#rs week 2020

[covid-safer-hotties]

Also preserved on our archive

By Jim Wappes

A new survey study reveals that people who had two COVID-19 infections were more than twice as likely—and those who had three or more COVID-19 infections were almost four times more likely—to report long COVID as those with one infection.

The study involved 3,382 global survey respondents and was conducted by researchers with the Patient-Led Research Collaborative on long COVID. It was published this week on Research Square, which is the preprint service of the Nature Portfolio. It has not yet undergone peer review.

Among the survey respondents, who were polled from March 30 to September 1, 2023, 22% had never had COVID-19, 42% had it once, 25% twice, and 10% three times or more. They said their acute SARS-CoV-2 infections occurred from February 2020 through August 2023, with 24% of first infections and 27% of re-infections in 2020. They reported that 52% of first infections and 43% reinfections were in 2022, while 7% of first infections and 15% of reinfections were in 2023.

Reinfection raised risk of severe fatigue, functional limitations The researchers found that, compared with people who had COVID only once, those who had two COVID infections were 2.14 times more likely to report long COVID, and those who had three or more COVID infections were 3.75 times more likely to have the long-term condition. They also noted that the odds of both severe fatigue and post-exertional malaise, both of which can be quite debilitating, increased with reinfections.

Fatigue severity also increased with re-infections. As did the odds of functional limitations, such as bathing and dressing difficulty and limits on moderate activity.

The researchers also noted that the number of pre-infection vaccines and boosters cut the risk of long COVID, but their efficacy was diminished by reinfections.

The authors conclude, "These findings underscore the need for robust public health measures for COVID-19 infection prevention and the importance of considering reinfections in Long COVID research and clinical practice." The team summarized its findings on X.

Study Link: www.researchsquare.com/article/rs-4909082/v1

[flodaya]

Since you are an expert in tomdaya rs😭 explain to me how they are dating for 7 years? 😭😭 like when did they started dating and didn’t they dated me other people too? (i’m not a tomdaya hater btw!!)

hahah the disclaimer, it's chill

so a basic rundown

they met in 2016, started dating in september of that year

it is speculated they went on a break in may 2019 but kept hooking up during the far from home press tour in june 2019

fully broke up end of june 2019

they tried to stay friends

Z dated JE from late 2019 until early lockdown 2020

tom and Z failed to stay friends and had a falling out

tom was in his little fuckboy era

here for my favorite part: in april 2020 tom started dating someone, end of july he and Z reconnected, he posted his gf on ig in early august and Z liked that post and a week later he and his gf were done

tom and Z started filming nwh in late october 2020

sometime between august and november 2020 he and Z got back together and have been together ever since

so techically 1.0 was 2.5-3 years and 2.0 it's been almost 3 years so in total it's 5.5-6 years but when tz can ignore their break so can we 😌

[angstics]

the foundations of decay (2022) x vampires will never hurt you (2002)

FIRST SINGLE

Gerard Way: ["Vampires Will Never Hurt You"] will always be my favorite recording of the band, because it was the first. Having little money, or for that matter the songs, to complete a full-length album, we hopped in a van and headed to Nada Studios.

(may death never stop you booklet, march 2014)

["Vampires Will Never Hurt You"]'s recording was so passionate that, despite being intended as a demo, My Chemical Romance decided that they should use it on the album. It would go on to become the central cog of the record they were about to make, I Brought You My Bullets, You Brought Me Your Love. It would be the album that launched their career.

(not the life it seems, sept 2014)

[Under the /audio tab on mychemicalromance.com, there is a table of titles and downloadablable mp3s. At this time, there is only one audio file listed for "Vampires Will Never Hurt You". Below the table, it reads: "From our forthcoming full length album on Eyeball Recordings, due out this summer. This is a rough mix of the song. The final mix will appear on a summer sampler and the full length. Recorded March 3rd, 2002 at Nada Studios in upstate NY."]

(mychemicalromance.com, arch. june 2002)

[Alex Saavedra] gives a lot of the credit to the influential local DJ and scene stalwart the late Mario Comesanas. He used his Under the Stars slot on the South Orange, New Jersey college-radio station WSOU to air "Vampires" for the first time. Comesanas, who was also first to play Thursday on the radio, remembered the response was overwhelming. ‘The reaction was ridiculous – I knew that there was something special here,’ he said. ‘When we counted the requests, there was so much more for them than there was for any other band at that time.’

(not the life it seems, sept 2014)

Frank Iero: I think the first time we really recognized the power of social media was right around the time Thursday was being signed, Midtown was signed. Basically, all our friends from Jersey and Long Island were getting record deals. And My Chem had really just started. We recorded one song because that’s all we had the money for at that point. And we put it up on Myspace immediately and were like, “Hey listen, we’re gonna do a record soon once we get the money. But this is like a sneak preview kind of thing,” and once we put that up, there were literally major label A&Rs calling the practice studio. How they got the number for the practice studio, I have no idea.

(stereogum.com, march 2020)

Frank Iero: This is just something we figured out like... last week when I was hanging out with everybody. The first song we ever wrote and put out on the internet, like, our first single was a song called "Vampires Will Never Hurt You" and it was a song we wrote at the practice studio and recorded and put it out. And we were like, "If people like it, then... they'll let us know through this song and we'll get enough money that we can record," right? So that's what we did. That song was six minutes long. And the last song we put out ["The Foundations of Decay"] is six minutes long. Kinda crazy.

