution around the sun now, so sun is out of question.) Since the rotation will be irregular, some parts of the day will go faster while some part will be slower. Hoping the slower part is the night. We shall have longer nights. Yay!!! Which means we can sleep more. But anyway, the technology of clocks have to be changed, all official hours have to be changed and like wise.

W-I (3): What if, in line with the previous W-I, the earth thinks to have the Pot Belly, oh sorry, a heavy bum and it increases gradually?

Well, if we think it would mean rotating an egg along the major axis. (ah ! I got it this time.)

Preliminary assumption: There is a gravitational pull downwards. I mean it is assumed that the whole solar system is held by some gravitional pull of some force (how would I know the source, I am no Scientist. I am just assuming. Thats what every one does to postulate something.)

Now given the assumption, the Earth would rotate fine, but because of the weight, after each distance, gradually that is, the earth will go down from the present path of revolution.

Considering that the gravitational force of the sun still remains, the distance from the earth to sun will be constant, but since the lower part of the earth is getting heavier each day we shall go down further, thus in due course of time the path of revolution will decrease. And at one time, the radius of the path will be negligible and we will be at the bottom of the sun.

See:

Now, the fun is. The north pole (considering the bulge formation was at the south pole ) will have the permanent day and the south pole will have the permanent night. And all other places will range from different times in the day. I think we will not have the concept of Day and night all together.

Actual present Scientific theory would prove it wrong though. Since the Gravitational force/Pull= G (m1 X m2)/r^2. So when the mass increase gradually, the gravitational force will increase. And since there is no known external force that keeps the solar system intact, hence Earth will move towards the sun. There are these contrifugal and centrepetal forces working, but am not going to give all these crap. I’ll stick to my theory.

<But its the End of my third theory.>

Now this is not a “what if”, so take yourselves off from my stupid “what if” hypothesis.

Now the question I am asking and still not clear is, who decided that the North Pole is North Pole and the pole opposite is South Pole? Since the whole solar system is in Vacuum and an open space, what if (ah I cannot get rid of this) all we see was just upside down of what the actual sight is suppose to be. To make my point, well cut out a photograph of the solar system and see it upside down (Considering which ever side is up and the other is down). See? Maybe the South Pole was not South Pole after all. Maybe the North Pole was the actual South Pole and vice versa.

What the general perception is:

Flip it upside down:

Isn’t it identical? Yes it is.

Why I say we may have made a mistake is that the whole southern hemisphere and the northern hemisphere is identical, I am not considering the elements of both hemisphere. Since the earth is a sphere, cutting it into two equal halves will put forth two identical hemispheres. Now, take two persons and put one of them exactly at the North Pole and the other at the South Pole, I mean the axis of rotation. Now, push them inside the earth till each of them meet somewhere at the core of the earth. We find their feet in a head on collision. Awww shit!, am not getting anywhere with the example here, but what I mean to say is, the North Pole could have been the South Pole and South Pole could have been the North Pole.

Presently:

Now flip it over similarly as above:

It could have been this. I mean the second picture.

Well, that’s too much on Lan’s Physical and Astronomical Science for today. Maybe when these thought die off I would coin in more of such ideas for you to think about.

When you think about the above things, yes, in reality these may not be possible, but when you really think about it overlooking all the natural physical barriers, it is indeed really fascinating.  The entire enormous possibilities: ‘just if’ something had not been, other would have existed.

On this note am signing off for now, this is Lan.

Have a great Day. Take care.

Date: 20.09.2009

This post is written in the context of India, as this is my domicile and I have some knowledge about it. Maybe because whatever happens here directly or indirectly effects me.

HMITM (How much is too much?)

If you have been following my earlier posts, you might have come across this question. And the theme of most of my posts might be driven by this thought. I just get hit by this question often in my daily exchange with people or maybe media, whatever it may be, or some habits or likewise.

Today I write about a series of instances that have found it too much or about to be termed so, I know it has hit you many times too.

