Wednesday 28 December 2011

Entrepreneurship- Masters of Modern Enterprise

They were dubbed as the 'Masters of Enterprise' by Professor H.W. Brands for their prowess and articulation seems far fetched in a specialty neck deep in conventions. Their profound prowess to negotiate, argue, crush competitors and erect industrial empires was the brain-child of motivation and wisdom, a combination of lustre and expertise. Entrepreneurs remain revered for almost every tenet of their specialties, the magnates worshipped and watched analytically by the press. What brought these individuals to a state of prestige and a signature management style was a mere fabrication of values upon attitudes, of words upon practice. A methodology bound for success, one where the probability of failure seems non-existant and incarcerated in a dark void of nothingness. Their value arises from their wealth and their aristocracy from the attitudes of a society deemed to determine whether wealth can make or break. Business is essentially trade in an excessively competitive and destructive setting, one were the satisfaction of the consumer is paramount in conjunction with a substantial and fulfilling profit. The profit forming only the tip of the iceberg, the prowess of the magnate the very nervous system of the trade. It becomes manifest through deep contemplation that all specialties have a perennial and transcendent unity. A unity bound by conventional wisdom and the wit of its executers. What determines a corporation is far from the products it markets, ships and distributes; it remains the psychology, the very mentality propagated throughout the management model that ensures a seamless ambiance of optimism. The likes of Gates, Buffet and memorable industrialists such as Ford remain witnessed but heavily misunderstood. We have access to their success, their mastery and prowess, but their technique, their slight of hand remains ever so closely guarded by an invisible, inaccesible force. Our desire to compete arises from our lust for recognition, wealth and the luxuries of a successful management model. The management model forming the very anatomy of the corporation, its input and output becomes its physiology and its cash flow or bankruptcy becomes its pathology. While bankruptcy seems an incurable malady for any corporation, the entrepreneurship of the 'masters of enterprise' hold wiser more realistic fears. Fears surrounding the satisfaction of the consumer, the feasibility of their products and/or their solutions and their dedication towards their specialty. It was the desire to engineer a timeless and economic mass-production line that drove Ford to marketing the Model-T and the passion to evoke a creative series of home furnishings that are affordable and sustainable that drove  Ingvar Kamprad to found an internationally renowned home products corporation. It is these collective attitudes woven intimately into the mentalities of the magnates that makes success on a macro level another day at the office and the desire to repel bankruptcy a primitive and frowned-upon mind-set. It stands as both a technical and economic challenge, to attain the credibility of the consumer and the recognition of the international community. But the masters of enterprise have attained all these challenges in a small but timeless package. They are to business what an alphabet is to a language, living breathing icons of an competitive ambiance that inflates but never breaks.

Monday 26 December 2011

Love- A Hormonal Reality

A hormone surging through our very veins or rather a boundless field of energetic phenomena captivating the heart. A physical to a physiological response, one deeply rooted within the annals of thought as a manifestation of 'admiration' and affection'. One with a strikingly profound insight into the nature of being and the nature of man, a both tangible and intangible facet of existence, a symbolic emblem of our autonomy and inner psyche. Love, whether documented through the ubiquitous symbols we pertain to it or professed by individuals seeking a sense of companionship, is a manifestation, a phenomena deeply embedded within the anatomy of the individual and collective psychology. A manifestation commemorated and professed since the advent of man, yet continues to lack a definitive ambassador. A mystique, a very romance fabricating the fine tapestry we conceive as the mind, body and soul. Nevertheless, there remains an impersonal basis for an increasingly personal and intimate phenomenon. With the advent of modern breakthroughs, the identification and classification of the hormone, 'Oxytocin', has incurred a pandemonium of collective attitude towards the nature of love. The 'Love Hormone', as it was popularly conceived has diminished and devalued the essence of affection and admiration, of love. Denouncing love to a mere secretion of a hormone on a physiological front is nothing short of inhumane. It is the cessation of a tenet of thought, feeling and emotion. The massacre of a culmination of bonding and warmth. What the intellectual and individual 'wisdoms' must illustrate is the nature of love in several realities or manifestation. The very prospect that love is a readily inaccessible reality that is obliged to manifest itself on many platforms whether hormonal, psychological or philosophical but continues to lack a definitive image. It seems that in a 'civilised' society a physiological basis can be produced and proposed for almost every phenomena we consider entirely spiritual and intangible. This creates friction, dogma lacking any reasoning and stigma directed to those who propagate the essence of the intangible. Love is a reality, a mother from which fruitfulness and prosperity stem. A reality where the spirit of empathy and companionship are professed seamlessly. Oxytocin is a mere chemical structure, of a molecular basis. Lacking any consciousnesses, emotion and psychology; it is the product of secretion rather than affection and intimacy. But the insensitivity exhibited by such breakthroughs are a predominant representation of the changing attitudes of society. The prospect that we exchange fondness and attachment with the destructive realities of insensitivity and the lack or empathy. It is paramount to the stability of society and in the best interest of the individuals that compose it that we learn to maintain the essence of humanity and to limit the proximity and extent to which these physiological statements infiltrate. Placing love under the classification of 'the secretion of a hormone' remains inhumane and immoral in its own right. A denouncing of the facet of humanity that forms integration, breaks down the incidence of barriers and removes an invasive and aggressive psyche; paving the way to a road of resemblance where one can envision an eternal love, a reality beyond the realm of hormones.

Wednesday 21 December 2011

The Prayer Rug- A Tangible Spirituality

+It is a majestic tapestry. One bound by the ideals of a faith drenched with the life-long loyalty to the
divine being. A tangible facet of worship, one of artistic and architectural significance coupled intimately with a signature ritual. A ritual bound by a routine, a routine deeply encapsulated within the mentality of the worshiper towards the worshiped. It unites and integrates seamlessly and removes the inner impurities of a psyche caught in the ecstasy of a world of atrocity. The prayer rug remains a potent symbolic statement of the Islamic faith, one woven, both physically and metaphysically over the course of millenia. A rug of spiritual proportions, a means, a very goal to reach a union with that of God. As one grips its interwoven fibers and stares analytically at the symmetrically oriented mastery, a symbol of prowess becomes undeniably apparent . A craft that resembles a majestic tapestry with a metaphysical and spiritual role. From the very instance one sets foot within its proximity the overwhelming sensation of euphoria floods the consciousness and sends the mind into a state of spiritual reflection, cosmological amazement and the signature presence of the divine being. God is neither silent nor insidious.He is accessible from every dimension of the sphere and the prayer rug probes the prospect that itself is a metaphysical means to reaching the likes of god, communicating ones internal conflicts and hostilities and the annihilation of the individual egotistic psyche. Prayer remains the act while the prayer rug remains the means, the sole channel by which a fulfilling prayer can be executed and a fulfilling encounter with God can be attained. Bound by faith and the facet of worship, the worshiper continually grips the rug fascinated and intrigued by its mystique for it seems both inaccessible and accessible simultaneously. Such an approach arises from the notion that the prayer rug is ubiquitous, its existence certain and its victory against the test of time remains forever perennial. The being is seized by this exhilaration, an ecstasy evoking neither pleasure nor pride, rather the very essence of reflection at its purest. It is only the capacity of the intellectual that can view the essence of the prayer rug, a neurological and philosophical dexterity that seems to illuminate the enigmatic spiritual and theological phenomena. The ritual act of prayer is neither a science nor a specialty, it is a means by which one can reach an intimate reflection, a unique and unadulterated practice that an individual exemplifies in their own manner. But the paradox regarding the feasibility of prayer being performed with a conventional basis stirs controversy within a wealth of theological circles. The prospect that prayer must be a fixed and uniform practice seems under intense opposition by individuals seeking a non-dogmatic approach to faith, individuals wanting to express their fidelity to their faith and a commitment towards God. Regardless of its immemorial origins, the prayer rug continues to uphold a very stature, a prominent caliber provoked and determined by the faithful to which it serves as a metaphysical and spiritual means.

