Steve Jobs- Whatever I say would be cliche today

A sad epiphany is in reality nothing but a late realization. A comprehension that dawns, like a slowly awakening morn, makes you realize that the sky is a gorgeous shade of orange-blue or that you really miss the splendor of last night’s brilliant moon.

This was the emoticon that jarred me awake to the passing of Steve Jobs (February 24, 1955 – October 5, 2011). It highlighted the epiphany; they are but comets, these entities who relay through life, these entities who burst chest first through the finish line. We do not remember their individual accomplishments. We remember them as a whole, as the person who blazed through life, and that special being who tore that long mile apart.

Steve Jobs-The presence and image of Steve Jobs, as someone mentioned recently seemed acutely accessible attire-wise, not one with the CEO's of the world, not dressed to impress, Steve impressed without recourse to the 'Expensive Brand Tag Suited Profile'. There should be a line of clothes based off his attire that needs to be branded or unbranded as 'The Simple CEO'. A touch of clothing that includes him in the 99 percent, measures him well up against the obscene cheques of well clad adventurists, who we protest against in the Wall Streets of the world. He was a man who motivated innovation, courted tenacity and professed a deep love for the company and it’s products. Everything is about money these days I am sure it might have been the case with Steve he was a businessman after all but for him it was so much more than that. He churned out product that his company represented. Built up worldwide an image of a half bitten fruit, turned the click wheels of improvement on what was already created.  The master marketeer,  he charmed his audience a group that had no demographics, no race, no gender into a world market gave it a definition and then set about to conquer. This was a quote on work by the man himself. "Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."– Stanford commencement speech 2005

Now plain idol worship is always biased you tend to be caught between your imagination of a perfect world homage; but this image this homage is different from what the customer, the person on the street, the employee, the shareholder may maintain of the same person. I do not know if all things aside the article below holds weight but like I say every penny has two sides even if it's a lost one. Read and make your own judgement.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/davidcoursey/2011/10/12/steve-jobs-was-a-jerk-you-shouldnt-be/?feed=rss_home

On the flip side below is the unofficial website of a fan that lists Steve's biography, it is a well-researched website, and if I attempted to replicate this information it would be a waste of time, an unnecessary duplication which I do not believe in.

Thank you Steve for bringing the music, the movies, the books, applications, information and innovation a byte closer to us.

You will be missed.

Ides of March

The Ides of March  is a wonderful political movie. I am not a political layman, only a layman aware of the web politico that is spun intricately over our lives. A web that intersperses myriad political decisions with hydro generation, taxes to be levied,  transit rides and ETR's, jobs to be created, marriages  registered or annulled. This movie makes you realise that even though politics is such a dirty game, in eventuality it leaves us the normal layman either better or worse off. We may shout and scream, watch in quiet acceptance, live and die, or blame family, religion, schooling. society, education, marriage and even death. The truth is in some way or form it sands us down coarse and blatant rather than subtle, policies and decisions affect us poorly or richly.

All these scrapbook aspects of life are afflicted by distinct political manoeuvres for lobbies, for votes, for presidency even.

Ides of March. I looked this up on Wikipedia 'is the name of the 15th of March in the Roman Calendar, probably referring to the day of the full moon. The word Ides comes from the Latin word "Idus" and means "half division" especially in relation to a month.

In modern times, the term Ides of March is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was killed in 44 B.C. Julius Caesar was stabbed (23 times) to death in the Roman Senate by a group of conspirators led by Marcus Junius Brutus and Gaius Cassius Longinus. The group included 60 other co-conspirators according to Plutarch.'

The Movie an ointment of talent, lists all my favourites as vital ingredients George Clooney, Ryan Gosling. Paul Giamatti, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Evan Rachel Wood and Marisa Tomei.

