The tale of Hades and Persephone is actually the way of the ancient Greeks to explain the change of the seasons, the eternal cycle of the Nature’s death and rebirth. According to Greek Mythology, Persephone, the queen of the underworld, was the daughter of Zeus and Demeter, the goddess of harvest and fertility.
The myth begins with Aphrodite (Venus) the goddess of love looking down from Olympus. Aphrodite was apparently a wee bit concerned about the mother/daughter relationship of Demeter and Persephone. Among other reasons, Aphrodite was reportedly concerned because there was no man involved in the picture so she sent Eros (The Cupid, love God) to strike the dark powerful god of the underworld, Hades, with an arrow of love and desire for Persephone.
Then one day Persephone was picking flowers and saw an incredibly beautiful one she wanted. She went to pick it, and as she did, a crack in the earth opened and Hades came out in his chariot and grabbed her. He put her in the chariot and drove into the Underworld while Persephone called out for her mother and father.
Hades and Persephone lived in the underworld while Demeter started searching everywhere. Demeter was extremely distraught by the loss of her daughter, so distraught and angry that she decided to take drastic action. Demeter decided to take away her life-sustaining gifts and command the earth die and mold until someone brought Persephone back or told her where Persephone was. The cries of the people who were suffering reached Olympus and the divine ears of Zeus. The mighty god finally realized that if he wouldn’t do something about Demeter’s wrath, all humanity would disappear. Thus he tried to find another solution to both calm Demeter and please Hades.
However when Persephone was in the underworld with Hades, he gifted her with six pomegranate seeds to eat, and she did. In Greek mythology, it was believed that if one ate food given to them by their captor, they would always return. Zeus decided that Persephone would split her time between her mother and her husband. Since she ate six pomegranate seeds, Persephone would spend half the year with her mother at Olympus and the other half with Hades.
The changing seasons :
Many believe that the Demeter and Persephone story explains the seasons of the year. During the time that Persephone spends away from her mother, Demeter causes the earth to wither and die. This time of the year became autumn and winter.
Persephone’s arrival to be reunited with her mother signals a renewal of hope causing Summer and Spring. It represents the rebirth of untold splendor and abundance. The earth once again becomes fertile and fruitful.
In many ancient versions of this myth – Persephone was actually quite happy and satisfied to be with Hades. And together they conceived a child.
During the days of my university, I am quiet famous for anchoring. People say that I got a nice tone of speaking. People get attached to the way of speaking. But trust me I had no idea of this side of mine.
One day my seniors, told me to host a university programme. I was literally scared and was thinking that how shall I do this. Because I have never tried this before. No formal training I took and neither was given to me. So with a little scared face, I went to practice for the programme. Full of audiences, faculties and my seniors, I was shocked and was in great thought how to begin and what to say.
The faculties said to start what I have prepared for the fest introductory speech. I started the speech by thinking that nobody is present in the auditorium and nobody will laugh or humiliate me if I cannot do. Because people are not perfect all the time. By the time I ended up with my speech, the whole auditorium was silent and seniors gave a me look that oh my god, what you have done? You cannot be very bad. I was like, now I am going to get a nice scolding from everyone.
Trust me, the moment I was coming down the stage, everyone with around of claps said me ‘You nailed it dear’. I could not believe that what did I do? I means how come everyone was so happy? I never faced camera and nor media. So that was another fear that I had. I overcame it also. The media and camera facing me was praising me for what I did. I was happy.
It was very difficult for me to begin, I still I managed. My mind was full of negative thoughts. But what I spoke was from mind and I did not allow any distraction to enter while delivering the fest introduction speech. It happened all from within.
I was from the beginning taught to do perform things in a certain techniques. The society used to judge me on me performance. They told me to follow certain idols and to become like them. To me leaders are not made but are born. I too have my own way of living. The thing that I cannot do or do not have interest to do can never be forced up on me.
Creativity has its own way of thinking and we all have to nurture that creativity within us. It comes from within you. The secret of work lies in the carelessness of your work not in the carefulness of the work. When you are careless, your mind gets diverted, and you can perform the work all from within.
All you have is YOU inside yourself, your own charms and capability comes from within. You become the ruler of your own mind.
There will not be the fear of loosing, there will also not the fear of who is saying what. The entire thing is done very smoothly and mindlessly. This is how my masterpiece was created. I am now the most wanted anchor in my university. I know my weak point and my strength.
When you get lost, when your mind is not within yourself, your masterpiece appears. Creating your masterpiece by disappearing yourself.
Hard Power or coercive power is often recognized as having shaped Global Politics for years. A smaller nation ought to fear a bigger nation that has an expansive army or greater economic prowess. On the other hand, soft power in politics refers to the ability to attract and co-opt rather than coerce. Soft Power is thus co-optive power. It primarily refers to shaping others’ preferences through appeal or through attraction.
Joseph S Nye Jr. was the scholar who coined the term soft power in the late 1980s. He defined it as the ability of a country to persuade others to do what it wants without force or coercion. In the context of International Relations, it emerged as one of the go-to-strategies for many. The US was among the earliest beneficiaries with the McDonaldization of the world. More recently, Asian countries have witnessed a remarkable boom in their economies thanks to the concept of soft power.
South Korea has been among the biggest beneficiaries of the same. Korean pop, or K-pop as it is more commonly known, has been at the heart of Korean soft power strategies. The Korean culture wave or ‘Hallyu’ has taken the world by storm. K-Dramas were initially meant for domestic audience but its audience soon spread to other parts of Asia and slowly captured the world. K-pop groups like EXO, BTS, Blackpink are now household names. BTS accounted for $4.65 billion (£3.5 billion) of South Korea’s GDP in 2019. EXO’s Baekhyun, who debuted as a soloist in 2019, released his second album in May 2020 and went on to become the first soloist in over 19 years to sell more than one million physical albums. In today’s digital day and age, selling over one million physical albums is a huge achievement.
The popularity of Korean music, K-Dramas and films has resulted in growth in other sectors such as food, tourism and has increased the demand for the Korean language as well. The international popularity of K-pop groups, actors and Hallyu in general, is a great example of the proliferation of Korean soft power. Soft power is at the heart of cultural diplomacy. Through deploying cultural diplomacy tools, nations and other international actors mobilize resources for forming positive opinions about their culture, people and society. The promotion of soft power through cultural diplomacy is a shared interest of both governmental and non-governmental actors as well as K-pop agencies.
K-pop groups play a big part in spreading positive associations with Korean culture worldwide, through the immediate impact of their performances on international music charts, merchandising and rise in tourism. The huge demand for K-pop merchandise in India is testimony to their growing popularity in the region. There are many sellers on Instagram and Twitter who devote their time and efforts to conducting group orders for fans in India in order to help them order albums and other merchandise from South Korea. All these cases illustrate how influential South Korean soft power strategy has been in expanding horizons for the Far East Asian nation.
Lockdown has brought social isolation to many, particularly people living alone or those who have been shielding. Social isolation is an objective measure, which may or may not lead to the subjective feeling of loneliness. Perhaps surprisingly, the proportion of people reporting they feel lonely often or always during lockdown has been similar to pre-pandemic, at around 5% (2.6 million) during April. But groups that have been disproportionately affected by loneliness include working-age adults living alone, those in poor health, and people in rented accommodation. However, social isolation has the potential for detrimental effects other than loneliness. There have, for example, been serious concerns about victims of domestic abuse being locked down with perpetrators.
