Sunrise

Truth Minority

I have always been an admirer of Gandhi. This quote particularly struck me as relevant. It appears that we all have to pay a price for citing the truth. The most recent experience I have had was on John Cusack's Twitter account.   

Rumi

I was introduced to the poet Rumi by a young man whom I called the Prince of Kashmir. He was a 13th Century Persian poet who wrote the most beautiful poetry. Wikipaedia has more about him. A collection of Rumi's poetry can be downloaded here. There is a website dedicated to him here.

Parrot love.

This is a video of a rare parrot. Stephen Fry is narrating the rather unusual events that took place. Its quite hilarious. 

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Sacrilege

Interesting music video. The song is pretty good as well.

Albert Einstein. How I see the world?

This is a excellent documentary about how Einstein saw the world. Gives a different perspective of how we should view the life around us. 

Donations. Press Freedom Foundation, Bureau of Investigative Journalism

Following my previous posts concerning my skirmish with John Cusack and the Press Freedom Foundation, I came across some interesting material written by a UK Member of Parliament. As everyone will recall, I asked John Cusack a question on the reliability of journalism originating from the Bureau and the fact that the US public should be made aware of the scandal in the UK. His response was to cite that I did not do my home work alleging that my question was invalid. Everyone can read his response here. I subsequently ceased to support the Press Freedom Foundation. 

Anyhow, having done my home work, I came across this link.

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has just tabled this Early Day Motion:

"That this House deplores the appalling quality of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism’s investigation into Lord McAlpine for Newsnight, notes that the former Managing Director of BBC Television, Will Wyatt, described it as ‘completely terrible journalism’, notes that the Bureau of Investigative Journalism has previously criticised Help for Heroes, believes the Bureau of Investigative Journalism is totally discredited as a serious producer of quality journalism, regrets that the investigation has taken attention away from other very serious allegations of child abuse, and calls on the following organisations to cut all ties and refuse to donate any more money to the Bureau of Investigative Journalism: City University, The David and Elaine Potter Foundation, Oxfam, The Green Park Foundation, Stamp Out Poverty, Save the Children and The Joseph Rowntree Reform Trust."

The related debate is worth a read here and here. It is also interesting that the Daily Mail had this to say about the credibility of the Bureau of Investigative Journalists.

"Six months after launch, the BIJ was working with The Guardian and other news organisations in preparing the WikiLeaks release of classified American military documents. But in giving an interview to an American magazine, BIJ managing editor Iain Overton leaked 'major details' which, The Guardian said this weekend, 'put the entire project in jeopardy'.   

An investigation of the Help for Heroes charity was also described by its subject as 'misleading'.  

Earlier this year, one of the Bureau's staff confided that the original seed money had almost run out and the BIJ needed to secure new revenue sources. They have even turned to very unlikely benefactors such as Oxfam. But there was an ever greater need to find paid work at relatively wealthy channels such as the BBC"

Anyhow, my question therefore stands - should the public be donating to this organisation? The public can only make an informed decision. They can only do so with this information. Do the US public know about the scandal in the UK? Now, that is the real question isn't it?

Holi : India's Festival of Colours

India's Festival of Colours is truly beautiful. It happens to be due this week. If you wish to read about the origins of this Hindu festival, you can read it here. The most romantic aspect of Holi is this - a man who loves you will gently caress your face with the colours of holi. He essentially smears colour on your face.  It signifies love and the colour it brings to a girl's life. 

Winter Wonderland at Hillside

In the dead of winter, I was shopping at a local supermarket. I dragged myself outside laden with supermarket bags. I then tripped over a stand for Hillside. I spoke to a gentleman who was raising finances for them. While he spoke to me, I flicked through all their leaflets. Having done so, I poured all my change into his collection bucket. A few weeks later, Hillside were leading an investigation into UK's horse neglect. Anyway, I like the ethics of Hillside Animal Sanctuary. So far everyone I have helped has in turn donated to this charity. This charity is really worth donating to. I think England is becoming quite barbaric towards its animals really. I think something must be done to instil some kindness in this world. Anyway, as the snow is upon us again, I thought I would feature the Winter Wonderland Video - its my favourite. Hope everyone who reads this donates something small to the Sanctuary. Every little will indeed help.

