Saturday, September 03, 2011

I Will Want More Money Tomorrow




We grow up understanding a few basic theories of the world. One of the first things we are taught in our history class is that we learn to shape our future from our past. We are taught on several occasions how the biological organisms of the earth have evolved and adapted. Any living/breathing organism, animal or plant, adapt and improve themselves according to their environment. As an example, archaeologists have excavated in several parts of the world to show that giraffes used to have shorter necks and they were animals who tried to eat food from higher, taller trees and that over several years their necks grew and they are now the way they are because of these adaptations. Scientists also say, everyday there is some amount of emotional, physical, mental evolution that all living beings go through. I am trying to relate this kind of behavior to the way humans interact with MONEY.

Centuries ago people were still exchanging goods for buying and selling commodities. So let me try to illustrate that period with 2 fictional people, Adam and Eve(please excuse the co-incidence). Adam harvested cotton and spun it into thread and made cloth for a living. Eve processed grains and baked bread. Adam was hungry and wanted bread, but Eve had too many clothes and did not care for any more new clothing. So the theory of "barter" fails in scenarios like these. Humans, being rational, social animals came up with a simple solution. He/she created a medium of exchange that would not have an innate value, but obtain value while used as a medium to buy goods. We started calling this "money". In the past, at the time money was created, man was incredibly less attached to money itself. Adam was making clothes, he would sell the clothes to someone who wanted it and get "money" in return. He paid this "money" to Eve to get the bread that he needed. So the historical man shows that he was actually attached to the goods not the medium.

My theory is, from that moment on, there was a new, important addition to the human environment and that he will adapt, interact and evolve with it. Over time, he understood that money can be used to buy several different goods. Some goods required more money and some required less, and this was deemed by the demand for that commodity. Then he got more attached to this thing in his environment and started understanding that this medium was easy to loan and borrow. He would borrow money in order to buy goods that he could not obtain with the amount of money he has, and then over time he would generate more money in order to return that money to the rightful loaner. The loaner gives money to someone who needs it and has the capability to generate more in the future in order to return that and a small "fee" for the favor of loaning the money. To maintain such activity and to keep it in order, man evolved in understanding that he needed to create an institution to regulate all this activity and created the "bank". Man at several times possessed more money than he needed. He deposited this money to the bank for safekeeping. He realized that the bank was using this money that he was depositing in it to loan out to other users. So if he was doing the bank a favor he wanted a fee for it and thus came interest. Well, all this we know and you are wondering where exactly I am going with all of this. Be patient and read on please.

With time, man thought of new scenarios and created new things and ways to protect, utilize, spend and create more money. Research shows that over the years man has not just used money to invest in other things, but with all the changes he has brought about to this medium of exchange, that mankind as a whole is heavily invested in "money" itself. When you have worked very hard in building, creating, manipulating something you expect something from it. Thankfully "money" has been selfless and has been helping man in return as well. but on a whole all these changes has caused man to evolve to be more attached to money, not just on a rational basis (for the basic purpose he created) but for everything he has later allowed it to manifest into. I think this increase in the emotional attachment to money has given rise to the larger amount of volatility and panic sales in any money market these days. After all these years of relationship between man and money, man has changed and shaped money so much that now money has started changing the way man thinks and acts everyday. This is just a freak thought that I had, trying to help me understand the world's crumbling economic system.

Please post your views on it and any new theories that you might have to understand how money and man have evolved together to be very different things than they started out to be.

Friday, November 12, 2010

It is that Simple!


