“Most discrimination and hatred is based on a lack of empathetic awareness of people that have the same aspirations and fears”
Many will recognize where they read this first. But I could never find the source. Who said this?
Time to get back to some focused reading. There’s nothing better than a quick, nice Poirot mystery. So I am reading The Mystery of the Blue Train.
Something deep within made me say this today - “Chickpeas in cuisine are like potholes on the road. More there are, more people learn to ignore and avoid them. Eventually, you don’t like them, but you don’t mind them either”. I think I now will always back this 🙃
With Stadia, Google underestimated the lack of interest amongst the pro gamers in streaming game service. And at the same, it overestimated the number of casual gamers that would be interested in playing A-list games. It had to result in a lack of enthusiasm for the service.
Musk, his tweets and predictions are irritating. I can never make up my mind if he is an unlucky genius or a lucky idiot.
I recently came across this unique app Mubi - a curated movies streaming app. “Hand-picked Cinema” is the message from them. The idea is interesting, a selected movie each day from across the world. 30 days to catch up on the movies. Sounds wonderful for discovery.
Any feedback on the Freedom app? I am into a trial period, however, feel that the trial is too limiting. 7 days, 7 sessions is too less to decide if the app will be useful. I feel the app can help, especially blocking access on all device in a single session is a nice feature.
Stop quoting politicians, making what meaningless they say the headlines. Quote experts, give them more space, more importance in what you write. Hopefully looking at the larger coverage that the experts gain, politicians will feel the shame. And stop playing politics for once.
Interesting to know what makes Llamas antibodies more effective again Coronavirus. Science, respect.
This more diminutive antibody can access tinier pockets and crevices on spike proteins — the proteins that allow viruses like the novel coronavirus to break into host cells and infect us — that human antibodies cannot. That can make it more effective in neutralizing viruses.
Tech news, especially about new products, just don’t interest me any more. Feel so futile. Superficial. Superfluous.
In this period of lockdown, we’re avoiding every visit outside the home as much as possible. It also means there are times when I wish we had more than the single iPad we’ve today. A privileged ask, I know. But just can’t help - it has been the most used device outside of work.
As much as we appreciate how effectively South Korea managed to contain the spread of the pandemic, the fact can’t be ignored that it involved steps that many democracies all around are just not comfortable signing up for and going through.
To expedite testing, it gave laboratories the green light to use unapproved diagnostic kits during a public-health emergency. To expand contact tracing, it gave health authorities warrantless access to CCTV footage and the geolocation data from the new patients’ phones. To increase transparency, the new laws required local governments to send prompt alerts, such as emergency texts, to disclose the recent whereabouts of new patients.
“People trust the government in part because it works to keep raw politics out of public health. And the government trusts the public to act as a responsible co-partner in public health.” Each democracy should aim to achieve this “delicate balance of trust” with their public.
Even I hope work from home culture stays. But I also hope this does not. It isn’t healthy. I still log off at the same time I usually would.
The days of logging off at the end of the workday and focusing on other things until morning, already dwindling, might be gone for good.
There’s still so much that we still do not know about the virus and the pandemic that followed.
If the timeline of when the virus appeared in Europe does change, the official efforts to combat the contagion will turn out to have been not just too late, but hopelessly too late.
I watched (finally) The Rise of Skywalker yesterday. I am surprised I managed to stay spoiler-free till now. I have so many thoughts, but a quick review - am disappointed. Not satisfied. I will be frank, I liked both Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. This was a big let down.
The guidelines that we follow during these days - to stay clean, healthy - is affecting me in many ways. I cringe and shudder when I look at a crowded or dusty place even in movies now. Same when I see someone cough or sneeze on screen. Or touch something in public.
I am tired of listening to the same old rants about surveillance. I get it - the apps being used for contact tracing can potentially be used to hamper our privacy. However, such apps have proven effective in controlling the spread in many regions and nations. If you live in a democracy, you will always have a chance to curb the harm caused. If you point at the apps and shout “privacy killer”, you are no better than the population that is protesting armed, asking for their freedom back.
Understand that these aren’t normal times. The normal rants won’t help in these times. Empathize with the decision-makers, especially in a democracy. This is new, an unknown territory for all of us.
I don’t like Micro.blog’s app on iPad. The sidebar need not be sticky. It sticks out ever so more in the portrait mode. @manton.
