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The Election Commission strongly reacted after the Indian government announced use of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=indelible+ink&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">indelible ink</a> so that people do not withdraw from multiple banks. 
 The election body has written to the <keyword id="47209" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Finance-Ministry">finance ministry</keyword> raising objections as several states will be going for polls. 
 
Meanwhile, woes of the common man increased after the government reduced the limit of exchange of notes from Rs 4500 to Rs 2,000. 
 Many opposition parties such as Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Trinamool Congress have united against <keyword id="3315394" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="demonetisation">demonetisation</keyword>. 
 
Here are 10 latest developments in the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=demonetisation&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">demonetisation </a>so far 
 
 
 
(Images: Reuters/Indiatimes)

Demonetisation: Election Commission opposes use of indelible ink in banks. Here are today’s 10 latest developments

Thanks to demonetization, people are standing in queues in front of banks to get their old currency notes exchanged with the new ones. Since the <keyword id="6354335" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> (<keyword id="30067" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI">RBI</keyword>) has kept a limit to withdraw and exchange notes, people are going every day to get maximum cash in their hands. 
 
Banks have reported that same people are coming everyday to exchange their old currency. This is causing big lines in front of the exchanging desks. To stop it, now banks will use indelible ink, like we have during voting, to identify people who have exchanged notes once. 
 “Unscrupulous elements and some syndicates have been trying to convert their black money to white and are organising groups to go to bank branches for changing currency notes. As a result what is happening is that the benefit of withdrawal of cash is getting restricted to a smaller number of people,” <keyword id="64467" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Economic-affairs">Economic Affairs</keyword> Secretary <keyword id="6359111" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shaktikanta-Das">Shaktikanta Das</keyword> said. 
 
The RBI has put in place a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for such exchange of Specified Bank Notes (SBNs). 
 
So, when you enter a bank to exchange or withdraw money, this will be procedure: 
 
• Get into the line and wait for your turn, 
 
• When your turn arrives, show the cashier your ID and give him the old currency notes, 
 
• The cashier will give you the new currency notes and will then apply the indelible ink on the index finger of your right hand. 
 
• Now you won’t be able to get you currency exchanged unless the ink wears off. 
 
The whole process from receiving to application of the ink has been shared with banks and post offices. 
(image: Indiatimes)

Banks will use indelible ink when you exchange notes. Here’s the entire procedure

<ul><li><keyword id="7429622" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mysore-paints-varnish">Mysore Paints &amp; Varnish</keyword> Ltd. has received an order for 26 lakh phials for General Elections 2019. </li><li>The company started supplying indelible ink to the Election Commission in 1962. </li><li>The order for this general elections is higher by 4.5 lakh phials from the last elections in 2014.</li></ul>Tucked away in Mysore, a company under the Government of Karnataka is going to rake in ₹330 million in revenue just from the Indian general elections in 2019. Mysore Paints &amp; Varnish Ltd. has been supplying indelible ink or <keyword id="7429621" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ballot-ink">ballot ink</keyword> to the Election Commission since 1962 and this year, they have received an order for 26 lakh phials. Each phial is 10cc in volume. Speaking to Business Insider, Dr Chandrashekhar Doddamani, Managing Director, MPVL has said that the order is higher by 4.5 lakh phials than the last general elections in 2014. The company was established in 1937 by Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar, who was then the Maharaja of Mysore to boost local employment. Since then, the company has gone from manufacturing seal wax to supply paint for war tanks to the Defence department of India. However, the company has not just found a market with the Government of India but also governments from across the world. “We export the indelible ink to more than 30 countries across the globe since the last two decades,” said Dr Doddamani. The export sales of the country has also been growing over the last three years. In FY16-17, their export sales stood at ₹8.5 million, in FY17-18 it went up to ₹64 million and in FY18-19, the export sales reached a high of ₹156.8 million. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/general-elections-2019-delhi-will-have-all-women-polling-booth-promoting-women-empowerment/articleshow/68376937.cms">This election, India’s national capital will have polling booths staffed only by women</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/general-elections-2019-india-expects-over-15-million-first-time-voters-in-the-18-19-year-age-group/articleshow/68353207.cms">General Elections 2019: India expects over 15 million first-time voters in the 18-19 year age group</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/voting-in-indias-2019-elections-will-run-from-april-11-to-may-19-and-the-results-will-be-out-on-may-23/articleshow/68344595.cms">Voting in India's 2019 elections will run from April 11 to May 19 and the results will be counted on May 2</a>3

This 82-year-old company will make ₹330 million from the upcoming elections by supplying ballot ink

<ul class="summary-list"><li>As a mom, I spent so much time and energy planning outfits and family photos.</li><li>One year, everything seemed to be going well with my three kids for their photos with Santa. </li></ul>The holiday season ushers in cooler temperatures, shorter days, and a sharp rise in stress. As a parent, I love to make things harder on myself, especially when it comes to showcasing family perfection. For me, that rested squarely on the <a href="https://www.insider.com/sheriffs-office-apologizes-for-photo-of-santa-getting-handgun-permit-2021-12">Santa picture</a>.I'm a few years removed from those days now, but looking back, I spent a ridiculous amount of time and energy planning outfits, staking out various Santa choices to find the best-looking one, and bribing my kids into compliance.Every <a href="https://www.insider.com/photos-what-holidays-look-like-around-the-world-2018-12">holiday season</a>, my quest to memorialize the best version of my kids brought out the worst version of me — until the fateful year when my youngest shot that all to hell.<h2>My youngest made me realize how ridiculous it all was</h2>Maddox was a month shy of turning 2 — not yet in the official "terrible" category but definitely off to an early start. He was active, fearless, and obstinate. If Maddox didn't like something or someone, everyone within a 5-mile radius knew it because the kid had lungs.Standing in the Santa line that year, I felt really good about things. All three kids were excited and engaged. Maddox sat strapped in his stroller, pointing and clapping and giggling each time he got a glimpse of Santa. As each wind of that infinite line brought us closer to the front, my confidence swelled.When it was our turn, I placed a very excited Maddox on a very sun-tanned Santa's knee. I backed away just as Maddox's little platinum mop-top head turned to look up at the person holding him.That's when the wheels came off.In a matter of milliseconds, Maddox went from a happy and willing participant to a hostage staging an escape by crippling his captors with eardrum-bursting shrieks. His face melted, the tears pouring down his plump and reddening cheeks in buckets, his new molars on full display.I stood trapped, my feet refusing to move from the spot next to the photographer. While my "good-mother brain" should have sent me rushing to rescue my baby from the clutches of this red-suited friend, it didn't. Instead, as I watched the scene unfolding in front of me, Maddox wide-mouthed and screaming from a smiling Santa's lap, all I could do was laugh. The more he cried, the louder I howled.He couldn't stop, and neither could I, our reactions blaring through the mall in opposition to one another.<h2>I now believe in imperfection</h2>And so it came to be that my youngest broke me of my obsession over getting perfect pictures. It ushered in a new version of me, one who believes imperfect pictures are the best kind. We don't do retakes, even for school pictures. Whatever comes home is what I keep. Mismatched clothes, unruly hair, scraped chins — I love every single one.From the half-closed eyes to the wide-open mouths, these pictures tell the tale of who my kids were at any given moment in their lives. And with time passing at a startling pace, these pictures of imperfection mark the years in indelible ink on my heart.We display Maddox's Santa picture on our mantel year-round, a reminder that sometimes the most imperfect moments in life turn out to be the ones we never want to forget.

I was obsessed with getting the perfect holiday family photo. My youngest made me realize there's beauty in imperfection.

