 By Samir Shukla
Riding in a car on a snow dusted highway, in mid-January, I gazed at the blue grey sky above, while the highway passed below. The distant hills were a mix of white and dirt brown, leafless trees mingled with a few patches of evergreens. It had snowed a day earlier, not a heavy snowfall, but one that splattered white dustings on the surroundings. I dozed off while sitting in the back seat. The moving scenery on either side of the car lulled my heavy eyes into slumber. The past, present and future all swirled in my brain while the hum of the car engine and the passing drone of the road dropped me into an instant dream. It began as a blend of semi-sleep and thoughts squirming around in my head, then a story unfolded, compressed into a short sleep. The car became a moving music venue accompanying the hazy dream.  By Samir Shukla
What are icons of Americanism? Apple pie and baseball come to mind. Add to that a piece of hardware that has thoroughly permeated American lives and politics. Guns. They also seemingly project American culture to the outside world, for better or worse, more so than anything else. The debates on gun ownership and the 2nd Amendment rile our social and political discourses. Everyone has an opinion on the matter and balancing the constitutional rights while working to reduce violence due to guns is an endless debate. When I saw the cover of the book Gunfight, it immediately drew me in to read the book. It's a fantastic look at the firearms industry from an insider's view. Below is my review:  By Samir Shukla
My Life in Full - Work, Family and Our Future Author: Indra Nooyi (Portfolio/Penguin) In her new memoir, Indra Nooyi, former CEO and Chairman of PepsiCo, talks about her life, early struggles as a woman trying to establish a career in India and rising to the highest post in the company. It's quite an intimate telling of her story, a quintessential tale of humble beginnings in India, education, hard work, perseverance, and achievement of reaching the top of an iconic American company. Nooyi served as CEO and chairman of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2019 and was the first woman of color and immigrant to run a Fortune 500 company.  By Samir Shukla
No Resolutions. Adjustments. Another year has dissolved into a permanent slumber while its young offspring has arrived at the door and is ready to go off to the races. Once more around the sun. It's another day in another year. We work, play, love, walk, run, cry, laugh, plan, dream, scheme. Live life. Our efforts sometimes pay off, while other times skid off the road and are redirected via bumps in the road or too heavy a load, societal dictates, biological bugs or political thugs, personal or familial trials and triumphs. Some of it our own making. Much of it out of our control. Lives rerouted. Adjusted.  By Samir Shukla
This past September, while watching the Rolling Stones' Keith Richards and Ron Wood interplay their guitars as Mick Jagger sang and strutted on the stage at Bank of America stadium in Charlotte, the full majesty of rock, driven by guitars, was cut loose of its moorings. The sky wept in joy. Practically every kid I knew in middle school and later high school dreamed of playing the guitar. Like a rock star, of course. It was the late 70's and early 80's and rock 'n' roll ruled the radio airwaves. The lead guitarists of rock bands were our idols. Their guitar strings spewed mighty sounds, from subtle to loud, melodic to feedback. In an era before music videos, the Internet, and social media, their mystique added to their legends. |
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