Monday 19 December 2011

Wisdom- A Faculty of Thought

It is the definitive faculty of thought. Eloquent and elegant from every approachable angle, it seems an unconquerable feat as it makes the critical discernment between that of the good and that of the evil. One shrouded in secrecy as it advances to inconceivable heights. Heights that fabricate the form and function of modern and ancient thought. Wisdom is nothing short of overlooked, its intimate rivalry in conjunction with its marriage with the concept of intellect has led to the diminishing of its value by a small but dominate group of individuals. It stands firm as the flesh and blood of the mind, an output satisfying the critical input; an execution of the objective before a seemingly inaccessible conundrum. A conundrum concerning the likes of ethics and morality, or rationality, equity and equality. It is the advent of modern wisdom as a faculty of thought that has conquered new ground for intellectuals destined to forge a memorable impression. The cessation of understanding the nature and mechanics of wisdom arises from its intimate association with its parent concept, Intellect. There exists an excessively fine line between these two aspects of the mind. They co-exist as intangible realities, the former, Wisdom, is the discernment, the judgment between intangible such as good and evil; positive and negative. Intellect is undeniably the anatomising of the technicalities of intelligence. For the sake of simplicity, the former deals with that of the intangible while the latter deals with that of the tangible. Wisdom is neither accessible nor attainable through analysis of the literature, it arises as a result of experiences with reality and the trials and tribulations that accompanied them. Wisdom can make or break the probability of committing an act out of one's freewill or even determine the fate of an individual, irrespective of their socio-economic orientation. Intellect, the tangible faculty, specialises in the sciences the physical and explainable; the measurable and the static. Simultaneously, one must not assume that the sciences alone can determine all, rather one must acknowledge and draw the boundaries that they are confined to. Wisdom is the source, the channel and the inspiration that restores justice and preserves tranquility. One that defies thought as it makes a fiery presence in the mind, beyond the electro-chemical processes and synapses. One that exists as a nexus in a realm, a very dimension off-limits to our perception and consciousness. Wisdom has no physiological basis, no dimorphism as intellect that exists as an anatomical and philosophical phenomenon. To brand one as wise to brand him as wise, however the intellectual frame of reference labels such an individual as a voyager into the inaccessible, into the unknown. An alien realm where the nucleus is nonexistent. Wisdom has no single authority, not a center nor a symbolic representation. It remains a true enigma, an often perplexing yet gripping faculty of thought.

Sociology- An Feminist Outlook

The politically and socially profound entity, the very biological counterpart and figure of intrigue has unleashed a very sentiment that proves to reinforce the sheer capacity of the female. Bound by generations of inherited wisdom and an everlasting line of endurance, the female has forged and moulded a very stance deep within the annals of the analytical specialty recognised as Sociology. A striking an revealing game plan that provides an unprecedented outlook into a critically varying and shifting political and social climate. A sociological outlook of society is the formation of a scientifically sound frame of reference that propels itself to dissect and methodically anatomise the facets that concoct the society itself. Such facets are the core and essence of individuality in conjunction with the affairs that occur on a collective and macro level. The controversial suggestion of the female as the definitive sociologist comes from an observation produced from a sociological approach. This is manifest through the various attitudes that propagate through the course of history and the current affairs that either stir controversy or evoke a pandemonium of publicity. The female has undeniably been subject to brutal, malignant and lingering circumstances that have contributed to this new-found stance. This unquestionable, unconventional wisdom arises from such experiences that have filled the pages of history books that have failed to document a vivid frame of reference. The female is the future sociologist, she has foreseen first-hand the social implications of inequity, she has witnessed and endured an evident line of stigmatic dishonor and she recongnises with the wisest of wisdom the pain-staking toil involved in staging a movement for civil rights. This is the core, the very nucleus of a sociologist's role in modern-thought, to assimilate the ambiance and make logically sound conclusions based on the happenings within a society. Irrespective of their orientation, 'East or West', societies function similarly with seemingly minimal variation in their physiology. The female will make a definitive stance within the annals and application of sociology, she will break the odds the achieve the evens and opose tyrannical, unwritten 'doctrine' that may prove to be a sociological obstacle. Bound by her inner psyche, she soars and rises in prominence as a revered and honored oracle. One that will introduce initiatives to rectify the short-comings of that of the past and will allow a flowing stream of justice to preliterate via a 'Social circulatory system'. Until that phase, the female must tweak her mentality and exploit the foul occurances of the past to construct a psyche of motivated and driven proportions. Therefore, the female will become an entity beyond the likes of biological, social or political fronts, an entity, a human being that will drive intellect and thought into a new sociological dimension.

