Howard Roark

My Favourite Character
and
Is it possible to be like Howard Roark ?



“I don’t wish to be the symbol for anything. I’m only myself.”
~Howard Roark
“The Fountainhead”

Ayn Rand’s “The Fountainhead” which was published in 1943 had a lot of new things to offer – from architecture to Objectivism, everything was lapped up the cult following it generated. For me, the best part of the book is its protagonist-
Howard Roark – Architecture.

Roark is the kind who wonders why ineptitude should be allowed to exist. He is the sort who would rather struggle in obscurity than compromise on his artistic and personal vision. He is from the rare species who in shrugging off a compliment manage to keep their integrity and self-respect perfectly intact. He denies all references to his inherent selflessness, instead declaring himself as selfish as humanly possible and referring to Peter Keating a selfless man. He denounces his kindness while at the same time helping a man face through his most troublesome projects. It is the same man who later refers to him “a failure, a flop, an incompetent”.

Ayn Rand, in descibin’ the character of “Mike” Sean Xavier Donnigan,
has given us an inside view of Roark as well-
“…People meant very little to Mike, but their performance a great deal. He worshipped expertness of any kind. He loved his work passionately and had no tolerance for anything save for other single-track devotions. He was a master in his own field and he felt no sympathy except for mastery. His view of the world was simple: there were the able and there were the incompetent: he was not concerned with the latter. He loved buildings. He despised, however, all architects.”

After reading the book I believe that each man has the moral obligation to defend what is good and true- to stand for every man, woman and child who can not be stood for.
I believe a man should stand for himself.
To the sheep and the second-handers, I have only one thing to say – Learn to swim.

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OBJECTIVISM

“Man cannot survive except through his mind”
~Howard Roark, “The Fountainhead”.

The theory of Objectivism was first propounded by the writer, novelist and philosopher, Any Rand. According to Wikipedia , Objectivism is derived from the principle that human knowledge and values are objective: they are not intrinsic to some inaccessible reality, nor created by the thoughts one has, but are determined by the nature of reality, to be discovered by man's mind. Rand characterized Objectivism as "a philosophy for living on earth", grounded in reality, and aimed at defining man's nature and the nature of the world in which he lives.

Rand when asked to simplify the terms of her theory said that Reality existed as an objective absolute. Facts are facts independent of man’s feelings, wishes, hopes or fears.
She identified Reason as man’s only means of perceiving reality, his only source of knowledge, his only guide to action, and his basic means of survival. According to her, Man - every man is an end in himself, not the means to the ends of others. He must exist for his own sake, neither sacrificing himself to others nor sacrificing others to himself. The pursuit of his own rational self-interest and of his own happiness is the highest moral purpose of his life.

Rand believed that there must be only three supreme values allowed to govern a person's life: Reason, Purpose, and Self-esteem.
Reason, as his only tool of knowledge.
Purpose, as his choice of the happiness which that tool must proceed to achieve.
Self-esteem, as his inviolate certainty that his mind is competent to think and his person is worthy of happiness, which means: is worthy of living.
These three values implied and required all of man's virtues, and all his virtues pertained to the relation of existence and consciousness: rationality, independence, integrity, honesty, justice, productiveness, pride.

It is like Roark says at the Cortlandt trial, “Mind is an attribute of the individual. There is no such thing as thing as a collective brain.”


Bibliography-
~Wikipedia
~Ayn Rand Institute

Its all in your Jeans!

"...Some like it short,
Most like theirs hot,
Tight is not always right,
But a true fit is certainly a hit!"
~Courtesy:- Moi


Originating in the eighteenth century those comfy pair of Jeans are one major piece of heritage! They have truly withstood not just the test but also the CBSE Examination of T.I.M.E (Truly Intense Mortifying Experience).

The word Jeans itself comes from the first Fashion Frat- the Genoan sailors who used to wear clothes made out of a mixture of various stuff. Denim was a kind of black clothing used in France from the town of Nimes. Then an entrepreneur decided to come along and make jeans while the gold was dug. His name was Levi Strauss. The rest is pure old history!

From the 70's Bell Bottoms to the 2000s Skinny - everyone has a story to tell. So do our parents! I have heard accounts of how Connaught's Mohan Singh Place was the only market in Delhi to cater to the need of the then young and happening crowd who also wanted to be seen in Jean-Pants. Or if you happened to have generous NRI relatives, you could always twist them into getting a pair or two for you!

So what is it about the Jeans culture that has managed to not just survive but blatantly, against all odds, remain the most haute couture item in everyone's wardrobe? Evolution, my dear Watson! Think about it. It makes perfect sense. In order to survive, something must adapt to its ever-changing environment. This principle applies to all things, alive and non-living. Without adaptation comes extinction. It is essential to evolve. Jeans have done exactly that. In the constantly changing world of fashion and popular culture, jeans have been adjusted every step of the way to suit their new environment. In this case, the environment involves trends, attitudes and looks. With every decade and every new generation, jeans have been adapted in order to ensure their continued popularity.

