Rodevra Republic

In this humorous advertisement, the chips disappear from view — giving rise to the “Where’s My Chips” syndrome While in medical terminology the lady is said to have Gigantomastia , in more ordinary terms she appears to suffer from what may be called the WMC (Where’s My Chips) Syndrome . As the name suggests, because of the large breasts you may not see the chips served on the plate, particularly if the plate is placed too close to the body. But otherwise, WMC (pronounced wimcee ) Syndrome is associated with the usual difficulties — neck and back pain, poor posture, shoulder grooves left by bra straps supporting the weight, numbness in the hands and fingers due to strain on the neck position, and of course the inevitable attention such a condition attracts. The problem is usually addressed through Reduction mammoplasty . And the surgery may perhaps be considered truly successful when, at the end of the operation, the surgeon offers the patient a burger and chips on the operating tab...

Turn it around — and see again Nietzsche, Camus, Kant — and perhaps Sartre as well — might have paused for thought if they had come across this image. One can almost imagine Kant revisiting his Critique of Pure Reason , or Sartre rethinking Being and Nothingness , while Camus reflects again on The Stranger . For what does one see here? At first glance, a smiling face. But then, something feels unusual — the image is inverted. Turn it around, and the smile transforms into something else entirely. What appeared pleasant now seems almost stern, even disapproving. So which is real? Is the smiling face the truth, or the other? Or are both simply different ways of seeing the same thing? Perhaps the answer lies not in choosing one over the other, but in accepting that both exist — shaped by how we look, and from where we look. In that sense, both can simply be — and continue to exist in their own realities.

George Orwell speaking in a rare interview where his thoughts on power and totalitarianism remain strikingly relevant This video does a fine job of bringing out the intensity of  George Orwell ’s thoughts. The close-up shots barely cover his entire face, ensuring that our attention remains fixed on his words rather than being distracted by anything else. In fact, even the interviewer is not shown. The questions simply appear on the screen. The focus remains entirely on Orwell and his thoughts — nothing else. If one had to sum up the interview and his views in a single line, it could well be the opening sentence of his novel Nineteen Eighty-Four : “It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen.” This line introduces the dystopian world on which the novel is based. The phrase “bright cold day” sets the tone. On the surface, the day appears bright and pleasant, yet the word cold hints at something harsher beneath — a world lacking warmth and humanity....

Some conversations never really end There is a certain way in which conversations travel through buildings — from one floor to another, gathering colour as they go. Recently, a grand wedding in the news had found its way into ours. Ever since my friend on the 61st floor happened to receive an invitation, my wife had been unusually quiet and distant. “What is the matter, darling?” I asked. “Nothing,” came the prompt and expected reply. I tried again, a little more directly this time. “Something seems to be bothering you ever since you met Mrs. Chopra from the 61st floor. Did she say something?” I should have been more cautious. The signs were all there. “I tell you, I am not going to talk to her again,” she said. “And you too, please stop running behind your friend every time he calls you for a drink. The way she was showing off — who all she met at the wedding! She even showed me her picture with Amitabh Bachchan.” I attempted to be sympathetic. “I know how it must be feeling.” “You kn...

Our senses quietly adapt to what surrounds us every day Have you noticed how certain smells that are very noticeable to visitors gradually disappear for those who live with them every day? The aroma of a local drink, the scent of a familiar kitchen, or even the smell of a place we know well often goes unnoticed by the people who encounter it regularly. Take the example of feni , the well-known Goan spirit. For someone visiting Goa, the smell of feni can be a striking and memorable experience. But for people who have their roots in Goa and encounter that aroma often, the smell may barely register after a while. What they may be experiencing is something known as nose blindness . Nose blindness is a temporary and naturally occurring adaptation of the body in which the perception of scents that we are frequently exposed to gradually decreases. It is the body’s way of preventing overstimulation of the senses. This is quite different from anosmia, which is the loss of the sense of smell. No...