Blending old and new

Rahul V Mathew, a Bengaluru-based artist, has been making digital collages using the paintings of Raja Ravi Varma to send a message about the Covid-19 pandemic.

He juxtaposed the paintings with stock images for the series. He chose six paintings based on how the character would interact with the current environment. Each of them is posted on his Instagram page, and is accompanied by a note that expands on a different theme. Ahalya, for example, has been used by Mathew to drive a point against panic buying. The caption reads, You should prepare for the coronavirus but dont buy more than what you need. He also talks about the importance of taking care of ones mental health, social distancing and maintaining personal hygiene.

The Srishti Institute of Art, Design and Technology graduate was inspired by a project he had worked on previously Varma Printing Press in Mumbai, using the royal artists work. The idea came to Mathew when he visited Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village in Manipal.

It is not just the fact that Ravi Varmadepicted Indian deities that made Mathew choose his works, but also the fact that he made art accessible to the underprivileged sections. I wanted my art and the message I am trying to send across to be accessible to everyone, he says. However, using the artwork of someone who is already established, he says, comes with its own challenges.

Contemporary artist Rehaman Patel, who hails from Kalaburagi district, created a painting to urge people to stay home.

He was perturbedby the callousness with which many people were violating the lockdown.The only option left, he says, is to lock their feet; a sentiment he portrays in his artwork. Titled The Last Option, the painting shows a pair of slippers that have been locked. The sandals have been arranged in the shape of a V, symbolising victory.

Patel has always used his art as a medium to discuss current socio-cultural topics such as education, women empowerment and unity in diversity.

Srishti Guptaroy is a fashion designer, visual artist and illustrator based out of Bengaluru. The idea of my art has always been to spread joy, she says. Her style is maximal, colourful and intricate.The first Covid-19 related post she made on her Instagram was on March 7. It was just a fun poke on people wearing masks and how its thesocial requirement to be in public, she says.Making art on something that is so all encompassing seemed, to her, like the most natural thing to do. She was later commissioned by Myntra to make 30 illustrations surrounding lockdown, quarantine and Covid-19. I was a little overwhelmed initially. But as I started working on it, I realised that this global predicament we are in can actually create thousands of concepts and artworks, she explains.

Her art is not focused on creating awareness, her aim is to create relatable content that can be shared for a laugh. The light and often sarcastic illustrations depict Zoom interactions, the rise in Instagram Lives and even the comeback of Ludo. She says that art is what is really getting us through in a way. I know that it comes from a certain place ofprivilege, but once basic requirements are met, everyone has turned to some form of art for solace, she concludes.

Seen on every street corner, rangolis are probably the most visible form of everyday art we have. So its no surprise that they have been used to spread awareness.

The idea came from a consortium of 12 child rights organisations. They have been working with young girls who are victims of child marriage and those who might be part of the Devadasi system.

Rangolis seemed to be the best way to involve girls in a community awareness initiative, says Vasudeva Sharma, a child rights activist, who is part of the initiative.

More than 300 girls from places like Bengaluru, Belagavi, Chikkaballapura, Bidar participated in this initiative. The colourful work depicted the virus with slogans asking people to practice safety, showing the importance of handwashing and using sanitisers and promoting the use of masks.

It was not without roadblocks, their work was not paid attention to in the beginning with some families even refusing to allow them to draw in front of their houses. It was the age-old belief that what you draw outside will come inside, says Vasudeva with a laugh. But there were many who not just appreciated but helped the girls in designing and procuring colours. Thisawareness drive is led by two collaborative projects, Initiative for Married Adolescent Girls Empowerment and Getting Out of Devadasi System.

Aakansha Menon is an illustrator and designer who loves illustrating the world around her. She describes her work as minimal and raw. I want to convey a story with as few words as possible, she says.

The artist had never worked from home before the lockdown and the changes that came with it were extremely unusual for her. Art was her way to process it. Everyone else also seemed to be going through the same situation, so for people to relate to my work and find a sense of comfort kept me going, she says.

She has both message-oriented art that deals with the importance of handwashing and social distancing in addition to work that stems from her experiences such as video calls with her mother.

Our only source of contact with each other is through social media, so I find that it becomes more important to connect through it. Sharing positive messages through easily consumable and shareable mediums like art is reassuring to people who are going through a tough time. It tells them that theyre not alone, she explains.

Excerpt from:
Art to create awareness about the pandemic - Deccan Herald

If you really want to feel the anguish of a consumer who has experienced the economic impact of the national lockdown, ask Chumani Sigcau [name changed].

I dont know if Ill even afford petrol for the commute to work when the lockdown is over, she says.

Sigcau is a media practitioner in Johannesburg whose salary has been slashed by 45% because business operations in SA have been halted.

My life has changed drastically, Sigcau says.

Prior to the pandemic, she could afford a middle-class, decent lifestyle and was able to pay off her debt now that is a far-fetched dream.

I could pay for my bills and spoil myself here and there; now I cant. It all goes to bills.

She says with her new salary, she can only afford to pay off some bills. Some debit orders are just left to bounce in her account.

As a result, she had to think on her feet for an alternative to fill the financial gap she is now faced with.

I cant ask a friend or a family member to help me pay my bills, its [financially] rough on everyone, Sigcau says.

She decided to start selling home-cooked meals such as curry mince rotis, panini with beef stir-fry and beef or chicken stew around her complex, as well as for friends and family. While the money she earns this way is still not enough to pay for her rent and vehicle, she is hoping it will be enough to at least help her survive until things get back to normal.

Not alone

She is not the only one who is finding herself cash-strapped during this pandemic. Taxi drivers were without commuters for over a month; now they can only have a limited number of people in their taxis to transport.