Light of the Heart

This shot was done quite by accident. I took a series of pictures of the evolving sunrise. What I didn't realise was the heart shape created by the trees. Now that was an interesting aspect of this photo and it just about fits with the title of the poem I wrote some time ago. The poem is here.

You would have me walk with you.

Just loved this song today.

Of Winter Sunset And The last Sunbeam

A final beam, a winter's sight,

As one last ray, doth caress the earth,

With a gentle and most charming light;

Whereupon the sun, now doth call the night.

Where moon does rise and stars gleam bright,

Where trees do glitter with frost and snow,

And where path does glint, a billion diamonds show,

Like some old fashioned winter from long ago~

Sleep well my darling for the day is gone,

Yet tomorrow will spread her wings, anon!

Written by James Mee

Photography by Rita Pal

An Old Border Collie.

The humane decision was the hardest to bare. On a summer’s evening, he lay still on the green grass. His silky ears drooped elf-like as the flowers around him seemed to reflect the beauty of his personality. He did not bark anymore or bring his hoop to me begging me to play. The wind blew through his fur and on this day, he could not chase the wind and run down the garden. Today, the birds didn’t fly away and the squirrel didn’t mock him. They all sat on the garden fence wondering what had happened. These were his friends for many years. 

My tea and a half eaten croissant lay untouched. I remembered how he would take my croissant at teatime and run as fast as his paws could carry him. Robbie often looked back and laughed at me because he knew I could not run as fast as him. Time stood still.  The eerie nature of death spun around me affecting the trees, the wind, the flowers and the luscious grass. The sun was dead. The clouds had  returned. There was no sound of his jingling collar. The replay started in my head. 

Tears streamed down my eyes for my mind’s eye could only remember his wet nose nuzzling into my arm only a few hours ago. He did not know the importance of the decision I had to make. He came to me with his hoop and asked me to play with him as he had done every day for twenty two years. I had embraced him but I had to be strong. My eyes peered to the floor while the tears dropped uncontrollably. The floor was smeared with blood. The blood dropped from him yet he wished to play his last game of hide and seek or chase the birds down the garden. He waddled gradually down the garden obviously in pain. I knew today was the last day I would see my best friend. I had to make the decision to end his life. He had cancer and at twenty-two, his vet had stated that there was nothing to be done for my dog. 

Strength was the hardest thing to find as it is shrouded in the weakness of love. Human beings had always been prone to flaws and selfish traits but when the world had let me down; at home I knew Robbie had waited for me patiently. His barks would take the tears away and make me smile on the worst of my days. Today, though he was weak and didn’t bark to comfort me. Memories of how he had waited patiently for me outside school in the rain, refused to eat until I had dinner, woke me up when he saw someone in danger and pawed the emergency button to try and help my father, came running through my mind. 

This fateful day drove a sword through me. This pain crippled me.  He was only a dog but to me he had been my best friend for many years with his distinctive playful character. How could I kill the one I loved? Prayer was not my forte but today, I wanted to believe that through my decision, the one above would watch over my wonderful friend. Today, I needed to dial G for God and say “ Hey Mr God, take care of my best friend because it is time for you to look after him, make sure he has that same dog food and his hoop to play with”. I had no assurances. I simply had the powers of nature and my belief that Robbie would be safe, safe from the wickedness of age. 

