Verbena
According to Nilay, the appropriate sound track to accompany something like this is: dham dham dham!
More घास फूस
Frangipani love 💕 🌸
Ha ha. I lied. I loooove hoverflies. They are tiny and pretty. Inserted my hand into these pics so you can appreciate how tiny this thing is. My fingers are touching the flower, although they might appear to be far in the pics.
Kavin commands you zoom in and observe the wings in each and every photograph. All hail King Kavin.
Kavin commands you zoom in and observe the wings in each and every photograph. All hail King Kavin.
Ok. Last hoverfly.
Gardens have turned beautiful like forest floors. Fallen flowers on greens.
Red Lilies. Close up.
Close Up के लाल रंग वाली lilies
Close Up के लाल रंग वाली lilies
On a 1 to 11 scale of Origami awesomeness, Kavin believes this is a 4.
He made this out of a single sheet of ordinary printer paper. Notice the fang. It's all a single sheet of paper, folded up.
Boredom leads to awesomeness.
#origami #indooricon
He made this out of a single sheet of ordinary printer paper. Notice the fang. It's all a single sheet of paper, folded up.
Boredom leads to awesomeness.
#origami #indooricon
Nerium Oleander
Flaming glorybower
By god अँग्रेजों को फूलों के नाम रखने नहीं आते
By god अँग्रेजों को फूलों के नाम रखने नहीं आते
घास फूस। यह pic टेढ़ी ही ली गईं थीं। जाओ, नहीं करता rotate और align.
दो भाई। Oleander.
ऐसा ज़रूरी थोड़े ही होता है कि जिस भी फूल की फोटो लो उसका नाम भी जानो। पता नहीं carnation है कि क्या है।
Another unknown flower
Kalanchoe?
Unknown flower
Plumbago
Lantanas
Hoverflyeeeeee
The hoverfly and sowthistle saga continues
Hoverfly on a common sowthistle
Dandelion
Angel's Trumpet, or Moonflower. Which is it?
And what's that little buggy crawling on the flower?
And what's that little buggy crawling on the flower?
Yellow elders
A flower fallen upon another. I liked the contrast of the situation.
This one is a much tinier bee.
Perhaps it is a hoverfly.
Perhaps it is a hoverfly.
And here it is. The first bee of the day. Sucking away at nectar. I've had to do some weird processing to highlight the colours of the bee. These flowers were a beautiful yellow, otherwise.
The crowd favourite. Frangipani.
Canna
Spider lilies
Low light capture. Is this a Begonia?
घर का फूल। Periwinkle.
55 days was the time between the first confirmed COVID-19 case in India and the lockdown. 55 days. Just one short of 56.
Are you helping Makkal Pathai reach more PPEs to doctors and health workers in need? But you must help them. See the brilliant work they are doing.
https://www.facebook.com/MakkalPathaiTN/
https://www.facebook.com/MakkalPathaiTN/
Someone has reached out from Dwarka, West Delhi, asking how she can volunteer and help in the current situation. She wants to help in providing food to the needy. Any pointers to NGO or Delhi Government efforts that she could align with?
Oh crap. I just realised I've used sable hair brushes as a kid. Damn it 😢
You know what is possible. It is possible for Indian drug manufacturers to refuse to export their drug. That's not politics. That's commerce. Companies can refuse to do business in national interest.
But that would be against the tenets of globalisation and capitalism. The highest bidder must, erm, live.
But that would be against the tenets of globalisation and capitalism. The highest bidder must, erm, live.
Please support @[100068727645285:2048:மக்கள் பாதை - Makkal Pathai]
Kavin: When you connect to google.com what exactly happens? You can't really be downloading their entire website onto your computer.
Me: This is what I do all day, kid. It's too late in the night, go to sleep. In the morning I'll explain it to you. Somebody once asked me this question in an interview and I gave such a long answer, they got fed up and gave me the job.
Me: This is what I do all day, kid. It's too late in the night, go to sleep. In the morning I'll explain it to you. Somebody once asked me this question in an interview and I gave such a long answer, they got fed up and gave me the job.
