I’m finally getting around to reading a book that a kind Hatter got me almost a decade ago (thanks, Andrei!), Stalin’s Children: Three Generations of Love, War, and Survival by Owen Matthews, and am enjoying it greatly; the first chapter has material of clear LH interest: I spoke Russian before I spoke English. Until I […]

It occurs to me that, if I were better at marketing myself, I’d be writing and sending out press releases titled, “New York Times Number One Best Selling Audiobook Narrator […]

Gatecrashing bar mitzvahs, quarantine quizzes and climbing Everest indoors – here’s a slew of things to do to stay connected without stepping outside

Lockdown could have seen us wallowing in some pretty unusual hermetic behaviour. Obsessively rearranging your groceries by best-before date. Binge-watching old episodes of Terry and June. Blankly staring at the forks in your cutlery drawer wondering why they have four prongs and not three.

Instead, the past few weeks have shown that being shut away could be making us more connected with each other. Thanks to strong internet networks and an array of digital apps and video communication software, we’re spending more quality time with loved ones, rehabilitating old relationships and forging new ones. Indeed, a recent study by Channel Mum found a quarter of British people now talk with neighbours they previously ignored. In short? Being confined to quarters is helping us rediscover a new sense of community.

Learn the art of making paper from scratch at this workshop by Bengaluru-based artist Ravikumar Kashi, who expresses himself via mediums like paintings, sculptures and photography. Kashi learnt the art of making paper from the Glasgow School of Art, UK, before he moved on to learning Hanji, a traditional Korean papermaking form.

Participants will learn the history of hand-made papermaking and the difference between pr­imary, secondary, te­r­tiary and second-ha­nd paper. "They will be taken through techniques of how to make recycled paper from di­s­carded paper, how to shape it into different forms and make sculptures. They will also learn pulp painting, where coloured pulp is used to create art," Kashi shares.

ON March 30, 10 am
AT Piramal Museum of Art, Piramal Tower, Peninsula Corporate Park, Lower Parel
CALL 30466981
Email artfoundation@piramal.com
LOG ON TO insider.in
Cost Rs 2,500

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Representational picture

New Delhi: You may not be able to escape the sweltering heat when you are outside, but you can make your home a cool haven by playing around with colours and adding greenery to your walls, suggest experts. A colour palette, when used well, can help in creating a naturally refreshing environment at home.

Peeyush Bachlaus, Head of Marketing at Kansai Nerolac Paints Ltd, suggests four decor trends, in hues that range from cool blues and soothing greens to mellow yellows:

For a blissful green escape: Surround yourself with the colours of a secret garden, leaving everything else a pristine white. The colour green is well-associated with nature, allowing a room to feel relaxing to the eyes and refreshing for your mind. When paired with white, this palette can turn a bland room into a welcoming paradise. Green is also one of the easiest colours to adorn your interiors as pairing various shades of green with just about any other colour can work beautifully.

For a breezy haven: Large plants and strong colours are natural decor accents that bring lushness into one's home. This summer, transform your interiors into a cool breezy tropical paradise with the help of verdant aquatic colours with a cheerful palette of cool blues, mellow yellows, bright oranges and lush greens. These colours will make sure that your time home is a breeze and you feel the freshness of an aquatic theme.

For an eccentric summer makeover: Given our busy lifestyles and the sweltering heat to add to it, we all need an escape. Let your home be that much needed exotic escape by curating one area in your home. Mix and match cool blue and violet walls fearlessly, framing it with crisp white accents. Natural materials and details make this a room for all to enjoy. Colours such as blues and whites are cool colours as they help keep our mind cool and relaxed even during the sweltering heat of the summers.

For a refreshing classic look: A carefully curated palette of white and near white tones that form a blank canvas to your artistic home. As a trend, masterpiece white walls are refreshing. Radiant light coming in through the windows is the accent in these calm rooms. Bring artwork to focus by trying out alternative accent wall colours.

Sujit Jain, Founder, Griin, says vertical gardens can transform your dull walls immediately and purify the environment too.
"Vertical gardens not only add to the aesthetic value of the walls but they come with a lot of functional benefits also. The thick vegetation limits the movement of heat and helps to regulate sunlight and temperature even during the hot afternoons that makes it a perfect fit for summer decors.

"Some varieties of plants are also useful in absorbing potentially harmful gases and cleaning the air inside modern buildings. In addition to this, incorporating vertical gardens in the decor of any building brings a living element to the environment and being around greenery helps in reducing the stress levels also."

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The Mumbai Police on Tuesday asked its personnels who are above 55 years of age to stay at home during the coronavirus lockdown. This comes after three Mumbai policemen died due to COVID-19. In its press note, Mumbai Police has also asked policemen above the age of 52 with previous medical conditions like diabetes and hypertension to stay indoors.

