Rian Nejar's Blog, page 9
June 12, 2016
Father’s Day Gift
‘Humbling and Humility’ (HnH), a multicultural narrative of betrayal, empathy, and a father’s love, is on a Kindle Countdown sale June 12th through Father’s Day, June 19th, 2016.
BLURB: “Humbling and Humility” is an intense, detailed narrative of an Indian-American father and husband’s struggle with betrayal by his spouse and its consequences upon himself and his children. Including a critical view of state intervention, into domestic discord in families in America, the narrative explores this father’s attempts to mitigate harm and accommodate disruptive life changes in non-violent ways, both in his family and in other families in similar predicaments. In raw and honest discussions, with no pretense of holding back, the author delves into culture and gender differences and the many challenges immigrants face in America.
HnH has been curated by the LibraryJournal for distribution of self-published ebooks in the State of Arizona in 2015.
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May 27, 2016
Humans and Animals: A Differences Debate
A good friend and philosopher chatted me up some time ago. He was working on a theory of an essential difference between humans and animals. I don’t know if I helped him! You be the judge. Here it is:
Feb 5
On Feb 5, LP said the following:
Hi RN, I hope things have been going well for you in the Valley. I’ve been doing some work and have a question for you. In your opinion, what is the greatest difference between animals and men? Thanks for your ideas, Larry
8:13 PM
Feb 6
On Feb 6, RN said the following:
Hi Larry, good to hear from you! For a continuum thinker (if there is such a term), there is little difference between any biological being: plants or animals, we are of the same matter, organized similarly, and function in ways that are very similar too. There are differences, of course: humans stand ‘erect’ (Kangaroos do too), use their other two limbs most ingeniously (opposable thumbs), and have an ‘expanded’ mind (much larger pre-frontal cortex, and brain to body mass ratio). The ‘greatest’ difference…I’d have to say our growing minds, both good, and bad…but this could depend upon perspective (who asks, who answers, etc.). best, -rn
9:10 AM
On Feb 6, LP said the following:
LP: Thanks for getting back so soon. Are you familiar with Jacques Lacan, Slavoj Žižek and the Big Other argument?
10:37 AM
On Feb 6, RN said the following:
RN: No…I see it has to do with psychoanalysis, and a ‘return to Freud,’ terms that lend immediate skepticism and caution?[image error]
12:21 PM
On Feb 6, LP said the following:
LP: Check out The Perverts Guide to Ideology on Netflix. When you scale the argument up you arrive at the only real difference between man and other animals. Man is the only species that can worship, even kill or die for an ideology. Most of the advances and problems you see throughout history were caused by a clash of belief systems.
5:10 PM
On Feb 6, RN said the following:
RN: Thanks, I will, I see it available in my local library. True, humans were considered the only ‘symbolic’ species, which extends to worship, and some (Terence Deacon) connected the evolution of the human brain with the development of advanced symbol usage (languages, etc.). But as far as killing (violence) for ideology goes, other species have been known to organize attacks on, and even cannibalize, members of another group or tribe. Though that recognition of ‘not-belonging’ is perhaps a very basic level of ideology, it may indicate that there is something intrinsic within that is common to a number of species. Language, and tool-making, tool-use etc. aren’t exactly unique to humans…
7:47 PM
Feb 13
On Feb 13, RN said the following:
RN: His film was interesting and entertaining, but he lost me when he began to cast himself as ‘Joseph,’ son of Abraham, interpreter of dreams…too much subjective bias, and too many single-minded interpretations generally. His interpretation of Hollywood’s Titanic was a classic! Wonder if such biases are driven by the politics of film-making, or brazen over-self-confidence. His work reminded me of Jonathan Lear’s “Love, and its place in nature,” which garnered a low rating from many as I recall. There seems to be a common undercurrent in all who delve into psychoanalysis, whatever be their perspectives: strong self-love, of one’s thinking, a narcissistic bias, and far less love for truth and efforts toward its discovery.