Go Kerala Go
Go Corona Go
Go Kerala Go
Go Corona Go
Go Kerala Go
Nothing can change my mind. Nothing.
All this cuteness is a facade. Cats are evil.
Evil!
All this cuteness is a facade. Cats are evil.
Evil!
Had a conversation this evening with @[570112285:2048:Saikat].
First, watch this: https://youtu.be/zKJYfXXduoY. It is short and sweet.
His entire team has been pulling 14 hour days. He is working out of the Gurgaon DC office, with the DCP helping him out with permissions etc.
The government has no money. No money for rations, no vehicles or fuel for delivery, no equipment for the volunteers. The entire operation of feeding 25,000 mouths a day is being run in a voluntary manner. RWAs are donating rations through their local shops. For instance, an RWA would tie up with Vishal Mega Mart and send them money for 500kg rice electronically. These guys will go in the morning with a pick-up truck, collect all the material Vishal has for them from different sources. Some rations will be given away as dry rations (10kg packs) to those who can cook. Other rations will go to NGOs who are cooking food. The cooked food is delivered to the majority who are unable to cook.
The vehicles and drivers are voluntary. The cops are pulling favours with everyone to provide vehicles, fuel, rations (this is the kind of hafta vasooli I would totally get behind). The call centre is being run by volunteers, who field calls from hungry people, complaints about food quality, and coordinate pick-ups, drops and NGOs.
@[570112285:2048:Saikat]'s fauji background is helping him. If you choose to volunteer, some of that shine is going to rub off on you, and you will learn how to coordinate during a crisis. There is nothing like a bit of disaster relief on folks' resumes. So please consider volunteering. You do not have to do pick up, delivery, distribution. You simply have to sit in the office and handle the phone, coordinate.
@[100003194439205:2048:Shivam] and @[100008151069370:2048:Javed], and another person from @[100063777711947:2048:Thinvent], will begin volunteering tomorrow. A big thanks to them. And a person called Neha who called out of the blue will start from Tuesday.
https://www.facebook.com/saikat.datta/posts/10157081633042286
First, watch this: https://youtu.be/zKJYfXXduoY. It is short and sweet.
His entire team has been pulling 14 hour days. He is working out of the Gurgaon DC office, with the DCP helping him out with permissions etc.
The government has no money. No money for rations, no vehicles or fuel for delivery, no equipment for the volunteers. The entire operation of feeding 25,000 mouths a day is being run in a voluntary manner. RWAs are donating rations through their local shops. For instance, an RWA would tie up with Vishal Mega Mart and send them money for 500kg rice electronically. These guys will go in the morning with a pick-up truck, collect all the material Vishal has for them from different sources. Some rations will be given away as dry rations (10kg packs) to those who can cook. Other rations will go to NGOs who are cooking food. The cooked food is delivered to the majority who are unable to cook.
The vehicles and drivers are voluntary. The cops are pulling favours with everyone to provide vehicles, fuel, rations (this is the kind of hafta vasooli I would totally get behind). The call centre is being run by volunteers, who field calls from hungry people, complaints about food quality, and coordinate pick-ups, drops and NGOs.
@[570112285:2048:Saikat]'s fauji background is helping him. If you choose to volunteer, some of that shine is going to rub off on you, and you will learn how to coordinate during a crisis. There is nothing like a bit of disaster relief on folks' resumes. So please consider volunteering. You do not have to do pick up, delivery, distribution. You simply have to sit in the office and handle the phone, coordinate.
@[100003194439205:2048:Shivam] and @[100008151069370:2048:Javed], and another person from @[100063777711947:2048:Thinvent], will begin volunteering tomorrow. A big thanks to them. And a person called Neha who called out of the blue will start from Tuesday.
https://www.facebook.com/saikat.datta/posts/10157081633042286
I have never met a Taiwanese person who I did not like. They are absolute rock stars. If there is an Asian socio-economic miracle, it is Taiwan. Lowest poverty rates. Hard working, simple living, frequently vegan people.
