CES 2020 – LAS VEGAS, NV – JANUARY 6, 2020 – Harman Kardon adds to its most iconic speaker series with the SoundSticks 4. In 2000, when the original SoundSticks was introduced, it quickly became one of the most sought-after desktop sound systems. The...

Reuters Breakingviews examines how Washington’s new paradigm on China is affecting Silicon Valley, from overseas investments to intellectual property protection to trade.

Dingoes have been persecuted in Australia for centuries for killing livestock, but protecting them could benefit the environment and aid recovery from the devastating fires

Dingoes have been persecuted in Australia for centuries for killing livestock, but protecting them could benefit the environment and aid recovery from the devastating fires

Kathryn Knight

In the memoir Uncanny Valley, Anna Wiener examines the collective hyperconfidence that has enabled the tech sector’s meteoric growth

Never has one man in inexpensive rumpled suits been so loved by the style set - but Sanders’ clothes signal an authenticity other politicians can only dream of

Of all the things we’ll miss about Bernie Sanders, now that he has dropped out of the Democratic race, his style should be the least of it. Not only because his politics are so right on – this is the man who believes in free education and Medicare for all and who has had many Americans, who until recently felt disenfranchised by mainstream politics, feeling activated by it. But also because his clothes are so seemingly unremarkable.

He wears crumpled suits that look borrowed from a slightly larger man and creased shirts with straight-lace striped ties. The inconspicuousness of his geography teacher shoes are matched only by his inoffensive navy round-neck jumpers.

The rock pioneer put "wop bop a loo bop" onto a generation's lips and inspired musicians from The Beatles to Prince.

Based on evidence provided by customer receipts, the investigation confirmed that the pricing of several food items exceeded the 10-per cent increase allowed during a state of emergency, with some prices being as much as 200 per cent more.

What signature moments from hockey history should be immortalized outside of arenas? Here are our picks.

There is no time like the present to get creative. Photographer Stephanie Girard is normally bustling about on the set of different photoshoots across Los Angeles but with the ongoing...

Actor starred in both Bollywood films and US dramas

Charity event sketch also saw Reverend Geraldine make a 'chocolate bra' and speak of her friends on the Dibley Parish Council

Naturally, Kim Kardashian's Bora Bora meltdown makes an appearance...

The luxury hotel group is introducing live guided meditations and sharing healthy recipes

Long weekend breakfast, sorted

Former Bradford City striker Billy Clarke is raffling off a shirt worn by Cesc Fabregas during the Bantams' famous 2015 FA Cup win over Chelsea to raise money for the NHS.

Michael Robinson was smiling until the very end. "I'm still battling away," he said as he walked up the steps to take his commentary position at the Benito Villamarin for Real Betis against Real Madrid in LaLiga last month.

Every club has one, and every fan thinks theirs is the best.

Patrice Evra undoubtedly holds a special place the hearts of Manchester United fans.

Tottenham star Lucas Moura has offered a play-by-play review of his iconic hat-trick against Ajax, a year to the day since his heroics sent Spurs into their first ever Champions League final.

There is no time like the present to get creative. Photographer Stephanie Girard is normally bustling about on the set of different photoshoots across Los Angeles but with the ongoing...

In Sydney to open the International Women's Jazz Festival, Wilma Reading toured the world during the genre's golden age but the "icon and trailblazer" is almost unknown in her home country.

Man Utd defender Timothy Fosu-Mensah has been asked to name the best XI of players he has played with during his career.

This season's bushfires have "rewritten the rule book" as ecologists fear more than 80 per cent of the world heritage-listed Blue Mountains have been lost.

There is no time like the present to get creative. Photographer Stephanie Girard is normally bustling about on the set of different photoshoots across Los Angeles but with the ongoing...

Peter Picone, 40, of Methuen, Mass., has been charged with importing counterfeit semiconductors from China for sale in the United States.

The company will spend $1 billion and employ a team of 100 to find a sustainable alternative.

Why do people do this kind of thing?

An under-utilized element becomes a bench, a place to eat, nap and store things in this redesigned scheme.

The classic daily newspaper box gets updated by a New York artist.

The recovery of these beleaguered species proves that conservation action works.

Here's a one-stop green guide to traveling in San Jose, from hotels to a night on the town.

This container home in Costa Rica is almost a monster home, but has some interesting features.

