Rereading Lord of the Rings 10 years later, only to realize that the Ring is my smartphone.

While y'all Gollums were twitching & dribbling over your Precious, my friends in RL were less than impressed by my finding.
The "likes" whisper and beckon.

My partner: *slapping my hand from the phone all night*

Me: *flashes of anger convulsing across my face* what business is it of yours? It is mine, I tell you. My own. My Precious!
When I was in college, I had a real nightmare about the day everyone gets a device. At that moment, an evil alien face will appear on all our screens laughing mercilessly in our face at the success of it's conspiracy-- to rule us all through our now undetachable tablets. #uncanny
Here's a sobering fact y'all: this tweet got 1000+ likes, but the same FB post only has 4.

Let's see. RL friends were harvesting grapes, hiking, throwing BDay parties, drinking on terraces, going to classical concerts, Latin night clubbing.

Me? *plug charger next to toilet*
Fellow Gollums. While this tweet reached 3000+ overnight, my brag-post about it on FB still has zero likes.

This is the end of the world as we know it. We're all far down the deep side.
Partner: ...friend giving us a guest bed, I'll check today
Me: mmhm
P: ..need a new washing machine...hello?
M: mmhm
P: are you there?
M: so many likes.
P: did you submit the insurance claim?
M: 4000 likes soon
P: you're late for brunch
M: someone said I won Twitter
P: get out
Partner: so you're just rereading your own tweets over and over?

Me: well, you can understand that right? It's like smelling my fingers after scratching myself, or secretly savoring my own farts.

Partner: No.
Those who liked or retweeted this: I hope you have sensible online privacy whatevers set-ups, because this tweet is becoming a public list of addicts ripe for exploitation.
You guys. I was just trying to reread a good fat book and now I've become the loathsome character of my own story, hissing softly over my thumbs all day. Let me go!!!!!
May the four winds & eight seas bear witness. I shall mute this tweet after it reaches 10k.

We are a Hardy bunch & while the Darkness may corrupt us, Real Life friends show that it is possible to live & prosper without the phone.

A teary & early farewell

(sail to the West)
And there it is. 10K. Twitter Gollums, you've shown me that there is life beyond Real Friends ("I saw your post but didn't understand it"). Thank you for the entertaining 2 days, happy Bday again to Bilbo/Frodo, and may you all save your eyes from future blindness.

More from All

#தினம்_ஒரு_திருவாசகம்
தொல்லை இரும்பிறவிச் சூழும் தளை நீக்கி
அல்லல் அறுத்து ஆனந்தம் ஆக்கியதே – எல்லை
மருவா நெறியளிக்கும் வாதவூர் எங்கோன்
திருவாசகம் என்னும் தேன்

பொருள்:
1.எப்போது ஆரம்பித்தது என அறியப்படமுடியாத தொலை காலமாக (தொல்லை)

2. இருந்து வரும் (இரும்)


3.பிறவிப் பயணத்திலே ஆழ்த்துகின்ற (பிறவி சூழும்)

4.அறியாமையாகிய இடரை (தளை)

5.அகற்றி (நீக்கி),

6.அதன் விளைவால் சுகதுக்கமெனும் துயரங்கள் விலக (அல்லல் அறுத்து),

7.முழுநிறைவாய்த் தன்னுளே இறைவனை உணர்த்துவதே (ஆனந்த மாக்கியதே),

8.பிறந்து இறக்கும் காலவெளிகளில் (எல்லை)

9.பிணைக்காமல் (மருவா)

10.காக்கும் மெய்யறிவினைத் தருகின்ற (நெறியளிக்கும்),

11.என் தலைவனான மாணிக்க வாசகரின் (வாதவூரெங்கோன்)

12.திருவாசகம் எனும் தேன் (திருவா சகமென்னுந் தேன்)

முதல்வரி: பிறவி என்பது முன்வினை விதையால் முளைப்பதோர் பெருமரம். அந்த ‘முன்வினை’ எங்கு ஆரம்பித்தது எனச் சொல்ல இயலாது. ஆனால் ‘அறியாமை’ ஒன்றே ஆசைக்கும்,, அச்சத்துக்கும் காரணம் என்பதால், அவையே வினைகளை விளைவிப்பன என்பதால், தொடர்ந்து வரும் பிறவிகளுக்கு, ‘அறியாமையே’ காரணம்

அறியாமைக்கு ஆரம்பம் கிடையாது. நமக்கு ஒரு பொருளைப் பற்றிய அறிவு எப்போதிருந்து இல்லை? அதைச் சொல்ல முடியாது. அதனாலேதான் முதலடியில், ஆரம்பமில்லாத அஞ்ஞானத்தை பிறவிகளுக்குக் காரணமாகச் சொல்லியது. ஆனால் அறியாமை, அறிவின் எழுச்சியால், அப்போதே முடிந்து விடும்.

You May Also Like

The chorus of this song uses the shlokas taken from Sundarkand of Ramayana.

It is a series of Sanskrit shlokas recited by Jambavant to Hanuman to remind Him of his true potential.

1. धीवर प्रसार शौर्य भरा: The brave persevering one, your bravery is taking you forward.


2. उतसारा स्थिरा घम्भीरा: The one who is leaping higher and higher, who is firm and stable and seriously determined.

3. ुग्रामा असामा शौर्या भावा: He is strong, and without an equal in the ability/mentality to fight

4. रौद्रमा नवा भीतिर्मा: His anger will cause new fears in his foes.

5.विजिटरीपुरु धीरधारा, कलोथरा शिखरा कठोरा: This is a complex expression seen only in Indic language poetry. The poet is stating that Shivudu is experiencing the intensity of climbing a tough peak, and likening

it to the feeling in a hard battle, when you see your enemy defeated, and blood flowing like a rivulet. This is classical Veera rasa.

6.कुलकु थारथिलीथा गम्भीरा, जाया विराट वीरा: His rough body itself is like a sharp weapon (because he is determined to win). Hail this complete

hero of the world.

7.विलयगागनथाला भिकारा, गरज्जद्धरा गारा: The hero is destructive in the air/sky as well (because he can leap at an enemy from a great height). He can defeat the enemy (simply) with his fearsome roar of war.