April Fool's day 2025

 March this year ended with a lot of uncertainty with tariffs, stubborn inflation and speculation of impending recession in air. But being an eternal optimist I can see light at end of the tunnel as nothing lasts forever, not even the bad things which happens to us. The first quarter of the year is about to end and the next month starts with April Fool's day, the first day of a new week, a new month and a new quarter. Time to gather some Foolish anecdotes while stepping into the All Fool's day.

April 1 is named FOOL'S DAY, after Steve April. He was born on 1st April of year 1579. He started 105 businesses in his lifetime, but none ever succeeded, losing all his father's assets. So everyone started calling him father of the fools.

At 19, he married a 61-year-old woman who divorced him after a month because of his foolishness. He used to carefully read all kinds of fake stories like we are doing now on social media. So we are no less fools than him.

Every year, 1st of April comes with its share of April Fool jokes. Even when we were keep washing our hands to keep Covid and other diseases away, we shouldn't wash off our sense of humor. A few year's back April Fool joke from Google was - "Equator found to be slipping. Australia at risk of becoming a Northern Hemisphere country by 2055". Many actually believed it.

Not a whole lot are aware of the fact that Equator is an imaginary line. Once Indian President Giani Zail Singh was flying above the Equator. His secretary humored him - "Sir, can you see the equator below" ?  Zail Singh responded "Yes. I can see it and a car is slowly running on it". What he actually saw, was a lice walking on his long strand of hair, which just happened to fall right in front of his eyes.

MIT, Massachusetts which has produced hordes of innovators and Nobel winning Laureates is known for sheer wit and sense of mischief from its bright and creative students. In 1998, on All Fools' Day, MIT's homepage was rebuilt to announce that the Walt Disney Company had bought the famed institute for $6.9 billion. In same year in Pittsburgh where I was living, 1st of April came with a freak snow storm - fooling all on April Fool's day.

One thing I can't fathom - Why the Utkal Dibas (Odisha day) coincides with the April Fool's day ? It would not have hurt our forefathers to chose 31st March or 2nd April instead. We have been living in a Fool's paradise ever since, fooled time and again by all who have taken us for a ride.

Never let a fool kiss you, or a kiss fool you - said Joey Adams, American Comedian (1911-99). Happy Fool's Day.

Our poor sense of humor

Recently a stand up comedian Kunal Kamra and his set has been attacked over making parody of a Mumbai based politician. A few days back I posted a humorous picture related to India's Prime Minister Modi. A few on my friend list who are  wonderful friends otherwise but ardent fans/followers/devotees/Bhakts of Modi got a bit touchy and obviously didn't like it. But when I post a joke related to Rahul Gandhi or Kejriwal it elates them to no end. The same folks commend me, like my post and flood my comment box with ROFL memes if the joke or sarcasm is directed towards Rahul Gandhi. His detractors have a field day liking the satire with their "Likes" giving me thumbs up while his supporters fall conspicuously silent, a few thin skinned folks occasionally go berserk when the joke is directed to their "Mahaprabhu" (ultimate God).

In a healthy democracy we should not be hesitant of lampooning our political leaders, whoever he or she may be. I enjoy the caricature of Trump known for his idiosyncrasies and Biden for his bumblings on Saturday Night Live, a popular late night TV show in America which has a reputation of not sparing anyone. There is no harm in mocking politicians as they are thick skin breed. And we live in a democracy, not in Putin's Russia, Xi's China or Kim's Korea.

The political leaders worst mocked at in America were Bill Clinton post Monica Lewinsky scandal and Donald Trump as it is easier to make cartoons of flamboyant guys. Obama was least prone to caricature because of his cool demeanor. The great Indian cartoonist R.K.Laxman once said he found it most difficult to make caricature of Jawaharlal Nehru for later's cool demeanor. Both Modi and Rahul Gandhi are equally flamboyant to be easily poked fun at.

Unfortunately we have a poor sense of humor, not great at self depreciating humor and jokes directed to us. We laugh at others, but don't laugh at ourselves nor like to be laughed at as we take ourselves very seriously. That's because we harbor tons of fake ego and vanity which prevents us from laughing at ourselves as laxatives to get rid of our constipated egos. We who eat a lot of spicy, stale food are world's champion farters but laugh at others who fart, rarely laughing at ourselves. Same goes with the jokes.

