An Educated Choice
For those going through withdrawal after bingeing on ‘Indian Matchmaking’, Netflix has dropped a on YouTube. Hosted by an overly chirpy ‘Dolly from Delhi’ (we kid you not!), it consists of one-on-one Zoom calls with the main protagonists. What we deduced from the show: Season 2 will not feature the missing-in-action Sima Auntie, who has been recast as the villain of the show.
BIG TECH HEARING BECOMES POLITICAL TAMASHA Tech titans appearing in front of the House Judiciary Committee from Republicans—who were more interested in talking about anti-conservative bias than their unfair business tactics. Here’s how sums it up: “There were no immediate “aha!” moments nor smoking guns, but clearly uncomfortable exchanges.” Also see: New York Times’ of catchphrases used by Jeff Bezos, Sundar Pichai, Mark Zuckerberg and Tim Cook. Don't know what this is about? Read here. In related Richie Rich news: Jeff Bezos’ net worth by $63.6 billion this year. On one day this month, it leaped an unprecedented $13 billion. Also richer this pandemic year: Mark Zuckerberg by $9.1 billion. An Indian win in Congress: No, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal wasn’t grilling tech executives but the US Attorney General. But that doesn’t make any less priceless—truly a dream come true for every Indian at the mercy of the American accent. UNLOCK 3.0 KIYA JAAYE Gyms and yoga institutes can their doors as per the new phase of ending the national lockdown. Still barred: Metro rail, movie theatres, swimming pools, amusement parks, bars and restaurants. Schools and colleges will remain closed until August 31. Falling fatalities? Our Covid totals continue to soar, and are now 1,531,669. But the case fatality rate has —the lowest since April. Since this reflects the percentage of recorded cases that result in deaths, the decline may just reflect more widespread testing—which in turn upped the overall total number of cases. The explains why it's pointless to look at the number of cases when gauging fatality rates. We should actually be looking at the percentage of symptomatic cases that result in death. Related news: A Kerala church is of parish members who died of Covid at its cemetery. Rising depression: According to a , 43% of Indians are suffering from depression thanks to the lockdown. These are mostly mild cases (26%)—and only 6% displayed more severe symptoms. The result we can all relate to: "More than 59% of the population said they had little pleasure in doing things these days." Rising losses: The tourism sector is headed for a bloodbath—which will put 87 million jobs at risk. The sector accounts for nearly 13% of total employment. has more. Also suffering from travel bans: , which reported a massive net loss of Rs 2,844 crore in the first quarter of this year—in stark contrast to a profit of Rs 1,203 crore last year. Also in trouble: which posted a Rs 807.07 crore in losses. Auditors say there is “significant doubt about the company’s ability to continue as a going concern." CORONAVIRUS CIRCULATED IN BATS FOR DECADES! New research shows that the closest ancestors of this virus emerged in bats anywhere between 40-70 years ago—and remained undetected! The study’s authors why this matters. One: “It has been poised for human crossover for some time.” Two: “If these viruses have been around for decades that means that they've had lots of opportunity to find new host species." And also this: > "This is significant in pointing to the scale and nature of the problems that zoonotic transmission presents to humans—there may > be numerous and as yet undetected viruses capable of infecting humans that reside in animal hosts." In other alarming microbe news: Japanese scientists 100-million-year old microbes that were lying dormant in the South Pacific seabed. They can now eat and multiply after spending eons in the deepest part of the sea—where there is no food or oxygen! Microbes multiply by dividing, but that requires energy, which has researchers baffled: “If they are not dividing at all, they are living for 100 million years, but that seems insane.” Also alarming but v. useful: that shows the deluge of droplets that we spew when we talk, cough or sneeze. It also shows how different masks help block their spread. RAJPUT’S FAMILY CALLS OUT MUMBAI POLICE Sushant Singh Rajput’s father has filed an FIR accusing his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty of abetting his suicide—among many other things. The case was filed in Patna, and Chakraborty has asked the Supreme Court to have it moved to Mumbai. Now the Rajput lawyer is resisting the appeal by about the city police: > “Mumbai police are trying to take the investigation in a wrong direction by trying to involve big production houses. You can > very well understand what one may get from taking (the investigation) in that direction. Its (Mumbai police’s) purpose was to > deflect the attention from Rhea and shift it elsewhere. What happens these days? If somebody is to be saved or helped, somebody > else is implicated.” RAFALE HAS REACHED INDIA The arrival of the French jets—previously the source —was a cause of, and (like the one below). Naysayers : > “1. They are arriving 9 months late. 2. They have no “India Specific Enhancements”, for which we paid €1.7 billion. Those will > be fitted only after 2022. 3. The IAF is down to just 29 squadrons.” Is there any party that cannot be pooped on?
