Demerzel's Echoes

Personal ruminations about life, tech and the world at large.

[demerzelsechoes]

My Thoughts At the Start of the Biden-Harris Presidency

It’s 4 years later. Yes, we survived.

But so many did not, and today I think of them. One day will not fix all the ills of our nation, an ugliness that wasn’t created 4 years ago, simply made stark to all. So as we celebrate the inauguration of a President that we hope will return dignity and leadership to the office, Do not forget that this transition isn’t a victory, but the next round in the fight. And do not forget how we got here, or who got us here.

So many marched, organized, and sacrificed. Put their bodies and lives on the line, and refused to be crushed. They knew what was at stake, but the question in front of all of us is this.

Do you?

Can they count on you? To continue the work done to give voice to the silenced. To share their burden in getting justice for the oppressed. To not just bear witness, but actively drive out the darkness. To make real for everyone the promise of democracy, freedom, and opportunity.

The enemies of democracy will just keep spinning their lies, their discord, and their rhetoric. Hoping that we will go back to our comfort zones, our complacency, our lives from the before times. But life cannot go back to normal. We cannot pull the wool back over our own eyes. We have been shown what is needed to be a neighbor, a friend, a family, a human, and a citizen. Of this grand experiment called the United States of America that we call home.

She’s tore up plenty, but she’ll fly true. But only if we step up, only if she can count on you.

[demerzelsechoes]

Arav’s Poem for his 2018 Charity:Water Campaign

Below is the poem Arav wrote to fulfill his 2018 charity:water campaign promise. Hope you enjoy.

Hey, it’s me Arav on a hot summer day Just chillin in the pool with some water in which to play

But thousands of people can’t just chill out and get a drink like me and my friends Ethan, Dhwani, Brandon and Nate can, right from the sink

Let alone go to school, work, or play Like Aarav, Brandon and Ishaan can, whether it’s November or May

But me and my friends, Arjun, Antonio and Kangana, intend to change that fact How? How can little kids like Aadhya, Krish and baby Abir make a difference, to be exact?

Fear not, because Charity:Water and amazing supporters like Ranjeet, Aneesh and Emma Lindley will change the world and make everyday a great and amazing day

So then those little children can come out and enjoy life without any loss Like me and my friends Sanjana, Johan and Remy doing the floss

No more dangerous treks through miles of woods No more coming back with no sort of goods

Unlike Barry McConnell, who’s amazing investment skills and tax planning Are yielding results. Hey Ben Goodman, my Dad says stop Eagles fanning

The amazing people at Charity:water like Tyler Riewer will change things, starting at the well And the joy in their hearts, like Sharad Maasi’s scrabble skills, none can tell

So thank you to all, like Simran, Tanvi and the KaChangs, who donated Mike Woodburne and Dennis McNeil, who with their support created

The ability for charity:water to change people’s lives Because with the gift of clean water, more than hope survives

The water deep under, in the caves within Comes and shapes their mouths into a giant grin

Like the one that my mom, aunt Rachna and Malini give When they see their kids dance and happily live

And you may ask, how long will it stay Well I am sure it will never go away

[demerzelsechoes]

Only One Word for ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ - EPIC!

[No Spoilers Below]

Yes, ‘Avengers: Infinity War’ is epic. The Russo brothers and writers Christopher Markus & Stephen McFeely are geniuses. Everything from the 5th MCU movie on has been leading to this. That's 14 movies over 7 years. It's a lot to live up to, and they did a magnificent job. It's damn near perfect, and they did a great job not turning the movie into a cartoon. And they did Thanos absolutely pitch perfect.

I haven't stopped thinking about the movie since I watched it last night. I haven't stopped replaying some scenes in my head. I haven't stopped whistling the Avengers theme since I walked out of the theater. If you've been following the series since the beginning, you will be blown away.

[demerzelsechoes]

You Gave Us Reasons To Miss You, Chester

Dammit. Chester Bennington is gone.

