Die another day
Elroy Noronha, founder of Goregaon's Indian Funeral Services, has been facing acute labour shortage. The ancillary businesses that supplied flowers and cloth are unable to operate due to the lockdown. "These days, it's a no-frills burial, with not more than three to four people," he says. His core team of four members is filling in. A part of the reason they are able to hold fort is because, along with a drop in staff, there is also a fall in the volume of requests. "Business is down by 30 per cent." Road accident cases are down to nil, and mortal remains from overseas aren't arriving due to the airlines lockdown. In April, he received one such case.
According to the data released by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), in 2018, more than 1,50,000 people died in road accidents, which is the highest in the world. Paresh Kumar Goel, a director at MORTH, recently revealed that the Coronavirus lockdown will cut road deaths by at least 15 per cent compared to 2018. Noronha says this development is not entirely unexpected given that everyone is staying at home.
Dr Ravikant Singh, founder and president of Doctors for You, an organisation dedicated to disaster
Crematoriums, too, are seeing this pattern. A death registration karkun (DRK) officer at the Hindu crematorium, Aarey Colony, Goregaon East, says that on an average, they receive 125 bodies a month. In April, the figure stood at 108. The crematorium does not admit COVID-19 cases.
It's not just funeral services that have taken a hit, priests are also facing the heat. Yogesh Kanitkar, a pandit at Versova's Shiv Mandir, says the fear of infection has compelled people to make do without them. "Although we take all possible precautions, including wearing gloves and masks and sanitising the equipment, customers are wary of calling us even to funerals. Our community is adversely impacted," he says. Some, however, are sceptical of the trend. Vakola's Sukhant Funeral Management, that operates in Mumbai, Navi Mumbai and Thane, has seen a rise in business. "People no longer call their relatives, they phone us. They are confused about how to proceed if there's a death during the lockdown, so, we guide them on how to acquire the death certificate and go about the cremation," says founder Sanjay Ramgude.
Sarva Pooja kits are packed with 38 items
It's the reason why cousins Nitesh Mehta and Hiten Dhruv's venture SarvaPooja is doing brisk business. The duo manufacture funeral kits packed with 38 items, including earthen pots, Gangajal, black sesame seeds and dried cow dung. "The box also has a six-feet-long collapsible bamboo stretcher and can carry a person weighing up to 150 kg, and is assembled in segments," says Mehta, about the kit that is priced at R2,950.
Dr Ravikant Singh is the founder and president of Doctors for You, an organisation dedicated to primary health care. Every summer, he witnesses a drop in the outpatient department (OPD) walk-ins. "Sunny skies are good for us. It's a relatively healthy season compared to the monsoon and winter." There are a number of theories about this, he adds, including the fact that we generally choose foods that are lighter during the hotter months, which in turn lowers cholesterol. "It's easier on your heart."
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Ex BMC chief Praveen Pardeshi on 14-day leave
A day after being unceremoniously transferred from the BMC chief's office, senior bureaucrat Praveen Pardeshi proceeded on a 14-day leave, instead of taking charge of the Urban Development Department at Mantralaya.
Sources said he applied for leave because his father is unwell and his wife is self-isolating herself, after having returned from London, where she works with an international organisation. Apart from the Urban Development Department, Pardeshi has also been asked to head the water resources department.
According to sources, the celebrated disaster management expert is also upset with the turn of events. He had been in the run for the Chief Secretary's post.
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Coronavirus outbreak: Maharashtra has more than 20,000 COVID cases
Maharashtra's count for COVID-19 cases crossed 20,000 cases and the city had 722 new cases on Saturday. The bar of the state's death toll rose higher with 48 deaths, and 27 of them occurred in Mumbai.
State health officials said that while Mumbai has 12,864 COVID-19 cases, an additional 178 cases have been reported, but are yet to be added to the tally. Apart from 27 deaths that occurred in Mumbai, 10 were reported in Pune, eight in Malegaon and one each in Akola, Nanded and Amravati. State health officials said that the 48 deaths had occurred between April 25 and May 8.
