The Rookie’s latest season has only one theme and it is “The internet is evil”. Social media mob justice, influencer crimes, catfishing, AI scams. Not fun when it’s concentrated like this.

I think it’s perfectly okay to live as a straight intelligent feminist person and crush on a girl who likes posting Reels and dancing. Me, I’m okay.

This is one of the finest books I’ve read. The title seems to put people off which tells you people don’t bother reading it in full. This novel is a witty, cutting expose of NRI Punjabi patriarchy. Reading it again, this time in paperback form so I’ll make notations. #Books

I think a lot of people make capitalism their whole personality. Not even in a “I must make the most money at any cost” way. But they measure themselves, other people and the world in terms of ROI only. Life is more. Unfortunately their only alternative is to become militant.

Things no one tells you (because how will capitalism benefit otherwise): Skin gets drier as you age. Possibly hair too or maybe that’s just scalp. I still don’t think anyone needs hundred layers of moisturising or conditioning but maybe our habits need to alter as we get older. Even personal care.

It turns out I have too many lipsticks. I’ve gotten to where I’m very particular not just about shade but also texture and finish. All that don’t qualify must go.

Queer Eye was pathbreaking in its first season because it made over people who don’t get seen by the vanity-wellness-personal care field: straight cis men, often older and frequently poor. Especially when being advised by gay men. Now it’s just glam folks chilling with glam folks.

Joint cracking is always bizarre, like ouch that hurts but oh now that felt good, I think?

Anybody hear of a Marathi dish made with spiced cabbage and baked in a grill? My auntie called it ‘cabbage cake’ and the closest I could find was ‘kobiche bhanole’ but it didn’t turn out like hers. I loved it and she always saved a big chunk for me.

I’ve lived through decades of patriarchy asking what is the point of me if I am not being of service to men. We need to start asking men what is the point of their machismo & gym muscles, manspreading & mansplaining when rapes & VAW still happen. Prove you deserve to exist, man. Earn your keep.

There is one street dog that owns the lane next to my building, announces this ownership loudly to every human newcomer. Right now it was barking loudly just for attention because there’s no one there. I kept going SHHH after each bark. Silly thing paused, looked around and then shut up.

Voting always renews my faith in this country. There are so many problems. But it’s a touching show of hope. Because what else is the act of voting but making a choice in a world that says you don’t have a choice or that your choice is meaningless?

A person doesn’t have to understand you to care about you. But they do have to care about you to love you. It’s non-negotiable, it’s simple and it’s a wonder how many people miss that.

I didn’t even register that it’s voting day tomorrow in between all this hospital mayhem. This is why people are not political. Daily life is just too hard to think about the next few years as dictated by some big man.

I’ve been intrusively reminded of this day as being the abusive ex’s birthday because it’s also Pongal and I can’t get over how a celebration of abundance also brought forth such a parasitic being. Starting this today because maybe the only way out is the way through. #Books

In other news, food now jumps from the spoon onto my sweater. And I try to eat it off because it’s acrylic so it shouldn’t stick or stain and keeping fingers clean. But now my violet lipstick is smudged onto my green sweater which yes, very much stains with it. Le sigh.

I’m on roll today with saying things that could get me thrown off here. Good time to risk my heart and liver. Finally, after 8 weeks.

“People who don’t deserve your love are the ones who need it the most.” is such Christian gaslighting. Sacrifice yourself, love people who mistreat you because it makes you a good person. It just makes you a convenient resource for narcissists. Just no.

Just discovered that there’s a word for why Tamilians (and Mallus, I think) pronounce certain Hindi words “wrongly”. The native tongues group the k, g and h sounds under a single letter. And this phenomenon has a name in linguistics.

Have you ever stitched on a button?

You know who puts random things in their mouth? Babies, that’s who. What even is the appeal of consuming copper sulphate? How many blue coloured foods do you know? Gatorade does not count because that’s like liquid plastic.