This hurts so much. Linkin Park has been the center of my music world for a decade now, and his vocals were a huge part of it. They carried and conveyed feelings I had no idea how to express, and listening to him made me feel like I was getting all that was inside me to the outside where it needed to be. 💔

I am glad I got to see him perform in person, and feel the power of that voice and that passion. I wish I could have told him how much he meant to me. And I am forever grateful for the gift of music he has given me. Now and forever he will be a part of me.

And to any and all of my friends, never feel alone. If you're in a bad place, know that I am just a message or phone call away. I'm not great at the communication stuff, but I will be there for you.

"When my time comes, forget the wrong that I’ve done, help me leave behind some reasons to be missed."

RIP #ChesterBennington. You will be missed.

[demerzelsechoes]

Get Out and Protest

Get out and protest. And don't just wait for the big marches. Join the smaller protests too if you can. I’m sitting in Newark airport writing this, after I joined protesters at Newark airport terminal B  tonight to express our opposition to Trump's immigration executive order. It's not a large protest - probably a 100 people that organized really quickly. Being part of a small group like this is scary, partly because of the unknown, partly because police are unsure of what to do. Solidarity helps. Someone to stand next to helps.

And while these marches probably had nothing to do with the stay that was just granted by the Federal Court (remember to support the ACLU), they can have an impact on lawmakers. CA Lt. Gov Gavin Newsom and MA Sen. Elizabeth Warren joined airport protesters at SFO and BOS. NY Gov Cuomo ordered Port Authority police to let the Airtrain run to transport protestors, saying their voices should be heard. And so on.

Right now the group is inside the arrivals level at the airport hoping to warmly welcome anyone that was stopped at immigration because of this executive order. Because shows of support matter, and can help people feel a little less scared, and a little less lonely.

So get out and protest. Buy a box of colored sharpies and some cheap-ass posterboards and keep them in your car. Don’t stop, even if you wonder whether it makes a difference or not. Because it does. Because this is the resistance. And resistance is not futile.

[demerzelsechoes]

Experiencing the power of Clean Water in VR with Charity:Water in NY

Yesterday me and the family went to Brookfield Place (that’s the Winter Garden for NYers who have been around a while) in downtown NY to check out Charity:Water's free exhibit centered around their new Virtual Reality movie called ‘The Source’. Every person who watches the movie unlocks a $30 donation from a generous (and anonymous) donor, which gives one person clean water for life. It was a really cool experience that we would have enjoyed it in of itself, and which anyone not familiar with the clean water challenge would be able to learn quite a bit from. But on top of that, we also got to see Arav get treated like a celebrity by the amazing charity:water folks, thanks to his three years of campaigning for them. Check out the pics from our experience below, and if you are in the NY/NJ/CT area and can make your way there, I highly encourage you to do so (it ends Aug 28th). You’ll have a good time, and you’ll help change someone’s life in the process as well. What could be better than that?

When we got there, Arav was not only excited to see how cool the exhibit looks (with all those signature yellow jerry cans), but also at how many people had already been helped by it.

When Anna, a wonderful community manager at charity:water, heard Arav’s name, she immediately said “Oh, I’ve heard so much about you”. His smile has never been wider. And Anna helped Arav get on a facetime call with Tyler (his charity:water idol for going on ‘The Journey’) and other folks who were in the charity:water office to say hi.

Obviously, the thing we were actually there for was to watch their virtual reality movie called ‘The Source’, a short 9 minute movie where you get to meet Selam, a 13-year-old girl in Ethiopia, see what her life was like without clean water, and experience the moment her village gets clean water for the first time. It was a good movie that will really help those that aren’t familiar with the water crisis step into Selam’s shoes are really understand how difficult life is, especially for kids, when they don’t have access to clean water. Plus it was funny to watch Arav move around and reach out while watching it.

And when Scott Harrison found out that we were going to check out the exhibit, he came by to meet up with and share some stories with Arav. That was really cool of him. We even got to meet young Jackson (though he was a bit shy).

We had so much fun, not just because the exhibit itself is extremely well put together and fun to do, but because the folks from charity:water are so amazing. If you can, go by and check it out. Otherwise just support them any way you can. It will be well worth your time.

[demerzelsechoes]

That Time When Jon Took Over Colbert’s Desk. Because Trump

Watched this very late last night after I got back from Star Trek: Beyond. And it was exactly what I wanted to see this crazy RNC week. If you haven’t seen it, check it out please.

