Crazy = Genius?

Jim Henson, the genius who made the world a better, funnies 

place with the beloved Muppets, Sesame Street & Fraggle

Rock... where would millions of children be if someone had

told him that puppets were for losers? BTW, his drawings are 

also the inspiration behind the Awake Minds logo.  

Every proclaimed genius today, was once labelled a misfit, an agitator, an instigator, a rebel, a threat to society, a ne'er do well...

How we forget about the crazy ones.... The people whom we owe everything because they've shaped the very world we live in today.

John Maynard Keynes revolutionised economics by going against the bandwagon of classical economists.

Einstein, told everyone that Newton wasn't all that right... and later admitted he may not be either...

Gandhi, who changed the world with love.

Jose Antonio Abreu, who said there's a better way forward.

Steve Jobs, who proved that everything functional should be coupled with artisty. 

And what better way to remember and pay tribute to these revolutionaries, these Crazies, than to remember and once again re-live this brilliant campaign, run by Apple and titled "Think Different" in the late 90's...

They, and many others in the world, have proved that what society once regarded as sheer Craziness was indeed utter Genius! 

"They push the human race forward."

Here's to the crazy ones. 

The misfits. The rebels. The troublemakers. 

The round pegs in square holes. 

The ones who see things differently.

They're not fond of rules, and they have no respect for the status quo. 

You can quote them, disagree with them, glorify and vilify them. 

But the only thing you can't do is ignore them because they change things. 

They push the human race forward. 

And while some may see them as crazy, we see genius. 

Because the people who are crazy enough to think they can change the world...are the ones who do."

Note: Thanks to Ramesh for this link.

Brew & Thunder!

Look at it from the Other's perspective:


A little kid is walking home from school when a thunderous electric storm begins to brew. At home, his mother, concerned he would be struck by lightning or afraid to walk home, drives along the route he normally walks hoping to pick him up. She sees him from a distance and watches him from afar: Each time there was a flash of lightning, he would stop in his tracks, look up to the sky and smile. 

Concerned, the mother drives up to him, and called out, "What are you doing? Why do you keep stopping to smile?"

The child answered: "I'm trying to look nice. God keeps taking my picture."

New York Votes 'Yes' To Gay Marriage

New York, birthplace of the American Gay Rights Movement in the 60s, is now the 6th and largest state to legalise same-sex marriages.

But what's more significant is how the vote came about, in which Republicans broke ranks and voted with Democrats in a rare bi-partisan push, the sort that has hampered the Obama administration.

The 33-26 vote was credited to 4 Republicans who joined the majority of the state senate's Democrats to pass the bill. This NYT article wrote:

"But after days of contentious discussion capped by a marathon nine-hour closed-door debate on Friday, Republicans came to a fateful decision: The full Senate would be allowed to vote on the bill and each member would be left to vote according to his or her conscience."

The Hallmarks of a representative government when statesmen understand that they function to represent the wishes of their constituents. Voting along party lines undermines the essence of why we elect candidates to represent our wishes, the wishes of the people, at the National level. It is more telling that elected representatives to the state understood "according to his or her conscience" to mean "the conscience of my constituents", giving voice to the people's wishes.

Proof? Here's an apology by Sen. Grisanti who for years campaigned against same-sex marriage but switched camps late in the game:

"With his position still undeclared, Senator Mark J. Grisanti, a Republican from Buffalo who had sought office promising to oppose same-sex marriage, told his colleagues he had agonized for months before concluding he had been wrong.

“I apologize for those who feel offended,” Mr. Grisanti said, adding, “I cannot deny a person, a human being, a taxpayer, a worker, the people of my district and across this state, the State of New York, and those people who make this the great state that it is the same rights that I have with my wife.”

In a country where voting against party lines, even if it is "against one's conscience" is barred and those who do face suspension (even abstention from voting may bring about disciplinary party action), where will we evolve in our own maturity of what it takes to run a first class nation?