Researchers find that the neurotoxin is carried in by coastal fog, deposited on the land, and then makes its way up the food chain where it is approaching toxic thresholds in pumas.

Allison Arieff asks that and a lot of other questions.

Many parents who work in the tech industry are opting to go screen-free at home.

The thin, skin-like electronics may usher in a future of earth-friendly gadgets.

When it comes to performance under pressure, Dale Jr. and Goodyear are forged from the same fire. Like Goodyear, the Earnhardt name has a long history in NASCAR and we’re proud to say we’re Driven Like Jr.

CNBC.com's MacKenzie Sigalos brings you the day's top business news headlines, and what to watch as the coronavirus pandemic continues to keep most of America on lockdown. Today, CNBC's Kate Rooney also takes a look at the widespread layoffs hitting the lucrative tech sector and start-up scene.

I had the honor of being the Guest of Honor at the science fiction convention Capricon in Chicago just a little over a week ago...

Over a phone call from Kolkata, Vikram Rajan*, an audio engineer and guitarist formerly based out of Mumbai, wants us to listen to a track that he has composed. It's available on Soundcloud and, as we stream it, we more or less agree that its flavour of electronica-jazz could accompany a languorous Sunday evening. "For a long time, I had been unable to come up with something good. And, then, I composed this around March while I was microdosing and sometimes, megadosing on acid," says Rajan.

The 33-year-old is referring to a way-of-life that's effectively snapping the ties between drug abuse and the creative arts. This is a lifestyle experiment that some of the brightest techies in Silicon Valley are engaging in, and has got psychiatrists and anti-drug crusaders distraught. "From a 100 mics paper, I take about 20 mics, twice a week, giving the doses a 2-3 days gap. The effects of acid last for about six hours for me," says Rajan, who started experimenting with drugs as a teenager.

After a litany of prescriptions failed to control her mood swings and depression, Ayelet Waldman found relief in LSD. The former federal public defender authored A Really Good Day: How Microdosing Made a Mega Difference in My Mood, My Marriage, and My Life, in 2016. She wrote: "(It) made room in my mind not necessarily for joy, but for insight. It allowed me a little space to consider how to act in accordance with my values, not just react to external stimuli. This, not the razzle-dazzle of pleasure, was its gift." Pic/Getty Images

In need of a quick glossary before we proceed? Acid is officially called Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (LSD), a psychedelic drug banned in India, the possession of which can lead to imprisonment from one to 20 years under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act. LSD is often illegally sold in the form of stamps, with the hallucinogen embedded on blotter paper. Mics is micrograms, that's one-millionth of a gram. A microdose is when you have about one-tenth of a recreational 'party' dose, which starts at about 200 mics.

"With microdosing, you are not tripping — this is not a trip. The euphoria isn't there. It's not about feeling good, it's about calmness," continues Rajan. Microdosing first hit headlines after Steve Jobs' passed away in 2011, when a number of inspiring tales on how LSD became the new go-to substance for enhanced performance by tech employees hit the net. Espresso became passé. 'Flow states' were the new yoga. While Jobs did more than just microdose (he was known to have gone all the way), Silicon Valley techies are reportedly doing acid in quantities such that their effects are 'sub-perceptual', where you won't "see stuff" but you harness its "positive" effects.

A dropper with CBD cannabis oil, used for medicinal purposes. Initial research in the area has shown that patients can reap the benefits without its full-blown 'high' effects

Paul Austin, founder of The Third Wave, where you will find a manifesto on microdosing, defines it as, "the act of integrating sub-perceptual doses of psychedelics, such as LSD or Psilocybin Mushrooms, into your weekly routine for higher levels of creativity, more energy, increased focus, and improved relational skills." The Third Wave, according to Austin, follows the first two waves, in which psychedelics were used indigenously for thousands of years, and then, in the 60s and 70s, when they were a part of American counterculture. Austin writes that The Third Wave is upon us, "brought about by recent developments in cannabis legalisation and psychedelic research — and it will change the way mainstream culture perceives psychedelic use."

