Ravi S. Iyer: Worldly

Last updated on 1st June 2021 Today I got my 1st dose COVID vaccination (Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine branded as COVISHIELD) at Primary Health Centre (PHC), Yenumulapalli, Puttaparthi. Please see below pic (some sensitive data is blanked). [To open pic in larger resolution, right-click on pic followed by open link (NOT image) in new tab/window. In new tab/window you may have to click on pic to zoom in.] The vaccination was done in an orderly way with good organization and good social distancing. PHC was not crowded today. I did not have to wait long. I think the process of registration followed by vaccination took around half an hour to an hour. Dr. Nagaraju Naik, who I believe is the key medical officer for the PHC and for Puttaparthi mandal, was very helpful in resolving a small issue I had during registration where some code was needed from a prior registration I had made. This was due to me having tried to schedule a vaccination appointment in end April using CoWIN web portal, https:...

Last updated on 7th June 2021 When author of post or comment is not mentioned, it should be assumed that it is me (Ravi S. Iyer). To save time, I am usually not providing my FB post links but only contents. I am also not hyperlinking links. So readers will have to copy-paste links from this post onto a browser link box and then browse to that link. ==========================================    Awesome to see UK democracy in action as it investigates via public hearings, the COVID response of UK government. Dominic Cummings testimony about plans and missteps in UK's response to COVID pandemic in early 2020, gives us one insider view of the matter. Note that some of his testimony has been disputed by UK government, and so some of Cummings account/ views may be wrong. Cummings Covid criticism: Who’s telling the truth? - BBC Newsnight, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s59EjBljaqc , 21 min. 25 secs., published by BBC News on 28th May 2021. Dominic Cummings tells MPs Johnson ‘unfit’ ...

I did not expect US President Joe Biden and his administration to do this good deed to support some poor/developing countries (including India) which are going through great suffering - illness wise and also economy wise - due to current surge of COVID pandemic. Wonderful humane gesture that is much appreciated! Whether this will eventually lead to more quantities and cheaper COVID vaccines is yet to be seen. But President Joe Biden has led the way forward in this matter. Hats off to him! US Backs Covid Vaccine Patent Waiver Plan Proposed By India, South Africa, https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/us-backs-covid-vaccine-patent-waiver-plan-proposed-by-india-south-africa-2430914 , 6th May 2021 https://twitter.com/AmbassadorTai/status/1390021205974003720/photo/1 has the statement of US Trade ambassador Katherine Tai. The accompanying tweet text by ambassador Tai: "These extraordinary times and circumstances of call for extraordinary measures.  The US supports the waiver of IP protectio...

As a former software techie (1984 to 2002), Microsoft and Bill Gates were influential entities in my life. Later after my retirement from commercial work and into free service journey of my life (from Oct. 2002), I came to know more about the philanthropy side of Bill Gates and his wife, Melinda Gates. It is news that they are divorcing but I don't know whether that's sad or just the flow of life and perhaps something that may be good for the later part of their lives' journey which is what their message indicates. What Bill And Melinda Gates Said In Their Divorce Statement, https://www.ndtv.com/world-news/bill-and-melinda-gates-announce-divorce-after-27-years-of-marriage-2427485 , 4th May 2021 It is good to know that they will continue to do their work in their philanthropy foundation. All the best to Bill and Melinda Gates for their future lives.