George Clooney plays Mike Morris an idealistic candidate vying for the Democratic primary in a presidential election. This tidbit is based only on my poor dewdrop thin knowledge of politics. It is inversely proportionate to how I interpret the varied political terms that are  knitted together in the movie. Mike Morris is backed by two campaign advisers Ryan Gosling plays Stephen Myers the newer kid on the block with the brains in place to define a campaign path and a subtle moral boost for the Governor. He is an aid to the Senior Adviser Paul Zara played brilliantly by the ever so versatile Philip Seymour Hoffman. The movie locks and unlocks many cupboards, the proverbial skeletons keep tumbling out revealing only stab wounds deep within bent back-bones. The sleazy side of party politics is displayed in a very much behind the scenes, fencing between Paul Zara (Philip Seymour Hoffman) and Tom Duffy the opposing side's campaign manager (played by another favorite Paul Giamatti). George Clooney plays the candidate, who backs an ethically and morally strong campaign leadership, fighting for what he believes in but with secrets that could unravel, and upchuck his leadership. Stephen has already made a political boo-boo, he has me with Tom Duffy. This leads to a lot of internal and external political cat and mouse encounters.We do not come to realise who the cat is, or who the mouse, till the end game and we wonder if the mouse hole will only get bigger. A big black hole that will swallow constituencies whole. We watch as human delusions of ethics and morality are de-based in the sleazy world of party politics. We watch as a house of cards keeps getting knocked down and built, on a brand new set of moral codes re-defined for that particular  moment of political one man-ship.

We watch Stephen's character morph into a political butterfly or me thinks a moth drawn toward a bleak politically lit career. We watch as he flutters at a light constantly, poises in the moment that captures him brilliantly, yet shadows all those who flutter around his phoenix flight. We are left to impress whether everything is real or an illusion of the self.

George Clooney directed, co-produced and co-wrote the screenplay (the movie is based off the play Farragut North by Beau Willimon) and this being his fourth directorial attempt (after Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, Good Night, and Good Luck and Leatherheads). This reminds me of the brilliant movie so amazing in it's subtlety and the rich definition of it characters which was Good Night, and Good Luck.

This is my synopsis, draw a conclusion on your own, but it is definitely a movie worth the time, if only for the glorious casting and the marvellous direction.

When the going gets tough, the elders get together

I notice that as we of the coolly labeled Generation X, complain about bills, bones  budget deficits both domestic and international, balding scalps and bulging waistlines  a group of charismatic elders (I discovered them during my many online travels) work together to blend  an organization into a powerful mix. This organization offers 'their collective influence and experience to support peace building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity'. They work on issues as diverse and globally sprinkled as the Middle East Peace situation, Child Marriage, Cote d'Ivoire, resolution on the conflict between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots, Inter-Korean relations and peace in Sudan and Zimbabwe.

Stoic, calm and compassionate this organization helps bring peace, resolution and positive change to the world. At a time when the Zoomers are slowly losing strength these Elders seem to be acquiring the power of renewed muscle and determination. Hats off to you fine Ladies and Gentlemen.

Please review the list below which contains the names of all the Elders of the group. You  may or may not recognize these names, I would still suggest that you click on the link at the bottom of the list and review the website. 

You may choose to follow or be informed on the accomplishments of the organizations and it's initiatives therein.

The Elders are:

Martti Ahtisaari  

Kofi Annan

Ela Bhatt

Lakhdar Brahimi

Gro Brundtland

Fernando H Cardoso

Desmond Tutu

Jimmy Carter

Graça Machel
Honorary Elders

Aung San Suu Kyi

Nelson Mandela

http://theelders.org/home

You may or may not be a long way away from a time where you would need to be worried about balding and bulging, but we all in time will get there, at some point of time we will reach that point where all our ailing issues will need to be addressed. And I hope that when we do reach that stage we stand and  choose as the Elders have, rather than come unraveled on pant sizes and hair loss both of which are serious afflictions.
I hope we will take a stand and make the world a better place for the immediate present and the future. But for now we could support the Elders cause or at the least be aware of an organization that works for good. We so often hear of the misrepresentation of such organizations, there are numerous examples of charity organizations which preach a world of change and empowerment of the weak but end up lining their own fat wallets and padding their bank accounts. These may well be the proverbial 'wolf in lamb's clothing'. Bonus Cheques and Expenses does not the man or woman make much less an Elder.

 

Mary Robinson

First online poem publication this rocks.

My only claim to fame. Today I am humbled by the fact that there are dedicated and kind persons who do not think Creativity needs to be boxed in or reduced by the ever shrinking lines of snobbery and exclusivity . I know that I can write maybe only moderately well and I will continue to do so as long as this finger can tap out words. But before I ramble on and on I must thank World Poetry for giving me maybe the only opportunity I may have to see my work on-line. It is an exquisite feeling World Poetry Featured Poet from Canada.... thrilling. Catch it today 01.10.2011 before it makes way for the next featured poet. Running on a browser near you but only for a Limited Performance. Love to all especially those who have visited, read and commented or not.

You rule.

But here I go again

http://worldpoetry.ca/?m=201110