Classically acid, now weed
For Rajan, however, it wasn't sub-perceptual Silicon Valley that got him to ration his 100 mics stamps, each of which costs about R2,000. It was simply a matter of demand and supply. Mumbai had better stuff than Kolkata, and more availability. Microdosing has classically been associated with LSD, but now has been extended to cannabis as well. Austin's website has guided instructions for microdosing on nine drugs, including cannabis and ayahuasca. Mumbai-based communications officer Varna Kumar*, 25, smokes a mandatory post-work joint every night in order to cope with anxiety and panic attacks. "I feel I have worked enough through the day, without much time to understand what I am going through. At night, when I am by myself, I smoke a small joint to achieve REM sleep," she says. The joint, a mix of two strains, sativa and indica, help her body relax. It makes her anxiety seem defeatable, is how she describes it. Her counsellor, who also smokes up, has not advocated this as a coping mechanism. "It's different from when I am smoking up recreationally during the weekend or when I am away on a vacation. I will do three to four joints when I have nothing to take care of," she says.

Rajan doesn't buy it. He offers an example that may be best contemplated upon or contested by those who have done both LSD and cannabis. "With weed, you are either stoned, or you are not. You will need to smoke up as soon as the high wears off. When you get stoned, your mind becomes passive. But, microdosing on LSD allows you to be calm enough to multitask, allowing a lot of information to be funnelled into your brain easily. You are alert, you are awake," he says, adding, "What is LSD all about? When you start tripping, you see a shift in perspective." You need not agree with Rajan, as he himself says, "We are all chemical reactions", with each of us reacting differently to drugs.

Covert, not convenient
Microdosing will often be compared to that hard-earned and well-deserved one drink after work hours. It's nothing like that, microdosers will tell you, and so will psychiatrists and rehab therapists. For one, microdosing has none of the ease of getting a drink at your favourite pub. You will be persecuted in your search for your creative spell or a calmer mind. Next, it's not even like getting a drug prescription that your GP advises you to have for the course of a fortnight. Kumar and Rajan know it all too well. Microdosing means self-experimentation, knowing when you are crossing the threshold into recreational high dosages. Cannabis, for instance, is best microdosed through edibles, like space brownies, which are available legally in some parts of the world. It's probably the reason why microdosing is yet to take on Silicon Valley proportions in India. "Here, we don't often get to know what strain of cannabis we are using, or where it is sourced from," says Kumar. Saying "this stuff is craazzyy" is, therefore, not enough if you want to microdose. "If you are living with family, it's hard to make edibles. All this means that the convenience factor associated with a drink is not the same with this covert process," she adds.

The idea of the junkie, with matted hair and piercings, is a stereotype that microdosing is replacing. It's no longer cool to be a junkie, especially in the vegan-conscious, gluten-free, aerial yoga health lifestyle that we are seeing around us. Microdosing may be the most metrosexual among the various kinds of drug use, and it carries the allure of high-performance and alleviation of mental health issues, with published studies to back these up. But doctors and psychiatrists are warning us about the glamourisation of microdosing, even as research to mainstream it for mental health is going on. Psychiatrist Dr Samir Parikh says, "Microdosing encourages the thought process that you need a drug for enhanced performance or better creativity or to calm your nerves. This will mean that students microdose before exams, athletes before a run, couples before a wedding, and the next thing you know, because someone has to attend a birthday bash. There is no end to important situations in life. We are making people believe that a student could have scored an additional five marks in an exam had she just microdosed. Can you imagine the perils of this philosophy?" he says. He backs this up with the number of risks associated with prolonged drug abuse, such as a permanent change in brain circuitry, cerebrovascular diseases, and panic attacks.

Then there are those who will argue that moderation as 'one-drink-a-day' is more addictive than the weekend drunken revelry. Is addiction, even in microdoses, still addiction, where the brain searches for rewards compulsively? Kumar disagrees. "Microdosing is the difference between dependence and addiction. For example, I am dependent on a cab to take me to the station. Can I get through my day without it? Can I walk to the station? Yes, I can. That's what microdosing is. I can get through my day without a joint, but a joint just makes it a little easier," she says.Psychiatrist Dr Yusuf Merchant, who runs a rehabilitation centre at Kalyan, says microdoses pose the risk of turning into overdoses. "With any drug, the body learns to metabolise it faster. Which means, that the quantity for a microdose will keep increasing and your hold on reality will keep getting more tangential."

Rajan himself admits to a 'bad trip'. LSD users will tell you that recreational doses are best done in settings that you feel comfortable in, to enjoy, or cope, with the hallucinations. With microdosing, you are headed into your office or your studio to function better. Rajan had once taken more than a microdose, leading him to have a panic attack, the kind where he couldn't even see his hands. The golden rule, he says, is that if you don't go on a full trip, you will never know what a microdose is.

