Down with DRM
Just recently, I watched the guitar trio of Paco De Lucia, John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola (one of Berkelee’s distinguished Alumni) perform the song “Mediterranean Sun-dance” on their live album in 1981 titled ‘Late Night In San Francisco’ on Youtube, thanks to a friend sending me the link.
I’ve heard of John McLaughlin and his Jazz-Fusion influences through various associations that he has been involved with in the past. Yet I never got a chance to actually listen to him live in concert. And to be honest, I love Flamenco guitar, am a fan of Acoustic Alchemy (the early and now) but I never heard of Paco de Lucia either.
And you might think what does this has to do with DRM?
Well, if you’re a regular user of Youtube, you’ll notice that sometimes there are copyright violations that require the video to be taken off YouTube, very similar to taking free online movies off the World Wide Web. Of course, in being able to gain access to media for free ensures that the time, energy and money that has gone into its creation.
With the music industry taking clear preventive measures against piracy, you’d notice that Digital Rights Management has become a hot topic (and a real button-pusher for the conservative-types) amongst industry moghuls who want to make sure that they get their hands on every dime they can make.
On the other hand, you have the ‘free media’ types who are trying to make the internet a “Down with DRM” space. And thanks to them, you can listen to Al Di Meola, Acoustic Alchemy and even avant-garde bands who aren’t so accessible in mainstream music such as Nuclear Rabbit, Dream Theater and so on and so forth. The internet connects you to bands from every corner of the planet.
But in being fair to both, it’s important to maintain a balance! A report by an expert on Digital Rights Management from MIT, suggests that free sharing (Read: promos) does have its benefits when it comes to creative media work as it reaches out to a larger audience hence creating greater awareness. But that does not mean people should take advantage and distribute free files in audio or video format all high and sundry, causing the artist or band to lose royalties. A classic example of this deliberate imbalance was the case of Napster with Metallica at the receiving end.
Yet in most cases of free sharing, one does pick up a authentic copy of an artist that they like after having a listen… for example, in listening to a couple of mp3s of Queensryche led me to spend money on CDs for three of their albums, two studio and one live.
And why did I do this?
As I didn’t have the time, patience and energy to sit and download entire albums from LimeWire that do not have the same quality in sound like you get on a CD. It was just easier to spend $20-$30 and get the best!
And this is where the Alterhit community also comes in, where you get a taste of the music that artists put up, as well as the ability to purchase music at a nominal rate as well. Not only that, in signing up with Alterhit as a friend, you can ‘distribute’ music and make 10% of the total value of the song sold in digital format.
And who knows, you might just find your kind of music that will add pleasure and variety to your leisure time.
[As written for Alterhit on June 2, 2009]
Ways to meditate
Swami Vivekananda once said, “I am the thread that runs through all these pearls, and each pearl is a religion or even a sect thereof. Such are the different pearls, and God is the thread that runs through all of them; most people, however, are entirely unconscious of it.”
Yet religion is number one cause of death and destruction ever since ‘The Crusades’ and carries unabatedly on today.
Why?
People are unwilling to accept the fact that there are other forms of spirituality that can truly lead one on a path of self-awareness, and in finding oneness with a “higher power”. Of course, their way of life is the ONLY way!
For it takes an educated and broad minded person to accept this very saying in its truest sense when it comes to matters of spirituality and faith.
To use another metaphor, all spiritualities that exist today are paths to finding God (or a higher power, as some would like to call it).
And as we learn to love, accept and appreciate our fellow man regardless of one’s differences… we will truly understand the gift of life, and our Maker!
Similarly, just as there are different forms of spirituality in the world today, the way we reach out to our Maker through meditation also differs.
Whether it is simply spending ‘quiet time’ in prayer in Christianity, the meditation through yoga [read: ‘dhyana’ in Raja Yoga] or the ‘bhajan & kirtan’ devotional songs in Hinduism, the ‘koans’ or the method of self-inquiry in Buddhism, they all have one objective: they increase your awareness of a particular target.
Now, mentioning these styles of meditation are merely for your information only, and for the most part of your adult life, you should have come across one of these types of meditations due to the spirituality that you practice.
Yet in merely going ‘through the motions’ by using these conventional methods doesn’t necessarily guarantee that you are indeed, meditating.
Often in the journey through adulthood, one feels disillusioned with what he has been led to believe, and once those self-limiting thoughts have been completely broken, does one understand that spirituality (and meditation) is a personal thing that is unique to each and every person who seeks to explore and therefore, expand their sense of spirituality.