My voice trembled as I asked and paid for two vets to terminate my dog in his own surroundings. Robbie had preferred flowers, his garden, his own furry quilt and I for one did not want him to be frightened. We laid our tired dog down for the last time. We stroked his black and white fur. The tip of his tail was white just like the first day he had been brought to me as a puppy. His tartar teeth showed as he panted playfully. His strength was leaving him and his whimpers indicated he was in pain. His coat of black and white silk grew cold. The injection had been given into his right paw, he  quivered then lay still. Gradually his pupils widened and our tears dripped upon his coat. 

Robbie was laid to rest at the bottom of our garden. We buried him with his hoop and toys. The gusts of wind were eerie and blew through me on that day. I sat by his grave for what seemed hours. Clouds came and went, the sky turned from white to black. The moon appeared, Robbie did not howl like he used to. The moon disappeared and the bright orange paint wiped the sky. It was a new day. 

Through the corner of my eye, I can still catch a glimpse of my best friend on a bright sunny day. Instinct tells me he is well taken care of; he plays in the gardens of heaven and visits me in my dreams. He yaps with his hoop insisting I play with him, shreds my newspapers, sits on the dining table and gobbles up all the food, chases the birds around the garden, talks to the rabbit  - afterall he still lives through the memories in my mind’s eye. 

The Beauty of the Rose

This is one of my photographs. It happens to have captured the rose in the right light. I knew a man once. That man was my father. He told me that in the complexities of the world we live in, it is the beauty of the rose that is the most flawless. Nature gives us so many wonders but each day we walk by them in favour of so many other aspects of life. Part of my world of photography is to capture nature. Even a thing of beauty will eventually die. This rose did. 

As roses go, I quite like this quote :-

“But he who dares not grasp the thorn 

Should never crave the rose.” 

― Anne Brontë

Wolf

Always thought this was rather hilarious. Cute wolf :)

I Don't Support The Press Freedom Foundation

Over the last 48 hours, I have had a lot of communication about whether or not I support the Press Freedom Foundation. My position is as follows

I spent many hours supporting, publicising and writing about the work done by Press Freedom Foundation. Indeed, one of the ideas for the Twitter campaign hastag - #bradleymanning was suggested by me. I also wrote the piece Bradley Manning - A Whistleblower Reprisal and had initially had further plans to support their work. 

Over the past week, following a number of queries about the Bureau of Investigative Journalism, one of their board members decided on censoring my viewpoint.  I wrote the matter up here. In summary, I had asked how reliable the Bureau was given the recent libel scandal in the UK concerning Lord McAlpine. This centred around the seriously faulty information supplied by the Bureau.

Following the questions, not only did he censor me, he maligned my ability as a writer and scientist publicly. I am aware that Press Freedom Foundation has attempted contact with me quite late in the day - demanding that I produce my email in a public forum where I had already been subjected to a tirade of hateful material. The experience has caused me to essentially lose my respect for this organisation quite rapidly. It is therefore not an easy task to accede to demands and orders.

There was no consideration for my livelihood, my family or the distress caused to me. The correct way would have been to send my questions to the board for a formal response. I am still unsure why I was subjected to a tirade of comments casting aspersions on my ability. Clearly, it is important for the Foundation to silence small voices they consider irrelevant.

A public apology for the manner in which Mr Cusack behaved will not be forthcoming to rectify the disaster caused. Superstars are always right afterall even if they maybe wrong.

Moreover, every journalist should be aware that if they question or criticise any viewpoint contrary to that of Press Freedom Foundation, steps are taken to reduce your credibility on-line. This is not in line with their motto of transparency and and it does not encourage

 "BUILDING A STRONGER FOUNDATION FOR PRESS FREEDOM AND TRANSPARENCY IN A DIGITAL AGE"

In summary, I understand that the Press Freedom Foundation has far more important work to do in the world. Nevertheless, this kind of censorship activity at ground level is not fruitful. It also demonstrates double standards. I find the Press Freedom Foundation lacking in empathy, arrogant, dogmatic, blinkered in its focus, lacking in basic human kindness or consideration. It is clear that I was meant to be taught a lesson by the teachers at a higher plane and admonished for asking a question based on the legitimate media furore in the United Kingdom.