(two minutes to late night, august 2022)

Frank Iero: No one has bigger balls than us right now… I pulled out songs that like… Can you rip a song like a song that we did in 2001 and never released? […] You feel like a badass when you can do that. You feel like a musician then. Like the musicianship and the artistry, that can’t be fucked with."

(one life, one chance, oct 2022)

"favorite" / "couldn't be happier"

(mikey way and frank iero on instagram, may 2022)

STORM

Gerard Way, about recording "Vampires": We started moving the drums out to the van and I was surprised to see what it looked like outside. The sky had become dark blue and jet black and the wind was so strong we thought Mikey was going to blow away. Trees were whipping around and a huge storm was rolling in, but it was strangely warm and felt very comforting. Then I knew my vocals were going to come out just the way I wanted, I could feel this weird excitement.

(mychemicalromance.com, arch. may 2002)

(foundations of decay, may 2022)

SWARM

What's all this nonsense about bats??? The band likes bats. Who doesn't? If you've seen the band live you might have heard Gerard mention something about turning into one or unleashing some sort of swarm of them. "Unleash the fucking bats" is something they say to each other seconds before starting the set to get themselves pumped up. This all started back in Jan '02 when the band finally came together and started playing together with an intensity none of them had ever known. That fateful night they rocked together so hard that a "rock portal" opened up and out flew a swarm of giant bats. No shit.

(mychemicalromance.com, arch. may 2002)

Some rumours I have heard is that you guys like Bats, what's the fascination with them, is it the Will Haven song BATS, or you just like the species? Gerard Way: Haha...the whole bat thing came about at an early practice when Mikey joined and we finally gelled. Our energy just came together and a giant heavy metal vortex opened up and out flew a swarm of bats. We all saw it. It was like an awakening. After that we accepted bats into our lives. It was also while we were playing "Vampires Will Never Hurt You" so it probably had alot to do with that.

(anemicmagazine.com, 2002)

So, the whole vampires, bats, bloody stuff. Where did that all come from? Gerard Way: I probably haven’t ever said this in an interview, but the whole “unleash the bats” thing came from a Birthday Party song called “Release The Bats.” [...] The whole vampire thing [came up when I thought], “Man, nobody writes songs about vampires. How cool would it be?” I thought it was kind of risky or ballsy to play a rock song or a hardcore song that was about vampires.

(starsandscars.com, april 2004)

(foundations of decay, may 2022)

[jeffhirsch]

Making Money w/ Charles Payne - Fox Business February 27, 2024

Charles and Jeff discuss Fed rate cuts, March and election year seasonality, and four stocks on Jeff's radar.

Path To Fed’s 2% Target Is Quite Optimistic

The path to the Fed’s stated 2% target is a quite optimistic 0.1% or less monthly change. If that ends up being Thursday’s PCE reading, the 12-month rate will be 2.1%. Any monthly change greater will likely only further delay the Fed. Unless January’s PCE is surprisingly lower, I still do not expect the Fed to begin cutting rates until at least around mid-year and likely later.

Beware Ides of March

Stock prices have had a propensity to decline, sometimes rather precipitously, during the latter days of the month. Late March gains in 2009 and 2020 improved 2nd half March performance. March Triple-Witching Weeks have been quite bullish in recent years. But the week after is the exact opposite, DJIA down 22 of the last 36 years—and often down sharply. “Beware the Ides of March” this year also coincides with the seasonal decline during presidential election years where the sitting president is running.

Support Levels to Watch

S&P 500: 4800 old ATH and 4600 near summer 2023 highs.

Stocks I like here on a dip:

Reliance ($RS): Making steel and metal for all the industrial, tech and infrastructure growth.

United Health ($UNH): Everyone is going to still need lots of healthcare.

Assurant ($AIZ): Insurance juggernaut in mobile device, electronics, and appliances as well as homeowner, property, fire, hazard, liability, etc

EMCOR ($EME): Construction behemoth building out the data centers, semiconductor fabricators and biotech facilities.

[binickandros]

Hey, fun fact! As a swing state voter whose state went to Trump in 2016 and Biden in 2020, I voted Dem in both those elections. But if Biden is the nom in 2024 I will be voting 3rd party, since enabling a genocide should be a red line for anyone with even a shred of morality. If Trump wins because of that, that sucks, but I'm not willing to put my comfort and safety above the right of Palestinians to exist.

So you truly think Tr*mp would be better for Palestine, or any other oppressed peoples on the face of the planet? Genuinely. Is that what you think? Do you have amnesia? Have you suffered a head injury?

You can’t reverse 70 years of diplomacy in just a few weeks. You just can’t. If you think that Joe Biden, a man who lost both his wife and his son, doesn’t personally mourn the genocide happening right now while also being handcuffed by 70 years of American diplomatic policy, then I don’t know what to tell you. And if you Tr*mp gives a flying *fuck* about anything other than flattering his own ego, then once again. I don’t know what to tell you.

For all of you out there saying you’re going to vote 3rd party because of this and if Tr*mp wins “so be it,” do you think he would be a better choice in this situation? He wants to give drug dealers automatic death sentences. He wants to end birthright citizenship. He wants to reinstate his Muslim ban. He wants to put the guy who invented the child separation policy back in charge of ICE. But you think that guy would be doing a better job during a diplomatic and humanitarian crisis? The same guy who let hundreds of thousands of Americans die of covid just because he didn’t want to admit there was a problem?