A point to be noted - the famous Sikh writer Khushwant Singh was a great teller of Sardarjee jokes. Such jokes were regular in his columns and he has compiled several Joke books too, mostly directed to his own community. The fearless Sardar never hesitated to speak his mind, nor lose an opportunity to make his own caricature and lamented that we as a nation lack the ability to laugh at ourselves. He didn't spare any one, not even himself. When SGPC, the Sikh religious body rebuked him for making fun at the expense of his fellow Sikhs the old Sardar responded to them - "Go to hell".

I don't mind cracking a joke at my own expense or my community of Odias. I am a Brahmin originally from the vicinity of Puri and have recounted lots of jokes about Puri Panda, the priests of Puri and my brahmin brethen from the nearby Sasana villages, many of whom are GODARA (posess elephant trunk legs) or KURUNDA (men with super size balls) due to fileria disease. I narrate those to friends often at my expense, making them roll with seizures of laughter (those who heard me can vouch for it).

During my Engineering days, a friend from Berhampur, a city from Southern part of Odisha used to crack jokes in his local dialect, often at the expense of himself, followed by volcanic erruption of laughter. Similarly the folks from the undivided district of Dhenkanal, also snubbed as DHENKUs are supposed to have wit as dim as the incandescent bulbs on a low voltage night. A Dhenku is supposed to be naive, slow witted. Only difference - unlike the Sardars, they are not known to run amock with madness at noon. It is another matter that Dhenkanal district has produced many brilliant minds who are far from being dumb or simpletons. 

It is not unusual to see litigations filed in courts against silly jokes on some plea or other. Should we file a petition or case against the producer of the movie "Chennai Express" for its Lungi dance song sequence and few other scenes, mocking at South Indians. Should we troll a Lungi (a loincloth worn around the waist which can easily taken off for convenience and multiple purposes) Mithun Chakraborty for his Bharat Natyam dance to the tune of Tamil accented "YUM KRISHNA AIYYAR YEMME (Hum Krishna Aiyar M.A.) in Amitabh's movie "AGNEEPATH" ? Should we ban the legendary Bengali actor Utpal Dutt (yesterday incidentally was his birthday) for rolling his expanded pupil and snorting "Oodee Baba" ? As a nation, we should know how to laugh and enjoy jokes, rather than being laughed at for lacking a sense of humor.

Jagannath Puri

 A throwback from few years back. One fine noon I arrived at a local Fast food joint operated by a Desi Bhai (as Person of Indian origins are addressed in US). At the counter I asked him, "Which part of India are you from" ? "I am a Gujarati from Bombay and you ?" - he questioned me back. "From Odisha" - I replied. The crunches on his forehead and shrinking eyelids indicated his confusion. "From Bhubaneswar", I added, hoping it would ring a bell to him.

He still looked bewildered. "Jagannath Puri" - I fired my next salvo at him, expecting it will pinpoint to the correct location and clear his nebulousness. He retorted back - Oh yeah "Jagannath Puri Jee, your are a Punjabi then". Now I was sure if he couldn't make a connection to Odisha via the temple town of Puri or its capital Bhubaneswar, and disregarded me as some Punjabi BAIN**OD (sister slammer) with last name Puri. Anyway, it was interesting to discover that our Desi Bhai who was the owner of this popular Chicken based fast food restaurant chain was a strict vegetarian.

Ides of March

 Beware of the Ides of March. As weather warms up with the arrival of spring, the month began with a turbulent world heating up as Russia's war against Ukraine as well as war in the Middle East turmoil continues unabated. It is further accentuated by an uncertain economic future with Trump initiated tariff war. Historically nothing new about a tumultuous March as it brings back memories from a major historical event tied to this month eons ago, when Julius Caesar, the scion of the great Roman Empire was murdered inside the Senate by his own insidious colleagues, many he believed were his friends.

Julius Caesar was a fascinating character in history, a great general and politician, a handsome, muscular, flat stomach man with a magnetic persona, the Knight-in-Shining armor darling of the Roman women, presiding over 50 million people of the Great Roman empire at its zenith of power, extending from Britain to Syria, from Bavarian Alps to North Africa. 50 million was a gargantuan population 2,000 years ago.