I’ve always liked the whimsy & esoteric in my reading. This is the first book I started in 2026 in a park & it turns out to be a travelogue. I decided to only read it outdoors to reclaim my ability to read in noisy, public places. Feels right to read about Turkey in a bazaar. #Books

Listen, in Tamil podi means powder and mollagai means chilli. You have to pronounce every letter of mollagai. Calling it ‘mulga-podi’ sounds like you want boy powder, you bleddy cannibal.

Send Vikram-Betaal memes please.

Housewives morality-shaming other women are just women who signed up to be babysitters to dysfunctional men and discovered they were terrible at it. What opinion on 'Indian arranged marriage' will have you like this

Women authors are richer in their stories. What patriarchy calls meandering is careful nurturing of characters & light touch management of plot. I found Catherine Cookson at a book rummage sale. ‘The Thursday Friend’ is my second book by her and first one of 2026! www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I had a pig of a professor who deducted marks from the class topper’s presentation because she was wearing a sleeveless salwar kameez. Same dude used to snap female students bra straps. M.Tech from IIT so triggered by girls’ bare arms.

Thing about having a desi woman’s figure and also decent posture is that you alway spill food on your top. Why is nature also against us yo?

Without my specs I thought that was MIlind Soman and wondered why he was being asked for his opinion on education because man is beautiful but nobody accused him of being intelligent.

You’re a railway engineer? That tracks.

Just realised there’s no need to pity my male peers for having to face responsibility for the first time in their 40s after losing the womb of patriarchal parents & rejection of parents & jobs. They’re now going to start taking 20-something wives/girlfriends who are too dim to see their predations.

Who taught you how to clean your shoes?

How come desi men haven’t realised that the ‘Ghode pe Sawara’ song from Qala is a diss about their consent violations?

The past six months have been rife with unexpected health issues in the family. Nothing serious thankfully but worrying and chaotic nevertheless. It feels like my plans & organisation aren’t life any more but fantasies and surviving worry is my real life.

That unique brand of sadism called North Indian masculinity that serves as an actual skill for the security guard job in places like colleges & hospitals where they can parade their violent narcissism at people in need.

Wait till they hear that sarees didn’t need blouses till angrez prudishness decreed that it was immodest so shirts were adopted to wear under and saree hems dropped to mimic gowns. So much for sanskar.

Adding some more cute to TL with derpy blue birb art 🪶🎨

Never understand why temples need money like aren't prayers working? How about trying a little hard and praying for money instead? I mean if god wanted whatever priests seek money for, I mean if god agreed with them and their plans, he'll give the damn money to build these things no?

Sigh. Nobody talks about the impact of the mental health issues of people, on their family & caregivers. Especially when they’re not open to getting help.

We need pavements for that. Not extreme adventure trails of broken tiles, open potholes, dog poop, trash, discarded construction material, trailing wires and gutter dregs dumped out in the name of cleaning. #Mumbai

Not answering texts is really liberating for a compulsive notification clearer like me.

People who post pictures and videos on WhatsApp groups, kindly shut up.

The number of guys who claim they got married ONLY because the girl insisted she would marry only them or no one. Fathers who say they have kids ONLY because the wife wanted it. Everything is “I’ll do anything if you beg.” Driven just by ego, no sense of self.

Fun fact: The word curry comes from the Tamil word for a cooked preparation (usually vegetables but could also be fish, eggs or meat - meen curry, muttai curry, aatu curry). Probably not a coincidence that charring or blackening of anything is so also described as “kariya pochu” or “been curried”

I’m over the e-books versus paper books debate (never mind audiobooks). Consume in whatever way works for you. My Kindle crashed and I miss lying in bed in the darkness reading massive sized font of whatever the hell I like.

[releases helium-filled heart balloon] Me: You're free now Balloon: Ima choke a bird

The rest of the world (or those of us still with spines not broken by the war economy bully country) shrugging and saying “And…what else is new?”

Nothing like character count limits to get you back to editing again.

I’ll admit I returned to this book after bingeing YOUNGER, a show set in a publishing house, one of whose books is a life lessons tome called P is for Pigeon (about the last carrier pigeon). #books

Since I’m back to microblogging and it allows link sharing better than the Dreadgram, here’s an article that is already helping me face the new year. www.artofmanliness.com/character/be...