First off, I miss Jon's voice so much. Loved, loved, loved his take down of the false patriotism and fake "support our vets" rhetoric from the politicians that have failed to do jack shit to actually support them and never have any actual specifics. That doesn't get enough scrutiny from anyone. And while there have been plenty of pieces calling out the hypocrisy and double standards about the candidates, I loved fire breathing Stewart tearing down the idea of “taking America back”.

"You feel you're this country's rightful owners. There's only one problem with that. This country isn't yours. You don't own it. It never was. There is no 'real' America."

It also showed why Trevor Noah’s version of the Daily Show isn’t quite there yet. I’ve said that this week was going to be crucial for them to establish their voice. And while they did a really good job, the plain and simple fact is that Trevor just doesn’t have the history and standing to do what Jon did last night. When he went off about the support for vets, it was as scathing as it was because of his long and extended battle, on-screen and off, trying to get the 9/11 first-responders the care we as a nation owe them.

And I loved the gracious, elegant and yet humorous way in which Colbert gave Jon his desk. That is no small gesture. Sure, they knew people would lap it up, but it was still a classy thing to do. And the comfort with which they did it, and their banter - I miss it soooooo much. Colbert has killed it this week. And I hope it influences their show going forward. Because we need that voice of morality, humanity and reason that was on display last night.

Stewart/Colbert 20**.

[demerzelsechoes]

The Russo Brothers, Christopher Markus, Stephen McFeely and the rest of the Marvel writers are freaking geniuses. First 'Winter Soldier' and now 'Civil War'. To write two superhero movies that are nuanced, intelligent and don't talk down to their audience while also being absolutely thrilling - it's awesome to behold. A few more viewings might reveal more flaws (have a few), but for now I feel supremely happy that the payoff of months of anticipation was near perfect. And that I left the theater still not knowing whose side I am on.

[demerzelsechoes]

Before it was the number of my favorite baseball player, the great Mariano Rivera. Before it was the Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything. 42 was Jackie Robinson, one of the best baseball players ever and probably one of the most important players in all sports, not just American sports.

[demerzelsechoes]

Arav's Birthday Wish: Clean Water for a Better Future

For the 3rd year in a row, Arav has donated his birthday to charity:water. Giving up birthday presents is never easy, but our not-so-little-any-more kid continues to show wonderful empathy and compassion in continuing his commitment to this important cause. He underscored his commitment with a campaign video (see below) we recorded on our trip down under. The best part of recording this was how unplanned and impromptu it was. We just happened to be checking out ScienceWorks, and their exhibit about what the future might hold for us triggered the concept for this video. So we shot it, edited it, and published it entirely on my iPhone (thank you Apple), and are both super proud of the result. I dare you to not donate (every little bit helps) or spread the word about his campaign after watching.

It’s been interesting to see the change in his approach going from his first campaign when he was 6 to this one where he is 8. He's obviously more aware of the world, and his thoughts and feelings are more complex now. The idea of giving up presents is a little more real to him now, and I know he's felt tempted after seeing the pile of presents on the table at his friends birthday parties. But he's also starting to understand how real an impact he can have just by himself. Earlier this year he participated in the MLK Day of Service at his school, where he joined schoolmates and teachers in giving up a holiday to make sandwiches and hand deliver them to a shelter. The conversation I had with him afterwards is what makes being a parent so rewarding. It was the same way after we got the project report for the water well that his first campaign helped fund for the Maetsido community in Ethiopia. Seeing his efforts make a real difference went a long way in fueling him to get past his desire for gifts and instead wanting to do something impactful. He's actually thinking of doing more this year, and will even be giving a short presentation about his campaign to his class this year during birthday cupcakes (it's also a good chance to practice his computer and speaking skills).

