Phishing Trip
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Sanity Break #1
SANITY BREAK Here’s something to look forward to this weekend: The widely praised ‘Axone’—a that tracks the lives of young people from the North East living in Delhi. It is literally the first Hindi/Hinglish movie to capture the North Eastern experience. It drops on Netflix today.
Headlines that matter
HEADLINES THAT MATTER INDIA’S INFECTION RATE: AN OFFICIAL UPDATE The Indian Council of Medical Research released the results of the first ‘sero-surveillance’ study. The survey tested for the presence of antibodies in a random sample of 26,400 individuals drawn from 83 districts. Here’s what it found in 65 of those districts: * 0.73% of the population were exposed to Covid-19, i.e. had antibodies. The ICMR : “The data shows that we have been able to contain the virus. To keep the pandemic at these levels is a very big achievement.” * But experts tell : “That figure, if extrapolated to the population of only the 60 districts… would mean the coronavirus had by early May infected over 370,000 people there, a number higher than the current nationwide cases confirmed by lab diagnosis.” * ICMR also says there is no evidence of community transmission. But their own numbers suggest the opposite. * More importantly: The risk of spread is 1.09 times higher in urban than rural areas, and 1.89 times higher in urban slums. * looks at questions raised about India’s recovery rate. The number of recoveries is now higher than active Covid cases. * has a very wonky and detailed breakdown of India’s death rate. It may be higher than the total number if you pay attention to one fact: Indians who have died are far younger than those in China or Italy. * Also: 236 deaths were by the Tamil Nadu government. The state’s official total: 326. * Men are more vulnerable to infection than women—except in India. explains why. * Yes, there is a shortage of beds, but only in private hospitals. Nearly 70% of beds in government hospitals are lying empty. explains why. AN OIL LEAK IN ASSAM On Tuesday, the Oil India Limited’s oil field in Baghjan, Assam burst into flames. This was two weeks after a well started leaking gas—which was/could not be controlled. The explosion has since destroyed homes, livelihoods and the surrounding ecosystem: “The Dibru river is full of dead fish. Two days ago, Gangetic river dolphins floated up.” The explosions have not stopped. an Oil India official: > “The blaze is still very strong, flames leaping to a height of over 200ft, and now we have this vibration. People who are near > the site say it has damaged the walls of several houses. Everybody is worried, especially women and children living in the > relief camps.” This investigation exposes Oil India’s negligence—and attempts to cover it up. reports on the environmental damage—that will take years to undo. NOW ZOOM IS CENSORING YOUR MEETINGS The video conferencing company suspended the account of a Chinese human rights group planning to hold a secret meeting to commemorate the Tiananmen Square anniversary. Zoom says it is “required to comply” with local laws. () THE COVID EFFECT: INDIA EDITION * Chinese brands like Xiaomi and Oppo their smartphones en masse because Indian factories are struggling to get back to normal production. * Indians are not shopping: stores selling non-essential items report fewer visitors than normal. Also: A shows that 60% of shoppers have cut back their spending, and are saving for the future. * The Covid economy kind to women: "Over 100 million men lost jobs as against 17 million women. But in percentage terms... four out of every ten women who were working during the last year lost their jobs during the lockdown." WHY WE ARE ALL DOOMED : Goa has suspended Covid-19 testing for out-of-state visitors. You can just pinky promise to self-quarantine for 14 days if you don’t display any symptoms. Cue mass South Delhi exodus! : This is what socially distanced queuing looks like somewhere in India. : This is the Delhi Health Minister’s response on ‘community transmission’. THE BLM EFFECT Both Microsoft and Amazon not to allow the police to use their facial recognition technology. Vogue editor Anna Wintour has for past sins: > “Meanwhile, I want to say plainly that I know Vogue has not found enough ways to elevate and give space to Black editors, > writers, photographers, designers and other creators. We have made mistakes too, publishing images or stories that have been > hurtful or intolerant. I take full responsibility for those mistakes.” The animated children show “Paw Patrol” may be endangered (really?) : > "Even big-hearted cartoon police dogs — or maybe especially big-hearted cartoon police dogs — are on notice. The effort to > publicize police brutality also means banishing the good-cop archetype, which reigns on both television and in viral videos of > the protests themselves. “Paw Patrol” seems harmless enough, and that’s the point: The movement rests on understanding that cops > do plenty of harm." The statue of Christopher Columbus was in Boston. JK ROWLING RESPONDS IN WRITING The author has responded at length to her critics who accuse her of transphobia—and revealed that she was a victim of physical and sexual abuse. You can . Her ex-husband, meanwhile, has firmly denied any such violence in their marriage, … wait for it… “I admit I slapped her very hard in the street… I slapped her, but I didn't abuse her.” He also added: “There was not sustained abuse. I’m not sorry for slapping her.”
Sanity Break #2
SANITY BREAK written and illustrated by graphic novelist Amruta Patil pays tribute to the lost glory of masculine bling—be it the spiky gokhru flaunted by Bhil men or the disk-like shinshoria native to Gujarat.
Smart & Curious
SMART & CURIOUS KASHMIR: A NEVERENDING LOCKDOWN Graphic novelist Malik Sajad illustrates Kashmir’s ‘longest lockdown’ in a stunning and moving series of images. It truly deserves your attention. () A LIST OF INTRIGUING QUESTIONS * Can dogs smell covid? A says ‘yes’—if you let them sniff your armpits. Well, it’s better than a nose swab 🤷♀️ * Will lockdown loneliness turn us into loners? on ‘lonely’ zebrafish suggests ‘maybe’. When normally social zebrafish are isolated for a period of time, social interaction makes them hypersensitive to stimuli and activates areas of the brain associated with stress and anxiety. * Can you put humans into hibernation? Scientists are … but with mice. And they have been successful in isolating a ‘snooze’ button—a set of neurons, actually. Hibernation can help with recovery from serious surgery or illness. * So how do humans see colour? The : “most people only see color in the dead center of their visual field, and not in the periphery. In other words, your sense of a rich, colorful world is inaccurate.” * How far can you walk in a straight line without hitting a major body of water? The answer according to : 13,500 km between Liberia and China like so.
Weekend advisory
LIFE ADVISORY SO YOU’RE CRAVING A GRILLED CHEESE SANDWICH… Here's a handy ranking of the best melting cheeses—so you can stop reaching for good ole cheddar—even though it is #1 on the list. Mild not sharp, though. () SO YOUR ZOOM MEETINGS ARE WAY TOO NOISY… Maybe it is time to switch to Google Meet. In about a month, it will roll out an AI-driven noise-cancellation feature that will simply blank out the sounds of doorbells, babies, and pressure cooker ki seeti. Note: GSuite users may be blessed asap. () SO YOU’RE DYING TO SHOP FOR CLOTHES AGAIN… Here’s some practical advice—buried midway in the article—to shopping in a world where trial rooms will be rare, and using mall toilets will be a nightmare. We particularly like the tips about online shopping. () SO YOU’RE A TRUE CRIME JUNKIE… Here’s a list of the best true crime podcasts of all time—it’s right there in the headline! ()
Feel Good Place
THE FEEL GOOD PLACE can out-helicopter Mahi. for ‘Wild Karnataka’—that Discovery Plus doc we flagged yesterday—is a must-listen. (h/t Likesh Bhambhwani) is oddly comforting and warm, so we thought it might help your day.