The Mumbai Police also stated in its press note that special hospitals are being designated for police personnel. "Also, all COVID hospitals in Mumbai have dedicated beds for Mumbai Police personnel." "Amenities like food packets, ration, hot water flasks, pandals at check points etc. are being provided to all personnel on frontline duties. Accommodation facilities are being provided to all police personnel who wish to stay back," read the press release from the Mumbai Police.

It also informed that multivitamin and protein supplements are being provided for 20,000 personnel to strengthen their immunity system. Also, a Special Covid Helpline number has been set up for police personnel and their families at the control room to resolve any doubts or issues they might have related to COVID-19. Medical professionals have also been associated with it.

On Monday, a 57-year-old head constable of the Mumbai Police died of COVID-19. A 52-year-old head constable succumbed to the disease on Sunday, while a 57-year-old constable died on Saturday. The Uddhav Thackeray-led government has granted Rs. 50 lakh ex-gratia amount to all personnel who lose their lives fighting COVID-19.

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The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has been readying quarantine centres and acquiring hospitals for COVID-19 patients, but it seems it hasn't quite decided whom to let in. The 32-year-old wife of a COVID-19 positive patient from Dharavi has been running from pillar to post to get him to a hospital. The 35-year-old who requires dialysis, tested positive on May 1 but BMC officials allegedly advised her to quarantine him at home, as he is asymptomatic.

When she pointed out that they stay in a 180 sq ft house with senior citizen parents, they allegedly did not pay much heed. While the BMC maintains that asymptomatic patients are not hospitalised, the patient has become a potential threat not just to his family but to the whole SRA building with 91 flats, where they stay.

Neighbours and relatives of a COVID-19 positive person admitted to Sion Hospital being stamped. Pic/Suresh Karkera

"I repeatedly called the COVID-19 Helpline. They asked my husband's age and his other illnesses. But when they came to know he is asymptomatic, they told me to quarantine him at home. I told them we live in a 180 sq feet home with senior citizen parents, but they didn't pay attention," said the wife of the patient.

The patient needs to get dialysis done every three days from last year. "I don't know why they are doing this. Last week a patient was found in our building, and he also required dialysis. They took him to a hospital, but are refusing to take me. I am worried about my father and mother, who are senior citizens. In a house like this, how can we maintain physical distance?" the patient said.

"Home quarantine is not possible for him. The authorities should look into this matter and provide assistance. The family is also financially weak. The father of the patient, a former Indian Navy personnel, runs the house. Now they have approached the Mumbai police for help," said a family friend of the patient.

"Asymptomatic COVID-19 positive patients are not required to be admitted in a hospital. I don't have the details of this patient, but I will ask officials to inquire and we can also arrange for dialysis for him at JJ Hospital," said Assistant Municipal Commissioner G/North Ward Kiran Dighavkar. A BMC official said if the patient's conditions worsens, he will be admitted.

180
The area (in sq feet) of the house the man stays in with his wife and aged parents

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Pistol ace Manu Bhaker has got a new electronic target installed at the makeshift shooting range at her home in Haryana in place of an archaic manual machine that was breaking down frequently and hampering her Olympics preparation. The old machine was causing her "immense irritation". Delighted by the reboot in her training, the teenaged star has got down to preparing with renewed vigour, sure in her mind that the Olympics will take place next year despite the uncertainty in the world of sports due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I have recently got the machine installed at my home and this will be surely more beneficial in my training," Bhaker told PTI from her home at Goria village. Her father set up the range after she showed exceptional skills in the precision sport. Bhaker thanked the Sports Authority of India (SAI) and Olympic Gold Quest (OGQ), the organisation that manages her, for promptly getting the machine -- an avant-garde target -- delivered at her home despite the nationwide lockdown enforced to contain the COVID-19 pandemic.

"I was facing a lot of issues with the old machine as it was manual. The thread would come off and often it would break down on and off. Now it's very different with the new machine," the 18-year-old Bhaker said. "Since I feel there is unlikely to be any outdoor action and competitions for another three-four months, I thought it will be useful to get this installed at this point in time."

A medallist at ISSF World Cup, Commonwealth Games and the Youth Olympics, Bhaker was primed for success at sport's grandest and biggest stage in Tokyo which was to happen this year, but the unprecedented health crisis intervened and forced a postponement of the Games by a year. With the world still far away from bringing the situation under control, there are doubts if the Tokyo Games would be held even next year.

"Yes, the Indian shooters were in great form heading into the Games, but health is a bigger concern," Bhaker said. "I am very hopeful of the Olympics taking place next year and also confident of maintaining my game and hitting peak form there. This is a difficult time for the world but I have no negative thoughts and I am mentally prepared."

The target HS10 machine from Swiss company SIUS Ascor is designed for all air guns for distance ranging from 10 to 20 meters. Some of the salient features of the machine are its accuracy, integrated high-intensity LED target illumination, low operating costs (no paper rolls/rubber rolls) and it is also suitable for outdoor shooting.

