anonymity

cbatting on the internet was all about anonymity until facebook came along. but java chatrooms had died a long time ago, much before social networking with real identities came into being. my gut feeling says we'll all go back to the old days of java chatting. or anonymous chatting. this thing about showing up with real identities is gonna go fast enough. 

Do I socialize with fair weather friends? Yes, if they're successful people who're kinda eating their own words. No, if they're mediocre people come to warm their hands in my fire. 

Learnt today

Listened to and relived Donna Summer ysterday. Also listened to Red Hot Chili Peppers playlist. Today, discovered Eddie Palmeiri. Brilliant Latino Jazz. Discovered him through a singer called Abhishek Bhattacharya, while I was looking at the comments below Priya Cafe. 

Learnt this morning

Listened to Bhoomi's new tracks on YouTube today. Also discovered a wonderful folk singer called Sahaj Maa and listened to her alhum. 

Learnt ystday & today

Ystday onwards, hv bn listening to Bengali modern music. Rediscovered Mohiner Ghoraguli, Suman Chatterjee and Shilajit. Esp Mohiner. Read up again about the polymath called Goutam Chattopadhyay. Too bad I knew nothing about him back in the Nineties. 

Learnt Today

I have started reading The Autobiography of a Nun by Sister Jesme and this led me to wonder what vows are taken by a Catholic nun. I used this site http://www.cptryon.org/ask/ask/vows.html  to learn that a nun takes vows of Poverty, Chastity and Obedience.

I have also procured Hemingway's The Old Man & The Sea which is a short, fifty-page Nobel-winning book that I intend to finish reading asap. 

Learnt today

Learnt today about Viktor Frankl and his explanation for human motivation. Not exactly motivation, but more about the justification of life. 

 According to Frankl, meaning can be found through:

• Creativity or giving something to the world through self- expression,
• Experiencing the world by interacting authentically with our environment and with others, and
• Changing our attitude when we are faced with a situation or circumstance that we cannot change.

Frankl is credited with coining the term ‘Sunday neurosis’ to refer to the dejection that is felt at the end of the working week when a person realizes just how empty and meaningless his life is. This existential vacuum may lead him to all sorts of excesses and compensatory behaviours such as neurotic anxiety, avoidance, bingeing on food and drink, overworking, and overspending.  

I got this from another site, of course. http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hide-and-seek/201205/mans-search-meaning 

Didn't learn much

Haven't learnt much in the past few days I guess - no entries and no mentions. Sorry about that. 

Learnt today

Today, I learnt about the importance of keeping goals in sight and a daily routine via this link

http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/235228

I learnt about the writer of psychological murder mysteries, Ruth Rendall, through FB suggestions and Wikipedia.

And I learnt about this book that I want to buy How to be an explorer of the world.

I also learnt about the 1948-born Terry Pratchett OBE and his advancing Alzheimers.

Here is Hemingway talking about how to write. And at the end of the article there are 20 others teaching us how to write http://www.brainpickings.org/index.php/2013/11/13/hemingway-on-writing-2/

Learnt today

Tried to learn the demographics of the Haryana polity.
Trying to understand the implications of Facebook data collection. 

Learnt today

I read about a few touching children's graphic novels today - The Lion and the Bird and Little Boy Brown.
I read about the effect of believing in placebos and the effect of positive thinking and meditation on good health.
I read Ashwin Sanghi's Private India's first few chapters.
I also read about the curious mind of Maria Popova, founder editor of Brain Pickings and her learnings from life.
I have also earmarked for reading an article on the difference between belief and faith.

Test post. 

The ideal wife...

Hi, I'd like you to have a wife who exudes peace and beauty. A wife who turns a house into a home. Into that haven of peace after a day of conflict with the world outside. What does your perfect wife do?

There is no such thing as perfect. But the wife has a special role in the way life pans out for a man. Therefore, one needs to be clear about what to look for, ergo, what to expect from a wife. Or maybe, to try and imagine the role of a wife in one's everyday life. When I use the word "perfect" in this blog, I mean the ideal wife. The image of the complete woman, and the complete wife.

