text:
This bilingual blog - 'आन्याची फाटकी पासोडी' in Marathi- is largely a celebration of visual and/or comic ...तुकाराम: "ढेकणासी बाज गड,उतरचढ केवढी" (Tukaram: For a bedbug a bed is like a castle. so much climbing up and down!)... George Santayana: " Everything in nature is lyrical in its ideal essence, tragic in its fate, and comic in its existence"...William Hazlitt: "Pictures are scattered like stray gifts through the world; and while they remain, earth has yet a little gilding."
मेघदूत: "नीचैर्गच्छत्युपरि च दशा चक्रनेमिक्रमेण"
समर्थ शिष्या अक्का : "स्वामीच्या कृपाप्रसादे हे सर्व नश्वर आहे असे समजले. पण या नश्वरात तमाशा बहुत आहे."
G C Lichtenberg: "It is as if our languages were confounded: when we want a thought, they bring us a word; when we ask for a word, they give us a dash; and when we expect a dash, there comes a piece of bawdy."
Friedrich Nietzsche: "Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse."
Martin Amis: "Gogol is funny, Tolstoy in his merciless clarity is funny, and Dostoyevsky, funnily enough, is very funny indeed; moreover, the final generation of Russian literature, before it was destroyed by Lenin and Stalin, remained emphatically comic — Bunin, Bely, Bulgakov, Zamyatin. The novel is comic because life is comic (until the inevitable tragedy of the fifth act);..."
सदानंद रेगे:
"... पण तुकारामाची गाथा ज्या धुंदीनं आजपर्यंत वाचली जात होती ती धुंदी माझ्याकडे नाहीय. ती मला येऊच शकत नाही याचं कारण स्वभावतःच मी नास्तिक आहे."
".. त्यामुळं आपण त्या दारिद्र्याच्या अनुभवापलीकडे जाऊच शकत नाही. तुम्ही जर अलीकडची सगळी पुस्तके पाहिलीत...तर त्यांच्यामध्ये त्याच्याखेरीज दुसरं काही नाहीच आहे. म्हणजे माणसांच्या नात्यानात्यांतील जी सूक्ष्मता आहे ती क्वचित चितारलेली तुम्हाला दिसेल. कारण हा जो अनुभव आहे... आपले जे अनुभव आहेत ते ढोबळ प्रकारचे आहेत....."
John Gray: "Unlike Schopenhauer, who lamented the human lot, Leopardi believed that the best response to life is laughter. What fascinated Schopenhauer, along with many later writers, was Leopardi's insistence that illusion is necessary to human happiness."
Justin E.H. Smith: "One should of course take seriously serious efforts to improve society. But when these efforts fail, in whole or in part, it is only humor that offers redemption. So far, human expectations have always been strained, and have always come, give or take a bit, to nothing. In this respect reality itself has the form of a joke, and humor the force of truth."
विलास सारंग: "… इ. स. 1000 नंतर ज्या प्रकारची संस्कृती रुढ झाली , त्यामध्ये साधारणत्व व विश्वात्मकता हे गुण प्राय: लुप्त झाले...आपली संस्कृती अकाली विश्वात्मक साधारणतेला मुकली आहे."
Friday, December 31, 2010
Escape: Shel Silverstein's Papillon and GA's Swami
भरून येइल ह्रुदय जेधवां
शरीर पिळुनी निघेल घाम;
अन् शब्दांच्या तोंडांमध्यें
बसेल तूझा गच्च लगाम;
काळयावरतीं जरा पांढ़रें
ह्या पाप्याच्या हातुन व्हावें
फक्त तेधवां : आणि एरव्हीं
हेंच पांढऱ्या वरतीं काळे!,
I am always fascinated by these words:
"अन् शब्दांच्या तोंडांमध्यें / बसेल तूझा गच्च लगाम;" (I never had any ambition of Mardhekar that is reflected in 'काळयावरतीं जरा पांढ़रें / ह्या पाप्याच्या हातुन व्हावें'. Also not sure what BSM achieved in that regard!)
For many years in my childhood at Miraj, I observed tongas (light horse-drawn carriage) and, more intently, horses that pulled them. The leash sat so tight...not to mention the whip that lashed...गच्च लगाम. (One of the most interesting activities then was watching nailing of horseshoes to the horses and bullocks.)
But then there is always a hope of freedom...Hope springs eternal.
Following is one of the greatest cartoons I have seen. I can see it everyday and still be amused by it.
Descend your eyes from the top to the bottom of the picture.
The cell resembles the space described in G A Kulakrni's (जी ए कुलकर्णी ) "Swami" (स्वामी) where the head of the sect is held forcibly and a kingdom rules in his name outside.
As G A describes the prison cell- read that at the end of this para- one thinks the Swami has no hope in hell of escaping or even committing suicide. Despite that the Swami fights back. Some opium has been hidden by the previous unfortunate inmate of the cell. Swami unearths it and dies eating it. He chooses to die as he lets another life, a weed, choke the only air-inlet pipe on its journey to the sunlight.
(open this picture in another window and then enlarge to read the text)
Shel Silverstein's Papillon is more ingenious. He has thought of a plan to escape. Alive.
Artist: Shel Silverstein, 1950s
Wiki informs: Silverstein was both fascinated and distressed by the amount of analysis and commentary that almost immediately began to swirl around the cartoon. "A lot of people said it was a very pessimistic cartoon, which I don't think it is at all," he said. "There's a lot of hope even in a hopeless situation..."
Indeed, Sir. Here's looking at 2011!
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
I wish we had a lot of Dadoji Konddeo's and S R Sankaran's
S R Sankaran, the retired IAS officer, died on October 7 2010. During the 30-odd years that he served the state and the centre as a civil servant in various capacities, Sankaran's home offered an open shelter to anyone in need of help and solace. He transcended the rigid barriers of the civil services to reach out to the needy, the oppressed and the deprived. His uprightness, sincerity and compassion for the poor disarmed politicians, inspired young civil servants and provided hope and succour to millions of voiceless people. He was a civil servant with a difference. More than that, he was a self-effacing human being par excellence. (EPW, Vol XLV No.43 October 23, 2010)
Mel Brooks:
"Nietzsche whispers to you: 'Without audacity there is no greatness.' Freud whispers to you: 'Why must there be greatness?' That fight's still going on. And you don't understand either one, because they're both whispering in German."
Peter Maass, The New Yorker, January 10, 2011:
"In a way, statue topplings are the banana peels of history that we often slip on."
Dadoji Konddeo (दादोजी कोंडदेव) was NOT Shivaji's (शिवाजी) guru. I agree.
They removed Konddev's statue from Lal Mahal (लाल महाल) . I have no quarrel with that.
One of the all-time top five Marathi writers, Samarth Ramdas (समर्थ रामदास) was NOT Shivaji's guru. I have no quarrel with that either. (In fact, M V Dhond म वा धोंड argues that Shivaji was Ramdas's guru. I agree with Dhond. When you are a contemporary of a giant like Shivaji, how can you be NOT his disciple?)
But when I heard caste-fundamentalists of Maharashtra disparaging Konddev as "ordinary", "lowly" servant of Shivaji, I felt sad.
By all accounts I have read, Konddev was an honest and trusted civil servant of Shivaji and his father.
Isn't that enough to make him a hero in this country? How many honest civil servants has India got 363 years after Konddev's death?
Why can't you be ordinary? Why do you have to be great to be remembered? What have most elites done for the majority of this country?
Konddev-sir, Don't feel bad. Your statue has only been removed from one place. Mr. S R Sankaran most likely will have no statue.
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Do We Realise the Enormity of the Loss of Buddha?
During the speech he said:
"...At the present day there is not one who calls oneself a Buddhist in India, the land of its birth.
But at the same time, Brahminism lost something — that reforming zeal, that wonderful sympathy and charity for everybody, that wonderful heaven which Buddhism had brought to the masses and which had rendered Indian society so great that a Greek historian who wrote about India of that time was led to say that no Hindu was known to tell an untruth and no Hindu woman was known to be unchaste..."
(According to Wiki, India now has 7,955,207 Buddhists.)
Arvind Subramanian: "The only real export from India that is said to have wider impact, according to (Ian) Morris (author of 'Why the West Rules — for Now: The Patterns of History, and What They Reveal About the Future'), is Buddhism." (Business Standard, December 22 2010)
Anand Teltumbde writes in EPW November 13 2010:
"...Far from being Ramjanmabhoomi, or even an important Hindu place before the 18th century, Ayodhya figures in history as a holy place for Buddhists and Jains.
For Buddhists it was a capital of Kosal or Saket, where Buddha had actually resided. In the seventh century, Hsien Tsang records it as mainly a Buddhist place, having 100 Buddhist monasteries and 3,000 Buddhist monks, with a very small population belonging to other faiths.
From the eighth to the ninth century, the revivalist wave of Brahmanism overwhelmed Buddhism, and began forcibly converting Buddhist vihars and temples into Hindu temples. This has happened all over the country and Buddhism, the dominant religion for nearly a millennium, was literally wiped out from the land of its birth.
Historically speaking, it may be truer to say that Hindu temples were built either by destroying or converting Buddhist temples than Muslim mosques built by destroying Hindu temples. As against the Hindutva claim of 30,000 temples being destroyed to build mosques, American researcher Richard Eaton found no more than 80 temples that were so destroyed. In fact, Muslim hordes had destroyed many Buddhist temples, taking them to be anti-Islamic places of idol worship, to the extent that but, the word for idol in Arabic, is said to have come from Buddha..."
द. ग. गोडसे 'अष्टविनायक' "समन्दे तलाश" (१९८१):
"...गिरिजात्मकाची मूर्ती स्वयंभू नाही हे उघड आहे. नवव्या-दहाव्या शतकानंतर महाराष्ट्रातील बौद्ध धर्मीयांची संघटना सर्वस्वी नाहीशी होवून त्यांची शेकडो लेणी व विहार ओस पडले. त्या नंतरच्या काळात महाराष्ट्रातील आक्रमक शैव पंथाने अनेक ओसाड बुद्ध स्थळांवर व प्राचीन जागृत स्थळीय दैवतांवर आक्रमण करुन त्यांचे शैव श्रद्धास्थानांत रूपांतर केल्याची उदाहरणे अनेक दाखवता येतील. लेण्याद्रीचा गिरिजात्मक त्यातलाच!..."
(btw- Will Buddhists in future claim their right to Lenyadri temple? Evidence favours them so overwhelmingly that no court probably can deny them.)
A fresco of Buddha defaced by a bullet at a temple in central Tibet
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
In Upanishads, Signatures too are Abstract!
I read Ashok Shahane's (अशोक शहाणे) claim in his book 'Napeksha' 2005 (नपेक्षा) that 'Ishavasya- Vritti', 1947 (ईशावास्य-वृत्ति) by Vinoba Bhave (विनोबा भावे) is the only readable translation of Upanishads in Marathi.
