Thanks a lot Mr. Dickens!!

I think the biggest impediment to my writing, anything in general and a book in particular, is the opening sentence. I am up against such greats as Charles Dickens ("It was the best of times...") and of course the all encompassing Mr. William S! and umpteen others who have been lucky enough to have their go before me and luckier still because their golden words (opening words, mind you!) have become so ingrained in our minds, that nothing less will be considered noteworthy!
I want my opening line to be nothing short of remarkable....but of course, why would anyone read something that started off "This is a text book on electricity and magnetism..." (that is how the book on 'Introduction to Electrodynamics' started off...and I read it and thought to myself... if the person reading this book doesnt even know that "This is a text book on electricity and magnetism..."then they should shut this book right now and dedicate their life to more useful things...unfortunately I now know that reading that book cover to cover was the biggest mistake of my life...no actually it was a big mistake, the biggest mistake was thinking that I understood that book cover to cover - a misconception that I am very dearly paying for!).
Anyhow, back to opening sentences, I realise after writing this that maybe it doesnt matter after all how one begins....or does it??

ANZAC Day

It is my dream to be an author and whenever I get the chance I never fail to tell close friends that, someday I will write a book. What about - not sure yet, how - no idea! But I still dream on, I say dream and not persevere because in reality I havent even begun!
So when I created my own blog-site what-have-you, I vowed that I would try to write something everyday, or atleast every other day - and so far I have managed to keep this up (I think I have!). However, it might soon become every other other day and eventually just when I have time. So till then do keep up!
As it were I am getting side tracked from the main subject of this blog - ANZAC Day. 25th April is a day dedicated to celebrating the lives of the numerous soldiers who give their lives for their country. Fight till the end and never question - just do or die. In Canberra the celebrations began as early as 5.30 am with the dawn service and...wait for it...I attended!!! Since I live a stone's throw from the War Memorial I thought I should add this on to my (rapidly gettin longer) list of experiences. The service itself was lovely and solemn and Im glad I woke up early (I can count on one hand such early morning risings and this one was definitely worth it!).
Sadly, I dont know much about the Army Corps. Few distorted snippets of information is all I have but something in the way that everyone seemed that morning, the record turn out of people of all ages and from all walks of life, parking their car several kms away and walking in sub zero temperatures to pay tribute to these armed men and women whose unquestioning dedication allows commoners like you and I to sleep at night knowing that we are secure in some way - all this made me think.
Many of us go through our lives in a very careless and sometimes callous manner. How many of us think of these others, people just like us, who are driven by an urge to serve their country. I hold the Armed Corps. in high esteem - it is the most selfless service.
Very unfortunate, though, that the governments these people serve are, more often than not, undeserving...

Trials and Tribulations - Life of a laser Physicist Part 1

Its been 5 hours - 5 long hours of my life dedicated to coupling light into a chalcogenide wafer on silicon substrate (dont look- there is no appendix to explain the 'geek and latin' terms! :-D). In fact it would be good if God had given us an appendix to refer to, a book of life with suitable appendices to which we could refer whenever life gave us something we never bargained for. Somewhere we could look and check, where things were in context! A place like no other where all the c**p that happened to you was explained - plain and simple! Look in there and you would think 'Aaaaaaaaaahhh...that's why ... now it all makes sense'. But, as life (and God) would have it there is no such book and no such appendix - hence we must trudge along our lives and keep pondering and wasting time over things that seem so trivial and so useless (such as the aforementioned 5 hour long task) and better still we must suffer over things that never work and to cap it all off we must still have the longing and drive to be the physicist that we set out to be in the first place. In spite of coupling being so difficult, there is still hope! :-)
Maybe God did give us an appendix after all...

New found Land

I am new to the blogging world...and I think half a decade too late! Its just that nothing hinders creativity more than having to do the most mundane chores of existence. However, without further ado I shall launch myself into this newfound land and let the creative juices flow as never before! Umm..err ...sure... till next time!