Those that know me know that I have long held that empathy is the most underrated, yet most important, characteristic we can have as humans. A little more empathy in everyone would go a long way towards solving our worlds problems. The discussion of nature vs nurture comes up a lot when talking about Arav's efforts for charity:water. I believe it is a mix, but I also believe that empathy is something that can be taught, and that as parents we need to constantly reinforce. The reinforcement is a lot easier when working with people as wonderful as those at charity:water, who make it so easy and approachable for him to do these campaigns. Finding the balance between nurturing and pushing is a hard one, and I hope that I am doing it right. Only time will tell. But in the meantime, I am really happy and really proud that Arav continues to show his humanity, and I'm grateful for the touch of hope he brings to my usually sardonic heart.

Please support his campaign if you can, either by donating (no amount is too small) or spreading the word. Charity:water is a wonderful organization that sends 100% of the money donated to the field, and provides full transparency of how the money is spent. And on tax day, it's a nice bonus to remember that your good deed is fully tax deductible.

[demerzelsechoes]

Holding back tears, Holding out hope

As millions celebrate the historic decision by the Supreme Court of the United States today, affirming that all people have the right to marry the person they love, I can’t watch this beautiful video that YouTube has released to celebrate LGBT Pride month and the decision without thinking:

If only everyone got to experience this kind of support when they went through this step. Holding back tears, but also holding out hope for the future.

The final words of Justice Kennedy’s majority opinion as he cast the tie-breaking vote against discrimination were wonderfully powerful, moving and eloquent.

They ask for equal dignity in the eyes of the law. The Constitution grants them that right.

[demerzelsechoes]

A Visit to the charity:water Office

As most of you know, my family is a HUGE fan and supporter of charity:water. This year was the second year in a row that my 7 year old donated his birthday to raise money for people in need of clean water (my post about last years campaign is here). The folks at charity:water are really the coolest, and even featured his campaign in their awesome ‘Campaigns We Love’ series.

With his campaign coming to a close ($2,615 raised and a few days left), my wife “conspired” with Nina at charity:water to follow up their blog post with a surprise for Arav and his friend Sanjana (who also donated her birthday this year) - a long desired visit to the charity:water office in Manhattan. In fact, that very morning when checking up on the latest status of his campaign, Arav had mentioned that he really hoped he could visit them soon. So imagine how happy he was when he stepped off the elevator to see the sign saying ‘charity:water’.

Interestingly, they had just moved, so we got to be one of the early ones to visit them in their new digs. And right at the entrance, you see what it’s all about - water pumps, wells and jerry cans.

Everything in the office is focused on the important stuff - from the amazing pictures throughout the office to the screens up that show the list and status of in-progress and upcoming projects. That was one of the great things that attracted us to charity:water - their commitment to transparency through the use of technology and devoting every penny we donate to bringing clean water to people.

But the best part of charity:water is undoubtedly the people, and we were so thrilled to meet so many of the wonderful people who work there. Their passion and commitment is inspiring, and their warmth for us was so genuine - if they didn’t already have us as life time supporters, they would have won us over that day. They treated Arav like a rockstar (it was amusing to see his reaction to it all).

The kids were thrilled to meet Tyler, who has not only been a strong supporter of both of Arav’s campaigns (he was the first person at charity:water to notice and support Arav's campaign last year), but was the star of ‘The Journey’, a wonderful video blog series he did in Ethiopia (where money from Arav’s campaign last year went) that takes everyone through the whole process of how their donations turn into meaningful action and results in the field. It’s a must watch.

And we were lucky enough to meet and spend some time with Scott Harrison, the founder of charity:water, whose inspirational keynote at RSA Conference last year started this whole thing for us. Needless to say, all the adults were a little star struck (despite Scott’s charm, Tyler was still the bigger star for the kids).

So much to love from our visit. We saw their cool new space (put together with donations from a number of great companies), visited their lab where we got to see more of how they are revolutionizing charity by building tech that will bring them and everyone else data and information to make the projects more transparent and more successful, and got to play shuffleboard with Tyler and Nina.

Thank you Nina, Tyler, Grace, Kaitlyn, Scott and everyone else who gave us so much of their time and made the visit so very special. So proud to be a supporter, so proud of my son for the empathy and commitment he has shown to this cause, and so proud and thankful for all our friends, family, folks from charity:water and even strangers that have supported my son’s campaign and helped give people in need a helping hand.

