Summer is here, and I am going to spend my usual 2 weeks out there in the wilderness. I have done it every year, since our kids were born. It was a little chaotic in the beginning, but now it is fairly streamlined. We always take the first two weeks of July off. This is our way of taking a break exactly at the middle of the year, and also to celebrate our daughter’s birthday. We like to spend that time out there as opposed to being at home. Even last year, during the middle of Covid summer of 2020 we didn’t miss it, obviously now that we are all vaccinated, there is no reason for us not to go. Also we always try to get away from people during this time, and if there are no people, there is no covid. This is a fact.
I am not much of a fisherman, unlike the head clerk here, but I have done some fishing. Mostly in the mountain streams, a sport fishing technique called ‘fly fishing’. It is basically a way to mimic the flight path of an insect(fly) and lure fish to come to the surface of the water to catch the fly which is attached to the fish hook. You are not supposed to use any bait. Live or any other kind. In most waters, it is not an easy thing to do. It is more a meditation or art as opposed to real fishing, especially if you are like me (not a good fisherman). I haven’t done this in 10 years, but I am told that it is like riding a bicycle or swimming, you can never forget how to cast it. I will see if there is any truth to that.
I did some field work in northern Montana, around the Blackfoot and Flathead rivers area, and it was easy to fly fish in those waters. I only fished to eat, that’s all, and I am not particularly good at it. This year my plan is to do some casual fishing in Alaska, and show my two daughters how to fly fish. I eat fish, but I am not crazy about it. However, my wife can probably eat any kind of fish, in any shape, size and form...living or dead :) So, I think there won’t be any issue of having extra fish.
Although, I don’t think I will catch more fish than head clerk, but fish is plenty in Alaska, and there are not many people. So, it's actually rather hard not to catch fish. Other than fishing, I do have plans to catch up on reading. Real books, not audio or blogs from hive. I will try my best not to get on hive as much as I can during the next couple of weeks. I am sure you guys will hold the fort and manage your way through another hard fork, Equilibrium, which is still scheduled for June 30. During that time, as opposed to refreshing the window 100 times, and then bitching and moaning about the chain, I think you should consider taking a few days off from the blockchain and do things that you normally don’t do. Or maybe do the things you used to do but don’t do anything due to your extensive internet time.
I will see what I can manage. Maybe fly some bush plane, or take a cruise up glacial fjords. Or if the weather gets rainy, maybe I will just sit by the window and drink coffee and read a good book. I have no idea what I will do, but I will give you a report when I return. Until then have a good summer. I will try to write the next editorial but I have no promises :)
Fishing is waiting. Even when nothing seems to be happening, something is happening.The Optimist, David Coggins
-Editor
নিমিশে চোখের সামনে কালো নেমে এলো, থমকে গেলাম। বেশ কদিন ধরে লোডশেডিং খুব ঝামেলা করছে। কিন্তু চারদিক শুনশান। পিনপতন নীরবতা। আগ বাড়ালাম, মোটামুটি তো ধারনা আছে ঘরের কোথায় কী রাখা। কী যেন পায়ে বাঁধল। ধড়াম করে পড়লাম মেঝেতে। মেরেছে! হাতটা মনে হয় ভেঙ্গেছে। হাছড়ে পাঁচরে চার পায়ে ভর দিয়ে উঠলাম। ঘন ঘন নিশ্বাস নিচ্ছি। নাহ, হাত ভাংগেনি। নয়তো হামা দিতে গেলেই ভেঙ্গে চুড়ে পড়তাম। কিন্তু কোমরে দুর্দান্ত ব্যাথা। হামাগুড়ি দিয়ে সামনে আগালাম। আশ্চর্য, কোন শব্দ নেই কোথাও। আচ্ছা, পড়ার শব্দও তো পাইনি। তবে কি কান গেলো?