Right now my six taxis make about R150 a day, said one taxi driver in Midrand who is a breadwinner with two children.

Read: How can employees get paid during SouthAfricas Covid-19 lockdown?

There are many who have not worked at all during lockdown, and grants and Unemployement Insurance Fund (UIF) payments if one qualifies to receive them only go so far.

One thing thats common among most South Africans is that paying off existing bills will become problematic and its even worse for those who were already struggling prior to the country going into lockdown.

Its going to get worse

Johann van Tonder, economist and researcher of financial wellness at Momentum, says the economic impact of Covid-19 is already being felt and its only going to get worse from here on as the economy drastically loses momentum during the lockdown.

The reality is, household financial wellness is closely connected to economic growth, so [even] a recession takes an unquestionable toll on our financial wellness as well as our financial success. But if we make the right adjustments, we can recover, Van Tonder says.

According to the Momentum/Unisa Household Financial Wellness Index, only 25% of South African households are classified as financially well.

Van Tonder says the pandemic is going to affect consumers through their assets, income, personal empowerment and also how people view their education status.

Assets will be the first to feel the impact, he says. This specifically relates to the value of financial assets invested on the stock exchange and fixed securities as many households scramble to cash out their investments.

He adds that as the spread of the virus slows and is brought under control, the losses will be erased gradually.However, it will take time to bounce back.

Van Tonder says thatas businesses close, households will struggle to earn an income, spend and save.

The full impact of this is yet to make its way through the economy and will only truly be felt within the next three to six months. However, thanks to governments measures and the assistance of companies, the impact will be softer than initially feared.

Move up retirement age

He advises that employers consider moving the retirement age of their employees up by at least a year, to give households the time to recover from the effects of the coming market crash on their retirement investments.

He emphasises the need for households to understand that their long-term goals will be affected by the pandemic.

In these unprecedented and unpredictable times, dont let your anxiety rule your decision making, Van Tonder says.

Now is not the time to be emotional

Carla Oberholzer, debt advisor at DebtSafe, agrees that people need to step away from loaded emotion and know that this pandemic and its financial implications are out of their control.

They should not be so hard on themselves. The burden is already hard enough out there no need to be their own worst supporter.

She advises households to become innovative, creative and proactive when it comes to their finances, financial situation or debt.

Oberholzer says those who are currently receiving their full salary should avoid luxury purchases.

Tuck savings away in your emergency fund for example, a few rands that would have normally been used for fuel or transport . Keep the entire household up to date with the financial situation so that everybody can work together to deal with or play their part during the situation.

She says those who are receiving part of their salary should ensure that they are in regular communication with their employer or human resource department to see if the organisation has applied for the UIF Ters (Temporary Employer/Employee Relief Scheme) benefit.

Read:

Employers angry, frustrated, horrified by Tersprocess

Significant improvement to UIF relief scheme

Payment holidays

Oberholzer says experts may recommend payment holidays for those who are in a crisis and need a short-term solution. However, this requires careful consideration.

Read:

If this is a case for a consumer, I would suggest that they still do their homework well, [asking themselves] What are the terms and conditions?, Will I incur interest in the long run? she says.

Consumers should pay bills where they can and ask creditors if there is another alternative if they are struggling, before opting for a payment holiday.

All options should be explored before consumers try and just jump in to take onpayment holidaysfrom, for example the bank, as the only solution to be considered, Oberholzer says.

Personal finance journalist Maya Fisher-French shares these sentiments.

They are not free and will extend the term of your loan. Rather tighten your belts than extend your debts.

She emphasises the importance of having a Covid-19 budget.

You cant manage your expenses if you dont know what they are. The upside is that with lockdown there are many things we are not spending money on especially non-essentials.

More here:
The impact of Covid-19 on households - Moneyweb.co.za

12:41 21/05/2020 Keiran Peacock

I know many educators are uncertain and some are making personal sacrifices in order to return to work. Like nurses, doctors, police officers and sanitisation workers and other frontline workers, so much is being asked of them.

After much deliberation and consultation, the decision to get grade 7 and 12 learners back to school was made by the Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga this week.

I have had many discussions with ex-colleagues about the prospect of them heading back to school and have received polarised opinions about how and when it should be done.

Whether one agrees with the decision or not, the decision has been made.

From the 1st of June educators should be seen as part of the frontline workers whose actions will be critical in the fight against the pandemic.

Educators need to be mindful that their words carry weight and thus need to ensure that despite their feelings, insecurities, anxieties or anger at returning to school what they impart to learners has to promote the greater good of the child and ultimately South Africa as a whole.

They need to be compassionate and curious about their feelings so that they are in a position to offer support and compassion to those in their care.

I recently listened to Susan David who holds a PhD and is one of the world's leading management thinkers and an award-winning Harvard Medical School psychologist who spoke about the choice we have as to whether we let the narrative coming through the media own us, or whether we let our emotions own us, or whether we are going to exert some kind of empowerment and connection and be in a better space to own it.

She referred to an oft-used phrase by Victor Frankel who survived the Nazi death camps.

He said that between stimulus and response there is a space and in that space is our power to choose and, in that choice, lies our growth and freedom.

You and those you teach did not choose these circumstances and what often happens is that we get hooked into an experience where there is no space between stimulus and response.

We mindlessly busy ourselves by engaging with social media or the news and we begin to catastrophise our experiences. Thus letting our experiences and emotions own us.

Dr David goes further to say that when situations are ambiguous fear is often exacerbated.

The return to school is extremely ambiguous for all parties as no one knows that may happen in the near future.

When one experiences this ambiguity, people often try fill the blanks which results in more anxiety as they catastrophise the possible future.

Dr David refers to emotional contagion whereby people pick up the emotions of other people. Learners returning will pick up on educators' emotions.

