A Sticky Wicket
SANITY BREAK This of U2’s ‘Beautiful Day’ was part of a star-studded virtual convocation/commencement show for the class of 2020. Hint: if you want to give Bono’s stirring address a pass.
HEADLINES THAT MATTER FIRST, THE CRAZY NUMBERS * India rising: With 9,987 new cases and a Covid total of 276,146, India is poised to overtake the UK. We will soon become the fourth worst-affected nation in the world. We already shot past Italy and Spain in less than 24 hours. * On Tuesday, the number of cases in Mumbai shot past Wuhan. What’s really worrying: Our numbers are rising at the among the top five. * Delhi rising: Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia that the capital will have over 500,000 Covid-19 cases by the end of July—which in turn will require 80,000 beds. * This is in line with that Delhi and Mumbai will witness peaks between July and September—with the death tally reaching anywhere between 9,000-28,000 in Delhi, and 6,000-19,000 in Mumbai. * The number of people testing positive has also been escalating since May—see this . * In happier news, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tested for coronavirus. BJP leader Jyotiraditya Scindia, OTOH, was . * Also: This explains why now is the critical time to stay alert and—when possible—stay home. HONG KONG REMAINS DEFIANT! Thousands of protestors gathered in central Hong Kong to mark the anniversary of last year’s one-million rally—and in defiance of the government ban of all large gatherings. Why this matters: Under Beijing pressure, the government just passed a strict national security law. It’s aim: to end Hong Kong’s semi-autonomous status. This marks the first significant resurgence of the protest movement since the onset of the pandemic. () FLEETS HAVE LANDED! Twitter has unrolled its newest feature in India. Called ‘Fleets’, these are, in essence, disappearing tweets. You can share anything you want—messages, photos, videos etc—and all of it will disappear within 24 hours. The catch: No one can RT, reply or like your Fleet. And they do not show up on your TL, but can be viewed by tapping on your profile. () THE LATEST COVID GYAAN IS HERE A shocking China claim: A shows that the virus may have been circulating in the country as early as August 2019. The findings are based on satellite data on hospital parking lots—which shows a 67% spike in the number of cars from the year before. The study also crunched related data on internet searches, according to its lead authors: > “The data is actually especially compelling because we saw increases in people searching for gastrointestinal > disease—diarrhea—which were increasing at a level that we hadn't seen at all, historically, and we now know now that > gastrointestinal symptoms are a really important marker for Covid." A Chinese spokesperson called the study “outrageously absurd.” Lower risk for Covid: DNA testing company 23andMe looked at 750,000 samples, and found that are between 9-18% less likely to test positive. Also less likely to be infected: smokers. They are 23% to be infected—or to require intensive care or die (for a change). THE LITTLE INDIAN SPY COMPANY THAT COULD BellTroX InfoTech Services is a Delhi-based IT company that operates from a small room above a chai shop. It has been hired by its clients to spy on more than 10,000 email accounts for the past seven years. Why this is an astonishing story: Their targets include government officials in Europe, judges in South Africa, politicians in Mexico, and well-known investors in the United States including private equity giant KKR—which recently bought a stake in Jio, btw. The company is now under investigation by US officials. has all the details. IBM SAYS NO TO FACIAL RECOGNITION: IBM will no longer offer general purpose facial recognition or analysis software—according to its CEO Arvind Krishna. The company will also no longer develop or research the technology. : > “IBM firmly opposes and will not condone uses of any [facial recognition] technology, including facial recognition technology > offered by other vendors, for mass surveillance, racial profiling, violations of basic human rights and freedoms, or any purpose > which is not consistent with our values...”
