‘If you want to be happy, it is necessary not to be too intelligent.’ This shrewd quote, one that resonates completely with me, is attributed to 19th century French author, Gustave Flaubert (Madame Bovary). Many English writers have described Flaubert as a ‘stylist.’ On what grounds it is unclear to me because the Frenchman wrote …
Author Archives: sureshsubrahmanyan
For Whom the Bell Tolls
The term ‘gig workers’ is derived from a jazz-age slang. In the 1920s and 1930s, jazz players in the United States used ‘gig’ to describe a short-term booking or club date where they were paid per show. In recent times, the term ‘gig workers’ has become an integral part of our lexicon. You cannot miss …
Diabolical Diabetes
Laughter is the best medicine – unless you’re diabetic, then insulin comes pretty high on the list. British comedian Jasper Carrott. Diabetics are up in arms. At least, this one is, if this one is at all a diabetic and that is the moot point. Which is the main reason why my arms are up …
In The Gallery
And then you get an artist says he doesn’t want to paint at allHe takes an empty canvas and sticks it on the wall. Dire Straits. There are moments in one’s life when one can unwittingly enter into a conversation with a stranger and feel somewhat trapped. I say unwittingly because it was not my …
Writing for fun. Seriously.
Humerus: The upper arm bone that runs from your shoulder to your elbow. Pronounced like the word humorous. Hence, the elbow area nearby is called the funny bone. Every now and then, I keep getting asked by friends and by people online I do not know from Adam or Eve, why I don’t comment seriously …
The Tipping Point
When an employee retires after loyally serving his company, the firm provides him or her a monetary gratuity. This is not an arbitrary sum but is generally based on a pre-determined formula and is a reward for services rendered over a long period. At times a wrist watch bearing the company’s emblem may also be …
Birthdays? Hmmm.
Age is an issue of mind over matter. If you don’t mind, it doesn’t matter. Mark Twain. A little over a month ago, I celebrated my birthday. On second thoughts, celebrated would be overstating the case at my age. Let us just say I marked the day quietly without fanfare, listening to some good music …
The Metamorphosis Redux
Cockroaches (or roaches) are insects belonging to the order Blattodea (Blattaria). About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. Some species are well-known pests. Source: Wikipedia. There you go. That particular definition of cockroaches, as acknowledged, is not mine. Clearly some entomologist, whose misfortune it is to delve into the behavioural aspects of these hardy, never-say-die insects has …
Getting an earful
Their venom is like the venom of a serpent; they are like the deaf adder that stoppeth her ear. Psalm 58:4 Right folks, here’s the thing. We are 70 plus. We are employing the royal ‘we’ here. Alright, alright, we tell a lie, we are 75 plus. In fact, sod it, let’s call a spade …
When Football and Tennis intersect
In football everything is complicated by the presence of the opposite team. Jean Paul Sartre, Critique of Dialectical Reason. It’s one-on-one out there, man. There ain’t no hiding. I can’t pass the ball. Pete Sampras. Pelé, arguably the greatest ever footballer to dribble past 10 men and essay a bicycle kick past an astonished goalkeeper, (with …
Suresh's Corner 