Perpetually Perplexed

Why has AAP started this yaadavi kalaha ? And why does one party which has promised us that our country still has good leaders, disappointing us so much? And why Times now, who as a routine never calls AAP representatives to any of its discussions, talking about nothing else since last 3 days. Mr Goswami, once you help in finishing the two major opposition parties, your usability will be zero. And yours will be the first channel to be finished. You don't need Nostradamus for this prediction. I know I am acting like any other fan, instead of accepting the bungling of this party I am trying to deviate by blaming times now. But haven't we all seen how he keeps blaming Rahul, Congress and now AAP each and every day? We thought we could see light at the end of the tunnel. Some one is trying to take away this light. Grrr....

While most of us just whined and cowered, she had the courage fight the system. And thanks to her, the draconian section 66A of IT act has been scrapped. The vague 66A had been previously used mainly by politicians of all hues to arrest citizens for flimsy reasons. For example, a Bombay girl was kept in custody for just writing why the city must be shut down after the death of a politician. Her friend was sent to custody for liking the post. We all remember that incidence. We fumed, but did not do anything. Not Shreya, she filed a PIL against this law. In the historical judgement, this section has been scrapped. As some one twittered, politicians will bring in some other law for restricting our freedom of expression. So we just have to enjoy this freedom and express our true feelings online, while we still have freedom.

A famous film actor has come out and told that she was struggling with depression last year. I congratulate her for her courage in admitting the fact and also helping in reducing the stigma attached with mental ailments. According to NDTV around 36 percent of Indian population is depressed. And that is reported figure. But we Indians still are unable to accept the fact that mental ailments are as common as physical ailments. And we still run a whisper campaign against those whom we think are undergoing depression or anxiety.  We need to think for a minute here. What if tomorrow my child or my grand child or any one close to me is depressed and people start gossiping about her, what would happen to my child? No, we do not want that to happen. So let us stop this stigma. Again I have a personal agenda here. I am depressed and have social anxiety too. But now I am 50, I do not mind opening telling it to people.  Few years back I was attending weekly counselling in one ...

Of late I am hardly finishing any book. So this time I decided, I will finish Humboldt's gift and started reading even on non-bedtimes. Charlie Citrine is having very difficult time. His divorce case is running and ex-wife is asking for a bond of two hundred thousand dollars. He has .lost some money in poker to a small time hoodlum Cantabile. And Cantabile is in revenge mood. First he attacks Charlie's car. He also gets Charlie arrested by telling that Charlie is his hitman. Then this sixty year old writer Charlie has a young girl friend Renata. Who is only after his money. Charlie knows it but still loves her. As the story proceeds, he takes her to Europe trip and she abandons him and marries another man, before which sending her son to him. Charlie visits his elder brother Julius who is a big shot builder, has a luxurious house and is about to have an open heart surgery. Julius is a worldly man unlike Charlie who is letting every one loot him. But in his own way Juli...

I have been reading and listening to podcasts about plasticity of the brain. Of course, our brain is not made of plastic. The term means that, our brain can change itself. New connections are formed between neurons when brain is stimulated. And this happens throughout our life time. The brain stimulation happens, when we are learning new things like a new skill or a new language.  Hence may be it is good to use these brain exercises available all over the internet.  This may certainly help aging people to overcome dementia. And may be it will help, to some extent for people with minor brain disorders.  Let me tell you a personal story. I am angry or depressed or anxious many times. And I do not want to get up from the couch. Now what I do is, I play "unblock me" game and solve 2 or three puzzles and I feel better and I get up and go to my tasks.  So guys and gals, open your lumosity website (or other similar sites) or ask your kids to download some puzzle ...

India is in ban spree.  After Murugan's book, Shireen Dalvi's newspaper over Charlie Hebdo cartoon and India's daughter,  now it is the turn of Debate over 'Mangal Sutra' in Tamil TV channel 'Puthia Talaimurai.  The channel had recorded a debate over the relevance of  "thali" or mangalsutra - the chain worn by married Hindu women. The debate discussed how relevant is this, particularly in the case of estranged women or women who are abused by their spouses.  The show was about to be aired on last Sunday. But the channel received around 3,600 threatening calls. People were asking why does the channel question the thali worn by millions by Hindu women.Will the channel debate over burka worn by Muslim women or cross worn by Christian nuns. The channel has decided to abandon the telecast of the program. Long live democracy and freedom of speech.

First of all, I must thank Arnab Goswami. If not for his way of conducting the debate about why the documentary should be banned, and his usual style of not letting others complete their statements, I would not have watched the documentary in youtube. The documentary shows a poor couple from village, who sell their land to fulfill their daughter's dream of becoming a doctor. That is a great thing in our country, where most parents if at all they educate their daughters, they educate only for finding a good husband for them. It also shows the Nirbhaya who wants to study and help the people of their village. At the same time, it shows the convicts who feel that, it is girl's fault for going out in the evening, that too with her male friend. If you blame their background and lack of education for such a warped opinion about women, their lawyer has similar opinion. His now famous statement that " he will burn his daughter or sister if they have affair before marriage...