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Weekly Digest #12

Updated: Nov 5, 2020

The Paperless Press: Weekly Digest #12







TOP STORIES


Don't hesitate, just create!

How to start cooking for the very first time

By: Vaanya Bhandari


Cooking is a very key life skill. Earlier, the idea of getting up and standing in the heat to make food used to tire me out, but now it is something that my day is incomplete without (not the heat, but the cooking). But how do you get over the initial laziness and start cooking in the first place?

Cooking may seem like a very overwhelming task but once you start, it’s just a matter of time before you get addicted! Starting something new always feels like a challenge or a difficult thing to do until you just begin it. The best way to start anything, not only cooking, is to just do it. One fine day just get into the kitchen and make something. Whether you make a 2-minute mug cake or a 1.5-hour cake, it’s your choice.

Points to remember:


Ø Stop overthinking it. I would start by spending hours looking for a fun recipe to make and it would be something I was usually craving at the time, but then I would spend just a few minutes thinking about how long it was going to take, how tired I would be by the end of it and how much TV I could watch in the same amount of time, and abandon the dish before even starting. Now, every time I feel I want to cook something, I look for a recipe for barely five minutes and start putting my ingredients together in the kitchen before I can change my mind.


Ø The results do not matter. Well, not literally! Of course, the results matter but cooking is more about enjoying the process. Even if you start out by cooking Maggi and you over-boil the noodles, it will still taste amazing because you made it yourself and you would want to try it again until you perfect it. Thinking about the results or the finished product before even starting will make you feel like it’s more of a task than something fun. So, do not think about whether it will turn out right or whether others will like it. Just cook!


Ø Find a motivation. For example, your driving force could be the smiles and good comments from your family members or friends. Personally, my motivation is beating my sister at everything. So whenever she bakes a cake, or cooks something nice, the next day I will be in the kitchen, without a doubt, trying to make something that makes everyone forget what she had made. I know this motivation may not always be the best way to go about things but when you have a sibling that is all you think about morning, day and night! Instead of using this competitive spirit in a negative way, we use it to make really good food that resolves fights and has the best outcome ever possible—delicious FOOD!


mincemeat kebabs- photo courtesy-Vaanya Bhandari


Ø Experiment! This one word can make everything more fun. By experimenting I don’t mean mixing eggs with chocolate sauce and eating it raw; what I mean is trying new recipes, finding your style, changing your recipes a bit and perfecting them. I always used to bake cakes, cakes and only cakes. But one day my sister baked chocolate chip cookies, so of course I had to beat her. The week after her batch finished, I tried my own recipe and kept trying different recipes (not on the same day) and by the end I found a recipe that I liked the best, tweaked it a bit and perfected it. When I made these cookies a week ago, I was really surprised because I had been practicing and this time it only took me 10 minutes to make the same recipe I used to take hours to make earlier!

So, don’t be afraid to just START, EXPERIMENT and ENJOY!


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Cover Story:


Don’t diss television. For real!

By: Abhimanyu Rao

For years, children worldwide have been warned that the television is a force of evil, fighting to rot your brain, and turn it into mush. So what base does this notion really have? Is it true? Find the answers to all of these questions today!


Televisions are great! They help you expand your imagination, they captivate you, and they propel you into unknown worlds. So what do books do? They help you expand your imaginations, they captivate you, and they propel you into unknown worlds. See? Books and television aren’t that different, they both do the same things in different ways! One can take many paths to reach the same destination, and books and television are two of them.


So what about television? It’s a great way to expand your imagination, but don’t books do that better? The very thing that televisions hand to you on a platter, books make you find yourself. In movies and TV shows, you see everything that is happening, whereas, in books, you must imagine and visualise the very things you see on television! So doesn’t that automatically make books the winners?


No. Why? Because books come with their own flaws. Reading needs to be learnt, and the visual nature of educational programs helps do that! Educational TV programs are made for both auditory, and visual learners! So when tv programs (educational ones) can not only be shown to children before they start reading, and therefore introducing them to both the wonderful worlds of TV and Books!


Now, back to books! Vocabulary is one of the greatest gifts one can ever have. A large vocabulary goes a long way in making writing fun, easy, and overall foolproof way to make your written work even more captivating! This is one of the easiest ways to become a hugely successful author!