Good mental health is an asset and is also linked to good physical health – both of which support positive social and economic outcomes for individuals and society. Mental health disorders account for almost a quarter of the total burden of ill health . Poor mental health is strongly associated with social and economic circumstances, including living in poverty, low-quality work, unemployment and housing. There is also a well-documented burden of mental health disorders following disasters, including evidence from previous viral outbreaks. This suggests that COVID-19, and the response to the pandemic, could have a significant impact on the nation’s mental health through increased exposure to stressors. Exacerbating this, there has been a loss of coping mechanisms for many, and reduced access to mental health treatment. Here we draw together emerging evidence on aspects of the pandemic that are impacting on mental health, and inequalities in who is affected most. Many though have lost jobs or been furloughed, exercise and access to outdoor spaces has been limited, and some people have not been able to meet with friends or family. There are inequalities in these deficits: job loss is socioeconomically patterned, some groups cannot get outdoors, and some are unable to remain digitally connected to friends and family. All of this increases the likelihood that the pandemic will increase mental health inequalities. Commitment to this natural exercise with a disciplined sunrise schedule will surely have a positive impact on the body in the long run with faster healing tendencies. The emotional distress caused by the pandemic had led to a huge psychological impact on people around the world. Practicing yoga regularly can steadily nurture health across all age-groups and revive the much-needed healthy balance between the mind and body. Yoga serves as a therapy to reinstate one’s mind to normalcy. It also serves as a self-help technique. There are several asanas (postures) in this tradition that can be practiced at home and, it also lays great emphasis on the cleansing process within the body through a proper diet.
Pranayama is an essential component of yoga and focuses on breath control. It consists of synchronizing the breath with movements between asanas but is also a distinct breathing exercise on its own, usually practiced after asanas. It is believed to have had a positive impact on patients dealing with asthma, hyperventilation symptoms, and lung disorders and help them revitalize their breathing system. Foundational postures like Tadasana, Vrikshasana, Shavasana, and the likes can be performed easily and are helpful for beginners.
The entire yoga system not only helps in lubricating the joints but also boosts energy and stimulates digestion. It has a soothing effect on the nervous system, casting out negative energy and relieving the mind from stress-disorders. The regular practice of yoga also assists in harboring a gentle behavior towards others, thereby creating a positive environment of empathy. People practicing yoga tend to be at peace with others through the spirit of kindness and compassion that the world needs at this junction of our lives. Yoga also helps in increasing the will power of the mind and concentration that can help a person navigate through emotional impulses. Yoga can enable you to take charge of your thoughts and assist in the healing process by gradually helping one come out of anxious or negative thoughts. Yoga may also be of great support in establishing stability when practiced consistently through the daily routine. Yoga and meditation are a means of connecting with our inner selves and with others through the feeling of harmony for better and healthier living. We should embrace this life with gratitude and keeping moving forward with a positive outlook.
The latest fashion in educational circles is to send specially pre-university students to Coaching Classes in the hope of bettering their prospects. A student would have otherwise got 90 per cent is assured of 95 per cent. With the result the coaching classes are mushrooming in the city in abundance. The student’s meritorious performance is attributed to the particular Coaching Institute and not the Teachers who sweat in Junior Colleges for a paltry salary. Today, coaching classes have become ubiquitous in the lives of city students. It is impossible to imagine students’ lives without them. They are simultaneously a compulsion, and at the same time criticized a lot for spoiling education, students’ lives, standard of schools etc. Due to almost all students attending coaching classes in cities, the interest of school teachers to impart knowledge to students has now started dipping gradually.
Who should we blame for mushrooming of coaching centres ? It is our education system which is to blame since it weighs the students’ standings on the brilliance of his score-card. Practical exams in science are given a sufficiently low weightage as compared to theory which, though humongous in its extent can be managed due to assistance in rote learning given by the classes the students attend. In coaching classes for high schools, students are literally made to write formulae, theorems many times (which they just copy from textbooks or additional notes) before an actual test is taken on that topic. Many times, students are ‘encouraged’ to accept things as given in the textbooks without arguments or doubts that may arise out of inquisitiveness. The private coaching institutions exploit the prevailing excessive demand for education and operate with profit motives and they charge high fees. The reasons for demand can be two-fold: the inability of the government to provide education to all those who need or desire it; and the inability of government agencies to provide education of quality perceived to be worthwhile . It is here that coaching institutions find a fertile ground for undertaking their activities on a commercial basis. In general, coaching institutions of education is not accepted and approved by the society, particularly by the countries like India, which have a democratic polity. But , inequality of opportunities and provisions for educational services contribute to inter-personal, inter-regional and inter-generational disparities of all forms. These perpetuate socio-economic disparities and hamper national development. Moreover, India’s long history, tradition and culture of imparting knowledge and training have put pious obligations on the duty conscious society for providing worthwhile education.
The socio-economic benefits over the entire span of working life accrue more to educated and trained persons and therefore, attempts are made by students and their parents to obtain good education at even high private costs. The demand for various types and levels of courses is much higher than available places/seats for learning in creditable institutions. To meet excess demands, coaching institutions have been established in almost every part of country, these institutions have received social support. A lack of effective mechanism to identify and discourage institutions that are offering coaching has created an environment for mushrooming of such institutions.
The promotion of coaching institutions in education is justified on social, economic and cultural grounds. The inability of the Government, due mainly to financial constraints, to create and strengthen infrastructure for meeting the growing demand for quality education is mainly responsible for the increase of these commercial activities in education. The educational infrastructure- the schools, teachers and other learning support service- indicate deficiencies in facilities to attract and retain students for quality teaching and learning. The need of the hour is to let students and parents to search their own answers what they want their children to become a robot or creative person. Everyone should understand there is no alternative to SELF STUDY.
Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold (which is also caused by other viruses, predominantly rhinoviruses), while more lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. In cows and pigs they cause diarrhea, while in mice they cause hepatitis and encephalomyelitis. There are as yet no vaccines or antiviral drugs to prevent or treat human coronavirus infections.Coronaviruses are a group of related RNA viruses that cause diseases in mammals and birds. In humans and birds, they cause respiratory tract infections that can range from mild to lethal. Mild illnesses in humans include some cases of the common cold (which is also caused by other viruses, predominantly rhinoviruses), while more lethal varieties can cause SARS, MERS, and COVID-19. In cows and pigs they cause diarrhea, while in mice they cause hepatitis and encephalomyelitis. There are as yet no vaccines or antiviral drugs to prevent or treat human coronavirus infections.
Etymology:- The name “coronavirus” is derived from Latin corona, meaning “crown” or “wreath”, itself a borrowing from Greek κορώνη korṓnē, “garland, wreath”.The name was coined by June Almeida and David Tyrrell who first observed and studied human coronaviruses.The word was first used in print in 1968 by an informal group of virologists in the journal Nature to designate the new family of viruses.The name refers to the characteristic appearance of virions (the infective form of the virus) by electron microscopy, which have a fringe of large, bulbous surface projections creating an image reminiscent of the solar corona or halo.This morphology is created by the viral spike peplomers, which are proteins on the surface of the virus.
The earliest reports of an illness caused by a coronavirus occurred in the late 1920s, when an acute respiratory infection of domesticated chickens emerged in North America.Arthur Schalk and M.C. Hawn in 1931 made the first detailed report which described a new respiratory infection of chickens in North Dakota. The infection of new-born chicks was characterized by gasping and listlessness with high mortality rates of 40–90%.Leland David Bushnell and Carl Alfred Brandly isolated the virus in 1933.The virus was then known as infectious bronchitis virus (IBV). Charles D. Hudson and Fred Robert Beaudette cultivated the virus for the first time in 1937.The specimen came to be known as the Beaudette strain. In the late 1940s, two more animal coronaviruses, JHM that causes brain disease (murine encephalitis) and mouse hepatitis virus (MHV) that causes hepatitis in mice were discovered. It was not realized at the time that these three different viruses were related.
Human coronaviruses were discovered in the 1960susing two different methods in the United Kingdom and the United States.E.C. Kendall, Malcolm Bynoe, and David Tyrrell working at the Common Cold Unit of the British Medical Research Council collected a unique common cold virus designated B814 in 1961.The virus could not be cultivated using standard techniques which had successfully cultivated rhinoviruses, adenoviruses and other known common cold viruses. In 1965, Tyrrell and Bynoe successfully cultivated the novel virus by serially passing it through organ culture of human embryonic trachea.The new cultivating method was introduced to the lab by Bertil Hoorn.The isolated virus when intranasally inoculated into volunteers caused a cold and was inactivated by ether which indicated it had a lipid envelope.Dorothy Hamre and John Procknow at the University of Chicago isolated a novel cold from medical students in 1962. They isolated and grew the virus in kidney tissue culture, assigning it as 229E. The novel virus caused a cold in volunteers and was inactivated by ether similarly as B814.Scottish virologist June Almeida at St. Thomas Hospital in London, collaborating with Tyrrell, compared the structures of IBV, B814 and 229E in 1967.
