The Scapegoat
Television commentator Tomi Lahren totally hearts Donald Trump. Tomi Lahren totally hearts her “amazing fans in India”. But not one of them bothered to explain the meaning of ‘ulloo’. !
FACEBOOK MAKES AMENDS * Under fire for protecting hate and misinformation, the company plans to roll out its tool in India. Basically, it will pay Indian publishers for their content. * The company information on posts and pages run by the Myanmar military—which is accused of genocide of Rohingya Muslims in the International Court of Justice. FB had thus far refused to turn over evidence to UN investigators. * And Facebook a Thai government order to block a Facebook group that challenges the monarchy—which has been the target of rising pro-democracy protests. Also ramping up in India: Apple, which is getting ready to open its first online store just ahead of the festival season. Also in the works: An offline store in Mumbai, followed by another in Bangalore. ( via Mint) WE ALL LIVE IN ADANI’S AIRPORT Adani Enterprises has already won the bid to operate six airports—including Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Mangaluru, Jaipur, Guwahati and Thiruvananthapuram. Now it’s set to buy a 74% stake in Mumbai International. Part of the great Adani dream: Airport Villages, turning the area around airports into entertainment centers with malls and hotels. In other words, the Bangalore model. () LIONEL MESSI HEADS FOR THE DOOR The world’s greatest footballer wants to leave Barcelona this summer—after spending his entire professional career at the club. And he wants to walk out a free man as per a clause in his contract. But Barca is not playing ball. The club prefers that Messi either end his career with them—or another club will have to pay €700 million for the honour of hiring him. A potential wealthy suitor: Manchester City. () THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC: A QUICK ROUNDUP * India is adding of daily new cases in the world—well ahead of the US and Brazil. * According to the United Nations, the global tourism industry $320 billion due to the pandemic—and more than 120 million jobs are at risk. This threatens to cripple the economies of a number of countries for whom tourism accounts for more than 20% of their GDP. * World-record sprinter and eight-time Olympic gold medalist Usain Bolt has tested positive for the coronavirus—and is self-isolating at his home in Jamaica. He had been partying mask-free at his 34th birthday party. He is now being investigated by the Jamaican police since its pandemic laws prohibit gatherings of more than 20 people. has the pictures and the video of his transgression. Or watch Bolt’s . * As per Delhi’s second serological survey, between the ages of 5 and 17 in Delhi were exposed to the virus. This is puzzling as schools are not open as yet. Some theories: they may still be heading out to play, or getting the virus from household help. * KFC will no longer be 'Finger Lickin' Good'. : licking your fingers may not be wise during a pandemic. They put out the tongue-in-cheek ad below to explain their decision. NEWS OF THE ABSURD: A QUICK ROUND UP CBI antics: The agency plans to perform a “” of Sushant Singh Rajput—which will involve a detailed study of his social media posts and WhatsApp messages: “The CBI will also look to obtain information about the actor's mood swings, behavioural patterns and even personal idiosyncrasies, as it tries to build a composite picture of his mental state in the days leading up to his death." Save the cows: The Universal Society of Hinduism is very unhappy with a new in the UK: ‘yoga with cows’—which involves people doing downward dogs in peaceful bovine company. The society’s president is worried that it will become a “trendy fad with herds of people flocking to dairy farms… with many visualising it as an Instagram opportunity”—all of which would be deeply disrespectful to gau mata. BJP waapsi: Uttarakhand MLA Kunwar Pranav Singh Champion was suspended by the party after the clip below went viral. Now, that suspension has been revoked, and all was forgiven and forgotten—until the went viral again. See it to believe it. POWER PUFF GIRLS ARE ALL GROWN UP The beloved Cartoon Network series is getting a live-action spinoff, but it won’t be wholesome fare for little kids: > “In the updated version of the series, the titular superheroes are now disillusioned twentysomethings who resent having lost > their childhood to crime fighting. Will they agree to reunite now that the world needs them more than ever?” Among the writers of the show: Diablo Cody best known for writing the very adult-themed ‘Juno’. () AN ANTI-BULLYING FONT A Finnish company has developed a Polite Type font that automatically blurs out mean words: > “As users try to write offensive English words, the font will automatically replace them. Phrases such as “you are ugly” are > replaced with “you are not traditionally beautiful” while expletives are blurred completely.” According to the company, “We want bullies to rethink the words they use and the actual meaning behind them.” Note: this is only available in text-editing programs and cannot be used on the real cesspools of bullying—social media platforms—as yet. ()
"Maybe if I take my tit out, they will stop explaining my own joke back to me.” That’s the caption Nicole Tersignifor slapped on this painting—and turned fine art into feminist comedy gold. You can check out the of more such mansplaining gems that catapulted her into fame. Or let tell you more about the book deal that followed. (h/t founding member Ruchika Chanana)
A LIST OF INTRIGUING THINGS One: This is the world’s first floating Apple store, located in Singapore. has more details. below. Two: This is the world’s only known albino humpback whale, nicknamed Migaloo, which is the Aboriginal word for ‘white fella’. He is typically found off the coast of Australia, and most beloved by natives. Watch a lovely clip of him in his element . Three: This is a “.” It has an ultra-fine filter that lets you breathe easy when you work out or go for a run. More importantly, it has Bluetooth 4.0 technology that conducts sound to your inner ear drum via the bones in your skull—so you can listen to music, answer calls etc. while leaving your ears free. Unadvertised bonus: Channeling your inner Hannibal Lecter. Four: This is the US Air Force’s spanking . It accommodates only one person, can be anyone who knows how to move a joystick—and looks like something out of a really cheesy eighties movie.