I hope one day they realise that if they cannot manage the basics human empathy, they will never manage to gain the respect of those of us who have the ability to think and stand by our principles.

Cusack and his associates have done what is in their self interest. The rest of us merely have to live by the repercussions of their actions because they are superstars and we are mortals. As mortals, we don't even have the basic right to question superstars. Moreover, there is no accountability for the catastrophic  repercussions and consequences for their failure to control their fiery temper. There is no remedy for those of us who consider their fame, money and trappings irrelevant in the real world. They have often lost what matters most - their ability to see the hurt they cause.

This is the final post I shall be writing on the matter. For me the matter is closed. I will not respond to any further communication on this issue with the public or the media. I hope this post makes my position on this matter clear. I wish the Press Freedom Foundation well in their endeavours.

“How much more grievous are the consequences of anger than the causes of it.” 

― Marcus Aurelius, Meditations

Previous Posts

1.John Cusack's Enchanted Gardens.
2. John Cusack's Grapes of Wrath.
3. Donations -Press Freedom Foundation - Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

Fire Sky

This winter, the morning sky has been magnificent. This is a picture of a red sky in the horizon. This picture is taken from my window. It was spectacular to the naked eye. One of the miracles of nature really. It is certainly worth waking up to this.

Over the past centuries there is an ancient rhyme often repeated my mariners

Red sky at night, sailor's delight.

Red sky at morning, sailor take warning

"The rhyme is a rule of thumb for weather forecasting, dating back over 2,000 years, based on the reddish glow of the morning or evening sky, caused by haze or clouds related to storms in the region. Due to the rotation of the Earth, from west to east, storm systems tend to travel eastward across a local region of the globe.A reddish sunrise, caused by particles suspended in the air, often foreshadows an approaching storm, which will be arriving from the West, within the day. Conversely, a reddish sunset often indicates that a storm system is on the west side (same side as the sunset), travelling away from the viewer. A similar movement is noted all around the world, in both the northern and southern hemisphere.There are occasions where a storm system might rain itself out before reaching the observer (who had seen the morning red sky). However, for ships at sea, the wind and rough seas, from an approaching storm system, could still be a problem, even without rainfall"

William Shakespeare  said something similar in his Venus and Adonis.

“Like a red morn that ever yet betokened,

Wreck to the seaman, tempest to the field,

Sorrow to the shepherds, woe unto the birds,

Gusts and foul flaws to herdmen and to herds.”

In the Bible at Matthew 16:2-3, Jesus is quoted as saying,

"When in evening, ye say, it will be fair weather: For the sky is red. And in the morning, it will be foul weather today; for the sky is red and lowering."

Anyway, those are the tales behind the red sky. It is worth waking up for the fire sky. I have this theory - if you wake up to a fiery sky, your day is lit up by the light from its fire.

Misguided Fool

As soon as you sound like him

Give me a call

When you're so sensitive

It's a long way to fall

Whenever you need a home

I will be there

Whenever you're all alone

And nobody cares

You're just a poor misguided fool

Who thinks they know what I should do?

A line for me and a line for you

I lose my right to a point of view

Whenever you reach for me

I'll be your guide

Whenever you need someone

To keep it inside

Whenever you need a home

I will be there

Whenever you're all alone

And nobody cares

You're just a poor misguided fool

Who thinks they know what I should do?

A line for me and a line for you

I lose my right to a point of view

I'll be your guide in the morning

You cover up bullet holes

As soon as you sound like him

Give me a call

When you're so sensitive

It's a long way to fall

You're just a poor misguided fool

Who thinks they know what I should do?

A line for me and a line for you

I lose my right to a point of view

I happen to love this song and its lyrics. I play it every morning without fail. Since I found StarSailor, their lyrics have changed me in many ways. It is strange how music inspires us but for a number of years, I have not been able to live without my Star Sailor albums. I wrote a review on them on the Huffington Post. It was my first music review as a writer.

