Why Black?

    When did black become so fashionable?  It seems everywhere I go, people say I should buy a black shirt or sneakers.  Black actually looks very depressing and reminds me of funerals.  Everyone wants that gothic look these days it seems.  There seems to be so many colors to choose from but everyone says I should buy a black this or that.  20 years ago I don’t think they even had black sneakers.  Who is making up all these rules?  

      Imagine painting your room black! I’ve seen it done and and believe me does it look depressing!  Maybe it is politically correct to like black but I don’t see the point in it.  The worst thing is a salesperson telling me I should like black.  People should mind their own business.  Maybe they get extra commision for selling more black things.  I have black clothes and wear them but not all the time and living in a black room is a litte too much. 

Where has the music gone?

   Why does everything sound like rap nowadays and all those songs in the new cafes sound like the same rythym and blues tune that seems to be played everywhere?  Everydance looks like a break dance or a moonwalk and all the love songs don’t make you feel like loving anyone at all.  There must be one international song company that is distributing the same song to every store, cafe, and fast food restaurant on the planet.  It all sounds very dull and uninteresting and makes my coffee taste worse.   I wish they would just shut up and let me drink my capucinno in peace.  I bet a lot people feel that way but in our politically correct world as we have evolved to, people are too shy to say anything they feel. 

    It seems like we’ve gotten to our politically correct world very quickly.  It seems just like yesterday when it was not so correct but the music was a whole lot better!

Traffic

Why have we become slaves to traffic?  It is unfortunate that the human condition has gotten to a point where so many hours of our existence is spent in this worthless activity.  The worse part is we make it worse every year.  A perfect example is a city like Bangalore, India where mindless motorcyclists and autorickshaw drivers play bumber cars on the road.  Most westerners probably laugh at such a scene as ovecrowded buses jostle with bicycle riders.  A new airport was supposed to lessen the traffic and pollution but that does not seem to be the case.  Why is everyone building a new airport nowadays or fighting over one as in the UK?   Traffic and pollution seem to go hand in hand and have become major issues as burgeoning metropolisis try to figure out how to cope with these problems.

     It all seems to be a waste of time and some nobel recipient should have already figured something out by now.  Traffic also seems to make people very hostile.  A typical Bangalore traffic jam looks like a chariot fight in an epic movie.  Even my own autorickshaw driver got into a quarrel and became very rude and refused to go further.  Is this really evolution?  

    What are we evolving to anyway? Are we really from apes and should we act like them in traffic jams?  Does the expression we are all animals and come from apes mean we should behave like them?  In our “international village” , should an alligator marry a chimpanzee?  People are coming up with some strange ways of thinking and behaviour and it’s better we stick to the basics.  Order in the court I say!  

Globalization and Architecture

     Globalization of business through the proliferation of the technology has truly broken down barriers and has changed the world’s playing field.  The emergence of fast food culture, malls, and supermarkets is especially seen in Asia in countries like India where the architectural, social, and religious landscapes are changing faster than the blink of an eye.  The growing trend of imported architecture and culture in many indian cities has created an almost bizarre urban landscape of trademark retail stores and multinational office buildings alongside traditional temples, restaurants, and local customs.  In some highly westernized areas, one almost feels as if indians are not allowed there since it is for the international elite.  Are countries like India being sold again to an invisible international force that is creating its own image and stamp on everywhere it goes?  How are older and more traditional inhabitants coping in this new landscape?

      The real question is what is the meaning of country, nationality, and ethnicity in this new multinational, technological landscape?  Is the world trying to merge into one, unidentifiable, meaningless mass of data and culture based on one ideological norm?  What is wrong with diversity and freedom of choice?  Today more than ever, the pressure is being directed towards this borderless virtual plane that defies traditional notions of family, language, and identity.  Everything is up for sale and including our souls as corruption enables anything to be bought in developing countries.  

  As it is often misstated, imperialism was never destroyed by wars and independence is another word for codependence.  We are all just addicts to the money relying hearts whose minds are infected and even triple bypass surgery can’t save.   

Reverse Psychology

     Reverse psychology is often used by one group to negatively influence and stereotype another group.  It can be used by a person or group in a more powerful or superior position to change the opinion or motivations of the lesser person or group.  In previous historical times for example, figures in paintings were more heavy  and voluptuous whereas the recent trend is to promote negative attitudes about weight, thereby accepting a more lean and slender figure in models.  How many times have we seen weight loss programs or been asked to buy weight loss reducing products.  The negativity and reversal of a more full bodied look is used to promote and accept a more anorexic look which has not always been the norm in art and culture. 

Music and Poetry

    Writing music and songs is a way to liberate the soul in hopes that others will listen to your meaning and opinions.  Some people might agree and some won’t but like poetry, people derive their own interpretation.  Why does every song, poem, or opinion have to be something that everybody agrees upon or is considered good?  Is not artistic freedom the ability to express all concerns and fears that people or institutions should not have control over? 

Photgraphy and Art

     By photographing things, people, and places in our lives in a more artful way, we can see their beauty which we often take for granted and disregard. 

Globalization of Health

     Smoking laws are enforced and followed in western developed countries but minimally exist in developing countries such as India.  Many restauraunts, public places, and even workplaces in India allow smoking which can lead to various types of of respiratory problems such as COPD to the smoker, as well to others due to second hand smoke.  We have witnessed globalization in developing countries such the growth of MNCs and fast food restaurants but not the laws that protect people as they do in developed countries.  Health and environmental damages can be seen in many developing countries such as India since once again as in imperialistic times, people and the evironment are being exploited for profits and real improvements are not occuring.