Wednesday 14 December 2011

A Heart for the Mind- The Neuro-Cardiac Rivalry

A specter is haunting the likes of the root of our consciousness, a mere four-chambered, hollow entity reigning over the sustaining of life. A pump, of varying shape and proportion, an interconnected network of a vessels, a labyrinth of muscle and tissue; a critical facet of circulation. What was once considered the center of intellect, know regarded as the very soul and mind for which the body harbors. It fosters action and reaction, a response to stimuli, deceiving the intelligent mind to sustain a belief in its cognition. Processing and distributing to every dimension of the sphere, a moist, fluid inspiration. Pouring over the very annals of anatomy, physiology and conventional medicine the literature holds clue to a discrete rivalry between some of the most eloquent and revered systems of the human body. One spanning many fronts, where physiological or philosophical, there is an ever-growing  sentiment surrounding the grandiose status of the muscular heart and the thoughtful brain. As a flourishing intellectual it remains relatively common to decipher and acknowledge the unseen and the unknown and in this respect, the prominence and dominance of the heart is definitely a factor irresistible to ponder in the deepest of detail. On one half of the table lies an nexus of nerve impulses communicating and exchanging over the labyrinth of electro-chemical processes, the other harbors a rhythmically inclined system, nourishing and enriching the former. Strikingly, the human brain remains one of the most metabolically active mechanisms physiologically and its heavy dependence on the overwhelming work-load executed by the heart is revealing of  internal and often personal vulnerabilities. The heart seems substantially independent to the very extent its dual pumping function is provoked by its own internal mechanics rather than intervention or support posed by the brain and its nervous counterparts. Consuming around a metric litre of blood every minute in existence, the brain and the range of specialists associated with its form and function have yet to come clean about the neurological dependence on cardiovascular toil. Some individuals of the highest eminence and stature have denounced and degraded the likes of the heart to a readily functioning pump and the specialists concerning its disorder, mere plumbers. Such a rivalry has instilled a competitive and objective ambiance throughout the medical establishment rather than a hostile uproar categorized by an influx of terrorism or militarism. Simultaneously, this remains one battle left unfounded, theoretically as a result of the cross-fertilisation between the specialists and their specialties, a harmonious union where physiological differences are set aside to made way for a promising road ahead. One where 'warm hearted' psyches are bound by love and compassion.

Sunday 11 December 2011

Memory- The Mechanics behind the Mechanism

The query probes a familiar sensation, the desire to respond and an irresistible urge as the flood of ecstasy overtakes the psyche. Converging on a nexus of thought, the fiery action potential approaches its alternations and searches analytically for the very key that houses the wisdom. Memory remains one of the true final frontiers of our intellect; absorbing, assimilating, consolidating and recalling, its functions seem implausible in a realm where its dependence is paramount to survival and rationality. Synesthetic in its right, it attracts and evokes stimuli, forming the very hub of a lifetime of memories. Analogous to that of a rudimentary filing system, continually consolidating and building upon its own capacity. But if one where to dwell beyond the physiological faculty, beyond the gelatinous mass we conceive as the brain, one would approach memory from an emotive frame of reference. Such a profound approach probes new insight even into the nature of consciousnesses, providing a provocative view into the state of being. On a personal front, memory seems the very essence of the reduction of the self to three pounds of moist, fatty tissue. The pride of the brain and the resemblance of the ever colossal and superfluous capacity of the nervous system. If we were to resemble the mechanics of memory, for the sake of simplicity, we would end up with a quite familar computation model. This model encompasses the mechanism that drives the mechanics to work harmoniously and in unison to produce a memory. Firstly, the input, in the form of stimulus or an external event or occurance makes its journey deep into the havens of the mind, an infinite series of interconnected pathways. Shortly after, various processing and computation processes arrive at the neck of the mind, providing an insight into what the input implies. Next, the external reaction which is profoundly discriminate on the circumstance makes its inception and ceases as the storage and production of the memory has been established. But one has no right to degrade and denounce the mechanism of memory composition to a primitive computation model observed by machines, rather one has the right to commemorate and explore its havens with a broadened horizon. And it is our dreams that must be of a greater value than our memories, for we should thrive on being pulled by dreams rather than pushed by our memories. Mechanics behind a Mechanism are akin to Memories behind Memory.

Friday 9 December 2011

The Academic Road- A Second Attempt

Much controversy steeped my previous article regarding the incidence of poor intellectual resources for intellectual publishing. This provoked my criticism to some of the most feared and revered authorities in that specialty and disencouraged any further progress to be made with the likes of academic publishing. On this long and often treacherousness ordeal one is caught in the midst of thought, more particularly extending the very boundaries of his discipline and finding a suitable authority to endorse and propagate his work. The academic road has been erected not as a road of cast bitumen, rather one steeped in criticism, conflict and intellectual rivalry. One that fails to attain the needs of intellectuals from a range of specialties and fails to motivate and drive those aspiring juveniles to a promising future as a world-renowned physician or as an industrious aeronautical engineer. In spite of this heavily flawed and corrupted system, I thrive on a means to rewrite the unwritten dogma and set a new standard of conventions making academic publishing along the academic road a frustration free encounter. The academic road must appeal to the likes of those who hold no qualifications or credentials and learn to exploit the wealth of wisdom prevalent within a society. It must learn to accept the ever changing and shifting needs of scholarly intellectuals and provide all resources practical and within their disposal to disperse their new found intellect through a physical and tangible medium. I am not suggesting the academic road is flawed from every facet approachable, rather there are many stones left unturned vis-a-vis the needs of academics and their successors. In this light, it becomes increasing binding on an esteemed intellectual such as myself to have a degree of sympathy from my predecessors who have been subject to this undesirable predisposition. To project and illuminate a radically new means to convey wisdom from every front without the setbacks and drawbacks of the academic community. I brand this stance as a 'Second Attempt'. One where the desire to make knowledge as a free and as accessible as possible, to simplify the publication process and to rewrite the dogma that silences revolutionary breakthroughs becomes totally paramount. This 'Second Attempt' comes as a brainchild of intimate reflection and thought, of open-mindedness and the elimination of the dogmatic conventions. It has yet to reprogram the mechanics of the academic road, but will surely capture and inspire the very psyches of prominent scholarly figures. It has yet to become mainstream, unless someone proposes a paper on it!

Sunday 4 December 2011

Suburban Enigmas- The Mystique of Society

Bound by their unwritten rules, their vivid and often eccentric personalities, they thrive deeply within the very roots of the suburban ambience. Exhibiting a passion for their internal talents and their twisted socio-economic horizons. They are the conventional, the dogmatic suburbains. Subtle, Insidious and stealthy in their day to day routine and shrewd in their judgements and encounters with their fellow citizen. Recently, I paid a visit to some of the most socio-economically deprived regions of the city and discovered a collective 'Utopian' attitude amongst the residents. They stand as individuals, broadening their status as a mere cog and gear in the systematic, interdependent approach we call society. They are the pinnacle of practical intellect, combining inherited traits and ideals with the modernism manifest throughout the professing of a suburban atmosphere. A senior citizen I encountered shared her account regarding her agricultural ventures and interests, she seemed an enigma, a mystery to the likes of narrow-mindedness and arrogance, to bigotry and to stigma. The citizen is more than a facet of the society he composes and settles, he is an enigma when the approach takes a relatively personal stance. There exists and excessively fine line between psyche and personality. They are both encapsulated within a deceitful covering and undermined by the rise of the destruction of individuality. Bound by their faith for god and country, they approach life with a healthy world-view that seeks the essence of loyalty and fidelity. That citizen whom I approached in that economically deprived community sought a purpose to proper under the ranks and governance of a bureaucracy. One that made convincingly promising claims to perserve, protect and serve the fundamental interests of the society and the people that compose it. But if we were to take an even more invasive and aggressive approach that would radically turn the tables on this modern-day dispute, it seems evident that the prominent figures of eloquence and intellect thrive and shall thrive within the nucleus of socially and economically impoverished communities.  It is those communities lush with the furnishings of luxury that lack a collective wisdom as perpetuated by the enigmas. But those citizens hold a discreet and covert alter-ego, a tenet of their twisted psyches that discourages them from pursuing a promising and fruitful relationship or even instigate social interaction. This stands not as criminal, rather a subtly eccentric and uncanny self, often subject to criticism and abuse by those alien to their unique and enigmatic realm. They pursue social justice, under the guidance of the doctrine of a deity and under the warmth of their hearts. Drenched with the critical and vain attitudes of their egotistic counter-parts, they motivate and drive the higher self to a more colossal cause, one free from the lust, greed and corruption of 'civilised society'. It was the rise of political sentiment such as colonialism that still scars the mentalities of the bigot upon the enigmatic citizen. But as they are left powerless, without any materialistic keep-sakes, they resemble mystiques, ready to conquer their claim. 