We have no idea what’s being said behind closed doors. What we do know is that the Israeli government is a further right, more conservative, more anti-Palestinian government than they’ve ever had before. They’ve been itching for an excuse to do this exact thing, and very little short of full-on invasion is going to stop them.

Comparing what’s happening now to any of the bullshit Israel has pulled before doesn’t work, because Israel has never had a government so hell-bent on wiping any memory of Palestine off the face of the planet before.

I get you’re sick and upset and horrified by what’s happening in Palestine, and that you hate our government’s reaction to it. I feel the exact same way. But saying “my own comfort” like the things Tr*mp wants to do with a second term are tra la no big deal is…I’m sorry. It’s naive and childish. He wants to end Democracy as we know it. He wants to become a dictator. Would checks and balances stop him? Mostly, probably, IF Rs aren’t controlling the House and Senate too.

So I mean sit at home or vote 3rd party if that’s what you need to do, but when this country turns to absolute HELL (and I don’t say that lightly) for women, minorities, queer ppl, disabled ppl, poor ppl…at least you’ll sleep well knowing Tr*mp cares about Palestine.

OH wait no he fucking does not.

[news-venue]

Anil Ambani's wife Tina appears before ED in FEMA case

The investigation against the couple pertains to the possession of certain alleged undisclosed assets abroad and the linked movement of funds, the sources said.

MUMBAI: Tina Ambani, the wife of Reliance ADA Group Chairman Anil Ambani, on Tuesday appeared before the Enforcement Directorate (ED) here for questioning and recording her statement in connection with an investigation linked to the alleged contravention of the foreign exchange law, official sources said.

Anil Ambani recorded his statement in the case on Monday under sections of the Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) and he is expected to appear before the federal agency again later this week for completion of the exercise.

The investigation against the couple pertains to the possession of certain alleged undisclosed assets abroad and the linked movement of funds, the sources said.

Anil Ambani’s alleged links to some offshore companies based in Jersey, the British Virgin Islands and Cyprus are under the probe scanner of the ED.

He had been questioned by the agency in 2020 in a money laundering case against Yes Bank promoter Rana Kapoor and others.

In August last year, the income-tax department issued a notice to Anil Ambani under the anti-black money law for allegedly evading Rs 420 crore in taxes on undisclosed funds of more than Rs 814 crore held in two Swiss bank accounts.

The Bombay High Court in March ordered an interim stay on this I-T show-cause notice and penalty demand.

[cherryblossomshadow]

[Image ID and source: Tweet from Simon Rosenberg (@/SimonWDC) reading: Red wave 2024 update:

70+ polls in the averages, 31 right-aligned groups have released polls since August

Polymarket, Elon 2024 escalations

Late last week they worked the natl polling average, moved it down, started spinning early vote hard 👇 1/

.

Part of their new efforts to drive the natl polling average down is addition of a TIPP daily tracking poll. Predictably, and perhaps comically, it showed the race - all of a sudden! - breaking to Trump after 6 weeks of a remarkably stable race and a bad media week for Trump 2/

/end ID]

.

More tweets from the thread:

Last Wed I did a polling roundup. Polling continued to be remarkably stable. 538 natl average actually ticked up for us that week. We were +4 and stable in Econ/YouGov, +5 in Marist, +4 in Morning Consult, NYT, +3 CBS, ABC. Steady as she goes. 3/

Yes, some state polls had moved a bit towards Trump. But things were all within margin of error, things bounce around and Rs had been pounding the state averages, particularly NC and PA. Majority of recent polls in those 2 states R-aligned 👇4/

Even after "movement towards Trump" here is the @/WashingtonPost battleground state polling averages this morning. The Post has a tighter screen on what polls they accept. It shows Harris at 270+ and winning. 5/

Then last Wed a switch turned on and right aligned polls started flooding the natl polling average - Emerson, Fox News, Quantas, RMG, TIPP's daily tracker. Senate Rs dropped a natl poll to help out, as did whatever ActiVote and Atlas are. 538 moved from 2.6 to 1.8 Harris. 6/

To be clear - the independent polls last week were +3 to +5 Harris. A steady, stable race. Then boom - red wavers dropped series of polls 2 to 5 points to the right of indep. polling and the averages moved.

This is exactly what they did in 2022. 7/

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/us/politics/polling-election-2022-red-wave.html

https://web.archive.org/web/20240929092855/https://www.nytimes.com/2022/12/31/us/politics/polling-election-2022-red-wave.html

Since TIPP is now the tip of the red wave 2024 spear, let's take a look. "Talent on loan from God" - Rush Limbaugh's catchphrase. Here's a fun story from their site: "Harris’s Fiery Campaign of Rage Exposes Her Unpresidential Temperament" 8/

Some other recent TIPP goodies:

"The Left Is Still Obsessed With 2020 Election Deniers"

"U.S. Government Pushing Climate Lies On Schoolchildren"

"Night And Day: Trump’s Command Of Economy Exposes Harris’s Novice Approach" 9/

The American right hacked the polling averages in 2022 and are doing it again. 538 told us that even a bad PA TIPP poll should be included in the averages, and that it only moved PA 1/10th of a point. No biggie - except Rs have released 16 polls in PA this month. 10/

The simple fix is to create a new category of polls, R-aligned, and keep these polls separate from legit, independent polls.

Rs have exploited the "throw it in the averages" approach again - 70+ polls, 31 different orgs.

