di-ann arbus, as she's supposed to have preferred to be called, is one of the most prominent photographers of the 1950s. primarily said to have gained popularity for photographing the 'freaks' of society. in 2006, steven shainberg made a film called 'fur: an imaginary portrait of diane arbus'. the movie seems to travel in an exotic world filled with the whispers of nicole kidman. was she the real diane arbus? as the title claims it was an imaginary portrait.
the problem with such movies is that they glamorize the artist' mind. as if the repressed voyeurism & selfishness of the larger part of humanity found itself expressed and forgiven through the art of the artist. perhaps it is true. but when a movie glamorizes it and makes it the only dimension of the artist then it deludes itself and the people. it creates an yearning in the people to live the life of an artist. there's no such thing of reparation or redemption because of one's profession or passion. everyone goes through a complexity of emotions/actions/choices/decisions that can never be fulled defined or explained. least of all by a movie like fur. especially about an artist who preferred to document the lives of those who lived on the fringes of society.

if one should be bold enough to make strong decisions and take actions accordingly, then one should have the ruthlessness to follow it through. one cannot through the course of the consequences let emotions creep in and lose face or heart. meet everything head on and harden yourself to do what it takes to reach your goals.
reading kiran nagarkar's cuckold and it's a pretty insightful book. commentary on statesmanship mostly occupies the debate in the book. still it's interesting to read into the dilemmas faced by maharaja kumar, the protagonist.

interesting site. gives the call sounds of different indian birds -
IndiaBirds.com

thanks to a friend I haven't spoken in ages but continue to get bits of deep perspectives that make me stop for a moment - asha. here's what she sent me today.

"....In simple terms, what does karma mean? It means that whatever we do, with our body, speech, or mind, will have a corresponding result. Each action, even the smallest, is pregnant with its consequences. Even a little poison can cause death and even a tiny seed can become a huge tree.

....As Buddha said, "What you are is what you have been, what you will be is what you do now."

The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying. Page 96.
Sogyal Rinpoche