The claim, if true, is shocking because Marathi- considering Upanishad's importance in Hindu scriptures and huge population of Marathi speaking garv-se-kahon-hum-Hindu-hai types- should have at least a dozen good translations. (I think I have also seen Anand Sadhale's आनंद साधले attempt. It made no impression on me.)
Recently, I attempted reading Vinoba's book.
It was very tough for me. At the end, I understood only tiny fraction (->0) of it.
Even a giant like Vinoba is challenged by Upanishad's heights (or depths?).
(As I witnessed Vinoba's struggle, I once again realised how lucky Marathi was that she found Dnyaneshwar (ज्ञानेश्वर) so early in her life. Thanks to that teenager, ideas, worldly observations and very complex thoughts, entered Marathi, riding some great aesthetics, in an easy to understand language.)
I thought I probably understood only this from Ishavasya-Vritti:
ॐ। पूर्णमदः पूर्णमिदं
पूर्णस्य पूर्णमादाय
ॐ शांतिः शांतिः शांतिः॥
(Om. That is complete, This is complete
From complete, The complete has emerged
Giving completeness of complete
The complete remains. Om. Peace Peace Peace.)
And that too because I kept thinking पूर्ण as zero and not 'complete'!
Is Ishavasya- Vritti indeed that difficult or are my faculties deeming? Am I concentrating hard enough or from now on will it be just 'From zero, The zero will emerge'?
Artist: Steve Duenes, The New Yorker, October 31 1959
In Upanishads signatures too are abstract!
Saturday, December 18, 2010
What will be the legacy of Dr. M Singh?
I am afraid Dr. Singh is going to go down in history as just another ruler of India and she has had many so far.
He is no Ashoka, no Akbar, no Krishnadevaraya, no Shivaji, no Ranjit Singh, no Shahu Maharaj IV, no J L Nehru. Not even close.
His final months in the top office are being marked by rampant corruption and crony capitalism all around us.
This easily is one of the darkest periods in India's history since her partition. On par with Mahatma Gandhi's assasination, Chinese invasion, the Emergency and the Babri Masjid demolition.
It will be hard to teach our young about ethics again.
I have no sympathy for Dr. Singh. He himself is squeaky clean sounds more and more like Nero on the fiddle.
In many ways, this is much like the journey of his mentor the late P. V. Narasimha Rao. Mr. Rao- who now has become persona non grata to the Congress* and Dr. Singh has stopped being grateful to him in public- could have done a lot more to prevent the destruction of the mosque or atleast should have quit the office taking the full responsibility.
* p.s. December 31 2010
The Times of India on Dec 30 2010:
"In a rare move in politics, the Congress party has published its own history...Through it, the party for the first time officially acknowledges P V Narasimha Rao's political courage in enabling the economic reforms that gave India a new lease of life and transformed our lives..."
Artist: Hemant Morparia
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Paresh Mokashi is Wrong. Very Wrong.
Paresh Mokashi (Director, 'Harishchandrachi Factory'): "...India is a nation of stories. Here medium of word is very effective. Visual culture is not sufficiently developed here..." (Lalit, Diwali, 2010)
Who told this to Mr. Mokashi, a young promising talent from Maharashtra and grandson of a true great D B Mokashi (दि बा मोकाशी)?
This could be true of culture of most people he meets or hears or reads. But this is grossly misleading when he implies a subcontinent's culture over a period of almost 3000 years.
India's visual culture has been as rich as its "word culture". In fact, in a few centuries at least, it was probably richer.
To fully appreciate how developed visual culture in India was, read Frontline's majestic 25-part series on Indian art, starting with the issue Aug. 11-24 2007.
I have with me, all twenty five issues of Frontline and reading them has left no doubt in my mind that no other nation on this planet has had more developed visual culture than India for most part of the known history.
What about Maharashtra or the Western India?
"Does Maharashtra have its Own Distinct Culture?" was the title of an essay by Prof S M Mate (श्री म माटे) in 1954. A debate raged on the subject, joined by the likes of sculptor V P Karmarkar (विनायक पांडुरंग करमरकर), K Narayan Kale (के नारायण काळे), Irawati Karve (इरावती कर्वे), H.D Sankaliya (हंसमुख धीरजलाल सांकलिया).
D G Godse (द ग गोडसे) joined the battle err debate- any debate in Marathi sounds like a battle!- with his essay-'Shilpi Maharashtra' (शिल्पी महाराष्ट्र)- first published in 'Chhand' छंद (May-June 1955), now included in his book "Samande Talash", 1981 (समंदे तलाश).
Godse's verdict- Yes, natives largely created the art you see in Maharashtra. He asks "why 90% of all Indian carvings are in Maharashtra?" and explains this abundance "…. this is not just because of the ruling dynasties of Maharashtra –Shalivahan, Vakatak, Chalukya, Rashtrakut-but also because of patronage of art by ordinary people". (What Godse means by 'ordinary' is non royal: traders and businessmen.)
Frontline says: "In western India, the 2nd century B.C. ushered in one of the greatest periods of the art of India and the entire art of Buddhism. Over a period of about 1,000 years, more than 1,200 caves were hewn out of the mountains of the Western Ghats, not very far from the coast of present-day Maharashtra. They were profusely sculpted and painted in the Buddhist traditions. Leaving behind the cares and confusions of the material world, the devotee came to these splendid havens of contemplation…"
Sure, Mr. Mokashi, we may have turned picture-blind in recent centuries. But it doesn't mean that the disease is congenital!
And talking of visual culture, I haven't seen more attractive woman than the almost 2000-year old beauty in the picture below:
MITHUNAS, CAVE 3, Kanheri, 2nd century A.D.
Saturday, December 11, 2010
वदनी कवळ घेता नाम घ्या अलेक्झांडरचे
When I see any Indian food item sans coriander, I always think it could taste great but is incomplete without coriander.
When I smell fresh green coriander, I smell life.
The other day I heard on TV channel TLC that it was Alexander the great who brought coriander to India.
Poor poet-saint Dnyaneshwar (ज्ञानेश्वर)!
He never knew potato because it was introduced in India in late 16th / early 17th century. He never knew chilli because it came to India in late 15th century. But lucky he, he surely ate green coriander.
We all have a lot to thank for: Coriander, Dnyaneshwar, Chilli, Potatao...
Persian bust of Alexander the Great.
Photograph courtesy: Ray Tang / Rex Features
Friday, December 10, 2010
Sportstar? No, India-Cricketstar.
And I regret my decision every time a new issue arrives.
It should be called India-Cricketstar or better Tendulkarstar because there is very little quality coverage of sports other than cricket except international tennis and football.
And for my taste, SS's coverage of cricket too is poor. It's worse than 7:30 PM cricket shows Indian TV news channels beam every single day.
Other than occasional columns by Brian Glanville and Peter Roebuck, there is hardly an article worth reading.
Take the issue of SS dated December 9 2010. It is the first issue released after the conclusion of Guangzhou Asian games 2010 and contains very little and patchy coverage of the games. On the cover, clichéd slogan plastered over Rahul Dravid's picture: "The Great Wall of India".
Aren't people bored with this 'wall' and 'master blaster' stuff? How long will this go on?
This newspaper gets published from Chennai- hometown of the greatest sportsperson, along with Dhyan Chand, India produced-Viswanathan Anand. I thought SS would carry regular one page coverage of chess. Maybe a quiz and a small article. When a mega-event like Asian games is upon us, they would, in a special issue, print all the games' records...
This dumbing down of a sister publication of Frontline pains me.
In the past, I thought it was because of Mr. R Mohan's association with the paper because I have yet to like a single sentence written by him.
So when he stopped writing for SS, I was hoping for a better deal. No such luck.
Monday, December 06, 2010
Thank you Anonymous Sthapathi of Nataraja of Tiruvalangadu
V.S. Ramachandran:
"It's the illusion that all of us scientific types suffer from, that there is nothing more to the Universe than the mindless gyration of atoms and molecules, that there is no deeper reality behind appearances. … It is the logical delusion that after death there is nothing but a timeless void. Shiva is telling us that if you destroy this illusion and seek solace under his raised left foot (which he points to with one of his right hands), you will realize that behind external appearances (Maya), there is a deeper truth."
In one the great ironies of this year, when some Hindu organisations were protesting about the cover of Newsweek dated November 22 2010 , Frontline containing masterly essay "Masterpieces in metal" dated November 19 2010 was already on the newsstand.
Frontline: "The art historian the late C Sivaramamurti in his seminal work Nataraja in Art, Thought and Literature (first published by the National Museum, New Delhi in 1974) describes this bronze thus:
"To about 1000 A.D. should be assigned the famous Nataraja of Tiruvalangadu now in the Madras Museum [renamed Government Museum, Chennai]. It is a classical example and the best known image of its kind in any public museum in the world. The pose of this figure, its rhythmic movement, the flexion of the body and the limbs, the perfect smile, the physical proportions and the flowing contours are blended into a pose so amazing that it is no wonder that [Auguste] Rodin, the world famous sculptor, considered this to be the most perfect representation of rhythmic movement in the world."
While Rodin described this metal icon as "perpetual beauty in bronze", Ananda K. Coomaraswamy noted that "the grandeur" of the conception of Ananda tandava was "a synthesis of science and religion and art". He called the sthapathis, who made such astonishing bronzes, "rishi-artists"."
How can one pretentious Newsweek cover hurt my religious sentiments? Why can't I just ignore it? Is my faith so fragile? Personally I don't find the cover offensive at all.
Further read description of the bronze from the same issue of Frontline:
"This bronze belongs to the period of Raja Raja Chola (regnal years 985-1014 CE). The hand at the top on his right side plays the damaru and the one below depicts the 'abhaya' (protection) mudra. On the left side, the hand at the top holds a flame of nine tongues, representing the continuum of energy, and the one below is in the 'gaja-hasta' pose (like an elephant's trunk). The pendant on the necklace has moved from its original position, a touch of realism. The 'tiruvasi' (arch) and the flying hair, so characteristic of Nataraja bronzes, are missing. They either broke off or were stolen."
Sure, it's sad but doesn't it enhance its mystique because of incompleteness? [Read D G Godse's (द ग गोडसे) must-read essay to appreciate the beauty of incomplete sculpture of bull sitting in front of one of the Ashtavinayak's.]
And in the larger scheme of things, does it matter?
No. I feel no action by man can damage the concept of Nataraja- nirguna Nataraja- imprinted on my consciousness.
Thank you unknown sthapathi and your team for giving me this confidence.
(p.s Skills that existed in Tamil Nadu more than a millennium ago in the field of metallurgy are intellectually overwhelming.)
Friday, December 03, 2010
Lots of little men and women have got somewhere
As squeamish schoolchildren know only too well, dissection is a messy business. Some instinctively turn away, others become nauseous or scared. Not everyone can stomach first hand the inner workings of an organic system. Ten days ago, a scalpel — in the form of a set of 104 intercepted telephone conversations — cut through the tiniest cross-section of a rotting cadaver known as the Indian Establishment. What got exposed is so unpleasant that several major newspapers and television channels that normally scramble to bring "breaking" and "exclusive" stories have chosen to look the other way. Their silence, though understandable, is unfortunate. Even unforgivable..."