And the same is true of meditation as well.
J. Krishnamurti, on the subject of meditation, puts it aptly, “Meditation is one of the greatest arts in life – perhaps the greatest and one cannot possibly learn it from anybody. That is the beauty of it. It has no technique and therefore no authority. When you learn about yourself, watch yourself, watch the way you walk, how you eat, what you say, the gossip, the hate, the jealousy – if you are aware of all that in yourself without any choice, that is part of meditation. So, meditation can take place when you are sitting in a bus or walking in the woods full of light and shadows, or listening to the singing of birds or looking at the face of your wife or child.”
For when you realize that each and everyone of you are pearls in the eyes of your Creator (thus, leading to the understanding of ‘higher love’), and that God is the thread that runs through each and everyone of us, meditation (regardless of style or technique) becomes an intrinsic value which effortlessly forms the very core of our being, in our path to find oneness with our Maker.
[As written for BOJ on July 1, 2009]
Indian Music: An important element of our cultural heritage
Indian songs or for us Indians, just songs are an important part of our heritage whether it is an accepted fact or not. There’s no doubt that the world views India through an exotic lens, and Indian songs too fall into this category as well.
Whether it is the nautanki of yore, or Bollywood music that has been constantly been putting out music that has evolved from a plethora of styles or the Classical Music (Hindustani or Carnatic) that is rich in instrumentation and rather precise in its design, the world considers our contribution to music itself palatable while heaping praise on musicians gone by even till this day.
Whether it’s the Russians who love Raj Kapoor or the Kenyans who love Mithun da, this legacy of ours has to be conserved and protected for generations to come.
Kishore Kumar, Rafi Sahaab, Mukesh, Lata Mangeshkar, Asha Bhonsle, R.D Burman and his son, S.D Burman are just a few names that are revered and appreciated until this day, and in all parts of the globe. And this is only Bollywood music we’re talking about…
The various gharanas which showcase the intricate variations of Hindustani classical music whether through singing or accompaniment has been dying a slow death down to the point of extinction, yet thankfully has been kept alive by the government of India. So, there’s at least one reason to thank them for!
Watching John McLaughlin play the guitar (like a sitar) for a Carnatic recital while also hilariously wearing a ‘lungi’ was a moment that will be treasured for sometime to come. Yet it also tells us of the rich tradition of music that has been prominent during the times of Chandra Gupta Maurya and Akbar.
Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shivkumar Sharma, M. Balamuralikrishna, Pandit Ravi Shankar, Alla Rakha Khan (father of Zakir Hussain) are virtuosos of instruments that tell the story of our country’s richness in diversity even in the field of music and won’t be forgotten for their contribution to music not known to be a part of Bollywood.
Here’s a video that showcases Ravi Shankar and Alla Rakha in concert for Bangladesh at Madison Square Garden in August , 1971:
Just so you know, these are not just names that are being listed here, but true makers of history in the course of our country’s resurrection post-British Raj.
Fast-forward to today with fast adapting to its fans who consider themselves a part of the ‘global village’ that has been envisioned. Fusion’ music, for example, combines musical styles in a ‘East meets West’ form, a deviation from its purest form. A brilliant example of this is Zakir Hussain’s Tabla Beat Science.
Bollywood has also embraced Western music into its otherwise conservative space, although it has taken a while to find the right sounds. Off late, some of the music released over the past two years have been rather palatable as compared to the trash of the late 80s and early to mid 90s.
Not only do these examples show us that Indian songs and its music can not only adapt itself to modern forms but boasts of the ability to enrich the tapestry of the musical landscape with the plethora of sounds that lies within its borders through artistry that is forged through the fires of discipline and sometimes, poverty.
So, in closing, if one is able to appreciate one own’s culture first, will they be able to truly appreciate another culture for its differences.
[As written for Babylon AD on July 5, 2009]
Free Songs: Who’s complaining anyways…
There’s an old cliché about freebies which says that the best things in life come for free. And it is even more relevant in the scenario of the internet where there are numerous websites that offer free songs that have been ripped (and in some cases, ripped off too) and compressed so that it is downloadable at an even clip if you have a broadband connection.
But has the revolution of the internet really brought this whole idea of obtaining a free song into existence for the first time or has it merely changed the form of free songs for years?
The answer to lies in the evolution of all things from analog to digital…
During the eighties and nineties, people used cassettes and CDs but the listening experience was only available for people who bought the entire album. When blank tapes and CDs were released, that was the first step towards listening to songs for free.