With success comes jealousy, rivalry, backstabbers and enemies. This has been since time immemorial, a basic human nature unaffected by passage of time. Caesar was a victim of his own success. In the quest for power a person's near and dear ones (as usual) can be your worst enemies. We have this Odia adage - "ANTI CHHURI TANTI KATE" (the waist knife can cut your throat, or your so called near and dear ones are the first ones to backstab you). It was vindicated two millenniums ago that politics invariably and eventually trumps over military. Most who planned Caesar's assassination were his close friends, especially his closest buddy Brutus of "Et To Brutus" fame. Those were Julius Caesar's last words as Brutus pulled the dagger on him.

Historians differ on how close Brutus was to Caesar. Some say they were extremely close. Others say it wasn't so, as Brutus once unsuccessfully rebelled against Julius and was pardoned by the later for he was the son of Caesar's mistress. He always had a grudge against Julius to settle, for he harbored the humiliation of often taunted for his mother's allegedly affair with Caesar. It is said Brutus's mother simply couldn't resist and succumbed to Julius's charm. Personal anger and jealousy can be a lethal concoction. Brutus was waiting for the opportune moment to push the dagger on Julius to backstab him.

The role of another Mistress of Caesar, the powerful Egyptian Queen Cleopatra in this imbroglio can't be ignored. She from Royal Egyptian bloodline with a legendary blend of beauty and brain, a talented woman who spoke multiple languages and dabled in politics and medicines with equal aplomb. Cleopatra who was rumored to take bath in pure milk to preserve her beauty accentuated Caesar's ambition to be the ruler of great Roman empire by suggesting subjugation of Senate - the people's elected body. She too fell for Julius Caesar's irresistible charm.

Power can be an addictive aphrodisiac. Thousands years down the road we have seen democratically elected leaders soon developing dictatorial tendencies - Indira Gandhi, Trump and Modi included.
Cleopatra, who was the daughter of a politician from Egypt's powerful establishment and quite familiar with the palace intrigues saw this coming. It is said that based on a dream she had the night before her husband's Brutal assassination, she warned Julius Caesar to be on guard. But drunk with sheer public adulation, fame and accompanied over confidence he chose to ignore her, least expecting an assault to come from his close friends on his familiar Senate floor.

Power often prevents the powerful from being aware of the vacuum surrounding them, keeping them myopic not to be able to see the approaching storm, leaving them off guard and vulnerable. China's all powerful President Xi Jinping who has consolidated power in China, the second largest powerful country in world couldn't see Corona virus coming. Trump ignored it only to pay a price of getting defeated after his first term. In India, Indira Gandhi, the iron lady Prime Minister with dictatorial tendencies was assassinated at the peak of her power when she was a pan Indian cult figure.

From Shakespeare's novel it looks as if the attack on Caesar was impromptu on that fateful Spring day inside the Roman Senate. But the sinister plot to kill him was hatched long before which was later implemented to perfection. Gladiators were kept ready as back up, in case the best laid plan went wrong. Caesar was assassinated on the Senate floor as planned.

Plenty of water has flown in the river Tibur (the bank on which the city Rome was established ) since that fateful day in the month of March. Guns, bombs, missiles have replaced dagger as the killing machine. Humans can fly into space and their thought can travel at twinkle of their eyes, with the world shrunk to a global village.

Yet for quest of absolute power politics, backroom deals, back stabbing, jealousy,  assassinations, leaders with dictatorial tendencies vying to consolidate power hasn't changed over the last 2000 years. The basic human nature still remains the same, hasn't changed at all. March has just started, we are not done with it yet. Beware of the Ides of March.

The planned Saudi Cricket league

Indian Premier League (IPL), the annual multi million dollar mega, colorful cricket event held in India starts from today. At the same time, Saudi Arabia has announced its plan to launch in future a mega $500 million Cricket league consisting of 8 teams, with matches to be played in 4 different locations and the Final in Saudi Arabia.

Now the most interesting thing to watch for will be how India's policy of not playing with Pakistan in Pakistan will come into play. BCCI may not be able to have its way with the Saudis the same way it has its influence over ICC. Because, coming to the Geo political influence, forget BCCI, India is no match to MSB led Saudi Arabia which has a huge financial and strategic assets as leverage. It's the only country which is close to all global powers which matter - US, China, Russia and surprisingly (though not so overtly) Israel. Not just its assets of petro dollars and oil reserves, its strategic location in the tinderbox of Middle East makes Saudi Arabia a big and key player in the game, in football, cricket or otherwise.