Google Love

I have always loved Google. There are a number of reasons for my unconditional love. Firstly, because of them, I have been able to write my ideas and thoughts on the internet. They are always reliable and I love their silly quirky artwork on the search engine. My only regret is that I never did get to marry a tech from Googleplex but I always live in hope :). Most women dream of marrying actors, rock stars etc. I just dream of marrying a Google tech :) :). Then, I have always had this soft spot for intelligent geeks. 

Google went up in my estimations following their performance in India. India is known for its net censorship. The Hindustan Times describe's Google's performance. Read it here . This is what Google had to say 

"We cannot censor the Web. We cannot censor the ability of people to express themselves around the world," Arora told a news channel on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum at Davos. 

"You are asking not just censor the Web in India, you are asking to censor the entire world wide web. The Web has no borders. 

"I think the idea of censoring everything and pre- clearing everything is going to fundamentally, sort of, taint the growth of the Indian economy in India and vis-a-vis the world," he added.

So bravo to Google for standing up against regimes who attempt to censor free speech. So everyone finally understands why I love Google unconditionally.

The Pink Sky Carpet

The beautiful thing about dawn is the range of colours in the sky. When all is quiet and the world is yet to wake up, there are aspects of the sky that can be captured by the naked eye or a good camera. I love watching the dawn break and the sun set. During these times, nothing else that goes around in the world or your life actually matters in the grand scale of the magic of our universe.

I took up photography recently and it was a nice surprise when the local paper published the above picture in their Gallery of Talented Photographers. The tragedy here is that while every other photographer has expensive cameras and can talk about them, I just have a smartphone camera. For the last two weeks, I have repeatedly been asked about my photography and I sheepishly have to admit that I haven't used a proper camera. The next question I am always asked is - why did I take up photography. Well, I actually wanted to remind myself of how beautiful our world is. I felt that  the complexity of modern society  pulls us down. In search for financial progress, we lose ourselves and our link to the world.

This was an experiment in my relationship with nature. I wanted to belong to the world as opposed to feeling dissociated from it. My theory is that we are born as part of nature or the universe. Urban life though moves so fast that we become dissociated from the world. I don't think human beings are really meant to be able to deal with the trials and tribulations of modern life - with all its technology, its great expectations and its pressures. Modern society is probably an abnormal environment and we are all expected to deal with it as if we are perfect creatures. At least that is the way everyone around us behave.

Part of my journey to find the world is really through my adventures in photography. I have been able to understand many aspects of nature through it. Here is my Facebook page.

NB With thanks to my local paper for encouraging me.

John Cusack's Grapes of Wrath :).

"Enough of You. Do your homework"  

For months, the headline news filled with the fiasco concerning England's Lord McAlpine. He was falsely accused by BBC's Newsnight and their associates, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. A scandal broke out after the victim denied the involvement of Lord McAlpine. Lord McAlpine litigated under libel law and many media outlets have settled. This was the biggest libel scandal in recent years. 

By November 2012, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism was in financial crisis. The Daily Mail rolled into action and uncovered the Bureau's association with much criticised organisation - Common Purpose. These articles can be read here, here and here. I make no judgment on Common Purpose save to say that anyone donating to an organisation should be aware of their background and criticisms listed here. It may or may not give rise to bias or a potential conflict. In the interests of transparency these links should be disclosed to the public. 

It is interesting to note that following the recent financial crisis, the Bureau of Investigative Journalism can be found on the website of the Press Freedom Foundation. The website requests donations from the public to the Bureau. Everyone else does laudable work but what bothered me was the past of the Bureau. The second aspect that bothered be was the impact of the Bureau's scandal on the board members of Press Freedom Foundation - all of whom are people of integrity. 