"I just can't do this." Harried parents forgo home school
I received a call from my daughter’s school today, enquiring if all was well with her online schooling. I was left completely clueless on how to respond to that.
My daughter’s school has enabled schooling of 5 subjects via an app. Each week, the app presents a new set of chapters, worksheets, quizzes across all 5 subjects. Besides, each week there are video conference sessions with teachers to recap what was learned in the last week.
Sorry to report, but just two weeks in, this process already seems overwhelming. It is especially so given both me and my wife are working from home.
I knew we weren’t alone. AP published a brilliant article on how parents in the US are already getting burned through this distance learning — something that is especially tricky with young kids. And they are forced to make a very difficult choice.
Amid the barrage of learning apps, video meet-ups and e-mailed assignments that pass as pandemic home school, some frustrated and exhausted parents are choosing to disconnect entirely for the rest of the academic year. Others are cramming all their children’s school work into the weekend or taking days off work to help their kids with a week’s worth of assignments in one day.
It is just not easy. Parents aren’t trained to be good teachers. The technology was never given a chance to prove it can work independently for teaching. It was always an additive. Plus nothing, nothing can replace the in-person learning from the people who are trained throughout their lives to do that. The comment below from one of the parents is very, very apt.
This is a very crude bandage we’re putting on a very big wound. We’re just doing the best we can. A video can’t look at your child’s face and see the confusion. A teacher can do that.
First Irrfan Khan. And now this - Rishi Kapoor hospitalised passes away, not doing well. I pray for his good health, hope he gets well soon. He too had recovered recently from cancer. 2020 isn’t done with us, I guess, yet. We are only into April. Updated
I am really surprised by the sheer amount of heartfelt tributes pouring in for #IrrfanKhan from his fans all over the world. He never attained the conventional “stardom” - he had no quality to do so. But all he focused on was to master his craft and excel doing it. He just sincerely did what he loved. I remember he had said in one of his interviews - “just avoid getting bored with yourself”, doing what you like to do and you shall achive that you want”. Yep, I guess that is all it takes to be recognised. And loved. Sincerity.
We lost a brilliant artist very early today — this is a big, big loss to the film industries all around the world. There is so much that we missed to see from this man. The world was just starting to appreciate what he is capable of. #RIPIrrfanKhan
How am I doing right now?
I recently came across this brilliant article at Quartz at Work suggesting to “move beyond “how are you doing?” and get more serious about the questions we’re asking our colleagues, friends, and family”. It presented a list of questions that one should lead with while talking to others.
I thought I will try and attempt to answer a few of these myself. Maybe you can give it a try too. And if you do, I would like to read how you are dealing with this challenging moment. Here’s my attempt.
Listening to music — spending some time with myself. It’s been some time that I did that. I used to do that very often. Of course, it was a lot easier to find some lone time. Not that easy any more.
The corner with my study table, I am happy that I spent some significant time designing it while I was renovating my home. And another room I like to go relax in now and then is the bathroom.
Body lotion — I do not know why, but I have got many of them now. And biscuits. I never knew I liked biscuits so much.
All the stories of sacrifices that get published every single day — when the humans have behaved just the way they should. It has been rare to read about recently.
I have fallen out of the habit of writing the morning pages. I know I shouldn’t have. But for some reason, there isn’t much that’s different that every new day dawns with.
I have fallen into my old habit of listening to the music — lots of varied music.
I am not listening to podcasts. Or Audiobooks. I am reading lots of books.
Every part of the neighborhood. Everything that’s outside. That’s crowded. The streets. The restaurants.
Finding stuff to idle the time away with.
Air conditioners. Cash.
Internet. Kindle. Plants and Garden.
The chatty, social one. I have been part of many zoom meetings, few even those where I knew no one on the other side.
Illiteracy. Stupidity. Rebelism.
After Trump talked about medical usage of UV light exposure and injecting disinfectants in his press conference, Dave Pell says, “Stop live-broadcasting these batshit political rallies masquerading as press conferences. Stop the crazy coverage”. I agree.
I always wondered why the leader of the government, in turn a country, needs to drive these press conferences. Sure, it gives press a chance to question the government. But I think US is a live example of what a shitshow this can turn into.
I somewhat like how it is done in India. The relevant ministry officials and the assigned experts lead the press conference - experts doing majority of the talking.
Politicians better be kept away from mics in these trying times. They tend to get into their old habit of addressing their vote banks.