The "perfect" wife lends a personalised touch to the home. How do I explain this? The perfect wife makes her presence felt in every corner of the home. Maybe a hand-embroidered napkin lying inconspicuously on a perfectly laid dinner table. Or your neckties and handkerchieves laid out in neat stacks in the wardrobe drawer. Or that pretty picture on the wall, the colour theme of which matches that corner of the room perfectly. It's not about hiring a good housekeeper. It's about someone who makes you crave to belong to the home. Someone who creates a space where you feel you belong, makes you bask in the warmth and peace of the hearth. Someone who personalises the home, and makes you want to reach home as soon you can once your workday is over.

She welcomes you back home after a hard day's work to an airy and fragrant home. Maybe with the smell of a freshly lit agarbatti wafting in the rooms. Or maybe some lavender spray. Or a bunch of fresh flowers on the table. When you enter the home, you would most likely find your favourite armchair/recliner lined with a freshly laundered towel in your favourite corner of the room from where the TV is at a perfect viewing angle. The remote is kept handy, right next to the chair, so you won't have to go looking for it. And you are just settling down, you are offered a steaming cup of tea and some homemade snacks.

Time to freshen yourself with a hot shower. You call out her name. She keeps your towels and slippers handy and hands them to you as you go to the shower. You are back after a shower, for some news on TV. Your wife sits and watches TV with you, and discusses the state of the nation and national economy. She has her clearly formed opinions, and expresses herself without bulldozing you. She is not just intellectual, but tactful too.

News over, the wife calls you for dinner. On a simple but well-laid-out table waits a warm and tasty meal cooked with great care and effort, as she knows how much seasoning to use to get that perfect nuance in the sauce that you always love. Oh yes, it takes the stress off you after a hard day at work. She's humming a soft tune, striking a perfect note as she sits down for a meal with you. You can't but appreciate her training in music, her excellent quality of education, her refined tastes and her rich cultural background.

Now, it's time for bed. Your bed is well laid out in the fresh and fragrant room. Your wife puts on a Chopin CD that plays softly in the background. It's time for complete rest.

The alarm rings early. You think that's early? No, your wife knew that your alarm rang much earlier than you're usually able to wake up, so she woke up and pressed the snooze button and headed towards the kitchen. She has given herself a good half-hour's time before you're actually up, and has used the time to fix breakfast and brew the tea hot and fresh in the teapot. When your alarm is eventually able to wake you up, you see her sail into the room, carrying tea in a tray, her bangles tinkling as she lays it down on your nightstand. As you sip your tea, you thank your lucky stars you have someone to depend upon. You rush through the shower and storm through breakfast, and as you pick up your briefcase to rush out, the wife calls your name gently. Hey, she says, you forgot your lunch. She hands over a stay-hot lunch pack full of those favourite sandwiches. And off you go to office.

What does she do during the day? She goes to your bank to deposit your cheques. She is smart and checks your bank statements for inconsistencies. She looks up the paper for the best investment opportunities and logs on to your share trading account to make that end of day winning choice. She takes out her sitar and practices some, and maybe practices her vocals too. In the afternoon, she drives down to the grocer and chooses the freshest salad greens for your dinner table. She's planning out the menu already.

When the children come along, she doubles up as a caring mother and a guide to her children. The children go to school neat and well-turned-out, they have a new tasty treat every day in their lunch boxes so they don't get bored with the food, they are taught the value of discipline and come home with excellent grades. Their mother is both patient and firm, matured yet friendly.

In the family, she is tactful and easygoing, and yet maintains her personal space. She has great social skills, and mingles well at formal and as well as informal parties. She can make friends easily. When she is with you, her eyes are always set on you. She observes others, makes mental notes and eggs you on to do bigger and better things. She inspires you, she fills you with hope and optimism. She encourages and broadens your social life, and makes sure you get exposure with the right people. Every day is a new day for her, providing a new opportunity to care for you. She cares about your wellness and safety every moment of her life. Her life revolves around your feelings of well being.

Is she beautiful? Not necessarily. But she comes from a cultured family and exudes inner beauty and peace. She is an oasis of calm in a stormy world.

So, tell me, what have I missed out?

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