Unfortunately, when the write-up on the Press Freedom Foundation website is read here, we note that no mention is made of the Bureau's link to Common Purpose or their past with Lord McAlpine. It is for this reason, I asked one of the Board members to inform the  US public of the UK media furore so those who do donate can make an informed decision. My question was this - if the Bureau of Investigative Journalism can get it wrong in the case of Lord McAlpine, what assurances do we have that they will get it right in other more complex issues of public safety? So I asked both Freedom of the Press Foundation and John Cusack  [Actor] why they supported the Bureau given the Daily Mail exposure on them. 

This was Mr Cusack's response. Following that, I decided to ask further questions on the issue of transparency. My list of questions below questioned whether or not it was fair that the US public may not have been fully appraised of the Lord McAlpine libel scandal. 

The organisation that cites 

"Freedom of the Press Foundation provides you with an easy way to donate to cutting-edge journalism organizations dedicated to transparency and accountability"

Sadly, following those questions, its board member was keen to censor me. Leading actor John Cusack decided that he could not respond to my questions meaningfully. He commenced on an attack on my credibility and integrity. 

To more than 1 million people, he decided to question my research skills. This is all well and good but he has not been able to defend the two points put to him. He may have successfully censored my voice that has asked basic and obvious questions but he cannot run from the truth. My concern of course was that a organisation [The Foundation] with laudable and excellent values/aims should not be tarred with the reputation that currently surrounds the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. Moreover, John Cusack, who works tirelessly for human rights, should not maligned by the reputation of potentially unreliable journalism that is currently attached to the Bureau following the Lord McAlpine Scandal. 

Cusack has never denied the Lord McAlpine issue or the Common Purpose link. Instead, he decides to be master of the world and send me off for some "home work". This condescending remark had the effect he wanted. I was bombarded with people mocking me. I suspect that would have pleased him. By engaging in insults, maligning me and essentially discrediting me, he shifts attention from the real questions. By seeking to damage my credibility the eyes of the reader focusses on me not the role of the Bureau in the Lord McAlpine case.

To prevent my response to him, he censored me. A block on Twitter essentially means any evidence of my comments on this subject disappears. People are not able to read my comments on the issue. I was not able to access some trails of conversations either.

Perhaps it was naive of me to believe that Cusack would at least understand the requirement of transparency especially when public donations are involved. It is important for every member of the public to understand the part of the Bureau of Investigative Journalism in the Lord McAlpine case and subsequently Common Purpose. Only then can a person make an informed decision as to whether or not to donate finances. Cusack mistakenly believes that I need to persuade myself of the Bureau's integrity. This is not so. It is the public who should be better informed about one of the biggest libel scandals in the United Kingdom. People believe Cusack without question therefore he owes them the duty to declare news that is relevant.

In memory of Cusacks' momentous effort at blocking and censoring me, I thought I would feature this. 

Sedley LJ "Redmond-Bate v Director of Public Prosecutions [1999] EWHC Admin 732 which is persuasive in all jurisdictions

"Mr. Kealy was prepared to accept that blame could not attach for a breach of the peace to a speaker so long as what she said was inoffensive. This will not do. Free speech includes not only the inoffensive but the irritating, the contentious, the eccentric, the heretical, the unwelcome and the provocative provided it does not tend to provoke violence. Freedom only to speak inoffensively is not worth having. What Speakers’ Corner (where the law applies as fully as anywhere else) demonstrates is the tolerance which is both extended by the law to opinion of every kind and expected by the law in the conduct of those who disagree, even strongly, with what they hear. From the condemnation of Socrates to the persecution of modern writers and journalists, our world has seen too many examples of state control of unofficial ideas. A central purpose of the European Convention on Human Rights has been to set close limits to any such assumed power. We in this country continue to owe a debt to the jury which in 1670 refused to convict the Quakers William Penn and William Mead for preaching ideas which offended against state orthodoxy". 