Of course, you would have a friend borrow your Bryan Adams’ So far so good album and make a copy of it on his or her tape recorder.
What analog tapes had in common with vinyl records was that they had a short life-span, and unlike CDs (known as the first digital form of music) didn’t necessarily produce such high quality music that was available during the time when the compact disc was considered the ‘dawn of a new revolution’.
With these new developments in the music industry was the trailblazing advances of the personal computer industry, which in a way, replaced the boom box. At least for me (if not everyone else), it changed the way we listened to music completely.
Steve Jobs from Apple, a man who can’t rest on his laurels, took it a couple of steps further with the iPod, replete with functions that a Sony walkman could only dream of in their hey day.
From a personal standpoint, I don’t recall the last time I’ve used a stereo player to listen to music… everything is played off my computer. My music, videos and pictures are all on my computer with no need (and no room) for anything else with speakers to play the music as well.
I feel that the music I have on my system is free in a way due to the fact that some albums are worth their weight in gold to me, and are on my computer (and on a file-sharing site called Fileqube) and will always remain with me no matter how old I get. This is not so with vinyl records or tapes, as you would recall. The more number of times you can listen to a song that you’ve owned, the price for which the CD was bought for however expensive will be a pittance in the long run.
It’s no surprise that just like you could record music from the radio on to a tape in the nineties, internet radios today can be played to record and store digital music on your system. Try MP3myMP3 and you’ll see what I mean.
What I’m trying to say is that this whole idea of free songs isn’t new at all… it has just taken on a new avatar.
What also plays a role in this deal of free music is the issue of digital piracy through the idea of Digital Rights Management (DRM). Here is a video discussing the pros and cons of DRM:
And one can only imagine what it’s new form is going to look like a decade from, now that Isaac Asimov and his fabulous imagination has been laid to rest since the eighties.
But who’s complaining, really?
[As written for Babylon AD on July 09, 2009]
Christian Music: Just a drop in the ocean
Born in a staunch Christian family, Christian songs have been a part of our daily routine even when spiritual inclination was the last thing that was on my mind.
As Johann Sebastian Bach once remarked, “The aim and final end of all music should be none other than the glory of God and the refreshment of the soul.”
It is the popular refrain of most fundamentalist Christians, who believe that ‘Jesus is the Way, the Truth and the Life’. And it is the crux of any Christian song that you will hear ever in your life.
And just in case you’ve assumed at this point that the insinuation is against Christianity and it beliefs, think again! Live and let live is the way to go, really…
It’s interesting to note how music has evolved into different genres although the method of composition and instruments used are the same. And Christian songs are no different!
From an industry standpoint, Christian music is broadly classified into three sub-genres such as traditional Gospel music, Southern Gospel music, and Contemporary Christian music.
Traditional Gospel music is what you’d hear in the churches also known ‘praise and worship’ songs along the lines of Bach’s quote mentioned above. Some notable artists who are also pastors in their own churches are Bob Fitts, Don Moen, Paul Overstreet and Ron Kenoly.
When it comes to the quality of music composition and lyrics, it’s as good as anything you’ll find but the difference is that its purpose is take you closer to God, spiritually speaking.
Here a touching song by Ron Kenoly and his sons, singing a beautiful song called “I love to love you, Lord”:
It’s truly a heart felt song while capturing and conveying the essence of Christianity in a personal way that can be an enriching experience to the listener.
Yet another genre is Southern Gospel which includes some of the best singers I’ve heard in my life mainly because most music is quartet-driven meaning people singing melody and harmony in the parts of soprano, alto, tenor and bass. Almost every album cut in this sub-genre emphasizes the voices rather than the music and the message it carries.
Notable artists are the Imperials and Bill Gaither Trio that really brought Southern Gospel to the mainstream. These musicians were strongly influenced by old time preachers especially from an era that was characterized by the phrase ‘Gimme that old time religion’.
Here’s a hymn ‘Swing Low Sweet Chariot’ sung by The Imperials:
Yet with the changing times, the message of Christianity hasn’t changed at all in all its simplicity, although it has been presented in its contemporary form through Christian Contemporary Music.
Artists like DC Talk, Steven Curtis Chapman, Michael W. Smith, Amy Grant and a host of other names form the powerful force behind this genre of music that is responsible in reaching out to a larger audience than other genres of Christian music have done in the past.