5:50 PM
Feb 14
On Feb 14, LP said the following:
LP: Is a bias indicate an ideology? My take away from the movie, and research afterwards is the idea of the Big Other. Psychoanalysis does lean to a self absorbed picture. However you can view the “self” as four separate but connected selves each with it’s own constraints and strengths, We live in and with all four after birth. IMO the myth of The Big Other is the separating idea between man and animal. It allows humans to scale up cooperative and competitive efforts way beyond any other species by becoming the fourth “self” so to speak. (Language plays a huge part in this.) Without it we’d still be hunter gatherers concerned with flight, fight, feed and fornicate.
9:05 AM
On Feb 14, RN said the following:
RN: Indeed, these ‘ideas,’ ‘concepts,’ ‘models,’ ‘patterns,’ etc. all arise in growing human minds that both assist and confound our lives. I do perceive this – our mental capacities – as a difference, as a distinguishing capability. Nevertheless, it is hard for me to think of us as any different from any other biological forms. We are all self-organized, self-organizing, entities, performing this life function at varied levels of complexity and in varied spheres of activity. Some argue, accordingly, that moving away from “natural” hunter-gatherer societies to agrarian ones was a mistake: http://anasim.com/misc/Diamond_WorstMistake.pdf – and the arguments are compelling! Biases are common, but taking them too far, “falling in love” with them, tends to ideology, perhaps. Change is even more common, in thinking, as in life…
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May 24, 2016
Review: Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging
Tribe: On Homecoming and Belonging by Sebastian Junger
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Sebastien Junger writes and conveys the truth in Tribe.
He tackles a strange divergence observed in returning warriors or war veterans. These warriors are more than willing to die for their country but are unsure how to live for it. Through extensive personal experience and interviews, he unearths compelling reasons for this malady. And thus reveals why PTSD, post-battle-trauma, takes so long to heal for soldiers in America.
But beyond war, that he has written about in detail too, he takes readers on a journey of cultural discovery. What is it, about American communities, that degrades resilience? Why do we lack the closeness, the social consciousness, that can help heal fragmentation? Tribe takes a good hard look at contemporary ways.
For those who know my own work, Humbling and Humility, Sebastian Junger’s Tribe answers many questions I pose. That he expresses truth is the highest accolade I can give a nonfiction author. An only peeve: he writes in Tribe that only humans show altruism. Sorry, Sebastian, many other mammalian species have us beat there.
A book recommended for everyone!
May 9, 2016
Twice in the Past Two Decades
No, this post isn’t about anything sensational. It isn’t about more coalition-driven wars started in the world. It is about markets and their crashes. A subject I’ve not written about for some time.
SP500 6-month chart : The end of 2016 to the present
A prior post of some months ago urged courage in the face of intense market volatility. It was – if memory serves me right – the beginning of the year when I’d thought the market, while in a sharp nosedive, will recover to near its prior levels. How could anyone have predicted that it’d retrace back all the way to its prior highs? Not only did SPX touch 2100 again, volatility has fallen to its lows of the year too.
What caused this despite a decidedly lacklustre earnings season this quarter? And a not-so-robust economy? Perhaps the gradual recovery of oil prices. Or perhaps actions of the FED, or its inaction despite having made the first tentative step toward normalizing interest rates. I don’t think it is new money coming into the market, but I do not really know. Perhaps money flowed back from markets in Asia where dramatic corrections have occurred.
But this is no time to be complacent!
SPX weekly chart, 1991-2016, and technicals (pic: Marketwatch/northmantrader.com)
The prior caution of a possible deeper plunge in the markets in 2016 remains a distinct possibility. The Bull Market continues to be very long in the tooth. Lessening volatility in a tentative market that has seen dramatic volatility recently isn’t a sign of vigor. This seven-year bull run, driven by the FED’s money printing (fiscal policy) and low interest rates (monetary policy), is looking rather tired. And Albert Edwards, a strong bear of SocGen, points out with his chart above that a technical indicator – the SPX 100-week moving average rising above the 50-week MA has occurred only twice in the past two decades. And, in both those instances, markets have plunged precipitously.
Zoomed-in view, SPX 100-wk above 50-wk MA, volatility
Here’s a magnified view of the chart above. You can click on both charts to see them on their own in their full resolution. The line in yellow – the slower trend line – is the 100-week MA, and the 50-week MA is in green. What the crossover signifies is that recent volatility is trending down while the longer term trend remains upward. Lower lows recently in the SPX, and lower highs, in other words.