We have to do better 👇11/

Another explanation for flood of natl polls last week - Rs started seeing movement from Trump due to his deranged behavior.

When a bad video for Moreno dropped RMG rushed into OH with his best poll of the cycle.

They flooded NC in days leading up to Robinson implosion. 12/

Perhaps the most important point of all - Rs would not be spending so much time and effort working the polling averages if they believed they were winning. 13/

Could Rs really be doing this?

Rs have been lying about last election for 4 years

They tried to overturn the election in 2020-2021 and attacked the f-ing Capitol

Fox News is a right wing political org that has fraudulently pretended to be a news org for decades Yes /14

On cue, a high-quality independent poll drops this morning with data consistent with other recent independent polls, showing Harris ahead, no slippage, and far more likely to win. 15/

If you're wondering why polling averages are suddenly showing Trump winning despite all the bad news he's gotten lately- it might have something to do with this:

Basically, Republicans are ratfucking the polling averages by churning out huge numbers of partisan polls, and the polling aggregators/analysts like 538 aren't doing due diligence to compensate for it.

Now, what is the purpose of this?

Well, in the immediate-term, it creates a narrative that Trump is winning, boosting morale of his supporters while demoralizing support for Democrats and Harris.

Beyond that, if polling averages show that Trump is winning ahead of election day-which we can pretty much guarantee they will, because see above-then they will use that as "proof" of fraud if Democrats subsequently win.

Basically, they are engineering a pretext for their next coup attempt in front of us.

The only numbers that decide anything are actual votes. So ignore the polls, and VOTE.

[samacharapp]

Yamuna’s Perennial Toxic Saga: A Critical Issue For Delhi

Yamuna's plight raises questions about accountability and the effectiveness of governmental commitments to environmental supervision

As the festive season approaches, the Yamuna river remains a focal point in the national capital, marred by extreme pollution despite repeated electoral promises. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), led by former Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal, has continually vowed to clean this river. Yet, just weeks before the annual Chhath Puja, toxic foam covers its surface, highlighting the grim reality of the situation.

Notably, soon after coming to power in 2015, Kejriwal had promised to clean the river and said, “We will revive Yamuna within five years.”

Then again in 2021, Kejriwal reiterated the promise to rejuvenate the Yamuna and said that he will take a dip in the river in February 2025. Then in 2020, Delhi’s then water minister Satyendra Jain claimed that the Delhi government was committed to revive the river within next three-four years. In November 2021, Kejriwal announced a six-point action plan to change the face of Yamuna. Even AAP’s Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament Swati Maliwal attacked the Delhi government and accused them of “making false promises of cleaning the river”.

Earlier this year, the Delhi government’s pollution control body planned to penalise chief engineers of sewage treatment plants that do not treat wastewater to prescribed standards, a major cause of pollution in the Yamuna. The national capital missed the December 2023 deadline to treat all sewage generated to the prescribed standards. The Delhi Jal Board (DJB) received a six-month extension but failed to meet the goal, according to monthly progress reports on Yamuna’s rejuvenation sent to the Jal Shakti ministry.

Meanwhile, Bhartiya Janata Party Delhi unit president Virendra Sachdeva took a dip in the Yamuna river earlier this week in Delhi to highlight the pollution. The Delhi BJP chief had invited people to Chhath Ghat to show the plight of Yamuna.

Sachdeva said that he took a dip to “atone for the sins of Kejriwal”. He further said: “The central government gave Rs 8,500 crore to the Delhi government in seven years for cleaning the Yamuna, but the money was embezzled by the AAP government. The BJP leader later reported breathing issues and skin irritation days after he took a dip in the heavily polluted toxic water of the Yamuna River. After experiencing health issues, the Delhi BJP chief slammed Kejriwal over his ‘failure’ to fulfill his promise of cleaning Yamuna by 2025.”

The spike in pollution levels in the Yamuna has mirrored the various political promises made over the years.

According to water quality data from 2021, the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) level of the Yamuna rose dramatically from 11.0 mg at Pala (where it enters Delhi) to a whopping 127.0 mg at Asgarpur (where it exits). Recent data from 2024 suggests a similar trend, with BOD levels starting at 2.5 mg and spiking to an alarming 80.0 mg at Asgarpur.

Yamuna’s plight continues to be a critical issue in Delhi, raising pressing questions about accountability and the effectiveness of governmental commitments to environmental supervision.

News is originally taken from: https://bit.ly/3YvK1gC

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[indipopcorn]

Pune Porsche case- Accused writes essay on road accident: Juvenile will fulfill all board conditions; The High Court granted bail to the minor on June 25.

In 2022, India saw 67,387 hit-and-run cases, lower than what it saw in 2018 and 2019, though the country witnessed a more significant dip in 2020 and 2021. However, this is most likely linked to the Covid-related lockdowns in those two years. Last year India saw 30,486 deaths from hit-and-run cases, the highest in this five year analysis.

The new provision for hit-and-run cases in the newly enacted Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has caused furor among truckers with many taking to the streets across the nation to protest the new law.

Maharashtra as a whole came together to demand justice for the two young persons who died in the Porsche case. Since the driver was only 17 years and 8 months old, he was punished with only 300 essays to complete under the juvenile statute.

The accused was drunk at the time of the incident. He was driving a car at a speed of 200 kilometers per hour.