That ailing pain
The push for microdosing is coming from a quarter where its future seems to be most secured — pain management. Mumbai-based homemaker Susheela Kamath*, 48, was diagnosed with stage II breast cancer a couple of years ago, and having undergone nearly a year's worth of chemotherapy and radiation, the accompanying pain and nausea, were all too real. Her daughter provided her with high-grade hash oil. The dealer provided her with a tiny spoon, the kind that you are handed inflight to stir your coffee with. "I had to initially understand, through a lot of trial and error, by gauging my mother's mood, on what a microdose for her would be. Hash oil is very potent," says the daughter.

A little drop of it on her toast every day, helped Kamath cope with pain. "From the third day to the tenth day after chemotherapy, my mother would have about three to four spoons a day, and, on other days, just half a spoon," says the daughter. Coping with the pain meant she could do more during her day, and also have an appetite. Now, months after she has wound up chemotherapy and radiation, she has bid adieu to the prescription drugs that came along with it, and the hash oil as well, without yearning for that high. Unfortunately, unlike medical grade marijuana that is available in some countries, and still not permitted in India, the daughter did not know if the oil had cannabidiol (CBD), which gives marijuana its medical properties, or tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) which gives you the "high".

Dr Kailash Kothari, interventional spine and pain management specialist at Fortis Hospital, Mulund, says that there is not enough evidence to either prove or disprove that microdosing on cannabis can help with pain management, the way opioids, such as morphine, act on the nervous system. "Do cannabinoids work like tranquilisers or do they have long-term effect? There is not enough research as of now," he says, adding, "Getting dependent on these takes a lot of time and not something that can happen in about 15 days of use." In the meanwhile, you can enjoy a night of quiet or a better track on Soundcloud by rationing your stash. But, is it short-term solace or long-term abuse?

*All names have been changed on request to protect identity

Potato Chops

"Despite having lived in the city for years, not many people are even aware of the existence of this cuisine," begins Sajida Khan, founder of Culinary Craft studio, which will be the venue for a workshop on East Indian fare this weekend.

Mumbaikar Lloyd Rodrigues will conduct the session where he will teach participants how to make four East Indian dishes. The first is the Mutton Stew, which is a combination of vegetables like carrots, peas, onions and tomatoes, and mutton blended with mild spices.

The second item on the menu, shares Rodrigues, is the East Indian Potato Chops, a much-loved snack featuring crumb-coated potato mash stuffed with spiced minced meat.

"The third is a rice dish, which is colloquially referred to as Wedding Rice, since it is usually prepared as part of the East Indian wedding spread," informs Khan. The dish is akin to a pulao, and comes topped generously with fried onions and shavings of almonds and cashew nuts.

No meal is complete without dessert. And the sweet dish that participants will learn to make is a unique preparation called Letri.

Rice is a staple in the community's meals, and this dessert, too, makes use of colourful rice vermicelli mixed with generous amounts of coconut and jaggery.

In the recent episode of Mahabharat, which is clearly enjoying a fantastic or should we say a historic re-run on television, the viewers got to witness what became the reason for the Mahabharat- The Cheer Haran of Draupadi! For all those who saw this iconic moment on television or rather experienced and felt it, the memories can never get wiped out, and for those who witnessed it for the first time, were left in awe and had goosebumps!

Taking to their Twitter accounts, the netizens couldn't stop hailing the way the scene was staged, the actors performed, and the manner in which the entire drama unfolded. A user wrote about Roopa Ganguly, who played Draupadi, that nobody can become a better Draupadi than her.

Have a look right here:

@RoopaSpeaks no one become a better draupadi like you!! mam❤️❤️🥰 #Mahabharat pic.twitter.com/STNuwKiUm0

— PARTH (@10thwonderparth) April 20, 2020

Another user wrote- "GOOSEBUMPS while watching Shri Krishna protecting Draupadi during Cheer Harana. My blood boiled to see how everyone stood mute & did nothing to protect her dignity." (sic):

GOOSEBUMPS while watching Shri Krishna protecting Draupadi during Cheer Harana 🙏🏻
My blood boiled to see how everyone stood mute & did nothing to protect her dignity!
It was this Adharma everyone eventually paid for. One who can’t protect his wife doesn’t deserve one.#Mahabharat pic.twitter.com/yUKa2tzV5S