Many people, in fact, majority of people criticize fashion on a daily basis. Well, they define fashion as a way to splurge money on something which is not necessary. I have thought long and thought hard. What really is this fascinating industry about and why everyone doesn't seem to connect with it? The Answer is very simple and that's what this post is about.
Webster's Dictionary defines it as "a prevailing custom, usage or style". We are not talking about the fashion that anyone can decide. We are talking about the "High Fashion" world where everything is so scandalasly overpriced. I read a lot about how the whole "cult" started. Vogue started as early as 1900. Then it struck me, ART!!
Why is art so overpriced? High fashion is a statement, it does not come on a canvas or with oil paint, but comes through a design which is the point of view of the artist. Everybody needn't own art, only people who appreciate it, or people who think it is a symbol of societal standards. That is exactly the same way Fashion works. And the model is the art "form". Of course, just like all art, it is absolutely dynamic moving with the way man's lifestyle and thoughts move. I was watching an Alexander McQueen fashion show on Style.com, and my friend asked me with a frown on her face "Who wears this shit??".
I took an art appreciation class a few semesters ago. I took it because I had to. During the course, in the very beginning I used to think what kind of portrait is this? Anybody could do this. Well the main lesson I learnt from this class was "WATCH CLOSELY". I was then fascinated by the key strokes and the built-in purpose of the art-work. I think, pretty much everything in this world needs to be watched closely, especially Fashion. Below I have a video; it is the CHANEL SPRING 2011 COLLECTION. Its pure ART, created by the visionary KARL LAGERFELD. Through this article I would like to salute those great designers Lagerfeld, Galliano, de Le Renta and great photographers Demarchelier, Testino and facilitators like Anna Wintour.

Fashion is ART! It is that simple. Those who can't appreciate it, should leave it alone. Don't criticize, 'cause you don't possess the eye for it!

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Go Figure!!


Situation 1:
You know how there are times when u wanna throw something and when u don wanna throw it at something in particular and u almost always end up hitting that exact same thing...
whereas when u badly wanna hit on something[not a person!] placed on a wall or something u end up hitting everywhere other than that thing u were aiming at..

Situation 2:
You clean your house someday [under tremendous pressure & cos u don have a choice] u come across something that u never use..NEVER, so come to a conclusion that its completely obsolete and decide to let it stay where ever it was. After a few days or months u need that thing desperately and u know for sure its somewhere in ur house but how much ever u try u cant figure out as to where u saw it.

Situation 3:
Often people do a lot of small crimes, petty stuff like lying to your parents about going out and freaking out with your friends and tell them that ur gonna go and study?? [yeah like that's ever gonna happen] and lotsa such stuff small lies and stuff.. have u noticed how smoothly the execution of that whole thing goes?? its like wow... and then there's one day when u honestly don do anything wrong or bad but just end up being in the wrong place at the wrong time and get yourself tangled in a horrible situation u would never have seen coming [pity isn't it]!

Situation 4:
You know at various times when u see people and instantly think u hear a sound in the background going 'CLICK'.. man it feels like all the stars are calling out to u that 'The Right Person' and its not long b4 u realize u couldn't have been more wrong about the whole thing all along. friends, girl friends, boyfriends, study mates on various judgments and that actually in the end the perfect person was so close to u yet so far and that u wouldnt have imagined in ur wildest dreams that it could be that person.. [man!! life's tricky]

Situation 5:
There are so many times when all of us keep planning a particular thing with all vigor and anticipation and doesn't go your way and when u least expect stuff something perfect just happens.. Its not like a formula or something but it is to an extent always true that expectation and disappointment are directly proportional and expectation and joy is inversely proportional exactly why ppl love to have surprise parties thrown for them[hint: guys throw me one for my next b'day]

Disclaimer:
All situations are general assumptions on observing normal ppl's lives if it was other wise in the course of ur life it means u are.. u know wat i'm getting at.

You're welcome to comment and when u do so dont forget to put in other intersting 'tricky' situations that u might have gone thru or u escaped..


Sunday, September 03, 2006

PLEASURE OR PAIN !!!


Was sitting there in my cubicle,
Unable to concentrate on anything on my table now,
Mobile rings loudly, something very painful about it,
It was what i thought, what we had been expecting,
She was barely completing her sentences,
Told me "i think its time....hurry Frank",
I assured her i was coming, picked my briefcase in sheer hurry,
Went to the parking lot taking long strides in almost a run,
Only to realise i had left my keys on the desk,
Ran back with twice the speed, grabbed the keys came back to my car.