The Supreme Court of India: "We have often talked about pollution of rivers, even the Ganga pollution. But this pollution (corruption) is mind-boggling."
A picture like the one below tells us why JT was one of the greatest.
Artist: James Thurber, The New Yorker, March 26 1938
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
You don't have to show navels to get medals!
What distinguished Indium women athletes from their co-athletes from other countries?
A: They didn't show their navels...And they still looked smart and attractive.
Way to go, ladies!
My wife often asks: Why can't women tennis player, on international circuit, dress more like their men counterparts? My answer: Sex sells, even at Wimbledon.
The Indian women's 4x400m relay team, from left, Ashwini, Sini Jose, Mandeep Kaur and Manjeet Kaur after defending their gold medal.
Photo courtesy: AP
Monday, November 29, 2010
Have you lately followed Indian Radia..err Media?
While the dominant trend in recent British art has toyed with nihilism, the mass media have done the opposite. Technology has been used to manufacture meaning. The camera gives us a snapshot of events and allows us to imagine we are seeing things clearly and plainly. By turning the chaos of sensation into a series of definite images, it enables us to find meaning when it may in fact be fugitive, or even absent. The truth is that we do not know why some people commit hideous crimes, but living in this knowledge is intolerable because it leaves the world a random place. The media cater to our need for order. When the camera is used to construct an icon of evil, it is not simply giving vent to punitive fantasies, but being used to maintain meaning in our lives.
William Leith:
And their (India's) media is heading for ad-backed celebrity hell faster, and more comprehensively, than ours.
When I see India's superstar TV and newsprint personalities, I never think they bring any order or meaning to my life but I always feel they are smart, wealthy, sophisticated- like Avery Jessup of 30 Rock and totally unlike me- but I don't like what they do and I can always switch off the TV.
I never thought they were so corrupt.
The best comment on this has probably come from unsung Sudhir Tailang who according to me is the best political cartoonist drawing for a national newspaper in India today. If Mr. Tailang were to focus his attention on life beyond politics he might scale even greater artistic heights.
Artist: Sudhir Tailang, The Asian Age, November 28 2010
p.s After I posted the above, I came across this "Welcome to the Matrix of the Indian state" by Siddharth Varadarajan. Please read it to assess India's Who's Who.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Even in neglect, Tolstoy looks majestic
David Brooks: As a novelist, Tolstoy was an unsurpassed observer. But he found that life unfulfilling. As he set out to improve the world, his ability to perceive it deteriorated. Instead of conforming his ideas to the particularities of existence, he conformed his perception of reality to his vision for the world. He preached universal love but seemed oblivious to the violence he was doing to his family.
There is hardly anything original being done in India to mark the death centenary year of Leo Tolstoy.
That does not surprise me but I was shocked to read this:
"A century ago, all of Russia mourned Leo Tolstoy's death at a backwater train station. But today the novelist and pacifist, who abhorred any form of government, is more respected in the West than his home country.
The centennial of Tolstoy's death, 100 years ago Saturday, seems to be passing virtually unnoticed in Russia..." (AFP)
But I was very impressed see this monument.
Location: Yasnaya Polyana
courtesy: AFP
I bought 'War and Peace' long ago and I have yet to start reading it. I have read a lot about Tolstoy but not much by him.
Michael Dirda says: Tolstoy's main characters are all spiritual pilgrims.
A man from the land of Warkaris like me should be able to relate to them. Sure but only when he decides to take out the book from the bottom of the pile of unread books! Maybe a newspaper or TV strike will help.
Artist: Barney Tobey, The New Yorker, 20 Apr 1963
(Newspaper strike in US began on Dec 8, 1962 and lasted for 114 days. )
I was moved by A N Wilson's tribute to him: "From the first reading of War and Peace, it becomes clear that Tolstoy writes with the breadth and scope of Homer. Nowhere outside the Iliad do we find such a prodigious combination of artistic detachment from joy and suffering and yet at the same time such passionate engagement and sympathy. It is a paradoxical truth in these two European masterpieces, and Bartlett's book gives us the sense of how both these godlike qualities, of indifference and empathy, were constantly present in Tolstoy's soul." (FT, Nov 19 2010)
Vivian Gornick writes about Tolstoy's marriage:
"...It pained Sonya throughout her life that her only real hold on Tolstoy was sexual—neither her thoughts nor her desires kept his attention—and it pained her even more when that hold loosened. She herself never enjoyed making love, but when finally, in significant old age, he stopped coming to her, she was beside herself with shame, loss, longing. So often, throughout their years together, he had bolted, leaving her entirely alone—sometimes even when he was in the house—for days or weeks on end (her diary often reports an unspeakable loneliness). Yet she had gone on dreaming that ultimately she would have Tolstoy's friendship and tender regard. When the sex went, and the friendship did not blossom, she grew desolate.
In the end the mixed nature of humanity itself proves the source of the great existential drama. To be mean and generous, depraved and decent, loving and murderous, not by turns but all at once—that, it seems, is the true burden of our existence. It is this humiliation that makes us rage at the heavens, this humiliation that has ever demanded of us some over-arching myth of redemption that will atone for the despair of our own self-divisions..."
In Marathi culture I have often heard people expressing satisfaction, even joy, after a person's passing, that his/her last days were spent well, perhaps in happiness.
I have never understood this focus on "last days".
Tolstoy's last days:
"...Fleeing from his home and wife of 48 years with just 50 rubles in his pocket, 82-year Tolstoy rushed from one monastery to another before catching a cold on a train and dying at a small train station in Astapovo, Lipetsk region..." (AFP)
Thursday, November 25, 2010
असेच होते गांधीजीही, येशु क्रिस्त अन् कृष्ण कदाचित् कालिदास अन टैकोब्राही
One of B S Mardhekar's (बा. सी. मर्ढेकर) poems: 'Mee Ek Mungi, Ha Ek Mungi' [मी एक मुंगी, हा एक मुंगी), poem 16 from 'Anakhi Kahi Kavita' (आणखी कांहीं कविता), has these lines:
'ह्या नच मुंग्या : हींच माणसे :
असेच होते गांधीजीही,
येशु क्रिस्त अन् कृष्ण कदाचित्
कालिदास अन टैकोब्राही.'
(They are not ants : they are humans :
Gandhiji was like this too
Jesus Christ and Krishna perhaps
Kalidas and Tycho Brahe too)
I have already written about this poem here.
After reading DAN BILEFSKY's article in The New York Times on November 19 2010, looking at Brahe's remains, I realised how human Brahe was!
In India, majority of Hindus are cremated and hence have no graves, and even if they had, we wouldn't allow opening of them. There would be riots even at the mention of it.
But if there were to be graves for Krishna or Gandhi, their remains wouldn't look very different from that of Brahe.
Niels Linnerup of the University of Copenhagen examines the remains of Tycho Brahe in Prague,
Pool photo by Jacob Christensen Ravn/Aarhus University, via European Pressphoto Agency courtsey: The New York Times, Published: November 19, 2010
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Lin Dan, किस चक्की का आटा खाते हो?
I haven't seen a grander sporting spectacle than the Badminton gold medal match at Guangzhou between Lee Chong Wei vs Lin Dan. Watch it on YouTube here.
It was almost surreal. It was like watching artistic gymnastics being performed on badminton court.
I must thank DD that they did not bungle this one. Never mind their commentators.
In Indian mythology, one often reads that the Gandharvas shower flowers on earth at some special moments.
Were they present in Guangzhou skies on the evening of November 21st 2010?
p.s. The answer to my rhetorical question in the title is: None. Because he probably doesn't eat wheat flour (Aata)!
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Rishi Steven Weinberg
But for me, Weinberg reached an exalted status not because what he may still do in science or his Nobel prize but when I read his this line in one of the greatest pieces of prose I have read:
"...Whatever purposes may be served by rewarding the talented, I have never understood why untalented people deserve less of the world's good things than other people..."
(Five and a Half Utopias, The Atlantic, January 2000)
No ism, no right/left, no ideology, no religion, no holy text...I trust only a poet-saint or a sage to write a line of this profundity.
I hope some day a Marathi Vinda (विंदा) will write what happened when Weinberg and Dnyaneshwar (ज्ञानेश्वर) met! [may I suggest a title for the poem:'Gyanya-Weinya Chi Bhet' (ग्यान्या-व्यान्याची भेट)].
And doesn't he look the Rishi/sage part in following lovely picture?
Picture courtesy: Jeff Wilson and Scientific American, November 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Whether you laugh or hurt or both, don't forget the sponsors
Howard Jacobson: It isn't as though we have lost the capacity to laugh. Stand-up comedy is riding higher than ever. If anything there is an argument to be made that we are laughing too much. But we have created a false division between laughter and thought, between comedy and seriousness, between the exhilaration that the great novels offer when they are at their funniest, and whatever else it is we now think we want from literature.
For this Diwali, Vasant Sarwate (वसंत सरवटे) has taken us, one more time, to meet a Marathi speaking the Simpsons family. (Please find earlier Lalit (ललित ) covers by Sarwate here: 2009, 2008, 2007).
Look at the picture below. (Sorry for the poor resolution. My scanner is down.)
Meet- clockwise- Homer, Marge, Lisa, Abraham, Mona and Bart. They are 'watching' a Marathi 'comedy' program on their brand new flat panel TV.
It's called a comedy program because laughter is in its name. It's "Ha Ha Bai Express" (हाः हाः बै एक्सप्रेस) . The newspapers that are lying on the side-table claim that this show is bound to cause you stomach ache because of your wild laughing at its humour.
But don't worry, remedy is on hand. The sponsors of the program are Udaroushadhi pharmacy (उदरौषधी फार्मसी ) makers of a medicine that cures such a stomach ache. Notice Udaroushadhi's calendar, showing its full product range, hanging next to the TV.
Let us look at what the Simpsons are doing.
Homer is dumbfounded. Lisa is busy reading something. Abraham- I like him best here- is disgustingly looking at the medicine manufactured by Udaroushadhi pharmacy that is put on his palm by Mona. Mona, squatting on the floor, is gaping at the TV. Bart is in his own world. Only Marge has a faint smile on her face.
Udaroushadhi pharmacy's ad campaign is successful because the Simpsons have fallen for their product. They are administering it to poor Abraham. See one more time his face.
Notice the contrast between the energy levels and the mood in the Simpsons hall and the TV studio.
Judges of the comedy show in the studio are falling over each other laughing. What the Simpsons family doesn't know is: People in the studio want to give full 10 marks to each other and the sponsors because their respective cheques have encashed!
