Mind of my Stroked Brain

I keep hearing the word "inflation" a hundred times everyday..  what is it? A meal has the same value it did last year, as now, as next year. A meal is an example, but everything in the world I think - nothing changes in value. Yes it costed less last year, costing something now and very very likely it will cost more next year. What is really happening is that the meal is not changing value (and becoming expensive), instead money is losing value and a meal is becoming expensive... The truth is the value of goods change. But I feel the intrinsic change of value is very minimal compared to increase in value because of price increase due to drop in money value. I know - there are probably tons and tons written about this and millions of books, but "inflation" is something I struggle to get my head around. Why do we have inflation? Why is money losing value? I am not very sure about this, but feel the main reason is because we have printed so much of it. I mean - anybod

I usually get a better than average service/ experience on chat support, when I reach out for support on various platforms. I usually also get a reasonably warm response when I reach out to someone (completely unknown) , regarding anything. It is not like it used to be unpleasant earlier. It is not overt or evident, but I can sense the difference in treatment from earlier to now. The warmth can be felt. Usually when I interact with someone, I don't tell them my condition. It is a "sorry" card I possess with me. An ace up my sleeve. When I see the need for it, I play the sorry card. After that, I am usually guaranteed a win... Or genuine attempt by whoever to help.  I have often wondered if I am manipulative. I agree, I walk very much in the grey area with this, but I can confidently say I have not said anything untrue till now. I choose to reveal the information if needed - knowing fully well it usually disarms the opponent.  Basically I know I am severely disabled. But I

It's a phrase I have come across many times from everyone. "I changed my mind". I have used it many times too... But what do we mean by it? I am sure there are many exceptions to this, but most often it probably means we have chosen to do something a bit more comfortable than the other option. A bit safer than the other option. A bit more familiar than the other option. A bit more confident than the other option. etc., etc. We don't do it very consciously too. I think our minds have that 'safety bias' built in for our protection and safety. But do we need that protection anymore...?  When I had my stroke, I was very unlucky with where it occurred but very lucky with what it did. I mean, yes, it rendered the body very useless but left the mind in very good condition (so I think obviously. I don't know if others will concur 😂) Over the last few years, the left side of the body has been making progress - while it has been painfully slow in absolute terms, it

COP27 begins this week. Every news channel around the world is abuzz with some story about it.  I am guessing from the creative naming that there have been 26 of these earlier. I wouldn't say nothing has been achieved this long, many things have been done. Much more could have been achieved I feel though . One thing it has established (for me) is that the world decided to come together and do something about the situation 27 years back. Prior to that it was probably easier to do anything... One of the key debate in COP is that the developed/ richer countries have to bear the burden and pay the developing/ poorer countries because - well somebody has to pick up the tab right... It isn't a new debate, it has been going on for years. I am not aware of all the details, but the line of thinking and argument I have come across most often is that: some countries had the luxury of taking the lead (due to various geopolitical circumstances) to do their dirty work and got developed and r

I didn't sleep much last night... But for me, ours is a female household. My wife is a few years younger than I am - and very beautiful. We have 2 very beautiful teenage daughters. Occasionally, my mother-in-law stays with us. My mother visits us everyday. Our housekeeper is a middle aged woman and stays with us morning till late evening everyday. Our domestic help is a woman - probably in her early 30s - spends a couple of hours with us everyday. Heck, even our dog is female! Yes - we definitely are a female household. Having an unfamiliar male with us is like letting a cat loose amongst pigeons! An absolute no-no. Luckily, both my nurses/ attenders and women - in their early 20s I am guessing. I am a middle aged male. Usually women nurses/ attenders won't accept middle aged male patients. Either they themselves dont want to - because of the usual apprehensions of the nuisance factor to them or their families will object (if they are young) or their husbands won't allow (i

Giving a like has become quite ubiquitous nowadays - across platforms and media. I have even used it in e-mails sometimes. WhatsApp had resisted for a while until they succumbed to it short while ago. We have a handful of options there as well. Emoticons are everywhere in every platform - several of them to express every possible emotion. But are they really? I feel emoticons have actually stripped us off the ability to actually convey an emotion. I have done it several times and continue to do so as well. But why am I doing it? When I give a like 👍🏼, what am I actually liking (in whatever). Shouldn't I convey what I liked instead of an emoticon. What will the receiver understand? I sometimes have done it as a "consolation prize". "I don't know what I like but I want you to see that I liked it when you count the likes!" Sometimes I have done it as a social pressure (social media pressure actually). "Well, everyone will know otherwise - I better like i

Almost ever country/ nation state has a "defence" minister. I don't know any country which has an "offence" minister. If everyone had only defence, we wouldn't have to worry much isn't it 🙂 This is a bit of a rant. I am complaining against nobody in particular and complaining on everybody in general.... From several weeks, I have been seeing the same kinds of news from across the globe. 1. The imminent threat of a nuclear war: well we don't have to worry do we. We have only defence ministers everywhere . 🙂 Simple Murphy knows that "if something can be used, somebody will". Why are we shocked? We built it didn't we? I mean, it was meant to be used sometime - there was no point building them otherwise. The time to act was before it was built, being built or lying in waiting earlier. What is the point being concerned about it now? Same holds good for everything arms, ammunition, etc. 2. Weaponising energy for war: why is everyone acting