What educators need to show is intentionality where they project the ability to not get stuck in their own lived experiences, to not get consumed by news and social media but instead offer an alternative way of engaging with their lived experiences and that of their students.

Educators must not focus their attention on year-end examinations as this is a mountain that may invoke more fear.

Instead they must focus on the daily lived experience of those they teach and make small manageable goals that will empower those in their care.

Educators will be doing what others cannot do at the moment, they are uniquely positioned to build a better tomorrow.

That is so powerful.

I know many educators are uncertain and some are making personal sacrifices in order to return to work.

Like nurses, doctors, police officers and sanitisation workers and other frontline workers, so much is being asked of them.

Educators now fall into the category of frontline fighters and they will need all the support of fellow South Africans if education is to assist our country overcoming this pandemic.

- Keiran Peacock is a former High school educator and was previously in charge of discipline, leadership and pastoral care at Groote Schuur High School in the Western Cape.

More here:
OPINION | Teachers should be seen as frontline workers and will need all our support - News24

Tiger King may feel revolutionary, but documentaries about strange people are nothing new. Here are 10 great docs for any Tiger King fan.

Every so often, a television show comes along that, due to a variety of factors, manages to become a true hit, saturating every aspect of the cultural landscape. The Netflix series Tiger King is one such series, elevating what was before a relatively minor (if strange) criminal case into nothing less than a national phenomenon.

RELATED:10 True Crime Documentaries That Are As Twisted As The Tiger King

While it is in many ways an utterly unique series, it is also part of a long documentary tradition documenting the lives of strange and eccentric people who occupy the margins of American society.

This is, arguably, the ultimate example of a documentary focusing on strange people. It focuses on two women, Big and Little Edie, who occupy a decaying mansion on Long Island. There is something utterly compelling about these two women (who were cousins of first lady Jackie Kennedy), their dysfunctional relationship, and the ruined grandeur around them.

The Maysles brothers who directed the film wring every bit of pathos out of it, inviting the viewer to sympathize with these women, even as they also remain strange and just a little bit unearthly.

Even the canniest viewer might be forgiven for not realizing that there is such a thing as competitive tickling. However, this subculture, if one can call it that, is exactly what is explored in this strange, subversive, and utterly compelling film.

Needless to say, there was some controversy associated with the subject matter (which, of course, has some rather unfortunate overtones), as well as the film itself. However, the critics absolutely loved it, and a sequel was actually produced.

Wine is one of those things that has a value even beyond its taste and its alcoholic content. Its quality, or lack thereof, says so much about not only ones class status, but about ones taste. Indeed, wine tasting and wine manufacture is a very serious business, which is why the subject of this documentary, wine fraud is so fascinating.

The film documents a scheme whereby Rudy Kurniawan took cheap wine and put more expensive labels on it. In showcasing the scheme, the film reveals both its brilliance and the way that wine is a powerful social signifier.

The Pacific Northwest has something of a reputation for attracting the kinds of people who want to set out on their own path, forging a new life for themselves. One of those people, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, is the subject of this documentary.

RELATED:Netflix's Tiger King: 10 Spin-Offs We Want To See

Its an admittedly rather disturbing portrait of the Rajneeshee movement. What started out as a consciousness movement soon became tied up with assassination and bioterror. The film was praised by critics, though some also took it to task for various aspects of its story.

This is one of those true-crime films that is certainly not for the faint of heart. It begins as a manhunt for someone who recorded himself killing two kittens by suffocation, but soon became a larger manhunt after it was revealed that he also responsible for the murder and dismemberment of a Chinese international student.

The film received only a lukewarm reception, both due to the dubious intent of the filmmakers and the unfocused nature of the story.

Timothy Treadwell is one of those people who is unlike almost anyone else. A noted advocate for wild bears, he spent the last years of his troubled life living among them, much to the consternation of wildlife officials and his family and friends.

This films director, Werner Herzog, brings his signature style of existentialist rumination to the career of this troubled man, who was ultimately killed and partially eaten by one of the bears he so loved.

Set in upstate New York, this film focuses on the unusual death of an elderly man who lived with his brothers in a ramshackle home far from any other people. In particular, it focuses on the trial of one of his brothers, who was accused by the police of having committed the crime.

RELATED:Netflix's Tiger King: 10 Riveting Documentaries About Animal Welfare Issues To Watch Next

It is a troubling rumination on the way that the criminal justice system works, and whether it actually works to the advantage of those who occupy the outer reaches of society.

The title of this film says it all. Its subject is the twisted relationship between a lawyer and his younger girlfriend and later wife. The bizarre aspect is that he hired a group of men to throw lye in her face, leaving her blind and scarred. Despite this, she later married him.

Its one of those films that is morbidly horrifying to watch. No matter how dismaying these people might be, and no matter how miserable they seem (and how miserable they make the viewer) it is almost impossible to look away.

West Virginia, and Appalachia more generally, has come to occupy a vexed place in American culture, as a place that has been largely left behind by modernity, occupied by strange and bizarre people.

The Whites are certainly both strange and bizarre, particularly Jesco, who has achieved some measure of fame as a dancer. The film is a startling insight into the lives of many Appalachians, which are scarred by decades of exploitation by various fossil fuel industries and the crushing weight of endemic poverty.

The right to privacy is one of those things that most people take for granted, and there are certain spaces one inhabits that are usually assumed to be off-limits to casual voyeurism. One of those is, certainly, the hotel room.

It is precisely the supposed inviolability of this space that makes this documentary, which focuses on a man allegedly liked to watch his guests, so viscerally disturbing. The film is a potent and troubling reminder of just how little privacy most people ultimately possess.

NEXT:10 Netflix True Crime Documentaries To Watch After Tiger King

Next Which Divergent Faction Are You Based on Your Zodiac?

