What’s Your Native?

Sanity Break #1

SANITY BREAK This would always be super, but the veshti makes it perfect! This is going to keep you going all the way till Friday.

Headlines that matter

HEADLINES THAT MATTER THE INDIAN PANDEMIC: AN UPDATE Total number of cases: 456,183. Total number of deaths: 14,476. Total recoveries: 258,684. Among the worst-hit countries, we have the number of cases. Karnataka a new lockdown in response to a spike. The state has now reported 100-plus cases for three days in a row. More testing: Meanwhile, the medical authorities now everyone displaying symptoms across the country. Until now, it was restricted to symptomatic individuals in hotspots and hospitals, and contacts of confirmed cases. Adjusting the death rate: out of Tamil Nadu suggests that our death rate—number of deaths as a percent of total cases—is far higher than believed. The reason: “[T]he death reported today was due to an infection that began 4 weeks back. Therefore, they say, to understand the true virulence of the disease, we need to divide the deaths with cases 4 weeks back.” Using that method, our fatality rate would jump from 3.22% to 9.9%. An “adjusted” rate also allows us to respond faster to sudden surges. Air India in trouble: The airline has been flying special flights to evacuate Indians stuck in other parts of the world. US authorities say that it has also been using these flights to make —by selling tickets to the aam janta. This violates the mutual ban on commercial flights between the countries. The result: “closer scrutiny” of those Vande Bharat trips to the US. New Delhi says it is now considering the borders to US airlines. Baba Ramdev in trouble: The baba the release of a “plant-based” cure for Corona called Coronil: “We’ve prepared the first ayurvedic trial-based medicine for Covid-19. We conducted a clinical study and found 69% of the patients recovered in three days, 100% recovered in seven days.” What he failed to mention: 100% of the participants had mild or zero symptoms. To its credit, the much-maligned Ayush Ministry has told the Baba to cease and desist. A must read: A deep dive shows that the pandemic has drained state revenues, and they are “nearly broke.” Example: “In mid-April, less than three weeks into the nationwide lockdown, Karnataka said the state had cash reserves for a maximum of 45 days.” CHINA VS INDIA: AN AGREEMENT TO DISAGREE? * Top level commanders held a 10-hour meeting on the border. Indian “sources” version of the outcome: a “mutual consensus to disengage.” * Also: “Modalities for disengagement from all friction areas in Eastern Ladakh were discussed and will be taken forward by both the sides.” * The Chinese Foreign Ministry version: :”[T]he two sides had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the outstanding issues and agreed to take necessary measures to cool down the situation.” * The spokesperson flatly refused to comment on the prospect of disengagement. has more. * Meanwhile, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar—who is in Moscow at a tripartite meeting that includes China—pointedly : “Respecting international law, recognising the legitimate interests of partners, supporting multilateralism and promoting common good are the only ways of building a durable world order.” * His counterpart’s response: the three countries should “properly handle the sensitive factors in bilateral relations and maintain the overall situation of mutual relations.” * On a related note: India is however super-tough with Pakistan. It has asked Islamabad to reduce the staff of its High Commission in New Delhi by 50%—and plans to do the same at its own mission in Islamabad. * The trigger: the abduction of two Indian embassy staffers in Islamabad—which we . DJOKOVIC HAS TESTED POSITIVE… Surprising nobody! He is now the fourth person to contract Covid at a superspreader event organized by the tennis player himself—an exhibition tournament in Croatia. Three other players at the same event have also tested positive: Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki. Djokovic has previously declared that he will not take a vaccine—even if it is available—in order to compete. : > “Unfortunately, this virus is still present, and it is a new reality that we are still learning to cope and live with. I am > hoping things will ease with time so we can all resume lives the way they were… I am extremely sorry for each individual case of > infection. I hope that it will not complicate anyone's health situation and that everyone will be fine." PURE MAYHEM IN PURI The Supreme Court first banned the annual Rath Yatra, and then changed its mind—but stipulated the need for strict social distancing. The event went kinda like this… WORLD’S FASTEST COMPUTER IS NOT AN IBM… But a Japanese machine called Fugaku. It beat the current record holder—IBM’s Summit—by carrying out 2.8 times more calculations per second. Fugaku is already working on the frontlines of the pandemic by simulating how droplets spread in office spaces with partitions installed or in packed trains with the windows open. () CHEATING NETFLIX CAN BE HAZARDOUS FOR YOU A newly released ‘top ten’ list by McAfee India rated which illegal downloads posed to your computer. The #1 TV series: Netflix series 'Delhi Crime’. The #1 movie: 'Mardaani 2’, currently streaming on Amazon Prime. Other series on the list: ‘Brooklyn Nine-Nine’, ‘Panchayat’, ‘Akoori’, ‘Fauda’, ‘Ghoul’, ‘Mindhunter’, ‘Narcos’, ‘Devlok’ and ‘Lost’. In related news: Your Netflix viewing is . Streaming platforms around the world had reduced the video quality of their content to ease the burden on broadband. That lockdown measure has now ended. TIMES OF INDIA HITS NEW LOW The newspaper published one of its —this one of a man who killed his estranged wife, mother-in-law and himself. And its staff blithely scraped a photo of the tragic couple from their Facebook page—printing it both on their website and in print. Then this happened. (h/t )