Court said that we are bound by the law and the objective of Juvenile Justice Act and we have to treat the accused in the same way as we treat any other child in conflict of law. No matter how serious the offence. The accused is in rehabilitation, which is the main objective of the Juvenile Justice Act. The court said- The accused is also in shock after the accident.

The accused was detained after the accident, but the Juvenile Justice Board granted him bail only after 15 hours. As part of the bail conditions, he was asked to write a 300-word essay on road accidents, work with the traffic police for a few days and submit two surety bonds of Rs 7,500 each.

If this is the case all affluent families will provide luxurious car to their children as video game

Many individuals write on social media, but will it actually be helpful? Law is supreme and the only thing that courts follow. The change is long overdue. The ruling administration has already expressed alarm about it, and now the opposition is already well-positioned to make it possible.

Shri Rahul Gandhi is leading incredibly and visiting many victims than why there’s no intervention for the hit and run cases which needs the attention more. Thousands of individuals have written about hit-and-run incidents and the Porsche case, so why do they not want him to be involved in this? Why are people treating such important matters with such disregard? If leaders of the opposition agree, this measure can be passed and the law proposed earlier can be implemented.

I have read about two hit-and-run incidents in Ahmedabad throughout the past week. Six were crushed by a senior citizen who lost his balance. Thankfully, five people have spared lives, although their injuries are severe. Who is going to pay for it? and someone has lost their life for his amusement. 

I saw a driver on a busy route attempting a stunt with his automobile. Every customer and store owner was seen, but what can be done? To whom should one denounce such foolishness?  Every day, a young driver in the Bodakdev area drove a car recklessly, and the way he drove the car would eventually end someone's life.

A web series “maai” has shown new angle as well where hit and run is new and easy way of murder.

[foxnangelseo]

Foreign Portfolio Investors in India: Insights into their Investment Trends and Outlook

Foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) have been steadily increasing their investments in Indian equity markets in recent months. In April 2023, FPIs infused Rs 11,630 crore in Indian equities, driven by reasonable valuations and the appreciation of the rupee. While the outlook for FPI flow remains volatile due to the tight monetary policy of the US Federal Reserve, the stability of the Indian economy and reasonable valuations may continue to attract FPIs to Indian equities.

In the first half of April, FPIs showed strong buying activity, indicating a renewed sense of optimism in the Indian equity market. However, this optimism was dampened in the third week of the month due to concerns about elevated interest rates and weak economic indicators in the US. Nevertheless, FPIs turned aggressive buyers once again in the last few days of April, and the inflow of foreign capital is likely to continue in the longer term.

Apart from equities, FPIs have also put in Rs 805 crore in the debt market during the period under review. As the rate hike stops, the money will start moving in from debt to equities to beat inflation. India is presenting a better opportunity among developed markets and other emerging markets.

The mid-April data on FPI inflows revealed that the financials, automobile components, and information technology sectors were particularly attractive to foreign investors. This highlights the increasing interest of FPIs in the Indian economy and the potential for sustained investment in India in these sectors.

India has been consistently attracting foreign direct investment (FDI) in recent years, driven by various factors such as political stability, economic reforms, and a growing consumer market. The Indian government has implemented several policies to encourage foreign investment in the country, such as easing restrictions on FDI in India in various sectors and simplifying procedures for setting up businesses.

In 2020-21, FPIs invested a record Rs 2.7 lakh crore in equities in India, indicating a strong investor sentiment towards the country. This was followed by a more challenging year in 2021-22, with FPIs pulling out a record Rs 1.4 lakh crore from Indian equities due to aggressive rate hikes by central banks globally. However, FPIs have been increasing their investments in India once again in 2023, demonstrating the resilience of the Indian economy and its attractiveness as an investment destination.

In addition to equity and debt markets, FDI has been flowing into India in various sectors such as manufacturing, services, and infrastructure. The government's focus on improving the ease of doing business and promoting the Make in India initiative has attracted significant FDI in India in the manufacturing sector. The services sector, particularly the technology industry, has also been a major recipient of FDI in India in recent years.

Overall, FPIs and FDI have been playing a significant role in the growth and development of the Indian economy. The sustained interest of foreign investors in Indian markets and the government's efforts to attract more investment bodes well for the country's future economic prospects.

This post was originally published on: Foxnangel

[arpov-blog-blog]

In 2022 there were polls showing Republicans with an advantage (many paid for or conducted by GOP aligned organizations), and lots of other polls showing the election close and competitive. Many commentators choose to dismiss the polls more favorable to Dems, and focused on those more favorable to Rs. It is how so many fell for the red wave that that never came.

The responsible thing for commentators and analysts to do now, in 2024, is to point out that not all the data is pointing in the same direction; that there are polls favorable to the Rs (like the new WSJ polls) and there are all these other polls favorable to Biden and the Dems. Another responsible thing to do is to point out that in a week of very good polling for Biden and the Dems the one major poll showing good news for Rs - the low-sample size/high margin of error WSJ polls - was paid for by Rupert Murdoch and conducted by Trump’s own pollster; and thus centering one’s understanding about the 2024 election around data they provide is, um, not a reasonable thing to do. This is particularly true given Murdoch’s Fox News was found guilty in court of maliciously lying about the 2020 election.

My view is the election is becoming bluer, we are gaining ground. Trump is no longer ahead in the election or favored - saying so is outside the data in front of us. It has long been my view, and the view of the Biden campaign, that as we got deeper into the general election and our coalition started paying more attention, Biden would jump out to a modest lead. That appears to be what is happening now.

