Read, Watch, Listen

 Week (23/X/022 - 30/X/022)

Read

After a month-long hiatus, Anticipating the Unintended came out with their weekly newsletter and it didn't disappoint. The newsletter touched on developments in the past couple of weeks, like the reasons for Liz Truss departure and Rishi Sunak becoming the PM of UK. On the policy side, they discussed how differential tax rates for bus permits among different states has led to arbitrage and downward spiral in terms of safety standards. Further, perhaps for the first time, authors acknowledged that a policy actually worked! They wrote about Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), an emergency line of additional credit extended to businesses in India without any additional collateral to tackle Covid-related economic challenges. The government had pushed the banks to extend the credit to the business. Two years later, many have availed but the default rate has not increased. Policy works sometimes. 

I finished the book, "Kohinoor" by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand. It was breezy read and I finished in two sittings. The diamond reminded me of elder wand from Harry Potter - the person who was obsessed with it and owned it ultimately died a brutal death. 

Writing

I wrote a satirical article about my obsession with Wordle. It was the first time I used IPAD to draw my cartoon - a proud moment for me since I am technological disabled.

 

Week (22/V/022 - 28/V/022)

Read

Anyone interested in getting a primer on crypography and economics should look no further than reading an excellent paper titled, Cryptoeconomics,  by Alex Tabarrok and Tyler Cowen. While written in an accessible manner for a amateur audience, it still took me two readings to understand the principles and appreciate the ingenuity of cryptography and bitcoins. Also, the paper starts by making references about Kamasutra. If that doesn't intrigue you, nothing can. 

I finished reading The Vegetarian by Han Kang and wrote a review about it. It is both terrific and terrifying read. Also, it has one of the best book covers. 

Posts by brainpickings (now, themarginalian) always gives me food for thought. Last week's post on the book, The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, brought smile to my face. It is philosophical book with profound messages and beautiful artwork. It is difficult to pick one favourite quote but I will try to pick one: "One of the greatest freedoms is how we react to things."

Listen

I came across a melancholic song, Dekh Tere Sansar Ki Halat written by Kavi Pradeep from the 1954 movie, Nastik.

 

 

Week (01/V/022 - 07/V/022)

Read

I stumbled again at Vikram Seth’s Sit. I remember reading this poem in Morrison Library, UC Berkeley long back and like a pleasant memory — brought a smile on my face. Since CBSE removed Faiz's two poems from its syllabus, I got a chance to read Aaj Bazaar Me Pa Ba Jola Chalo. It talks about shame incurred by the poet as he walks in shackles through the market while questioning the morality of the rulers and the executioners. In the second poem, Dhaka se wapsi par, or 'Return from Dhaka', the poet hopes to heal wounds of separation and how lovers, who became stranger, can revive their original relationship. As Naseeruddin Shah writes here that only a person who hasn't read or understood the poems can remove them. 

Watch

I watched an Oscar nominated documentary, Three Songs of Benazir, on Netflix. It is story about a young married couple in Afghanistan living in a camp. While their abject poverty and joblessness might make you uncomfortable, the love between Shaista and Benazir will bring smile of your face. And it is only 23 minutes long.

Listen

Art should comfort the disturbed and disturb the comfortable. Hussain Haidry's conversation with Amit Varma disturbed my privilege but his poetry comforted my soul.