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The movie industry may have ground to a halt owing to the suspension of shoots in mid-March and the subsequent lockdown. Behind the scenes though, the cine bodies are working in tandem to facilitate a smooth resumption of shoots when the time is right. As the first step of the process, the Producers' Guild has drawn up a list of preventive measures that can be followed by the cast and crew on set.

Members of the Cine & TV Artistes Association (CINTAA) and Federation of Western India Cine Employees (FWICE) were expected to examine the guidelines in a virtual meeting on Monday evening. Ahead of the meeting, Amit Behl, president, CINTAA, told mid-day, "After our meeting [with FWICE], we will require all stakeholders [including Indian Film & Television Producers' Council, Indian Motion Pictures Producers' Association and Western India Film Producers' Association] to decide the standard operating procedure. After we arrive at a consensus, we will approach the Information & Broadcasting ministry and the Labour Ministry for a final clearance on the guidelines."

A snapshot of the document submitted by Producers' Guild

In the document (a copy of which is in possession of mid-day), the Siddharth Roy Kapur-led organisation has recommended the adoption of several safety measures, including the cast and crew having to provide the result of their swab test before reporting on the set, and contactless temperature checks of the unit every morning. It has also stressed the need for a doctor and nurse on set for the first three months since resumption of shoots.

BN Tiwari, president, FWICE, stated that the bodies have tentatively pencilled in on July to resume work. "Film shoots can't begin before July because stars will not take [health] risks. The shoot of films produced by Boney Kapoor [Maidaan] and Sanjay Leela Bhansali [Gangubai Kathiawadi] have been put on hold. They understand that they cannot put lives at risk." Ashok Dubey, general secretary, FWICE, added, "We will also broach the subject of insurance for our workers, at the meeting."

Siddharth Roy Kapur

New rules at work

. Actors will be requested to do their makeup and styling at home, and report to set with only one staff member ideally
. Producers will be requested to allocate four masks per crew member for a 12-hour shoot
. Avoid hiring crew members who are above 60 years of age for the first three months of shoot

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The return of Mahabharat and Ramayan on television has really pleased all the people across the nation. As reported, the views have been record-breaking and unheard of in a long time. And speaking about its return on television is veteran actor Gajendra Chauhan, who essayed the role of Yudhishthir in the show.

Talking to Koimoi, he said, "When the show came on TV for the first time, people used to just watch it. It used to come weekly. Now, 2 episodes are aired daily. Currently, people are watching it to learn something out of it. The show teaches a lot in terms of boundaries and India's culture and tradition, the duties of the king and the citizens." His choices of words suggested he was really elated by the fact that he and the entire nation were getting the opportunity to visit and revisit such a classic piece of work.

That's not all, he also spoke about how Mahabharat taught us to stay at home safe and sound. "In the show, Vidur says a few lines to Yudhisthir that are relatable today. The lines are – Vann ki akhir kaun prachit rehta hai? Wahi prachit rehta hai jo ghar mein hota hai'. Even Mahabharat has given a message to people to stay at home."

And lastly, he also shed light on his experience of visiting a school where the children were being shown an episode of the show. "A few years ago, I went to a school in Delhi and they had a lecture on Mahabharat where they would show 45 mins episode from the show. Every year, they used to have one test based on it. These are good steps taken to make sure our future generation is well aware of India's culture. There are a lot of Indians staying abroad who make sure their kids know about Ramayan and Mahabharat through whatever medium is available to them."

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When you can't go to the salon, the salon comes to you. Karanvir Bohra's daughters, Vienna and Bella, turned their home balcony into a spa to pamper him. A head massage was followed by a face pack.

The twins also insisted on applying nail paint. "Never have I been so indulgent... looks like the roles of the Bollywood actresses will have some competition. I have the masters at work (sic)," the actor captioned the image he posted. Talk of glowing skin and sparkling nails.

 

 

 

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Never have I been so indulgent.. looks like the roles of the Bollywood actresses will have some competition.. I have the masters at work.. 😊 @twinbabydiaries @kareenakapoorkhan @deepikapadukone @priyankachopra @aliaabhatt @dishapatani BEWARE

A post shared by Karanvir Bohra (@karanvirbohra) onApr 19, 2020 at 2:48am PDT

How adorable do Karanvir's babies look while trying to make their dad look prettier? Several of Karanvir's industry friends found the photo cute. Teejay Sidhu wrote, "24/7 entertainment!" while Sameera Reddy commented, "Love love love" and Mandana Karimi said, "that nail polish @karanvirbohra I want my video. they made my day Thank you."

Truth be told, they've made our day too!

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Amitabh Bachchan has shot for the upcoming season 12 of "Kaun Banega Crorepati" from the confines of home, in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The new season of the popular quiz show is also set to go digital with the entire selection process.

Filmmaker Nitesh Tiwari remotely directed the registration promo featuring Big, where the actor invites KBC aspirants. "Har cheez ko break lag sakta hai, sapno ko nahi (everything can take a break, but not dreams)," he announces.

