Web Notebook
Philosophy. Writing. Creativity. Design. Meditation. Environment. Data Analysis. Medicine. Public Health.
Look forward to this.
Looks like Hardbound has figured _that_ space well. Can’t wait to see.Looks to me this is the next gen of social media – a frictionless sharing of momentariness, that is at once not contrived or carefully curated yet well considered. This is where the “phone” as my natural extension of the hand, mouth, mind, ear, eye will play its role in creating stories. Stories that are spontaneous, true, transparent, momentary yet a memory. ¶ Looks like Hardbound has figured _that_ space well. Can’t wait to see.
Arin Basu14 hrs ago
List of interesting hashtags in Twitter
(List in draft mode)Idea is to summarise the discussion. ¶ #mentalhealthnow ¶ Where the Intrnational Medicsl Corps discussed the role of mental health and global health. On 13th April, 2016 ¶ #righttofood ¶ @wepublichealth account in Twitter is discussing right to food issues. Today 11th April. ¶ Some interesting linksArin Basu3 days ago
The point or pointlessness of Social Media
Read this brilliant meditation on the interface between our real world friendships and morphing of that layer of understanding and trust…and how that is kind of getting eroded with apps like Facebook. While reading the article, I realised that indeed, compared with the proportion of my friends who “like” my posts and photos on Facebook (on an average of something like seven to 10% of my friends list of 330), a tiny fraction ever engages with comments (meaningful comments rather than “wow” type “expletives”, :-) ). ¶ Makes me wonder what’s the point of it all?Arin Basu3 days ago
Disconnection from the constant urge
This is a fantastic meditation on what happens when we choose to disconnect from the ever present Internet. I learned this the “hard” way…while travellling and checking it at a motel that did not have Internet in the room (it kind of had, in theory, but it did not work in the room, and you’d have to go downstairs to a lounge to access it). I was grumpy about this lack of Internet on my computer while travelling for the first few days, and then the habit gradually grew on me. ¶ I started opening up more to my surroundings in a new country, at a new place.Arin Basu3 days ago
Brilliant talk. Listen to this.
Arin Basu5 days ago
Fascinating read.
It is said that the great sage, Valmiki, who wrote the Indian epic, Ramayana, started when he saw two crows. All our stories begin from…The author gives you a glimpse where his ideas come from. From observations of a mind that flows like a river. Easy. You see a word in your day job, and there is the start of a story. ¶ It is said that the great sage, Valmiki, who wrote the Indian epic, Ramayana, started when he saw two crows. All our stories begin from, well, let’s say, spring from the world around us. The five skandhas, as The Buddha would say. ¶ Then the mind. The story is always there. It needs an excuse. Go find it.Arin Basu5 days ago
Thanks Mrinal.
Yes, I too remember as a medical intern and then in years of training in the Calcuuta Medical College in the late eighties early nineties…, tea would play a big role in keeping us “alive”. Calcutta was still not Kolkata then, and the coffee shops had not sprung up here and there. The only real South India style filter coffee with lots of milk was found at Komala Vilas in South Calcutta. ¶ Speaking of the Darj, a few weeks back at a suburb near our place in New Zealand, I found a tin of Darjeeling tea (?from Tetley, I forgot now). But unfortunately, not the flavour!Arin Basu5 days ago
A superb ode to tea drinking. Read it. Read it with a cup of tea to go with it.
Interestingly, she did not write about the chai, the super sweet uber milk North Indian tea spiced with cardamom and spices and sold in…earthenware cups. In Kolkata, this used to be my favourite after my long morning runs on the way back from Kolkata’s lakeside. Roadside Dhabas (eateries in India) sell them by the mug to tired all nighters so that truckers can drive all night. They are rated by the mile of highways. ¶ Then there is the ultra flavoursome my all time favourite Darjeeling tea. Speaking of which, as you drive or ride through the lush tea gardens of Darjeeling (India), the fragrance of tea hang in the air like a…Arin Basu5 days ago
Major Travel Mistakes I shall not make again …
(written in tongue-in-cheek, but you may find it useful)… ¶ (written in tongue-in-cheek, but you may find it useful) ¶ I came to Australia (Brisbane) for a few weeks of work yesterday. My travel agents of the University booked me on a motel that they thought was closest to the place where I will be working (more on my work and stuff later in the form of notes on my “Medium”, but this is not for that rant). I should have checked but I didn’t, lost in the business of my work, when and where did they book me.Arin BasuMar 24
Interbeings among us …
(This is a first draft. I will add more links and materials to it. If you’d like to contribute, please jump in. Please leave a note or…… ¶ (This is a first draft. I will add more links and materials to it. If you’d like to contribute, please jump in. Please leave a note or comment) ¶ If you have not heard of Interbeings, or thinking to lead the life of an interbeing, this is a good time. I first learned about Interbeings from a book (“Happiness”) by the Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh (Thay). There is a short version and there is a long version, referred to as five or fourteen mindfulness trainings.Arin BasuMar 20
Setting up the Sangha at the University of Canterbury
Since last December, Heidi, Oak and me have started regularly sitting for mndfulness meditation. We started in different rooms, and now we…are planning to move to open spaces in the campus. Just sit and meditate for 15 minutes and thereafter we discuss our experiences. It’d be a good idea to invite other people and hold one day an “open day” for the meditation session. So far we are sitting on Tuesdays and Thursdays 1–2 PM, but we can either increase or find other days for this. ¶ The practice is essentialy peaceful. We just sit for 15 mnutes; no music, no drums, nothing.Arin BasuJan 6