Friday 2 December 2011

Motivation- The Root of Prosperity

It is striking, captivating and enlightening in its own right. A driving force achieving the prosperity deemed far fetched, extending the standards to greater lengths and elevating the psyche to a state of betterment. It isn't the cognitive basis for motivation that startles the academic mind, rather its profound implications; the very capacity to erect industrial empires, douse oneself with the power of knowledge or achieve their life-long aspirations remains the tip of the iceberg throughout this age-old concept of conventional wisdom. It is that driving force that empowers the psyche on a psychological arena to attain a greater state of enlightenment, empowers the ego to inflate and deflate variably and allows the very spirit behind body and mind to soar higher than ever. Motivation is to the visionary what formulae remain to the economist. A fundamental facet, absent in the consciousness of the brain dead, superfluous within the mentality of the visionary. But the conundrum remains, whether motivation itself should be branded an esteemed status as a tenet of human intellect or whether it is satisfactory to leave it to frolick amongst the very few. This is a paradox alien to the likes of modern philosophy and thought. Motivation seems intangible, inaccessible to the mind  for which it overtakes with an everlasting streak of ecstasy. Bound by his ideals and individual values the psyche assumes a position, a very stance in a highly competitive setting. It is motivation, in which a lack of, foresees an evident line of shortcoming and inadequacy. It arms and equips the mind it captivates with a fiery sensation of persistence and advancement. A very sensation resonated from the simplest limbic function to the fountain-like impressions of neurotransmitters. As an academic, motivation seems to rapidly converge from its former status to its latter purpose. Rapidly becoming a critical part of an academic's repertoire and consuming pages upon pages of thought, physical and philosophical; Motivations remains the essence of the human psychology. We may be able to describe its implications on the emotional and psychological fronts, but that doesn't give us the slightest clue as to how it functions physiologically, on the neuroanatomical and physiological front. But the discrepancy regarding the attaining of a motivated state remains unquestioned. Attaining or gaining a motivated mind-set is itself well beyond the boundaries of modern thought, but the sane mentality encounters it well within the ethos of his daily affairs. He isdriven by an 'invisible hand', analagous to that of Adam Smith as stated in his famed 'The Wealth of Nations'. Such a faceless and nameless entity is the spirit of motivation in itself and is a medium of accomplishemnt beyond reasonable and logical comprehension. If we were to boil down the nature of the motivational spirit to afew critical priniples one would encounter a concundrum, What should be arranged first, the latter or the former?

Tuesday 29 November 2011

Shririn Ebadi- Mother of Autonomy

The name, 'Shirin Ebadi', evokes shockwaves throughout the likes of western and eastern circles. Her laborious lobbying for some of the most controversial legislations have made her a direct threat to the implications of the Iranian Revolution. Fighting vigorously for the unalienable rights of her fellow citizen, she strives with courage to amend a revolutionary era for the women and children of the Islamic Republic. My recent reading and critique of her memoir, Iran Awakening, has evoked an intimate sense of both apprehension and recognition. She pledges the very prospect that the Iranian overthrow of 1979 served not only a hostile threat to the bureaucratic monarchy, it bred a collective 'political stigma' against the civil rights of women in the Islamic Republic. Ebadi, a judge and lawyer by profession, manifests her faith in her religious affiliation and in her political sentiment. She stands firm on all fronts other women would be view as a death sentence. Ebadi's nomination and winning of the 2003 Nobel Prize for peace further enhanced her reputation as a resilient and enduring 'alpha-female'. Rising against the odds, taking a radically adverse stance towards the controversial and resistant Iranian government. In the eyes of an Intellectual, a mere feminist with a vivid voice, to the philosopher, a conundrum yet to be conquered. But on a personal arena, Ebadi stands as the preeminent representation of a visionary coupled with the invaluable assets of her Islamic facets. The very prospect that a female born into the worst of political circumstances can rise as an inspiration to millions of fellow Iranians seems far-fetched in a world rife with tyrannical regimes ruling their provinces and nations with an iron-fist. In the case of Pre-Islamic Republic Iran, the exploitation of oil wealth and the dispersal of financial assets to the very few, led to it's downfall in the hands of revolutionary freedom-fighters. Doused with all the ingredients for an ideal muslim, feminine visionary; she remains revered locally and abroad. Propagating the plight of women for the most fundamental of civil-rights and provoking outrage in the psyches of her critics analysts. The sheer literary power of her memoir is only realised when one fully digests its flavorsome composition. Fiery with political ideology, superfluous with personal accounts of family and rife with explicit accounts as experiences as a political prisoner. Ebadi has composed a nexus of political and social thought around the span of a mere myriad of pages. When one gazes at her figure, they envision a familiar reality. Plentiful with personal accounts, outspoken and extraverted with political statement. This doesn't go to say Ebadi is a political radicalist nor a religious or theological extremist. Not a democrat, nor a republican she is the faceless, nameless mother of autonomy. The invaluable blessings of independence, freedom and autonomy are well interwoven throughout her very speech, thought and literature. A figure worthy of commendation, of praise and fortitude. As an intellectual with the proud aim of broadening one's personal horizons, one would approach a political statement such as the Iranian overthrow as a mere advantage to the rise in prominence and reverence of modern islamic political ideology. Ebadi is the contradiction, a striking reality check, conveyed through her individuality.