Using electron microscopy the three viruses were shown to be morphologically related by their general shape and distinctive club-like spikes.A research group at the National Institute of Health the same year was able to isolate another member of this new group of viruses using organ culture and named one of the samples OC43 (OC for organ culture) Like B814, 229E, and IBV, the novel cold virus OC43 had distinctive club-like spikes when observed with the electron microscope. The IBV-like novel cold viruses were soon shown to be also morphologically related to the mouse hepatitis virus.This new group of viruses were named coronaviruses after their distinctive morphological appearance.Human coronavirus 229E and human coronavirus OC43 continued to be studied in subsequent decade.The coronavirus strain B814 was lost. It is not known which present human coronavirus it was.Other human coronaviruses have since been identified, including SARS-CoV in 2003, HCoV NL63 in 2003, HCoV HKU1 in 2004, MERS-CoV in 2013, and SARS-CoV-2 in 2020.There have also been a large number of animal coronaviruses identified since the 1960s.
Microbiology :- Coronaviruses are large, roughly spherical particles with bulbous surface projections.The average diameter of the virus particles is around 125 nm (.125 μm). The diameter of the envelope is 85 nm and the spikes are 20 nm long. The envelope of the virus in electron micrographs appears as a distinct pair of electron-dense shells (shells that are relatively opaque to the electron beam used to scan the virus particle). The viral envelope consists of a lipid bilayer, in which the membrane (M), envelope (E) and spike (S) structural proteins are anchored.[47] The ratio of E:S:M in the lipid bilayer is approximately 1:20:300.On average a coronavirus particle has 74 surface spikes.A subset of coronaviruses (specifically the members of betacoronavirus subgroup A) also have a shorter spike-like surface protein called hemagglutinin esterase (HE).
The coronavirus surface spikes are homotrimers of the S protein, which is composed of an S1 and S2 subunit. The homotrimeric S protein is a class I fusion protein which mediates the receptor binding and membrane fusion between the virus and host cell. The S1 subunit forms the head of the spike and has the receptor binding domain (RBD). The S2 subunit forms the stem which anchors the spike in the viral envelope and on protease activation enables fusion. The E and M protein are important in forming the viral envelope and maintaining its structural shape.
Inside the envelope, there is the nucleocapsid, which is formed from multiple copies of the nucleocapsid (N) protein, which are bound to the positive-sense single-stranded RNA genome in a continuous beads-on-a-string type conformation.The lipid bilayer envelope, membrane proteins, and nucleocapsid protect the virus when it is outside the host cell.
Genome See also: Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus § Genome
Schematic representation of the genome organization and functional domains of S protein for SARS-CoV and MERS-CoV Coronaviruses contain a positive-sense, single-stranded RNA genome. The genome size for coronaviruses ranges from 26.4 to 31.7 kilobases.[9] The genome size is one of the largest among RNA viruses. The genome has a 5′ methylated cap and a 3′ polyadenylated tail.
The genome organization for a coronavirus is 5′-leader-UTR-replicase (ORF1ab)-spike (S)-envelope (E)-membrane (M)-nucleocapsid (N)-3′UTR-poly (A) tail. The open reading frames 1a and 1b, which occupy the first two-thirds of the genome, encode the replicase polyprotein (pp1ab). The replicase polyprotein self cleaves to form 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp1–nsp16).
The later reading frames encode the four major structural proteins: spike, envelope, membrane, and nucleocapsid. Interspersed between these reading frames are the reading frames for the accessory proteins. The number of accessory proteins and their function is unique depending on the specific coronavirus.
Replication cycle Cell entry
The life cycle of a coronavirus Infection begins when the viral spike protein attaches to its complementary host cell receptor. After attachment, a protease of the host cell cleaves and activates the receptor-attached spike protein. Depending on the host cell protease available, cleavage and activation allows the virus to enter the host cell by endocytosis or direct fusion of the viral envelop with the host membrane. Genome translation On entry into the host cell, the virus particle is uncoated, and its genome enters the cell cytoplasm. The coronavirus RNA genome has a 5′ methylated cap and a 3′ polyadenylated tail, which allows it to act like a messenger RNA and be directly translated by the host cell’s ribosomes. The host ribosomes translate the initial overlapping open reading frames ORF1a and ORF1b of the virus genome into two large overlapping polyproteins, pp1a and pp1ab. SARS-CoV genome and proteins The larger polyprotein pp1ab is a result of a -1 ribosomal frameshift caused by a slippery sequence (UUUAAAC) and a downstream RNA pseudoknot at the end of open reading frame ORF1a.The ribosomal frameshift allows for the continuous translation of ORF1a followed by ORF1b.
The polyproteins have their own proteases, PLpro (nsp3) and 3CLpro (nsp5), which cleave the polyproteins at different specific sites. The cleavage of polyprotein pp1ab yields 16 nonstructural proteins (nsp1 to nsp16). Product proteins include various replication proteins such as RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (nsp12), RNA helicase (nsp13), and exoribonuclease (nsp14).
Replicase-transcriptase
Replicase-transcriptase complex A number of the nonstructural proteins coalesce to form a multi-protein replicase-transcriptase complex. The main replicase-transcriptase protein is the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp). It is directly involved in the replication and transcription of RNA from an RNA strand. The other nonstructural proteins in the complex assist in the replication and transcription process. The exoribonuclease nonstructural protein, for instance, provides extra fidelity to replication by providing a proofreading function which the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase lacks.
Replication – One of the main functions of the complex is to replicate the viral genome. RdRp directly mediates the synthesis of negative-sense genomic RNA from the positive-sense genomic RNA. This is followed by the replication of positive-sense genomic RNA from the negative-sense genomic RNA.
Transcription of nested mRNAs
Nested set of subgenomic mRNAs Transcription – The other important function of the complex is to transcribe the viral genome. RdRp directly mediates the synthesis of negative-sense subgenomic RNA molecules from the positive-sense genomic RNA. This process is followed by the transcription of these negative-sense subgenomic RNA molecules to their corresponding positive-sense mRNAs.The subgenomic mRNAs form a “nested set” which have a common 5′-head and partially duplicate 3′-end. Recombination – The replicase-transcriptase complex is also capable of genetic recombination when at least two viral genomes are present in the same infected cell.RNA recombination appears to be a major driving force in determining genetic variability within a coronavirus species, the capability of a coronavirus species to jump from one host to another and, infrequently, in determining the emergence of novel coronaviruses.The exact mechanism of recombination in coronaviruses is unclear, but likely involves template switching during genome replication. Assembly and release The replicated positive-sense genomic RNA becomes the genome of the progeny viruses. The mRNAs are gene transcripts of the last third of the virus genome after the initial overlapping reading frame. These mRNAs are translated by the host’s ribosomes into the structural proteins and a number of accessory proteins.RNA translation occurs inside the endoplasmic reticulum. The viral structural proteins S, E, and M move along the secretory pathway into the Golgi intermediate compartment. There, the M proteins direct most protein-protein interactions required for assembly of viruses following its binding to the nucleocapsid. Progeny viruses are then released from the host cell by exocytosis through secretory vesicles. Once released the viruses can infect other host cells. Transmission Infected carriers are able to shed viruses into the environment. The interaction of the coronavirus spike protein with its complementary cell receptor is central in determining the tissue tropism, infectivity, and species range of the released virus.Coronaviruses mainly target epithelial cells.They are transmitted from one host to another host, depending on the coronavirus species, by either an aerosol, fomite, or fecal-oral route. Human coronaviruses infect the epithelial cells of the respiratory tract, while animal coronaviruses generally infect the epithelial cells of the digestive tract.SARS coronavirus, for example, infects via an aerosol route,the human epithelial cells of the lungs by binding to the angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor.Transmissible gastroenteritis coronavirus (TGEV) infects, via a fecal-oral route,the pig epithelial cells of the digestive tract by binding to the alanine aminopeptidase (APN) receptor.
