Monday Cup Of Links #26 - Orangutan Handwash, Turkish Artefacts, Retail Apocalypse, and the REAL Tiger King
Carol Baskin Killed Her Husband.
Happy Monday!
It’s been a month since I locked down, and it’s going to be on for at least three more weeks. The descriptions of people’s struggles with the virus has scared the crap out of me, and talking to a friend in NYC with multiple ambulances in the background over just the span of an hour drove that home even harder. I’m probably not going to go back out when California’s lockdown is over on May 3. I strongly suggest you shelter in place as much as you can, and if you are a frontline worker, thank you for your service, and please, pretty please, stay safe.
If you’re a frontline worker and need monetary help, don’t hesitate to reach out to me. I’ll do what I can.
I’ve been doing Camp Nanowrimo on India House. I’m 12,000 words in, and hope to add 15,000 more this month. You can follow my progress on the NaNoWriMo site here!
Onto our links!
Istanbul Museum has thrown open its archaeology connection online. You can view all the objects they have on display, from the comfort of your home!
ICYMI: I wrote a piece about the retail apocalypse, and how the retail revival is being led by restaurants. Well that piece aged well, didn’t it?. Now’s a good time to reread it and laugh at me.
Given DoorDarshan in India has been retelecasting series from the 80s and 90s based on ancient epics, including Ramayana and Mahabharatha, I’ve been bingeing them on Youtube as well. But there’s this beautiful anime version of the Ramayana, which has wonderful songs, and exciting animation, while remaining incredibly true to the epic. And it’s in English! Watch away!
I’ve been bingeing on Tiger King on Netflix like everyone else. I can’t imagine how in a story about a gay polygamous man who’s been a public persona in rural Oklahoma over the past 20 years, that’s the least interesting bit. And how the guy that inspired Scarface is but a small footnote in an insane tale. I can keep going on, but really, I wanted to bring to attention the REAL Tiger King, Jim Corbett. Mr. Corbett was a naturalist, hunter and animal tracker who lived in Garhwal/Kumaon in the foothills of the Himalayas from the late 1800s all the way to 1947 and even later. He became famous as a hunter and tracker of tigers, and people from villages all over northern India would come to him for help hunting down man-eating tigers and leopards that terrorized them. He loved nature and animals very ardently and wrote very passionately about his time in the jungles. He also founded Asia’s first national park, which is now named Jim Corbett National Park. I read his book Man Eaters of Kumaona long time ago, and it’s such a wonderful read. Not only is it an insight into wildlife and the mind of a big cat, but it’s also a record of what life was like a hundred years ago in the villages of British India. I’m now rereading it, and I highly recommend you read it too!
GIF of the week: Sandra the Orangutan watched her trainers and learned how to wash her hands, all by herself! Look at her doing a better job than most people.