Read more about how Taiwan has pwned COVID-19: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/04/asia/taiwan-coronavirus-response-who-intl-hnk/index.html
Tell your local/state/national government to follow their model by copying some of the 129 measures they took: https://cdn.jamanetwork.com/ama/content_public/journal/jama/0/jvp200035supp1_prod.pdf?Expires=2147483647&Signature=bIZCLS7ZLWTJd~U~H40JgiEGdFb3ggVUJpBvJ7KdANK7HgK1zaj4uWHvqweGym1nWfO~nXt9Y5i1vX79pF7zjjqfzmJAy3udTdpVVZQe07xnQIPcBMXLwZ5XjgTO8yKFXVIpxsXhrmOu8sGSpKiEmQ86ZCKfOTar7fMAGmUCtjiYVFwf31K3REWAA-r3hZyoZpqz3QKpVgpsRpF9fV9thQCq0~yvbvRKTH4PcoB~CZgmXH7rpVb6bILXQn5zBCphf6pyLAa4zIebUEKfCdCYdSdi9LeIEUsesqsYpNWgHJcr4K1LC0hFlst0RHQz-vZ7I-OvrX~5jel6zjjtuDQzjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIE5G5CRDK6RD3PGA
Read more about how Taiwan has pwned COVID-19: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/04/04/asia/taiwan-coronavirus-response-who-intl-hnk/index.html
Tell your local/state/national government to follow their model by copying some of the 129 measures they took: https://cdn.jamanetwork.com/ama/content_public/journal/jama/0/jvp200035supp1_prod.pdf?Expires=2147483647&Signature=bIZCLS7ZLWTJd~U~H40JgiEGdFb3ggVUJpBvJ7KdANK7HgK1zaj4uWHvqweGym1nWfO~nXt9Y5i1vX79pF7zjjqfzmJAy3udTdpVVZQe07xnQIPcBMXLwZ5XjgTO8yKFXVIpxsXhrmOu8sGSpKiEmQ86ZCKfOTar7fMAGmUCtjiYVFwf31K3REWAA-r3hZyoZpqz3QKpVgpsRpF9fV9thQCq0~yvbvRKTH4PcoB~CZgmXH7rpVb6bILXQn5zBCphf6pyLAa4zIebUEKfCdCYdSdi9LeIEUsesqsYpNWgHJcr4K1LC0hFlst0RHQz-vZ7I-OvrX~5jel6zjjtuDQzjQ__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIE5G5CRDK6RD3PGA
OK, so, if you are done with the feel-good tamasha of candle lights, bhajans and crackers, let's get down to business.
Healthcare and sanitation workers, the police, and everyone else working on the ground to keep the country running while we are safely ensconced at home, are at grave risk of COVID-19 infection. There are multiple organisations working on the ground to provide PPEs, masks and other facilities to these very important people. They are also feeding the hungry and at-risk.
All India: To donate to AidIndia from India: https://aidindia.in/donate.php. To donate from abroad: https://aidindia.org/donate/covid-relief-fund/. I have been an AID member since 1998 and personally vouch for the impact of their crisis relief work. Follow Balaji for updates on their work.
In Chennai: Contribute to Chudar: http://www.chudar.org/donate-to-covidrelief/. I have regularly donated to Chudar, they do remarkable work with children. You should donate too. Follow Ravishankar for updates.
Also in Chennai: Follow Chandra and see if he needs any volunteers. Donate to his organisation: "A/c Name: Makkal Pathai, A/c No: 35752101378, IFSC: SBIN0006495, Bank: SBI, Branch: Arumbakkam"
In Gurgaon: Saikat is doing remarkable work with the district administration. He regularly asks for help on his page, so follow him. You can donate to Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch at https://ourdemocracy.in/Campaign/GurgaonDailyWageWorkers
Payal is cooking food in bulk at her Cafe Soul Garden. If you or your RWA wish to donate rations, please PM her and she will coordinate a pickup from your place.
In Delhi: Sana and her friends are doing amazing work. Her appeal for donations is attached to this post. You can send her money through Google Pay: 8447302565, UPI zohasadaqat@okaxis.
In Bangalore: Ari and Prasanna are doing phenomenal work on the ground. If they don't respond to your messages, please DM me and I will send you their phone numbers. You should consider volunteering with them, they are stretched too thin. Also please donate to the With Bengaluru campaign at https://bit.ly/withblr.