Friday 25 November 2011

Feminism- An Abridged Paradigm

She stands alluring, magnetic and radiant to her male counterparts, giver of birth and fertility to her family and a mere individual in the eyes of her superiors. She is the female, of an Islamic orientation. A conformist to the west, abiding to the status quo; disregarding the mentality of a visionary and playing a passive and submissive role in a highly competitive bureaucracy. My experiences with the downfall of female enlightenment, the death of open-mindedness and the divorcing of the female from the political and social scenes, have lead to several conjectures, but none of this magnitude. It is the philosophy propagated by schools of thought such as feminism that have made their rather memorable impressions, as bodies of individuals bound under a single banner. But it is this collective attitude that fails to narrow in on the individual and seek the very essence of the single female psyche. The female is more than a biological counterpart, rather a political, social and spiritual statement, attaining a mentality free from the roots of dogma and the senseless conventions preached by the hierarchy. This egalitarian and Utopian approach to women, more specifically those of an Islamic orientation, has been tarnished by the ethos of the west. The status quo, as illuminated by the facets of westernized culture and thought have infested the once flourishing community of Islamic females that took to the stage as it was blazed with the likes of tyrants, oppressors and dictators. She is caught in the midst of adoption, of a very mentality foreign to her faith and ideological values. It it that swift but radical absence of that visionary mentality. The very intellectual capacity to take revolutionary stances on the the political arena, the capacity to function socially while upholding the very tenets central to her faith seems far-fetched where the mentality has been dissolved, professing the embracing of westernism. The concept of conformity lacks any radical harm, but when one abandons the very essence the self and the inner psyche, exchanging it for a bureaucratic ideal, they are worthy of criticism from every front possible. It is critical to note the very evolution of the feminist thought with the advent of the twentieth century, the rise in prominence and regard of figures such as Betty Friedan, with her publication of the famed, The Feminine Mystique, fueled a collective cause, a very spirit, that would alter the perception of the female. But such philosophies promoted by figures such as Friedan lack tangible and intangible substance, leaving the female at bay, with whatever little resources at her disposal. The Islamic faith stands to preserve the individualistic collectivism that feminism has attempted to project to no logical avail. It is the radical propagation of western ideals in conjunction with the rise of colonialist sentiment that has erased the incidence of a female mentality untainted and unadulterated. It is that ever-lasting yearning for that radical 'alpha-female' that embeds within an intellectual that desire to meet her, which her thoughts shape constitutions, her words, like authortitive  commandments upon humanity and her figure, a rigid, flawless paradigm for her faction of society. 

Sunday 20 November 2011

Narcissists and Citizens- A Social Approach


Being a dignified and law-abiding citizen, I take respective stances on the social scene. Dealing and interacting with individuals of a multitude of ethnicities, faiths and political ideology. But what draws the line between a dignified citizen and a self-indulgent narcissist is the very prowess they exhibit  socially. The narcissist having composed a grandiose portrayal of themselves on the personal platform and on the social front. The citizen having approached every instance with at least a kernel of humility, chastity and modesty. Society thrives with an expansive population growth and a substantial density of individuals. Interaction is indiscriminate; it is a critical facet of citizenship, concerning the likes of the very young and the elderly. From the very instance one leaves the sanctuary of their home or dwelling, they are bombarded with cliché remarks of salutation from their fellow citizen. I, as an individual of rigor and dignity instigate and provoke such mentioning. A gleeful attitude is indicative of a promising and courteous psyche, whereas one exhibiting that of a manipulative and gluttonous gaze is promising of an undesirable encounter. Instigating a conversation starter is one phase, mastering the art of speech and articulation is another. One’s individual dexterity and capacity to compose a logically sound frequency of speech is profound to a colossal extent. The quality and ambiguity of vocabulary is critical, for the selection of individual terms evoke individual emotional and psychological reactions. Citizens that repeatedly apply colloquialism into their social linguistics are prone to immediate rebuttal by their fellow man, whereas one that utilises a strategic arsenal of terminology is endowed with respect and fortitude by their fellow citizen. The narcissist tends to be of a professional orientation, thus their articulation can be dubbed as strategic. The addition of voluntary gestures adds to the momentum and energy of the encounter for the citizen aims and is determined to disseminate their passion and enthusiasm. The narcissist displays his majesty and authority, evoking inferiority in the consciousness mind of the individual that is interacting with him. The citizen strives to conquer common ground and propagate vibes of equality, equity and egalitarianism. These two adverse psyches are the pinnacle of social interaction, a pair of chief classes that consume every member of society. But is it viable to restrict the mechanics of the social scene to physical and emotional facets, while disregarding the fundamentals?  For the sake of simplicity, it becomes affirmative, but when acknowledging the interconnections the facets of the social scene make, one would be foolish to indulge in the elementary to try to achieve a concise observation. This doesn’t go to say that social engagement is a philosophical concept, just as my other conjectures, rather a faction of human nature. The need to interact, share and assimilate ideas is at the cutting edge, rather than a conundrum probed by an eminent figure in modern philosophy. The division between narcissist and citizen emulated in every way, shape and form on the social scene. 

Saturday 19 November 2011

Hawking- Downfall of an Icon


Provocative, Intriguing, Revolutionary. Such terms correspond to his very psyche, his articulation, his intellectual regard and rigor. As a youngster, I still recall my thirst for his excellence, quenching it with pages upon pages of his work, transcripts of his encounters with the public and his blockbuster publications. The once highly regarded authority in his specialty, Stephen Hawking was the preeminent icon, a down-right representation of the progressive stances within  Theoretical Physics and the seemingly non-existent limitations of human physiology. I quoted, honoured and recalled his ground-breaking remarks and was motivated by his flattering psyche. Hawking has earned a combination of credibility, vilification and criticism for his recent movements. His publication of bestseller popular-science texts such as his famed A Brief History of Time, baffled and provoked positive reception for the multitude of claims made by modern physics. Although confined to the custody of a wheel-chair and the articulation of speech through the aid of a computer as a result of his neurodegenerative disorder, he has earned colleagues and critics probing the debates over some prominent metaphysical and theological conundrums. Hawking professes no belief in the existence or role of God or a divine being in the creation of the universe rather is dependant on the wealth of scientific claims made by his successors and predecessorsThe critically and logically minded surely questions to legitimacy of Hawking’s conjectures in his recent publication, The Grand Design. What drives such individuals of intellectual prestige to reject the faculties of logic and reasoning endowed to them seems far-fetched, particularly for the prospect that such faculties are paramount to their work, study and research. I am not critical of individuals that reject to manifest or profess a belief in a deity as the overlooker and creator of the universe, rather am deeply critical of individuals that maroon their humility and exchange it for an over-inflated ego. Hawking is more than a narcissist, he is a thinker lost in the realm he crafted from his own thought, a philosopher bamboozled by his own philosophy and a voyager on the threshold of the wrong route. It makes one quite queasy, to respect and commemorate a figure that has crafted nearly every facet of his personality, let alone his wisdom, exoteric and esoteric and then eventually scrutinise his mentalityHawking has that twist of panache that is unique in form and function. A persistence that defies the malady endowed upon him. But Hawking holds a shortcoming just as any physicist with a theoretical orientation, the composition of a Unified Field Theory, the very holy grail of popular-science, yet to be conquered. For better or worse, Hawking remains to Theoretical Physics what Homer was to Greek and what Chaucer was to English. A figure of eloquence coupled with a lust for scientific truth, a defiant psyche priming himself to conquer the unconquerable.