Here’s a live version of Steven Curtis Chapman’s ‘Speechless’ all guns blazing:
And even though the musical landscape of Christian music has changed a lot in the New Millenium, there’s still a lot of great music from the past and present that you can listen to and enjoy over the internet, perhaps to spend some quiet time with the Lord.
Even George Carlin (being anti-religious as he was) once said: “The only good thing about religion is the music’.
I rest my case!
[As written for Babylon AD on July 17, 2009]
And even though the musical landscape of Christian music has changed a lot in the New Millenium, there’s still a lot of great music from the past and present that you can listen to and enjoy over the internet, perhaps to spend some quiet time with the Lord.
Even George Carlin (being anti-religious as he was) once said: “The only good thing about religion is the music’.
I rest my case!
The Gallon of Milk a Day (GOMAD) Diet
Introduction
“A practical working knowledge of how to keep well is the best form of life insurance one can possess.” So said Bernarr MacFadden almost a century ago and somehow it always comes back to bite us in the ass every time.
Staying healthy has always been a priority in the States today, and with the destruction of the health insurance industry one wonders if perhaps things will turn out OK.
But somehow, we seem to be missing the point. Why?
It’s not having healthcare insurance that guarantees one’s health, but incorporating a healthy lifestyle in what we eat, drink or do that ensures that we don’t fall sick and rack up large hospital bills. This is a classic case of ‘back to basics’.
And mind you, this is not me talking but a true American hero (Bernarr MacFadden) who practiced what he preached about health and diet, with one area of focus on the ‘miracle of milk’ that directly relates to the GOMAD (gallon of milk a day) diet. And this was in the 1920s, when things were simple.
Or uncomplicated, shall we say.
The Miracle of Milk
Bernarr MacFadden strongly advocated the advantages of milk in his books, ‘The Miracle of Milk’ and clearly proposed that it had nutrients that were instrumental in curing diseases, and in staying healthy. What he also suggested is that fresh milk (not pasteurized) should be used in consumption, as its processed version would have lost its nutrients.
Clearly milk was not just for the babes, but was important for adults alike.
And now in modern times, the GOMAD (gallon of milk a day) diet seems to be popular amongst bodybuilders, drawing inspiration from the physical culture that Bernarr MacFadden had begun not so long ago.
Gallon of Milk A Day – What is it?
According to most folks who’ve tried this diet, they say it works. Of course, there’s no point fighting with bodybuilders over matters that are of great importance them… don’t you think?
And if you’re lactose intolerant… well, just forget it… just walk away and accept the fact that it isn’t for you!
And let’s move on to more important things…
The objective of the GOMAD diet is to gain ‘build’ (hence, being for bodybuilders) by working out with weights while drinking a gallon of milk a day. That’s it. It’s as simple as that.
A lot of people who have tried this diet have reported success with it, as you easily gain 500 to 1000 calories by drinking a gallon of milk, and a little bit of fat that can be mopped up by doing a bit of cardio everyday.
But of course, no one just started it by drinking an entire gallon on the first day. It’s more of an experiment as our bodies can respond differently to these large amounts of milk. So it’s actually suggested that you start off by drinking one-eighth of a gallon after which you proceed to one-fourth of a gallon, and then to half a gallon and then one gallon a day.
It’s really upto you and how your body responds to the milk diet!
In Closing…
Just remember that if you’re in this one-gallon-a-day program, it is for getting big fast. And along with drinking a gallon of milk a day, the exercise which involves lifting heavy weights is also important.
[As written for BOJ on August 11, 2009]
Benefits of Dark Chocolate
The only benefits of dark chocolate that I can recall of late is its utilization in the most talked about yet hardly ever done right topic … yes, sex. And yet people are opting for adoption or test-tube babies!
And of course, the media depicts women who lust after chocolate with the cravings of a wilder-beast, and of course, what the women want… the men will acquire. Ahh… let the games begin!
It’s the way of the world, so they say, men rule the world but the women rule the men! You might like what I write or not which is immaterial but if you’re a woman… nine times out of ten, you will like chocolate!
And so begins my little journey into the world of chocolate, which… Er… has nothing to do with sexuality but more so to do with debauchery’s prudent twin: healthy eating habits.
Now, of course, with numerous advertisements endorsing chocolates… it’s not rocket science to figure that chocolate is existent in different forms: White chocolate, Milk chocolate, unsweetened chocolate and of course, our topic of discussion: Dark Chocolate.
All these types of chocolate (except dark chocolate) are made using milk, fat and sugar as additives. Most of the chocolates that you find in the supermarkets today are derivatives of the process of solidifying milk chocolate using condensed milk, courtesy Henri Nestle.