I am of course a no-one, Mr Cusack is a someone. Nevertheless, the facts on this case speak for themselves. These facts have been strewn throughout the UK media for many months now. Cusack cannot absolve the Bureau of their negative role in the Lord McAlpine Libel Scandal.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

Lastly, if you do read this John -  I apologise for the fact my questions caused you some irritation. It was never my intention. I merely sought responses to my legitimate questions in the public interest. Many thanks for all you have done for me - first you publicised my article on whistleblower Bradley Manning - now you have probably made me unemployable in the field of journalism by questioning my credibility and research skills and hurling insults at me. You must always do whatever makes you feel happiest. If directing your anger at me makes you feel better - please carry on as you are the King of your world.

My intention was to protect your organisation from problems in the future because I believed in the good work you were doing. Clearly, you do not share or understand this viewpoint.

Incidentally, whatever you do to silence me - the truth will always be the truth. Whenever you are calmer and have understood the above, feel free to contact me. I am still and always will be your friend whether we agree or disagree on subjects. The normal way to deal with subjects is to discuss them. Clearly, you prefer your own point of view. I guess in your view, no one can question the Bureau of Investigative Journalism. This is despite the fact that every single media outlet has questioned them in the UK.

Censoring and maligning me does not remove the facts as they stand. I cannot follow all you say without questioning you. You question everyone - I have a right to behave just as you do.

Just to remind you of your butterflies :-

"The butterfly effect is the root of chaos theory and was first articulated by by Edward Lorenz. It refers to the characteristic of chaotic systems to have greatly varying final states due to the subtle differences in initial conditions. In other words, a ripple effect that is often described as a flap of a butterfly wing in Brazil, could in theory, set off a tornado in Texas.."

Perhaps this was that tornado :).

The most interesting if not amusing aspect about John Cusack is that he never questioned my research skills or ability when I wrote the article in the Huffington Post on Bradley Manning - a case he feels passionate about. He even tweeted it! We conclude, I am mad, bad and sad if I don't agree with him and on the occasions I do support his campaigns, I am a competent writer :).

“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.” 
― George Orwell

Related Posts.

1. John Cusack's Enchanted Gardens.
2. I don't Support The Press Freedom Foundation
3. Donations - Press Freedom Foundation - Bureau of Investigative Journalism.

John Cusack's Enchanted Gardens

After midnight, I aimlessly ended up following John Cusack on Twitter. It was one of those surreal winter nights after I had tried to fathom out the winter night sky of stars. I decided that perhaps a human star was easier to decipher. 

Cusack happens to be a famous Hollywood actor with legions of beautiful women raining on him every second. I am neither glamorous, beautiful or famous but I do love chocolate and butterflies. It was these butterfly pictures he had tweeted that fascinated me. I wondered if this theory worked. This is written by Mr Joe Dubois, an aeronautical engineer. 

" Now, back to butterflies. A monarch butterfly can teach us to put our life in context with the lives of others around us. There is another butterfly effect that I learned about while studying nonlinear dynamics in my graduate-level mathematics classes. The butterfly effect is the root of chaos theory and was first articulated by by Edward Lorenz. It refers to the characteristic of chaotic systems to have greatly varying final states due to the subtle differences in initial conditions. In other words, a ripple effect that is often described as a flap of a butterfly wing in Brazil, could in theory, set off a tornado in Texas..... The little things that my grandparents and parents did affect me now. I am certain that the things I am doing are affecting my children's future in ways that I may never know"

My first caustic remark with my usual British sense of humour got me under fire by his female fans. The sensible thing to do would be to cease being caustic as women were clearly protective of him. I really didn't like the idea of being chased down the Chicago streets by legions of women waving their designer handbags at me. 

Cusack is an intelligent man with a depth that is hardly seen in people these days. There is no doubt about that. He has a higher than average intellect with an interest in the world around him. While his eccentricities are mocked by many of his Twitter followers, to me he is just an average kind of guy trying to understand the way the world works. It must be an impossible task to deal with such severe scrutiny on every move you make and every breath you take. 