In Odisha: Sumeet is in Koraput, working with his tribal community. You can donate over GooglePay to 7751064293.
Now let me tell you a story. When the Delhi riots happened in Feb, Chandra Mohan showed up out of nowhere. He had a simple plan, "Go to GTB Hospital and start asking around". Over there he met Sana and Shakti, who were also there to help the victims. So if you are confused about how you can help, start asking around. Going to a hospital is not advised these days, but you can still find out the reality of your city by speaking to people working on the ground, and then start doing something meaningful.
Healthcare and sanitation workers, the police, and everyone else working on the ground to keep the country running while we are safely ensconced at home, are at grave risk of COVID-19 infection. There are multiple organisations working on the ground to provide PPEs, masks and other facilities to these very important people. They are also feeding the hungry and at-risk.
All India: To donate to AidIndia from India: https://aidindia.in/donate.php. To donate from abroad: https://aidindia.org/donate/covid-relief-fund/. I have been an AID member since 1998 and personally vouch for the impact of their crisis relief work. Follow Balaji for updates on their work.
In Chennai: Contribute to Chudar: http://www.chudar.org/donate-to-covidrelief/. I have regularly donated to Chudar, they do remarkable work with children. You should donate too. Follow Ravishankar for updates.
Also in Chennai: Follow Chandra and see if he needs any volunteers. Donate to his organisation: "A/c Name: Makkal Pathai, A/c No: 35752101378, IFSC: SBIN0006495, Bank: SBI, Branch: Arumbakkam"
In Gurgaon: Saikat is doing remarkable work with the district administration. He regularly asks for help on his page, so follow him. You can donate to Gurgaon Nagrik Ekta Manch at https://ourdemocracy.in/Campaign/GurgaonDailyWageWorkers
Payal is cooking food in bulk at her Cafe Soul Garden. If you or your RWA wish to donate rations, please PM her and she will coordinate a pickup from your place.
In Delhi: Sana and her friends are doing amazing work. Her appeal for donations is attached to this post. You can send her money through Google Pay: 8447302565, UPI zohasadaqat@okaxis.
In Bangalore: Ari and Prasanna are doing phenomenal work on the ground. If they don't respond to your messages, please DM me and I will send you their phone numbers. You should consider volunteering with them, they are stretched too thin. Also please donate to the With Bengaluru campaign at https://bit.ly/withblr.
In Odisha: Sumeet is in Koraput, working with his tribal community. You can donate over GooglePay to 7751064293.
Now let me tell you a story. When the Delhi riots happened in Feb, Chandra Mohan showed up out of nowhere. He had a simple plan, "Go to GTB Hospital and start asking around". Over there he met Sana and Shakti, who were also there to help the victims. So if you are confused about how you can help, start asking around. Going to a hospital is not advised these days, but you can still find out the reality of your city by speaking to people working on the ground, and then start doing something meaningful.
Apparently, long ago, I shared a cartoon with Nandini. It had a guy telling a woman while holding out a bouquet "Here, I killed some beautiful things for you"
Thanks, Nandini, for reminding me about that. I never gift flowers. And Nandini doesn't accept flowers any more, except if they're planted in a pot.
Some people understand, some don't.
Edit: Cartoon has been found.
Thanks, Nandini, for reminding me about that. I never gift flowers. And Nandini doesn't accept flowers any more, except if they're planted in a pot.
Some people understand, some don't.
Edit: Cartoon has been found.
The rich have moved on from wine. Now they are doing juice fasting. https://pages.razorpay.com/juicefast2. The wealthy have fruits for juice during the lockdown; the poor don't even have bhat. What a strange dystopia we have built around us.
Me: It's 4:20
Nilay: What 🤯
Me: It's 4:20pm. Why are you so shocked?
Nilay: You said 420.
Me: So?
Teenagers 🙄
Nilay: What 🤯
Me: It's 4:20pm. Why are you so shocked?
Nilay: You said 420.
Me: So?
Teenagers 🙄
Please, please, please volunteer for Gurgaon relief and help 🙏🏽. Please DM me if you have questions.