And now… to sum it all up:


“Books are made of paper, trees go down!,

But I am made of metal, the world is safe and sound.”

Says TV, while books watch, convulsed with fear,

While TV prepares to say goodbye , Oh Dear!


Then books retort with a witty laugh,

“I give more that I get, just check this graph”

I cut down a few trees, but you, you meanie,

At least I don’t scare children with films like Frankenweenie!”


“I won’t cause an energy crisis, Never Ever!

I don’t ever get humans to have some sad (apocalypse prevention) endeavors “

TV retorted with a grin, “I know the real solution

Destroy books, they kill trees and cause pollution!”

Then I came in, and with a sigh, I gave them a nice scolding,

I said, “You fight for even longer than butterflies that are molting!

TV can teach people to read, and movies can be made into books,

Now give each other a nice hug, and stop the nasty looks”


So books and movies can go hand in hand, and no one may malign either,

They have become the best of pals, and leave you none the wiser!



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Books or Tablets, who will rise up to the task?

By Mihir Rao

You may ask, why am I writing this article, now of all times? With the lockdown, all schools have shut down and we are diving into online school headfirst. It’s time to ask the age old question,


Are we rushing? Are we ready to plunge into the deep end of the online side of life?

Well the answer is not that simple.

Books are the traditional way to learn, and we have been learning from books for the past few hundred years! Why change now? Books are better, right?




Let me present some arguments so you can get a better look at this:

  1. Books do not put a strain on your eyes while reading and they can be read many times over without any pain. On the other hand, reading from a screen puts major strain on your eyes and can lead to a whole multitude of problems..

  2. With Online learning there are a plethora of options to choose from to learn, while with books there is only one traditional and conventional way to learn.

  3. However, through my experience along with my friends’ experience, there are a lot of trolls in online school, which can disrupt the learning a lot. You may say that well, there are mischievous/ill-behaved children in normal school also, but with online school being a new experience for everyone, teachers do not know how to handle the class, which leads to the mischievous kids taking control and abusing the powers of the meeting organizer. This in some cases, can lead to kicking other students from the call and sometimes even ending the meeting altogether!

  4. Another point in traditional learning methods’ favour is that in online school, some kids can just turn off their videos and microphones and bunk the class! Bunking became easier than ever.

  5. However, online school has completely revolutionized the learning industry as it is much more interactive than normal school. In normal school, there is only one form of learning, while in online school, you can go to a Padlet wall, or even a nearpod!

To conclude, in my opinion we are not ready to dive into online school. We may be advancing in technology and every day a new type of technology is made, but that does not mean that we are ready for the online era. In the book ‘The Fun They Had’, by Isaac Asimov, We get a look at the prospective future for the human race with online school being the norm. If you read further into it, one can see that the future where we are only learning online is a future that none of us would want.

For now, let us stick to books!

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The Laws We Must Know

Part-1:The importance of the Indian constitution, and its relevance in 2020

By Agastya Rao


Everyone knows what the constitution is but do we actually know what it is, and do people really follow it these days. This is Part-1 of The Laws of the Law. We shall explore the Indian Constitution- what it is, how does it work, and its relevance.


1.What is the Constitution?

The constitution is like a guide with rules, it helps guarantee our rights and gives us our responsibilities. Dr. B.R Ambedkar spearheaded the formation of the constitution. This proved to be a major leap in our post- independence days and strengthened India as a republic. Every Indian citizen was now assured that their fundamental rights would be safeguarded. Now let's take a look at the role of fundamental rights and duties.


2.Fundamental Rights and Duties-

“With great power- comes great responsibility”- I’m sure you have a spider man say it. Well, just like that with Fundamental Rights come Fundamental Responsibilities. Fundamental rights are rights that you are guaranteed to have as a citizen of India. Some good examples are- Right to Freedom of Speech, Right to freedom of religion etc. (More on these in the next digest). Fundamental Duties are duties we have as Indian Citizens that we should perform- for instance, respect the National Anthem and the Indian Flag. The two go hand in hand.



3. The Importance of the Constitution-

The Indian Legal System and the Constitution try to uphold the rights and responsibilities of citizens of India. If anyone’s rights are violated or if you violate someone’s rights- the constitution will swoop in to protect you. The constitution is the one, single most important document in India. The constitution is the ultimate superpower, it makes the Avengers look weak. Without the constitution, crime would be spilling out onto the streets, child labour would be rampant… We shudder to think where we would be without it. The constitution is your S.H.I.E.L.D and protects you from injustice and protects you from yourself.


