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Journal J

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Musings and verses by Jatan, a slow thinker, web wonk, and human.

Fetched

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Never have I ever [and never will I have ever]

 Never have I ever [and never will I have ever]

* Written clickbait articles. It’s harder to avoid than it may seem * Cared for celebrity anything * Sent or engaged with WhatsApp forwards * Believed in Astrology, Homeopathy or any Pseudoscience * Engaged in nationalism * Been a “fanboy” of any person, company, product, or brand ever since becoming a working adult. I’ve

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I published 10 poems this month as part of a poetry challenge

 I published 10 poems this month as part of a poetry challenge

April is Global Poetry Writing Month. Everyone participating from around the Web is encouraged to write a poem a day, optionally based on each day’s prompt. It was my first time participating in this challenge. My goal was not to pen a poem a day for the sake of

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Ars poetica

 Ars poetica

Strip it down make no sound touch the truth feel its fruit Here brevity retorts on humanity with sobering clarity and bittersweet gravity Telling terse truths of our bare beings Here speaking skies and its lent hand and eyes make the Moon walk and its tides talk They preserve love

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Poem: Muskān / मुस्कान / Smile

 Poem: Muskān / मुस्कान / Smile

Original in Hindustani, as English transliteration and in देवनागरी, followed by an English translation (not as lyrical): Muskān Maa teri muskān Kaisi hain itni nādān? Ekdam saral si bacche jaisi Narm si behti huin nadiyon jaisi Chaandni si khilne vaalīn suraj ki kiranon jaisi Is muskurāhaṭ me naa

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Poem: Resilience

 Poem: Resilience

Bent, not broken twisted, not turned upside down dragged down, not drowned Trembled, not tamed or tattered weathered, not withered hurt, but holding up Agonized, but alive traumatized, yet tender lingered on, yet loving Agitated, yet aspiring exhausted, but full of ember burnt, but blazing. Notes: This poem is for

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Poem: Rare lights

 Poem: Rare lights

They care not because they have to but because they want to They converse not to reply but to listen They mediate not to tighten their connections but to save and foster existing ones They employ leverage not to be blatant but to be subtly considerate They accept your shortcomings

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Poem: For every child

 Poem: For every child

For every child that dares to dream and every spark of curiosity within For their bold endeavors in jest and that one kid’s flying quest Persist your passion to build their nest for the world rumbles them in unrest Swivel their failings with your empathy and rivet their pursuits

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Poem: So can you

 Poem: So can you

The Moon still exists dear, Earth’s still blue as rivers cry while the avians still fly. Not a single day goes by when they don’t try, so can you. Notes: This poem was written for the Global Poetry Writing Month. The Day 1 prompt encouraged posting in the

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Improve the RSS experience of your blog readers

 Improve the RSS experience of your blog readers

1. Introduce people to RSS readers in an accessible way and link to such an explainer on your /feeds page. Both cases shouldn’t assume people know or understand the term. When introducing people you know to RSS readers, don’t assume how or what they read and consume on

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Life slice #1: Space for inspiration

 Life slice #1: Space for inspiration

* This quarter I met an 👨🏽‍🚀, one whose flight I’ve previously written about. 🌏 * I also gave a talk about lunar exploration at a concert space in BLR for Pint of View because let’s be frank the Moon rocks. 🪨 * I picked up a paint brush after two decades, thanks to

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Places I’ve published Moon Monday editions from

 Places I’ve published Moon Monday editions from

Most people who know me know that I write this blog & newsletter called Moon Monday every, well, Monday. Since the day is etched in the name, I plan every week around it. Here are places I’ve completed working on and publishing Moon Monday editions from, other than my

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Bombay food, a location-agnostic procedural guide

 Bombay food, a location-agnostic procedural guide

🚉 🛺 🥔 ☕️ 🌊

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Farther than the stars 🎸

 Farther than the stars 🎸

Love listening to Khudi by The Local Train. They are like the Pink Floyd of India. The lyrics carry a distinct aspirational energy: Likh de ye fasana Dekhe jo zamana Taaron se aage ho Khwaabon ka thikana