The Election Commission of India introduced Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) in Indian elections between 1998 and 2001. This initiative brought about a shift from the conventional system of paper ballot voting to the more sophisticated electronic voting. Following charges by the opposition parties regarding the reliability of the EVMs, the Supreme Court directed the EC to include a paper trail to help ascertain the reliable operation of the EVMs. Hence the EC introduced Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPATs) between 2012 and 2013 that will accompany the EVMs and will enable the voters verify their votes. Voting during the upcoming Delhi assembly elections on 9 February 2020 will happen solely through EVMs accompanied by <keyword id="686046" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="VVPAT">VVPAT</keyword> verification procedure. What are the features of EVMs EVMs have ruled out the massive manual work involved in the counting of paper ballot votes which also consumed a lot of time. They also mark a move towards eco-friendly elections as the use of printed ballot slips has been completely eliminated. Some interesting features of the EVMs are given hereunder. <ul><li>EVMs come with an embedded feature to limit the vote casting rate to five per minute. </li><li>They have a security lock close feature</li><li>EVMs also store the electronic voting signatures and thumb impressions to confirm the voter’s identity. </li><li>They feature once write read-only memory and are made with secure manufacturing practices.</li><li>EVMs are battery powered and do not have any networking capability or wireless or wired internet components and interface. </li></ul>What is the use of VVPATs Voter verifiable paper audit trail (VVPAT) provides feedback to the voters while a ballotless electronic voting system is deployed. VVPATs add a verification system to the EVMs by letting the voters verify if their vote was cast correctly. They provide a paper medium to store the votes in addition to the electronic system used by the EVMs. They also make it possible to arrange for a manual counting of votes if a recount is necessary in case of any arising disputes. How to cast the <keyword id="8631570" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="vote-using-evm">vote using EVM</keyword> and VVPAT <ul><li>Enter the polling booth and produce the photo voter slip and a valid ID proof.</li><li>Your name on the electoral roll will be checked and you will be asked to sign on the register.</li><li>The indelible ink mark will be applied on the nail of your left index finger.</li><li>The polling officer will press a button to enable the ballot unit when you move into the polling compartment.</li><li>Choose the name or symbol of the candidate of your choice and press the blue button against it.</li><li>You will see the red light against the name or symbol of the candidate indicating that your vote has been casted.</li><li>The VVPAT will give a print out of a ballot slip that will contain the serial number, name and symbol of the candidate for whom you have casted your vote. You can see the print out through the glass which will be visible for seven seconds. Then it will be cut and dropped inside the drop box with a beep sound. Note that the print out will not be given to you. In case you cannot see the ballot slip and if you happen to hear a loud beep sound, you can approach the presiding officer.</li></ul>

Delhi Election: How to cast the vote using EVM and VVPAT

The next time you think of an excuse to not cast your<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=vote&amp;sortorder=effectivedate"> vote</a>, take a leaf out of 25-year-old <keyword id="3364994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Abdu-Samad-P-N-C">Abdu Samad P N C</keyword> of Muzhangaloor in the Malappuram district of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=kerala&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Kerala</a> who votes with his feet, after losing both of his arms to an accident. 
 
A student of MA Sociology, Abdu had his hands amputated at the age of 11 after they were nearly electrocuted. 
 But, that didn’t stop him from doing his duty of <keyword id="43546" type="EVENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Voting">voting</keyword>. That’s not all- he has also not missed any <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=elections&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">elections</a> in the last seven years, right from the day he attained the minimum age for voting. 
 
"I think you have no excuse to skip voting. Those who say that they would not vote are either busy or disillusioned with politics, or the candidates fail to excite them. What they don't understand is that vote is the only way to change it all," Abdu told reporters explaining why he doesn’t let a physical disability stop him from casting his vote. 
 
While for most of us, casting a vote is as simple as pressing a button, however for Abdu it’s not that easy. 
 
He is required to stand on one leg while using the other to press the button on the voting machine. 
 
The indelible ink is put on the second toe of his left leg as he doesn’t have fingers. He also signs the register with his leg. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Meet
the 25-year-old Kerala man who votes with his feet

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Michael Seto PhotographyShervin Pishevar</div></div></div>In the wake of the appointment of a new CEO to Uber, one of the company's investors, Shervin Pishevar, just sent out a wild statement. The statement references the infighting of the board that reached epic proportions, forcing Uber founder Travis Kalanick to resign in June after the tragic death of his mother.Pishevar was firmly on Team Kalanick, The opposition was Team Benchmark. Benchmark is an investor in Uber and a board member. The VC firm sued Kalanick and has been trying to force him off the board. Pishevar's statement is bizarre in its word choices and tone, but it does seem to hint that the fight to get Kalanick reinstated as CEO isn't wholly over.Here it is: Let us take this pause in this moment, when we find ourselves swimming in the crucible of one of the grandest business and moral battles of our generation, and find strength in each stroke of our proverbial digital pens, that we wrote with the indelible, eternal and permanent ink of righteousness. We write with the souls of thousands of lives saved, the lives of millions of jobs created liberating multitudes of drivers from the shackles of servitude to iniquitous taxi cartels of corrupt cabals that choked cities with their pollution of air and morals. We write with the spirit of Bonnie Kalanick, who raised her son with deep unconditional love and unfading faith in his ability to do good for the world. Whose tragic and untimely death was used against her son at his most vulnerable, unspeakable time of pain. They chose to strike at a moment of a devoted son's retreat and leave of absence to mourn the absence of the inviolable love of his mother. In doing so, they joined the very corruption her son had devoted such fervent passion to fight. In her memory, we devote our actions to a just cause; to defend what is right and to protect the interest of not only shareholders but most importantly the far more important stakeholders of employees, drivers and customers whose lives have been forever altered by the abiding faith and fervent hard work of Travis Kalanick and the Uber team. Their allegiance was met by this unholy alliance of perfidious greed devolving rapidly into the audacity of vituperative unparalleled predatory rapacity. Let us strike tomorrow with the full and fulsome courage of our convictions. Let our just cause give pause to those who would ever dream of ever emulating the shameful shenanigans of these sanctimonious hypocrites who fling filings and letters de haut en bas; when it is we who have the higher moral ground and our letters and filing will hail down upon their platforms, exposing them as bitterly barren barons of moral turpitude. And as the summer sets, we let us be steward of truth who in unison proclaim: fiat justitia ruat caelum. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/drop-tested-new-old-nokia-3310-vs-durable-smash-phone-mobile-2017-8">We drop tested both the new and old Nokia 3310 - and there was a clear winner</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Uber investor just sent a wild statement about the company invoking "saved souls" and "sanctimonious hypocrites"