I also do not subscribe to the school of thought that the battleground leans more Republican than the popular vote. It may happen. But it didn’t happen in 2022, and the 2024 battleground knows and has repeatedly rejected MAGA. Post Dobbs MAGA had a disastrous showing in the battleground in 2022, and we just don’t know what is going to happen this year. I think Dobbs changed everything, and so comparisons to 2016 or 2020 are in my view very very risky.

We have a long way to to go in this election, much can and will change, and we have a lot of work to do. But this has been a very good week of polling for Dems, and here at Hopium we take the wins when they come.

[seemabhatnagar]

Defamation Unveiled: The Battle for Trust and Reputation

Sewa Bharthi Tamil Nadu v. Surendar

Civil Suit 60/2021

Subject: Defamation by YouTube Channel Karuppar Desam

Before the High Court of Madras

Heard by Hon’ble Mr. Justice N Sathish Kumar J

The suit was decreed for damages of Rs.50 lakhs with costs as against the defendant and the same was directed to be paid within one month failing which the suit amount shall carry interest @ 7.5% further, a decree of permanent injunction was also granted to the Trust against the Defendant.

Sewa Bharthi Tamil Nadu is a charitable trust engaged in serving the poor and needy belonging to all sections of society. Defendant Surendar alias Naathikan, telecasted a video on their YouTube channel Karuppar Desam during the first week of July 2020 relating to the murder of Mr.Jayaraj and Mr.Bennix, both belonging to the Christian Community in police custody. The video was more of provoking the entire Christian community.

The statement in the video was in the form of an interview presented in a manner as if the Trust had conspired and murdered Mr. Jayaraj and Mr. Bennix that too in police custody. It was also stated in the video, that the Trust was supported by the RSS and the Trust aims to eliminate the Christian religion and therefore, the murder has taken place in continuation of their motive.

Defendants-Karuppar Desam were served with summons but they didn’t turn up before the Court. The obvious inference deduced from non-appearance, the channel does not deny the allegations made in the suit. Seeing the video any normal and prudent person would doubt the Trust.

The fact was public was already agitating against the murders of the two persons in police custody, and in those circumstances, the circulation of false allegations without any semblance of truth and portraying the Sewa Bharthi Trust in a bad light in the eye of the public is nothing but a clear case of defamation with a malafide intention.

The Court held that it cannot shut its eyes when such false allegations are circulated targeting innocent persons. Circulating statements nowadays are used as a tool to blackmail people. These things cannot be encouraged unless it is discouraged in the initial stage, there will not be an end and every black mailer may use the social media platform to blackmail others by spreading false and unnecessary news.

The Court observed that damages caused to the Trust cannot be ascertained showing them with accusations that the aim of the Trust is only to eliminate the Christian community is nothing but serious allegations which not only cause damage to the reputation of the Trust. Still, it will have a serious impact on the very activity of the trust. Such view of the matter, though the nature of damages is immeasurable, considering the nature of the statement circulated on YouTube in the form of an interview, the plaintiff is certainly entitled to monetary compensation for a sum of Rs.50,00,000/- which shall be paid by the defendant.

Seema Bhatnagar

[nghialtrn]

WEEK 5: WHAT IS DIGITAL CITIZENSHIP? HASHTAG PUBLICS, POLITICAL ENGAGEMENT AND ACTIVISM

Digital Citizenship Definition

The first ideas of digital citizenship center on people's rights to use the internet and communicate with others, to close the digital gap (Pangrazio, L. & Sefton-Green, J. 2021). Digital Citizenship can also be simply defined as "the right to participate in online society" (Mossberger, K, Tolbert, CJ & McNeal, RS 2007). It emphasizes a dedication to social justice and the freeing and transformational possibilities of technology, with a frequent focus on technological components and digital capacities.

It makes sense that as the Internet continues to grow, so do the chances for people to get involved in social, political, and civic life. The demand for citizens to use social media has proportionally risen, to the extent that nowadays, numerous social media accounts are created every day. Furthermore, since social media sites like Facebook and Twitter have become the primary avenues for involvement, the significance of access rights has decreased. Even pets or infants who do not have the physical ability to move like adults now have their own personal accounts, managed by their owners and parents. Therefore, citizenship rights are practically given in the digital sphere, but they include a variety of duties or activities, such as interpreting news sources or creating a digital identity.

Our engagement with anything larger than ourselves—a community, a platform, or a country—is marked by our digital citizenship (McCosker, A, Vivienne, S & Johns, A 2016). In this view, digital citizenship encompasses new kinds of interaction made possible by the digital sphere as well as civic duty and self-reliance. Digital platforms have a big influence on how individuals participate in politics and how democracy is conducted. The poor voter turnout at Donald Trump's Tulsa campaign rally in June 2020 serves as a prominent illustration of this. This event, which was coordinated via TikTok, united K-pop fans with Black Lives Matter protestors in an unusual partnership. Although it was said to be ‘sold out’, at the rally, the stadium was largely empty (Sakzewski, E 2020)

The importance of Digital Citizenship entails Political Engagement, the power of Hashtags Publics

Since the Internet provides new avenues for political participation, it merits special consideration (Vromen, A. 2016). In addition to non-traditional techniques like blogging, boycotts, texting (e.g., to politicians and the media), and boycotting, online forms of conventional engagement include voting, sending letters to politicians, and making financial donations. These unconventional techniques for personal engagement are frequently quicker, less time-consuming, and useful for expressing political opinions. Because of this, the Internet and online platforms that facilitate rapid and easy connections while also delivering information have come together specially. This has increased the amount of space accessible for the study of politics' personalization, but politics is also being integrated online more and more into other spheres of the economy and society.