While the probability of Cusack and I meeting face to face is less than zero, only in the world of Twitter can you actually crash into a Hollywood star and exchange the odd word or two. The nicest aspect about Cusack's Twitter account is that it attracts the nicest of people. Through him, I have probably met some of the loveliest and most original people around. Of course, one cannot ever have too many friends and I quite liked the idea of learning about the US for a change.

So in the evenings, to discuss everything from paintings of butterflies to the US intelligence, I float onto John Cusack's Twitter page. Every day is different depending on his mood, his reading material and his fan base of beautiful women. 

Cusack's Twitter feed is a bit of a intellectual challenge. So, while I aimlessly posted comments that I presumed would go unnoticed, Mr Cusack decided to Retweet my comments not just once in a week - but three times. This included the recent article on Huffington Post. I had written this after his fast whistle-stop tour in US political intrigue surrounding the case of Bradley Manning. This was an important case and I never would have understood it in such detail without John's passion for the it. Coincidentally, I happened to have written a research paper on whistleblowing as well a few years ago. Even worse, I happen to have been a whistleblower in my past life. 

While most women fizz with excitement at his ReTweets, I was actually crippled with fear :). Hell, what on earth do you say to a Hollywood Star when " Thankyou" just doesn't seem enough? As hiding under my duvet and my goosefeather pillows was no longer an option, I decided to simply face the music. 

With his Re-Tweets came endless mails, DMs and messages from his various Twitter followers. He has more than a million of them by the way. After that, I had to cope with the fact my friends ended up texting, mailing and screaming like teenage girls on an Elvis trip. Even worse, my family of women keeps talking about how debonair and handsome he is. And? When did anatomy have anything to do with brain power. So I came to the conclusion that being Re-Tweeted by a extremely famous Hollywood actor was a once in a lifetime experience for someone who lives in a small town marooned in the middle of England. Due to great demand, I have indeed preserved these Tweets and uploaded them here. 

Personally, I wasn't really quite sure how to react apart from the fact I was eternally grateful that he noticed and even read my work. 

Anyway, this is the way I feel. I consider myself fortunate to have come across a person like John Cusack, even if it is only on Twitterverse.    He is passionate about what he cares for. That is probably one of the rarest qualities in a cosmetic world. It is his intelligence, wisdom and empathy that sets him above many many people. Cusack is a rare soul and would have been so even without his star status. We maybe in the Twitterverse but whatever the method of contact, there are times we crash into people for a reason. Perhaps this theory of the Monarch Butterflies works:-

"In other words, a ripple effect that is often described as a flap of a butterfly wing in Brazil, could in theory, set off a tornado in Texas"

It is fortunate that I came across John Cusack on Twitter because quite frankly, if we met face to face, I wouldn't know what to say out of sheer fear, shyness, nervousness and terror. Yes, I may have been through medical school, whistleblowing and court hearings but oddly enough there hasn't been a module on dealing with superstars. 

With permission from his other half, if he ever landed in England, I might just manage to take him to watch the English Sunset at Lizards Point in Cornwall on a summer's evening. And when he gets bored of intellectual discussions on the Pentagon's mishaps, I may just buy him a packet on mini sugary doughnuts and read him poetry. 

However inept it sounds - thankyou for everything you have done for me John and for all the people I have met through you. I wrote this in the hope that perhaps in your life-time you will spend sometime reading it. 

I like to think of you as Stanley from Grace has Gone because he is easier to speak to than a superstar :). In any event, your Twitter account is a bit like the Enchanted Gardens. We all go there for piece of magic when the world has gone dark and the clock strikes midnight. 

Until we meet again on Twitterverse after midnight :).

Related Posts 

1. John Cusack's Grapes of Wrath
2. I don't support the Press Freedom Foundation.
3. Donations -Press Freedom Foundation and Bureau of Investigative Journalism.