Then again, Mr. Grisanti's change of heart isn't all sugar-coated with sugar, spice, all things nice. It's a tactical manoeuvre that's helped build Republican connection with more liberal, youthful voters, and changing perceptions of people towards same-sex unions. Even Democrats could never pass a bill when they controlled the Senate, the move boosts Republican credibility and hints to the public of a more liberal element in its conservative lining. A nice touch. Cream on the cupcake. (Was that a pun there? Yes, I think it was...)

After all, elections are up soon... With Obama's dwindling support with an unlawful Libyan war, a fractious front of the GOP with no credible candidate against the presidency (dear God, haven't we had enough of Palin? Hasn't she had enough of herself?).... this move by Republicans can only bring them that much closer to narrowing the polls divide.

Sorrow

A swallow grieves for his partner in this
series of photographs which ran in a
French newspaper, outlining the bird's
cajoling with food, anger, then sadness,
then acceptance of her death.

It seems to be a recurring theme lately, for many on the path. Here's a reminder that sorrow is felt by all in Earth's care: birds, trees, mankind. But birds to fly again, and trees grow bigger, stronger after losing parts of itself... what then makes us an exception to sorrow? Nothing. Man, too, can rise.

"This pain is not to make you sad, remember. That's where people go on missing.... This pain is just to make you more alert--because people become alert only when the arrow goes deep into their heart and wounds them. Otherwise they don't become alert. 


When life is easy, comfortable, convenient, who cares? Who bothers to become alert? When a friend dies, there is a possibility. When your woman leaves you alone--those dark nights, you are lonely. You have loved that woman so much and you have staked all, and then suddenly one day she is gone. 


Crying in your loneliness, those are the occasions when, if you use them, you can become aware. The arrow is hurting: it can be used. The pain is not to make you miserable, the pain is to make you more aware! And when you are aware, misery disappears."

There is a story:


"Ananda, the cousin and disciple of Gautam Buddha was at Buddha's side constantly, attending to his every need for forty-two years. 


When Buddha died, the story is told that Ananda was still at his side, weeping. The other disciples chastised him for his misunderstanding: Buddha had died absolutely fulfilled; he should be rejoicing. 


But Ananda said, "You misunderstand. I'm weeping not for him but for myself, because for all these years I have been constantly at his side but I have still not attained." 


Ananda stayed awake for the whole night, meditating deeply and feeling his pain and sorrow. By the morning, it is said, he was enlightened. 


Times of great sorrow have the potential to be times of great transformation. But in order for transformation to happen we must go deep, to the very roots of our pain, and experience it as it is, without blame or self-pity."

Revolution Against Homework!!!

The New York Times featured this headliner:

New Recruit in Homework Revolt: The Principal

Click here to read: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/16/education/16homework.html

And about time too!

It's time we place more importance on how we are learning in schools than the hours we force kids to face a book - Quality not Quantity.

It's time we ADMIT that volume doesn't equal self-awareness - A-HA moments never happens to the brain-dead. They're called zombie's for a reason - they zoned out long time ago.

It's time to say we're sorry and just fix the problem - our kids may know the right answer in math, but trust me, 99% don't know the logic behind it. 

Favourite student quote "Coz teacher said so."

I've had lots of teachers who told me things. That a grape tree would grow out of my belly button if I ate the seed. That Kant is a misspelling of Can't. That differentiating a function is just 'like dat becoz it's just like dat'.

Clearly in such cases, it ain't so just coz teacher said so.

KIDS HAVE THE RIGHT TO ASK WHY. 

It's evidence a working brain. So here's Pink Floyd to remind everyone....

We don't need no education

We don't need no thought control

The dark sarcasm in the classroom

Teachers leave 'dem kids alone
Hey, teachers! Leave 'dem kids alone!

All in all you're just another brick in the wall.

Hide or Seek?

Every Warrior of the Light has felt afraid of going into battle.

Every Warrior of the Light has, at some time in the past, lied or betrayed someone.

Every Warrior of the Light has trodden a path that was not his.

Every Warrior of the Light has suffered for the most trivial of reasons.

Every Warrior of the Light has, at least once, believed he was not a Warrior of the Light.

Every Warrior of the Light has failed in his spiritual duties.

Every Warrior of the Light has said 'yes' when he wanted to say 'no.'