And as much as you love indulging in one of those little bars of fantasy, sooner or later you’ll begin to see the effects of having one too many of these little delights which of course contain far too much milk in them. And if this desire for chocolate has joined your list of needs, in due course you’ll find that you will have to drop your needs.
But enough of the whip-cracking, anally retentive, give-me-all-the-pills-you-can-give demeanor for now!
Chocolate is prepared from the cacao tree. And if you didn’t know that perhaps its anglicized derivative, cocoa, would sound familiar. Scientists have actually discovered that cocoa contain flavonoids. Now if we consume flavonoids, our body will be able to process nitric oxide which is largely responsible for maintaining healthy blood pressure and hence, resulting in optimum cardiovascular health. In addition, chocolate is known to induce a sense of relaxation, relieve you from pain and the most obvious one which is to boost your energy levels.
Now, the only reason why dark chocolate is considered healthier is because of the greater level of flavonoids present, which is otherwise removed when making milk/ white chocolate.
Now, another interesting fact about dark chocolates is that they are classified on differing quantities of cocoa solids used as an ingredient to prepare dark chocolate. What I mean is while milk chocolate contains up to 10-20 % cocoa solids whereas dark chocolate contains levels of 35% to 85% cocoa solids.
To break it down, let’s look at these classifications (with the percentage of cocoa solids available):
Sweet Dark Chocolate: 35% – 45%
Semi-sweet chocolate: 40% to 62%
Bitter-sweet chocolate: 60% to 85%
Of the three mentioned above, the last two are normally used in baking cakes, brownies and cookies, not forgetting the 100% cocoa solid, your grandma’s favorite which is also known as unsweetened chocolate and used ONLY for baking purposes. Just a head-up for the adventurous types: Don’t try unsweetened chocolate, not unless you like the idea of gagging and regurgitating bile and chocolate goo!
While I do now understand that chocolate may not necessarily relate to sex all the time (it’s this man-brain of mine), it can be safe to assume that now both these ‘sinful’ acts are scientifically considered ‘good for you’. So here’s to the folks who still love chocolate and haven’t quite grown up. Well, now that we have a reason why should we, right?
[As written for BOJ on April 07, 2009]
How to Perform Sprint Training
The words ‘cardio exercise’ is common to all these days, whether it is the daily health & fitness junkie or the ones aspiring to get there. In the world of elliptical trainers and treadmills, instructors normally guide you as to how to perform sprint training using a treadmill and so on and so forth. However, as you might all know that just running for 20 minutes will not necessarily help you burn fat in order to obtain that tight body that can be the envy of many.
Interestingly in the area of cardio exercise, studies have shown that high intensity interval workouts really help in burning fat hence increasing flexibility, cardio-vascular health and muscular strength which are the building blocks of ‘fitness’.
What high intensity interval workouts intend to do is to improve performance in shorter training sessions which is to say that in taking on a HIIT workout, you will lose just as much fat in about 15-30 minutes as compared to say, lower intensity aerobic exercises that are much longer in duration.
And we all know how precious time is in today’s world, with us hardly having the luxury of spending hours in order to workout due to an endless list of errands, responsibilities and other pleasure indulging activities that can’t (and in some cases, won’t) be passed up on. And I think this is the biggest plus of a HIIT workout if not losing fat isn’t its biggest USP.
Let’s try and examine the difference using a simple example of a HIIT workout. This workout should be conducted outdoors. For the sake of clarity, let’s also use a scale of 1 to 10 to measure the intensity of running action (1 being a casual walk and 10 being sprinting as hard as you can).
Step 1: Begin with a five minute warm up jog at about a 4-5 followed by a couple of minutes of stretching.
Step 2: Jog at about a 5-6 intensity level for 60 seconds
Step 3: Immediately switch to a sprint at an 8-9 intensity level for 30 seconds.
Step 4: Repeat steps 3 & 4 for about 6-8 times depending on whether you’re a beginner or at the intermediate stage fitness wise.
Now if haven’t noticed already that this entire routine spans about 12 to 15 minutes and that the jog time to sprint time ratio is about 2:1, which explains the increase and decrease in intensity at regular intervals.
It’s interesting to note that this might be for a simple jog/ sprint HIIT workout but there are complex routines that have been designed specifically for people who are acclimatized to elliptical trainers and treadmills which involve increasing or decreasing speed, intensity and incline levels.