Excerpt from:
10 Documentaries About Eccentric People To Watch If You Liked Tiger King - Screen Rant

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HBO Max is wasting no time adding to its content library just days after its initial launch. June brings a whole new list of TV shows, movies, and HBO Originals all included in the brand new streaming service.

June 1: 4th & Forever: Muck City, Season One Adventures In Babysitting, 1987 (HBO) Amelie, 2001 (HBO) An American Werewolf in London, 1981 (HBO) The American, 2010 (HBO) Another Cinderella Story, 2008 Beautiful Girls, 1996 (HBO) Black Beauty, 1994 Bridget Joness Baby, 2016 The Bucket List, 2007 Cabaret, 1972 The Champ, 1979 Chicago, 2002 A Cinderella Story, 2004 A Cinderella Story: Once Upon a Song, 2011 Clash Of The Titans, 2010 Cradle 2 the Grave, 2003 Crash, 2005 (Directors Cut) (HBO) Doubt, 2008 (HBO) Dreaming Of Joseph Lees, 1999 (HBO) Drop Dead Gorgeous, 1999 Dune, 1984 (HBO) Elf, 2003 Enter The Dragon, 1973 Far and Away, 1992 (HBO) Final Destination, 2000 Final Destination 2, 2003 Final Destination 3, 2006 The Final Destination, 2009 Firewall, 2006 Flipped, 2010 Forces of Nature, 1999 (HBO) The Fountain, 2006 (HBO) Frantic, 1988 From Dusk Til Dawn, 1996 Full Metal Jacket, 1987 Gente De Zona: En Letra De Otro, 2018 (HBO) The Good Son, 1993 (HBO) The Goonies, 1985 Hanna, 2011 (HBO) Havana, 1990 (HBO) He Got Game, 1998 (HBO) Heaven Can Wait, 1978 Heidi, 2006 Hello Again, 1987 (HBO) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, 2012 The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, 2013 The Hunger, 1983 In Her Shoes, 2005 (HBO) In Like Flint, 1967 (HBO) The Iron Giant, 1999 It Takes Two, 1995 Juice, 1992 The Last Mimzy, 2007 License To Wed, 2007 Life, 1999 (HBO) Lifeforce, 1985 (HBO) Lights Out, 2016 (HBO) Like Water For Chocolate, 1993 (HBO) Looney Tunes: Back in Action, 2003 The Losers, 2010 Love Jones, 1997 Lucy, 2020 (HBO) Magic Mike, 2012 McCabe and Mrs. Miller, 1971 Misery, 1990 Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day, 2008 (HBO) A Monster Calls, 2016 (HBO) Mr. Wonderful, 1993 (HBO) Must Love Dogs, 2005 My Dog Skip, 2000 Mystic River, 2003 The Neverending Story II: The Next Chapter, 1991 The Neverending Story, 1984 New York Minute, 2004 Nights In Rodanthe, 2008 No Reservations, 2007 Ordinary People, 1980 Our Man Flint, 1966 (HBO) The Parallax View, 1974 Patch Adams, 1998 (HBO) A Perfect World, 1993 Pedro Capo: En Letra Otro, 2017 (HBO) Personal Best, 1982 Presumed Innocent, 1990 Ray, 2004 (HBO) Richie Rich (Movie), 1994 Rosewood, 1997 Rugrats Go Wild, 2003 Running on Empty, 1988 Secondhand Lions, 2003 Shes The Man, 2006 (HBO) Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows, 2011 (HBO) Space Cowboys, 2000 Speed Racer, 2008 Splendor in the Grass, 1961 The Stepfather, 1987 (HBO) Summer Catch, 2001 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, 1990 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2, 1991 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3, 1993 Tess, 1980 (HBO) Tim Burtons Corpse Bride, 2005 The Time Travelers Wife, 2009 Titanic, 1997 TMNT, 2007 Torch Song Trilogy, 1988 Turbo: A Power Rangers Movie, 1997 (HBO) Tweetys High-Flying Adventures, 2000 U-571, 2000 (HBO) U.S. Marshals, 1998 Unaccompanied Minors, 2006 Uncle Buck, 1989 (HBO) Veronica Mars, 2014 Walking and Talking, 1996 (HBO) We Are Marshall, 2006 Weird Science, 1985 (HBO) When Harry Met Sally, 1989 Wild Wild West, 1999 Wonder, 2019 (HBO) X-Men: First Class, 2011 (HBO) Youve Got Mail, 1998

June 2: Inside Carbonaro, Season One (TruTV)

June 4:

Were Here, Season Finale (HBO)

HBO First Look: The King of Staten Island (HBO)

June 5: Betty, Season Finale (HBO)

June 6: Ad Astra, 2019 (HBO) Yvonne Orji: Momma, I Made It! (HBO)

June 7: I May Destroy You, Series Premiere (HBO)

June 10: Infinity Train, Season 2 Premiere

June 12: El asesino de los caprichos (AKA The Goya Murders),2020(HBO)

June 13: The Good Liar, 2019 (HBO)

June 14: I Know This Much Is True, Limited Series Finale (HBO) Insecure, Season 4 Finale (HBO)