Every Warrior of the Light has hurt someone he loved.

That is why he is a Warrior of the Light, because he has been through all this and yet has never lost hope of being better than he is. ~ Paolo Coelho

adapted from google images

The book was placed on my hands in the most perfect timing, when i was in doubt.

I started to believe that a part of me might not be able to continue the fight, because other warriors were marching forward while I constantly glanced to the past, tied firmly by the chains of Fear.

Fear is an ugly monster. It rips you of your soul mercilessly. Along with it, other comrades of Fear manifests, Ego, Pride, Sin and Jealousy, all trying to gain the most sought after prize, me.

I opened the door to invite Success, Humility, Satisfaction and Happiness in without realising that i left the door open ajar. 

My mistake. Should not have assumed that I was strong enough to resist Fear, Ego, Pride, Sin & Jealousy.

Regrets should be learnt, but Ego and Pride got in the way. 

Mistakes should be rectified, but Fear and Sin was too tempting to turn away.

Jealousy burgeoned, becoming the catalyst to my downfall.  

At my most vulnerable state,my saviour in the form of fate through Paolo Coelho's manual, emerged into my life, opening a path which would free myself from the grasp of all this emotional baggage.  

I'm bouncing back, kicking out all my uninvited guests from my life. I'll tell them who owns the house and how I am in charge in the end of the day.

Yes, I might have failed but failure is temporary. Success and failure is impermanent. Success will only be permanent if enough effort is constantly channeled in, and failure will continue when effort becomes stagnant.

There's only two ways out of a problem. Either hide from it, or seek courage and solve it.

Whither The Music?

You know that time when you once felt inspired to do something with Life? That it wasn't about money or prestige or hanging around with people who spoke with a champagne glass in one hand and their thumb up another?

Yeah, I remember those days too.

In fact, everyone has had those days. The days that they remember about what they forgot.

It's a little thing I like to term the Music. You don't really need to have drums and a voice singing in your head, or the radio on. It's more like a Feeling of something. Like your spirit dancing, like you were One with whatever forces there are in this great big Universe. It's you being carried by the waves... and you're just in your groove, busting a move without moving an inch.

It's Moving beyond Moving. That's what I call the Music.

Once in awhile, we lose it. Where did it go?

Sometimes, someone stole it from you. The guy who's spouting rhetoric and shoving it down your throat, telling you to grow up and that the world's ugly. Or the person who took that great idea you were working on and said it was theirs. Thud! Goes the Music.

Sometimes, you allow people to steal it from you. Watching your Mom counting her pennies to pay the next bill, telling you that you can't have what you want, not in this lifetime, so grow up. Thud! Goes the Music. 

Other time, we lose it ourselves. We tell that face that looks back in the mirror that it's 'Gotta grow up and be an adult. I like being an adult, I like power, I like telling people what to do, I like seeming like I know stuff and use terms like 'been there, done that', even though I really haven't. I wanna be an adult.' Thud! Goes the Music.

Well, today I heard a 60-year old chef who at the cutting-edge of molecular gastronomy foods the art of using chemistry to create funky, out-of-this-world dishes), who looked like he was 40 and laughed like he was 12, say:

"To be a great chef, you've got to have a good imagination - like a kid! Most important is to be happy and play. Every day, every texture, everything is new... we re-imagine the world, then we create the plate!" You see, he's never been there, or done that... even though he probably has. Now that's a mental trip.

Just like that.

Every day, if we could re-imagine our world, and then create a new plate each day. A new plate today, another one tomorrow... after 10 years... Voila! Those stacks of new plates add to up to a pretty great Life!

And the bills... well, they sorta took care of themselves. Don't know what happened to them, but they sure didn't make it for seconds.

So where did the Music go? Nowhere.

We just forgot to Listen.

If Johnny Depp can reinvent a pirate, I'm sure lesser miracles can happen. Arrrrrrrr! (Jack Sparrow style)



P.S: This post is specially dedicated to two lovely souls who said they stalked this site to have their minds awakened. I'm sorry for the absence. Lets rock 'n roll! *guitars shredding*