Classification :- The scientific name for coronavirus is Orthocoronavirinae or Coronavirinae.
Coronaviruses belong to the family of Coronaviridae, order Nidovirales, and realm Riboviria.They are divided into alphacoronaviruses and betacoronaviruses which infect mammals – and gammacoronaviruses and deltacoronaviruses, which primarily infect birds.
Genus: Alphacoronavirus;type species: Alphacoronavirus 1 (TGEV) Species: Alphacoronavirus 1, Human coronavirus 229E, Human coronavirus NL63, Miniopterus bat coronavirus 1, Miniopterus bat coronavirus HKU8, Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, Rhinolophus bat coronavirus HKU2, Scotophilus bat coronavirus 512 Genus Betacoronavirus;type species: Murine coronavirus (MHV) Species: Betacoronavirus 1 (Bovine Coronavirus, Human coronavirus OC43), Hedgehog coronavirus 1, Human coronavirus HKU1, Middle East respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus, Murine coronavirus, Pipistrellus bat coronavirus HKU5, Rousettus bat coronavirus HKU9, Severe acute respiratory syndrome-related coronavirus (SARS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2), Tylonycteris bat coronavirus HKU4 Genus Gammacoronavirus;type species: Avian coronavirus (IBV) Species: Avian coronavirus, Beluga whale coronavirus SW1 Genus Deltacoronavirus; type species: Bulbul coronavirus HKU11 Species: Bulbul coronavirus HKU11, Porcine coronavirus HKU15.
Origin :- The most recent common ancestor (MRCA) of all coronaviruses is estimated to have existed as recently as 8000 BCE, although some models place the common ancestor as far back as 55 million years or more, implying long term coevolution with bat and avian species.The most recent common ancestor of the alphacoronavirus line has been placed at about 2400 BCE, of the betacoronavirus line at 3300 BCE, of the gammacoronavirus line at 2800 BCE, and of the deltacoronavirus line at about 3000 BCE. Bats and birds, as warm-blooded flying vertebrates, are an ideal natural reservoir for the coronavirus gene pool (with bats the reservoir for alphacoronaviruses and betacoronavirus – and birds the reservoir for gammacoronaviruses and deltacoronaviruses). The large number and global range of bat and avian species that host viruses has enabled extensive evolution and dissemination of coronaviruses.
Many human coronaviruses have their origin in bats.The human coronavirus NL63 shared a common ancestor with a bat coronavirus (ARCoV.2) between 1190 and 1449 CE.The human coronavirus 229E shared a common ancestor with a bat coronavirus (GhanaGrp1 Bt CoV) between 1686 and 1800 CE.More recently, alpaca coronavirus and human coronavirus 229E diverged sometime before 1960.MERS-CoV emerged in humans from bats through the intermediate host of camels.MERS-CoV, although related to several bat coronavirus species, appears to have diverged from these several centuries ago.The most closely related bat coronavirus and SARS-CoV diverged in 1986.A possible path of evolution of SARS coronavirus and keen bat coronaviruses is that SARS-related coronaviruses coevolved in bats for a long time. The ancestors of SARS-CoV first infected leaf-nose bats of the genus Hipposideridae; subsequently, they spread to horseshoe bats in the species Rhinolophidae, then to Asian palm civets, and finally to humans. Unlike other betacoronaviruses, bovine coronavirus of the species Betacoronavirus 1 and subgenus Embecovirus is thought to have originated in rodents and not in bats. In the 1790s, equine coronavirus diverged from the bovine coronavirus after a cross-species jump.Later in the 1890s, human coronavirus OC43 diverged from bovine coronavirus after another cross-species spillover event.It is speculated that the flu pandemic of 1890 may have been caused by this spillover event, and not by the influenza virus, because of the related timing, neurological symptoms, and unknown causative agent of the pandemic.Besides causing respiratory infections, human coronavirus OC43 is also suspected of playing a role in neurological diseases.In the 1950s, the human coronavirus OC43 began to diverge into its present genotypes.Phylogentically, mouse hepatitis virus (Murine coronavirus), which infects the mouse’s liver and central nervous system is related to human coronavirus OC43 and bovine coronavirus. Human coronavirus HKU1, like the aforementioned viruses, also has its origins in rodents.
Prevention and treatment:- There are no vaccines or antiviral drugs to prevent or treat human coronavirus infections. Treatment is only supportive. A number of antiviral targets have been identified such as viral proteases, polymerases, and entry proteins. Drugs are in development which target these proteins and the different steps of viral replication. A number of vaccines using different methods are also under development for different human coronaviruses.
There are no antiviral drugs to treat animal coronaviruses.[citation needed] Vaccines are available for IBV, TGEV, and Canine CoV, although their effectiveness is limited. In the case of outbreaks of highly contagious animal coronaviruses, such as PEDV, measures such as destruction of entire herds of pigs may be used to prevent transmission to other herds.
A 20 year old girl dies in an accident in Bulandshahr district of Uttar Pradesh. Sudeeksha Bhati,the girl who died, overcame many hurdles and scored 98 percent in her 12th and became the topper of her district. She was the first in her family to get proper education, her parents never received quality education. She was the eldest of 6 siblings. She was studying entrepreneurship in Babson College in Massachusetts USA on a scholarship of Rs.3.80 crore.
The incident took place on Monday, the family of the deceased has alleged that the accident happened because two men on the bike were constantly harassing her, passing comments on her and were drive recklessly back and forth while she was going to a relatives house with her uncle and cousin on a separate bike. Although, the district authorities has said that the investigators of the case have found no proof of harassment. Two men who were captured on the CCTV are being investigated by the police.
When the district police talked to the eyewitnesses, they were told the accident happened when a Royal Enfield Bullet coming from the opposite direction suddenly stopped in front of their bike due to traffic, mentioning of any sort of harassment was not there. The accident caused an injury on her head. The body has been sent for postmortem.
The incident has created a hype on social media and everyone is demanding justice for Sudeeksha. The issue of eve teasing goes long back, many women and girls face these type of problems daily. Most of the time these issues go unnoticed. Our country has lost a daughter and What was her fault? When will girls be safe? The country relies on the police to find out the truth behind this and act accordingly.
The first vaccine of world is launched today by Russia.
Even as India recorded 53,601 new infections and 871 deaths in the last 24 hours, the health ministry in its latest briefing on Tuesday said that India’s recovery rate rose to 69.8 per cent due to effective and prompt clinical management of COVID-19 cases. It also said that the deaths as a proportion of known infected cases has been falling consistently, and has dropped below 2 per cent for the first time now. It is is currently at 1.99 per cent, said Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan.ADVERTISEMENT
The country’s coronavirus tally rose to 22,68,676. Of the 22,68,676 cases, 15,83,490 recovered, while 28.21 per cent (6,39,929) were still being treated. The fatalities stood at 45,257.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held a virtual interaction with chief ministers of 10 states to take stock of the Covid-19 situation. These states, which have 80 per cent of India’s Covid-19 cases, were Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Maharashtra, Punjab, Bihar, Gujarat, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. During the meeting, PM Modi said India was heading in the right direction, and that the states could defeat the virus by working together. Some chief ministers, meanwhile, sought bigger financial packages from the Centre to tackle the pandemic.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin Tuesday said his country had registered the first vaccine for Covid-19. The vaccine, developed by Gamaleya Institute, has received approval after less than two months of human testing. Putin said his daughter had been inoculated, and hoped the country would soon start mass producing the vaccine.