Ever-Enthusiastic media: Whatever it may be, the TRP driven media don’t seem to understand that they are over enthusiastic. I being an ardent viewer of television does not wish to see the gruesome human acts that human glorify.  Had I been in the 26/11 incident and is being kept captive at the Taj, I would not have wanted to see that my captors being helped to counter my rescue attempts.  I also do not want to know who marries who, which celebrity is wearing what. I have so much to know from you. I do not know the Government schemes for my welfare. How my money is being used for the nation and all those stuffs. What all will you show me? Tomorrow, you will tell me how many morsel of food did SRK eat the last dinner. HMITM?

People, come on, how can the government help in bringing the monsoon. Let us be real. You can’t blame them that the rain is late. And let us not complain, it is you who sold your vote for God knows how much or what. Or maybe you found some names in the list of prospective familiar. Or maybe it was some family you thought was capable, or maybe you thought, “how would it mater” and forgot the date you got to choose who will run the nation. Blaming for everthing? HMITM

The two letters U and S are so over-rated. Why do we run to them every time? The neighbors have defied the sacred LOC, we run to them. Some dropped some thing across, we run to them. Everyone dream of going to the hyped US of A. US this, US that. HMITM?

Fear of the bearded people. Not all bearded people are Islamic. Not all Islamic people are jehadists. Fear or hate I do not know. But, HMITM?

The Government, please, how much are you going to collect from me just to waiver the loans? Various schemes? Giving me 100 rupees for 100 days will not help me sustain, trust me. You cannot just start distributing the nation’s money to everyone; remember we are more than a billion. Your way of winning popularity votes. HMITM?

Again people, stop reproducing more. One is a blessed, two is company, and three is a crowd. I guess your kid would want to finish his or her 12 standard, rather than share it with his other three siblings and do till 4th standard.

Now, parents, you cant ask more from the kids. They are not marks making machines you know. But of course if you were Einstein, then oh well, I could have trusted the genetic theory, but you are not. Please do not force the kids to be what you could not.

Schools, you cannot ask more from the kids, they are not your experimental lab-rats to work on with.

Kids, you cannot blame the world around. You came here, and there is no turning back. You are not smarter than your seniors, parents, or me, kidding.

Men’s greed to want more and more and more.

Well, there are lots but if I put in all, the post will again be long and something that I alone will be reading. So, I shall stop here and if you find anything that can be asked “HMITM?” then please feel free to drop in.

 

I woke up this morning to be greeted by my newspaper, as always. But today was different. The paper advertised a lot of No. 1s in India. The First page said, India’s No. 1 multimedia institute. The third page brought the No. 1 Coaching Institute. As I browsed through the paper, I got some more No 1s (water purifier, Bank, etc. etc.)

The same goes with the Television too. It’s all No. 1s.

Why are there no No. 2?

Why are people trying to bring chaos in the peaceful existence by calling everyone the First, the Best, the Cheapest, The costliest etc.

Well, sometimes I don’t want the best of them all. If everyone says they are the No. 1. What options do I have? I need the No. 2 or maybe 3.

As stupid as this post may seem. But didn’t you notice this with me? That there are only No. 1s.

 

All First to None.  

Oxford defines Fear as an unpleasant emotion caused by the threat of danger, pain, or harm. The likelihood of something unwelcome happening.

How about this, A painful emotion or passion excited by the expectation of evil, or the apprehension of impending danger; apprehension; anxiety; solicitude; alarm; dread. The Webster so defines.

Alright, the topic should not be a superlative degree. There are lots I know.

Anglophobia, Aichmophobia, Androphobia / Arrhenophobia,  Anuptaphobia, Ataxophobia, Bathophobia, Bibliophobia, Bufonophobia, Cacophobia, Claustrophobia, Cleithrophobia, Daemonophobia, Didaskaleinophobia, Enochlophobia, Heterophobia, Homophobia, Laliophobia, Logizomechanophobia, Melophobia, Monophobia, Myctophobia, Obesophobia, Pedophobia, Pentheraphobia,  Phronemophobia, Sociophobia,  Taphephobia,  Zeusophobia , Zoophobia . . .

There you go. I have named some Phobias.

Quite recently, I was filling up a quiz in Facebook (I am a Fan now) about My Greatest fears. It turn out that I fear to go Mad, insane, crazy. Isn’t it true? Waking up one morning to find you do not have control over your mind. You are infested with the demons that rule your insanity. Gosh! How unfortunate.

