In the early days of the pandemic last year, there was a run on  toilet paper in the US

It was quite mystifying to Indians who have no such needs in bathroom emergencies.

But how a product evolves is fascinating, even hilarious.

In India, facial and other tissues still constitute a small market of about Rs 1500 crores.

For a nation of over a billion, that's a drop in a thunderstorm

Handkerchiefs have been the all-purpose, go to solution for the middle class - used for everything from wiping sweat to snot.

The backup for gargantuan colds, protection from collar grime or wrapped around the pinky in qawwalis.

And of course, the way the hero and heroine met each other in films - the fragrant rumaal dropped carelessly on the road.

But some of the habits from the West are creeping in.

Tissues are now a part of the monthly purchase cycle 

Still used carefully and skimped upon - a single pack of disposable tissue costs as much as a handkerchief.

From a hygiene standpoint, it's no contest

But given that in India, 'disposable' means anywhere, it can quickly become an eyesore as well as a health hazard.

Ah, well.

The Ferrari ramp walk

An intrepid digital product designer from Berlin has created a showstopper.

Car design through the decades starting from the 1940s

He assembles them all in little bubbles you can click into and view in greater detail for the models you are keen about.

For anyone interested in seeing how car design has evolved, it's a great place to spend time.

He's looking to get more information about cars designed from the mid-70s to the 80s

Right now, the graph looks like the most fertile period was when studios designed cars - from the 50s to the 70s 

The bubbles overlap profusely and the year is barely visible.

It's also a vivid example of how to fit design progress on timelines, especially when trying to depict creative streaks of the entire automobile industry.

There are 97 Ferrari models and over 60 Alfa Romeo designs on the site.

Right now, it's static.

But you can visualise how this could become a lot more interactive if each brand is captured at the same angle through the years.

Then you can see how the passage of time impacted car design and what changed.

Looks like a project that will go places.

And in exciting directions

A pause

This particular post was written at the time when the Delta wave was sweeping India.

And it was the way the world felt during those days

There's just too much to process.

If you open up any social media feed, it's full of doom and pain.

There's a widespread shortage of oxygen in hospitals.

In retrospect, it seems completely predictable, because ICUs have to care for Covid patients battling breathlessness.

The last time around, in the first wave, this didn't happen.

There were reports of ICUs being full but oxygen availability was never in doubt.

There's anecdotal evidence of people who've had two doses of the vaccine still being infected.

Then, you read about the statistic that reinfections for people who have been vaccinated being 0.003%

We're seeing the downsides of too much information being dispensed.

And there's no way to verify what the truth is.

Even on mainstream media, there are conflicting reports.

It is probably best to navigate by instinct.

And assume that isolation is the best way forward.

Pause all social contact - interact through video like we have been doing all through last year.

And stay away from people who spread gloom.

Maybe it is being escapist.

The eye of the storm is a dark place to be in.

This too shall pass.

When noise overwhelms, find peace in the power of silence.

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