"Each year, when we start deliberating about KBC, we go through various insights that may trigger an impactful narrative. This time, however, the very environment that we are in, sets the context of the film," said Tiwari.

"KBC is not just a game/quiz show for people. It's more than that. It's an opportunity to realise one's dreams. One doesn't stop dreaming given the adversity. In fact, the dreams only become more significant, and that was the trigger for this film. Shooting this film was a challenge, though. First, I shot a scratch film with myself and shared it with Mr. Bachchan, for him to get an idea about my vision. After which, Mr. Bachchan shot the entire film at his own home, all by himself. I hope this campaign strikes a chord with the audience and they participate wholeheartedly," he added.

Registrations for the new season will start from May 9.

"We are certainly excited to announce the 12th season of our iconic show 'Kaun Banega Crorepati'. And for the first time in the history of KBC, the entire screening and selection will be managed digitally," said Amit Raisinghani, Head, business planning and communication, Sony Entertainment Television.

The show will be produced by StudioNEXT and the selection process will be conducted digitally, through SonyLIV.

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This story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed, agencies. Mid-day accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability, trustworthiness, reliability and data of the text. Mid-day management/mid-day.com reserves the sole right to alter, delete or remove (without notice) the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever

London: With cafes and fancy restaurants full of couples trying to squeeze in a date on Valentine's Day, celebrating at home might can turn out to be a very smart decision.

Helen Leigh-Jones, designer at furniture brand DFS, shares some tips on how to spruce up your place for an amazing romantic dinner, reports femalefirst.co.uk.

Representational picture

>> Lighting is very important for an evening like this. Candles are perfect on Valentine's Day as they create the perfect soft, warm, romantic glow. Fairy lights are a lovely way of setting the mood as well.

>> Flowers are always welcome on Valentine's Day. It is important to choose fresh rose petals to scatter around your home or place a few small arrangements throughout the house.

>> Making a comfortable love seat will also help. Make sure you have a throw, a box of chocolates and some wine within arm's length so you don't have to move from each other's arms all evening.

>> Turn off all modern technologies like the phone and the television.

>> Change the place of dining. A rug on the living room floor will be nice for a romantic picnic.
- With inputs from agencies 

On the occasion of Bengali New Year which is also celebrated as Pahela Baishakh (first day of Bengali Calendar), Trinamool Congress MPs Nusrat Jahan and Mimi Chakraborty took to Instagram to wish their fans on the auspicious day.

 

 

 

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Shubho Nababorsha to all... May we fight this situation of crisis and move towards a brighter day..!! Shokol ke amar subhechcha 🙏🏻

A post shared by Nusrat (@nusratchirps) onApr 13, 2020 at 10:53pm PDT

Basirhat MP Nusrat Jahan shared a series of pictures where she can be seen in traditional attires as she wished her followers a 'Happy New Year' to all. While extending her wishes, Nusrat urged her fans to fight the coronavirus crisis and move towards a brighter day..!!

 

 

 

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শà§Âভ নববরà§Âষà§Â‡ পà§Âরà§Â€তি à¦Â“ শà§Âভà§Â‡à¦Âšà§Âà¦Â›া, বাড়িতà§Â‡ থাà¦Â•à§Âন- সà§Âসà§Âথ থাà¦Â•à§Âন ।

A post shared by Mimi (@mimichakraborty) onApr 14, 2020 at 12:57am PDT

On the other hand, Jadavpur MP Mimi Chakraborty shared a beautiful picture where she can be seen welcoming the new year in a traditional way. While wishing people a happy new year, Mimi requested her followers to stay home and stay healthy in order to combat the spread of the novel coronavirus.

 

 

 

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Waiting forðŸ¤Â”ðŸ¤Â”ðŸ¤Â” umm ohh yes bengali new year.. And plansðŸ¤Â”ðŸ¤Â”ðŸ¤Â”??ummm âž¡ï¸ÂðŸ”🥩🌭🍳🍞ðŸ¥Â–ðŸ¥ÂžðŸ§Â‡ðŸ¥¨ðŸ¥ªðŸ•ðŸšðŸ±ðŸ£ðŸ›ðŸ¦ªðŸ²ðŸ¥Â—🌯🌮ðŸ§Â†ðŸ¥Â™ðŸ¥®ðŸ¥ ðŸ¨ðŸŽ‚🍿🍦🍭🥧🍰ðŸ§ÂðŸ¥ÂœðŸ§Â˜‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ§Â˜‍♀ï¸ÂðŸ˜´ðŸ˜´ðŸ˜´

A post shared by Mimi (@mimichakraborty) onApr 13, 2020 at 3:49am PDT

Mimi also shared a small video clip where she was seen wishing her fans on the occasion of Bengali new year. In the video, Mimi was seen donning a black shirt with the caption: All I did todau was survive! A day before welcoming the Bengali new year, Mimi shared a picture where she can be seen posing for a selfie while being sunkissed.

