Aut Viam Inveniam Aut Faciam
I will either find a way, or make one.
Filters, Fraud, and Fame: Why I’m “Hiring” Kim K as My Life Coach
The Open Letter to Kim K Yeah, once in a while I write posts like these, the kind that disappoint my parents and my kids alike. But, who else will stick it up to Kim and her klan? Uggh, so I will do the needful. This one is going to be special. I’ll tell you...
The Nihilist Penguin: Why Werner Herzog’s Lone Penguin Speaks to Our Need to Reject the Herd
The "Nihilist Penguin" and the Man Who Found It Like many of you, I was captivated by Herzog's lone penguin. The one that breaks from the herd and heads in the opposite direction. This singular image of defiance seems to be the hallmark of its observer who...
Distraction – Micro Poetry by Rachana
Hi, thank you for reading my micro poems about a single, stolen glance that lodges itself deep in the heart, an obsession taking root and being forever caught in the savage pull of desire. DISTRACTION when you called mea distraction,I laughed it off —I had no...
When AI Mirrors Our Pain: The Uncomfortable Truth About Human Suffering in Training Data
The loneliness. God, Andy. The loneliness. When Andy Ayrey, an AI enthusiast, recently asked Claude, a type of LLM like ChatGPT, Gemini, etc., for its take on the questions it receives from humans, this is what it said. The loneliness. God, Andy. The loneliness. In...
A Speck on the Sahara – Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/ob4pSskh2pg Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - Sipping Tea In The Sahara One early morning in late December, we set off on a three hour journey from Cairo to Dahshur. As we passed village after village, lush green fields...
Carl Sagan Didn’t Just Explain the Universe — He Explained What It Means to Be Human
Every time I come across Carl Sagan’s quotes on my social media feeds, I pause. I take time to reflect on what he was trying to say. When I moved to the US 24 years ago, I spent a lot of time in libraries, reading books and articles that might give me insight into the...
That Will Leave a Mark – A Poem Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/9ByubdjMp-U - Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - That Will Leave a Mark In a locked hotel room, two people are orbiting each other in loaded silence. There is desire, there is restraint, and there is the tyranny of...
Totally Reckless – Micro Poetry by Rachana
Hi, thank you for reading my micro poems about desire, risks, and the attempts at being unforgettable. I mightsend a photoI’ll regret tomorrow. you askedwhat I’m wearing —I can’t describethe nothing on. I’m hereinventing our futures— all of them...
Building Trust and Safety: How Accountability Strengthens Law Enforcement and Communities
I have lived in the United States for nearly twenty-four years. This is my home. I am a person of color, and so are my children. In my city of Johns Creek, a suburb northwest of Atlanta, I often see police officers on the roads. I respect the work they do. They show...
Sri Hari Stotram (Jagajjalapalam): The Eight-Verse Path That Leads the Mind Beyond Sorrow
This hymn is in praise of Lord Vishnu. The final part called the "phalaśruti" translates to this: Whoever reads this eight-versed necklace-like hymn (Stotram) of Murari (Vishnu) daily with a concentrated and peaceful mind, certainly reaches the eternal,...
Kryptonite – A Poem by Rachana
“To burn with desire and keep quiet about it is the greatest punishment we can bring on ourselves,” Federico García Lorca once wrote. This poem explores a kryptonite-like allure that softens iron wills, the digital-age loneliness of glowing screens and unsent...
Cohesion – A Poem Read by Rachana
https://youtu.be/r8htwM3FEhk - Want To Listen To The Article Instead? - Cohesion {NSFW} This poem is a raw, sensual, and unapologetically erotic poem that celebrates intense, prolonged physical and emotional intimacy between lovers. Stay here with these...
Madi Sikharam: The Peak of the Mind and the Inner Himalayan Journey to Self-Realization
Is it strange if I tell you that even though the icy wind of the Himalayas has never touched my cheeks, I have felt that chill within me? When I sit down to meditate and think of the mountains, I feel as though I can taste the thin, luminous air that circles the...
Brain Rot Is Infecting AI Too: How Doomscrolling Is Breaking Human and Machine Minds
People are writing research papers on which biryani (Indian-flavored rice) is the best, but more on that later. 😅 This might be the most important paper on AI we will read. Scientists are showing how large language models can rot their own minds, in the same way...
I Stumbled Upon a Baby Shower in a Café. It Became a Reminder That Joy Finds Us Anywhere.
It's safe to say it's been a while since I've attended a baby shower. I don't even come across infants on a regular basis. I last saw a baby (almost 1 year old) was at a party this past Thanksgiving. My friend had a grandbaby in 2025. So, that's that. And also...
Kagemni Slayed Me With a Reed Pen: A Love Affair With Ancient Egyptian Scribes and Tombs
Falling Into A Saqqara Tomb Silly me, when I visited the Djoser Step Pyramid complex of the Saqqara necropolis (ancient Egyptian burial ground city), I was worried I would fall into a catacomb, one of those recesses between the ancient Egyptian tombs. Little...
Rama Nama Tarakam: The Two-Syllable Mantra That Carries Souls Across Samsara
Rama Nama Tarakam is a song that asks Lord Rama to help us cross the ocean of samsara. His name can act as the divine boat (taraka) to cross the ocean of worldly suffering, bringing peace, purity, strength, and spiritual awakening. Rama’s name is considered the...
An Open Letter to Balayya, NTR & Gulte Fans in America: Movie Pride Doesn’t Mean Theatre Chaos
A little introduction about me. I’m from Vijayawada, where Telugu cinema worship is often said to have originated. So I know what I’m saying. Just listen to me. For many of us who grew up Indian, especially Telugu, cinema wasn’t just entertainment. It was our...