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">The MandrakeMark Mahoney.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Business Insider recently sat down with the "<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/mark-mahoney-high-priest-hollywood-tattoo-artists-1003532">High Priest of Hollywood Tattoo Artists"</a> Mark Mahoney.</li><li>The tattooer recently finished a residency at <a href="https://www.themandrake.com/">The Mandrake</a> hotel in London's West End.</li><li>He told us stories of the old days when he used to tattoo Boston's bike gangs - when it was illegal at the time.</li><li>He also talked about the celebrity clientele he now surrounds himself with, including <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/david-beckham-tattoo-artist-says-he-feels-no-pain-2018-10">David Beckham</a>, Johnny Depp, and Lana Del Rey.</li><li>Mahoney might just be the most interesting tattoo artist in the world.</li></ul>Mark Mahoney is a man who has seen it all.The legendary so-called "<a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/mark-mahoney-high-priest-hollywood-tattoo-artists-1003532">High Priest of Hollywood Tattoo Artists"</a> started out tattooing drunk Hell's Angels in his native Boston, Massachusetts, and now counts the likes of Johnny Depp and David Beckham as friends. It's been a hell of a transition for him.I'm catching up with Mahoney during his residency at <a href="https://www.themandrake.com/">The Mandrake</a> hotel in London's West End, where he's hosting a £500-a-ticket charity dinner and tattooed VIP clients in the lobby.I open Mahoney's hotel room door to find his own piercing blue eyes, which have been <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rJABBmAMXnY">immortalized by Lana Del Ray</a>, staring back at me. He's holding a can of Monster energy and wearing his trademark stand-up collar shirt and a pair of outrageous, purple, crocodile-skin monkstrap shoes.His voice honestly <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5cRxTiYxtg&amp;t=75s">has to be heard to be believed</a> - it's like it's been specifically engineered for an Al Pacino gangster flick.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">The Mandrake</div></div></div>As he sits down, Mahoney tells me that he recently recovered from throat cancer, which may have something to do with why he sounds like Ray Liotta after a heavy night out.In the tattoo world, Mahoney is known as <a href="https://thelondontattooconvention.com/newsblog/the-history-of-black-and-grey/">the founding father of black-n-grey single needle art</a>, which was born out of jailhouse tattooing as prisoners often only had access to one needle (instead of the traditional five or seven needle cluster) and no colours."When I was a kid I'd get a box of crayons," Mark tells me, "and a couple days later the black one would be half an inch long and the colours would be untouched."So, the black and grey single needle style was more the way my aesthetic - the way I drew - worked."He started tattooing in his native Boston when he was just 15, back when doing it was still illegal. His patrons weren't exactly law-abiding types anyway, mostly Hells Angels bikers.He got out of the east coast just in time, he tells me, as the tattooers he left behind were either getting arrested by the police or hit up by the mafia who wanted a slice of their action.Now that every teen boy band and their mums are covered in ink, I ask Mahoney if tattoos have lost some of the outlaw appeal that once made them so enticing."I never thought it would be this big or this socially accepted," he says. "[Back in the day] it kind of symbolised... bikers and gangsters - those were all the people I got in the business to be around."Mahoney still gets some of his old clientele coming into the shop, though, apparently: "I get a lot of calls from prison, yeah."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">John Sciulli / Getty Images for Giuseppe Zanotti Design</div></div></div>You would have thought painfully etching indelible ink into the backs, sides, arms, and faces of America's hardened criminals would be a daunting task, but Mahoney says he always knew it was where he was meant to be.He tells me about a time he was setting up a tattoo for a rival biker gang's president - "He had just gotten out of jail and the club that I was working for was offering my services to this guy to kind of suck up to him."It's winter in Boston and Mark's equipment is ice cold, he says. "I go to spray his back to prepare the thing and it's freezing so he rears up; knocks me on my a--; the whole table falls over with all my stuff."I'm staring up at the ceiling with the huge swastika flag [on the ceiling] and this six-foot-eight behemoth that I have to tattoo and it occurred to me like an outer body experience that, 'you could be nervous now, you should be nervous now.'"But somehow I knew I'd always be nervous, you know, and I just wanted to be a tattooer and a good one so bad that it didn't affect me."Mahoney's come a long way from the swastika-covered clubhouses of Massachusetts' most-feared bikers.He moved to Long Beach, California in 1980 and lived in the same tattoo parlour that he worked in - an experience that he called "colourful, to say the least."<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Gregorio Soave / The Mandrake</div></div></div>Since then he's opened his own place on Hollywood's Sunset Boulevard, the <a href="http://shamrocksocialclub.com/">Shamrock Social Club</a>, which attracts clients including David Beckham, Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt, Rihanna, Adele, One Direction - the list literally goes on forever and is like a who's who of Hollywood A-listers. He also has a story about every single one.Mahoney tells me that <a href="https://www.thisisinsider.com/david-beckham-tattoo-artist-says-he-feels-no-pain-2018-10">David Beckham is "the ultimate tattoo customer"</a> - "he picks good stuff, he's got great skin, he feels absolutely no pain."His relationship with the soccer legend eventually led him to tattoo his eldest son, Brooklyn, an experience which he called "a real honour.""I know at 18 I was trying to do the opposite of what my dad was up to. So, I was really happy and proud to be a part of that," he said.His closest celebrity client, though, is Johnny Depp.Depp told <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/mark-mahoney-high-priest-hollywood-tattoo-artists-1003532">The Hollywood Reporter</a> last year that Mahoney "is amongst the finest tattoo artists to have ever plied the trade.""I've known him since forever and I've got the ink to prove it. He's my brother," Depp said."We talk while he works. He once worked on my back for seven hours straight and that don't feel too good. I couldn't see a thing he was doing, but I trust him with everything I got."While Depp was playing Irish hoodlum James "Whitey" Bulger in the 2015 film "Black Mass," Mahoney says he came into his shop on an unusually regular basis. "I think he was kind of studying my Boston accent," he says. "He got an inordinate number of tattoos that year."Mahoney also played a small part in the film himself.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Paul Marotta / Getty Images for Warner BrothersMark Mahoney and Nicole Mahoney attend the 'Black Mass' Boston special screening at the Coolidge Corner Theatre on September 15, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts.</div></div></div>Celebrities don't always come to his shop, though - sometimes he gets flown out to them.Mahoney recalls tattooing Suge Knight in 1996, the former rap mogul who famously drove the car in which rapper Tupac Shakur was shot and killed in, when he suddenly got invited on an impromptu trip to Chicago."He [Knight] was like, 'Mark go pack your stuff up and come with me to Chicago,' and I was like, 'OK!' So I packed my stuff up and then me and 20 people are on a Learjet eating catfish 20 minutes later, it was great!"Mahoney doesn't strike me as a man who's ever been afraid to take a risk, which is reinforced by another anecdote he tells me about a handsome Texan.Apparently, the man was going from shop to shop asking for a tattoo on his face, but no one would do it. "He looked like Paul Newman in 'Hud,'" Mark says, "but he had a huge bite mark - uppers and lowers - on his face and you could see individual teeth."He wanted a kiss in between it - some kind of Texas bar room, comedy and tragedy - and everybody had said no."I was like, 'S--- that's a great idea! I'd love to do that, what's the matter with you?"Speaking to Mahoney, it's easy to see why he's captured the imagination of so many fellow artists - he's the spellbinding character that actors try to replicate; the rogue that musicians make their muse. He's just really cool.According to <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/features/mark-mahoney-high-priest-hollywood-tattoo-artists-1003532">The Hollywood Reporter</a>, the magician David Blaine, who once received a tattoo across his back from Mahoney over the course of 24 hours, said: "When Mark tattoos, you are not actually aware of the needle; instead you are entranced by the piercing of his eyes, which is always complemented by an incredible conversation."In this sense, Mahoney may be the perfect tattoo artist: Here is a man so intensely interesting, who has lived so many lives and met so many people, that you don't actually realise you're being inked at all. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/paris-motor-show-2018-first-look-at-the-new-bugatti-divo-2018-10">A first look at the new $5.7 million Bugatti Divo from the Paris Motor Show 2018</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Meet the 'High Priest of Hollywood Tattoo Artists,' who started out illegally tattooing bike gangs and now calls Johnny Depp 'brother'