Initially worn by workers, Jeans, have managed to sustain life for a century or so. Now, with my and every die hard fanatic's wish, may they continue to do so forever and ever!

India... ???

-India is where sweet Lassi and tangy MangoChutney go hand in hand and somehow where famine is the norm every summer.
-India is the land of Monsoons where rains clog up the most metropolitan of our cities.
-India is where Rituals and Traditions throng the markets - From New Year to Diwali, its all about the money, honey!
-India is where the Government employs the world's largest railway system under a single management.
-India is where we have a fine of 50 bucks for riding atop the Delhi Metro.
I am certain quite a few may have tried it.
-India is where every teeny weeny kid recites the anthem whereas only a handful understand the highly Sankritised Bengali.
-India is where there is a Paradise on Earth, only Pakistan seems to think otherwise.
-India is where the public signs up protesting against rape atrocities in the Congo War, while our very own females (age no bar) have no voice.
-India is where we have 1% of the world's road vehicles and 6 % of the world's road accident deaths.
-India is where we have a population of One Billion and counting with about 40% of them below the poverty line.
-India is where the average age of people losing their virginity is eighteen years.
-India is where the highest number of HIV infections are found.
-India is where the 500,000 female infants were chosen to be killed before they arrived in his world.
-India is where everyone points out the problems in our system... but never the solutions.

---Girls and Maths---

Akshay- "Mummy! I got a 90 in Maths!"
Akshita- "Guess what? I got a 100!"
Akshay- "That is not possible! You are a girl!"

Sounds familiar?
Maybe, you have remarked something on those lines, yourself.
"A girl scoring better than a boy in Mathematics?"
*Rolling of eyes*
"Really not!"

Welcome to the 21st Century, where, if a female somehow manages to outwit a male in academics it is considered nothing short of outrageous... and if the subject concerned is Mathematics, blasphemous!

Are girls really that pathetic when it comes to Numbers ?
Actually, it has been proved that middle school and high school girls have positive attitudes toward school but negative attitudes toward mathematics.
But why is this so?
Its all about attitude!
Parents' attitudes, parents' and teachers' attitudes, expectations, and actions with regard to girls' performance in math affect - and have the potential to improve - girls' expectations, attitudes, and performance in math. Teachers' teaching style, such as their use of cooperative rather than competitive learning, also plays a pivotal role in girls' relationship with math.

Therefore, girls can do just as well at math as boys -- even at the genius level -- if they are given the same opportunities and encouragement. Hence, culture, not biology, might explain why females in some parts of the world don't perform as well as males in math. We conclude that gender inequality, not lack of innate ability or 'intrinsic aptitude', is the primary reason fewer females than males are identified as excelling in mathematics performance in most countries,

-Generalization is a sin. Which we happily continue to excel in.

Green Careers

Do you happen to be a helpless greenomantic at heart?
Or are you the kind whose biggest contribution towards the environment is chanting "Keep my Delhi Green and Clean" while throwing that teeny bubble gum wrapper in the overloaded bin and ignoring the rubbish strewn all around?
Or maybe the sort who actually wants to do something spectacular but just does not know where to get started?
Well, then, maybe I have got some news for you.
Its time for you to quit being oh-so-brilliantly clueless.
Join the Green Brigade!

There are truckloads of Green jobs out there waiting for you to explore. You can either be a Wildlife Filmmaker or an ardent Environmental Lawyer. Maybe an Organic Farmer or an Environmental Journalist.
Take your pick!

Already heard of these but looking for something to do with your hobbies?
If you love cooking why not try out your hand at being a Green Chef? You get to transform your restaurants or hotels into showplaces for environmental sustainability. You solar power your eating joints, use ‘reusable’ delivery boxes and avoid chemical cleaning products. In addition, you get to cook food using locally available ingredients, organic items and/or non-threatened species.

Have bagfuls of passion and fierce interest in wildlife?
Try your hand at becoming a true 'Wildlifer'.
The options include being a wildlife biologist (who studies wildlife biology as a subject), wild doctor or vet, wild artist, and wild activist (who fights for the cause of protecting wildlife).

So you are a thinker and a voracious reader with a curious mind. You tend to be a bit stubborn and independent ideas attract you. Though a not a party animal, your reflective self still likes interacting with people of all kinds, then your Great Green Career could include becoming an Eco-Historian, an Academic, an Author, an Eco-Journalist and what not!

If you like creating objects out of waste, tinkering with gadgets at home and have a strong bend towards Mathematics, Geometry, Physics and Chemistry then maybe your calling is of an Eco-Engineer. If you happen to have a genuine concern for the way humans and their technologies have degraded the ecology drives and you to seek innovative solutions then an Earth Architect is what you should be.