Founding member Anita Guha sent along this brilliant Covid-inspired rewrite of Billy Joel’s iconic song ‘The Longest Time’—performed by a Canadian chamber choir. This is indeed an excellent “Social Distance-sing project.”
A LIST OF WEEKEND CULTURE READS * has an excellent take on Netflix’s standard for measuring a hit: “It doesn’t say, ‘We made something you might enjoy.’ It says, ‘We suckered you into clicking a button.’ It’s the brazen language of a huckster.” * has a brilliant piece on two legendary women—film critic Pauline Kael and author Joan Didion—united by their shared hatred for ‘Sound of Music.’ * Amid the many critiques of its sexism, casteism etc, this column offers a different and thought-provoking take on ‘Indian Matchmaking’: “In a show that lacks a voiceover or a single-focused point of view, its subtle editing is the real narrator—and it’s a powerful one.” * Related read: explains how the series was commissioned and made entirely by Netflix LA—with the India office relegated to the sidelines. More interestingly: Exec Producer Smriti Mundhra was often the only South Asian in the room. * Also a must read: elegy for the landline in fiction.
octogenarians run a laundromat in Taiwan—and have a madly popular Insta account where they pose in other people’s forgotten clothes. that are very scared of bath time are very very funny. is every gym bro you’ve ever met. : here’s a story of a marathon runner that will steal your heart. To say more will ruin it.
I RECOMMEND EDITOR’S NOTE Our subscriber Sahar Mansoor is the founder of —which offers a brilliant range of products to help you minimise your eco-footprint. Since Sahar herself has embraced a zero-waste lifestyle since 2015, we asked her to pick products she personally uses to be good to the planet and herself. : I don’t like ordering (or selling) one bar of soap at a time since it’s not eco-friendly. So I love our in-house pack of four bath bars that come in four different varieties: Turmeric, Annatto, Rosemary, Cinnamon. I promise they smell good, and so will you! : A regular plastic toothbrush takes over 400 years to decompose. I’ve replaced mine with bamboo toothbrushes that are 100% compostable! Instead of toothpaste, I use this that also contains cloves, amla and rock salt. PS: You can also replace your toothbrush with a miswak or neem stick, and follow the ancient technique of instead of a mouthwash. It is an unparalleled way to fight cavities, reduce inflammation and enhance overall gum health. : Tampons contain bleached rayon—a material that creates the possibly carcinogenic byproduct. And a single pad has the equivalent of 7-9 plastic bags in it, and takes 200 years to decompose. There are lots of great cups around, but I use this one because was one of the first brands on the market, and I have had my cup for 6 years now! Made with soft, medical grade silicon which is BPA and chemical free, it is produced with the highest standards, testing and love. And just because: One environmental documentary I recommend: Gasland by Josh Fox, which is a brilliant film about oil drilling and fracking. Watch it for free . PS: This is NOT sponsored content. We use this section to spotlight the recommendations of people we trust and admire. A LIST OF WEEKEND CULTURE READS * has an excellent take on Netflix’s standard for measuring a hit: “It doesn’t say, ‘We made something you might enjoy.’ It says, ‘We suckered you into clicking a button.’ It’s the brazen language of a huckster.” * has a brilliant piece on two legendary women—film critic Pauline Kael and author Joan Didion—united by their shared hatred for ‘Sound of Music.’ * Amid the many critiques of its sexism, casteism etc, this column offers a different and thought-provoking take on ‘Indian Matchmaking’: “In a show that lacks a voiceover or a single-focused point of view, its subtle editing is the real narrator—and it’s a powerful one.” * Related read: explains how the series was commissioned and made entirely by Netflix LA—with the India office relegated to the sidelines. More interestingly: Exec Producer Smriti Mundhra was often the only South Asian in the room. * Also a must read: elegy for the landline in fiction. octogenarians run a laundromat in Taiwan—and have a madly popular Insta account where they pose in other people’s forgotten clothes. that are very scared of bath time are very very funny. is every gym bro you’ve ever met. : here’s a story of a marathon runner that will steal your heart. To say more will ruin it.
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