Global cases rose 20,011,186 on Tuesday, according to a tally by John Hopkins. The virus has spread to over 210 countries and territories since it first originated in China’s Wuhan in December 2019. The global death toll due to the disease stands at nearly 732,000. The United States has reported the highest number of cases (5,088,516), followed by Brazil (3,057,470) and India. (Follow our Covid-19 Vaccine Tracker, August 11)LIVE BLOG
Coronavirus (Covid-19) India News Live Updates: India has 22.68 lakh cases of which nearly 70% patients are cured, less than 2% fatalities; India’s death toll rises beyond 45,000; Russia has a Covid vaccine; global infections cross 20 million. Read Coronavirus vaccine latest updates
22:38 (IST)11 AUG 2020Over 10 lakh Indians have returned under Vande Bharat Mission: MEA
Over 10 lakh Indians have returned from abroad after the government launched the “Vande Bharat” evacuation mission on May 7 in view of the coronavirus pandemic, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.
MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava tweeted, “Vande Bharat Mission crosses the 1 million mark!”.20:43 (IST)11 AUG 2020J&K govt to allow maximum of 5,000 pilgrims daily to visit Vishno Devi shrine
The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Tuesday decided to allow a maximum of 5,000 pilgrims daily visit Shri Mata Vishno Devi shrine in Trikuta Hills near Katra from August 16 to September 30. The government announced to open religious places/places of worship within the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir from August 16. The UT Governor has made mandatory to Install and use of Aarogya Setu App mandatory for all visitors.
20:08 (IST)11 AUG 2020Freash Covid cases today:
*Andhra Pradesh: 9,024 new cases, tally rises to 2,44,549; 87 more fatalities push death toll to 2,203
*Tamil Nadu: 5,834 new cases, tally goes up to 3,08,649; 118 more fatalities take death toll to 5,159
*Kerala: 1,417 more people test positive; five fresh fatalities take death toll to 120
*Delhi: 1,257 fresh cases, 8 deaths in last 24 hours; infection tally stands at 1,47,39120:01 (IST)11 AUG 2020Bihar plans to raise testing rate to over 1 lakh per day: Nitish tells PM
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish KumarTuesday told Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the state plan to raise testing rate for COVID-19 to over one lakh per day. Kumar, who was joined by his counterparts in nine othe states at the video conference meeting on coronaviru situation, said the state was at present testing more tha 75,000 samples daily though the number of RT-PCR examinations which he called “the most important”, remained as low as abou 6100 per day.
“The RT-PCR facility will soon be introduced at fiv more medical college hospitals which would help in raising th daily average by about 2300.
“Moreover, we have plans to purchase 10 RT-PCR and RN extraction machines which would raise our capacity by anothe 5,000”, he said.
The state government has set a target of conductin more than one lakh tests every day, he said.
“We want our entire population tested so that the sprea of the coronavirus could be effectively checked. The densit of population in Bihar is 1102 as against the national averag of 382. This makes the task daunting for us, Kumar observed.
He requested the Centre to provide Bihar with tw COBAS-6800 machines which would enable it to increase th number of RT-PCR tests to about 20,000 per day.
The chief minister also thanked the centre for helpin set up two 500-bed dedicated COVID hospitals, at Bihta nea Patna and in Muzaffarpur, drawing from the PM Care Fund.
“At present, the dedicated COVID facilities have 32,12 beds. We intend to raise the number to 70,000. We are als ensuring free of charge medical facilities to those in hom isolation”, Kumar added.18:48 (IST)11 AUG 2020States must not get overawed by increase in daily positive cases, says Health Ministry
The Health Ministry on Tuesday said states should not get overawed by a “mere increase” in daily positive cases of COVID-19 and should keep pursuing the policy of aggressive testing, comprehensive tracing and tracking and efficient treatment of cases. Addressing a press briefing, Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said the active cases of COVID-19, which comprised 88.83 per cent of the total caseload on March 31, have reduced to 28.21 per cent as on date.
“We should not lose sight of the bigger picture that is why we say that mere increase in daily positive cases must not overawe the states. They must keep on pursuing the policy of aggressive testing, comprehensive tracing and tracking and efficient treatment,” he added.18:18 (IST)11 AUG 2020Kerala coronavirus: 1417 fresh cases reported
Kerala broke new record in daily cases on Tuesday with 1417 fresh cases. Of these, 1247 infected via local transmission. 18:06 (IST)11 AUG 2020Mamata raises issue of financial dues to WB during COVID-19 meeting
West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerje Tuesday raised the issue of West Bengal’s financial dues fro the Centre during a video conference on the pandemic and urge Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure that the Centre issue guidelines on which vaccine to be procured and used to figh the COVID-19 pandemic. “The central government has raised the FRBM limit fro three per cent to five per cent but only 0.5 per cent out o the increased 2 per cent has been made unconditional. W request the central government to make the remaining 1.5 pe cent unconditional too for one year,” Banerjee said.
“Besides this, the state is still to receive Rs 413 crore towards GST compensation and overall outstanding dues o Rs 53000 crore from the central government,” Banerjee wa quoted in a media statement issued by the West Benga government. She raised the issue of which COVID-19 vaccine o serum to be used to treat the patients and urged the Centre t issue guidelines regarding it. “Regarding the vaccine, the central government shoul authorise which vaccine is to be procured and used. It mus issue guidelines in this regard,” the statement quoted her She also requested the Centre to provide the stat with more high flow nasal canulas and ventilators18:01 (IST)11 AUG 2020Rahat Indori passes away, had tested Covid-19 positive
Lyricist and poet Rahat Indori has passed away. He was 70. Quoting a doctor from Sri Aurobindo Hospital, news portal ANI tweeted that the poet suffered from two heart attacks today and had 60 per cent pneumonia. “Urdu poet Rahat Indori (file pic) passes away at the hospital. He suffered two heart attacks today and could not be saved. He was admitted to hospital on Sunday, after testing positive for #COVID19. He had 60% pneumonia,” reads the tweet. 17:26 (IST)11 AUG 2020MP CM says he tests negative for coronavirus
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on Tuesday said he has tested negative for coronavirus infection, six days after being discharged from a private hospital here. Chouhan, 61, had tested positive for coronavirus infection on July 25. He has been in home quarantine since he was discharged on August 5.
Chouhan had again tested positive for the infection on August 3. However, the Chirayu Hospital where he was admitted had said that the CM was being discharged as per the guidelines of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR). “They (doctors) advised discharge as per the ICMR policy dated May 8, wherein patients can be discharged after 10 days of symptoms onset and no fever for three days. There will be no need for testing prior to discharge,” a bulletin issued by the hospital had stated.17:08 (IST)11 AUG 2020Covid death rate dropped below 2% for the first time
Even as India recorded 53,601 new infections and 871 deaths in the last 24 hours, the health ministry in its latest briefing said that India’s recovery rate has neared 70 per cent. It also said that the deaths as a proportion of known infected cases has been falling consistently, and has dropped below 2 per cent for the first time now. It is is currently at 1.99 per cent, said Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan16:57 (IST)11 AUG 2020Coronavirus updates at 5 PM:
India’s coronavirus tally rose to 22,68,676 with 53,601 new infections and 871 deaths in the last 24 hours ending 9 am Tuesday.
However, the deaths as a proportion of known infected cases has been falling consistently, and has dropped below 2 per cent for the first time now
PM Modi, in his virtual meeting with chief ministers of 10 states said India was heading in the right direction, and that the states could defeat the virus by working together.
Mandeep Singh became the sixth hockey player to test positive. He was shifted to hospital after oxygen level drop
A panel of experts will meet Wednesday to discuss procurement and administration of Covid-19 vaccines. The meeting will be chaired by Dr V K Paul, a member of the Niti Aayog.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that his country had registered the first vaccine for Covid-19. The vaccine, developed by Gamaleya Institute, has received approval after less than two months of human testing.
Coronavirus broke out again in New Zealand after 102 days with four cases in one Auckland household from an unknown source.
Global cases rose 20,011,186 on Tuesday with nearly 732,000 deaths.
The virus has spread to over 210 countries and territories since it first originated in China’s Wuhan in December 2019.