June 16: #GeorgeWashington, 2017 Age of Big Cats, Season One Ancient Earth, Season One Apocalypse: WWI, Season One Big World in A Small Garden, 2016 The Celts: Blood, Iron & Sacrifice, Season One Cornfield Shipwreck, 2019 The Daunting Fortress of Richard the Lionheart, 2019 David Attenboroughs Ant Mountain, 2016 David Attenbouroughs Light on Earth, 2016 DeBugged, 2018 Digits, Season One Dragons & Damsels, 2019 Ebony: The Last Years of The Atlantic Slave Trade, 2016 Expedition: Black Sea Wrecks, Season One First Man, 2017 Going Nuts: Tales from Squirrel World, 2019 Hack the Moon: Unsung Heroes of Apollo, 2019 The History of Food, Season One Hurricane the Anatomy, Season One, 2018 Into the Lost Crystal Caves, 2016 Jason Silva: Transhumanism, 2016 King: A Filmed Record Montgomery to Memphis (Part 1 & Part 2), Season One Knuckleball!, 2019 Leonardo: The Mystery of The Lost Portrait, 2018 Looney Tunes (Batch 2) (6/22), Season One Mans First Friend, 2018 Penguin Central, 2019 Pompeii: Disaster Street, 2020 Popeye (Batch 2) (6/22), Season One Pyramids Builders: New Clues, 2019 Realm of the Volga, Season One Sacred Spaces, Season One Scandalous: The Untold Story of the National Enquirer, Documentary Premiere (CNN)

Scanning the Pyramids, 2018 Science vs. Terrorism, Season One The Secret Lives of Big Cats, Season One Secret Life of Lakes, Season One Secret Life Underground, Season One Secrets of the Solar System, Season One Space Probes!, Season One Speed, Season One Spies of War , Season One Tales of Nature, Season One Tsunamis: Facing a Global Threat, 2020 Versailles Rediscovered: The Sun Kings Vanished Palace, 2019 Viking Women, Season One Vitamania, 2018 Whale Wisdom, 2019 The Woodstock Bus, 2019

June 18: Summer Camp Island, Season 2 Premiere Karma, Series Premiere

June 19: Bully. Coward. Victim. The Story of Roy Cohn, Documentary Premiere (HBO) Entre Nos: The Winners (HBO) Bajo el mismo techo (AKA Under the Same Roof), 2020 (HBO)

June 20: Ford V. Ferrari, 2020 (HBO)

June 21: Perry Mason, Limited Series Premiere (HBO)

June 22: Hard, Series Finale (HBO)

June 24: South Park, Seasons 1-23 Transhood, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

June 25: Adventure Time Distant Lands: BMO, Special Premiere

Doom Patrol, Season 2 Premiere Esme & Roy, Season 2A Premiere Search Party, Season 3 Premiere

June 26: Hormigas (AKA The Awakening of the Ants), 2020

June 27: Doctor Sleep (Directors Cut), 2020 (HBO)

June 28: Ill Be Gone in the Dark, Docuseries Premiere (HBO)

June 30: Welcome to Chechnya, Documentary Premiere (HBO)

Disclaimer: To address the growing use of ad blockers we now use affiliate links to sites like Amazon.com, streaming services, and others. Affiliate links help sites like Cord Cutters News stay open. Affiliate links cost you nothing but help me support my family. We do not allow paid reviews on this site. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

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Heres Everything Coming to HBO Max in June 2020 - Cord Cutters News, LLC

Mike Maser, a serial entrepreneur, has been focused on longevity since well before being diagnosed with stage 4 non-Hodgkins lymphoma more than five years ago. But he understandably took much greater interest in the potential role of fasting as a life-extending measure when he was convinced by friends to try it while undergoing cancer treatments.

While his care team wasnt so excited about it, Maser recalls now, he was relatively young at the time, he hadnt lost a lot of weight as do some people when battling cancer, and to him, fasting made more sense than taking an experimental drug, so he tried it. He liked it, too. Indeed, while he largely credits an autologous bone marrow transplant for saving his life, he has become a student of and advocate for intermittent fasting in the ensuing years.

Perhaps its no surprise that Maser, who earlier sold a coaching app called Fitstar to Fitbit for around $25 million, would ultimately end up overseeing a fasting app that he says is now growing at an accelerated clip. Called Zero, he acquired it from designer and friend Kevin Rose in 2018, a hand-off that we discussed with Rose last week.

Between Masers track record and the worlds growing interest in fasting, its also no surprise that investors would want to get involved with him. In fact, today, his Montana-based startup, Big Sky Health it oversees Zero, along with a mediation app also acquired from Rose calledOak and months-old app called Less that helps users track their alcohol consumption is announcing it has raised $8 million in Series A funding.

Greycroft led the round, with participation from earlier investors, including True Ventures and Trinity Ventures. The company has now raised $12.2 million altogether.

Certainly, Big Sky Health seems positioned well for the times. Not only is fasting taking off Zero sees roughly 25,000 new downloads a day, says Maser but more people are trying to meditate their way through pandemic-related anxiety.

Theyre also drinking a lot so much so that the World Health Organization has begun warning against alcohol altogether, cautioning that individuals cut back or else risk undermining their own immune systems.

Now, Big Sky which employs just 15 people and whose team has been fully distributed from its founding days two years ago just needs to keep its momentum going.

Toward that end, it has created a premium offering of Zero called Zero Plus, which provides custom fasting plans and what it describes as science-backed content to help guide users on their health journeys. (The non-premium offering has more of a choose-your-own adventure vibe.)

We kept hearing that users want more guidance, said Maser in a call yesterday. The premium offering will adapt to you based on your own personal journey, including taking into account whether a user is new to intermittent fasting.

Big Skys team is also creating a roadmap of whats next, which includes more social features for Zero. We already have 800,000 people fasting together each night on the app, and users have a strong desire to encourage and interact with each other.

As for Oak and Less, they are also getting more attention. Though Less is not about going sober, its more about being mindful about how much youre drinking, says Maser, one can imagine it focusing increasingly on alcohols effects on the body and mind as Big Sky builds its wellness empire.