 You fear that you are drowning in a lake, with each breathe you struggle for your life as it fills your lungs with water. You fear that you fall off a cliff to an unending fathomage. You fear that you will be tormented by the Hosts of darkling. You fear that you will be electrocuted till you are no more.  You fear you will be suffocated to death. You fear this, you fear that. Fear, Fear, Fear.

 Each individual is tormented with one fear or the other. You would not dare tell the other of what you fear, lest you sabotage your defense by declaring your weakness.

 The great men fear of downfall, the little men fear of not rising up, the middle strata people fear of being crushed in the middle. These days, the women fear of getting out of houses, the men fears of not finding enough to feed his kith and kin on. The children fear of mediocre-performance, the parents fear of their future. The lovers fear of being separated, the parents fear of social status. 

 The Governments fear of performance and peoples’ mandate. The politicians fear of being voted out, the citizen fear of neglect and tyranny. Countries fear of being subjugated, Human race fear of being wiped out due to climatic changes. Employers fear of meeting expenditure budget, the employees fear of the pink slip.

 Human beings are full of fear.

 Some find resort in religion, some in yoga and spirituality, some in war and intimidation. Some find peace in hermitry and sagehood. But how far are we successful in deceiving ourselves. Fear is what fear is.

 What are your fears – public or intimate?

 

 

They say men and women are equal. I agree and you might too. Women “claims” that they can par or maybe ‘out-par’ men in all aspects. I don’t disagree and neither do you, I suppose.

Let me bring you my argument.

I have seen breadwinners and so family heads who are women. There are women CEOs and MDs, Political leaders, Doctors, engineers, drivers, etc. and etc. And the women population is quite confident and boastful about these. Thus, staking claim in the equal right and status.

Now, were you (men) frustrated some day when you were dead tired and climbed into a bus, and found one row of the bus empty, but still you could not sit and relax because of the red letters “ladies”. Or one day you found that the train had 12 of its compartments filled far more to the capacity, but you turn around to a forbidden ‘empty’ boogie marked “ladies”.

Reservation for women in the legislature has been the ‘in thing’ since 2004. Not much has been done as yet.

I am not here to advocate either side; of being a feminist or the contrary. But this paradox, as I call, is way too much for me to handle. On one side, they say men and women are equal, but on the other they claim reservation on anything.

[ Don’t get me wrong, I too have a Mother and a sister, and I have the best interest of them in my mind and heart. ]

If men and women are equal, why can’t I sit on the row marked in red or get into the boogie restricted for the fairer gender. OR why don’t we have another row reserved for ‘MEN’, just a proposition though.

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Don’t bother to reply, if you want to pick up a fight. I just wrote what I want to write.

“Say mate, are you satisfied with what is going on in your life, ummm, what you have achieved till now?” I asked a friend of mine the other day. This thought had been in my mind for quite a long time now. I do not know if I am alright with what’s going on. I do not know or have a count in my life as to how many times I have compromised with what the system has in store for me and has to offer me. The system is just so decided that you don’t have an option to look out of it. And we cannot do anything about it.

As we grow up, we have this set path where we are to go. There are no alternatives. You have to fit in the system. Think as the system wants you to think, perform as the system wants you to. You understand what I am talking about?

See. I was born and brought up in an educated teaching family, so to say. My Grandfather had been a teacher, and so are my mother and father, my aunts and uncle and all. But there was this narrow thinking as to what life was altogether. You have to study, and study, and study. There was no alternative for not studying the texts. I am grateful for that, as I now am an Engineer and all. But that’s not the point. What I like to bring in is that, the system drives us and we do not have a say in this.

When you are in the system, you see, think, and feel as the system. For instance, in the society, being educated, and getting a good job, and getting settled is what a successful person is. Yes it is; no doubt about it. If we are in this flow of thinking, I am a successful person and am satisfied, because I meet most of the criteria. Which implies, in the system I am successful. I keep reading in books, how a son has to live up to the expectations, for instance like, to go to the prestigious school that his father and his grandfather had gone. Those are fiction books, but these fiction stories do come up out of the society we live in.