Migrant workers, who were walking to MP on the Eastern Expressway, were herded back by policemen before the Mulund Toll Naka. Pic/Sameer Markande
Civic officials said that among the 27 patients who died, 21 of them were suffering from other ailments and three of the patients who died were less than 40 years old. In order to reduce the burden on the city's hospitals, the civic body is now urging people who test positive but have no symptoms to refrain from visiting hospitals. They are encouraging asymptomatic positive patients to visit COVID care centres instead.
Meanwhile, 25 new cases were reported from Dharavi which included one death. Five of the cases were from Mukund Nagar, the slum pocket with the highest concentration of cases. Dharavi alone now has 833 positive cases. Five other cases were reported from Mahim, 18 in Dadar, including eight cases from Kasarwadi.
In order to avoid the spread of the infection as seen in Dharavi, officials from H West ward are sealing the Khar Danda area, which includes slum pockets. The decision was taken after five members of a family in a residential building in the area tested positive earlier this week. "We found a high-risk patient while tracing the contacts of the family that tested positive. We are sealing the area. We are figuring out the arrangements for food," said an official from H West. In other parts of Bandra West, 13 cases have been reported from Shastri Nagar and 14 from the slaugherhouse near the Bandra Railway Station. Civic officials said another 12 cases have been reported from the Nargis Dutt Nagar slums.
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Colombian ad company creates bed-cum-coffin
A Colombian advertising company is pitching a novel if morbid solution to shortages of hospital beds and coffins during the coronavirus pandemic: combine them.
ABC Displays has created a cardboard bed with metal railings that designers say can double as a casket if a patient dies. Company manager Rodolfo Gómez said he was inspired to find a way to help after watching events unfold recently in nearby Ecuador.
Families in the coastal city of Guayaquil waited with dead loved ones in their homes for days last month as COVID-19 cases surged. Many could not find or were unable to afford a wood coffin, using donated cardboard ones instead. Gómez said he plans to donate 10 of his new beds to Colombia's Amazonas department, where resources are in short supply. So far there is no indication whether the beds will be put to use and no orders have been placed.
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Postman attached to GPO succumbs to COVID-19
A postman succumbed to COVID-19 on Friday, making him the first casualty in the postal department in Mumbai. The 58-year-old postman, a resident of Kalachowkie, was attached to the delivery department of the GPO. He had blood pressure and heart ailment, for which he was already under treatment. A female staff member, also attached to the delivery section of the GPO, is currently being treated after having tested positive.
Just last week, mid-day had reported how postal staff in Navi Mumbai region were ensuring delivery of pension and facilitating withdrawal of postal savings for the elderly in the area, along with delivering medical kits to hospitals. Swati Pandey, Post Master General, Mumbai Region, said they were informed of the staffer's death on Friday by his son. "As per our record, he had reported to work only once during the lockdown, i.e. April 20. Out of a total of 5,500 several haven't reported to work. We are managing with limited manpower."
She added, "As per directives of Ashwini Bhide, additional municipal commissioner, we have sprayed disinfectant in the delivery section of the post office, sealed it, and have and also started tracking everyone he had come in contact with. So far, none of the contacts have shown any symptoms of COVID-19."
She added that the next of kin would be entitled to all benefits as per the norms and will also be entitled for a R10 lakh compensation, as declared by the Central government in case of a COVID-19 death. In addition to these two cases, a sub-postmaster at the Worli Police Camp Post office, a night guard at Matunga Post Office and a few delivery Postal Assistants have also tested positive.
"However, the staff continues to report to work. Around 20,000 essential articles have been delivered through Nodal Delivery Vehicles and through Window Delivery," an official stated.
5,500
No. of postal officers employed in Mumbai region
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Coronavirus outbreak: No time for large sarvajanik murti for Ganesh Chaturthi
The city might miss seeing Lord Ganesh in his full glory this year, as work on the gigantic idols, which usually adorn the biggest and richest pandals during Ganesh Chaturthi, has taken a big hit due to the Coronavirus outbreak and the resulting lockdown. Sculptors, who usually start work in May for the annual festival that will be celebrated on August 22 this year, have been forced to put all orders on hold, as raw materials aren't available, and most of the artisans are stuck in their hometowns. The government too, hasn't given permission to begin work. With the lockdown extended till May 17, the sculptors say that mandals might have to settle for scaled-down versions of the idol.