You can check out the full photo album from our visit to charity:water on Flickr. 

[demerzelsechoes]

I’m Completely Bought into this MCU Theory

WARNING: SPOILERS BELOW. DON’T READ IF YOU HAVEN’T WATCHED AGE OF ULTRON YET

After watching the awesome ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’, I was still noodling over all the ramifications from the movie and the mid-credits scene, when I came across this article ('Avengers: Age Of Ultron' May Confirm A Huge Fan Theory’). I had debated the events of the Avengers before, but maybe I bought a bit too much into the majority narrative that it was a fun movie that went weak on details and allowed plot holes to amp up the fun factor. And then I read this article and I changed everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, about the whole series. It confirmed some suspicions I’d had and elevates the whole series into a masterpiece.

Here’s what I put together to explain the salient theory (which I am completely bought into) to my cuz’s. The sequence of events in the MCU movies have resulted in:

Loki now rules Asgard, having successfully diverted Thor's attention by using the events of ‘The Avengers’ and ‘Thor: The Dark World’ to make Thor focus more on protecting Earth (a realm Loki cares nothing about, but has now convinced Thor of having some importance) and his precious Jane Foster. 

With Loki in control of Asgard, Thanos was free to waltz in and just take the Infinity Gauntlet from there. That and getting all the stones is his one objective. To that end, he worked with Loki on setting up the events of ‘The Avengers’ (which gets Loki back to Asgard, and convinces Thor that Earth needs his protection more than Asgard) and ‘Thor: The Dark World’ (which reinforces the “importance” of Earth to Thor, and gets him off Asgard allowing Loki to take over). 

We all hate stupid coincidences in plots. One of the most hated is how come, of all the people in the world, it was Jane who finds the Aether and gets infected (making it personal for Thor). Now we know it was no mere coincidence. Clearly it was intentional, orchestrated by Thanos. 

We now have an explanation of why the Chitauri were such a stupidly ineffective army that get defeated by a handful of "freaks" on a primitive world. Thanos brokered the alliance between Loki and the Chitauri leader, knowing it would end in the Chitauri being defeated (despite Thanos clearly having access to far superior armies, like the Kree in ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’).

The kicker: to ensure the Chitauri defeat, Loki had Selvig create the failsafe in the portal that he knew would eventually cut off the attack. It wasn't because Selvig managed to somehow do something outside the control of the mind stone.

The Avengers got played. Big time. Every “victory” the Avengers have had must be looked at through a very different lens. At the end of Ultron, you can see that Thor’s suspicions are aroused.

And we got played too. A brilliant long con seems to be unfolding from the masterminds behind the MCU.  Can’t wait for the next stop on the ride.

[demerzelsechoes]

Farewell Leonard Nimoy. LLAP In Our Hearts \ \ / /

It's hard to fathom a world without Spock, because there are countless times when faced with a situation that I find myself wondering about the approach Spock would take in solving it. It's just something that got ingrained in me when I was a youngling, and would eagerly sit down every Sunday in front of the TV to watch Star Trek (no need for qualifiers). It is testament to what Leonard Nimoy brought to that role, and into my life. He was Mr. Spock. He made a green blooded, frustratingly logical and emotionless, Human/Vulcan hybrid into the person so many wanted to be. And imbued in him the character best captured by Kirk's farewell in Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan:

"Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most ... human."

Watching Mr. Spock sacrifice his life in that movie is the first time I remember truly feeling grief for a fictional character. It was devastating. And it tugs at my heart every time I see it.

His incredible contribution to the Star Trek universe is only one of the ways he took us on a journey, as he inspired us to explore the frontiers of space, science both real and fictional, art and humanity. His touching and thoughtful response to a biracial teen girl who felt rejected by her peers due to her race, entitled "Spock: Teenage Outcast" is a powerful read that shows where Spock's humanity truly came from. Hearing of his passing today, I felt the same kind of gut punch I felt when he put up the Vulcan salute against the glass as he died and told Kirk, and all of us watching, "I have been, and always shall be, your friend".

Thank you for everything you gave us, Leonard Nimoy. You have been, and always shall be, our friend.

   \ \ / /

[demerzelsechoes]

No Jon, Please Don't Go!

