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Neural 57, Propaganda mon amour

Issue #57, Summer 2017 ISSN: 2037-108X

The new Neural issue (co-edited with Andrea Natella) is hot from the press.

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Multiplex Association appeals to landlords to waive off rent of operators amid lockdown

"While the lockdown may continue for the next month or two, the cinema industry will take several months ('recuperating period') even after the lockdown is lifted, to get back to its feet, as the pipeline of content begins to flow again, and our patrons gain the confidence to step out of their homes and start visiting crowded places like cinemas.




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Retail estate : The post pandemic road to recovery

The post pandemic society will witness a change in consumer behavior and overall lifestyle. It is estimated that consumers will be extremely cautious with their spending. The spending on luxury, travel, hospitality, and movies, fine dine, white goods, expensive gadgets, among others and see a drop.




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ITC ltd ramps up production to meet demand for sanitisers

The company which retails Savlon range of sanitisers, has stepped up production at the facility in Himachal Pradesh to produce an additional 1.25 lakh litres.




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Food cos miss Ramzan demand in lockdown

Branded products in falooda mixes, Bombay halwa, phirni and certain instant curry masalas drew a significant chunk of their sales during Ramzan. Sales of these products for some companies are only half of what was clocked in the same period during Ramzan last year.




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This I Believe: I Believe In Abandoned Buildings

I believe in abandoned buildings. The first thing you need to know about me is that I am a terrible driver. If I drive past something that I think is interesting, I will turn my eyes away from the road and look at that thing for a potentially dangerous amount of time. I'll be like, “Oo, look at that field!” Or, “Oo, look at that sunset!” And passengers in the car will be like, “No, look at the road!” And eventually I will, but I will always look at an old abandoned building. I'm not sure exactly what about dilapidated buildings intrigues me. Maybe it's tactile, when I look at one I can't help but imagine walking on the soft, creaky floorboards while looking up at the exposed rafters as sunlight rushes in through the dusty windows. As I walk, I inhale the air that feels uniquely musty, yet safe. I trust it like I'm breathing in an old familiar book. Maybe the thing I love about old buildings is that they have so much history. You know that something has happened there, perhaps so many




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New Yahoo News/YouGov poll shows mixed reactions to Biden's handling of Tara Reade assault claim

Nearly half of people polled were “not satisfied” with Biden’s response to Reade’s allegations. Only 19 percent said they were “very satisfied.”





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Burger King India joins hands with Delhi Police to provide burgers to orphanages

The staff delivering the meals wear protective gear like masks and gloves to ensure safety. Since Covid – 19 outbreak, Burger King says that it has further strengthened its restaurant procedures around food safety, cleanliness and hygiene and increased its sanitization frequency in all restaurants across the country.




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Domino's Pizza to join S&P 500, despite pandemic's impact

While withdrawing its forecast for two- to three-year sales growth, Domino's said U.S. same-store sales were up 7.1% in late March and much of April, as diners under lockdown ordered home delivery more often.




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Himalaya launches exclusive mom and baby store to take on market leader Johnson & Johnson

The Bengaluru-based company plans to open 25 such 600-1000 square feet stores over a span of 12 months.




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U-Grow - the European baby and mother care brand now in India

The European baby care brand is planning to invest USD 2 million in the country to build their brand in addition to the launch of more than 80 products in the market.




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The Moms Co gets Rs 6.5 crore from DSG and Saama

The Moms Co makes natural, certified toxin-free skin and food products across mother and baby care categories.




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FirstCry may acquire Mothercare franchisee rights from DLF brands

Mothercare is the latest brand after Mango, Forever 21and Sephora among other global labels to change hands from DLF Brands.




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Reliance Brands pips FirstCry.com to acquire Mothercare India rights

Mothercare is the latest brand after Mango, Forever 21 and Sephora, among other global labels, to change hands from DLF Brands.




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TheMomsCo launches baby care range, to expand offline presence

The range has been launched offline as well through its 4 brand stores in premium hospitals across Delhi and NCR.




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SoftBank looks to nurture baby care brand FirstCry

The deal, if successful, will value FirstCry — which retails baby care products both online and offline — at about $800-900 million.




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Suresh and Priyanka Raina's brand Maaté marks its offline presence

Maaté will offer free samples to all the expecting parents and to the parents who come for a regular check-up for their kids.




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WATCH: Full House Floor Debate And Vote On Impeachment

On Wednesday at 9 AM, the full House of Representatives will debate and vote on the two articles of impeachment that have now been passed out of committee. Listen to NPR's live special coverage on PRE News & Ideas at 89.3 across Eastern North Carolina and 88.1 in Greenville. You can also watch the full house floor debate and vote on impeachment on the video stream below.