Mumbai has over 10,000 sarvajanik Ganesh mandals. To ensure that the idols are delivered on time, sculptors start work three months in advance, first making the pattern, a rough model, which is then corrected with welding at the workshops. Another 20 days are invested in painting the idol, and giving it the final touches. Mandals usually accept delivery of the idols 10 days before the festival begins.
A Ganesh idol-making workshop at Chinchpokli, where work otherwise begins in May, is currently shut due to the lockdown
With the way the situation has panned out till now, work is unlikely to begin before July. This will leave sculptors with just about a month to complete work. Reshma Khatu, daughter of late sculptor Vijay Khatu, says, "Currently, we have put all the orders and planning on hold and are awaiting the government's decision. The crisis doesn't seem to be nearing an end. We do not want to put our workers at risk. Even if one person is detected COVID-19 positive, work will go for a toss and the entire workshop will be sealed."
The other problem is that at least 70 per cent of the workers employed, hail from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. They work in Maharashtra during May to October. Vijay Kumar Soni, hails from Patna, but is currently stuck in Konkan, where he and his employer Rajan Zaad, have been working on rough designs. "We came here in March, and hence could begin work. Some of the dyes are ready, and we hope to get started on the idols when we return to Mumbai. But, I am not sure if the other workers from Patna will be able to make it on time." Zaad, who is a sculptor from Lalbaug, says that he will be requesting the mandals to accept smaller-sized idols.
Sculptor Rajan Zaad says he intends to request mandals to have smaller-sized idols this year
The raw materials for making the larger idols come from Rajasthan and Kerala, while shadu—a kind of clay used for the sculpture—comes from Gujarat. But transportation has taken the biggest hit, and state borders are sealed.
Ankush Kambli, a sculptor from Parel village, says he has started work from home with the help of his family members but is running out of raw materials. Ditching the ubiquitous plaster of Paris, he has decided to use only shadu. "There is no clarity, if we will be able to get back to our routines of working from a workshop. We understand that there is the need for social distancing and that is the sole reason why we are working from home."
Reshma Khatu
The Brihanmumbai Murtikar Samanvay Samiti, an umbrella body of Ganpati sculptors, has decided to share their concerns with the government. Gajanan Tondvalkar, president of the samiti, and a sculptor in Naigaon, Dadar, says, "We will request the government to help ensure transportation of raw materials, so that we can work from home, at least."
Meanwhile, the city's Ganesh mandals, have decided to put discussions about the festivities on hold. Sudhir Salvi, secretary of Lalbaugcha Raja Mandal, says, "Calls that need to be taken regarding the celebrations will be done once the Coronavirus situation is under control." The secretary of Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal, popularly known as Ganesh Galli Ganpati, Swapnil Parab, says the committee is yet to take a decision and will honour the government's directive.
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Vizag gas victims stage protest at plant
Two days after gas leakage from LG Polymers claimed 12 lives and affected hundreds of others, people of Venkatapuram village staged a protest on Saturday with three dead bodies at the chemical plant, demanding justice.
Tension prevailed at the plant as the villagers staged a sit-in at the plant's gate when Director General of Police Gautam Sawang was visiting the site. Some protesters barged into the plant premises. The police had a tough time clearing them and providing safe passage to the top official.
Sawang said that the gas leakage has been plugged and the situation is under control. Sawang said that more technical teams from Delhi will be reaching the site to have further assess the situation and decide the way forward. "The situation is absolutely under control. All the reactions and leakages have been plugged. There is no matter of concern anymore," he said.
Meanwhile, former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu on Saturday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to rope in national and international experts for health assessment of the people affected by the leakage of gas.
He wrote a letter that the long-lasting impact on the health of those undergoing treatment is of serious concern. It is suspected that the toxins emitted may cause permanent damage to the victims, said Naidu.
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UK COVID deaths top 31K as another 626 die; six-week-old baby latest victim
Another 626 COVID-19 patients have died in Britain, bringing the total Coronavirus-related death toll in the country to 31,241, environment secretary George Eustice said. The figures include deaths in all settings, including hospitals, care homes and the wider community.
Earlier in the day, the National Health Service (NHS), England, said a six-week-old baby has become one of the latest to die after testing positive for the novel Coronavirus. Chairing the Downing Street daily press briefing, Eustice unveiled a £16-million fund to help support charities which feed some of the country's most vulnerable people hit by the pandemic.