And just as a precaution, just before you think about taking up one of these routines, please ensure that you talk to your physician or trainer in order ensure that you don’t endanger your health.
So, do you think you’re up for HIIT sprint training?
[As written for BOJ on April 28, 2009]
Music Blogs: Some of the very best…
Alice Kahn once wrote, “For a list of all the ways technology has failed to improve the quality of life, please press three”. Well, this is no soapbox performance that seeks to draw inspiration from Carl Sagan’s rant about how people have become so dependent on science and technology, yet know nothing about it nor does it seek to encourage the idea that man have become tools of their tool courtesy Henry David Thoreau.
In subtle fashion, Alice does make a point about technology permeating slowly but surely into our lives. For starters, whether you’re a chef, janitor, computer programmer [the most obvious choice of them all], teacher, writer, interior decorator… the bottom line is that most of us… if not all… are certified techno-geeks minus the know-how. Of course, the world has become a smaller place with its jaw-dropping inventions relentlessly burning the fires of industry to satiate one man’s desire to automate. Er… the point’s been made, so on to more pertinent things.
I might like to interest you in an exposition of musicology and the deep-rooted relationship it shares with the world of technology but for the fact that you would leave this page while caught napping or would prefer to spend your time with the finer things of life. Perhaps an activity that trivializes this rather less obvious fact which I so pedantically would like to bring to your attention, of course. Maybe turn on the radio, listen to your selection of music on your iPod or watch MTV and so on and so forth. And who would hold that against you?
Just so you don’t go, let’s take a look at another interesting technology-related development that’s been a phenomenon in taking music to distant lands with the power of the internet along with this already burgeoning array of options that are at your disposal. Music Blogging, which consists of uploading one’s favorite songs while also penning their thoughts, openly declaring their unmitigated devotion to these artists and their music with fervor to match the obsessive-compulsive types.
In the year 2003, people who considered themselves ‘power-internet’ users decided that pictures and text were just not enough to express themselves over the World Wide Web so they decided to post music that showcased the work of mainstream artists or indie bands that were obscure enough to have not yet ‘arrived’. Some of the early audioblogs were Fluxblog and Stereogum that gained popularity to such an extent that well-known record labels sent them samples of music releases so that they could review on the internet, and hence reach a larger audience. Indie labels also did the same, and today it has become a normal practice as this concept of ‘audio blogging’ has grown and with it, a change in ideology as well. From being a medium with the freedom to express one’s fetish-like affinity to a particular band or genre of music, it is now used as a tool to promote music by bands, labels and well, the Robert Ehrers of the music fraternity apart from touring, releasing records and podcasting. Some of the most popular audioblogs today are Slap You in Public, 88 Days, Aurgasm and so on and so forth.
Alterhit works on similar guidelines except for the fact that it, in comparison to other audioblogs, allows people to showcase their music. In addition to that, they take it a step further and allow the listeners to work as ‘distributors’, enabling everyone to get a piece of the pie, through their efforts.
If only Alice Kahn would keep her opinions about failure to herself, perhaps I’d hit a series of digits a.k.a the “jackpot”.
[As written for 'Alterhit' on February 09, 2009]
Essay: For Nikhil Jain [MBA Applicant]
3. If you could be a field reporter anywhere in the world, where would you want to go and why? (250 words maximum)
What’s on the news today or pretty much everyday?
Almost everything involves and magnifies feelings of fear, depression, rage, anger, despair and every negative emotion that can be expressed between extremes of violent force to harsh words.
If I was given the position of a field reporter, I would like to focus on covering stories which send a message of hope, love, joy and triumph of the human spirit rather than contribute to the constant negative messages that bombard our newspapers and television sets. I would like to cover stories of people who have emerged victorious against all odds, people who show kindness and unconditional love (humanitarian efforts) and most of all, covering stories that are environmental by nature.
Perhaps I would visit disaster ridden areas like the recent floods in Sri Lanka, yet present it in a ‘positive’ manner so that people are inspired by it rather than experiencing fearr. Or the children in Africa who have been taken care of by Bono (the singer for U2) who has done so much for Africa through his music or maybe visit heritage sites/ bio-diverse areas throughout world that have been protected by the UN and inspire people to transform their environment too.
My reason for choosing these types of stories is simple. I feel strongly that there is good in even the most tragic events, and hence should be responded to in a fitting manner which is to live in love, peace and acceptance rather than respond based on our fears.
[As written for the organization 'Access Education' on February 13, 2009]