(double click and magnify to get a better view)
Artist: Vasant Sarwate (वसंत सरवटे ), Lalit (ललित), November-December 2010
Monday, November 15, 2010
Dancing, dancing everywhere, except at Guangzhou
Indians are very fond of dancing. Mr and Mrs. Obama witnessed, and in good measure participated in, it recently. I know a couple of young women who attend classes that teach Latin dance.
DanceSport became an official Asian Games sport at Guangzhou.
I watched Cha-cha-cha event on Nov 14. It was spectacular. I liked performances by all the pairs. The gold went to the pair of Shi Lei and Zhang Baiyu.
I wonder why Indians were totally absent at Dancesport at the 2010 Asian Games .
Have all educated young urban men and women of India have decided to devote themselves to only three things: Hindi cinema, Cricket and IT industry?
Hope not.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Let not Marathi Wiki meet the fate of Ketkar-pedia
A number of people who visit this blog ask me to write the blog in Marathi.
Well, I am sorry, I don't plan to do it in near future because my objectives are different.
This blog is not just for Marathi readers. It's for all those who appreciate a picture / a view / a scene/ a visual. It's also an attempt to take a few aspects of Marathi culture to non-Marathi speakers.
However, I have created and edited a number of pages on Marathi personalities in English Wikipedia and to my eternal delight those pages have attracted a lot of readers. As long as Wiki lives, my own immortality is guranteed...(who the xxxx was Anikulkarni?)...!
In the past, I too have appealed to those who write in Marathi to contribute to Marathi Wiki.
Let not Marathi Wiki meet the same fate of Ketkar-pedia. Read a related post here.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
क्या सीन है! Obamas in India
Sitting- A Sikh, a Muslim, a Dalit Woman,
Standing- a Black Christian (who some say is a Muslim!) and,
On the wall- a Hindu Brahmin who was a Bhagavad Gita scholar.
Only in India, only in my India...
Such scenes, however symbolic, warm the cockles of my heart. I am an absolute sucker for them. I can't remain cynical when I witness them.
November 8 2010
Tuesday, November 09, 2010
Picture-Blindness: An Old Epidemic Among Marathi Literati
Ludwig Wittgenstein:
"Don't think, look!"
Satyajit Ray:
"I don't know if it is the Bengali temperament, but many of our writers seem more inclined to use their minds, rather than eyes and ears."
वसंत पाटणकर:
"मराठीत कलाविषयक लेखन, सिद्धान्तन करू पाहणारे बहुधा सहित्यसमीक्षक असतात. त्यांना साहित्याचे जसे आतून ज्ञान असते तसे ते इतर कलांचे सामान्यतः नसते. अन्य कलांचे आतून ज्ञान असणार्या समीक्षकांनी केलेले कलाविषयक लेखन कलेच्या स्वरुपावर काही वेगळा प्रकाश टाकण्याची शक्यता असते. गोडश्यांचे लेखन हे या दुसर्या प्रकारातील असल्यामुळेच
ते अभिनव ठरते. दुसरे असे की साहित्य, चित्र, शिल्प अशा अनेकविध कलांची काही विचारसूत्रांत बांधणी करू पाहणारी मोठ्या आवाक्याची समीक्षा मराठीत जवळजवळ नाहीच असे म्हटले तरी चालेल. त्यामुळे गोडश्यांचा कलामीमांसेचा हा प्रयत्न महत्वपूर्ण आहे."
["D.G. Godse Yanchi Kalamimansa" Editor; Sarojini Vaidya, Vasant Patankar (Marathi), 1997 ("द. ग. गोडसे यांची कलामीमांसा" संपादक: सरोजिनी वैद्य, वसंत पाटणकर)]
Nicholas Fraser:
Seeing is all that we can do reliably, and that, for J G Ballard at least, was more than enough to fill a lifetime.
"Today's signature move is the head swivel. It is the age of look-then-look-away... We miss almost everything; we text while we walk. What makes a person stand out now is the ability to look and keep looking...
...A "museum intervention" is now mandatory at Yale's School of Medicine for all first-year medical students. Called Enhancing Observational Skills, the program asks students to look at and then describe paintings—not Pollocks and Picassos but Victorian pieces, with whole people in them. The aim? To improve diagnostic knack."
Orhan Pamuk:
I have a lot of respect for Milind Bokil (मिलिंद बोकिल). Whatever little I have read written by him, I have liked it.
His essay on Vinoba Bhave (विनोबा भावे) is one of the best essays I have read in any language. It will take some talent to write a better essay than that.
Recently Anil Awchat's (अनिल अवचट) book 'Punyachi Apurvai' (पुण्याची अपूर्वाई) was published. Bokil released it in Pune (पुणे) on August 8 2010.
Lalit September 2010 has published the text of his speech made on the occasion. It runs four and half pages.
It's a personal tribute to Awchat and his contribution to Marathi literature. But if it is supposed to be about the book, I am deeply disappointed by it.
Presuming that Lalit has reproduced his speech in its entirety, Bokil doesn't mention illustrator Vasant Sarwate's (वसंत सरवटे) contribution to the book even once, although he does mention a few fellow writers.
It's hard to believe. I thought it was like going to Ajanta-Ellora and not mentioning paintings while describing your experience there!
Look at the cover of the book below. Even a cursory look by those who are familiar with Sarwate's work would know that it is his although you can't spot his name-stamp (नाममुद्रा) easily.
Following is a small passage from Bokil's speech. It's in Marathi.
Bokil talks about a new world-view given by Awchat to Marathi language for looking at life, society, environment.
(double click on the picture to get a larger view)
I am not sure about this claim. Although I have tremendously liked a lot of what Awchat has written, I don't think it's a new 'world-view' in Marathi. Awchat always had someone like S M Mate (श्री म माटे), if not one or two more, to follow.
What is shocking is Bokil doesn't mention Sarwate's contribution- although part of it is right under his nose next to Awchat's prose- in this regard.
Sarwate has given us a world-view no one in Marathi had given us before. And those who have followed him- most notably Abhimanyu Kulkarni (अभिमन्यु कुलकर्णी)- have never reached the heights, he took Marathi readers to.
He belongs where only the likes of James Thurber, Saul Steinberg or that anonymous artist who created Tom & Jerry in stone at Mamallapuram do.
I am sure Awachat- like P L Deshpande (पु ल देशपांडे), Jaywant Dalvi (जयवंत दळवी ), Vinda Karandikar (विंदा करंदीकर) and many others- considers himself lucky that Sarwate agreed to draw for his book.
But this problem of hyperopia afflicting Marathi culture is pretty old.
For instance, although the late Dinanath Dalal (दीनानाथ दलाल) designed and illustrated majority of notable Marathi books for a number of years, how many times was he mentioned in their reviews?
I recently wrote about a related disorder: "In Marathi Popular Culture, a false division between Laughter and Thought". Also, see my another related post "Can We Trust an Artist to Show us the Reality?".
I am surprised and frustrated by the spread of this malady.
In Indian culture "Darshan" (view) is an important aspect of the culture. Wikipedia informs: "Darshan is...an event in consciousness—an interaction in presence between devotee and guru; or between devotee and image or sculpture, which focuses and calls out the consciousness of the devotee. In either event, a heightening of consciousness or spirituality is the intended effect." Marathi poet-saints who were allowed inside the Vitthal (विठ्ठल) temple describe the image of deity.
Vilas Sarang (विलास सारंग) has written movingly about his meeting with great W H Auden where Sarang says the whole objective was "Darshan" of Auden. (btw- This essay always brings tears to my eyes.)
Poet-saints and Sarang didn't draw what they saw because of various reasons. More importantly they didn't have someone like Sarwate to help.
But when you have Sarwate illustrating a book of your favourite author, the last thing you should do is to ignore him.
If you don't like what he has drawn, then say so. For instance, Sarwate himself has always felt that S G Joshi's (सीताराम गंगाधर जोशी) illustrations suit C V Joshi's (चिं. वि. जोशी) books better than that of his very close talented friend S D Phadnis (शि द फडणीस ).
But please try not to be indifferent to a fellow artist.
Unless of course you too are suffering from picture-blindness.
The above was written on November 9 2010. 'Lalit'(ललित) September 2011 has a 4-page review of Awchat's book by Shankar Sarda (शंकर सारडा). It does NOT even mention Sarwate's pictures! (Sept 9, 2011)
Friday, November 05, 2010
How the Indian Chimney-sweepers cry
"………….a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of other people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys"
Mark Edmundson, a professor of English at the University of Virginia, has written a wonderful essay on William Blake's "London".
He says: "Looking for a compressed vision of the state of America now, I'm inclined to turn not to any of our esteemed journalist-pundits or renowned public intellectuals but in the direction of the poet William Blake, who did his work 200 years ago."
I wonder if Edmundson has stayed in any Indian metro for a few days. If he did, he would have thought about them ahead of his country.
Poem reads as follows:
London (published in Songs of Experience in 1794)
I wander thro' each charter'd street,
Near where the charter'd Thames does flow,
And mark in every face I meet
Marks of weakness, marks of woe.
In every cry of every Man.
In every Infant's cry of fear,
In every voice, in every ban,
The mind-forg'd manacles I hear.
How the Chimney-sweepers cry
Every black'ning Church appalls;
And the hapless Soldier's sigh
Runs in blood down Palace walls.
But most thro' midnight streets I hear
How the youthful Harlot's curse
Blasts the new born Infant's tear
And blights with plagues the Marriage hearse.
Professor says: "...They (people) are the victims of "mind-forg'd manacles." That is, they are imprisoned by their own mental limits and by the limits imposed upon them by others.
What does it mean, from Blake's perspective, to be mentally imprisoned? It means, among other things, that you see the world from your own private perspective. You look out for your own advantage. You pursue your own success. You hog and hoard. You've entered the state that Blake calls the state of Selfhood, which is individualist, reductive, and isolating.
You think that affirming Selfhood will get you what you want in the world—the Self is a radical pragmatist. But all the state of Selfhood does is to cut you off from the possibility of a better life. The ascendancy of Selfhood isolates you from other humans. Selfhood destroys the drive for community and solidarity. It makes you lonely, frustrated, and angry—on your face come "marks of weakness, marks of woe."..."
On the morning before Diwali 2010, when we gave a paltry sum of Rs. 50 to the cleaning lady, who cleans stair case and reception at our building, on the occassion of Diwali, she said she did not receive even Rs. 0.5 from many of our building flat holders. When she mentioned Diwali suggestively to one of the flatholders, she got a real earful in return!
"..."How the Chimney-sweepers cry / Every black'ning Church appalls." The chimney sweepers of Blake's London were children who had, for all purposes, been sold into slavery. Frequently they came from countryside families too poor to feed them. For a price, their parents presented them to owners of chimney-sweeping companies. To those mothers and fathers, it was better than seeing their children starve. It was necessary that children do this job: You had to be small and lithe to scramble up and down the chimneys and to get them cleaned out. There were accidents—children fell from roofs and down flues and ended up crippled for life. Still, the need for the sweeps was strong..."