While sharing the sun kissed picture with her fans, Mimi wrote: Waiting for...umm ohh yes bengali new year...And plans?

 

 

 

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‪Stay Home ~ Stay Safe 🙏‬ ‪We shall overcome ❤ï¸Ââ€¬ #quarantine #indiafightscovid19

A post shared by Nusrat (@nusratchirps) onMar 23, 2020 at 8:35am PDT

Both Nusrat and Mimi have been quarantined at home and have been updating their fans on how they are staying safe and maintaining social distance. From Mimi playing games, cleaning her kitchen and enjoying the beauty of nature to Nusrat showing off her painting skills and donning a chef's hat, the two BFFs are making the most of the quarantined period.

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After a series of doodle honouring coronavirus warriors, Google launched a new series since April 27 where they have been urging people to stay home and play games amid the COVID-19 crisis. Today, google shared an interactive doodle featuring the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy.

It’s day 2 of our throwback #GoogleDoodle series...

Today, crickHIT for 6 in our 2017 Doodle game celebrating cricket! 🏏🦗#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/hokoBrGUtO pic.twitter.com/NSFpjSmbjg

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) April 28, 2020

The doodel features the letter G where a person can be seen donning a Chef's hat as he uses a rolling pin in place of a bat while the letter E shows another person ready to bowl to the batsman like a bowler. When one hovers over the final doodle, it shows the message, "Stay and play at home with popular past Google Doodles: Cricket (2017).

The game provides you a virtual experience of playing cricket at a stadium

Once clicked on the animation, google takes the user to a game where one can play cricket on a pitch. The 2017 ICC Champions Trophy doodle was originally shared to celebrate the launch of the ICC Champions Trophy. the interactive feature gives you the surreal feeling of being in a stadium while playing the sport.

Explaining the motive behind launching the 10 game series to be played at hime, Google said, "As Covid-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we're launching a throwback doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games!"

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Mid-day online journalists interact with the frontline workers in a new series 'Real heroes of coronavirus'. Media photographers, reporters, railway staff and medical workers tell their stories of grit, determination and every-day challenges in times of the pandemic.

Mail Express Guard Vishal Kalage has been working with Central Railway's Miraj division in Sangli, Maharashtra for 11 years. After the Railways decided to stall passengers train services, Kalage, who studied micro-biology, decided to use the lockdown period by making masks and face shields at home with the help of his wife and mother and contribute in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Vishal Kalage distributes face masks to doctors, police staff and common people free of cost

We spoke to Vishal Kalage about his noble work and what it feels like to contribute to the society in the fight against coronavirus.

Here's an excerpt from the interview.

What inspired you to take up the task of making face masks?

When the lockdown was imposed, I went to buy medicines for my mother, who is an heart patient and I inquired about the cost of a disposable face mask. I was surprised when the shopkeeper told me that the face mask would cost Rs 30 and had to be thrown away after six hours of use. That is when I decided that I should make face masks.

When I pitched the idea to my wife (Rohini) and mother (Menakshi), they immediately agreed to the plan. My wife has done a course in fashion designing, she made few sample masks before we zeroed in on the final product.

Speaking about the shortage of face mask in the market due to the sudden demand, which emerged after the outbreak of the coronavirus cases in Maharashtra, Vishal said, "Honestly, there were no sanitisers at that time; hand wash was also not available and many medical shops were selling available stock at a higher price. At the same time, due to panic buying many front line workers including doctors and police staff did not have masks. Seeing the crisis that had emerged due to the shotage in supply of masks, I decided to make face masks at home and help the country fight the coronavirus pandemic."

What challenges did you face while making face masks at home?

Due to the nationwide lockdown, the fabric required to make masks were not available in the market. After searching four to five orthopedic medical shops, I finally got the required fabric from which I could make face masks at home. I purchased 10 (2x6) bedsheets at Rs 360 per bedsheet for making the masks. Five bed-sheets were used to make the lace while the other five bed sheets were used to stitch the main bracket of the face mask (three tier/plating of the face mask).

Vishal Kalage's wife sitches face mask at home (on left) and she posing with the final mask which was made at home (on right)

When did you start making the face masks?

On Day 2 of the initial 21-day nationwide lockdown, we started making face masks at home. In the beginning, we were able to stitch 160 face masks on a daily basis. Now we stitch 200 mask everyday. To date, we have stitched over 4,500 face masks. The face masks have been distributed free of cost to the railway staff, police staff and even hospitals among others.

How did you manage the production, did you hire people or the family managed it?

Initially, we hired two women from the garment industry, who had lost their livelihood due to the lockdown. The lace work was done by them, one would do the cutting while the other woman would work on the laces. The rest of the work required for making the masks was looked after by my wife, mother and myself.

Although the women worked for a few days, Vishal said he paid them adequate sum to sustain during the crisis.

Can you take us through the process of making face mask at home?