4. The relevance of the constitution in 2020

How relevant is the constitution? Can it really safe-guard your rights? Is it really effective? These are some of the questions that have been coming up these last couple of years. I will now be approaching a controversial topic In an age where protesters are arrested for voicing their opinion, and humanitarian activists question as to where the ‘Right to Freedom of Speech’ has gone, the constitution is a MAJOR point of contention and discussion. Can the constitution really protect us? We must ask ourselves what world we would like to live in- one where voices are suppressed or one where we have the freedom of speech. With voices being suppressed all around the world, we must stay positive, Yes, we must voice our opinion- but it should not harm or make anyone feel inferior. With great power- comes great responsibility.


5. Conclusion

The constitution is a powerful document which safeguards our rights and tells us our duties/responsibilities. We must always remember to stand for what is right and to fight for our rights if they are violated. The constitution is only powerful if the people give it power- which is what we must do. Respect the constitution and fight for what is right. Look out for our deep dive on fundamental rights and responsibilities in Weekly Digest #13


Disclaimer-No feelings were meant to be hurt by this article, views expressed by the author are personal.


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HAPPINESS QUOTIENT FROM AROUND THE WORLD



  • The whole world has been discarding tonnes upon tonnes of plastic each and every day that lay still in landfills, which would biodegrade over a long period of time. Well, scientists have created an enzyme that can break plastic down 6 times faster than usual, and it could have major implications for recycling.

  • We have looked up at the stars and wondered, are we alone? We are getting close to the age old question’s answer! 2 years ago, scientists found evidence of salt lakes on Mars, but it was inconclusive. Recently, scientists have found more evidence pertaining to these lakes, and this has given us evidence for life on Mars.

  • The first image of the black hole has proved Einstein’s theory of Relativity!

  • In the summer in Alaska, there are many tourists, which means many cruise ships. But with the coronavirus pandemic, there weren’t any! The local whales seemed to love this and could not pass up the opportunity to sing!


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Part 2 is here!

Super Short Stories

When the Incas Came:Part 2

By:Agastya Rao


Part 1 & 2:

In case you missed part 1, here are part 1 and 2


Part 1-

“Can anyone tell me who the Incas are”? No one replied.

Welcome to Victorian Elementary School, the most boring school on the planet (As reported by student reviews on Yelp). This is grade 5 and the students have been enthusiastically (not) learning Incan History. “James! Stop sleeping in class - have some respect.” “Ugh” thought the teacher, “everyone is so bored, how do I make the class more exciting?”


The bell rings and the students rush out for lunch. Right after the students leave, someone flies out of the whiteboard. The teacher runs back and is flung onto the door because of the blow from the whiteboard. “Oh hello, you must be the teacher. How are you today? I heard you teaching Incan History and I must say… I am very disappointed. Who made this textbook? They left out an entire chunk of vital information!”


“Excuse me, who are you? What are you doing in my class, and how are you an expert in Incan History? Do YOU have a degree from the Royal Brainy Community College?”, said the teacher. “Uhm… does being an ancient Incan count as enough proof? If you were a proper teacher you would have guessed from my attire that I am Atahualpa, the last Emperor of the Incas.” “Now where shall I be teaching my class; I have taken it upon myself to educate the young students of this fine establishment. “Congratulations,” said Atahualpa, you get a holiday. “Oh thanks! I'll go home, and you will be sure to teach them!”, mocked the teacher.


When the students came back from their lunch break, they were surprised to see someone new standing beside the desk. Atahualpa wished them and told them that he was their teacher for the day. The students ran out of the classroom and asked their teacher if Atahualpa was their teacher for the day, with a sigh she said…yes.


Part 2-

The students sat down and waited for Atahualpa to introduce himself. Hi everyone, I am Atahualpa and I am your teacher for today. I was the last Emperor of the Incan Empire and I heard that you were learning Incan history and I thought I would come here and fix some historical errors made by your teacher and helped you complete your project. The students did not know they had a project, their previous teacher had forgotten to tell them.