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Wash your hands often? Absolutely. Shower every day? Nah

Like some of us sheltering at home, I've reevaluated my routine of showering every morning. It's not like I'm going anywhere or seeing anyone.

       




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How Arizona schools are trying to replace traditional proms and graduation ceremonies

High schools across the state are devising plans for graduation ceremonies, which will look different because of the coronavirus, COVID-19.

       




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Lauren Leander, Phoenix ICU nurse, appears on 'The View,' shares details of counterprotest at coronavirus rally

Leander, through video conference, told the hosts about the rally at the Capitol where she stood, arms crossed, amid rally attendees.

       




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'We never forgot': Why the Irish are helping Navajo and Hopi tribes hit by pandemic

Irish people are repaying Natives peoples for their help during the 19th-century potato famine by contributing to a GoFundMe for COVID-19 relief.

       




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Isabelle and more pets up for adoption in Phoenix-area shelters this week

Each week, The Republic highlights some of the adoptable pets in the Valley. This week also includes a sassy cat.

       




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Arizona's reopening: Salons, barbershops and some retailers can welcome customers today after weeks of closures

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey's stay-at-home order is ending Friday as salons open on Friday and restaurants open on Monday.

       




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Police: 1 shot, several detained in shooting near Curry and Scottsdale roads in Tempe

Sgt. Matt Feddeler, a spokesman for the Tempe Police Department, said the shooting stemmed from a hit-and-run involving two vehicles.

       




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Demand for food assistance spikes in southern Arizona's poorest county

Santa Cruz County has the highest poverty rates in southern Arizona. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of residents have turned to the region's food bank for help.

       




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Navajo officials weigh plans for federal aid to help deal with the pandemic

Navajo Nation officials talked Friday about how federal aid related to the coronavirus pandemic could help with pressing needs like water and housing.

       




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Demand for food assistance spikes in southern Arizona's poorest county

Santa Cruz County has the highest poverty level in southern Arizona. Since the pandemic, thousands of residents have turned to the food bank for help.

       




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Robot ceremonies. Virtual dance parties. Online speeches. How Arizona colleges and universities are celebrating graduates

Arizona colleges and universities have dramatically altered graduation ceremonies to adapt to COVID-19.

       




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BookMark: "Martin Rising" By Andrea Davis Pinkney & Brian Pinkney

The book of poetry “Martin Rising: Requiem for a King” beautifully illustrates events in the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. It’s written with a middle school audience in mind, but this collection can be enjoyed by everyone. Each of poet Andrea Davis Pinkney’s poems is accompanied by a beautiful watercolor, gouache, and india ink illustration by Brian Pinkney. The poems about King’s life are labeled with the date of each event’s occurrence and in some cases the time. The book is divided into three sections: Daylight, Darkness and Dawn. Henny Penny, who listeners will remember as the folklore character who declares that “The Sky Is Falling” introduces, predicts, and is an all-knowing narrator of the past, present, and future. In the Daylight section of the book, poems about King’s joyous birth, growth to manhood, and family life are juxtaposed with poems about his work as a scholar, preacher, and champion for basic civil rights and equality. He inspires hope as he arrives in Memphis to




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BookMark: "A Splash Of Red: The Life And Art Of Horace Pippin" By Jen Bryant & Melissa Sweet

As the director of the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, one of my favorite tasks is choosing a children’s or young adult title to represent Pennsylvania at the National Book Festival in Washington, D.C. It’s a responsibility I take very seriously. I consult with colleagues and search for information about children’s and young adult books by Pennsylvania authors or illustrators. I look for titles with topics that have some connection to the Commonwealth. I’m delighted to share that this year’s selection is a picture book biography—"A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin”written by Jen Bryant and illustrated by Melissa Sweet. Horace Pippin was the grandson of a slave, born in West Chester, Pennsylvania on February 22, 1888. He died in 1946 and is buried in the Chester Grove Annex Cemetery. He began and ended life in Pennsylvania. As a child, Horace was always drawing pictures. He won a drawing contest and the cherished prize—colored pencils, a pair of brushes, and a box of




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BookMark: “Our Man: Richard Holbrooke And The End Of The American Century”

A few years ago, I read George Packer’s “The Unwinding: An Inner History of the New America.” It was a haunting portrayal of the slow unraveling of the United States through the life stories of many individuals. Like so many others, I found the book to be fascinating. So, it was with great interest that I saw Packer had published a new book, this time focused on the late diplomat Richard Holbrooke. I recalled the name Holbrooke, but couldn’t say I knew a lot about him. Given how much I had enjoyed “The Unwinding,” I thought this book too would surely be worth a read. “Our Man: Richard Holbrooke and the End of the American Century” was an utterly engrossing portrait of not only the man, but also the decline of American power from Vietnam to Afghanistan. Through the person of Richard Holbrooke, we witness the follies and unforced errors that have haunted our foreign policy for the last forty years. We also witness the occasional triumphs – most notably Holbrooke’s masterful work in