— Dishu Chaurasia (@chaurasia_dishu) April 20, 2020

Someone else stated- "Nitish Krishna was just 23 years old when he casted to play Krishna's role in this epic seriel. just like Ramayana this show had aleo broken many recored and people used to leave all important work to watch this. wonderfully played role by him big salute." (sic):

#Mahabharat @nitishkrishna8 was just 23 years old when he casted to play Krishna's role in this epic seriel. just like Ramayana this show had aleo broken many recored and people used to leave all important work to watch this. wonderfully played role by him big salute pic.twitter.com/MnNxJGFKhK

— Librandus ki marne wala (@librandu_kumar) April 20, 2020

It was time for another appreciation tweet, a user wrote- "Shree Krishna was the only man who saved Draupadi Chirharan. Vidur and vikran(young brother of Duryodhan) was the other two men who tried to stop Chirharan. Also, Rupali nailed it. No one can play the role of Draupadi better than her." (sic):

Shree Krishna was the only man who saved Draupadi Chirharan. Vidur and vikran(young brother of Duryodhan) was the other two men who tried to stop Chirharan. Rest all were Assholes.

Also, @TheRupali has nailed it. No one can play the role of Draupadi better than her. #Mahabharat pic.twitter.com/BFGjVUXHMr

— Ruthless MS (@EngineerMs14) April 20, 2020

We are slowly gearing towards the episodes that will give us an insight into how the entire battle of the Mahabharat unfolded and the sheer audacity and scale that the makers managed to bring on the screen back when there was barely any technology and visual effects at their disposal. Some more goose-flesh moments await the viewers!

Catch up on all the latest entertainment news and gossip here. Also, download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps.

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Veteran actor Sylvester Stallone extended his warm wishes to the Hollywood superstar Al Pacino who celebrated his birthday on Saturday. The 'Rocky' legend greeted the 80-year-old turned icon on Saturday on Instagram.

The 'Rambo' actor shared a dashing picture of the two on his official handle showing both in Black, all suited up. Taking it to the captions, the 73-year-old wrote: "A very very happy birthday to the brilliant Al Pacino !!!!"

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

A very very happy birthday to the brilliant Al Pacino !!!!

A post shared by Sly Stallone (@officialslystallone) onApr 25, 2020 at 12:26pm PDT

Scores of comments followed the post with many of the icon's fans extending birthday wishes. Having an impressive array of films under his belt, Pacino has been a part of classics like the 'Godfather' series, 'Scarface', 'Serpico', 'The Devil's Advocate', and many more during a career spanning more than five decades.

Regarded as one of cinema's greatest and most influential actors, the legendary actor received the Academy Award for his character in the 1992 released movie 'Scent of a Woman'

Recently, the superstar also starred in ace filmmaker Quentin Tarantino's 'Once Upon A Time... In Hollywood', along with the other star cast -- Leonardo DiCaprio, Brad Pitt, and Margot Robbie

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An EU-funded project is enabling efficient intra-chip and chip-to-chip communication via a new type of silicon capable of emitting light. It is demonstrating a technological breakthrough that could revolutionise the electronics industry and make devices faster and much more energy efficient.

British tennis star Jamie Murray, 33, believes that he's the most fashionable person in his family. Jamie, the elder brother of former British No. 1 Andy Murray, 32, recently signed on as the brand ambassador for Edinburgh-based Andrew Brookes Tailoring.

Jamie hailed England football legend David Beckham's fashion sense. "David Beckham is my style icon. He always has his game face on. I'm sure a lot of effort goes into making sure he looks on point," said Jamie in an interview to The Herald Scotland.

About his own style, Jamie said: "[My style is] Pretty casual. With travelling so much, there's a limit to what you can take in your suitcase. I tend to keep it quite simple with jeans and sneakers, some t-shirts and hoodies."

Catch up on all the latest sports news and updates here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates.

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Colva beach in South Goa has been selected by the Union Tourism ministry to be developed under the ambitious India¿s Iconic Tourist Sites Project, a senior official said today. Union Tourism Secretary Rashmi Verma made the announcement here today and added that it was the only beach along the 12 sites selected.

"It will boost tourism and build the profile of the area and bring about community development," state tourism officials said. The project envisages employment generation, development of local culture, beautification, infrastructure and other public amenities, they added. Verma said that a detailed master plan would be put in place to develop Colva beach as an iconic tourist site.

Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news, crime news, current affairs, and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here. Also download the new mid-day Android and iOS apps to get latest updates

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