With online platforms, it's not hard to notice nouns, adjectives, or a phrase written together behind the "#" sign – this is commonly known as a hashtag, one of the ways that help users quickly access relevant content. Using hashtags can convey strong key points to viewers, making it easy for them not only to access related content quickly but also to preview the content before reading the entire post. Social media mobilization in politics can be viewed as a modernized version of organized media, but given people's intimate connection to media and information, this phenomenon can also be seen as a type of citizen journalism, in which participation is essential to an individual's capacity to obtain and distribute information. Protesters have frequently used Twitter to stay in touch and share information with the globe during demonstrations since it was first developed as a real-time mobile information network. 

An example of this is the #MeToo movement, which began in 2006, calling for an end to sexual harassment and assault globally. The movement gained momentum in 2017 when actress Ashley Judd publicly accused powerful Hollywood media mogul Harvey Weinstein of sexual harassment. Gradually, the #MeToo movement spread widely worldwide. On the first day alone, the hashtag was used 200,000 times on Twitter. By the next day, it had been used over half a million times. #MeToo became popular in more than 85 countries with various languages.

Due to the influence of the movement, women openly spoke up about being victims of sexual harassment or assault, creating an atmosphere of empathy that encouraged other women to share their experiences in similar situations. #MeToo has empowered women to speak out against sexual harassment in various fields and across different countries. The widespread wave has formed a circle of solidarity, letting victims know they are not alone. By raising their voices, they are creating a powerful weapon against this issue. The darkness masked by fame and power, the hidden wrongs covered for years by ultimate authority, are finally brought into the light.

Conclusion

Until recently, theories of personalized collective action—particularly the component of social and political participation—have benefited greatly from the growth of the Internet and emerging trends. This idea not only revolutionizes how people communicate and look for information online, but it also creates a number of new avenues for addressing the enduring political injustices that society faces. One thing to notice is that the Internet serves as a conduit between movements and the general public in addition to being a tool for information dissemination. Participants may readily access and exchange their knowledge, viewpoints, and ideas without difficulty due to the growth and accessibility of the Internet, which eliminates barriers based on geography or language. More than that, it is a way to empower a wider network of shaky ties by including people who might not have had much interaction with any official group.

However, in order to get this degree of varied engagement, it is imperative to confront the issue of whether commonplace kinds of participation can truly mitigate political disparities in citizen participation. Thorough investigation and assessment are required to determine the efficacy of these engagement strategies and their potential to address societal issues such as gender inequality.

Reference list

McCosker, A, Vivienne, S & Johns, A 2016, ‘Negotiating Digital Citizenship: Control, Contest and Culture’, Google Books, Rowman & Littlefield, viewed 23 February 2024, <https://books.google.com.vn/books?hl=en&lr=&id=EePaDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PR7&dq=Negotiating+Digital+Citizenship&ots=oMlh30AtAx&sig=kgDbBUB5Uu01De1g-zhKhLX3BmI&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=Negotiating%20Digital%20Citizenship&f=false>.

Mossberger, K, Tolbert, CJ & McNeal, RS 2007, ‘Digital Citizenship: the Internet, Society, and Participation’, direct.mit.edu, MIT Press Direct, viewed <https://direct.mit.edu/books/book/3275/Digital-CitizenshipThe-Internet-Society-and>.

Pangrazio, L & Sefton-Green, J 2021, ‘Digital Rights, Digital Citizenship and Digital Literacy: What’s the Difference?’, Journal of New Approaches in Educational Research, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 15–27, viewed <https://naerjournal.ua.es/article/view/v10n1-1>.

Sakzewski, E 2020, ‘Did TikTok Users and K-pop Fans Troll Trump’s Tulsa rally?’, ABC News Australia, viewed <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-22/did-tiktok-users-kpop-fans-really-troll-donald-trump-tulsa-rally/12378768>.Vromen, A 2016, ‘Digital Citizenship and Political Engagement’, Digital Citizenship and Political Engagement, pp. 9–49, viewed <https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1057%2F978-1-137-48865-7_2>.

[playermagic23]

From The Kerala Story to Zara Hatke Zara Bachke: 5 films of 2023 that haven’t arrived on OTT yet

Films like The Kerala Story and Zara Hatke Zara Bachke attained success at the box office but have still not arrived on any streaming platform yet.

The arrival of OTT happened in India almost a decade back. But the rise in watching online content boomed from 2020 onwards as the cinema halls were shut during that time to combat COVID-19 pandemic. Even after the cinema halls opened and started running to packed capacity, a section of the audience has been eagerly awaiting the release of some films on OTT. Every noteworthy film has been arriving on OTT eight weeks after its release. But there are some films who haven’t arrived on streaming platforms even months after their theatrical release.

The subject of this Rajkumar Santoshi directorial was enough to generate interest – Mahatma Gandhi and his killer Nathuram Godse having a debate over their respective ideologies. However, it literally went unnoticed at the box office because of an absence of a big star and, more importantly, the makers deciding to release it alongside Shah Rukh Khan’s biggie Pathaan, which became a runaway blockbuster. But there is enough interest in the film because, as mentioned above, for its subject. Surprisingly, there is no news about its OTT release yet.