"It is absolutely vital they have the resources they need and this funding will help the most vulnerable in our society get the food they need at this enormously challenging time," he said. The funding is part of the 750-million-pound pot announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak for charities across Britain during the Coronavirus outbreak. As to the exit strategy of lockdown measures, the secretary told reporters that there is not going to be "dramatic overnight change" in the country's lockdown measures.
16m pounds
Fund unveiled to help support charities
Russia reports 10,817 cases in 24 hours
The overall number of Coronavirus cases in Russia increased to 1,98,676 on Saturday after the emergence of 10,817 new infections in the last 24 hour, health authorities said. According to the country's anti-Coronavirus crisis centre, the death toll currently stood at 1,827, while 31,916 people have recovered from the illness so far.
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Four-headed Vishnu of Kashmir
The Chaturmukha Vishnu is a very rare form of Vishnu once worshipped in Kashmir from the 8th and 9th century, when it was an important centre of Hinduism. The image shows Vishnu with four heads. Three clear faces are those of Vishnu, the Narasimha or the lion face, and the face of the Varaha avatar. The fourth face varies according to scriptures. Different scriptures describe the fourth head as either a demonic face, or the face of Kapila, or the face of Lakshmi, or even Hayagriva, the horse. In artwork, sometimes, the fourth head is absent and only the other three heads are shown.
This form of Vishnu has not four, but eight arms. Four arms hold the traditional conch shell, discus, mace and lotus flower. The other four hands hold a bow, an arrow, a sword and a shield. Sometimes, the image just has four arms. The gada (mace) is replaced with the gadanari or it is personified as a woman. The chakra is replaced by the chakrapurusha, a wheel embodied as a man.
In the post-Gupta period, we find importance given to Vishnu's weapons, symbolised in anthropomorphic forms. The gadanari is not very popular. In South Indian temples, we find many images of the Chakrapurusha, also known as Sudarshan. The vahana or the mount depicted is Garuda. He is sometimes accompanied by Lakshmi. There is no specific story associated with it. As Hinduism waned from Kashmir, this image died out and did not become popular.
In the Gupta period, imperial lines and dynasties associated themselves with Hinduism and Vishnu. Great value was given to the 'dominating and aggressive' forms of Narasimha and Varaha. Today, however, greater value is placed on the 'bhakti' forms of Ram and Krishna, whose stories are told in the Ramayana and Mahabharata. Only in Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, we find temples of Narasimha and Varaha.
There is no clear story about why Vishnu has four heads. In some places, Vishnu has only three, Brahma has four, and Shiva has five heads to show their relative power. The four heads may link to Vishnu being identified as Krishna, his brother, Balarama, his son, Pradyumna and his grandson, Aniruddha.
The only place, outside of Kashmir, where this image is found, is in Khajuraho, built in the tenth century. The Lakshman temple in Khajuraho has an image of Vishnu Vaikuntha. Here, he has three heads and four hands. The only legend associated with this image is that of the creation of a monster, with the head of a lion and a wild boar. He was told that when another creature who looked exactly like him appeared, he would be destroyed. This is why Vishnu took this form to destroy it.
Today, nobody worships this Vaikuntha form of Vishnu.
In many ways, the image connects royalty to the boar and the lion, symbols of aggression and domination. The hidden face represents the aspect of kingship that will always remain hidden from the public.
Devdutt Pattanaik writes and lectures on the relevance of mythology in modern times. Reach him at devdutt.pattanaik@mid-day.com
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Ex-Matka king Ratan Khatri passes away in Mumbai
Ex-Matka king Ratan Khatri died on Saturday morning in Mumbai. According to sources, Khatri, 88, was ailing for a long time. In 1960s Khatri had joined Kalyan Bhagat to set up Matka in Mumbai.
Matka, a lottery or gambling with number is popularly called as Ankada Jugar. Matka was popular in Mumbai from pre-independence time that involved betting on the opening and closing rates of cotton transmitted from the New York Cotton Exchange. Matka was popular in all classes of Mumbai in 1960s. In 1962 Kalyanji Bhagat, started Worli Matka.
