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Sanity Break #1
SANITY BREAK These satirical illustrations of life in 2020 by John Holcroft are brilliantly perceptive and totally on the nose. Check out or follow him on for more of this good stuff. PS: we didn’t include it because our image specs wouldn’t do it justice, but the ‘basketball hoop’ iteration of gender inequality is our favourite. Scroll to see it.
Headlines that matter
HEADLINES THAT MATTER INDIA IS NOW #3 IN ITS COVID COUNT * We’ve zoomed right past Russia to become the in the world. Our current total: 697,413. Number of deaths: 19,693. Number of recoveries: 424,433. Number of cases reported on Sunday: 24,248. * Maharashtra more than 200,000 cases, while Delhi is close to 100,000. * In Kerala, will go into a stringent ‘triple lockdown’ starting today. * The state also safety guidelines that will remain in place for a year! These include mandatory facemasks in public spaces, limits on social gatherings etc. * Meanwhile, thousands are in fear of another lockdown. Many are migrant workers leaving for their hometown to avoid being stranded in the city. Bangalore has 1000-plus cases two days in a row. * A number of prominent drugs used for Covid treatment are . The widely touted Remdesivir shows signs of causing liver damage in patients. The anti-viral drug Favipiravir is also triggering a troubling array of side-effects. In related shocking news: Bajaj Auto is shut its factory in Maharashtra even though 300 of its employees have tested positive, and up to 8 have died. Workers are angry and scared. But management claims they are “evading work” and has threatened to “cut 100% salary of the employees who do not report at work for any reason other than being stuck in the containment zone or in quarantine.” The Bajaj trade union president : “We requested the company to temporarily close the plant for 10-15 days to break the cycle but they said there is no point as people will continue to gather for social events outside of work.” THE CHINA UPDATE: PR IN THE TIME OF TROUBLE ! Beijing has upped its presence at posts previously controlled by Indian troops—and installed surveillance cameras to keep tabs on our movements. A Ministry official says: “The installation of surveillance cameras at the friction points is a matter of serious concern at a time when both sides are holding talks to disengage from eyeball-to-eyeball positions.” ! PM Modi’s visit to Ladakh gave the world this clip of a pristine and makeshift ward (with projectors hanging from the ceiling)—and populated by seemingly uninjured soldiers. The Army said that all reports of the visit being “staged” are “malicious, unsubstantiated.” : Ajay Devgn announced plans to make a movie on the Galwan encounter—which left 20 Indian soldiers dead. Somewhere in Mumbai, Akshay Kumar is crying. Here’s more proof that China has become an increasingly quarrelsome neighbour. It is now claiming a wildlife sanctuary along the Bhutan border as its own territory. Point to note: the area borders Arunachal Pradesh which has also been claimed by Beijing. : the heat. Washington sent two aircraft carriers into the South China sea to conduct exercises. The New York Times notes: “The deployment of an American aircraft carrier and its strike force is often used as a signal to deter adversaries. Deploying two at once is recognized as a significant show of force.” While Beijing has not responded, the state-controlled Global Times : “China has a wide selection of anti-aircraft carrier weapons like DF-21D and DF-26 "aircraft carrier killer" #missiles.” IS THE VIRUS AIRBORNE? WHO has long insisted that the virus spreads via large respiratory droplets—which a person expels when they cough or sneeze—that fall onto surfaces. Hence, the emphasis on hand-washing. But 239 scientists in 32 countries say that it is time to accept this is wrong: this . Smaller droplets can linger in the air, and can travel a longer distance. Why this matters: It means that the disease most likely spreads when people are indoors and in prolonged contact This means we may need to wear masks even when indoors, and this: > “Ventilation systems in schools, nursing homes, residences and businesses may need to minimize recirculating air and add > powerful new filters. Ultraviolet lights may be needed to kill viral particles floating in tiny droplets indoors.” In related Covid news: is spreading from Europe to the US. It is far more infectious but—the good news—it is not any more dangerous. : “Two deaths linked to bubonic plague in Mongolia have caused authorities to place its border with Russia under ‘indefinite quarantine.’” Gallery of Covid idiots: includes dimwits in Soho, London (see below). Said dimwits included Sam Smith being a total mask-less, boozed up ass. Photos . Plus: These crazy Americans at the July Fourth party in Michigan. PRINCE ANDREW IS IN BIG, BIG TROUBLE A newly surfaced photo shows Ghislaine Maxwell and Kevin Spacey chilling out on the Queen and Prince Philip's Coronation thrones—thanks to a private Palace tour arranged by Prince Andrew. The Telegraph obtained the story, but is behind a paywall. You can see it over at instead. Why this matters: Maxwell has just been arrested as co-conspirator to pedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. And the US prosecutors have asked Prince Andrew to come in and tell them what he knows due to his close relationship with Maxwell. In related news: An unidentified woman that Maxwell raped her up to 30 times—starting when she was just 14-years old and continuing until she became pregnant with Jeffrey Epstein’s child. ANOTHER CASE OF DELHI VIOLENCE A number of men surrounded and three animal rescue workers in Delhi. The video of the bloodied victims went viral—more so since the police initially refused to file an FIR. This isn’t a big headline-making story, but the rage and sadness of Ayesha Christina in this clip—as she notes, ‘This is routine in our country… This is nothing new.”—is worth your time.