As for Oak, one need only to look at bigger rivals Calm and Headspace to appreciate the size of the opportunity. Calm has so far raised at least $143 million from investors to date, shows Crunchbase. Headspace has raised at least $168.2 million. What investors are betting on? Its more Americans practicing meditation. Two years ago, for example, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that 14.2% of U.S. adults said they had practiced meditation at least once in the previous year. In 2012, just 4.1% of adults said they practiced meditation.

Original post:

Big Sky Health raises $8 million to nurture its intermittent fasting, meditation, and alcohol consumption apps - TechCrunch

There are many lessons to be learned during times when we are home and garden bound. In my 82 years of life, I have never experienced so much time not being busy with school, work, family or travel. Just about the time we run out of things to keep our minds and bodies occupied, bamboo has come to assist me in meditation. According to Peter Berg and Susan Ruskin of Quindembo Nursery, they have imported over 100 species of noninvasive bamboo species. These are suitable for privacy hedges, gorgeous landscape statements, edible shoots, windbreaks and those used for construction. At Kona Cloud Forest Sanctuary we have tested many of those species and this is the season when many begin to go into active shoot growth. It is just the right time to sit and meditate as some species will grow from one to two feet in a single day. With patience one can actually watch them reach upward for the light!

Hawaiis varied climates and cultural makeup are ideal for bamboo, but until the 1980s, there was no serious effort to introduce the valuable elite bamboos of Asia and the Americas. Thanks to the Hawaii Chapter of the American Bamboo Society and Quindembo Nurssery, we now have many species from which to choose.

Bamboos have been used in Chinese gardens since 2000 BC. In the later centuries leading up to AD 1000, the Japanese started trading with China and many species were naturalized in Japan to enhance the gardens of temples and those of wealthy traders. The first recorded introduction to the West was Black Bamboo (Phyllostachys nigra) in 1827. In the 20th century, many species were introduced by USDA Experiment Stations in Puerto Rico and Louisiana with hopes to develop new crop potentials.

After a number of hurricanes in Puerto Rico, growers in Mayaguez PR noted that bamboo plantings established several years ago faired better than most tree crops in the region. Just one month after the last major storm, bamboo groves were the first showing signs of growth when forests and farms were stripped of vegetation. The original bamboo project started at the Federal Experiment Station at Mayaguez in the late 1930s and was spearheaded by Floyd Alonzo McClure. Valuable bamboos species from Asia were established, tested and distributed throughout the Caribbean and Central America over the next few decades. Today scores of species are utilized, but bamboo is not new to indigenous American Cultures. Guadua species native to the Americas were used as early as 9,500 years ago.

Asia is the ancestral home of many kamaaina, both people and plants. When it comes to plants, one of the most valuable of these is bamboo. Although there are many species found in central and South America, tropical and subtropical Asia has utilized bamboo for thousands of years. It is said that bamboo and rice are the very foundation of these cultures. The Hawaiian Ohe Kahiko, may be found in many parts of Polynesia. The actual genus and specie is not clear with taxonomists and botanists not all agreeing. We do know that it is a tropical clumper probably originating in Southeast Asia. It is likely Schizostachyum and has been called S. glaucifolium in Hawaii. There are vast stands in the mountains of high islands like Raiatea in the Society Islands. Polynesians there still use it in crafts.

With large tracts of land now available for forestry, and our local interest in sustainable agriculture, bamboo may become one of our major resources. It has many uses, both commercial and ornamental.

Some folks only know bamboo from their experience with the rampant running species. Needless to say, these types are not for the small garden unless contained. However, they have been used very effectively to stabilize steep slopes that are prone to erosion. That is why we find large stands of Phyllostachys running bamboos on the steeps slopes above Waiohinu in Kau or at the back of Manoa Valley on Oahu and on Maui. The intricate mat of roots and rhizomes hold soil and rocks in place and save roads, homes and streams from mud and rockslides. Bamboos are certainly a more attractive and environmentally sound approach to steep slope erosion control than concrete, wire or chain link screens. Erosion on East Hawaii gulch roads is a serious problem that could be addressed with certain bamboo species.

Bamboos are also excellent cattle feed and have a place in supplying nutritious greens at a low cost. Local growers have been working on the potential of growing bamboos for multiple use sustainable agriculture incorporating the animal feed component.

Even though bamboos are excellent sources of edible shoots and construction material, most folks are interested in ornamental bamboos for their beauty. Bamboos, of one type or another, are a natural for almost any tropical garden. In fact, many of the hundreds of types do grow in the tropics, but some species grow as far north as New York or Seattle, and can be found growing up to 10,000 feet in the mountains of Asia, Central and South America. Bamboos vary from forest giants of 120 feet to dwarfs of 6 inches.

Many specimens of bamboo are suitable for ornamental purposes. The clump bamboos are ideally suited for ornamental uses in their area of adaptation. They can be planted in groups for hedges or singly for specimen plantings. They spread very slowly and are easy to keep within bounds. One of the best for sunny locations is the Mexican weeping bamboo. Others to consider are the Bambusa multiplex forms such as Alphonse Karr, Fern leaf, Silver Stripe and Feather bamboo. These delicate clump types range from 10 feet to 20 feet high. Other rare clumping types are beginning to show up in our nurseries like the Chusqueas and Drepanostachyums

For larger gardens, try Bambusa chungii (Tropical Blue Hedge) and Weavers bamboo. There are several other Bambusas also available These are all clumping types in the 20- to 40-foot high range with fancy Latin names and multiple uses.

The giant tropical clumping bamboos need plenty of room since they soar from 50 to 100 feet tall under ideal conditions. This group includes the larger Bambusa, Dendrocalamus, Guadua, and Gigantochloa species that may have culms 6 to 12 inches in diameter. They are grown for edible shoots, construction material, windbreaks and furniture. Favorites are the black culm types like Hitam, Lako and Gigantochloa atroviolecea. Another favorite spectacular giant is Dendrocalamus brandisii.