यमुना
@[586645405:2048:Pallavi Phatak]
Last time, it was hard to spot the jokers who did not ठोको तालीs 👏🏽 and थालीs 🥁. This time, it'll be damn easy to spot blokes like me, who merrily go on with their lives without turning off their lights ✨. I hope my neighbours don't come banging at my door because I'm spoiling the aesthetics of the neighbourhood 🌃.
If your lights are on at 9pm, your brains are on too 💡👍🏽
If your lights are on at 9pm, your brains are on too 💡👍🏽
P Sainath tells us what the government should be doing, for the farmers, the poor, and food security.
People have been talking of technology solutions for COVID-19.
I think we Indians, like the Americans, obsess too much about high technology. We want ventilators and test equipment, laser thermometers and other fancy gadgets.
Look at the curve flattening out in China and South Korea. Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore don't appear in this graph, but it the same story there.
Prevention is better than cure.
We are in this for the next 18 to 24 months, before technology and science yield a vaccine. Till then, we need simple, cheap, low tech prevention measures.
Masks. Hand washing stations. PPEs for Healthcare and Sanitary staff. Monitoring. That is what the Far East is doing. That is what India needs to do.
India already has a huge market for N95 and N99 masks due to air pollution. Both disposable and reusable. These are easy to make, the process is simple, it's labour intensive.
I'm up to my neck in work right now. Swamped. I've made some work commitments and I have to stand by them. Otherwise I'd have jumped at the opportunity to start a mask manufacturing business. Not surgical masks. The N95 and N99 ones.
If there is anyone out there who wants to take up this very virtuous business opportunity right now, I will put my full force behind him/her. From the technology to getting the requisite permissions, hiring workers, finding space, raising equity and debt, importing, packaging, certifications, testing, marketing, branding, distribution, Amazon FBA, exports, GST and accounting, legal - I'll help you with all this and more. I'll set up your assembly line for you and connect all of the dots.
If a bunch of people want to form a cooperative and do this together, I'm in.
We can expand to air purifiers, because HEPA filters and N95 masks have a lot in common, and air pollution will again be back to hazardous by the time we are done with COVID. We can also do simple PPEs like bunny suits.
The brand you build now will live on for decades. Pollution and airborne, waterborne hazards are a way of life in India, and industries like health and sanitation will only expand.
Thoughts?
I think we Indians, like the Americans, obsess too much about high technology. We want ventilators and test equipment, laser thermometers and other fancy gadgets.
Look at the curve flattening out in China and South Korea. Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore don't appear in this graph, but it the same story there.
Prevention is better than cure.
We are in this for the next 18 to 24 months, before technology and science yield a vaccine. Till then, we need simple, cheap, low tech prevention measures.
Masks. Hand washing stations. PPEs for Healthcare and Sanitary staff. Monitoring. That is what the Far East is doing. That is what India needs to do.
India already has a huge market for N95 and N99 masks due to air pollution. Both disposable and reusable. These are easy to make, the process is simple, it's labour intensive.
I'm up to my neck in work right now. Swamped. I've made some work commitments and I have to stand by them. Otherwise I'd have jumped at the opportunity to start a mask manufacturing business. Not surgical masks. The N95 and N99 ones.
If there is anyone out there who wants to take up this very virtuous business opportunity right now, I will put my full force behind him/her. From the technology to getting the requisite permissions, hiring workers, finding space, raising equity and debt, importing, packaging, certifications, testing, marketing, branding, distribution, Amazon FBA, exports, GST and accounting, legal - I'll help you with all this and more. I'll set up your assembly line for you and connect all of the dots.
If a bunch of people want to form a cooperative and do this together, I'm in.
We can expand to air purifiers, because HEPA filters and N95 masks have a lot in common, and air pollution will again be back to hazardous by the time we are done with COVID. We can also do simple PPEs like bunny suits.
The brand you build now will live on for decades. Pollution and airborne, waterborne hazards are a way of life in India, and industries like health and sanitation will only expand.
Thoughts?
I'm upset.
China has reopened its wet markets and is selling wildlife in them again. Alive. Including bats and pangolins.