Thankfully, India didn't have many chimneys but there are many other equally deadly objects in today's India which continue to be cruel towards children.
"...Blake suggests that if you want to understand the moral state of a country, you had better check first and see how it deals with its children. Does it treat them with loving kindness, or does it exploit them? Does it look down upon them from the perspective of the greedy and frightened Selfhood, or regard them with the generosity of the enlightened Soul? Blake's verdict on his own nation is not hard to discern. Can our own nation claim to be doing better?
Amid blazing wealth, great numbers of American children do not get enough to eat. Perhaps they are not starving, but they are hungry..."
The Times of India, October 12 2010:
"India dropped two ranks to 67th among 84 developing countries in the International Food Policy Research Institute's annual " Global Hunger Index" for 2010...
The policymakers in India, who are are still fighting over the need to have an expansive National Food Security Act, should look at the following data more closely: in 2005-06, about 44% of Indian children — below five years — were underweight, and nearly half — 48% — were stunted..."
Artist: Barney Tobey, The New Yorker, August 16 1947
Monday, November 01, 2010
Miraj, Where almost everyone seemed to be on my Facebook
Recently, I removed many "friends" from my FB. Not that I had many, either there or in real life, to begin with.
I have removed people meeting following criteria:
1. I already have a meaningful relationship with the person in real life. Facebook doesn't add any value.
2. I had a wholesome relationship with the person in the past but the time and distance have created a barrier, Facebook can't help cross.
3. I have no substantive interaction with the person even in cyber world.
4. I had sent them a friendship request based on some interaction on e-mail. I was hoping to transform those interactions into something more substantial. It didn't happen for many weeks.
5. People who sent me a friendship request because I was in their address book and they thought I was their fan. They have no interest in me whatsoever. All they want is their own promotion.
6. Relatives who are not much interested in me as a person. Or if they are, they got axed because points 1 or 3 above.
Facebook for me now is just a depository of links to what I like on WWW and collating of my interests. People say FB is the future. Maybe. But not for me.
RACHEL MARSDEN: The term friend has been linguistically inflated through social media to the point of having almost no value...Too many people seem to be grasping for ways to connect with others while rarely actually connecting in a way that has true value or significance.
Contrast this with my social life in Miraj where I spent my first 21 years of life. I seemed to know the whole town and the whole town in return seemed to know me.
Miraj was a friend where Facebook would be such a waste. Like a large open sewer that lay about 100m from our house.
Cartoonist/Illustrator: Roger Latham, The Spectator, October 2010
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Leo Cullum, I think I'd never laugh again. Then I'll see your drawings...
Leo Cullum whose pictures gave me great joy died on Oct 23 2010 at the age of 68. To see many of his cartoons, please visit The Cartoon Bank of New Yorker here.
68 is a dreaded number for me because my mother too died at that age. These days my vanished world is divided between those who die at or before 68 and those who die later.
In 2008-09, I attempted writing a caption for six of his cartoons as a part of The New Yorker's "Cartoon Caption Contest". You can find those efforts on this blog.
I thought his pictures were like deceptively simple puzzles. Visually very funny, they tickled me...I would start smiling just looking at the 'frog' eyes of his characters...I thought the caption would now just pour out of me.
It didn't.
I didn't know how Mr. Cullum looked. I thought he looked like one of his own characters. For instance, like either of them below.
(courtesy: The New Yorker)
I wish he did. But he didn't. I discovered that on Oct 26 2010.
(courtesy: David Strick and The New York Times)
WILLIAM GRIMES writes:
"...In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, Mr. Cullum managed the delicate feat of finding humor when the prevailing national mood was black. The issue of The New Yorker that came out immediately after the attacks carried no cartoons, but Mr. Cullum's was the first cartoon that the magazine's readers saw the following week..." (The New York Times, Oct 25 2010)
(courtesy: The New Yorker)
Marathi humorist P L Deshpande (पु ल देशपांडे) has written how a radio interviewer laughed when Pu La talked about his aunt's death. When Deshpande asked how he could laugh about her death, the interviewer laughed some more!
Such is the life of a clown.
And perhpas a cartoonist.
"...In 1966 he was sent to Vietnam, where he flew 200 missions, most in support of ground-troop operations, but at one point he flew secret bombing runs over the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. "Who these were secret from I'm still not sure," Mr. Cullum told Holy Cross magazine in 2006. "The North Vietnamese certainly knew it wasn't the Swiss bombing them."..."
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Nutan, Tujhe Kya Sunao Main Dilruba
I had never seen Aakhri Dao (1958), an imminently forgettable film, until recently. I mention the film only because of two things- Madan Mohan's music and Nutan's acting. (A lot of Hindi films of 1950's were as lousy as most films of today. The only difference is the quality of music and a Nutan here and a Balraj Sahni there.)
Watch video of 'tujhe kya sunao main dilruba', a song from the film, on You Tube here.
I was stunned by the journey of Nutan's face in those 3 min 34 secs.
She goads her co-actor Shekhar into singing a song. He obliges. Now, although she is well aware of his feelings for her, she is balled over by the display of affection by him in front of all her friends.
Look at very awkward Nutan's fidgeting for first 1 min 45 secs or so. It's an absolute delight.
And then it all changes.
As the third stanza is about to begin, Shammi, quite wisely, troops out with all the girls. But it doesn't matter because Nutan doesn't even notice it. She now has gone into an acting trance where few can go.
Look at her eyes. Tears have welled up there. They don't look glycerine induced to me. I just drown in them.
All the superlative talent of Mohammed Rafi, Madan Mohan and Majrooh Sultanpuri combined is only second to the genius I see on the screen.
If I had a say, I would put a dot bindi, or no bindi at all, on her forehead instead of this elongated one.


text:
I want to give HUGE props to OpenForge and their amazing work! Their tiles inspired me to create my own tiles. I love the look of their tiles but I also am a tinkerer at heart and tend to want to change things. I created this set of tiles for you to easily customize any part of it, whether it's the size or shape of the stones or the spacing of the squares.
The total area is 2" X 2" for each tile (1" individual squares for minis to occupy) but I like to hook multiple pieces together in Tinkercad and print entire rooms at once. Reconfigure it anyway you like with any of my other designs (or message me if you'd like to see it put together a specific way and I'll gladly upload a new file) but please post pics of anything you print!
This thing was made with Tinkercad. Edit it online https://www.tinkercad.com/things/5si3kKK8ymF
I am an engineer by day and a part time 3D designer enthusiast by night. I mainly do table top minis, terrain, etc. but I have also done many other projects such as gun accessories and a few mech designs.
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"How do I talk to my child about...?" This is not an uncommon question among parents as well as teachers and catechists. Abstract concepts, hard-to-broach subjects, and sensitive issues all require a particular kind of language that gives a child enough information without being overly complex or confusing. The same is true for aspects of our faith. How do we talk to children about the great big concept of God or about the life, ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus? How do we explain the gestures, symbols, and ritual of the Mass or approach issues of morality and making sound choices?
This series of booklets provides parents as well as teachers and catechists with a range of questions about these topics. Each one offers terminology relatable to a young child's experience as well as family activities to stimulate further conversation and comprehension. In sharing these responses, you are likely to find yourself more capable of talking to your child about these and other topics of faith and practice.
In this booklet, Tom Quinlan gives solid advice for how to make the Mass more accessible and relevant to even the youngest child. Offering simple explanations of the Mass itself, as well as the crucifix, font, lectionary, tabernacle, and more, Tom helps everyone appreciate what we do when we gather.
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What is meant by digital currency?
Meaning of Digital Currency
Thus, digital currency is different from flat currency in many aspects. The best feature of a digital coin is instant transfer. Digital currency and cyber cash can be used inter-exchangeably.
Digital currency same as traditional money serves multiple purposes. It can be used to buy any goods or avail any service. For platforms such as social network or gaming, Bitcoin is not an option. David Chaum first proposed the idea of digital cash in 1982. Since then many platforms have tried to make an impact globally such as PayPal, e-gold, Q coins etc. Most widely accepted digital currency so far is Bitcoin.
Digital currency is a kind of monetary balance. Either a device can store the currency or its processing occurs on online networks. Digital wallets are available for storing electronic currency.
Risk associated with digital currency
Digital currency has caught the attention of many cyber criminals. The concept of cryptography is definitely having an edge but cyber crimes have always surprised the developers. Since digital currency is rotating only in networks, there is also a fear of the currency volatility. Another issue with digital currency is beneficiary identification.Digital currency has many other limitations too. Physical currency allows the user to earn interest by submitting money in the bank. In case of digital currency, no such benefits are available. Digital currency poses major challenges for banks, financial authorities, fiscal authorities and statistical authorities. Some of the countries have dissuaded the users against the digital currency. Thus, it still faces the challenge of acceptance by the people and government.


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Technology Innovation News Survey
Entries for November 16-30, 2017
Market/Commercialization Information
Federal Business Opportunities, FBO-5874, Solicitation W912PP17R0011, 2017
This proposed procurement will be open to small and large businesses under NAICS code 562910 to result in firm-fixed-price IDIQs to multiple firms. In general, task orders under these MATOC IDIQs will support the USACE South Pacific and Southwestern Division with advanced geophysical classification QA/QC activities on existing, previously awarded, separate Military Munitions Response Program remedial investigation, removal, and/or remedial action contracts, task orders, or delivery orders. The contractor shall provide all personnel, equipment, supplies, facilities, transportation, tools, materials, supervision, and other items and non-personal services necessary to perform third-party blind validation. Release of the solicitation is anticipated around January 9, 2018. https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=1cfb1e8303ac9c54109
FBO-5874, Solicitation N44255-18-R-5011, 2017
NAVFAC Northwest (NW) issued this sources sought to determine small business capability and interest to perform planned environmental remediation services at installations and facilities located within the NAVFAC NW area of responsibility (Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Alaska, Iowa, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and Wyoming). Most of the work likely will be performed in Washington state and Alaska. The NAICS code is 562910 (Remediation Services). The contract is to obtain services for environmental compliance and remediation program support, technical consultation, and optimization, planned as a firm-fixed-price IDIQ contract with a base year and four option years, not to exceed ~$40M in total. The response form posted with the FedBizOpps announcement must be completed and received via email by 2:00 PM PT on January 22, 2018. https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DON/NAVFAC/N44255/N44255-18-R-5011/listing.html
Cleanup News
Mine Water & Circular Economy (Wolkersdorfer, C. et al., eds.). IMWA, Vol I:109-117(2017)
The first full-scale containerized vertical flow reactor (VFR) operating in Finland is sized such that it treats all the mine water discharging from the abandoned Metsämonttu mine site. The design criteria allow treatment of 1-35 L/min of circum-neutral mine water. The full-scale reactor was designed and constructed based on the results of 6 weeks of small-scale experimental VFR operation, with measurement of Fe removal rate, flow, and on-site parameters. The experimental reactor removed > 80% of the iron in the mine water, whereas the full-scale VFR removes 95% of the iron and about 80% of the arsenic. Electrical conductivities range between 250 and 1300 µS/cm, pH between 7.0 and 7.9, and the redox-potential between 140 and 360 mV. Inflow total iron concentrations range between 6.3 and 10.7 mg/L and outflow concentrations between 0.2 and 10.0 mg/L. A tracer test with NaCl revealed a mean residence time of 10 ± 1 h within the reactor, which is substantially below the design criteria of 48 hours. An on-site oxidation text showed that oxidation of the mine water reached 90% after 1 h, starting from an initial oxygen saturation of 30%. Neither removal of sulfate nor a statistically significant decrease of mine water mineralization was observed. https://www.imwa.info/docs/imwa_2017/IMWA2017_Wolkersdorfer_109.pdf
2017 National Meeting of the American Society of Mining and Reclamation, Morgantown, WV, 9-13 April. ASMR, Champaign, IL. 49 slides, 2017
The Pittsburgh Botanic Garden is being developed on 186 ha of abandoned mine land. Reclamation and remediation of this property is ongoing in four major project areas: the Woodlands Lotus Pond passive treatment system, the Kentucky Hollow passive treatment system, the Abandoned Mine Land Economic Revitalization Pilot Program, and remining/reclamation. A drainable limestone bed (DLB) constructed in the Woodlands area has treated mine drainage effectively for 3.5 years. The treated water is of such good quality that it discharges into the fish-stocked Lotus Pond, a project focal point. A newly funded project will treat two low-pH, high-aluminum mine discharges in the Kentucky Hollow area using DLBs. Over 10 ha are being remined to enable more effective treatment. About 1.3 ha of the remining area has been reclaimed and planted with trees.