I teared up. I literally teared up. Big time.

When my cuz Rajath texted me that Jon Stewart was retiring from The Daily Show, it hit me like a ton of bricks. I dropped whatever I was doing at the time and started scouring Twitter. Not that I doubted Raj's news cred, but it was just too much to believe, coming seemingly out of nowhere. The rest of the evening was a little weird, because while I was enjoying catching up with friends, I was also in a bit of a daze. I could feel a somberness inside me that I had to actively push aside. But I was back in time to watch tonights episode of the Daily Show. And at the end, there it was. Ahead of a Moment of Zen (what zen, Jon. WHAT ZEN???), I heard him say the words that were jarring in their impact despite me knowing they were coming. And I teared up.

It isn't a tragedy, like when Robin Williams passed away. But it feels like a loss. Jon Stewart has been a constant in my life for well over a decade. A guide in the growth of my political and social conscience. The Daily Show isn't just entertainment. It has been the voice that we needed, filling the void created when the news networks went all tabloid and sensationalist on us. Jon showed us how one can use their platform as a vehicle to effect change, like when he did one of his finest shows ever to get the James Zadroga 9/11 Health and Compensation Act passed. He has taken on the challenging topics of the day with humor and class, never talking down to his audience, always with a core decency.

I hope Comedy Central figures out a way to change his mind. The void left would be too hard to fill. We need you Jon.

[demerzelsechoes]

Walking Off A Winner

Tied game. Bottom of the 9th. Runner on 2nd. For two decades now, Yankee fans have known exactly who they want coming up to the plate in that spot.

But none of us could have ever imagined that this scenario would come into play last night, the night we filled Yankee Stadium and crowded in front of our TVs to bid a teary-eyed farewell to our Captain. As every play of that 9th inning unfolded, all my cousin Sid and I could do was look at each other and think "Really? Really??? Is this actually happening?". And then the moment was there. And Captain Clutch did what he always does, did what has made him so iconic, so dear, to all of us - to Yankee fans, to baseball fans, to sports fans. Just watch my video below to see what it was like to be there as a fan.

It wasn't enough that the predicted rain storms that threatened to wipe out the game respectfully went around the Bronx. It wasn't enough that Jeter's first hit in the game was a double to center field that almost went out the park. It wasn't enough that Jeter hit a soft grounder to short that brought out the ghosts of Yankee Stadium to make Hardy flub a throw to second and give the Yankees the lead. The script called for more.

All night long in between innings, the big scoreboard played videos asking players and fans to talk about their favorite Jeter memory. The list was enough to fill the game - the flip, the dive, the game winning homer in the 2001 World Series to earn the title Mr. November, the HR for hit 3000, and more. And at the end of the night, we got another memory to cherish forever. An opposite field single on the first pitch to win the game, and walk off the field at Yankee Stadium the way he should have - a winner.

But it's more than that. Even in the post game press conference that a lot of us stuck around in the Stadium to watch, the Captain reiterated his mantra that all that matters is getting the win. But what made him great was unsaid but understood by everyone there - Derek Jeter was all about winning the right way - with respect for the game, respect for his opponents, respect for the fans and respect for the historic mantle he had inherited at the greatest franchise in baseball (and maybe all sports).

I have been privileged enough that I was able to go to Mariano's final game last year, and now to Jeter's final home game. Given how much both of them define the word Champion, there's something bizarre about the fact that both games were played the very day after the Yankees were eliminated from the playoffs. But it did give me the space to properly appreciate and thank him on this day. I'm one of those (rare?) people who believes that truly great players are about more than their stats. It's about how they rise above the game, can step up in those clutch moments, and redefine the game. Derek Jeter exemplifies that. #2 is one of the greatest Yankees ever, and I am thankful that I will be able to say forever that I watched him play, I watched him lead, I watched him win.

Thank you, Captain. It's been an honor.

[demerzelsechoes]

Took this photo a couple of weeks ago when I took my parents to the 9/11 memorial. The custodians place roses upon victims' names on their birthdates.

Thinking of those we lost, those they left behind, and all of us that were indelibly affected by that day.