HBO's massive hit "<keyword id="6433339" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Game-of-Thrones">Game of Thrones</keyword>" was very likely the last show of its kind.The series dominated the global news cycle for months each year and drew tens of millions of concurrent viewers. In the nearly two years since the finale aired on May 27, 2019, <keyword id="4578" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="entertainment">entertainment</keyword> reporters, audience analysts, and fans have all wondered whether the "next 'Game of Thrones'" is around the corner.But it's clearer than ever that the void left by the series finale of "Game of Thrones" might never be filled.Insider spoke with several <keyword id="6355065" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="TV">TV</keyword> creators at <keyword id="128682" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Netflix">Netflix</keyword> - HBO's competitor and the streaming service responsible for the new normal of "binge watching" whole seasons of a show at a time - to gauge whether its formula was capable of creating a similar fervor to the near-constant hype surrounding "Game of Thrones."People like producer and director Shawn Levy, screenwriter and showrunner Carlton Cuse, and others we interviewed concluded that the unique set of circumstances which led to the wild success of "Game of Thrones" is unlikely to ever happen again, though perhaps it's not impossible.The landscape of how TV is made and watched has changed drastically since "Game of Thrones" premiered. You can chart the shift into "prestige TV" and "peak TV" over the past 20 years by looking at a few key shows.HBO's "The Sopranos" premiered in 1999, with "The Wire" on its heels in 2002. ABC's "Lost" first aired in 2004, leading to one of the first examples of a fervent, detail-obsessed TV fandom online. Then AMC's "Mad Men" and "Breaking Bad" came in 2007 and 2008, respectively, setting new standards for period TV and anti-hero dramas. <div type="image" title="Lost series finale" height="1998" width="2664" msid="82222951" hostid="261"></div>"Game of Thrones" premiered in 2011, and as the other shows were closing out their series' runs, the landscape of TV was changed when Netflix launched its binge-season format with "House of Cards" and "Orange Is the New Black" in 2013 (which happened to be the same year the famous "Red Wedding" episode of "Game of Thrones" catapulted the fantasy-drama into new heights of popularity).By the time its sixth season was premiering in 2016, "Game of Thrones" was the last of these critically lauded, fan-obsessed dramas still commanding an audience of millions with a weekly episode format. Thanks to the unprecedented nature of the adaptation overtaking the books and spoiler culture, "Game of Thrones" was like having the Super Bowl air every Sunday for two months straight: If you didn't watch it live, you'd wake up and immediately know the score."Game of Thrones" became essential appointment viewing for fans.<div type="image" title="Jon Snow" height="846" width="1128" msid="82222954" hostid="261"></div>From the premiere of the "Game of Thrones" pilot to its series finale, the way people watch TV dramatically evolved. Gone are the days when weekly releases were the norm, and now binge-watching reigns supreme."It's something we have definitely talked about," Levy, who has worked on "Stranger Things" and "Shadow and Bone," <a href="https://www.insider.com/shawn-levy-i-am-not-okay-with-this-producer-interview-2020-2">told Insider in February 2020</a>. "I think, with the exception of sporting events and political cataclysms, it is an increasingly rare thing for everybody to share the same viewing at the same time. I do think that that is a dying experience."But binge culture has a cost. Weekly releases help build engaged fandoms, which are a key part of the TV-watching experience. Fandoms not only help networks and streaming companies better understand their audience (which, in turn, helps those companies' bottom lines) but also create a sense of community - something people have been particularly craving during the COVID-19 pandemic.When <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-use-netflix-tips-and-tricks">Netflix</a> introduced the binge format in 2013, it dominated pop-culture conversations as people delighted in the ability to marathon a brand-new TV season in a single weekend (or even a day or two for adventurous watchers). But seven years later, the novelty of binge-watching has worn off. It can still make for a great individual experience, but that <a href="https://www.insider.com/binge-format-shows-are-bad-for-fans-2020-10">format can make it harder to develop hyperengaged TV show fandoms</a>."As a writer, I prefer to be working in the streaming world," Meredith Averill, a cocreator of Netflix's "Haunting of Hill House" and "Locke and Key," told Insider in an interview last year. "As a viewer, I enjoy having shows that I have to wait every week to watch."She added: "For me, I think it's exciting that there are so many different platforms now, but I hope that these week-to-week episodes never really goes away and it does leave room for there to be a 'Game of Thrones'-like series."Averill's cocreator on "Locke and Key," Cuse, was also the cocreator of ABC's indelible mystery-drama series "Lost." "I think there is still something special about the week-to-week experience that I hope doesn't completely go away in the evolving television landscape," Cuse said. "It's great to have so many choices and so many amazing shows out there," Cuse added. "But that ability to watch a show and have a conversation about it because everybody watched the episode the previous night - it's hard to do when people are watching things with different paces."<div type="image" title="KIT YOUNG as JESPER FAHEY and FREDDY CARTER as KAZ BREKKER in SHADOW AND BONE Cr. DAVID APPLEBY:NETFLIX " height="1333" width="1778" msid="82222957" hostid="261"></div>Eric Heisserer, the showrunner of Netflix's new fantasy series <a href="https://www.insider.com/category/shadow-and-bone">"Shadow and Bone,"</a> sees pros and cons in both formats of TV shows, especially ones that aren't based on books and therefore don't have a clear road map for fans to predict."I would say the disadvantage is when you're building out something that has a lot of mythology and a lot of extreme reveals, then that week between episodes gets filled with tons and tons of fan theories," Heisserer said. "If your fans wind up being more imaginative than the people working the show, it can sour some things and be a bit of a problem area for you."Heisserer also said he believed that looking for the next "Game of Thrones" (or any show, for that matter) was a "disservice" to creators."In the earlier days, it was looking for the next 'Lost,' and then 'Game of Thrones' - anything that becomes a huge milestone for entertainment," Heisserer said. "I've been in countless meetings with network execs saying that they are looking for the next blah, blah, blah. But as a creator, I think it's a scary kind of disservice to yourself and to your art to try and rise to that occasion."Heisserer said he preferred the approach of "I'm going to be my own unique thing," and then it either catches on (which is "great") or he's left knowing he was true to each project and himself.In a <a href="https://www.theringer.com/year-in-review/2019/12/19/21028443/hbo-game-of-thrones-future-casey-bloys">2019 feature on HBO's then-president of programming Casey Bloys</a> and the future of the network post-"Game of Thrones," Bloys told The Ringer that he's a "huge, huge proponent of week-to-week viewing" because of the conversations it drives."It's funny - when Netflix came out, I think the whole industry said, 'Oh my gosh, should we be doing this?'" Bloys, who is now the chief content officer of HBO, <a href="https://www.theringer.com/year-in-review/2019/12/19/21028443/hbo-game-of-thrones-future-casey-bloys">told The Ringer</a>. "But I've come out very firmly on the side of a weekly release pattern.He continued: "You have an entire industry of people writing about TV and criticizing TV and obsessing about TV. To feed that once a week and to have people comment on it, and hate on it and love it is a lot … You want people talking about your shows. You want people debating your shows. You want people having an opinion of your shows."In 2019, <keyword id="7448675" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="disney-plus">Disney Plus</keyword>' "The Mandalorian" came close to achieving the same success as "Game of Thrones."Thanks in large part to Grogu, aka "Baby Yoda," the show's weekly episode releases turned into events, with memes galore and a fervor for merchandise and theory swapping. The buildup between episodes as people waited eagerly to see more of Baby Yoda was palpable. Disney captured a similar energy with 2020's weekly drops of "WandaVision," the first of many Marvel series to launch on the streaming service.To Heisserer's point, the gaps between episodes in "WandaVision" (like with "Game of Thrones" and other mystery-box shows like "Lost" before it) gave people plenty of time online to come up with their own <a href="https://www.insider.com/wandavision-how-quicksilver-back-theories-2021-2">intricate fan theories</a> about what was in store. The frenzy around theorizing <a href="https://www.insider.com/wandavision-finale-evan-peters-pietro-real-identity-explained-2021-3">led to disappointment</a> for some once the finale aired.<div type="image" title="wandavision" height="1227" width="1637" msid="82222958" hostid="261"></div>Disappointments aside, it's impossible to deny the audience-grabbing power the weekly release schedule of "WandaVision" had.During another phone call earlier this month, almost one year after our first conversation, Levy said his 2020 prediction about "Game of Thrones" being a "dying experience" may have come too soon."I'm the first to declare that I may very well have been wrong," Levy said. "I don't know how you look at the Disney Plus model with 'WandaVision' and 'Falcon and the Winter Soldier' and all their series and not question that appointment television may not be dead after all."He added: "I can tell you firsthand that the suspense and excitement that I felt gearing up to every Sunday last year waiting for the next episode of 'The Last Dance' on ESPN. It reminded me that there is indeed a different form of delight in waiting. And we've very much seen this, I think, with 'WandaVision' - there is something enjoyable about a cultural conversation that exists in real time and simultaneous time."Whereas with binge television, there's no lack of clips and ink devoted to it, but the conversation tends to be a little bit more sprawling because we're not talking about one episode on one day and the same day," Levy added.Ultimately, streaming services and traditional networks are still experimenting with release formats.A recent <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/to-binge-or-not-binge-inside-streamers-scheduling-decisions">Hollywood Reporter feature</a> on various streamers' approaches to scheduling pointed out that Netflix has been experimenting with weekly releases for reality shows like "The Circle," while HBO Max did a "batch" release for some of its programming, like "The Flight Attendant.""We are still in learning mode," Meredith Gertler, HBO Max's vice president of content strategy and planning, <a href="https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/to-binge-or-not-binge-inside-streamers-scheduling-decisions">told the Hollywood Reporter.</a> "We are still experimenting with what works best for our subscribers. And we certainly don't believe the same rules apply necessarily across genre, so it is about taking more of a bespoke strategy that takes into account the creative and the nature of the programming."Given Disney Plus' weekly release strategy, and the continued success of HBO's weekly lineup, will Netflix eventually start experimenting with its own weekly drop of its prestige scripted shows? "I've certainly heard rumblings of conversation on that topic," Levy said. "I have a lot of shows with Netflix, and I can't predict with certainty how things will be dropped or launched in the future. All I know is this: Three or four years ago, Netflix was famous for not disclosing rankings or viewership numbers, and we've seen the rule book get rewritten in real time. So I wouldn't assume that any rule is unbreakable."