Sanity Break #2
SANITY BREAK This powerful —“The Seven Last Words of the Unarmed”—was composed and performed several years ago. It draws inspiration from Haydn’s ‘The Seven Last Words of Christ’. The very last words in this composition: ‘I can’t breathe’. It has now found widespread popularity for the worst reason: nothing has changed. The has the story.
Smart & Curious
SMART & CURIOUS A LONG WEEKEND LIST OF GOOD READS * has an excellent read on the bright future of Indian real estate—which will, however, be greatly transformed, along with where we live, work and play. * This brilliant essay looks at how we ‘lose’ our regional accents—or rather develop multiple accents that wave in and out depending on who we are talking to. * looks back at the time when David Bowie theatrically came out as gay—but really wasn’t. This is a fascinating piece on sexual identity as performance. * : ‘The End of the Girlboss Is Here’—which takes aim at the highly successful white model of success epitomised by Sheryl Sandberg. * What makes something cool? This essay looks at the man who invented the four letter code—“Most Advanced Yet Acceptable”—that helps brands sell you pretty much anything. This is the perfect lunchtime read. * Our favourite: Sandip Roy’s to ‘paash baalish’ which is way more than just a Bengali side pillow. * looks at the ‘thin white lie’ of the effortlessly chic Frenchwoman—and why it’s damaging. * How will human extinction change our planet? answers that eerie question, and it makes for a thought-provoking read. * has a heartwarming report on the overlooked rural health workers—unqualified and often dismissed as ‘quacks’—who are doing an amazing job of preventing the spread of Covid.
Weekend advisory
LIFE ADVISORY A VALUABLE GUIDE TO PROCURING BLOOD PLASMA Samarth Bansal’s grandmother tested positive for Covid, and is in urgent need of blood plasma. He put out a call on Twitter, and then—being a true and excellent journalist—collated all the useful information that came his way. The result: an for all of us to bookmark. Also: please do reach out to him on Twitter if you can help in any way. A LIST OF USEFUL TECH INFO For Zoom haters: here’s the good news. JioMeet is completely free and has some nifty extras. Example: You can log in on up to five devices, and you can seamlessly switch between devices while on a call. offers the most useful review. For Google Photos users: Please be advised that the Android version automatically backing up photos on WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger on to your cloud. The reason: People are sharing way too many photos during the pandemic, and the company is trying to "save internet resources." The good news: you can still manually enable auto-backup . For lovebirds on Spotify: The company’s new Premium Duo package allows two people who share the same bed (or flat) to also share a subscription. And it is now available in India for Rs 149/ month. looks at whether this is a good deal. For meme lovers: A new startup Koji is aiming to become the TikTok of memes—allowing users to customize memes, selfies, and web games using GIFs, audio clips etc. This is handy for both bored teenagers and brands looking to up their Insta game at zero cost. You can check out or read profile.
Feel Good Place
THE FEEL GOOD PLACE We don’t know what this is but we can’t unsee it. : This is a lovely anecdote about Vidya Balan that confirms what we already know: She is awesome. looks like this. completely lost his shit on national television—and marked an unprecedented (and very brief) moment when Indian TV news became a must-watch. Note: He’s being hectored by a nasty troll by the name of Danish Rizwan. are excellent, as is Ma Nature.