By the way, just for your information, you do not necessarily need that Science degree to be a Green Worker. Nor do you have to be an Environment Fanatic to grow in this field. (Pun Intended!)
So go ahead and let your actions match your passion!

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Bibliography

~Gobar Times~

I do Scream!

“I scream! You scream! We all scream for Ice Cream!”
~The World Wide Ice Cream Anthem

*Voltaire pitied the fact that it wasn’t illegal.
*Emerson trusted it to make conversations witty.
*Van Halen’s flavours were guaranteed to satisfy.

The talk is not of Pot but rather Cartons… Cartons of mouth watering , brain freezing scrumpilicously delicious supercalifragilisticexpialidocious IceCream!!!

Ever since Marco Polo “discovered” Ice Cream in China, be it the scorching summer of 1009 or the wasted winters of 2229 being an avid Ice Cream fan has never gone out of fashion!
Get fruity with Figs and Raisins, mad about Manhattan Mania, go bonkers over Banana Caramel, binge on Belgian Chocolate, mist over Minty ChocoChips…
*sighs*
And if you want to step away from the occidental and get outrageously oriental do try out Chiku, Kisar Pista, Anjeer-Badam, Litchee, Guava, Kala Jamun and Zaffran which is a mix of Pistachio, Saffron and Almonds!
Feeling adventurous?
Play around with Paan chocolate, Tulsi (Basil) chocolate and even Imli flavored chocolate.
Get zapped with Sandalwood flavoured Ice Cream which is unique as it plays more with your sense of smell than taste.

So you are already a fan of the trillion and counting Ice Cream Fan pages on the social networking sites and don’t have anything better to do?
Want to express your love by being a tad bit more creative?
Get a Job as an ice cream taster!
That has definitely got to be in vogue!
Imagine a mountain of sumptuous ice cream, sprinkled with cream and scattered with walnuts, honey, peanuts, and various fruits. Imagine carrying the first spoonful to your mouth... imagine the violent ecstasy. A whole opera of sensation rolling off your tongue…. A true soul stirring experience!
The best part, according to official real life Ice Cream Tasters, you get to eat all the divine ice cream you want with a glorious Gold spoon!
Top that one up! (Pun intended!)

Happy Yumming forever! =D

Truly Twilightish

First there were Tolkien and Lewis.
Then along came Rowling (after a looooooong while)
These writers who taught the world to read had one strand in common
-the genre of Fantasy Literature.
... and then Stephenie Meyer decided to write!

Meyer came forward with the most happening form of Literature ever seen - ChickLit!
Anyone who can dare argue against the apparent ChickLit factor of Twilight has to answer to the highly acclaimed critic, Ms. Zehra Kazmi's claim that if you take out the words "I froze","I cud smell his breath", "my heartbeat rose", "his gaze was intense","his touch was gentle and cold", "with icy fingers,he traced my collarbone/cheek/hair, "with his cold hand"... then only half the book would remain!
(Taken from her "YapYap with a Friend")

The book "Twilight", published in 2005, deals with the seventeen year old protagonist, Isabella Swan's never ending dilemma of How to date a Vampire?
(This work of art coming after my own umpteenth sincere effort to get over the charms of the "vegetarian vampire", Edward Cullen, may actually prove helpful if you somehow manage to land yourself in the town of Forks.)
Isabella, or Bella as she prefers to be known,has just moved from Phoenix to the rainy town of Forks where her stocks seem to have risen through the roof. She tries very hard to understand the wit-scrambling gorgeous hotties on the prowl at her new school. Her endeavours may vary from running bang in the middle of an oncoming truck (and hoping that a Cullen is nearby)or trying to date a Vampire on a non-liquid diet.
(Btw, when a Vampire says that she is on a strict liquid-diet, it would be saner to run a few baker's dozens kilometers in the opposite direction rather than commenting "Ooooo! What a coincidence? Same Pinch!"
... you might just save your family a bloodless-body funeral.)

The character of Edward can be said to be based on a Darcy-meets-Rochester imagination. Edward in the keeping with the Aristotlean tragedy is of a noble upbringing and tries very hard to keep his tragic flaw (of being a Monster) in check. Edward is constantly trying to warn Bella to stay away from him... not that he seems to take heed of it himself. He somehow manages to save Bella's life several times even leaving her with a crescent shaped scar near the end of the novel.

The book stars the impossibly pale looking brood of yum vampires lead by the charismatic Dr. Carlisle Cullen who loves playing Baseball. And in what is arguably the film's most dramatic moment, vampire heartthrob Edward takes Bella to play baseball with his family, only to draw the attention of some visiting vamps who challenge the coven to a game, realize Bella's a human, attempt to take a bite out of what they believe to be an after-game snack and kick off the film's violent climax. Not that being saved by a vampire who completely adores you though lusts for your blood is a thing to be missed - not even in a hundred years!

P.S.- You don't see any mention of Jacob Black because I do not like him. Period.