We may never see another TV show like 'Game of Thrones' because of Netflix

<ul class="summary-list"><li>As the world emerges from lockdown, coronavirus-related imagery has become a burgeoning category in the tattoo world, with images like masks, 17th-century plague doctors, and the spiky virus particle itself.</li><li><keyword id="6438053" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="tattoos">Tattoos</keyword> have a long history with <keyword id="6390970" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Trauma">trauma</keyword> and world-changing events, from World War I to Hurricane Katrina.</li><li>For frontline workers, coronavirus tattoos are reminders of their strength and sacrifice; for others, they're a way to cope with the strangeness of the moment.</li></ul>Lynnette Carey spent most of her first trip to New York City working in the ICU.In April, Carey traveled from Texas for a five-month stint working at the Brooklyn VA Medical Center during the peak of the pandemic. "It was unreal," she told Insider. "Patients would pass, and as soon as we could get that patient into the morgue or the truck, we would get another one." In August, she decided to commemorate her experience with an indelible reminder: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CD6deTkhmpC/">a tattoo</a> of a nurse supporting a suffering Statue of Liberty, covering the outside of her left calf. The image, by artist <a href="https://www.instagram.com/olga.g.art/?hl=en">Olga Gouralnik</a>, is adapted from an illustration that appeared on an April cover of the New York Daily News with the headline "Torch Bearers."When Carey saw the way New York was suffering in March, she felt that she had to assist however she could. The tattoo, she said, was a way to remember the experience "in a positive way, where I can look back and be proud of what I did to help." As the world has shakily emerged from lockdowns, COVID-19-related imagery has become a growing niche in the tattoo world.Stoic <keyword id="6382661" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="nurses">nurses</keyword> like Carey, masks, toilet paper, 17th-century plague doctors, Corona beers, and even the spiky virus particle itself have all become symbols of the pandemic, representing everything from the sacrifices of frontline workers to the strangeness of this moment itself.<h2>There's a surprising relationship between tattoos and trauma</h2>While it might seem counterintuitive to get a permanent marker of a global health crisis on your body, there's a deep connection between tattooing, personal storytelling, and trauma. After Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans <keyword id="1317539" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="tattoo-artists">tattoo artists</keyword> reported a surge in requests for <a href="https://www.chron.com/news/hurricanes/article/Tattoos-a-tribute-to-scars-left-by-Katrina-1499939.php">tattoos related to the storm</a>, from images of the city skyline to banners listing the names of victims.The <a href="https://www.inkedmag.com/original-news/15-semicolon-tattoos">semicolon tattoo</a> has become a symbol of solidarity and perseverance against depression and suicidal thoughts. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2018/sep/22/instead-scar-piece-art-women-mastectomy-tattoos">Mastectomy tattoos</a> are used by patients to cover scars from the procedure, and to feel empowered by turning the experience into a piece of <keyword id="1105" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="art">art</keyword>. For <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2019/03/12/health/tattoo-therapy-sexual-assault-survivors-study-intl/index.html">sexual assault survivors</a>, tattoos can be a declaration of agency over their bodies. Everett Painter, an assistant professor of counseling, school psychology, and special education at Edinboro University, has studied <a href="https://trace.tennessee.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6165&amp;context=utk_graddissdiss">the relationship</a> between trauma and tattoo acquisition.Tattoos, Painter told Insider, "can give people some kind of control over what they've been through… It brings people some comfort in a way, just to be reminded 'I've dealt with this, I've overcome it, and it doesn't control me anymore.' It doesn't define who I am.'"<div type="image" title="tattoo parlor" height="1662" width="2217" msid="78151552" hostid="261"></div>He's also found that the physical element of a tattoo can also be a source of comfort. "I've talked to people who have tattoos on their arms or wrists, for example, and as they talk about it they'll be touching it, or rubbing their wrist. It becomes this physical thing, in terms of being a part of their body and bringing them comfort." Deborah Davidson, an associate professor of sociology at Toronto's York University and author of <a href="https://www.canadianscholars.ca/books/the-tattoo-project">The Tattoo Project</a>, has focused her research specifically on commemorative tattoos, and the many reasons people choose to get them."Tattoos help people make, remake, and share meaning," Davidson said. "They serve as a way to integrate trauma into one's life in a way that demonstrates choice for the bearer." According to Davidson's research, between 50 and 80 percent of tattoos, depending on the age group, are commemorative.<h2>Not all coronavirus-inspired tattoos have to be serious </h2>Bubba Nicholson, who lives in Hamilton, Ontario and works in the cannabis industry, has a coronavirus-themed tattoo on the inside of his right arm. It depicts a plague doctor mask above prayer hands holding sanitizer, with the words "What doesn't kill us makes us stranger" in between.Nicholson said it was a way to both playfully mark the weirdness of this moment and to remember the lessons he hopes to carry from it.The beaked plague doctor mask was inspired by his reading about the bubonic plague during lockdown, and the prayer hands are meant to help him remember to be grateful and generous, global pandemic or not. Nicholson said that he and his partner, who lost her job during lockdown, have started giving food to unhoused people in their community."I'm always gonna remember this period of time, where I've seen so much disintegrate around me, and from a personal, mental standpoint, found myself so much stronger," he told Insider.Marcus Broome, a tattoo artist and owner of the Deptford studio <a href="https://www.kidsloveinkdeptford.co.uk/">Kids Love Ink</a> in London, created several COVID-related <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCbbhyUltGk/">flash designs</a> that have been doing well with customers. "I thought it would be a good idea to do traditional pieces but involving something that's affecting all of us," he told Insider. The designs are a classic take on tattoo motifs: a woman with a flower in her hair and a surgical mask on her face; a dagger piercing a coronavirus particle.In the first several weeks after the studio reopened in July, 15 customers got these flash images."Not to trivialize it, but I think the majority of them are approaching this with a bit of humor, and that's how we get through trying times," he said. He's given the virus-vanquishing dagger to an ambulance crew as well as to his girlfriend, who worked for the London Ambulance Service and fell ill with the coronavirus. "I think with [the healthcare workers], it was kind of like, f— it — we're the COVID-slayers."<h2>Tattoos have a long and complex history with eras that changed the world </h2>The classic images Broome referenced in his designs — bold black lines, a limited color palette — echo the art form's historic connection to earth-shattering events. Their visual style, <a href="http://blog.nyhistory.org/a-short-incomplete-history-of-american-traditional-tattooing/">American Traditional</a>, became popular among <a href="https://sailorjerry.com/en/tattoos/overview/">World War II soldiers</a> in the 1940s. Tattoos could be a way to commemorate places fallen comrades and places they'd traveled, or or maintain <a href="https://www.vfw.org/media-and-events/latest-releases/archives/2016/8/a-short-history-of-military-tattoos">traditions and superstitions</a>. Amid the 1,634 photos under the #covidtattoo hashtag on Instagram are many pieces featuring a masked nurse's face, often poised over a rose, or surrounded by flowers.This <keyword id="6373314" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Design">design</keyword> descends from another tattoo tradition that originated during World War I: <a href="https://kingsavetattoo.com/rose-of-no-mans-land-tattoo-meaning/#:~:text=%E2%80%9CThe%20Rose%20of%20No%20Man's,unoccupied%20ground%20between%20opposing%20trenches.">"The Rose of No Man's Land,"</a> the title of a song released in 1918, as a tribute to the nurses on the front lines of the war (and the Spanish Flu).<div type="image" title="rose of no mans land" height="1875" width="2500" msid="78151557" hostid="261"></div>The lyrics portrayed the nurses as nourishing roses, who would retrieve wounded soldiers from the treacherous "no man's land" between enemy trenches. One version of the <a href="https://www.loc.gov/item/2013570957/">sheet music cover art</a> featured a nurse's head inside a rose, and as the song became more widespread during and after World War II, it inspired a popular tattoo motif.You can see traces of this historic image <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CCVxebBFm_H/">on the arm</a> of Janine Llamzon, a director of nursing and system operations in the emergency department at a tristate area hospital, also ravaged by the pandemic this spring.As soon as Magic Cobra Tattoo Society, a parlor in Brooklyn, re-opened, Llamzon made an appointment. With the studio owner and artist Todd "Woodz" Woodward, she developed an image of a masked nurse surrounded by a halo of light, with a hibiscus flower in her hair, referencing her Filipino and Polynesian descent.Getting tattoos while traveling are Llamzon's version of "refrigerator magnets," and reminders of various moments in her life. "The COVID experience showcased the power of the nurse," Llamzon said. "There were a lot of moments with the sickest patients, it was the nurse who was there 24/7, caring for them.A lot of the patients didn't have families, so we were the family. There's a lot of pain and suffering, but also at the same time, it's devotion and passion towards what we do, so we tried to put that in visual form." For Llamzon, the physical act of getting the tattoo was also a healing moment and exercise in mindfulness. "I don't want to sound like I enjoyed the pain, but it just allowed me to be quiet and still with my artist," she said.For others, even if the tattoo's design isn't related to COVID-19, the act of getting one can provide much-needed relief, a means of commemorating an extraordinary period of time. Woodz happily reported that the shop has been "slammed" since reopening."It's a therapeutic session for a lot of people," he said. "You know, when you leave a tattoo shop, you're literally a new person." Lauren Vespoli is a Brooklyn-based writer and editor who focuses on culture and history. You can find her on Twitter @L_Vespoli. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/why-tattoos-stay-in-your-skin-2018-3">Here's why tattoos stay in your skin forever</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/coronavirus-changing-relationship-to-death-living-funerals-death-cafes-2020-7">The coronavirus is forcing Americans to reckon with death like never before</a><a href="https://www.insider.com/tattoos-cover-mastectomy-scars-breast-cancer-survivors-2018-4">Breast cancer survivors are getting tattoos to decorate their mastectomy scars</a>