Ratan Khatri had joined Bhagat as a manager. In 1964 Khatri parted his way from Bhagat and formed his own 'Ratan Matka'. The Matka or drawing lots from chits in a pot became so famous that the turnover of the gambling touched Rs 1 crore daily.
According to sources, Khatri had not been keeping well for some time. He was living with his family in Navjeevan Society at Mumbai Central. Khatri passed away on Saturday morning.
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Triple antiviral drug combo shows promise for treating COVID-19
A two-week course of antiviral therapy that combines the power of three drugs has shown promise in treating hospitalised patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 in a carefully undertaken phase 2 clinical trial.
The results of the trial, published in the journal The Lancet, involved 127 adults from six public hospitals in Hong Kong.
The drug combination tested in the trial included interferon beta-1b, which was developed to treat multiple sclerosis (MS), and lopinavir-ritonavir, which is normally used to treat HIV and ribavirin, an oral hepatitis C virus drug.
The findings of the phase two trial provided evidence that early treatment with triple antiviral therapy alongside standard care is safe and shortens duration of viral shedding (when the virus is detectable and potentially transmissible) compared to lopinavir-ritonavir alone—average seven days vs 12 days—in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19.
"Our trial demonstrates that early treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 with a triple combination of antiviral drugs may rapidly suppress the amount of virus in a patient's body, relieve symptoms, and reduce the risk to healthcare workers by reducing the duration and quantity of viral shedding," said professor Kwok-Yung Yuen from the University of Hong Kong who led the research.
No new cases in Hong Kong as restrictions ease
Hong Kong recorded no new COVID-19 case on Saturday, a day after the city eased restrictions. Saturday was also the 20th day in a row with no local infections. Health experts earlier suggested that Hong Kong could be considered to be free of local transmission if there were no such cases after 28 days.
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US unemployment rate reaches Great Depression-era level
US employers have cut a staggering 20.5 million jobs in April amid the COVID-19 pandemic, erasing a decade of job gains since the global financial crisis and pushing the unemployment rate to a record 14.7 per cent, which is the highest level since the Great Depression.
In April, the unemployment rate surged by 10.3 percentage points to 14.7 per cent, the largest over-the-month increase in the history of the series dating back to January 1948, the Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) said in a report.
Since mid-March, numerous US states have rolled out "stay-at-home" policies and shut down non-essential businesses in a bid to slow the spread of the virus, leading companies to cut millions of jobs in weeks.
Employment in leisure and hospitality plummeted by 7.7 million, or 47 per cent, the report showed. The manufacturing sector shed 1.3 million workers, and employment in retail trade was down 2.1 million jobs.
The education and health sector lost 2.5 million jobs. Government employment also dropped by 9,80,000 in April, according to the bureau. Hispanics and African-Americans have been hit the hardest in the job crisis, said the BLS report. President Donald Trump said that with the reopening of the economy, lost jobs will come back.
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My ouch! Irrfan moment
I just remembered my absolutely ouch! Irrfan moment, that makes me cringe each time I recall it. One of the relatively early big film programmes I curated was Made by Women, an international women's film festival, way back in 2004. We screened great films, mostly 35mm prints, directed by women filmmakers from all over the world. They ranged from Marziyeh Meshkiny's The Day I Became a Woman (Iran), Anne Fontaine's How I Killed My Father (France) to Ligy Pullappally's Sancharram (India) and Joan Gratz's Mona Lisa Descending a Staircase (animation, USA). We opened with Aparna Sen's beloved classic 36 Chowringhee Lane at the YB Chavan Centre (remember it?). Bishakha Datta, who heads Point of View, a non-profit that amplifies women's voices and had organised the event, was Festival Director.
Sen had flown in for the inauguration from Kolkata, ever elegant. Irfan Khan (the second 'r' hadn't rolled in yet) had very kindly agreed to be special guest at the inaugural. A huge crowd had turned up, and we let them in. My colleagues escorted Sen in, while I remained outside waiting for Irfan, who unfortunately had been held up in traffic, and arrived later than planned. When I escorted him in, the hall was pitch dark. I realised to my horror, that Sen had inaugurated the festival alone and, as the crowd had got restless, the screening had begun. Eeks! I apologised profusely to Irfan, and escorted him to the reserved VIP row, only to find that the enthu crowd had ripped the 'reserved' seat signs and occupied every seat in the house; many were even sitting in the aisles.