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JJ Valaya launches its first gifting store ‘The Home of the Traveler’ in Mehar Chand market

We will be having two large size format flagship stores, one in Delhi and one in Bombay (price points between INR 100- 10,00,000) whereas THT gifting will have products ranging from INR.1000 – Rs.5000. Our endeavour is that THT Gifting reaches 50 in terms of the number of stores in the next five years--JJ Valaya




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Wonderchef launches 2 exclusive brand outlets in Bengaluru

With this addition, Wonderchef has 10 exclusive brand outlets in the country besides its omni-channel presence across 5000 retail outlets, it said in a release.




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Natural cookware brand The Indus Valley raises Rs 2.5 crore from The Chennai Angels

“We see this second round of investment from TCA as a token of faith. We have grown 500% over the previous financial year and on track for very aggressive growth next year as well.” said Jagadeesh Kumar of The Indus Valley.




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Indigo Paints takes to aggressive advertising to improve brand recognition

Established in 2000, Indigo Paints is a relatively new entrant to the decorative paints industry that is dominated by the like of Asian Paints, Berger and Nerolac.




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Asian Paints to make hand sanitisers

The sanitiser is being manufactured at Asian Paints’ plant in Ankleshwar, Gujarat and the company has obtained all necessary permissions from authorities. Other brands which started making hand sanitisers after the Covid-19 pandemic spread to India include Dabur, Emami, Patanjali, Nivea India, and Raymond Consumer Care, among several others.




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Cash position comfortable, latent demand coming into market: Asian Paints

'Our foray into sanitizers is an effort to help the fight against Covid-19'




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Landmark Group introduces Cash-and-Carry furniture to spur growth

The home furnishing chain, which currently has 50 stores in 27 cities, also cited longer replacement cycles as reason for low sale of durable big-sized furniture such as three and five-seater sofa sets.




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WoodenStreet to invest Rs 15 cr to expand in South India

With already three stores in Bengaluru and one in Chennai, the company now plans to open two new stores in Hyderabad with an investment of Rs 5 crore, it said. In the next 12 to 18 months, WoodenStreet further plans to open 4 additional stores in South India, along with a third store in Hyderabad.




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Pepperfry to aggressively add local furniture players now to expand supply

The Mumbai-based startup is currently in talks with local furniture players in the country. It is looking to add 8-10 new partners every month and take the count to a total of 150-180 suppliers by the end of 2020.




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IKEA says visitors returning fast to reopened shopping centres in China and Germany

A majority of IKEA stores are or have been temporarily closed in recent months. A few stores in Germany and Israel, as well as the one in Wuhan, the city in China where the coronavirus was first discovered, reopened this week.




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Take Note: Cariol Horne And Damon Jones On The Need To Reform Against Police Brutality

Veteran law enforcement officers Damon K. Jones and Cariol Horne are speaking out against police brutality and calling for reform. They talked with WPSU about the challenges they have faced as minorities in the police force, their thoughts about the Black Lives Matter movement and why change is necessary. Transcript: Cheraine Stanford: Welcome to take note on WPSU. I'm Cheraine Stanford. We're joined today by two activists advocating for law enforcement reform. Cariol Horne was a police officer in Buffalo, New York, for nearly two decades. When she was fired after she says she was assaulted by a fellow officer while attempting to stop him from choking a handcuffed man. Damon K. Jones has worked in the West Chester Department of Corrections for 28 years. He represents the state of New York in the organization, Blacks in Law Enforcement of America. The two came to Penn State as part of a panel called “Black lives inside of blue lives” to discuss the question: What happens when Black




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Take Note: Peter Forster On Cybersecurity And Practicing "Cyber Hygiene"

Peter Forster is an associate professor who teaches security and risk analysis at Penn State’s College of Information Sciences and Technology. His research focuses on cybersecurity, counter-terrorism and social networks. Forster has worked on improving law enforcement’s situational awareness of issues such as drug and human trafficking. He also oversees a research project on better understanding of how extremist organizations recruit Americans in cyberspace. He talks with WPSU about why cybersecurity shouldn’t be an afterthought in today’s world and how the cyber world and the physical world are inseparable. Plus, how to practice “cyber hygiene.” Transcript: Min Xian: Welcome to Take Note on WPSU. I’m Min Xian. Peter Forster is an associate teaching professor who teaches security and risk analysis at Penn State's College of Information Sciences and Technology. His research focuses on cybersecurity, counterterrorism and social networks. Forster has worked on improving law enforcement’s