People are getting coronavirus-themed tattoos of nurses, masks, and toilet paper as they deal with pandemic trauma

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/techcrunch/9722246454/in/photolist-aSMfpF-aUkwuv-aUmqze-aUkyTv-aUkA3n-jYeVHj-fP84dd-fP849S-fNQvvz-aUkfvR-fP7XiL-fNQvK8-bEAGH6-brFMrN-bEAG1P-brFLZN-bEAFAK-bEAFmn-bEAFat-brFLbw-jYeVFf-aT9BRz-aT9BsZ-aT9D8r-bEAHik-brFL2h-bEAEwP-aUkk28-9GYyR5-brFRKU-aUkq1g-bEALtH-brFRsw-bEAL9z-bEAKVK-brFQX3-brFQN9-bEAKsn-brFQrb-brFQgS-bEAJV4-brFPZ7-bEAJD2-bEAJnX-bEAJdc-bEAJ1T-bEAHQz-bEAHEB-bEAHsi-aUketR">Tech Crunch/Flickr</a>Uber investor Shervin Pishevar's letter is one for the books.</div></div></div>It's not everyday that the clubby world of venture capital investors engage in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/benchmark-letter-uber-employees-why-suing-travis-kalanick-2017-8">open warfare.</a>Even less so, when the feud involves a 250-word missive laced with fiery language, metaphors and Latin edicts worthy of a Middle-earth battlefield speech, or a roof-shaking sermon...or <a href="https://www.buzzfeed.com/abbeysuekos/are-these-decemberists-lyrics-or-excerpts-from-she-fapl?utm_term=.mjbpB4nwM#.ssbrB7yjm">maybe just an indie-rock song.</a>But that's exactly what happened early Wednesday, when Uber investor <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/shervin-pishevar-accuses-benchmark-of-trying-to-usurp-uber-board-2017-8">Shervin Pishevar</a> sent out<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-investor-just-sent-a-wild-statement-2017-8"> a remarkable statement</a> blasting a faction of Uber's board of directors.It's a heavy piece of writing, extrapolating on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-scandal-crisis-complete-timeline-2017-6">eight months of drama</a> at the embattled ride sharing company. Even readers intimately familiar with the saga may struggle to understand all of the letter.That's why Business Insider created an annotated version of the letter, decoding some of the thorniest sections and providing all the necessary context and references. <h2>Here is Shervin Pishevar's annotated letter: </h2>Let us [1] take this pause in this moment [2], when we find ourselves swimming in the crucible [3] of one of the grandest business and moral battles of our generation, and find strength in each stroke of our proverbial digital pens, that we wrote with the indelible, eternal and permanent ink of righteousness. We write with the souls of thousands of lives saved [4], the lives of millions of jobs created [5] liberating multitudes of drivers from the shackles of servitude to iniquitous taxi cartels [6] of corrupt cabals [7] that choked cities with their pollution of air [8] and morals. We write with the spirit of Bonnie Kalanick [9], who raised her son with deep unconditional love and unfading faith in his ability to do good for the world. Whose tragic and untimely death was used against her son at his most vulnerable, unspeakable time of pain [10]. They [11] chose to strike at a moment of a devoted son's retreat and leave of absence [12] to mourn the absence of the inviolable love of his mother. In doing so, they joined the very corruption her son had devoted such fervent passion to fight. In her memory, we devote our actions to a just cause; to defend what is right and to protect the interest of not only shareholders but most importantly the far more important stakeholders of employees, drivers [13] and customers whose lives have been forever altered by the abiding faith and fervent hard work of Travis Kalanick and the Uber team. Their allegiance was met by this unholy alliance [14] of perfidious greed devolving rapidly into the audacity of vituperative unparalleled predatory rapacity [15]. Let us strike tomorrow [16] with the full and fulsome courage of our convictions. Let our just cause give pause to those who would ever dream of ever emulating the shameful shenanigans [17] of these sanctimonious hypocrites [18] who fling filings [19] and letters de haut en bas [20]; when it is we who have the higher moral ground and our letters [21] and filing will hail down upon their platforms, exposing them as bitterly barren barons of moral turpitude [22]. And as the summer sets [23], we let us be steward of truth who in unison [24] proclaim: fiat justitia ruat caelum [25].<h2>Footnotes: </h2>[1] This letter was written by Shervin Pishevar on behalf of the "Uber Shareholder Alliance." It is not explicit who exactly the letter was sent to, but it's been <a href="https://twitter.com/EricNewcomer/status/902945239496658944">reported</a> that he wrote it to his lawyers as an inspirational exercise before the team of brave barristers filed a motion to intervene in Benchmark's lawsuit against former Uber CEO Travis Kalanick. [2] The letter was sent Tuesday, August 22, on the eve of Pishevar filing a motion to intervene in the Benchmark lawsuit. The motion, filed in the Court of Chancery of the state of Delaware, was officially on behalf of Stephen Russell and Sofreh LP, where Pishevar is the trustee. [3] Crucible, noun. Defined by Merriam-Webster as "a severe test" or "a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development." Swimming in one is generally not advised.[4] This may be a reference to the notion that Uber gives bar goers an alternative to driving home drunk, though the v<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/business/uber-drunk-driving-prevention.html?_r=0">eracity of the claim remains unsettled</a>. [5] Uber reports that it has 2 million drivers globally, and more than 600,000 drivers in the US. Drivers are technically considered contractors, not employees. Additionally, the company has 16,000 employees.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">YouTube</div></div></div>[6] Some cities in the US, such as New York City, control the number of taxis allowed on the streets through the sale of "taxi medallions," to ensure that taxi driving is a lucrative career. Medallions create a barrier to entry in the taxi market, with individual medallions in New York City selling for hundreds of thousands of dollars. The price of those medallions has decreased as Uber's ride-hailing service offered a popular alternative for passengers and drivers alike. However, critics argue that breaking the taxi "cartel" has allowed Uber to skirt government regulations to ensure passenger safety, as well as job safety to drivers.