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A Complete Beginner's Guide to Architectural Movements
(Architecture Week) 7 years ago in ArchitectureWords By Contributor
Getty Images / Cover / Quim Llenas
The history of architecture is ultimately the history of human interaction. It is not simply about complex drawings, planning regulations or phallic-shaped skyscrapers. Rather, architecture is about provoking visceral emotions. It connects us to each other, to society and to the world around us. Of course, engineering and science play a huge part in this too, but the true power of architecture lies in the connections we feel to the places we physically occupy.
Aside from our basic human requirement for shelter (one of Maslow's infamous "Five Needs"), our physical surroundings play a huge part in influencing our mental and physical health. Since its earliest beginnings in the Prehistoric period, no piece of architecture has been designed in abstraction. Each structure is connected to the politics, art, poetry, and social sciences of the time — and, most fascinatingly, to human nature. Architecture creates emotional resonance through its stylistic hallmarks, and its use of forms, structures, light conditions and materials have all evolved over time.
For the most part, architecture can be classified within an assortment of "movements," each of which has emerged like a pendulum swing from one period to another. Hundreds have been identified — with formidable names like Bristol Byzantine or Egyptian Revival — but for the purpose of basic understanding there are widely considered to be eight key phases worth knowing about since ancient times.
If you've ever found yourself caught in conversation about the difference between Bauhaus and Brutalism, and been without a single word to offer on the matter yourself, consider this your one-stop homework lesson in all matters brick, concrete, glass, stone and steel.
The Age of Classicism
Getty Images / Stringer / Milos Bicanski
It would be absurd to try and shine a light on some of architecture's key movements without beginning with the glory and triumph that was Ancient Greece and Rome.
Logic and order lay at the core of the Ancient Greeks' philosophy, yet never at the expense of ornament or aesthetic value. They used advanced mathematics, geometries and optical illusions to build structures that appeared perfectly harmonious to the human eye. Simplicity, proportion, perspective and harmony were the pillars of their work. Public buildings, including temples, amphitheaters and stadiums, were their most lasting legacy, as was the invention of the classical orders: Doric, Ionic and Corinthian. These orders, most commonly identifiable by the type of column used, divided architectural design into three distinct styles according to proportion and decoration.
Whilst Greek architecture provided the design foundation for generations of artists, architects and designers to come, Roman Architecture founded new engineering techniques that would influence building construction forevermore. The Romans built the first ever arches, vaults and domes, as well as developed concrete — a material that would go on to change the path of architecture forever and define huge swathes of its history.
The strength, low cost and flexibility of concrete created a new mode of 'space-making,' as it allowed buildings to span much greater distances and larger public spaces to be constructed. The sheer quality of construction exhibited in Ancient Roman buildings was such that many of them continue to stand today, thousands of years after they were first erected.
Notable Works: Periclean Parthenon of Athens. The Erechtheoin. The Alter of Zeus at Pergamon. The Pantheon, Rome.
The Age of Gothicism
Getty Images / AFP / Giuseppe Cacace
Gothic Architecture (c1200 to c1500) sought to take structural design beyond pure function by emphasizing verticality and light. It found its greatest expression in the great cathedrals of Europe, some of which took more than one century to build.
This movement evolved during a period when architects had become frustrated with the existing construction techniques available to them, which dramatically limited the width, height, window size and overall design of their buildings. In attempting to solve the problem of their often dark, cold and claustrophobic designs, architects of the Gothic period were forced to innovate new building techniques. These included flying buttresses, pointed arches and vaulted ceilings, each of which required an unprecedented level of delicacy in its design.
Flying buttresses allowed architects to spread the weight of taller walls and grander-looking towers, while vaulted, ribbed ceilings allowed more space for openings such as doorways and windows. Buildings rose to new heights, and with them, so too did a whole architectural movement lasting almost 400 years.
Notable Works: Cathédrale Notre Dame de Paris. Milan Cathedral. York Minster. The Chartes Cathedral.
The Age of Rebirth
Getty Images / Corbis News / Tim Clayton - Corbis
It is during the early 15th century that a conscious 'rebirth' of classical elements occurred, based on ancient Greek and Roman design tropes. This era is widely termed "The Renaissance."
