Facebook's not our Newspaper, it's our Ad

I'm often irritated when I see photos of happy friends at birthdays etc on Facebook. People don't seem to share the downs as much as the ups here. Although no one likes a wet blanket friendship does mean sharing the good with the bad.

Is Facebook making us more optimistic? I don't think so. Our editing skills are improving definitely. We may not be happier but by choosing to only share our high points we are projecting illusions. These are only part of the truth.

Would any purpose be served by status updates which moan, grumble, and seek reassurance? Maybe not. Facebook is not a personal newspaper, it is an advertisement. You don't objectively report the good, bad, and ugly in your life.

You try to sell your life to others and yourself. Look at the fun I'm having! See how wide I'm smiling! Rather than candid photography, it seems posed. A Polaroid which gets instant reactions. Ironically half the time the people who react to our updates are the ones to whom we are supposedly close.

The real conversations happen offline, where we share our desires, dreams, and fears. I too like posting happy updates. If I don't post one for a while I wonder whether my life has become unexciting.

But life is like that. Chronos lasts longer than kairos. We would get tired if we were cutting cakes, dancing, or climbing mountains all the time:) So let's not forget Facebook's our movie, offline's our reality to which we return when we finish watching pictures of others' lives.

Mince

Cafe talks
Library "studies"
Brothers in arms
Shrink wrapped
Celebrating summer
A mite too early
For a Siddiqui.
Purple ikat gifts
Treats @ Thar
Desi ghee too much
Linguistics classes
Meghdoot glasses
Barista bumping ins
Scarborough my fair ladies
Blogposts; Keh Mukarnis
Surprise foolish calls
Surrealistic SMSes
Women don't make passes
At old men in glasses/classes.
Angst shared cared
Shakes Soc trials
BCL film vials
Big Chill partings
Momo Point reunions
Derrida sessions
PGWA paratha picnics
Raghu Romeos in VKRV
Agony aunt, sister, poet
Film appreciation sessions
Seminar dissections
Goddess of small things
Eveready for all rings
Engaged, busy; no reply
Bahunara
This too shall pass
AJ PJ or X'mas mass
Poetry prized, MA topper
Dainty dragon fire eater
Dislocated wandering Jew
To a small townie near Kolkata
DGP blue, Ashley Tellus
What makes you tick, beloved.
Ad dei Gloriam
Cetrus paribus
Lover of freshers
Air, art salute
Vodka pochka men
Bowed down mister
Har har mahadev
Kriskrossing rainbow girl
Love always
Confused convincer.

The Namesake

Let us now praise famous women

Doris Lessing has won the Nobel. Deservingly so. Let's consider again the woman question.
What do women want?
Freud confessed that he was baffled.
How would he know, when we don't either.
We have come a long way over the last century in terms of evolution.
Adam & Eve, Shiva-Parvati, Vishnu-Lakshmi, Saraswati, Maa Kaali, Durga.
The faces of the eternal feminine.
When we are angry, playful, serving our loves, children, parents.
To continue,
Evolution will lead to revolutions.
Meanwhile, men- you can go eat cake:)
Baker, we'd like some too:))
The way to our hearts is also through our stomach.
Goddit?
Vive le ericture feminine.
The Mad woman's underclothes.
XX.
Madame Qry, Salut.

Dengue

Strikes, it bites.
I remember pressing your flesh.
Our first talk & walk.
Phone pals...
My agony aunt
Dutifully, 24/7
Motiv8ed me through
Appraisals.
A solution based approach
Saturday afternoon
magicked you up
Treadmills of the gods
grind slowly, but grind
Exceedingly fine.
Agility, ability
Please work.
15 saal bad...
White lies
Bangkok talks
Mukh East
hum bhi agar stiffonion hote
naam hamara hota Andrew Andre
Gentlewomen prefer blondes too
5 talla, Worli naaka
uninfluencable, block Goa
Excell, S&M baltis
Dali univercities
life, the universal beach.
You remain
A VVIP.
Much love,
Nutty.

Who belongs to this this this

Bliss.
nai Dunia has invited me for a Christmas Eve launch in Jabalpore.
!!!
:)
Here's to the crazy ones!

Indian Idol

I started actively following the show to understand a fellow blogger's review of their performances. now I'm hooked. An unexpected side benefit is an enhancement of my knowledge of Hindi film songs. Of course, having never seen the films in question I tend to associate the said song with the Indian Idol singer rather than the original singer.
I have a soft spot for Ankita. I remember when she got voted out she sang even though she was voted out. That's chutzpah.

Osian Cinefan

I liked Raami. It was an impressionistic, lyrical sketch that was short (75 minutes) and bittersweet.
Rekados, with three generations of women, who impact each other and their Weltanschauungs through food also touched a chord.
My personal find of the festival was Vanaja. Although I tried to use the synopses on the website to decide which films would be worth a watch, I must admit most turned out to be a different feel from what their writeups suggested. I thought Vanaja would be melodramatic, hackneyed, moralistic. It was none of these. It managed to be funny, shading its characters in grey and the degree film of its director. No wonder it won him an award. The hero did show she was attracted to the son of the house. He does display affection later for her and their child. His mother does berate him and shelter the girl.
I also enjoyed Yojimbo. The score when he walks, his masterly Carpe Diem tactics and Robin Hood acts, toppped by sly digs at cowboy flicks showed a very different side of Kurosawa.
The Birds, too, was a welcome break from "reading people's stomaches."

Koff..koff

Shabana Azmi and Javed Akhtar on Koffee with Karan reminded me strongly of another couple I know. The man too, is a "hiran" as Javed Akhtar called himself, not a "man about the house" as Shabana Azmi wanted. They toil not, neither do they spin, they are but lilies of the field.
Nine generations of poets.
Some family.

Surf's up

While flipping channels I saw Rakhi Sawant being interviewed on Aap ki Adalat. Rajat Sharma's blushes when that redoubtable selfmade ( literally, by her own admission) woman was flirting with him cracked me up.
India TV then proceeded to air the fake encounter video. Whodunit? And why did not the said who raise a finger to announce his/her presence, to save a life and thereby become part of a positive film instead of a horrific one?
As Juvenal remarked, "Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?" Who will guard the guards?
Many hands would make light work. And water, too :)

Sister Act

The Eco Times is visibly pink
Blushing ( I like to think)
For TOI's being obviously saffron
Using I-Day as an excuse
To stuff us with refuse
In the name of news, it's views
On & on & on ad nauseam.