[7] Cabals, noun. Defined by Merriam-Webster as "the contrived schemes of a group of persons secretly united in a plot (as to overturn a government); a group engaged in such schemes." [8] Pishevar's use of this phrase is primarily rhetorical, rather than a matter of fact. Taxicabs and ridesharing apps like Uber both reduce individuals' reliance on personal automobiles, but it's not clear that one is more eco-friendly than the other. While Uber's <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-original-pitch-deck-2008-photos-2017-8">original pitch</a> in 2008 emphasized the company's use of fuel-efficient vehicles, many of Uber's drivers use their own cars of varying fuel economy. Concurrently, cities like New York City have increased their fleet of hybrid vehicles. [9] Bonnie Kalanick was the mother of Travis Kalanick. She <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/travis-kalanick-parents-bonnie-donald-boating-accident-2017-5">died in a boating accident</a> near Fresno, California, on May 26, 2017. She was 71. Her husband, Donald Kalanick, was injured in the accident but suffered only moderate injuries. [10] Bonnie's death followed months of controversy at Uber, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/former-uber-engineer-says-uber-law-firm-investigating-her-deleted-accounts-2017-3">primarily around concerns </a>of a toxic culture and sexist work environment at the company. The Holder Report - an investigation into Uber's workplace led by former US Attorney General Eric Holder - <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-workplace-harassment-probe-expected-in-may-2017-4">was set to come out</a> in late May but got delayed until June. [11] The other side in this fight, consisting of Benchmark and others. See footnote 14. [12] Kalanick <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/who-will-run-uber-during-ceo-travis-kalanicks-leave-of-absence-14-execs-2017-6">took a leave of absence</a> in mid-June, before<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-ceo-travis-kalanick-out-2017-6"> resigning on</a> June 21. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Lucy Nicholson/Reuters</div></div></div>[13] One of Uber's more controversial positions is that it considers its drivers separate from its employees. While paid by Uber, the company considers drivers to be "contractors." This stance has <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/r-exclusive-us-states-pass-laws-backing-ubers-view-of-drivers-as-contractors-2015-12">been challenged</a> globally to varying ends by both lawmakers and litigators. [14] The phrase "unholy alliance" <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unholy_alliance_(geopolitical)">reportedly first came into use</a> around 1855 in reference to western European alliances with the Ottoman Empire. In this case, Pishevar is likely referring to alliances on the Uber board of directors, who were split on how to proceed with the issue of a new CEO. Team Benchmark was led by Matt Cohler, an early Facebook executive and a partner at Benchmark.<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-ceo-candidates-voted-board-meeting-kalanick-2017-8"> As of last week</a>, Cohler was allied with Ryan Graves, the first CEO of Uber. Several wild cards in the bunch swayed between team Benchmark and team Kalanick on an issue-by-issue basis.[15] Arguably one of the most quoted lines in Pishevar's already-famous proclamation, and for good reason. Pishevar unleashes a veritable firestorm of linguistic missiles on his foes. Vituperative, adjective. Defined by Merriam-Webster as "containing or characterized by verbal abuse." Rapacity, noun. Noun form of rapacious, defined by Merriam-Webster as "excessively grasping or covetous; living on prey."[16] "Tomorrow" refers Aug. 23, 2017, when Pishevar's legal team filed a motion to intervene in Benchmark's lawsuit against Kalanick. [17] These unspecified shenanigans likely go beyond the Benchmark lawsuit to include <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-investors-access-company-books-dispute-leaks-2017-8">Pishevar's allegations</a> that Benchmark intentionally leaked information in order to take over the board. [18] The phrase "sanctimonious hypocrites" is technically redundant. Sanctimonious is defined by Merriam-Webster as "hypocritically pious or devout."This likely refers to Benchmark's allegations that Kalanick behaved fraudulently for his own gain, in conjunction with Pishevar's belief that Benchmark too acted in its own interest by leaking information about Uber. [19] Presumably a reference to the legal filings in Benchmark Capital Partners vs. Travis Kalanick and Uber Technologies, Inc. Case number 2017-0575. Filed in the Court of the Chancery of the state of Delaware on Aug. 10, 2017. Benchmark <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-travis-kalanick-sued-for-alleged-fraud-by-benchmark-capital-2017-8">sued Kalanick</a> on August 10, claiming that he fraudulently added three additional board seats in June 2016. Kalanick took one of the empty board seats when he resigned as CEO in June 2017, and Benchmark hopes the lawsuit will lead to Kalanick's removal from the board. [20] From French, meaning "from on high to low." Used in English to mean "with condescension." [21] Pishevar is a fan of letters - this one included. One such letter is the one he <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/shervin-pishevar-accuses-benchmark-of-trying-to-usurp-uber-board-2017-8">sent to Uber</a> last Thursday, informing the board that he would intervene in Benchmark's lawsuit. <div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">Eamonn M. McCormack / Stringer</div></div></div>[22] Here Pishevar displays impressive dexterity wielding a classic homophone. The contrast between a title of foreign nobility and an adjective that conveys infertility is punctuated by the wise choice of "turpitude," a word derived from Middle French to signify depravity. [23] Summer 2017 will officially end on September 22. [24] The Board ultimately rejected Benchmark's candidate - Meg Whitman - and<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/uber-picks-expedia-ceo-dara-khosrowshahi-to-be-its-new-ceo-2017-8"> voted unanimously</a> to replace Kalanick with Dara Khosrowshahi, CEO of Expedia. [25] <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fiat%20justitia,%20ruat%20caelum">Fiat justitia ruat cålum</a> is a legal phrase of Latin origin. It means, "Let justice be done though the heavens fall." Here Pishevar uses it to signify his stance that justice must be served regardless of the consequences.Visit <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/">Markets Insider</a> for constantly updated market quotes for individual stocks, ETFs, indices, commodities and currencies traded around the world. <a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/">Go Now!</a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/scientists-studied-conditions-black-hole-using-bathtub-technology-science-space-2017-8">British scientists have recreated the conditions of a black hole using a giant bathtub and water dye</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Here are the complete annotations to decode everything in Shervin Pishevar's epic Uber diatribe

