Unchange the Change

One big buzz in the US right now is the upcoming elections.

The question that rules this election is who can turn tables around in this mess created by the Bush administration.
Answer: Who knows!

Logically, it makes sense to trust a Harvard Law School pass-out (read: Barack Obama) to deal with a messy economy. But what can turn things around is not only education but also sense and sensibility. McCain addresses his audience and says he would bring their taxes down, but take a look at the other end of the podium and you will find a room full of rich folks – he is not lying, he does plan to bring their taxes down. Obama wants regulation to handle the infamous economics of the Wall Street. Does that mean he would support bail-outs? Neither seems to have a well-laid plan to turn the swamp around into a pretty lake.

McCain made the biggest political decision to turn the elections around by choosing Sarah Palin as his VP. When he got worried about his experience ticket, he brought in Sarah Palin to target Hilary’s followers and move onto the Change boat! Is Sarah Palin McCain’s security blanket? Distracting the crowds from the main issues seems to be working. This does not imply that I do not trust Palin’s jurisdiction. She has done some incredible work in her town, and that is worth a mention. Getting her into the scene was one of the smartest political moves on behalf of the Republican campaign. She is a complete scene of good work, controversies, personal issues, stage presence, articulation, and what more, she’s from the gender that matters in this election! She may not have been the most obvious choice for McCain’s VP, but may just be his ticket to the White House and in the run, she may do a decent job of her position as VP. Experience does not guarantee quality;did the Bush administration do any better after their experience in the White House for 4 years? However, her ignorance of international affairs and the proximity of her home to Russia need a lot of work. (BTW, I learned yesterday that her claimed trip to Ireland was in fact a refueling stop.) But with her “being a heartbeat” away from the Presidential post, can she run the United States of America if need arises? Can she deal with Russia with neighborly love?

Obama’s choice of Joe Biden meanwhile, seems to be based on comfort level and making up for his negatives. He chose to do the right thing but missed “the sensation boat” by not choosing Hilary Clinton. That combo could have changed it all. Sarah Palin may not have got her stardom and McCain may have picked someone more experienced, like another Joe Biden to highlight his “experience” even more.

The voters hear more about the campaign mudslinging, rather than the real causes.
Are they helping the people decide on the right vote or pushing them towards the wrong vote?

Pitter-patter Seattle

A couple of weeks back, we went to Seattle for a small break. It was beautiful and it reminded me of some mountain getaways back in India, where you would find whole townships built around lakes. The greenery, the rain forests and water all over – it was very nice. The first two days made me wonder why we were not staying there, and the last day made me realize why. It poured cats and dogs, and the heavens cried! Before this trip, I had been cribbing often about the lack of rains in San Diego and missing rainy days which made me curl my feet up on the couch with a good book and some good tea. But I saw enough rain to wash my cribbing away. Traffic was stuck everywhere and we couldn’t do much. We stepped out in the rain and I enjoyed getting wet. I was so glad that we were sitting in a rental car after that, and not in one of our own 😀 (I know, I know…)

We went to Olympic National Park one day, but couldn’t make it to Hoh Rain Forest for lack of time, but went to Hurricane Ridge and hiked near Marymere Falls. I was kicked about being on a ferry with our car on it et al. We really wanted to go to San Juan Islands, but realized that they have started spot checks for immigration papers, and we were not carrying ours at that time. The prettiest of all however, was Mt Rainier. With meadows and a snow-clad mountain, though it was raining and the hike was steep, it was worth it all. It was one of the most beautiful hikes I have done.

Also deer are plenty in Seattle, we saw so many all over the place. If Califor>nia is the bear country (we don’t see any though!), Seattle surely bags the deer!

All in all, Seattle was great…a pretty place to visit. I probably would not want to live there, coz of the rains. I already have a tough time waking up, and with a gray sky outside, I would be cozy in bed till 10 every morning!

We will probably stop by another time and visit San Juan Islands, and club it with a trip to Canada. Till then, this is what I will remember Seattle with…

Sweet wine

Last week, we went for a hike up Mt Woodson here in San Diego. Don’t bother looking, because it will not be anywhere close to the most mentioned hikes. As luck would have it, it was the hottest day of the long weekend. Hiking up felt awful in the beginning, but it got more comfortable as time went by – mind it, I said “more comfortable”, not “more scenic”. It was rocky and hot all the way through. What really kept us moving was to finish what we started, and knowing that this was no big feat. After finishing the Half Dome in Yosemite, I cannot think of giving up on any other hike.

Anyway, I decided not to let the weather be the ruling factor in my perception of the hike.

After reaching the top we saw how beautiful it could have been. We saw black, burnt down trees – so black and so stark that they almost looked like pieces of art. On an earlier day, much before the fires blackened San Diego, we had hiked up another local mountain called Iron Mountain, and it was such a beautiful and foggy day, that it was a hike to remember. Ironically, the hike up either mountain was not too different, but the differences created by wildfires were striking. Man and his needs have threatened nature in more ways than he realizes. Fortunately enough, the area was silently trying to recuperate from the disaster. Darwin’s concept of “Survival of the fittest” hits us time and again in life.

Another day, it is going to be a beautiful hike…till then, we need to use some filters for our cameras as well as eyes. And like all bad things in life, looking at the situation with a different perspective just makes the wine taste sweet…

How big or small are we?

Today, our fire alarm went off after dinner, and we reluctantly stepped outside. This has been happening every few weeks, and happens multiple times on the same night till fire engines arrive. Every time, it’s a false alarm. It is very uncomfortable being forced to leave your home when you don’t want to – whether it is for a false fire alarm, or for a wild fire creeping stealthily into other homes. Last year, we were evacuated from our home because of crazy wild fires all over San Diego. It was like the fire was creeping in on us from all sides. And even when friends are nice and hospitable, being forced out of one’s own home is very unsettling. We just needed a reason to get back home to pick something or the other. People said that we should treat it as a vacation from work, but it is really a vacation if you choose it.

Cribbing about the faulty fire alarm today reminded me of last year and what made that seem petty was the fact that at this very moment, millions of people have been displaced from their homes because of the hurricane season around New Orleans. They have been moved to shelters, knowing that when they get back a lot of their memories may have been washed away from existence, and when their kids grow up, they would need to tell them about things they otherwise could have seen – family pictures coming down generations, the box of a baby’s first things, recordings of get-togethers, and so many more. And surprisingly, something made even this seem petty. The fact that millions of people back home in Bihar have not even been evacuated or rescued. They are waiting for dear life, standing on their roofs, because their whole home has got drowned in water. They are standing there, not knowing which kid to keep an eye on, and whom to save in the family – an old parent or a young kid. Does life really have to bring men and women to such choices? These are choices we talk about hypothetically, and here, there are people who live these very choices. There are no bad answers in this case, as is in most choices in life. But don’t all our problems seem minor before this question? Where does all the education and knowledge help, when the most difficult choice is made by an uneducated man. Then, is education really worth the hype. Is knowledge all that prophets propagate? Because if he who wrote sayings that mark the wise, ever went through the trauma of that poor family, he would not have words to share. Penance and sacrifice are difficult, but a choice. Fate is not a choice.

And yet we smile when see the sun rise and go places to see the beauty in a sunset, because as a species, we humans are resilient.

The trodden path is known to all,
We will tread there if that’s where we belong.