I think Albert Edwards’ bear stance is well-supported by the technical analysis above. Heading into summer, on a weak economy, and less than impressive first quarter results, the markets look rather weak. From the first chart above, I’d say any upside may face resistance at ~2075 in the SPX. And such upside will most likely be very short-lived.
Disclaimer/Disclosure: I am short SPX with a small position in a volatility instrument. Invest with caution always. I am not affiliated with any financial or other institution engaged in investments promotion or transactions.
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May 6, 2016
Birdie’s Life and Death
Little Birdie in a Shoebox
I opened my eyes to my almost-teen daughter by my bedside early yesterday morning.
“What are you doing here this early?” croaked the frog in my throat.
“Have to show you something!”
“Lemme put something on,” said I. She ran downstairs. Lucy, the feral cat who claims my home as her territory, stretched on the dresser beside the bed. That’s her night’s sleep research spot these warm summer days. This isn’t our usual wake-up time.
“Want some breakfast?” asked I as I headed into the kitchen where my daughter had gone.
“I found a baby bird! On the gravel out front! It had blood on it,” said she. A possible near-victim of a feline resident of her home.
“Can we nurse it, Dad? Look after it until it grows enough to fly away?”
“I don’t know…it needs good care if it’s injured,” said I, knowing where this was heading. I may have to look after one more wild thing! How can I convince her that it wouldn’t be a good idea, especially with Lucy around?
Nothing would change her mind once fixed on the idea of caring for the little bird. She began calling it ‘Birdie’ too. Warning bells rang in my mind. I brought up challenges with feeding Birdie…and she showed me web pages on how to do so, with her phone of all things. In any case, I wasn’t going to change her mind just then. She left for school leaving Birdie in my care.
On her way back from school, she managed to convince her other parent to buy baby cereal for Birdie. She purchased a large syringe too, for that’s what I’d seen professionals use, with a spout fit for a lamb. I mixed the cereal with boiled water and she did her best to feed Birdie. She opened her beak and pushed a bit of the soft cereal into Birdie’s mouth. Birdie seemed to take in a bit of the food…
I worked with my daughter to convince her that our compassion for Birdie mustn’t turn into attachment. We just weren’t the right people to care for an injured wild bird. It would not serve Birdie’s needs well. She agreed, eventually, and resolved to take Birdie over to one of the Bird Ladies in the Valley of The Sun.
I called her later in the night: “Did Birdie get to a rescue place?”
“The Bird Lady did not pick up her phone…we didn’t go.”
“Make sure you keep Birdie fed and hydrated,” said I.
We’d rigged up a soft plastic tube with a fine nozzle into a baby bird feeder she could use. She was thrilled we could feed Birdie now – that meant she may be able to hold on to Birdie! I gained praise from her for my ‘ingenious’ workmanship.
I knew I’d have to take care of Birdie again for another day. My daughter brought Birdie over, early in the morning again. She asked how many squeezes she’d need to feed Birdie with before she left for school. Ten would do, I thought. Birdie seemed quieter but animated enough.
I checked on Birdie every couple of hours. The little thing, resting between folds of a lunch napkin, seemed rather too quiet. A little past noon, something pushed me to take a closer look at Birdie. Resting in my left hand, Birdie’s beak opened to a few squeezes of food…but it spread all over the beak. I cleaned Birdie as well as I could, clearing food away from Birdie’s nostrils.
Birdie’s mouth opened wide, too wide…was it thirst? I tried a few drops of water, but Birdie did not seem to take it in. Head drooping, Birdie rested in my hand. I tried feeding Birdie again when the beak opened wide yet again. Was Birdie struggling to breathe? What could I do? Just hold on gently. Birdie became very still in my hand.
I placed Birdie back into the shoebox between folds of cloth. No movement. I cheeped gently to Birdie that I’d be back in a bit.
“Is Birdie alive?” My daughter, texting me, almost out of school.
“Yes, but just barely…tried feeding her, but couldn’t.”
“I’ll be back as soon as school’s out…”
Birdie was gone. I paused for a moment over the shoebox…a distinct sense of guilt welling up within. Why did I not take Birdie to the rescue place myself? How do I now manage my daughter’s grief and confusion? But she did know – that we weren’t the right carers for Birdie – and did prepare for such an eventuality.