Crouching and whispering, I cravenly begged a series of people in the audience to give up their seat for Irfan, but they were engrossed in the film. Seeing I was in big trouble, Irfan graciously whispered, "Don't worry, Meenakshi, I'll sit on the carpet." "No, NO! Please give me a moment," I yelped. Finally, I managed to persuade someone to give up his seat for Irfan in the front row. Double eeks! From there, Irfan watched 36 Chowringhee Lane, at a 60 degree angle. Life-long, I could never live down the humiliation of being unable to treat Irfan as the star he truly was. But, Irfan was so incredibly decent about it—which made me feel even worse. He quietly vanished as the film ended, and when I phoned him to apologise, he gently brushed aside my apology and discussed what a marvellous film it was.
The episode taught me two things: if you show a great Indian film for the inaugural of an international film festival, the public will come, even if it is a 20-year-old film. Second, a great film can turn even a star into a fan. Yet, I can think of no other star who would behave with such extraordinary humility and grace, as Irfan did that evening. The festival was a great success in Mumbai, and did an all-India tour of eight cities in 2004. In fact, I curated another edition of Made by Women in 2005, with an all-India tour as well.
Adieu, Irrfan!
Meenakshi Shedde is India and South Asia Delegate to the Berlin International Film Festival, National Award-winning critic, curator to festivals worldwide and journalist. Reach her at meenakshi.shedde@mid-day.com
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Coronavirus Outbreak: Uber offers free rides to BMC frontline health workers
In the fight against COVID-19, Uber has extended support by offering free rides to frontline BMC healthcare workers and non-COVID patients in Mumbai through its recently launched UberMedic service.
All UberMedic cars are fitted with a roof-to-floor plastic sheeting enclosing the driver. Additionally, all drivers are being trained in safety procedures and provided with personal protective equipment such as masks, gloves, sanitisers and disinfectants to sanitise the cars between rides.
The agreement is part of Uber’s recent offer to provide free rides worth Rs 1 crore to the Maharashtra government. Prabhjeet Singh, Director, Operations and Head of Cities, Uber India & South Asia, said, “The BMC has been working tirelessly to contain the spread of COVID-19. We feel privileged to be supporting them in these challenging times and will help move what matters by leveraging our global experience, technology and network of drivers.”
Uber’s recently launched UberMedic service has been transporting frontline medical workers in 35+ hospitals across 23 Indian cities.
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Автомобили: Как поступать, если остался посреди перекрестка, когда загорелся красный свет
Перекресток – один из сложнейших и наиболее ответственных участков дороги. Страх всех автомобилистов-новичков, а также граждан, готовящихся к выпуску из автошколы. У многих случается ситуация, когда остался на перекрестке, а красный свет в твой адрес уже горит. Что же делать и как быть в такой непростой ситуации? Вспоминаем правила дорожного движения.
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Идеи вашего дома: Скучнее некуда: 7 дизайнерских приемов, которые делают интерьер банальным
Часто при планировании будущего интерьера люди гонятся за сиюминутными трендами, забывают о важных мелочах или не думают о том, что в процессе обживания квартиры может разрушиться красивая картинка, которую они изначально рисуют в голове. В результате интерьер получается либо некрасивым и неуютным, либо слишком скучным и банальным. Novate.ru рассказывает о дизайнерских приемах, применение которых не позволяет сделать квартиру интересной, комфортной и персонализированной.
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Автомобили: 6 популярных машин, которые ржавеют, еще находясь на гарантии
Даже самый простой автомобиль – это сложное устройство, которое стоит немалых средств. Более того, для многих водителей машина становится настоящим другом, «боевым конем», которому доверяют свою безопасность, жизнь и здоровье членов семьи. Неудивительно, что сохранности автомобилей их владельцы уделяют немалое внимание. Тем более странно, когда нестарая еще машина начинает быстро ржаветь.
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Общество: «Пятерка» блюд из советских детских садов, о которых вспоминают с ностальгией
Многие современные мамы и папы жалуются на то, что в нынешних детских садах их чад кормят из рук вон плохо. И речь идет в первую очередь не о размере порций, а об их качестве. Тем более, что родившимся еще в СССР есть с чем сравнить. Вкус еды из школьных и детсадовских столовых тех времен для большинства людей незабываем. А потому сегодня стоит вспомнить несколько блюд из детсада, от которых в восторг приходят даже взрослые.