Thursday 17 November 2011

Tablet and Pen- The Thought Nexus

Armed with the conventional ballpoint biro and the traditional leaflets of copy paper, the limitations seem non-existant in a world bombarded with the likes of words flowing across the page at the speed of thought. One can pen the past, through the recollections of the exploits of Lawrence of Arabia, provoke controversy by critically approaching the movements of our superiors and predict turmoil beyond conceivable reach. The invaluable nature of literacy seems far fetched, predominately throughout the west, and ones intimate bending and moulding of the linguistics is limited to a small but dominate group of men. It is the union between tablet and pen that discharges a web, a nexus of ideas forming trillions of indefinite interconnections. This profound approach to modern literacy, indiscriminate of the circumstance, is on the threshold of the intimate understanding of the kinetics of writing. Through writing we can fabricate and concoct a revolutionary realm of nations or reinvent the stigma of the times. From the very moment that nib makes contact with the leaflet, the ink flows freely, guided by the electro-chemical processes of the mind, motioned by the expansion and contraction of the muscular-skeletal framework and provoked by the facets of human psychology. Literary Theory as a specialty, that disregards such tenets; rather focusing on the 'conventional' and 'practical' approach. Writers of the highest eminence, have exhibited this fundamental, either obliviously or sub-consciously. Others have provoked outrage and controversy with absolute disregard. The nexus of thought is critical for the writer assumes only one frame of reference, while an inconceivable chain of postulations dominates the literary landscape he has crafted. His work appears as a multitude of sentences fabricated from mere words bound by the dogma. Yet he is another victim of narrow-mindedness, a dogmatic personality, a mentality that fails to realise that words and their connotations are absoulte and flavoursome. An individual that fails to taste the essence of literature is deserving of criticism and ridicule, especially one that claims to be an esteemed member of the literary community. Words are rations, one must consume and digest without a degree of compromise and produce the maximumly desired effect. We may be on the verge of a new branch of literary theory, but it is the consensus of the literary body to accept and employ the fundamentals we ordain. This brings nostalgia from the days on the academic road, where intellectuals flourished against the odds and founded a new age of intelectual enlightenment. The instance has arrived for linguists, writers and literary academics to build a conceivable comprehension of the nexus, the labyrinth of thought that remains an esoteric principle. While the pen may be mightier than the sword, the sword may indeed exceed the proximity of the nexus, as it has been exhibited in western and eastern arenas. But it is that passion to interject, to contradict, to persuade and entice that has allowed this facet of literacy to prlitherate in a world of dogma and contradiction. It is that flowing of the ink from the pen, the thought from that of the mind and the motivation from that of the consciousness, that is the driving power behind literary power, literally!    

Sunday 13 November 2011

Sufism- The Pinnacle of Mysticism

Having being a renowned authority in the specialty of Metaphysics, philosopher Frithjof Schuon, dubbed religion as a mere 'adaptation to a particular mentality'. Faith, spanning many fronts, both polytheistic and monotheistic, foresees an evident line of division and partitioning. Whether as a direct result of dispute regarding theological affairs or friction concerning the interpretation of sacred texts and scripts. Sufism is nothing short of predominant, having being fashioned over centuries by the likes of philosophers, theologians and mystics. Often the target of stigmatization, bigotry and prejudice, this denomination seeks the inner with the outer. A sect not concerning the prospect of a political or juristic basis, rather one concerned almost solely with the spirituality interwoven between the created and the creator. It aims to emulate and perserve to commitment to the greater Jihad, a struggle against one's intoxicating passions and illicit desires. It encompasses the very annihilation of the ego, coupled by the life-long destiny to seek an interconnectedness to God, the divine being. It is this faction of the Islamic faith, that intrigues some of the most eminent intellectual and theological authorities in the west and attracts the interest of its fellow muslim counterparts. Sufism reflects the ever-growing tendency to deviate from the heirachy of the religion. In the Islamic sense this stems from the minuscule numbers of Sufis in comparison to the conventional 'mainstream' Islam. It is bent on the love for the creator, a deep and spiritual love in which the Sufis are directed to encountering upon their initiation and their exotic religious journey. The Sufi faction reflects the exponential increase in the incidence of spirituality in the Mystic sense, independence on the theological front and sky-rocketing intolerance exhibited by those whose views and philosophy are bred as a result of narrow-mindedness and bigotry. Such a sect is indicative of the fragility of human spirituality, in the Sufi sense, it is that yearning, that passion and that destiny to seek that metaphysical and spiritual bond with the creator. Having observed the ever-tolerated stigma projected to the Islamic mystics, I sought the truth, immersing myself in literature dating back eras. To broaden one's horizons, one must profoundly loose sight of the land and employ a diverse mentality, one not riddled with the dogma, what is considered 'conventional' and 'mainstream'; rather one that has an ambience of assimilation, the will and desire to produce an output with the input. Sufism may remain a secluded faction in the spectre of the average muslim, but its undying persistence in fulfilling the shortcomings of human spirituality are paramount to a faith that is directed towards submission to the divine will of God. Sufism is analogous to a wayfarer, journeying the wilderness of the desert, yet as his destination approaches him nearer and nearer he tastes the fruits of the vegetation that proliferates  across the seemingly life-less landscape. That destination is God, the wayfarer is the Sufi and the fruits are the mystical means of faith. The Sufis remain here to thrive, honour and commend their movement or resent and vilify their belief, but they as nation, as a people and as a denomination are a resilient set of alpha-males destined to attain the love for God.