My daughter rushed in right after school – I met her at the door. She saw my face, threw her phone down, and ran into the kitchen.
“But that Bird Lady did not pick up, Dad! I tried again today!”
“I know…sometimes they don’t take calls because of the large number they get.”
I didn’t have the heart to admit my own sense of guilt or tell her that she should’ve insisted the other parent drop Birdie off regardless. We had failed Birdie, and that was that. I suggested that we give Birdie a proper burial as we always do, with flowers and good thoughts. My daughter said nothing and took Birdie back to where she’d found the little thing.
But I’m glad Birdie died resting in my hand.
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May 3, 2016
Review: The Cauliflower: A Novel
The Cauliflower: A Novel by Nicola Barker
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I have little to say, and enclose what I do say in a virtual wrapper for those who may wish to skip it. Historically, psychologically, intriguing.
(view spoiler)[
Disappointing. Scatter-brained: the timeline (not followed!) is disorienting. Cliche’d, as for instance, “His records. Indicate. Little. Else” Incomprehensible. The most contrived of styles, compelling rapid page skipping. Not for readers seeking a pleasant read, or enlightenment.
(hide spoiler)]
A Goodreads First Reads book received free and reviewed.
April 5, 2016
Review: Robots Like Blue
Robots Like Blue by Anthony J. Deeney
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A complex, ingenious, philosophical, and thoughtful work.
A story set two centuries out in the future, ‘Robots Like Blue’ builds on ideas of robotic sentience. Anthony Deeney constructs a plausible and engaging environment for advanced robotic development. He creates intrigue, adds industrial, commercial, and legal challenges, and lets AI-driven robots loose. In a future where they communicate not only with humans but with each other. In a rather human fashion.
For fans of Isaac Asimov, this work is a delight. There are no references to intrinsic laws in ‘Robots Like Blue,’ other than that no harm come to humans. The plot is interesting, and the characters are vivid as they develop to the extent they do in the story.
For law, ethics, and philosophy buffs, Anthony provides ample, digestible material. He takes readers through a court trial – one that asks for release of the robots from governance – culminating in a surprising decision. Humans take a backseat in this story. A reader, a science and fiction buff, finds the robot protagonist Robbie rather sympathetic. Anthony succeeds, with brilliance and cleverness, in efforts to display intelligent exchanges between robots.
I liked the work – a lot! It grabbed me, and I looked forward to reading it to its end.
It was easy to look past hints of religion, of which there were a good few. “In the beginning, there was the word,” and references to duality, for example. For a scientist, it is not as much the “word” as the “deed” that manifests life. For instance, energy manifests motion which is, in turn, energy. A circular relationship, which, in sustainable self-organization, manifests in nature everywhere. And at all observable levels. A hint – of sentience arising from some “word,” or of an existence of Cartesian duality – detracted from the story. But the author moved rather adeptly over questions of
soul
or of identity, the enigmatic “I.”
Repeated references to Free Will and its discussion are quite clever within. Anthony’s robots are rather anthropomorphic, as is their quest for sentience through Free Will. The work, to me, thus seemed more of a discussion on philosophy than a synthesis of robotic sentience.
Other references I found curious include the ‘green flash’ that rises up in the sky – recall “Pirates of the Carribean?” A touch of the metaphysical again, perhaps, but enjoyable all the same.
Again, fans of Isaac Asimov (I’m one) will find this work by Anthony Deeney quite enjoyable. Recommended to all science and fiction buffs!
(I picked a copy up on a free promotion, but the book’s worth every penny or pence paid!)
April 4, 2016
Daddy Daughter Date
Sidewalk littered with Spring flowers
“Avoid Alliteration Always.”
Pithy advice on good writing. Doesn’t work always, though…didn’t work for this post’s title! No matter. Am I not allowed a few mistakes, now and then?
My new teen going-on-20 daughter rode by this evening. She had her now-common Katana in its scabbard slung over her shoulder. Have you seen this weapon? A fearsome, most effective blade of choice of the Japanese Samurai. My daughter wears it wherever she goes, wherever it is allowed, of course. Though made of wood, it has proven quite effective – often on my knuckles as she swings it around.