A LIST OF AWESOME WOMEN putting on a joyful dance routine to ‘We Go Together’ from ‘Grease’. . She’s back and this time it looks like a whole lot more fun. being Julia Louis-Dreyfus at the Democratic National Convention.
READING HABIT WORDS WITH ANUKRTI UPADHYAY Each month, will bring a short, snappy and fun interview with an author to give you a quick peek into their reading and writing habits. This week, Anukrti Upadhyay, author of , tells us why she loves Badger and dislikes the word hate. Which fictional character would you like to switch lives with? With the Badger, from . He gets to sleep a lot and is considered to be very wise. An author you’re envious of. All of them! Every author has points I envy or wish to learn from. But if I had to pick one, I’d say Toni Morrison for the sheer power of her writing and the crystal-clear pain it conveys. A book that’s overhyped, according to you. Not a book, specifically, but I do feel Amrita Pritam’s poetry tends to be overhyped on account of the bold choices she made in her personal life (choices that I absolutely respect). What is the one word you’d like to erase from your vocabulary? Hate. It is a negative, violent, and ugly word that sucks all life and energy when uttered. What elements of the writing craft are your strong suit? What would you like to be better at? I feel like I have to better every part of my craft—scene-setting, descriptions, dialogues, everything! But the one thing I’d really like to learn is how to plot and plan books since I tend to write intuitively. I’d love to become more organised while planning my writing. Read an excerpt from Anukrti’s latest book, ,. BOOKS RELEASING THIS WEEK * : Maya Shanbhag Lang’s relationship with her mother is put to test when the latter begins to divulge long lost secrets after being diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Incredibly moving and raw, this memoir portrays the mother-daughter relationship in its purest form. (August 31, 2020) * : Longlisted for this year's Booker Prize, Gabriel Krauze’s debut novel is an autofiction about the violent life of a young man from a Polish immigrant family who spends his time hanging around London gangs and mugging people. (August 31, 2020) * : This intimate collection of essays by Zadie Smith discusses subjects like police brutality, economic injustice and life in lockdown, making it a deeply personal and powerful statement on some of the most pressing issues of our time. (September 1, 2020) * : Want to learn about the lives and experiences of leaders and changemakers like Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Bill Gates, Yo-Yo Ma, and others? Then David Rubenstein's book is the perfect read for you. (September 1, 2020) * : Frank and Maggie have been married for forty years and come across as a happy, loving couple. However, they haven’t spoken to each other for six months. What happens when Maggie collapses and is put in a medically induced coma? Read Abbie Greaves’ moving debut novel to find out. (September 1, 2020) We are also excited to get our hands on and . P.S.: This is our last Reading Habit for splainer. We’d like to thank all of you for reading us, and we hope you’ve enjoyed our literary curation. Brought to you by A LIST OF INTRIGUING THINGS One: This is the world’s first floating Apple store, located in Singapore. has more details. below. Two: This is the world’s only known albino humpback whale, nicknamed Migaloo, which is the Aboriginal word for ‘white fella’. He is typically found off the coast of Australia, and most beloved by natives. Watch a lovely clip of him in his element . Three: This is a “.” It has an ultra-fine filter that lets you breathe easy when you work out or go for a run. More importantly, it has Bluetooth 4.0 technology that conducts sound to your inner ear drum via the bones in your skull—so you can listen to music, answer calls etc. while leaving your ears free. Unadvertised bonus: Channeling your inner Hannibal Lecter. Four: This is the US Air Force’s spanking . It accommodates only one person, can be anyone who knows how to move a joystick—and looks like something out of a really cheesy eighties movie. A LIST OF AWESOME WOMEN putting on a joyful dance routine to ‘We Go Together’ from ‘Grease’. . She’s back and this time it looks like a whole lot more fun. being Julia Louis-Dreyfus at the Democratic National Convention.
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