kiran’s pensieve

A particularly insightful piece of commentary on last night’s performance by Pearl Jam at the Garden, posted on the village voice blog got me thinking, or rather rethinking what it means to be part of my generation, “Generation X“. In particular, this line tickled that part of me that is, in some ways, still a grungy, flannel wearing, quasi-goth kid:

The idea of being alive in a generation whose connectivity and potential are equaled only by its overpowering impotence and confusion.

This is a profound statement that really captures the essence of the people who grew up when I was growing up. And admittedly, I’ve definitely noticed this trait in myself: A deep sensitivity about what is “wrong” and a clear image of what “right” would feel like, yet very little practical empowerment in terms of how to “get there” from “here” and a certain, cynical apathy about whether “there” would even be worth getting to, since all the other “there”’s that were imagined before us seemed to have given us nothing but more trouble, more damage, more isolation.

See, it’s apparent even in the language that we use. The way I see it, the baby boomers who came before us really overshadowed the world just in their pure numbers. They went through their idealisms in the ’60’s, became increasingly self-absorbed in the ’70’s and pretty much sold their souls in the name of free trade in the ’80’s. Now, “Gen X”ers who were mostly children and preteens in the ’80’s saw the decadence and hubris, and the resulting consequences, in the forms of the arms race, AIDS, Exxon oil spills, exploding space ships, Metallica and other such phenomena.

By the time, my generation came of age enough to begin to really understand the world that was going to be our inheritance, we were already jaded. Case in point: Kurt Cobain - one of the quintessential icons of this generation, he was grimy and whiny and ridiculously talented. Like all other innovators, he may not have been the first or only one to do what he did, but he did what he did in a way that made everyone sit up and pay attention, and that is a feat in itself.

I remember clearly, I was in my midteens when he committed suicide. I remember someone older, perhaps my dad, telling me that I shouldn’t waste my time mourning that “loser”. I remember having debates about Kurt vs. Lennon in University, the year after his death. I jostled with the conflicting feelings of admiring the works of both John Lennon and Kurt Cobain in equally intense but fundamentally different ways. It’s only now, as I approach my 30’s, that I can look back and pluck an essential truth out of the seemingly contrasting lives of these two musical legends.

John Lennon championed peace, love, acceptance, joy, flowers, hope, and all those things idealized much more than realized by his generation. While Kurt Cobain was the product of a world where John Lennon had been shot dead in broad daylight. Lennon imagined that the world could be made into a better place, Kurt grew up in a world that had swallowed up and spit out many John Lennons and Dr. Martin Luther Kings.

Of course people of my generation have been cynical, nihilistic and apathetic. We were given a warship built on a rose garden. We inherited poverty, environmental deterioration, STDs packaged as hyper-consumerism. We saw how our elders left their ideals behind when it came to slaving away at thankless jobs for their corporate masters. We realized this was all that was real, and so what was the point anyway? As Kurt sang, “Oh well, whatever. Nevermind.”

But now, we are gaining control as we get older and we are seeing each other in positions of power and influence. We are seeing the new icons of Gen X, the ones who didn’t self destruct. The Richard Bransons, Stephen Colberts, Jon Stewarts and Eddie Vedders. Those are among the older ones from this generation, but they have paved a path for the rest of us. They are demonstrating to us that the world belongs to us now. That we do make a difference whether we do something, or stay impassive.

The question now is: Do we have the right tools, the right apparatus to be able to exercise our newly discovered powers? Can we find our voices and learn to say out loud the things which we have inherently understood, in many cases, from a very early age? Are we going to go out there, and take charge of our world? Will we remember who we are?

So many things to occupy time, so little time for them to occupy.

I was reminded recently by *someone* that I barely post here at all. Now, since, it seems, more people are visiting, I guess I need to shape up and post something regularly. And since Battlestar Galactica is on the dreaded pre-finale 6-9 month hiatus, I’ll have to find other things to waste the precious few hours of leisure at my disposal any given week.

Here’s an interesting interview I came across with author Salman Rushdie

For the other geeks among us, you might find PC World’s list of the Top 50 Tech Visionaries inspiring.

Here, you can listen to an audio version of a Q&A between Stephen Colbert, Steve Carrell and Ann Hathaway (listen to the audio online by clicking on the link in the middle there).

Lastly, but definitely not leastly, here’s a tribute to the funniest guy who ever lived who died this past weekend, George Carlin. The world was funnier with ya, George, we’ll miss your sick, twisted, brilliant brain. Here he is, in his own words…

My dad forwarded me this pic that just says it all…

Came across this by Emo Phillips

I was walking across a bridge one day, and I saw a man standing on the edge, about to jump off. So I ran over and said “Stop! don’t do it!” “Why shouldn’t I?” he said. I said, “Well, there’s so much to live for!” He said, “Like what?” I said, “Well…are you religious or atheist?” He said, “Religious.” I said, “Me too! Are you Christian or Buddhist?” He said, “Christian.” I said, “Me too! Are you Catholic or Protestant?” He said, “Protestant.” I said, “Me too! Are you Episcopalian or Baptist?” He said, “Baptist!” I said,”Wow! Me too! Are you Baptist Church of God or Baptist Church of the Lord?” He said, “Baptist Church of God!” I said, “Me too! Are you original Baptist Church of God, or are you reformed Baptist Church of God?” He said,”Reformed Baptist Church of God!” I said, “Me too! Are you reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1879, or reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915?” He said, “Reformed Baptist Church of God, reformation of 1915!” I said, “Die, heretic scum”, and pushed him off.

I love surrealism.

I stumbled across this little brain candy in Wired.com’s archives.

One of my favourites:

TIME MACHINE REACHES FUTURE!!! … nobody there …
- Harry Harrison

Came across this story about the Beatles’ song “Across the Universe” being blasted into outer space in commemoration of its and NASA’s anniversaries. Like many others my age, I “discovered” John Lennon and The Beatles sometime around my 17th birthday. I remember hanging out in Strawberry Fields in Central Park and feeling a deep, personal connection to their music, especially their later stuff, and its message of peace, awareness and whimsy. Like other surreal artists, the Beatles’ music makes sense on an intuitive level, even when its hard to decipher its literal meaning (if there even exists one). Across the Universe is undoubtedly one of my favourite songs of all time. And probably the only decent cover of a Beatles song, specifically by Fiona Apple, featured in the film Pleasantville.

The Beatles
“Across The Universe”

Words are flying out like endless rain into a paper cup
They slither while they pass, they slip away across the universe
Pools of sorrow waves of joy are drifting thorough my open mind
Possessing and caressing me

Jai guru deva om
Nothing’s gonna change my world

Images of broken light which dance before me like a million eyes
That call me on and on across the universe
Thoughts meander like a restless wind inside a letter box
They tumble blindly as they make their way across the universe

Jai guru deva om
Nothing’s gonna change my world

Sounds of laughter shades of life are ringing through my open ears
Exciting and inviting me
Limitless undying love which shines around me like a million suns
It calls me on and on across the universe

Jai guru deva om
Nothing’s gonna change my world
Jai guru deva

…she’s the world’s oldest blogger: The Life of Riley