The country is also close to both India and Pakistan for various geopolitical reasons. India is a strong manpower supplier to the Saudis, and Pakistan's all powerful Army has acted earlier as a mercenary to Saudi's interest, not to mention their Islamic connection. The desert Kingdom could use cricket diplomacy to bring India and Pakistan under the same umbrella. This cricket league will most likely be used for the same, for every one is aware of the popularity of cricket in not only both India and Pakistan, in the entire Indian subcontinent stretching from Afghanistan to Bangladesh. It not Hinduism, Islam, Sikhism or Christianity, but Cricket is the real religion in that part of the world.

Now India has some deft diplomacy work on hand. Don't think BCCI will deal with Saudi Arabia the same way it deals with Pakistan.
Saudi Arabia ain't Pakistan. But because India being a $4 trillion economy and BCCI currently wielding tons of influence in the world of cricket, it definitely going to get some concessions as part of the deal. But it is Pakistan who could turn out to be the real winner as it has nothing to lose. It has everything to gain, for the country is on the verge of bankruptcy with its cricketing set up in shatters with lowest ever moral. Half a billion USD, the planned budget of Saudi Cricket league is big money and can do some wonders, "Kyon Ki Paisa Bolta Hai" (Since Money talks). Let's not forget that BCCI's influence and control over ICC today is mainly due to one factor - it's MONEY stupid !

Reminded me of the liberally Hindi mixed Odia saying, which I read in an Odia short story titled "ANDHARUA" during childhood. 

"ABE PARASU, JABE PARASU,
BABU PARASURAM;
PAISA KYA NA KARE KAAM." 

Roughly transliterated.... 

Come Peter, Go Peter,
Oh My Lord Peter,
Money Can do,
Tremendous wonder". 

Money, Money, Money.
Brighter than sunshine,
Sweeter than honey. 

Tribute to Sashi Kapoor

 He was handsome, successful, kind, compassionate and a dedicated husband - all rolled into one, blended perfectly like the best of blended Scotch Whisky. What more a woman wants ! My tribute to Sashi Kapoor on his Birthday, which is March 18. If alive, he would be 89 today. 

Hailing from Bollywood's legendary Kapoor family, he was an outstanding actor, a handsome gentleman known for his good behavior and benevolence. He was a rare breed apart from his normally arrogance and haughtiness displaying counterparts from Bollywood. As mentioned in an Interview by the actor himself, Sashi Kapoor was the unwanted child whom his mother, the wife of actor Prithviraj Kapoor who wanted to abort him by falling off from bicycle and other crude means when she was carrying Sashi Kapoor in her womb. But he came out to the world regardless, and for a good reason to carve his niche in the celluloid world.

One of my dad's Maternal Uncles lived in Bombay from 1950s till mid 1980s, earning his livelihood as a make up artist in Bollywood. When he came home after a long, tiring train journey from Bombay, he used to take a break at our residence in Bhubaneswar before proceeding to his native place Biragobindpur, a Shasan Brahmin dominated village near Puri, my dad's maternal uncle's village. As a youngster always curious to know about the life in celluloid world, I used to query our "Mamu Aja" (maternal great grandfather) to extract some juicy, spicy tidbits on these film folks from someone who worked in their close proximity.

Once I asked him who he thought as the best person in Bollywood he had ever encountered. He immediately answered without a blink - Amjad Khan and Sashi Kapoor. Amjad Khan was a straight shooter who showed no sign of any air of arrogance and idiosyncratic traits usually associated with actors. Protrayed as a bad guy in many Bollywood blockbusters, Amjad Khan was a complete different person off screen, a "Dil Daar", broad hearted type. Sashi Kapoor was also "Dil Daar" man, perfect gentleman who always asked my "Mamu Aja", his make up artist, about how he and his family were doing back home in his village near Puri. A generous man, Sashi Kapoor gave him hefty tips. Never he would belittle or show any kind of  condescending attitude to a his staff, an ubiquitous forte of our film folks who harbor supercilious, feudal mindset and known to be champion hypocrites.

During shootings, before taking his seat for his make up sessions, Sashi Kapoor would invariably address Mamu Aja with "Aap" rather than "Tum"- "Kaise hain Aap" (how are you) blended in his infectious smile. Unlike others who would seat silently during their make up sessions, Sashi Kapoor would chit chat with him. He was curious about "Oodissa", a state he was barely familiar, often wondering if a decent "Oodiya" film industry existed. The actor was quite oblivious about Bhubaneswar. The only thing he knew about Odisha was Puri because Kapoor family were aware of Lord Jagannath and he was happy to relate with Mamu Aja about the temple town being the abode of Sri Jagannath Jee. The young teen in me was surprised that Sashi Kapoor barely knew about Bhubaneswar, as like the proverbial "KUPA MANDUKA" or the frog inside the well, at that time I was under the impression that Bhubaneswar was the epicenter of the universe. Every one loved Sashi Kapoor at the set. As a youngster I would listen to my Mamu Aja's narration in one breath with rapt attention, still printed and engraved in my memory.

