Review@30

More than a year since the last post. It started feeling pretentious, and pointless, to write about things that I don't fully understand. I reasoned that perhaps a better use of the time would be to read more instead of writing half-baked opinions. Anyways, there was a very strong desire to write this one. Last …

The Guessing Game

Recently, during a lunch-table conversation, a colleague told me the exact same thing that an old friend said a few months ago. I now have feedback from two different people that I can get outright condescending during discussions. A new character flaw perhaps. I knew that sometimes I get a bit aggressive during arguments but didn't realize that …

Feeling Guilty, Are We?

Sunday. Lazy afternoon. And ethanol. Perfect conditions for armchair philosophy. Free from the daily grind, our mind wanders into the realm of inquiry. Today was one such day for a good friend of mine. Prodded by a poignant short story about a little girl working as a housemaid and unable to attend school, he was forced …

The Question of Life and Death

The debate over the death penalty is perhaps as ancient as the punishment itself. So, it is kind of strange that we are still unsure of the propriety of something so old. Recently in India, the fault-lines over the issue came to the fore in the case of convicted terrorist Yakub Memon. As usual, Indian democracy's …

The Specialists

A long time since the last post. Well, it's been more than a year now since I started my PhD, and things have started to get interesting, and a little hectic as well. Hence, the neglected blog. Yes, against popular opinion, PhD work can also get hectic. Something I thought was not possible when I …