It is traditional for Chinese vendors and manufacturers, when they reopen after the spring festival break, to send an email greeting customers and sharing their catalogs. This year, every single one of them is also selling N95 masks and other PPEs. From touchscreen manufacturers to IC companies. The per unit price of N95 masks being offered by them, when purchased in lots of 100,000, is higher than the per unit price of 3M's N99 masks on Amazon India in January.
The world is in this together. We are all in this together. But what you're doing isn't cool China. You're not learning from your mistakes. And your people are profiteering off of a global tragedy.
China has reopened its wet markets and is selling wildlife in them again. Alive. Including bats and pangolins.
It is traditional for Chinese vendors and manufacturers, when they reopen after the spring festival break, to send an email greeting customers and sharing their catalogs. This year, every single one of them is also selling N95 masks and other PPEs. From touchscreen manufacturers to IC companies. The per unit price of N95 masks being offered by them, when purchased in lots of 100,000, is higher than the per unit price of 3M's N99 masks on Amazon India in January.
The world is in this together. We are all in this together. But what you're doing isn't cool China. You're not learning from your mistakes. And your people are profiteering off of a global tragedy.
Why will nobody take me seriously? Delhi has high SPM rates in the morning. Everyone's asking why. I know why.
It's the farts. I'm telling you. All these chola bhatura eating Delhites. Unhealthy. That suspended particulate matter is all fecal aerosol. And the other gases, the nitrous oxides and the methane, its all coming out of your asses in the morning.
I'm telling ya'. I'm dead serious. I'm a scientist. That air pollution is shit.
It's the farts. I'm telling you. All these chola bhatura eating Delhites. Unhealthy. That suspended particulate matter is all fecal aerosol. And the other gases, the nitrous oxides and the methane, its all coming out of your asses in the morning.
I'm telling ya'. I'm dead serious. I'm a scientist. That air pollution is shit.
This article explains in simple human terms what is wrong with the American economic system, and how it is going to spectacularly fail the victims of the Coronavirus
Astrophysicist Gets Magnets Stuck Up Nose While Inventing Coronavirus Device
The 27 year-old astrophysicist, who studies pulsars and gravitational waves, said he was trying to liven up the boredom of self-isolation with the four powerful neodymium magnets.
Reardon said he placed two magnets inside his nostrils, and two on the outside. When he removed the magnets from the outside of his nose, the two inside stuck together. Unfortunately, the researcher then attempted to use his remaining magnets to remove them. "As I was pulling downwards to try and remove the magnets, they clipped on to each other and I lost my grip. And those two magnets ended up in my left nostril while the other one was in my right. At this point I ran out of magnets." Before attending the hospital, Reardon attempted to use pliers to pull them out, but they became magnetized by the magnets inside his nose. At the hospital, a team of two doctors applied an anaesthetic spray and manually removed the magnets from Reardon's nose. "Needless to say I am not going to play with the magnets any more," Reardon said.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/30/astrophysicist-gets-magnets-stuck-up-nose-while-inventing-coronavirus-device
The 27 year-old astrophysicist, who studies pulsars and gravitational waves, said he was trying to liven up the boredom of self-isolation with the four powerful neodymium magnets.
Reardon said he placed two magnets inside his nostrils, and two on the outside. When he removed the magnets from the outside of his nose, the two inside stuck together. Unfortunately, the researcher then attempted to use his remaining magnets to remove them. "As I was pulling downwards to try and remove the magnets, they clipped on to each other and I lost my grip. And those two magnets ended up in my left nostril while the other one was in my right. At this point I ran out of magnets." Before attending the hospital, Reardon attempted to use pliers to pull them out, but they became magnetized by the magnets inside his nose. At the hospital, a team of two doctors applied an anaesthetic spray and manually removed the magnets from Reardon's nose. "Needless to say I am not going to play with the magnets any more," Reardon said.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/30/astrophysicist-gets-magnets-stuck-up-nose-while-inventing-coronavirus-device
Why weren't these people already indoors? What part of lockdown do they not understand? If you're in lockdown and there's a wild animal outside, just leave the animal alone. You do your thing inside, it'll do its thing outside.
Isn't the health ministry penalising those who spread misinformation?