Miniature bamboos well suited to container growing are the Sasa species and Shibatea kumasasa. These and other running bamboos like black bamboo can be kept small or bonsai when contained. The running bamboos are more difficult to keep in bounds than the clump bamboo. However, many are desirable as ornamental plants because of diversity in their habit of growth, appearance, and size.

Bamboos do best in a moist well-drained soil with some organic matter. Apply complete fertilizer such as organic 8-8-8 or manures four to six times a year to the planting. Mulch the soil around the planting. Mulches add organic matter to the soil, help to restrict the growth of weeds and conserve soil moisture. Dead leaves or dry grass clippings can be used for mulch. Apply a layer of mulching material at least three inches deep.

For further information on bamboo, call the UHCTAHR Master Gardeners at 322-4893 in Kona or 981-5199 in Hil.

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Lockdown meditation with bamboo - West Hawaii Today

Spend this Memorial Day weekend listening to a showcase of local musicians, experiencing a special performance by one of the most beloved virtuosos of our time and remembering those we lost during this current crisis. Reflect, relax and remember with VPR and VPR Classical.

Safe & Sound: A Celebration of Local Music

Saturday, May 23rd - 6-8pm on VPR

Join VPR for two hours of local performers from several different genres... including recent releases, recorded live performances and some tunes created while in COVID lockdown.

Listen Saturday, May 23rd from 6-8pm on VPR.

A Musical Memorial and Tribute: Yo-Yo Ma Plays Bach's Solo Cello Suites Live

Sunday, May 24th - 3-5:30pm on VPR Classical

Yo-Yo ma proposed this special performance both in memory of those we have lost during the pandemic and as a tribute to those who are on the front lines. The 2.5-hour program will be performed live in the WGBH studios. Yo-Yo Ma will treat audiences to the six Bach Suites for unaccompanied cello.

Listen Sunday, May 24th from 3-5:30pm on VPR Classical.

A Sudden Loss - A Memorial Day Tribute to Those Lost to COVID-19

Monday, May 25th - 12-1pm on VPR

Public radio hosts, past and present, read short eulogies of just some of the tens of thousands lost to the coronavirus pandemic in the last several months. Produced by public radio veteran producer Paul Ingles.

Listen Monday, May 25th from 12-1pm on VPR.

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Music And Meditation For Memorial Day Weekend - Vermont Public Radio

Naveena Vijayan takes a digital tour of museums during Covid-19 and interviews Jeff Durham, Curator of Himalayan Art at Asian Museum of Art, about their virtual programming surrounding "Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhists Journey Towards Enlightenment." As part of the exhibition, they are offering free meditative experiences on Youtube and Instagram, so make sure to check them out!

This is the age of armchair museum visits. From MOMA in New York, to Louvre in Paris, to the Palace Museum in Beijing, you can literally stroll around these celebrated museums through effortless clicks. Besides providing 360 degree virtual tours of their spaces and digital versions of their prized collection of artworks, museums are taking initiatives, now more than ever, to reach out and engage communities in an attempt to stay relevant during the ongoing Covid 19 lockdown.

Baltimore Museum of Arts new initiative Art To Go gives access to 100 downloadable activities for kids, and their Free Family Sundays at Home offers a Do-at-home craft project every week. Barnes Foundation in Philadelphia recently began Barnes Takeout: Your daily serving of Art, featuring the museums curators, scholars and educators sharing musings about their favorite works in the collection. Similarly, The Frick Collection in New York, in April, started a Youtube series called Cocktails with a curator. Their recent episode featured the painting Constables The White Horse paired with Gin and Dubonnet!

Catchy social media posts, funny memes, and free access to museums resources now stand as key factors to select which museum to visit from your couch. Though all this still doesnt match the experience of being in a museum in real life, it definitely is a necessary consolation in these difficult times.

Following this trend, Asian Art Museum in San Francisco has rolled out a series of meditative experiences on its Instagram and Youtube channels, as part of its current exhibition Awaken: A Tibetan Buddhists Journey Towards Enlightenment. The show, which opened on January 13, features sculptures, paintings, textiles and book art made between 800 and 2016 (from the collection of the Asian Art Museum and Virginia Museum of Fine Arts). Since the lockdown on March 17, the exhibition has been transformed for its digital audience through free downloadable audio tours, a virtual tour of the gallery, and meditative videos featuring Tibetan artworks.

Were lucky that we have a crack team of educators and learning specialists adept at connecting with audiences, so moving our programs online has been relatively seamless, writes Jeff Durham, Curator of Himalayan Art, Asian Museum of Art, in an email interview on April 29. Pretty much every arts organization has been pumping up its digital offeringsespecially as #MuseumFromHome and #MuseumMomentofZen have taken offbut thanks to our amazing collection of Buddhist art from across all of Asia, our posts encourage mindfulness and underscore the introspection and spirituality as well as the artistry that help keep the calm in a crisis.

Its proven that meditation helps allay anxiety, which seems to plague many as they stay locked down and are uncertain about the future. In Buddhism, artworks are created as visual aids to meditation and increasing ones awareness. According to Durham, the Buddhist tradition describes two forms of meditation: calming and insight. He says, Both forms are inculcated by many artworks in the exhibition. In my experience and to my knowledge, the current times demand that we humans bring on-line two rather under-valued skills: 1) the ability to focus calmly so as to accurately perceive the situation(s) in which we find ourselves, without projection, and 2) the ability to understand how our actions have an impact on our bodies, minds, and shared worlds of experience.

He says the esoteric Buddhist visualization and art catalyze the development of these fundamental skills.