Don’t you think you are tightly bound? Well, I do. Now for once, come out of the system and think what you really want and all. I wanted to become a musician, or a writer, or a poet, or an essayist, or something. It was out of the system. It was something that I was not expected to be. (Please do not take it that the said professions are inferior or something. I am just making a point, that’s all.) Try music, it is something posh and for people of high ends. “Music does not fill your stomach”, is a recurrent chide you get if you seriously think about following it. Being from a middle class background, music was not a profession that could sustain me and my family, neither was sports nor was writing.

There was no option. You have this notion in the entire land (I mean the country I’m from) that for a secure living in the future, it is Engineering or Medical. You don’t believe me? Alright, randomly pick a kid from any school, and ask then what they want to become in future. I tried it, to about a hundred kids. Only one said I want to be a teacher. And the ninety nine said either of the above profession. What I want to bring is that, this said notion is so much engraved in each and every individual that, it comes as a natural thing now. It is in us so deep; we think it is the only thing. (This Engineering-Medical syndrome is brought just to make the point of how well the society is entangled with the system.)

So much for free thinking and free living. Think about how much of the path we take, the thoughts we think and the like are influenced by the system.

I happen to have friends, who have real good potential to make it big in life, to excel and all. They are really good in mathematics, analytics. And by good, I mean they can be thinkers and philosophers in it. But driven by the system, they have gone searching for the secure pasture of normal, yet maybe rich lives. I wonder if that was what they wanted all along. But, it is just a waste of talent and the gift. But I am afraid I will also have to go for it very soon.

I also have friends and relatives for that matter, who played music and soccer as they are the personification of the game itself. But they cannot live their passion. Why? It is the system. Say for cricket, there are millions who want to make it big in this game and all. Of these millions, I can bet, there are at least thousands who play better than the ones who made it into the mainstream play. It is not about their talents or that they are not good so they don’t get in and all. It is the system that decides their fate in the said game. I for one, even if I want to play this game with my whole heart and soul and even if I am really good in it, I know I will never have got into it. It is the system that decides.

Take for example, the women in the society. There are claims that they are given equal rights and all. But are they? Yes, they are. At least in the papers. But this system is so fixed that even with the rights given of being independent and all; they are expected to be the same age old inscripted womanly character in the whole scene of family life. A girl child is expected to know cooking and feeding the family. It is ‘expected’ of them. It is the system that decides how she will be. And the women for one accept it. A woman army officer is frowned upon. A woman public leader is despised. This is what the system is.

Alright, by system I mean the unwritten laws and said norms that govern the way how an individual is expected to perform their part in the society. It is the path that he or she is expected to take.

Now, I don’t want to start a revolution against the said system and all. Neither do I want to create this feeling in anyone. I just want to bring to light what everyone thinks and feel but cannot help it. I love my being, my existence in the society. So I have to abide by the system. And I have been doing it. I don’t have a choice.

Now, the question is, being given a chance, what will you do? I want to live my dreams, my passions, a life not inhibited with the worries of keeping aligned with the system. A life where I can be what I want to be.

Practically speaking, this life I want to live is: I would want to take a break from my studies after graduating my high school, then go enlist in the army or something, then if I want to, I will study again. I want to just play the piano and make a living out of it, I want to just write and feed my family. Then when I am forty, I want to do college again, not any other degree, but some engineering, or some medical degree, in some good institution.

Is this possible? I guess not. I had to go to school at the age of four, then study all the way to high school, then senior secondary school, then four years of engineering. By the time I graduated I was already twenty two. I could not afford to take a break after my high school, or my secondary. People make a fuss about this year break. If I had taken it, I would never have got into any Degree college. Now that’s the truth. Now, I cannot go back to college after I get cross over my fortieth year. I won’t get any. (Now there are exceptions of getting a degree after fifty and all, but I am not the exception, so excuse me)

This is the system. You cannot design your life and live it. You cannot wake up one morning and say, “Today is a nice day for science” and you take up studying your MS. The system has all set it up. If you lag behind, you suffer in the system. Your off-springs will bear this curse along with you. This is the system I am talking about.

Now, I don’t want to go on and on and on. I just want to break this monologue by asking yet again, “Are you satisfied with the life you are living ?”, “Are you living the life you designed?”

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Note: This post may not have a steady flow of ideas and all, but it does read out what is in my mind.