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Юмор: 16 случаев, когда люди проявили свою смекалку и изобретательность
Чего только люди не придумают, лишь бы не работать! Но когда человек действительно чем-то увлечен, нет преград его изобретательности и остроумию. Это в полной мере относится к героям нашего обзора, которые проявили смекалку самым неожиданным образом.
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Идеи вашего дома: 13 копеечных систем хранения, которые выглядят стильно и помогают навести порядок
Любая хозяйка подтвердит, что сколько бы квадратных метров не было в квартире, места для хранения вещей всегда не хватает. И откуда только берутся все эти мелочи, которые непонятно, куда можно пристроить. Вот и получается вечный визуальный беспорядок. Мы же подобрали 13 копеечных систем хранения, которые выглядят стильно и помогают экономить место.
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Общество: Наследие предков, или 7 бесполезных органов в теле человека
Существует общее мнение, что в человеческом организме нет ненужных органов, как и в любом механизме деталей. Но если рассмотреть вопрос более детально, то это далеко не соответствует действительности. Некоторые органы, части, присутствующие в нашем теле, мы получили в наследство еще от первобытных людей. В процессе эволюции и в связи с изменением условий обитания они перестали выполнять определенные функции и утратили свою значимость и надобность. Именно о них дальше пойдет речь.
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Гаджеты: Что представляет собой отечественный пистолет Baikal-442, который стоит на вооружении структур МВД
Пистолет отечественного производства с загадочным названием «Байкал». Откуда он вообще взялся, кем производится и что из себя представляет? Мало кто знает, однако такие сегодня в большинстве своем стоят на вооружении структур МВД. На самом перед нами на фотографии хорошо знакомое всем оружие. А самые внимательные соотечественники уже даже смогли его опознать.
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Charlie-the-Chihuahua-Mix
Charlie is the love of my life. My children are grown and left home and I have been trying to fill the void in my life. I was not sure about an inside dog because I always have dogs that are outside pets. As you can see, I gave it a try and Charlie is the best thing in the the world to fill that empty spot in my heart!
Kuma-the-Alaskan-Malamute
My name is Kuma. I live in Manhattan. Don't worry, I get a lot of exercise and I make sure my parents keep the home at a balmy 60 degrees! My sister, Chloe, and I wrestle all the time. I also have a girlfriend, Riley, that I snuggle, kiss, and play with. I'm looking forward to winter to play in the snow and pull my sister in a sled. Some of my favorite things are peanut butter, ice cubes, howling, and leaves blowing in the wind.
Riley-the-Golden-Retriever
Hi, my name is Riley! I am full of energy but also enjoy long naps on my front porch. I love to play with pine cones I find on the ground and tear apart newly planted plants. I just learned how to sit! I love treats and I will guarantee you that I can rip apart your shoe in a matter of hours. My guilty pleasure is chewing on wine corks! I am surrounded by many people who love and care for me. I am one very lucky girl.
Isabella-the-Australian-Shepherd
My name is Isabella, but I go by "Izzy" for short. I like chewing on my older sister Maddie and destroying her toys, cuddling with all my favorite people, napping, howling along with songs, and eating everything in sight. I'm not the most athletic dog, but I have excellent balancing skills and can walk around on my hind legs like nobody's business.
Weathering With You, Promare, Hello World Films Nominated for Seiun Sci-Fi Awards
Astra Lost in Space anime, Shinkalion film, 2019 Godzilla film, Fly Me to Saitama film, 13 Sentinels: Aegis Rim game also nominated
San Diego Comic-Con Announces 'Comic Con@Home' Virtual Event
Event to take place this summer
Toei Delays New Episodes of Kamen Rider Zero-One, Mashin Sentai Kiramager Shows
Delays follow COVID-19 diagnosis for Kiramager star Rio Komiya in March
Sazae-san Anime Delays New Episodes For 1st Time in 45 Years Due to COVID-19
Japan's #1 TV anime & world's longest animated show halted recordings in April
Give it up, Ray
Oh. Ray Comfort is still making his dishonest videos? Here’s the trailer for the latest, title “Amazing Athiest [sp]: A journey of two atheists”. Do you know those two guys? Are they supposed to be representative atheists? You know Comfort’s schtick: he confronts random people in the street who probably haven’t thought much about the […]
The real Lord of the Flies
What a pleasant story to read! We’re all familiar with the entirely fictional story of Lord of the Flies, in which ship-wrecked boys revert to the natural savagery of all humans and set up a brutal regime and start oppressing and killing each other. It makes for a good story, I guess. Except that similar […]
Coronavirus: Volunteering at Calais' migrant camps
Tia has decided to work at a migrant camp in Calais instead of returning home to her family during lockdown.