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Take Note: Jessie Sage And James Tison On Fighting Stigma Against Sex Work And LGBTQ Community

Jessie Sage is a sex worker who writes and speaks publicly on issues related to sex work, feminism, and social justice. James Tison is a stand-up comedian in New York who uses humor to fight stigma against his LGBTQ identity and life with HIV. Sage and Tison recently spoke at an event at Penn State called “Facts not Fear: A Night to Fight Stigma,” and talked with WPSU about fighting the sigma their communities face. This Take Note interview talks about sex work and might not be suitable for children to hear.




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Take Note: Shih-In Ma On Her Spiritual Journey And Social Justice Advocacy

Shih-In Ma is a social justice advocate who works to promote diversity and inclusion in Centre County. The State College native and Penn State alum, left a corporate career at IBM to begin a journey of spirituality, self-reflection and meditation. Her journey has taken her around the world and included spending four years in India with Amma, who's known as the hugging saint. Shih-In Ma teaches meditation and shares opportunities for others to gain better insight and understanding of those around them. TRANSCRIPT: Cheraine Stanford Welcome to Take Note on WPSU, I'm Cheraine Stanford. Shih-In Ma is a social justice advocate who works to promote diversity and inclusion in Centre County. The State College native and Penn State alum, left a corporate career at IBM to begin a journey of spirituality, self-reflection and meditation. Her journey has taken her around the world and included spending four years in India with Amma, who's known as the hugging saint. Shih-In Ma teaches meditation




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Take Note: Cartoonist R. Crumb And Music Historian Jerry Zolten Talk About Their Love Of Old Blues

Robert Crumb is best known as an underground cartoonist, whose work, including Fritz the Cat and Mr. Natural, remains controversial. But Crumb is also a collector and celebrator of old blues records. Jerry Zolten is a professor of communication arts and sciences and integrative arts at Penn State Altoona. His work includes the book “Great God A’Mighty! The Dixie Hummingbirds: Celebrating the Rise of Soul Gospel Music.” WPSU's Anne Danahy spoke with Crumb and Zolten about their love of old blues music and records.




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Take Note: Author Brian Wray Talks About Children's Mental and Emotional Health

Brian Wray is an award-winning children’s book author for his book “Unraveling Rose” about a toy bunny rabbit with OCD. His latest book, “Max’s Box,” talks about what happens when negative emotions are suppressed. Both of his picture books focus on children’s mental and emotional health. TRANSCRIPT: Kirsten Tekavec: Welcome to Take Note on WPSU, I'm Kirsten Tekavec. Brian Wray is a children's book author and the 2017 Gold Winner of the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award for his book "Unraveling Rose." His latest book, Max's Box," talks about what happens when negative emotions are suppressed. Both of his picture books focus on children's mental and emotional health. He is a Penn State graduate and currently lives in Brooklyn. Brian Wray, thank you for joining us. Brian Wray: Thank you for having me. Tekavec: Before we begin discussing your work, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got into writing children's books? Wray: I have been writing stories for as long




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Take Note: Maxwell King Talks About His Book "The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers"

Maxwell King is the best-selling author of "The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers." King talks about why he wrote the book and gives insight into the life of Mister Rogers, the unfailingly kind, compassionate namesake neighbor of the beloved "Mister Rogers' Neighborhood." To learn more about Rogers' legacy visit the Fred Rogers Center and Fred Rogers Productions . TRANSCRIPT: Carolyn Donaldson: Welcome to Take Note on WPSU, I'm Carolyn Donaldson. Today, we're joined by Maxwell King, recently retired president of the Pittsburgh Foundation, former president of the Heinz Endowment, and former editor of the Philadelphia Inquirer. But now in today's context, a best selling author. In his book, "The Good Neighbor: The Life and Works of Fred Rogers," King's written a personal and professional biography of Fred Rogers, the unfailingly kind, compassionate namesake neighbor of the beloved Mister Rogers' Neighborhood. Thanks for joining us today, Maxwell. Maxwell King: Good to be




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Take Note: Pennsylvania Avian Experts On Bird Watching And News Of Their Declining Numbers

A recent study published in the journal Science found the number of birds in North America is plummeting. The bird population dropped by more than a quarter over the past 50 years. Grassland birds, shore birds and songbirds are all affected. WPSU's Anne Danahy spoke with Greg Grove, editor of Pennsylvania Birds, and Doug Wentzel, president of the State College Bird Club, about bird watching and those trends