"Do the Omicron Numbers Mean What We Think They Mean?" newyorker.com/magazine/2022/…

Stumbled on to a nice word today. Enjoy! woke | wōk | verb past of wake1. adjective (woker, wokest) informal alert to injustice and discrimination in society, especially racism: we need to stay angry, and stay woke...

हामीले साच्चै उन्नत प्रजातन्त्र पएका रएछौ जस्तो लाग्न थल्यो । बिरोध सहन न सक्ने ? कालो झान्डा त झ्नै । बिरोध नै सहने छ्यमता छैन भने प्रजातन्त्र नै किन चाहिएको हो ?

What is an oligarch? poynter.org/reporting-edit…

Is it the bank or the regulator (NRB) that requires this information? Or do citizens don't care about information the're asked to disclose? A bank's KYC form asks if your family members are "political" or "influential". Wonder why? Do customers who are related get better service?

प्रसँग: स्थानिय चुनाब । "अफुले चिनेको, ल है भन्न सकिने, कुरो सुन्ने, समजिक सेवामा लागि परेको, स्थानिय उमेद्वार नै छनिन्छ । पार्टी भनेको 'सेन्डिकेट' को अर्को रूप मात्रै हो" पो भन्छन त । के-हो, के-हो ।

One observation about our election: Even after over 20 years of democracy and elections, our "leaders" seem to understand that it is okay to concede once the results are obvious.

Something that could interest Nepal's media -- open call for funding of public interest media opencall.ifpim.org. There's a catch though is must pass a four-part definition. Any one up to the challenge?

Had thought Lalitpur was more efficient among metropolitan cities in various aspects. But its delay in posting the annual budget tells otherwise. Lalitpur Metropolitan City Office

बिदेशमा पड्न जानेलाई कतिलाई नेता, उन्का छोराछोरी र कार्यकर्ताले कहाँ-कहाँ योगादान गर्न दिए भन्ने पनि हुकुम होस न सरकार ।

A bank claiming to be the "best in Asia" NMB Bank Nepal sent me a message saying my pin is blocked temporarily but but does not seem to have personnel at its call centre to pick up the phone to help fix it. Definitely not the best even in Nepal by my measure of customer service.

Finally a chiya pasal in Patan that brings the best of the teas from the Eastern Himalaya, with flavors to match seasons and even months. The Shiba is exceptional: fruity and uplifting!

Watch NZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern pick apart this reporter's question during a joint press conference with Finnish PM Sanna Marin. He asked the pair 'are you two meeting because you're similar in age and got a lot of common stuff there?' Read more: trib.al/HSLyzZQ

What's happened to #NoNotagain? This is time to watch out for MP elects who back leadership that identifies with bad-governance, corruption and individual-centric policies so that they can be weeded out in the next round.

PKD's ascendency is testament to Oli's political acumen; in one stroke he's outdone SBD and MKN. One more move and it could be PKD's turn.

Feeling like I won the lottery today! It has taken me only 53 days to get a replacement debit card from a bank where I've held an account for over 1 decade. Just hope that's not the new "international" standard for all Nepali customers.

About time. Is the world finally chanigng? newyorker.com/magazine/2023/…

Daily Cartoon: Thursday, February 16th newyorker.com/cartoons/daily… via The New Yorker

The Role of Academia in Protecting #FOE w/ Jackie Harrison, Vera Slavtcheva-Petkova, Dr Gemma Horton, Sejal Parmar, @edwardlcarter, Emily Harmer, Diana Maynard, Benjamin Tetteh, Leire Iturregui, Rosalynd Southern, Ivor Shapiro, Smitha Khorana, Colette Simonne Wahlqvist and Binod Bhattarai 📅May 1 🕙10 AM ET

My take on the budget. The state faces cash shortages, meaning fewer funds to steal by those who make decisions, hence the new taxes on goods and services for hardworking voters. Next time vote for those who let you keep what you legally earn.