Longer abstract: http://www.asmr.us/Portals/0/Documents/Meetings/2017/04-15-Watzlaf.pdf
Slides: http://www.asmr.us/Portals/0/Documents/Meetings/2017/04-15-Watzlaf-Slide
Sustainability 9(No. 1705):1-18(2017)
An examination of landscape characteristics and post-mining land use in 51 metal mining sites in Finland looked at mines that were closed during the period of 1924-2016. Over half of the mines had been active more than 10 years. Mines were typically located in sparsely populated forest landscapes. Cultural and recreational functions were found in one-third of the sites, especially in significant historical mining areas close to the population centers, and nearly one-third of the post-mining sites included new activities related to industry and infrastructure. The diversity of post-mining functions was generally limited at small and isolated sites. Re-opening of five closed mines was planned or under development, and exploration permits (or claims) were applied or admitted for half of the post-mining areas. Results show that every closed mine is unique and thus sustainable post-mining land use requires careful evaluation of site potentials and limitations (e.g., contamination and other hazards). http://www.mdpi.com/2071-1050/9/10/1705/pdf
The 23rd British Columbia MEND Metal Leaching/Acid Rock Drainage Workshop, Vancouver. 25 slides, 2016
The Cotter Corporation Schwartzwalder Mine (Jefferson County, CO) is an underground uranium mine that was operated from 1953 to 2000 and is now in reclamation. Mine pool water and groundwater in alluvial fill are contaminated with uranium, sulfate, manganese, and other constituents. The operator treats mine pool water using an in situ biological process. The site also has a reverse osmosis (RO) system for treating pumped mine pool water and an ion exchange (IX) system for treating alluvial groundwater that is captured in underground sumps. In situ pretreatment prevents buildup of constituents of concern within the mine pool. The operator monitors groundwater quality in 11 alluvial wells, 8 bedrock wells, and the mine pool. The RO system is operational, and the mine pool is currently being pumped and treated. In October 2016, Colorado approved Technical Revision No. 24 to relocate the water treatment facility to a new industrial water treatment plant (IWTP). The operator is constructing the new IWTP and commissioning the new treatment trains. http://bc-mlard.ca/files/presentations/2016-24-HARRINGTON-combining-in-s
The 23rd British Columbia MEND Metal Leaching/Acid Rock Drainage Workshop, Vancouver. 32 slides, 2016
Passive treatment of contaminated mine drainage is less costly than active treatment, but its reliability is sometimes questioned. A simple approach is presented that has been used to design effective passive treatment systems in Pennsylvania. Three systems that demonstrate commonly utilized passive technologies are described along with long-term monitoring data: (1) the Marchand system of oxidation/settling ponds and a constructed aerobic wetland; (2) the Anna S system of vertical flow ponds and aerobic wetlands; and (3) the Scootac system of a drainable limestone bed and settling pond. The systems have provided highly reliable and effective treatment for 3 to 18 years. The data demonstrate that properly designed, constructed, and maintained passive treatment systems are a highly cost-effective solution for contaminated mine discharges.
Slides: http://bc-mlard.ca/files/presentations/2016-22-HEDIN-operation-maintenan
Paper: http://www.hedinenv.com/pdf/NAMLP_Effective_Passive_Treatment_Paper.pdf
Demonstrations / Feasibility Studies
Mine Water and the Environment [Publication online 2 Sep 2017 prior to print]
The project objective was to demonstrate the stable operation of a sulfate-reducing bioreactor for at least a year in terms of continuous acid mine drainage (AMD) sulfate reduction and metal removal. The 35-L bioreactor contains sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) and a packed inoculum layer of a mixture of rice husks, limestone, and field soil covered with rice bran. During operation, the AMD input flow rate was adjusted to 11.7 mL/min (hydraulic retention time 50 h). Throughout the year, physicochemical analyses of system input and output AMD samples revealed that both pH and oxidation-reduction potential values remained consistent with the process of sulfate reduction by SRB, although this reduction was stronger in summer than in winter. Metal concentrations at the outlet port of < 0.33 mg/L Zn, < 0.08 mg/L Cu, and < 0.005 mg/L Cd more than met Japan's national effluent standards. Illumina sequencing of 16S rRNA genes revealed the dominance of Desulfatirhabdium butyrativorans-related species within the bioreactor. This paper is temporarily Open Access at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10230-017-0489-6
Mine Water and the Environment [Publication online 26 Oct 2017 prior to print]
Vertical flow reactors (VFRs) were trialed at coal mine sites in New Zealand, South Korea, and the USA to evaluate iron removal efficiency and removal mechanisms. The field trials were conducted at low pH and circumneutral pH to evaluate VFR performance alone and alongside other passive treatments. Total Fe and Mn removal efficiencies at circumneutral pH (6-8) often exceeded 90%, with effluent concentrations < 1 mg/L. Microbial Fe(II) oxidation and precipitation as schwertmannite together with aggregation of colloidal and nano-particulate Fe(III) are suspected to be the main removal mechanisms. Iron solubility limited removal under very acidic conditions (pH < 3). The reproducibility of the results confirmed that VFRs can be used as stand-alone passive treatment systems for iron removal from mine waters while doing so within a footprint less than half of the area required by a conventional aerobic wetland. A VFR can also provide useful iron pretreatment for other passive treatment systems under circumneutral conditions, but would have to be combined with alkaline generating systems to achieve full iron removal from acidic mine waters. This paper is Open Access at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10230-017-0491-z
Water Environment Research 89(10):1384-1402(2017)
This review summarizes mine drainage research and development as found in literature published in 2016 and early 2017. The review contains three main sections. (1) Section one covers the characterization of mine drainage and its related environmental impacts, including three subsections focused on physiochemical characterization, microbiological characterization, and environmental impacts. (2) Section two is divided into subsections focused on either the prediction or prevention of acid mine drainage. (3) The final section focuses on treatment technologies for mine drainage, including physiochemical, biological, and passive treatments as well as beneficial uses of mine drainage and treatment wastes. This paper is temporarily Open Access at http://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wef/wer/2017/00000089/00000010/art
Journal of Environmental Quality 46:1-9(2017)
Passive biological treatment systems can be effective in removing acidity and metals from mine water, but review of current literature suggests that their ability to reduce conductivity appears somewhat limited. Some systems, particularly those that do not incorporate limestone into their construction materials, have been observed to reduce conductivity by 30-40%, which might prove useful as a pretreatment or finishing component of a larger treatment system, or in the treatment of legacy discharges. Design optimization will require identification of the ionic constituents responsible for primary conductivity constituents in various regions, long-term monitoring data of current systems that might not have been designed primarily to treat conductivity, and evaluation of the environmental factors governing underlying biogeochemical processes responsible for specific ion removals. Ideally, field-scale monitoring efforts will concurrently evaluate downstream impacts on aquatic ecology. https://aries.energy.vt.edu/content/dam/aries_energy_vt_edu/journal_pape
Mine Water & Circular Economy (Wolkersdorfer, C. et al., eds.). IMWA, Vol I:453-461(2017)
A passive biological sulfate reduction process was developed using a substrate mix comprising wood chips, wood shavings, hay, lucerne, and cow manure to address mine-affected water from a South African coal mine. The process achieved over 90% sulfate removal, raised the pH level above 7, and precipitated the metals. Operating parameters were optimized to increase process kinetics, and the results were used to design a pilot plant that will be operated at the mine to treat several hundred liters of water per day. https://www.imwa.info/docs/imwa_2017/IMWA2017_Neale_453.pdf
Journal of Geochemical Exploration 174:4-9(2017)
Microbial community patterns and their potential substrate utilization were examined to test for sustainability in metal-contaminated soil. The acid mine drainage-influenced test field was characterized for total soil respiration and the functional diversity of the soil bacterial communities using BIOLOG EcoPlate assays. Inoculation with the mycorrhizal fungus Rhizophagus irregularis and two streptomycetes led to an altered metabolic diversity and soil vitality, with cell numbers increased by one to three orders of magnitude. The change in metabolic activity was stable even after one winter with severe frost periods. The inoculation thus resulted in enhanced microbial activities, which in turn resulted in enhanced formation of soil organic matter, which in turn can sustain higher microbial cell numbers. Inoculation with indigenous bacteria and a versatile mycorrhizal fungus holds great potential for land-use strategies on metal-contaminated sites in general.