The cloth pieces are cut from the bed sheets as per the required size, dipped into dettol for nearly two hours and left out under the sun to dry. Once the pieces are completely dry, we start the process of stitching the mask. After the stitching, the face masks are ironed at 350 degree celsius for three minutes on both sides.

Explaining why ironing the face masks was important, Kalage said, "Being a microbiology student, I realised that the face masks will have to be bacteria free and clean, which is why we decided to press it under 350 degree celsius. This way we created a sterilisation process at home only."

To date, Vishal Kalage and his family have made 4500 masks and 150 face shield which has been distributed free of cost

After the masks are ready, Vishal's daughter Nakshaytra and son Nakshayraj help him in packaging by making a bundle of 50 face masks each. The kids then arrange these bundles in a bag which Vishal Kalage distributes to the doctors, police staff and the public at free of cost.

Besides face masks, Vishal also makes face shields at home. Using lamination sheets which his school going children use, Vishal with his wife's help made face shields at home. "We use lamination sheets and teflon sheets to make simple yet protective face shieds at home," he said.

How did the idea of making face shields come up?

While buying bedsheets for the face masks, I was shocked to learn that face shields made up of a plastic layer with a fibre like headband were sold for Rs 550 in medical shops.

I came back home with the pictures of the shield and referring the pictures I made my own face shield. The final product I made at home cost me Rs 80. Moreover, the shields are reusable, scratch proof and water proof and it can protect the doctors or the police staff directly from the saliva or the droplets of the COVID-19 patients.

Vishal Kalage has been working as a mail express guard at Miraj with Central Railway's Pune division since the last 11 years

How did you manage the expenses?

My wife and my mother helped me a lot and supported me. In the beginning, we used our little savings to make masks and face shields at home. But as the good word spread, our friends and family came together and contributed and soon I had Rs 14,500. This amount was used to make more face masks and face shields at home. The Railways also helped us by providing 10 linen blankets free of cost.

What precautions do you undertake to stay protected against COVID-19?

Whenever I come back home after distributing masks or have been out for personal work, I ensure to take bath. Before entering the house, I sanitise my bike and my shoes as I have small children and elderly mother, who is a heart patient. I take all these measure to make sure that no one should get contaminated and my family is safe and protected against COVID-19. I would request people to follow the hygiene instructions given by the government, stay home and be safe."

Vishal made the face shield at home at a nominal cost of Rs 80 

How do you feel now that you are able to contribute for a noble cause during such a crisis?

The feeling of helping people and the country during the coronavirus crisis cannot be expressed in words. All I know is that at night, I sleep with deep satisfaction and happiness.

Rs 80
The cost of face shield which Vishal Kalage made at home

4,500
The number of face masks the Kalage family stitched and distributed free of cost

150
The number of face shield he made at home

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After sharing an interactive doodle featuring the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and honouring celebrated pharmacist and researcher Wilbur Scoville, Google on Thursday shared a throwback game from 2017 thereby urging people to play musical games at home amid lockdown.

It’s day 9 of our throwback #GoogleDoodle series...

Today, boogie down with legendary beats & take our 2017 Doodle game celebrating the birth of Hip Hop for a spin! 🎚ï¸ÂðŸŽ¶#GoogleDoodle → https://t.co/sM4kky8Opq pic.twitter.com/Dct0hGa1ON

— Google Doodles (@GoogleDoodles) May 7, 2020

The latest doodle animation is part of Google's series that the giant search engine launched last week urging people to stay home and play games amid the COVID-19 crisis. A treat for music and especially hip hop fans, the 2017 game lets users mix music samples from legendary tracks on their interactive turntables.

While sharing the animated doodle with their followers on Twitter, Googel Doodle tweeted, "Today, boogie down with legendary beats & take our 2017 Doodle game celebrating the birth of Hip Hop for a spin!"

In order to play the game, one has to mix the beats with the help of the crossfader which can be operated with the help of the mouse. Once clicked on the animation, google plays a short animated film showcasing the history of Hip Hop music featuring the voiceover of Hip Hop icon Fab 5 Freddy.

A screengrab of the Hip Hop musicla game

Google also narrates the story of Jamaican-American DJ Kool Herc, who played an instrumental role in the birth of Hip Hop music. Since the last one week, Google has been sharing throwback pictures including Halloween, Loteria, Scoville and Fischinger among others. When one hovers over the final doodle, it shows the message, "Stay and play at home with popular past Google Doodles: Hip Hop (2017).

While launching the interactive series last week, Google said, "As Covid-19 continues to impact communities around the world, people and families everywhere are spending more time at home. In light of this, we're launching a throwback doodle series looking back at some of our popular interactive Google Doodle games!"

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Lady Gaga on Sunday kicked off the virtual concert One World: Together At Home online with her soulful Smile performance. According to Variety magazine, Smile is a classic majorly popularised by Jimmy Durante and Nat King Cole.

The musician had co-ordinated with the leaders from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and other musicians to begin the show.