Кино: Романтические тайны за кадром культового «Соляриса»: «Одинакового моря рыбы» Андрей Тарковский и Наталья Бондарчук
10 мая исполняется 70 лет известной актрисе, сценаристу, режиссеру, заслуженному деятелю искусств РФ Наталье Бондарчук. В юности о ней говорили только как о дочери знаменитого актера и режиссера Сергея Бондарчука, но уже в 22 года Наталья доказала, что имеет право существовать как отдельная творческая единица. В 1972 г. она сыграла главную роль в фильме Андрея Тарковского «Солярис», который принес ей всесоюзную популярность. Эта работа была знаковой не только в ее профессиональной биографии, ведь за кадром остались чувства, которые завели ее в тупик и навсегда разделили жизнь на «до» и «после»…
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История и археология: Почему во Второй мировой войне Германии пришлось капитулировать дважды
7 мая 1945 года Германия безоговорочно капитулировала перед союзниками. Официально акт о капитуляции был подписан в Реймсе, Франция. Это положило такой долгожданный конец той ужасной, кровавой войне, оставившей такие глубокие шрамы на сердцах и судьбах столь огромного количества людей. Это было окончательное падение Третьего рейха. Только, что же тогда произошло 9 мая в Берлине? Почему Германии пришлось капитулировать фактически два раза?
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Музыка: Как советская песня «Катюша» стала главной мелодией итальянского Движения Сопротивления
Эта известная советская песня популярна и знакома во всём мире. Она была написана ещё в 1938 году Матвеем Блантером и Михаилом Исаковским, а первыми её исполнителями стали Всеволод Тютюнник, Георгий Виноградов и Вера Красовицкая. Во время Великой Отечественной войны она получила новое звучание благодаря тому, что студентки одного из московских училищ провожали этой песней солдат, уходящих на фронт. В 1943 году мелодия стала символом итальянского Сопротивления.
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Nightmare Fuel Telepresence ‘Bot May Become Your Last Friend
After this pandemic thing is all said and done, historians will look back on this period from many different perspectives. The one we’re most interested in of course will concern the creativity that flourished in the petri dish of anxiety, stress, and boredom that have come as unwanted side dishes …read more
Halloween Costume Turned Positive Pressure Suit
As a general rule, you probably shouldn’t be getting your Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) from the party store. But these are exceptional times, and rather than potentially depriving medical professionals the equipment they so desperately need on the front lines, the team at [Robots Everywhere] has been looking into improvised …read more
Touch-Typing On Fingertips? Prototype Says It Could Work
Touch-typing with thumbs on a mobile phone keyboard is a pretty familiar way to input text, and that is part of what led to BiTipText, a method of allowing bimanual text input using fingertips. The idea is to treat the first segments of the index fingers as halves of a …read more
An Op-Amp From The Ground Up
We are all used to the op-amp, as a little black box from which we can derive an astonishingly useful range of circuit functions. But of course within it lurks a transistor circuit on a chip, and understanding the operation of that circuit can give us insights into the op-amp …read more
How Much is DIY Worth to You?
It all started with an article about Wink Labs putting a monthly fee on their previously free service. It wasn’t so much the amount they were asking ($5 / month) that raised my hackles, but rather the fact that they would essentially render a device that you ostensibly bought worthless …read more
Битва платьев: Светлана Родина против Юлии Прудько
Жуки и траурные броши: самые необычные ювелирные тренды Викторианской эпохи
Ксения Собчак, Ирина Шейк, Яна Рудковская и другие поздравляют с Днем Победы и вспоминают ветеранов в соцсетях