The United States has reported the highest number of cases (5,088,516), followed by Brazil (3,057,470) and India.16:33 (IST)11 AUG 2020Coronavirus back in New Zealand
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said Tuesday that authorities have found four cases of the coronavirus in one Auckland household from an unknown source, the first cases of local transmission in the country in 102 days. Ardern said Auckland, the nation’s largest city, will be moved to Level 3 from midday Wednesday, meaning that people will be asked to stay at home and bars and many other businesses will be closed. She said the rest of the country will be raised to Level 2. 16:19 (IST)11 AUG 2020PM’s virtual meet on COVID-19: TN CM urges Centre to share 50 per cent RT-PCR test cost
The Centre should fund 50 per cent of the cost of RT-PCR tests done for detecting COVID-19 and also finance the procurement of high-end ventilators, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K Palaniswami on Tuesday. Raising the demand with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a virtual meet he (Modi) held with chief ministers of ten states on COVID-19, Palaniswami also said a proactive strategy has led to a slide in new positive cases in Chennai and the model was being replicated in other parts of the state.14:50 (IST)11 AUG 2020Putin on Russia’s Covid-19 vaccine: ‘It has passed all checks’
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Covid-19 vaccine: “I know that it works quite effectively, forms strong immunity, and I repeat, it has passed all the needed checks.” In fact, he confirmed his daughter has been administered the vaccine.14:40 (IST)11 AUG 2020President Vladimir Putin says Russia has developed the world’s first Covid-19 vaccine
Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country had registered a vaccine for Covid-19. The vaccine, developed by Gamaleya insitute, has received approval after less than two months of human testing. Putin said his daughter had been inoculated.13:56 (IST)11 AUG 2020Bengaluru: Nearly 18% of missing Covid-19 patients remain untraceable
Nearly 18 per cent of the 4,327 people who were untraceable since testing positive for coronavirus in Bengaluru between July 25 and August 7 are still missing on account of wrong contact details provided at the time of Covid-19 tests in Bengaluru, a probe by the city police and the city corporation has revealed.
According to the data for missing Covid-19 persons in Bengaluru, a total of 3,303 of the 4,327 persons who were untraceable after testing positive between July 25 and August 7 have been tracked down by the police so far, with 769 declared as untraceable and as many as 255 still being tracked. Read Johnson T A’s report13:51 (IST)11 AUG 2020PM Modi: India will win Covid-19 battle, and there will be a new beginning
Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday held a video interaction with chief ministers of 10 states. During the meeting, he exuded confidence that India would win the Covid-19 battle. He said India was heading in the right direction, and that states could defeat the virus by working together, and learning from each other.13:41 (IST)11 AUG 2020Mandeep Singh sixth hockey player to test positive; shifted to hospital after oxygen level drop
Hockey player Mandeep Singh was shifted to SS Sparsh multispeciality hospital last night after his blood oxygen level dropped below normal. As per latest reports, his condition is stable. Singh was the sixth player of the men’s hockey team to test positive for Covid-19 on Monday. Read more here13:38 (IST)11 AUG 2020Pranab Mukherjee in critical condition, says hospital
Former president of India Pranab Mukherjee is in critical condition, a statement from the Army Hospital in New Delhi, where he is admitted, said Tuesday. Mukherjee underwent brain surgery yesterday. While at the hospital, he had tested positive for Covid-19. ‘Former President of India Shri Pranab Mukherjee was admitted to Army Hospital (R&R) Delhi Cantt at 12.07 hours on August 10, 2020 in a critical condition. Workup at the hospital revealed a large brain clot for which he underwent emergency life saving surgery. Post surgery he continues to remain critical on ventilatory support. He was also found to be COVID-19 positive,’ the statement read.13:25 (IST)11 AUG 2020Punjab CM Amarinder Singh seeks liberal financial package to meet Covid-19 requirements
During the video conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh Tuesday said the cap of 35 per cent in the State Disaster Relief Fund (SDRF) for Covid-19 related expenditure was insufficient to meet requirements. A statement from the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office said Singh had requested PM Modi to provide a liberal financial package for states to combat the pandemic, reported news agency ANI.
“During a video conference meet of PM Modi with CMs of some states to review Covid situation, Capt Amarinder Singh said current cap of 35% in State Disaster Relief Fund for Covid related expenditure, as per MHA guidelines, is not sufficient to meet current requirements. CM Captain Amarinder Singh today sought from PM Narendra Modi a liberal financial package for states to fill the collection gap caused by the pandemic, and also flexibility on Covid-related terms of expenditure in SDRF,” the statement read.
COVID-19 situation in Delhi under control: Kejriwal
Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday said the Covid situation in Delhi is under control and the recovery rate is improving. Speaking at the inauguration of health facility in Ambedkar Nagar, he said in case the situation takes a turn for the worse, the government is fully prepared to deal with it. Delhi’s Covid-19 case count stood at 1,44,127 on Saturday, according to government data.
Manoj Tiwari claims Amit Shah is now negative, deletes tweet’ MHA says no test yet
Minutes after BJP leader Manoj Tiwari tweeted that Amit Shah has tested negative for coronavirus, the Ministry of Home Affairs has clarified that the Home Minister is yet to undergo a test. The Delhi BJP leader has now deleted his tweet.
Brazil’s death toll tops 100,000, Covid-19 peak still away
The number of people succumbed due to the coronavirus pandemic in Brazil surpassed 1 lakh-mark on Saturday, with 905 deaths and 49,970 cases in the last 24 hours. Despite the rising numbers and having over 3 million cases, the country continues to reopen its public places despite warning from experts that the pandemic is yet to peak. While it took three months for the toll to reach 50,000, it just took 50 days to kill the next 50,000.
Usually I like to prefer writing about the stuff that can add something to your knowledge but today I am writing on a topic that is basically not my cup of tea. Okay, so as the title suggests what’s broken, dude? Are you really sad because something very precious to you has been broken, or you are crying because that something has been broken, whether it’s important or not. Okay, so that something is obviously important, tho sometimes that important also means our ego.
It might sound not so obvious that sometimes we cry over things that are not so important for us, they are just the part of our life and we like to remark them by our name. Exactly whether it’s a relationship or something related to our jobs, a position that’s not at all yours and you obviously don’t need it also.
State of the Union is a British comedy-drama mini series created and written by Nick Hornby and directed by Stephen Frears. The show shows a married couple when they meet every week for a drink before their marital therapy. So all episodes are just them talking over a drink, for ten minutes straight.
For a simple concept like this, set in one place, with only two characters, you need strong writing. And Nick Hornby does an excellent job. The dialogues are realistic and well written. He uses a lot of analogies, and I liked all of them. Creating analogies that symbolise important plot points in a show/movie is a skill, and in this series, Hornby has done a tremendous job at it.
It’s realistic, the way the conversations steer from one topic to another. They’ve done a commendable job at portraying this couple with a flawed marriage. With every episode, you actually see how their relationship is changing for the better, and this change feels very smooth.
The chemistry between Chris O Dowd and Rosamund Pike is phenomenal. It was really interesting to see their characters open up and talk about their insecurities. Their characters, Louise and Tom are two very different people, them communicating with each other puts light on a lot of their internal struggles. Their ten minutes of bickering alone tells you a lot about them and their marriage. There is no exposition, all the things are revealed in a very subtle way, thanks to the great writing. It was also nice to see the great Stephen Frears add his magic behind the camera.
State of the Union is a great light show that is worth your time. There are only ten episodes which are barely ten minutes long, so it’s a perfect comfort watch as it won’t take a lot of effort.
2. TRUE GRIT (2010)
True Grit is directed by the Coen Brothers. In this film 14 years old Mattie Ross’ father is killed by a guy named Tom Chaney (Josh Brolin). So she hires a US Marshall named Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) to go after him. They are accompanied by a Texas Ranger (Matt Damon) who’s also after Chaney as he killed his State Senator. As they embark on this journey their courage is tested in several ways.