Lady Gaga started the show by asking viewers to put their wallets aside as the show wasn't a fundraiser and didn't ask for donations. The online concert was organised to express gratitude towards the frontline workers in the fight against COVID-19.

Terming the special show as the 'love letter to the world,' the pop star shared pictures and videos of other performers as well.

Over 70 artists and celebrities from across the globe had joined the WHO's initiative of the online concert to thank and celebrate the healthcare workers fighting the pandemic.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the virtual concert raised over USD 127 million for the relief efforts of COVID-19.

Some of the artists that were a part of the show are Elton John, Lizzo, Jennifer Lopez, Taylor Swift, Madonna, Priyanka Chopra, Shah Rukh Khan, Celine Dion, and the Rolling Stone.

The show was hosted by the most popular hosts Jimmy Kimmel, Jimmy Fallon, and Stephen Colbert.

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Actor Priyanka Chopra seems headstrong when it comes to fitness. Despite not hitting the gym due to lockdown, the actor has a solution to maintain her workout routine at home. The star on Saturday posted a video of herself on Instagram in which she could be seen half-laid on the couch while pulling up a kid with her hands.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

No gym, no problem. @sky.krishna @divya_jyoti

A post shared by Priyanka Chopra Jonas (@priyankachopra) onMay 2, 2020 at 12:05pm PDT

The 37-year-old was pounding out reps over reps as she lifted the little young girl instead of dumbells. Taking to the captions, the 'Don' actor wrote: 'No gym, no problem'.

The 'Fashion' actor is currently staying indoors with her singer husband Nick Jonas in the United States.

Recently, the actor shared a picture of herself in a stunning blue saree, saying she 'felt like wearing' one at home.

Earlier, Chopra pledged USD 100,000 in total to four incredible women who rose above the challenges to make a difference during the coronavirus crises.

Moreover, she along with Nick donated to several organisations including PM CARES Fund, Goonj, Feeding America and others to combat COVID-19 which has affected over 10 lakh people globally.

The 'Baywatch' actor took part in WHO's live stream event 'ONE WORLD: TOGETHER AT HOME' to raise funds for COVID-19 relief.

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J.K. Rowling's Wizarding World has come up with something interesting for all Potter heads out there. The official Twitter account of Wizarding World on Tuesday shared a video featuring seven of the celebrities, including, Daniel Radcliffe who have been line up to read chapter-by-chapter of 'Harry Potter', in a series of video recordings.

"Surprise! We've got a treat for you...From today, amazing friends of the Wizarding World are going to take turns reading Harry Potter book one. And to start us off with Chapter 1, we think you'll agree we have the perfect narrator...#HarryPotterAtHome" read the tweet.

The video began with Eddie Redmayne followed by Dakota Fanning, and Claudia Kim, saying that they are "at home."

The brief video then features Stephen Fry, Noma Dumezweni, and David Beckham explaining that they are at their respective homes sitting in the "living room, book room, cosy corner" and so on. The stars further said that they are really excited to read "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's/ Sorcerer's Stone by J.K Rowling."

Towards the end of the 34-second long video, actor Daniel Radcliffe introduces himself and begins to say: "This is chapter one of Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone." Each of the stars will read different sections of the book for all the fans of 'Harry Potter' across the globe.

Cited by Variety, all 17 chapters of the book will be released between now and the middle of the summer. Videos will be posted weekly on harrypotterathome.com, with an audio-only version available for free on Spotify.

The special series is part of the 'Harry Potter At Home' project, an initiative developed by Wizarding World Digital and Rowling's agency, to bring cheer among the people during these trying times.

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For many of us, this lock-down is turning out to be the longest break we've ever taken, from going out, or going anywhere for that matter. And for actors, it is a break with no 'work from home' which they are spending with family and loved ones. Taapsee Pannu is also making the most of it in her Mumbai house, along with sister Shagun Pannu.

Speaking to a leading daily, Taapsee opened up on how actors work so hard to have a house of their own but would barely have any time to spend there as they were always traveling for work. She added that she was reveling in her uninterrupted free time and would just sit at her favourite corners of the house.

Several cities including Mumbai and Taapsee's hometown Delhi, where her parents live, come under the red zone. However, the actor says she is relieved that her parents do not live around the hotspot zones, since they both are above 60 years in age and needed to be careful. She went on to add that her parents, one retired and another a house wife, did not go out much and hence weren't very severely affected by the lock-down.

Taapsee will be next seen in Akshay Kumar starrer Rashmi Rocket and Aanand L Rai's Haseen Dillruba.

Former England footballer Rio Ferdinand's wife Kate has said that while she was initially 'anxious and stressed' with the Coronavirus-caused lockdown, she is now spending most of her time homeschooling her three children Lorenz, 13, Tate, 11, and Tia, nine. Kate, 28, in association with an online education company, has launched a free toolkit of edutainment activities for primary school children to help those homeschooling during the current lockdown.