On my way home everything seemed to be whirling around,
Everyone except me seemed to be moving faster,
Parked the car in front of the apartment,
Rushed to the stairs, climbed it taking two at a time,
I blasted the door open,
Lilly was there clutching the handle of the couch,
Face horribly contorted with visible pain,
Poor woman tried to stay calm and was taking deep breaths,
In all this trauma she still managed to force a peaceful smile when she saw me at the door,
I was gasping for breath as well and asked her "Are you sure this is it??",
She couldn't get words out so just fiercly nodded her head.

I rushed to the bedroom and got all the stuff together,
Took her hand in mine and slowly walked her down the stairs,
The pain my love was undergoing was evident from the way she was gripping my hands,
I wanted it to get over, wanted her to be happy,
She had already called the doc and wheelchair was waiting for us,
I took the stuff from the trunk and rolled her into the hospital,
There was something unnerving about the place,
The plain white walls and the medicines on the trays,
Doc told us it was goin to be alright, be fine,
I couldnt see how or didnt kno when.

She was still taking deep breaths and pain hadnt seemed to alleviated even bit,
We were in the room waiting for the doc to come,
She looked into my eyes and said "She'll soon be here and gave a longing smile..",
Pressed my hand with care and expectation,
Doc came, examined her, told us she was ready for the ward,
Now the pain had reached its pinnacle,
She couldn't hold herself together any longer,
It was unbearable for me to see her like this,
I prayed "God! Just make it stop!"

We went into the ward,
The doc somehow understood what i was feeling,
Calmly said "It'd soon be over Mr.Parker",
I so hoped it would,
She was struggling and twitching with pain,
I couldnt bear to look at her,
Not like this,
I couldnt stand straight, was swaying in my place,
Tears just blocked my sight seeing her scream with pain,

Soon there was as sudden sense of unbelievable exhiliration in the air,
And he hands over to me saying "There..Your daughter..looks beautiful",
I looked down at this tiny miracle in my arms,
Yes! it was unbelievable,
Out of nowhere there were brand new ten little toes and fingers,
Moving slowly, trying to look at the new place she's brought into,
Lilly slowly pulled my arm,
She saw the angel in my hand and all the pain magically flew away,
She raised her head and kissed our baby's forehead,
My love was glowing with beads of tears sparkling on her face,
Smiled slowly at me and kissed me and said "She's ours Frank!!"
It was truly the miracle of birth.
:-):-):-)

Friday, August 25, 2006

Anticipation...


She was standing there,
Eyes filled with anticipation,
Dreaming and planning the days to come,
The arrival call rings in her ear,
The gates open and there's hustle and bustle,
People around her jumping up and down,
To catch a glimpse of the familiar face they're waiting for,
In ones and twos they come pouring out of the gate,
Identifying their kith and kin,
Clearing the way and the place.

She was standing there,
Eyes filled with anticipation,
Clutching a boquet of pretty flowers,
And carrying a prettier smile on her face,
The number around her diminishing steadily,
Wondering what keeps him still,
Eyes fixed on the gate staring helplessly,
The place almost completely empty,
The gate was closing,
Where would she go, whom would she ask?

She was standing there,
Dejection pouring over her,
Streams of tears grazing over her cheeks,
She looks down at the boquet,
Suddendly flowers looked more miserable than her,
Her legs seemed to be stuck at the place,
She was incapable of movement,
A heavy hand falls upon her shoulder,
She Turns back with almost a jerk,
Sees straight into those eyes of longing and passion,
Asked her calmly eye contact still on,
"Honey!why you waiting at the gate of another flight?",
Amidst the wetness and tears,
She gives a small chuckle to herself,
Threw her arms around him,
Giving him the best hug she had ever given,
And said softly "Of course you were coming"...
:-) :-) :-)