I think True Grit is one of those rare movies which is actually better than it’s original counterpart. This is an incredibly impressive work in Coen Brothers’ filmography. The main thing that runs the movie are the tongue in cheek dialogues. The banter between the characters is entertaining and often hilarious.I think Coen Brothers are some of the few filmmakers who actually make use of the original accents and words from a particular time period, instead of modernising the dialogues. It really adds to the authenticity. They have done a great job at creating this atmosphere, I felt like I was watching a classic American western. Western is one of my favourite genres, and this film does an excellent job at portraying the style and feel of a western. The writing is phenomenal, while the first 70% of the film is more of a meditative hang out film, the third act shifts gears and all the nuances and layers come together smoothly for one explosive third act. The Coens’ long time collaborator, Roger Deakins’ cinematography is stunning. I liked his use of natural lighting and washed out colours. Carter Burwell’s score is beautiful, gives a perfect homage to scores of classic westerns.
Jeff Bridges as Marshall Cogburn really embodies this iconic character. He does a great job at playing this drunkard marshall with a bad past. The father-daughter relationship kind of between him and Hailee Steinfeld’s character is really well done, it adds an emotional layer to the film. Hailee Steinfeld kills it as Mattie Ross. She was only twelve when this film was shot, and she knocks it out of the park. this is a very tough role. Matt Damon is great as this always bickering ranger. The arguments between him and Jeff Bridges character are really funny to watch.
True Grit is a really entertaining film with great characters and an extremly layered script. Coen Brothers have for the first time not experimented with genres and have tried to tell an authentic and old fashioned story.
Hannah and her Sisters is loosely about three sisters Hannah, Lee and Holly and their extended family as they about their lives in new York City in the span of three years. The film is divided by three consecutive family dinners similar to Ingmar Bergman’s Fanny and Alexander. Hannah’s husband is in love with her sister Lee, Holly is having troubles in her professional life and Woody Allen plays this hypochondriac TV producer who keeps coming and going their life.
This is probably the most entertaining of his film, up there with Manhattan and Annie Hall to be his best. Woody juggles between the different stories smoothly, because of his excellent writing. These are some of the best characters Woody’s ever created. The depth that he’s given to the main characters is fantastic. All of them trying to get through the hard stuff in their mid life. The film is a great example of how music can elevate a film. The use of upbeat jazz music creates a rythym in most scenes, the pacing is fast The performances and chemistry between the characters are excellent. This may be my favourite performance by him, his role as this hypochondriac who wants to know the meaning of life really won my heart. His signature one liners added a lot to the humour. Allen is great at showing on screen relationships, and here he shines at directing these stories in an entertaining way. The movie also has the signature Woody themes of familial tension, depression and infidelity. The way New York is shot is also wonderful, shwoing it’s beautiful architecture in all its glory.
Hannah and her Sisters is a work of art. The screenplay of this film could be studied if one wants to know how to craft a phenonemal dramedy.
LOST HIGHWAY
Lost Highway is directed by David Lynch and it tells two interconnected stories about infidelity, one about a jazz musician named Fred who suspects that his wife may be cheating on him, he ends up killing her. The other one is about a car mechanic named Fred who falls for a gangster’s girlfriend.
I like films that make us think, the ones in which the directors don’t directly show us what their objective is, and they keep things ambiguous. They are my favourite kind of films. But Lost Highway was a mixed bag for me. Let’s talk about the positives first. I liked how Lynch has mixed genres – the first half feels like a horror film and the second half feels like a typical 90s noir. He succeeds at creating tension and creates an eerie feeling that I dug. The movie did entertain me, I wasn’t bored for even a second. The performances are incredible, especially Patricia Arquette she’s played a double role, and I liked how restrained she was.
At the halfway point, the lead character Fred is being taken to be electrocuted. That is when the character shifts to Pete. I get that Lynch was trying to show that Fred is dreaming. Fred is projecting all his insecurities and experiences in this dream. And the main characters in his dream represent his id, ego and superego. This is a really interesting and smart concept. But the events shown in this movie do not fit altogether. None of it makes any sense. I know that this was done deliberately but I wanted to know what the point of all this was. No hints are dropped as to where the story is going or what everything means. I was just baffled as I didn’t know what to make of the main story. A few character motivations just randomly change and we are given no hints as to what triggered this change. It sure as hell is entertaining but it gets too absurd and I didn’t sense any direction. It also starts seeming like a B movie at times, in the second half. This stylistic choice was also deliberate but I couldn’t figure out what the point of it was.
I know that Lynch has made this movie for himself, and he doesn’t want to tell the audience what his idea for the movie is, and as I said I absolutely support that. So I respect this movie for what it is, but I’ll only recommend you to watch it if you’re a David Lynch fan.
INHERENT VICE -The film is set in 70s California during the hippie culture. In this film, Joaquin Phoenix plays a hippie private investigator named Doc. He is visited by his ex girlfriend, Shasta who tells him that her present lover’s wife is plotting to throw him in a “loonie bin” so that she can get all his fortune. Doc agrees to investigate and soon faces a lot of hurdles and gets involved in this severely complicated world.The response to this film was really divisive. Many people didn’t like it because of the complicated nature of the plot, which could be frustrating for some. This is a film that you wont completely understand on the first viewing. I think this film was really misunderstood by most people, the plot is deliberately made that way, you are not really supposed to connect the dots. You are just supposed to enjoy all the chaos on the screen, and hang out with these characters. Many things happen on the screen that you dont need to know if they matter or not, because we dont know if they are actually happening or not. The film is about a hippie who is high most of the time, the movie is made in a way so that the viewer feels high while watching it. The whole movie is like one good trip with a lot of characters. Of course there is a lot of PTA symbolism in every scene. he is so skilled that while he can make an entertaining film, he could also slap your face with a lot of deep stuff.
I fucking love this movie. The film perfectly captures the 70’s California atmosphere and the hippie culture. it is extremely stylish, the soundtrack is amazing, it adds to the paranoia. Robert Elswit’s cinematography is fantastic, it is subtle and makes the film look melancholic. The film is full of warm and vibrant colours, it’s great to look at. as you guys know that I love noir films, this film gives the feeling of The Long Goodbye, The Big Lebowski and Chinatown but with an incomprehensible plot. Also this is probably PTA’s funniest film, I really liked the use of humour in this film. You can actually watch this film not as a noir but as a comedy, it’s hilarious.
Let’s talk about one of the best ensembles of the decade- Joaquin Phoenix is magnetic as Doc Sportello, he is like this stoned loser of a hippy, Josh Brolin is fantastic as Bigfoot, a detective working for the LAPD. The relationship between these two characters is hilarious. Even though they dont like each other, they are the only people in the city who understand each other. It’s like a relationship between an elder brother and younger brother. I was really impressed by Katherine Waterston, I want to see her in more of PTA’s movies. All the side characters are also memorable, Benecio Del Toro as Doc’s lawyer and buddy, Reese Witherspoon as the girl Doc’s seeing who happens to be working at the DA’s office and Owen Wilson as this undercover informant. The scene with Martin Short was damn memorable. It was so surreal and dreamlike, it was like a movie in itself.
In the end I’d like to say that Inherent Vice is a fantastic movie. Just don’t try to keep a track of the story, the film is an experience, just have fun seeing these characters hang out while they deliver some smartly written dialogues. You may find the film a little meandering , because it is deliberately made that way, to make you feel hazy just like our lead character feels.
2. MY NIGHT AT MAUD’S
My Night at Maud’s is directed by Eric Rohmer and it stars Jean Louis Trignintant as this 34 years old devout catholic who holds some really strict principles. He’s in love with a girl who he saw at church once, but has never actually met. One day his friend, Vidal invites him for dinner at his friend, Maud’s place who’s a recently divorced woman. He ends up staying the night, and all his principles are challenged, he also has to make a few moral decisions.