"At the beginning of lockdown, I felt a bit anxious and stressed. I didn't have any routine but this is something to do every day. You feel like you're in a little community doing it together," Kate, 28, told Britain's MailOnline.

Speaking of the homeschooling experience, Kate said that she and hubby Rio, 41, are trying their best to make things fun: "For the first three weeks of homeschooling, I was overwhelmed. It's quite hard for us having three children and all having sessions at different times. It's about trying to get the balance of making it fun as well as doing school work and trying to manage a good family life."

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Amid the nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus crisis, former Indian cricketer Sachin Tendulkar on Sunday cut his own hair and said he went from 'playing square cuts to doing my own hair cuts'.

Tendulkar took to Instagram and shared pictures of him doing his own haircut.

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

From playing square cuts 🏏 to doing my own hair cuts 💇🏻‍♂ï¸Â, have always enjoyed doing different things. ‪How’s my new hairdo 💁🏻‍♂ï¸Â looking @aalimhakim & @nandan_v_naik? 😋

A post shared by Sachin Tendulkar (@sachintendulkar) onApr 19, 2020 at 4:59am PDT

"From playing square cuts to doing my own hair cuts, have always enjoyed doing different things. How's my new hairdo looking @aalimhakim and @nandan_v_naik," Tendulkar captioned the post.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 14 announced the extension of lockdown till May 3 in an attempt to contain COVID-19.

According to the latest update by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the total number of positive cases in India has mounted to 16,116 and 519 deaths have been reported till now.

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Popular methods for judging the doneness of chicken may not ensure safety from pathogens, revealed findings presented by Solveig Langsrud of the Norwegian

Getting attached to a new baby can trigger feelings of jealousy among anxious couples, reports a new study. The findings of study are published in the iJournal of Social and Personal Relationships.

Virtual reality may help physiotherapy patients perform their exercises at home successfully using a VR technology with 3D motion capture now, reports a new study.

Self-regulation strategies can help kids adjust and control their emotions, behavior and body movements, reports a new study. As every teacher will

Shilpa Shetty shares Peanut Butter Choco-Oat Cookies recipe. Check out how to prepare it along with the list of ingredients and instructions to follow.

The United States can further improve productivity in its economy by prioritizing reforms that enhance openness, diversity and competition in services markets, particularly where higher trade restrictions are observed.

From skiing in the high Andes to free-diving beneath a frozen Finnish lake

Move by UK group will put pressure on other insurers to follow suit 

Essential retailer says coronavirus uncertainty means it will not give guidance for year ahead

The 23-year-old musician declared that 'life is good as hell' despite his lady love having to pull out of an Australian bushfire concert due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

It's still not easy, Reese, 44, explained to Miley Cyrus in an Instagram Live chat, telling the Wrecking Ball singer: 'I try to be patient and they try to be patient with me, but we're only on day 11.'

The star, 39 - who won Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited Series or Movie for her role as Gwen Verdon in Fosse/Verdon on Sunday night - said she doesn't normally watch television.

Serena Williams, 37, called Meghan Markle, 38, 'amazing' for travelling to New York to support her but admitted she didn't know if she could have left her daughter at Archie's young age.

Lionel Messi is the latest footballer to take on the 'stay at home challenge' as stars attempt to keep themselves entertained with sport on hold due to coronavirus.

When Australian actress Yael Stone welcomed her first child in May, things did not go according to plan.   

Just like the rest of the nation, EastEnders star Dean Gaffney is self-isolating at home with his family. 

Hosted by Victoria Justice, the awards show was broadcasted remotely for the first time in its 32-year history. It featured appearances from Ariana Grande, Kristen Bell, JoJo Siwa and more.

The former Made In Chelsea star, 30, completed some thigh kicks using an exercise ball in a workout that was shared with fans via Instagram on Wednesday.

Experts have revealed how to make the perfect hot chips at home. According to Australian website Good Food, it's ideal to choose golden, starchy potatoes as pale potatoes dry quicker.

SARAH VINE: We Brexiteers, especially those of us who inhabit urban areas, are used to life in social Siberia. So I think I'll be pretty well equipped to handle it.

The Game of Thrones star, 24, has poked fun at her husband's choice of home attire as she appeared on a new episode of Conan O'Brien's eponymous show via video link.

Brad Pitt rung in another voyage around the sun with family in tow, as the actor and his three younger children with ex-wife Angelina Jolie spent his special day at his residence on Wednesday.

Gerard Butler and ladylove Morgan Brown hit the beach near Malibu  on Monday despite the Stay At Home policy in effect in California due to coronavirus crisis.

Louise, 39, took to Instagram on Wednesday to share a video of herself touching up her dark roots in the bathroom at her Washington, D.C. home.

The Manchester United forward has not played since sustaining a back injury against Wolves in an FA Cup third round replay on January 15, but is nearing full fitness as he trains during lockdown.

The TV star, 53, looked in good spirits as he sat the tot on his back while enjoying a home workout in his living room.