Sashi Kapoor's gentlemanly manner was later corroborated by Simmi Grewal, his co-actress in the Award winning movie SIDDHARTHA based upon Herman Hesse's epic novel bearing the same name. After Sashi Kapoor's death she wrote an eulogy on him where she mentioned about the following episode.

They went to New York city in the Bell Bottom era of early 1970s related to International Award won in the movie "SIDDHARTHA" based on Herman Hesse's famous novel in which both had acted together. They were sitting in a Manhattan restaurant when came down a bunch of girls swooning over Sashi Kapoor and his looks - "Hey look at this cool, cute Italian guy", mistaking an impeccably dressed, smiling handsome dude with dark hair and fair complexion with a gentlemanly smirk (New York city is a haven of folks from Italian origin). Sashi Kapoor, a happily married man, a person of high integrity was hardly perturbed with the female adulation he got and chose to ignore them.

He was different from the Kapoor clan in many ways - look, class and charisma. A rebel of sort, always considered as the unwanted Kapoor as his mother wanted to abort him, Sashi Kapoor marked his presence in the tinsel world after his initial movies didn't run well in the Box Office. But when he the jackpot after the runaway success of movies "Waqt" and "Jab Jab Phool Khile" he never looked back. Unlike Raj Kapoor and Rishi Kapoor he was not a chubby faced chocolate hero. He had class, style and a contagious smile.

Sashi went out of way in conservative Kapoor family to marry Jennifer Kendal, a Firangi (white foreigner) in the year 1958, a first in the Kapoor family and rairest amongst Bollywood movie stars those days. (Karisma Kapoor was another first, the first Kapoor girl to act in Bollywood which was a taboo for the females in Kapoor family). Both Sashi and Jennifer were happily married until her death in 1984. Inspired by his wife, Sashi dabbled in art movies unlike the rest of Kapoor family men. 

No doubt Sashi Kapoor will be remembered in the world of acting and for his generosity. RIP, the gentleman actor. May you keep smiling in heaven.

5 years past Covid

 In 5 years after taking 5 Covid shots, including the original one followed by 4 boosters,  am still a Covid virgin (unless unknown to me I have been asymptomatic at some point without realizing of losing my Covid virginity). It was exactly 5 years ago when the Covid -19 virus, unbeknownst of all just 4 months before March, 2000 was pandemic enough to begin lockdowns and start a new culture of Work From Home for an unforeseen period.

Exactly 5 years ago, today on March the 16, was the first day I began working from home as the Covid-19 Pandemic was starting to take a grip, spreading its malevolent tentacle all over the world including in United States. I thought the pandemic would be over in couple of months or so before I get back to my work location, expecting it to become business as usual soon, but never in my wildest of dreams I thought of working for more than 2 years, 7 months at a stretch from home. This was the harbinger of a new work culture hitherto unknown called working remote and like a hybrid car running on both gas and electricity, a hybrid work model of home and office took birth.

Soon I got familiar with phrases like social distancing, rubbing sanitizers and frequently washing my hands and retrospected how years of pandemic wheezed past and how it  changed my habits. Lazy like a fox, I started shaving only once a week, showing off my prominent 5 O'Clock salt and pepper shadow on my cheek. While I am reminded of the popular Palmolive Shaving Cream Ad on the Doordarshan, the only TV Channel available in India back in those days - "Kapil Dev, tough cricketer, tough beard". I am not a tough guy from any angle, but my razor stumbled on my stubble gained in a week, giving me a tough time.

No more I could say I don't touch alcohol during the day. The Coronavirus forced me to touch alcohol - in the form of hand sanitizers and alcohol soaked hand wipes. While entering a store, I used hand sanitizer and after returning back to my car I used it once again. Washed my hands way too often and way too long, thanks to this nouveau virus. Would have easily been branded as a classic SUCHIBAI ROGI (An Odia slang used for a psychological patient with the habit of washing their hands frequently due to compulsive cleanliness). But I was simply not taking any chances. Had no desire to get infected and gift it to my family. Twitching the usual Odia proverb a bit - "HATHA DHOU THA, GUNA GAU THA" - "Wash you hands, sing paeans of praise (of COVID-19)".