One of the meditative videos shows an image of a gilded Buddha statue entitled Amitabha (translates to infinite light in English). The 30 second video on Instagram has the Amitabha Mantra playing in a loop. Durham explains that Buddhists believe that a chant or mantra (mind protection) helps calm down the mind. A second video with the calming sound of waterfall in the background, features an ink painting by artist Chang Dai-chien. Yet another three-and-a-half minute video describes the importance of meditation in breaking the wheel of thoughts.

Durham confirms that their audience has especially responded to the meditative videos and Create your own Mandala activity on the museums website. In Buddhist philosophy, Mandala is a map with intricate geometric patterns that is believed to be both a chart of the entire cosmos and an inner image of the mind. Drawing a Mandala, for Buddhist followers is a meditative experience, and can take several days to weeks. Says Durham, It begins with geometry, like a blueprint. Then the layers are added, light and simple to dark and complex. He adds, The best artists know everything about what they are doing, including the meditative and ritual aspects of the process. Unfortunately, the mass-production tourist thangka economy has made it so that mandalas-in-appearance-only dominate the market, and the time-intensive masters concurrently are disappearing.

Since the start of the lockdown, Durham notes that they have seen an uptick in (audio) tour downloads, but the big jump was across our major social media platforms (Instagram, Facebook, Twitter) which have seen a 59% increase in engagement since shelter-in-place took effect.

While diving into an exhibition on digital mode is strange, it does reinforce the idea that museums are more than just halls full of artworks, but essential platforms that brew ideas, conversations and enable a collective progress even if thats one video at a time.

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Keep calm during Covid, Museums and meditation at home - theartblog.org

NEW YORK, May 19, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --Breethe, one of the most downloaded meditation and wellness apps, wants you to dance like no one is watching. In fact, dancing solo may offer additional health benefits beyond what social dancing can provide. Leveraging the latest scientific research on dance and meditation, and in collaboration with mindful movement expert and international DJ Tasha Blank, Breethe launches today a first-of-its-kind meditative, guided audio, dance experience Dance Away Stress in the app.

Breethe's Dance Away Stress series including Shake Breaks and Move Your Body practices is strategically offered in audio, versus video, format.

"We judge or compare ourselves to people in videos," said Breethe co-founder and lead meditation teacher, Lynne Goldberg. "Dance Away Stress helps users release anxiety and let go without thinking about their peers on-screen. This experience is best facilitated with guided, audio-only instruction, and Breethe is truly the first meditation app to approach dance, mindful movement and meditation in this innovative format."

Why Breethe Wants You to Dance Solo & Like No One is Watching

Dancing by yourself and like no one is watching may offer additional health benefits beyond that of social dancing.

This combination of movement, mindful guidance, and rhythmic music may potentially give our brains a break from mirroring a psychological concept that describes how we subconsciously imitate the behaviors, attitudes and non-verbal cues of others when in social situations.

Dancing by yourself may remove the psychological barrier of worrying about what others are thinking or doing; our brain is not trying to attune to others.

"Dance Away Stress is an irresistible combination of dance, intuitive movement and mindful guidance," said mindful movement expert and DJ Tasha Blank. "Itgives us the space to rediscover how fun it is to truly be ourselves and be with ourselves as weenhance our mental and physical well-being."

Dance Away Stressand Zoom Fatigue

The Dance Away Stress offering is launching at a critical time. In the isolating wake of COVID-19, a significant percentage of daily life has transitioned online, specifically, to virtual meeting platforms.

This unprecedented deluge of online video gatherings may be negatively affecting our health in terms of a new type of mental exhaustion. 'Zoom Fatigue' is a phenomenon currently making headlines and, according to Harvard Business Review, Google searches for the phrase have been increasing since March.

Dance Away Stress delivers the health benefits of both dancing and meditation, while also providing a timely rest from video conferencing fatigue.

The Perfect Partners: Dance & Meditation

The health benefits of dance are numerous: it reduces anxiety, improves sleep and increases the feel-good hormones of dopamine, serotonin and endorphins. It may even lower the risk of heart disease by up to 50% in those 40-years-old and up, according to research from Western Sydney University's School of Science and Health.

Shaking, similar to how animals physically shake off stress, is associated with the limbic brain and helps to turn off the body's 'fight-or-flight' response.Unlike animals, this 'shake' reflex isn't as natural to us and research indicates we may store trauma in the body; 'the issues get stuck in the tissues.'

Dance Away Stress offers users a new way to calm the mind, while physically releasing the body.

If you think you can't meditate because you can't sit still, think again," said Goldberg. "Dance Away Stress combines Tasha Blank's hypnoticmusic and therapeutic movement technique with our deep meditative expertise, and this truly gives you the best of both worlds. You'll have fun, move your body, and calm your mind."

Dance Away Stress includes:

To launch, Breethe's Dance Away Stress meditative, guided audio, dance experience includes:

Four brief Shake Break practices:

Three longer-format Move Your Body practices:

For a limited time, a sample of the Dance Away Stress content will be available, for free, in the app.

About Breethe:Breethehelps people find inner wellness when coping with real-life challenges through guided audio meditations, talks, music and stories. The app helps people overcome anxiety, fall asleep, and deal with daily life stress. Users can download the app on iOs App Store or Google Play. Follow along on Instagram at@BreetheApp. For more information, visit: http://www.breethe.com

About Tasha Blank: An international DJ + dance floor instigator since 2010, Tasha is the founder of NYC's wildest dance party The Get Down, and creator of the viral dance manifesto we came to dance.For more information, visit: http://www.tashablank.com

Media Contact:Samantha Wenig LMPR Communications samantha@londonmisherpr.com 212-759-2800

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Dance Like No One is Watching with Breethe Meditation App - Olean Times Herald