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The Museum of Possibilities

 The Museum of Possibilities

I visited the Museum of Possibilities in Chennai in 2024. I love that the museum is centered around accessibility, and what catering to it makes possible for people with certain disabilities our society is not built for. One of the display themes was tech tools which bridge accessibility gaps for

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4/5 ⭐️ - Indie Microblogging by Manton Reece

 4/5 ⭐️ - Indie Microblogging by Manton Reece

Read for free at book.micro.blog or download the Epub (official link) This book is a good history of publishing and sharing on the Web, particularly through blogging, and how related web technologies evolved. It also places them in the context of social media. The author Manton, creator of

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My writing goals and methods this year

 My writing goals and methods this year

February is a sane time to set new year resolutions and goals instead of January. During my year-end break in December, I’ve had a good opportunity to muse about where I want to steer my writing at large, and where I want writing to steer me. Here are the

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Poetry powerful and purposeful

Alt text: I will go on nurturing the tablet and the pen I’ll go on recording what the heart goes through I’ll go on providing wherewithal to love’s passion I’ll keep being kind to the desolation of the times No doubt, the harshness of the times

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One sanitized and sandboxed Fediverse profile to rule them all

 One sanitized and sandboxed Fediverse profile to rule them all

After musing over having my social web presence on my own domain thanks to the book Indie Microblogging, I’ve decided to try having such a profile on the Fediverse for a year. But Mastodon and the most of the Fediverse platforms are too noisy by default, having borrowed likes,

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What are we doing in the name of progress?

 What are we doing in the name of progress?

The world is hard, and tech bros are here to make it easier, and there is a price for progress: loss of jobs, loss of friendships, loss of purpose, and loss of meaning. You either agree with this, or you are outdated; an old man rumbling about the good times

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Your social web on your blog

 Your social web on your blog

I’ve been reading the book Indie Microblogging by Manton Reece, and really enjoying it. It’s an interesting view into the history of blogging and related web technologies. Among other things, there’s a chapter on the intersection of having a blog and it also being your social web

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Speak / बोल

 Speak / बोल

I’ve been trying to expose myself to Hindustani (Hindi-Urdu) poetry lately, and so I picked up this collection of poems by Faiz Ahmed Faiz called ‘The colors of my heart’. One poem in particular resonates, as it captures a timeless call to action against misuse of power in the

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The Post-American Internet?

 The Post-American Internet?

Read at pluralistic.net All the EU has to do is repeal Article 6 of the Copyright Directive, and, in so doing, strip Apple of the privilege of mobilizing the European justice system to shore up Apple's hundred billion dollar annual tax on the world's digital

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Apps and digital tools I liked in 2025

 Apps and digital tools I liked in 2025

And you might too. 💻

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Moon samples, poetry, and community | Newsletter for friends #08

 Moon samples, poetry, and community | Newsletter for friends #08

Hello friends, I’m writing to you from my beloved home city Mumbai, where I’ve at long last come to rest and enjoy some time with my parents. I hope you’re having a refreshing break as well this year end. It’s once again been three months since

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Poem: Words

To all who share a love for the written word.

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Week notes inception

This week has been nice. A list of notable events below; some photos follow.

  • Gave a public talk about our Moon and its exploration to people having beer. The talk series it was part of is aptly named Pint of View. It was great to have an extremely engaged audience.

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Newsletter for friends #07: Life has changed

Reading recommendations, things I wrote of note, and more.

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Cycles and fluctuations

Humans invent technology. It eases their lives. Then it becomes their lives. Those who wield the tech then control and influence these lives. Eventually, unrest unearths in the background. An alternate rises over the horizon. People break through the mould to the open skies of new technolgy. That world though

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Levels of achieving world(ly) peace

  1. Delete all social media apps
  2. Disable all like notifications at source
  3. Stop posting on every social network
  4. Make all social media profiles private
  5. Log out of all accounts

I just turned 5.

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Life in a nutshell

  1. Go to a book club meet
  2. Gain inspiration and insight
  3. Add good reads to your list 
  4. Realize you can’t read most of them, ever
  5. It then sinks in that it’s an amplifying loop
  6. Feel unproductive despite growth