Friday 11 November 2011

Reza Aslan- A Contemporary Intellectual

Often resembling that of a westerner behind dark rimmed spectacles, he stands as one of the most prominent, leading authorities on contemporary Islamic thought. Reza Aslan; scholar, writer and activist is an eminent figure on both the religious and secular fronts. His marriage of traditional wisdom with a modern standpoint makes him a revered intellectual in the world of literature and theological study. Aslan, an Iranian born American, has an expertise and persistance when the tables are turned to concern the likes of god, colonialism, extremism and globalisation. Such a personality is indicative of the changing attitudes towards wisdom and thought, conventional and unconventional in the realm of the Islamic faith. Aslan, having gained no traditional scholarly education or encounter has exploited the havens of the moderist western education. Armed with a doctorate in the sociology of religions, he makes his appearance with desirable expectations, earning him an esteemed status in the middle-east. His quite profound experiences during the Iranian Revolution of 1979, provides first hand view of not only his ancestry but also what his expertise encompasses. The very tenets of history, theology and literature remain deeply encapsulated within his works, including a number of best-seller texts such; No God but God: The Origins, Evolution and Future of Islam; How to Win a Cosmic War: God, Globalization and the End of the War on Terror. Such texts are centered around the changing attitudes towards Islamic Monotheism and the roles that hostility within the middle-east imply for the international community. Aslan is admirable, his pedantic toil in conjunction with a well composed series of objective works places him alongside some of the most esteemed intellectuals in Islamic Thought. His scholarly title, a well deserved honour in exchange for his intimate mastery of historical study spanning many faiths and millennia. It is critical to note Aslan's application of literary dexterity to the propagation of the Islamic philosophy. He has a resilient presence in the media as the figure head of contemporary Islam. Not as a figure shrouded in the attire of traditional thinkers, rather a conformist, to a certain extent, and a fragment of the ever controversial western civilisation. Aslan has served the binding interests of his fellow thinkers, combining literary prowess and capacity with a certain movement of diplomacy. He is the predominate representation of a modernist Islamic, a firm belief in the sure reality, the metaphysical and the absolute on the inside, a resemblance of valour and heroism on the academic front. He is on the treacherous path of winning a cosmic war as his striking and calculated mentality documents every conspiracy, historical affair or theological conundrum. Admirable his persistance and controversial his profound stances, Aslan is more than a modernist thinker, rather a visionary and a radical alpha-male prepared to conquer the academic fronts by any logical, calculated and educated means necessary. 

Sunday 6 November 2011

John Forbes Nash Jr.- Broken Genius

A figure of intrigue caught in the midst of predicament after predicament. Yet yearns to crack the conundrum teasing the likes of the most eminent figures in the realm of logic, mathematics and computation. John Forbes Nash remained in the public spotlight as a charismatic mathematician, climbing the ever growing ladder of success and recognition, that is on the surface of course. Deep inside this eccentric alpha-male is a bitter battle with the odds, one spanning the course of decades. Currently, this individual has been fixed into my thought, having started his biography by Sylvia Nassar, A Beautiful Mind, I seek Nash from the inside out. His specialty, Game Theory, is at the cutting edge of human rationality on the mathematical level, seeking calculated instances to taste the very fruits of success. This concept made him a pioneer of modern mathematical logic and won him the Nobel Prize in Economics in 1994. His breakdown is nothing short of breathtaking, with human rationality on one side the other held a bizarre and radical twist. Firmly, adamant regarding his mathematical wisdom as a revelation from extraterrestrials, he was diagnosed with a mental disorder, Schizophrenia. An ordeal spanning the course of decades, having been committed to the custody of mental institutions. For a man who achieved so much, his tale seems far-fetched, a fabrication to some minds, a mythology to others. Nash is the predominant proof of the mind's shortcomings. His passion for mathematical logic and age old conundrums drove him to discover conventional wisdom for himself, pushing away the literature. The biography first published in 1994, provides an ever revealing insight into his psychology, the mentality that drove him to be what he was and achieve was he aspired. Nash is a figurehead, not of the mathematical or philosophical fronts, but of the mind and the very consciousness encapsulated within it. His disorderly twist often breeds stigma, encouraging perspective to dwell on the psychiatric fronts rather than the computational lanscape he rules, when one thinks John Nash, they think Schizophrenia. The esoteric view is one I personally commend, indiscriminate of the circumstance,; Nash is a visionary, a pioneer with an uncanny twist. A very conservative point in comparison to the near five hundred or so pages of Nassar's biography. What drives individuals like Nassar to document in depth the lives ans times of such individuals still dumbfounds me, in the sense that such eccentric exploits do not fit into the categorisation of 'beautiful' as the title suggests, rather 'subtle' as the lexicon proposes. Nash made his way into this not as a result of his wisdom and flair, rather the intrigue that lies within his psyche, that is what interests me as an Academic.

Friday 4 November 2011

Classical Music- A Melodic Euphoria

The likes of Mozart, Beethoven, Vivaldi and others remain preeminent. Music, forming a large facet and central tenet to a wealth of nations, their culture and heritage as a whole. It is the age old art art of classical music and composition that many nations found themselves upon. An everlasting realm of provocative tunes and melodies, provoking the spirit and the soul to soar higher than ever.On a personal platform, sensations of intellectual enlightenment, spiritual and metaphysical connectivity and a pure passion to hear beyond what what is being projected. The profound implications of classical music have been shrouded in secrecy with the advent and inception of modernist composers taking to the stage. It is this public and collective attitude that I excessively resent. Nonetheless, my passion for Classical pieces primarily stems from the ecstasy evoked by Italian composer Antonio Vivaldi, my personal favorite being his 1725 composition of four prominent pieces, The Four Seasons. An ingenious application of rhythmic tune and a flawless proportion of repetition produce a substantially intuitive means to follow. Vivaldi's Spring exhibits this the most reputably, with a narrative theme behind the seemingly meaningless provocative melody. In addition, such pieces provide a means of inspirational motivation, with the melody being brewed deeply in the consciousnesses of the listener as he wonders at the architecture of tune and rhythm. This intellectual and emotion reaction remains esoteric with very few individuals possesing an intimate understanding of form and function, thus the piece is not approached in its full capacity. Others take a more vindictive stance, having regarded the melody as a random, meaningless and fruitless ordeal. I thrive on it, consume, digest and ponder its effect. Classical music is arguably the highest stance of human nature, with an illustrious intention in mind, a timeless composition can be bred, inspiring other visionaries to embark on such a meticulous quest of discovery and experimentation. I endorse this personal discovery, spanning many fronts, namely body and mind. A discovery of stimulation, where tune meets reality and the conscious mind is left in awe. If there were a biological basis or underpinning for the comprehension and assimilation of music it would certainly trigger the function of some of the most prominent regions of functional neuroanatomy. It is an ambiance, a very atmosphere where feelings are reflected and embraced, one where the heart pounds beats of passion as a timeless realm is realized. My approach to classical music stems primarily from my intrigue as to the neurological centers and platforms that it stimulates and enlightens, giving rise to voluntary and involuntary reaction. But exactly what reactions provoke  either an excititory or inhibitory effect. As a thinker, the esoteric view is in mind, music is a medium, the cultural equivalence to philosophy, the spiritual equivalence to science. In the long run, Mozart's adolescent orientation in unison with Vivald's methodological compostitons and Beethoven's panache, shall remain deeply encapsulated within the very tune, melody and rhythm.

