My rant against Erich von Däniken's treatise : Chariots of Gods

Recommended for: Conspiracy theory researchers, rumour mongers

This is pseudo-science and story telling at its very best. This best selling book was probably the water shed moment in the proliferation of conspiracy theories and other pseudo-scientific stuff in the popular literature. And one can see why.

To be fair, the author does know how to spin a yarn. It is an enjoyable read, fast paced, if you consider it more as a fiction novel and don't take it seriously.


But the disturbing fact is the sheer confidence of the author in his most ridiculous and logic-defying assumptions and hypotheses. With a condescending view towards the historians, he goes on blabbering about one misinterpreted archaeological evidence after the other, citing numerous out-of-context mumble-jumble about this Physics principle and that astronomical data with a stunning conviction.

Though you feel sorry for the hapless millions who have actually religiously accepted this book as a treatise on human evolution and birth of civilization.

It shows the sheer absence of clear, scientific thought among the masses and the adherence to half-truths, myths and conspiracy theories. As long as that prevails, works like these will keep on attaining best-selling status.


Phew!

You may think it was too-critical but I assure you I was being way too lenient in the rant above. This book deserves to be trashed and criticized even more severely.

What Poirot and Hastings think of Japp.

An excerpt from Christie's "the affair at the victory ball - Poirot's early cases"

" Poirot had a good opinion of Japp's abilities, though deploring his lamentable lack of  method, but I, for my part, considered that the detective's highest talent lay in the gentle art of seeking favours under the guise of conferring them ! "  

       ----  musings of Captain Hastings in 'the affair at the victory ball' 

                 

Well that sums it up nicely, doesn't it ? With the neat little revelation that it is Captain Hastings actually who detests Japp more than Poirot, apparently.

And by the way, 'Poirot's early cases' was a reasonably satisfying read. It is collection of short, mostly crisp stories that have an old-world charm.Though I have had better experience with Christie and Poirot in past.

*Goodreads link : Poirot's early cases

At the stroke of midnight hour, when the world does not sleep!

Twisted Tryst with Destiny

Long years ago, we made a tryst with destiny ( to keep a diary of all the trash and great deeds that I read & do, respectively ), and now the time comes when we shall redeem our pledge. Not wholly or in full measure, but very substantially.

At the stoke of midnight hour, on this last day of the year that should have ended in apocalypse ( perhaps for the umpteenth time in human history. And no sneers please ! At least the doomsday predictions have a consistency to boast of. What have you ?! ), as the world welcomes the new year 2013 with bated breath and fresh dreams and even fresher resolutions ( that are meant to be recycled/renewed on the next year's eve. But never mind. ), I shall awake to life and blog-dom.

A moment comes, which comes but rarely in our life, when we step out from the old to the new, when an age ends, and when the rants and nonsensical expressions of a demented soul, long suppressed, finds utterance. It is fitting that at this solemn moment I take the pledge of dedication to the regular sorting and collection of ideas and articles, to organizing my views and stuff, and to the still larger cause of humanity. ( If every demented soul could keep his ideas contained in a dossier like this, how easy it would be to destroy them and save the human race from their unsavoury effects ? Think ! )

So, on that optimistic note for the future of humanity, a Happy New Year 2013 and a warm welcome to this dossier of yours truly.

NOTE :
The actual "Tryst with Destiny" speech, by J.L. Nehru ( which I have so gleefully desecrated in the above lines ) is this.