Soon I got bored with the monotony of work from home. I longed for getting back to work at the Campus in downtown Columbus. When ennui overcame me at the Office, I used to take a walk around chatting with my colleauges, loiter aimlessly in the corridor to shrugg off my jaded nerves, occasionally take a stroll on the river walk to fill my lungs with fresh, cool air wafting over the bank of the river Chattahoochee. I started missing eating food in Cafeteria sitting with my coworkers.  Missed the fun and chat about the latest rumor in the air. 

A sucker to spicy stuff, my ever alert ears is perpetually receptive to juicy stories. Once I overheard two ladies walking ahead of me in a narrow corridor. Unknown to them I could listen to their conversation. Both were bitching about their Mother-in-laws, doing the later's character assassination. I heard one of them saying - "My Mother-in-law would sneak inside my home with a duplicate key and smoke inside the house. She would listen to everybody but me". The other one nodded - "Mine is no different from yours. She is such a bitch". No wonder Mother-in-laws and Dauhter-in-laws rarely go together, harboring a "AHI - NAKULA SAMPARKA" or "snake and mongoose" relationship, a la the animals who are born to fight with each other. When I returned back to work, the work place was never the same. The Covid made the work place look like an Orange whose juice has been sucked out.

Two-third of American Economy is fuelled by consumer spending. Uncle Sam soon slid into recession in early 2020 due to a panicking public uncertain about the future put a break on their purse. My expenses were inadvertently curtailed. No vacations, no trip to India, no restaurant visits as I was mostly stuck at home. Even with record low gas price, I rarely drove more than 10 miles a week. Filled gas in my car only once in every couple of months, as I din't have to commute to work. Under normal circumstances, I would fill up my gas tank at least once every other week. Not anymore. That was a first time in US for me in nearly quarter of a century. 

Yet on a positive note, I helped mother earth. Lesser use of car means less emission of toxic greenhouse gases. My support to the "Go Green" cause didn't stop there. Due to working from home there was fewer usage of Office stationaries, Computer printouts, electricity, elevators, AC and so on. I could proudly proclaim of saving many trees from being felled and contributing to keeping the environment Ozone free due to restricted usage of CFC (CloroFluoroCarbon).

My first tryst with Corona was not the virus, rather a brand of shoes. During my childhood days there were only a handful of decent shoe stores in Bhubaneswar, prominent were Bata, Corona and BSC brand carrying stores in Unit - II, all adjacent to each other. I could relate Corona to a friend of mine who had an aura about him. His claim to fame was following the English music - ABBA, Boney M etc. There were hardly anyone to fact check on him. Often he used to sing something with snorted lips, which resembled "Corona Shoes.. my Corona Shoes..Shoooooes... Whoooos". I was completely spellbounded and flabbergasted. Ignorance can be bliss, but it metamorphosed into sheer adulation for the guy around us having knowledge of English music. That's the only Corona I was aware of until the arrival of the virus bearing the same name decades later.

The pandemic could have been stopped at its nascent stage. Stopping the spread of a virus is akin to keeping a secret. If you know a secret and don't want it to spread, just don't tell it to anybody. When you are telling it to some one else, the probability of keeping the secret a secret gets reduced by 50%. If that person tells to another person it get reduced to 25% and so on. Before you realize, the cat is already out of the bag. Like gossip or rumor, diligent imposition of social distancing or quarantine could have stopped the disease from spreading further 5 years ago. But disease had already gone viral and claimed millions of lives.

A la a joke which becomes stale and folks start losing interest after hearing it multiple times, people now have become immune to the news of the death and spread of Covid-19. No one is afraid of the disease anymore.  Since Covid Pandemic forced me to spend longer stretches of time at home, it has opened up a new relationship - interaction with feral cats in our backyard. We love them a lot, especially my wife who leaves no stone unturned in caring and feeding them.

When on March 16, 2020 I started Work from Home, Donald Trump was the President of United States and Joe Biden was still struggling in the Democratic Primaries to challenge Trump. Since then a lot of water has flown in the river Chattahoochee and tables are turned. Now 5 years down the road Trump is back in the saddle. But the fun of pre Covid days is gone forever. Covid has changed everything, leaving a whole different world for us to live on.