Sanity Break #2

SANITY BREAK That’s being his usual brilliant, candid self about “the industry” and its age-old ways. Also: have you checked out ‘’ on Hotstar? It is just as good!

Smart & Curious

SMART & CURIOUS A LIST OF INTRIGUING FACTS shows that women are less likely to swipe right on a man with a cat: “Men holding cats were viewed as less masculine; more neurotic, agreeable, and open; and less dateable." This is wrong. 4,500-year-old prehistoric ‘shafts’ near the famed Stonehenge—and they seem to be deliberately situated in a ring. Why these twenty-odd pits matter: they suggest that our Neolithic ancestors had a far more sophisticated belief system than previously thought. the stringy bits in their banana any more than humans. Damning proof below. PS: these are called “” and are very good for you. Bad monkey! is a crater lake that was formed when a meteorite crashed into Earth. It used to be a bright green, but has now turned a mysterious shade of pink! NASA noticed the stark and sudden change. Now officials are investigating, and experts suspect a spike in salinity due to high temperatures. A LIST OF GOOD READS * revisits the storied friendship of the Gandhis and the Bachchans—and reveals that Big B was always what he is now. * explains why emotion tracking apps are really bad for you. * asks: Do animals practice revenge? The answers are intriguing. * put together wise advice for those left heart-broken and stranded by the suspension of H-1B visas. * Who gets to wander the streets even during a lockdown? Priyanka Borpujari in explains how the ban on movement imprisoned Indian women within their homes. * offers a thoughtful and beautifully written riff on living with anxiety and depression. Who gets to define if you are ‘sick’—and are you?

Weekend advisory

LIFE ADVISORY GOING WIRELESS IS A TRAP Let’s face it: we all live with unreliable and aggravating broadband connections. But did you know that the real problem is your Wifi. (h/t ) makes a persuasive argument for going back to good old cables to improve your connectivity and sanity: > “Wifi (and bluetooth, etc.) sucker you in by making it seem like they “just work.” But if you investigate, you’ll often find > that the wireless link is operating in a degraded state that performs much worse than a wired equivalent. Since this degradation > is silent, it’s often not obvious that the problem is the wireless—instead, you’ll probably conclude that it’s your > device/software/self.” NEED TO STERILISE YOUR PHONE? UV Care Sterilizer can get rid of germs on your phones, earphones, watches and wallets in three minutes. Its maker—Messy Corner—has launched five different Covid safety products including: “a hand-held device to disinfect files and papers, a household UV sanitisation box for groceries, vegetables and packaged food to bigger devices for hotels and airports.” () HIGH END RETAILERS ARE GEARING UP FOR YOUR SAFETY UV boxes, steam ironing, disinfectant sprays, eliminating trial rooms and relaxing return policies. reports on the ways that designers are working to keep their clothes and stores Covid-free. But they haven’t mastered all the problems posed by in-person shopping as yet: > “Monitoring customers constantly can be tricky for a retailer. How does one ask a customer to put on gloves if they want to > touch and feel the garment? That experience is important in making a purchase decision and the lack of it can hinder the > shopping experience.”

Feel Good Place

THE FEEL GOOD PLACE ? We haven’t a clue but it is pathetic, bizarre and hilarious. ? We haven’t a clue but it’s gorgeous, weird and awesome! is now the brand ambassador for the WHO—and helping spread awareness about Covid safety. ‘& Daughters’ store sign—this time from Srinagar, and it’s gorgeous.