SANITY BREAK Elsa the koala and Hope the baby wombat—residents of the Australian Reptile Park—have become BFFs during the lockdown. The meet-cute details , but we’re just happy to get a mega-dose of furry adorable-ness to get us through hump day:)
SMART & CURIOUS A short list of intriguing things : Restaurants are revamping their menus to cater to our Covid-inspired obsession with immunity. Say hello to dishes big on antioxidants, vitamins and Ayurvedic gyaan. For instance, blueberry chutney. may soon be a thing. And you can take one even if you’re far away from your friends—at least on an iPhone. Apple has secured a patent for a technology that will allow you to invite your friends for a photo-op—and then will ‘stitch’ all of you together into one image. : The National Library of Israel (NLI) in Jerusalem is digitising its collection of 2,500 rare—and beautiful Islamic texts, dating from the 9-20th centuries. Below is a manuscript dating from 1484 of Nur al-Din Jami’s Tuhfat al-Ahrar. : Who would you want behind the bar, handling your ice and mixing your drinks? Meet Cabo, the six foot tall mixmeister who is shaking up the bar scene in South Korea. LIST OF GOOD READS * How does it feel to be a freelancer—in publishing, no less!—during a pandemic? Here are four illuminating —from an illustrator, a publicist, a typesetter, and an editor—including one of our founding members, Rachna Kalra! * Jess Cartner-Morley has been to fashion shows for over 20 years as a critic. She takes a nostalgic look at its wild and creative history—only to conclude that the old-fashioned catwalk is dead. * pays a lovely homage to the langar—always at hand, be it a riot, protest or pandemic. * In , Sanhati Banerjee dissects designer Ayush Kejriwal’s campaign that claims to honour the unpaid work of women—but in fact reiterates age old and tired tropes of gharwali/rakhwali.
LIFE ADVISORY A LIST OF VERY RELEVANT RESEARCH : A new study shows that withdrawal from antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs) is worse than other classes of mood-altering drugs. It can last a very long time—and result in permanent damage, i.e. “persistent post-withdrawal disorder.” This makes it near-impossible to quit the medication. The bigger point: the theory that mental illness is a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain may be fundamentally flawed. has more on the findings. And here is of commonly prescribed SSRIs and SNRIs. A Princeton study found that people who garden have higher emotional well-being than those who pursue other daily activities. More importantly: the level of happiness is higher for vegetable gardeners than for other kinds of gardeners: “This might be because of the relationship you build with your vegetable plants as you watch them grow and mature over the course of the planting season.” We humans will bond with anything—even a tamatar:) Your ‘experience’ of any form of cannabis changes as you get older. The reason: over the years, your body gets used to a certain level of THC—the compound that interacts with your brain. And the effects can vary wildly from one person to another. So toking can become more pleasurable, or very unpleasant as you age.
THE FEEL GOOD PLACE A BOLLYWOOD SPECIAL showing off his newly learned dance moves on Tik Tok—with a little help from his daughter, Aaliyah. Above is our fave sample. : Basu Chatterji, Amol Palekar and Vidya Sinha, all together for a perfect 70s nostalgia pic. : Why, it’s the always gorgeous Zeenat Aman! : Why, it’s the always gorgeous Arjun Rampal!
READING HABIT EDITOR’S NOTE: We are delighted to announce our partnership with —a brilliant online magazine for avid readers. Each week, its editors will bring you a variety of literary treats guaranteed to delight every book lover's heart—including author interviews, reading lists, curated reads and so much more. So keep your eye on this space! THIS WEEK IN LITERATURE The Curious Reader curates their favourite literary long reads, podcasts, games, and more, to keep you engaged and entertained throughout the week. * The current protests in America have caused a number of anti-racist book lists to pop up. But what purpose do they serve, and do these lists even help? Read fiery article to find out. * The New Yorker has always been our one-stop guide for everything wondrous, and once again, they did not disappoint. Here are two stories—by and —for your reading pleasure. * Who doesn’t enjoy a beautiful book cover? But did you ever wonder about the origin stories of iconic book covers that have stood the test of time? Read about them , and then promptly add those books to your shopping cart. * Apple users, rejoice. “game of literary wordplay” creates puzzles from iconic books like ‘Sherlock Holmes’ and ‘Pride And Prejudice’ and will relieve you of your lockdown blues. ($5 a month, but there is a free one-month trial, too) * Get hooked on the of the podcast Hooked On Books, where