Metaphor and Metonymy - Gilles Fauconnier

Eric Hobsbawm on Gramsci's Marxism

For other Parts click below:-

Eric Hobsbawm Part 2 to 7

D.D. Kosambi :- Exasperating Essays

Prof. Kosambi's public persona had quite a few major strands: pioneering Marxist interpreter of ancient Indian history — linking together his formidable expertise in numismatics, archeology, linguistics etc. apart from of course history and dialeectical materialism; (socially-conscious) mathematician-scientist; anti-nuke peace activist; social-political commentator. The last two, and the last one in particular, remains overshadowed by the first two — the first one in particular. This slim book, a collection of essays, is a brilliant exposition of the last dimension. Sukla Sen for MIA, 2009

To read more click here

Revolution in India :- Mohit Sen

[caption id="attachment_100" align="aligncenter" width="370" caption="Revolution in India"][/caption]

The e-book of Revolution in India by Mohit Sen is now available online .

To preview or download it click the link below :-

Revolution in India :- Path and Problems

Via Mohit Sen Blog

The Murder of Theo Van Gogh

[caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="247" caption="Great Grandson of Vincent Van Gogh:- Theo Van Gogh"][/caption]

Theo Van Gogh, 47, the great grandson of art dealer Theo Van Gogh and great grandnephew of the famed Dutch painter Vincent Van Gogh, led an extraordinary life much like his predecessors. Theo was an out-spoken and prominent Dutch film director, author, journalist, actor, producer and an advocate of free speech who used the media as an open forum to broadcast his controversial views on religion, politics and social mores and values.

However, his critical views and brusque approach also made him unpopular among a lot of people.Anger against Van Gogh reached its pinnacle on August 29, 2004 with the airing of the television film Submission on Dutch television, which was the creation of Van Gogh and controversial Dutch politician Ayaan Hirsi Ali.

Not long after the release of Submission, Theo began to receive death threats. Concerned for his welfare, his colleagues urged him to hire a bodyguard for protection a suggestion which Theo initially entertained. Yet, eventually he brushed it off because he didn't believe anyone would want to target him.

Fitna :- Geert Wilders

Fitnais a 2008 short film by Dutch parliamentarian Geert Wilders.the film shows selected excerpts from Suras of the Qur'an, interspersed with media clips and newspaper clippings showing or describing acts of violence and/or hatred by Muslims. The film wishes to demonstrate that the Qur'an motivates its followers to hate all who violate the Islamic teachings.

The video available on Youtube is a distorted one. Fitna has been pulled from the main site, http://www.fitnathemovie.com. It has also been pulled from LiveLeak on account of threats against the staff.

Now the actual movie is available on 1389 Blog . Just roll down a little bit and you will reach there.

Consciousness & Water

Writer, researcher and philosopher Stephan A. Schwartz discussed his latest work showing how consciousness affects the structure of water. He also spoke about non-local awareness and ESP-type abilities. Art brought up the case of Natasha Demkina, the so-called 'Girl with X-Ray Eyes,' who it was reported could see inside human bodies. Schwartz characterized this as a remote-viewing type of skill. Such abilities are typically suppressed as people grow up, yet in one test of CEOs, those who scored above chance in psi-tests, tended to have the most profitable companies, he noted.
Water has the ability to be altered by conscious attention, said Schwartz. He reported that Dean Radin had recently replicated Masaru Emoto's groundbreaking research, demonstrating that the shape of water crystals can be affected by thoughts and music. (Radin will be among a number of presenters sharing their findings at Schwartz's upcoming conference, The Secret World of Water in Virginia Beach on Nov. 2 -5.) Water was tested in an experiment involving 14 healers and patients and showed changes in its

hydrogen bonds that were not present in the control group (water not exposed to the healing thoughts), Schwartz detailed. His research indicates that the consciousness of all living things from humans to plants is connected.

Chinghez Aitmatov :- Peibald Dog and Other Works

Here is something about the Peibald Dog :-

Peibald dog running along bthe shore is a beautiful story having profound philosophical meanings in its womb.It is the only story by the great Kirghizian writer chinghiz Aitmatov ( the authour of Zamila,the best love story in the world )situated outside Kirghizia.The action takes place among the Nivkh people in the north east of Siberia.It is based on an actual events related by the first Nivkh writer ,Vladimir Sanghi.He was the friend of Chinghiz Aitmatov.When he was seven years old he went seal hunting into the open sea with three grown up men. They were caught in dense fog and lost their bearings.For two days they drifted and lost all hope of being saved."This is the end,"said his grandfather."We shall never reach land."And he told he other men to stop rowing.At that moment a large bird flew by and the people in the boat noted the direction in which it flew.They headed in the same direction and presently sighted land.When they went ashore they knelt,weeping for joy.Then they gathered dry branches,stared a camp-fire and warmed themselves.

Here's what Chinghez Aitmatov said:-

"I have used that episode in my story.But, as you see I have changed it completely.It was not my aim to tell a story about people getting lost at sea and then finding land.I was not writing an adventure story.I wanted to invite the reader to think about the moral laws of humanity, about conscience,duty,in short all that makes man human...........