Tuesday 1 November 2011

Blogging- A Subculture Demystified

Think an inexpensive means to convey your thoughts both economically and efficiently. One where through the tenuous threads of the world wide web, individuals can collaborate, comment and criticise some of the most anecdotal of statements to some of the most pedantically constructed papers. Blogging is more than a Subculture occupied by individuals that have a passion for information technology, rather a medium indiscriminate of the geographical location or quality of the intellectual rigor. Personally, I have observed blogging a limitless force in which its potential is often overlooked. Through the publishing of articles, critiquing of recent articles and criticism or commendation of current works, blogging is at the forefront of information and communication. On a weekly basis, my role as a blogger stems from my passion to provoke, enlighten and challenge the viewer. To evoke sensations of discovery and pleasure through literature. The production of articles seems the minimal responsibility of a frequent blogger, for their time is invested and centered in thought and interrogation. 'How will my audience interpret my work?'; 'What criticisms may arise?' and 'Am I making a logical and intelligent stance?' are just some of the wealth of questions that inevitably arise in the mind of the blogger. He or She has a personal role to fulfil, specific to their blog and their posts. In conjunction with this, the audience has a role to bring into completion, that is to analyse critically the very notions expressed in the blog and to make judgments based on the quality of the posts and their author. Unfortunately, a large proportion of my posts have been exposed to painstaking thought and experimentation, having fulfiled my role, the audience remains to fill the gaps. Frequently, I receive commendation and praise from my readers, but hardly make any recommendations or comments on how the article may be improved or what logical errors or fallacies I may have made obliviously or knowingly. Moreover, their seems a large proportion of my readers and audience that produce their own blogs to compete with mine, fortunately they haven't made any substantial progress! I would have great pleasure in seeing my followers criticise and comment analytically and post articles that refute my claims. Because a facet of human nature is to object, to refute and to criticise. To rebell and take up arms. Unfortunately, such 'human nature' is not exhibited by the members of my blog and I would like to see more criticism being propagated surrounding my articles. On the flip side, on an international level I have received some positive reception with individuals stretching from as far as the United States, Germany and Indonesia being inspired by my motivational wisdom. Blogging has its rewards both intellectually and socially, its resources produce intellectual superpowers and motivate individuals to ponder further than ever. A subculture of which its capacity breeds generation of scholarly personalities from the simplest of issues and conundrums.

Thursday 27 October 2011

Embryology- A Quranic Basis

The miraculous inception of life is well documented within the literature. Embryological texts presenting the cellular, chemical and biological basis for ovulation, fertilisation and creation. It was however, a text represents not the likes of science, history, not a sermon nor an academic work; rather itself, the Holy Quran. The Quran remains the central text to Islam, its believed revelation 1400 years ago to an illiterate Meccan, Muhammad (pbuh) is an astonishing factor when dissecting the very basis it forms for one of the more recently founded fields. The study of embryology deals with the developing human in its mothers womb, furthermore, it is intriguing note that remaining a field originating in the modern west, its central tenets were unveiled along the treacherous deserts of Arabia. The Quran itself comprises of approximately 3500 verses segmented across some 114 chapters known as 'Surahs' in the Arabic linguistics. Several Surahs and their verses describe in the deepest of detail the most prominent of stages of human development. In Surah 'Al Muminoon' (Chapter 23) verses 12-14, Allah states, "And certainly did we create man from an extract of clay, then we placed him as sperm drop in a safe lodging, then we turned that sperm drop into a clinging clot and made the clot into a lump of flesh, then fashioned it into bones, then we covered those bones with flesh and created another creation". It is this analytical series of verses that cover the inception of the developing human in conjunction with Surat ' Al Alaq' verses 1 to 2, "Recite in the name of your lord who created , created man from a clinging substance". Dr Keith Moore, on of the most eminent authorities in modern science commended the Quran and its scientific proofs, claiming that such a revelation 'must have come from God to Muhammad. The third edition of his publication, 'The Developing Human', was inspired by much of the embryological proofs proclaimed in the Holy Quran. In addition, this places the Quran and the Islamic faith as an interconnected series of concepts. A scientific basis for a Holy text is nothing short of profound, more specifically the detailed outlook of the development  of the species for which practices its teaching and commandments. Moreover, it paves a steadfast in the belief and faith in a deity that is both omnipotent and omnibenevolent. Embryology's humble origins can be seen evidently and manifestly through the not the theoretical throught of the Greeks nor the anatomical images sketched by Da Vinci himself, rather in a text that incorporates perfect linguistics with both form and function.

Monday 24 October 2011

Partners of the Heart- Dr Vivien Thomas

Medicine. A specialty of prestige often viewed as the pinnacle of human thought and wisdom on the physiological level. Often viewed as a field composed of individuals with rigor, vigorous learning and abstract thinking skills. But during the great depression of the 30s, an African American carpenter set to rewrite both the rules and the literature as his live affair with surgical precision and the heart set a revolutionary feat in modern medicine. Backed by Dr Alfred Blalock, he was delegated a laboratory position at the prestigious Johns Hopkins University hospital. His meticulous effort in the lab, helped solve and age old conundrum, Blue Baby Syndrome, a condition arising from the instance of cyanotic heart lesions that inevitably resulted in death. It is crucial to credit the fact that overnight studies of cardiovascular anatomy and physiology forged his passion for the heart. His name was Vivian Thomas. Driven by the urge to attend college and earn a degree and break the racial attitudes of the day. However, his recognition was cut short , instead of his revolutionary stances being credited in the vaults of history he remained in the background as his unworthy colleagues tasted the fruits of fame. Nearly 30 years after his death, he was portrayed by Mos Def, in the 2004 film, 'Something the Lord Made'.  Thomas went on to earning an honorary doctorate at Johns Hopkins. Dr Thomas  set a new standard, a new benchmark and in turn is the undisputed founder of modern Cardiac-Surgery . A living, breathing representation of African American heritage and medical excellence at its best.

Monday 17 October 2011

Alzheimer's- The Dementia Realm

The erosion of thought and its processes. In short, that is what the most common form of Dementia is. Alzheimer's disease stems from the extensive research executed by german psychiatrist Alios Alzheimer and the observations made regarding it anatomy and physiology. The degradation of memory, logic, reasoning and some of the most fundamental tenets of human intellect sees the onset of Alzheimer's, a lingering, malicious disease targeting none other than our esteemed seniors. Statistics explicitly indicate both an exponential increase in the incidence of Alzheimer's and an increase in the chance of its diagnosis every five years once an individual has reached their late sixties. Inevitably leading to death, those confined with Alzheimer's become mere 'living corpuses', having no intellectual basis for their observations and and having a severe encounter with Amnesia and other related memory disfunction.
So what can be derived? Alzheimer's is indicative that the brain is susceptible to disease, disorder and disfunction that morph into the degeneration of consciousness and ones ability to manipulate thought and recall some of the most memorable of memories. Alzheimer's is merely another front that physicians and neuropathologists alike have to conquer, in conjunction with a long line of disorders that have been evident since the existence of life. Alzheimer's disease is analogous to that of Cancer; a highly malignant impairment in which we are no closer to finding a cure than our attempt to irradiate the common cold.