হামাগুড়িতে দরজার কাছে পৌঁছে গেছি। তালা মারা ছিলো না। মাথা দিয়ে গুঁতো মেরে খুলে ফেললাম। আকাশে এক ফালি চিকন চাঁদ দেখা যায়। ওর কিরণে ধরণীর তিমির মোটেও দূরীভূত হচ্ছে না, কিন্তু চাঁদখানা দেখে ভালো লাগছে। তিন মুল্লুকে একমাত্র আলোক উৎস যেন। ঘরোয়া অনুভব করছি। হামাগুড়ি দিয়ে যাচ্ছি। চার হাত-পায়ের নিচে নুড়ি পাথর পড়ছে। কিন্তু ব্যাথা করছে না। কেমন শক্ত শক্ত অনুভূত হচ্ছে ওখানে। পুলক অনুভব করলাম। হেটে যাচ্ছি। হেটেই যাচ্ছি। বাতাসের সোঁদা গন্ধের চাদর আমায় আবেশে আচ্ছন্ন করে রেখেছে।
গলার নিচে কেমন উষ্ণ অনুভূত হচ্ছে বেশ খানিকক্ষণ ধরে। কী যেন ছলকে ছলকে যাচ্ছে ভেতরে। তাজ্জব ব্যাপার। পানি তো পান করিনি তেমন। আর ছলকালে পাকস্থলীতে ছলকানোর কথা। ভাবনা থমকে গেলো সামনে এক অবয়ব দেখে। কাছে গেলাম চার পায়ে হেটে। কাটাওয়ালা গোল গোল ক্যাকটাস! টসটসে রসে ভরা ক্যাকটাস! দেখে আমার ধারওয়ালা জিভে জল চলে এলো। মুখে তুলে নিলাম ক্যাকটাস, আরামসে কামড় দিলাম।
ক্যাকটাস চাবাতে চাবাতে অনুভব করলাম, আমার পিঠে মস্ত বড় এক কুঁজ।
Photo Credit 
I haven't logged in to Facebook for a long time. Although I get a newspaper every day but I don't read much due to lack of time or laziness. Suddenly, this morning, one of my well-wishers called and informed me about Father's Day. Although I spoke to my father twice this morning on the phone because of a need, I forgot to wish him. My dad probably didn't expect that because parents feel more cherished to stay close with their children than greetings. I didn't comprehend this much before but I can perceive it now since I became a father. The desire to embrace the child for no reason and that feeling cannot be expressed in any language.
Everything changes over time. When the child grows up, they have their own family and get themselves busy. I have to recall exactly when I hugged my father for the last time. Just as I feel great happiness fondling my child, surely my father wants to feel the same peace embracing us.
But the reality is where is the time to hug parents after giving time to wife, children and office! As parents get older, their thirst for children increases because their social engagement decreases and loneliness increases. We may not understand that or don’t try to pretend to quench their thirst. When we were kids, we felt shaky if parents were out of sight for a while. Today they are far away from us, either physically or mentally.
It is our responsibility to bridge this gap. Because our only selfless well-wishers in this world is our parents who risk their lives to keep us well. It is our responsibility to keep them physically and mentally well. So today, on this Father's Day, let’s hug our parents and let them feel we still love them like our childhood!
Having an opinion is perhaps one of the most human qualities. Everyone is blessed with their own set of beliefs and perceptions. Like-minded people become friends quicker than people with different opinions, although the latter tends to last longer. Well, I’m not intending to write about how important friendship is; maybe some other day. What has intrigued me for the past few days is the perception of other people. It won’t be a lie if I say that others’ opinions affect me; I think it should. If it doesn’t affect you, then either the person is of no importance or you’re bigoted. Hmm, I suppose the word has a bad ringer to it. Is it bad to have some opinion or have none at all?
Credit 
I have had the opportunity to meet both unbiased and judgemental people; on rare occasions, both features are found in the same person. Now, that combo is diabolical. Although I admire open-minded people, I believe the opinionated fraction has helped me develop my set of beliefs. It isn’t as easy as it sounds. Our notion becomes interchangeable and we may risk appearing as capricious. Then again, these beliefs shape us to become who we are. I mentioned something about opinions that intrigued me. To be honest, I laugh at people whose opinions I find baseless, in other words flat-out silly. You may think of it as okay, but it is a flaw; I’m still laughing about it.
Everyone has a sense of humor. If you don’t laugh at jokes, you probably laugh at opinions. - Criss Jami
I laugh at jokes, opinions, and also at opinions that appear like jokes. Perhaps I’m slightly opinionated myself. If you’re wondering what was that opinion that I was laughing at, the simple answer is, some people suggest I should get out of the crypto “hell hole” before I lose more. Someone told me upfront that the market will not recover and even if it does, it won’t be the same as before. My first instinct was to laugh for approximately 2 minutes and after that my reply was Okay.
I was short of words because I know for a fact that this specific person has no interest in learning about this hot mess. I will not boast nor cry about how much I have earned, lost, traded, or anything related to that whatsoever, as I’m a horrible advisor in every sense. It’s possible that the market won’t recover, just saying. But I also know some people who thrive in such a downtrend. I will not mock what he said or anyone else did, but I have thought of taking their opinion just as it is and not labeling them. And I had a sudden realization. They assume they’re right. I thought I was right or maybe now I’m wrong. I can accept a drastic change but what will happen if all the shitcoins rally and do more! What baffled me is how a contrasting circumstance is unacceptable. There’s another pressing matter. They don’t realize that once I take the money out, it’s as good as waste. That’s true for me because I’ll squander it by buying unnecessary stuff or probably it will be a sitting duck at some bank. At the end of it all, every opinion is out there whether I take it or leave it.
The mindless Scarecrow from Oz wanted a brain.
All seems paradoxical, and I have ended up with just questions, none are financial.
