Leslie's Laughs

(A disclaimer: My writing is largely tongue-in-cheek, based on observations entirely my own. I would like your feedback but do not wish to engage in debate on my views which are, at best, very loosely held, more like my pyjamas than anything earth-shakingly serious!) Sorry, my readers. I received a few reminders yesterday about the next episode in the saga of the locked-down commentator. Yesterday was Sunday. I kept repeating this a few times as most people had forgotten which day of week we were on. The new calendar as published in the newspapers (yes, I still get that in papyrus!) is "Day 4 of 21, and 17 days to go" -- just in case you're forgetting your math along with your sense of time. Sunday it was and a day of rest for those who would imitate the Creator. As the messages started coming in, my Spotify feed was continually disturbed by the dropout due to incoming beeps. Spotify is my preferred background to my brisk socially distanced walk on the terrace every eveni...

I'm sure you must have all received the warning that informs us how the Internet is going to break, some European countries have already issued guidelines for throttling HD to SD, and that Amazon Prime and Netflix have already been affected. The intention being that "we can help" by not forwarding Whatsapp images, videos, messages, corona virus information and similar terribly data-stressing and bandwidth-killing things! Not received? Count yourself lucky. An Overloaded Net Some of the messages also suggest that WFH (the new buzzword) has "increased the load" on the Internet. I wonder what internet these people were using at their offices, which are now 'loadless'? To be fair, I agree with reducing the multiple forwards and copies of messages which are being sent around -- but to be factual, this is hardly going to break or crash the Internet. The greatest sufferer could be your phone memory and perhaps your shared broadband which could slow down conside...

It's the beginning of the lockdown, newspapers are locked down too. But, no! Wait! Here's my daily supply of information, neatly packaged first as a set of hyperlinks and then as downloadable PDF files. All the newspapers I could think of, delivered to my WhatsApp inbox. Thank you, my multiple well-wishers -- I wish I could say that in as many unintelligible languages you have inflicted on me. Truth be told, I particularly like the headlines in the languages that look like good old Bengali jalebis! I'm sure you all must be experiencing what can broadly be described as Information Overload? The same information in multiple feeds, groups, broadcast lists, or even painstakingly identified and fed directly to you. Of course, just in case, in your zeal to hit the delete button you got rid of them early, you always have Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to keep them alive and circulating way beyond their expiry date - or yours, whichever comes first. This morning I even got one whi...

I am constantly amused by the phrase of the year popping up on almost every form of media these days - Social distancing! It's as much of an oxymoron as any. Distancing can hardly be described as Social. One would imagine, given the conditions in "lockdown" mode, that the distancing needs to be physical more than anything else. If you want to coin a cute phrase call it anything else but not social distancing. It's Physical Distancing that is the need of the hour. Here's my take on it. With the advent and virus-like spread of social media, distancing has had an equal and opposite effect especially on those who use their devices to stay in touch! It's quite common to see a bunch of young people sitting back-to-back around a table, all facing outwards, communicating with other people who are not physically there! The physical distance isn't felt and has been replaced by social togetherness. However, the people with whom they share their backs are too close fo...