The Kerala Story

The Sudipto Sen directorial is the biggest surprise on this list. Starring Adah Sharma, Yogita Bihani, Siddhi Idnani, Sonia Balani, the movie told the story of young girls being lured into relationships by evil men in order to get them converted to Islam. Despite not a single big star associated with it, it went onto earn a mammoth Rs. 242.20 crores. Hence, it remains a mystery as to why it hasn’t arrived on OTT yet.

Zara Hatke Zara Bachke

This is another major surprise on the list. The Vicky Kaushal and Sara Ali Khan starrer looked like an OTT film but the makers released it in theatres. It became a surprise hit of the year as it went onto earn a very impressive Rs. 88 crores at the box office. Despite it being over six months since the film released in theatres, it still hasn’t got a release on any streaming platform as yet.

The Lady Killer

Directed by Ajay Bahl, the film had decent face value because of its lead cast of Arjun Kapoor and Bhumi Pednekar. But The Lady Killer got a tiny release in theatres and that too without any publicity and promotions. Normally, this happens when the makers are more interested in its OTT release. However, three months after its miniscule release, the film hasn’t arrived on streaming yet.

Ganapath – A Hero Is Born

Filmmaker Vikas Bahl’s movie was in the news for it being a rare Bollywood movie to have a dystopian theme. It also had known actors like Tiger Shroff, Kriti Sanon and Amitabh Bachchan in pivotal roles. However, Ganapath – A Hero Is Born just bombed at the box office. More than three months after its theatrical release, it still hasn’t arrived on OTT. This is a surprise considering the popularity of its cast.

[bignewsupdates]

MC Exclusive | Promoters of SecureKloud Tech arrested in money laundering case

In January 2021, 8K Miles rebranded itself as SecureKloud Technologies Ltd. 8K Miles was always in the limelight for the wrong reasons.

Suresh Venkatachari, the promoter of SecureKloud Technologies

Note to readers: An earlier version of the article qualified SecureKloud as a “Sandeep Tandon-backed company”. This is to clarify that Sandeep Tandon is not a promoter, board member or a shareholder. The inadvertent remark is regretted.

The Directorate of Enforcement on March 24 arrested the promoters of a listed entity, SecureKloud Technologies - Suresh Venkatachari and RS Ramani - under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.

The company said in an exchange filing that Venkatachari shall cease to be the president of the company with "immediate effect".

On March 24, the stock ended at Rs 38.6 on the NSE, lower by 3.6 percent from the previous close. The stock is down over 80 percent from its all-time high level touched in October 2021. Its market capitalisation now stands at Rs 133 crore.

What does Securekloud do?

As per the company's website, SecureKloud enables digital transformation for enterprises with cloud-based solutions. "We have helped organizations including Fortune 500 giants embrace the cloud with security and agility while following industry best practices," reads the company's LinkedIn profile. It is based in the San Francisco Bay area.

The company clocked annual sales of Rs 849 crore in March 2018, which fell to Rs 382 crore in March 2020 and stood at Rs 379 for FY22. During the same time period, the bottom line has swung between Rs 205 crore of net profit and Rs 98 crore of net loss. Operating margins have also been inconsistent, as per data from Screener.

Shareholding

As of December 2022, the promoter and promoter group held a 43.52 percent stake in the company. Venkatachari held 42.13  percent and Ramani held 1.39 percent. Public shareholding stood at 56.48 percent.

Dubious past

In January 2021, 8K Miles rebranded itself as SecureKloud Technologies Ltd.

8K Miles was always in the limelight for the wrong reasons. From August 1, 2011 to September 30, 2012 and January 4, 2012 to September 28, 2012 respectively, there was "unusual price movement in the scrip". SEBI prima facie found that various connected entities had indulged in fraudulent and manipulative trading in the stock.

In 2018, when the stock was spiralling down, Venkatachari said that 8K Miles will initiate legal action against Quantum Global Securities Ltd and Kumar Share Brokers Ltd for the illegal transfer of promoter shares worth 8.42 percent equity of the company.

Following that, in an audit conducted in 2019, Deloitte flagged false disclosures by the management and misrepresentation in financial statements.

"We came across certain transactions that gave us reason to believe that suspected offences involving fraud have been committed in the company," it said.

The audit report said that two independent directors on the company's board were never really "independent" as their relatives were employed in 8K Miles.

Deloitte also found several instances of transactions with vendors, wherein there were "inconsistencies between the nature of services as mentioned in the invoices and the basis of recording in the books of account as consultancy expenses, intangible assets, multiple federal tax identification against the same vendor, contracts signed by employees post cessation of their employment, etc."

In 2020, trading was suspended in the stock for a few weeks due to the company's non-submission of financial results for two consecutive quarters.

[thenewsart]

My Cars of the year 2023 – PRNDL Community

2022. BMW M5 CS. 2021. Alfa romeo Giulia GTA. 2020. Koenigsegg Jesko. Yes, 2022, M5 CS. Not the XM. A few weeks ago you may have noticed, I changed that, purely so last year’s COTY would age a bit better. No comment of the 4cyl C63 AMG S-E performance. Yeah. HATCH OF THE YEAR- Volvo EX30 I was going to choose the Renault Megane RS ultime, however, that would be a send off. A celebration of a…