"I am often asked why my stories tend to be on the  tragic side.My invariable reply is:it does not depend only on me.Man is inherently a tragic creature.as soon as he becomes aware of the life around him he learns that that he will sooner or later have to leave this life.In this lies his tragedy.All other creatures do not know that they are going to die.But man knows that every life must end and he knows how it ends.This is the root of the tragedy of which man is aware.This tragedy forever accompanies man.He loses his relatives and his friends,and death inexorably threatens him too.Life is always a mixture of joys and sorrows,gains and losses,successes and failures,against abackground of social problems"

I would like to thank Iraj Bashiri who prepared these major works by Chinghez Aitmatov .

Here are novels and stories by Aitmatov . Just click the links according to your needs.

Jamila
Farewell, Gyulsary!
To Have and to Lose
Piebald Dog Running Along the Shore

Naseeruddin Shah's Speech :- Khuda Ke Liye

Here is an interpretation of Islam in the right perspective.

Gayatri Spivak: The Trajectory of the Subaltern in My Work

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak is an Indian literary critic and theorist . She is best known for the article "Can the Subaltern  Speak?", considered a founding text of post colonialism, and for her translation of Jacques Derrida's of Grammatology.

Prometheus :- Goethe

Original German

Bedecke deinen Himmel, Zeus,
Mit Wolkendunst
Und übe, dem Knaben gleich,
Der Disteln köpft,
An Eichen dich und Bergeshöhn;
Mußt mir meine Erde
Doch lassen stehn
Und meine Hütte, die du nicht gebaut,
Und meinen Herd,
Um dessen Glut
Du mich beneidest.

Ich kenne nichts Ärmeres
Unter der Sonn als euch, Götter!
Ihr nähret kümmerlich
Von Opfersteuern
Und Gebetshauch
Eure Majestät
Und darbtet, wären
Nicht Kinder und Bettler
Hoffnungsvolle Toren.

Da ich ein Kind war,
Nicht wußte, wo aus noch ein,
Kehrt ich mein verirrtes Auge
Zur Sonne, als wenn drüber wär
Ein Ohr, zu hören meine Klage,
Ein Herz wie meins,
Sich des Bedrängten zu erbarmen.

Wer half mir
Wider der Titanen Übermut?
Wer rettete vom Tode mich,
Von Sklaverei?
Hast du nicht alles selbst vollendet,
Heilig glühend Herz?
Und glühtest jung und gut,
Betrogen, Rettungsdank
Dem Schlafenden da droben?

Ich dich ehren? Wofür?
Hast du die Schmerzen gelindert
Je des Beladenen?
Hast du die Tränen gestillet
Je des Geängsteten?
Hat nicht mich zum Manne geschmiedet
Die allmächtige Zeit
Und das ewige Schicksal,
Meine Herrn und deine?

Wähntest du etwa,
Ich sollte das Leben hassen,
In Wüsten fliehen,
Weil nicht alle
Blütenträume reiften?

Hier sitz ich, forme Menschen
Nach meinem Bilde,
Ein Geschlecht, das mir gleich sei,
Zu leiden, zu weinen,
Zu genießen und zu freuen sich,
Und dein nicht zu achten,
Wie ich!

English Translation

Shroud your heaven, Zeus,
With cloudy vapours,
And do as you will, like the boy
That knocks the heads off thistles,
With oak-trees and mountain-tops;
Now you must leave alone
My Earth for Me,
And my hut, which you did not build,
And my hearth,
The glowing whereof
You envy me.

I know of nothing poorer
Under the sun, than you, you Gods!
Your majesty
Is barely nourished
By sacrificial offerings
And prayerful exhalations,
And should starve
Were children and beggars not
Fools full of Hope.

When I was a child,
And did not know the in or out,
I turned my wandering eyes toward
The sun, as if, beyond, there were
An ear to hear my lament,
A heart, like mine,
To be moved to pity for the afflicted.

Who helped me
Against the pride of the Titans?
Who delivered me from Death,
From Slavery?
Did you not accomplish it all yourself,
My holy, burning Heart?
And shone, young and good,
Deceived, your thanks for salvation
To the sleeping one above?

Should I honour you? Why?
Have you softened the sufferings,
Ever, of the burdened?
Have you stilled the tears,
Ever, of the anguished?
Was I not forged as a Man
By almighty Time
And eternal Fate,
My masters and thine?

Do you somehow imagine
That I should hate Life,
Flee to the desert,
Because not every
Flowering dream should bloom?

Here I sit, I form humans
After my own image;
A race, to be like me,
To sorrow, to weep,
To enjoy and delight itself,
And to heed you not at all –
Like Me!

Sonnet 116 - William Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of True Minds by Shakespeare.

Jalal ad-Dīn Muhammad Rumi - BY LOVE

از محبت تلخها شيرين شود
از محبت مسها زرين شود
از محبت دُردها صافى شود
از محبت دَردها شافى شود
از محبت مرده زنده ميكنند
از محبت شاه بنده ميكنند

By love, the bitter becomes sweet;
by love, copper becomes gold;
by love, dregs become clear;
by love, pains become healing;
by love the dead become living;
by love, the king becomes a slave.

az mohabbat talkh-hâ shirin shavad
az mohabbat mes-hâ zarrin shavad
az mohabbat dord-hâ sâfi shavad
az mohabbat dard-hâ shâfi shavad
az mohabbat mordeh zendeh mi konand
az mohabbat shâh bandeh mi konand

THE MASNAVI