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image">REUTERS/Amit Dave</div></div></div>India's elections are in the final stages and votes will be counted on May 16. With 814 million Indians eligible to vote, this has been the biggest election in history - understandably, the world has been watching to see how this plays out
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/who-is-narendra-modi-2014-4#!JziwF">Opposition leader Narendra Modi</a> is widely expected to be India's next prime minister and the ruling Congress party is expected to lose. Modi is currently the Chief Minister of Gujarat, a region known for economic progress but <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2002_Gujarat_violence">also violent riots</a>.
While he has managed to position himself as a champion of economic growth, his plans remain largely unclear.
"He's selling a dream," said Ruchir Sharma, head of emerging markets and global macro at Morgan Stanley Investment Management. "We don't have specifics as yet."
We spoke with Sharma, author of "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Breakout-Nations-Pursuit-Economic-Miracles/dp/0393345408">Breakout Nations</a>," on the Indian elections. 
Here are some highlights from the interview:
<ul>
<li>Sharma thinks the elections have had an 'anybody but Congress' theme to it. Modi has planned his campaign like a U.S. presidential election. </li>
<li>Modi could win the election comfortably even if two-thirds of the country didn't vote for him because India has a very fragmented polity.</li>
<li>Gujarat has had two advantages, an entrepreneurial population and its coastline, but its performance has improved a bit under Modi. Modi has positioned himself "as a connoisseur of all of India's problems."</li>
<li><keyword id="6358883" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Politics">Politics</keyword> have helped drive Indian equities in the past five to six months. But the bigger picture is that the Indian market is the most highly correlated to other emerging markets.</li>
<li>India's investment cycle has many problems that Modi might not be able to solve.</li>
<li>India has largely fallen off the map but we're still in a low growth world. If India could revive growth again it could offer an interesting opportunity for investors.</li>
<li>The emerging world is seeing a large anti-incumbency wave.</li>
</ul>
Here's the entire interview:
Business Insider: What would a Modi term mean for India?
Ruchir Sharma: I've been traveling in India, although I'm based in New York, what really strikes me here is the fact that this campaign started out, as what I described, as an 'anybody but Congress' campaign. It was quite apparent over the last 24 to 36 months that people were quite disgusted with the ruling Congress government because they thought it was inept on every front, whether it was inflation, corruption, or getting anything executed. It was seen as incompetent.
Modi has very smartly - this is the first time that I've seen this in India - been planning this like a U.S. presidential election. That is to say that ever since the BJP lost the election in 2009, five years ago, he has been sensing that the next election he really wants to take a shot at it. He has been behind the scenes working at it, in his own state of Gujarat. He's offered a complete contrast in terms of economic performance and governance, and the way the government runs there. He has systematically been planning this for five years in a U.S. presidential election style way.
As I've been traveling what's been very apparent is that, I was in the interiors of Uttar Pradesh, one of India's poorest states and what I find remarkable is that in the villages, people would speak about how they think their problems could be fixed by Modi. From the depths of despair they've come to see Modi as the man who will come and change things. I don't know whether this feeling is irrational, because none of the people have ever been to Gujarat or possibly been outside their state and yet this feeling exists that he's going to come and change things. The whole Muslim issue is controversial, and it is baggage for Modi, and people understand that but think what the hell, things look so bad let's give this guy a shot. <div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)" title_caption="" class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/536913dcecad040702c385bb-960/narendra-modi-4.jpg"></a>Kevin Frayer/Getty Images)</div></div>BI: Do you give credence to the talk of the emergence of a messy coalition, or what some folks are calling the third front, with the rise of regional parties?
RS: The current trend in India, and as you rightly pointed out the polls can be quite unreliable, really seems to suggest that Modi has made it all about himself, that he's succeeded in doing so, and that he's not going to need much outside help. That seems the way this election is headed currently, unless something dramatic happens this week or unless there's a voice out there that we're not picking up.
The rise of the regional parties has been one of my favorite themes as well. I think that's a train that's continuing, but this is about the decimation of the Congress party. The Congress party in this election is likely to fall to its lowest tally ever in post-independence India. Its vote share has plummeted, so this is as much about Congress being completely decimated. And the regional parties are still doing what they have to do.
One of the most fascinating statistics I find, which people can't quite appreciate, is that even if Modi wins this election quite comfortably, two-thirds of India would not have voted for him in this election. India remains a multiparty system, its polity is very fragmented. The regional parties are here to stay and possibly rise but Modi's real big gain is coming at the cost of the Congress party.
The reason behind that statement is that the polity in India is very fragmented with strong regional identities...there are many states where the national parties such as the BJP only have a marginal presence and the regional or state level parties call the shots...that's why even in what is being described as a 'wave election' for Modi, his party is unlikely to win more than a third of the vote with the regional parties still cornering significant vote shares in states where the BJP and the Congress only have a marginal presence. BI: There are loads of publications that have pointed out that Gujarat was doing quite well before Modi came to power too. It isn't necessarily that's kept economic growth going in that state… RS: That's true. Gujarat has two advantages, one: the population is quite entrepreneurial and industrial and so Gujarat has been doing well for a longer period of time. And two: the geographical sweet spot - that it's basically located on the Western coast, and has good coastline, and that helps Gujarat a lot.
Having said that, a look at the history of economic performance of Indian states, and what it shows typically is that many of the other states that were doing well in the previous decade, often tend to fade in the subsequent decade, so often we've seen examples of states, like some of the southern states, like Karnataka or Andhra Pradesh, they'll do well for five or 10 years, and then they won't do that well. In Gujarat, what's been remarkable is that it's continued to do well for long periods of time, under Modi, in fact the performance has improved a bit at the state level.
But I really feel that this debate about what Gujarat has done, and how things have stayed in Gujarat has almost become a bit irrelevant because the perception which has spread like wildfire, is the fact that India needs a tough, decisive leader, at a time when it's going through a lot of economic turmoil - where inflation is really high, growth is really low - that we need a really decisive leader to come cut through this mess. Modi has been able to effectively position himself as just the answer to India's problem. We can spend a lot of time parsing through the data, and that's true of most debates, but the key here is that - and I can't understand whether it's rational or irrational - he has been able to position himself as a connoisseur of all of India's problems, including inflation which has been so high for five years now. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="REUTERS/Anindito Mukherjee" title_caption="Polling officials leave for their assigned stations after collecting the electronic voting machines from a distribution centre. " class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/536908c4ecad044552c385b7-960/india-elections-4.jpg"></a>REUTERS/Anindito MukherjeePolling officials leave for their assigned stations after collecting the electronic voting machines from a distribution centre. </div></div>BI: What are the big reforms we should expect from Modi and what reforms does India need? 
RS: Here's the thing about Modi, he's selling a dream. We don't have specifics as yet. Indian campaigns are very different from U.S. campaigns where polices are debated a lot. In India the debate on policies, or even what they say in the manifesto, just doesn't mean much because those things aren't followed through. Or, the manifesto could be drafted by somebody who is not even supposed to that relevant in the next administration. It's very difficult for me to know what they're going to do. This election is about selling an economic dream, it's not about what the specifics are.
What he will come [to power] and do, I don't know. What should he do? I think we all know - India needs better labor laws, the labor laws are much too rigid; Indian fiscal spending is out of control, spending needs to be put under check; you can't have wage inflation which is running way higher than productivity levels; we can't have subsidies for so many essential items in India; and similarly we can't have retroactive taxes; we can't have regulation which is unclear for so many critical sectors in India from power to coal. So the list of what needs to be done is long, and expectations are high, but specifics of what have been offered in the campaign so far, as is true of most Indian election campaigns, has been low. BI: After a pretty terrible run, Indian equities have been doing well recently. Are they just riding on the sentiment of Modi? 
RS: I've seen in emerging markets over the past five to six months, all the emerging markets where you're expecting political change, markets have rallied quite a bit. We're seeing that in Indonesia, in India, and we're seeing that now in Brazil. Every time the polls show a drop for the incumbent there, the markets tend to rally.
There's a real feeling among investors in all these emerging markets, that economic change is required and reforms are required, because the old model is not delivering results anymore. Whether the incumbents are tired and out of energy or they got too complacent. So yes, politics has been playing a role in influencing the Indian market direction over the last five to six months.
Having said that I think the bigger picture is that the Indian market is one of the most highly correlated emerging markets in the world. In fact it's possibly the highest over a five, 10, 15 year period - there's no other emerging market that has a correlation as high, to other emerging markets, as India has. That still remains the dominant story but yeah, from a short-term stand point, it has been very driven by politics.
BI: Some have argued that it doesn't matter who comes to power, India's investment cycle is going to languish for a while. Do you agree with that? 
RS: I do sort of agree with the statement in that India's investment cycle has many problems which Modi may not be able to solve. For example a lot of stalled projects are at the state level, and not at the center. But having said that, I think the issue is that if he does carry out some of the critical reforms that we've spoken about - labor market reform, reducing government spending which allows interest rates to start coming down - I think those kinds of things will help investment.
That's economics 101, if you do manage to get lower interest rates because inflation is brought under control, you do manage to get some sort of labor market reforms that will help the investment cycle. 
<div class="KonaFilter image-container float_left click-to-enlarge"><div class="image on-image"><a title_source="AP Photo /Manish Swarup" title_caption="An Indian woman shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting her vote at a village near Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan." class="zoomin" href="https://static-ssl.businessinsider.com/image/5369091d6da811231a673a78-960/indian-voter-blue.jpg"></a>AP Photo /Manish SwarupAn Indian woman shows her finger marked with indelible ink after casting her vote at a village near Sawai Madhopur in Rajasthan.</div></div>BI: Why should the rest of the world be watching the Indian elections? What are the implications for U.S. investors for instance?
RS: For U.S. investors, the key thing is that India has fallen off the map. After all the talk about China and India in the same breath, interest in India in general has faded a lot. Having said that, it is still a low-growth world, there are few growth opportunities out there. So if India manages to get its growth rate up to 6 to 7% or so, it becomes a meaningful thing because it's a $2 trillion economy, and if it starts growing again at 7%, rather than the 4.5% we're currently down to, it becomes an interesting opportunity for lots of people because it means the pie is growing faster. Without getting something to shake the system up it will be difficult to get growth again.
India, on the international stage, is a power that keeps punching below its weight. I don't think geopolitics is a factor at all. It's almost as if the world has told India go sort out your own problems in terms of the political and economic mess that we have. And in terms of geopolitics we're just not featuring much anymore. The focus in Asia, the pivot as you know, is basically about the rise of China and how that disturbs the relationship of other countries in the region. India is really out of that equation. Geopolitics isn't where India is featuring at the moment, it's really abut China and that west. 
BI: Is there anything else you'd like to add that I haven't asked you about?
RS: This is a big year for political change across the emerging world. Forty percent of all democracies in the emerging world are going to the polls this year. And there's a big anti-incumbency wave which is sweeping through the emerging world, where people want political change because they're fed up with the poor economic performance of the last two or three years. 
Even in India this was very different from five years ago when investors were rooting for the Congress party to come back to power. And on the first day when the party returned to power, on the first day the stock market had to be shutdown because it lost 15% in a day or something which is the maximum upper limit. That should also remind investors that initial reaction can be quite impulsive and you've got to look at things over a period of time and how things play themselves out. The initial reaction can be quite impulsive, up or down, when you get the results, but it's worth remembering back in 2009, how quickly expectations were disappointed after that initial burst of enthusiasm.

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