Namita Gokhale talks about Urdu, mythological retellings and her newest baby, ‘’. BOOKS RELEASING THIS WEEK * : Recently, banks have been falling like ninepins, and we have no idea if our money is safe with them anymore. Vivek Kaul’s book answers this important question, and also shows us how politics in India influences the banking sector. (June 10, 2020) * : Amir Ahmadi Arian’s story of an ordinary man who becomes the scapegoat in a union strike that lands him in Tehran’s notorious Evin Prison, where we learn how people are broken if they don’t submit to the higher powers at play, is a must-read this month. (June 15, 2020) * : Krishnadevaraya, the great king of South India, featured as a paragraph in our school history books. Srinivas Reddy’s book, however, paints a vivid and honest picture of a ruler who unified the warring kingdoms of the South and left behind a legacy that remains immortalised in folk literature and art. (June 15, 2020) * : Love psychological thrillers that keep you up at night? You will love the 7th book in this popular series by Lars Kepler, where Superintendent Joona Linna battles a serial killer who enjoys toying with his victims by burying them alive. Intriguing and intense, it will convince you to pick up the other books in the series as well. (June 15, 2020) * : Want to learn tried and tested methods to reduce poverty, make women safe, manage traffic in the city and solve other major problems plaguing our country? A handy guide from a futurist who believes in practical solutions, Goonmeet Singh Chauhan’s book is well worth your time. (June 15, 2020) Brought to you by SMART & CURIOUS A short list of intriguing things : Restaurants are revamping their menus to cater to our Covid-inspired obsession with immunity. Say hello to dishes big on antioxidants, vitamins and Ayurvedic gyaan. For instance, blueberry chutney. may soon be a thing. And you can take one even if you’re far away from your friends—at least on an iPhone. Apple has secured a patent for a technology that will allow you to invite your friends for a photo-op—and then will ‘stitch’ all of you together into one image. : The National Library of Israel (NLI) in Jerusalem is digitising its collection of 2,500 rare—and beautiful Islamic texts, dating from the 9-20th centuries. Below is a manuscript dating from 1484 of Nur al-Din Jami’s Tuhfat al-Ahrar. : Who would you want behind the bar, handling your ice and mixing your drinks? Meet Cabo, the six foot tall mixmeister who is shaking up the bar scene in South Korea. LIST OF GOOD READS * How does it feel to be a freelancer—in publishing, no less!—during a pandemic? Here are four illuminating —from an illustrator, a publicist, a typesetter, and an editor—including one of our founding members, Rachna Kalra! * Jess Cartner-Morley has been to fashion shows for over 20 years as a critic. She takes a nostalgic look at its wild and creative history—only to conclude that the old-fashioned catwalk is dead. * pays a lovely homage to the langar—always at hand, be it a riot, protest or pandemic. * In , Sanhati Banerjee dissects designer Ayush Kejriwal’s campaign that claims to honour the unpaid work of women—but in fact reiterates age old and tired tropes of gharwali/rakhwali. LIFE ADVISORY A LIST OF VERY RELEVANT RESEARCH : A new study shows that withdrawal from antidepressants (SSRIs and SNRIs) is worse than other classes of mood-altering drugs. It can last a very long time—and result in permanent damage, i.e. “persistent post-withdrawal disorder.” This makes it near-impossible to quit the medication. The bigger point: the theory that mental illness is a result of a chemical imbalance in the brain may be fundamentally flawed. has more on the findings. And here is of commonly prescribed SSRIs and SNRIs. A Princeton study found that people who garden have higher emotional well-being than those who pursue other daily activities. More importantly: the level of happiness is higher for vegetable gardeners than for other kinds of gardeners: “This might be because of the relationship you build with your vegetable plants as you watch them grow and mature over the course of the planting season.” We humans will bond with anything—even a tamatar:) Your ‘experience’ of any form of cannabis changes as you get older. The reason: over the years, your body gets used to a certain level of THC—the compound that interacts with your brain. And the effects can vary wildly from one person to another. So toking can become more pleasurable, or very unpleasant as you age. THE FEEL GOOD PLACE A BOLLYWOOD SPECIAL showing off his newly learned dance moves on Tik Tok—with a little help from his daughter, Aaliyah. Above is our fave sample. : Basu Chatterji, Amol Palekar and Vidya Sinha, all together for a perfect 70s nostalgia pic. : Why, it’s the always gorgeous Zeenat Aman! : Why, it’s the always gorgeous Arjun Rampal!
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