Water Research 126:411-420(2017)
A novel bioelectrochemical system (BES) can deliver permanent treatment of acid mine drainage without chemical dosing. The technology consists of a two-cell bioelectrochemical setup to enable the removal of sulfate from the ongoing reduction-oxidation sulfur cycle to < 550 mg/L (85 ± 2% removal in AMD from an abandoned silver mine), thereby also reducing salinity at an electrical energy requirement of 10 ± 0.3 kWh/kg of sulfate sulfur removed. In addition, BES operation drove the removal and recovery of the main cations at rates of 151 ± 0 g Al/m3/d, 179 ± 1 g Fe/m3/d, 172 ± 1 g Mg/m3/d and 46 ± 0 g Zn/m3/d into a concentrate stream containing 263 ± 2 mg Al, 279 ± 2 mg Fe, 152 ± 0 mg Mg and 90 ± 0 mg Zn per gram of solid precipitated after BES fed-rate control treatment. The solid metal sludge was twice less voluminous and 9 times more readily settleable than metal sludge precipitated using sodium hydroxide. The continuous BES treatment also demonstrated the concomitant precipitation of rare earth elements together with yttrium (REY), with up to 498 ± 70 µg Y, 166 ± 27 µg Nd, 155 ± 14 µg Gd per gram of solid, among other high-value metals. The high-REY precipitates might be used to offset treatment costs. See more information in G. Pozo's Ph.D. thesis at https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/view/UQ:683456/s42737838_final_thesis.p
Environmental Science & Technology 50(15):8255-8262(2016)
Although acid mine drainage (AMD) is commonly considered an environmental pollution issue, concentrations of rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) in AMD can be several orders of magnitude higher than in naturally occurring water bodies. The project objective was to study the behavior of REY in AMD passive remediation systems (i.e., AMD reaction with calcite-based permeable substrates followed by decantation ponds). Experiments with two columns simulating AMD treatment demonstrated that schwertmannite did not accumulate REY, which instead were retained in the basaluminite residue. The same observation was made in two field-scale treatments from the Iberian Pyrite Belt (southwest Spain), where findings suggest that the proposed AMD remediation process can represent a modest but suitable REY source. In this sense, the Iberian Pyrite Belt could function as a giant heap-leaching process of regional scale in which rain and oxygen act as natural driving forces with no energy investment. In addition to the environmental benefits of its treatment, AMD is expected to last for hundreds of years; hence, the total REY reserves are practically unlimited. See an earlier version of this paper at http://www.ehu.eus/sem/seminario_pdf/SeminSEM_12.Ayora.prov.pdf
Journal of Geochemical Exploration 181:45-57(2017)
Researchers investigated 419 tailings samples across four mines in South Africa using both portable X-ray fluorescence (PXRF) spectrometry and visible near infrared diffuse reflectance spectroscopy (VisNIR DRS). Specifically, PXRF was used to provide elemental data for comparison to X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDAX) coupled with scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for confirmation of tailings mineralogy. Next, PXRF data were used to model first-derivative (1D) VisNIR reflectance spectra. Results revealed many satisfactory calibrations (R2 > 0.70) relative to PXRF analysis with VisNIR DRS predictive models, showing fair (RPD 1.4-2.0) to stable, accurate (RPD > 2.0) prediction of multiple elements. Use of better data partitioning methods and consideration of target variability is likely to improve model accuracy further.
U.S. Geological Survey Karst Interest Group Proceedings, San Antonio, Texas, May 16-18, 2017: U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2017-5023:37(2017)
A study was conducted to disrupt chemolithotrophic bacteria responsible for acid rock drainage (ARD) associated with the Chattanooga Shale in Tennessee's karstic central basin. Researchers used chemical treatments to foster an environment favorable for competing microorganisms to attenuate the biologically induced ARD. Chemical treatments were injected into flow-through microcosms consisting of 501 grams of pyrite-rich shale pieces inoculated with ARD bacteria. Treatments included a sodium hydroxide-bleach mix, a sodium lactate solution, a sodium lactate-soy infant formula mix—each treatment with or without phosphate buffer, or injected sequentially with sodium hydroxide. The optimal treatment was a sequential injection of 1.5 g sodium hydroxide, followed by 0.75 g lactate and 1.5 g soy formula dissolved in 20 mL water. The pH of the discharge water rose to 6.0 within 10 days, dissolved-iron concentrations dropped < 1 mg/L, the median alkalinity increased to 98 mg/L as CaCO3, and the stimulated sulfur-reducing and slime-producing bacteria populations exhibited an increase in estimated population counts. The ARD-attenuating benefits of the optimal treatment remained evident after 33 weeks. The other treatments provided ARD-attenuating effects but were tempered by problems such as high phosphate concentrations, short longevity, or other shortcomings.
Journal of Geochemical Exploration 182(PtA):1-9(2017)
When scientists studied the paradigmatic site of La Soterrana (Asturias, NW Spain) after > 40 years of abandonment and weathering, a multivariate study of the geochemistry of the soil-waste system revealed average concentrations of thousands of ppm for Hg and tens of thousands for As. Other elements of concern were also well above soil threshold levels. Despite the potential toxicity of the waste mixed in the soil, the incipient soil overlying the spoil heap was colonized by pioneer plants tolerant of high metal(loid) content, predominantly randomly distributed clusters of Equisetum (horsetail). These plants preferred Al- and K-rich soils regardless of As and Hg levels. Equisetum showed low efficiency for As accumulation (excluder) but high efficiency for Hg accumulation (bioaccumulation factors above 1) in its tissues.
Mires and Peat 19(Article 4):1-10(2017)
Researchers investigated the biosorption of Cr(VI) from aqueous solutions by six highly characterized peats. Samples of the peats were tested both in unaltered condition and after being treated with hydrochloric acid to free any occupied exchange sites. Other variables tested were sample dose, contact time, mixing temperature, and the concentrations and pH of the Cr(VI) solution. Desorption studies were also performed, and tests were done to determine whether the peats could be re-used for Cr(VI) biosorption. Results indicate that all six peat types biosorb Cr(VI) from aqueous solution well (42-100% removal). The factors that had the greatest impact on peat Cr(VI) removal capacity were the concentrations and pH of the Cr(VI) solution. With increase of Cr(VI) solution concentration and pH, percent removed decreased dramatically: 33-56 % decrease for concentration increase; 36-45% decrease for pH increase with four of the six peat types. Desorption results indicate that it may be possible to recover up to 5% of the Cr(VI) removed. All of the peat types tested can be re-used repeatedly for additional Cr(VI) biosorption cycles. http://mires-and-peat.net/media/map19/map_19_04.pdf
Environmental Science and Pollution Research 24(28):22183-22195(2017)
The phytoextraction abilities of six tree species—Acer platanoides L., Acer pseudoplatanus L., Betula pendula Roth, Quercus robur L., Tilia cordata Miller, Ulmus laevis Pall.—were compared following cultivation on mining sludge contaminated with As, Cd, Cu, Pb, Tl, and Zn. All six tree species survived on the unpromising substrate. With the exception of A. pseudoplatanus, the analyzed tree species showed a bioconcentration factor (BCF) > 1 for Tl, with the highest value for A. platanoides (1.41), although the translocation factor (TF) for this metal was < 1 in all the analyzed tree species. A. platanoides showed the highest BCF and a low TF and thus could be a promising species for Tl phytostabilization. This paper is Open Access at https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11356-017-9842-3
Environmental Earth Sciences 76(12):[408](2017)
Mine tailings and acid pond sediment from a former mining area in Canakkale (Turkey) were analyzed for physical (e.g., moisture content, particle size, specific gravity, and hydraulic conductivity) and chemical parameters (e.g., organic content, pH, ORP, and EC) as well as metal content and sequential extraction analysis in an attempt to evaluate their risk as a source of contaminants. Column tests demonstrated that Fe and Pb can be released to waterbodies in contact with the solid materials. Pb was released more easily than Fe due to its content in the more labile fractions in the sequential extraction analysis. When electrokinetic remediation was tested for metals removal from mine tailings and sediment, the technique removed 20% of Pb and Fe in 9 days of treatment at 1 VDC/cm. Metals removal efficiency was strongly affected by metal speciation. Electrokinetics removed metal fractions I-IV, especially in the closest section to the anode of the solid matrix, and the metals accumulated in the following sections. Results suggested that Fe and Pb could be removed from the mine tailings and sediment effectively if the advance of the acid front was favored and the treatment time increased, but considering the physicochemical characterization and electrokinetic treatment results, other green and more sustainable remedial strategies must be proposed for mitigation of environmental risks of former mining areas, such as metals immobilization and stabilization via phytocapping.
Mine Water and the Environment [Publication online 7 Dec 2017 prior to print]
The Springer Pit Lake and Mount Polley Mine provided an opportunity to store mine waste such as tailings and mill process water while the mine repaired its tailings storage facility after a breach in its perimeter embankment, which released tailings to the downstream environment in 2014. One year after the breach, a water treatment plant was installed so that the pit lake could be drawn down. Frequent monitoring of water quality in the pit, combined with a calibrated and verified water quality model, showed that water quality is improving. Based on observations that tailings, suspended solids, and associated constituents are being removed efficiently by the pit, the treatment plant was reconfigured to a passive mode that did not entail the use of reagents or mechanical energy—only in-line instrumentation. Slides: http://bc-mlard.ca/files/presentations/2016-16-VANDENBERG-ETAL-beneficia
Journal of Environmental Quality 45:1013-1020(2016)
Biochars derived from the pyrolysis or gasification of biomass potentially can serve as a valuable soil amendment to revegetate mine sites. Biochars produced by gasification of either Kentucky bluegrass seed screenings (KB) or mixed conifer wood (CW) were investigated for mine soil amendment to support the growth of wheat plants in heavy metal-laden mine soils from the abandoned Formosa and Almeda mines, Oregon. Both KB and CW biochar amendments promoted plant establishment by increasing soil pH, increasing concentrations of macro- and micronutrients, and decreasing the solubility of heavy metals. Amending these soils with between 2% to 4% biochar (by weight) was needed to promote healthy wheat growth and reduce metals mobility.
Mine Water and the Environment 35(3):369-380(2016)
At the Dewey Burdock site near Edgemont, South Dakota, a change in groundwater flow direction created a scenario in which the oxidized side of a U roll-front deposit is downgradient of the ore zone. This increases the potential for future U transport, given that conventional understanding of U geochemistry is that the reduced side provides more natural attenuation. A general data collection guide is provided for steps in evaluating downgradient transport at future U in situ recovery sites. These steps include core sampling in the downgradient and restored zones, along with batch sorption and column testing with restored and background groundwater in contact with the restored zone solid phase. Final reactive transport modeling will rely on high-quality calibration data from batch and column testing (plus any available field testing), but thorough site evaluation will also require appropriate long-term monitoring. See additional information in the Dewey-Burdock Class III Draft Area Permit Fact Sheet at https://www.epa.gov/sites/production/files/2017-03/documents/class_iii_d
Mine Water and the Environment 36(3):379-385(2017)
Wastewater from the world's largest antimony mine (in Hunan, China) contains high levels of metal and metalloid contaminants (As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Se, and Sb). A study of the effectiveness of low-cost local industrial by-products [coal fly ash (CFA) and Ca-Si slag from the metals industry] and traditional agents [limestone, diatomaceous earth (DE), and zeolite] to treat the wastewater led to the ranking of their relative effectiveness: CFA > Ca-Si slag > DE > limestone > zeolite. CFA and Ca-Si slag removed 9.9 to 85.5% of As, Cd, Hg, Pb, Se, and Sb from wastewater. The CFA and Ca-Si slag could be employed as commercial filters or biogeochemical barriers to protect surface water and groundwater, and a similar approach might be used at other mines.