Well, I have realized that having an opinion is something that I’ll appreciate whether I feel it’s justified or it isn’t. Perhaps what I’m trying to say is, acknowledging that there are other possibilities may be more crucial than agreeing to the said notion. There’s always a chance of correction, whether it’s on my end or the opposite end and I'm a human. The findings are inconclusive.
Life changes drastically. It can change from colorful to black & white in an instant. Everything changes in a moment. Familiar faces are lost. The behavior that has been known for years has changed. So many things happen in a very short time. There is a sentence called Nature of Revenge. If someone does wrong to someone, he has to suffer for it. Nature does not spare anyone. Whether it is now or two decades later. If I do wrong to anyone, I will be punished. Maybe two days before or after, but it must be.
We are constantly witnessing such incidents. Too err is human, But either way everyone have to pay for every mistake. I read such a story somewhere. Where a beautiful, happy life changes in an instant in a nightmare. Some small mistakes and wrong decisions lead to uncertain life. One wrong decision can take a lifetime of happiness. Thousands of dreams, hopes gets lost.
If you hurt someone, you have to pay for what you have done. We should not do wrong to anyone. Life does not spare anyone. No one will be spared this revenge. Sometimes the frustration of life consumes the beauty of survival. Sometimes disrespect, jealousy is born. Relationship tensions cause the most emotional damage. Because no matter what else a person gives up, love relationship is important in his life. Without this life becomes miserable.
প্রায়শই আমি তার গান শুনি। গভীর রাত্তিরে দ্বিপ্রহর যখন গড়িয়ে গেল বলে, প্রায় প্রতিদিন ঘড়ি ধরে তখনি তার গাওয়া শুরু হয়। মাঝে মাঝে একটু আধটু বেশকম হয়েই যায়, কিন্তু গান শোনা আমার কখনো থেমে থাকে নি। মনে হয় এই গানের আমিই একমাত্র শ্রোতা। আজিব কিন্তু কি সুন্দর একটা বিষয়, তাই না? আমার একার জন্যে এই গানের আসর। একার জন্যে কারণ এত রাতে চৌপাশে নেড়ি কুকুড় ছাড়া বাকি সবাই ঘুমে অচেতন থাকে। হয়ত গায়িকা আমার মতনই নিশাচর কেউ আর নয়ত তিনি আমার নিঃসঙ্গতা বুঝতে পেরেছেন। এই সলিটারি জীবনে একটু শান্তি আনার জন্যেই হয়ত তার এই প্রয়াস। কে ই বা বলতে পারে !
হুমায়ূন স্যার যখন মারা যান, তার ঠিক আগে আগে একদিন ‘“যদি মন কাঁদে, তুমি চলে এসো, এক বর্ষায়” শুনেছিলাম। দুতিন মাস আগে রাত ২টা বাজে তুর্ণির সবকিছু গুছিয়ে পাবলিশ করে একটি ধুম্রশলাকা জ্বালাবার অতিশয় আকাঙ্খায় সিলিং ফ্যান বন্ধ করে জানালার পাশে দাঁড়িয়ে লাইটারটা বার করতেই কোথা থেকে অতিশয় আবেগের সাথে গাওয়া সেই গানের প্রথম কলি বাতাসে ভেসে ভেসে আমার কান পর্যন্ত পৌঁছে গেল। আমার অনেক পছন্দের গান। সাবেক প্রেমিকার থেকে শুনতে শুনতে এই গান আমার গিল্টি প্লেজার হয়ে গেছে। তারপর থেকে এমন কোন বর্ষা নেই যে এই গান আমার শোনা হয়নি। “চলে এসো, এক বর্ষায়”। যেতে তো মনে অনেক চায়, কিন্তু যাওয়ার জায়গা আর অবশিষ্ট নেই।
‘কাক এর মাথায় তাল পড়ার মত’ করে সেদিনও কোন এক আচানক কারণে ‘কুকুর বিড়াল’ বৃষ্টি হচ্ছিল। গ্রীষ্মের প্রথমদিককার অকাতর ধারাপতন যেমন মুষল্ধারে হওয়া উচিত ঠিক তেমনটাই। ক্ষণিক ঝোড়ো বাতাস, বন্ধ হলেই ঝুম বৃষ্টি। সেই তীব্রতাও কাচের চুড়ির ঝনঝনে শব্দের মত হাই ফ্রিকোয়েন্সির নৈসর্গিক সূর কোন ভাবেই বন্ধ রাখতে পারলো না। আর আমিও উদাসীন মনে নিজের অজান্তেই আরো কাছ থেকে শুনতে কিভাবে যেন ছাদে উঠে গেলাম। বৃষ্টির মাঝখানে দাঁড়িয়ে জলন্ত সিগেরেট হাতের মুঠিতে লুকিয়ে শুনতে শুনতে কোন এক অচেনা মায়ায় ঘিরে গেল সবকিছু।
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