The movie is basically centred around this long conversation that takes place during the course of a night.This is one of the best dialogue driven films I’ve ever seen. The characters talk about a range of stuff, from Christianity to mathematics. The whole film is like one casual but intelligent conversation, its free flowing and often not important to the plot, but you have to figure out the subtle details that could be important to where the plot can progress. The film shows some of the best human interactions I’ve ever seen on screen. You see how this guy’s ideals are questioned and how he may be holding these useless and hypocritical beliefs. Ofcourse there is a lot of stuff below the surface, many philosophies like that of Pascal and Janenism went above my head, but these conversations were engaging and interesting to watch. The characters are very fresh and intelligent, that they are really fun to observe.
The film beautifully depicts morality in relationships, and shows how the lead has to make a tough choice. He’s confused about whether he should spend the night at Maud’s, would it be cheating to the girl he loves but has never met. I also liked the stylistic choices that Rohmer has made, especially the way he has captured the winter landscape. The ending really surprised me and gives a great message.
All in all, A Night at Maud’s is one of the most important films of the French New Wave and shows how intelligent and important Eric Rohmer’s work is.
In Run Lola Run, Lola needs to bring 100 grand marks under 20 minutes or her boyfriend would have to face some consequences from his employer. We are shown three different scenarios, on how Lola secures the money.
This is no brain entertainment at it’s best. The film is thrilling and fast paced. It does a great job at creating tension. The fast editing is really cool and I even liked the use of animation. The high beat techno music elevates the tension. The film just begins without introducing the main characters, indicating that we have no time to breathe. I’d like to praise the director for how innovatively he has used fast takes, quick cuts, slow motion and panning to create this adrenaline filled experience. I also liked how well put together all the little elements of the plot were. All three scenarios tie together perfectly.
The film is basically about how every small decision we take affects our life. The movie shows this in three different scenarios. A lot of details are used to show how if one little thing had not happened to a particular character, his/her life would have been different. It also portrays the importance of time. For an entertaining thriller, it portrays all this quite effectively.
I’d highly recommend this movie, it’s a well made film that is easy to watch. It’s a fun fast paced thriller.
RIGHT NOW, WRONG THEN
Right Now, Wrong Then (2015) is directed by Hong Songsoo and it is about a filmmaker named Ham Cheon-Soo who comes to the town of Suwon for a screening of one of his movies. He’s at a local tourist attraction where he strikes a conversation with a girl named Heejung. She’s a painter. They talk a lot and spend most of the day together. But they end things up on a sour note, and the next day Ham goes back to Seoul. Then the second chapter starts, it is set after a year and starts with Ham coming to Suwon again. He goes to the same tourist place where he had met Heejung that day, and he finds her again. So this day goes the same way as the first day did, it’s like the same things are happening again. Their activities and all are the same but the way they talk to each other is different. They are both more honest and more open about their feelings. This is the day, where things go right for them. How a year later things go well. I loved this brave narrative choice that the director has taken, showing the same sequence of events again but in a different fashion and after some time. things end similarly in both of them but the feelings are different and they feel more fulfilled in the second one. You see the subtle changes on both days.
This film is made in a way that it’s intended to make you feel things. The feelings are the substance. This is an atmospheric movie in which we follow two similar days in the lives of these people. The film is more about the mood. You see these two characters fall in love right in front of you, and you feel the exact same emotions that they feel be it happy or miserable. The aspect I liked the most was of how the director has created this feeling of repressed love. you actually feel it. they love each other but they cannot do anything about it because Ham is married and has a family. This film just felt very warm and human. It captures the people living the urban middle class life, reminded me of the works of Ozu and Eric Rohmer.
Do give this movie a a watch if you want to watch a slow and atmospheric diptych that showcases the lives of two lost souls in a heartwarming way
La Dolce Vita is directed by Frederico Fellini, and it is one of my favourite films of all time. The film shows seven days in the life of this journalist, Marcello Rubini. these seven days show him pursuing people who can fetch him news, hanging out with a famous movie star, hanging out with his father, dealing with his toxic girlfriend while he is trying to find his place in modern Roman society.
La Dolce Vita is not a film for everyone, on the surface, it looks like a film about a guy who’s navigating through life. But below the surface it’s one of the deepest films ever made. It is a satire on modern society and a character study about this hedonistic guy who is really involved in the upper class Rome party life. He is living this glamourous life in which he is trying to find pleasure and entertainment. He has this idea of an ideal life which he is trying hard to achieve. seeing his friend, Steiner living it makes him envious. He spends time with various women but none of them are able to alleviate the emptiness inside him. Throughout the film he is not able to achieve the things he wants. Fellini is trying to convey to the viewers how meaningless and futile life is. he is also trying to say that we look for happiness elsewhere and how we are not able to harness the happiness inside us.
All the seven chapters end with dawn. The night seems to be going good but as dawn comes, something or the other happens that makes our lead Marcello feel disappointed. The film also shows how every relationship that this guy has is not that good, be it the relationship with his father who he barely knows or his girlfriend who he doesn’t love. Fellini has also shown the city of Rome, as both a city of dreams but also as a city of disappointments. He’s also shown the contrast that this city presents, from people of the high-class cafe society to the underprivileged people. People are emotionally detached from each other and most relationships are selfish and superficial. There is also some commentary on religion specifically Christianity- about how people would just blindly believe anything related to God.
This review will not complete if I don’t talk about Marcello Mastroianni. He embodies this existential character. A lot of the film relies on his facial expressions, and I think that he’s done a tremendous job. His character has been given so many layers that you understand why he may be acting a certain way.
In the end, La Dolce Vita is a really deep movie that would take a few watches to fully understand the essence of. Frederico Fellini is a genius, the things that he has talked about and the way he has shown them is truly extraordinary. La Dolce vita just may be my favourite Italian film of all time.
John Huston’s The Asphalt Jungle (1950) is about a group of people who plan to steal jewels that are worth $ 1 million. As they are done with the heist they face betrayals from each other. They have to deal with their greed while also ensuring that they do not get caught by the authorities.
In this film the heist is not what matters, but the characters do. The characters have been given different shades, so we understand their motives. They aren’t bad guys after all, they are like you and me. This humanness given to the characters is what makes this film stand out from other noirs. They’ve been shown from an empathetic lens.
This is one of the best ensembles I’ve ever seen. Sterling Hayden is a star, he’s charismatic as this low life/hooligan. Sam Jaffe just fills every scene with his somber energy and Louis Calhern is charming as this criminal attorney.
John Huston is one of the most important figures in American cinema. He gave the American noir genre a head start. This is one of the very first caper films. He has a very unique way of capturing a scene. He shoots it in small and confined locations. This helps in elevating the tension. This style of his has inspired several great filmmakers. With this movie, he’s done a great job at creating tension, you’re on your toes from the very first scene. Huston is at the top of his game with this movie, Asphalt Jungle is one of the best heist films ever made.
CHARLIE WILSON’S WAR (2007)
Charlie Wilson’s War is based on the true story of congressman Charlie Wilson about how he let go of his glamourous life and helped support the Afghan troops against Soviet invaders.
Charlie Wilson was a very interesting personality with a controversial and vibrant life. He enjoyed his drugs, booze and girls to the fullest. The film portrays him in an alluring way. It also nicely portrays the things he went through, and how he persuaded people at different positions for the funding. It was interesting to see how things run inside the closed doors of the congress and government in general along with all the talk that goes behind everything. Tom hanks is captivating as Charlie Wilson. The charisma that he exudes with this persona is really noteworthy. The guy who stole the show for me though is Philip Seymour Hoffman. He’s super mesmerising as a CIA operative. My favorite scene of him was one in which he’s arguing with his superior over an assignment, it was just amusing and cleverly written. Which brings me to the writing. Written by the legend, Aaron Sorkin this film smartly balances comedy and drama. It is deftly structured and he knows how to write smart and funny dialogues without making them sound cheesy. Mike Nichols’ has done a fine job with the direction, and I loved the way he’s presented the characters.
Overall Charlie Wilson’s War is an entertaining political satire that is definitely worth your time.
Eduindex News 
You must be logged in to post a comment.