General News
In Canada, most mines manage their tailings conventionally as slurry deposited behind containment dams. The dams sometimes fail. Dry closure of tailings significantly reduces this type of physical risk but needs to be balanced against potential geochemical risks. This study looks at the technologies used to dewater tailings and how tailings are placed and managed, and then evaluates their relative efficacy in addressing physical and geochemical risks. Opportunities for further research and development are identified. The reader can gain an understanding of the strengths and limitations of tailings dewatering technologies and deposition practices and how these choices apply to specific sites and mining projects compared to conventional practices. In application, this guide takes into account site conditions, project constraints (e.g., production schedules), tailings physical properties (e.g., grain?size and plasticity), and geochemical properties (e.g., the potential for tailings to generate metal leaching or acid rock drainage). http://mend-nedem.org/wp-content/uploads/2.50.1Tailings_Management_Techn
When rock surfaces containing sulfide minerals are exposed to air and water, chemical reactions can occur, resulting in soluble oxidation by-products. When dissolved in water, these oxidation by-products can acidify the water. Acidification can be catalyzed by the presence of bacteria (primarily members of the Acidithiobacillus genus). The resulting effluent is known as acid drainage (also acid rock drainage (ARD) or acid mine drainage (AMD)). To assist mine planners, INAP in 2014 developed and continues to maintain a best practice guide for the prevention and mitigation of ARD: the Global Acid Rock Drainage Guide (the GARD Guide). INAP's objective is to reduce the liability associated with sulfide mine materials through networking and information-sharing, technology transfer, and gap-driven research. http://www.inap.com.au/acid-drainage/
In situ leach or leaching (ISL) or in situ recovery mining has become one of the standard uranium production methods. Its application to amenable uranium deposits in certain sedimentary formations has grown owing to its competitive production costs and low surface impacts. This publication provides an historical overview and shows how ISL experience around the world can be used to direct the development of technical activities, taking into account environmental considerations and emphasizing the economics of the process, including responsible mine closure. Suggestions on how to design, operate, and regulate current and future projects safely and efficiently are offered with a view to maximizing performance and minimizing negative environmental impact. A separate 153-page appendix contains case studies of uranium mines from around the world. http://www-pub.iaea.org/books/IAEABooks/10974/In-Situ-Leach-Uranium-Mini
2018 SME Annual Conference & Expo and 91st Annual Meeting of the SME-Minnesota Section, February 25-28, Minneapolis, MN. Society for Mining, Metallurgy, & Exploration, Inc.: http://www.smeannualconference.com/
West Virginia Mine Drainage Task Force Meeting, March 27-28, 2018, Morgantown, WV: https://wvmdtaskforce.com/
The 35th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Mining & Reclamation: The Gateway to Land Reclamation,
June 3-7, 2018, St. Louis, Missouri: http://www.asmr.us/Meetings/2018-Annual-Meeting
NAAMLP 2018: New Solutions for Historic Mining, September 9-13, 2018, Williamsburg, VA: The 40th Annual National
Association of Abandoned Mine Lands Program Conference: https://dmme.virginia.gov/dmlr/amlconference/AMLindex.shtml
Abstract Proposal Deadline: June 1, 2018
11th ICARD: Eleventh International Conference on Acid Rock Drainage and the 2018 International Mine Water Association
(IMWA) Conference, September 10-14, Pretoria, South Africa: http://www.icard2018.org/
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text:
Audrey Engelhart
The late Audrey Engelhart continues her lifelong passion for saving animals through a bequest.
"She got her first pet, a cat, when she was two years old. From that moment on till the time she passed away, she was never without a cat, and sometimes more than one," remembered Judy Bartow of her best friend, the late Audrey Engelhart.
Inspired by a lifesaving operation performed on one of her cats, Casper, by an LSU School of Veterinary Medicine team, Engelhart shared her passion for animals through making a bequest to the School of Veterinary Medicine. The Audrey Engelhart Shelter Medicine Endowment will enable the school to educate students within the Shelter Medicine Program on the importance of shelter medicine to local communities, and it will broaden the scope of services made available to surrounding shelters. With the financial resources provided through the endowment, the program can produce real-time results by improving the trap, neuter and release program and increasing the number of shelter animals made available for adoption.
Originally from Alexandria, La., Engelhart moved to Baton Rouge in the '80s to be with her husband, Gerald Engelhart. She passed away in 2014 at the age of 90 years old, and Bartow served as the executor of her will. She described Engelhart as personable and kind, and a lover of shopping, traveling and Disney World. Throughout her life, Engelhart devoted herself to helping all in need, humans and animals alike. Bartow said Engelhart's philosophy was "There's never a wrong time do the right thing."
"One time, she was walking down the street, and she saw a lady hitting a dog. She went right over, and she said, 'You tell me where you live, and I'll come and get that dog tomorrow.' And she did! She went and got the dog, took care of it and found a home for it," Bartow said. "She couldn't bear to see an animal mistreated. Not a lot of people would do that."
Engelhart also cared for two generations of feral cats near her home, leaving food and water outside every morning for the cat colonies. One day, a cat invited herself into Engelhart's home and never left, becoming Engelhart's final pet. Now, Baby Girl, as Engelhart affectionately named her, is in the care of Bartow. "She wished she could save them all, but she knew she couldn't," Bartow shared. "She just wanted to help and find a way to gain control of so many unwanted animals, which is a universal problem."
Engelhart's gift to the School of Veterinary Medicine, which is one of only 30 veterinary schools in the U.S., will continue her mission of animal rescue and care. In addition to the endowment, the two Audrey Engelhart Scholarships in the school will provide financial aid for full-time veterinary medicine students.
Assistant Professor Wendy Wolfson called the endowment "invaluable," explaining, "How can you put into words the impact of many more years of service for south Louisiana shelters? Who would perform needed medical services for the animals? Who would fight to make shelters more humane places? Who would instill in students the importance of helping animals with no voice?" Wolfson said. "The Shelter Medicine Program impacts the lives of thousands of pets now, tomorrow and years into the future. We may never know the full impact of Mrs. Engelhart's gift, but I can say with confidence that it will change animal lives for the better and make hundreds of students aware of the fate of shelter animals who do not receive veterinary care. I truly cannot thank her enough."


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The Holepunchers danced in his hands, carving the name 'Maniac' into the soldier's skulls. Literally.
Sejinshelm is know throughout the world as the nation with the strongest firepower. They crush any in their way brutally, with a mix of magic and alien hybrid tech, who can stop them?
Different states are at war, with both the aliens and each other, who will win?
There has been little contact with aliens for centuries, but something is brewing...
No Chapters Yet


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Contact Us
AIS supplies, installs and maintains Automatic labelling, Machine Vision, Barcode scanning/verification and RFID systems to a number of industries including life sciences, food and beverage, manufacturing and logistics, throughout the island of Ireland.
Established in 1998, we are an Irish owned company with divisions in the UK, Spain and the Netherlands.
Working at AIS offers ambitious candidates a challenging career with unlimited opportunities for further growth.
Due to continued growth and demand for our systems and expertise, we are regularly recruiting talented individuals. If there are no job opportunities listed below, please check again soon. Alternatively you can follow us on LinkedIn to keep up-to-date with current job openings.


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This episode features one of the most famous bits from the entire Connections run, so of course I had to gif it…
(2 January 2016)
"Hundreds of thousands of people come here and get totally looped. In spite of the fact that it was a German who said, way back, 'Beer spoils the blood, burns it up, causes great thirst, horrible red faces, also leprosy, swelling of the body, injury to the head and all internal parts of the intestines.' You'd think that'd put 'em off. Doesn't." – James Burke, Connections
Oh, how this one fought me. It's been… two months? Yeah, two months. I couldn't pick which bits to use. Ended up certain that I wanted to use The Famous Bit From This Episode (being "Eat, Drink, And Be Merry," the eighth episode of Connections). Couldn't for the life of me figure out what else to use. It's not that this is a bad episode. In fact, it's one of the best of the bunch. But… for my purposes, it was a bear. Every time I sat down to suss out the first gifset, I ended up getting frustrated and wandering off.
My original intention was to have the Connections gifsets done by the end of 2015. Hah!
Well, here we are. Aaaaaand I need to avoid using bits from dimly lit locations in the future. What future is left for this project, anyway. Stripping the palette to make GIF format images does weird things to the look of the segment. Sigh.
If you're a fan of this TV series, you can probably guess what the next set is going to look like… and then we'll finally be on to the penultimate episode. There's light at the end of that there tunnel, honest!
(8 January 2016)
"The third man was called Hermann Oberth. And people noticed what he did, because in 1944 what he was trying to do was destroy London. His particular version of the Thermos flask became known as Vengeance Weapon 2. And before the war was over it had killed thousands of Allied troops and civilians. You see, all three men had understood that certain gasses ignite. And that the Thermos flask permits you to store vast quantities of those gasses safely in the frozen liquid form until you want to ignite them. At which point you take the top off the flask, the gasses evaporate, you apply a light, and BOOM. Now, two gasses do that better than any other. And it was Oberth's assistant who put them together most efficiently." – James Burke, Connections
The closing bit to "Eat, Drink, And Be Merry" (the eighth episode of Connections) is a great bit of television bravado: A long walk-and-talk timed to coincide with a rocket launch. Sure, the first long bit could be redone over several takes, as long as you had enough lead time, but that last segment? Any flub, and you've ruined the effect. And remember, this was the late 1970s. No CGI, no fancy compositing.
I'm just glad I was able to more-or-less do the bit justice.
Up next? Cannon fire and limelight and celluloid and the mythology of Thomas Edison, in "Countdown." Join me, won't you?


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Save the American Farmers
Organized by: Linda Graffam
I am a hard working farmer who recently had a few tragic events in my life. Some years ago I took my 22 year old son to the Emergency room for a stomach ache nd fever, I thought it was just a virus, he died 5 hours later due to the negligence of the Hospital. They gave him 3 doses of morphine, the last two being 3 minutes apart! Then they waited 5 minutes to start revivication and lied about that too!
I spent 6 years getting it to court. I spent all my resources then lost. I was advised strongly not to have it tried in my town so my lawyer got it moved to a new county. Through payoffs and corruption, it was moved back to my county for trial. Due to the high cost of trieng this I did lose my farm land and home.
I need these funds to save my Farm, Land and Home due to this negligent circumstance. I am now broke from fighting this.
I am raising money because I want to do the right thing and fight back. I do not have the means to hold up in a court room. They have the deep pockets, I do not.
Please help me raise the funds I need. I am not asking for cash, all I do ask is that you buy buy a beautiful set of sheets in 10 soothing colors and are ohhhh so soft.
Please do so at www.ienjoyfundraising.com/farmers
With love and gratitude for your support,
Farmer La Don
PS: Linda here. I do want to confirm I have read the affidavit and it is a tragic story and very real. What you just read is only a small part of what happened. This needs to go National for the world to hear, so please, do your best to spread the word and help this family.
Thank you, Linda
Organized by
Linda Graffam
This is a direct to organizer fundraiser.
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