Sadly for Atahualpa he forgot that he was going to be teaching 5th graders, and well… they had trouble believing that Atahualpa was an Incan. They simply couldn’t swallow the fact that someone had come back from an ancient culture in the past to teach them history. Atahualpa had an ingenious way to teach them and stop them from pestering them with questions. He asked them to quiz him what they knew about the Incan empire.


The students got excited and accepted the challenge. If there is one thing children like, it is winning. They took out their textbooks and racked their brains and asked question after question, they ran to the IT lab and asked every possible question they could. Unlike the students (who were already failing history) Atahualpa aced the test.

He told them that the project was a play that they were going to make using their research project on the Incan Empire. What better way to complete their project than getting all the information first hand from the LAST Emperor of the Incan Empire.


From that day onwards a legendary friendship began between Atahualpa and the students of grade 5. The students aced the project and got an A+. The school board was so impressed with Atahualpa’s teaching skills that they made him the permanent history teacher. A fairy tale ending don’t you think?


Everything was going fine until one day Atahualpa’s half-brother showed up. A true family reunion happened! It turns out that Atahualpa fought a savage civil war with his brother, and had defeated him. Now his brother had come to exact his revenge. The entire school was evacuated but grade 5 refused to leave. They said and I quote “History was in the making”. The students sat down, took their notebooks out, and the rest as they say is history…

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Entertainment quotient for the week:


A.Disney+/Hotstar:

  • Marvel’s Rising:Secret Warriors

B. Netflix

  • Enola Holmes



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Laugh it Up





The Arab and the Camel?


For more crazy captioned dog photos visit ‘A Dog’s Daily Antics’ at- A Dogs Daily Antics





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The Last Shot:Your weekly sports roundup




The French Open (Tennis)


Men’s Singles-


-US Open winner Dominic Thiem will be taking on Hugo Gaston in the Round of 16.

- US Open runner up Alexander Zerev shall take on Jannik Sinner in the Round of 16.


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After being disqualified from the 2020 US Open, Novak Djokovic has got his mojo back and will take on Karen Kachanov in the Round of 16.


-Currently looking to equalise Roger Federer’s record of 20 singles Grand Slams. Fan favourite Rafael Nadal will challenge Sebastian Korda to try to get a record 13th win at the French Open.


Women’s Singles-


-Simona Halep will take on Iga Świątek in the Round of 16.

- Serena Williams was forced to pull out in the second round due to an injury. We wish her a speedy recovery

-Martina Trevisan will take on Kiki Bertens in the Round of 16.



NBA(Basketball)


  • The LA Lakers took a 2-0 lead Vs. the Miami Heat in the Championship Finals of the NBA. We are at the edge of our seats waiting for the results!


Formula 1

Lewis Hamilton is winning the current season of Formula 1. The lead constructor is Mercedes. Second in the standings is Valtteri Bottas, again, from Mercedes!




Cricket

In the IPL, Delhi Capitals is winning, followed by Royal Challengers Bangalore, and then Mumbai Indians. Today's match is Kings XI Punjab VS Chennai Super Kings. Which one of the monarchs will win?




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From The Literary World:


Looking for Books? See how we rank this week’s top book- A Good Girl's Guide to murder by Holly Jackson

By: Vaanya Bhandari



Bored of the same old, very predictable and easy to solve murder mysteries? Well, the twists and turns in Holly Jackson's "A Good Girl's Guide to Murder" will literally knock your socks off, LITERALLY. I finished the book 2 days ago and still can't get over it!

The book is about a closed murder case from 5 years ago, everyone knows who did it, but an A grade student has taken it upon herself to solve the case and find out what really happened for her end of year school report. Throughout the book she uncovers dark secrets about different people in her town. But does she find out what happens? Does she even live to find out what happens?



Visit these pages to see some of our other endeavours!


Visit A Dogs Daily Antics to laugh your heart out with crazy captioned dog photos!

Visit TheChinappaChannel to see some quirky but nice videos that will make you roll with laughter


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A Note To Our Readers:

We thank our readers for supporting us these past months. We truly hope you enjoyed this digest and we hope this put a smile on your face. Here at The Paperless Press, we strive to provide free,fun and positive news. We would be very happy to receive your feedback and receive guest submission from our readers. We hope that you spread the word and enjoy reading our digests.


-Team Paperless Press

We hope this issue brightened up your day!




THE PAPERLESS PRESS INC

Contact us at-

paperlesspress9@gmail.com




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