Reading Habit

READING HABIT WORDS WITH SAMIT BASU Each month, The Curious Reader 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, Samit Basu, author of ‘’, tells us why he doesn’t like Charles Dickens, and more. Which fictional character would you like to switch lives with? Neil Gaiman’s Sandman, unless it’s an attached condition that I also have to be unnecessarily broody all the time. If I'm allowed to choose from my own work, then Tia from ‘’ and ‘’. A book that’s overhyped, according to you. Single out one book in all of history? Fine. Anything by Charles Dickens, because he was a genocidal racist. An author you’re envious of. Any author who’s got access to whatever interesting work they feel like doing next, and lives in a country where freedoms are intact. I’m envious of people’s opportunities, never of their talent. Which elements of the writing craft do you think are your strong suit? I think improvement in every element of the writing craft is not only possible but also necessary throughout one’s writing career. I like my own writing, but part of the desire to write more books (and work across genres and media) is the urge to learn. What is the one word you’d like to erase from your vocabulary? USP PICKS FOR THE WEEK Here’s a round-up of some of our favourite literary releases, events and recommendations for you to delve into this week. * : Ashutosh Bhardwaj pens the harrowing but very real story of Dandakaranya against the backdrop of the Maoist insurgency, the atrocities committed in the area, and the people caught in the crossfire. (June 25, 2020) * Megha Majumdar, author of ‘’, talks about writing and resistance in the upcoming session of JLF’s Brave New World. Talk scheduled for 7.00 pm on June 26, 2020. Watch it . * Want to get your Pride on and read books about the LGBTQIA+ community? We recommend reading ‘’, ‘’, ‘’, ‘’, and ‘’ to celebrate Pride month in all its glory. * Looking for more? Check out list of LGBTQIA+ books by Indian authors. * June is also Audiobook Month. If you’re looking for a new way to experience books, we recommend giving ‘’, ‘’, ‘’, ‘’, and ‘’ a try. Hooked and craving more? You can find free audiobooks . * Carlos Ruiz Zafón, author of ‘’, who passed away on June 19, could not have summed up books any better than this: “Every book, every volume you see, has a soul. The soul of the person who wrote it and the soul of those who read it and lived it and dreamed about it.” Brought to you by SMART & CURIOUS A LIST OF INTRIGUING FACTS shows that women are less likely to swipe right on a man with a cat: “Men holding cats were viewed as less masculine; more neurotic, agreeable, and open; and less dateable." This is wrong. 4,500-year-old prehistoric ‘shafts’ near the famed Stonehenge—and they seem to be deliberately situated in a ring. Why these twenty-odd pits matter: they suggest that our Neolithic ancestors had a far more sophisticated belief system than previously thought. the stringy bits in their banana any more than humans. Damning proof below. PS: these are called “” and are very good for you. Bad monkey! is a crater lake that was formed when a meteorite crashed into Earth. It used to be a bright green, but has now turned a mysterious shade of pink! NASA noticed the stark and sudden change. Now officials are investigating, and experts suspect a spike in salinity due to high temperatures. A LIST OF GOOD READS * revisits the storied friendship of the Gandhis and the Bachchans—and reveals that Big B was always what he is now. * explains why emotion tracking apps are really bad for you. * asks: Do animals practice revenge? The answers are intriguing. * put together wise advice for those left heart-broken and stranded by the suspension of H-1B visas. * Who gets to wander the streets even during a lockdown? Priyanka Borpujari in explains how the ban on movement imprisoned Indian women within their homes. * offers a thoughtful and beautifully written riff on living with anxiety and depression. Who gets to define if you are ‘sick’—and are you? LIFE ADVISORY GOING WIRELESS IS A TRAP Let’s face it: we all live with unreliable and aggravating broadband connections. But did you know that the real problem is your Wifi. (h/t ) makes a persuasive argument for going back to good old cables to improve your connectivity and sanity: > “Wifi (and bluetooth, etc.) sucker you in by making it seem like they “just work.” But if you investigate, you’ll often find > that the wireless link is operating in a degraded state that performs much worse than a wired equivalent. Since this degradation > is silent, it’s often not obvious that the problem is the wireless—instead, you’ll probably conclude that it’s your > device/software/self.” NEED TO STERILISE YOUR PHONE? UV Care Sterilizer can get rid of germs on your phones, earphones, watches and wallets in three minutes. Its maker—Messy Corner—has launched five different Covid safety products including: “a hand-held device to disinfect files and papers, a household UV sanitisation box for groceries, vegetables and packaged food to bigger devices for hotels and airports.” () HIGH END RETAILERS ARE GEARING UP FOR YOUR SAFETY UV boxes, steam ironing, disinfectant sprays, eliminating trial rooms and relaxing return policies. reports on the ways that designers are working to keep their clothes and stores Covid-free. But they haven’t mastered all the problems posed by in-person shopping as yet: > “Monitoring customers constantly can be tricky for a retailer. How does one ask a customer to put on gloves if they want to > touch and feel the garment? That experience is important in making a purchase decision and the lack of it can hinder the > shopping experience.” THE FEEL GOOD PLACE ? We haven’t a clue but it is pathetic, bizarre and hilarious. ? We haven’t a clue but it’s gorgeous, weird and awesome! is now the brand ambassador for the WHO—and helping spread awareness about Covid safety. ‘& Daughters’ store sign—this time from Srinagar, and it’s gorgeous.