Practice Katana and scabbard
“Dad let’s go out to eat,” said she.
“What, now? I have some ginger curry, rice, and sides for you…”
She wouldn’t be swayed. “I feel like some Mexican food.”
“Okay. Lemme put something on. Can’t drive in house clothes.”
“No, Dad, let’s ride. It’s a nice day out!”
She’d made her mind up. “Are you going to a restaurant as a Samurai?”
Laughing, she unbuckled her scabbard and tossed it on a sofa. We set out on our bikes along a pleasant sidewalk littered with flowers…and soon found ourselves at Gecko Grill. I’d been concerned – that it may not be a nice place to go to – but it turned out to be a wonderful new place. My daughter talked a mile a minute about how she’d come here twice before with friends. I realized that she’d wanted to show me this place. She liked it and so did I.
She really enjoyed the food. As usual, we ordered only for her, and I ordered a small side salad – that I had her eat as well. The food was marvelous, and I wrote “Excellent food, and service!” on the credit card receipt. Not to be outdone, she wrote “Far better than Serrano’s!” too.
Riding back after sunset was a bit of an adventure. We did not have any lights on our bikes, and some tree branches weren’t too friendly along the way. Not to mention cars turning in at a number of road crossings. But it was a pleasant outing…and she let me know that as we rode back. Father, samurai-in-training daughter, on our healthy and humble conveyances.
An event that made enough of an impression on me to want to write…
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March 29, 2016
Free and Bargain Books: April Fools Day
SIA Event on ’16 April Fools
Many FREE and some BARGAIN books at SIA’s April Fools’ event. Note the change in the website: http://events.supportindieauthors.com.
Be sure to note the book’s price, on Amazon / Smashwords, before downloading. A review afterward, on Goodreads and the download site, will be much appreciated by the author.
Prepare…to be entertained (and fooled)!
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March 28, 2016
Review: The Prime: Ancient Secrets to Heal Your Brain and Gut for Spontaneous Weight Loss
The Prime: Ancient Secrets to Heal Your Brain and Gut for Spontaneous Weight Loss by Kulreet Chaudhary
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
3+. A Goodreads giveaway book received and reviewed.
“The Prime” is neurologist Kulreet Chaudhary’s rediscovery and application of the ancient science of Ayurveda and its holistic health benefits. She describes a treatment regimen for detoxification, rebalancing, and rejuvenation of one’s body, the digestive system, and through them, one’s mind and sense of well-being. She provides, in easy to grasp text, an instruction guide that takes the reader through her specific rejuvenation process. One that has the added health benefit of weight loss.
I could not escape an ever-present feeling that “The Prime” is an extended advertisement for her treatment regimen. Starting out with questionable hyperbole – bitter milk because it isn’t granted voluntarily by cows in the western world – the author introduces an unwary reader to Prime Tea, Prime Broth, Prime Curry Powder, Prime this, and Prime that. The reader finds no place in the book to hide from the brand promoted. While informative, and most likely helpful, when pushed incessantly, The Prime became – for this reader – a rather sub-prime primer.
Kulreet fails to mention that Indian cuisine, south Indian food, in particular, is designed to incorporate many if not all of her recommendations. Where I come from, Kerala, we drink water boiled with cumin seeds (‘Jeera’) and not only rid such water of bacteria but enhance its health benefits. Our lunch is often a grand affair with Sambhar (a thick soup incorporating coriander seed powder, cumin seed powder, turmeric powder, mustard seeds, and other herbs and spices), Rasam, sauteed vegetables and greens, pickle, and buttermilk with boiled rice. While the portions of each dish are small, the entire combination forms a culinary cadence that is music to the gut and aesthetic to boot. Dinner and breakfast, in comparison, are simpler affairs which nevertheless include spices suitable to the specific duration in the daily bodily cycle. Simply put, what we put into our digestive systems is not just fuel, but a sequence of food and plant material that serves to aid our bodily systems and enhance health.
For me, one from a land that originated Ayurveda, Kulreet’s book is a refresher with little new information. For all others, The Prime can be informative and educational. A book well worth reading for those conscious of holistic health: mind, body, and soul.