Renaissance buildings had a very clear, simple mathematical approach compared to Gothic Architecture, where no set rules of proportion applied. During this era, architects sought to re-establish the ideal proportions of a building based on the human form. They believed that the universe was perfect based on certain mathematical ratios, musical harmonies and astrological angles. These ratios were incorporated into columns, pilasters, pediments, entablatures, arches and domes — each a central characteristic of Renaissance architecture.
Filippo Brunelleschi was an Italian architect trained in Florence and is considered the first working Renaissance architect, as he was the first since antiquity to use the classical orders in his work. His design of the Pazzi Chapel is a work of geometric lucidity, a space of calm serenity using white plaster, grey stone pilasters and glazed terracotta in perfect harmony. This chapel is not only considered a gem of the Renaissance, but the beginning of interior design.
During this period, Renaissance architects developed a newfound interest in subjects like art, classical literature and musicology, advancing their social status from "skilled laborer" to "artisanal genius." This coincided with a more widespread pattern of learning throughout Europe, and set architecture as a whole on the path toward "Starchitect" status: a term coined in the late 20th century.
Notable Works: Pazzi Chapel. Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore (the Duomo), Florence. The Medici Palace (Michelozzo di Bartolommeo). Cathedral of Pienza.
The Age of Misshapen Pearls
Getty Images / French Select / Bertrand Rindoff Petroff
A misshapen pearl is beautiful, yet abnormal — splendor paired with the drama of the grotesque. 'Baroque' translates to 'misshapen pearl' in Portuguese. This term aptly describes the Baroque era of Architecture that began in the late 16th Century in Italy, reaching its apex in France during the 17th Century. It developed during a time when architects were greatly influenced by the Roman Catholic Church, who decided that 'the arts' should communicate religious themes at all times.
The most obvious architectural innovation of the Baroque style was its expanded use of curves. Rather than regular, repeating forms, various styles were mixed, birthing much more dramatic and irregular designs that accentuated light, shadow and form. Interiors were considered an opulent shell for painting, sculpture and stucco. A stunning example of this being Louis XIV's royal palace at Versailles: a huge U-shaped mass with two long wings at the center of which was the kings bedroom!
Notable Works: Louis XIV's palace at Versailles. The Vatican, Rome. S. Carlo alle Quattro Fontane.
The Age of Purity
Getty Images / Gamma-Rapho / Thierry PERRIN
Jumping forward a few years, the so-called "International Style" emerged in Western Europe during the early 1930s. This is considered the formative years of modern architecture, with noted architects like Le Corbusier in France and Walter Gropius and Mies van der Rohe in Germany helping push a style that has since become infamous.
This new architectural direction coincided with wider social reform, and a perceived desire to design a more open, transparent society. The Bauhaus school in Germany was one of a number of European associations who focused on uniting traditional craft with industrial technology in order to bring about change in society by turning "art into industry."
During this time, classic aesthetics were abandoned in favor of drastically unadorned architectural styles. Geometric shapes, open floor plans, flat roofs, willful asymmetry, and a prevalent use of steel and glass became hallmarks of a movement that looked shockingly different to anything that had come before it. Pure functionality took precedence over any form of stylization, dramatically affecting the feel of buildings as well as their looks. Modernism, as it eventually became known, reached beyond historicism and embraced the new "machine aesthetic" of an industrialized, mass-producing society — something seen in the extensive development of skyscrapers across the United States.
Notable Works: Villa Savoye (Le Corbusier). Barcelona Pavilion (Mies van der Rohe). Lovell House, LA (Richard Neutra).
The Age of Brutes
Getty Images / Hulton Archive / Construction Photography / Avalon
Raw, radical and confrontational… the architectural movement affectionately known as Brutalism emerged in Britain during the 1950s, and to this day remains one of the most controversial architectural movements in history.
Despite being synonymous with the harsh use of concrete, fortress-like structures and 'anti-bourgeois' (read plain and obstinately functional) design tropes, Brutalism also managed to manifest itself in many more sculptural forms. This innately austere and rugged approach to design is considered a reaction by a younger generation to the lightness and optimism of architecture during the 1930s and 1940s. Architects including Louis Kahn and Marcel Breuer responded to the transparent International Style of the first half of the 20th Century by creating works with more monumental qualities and material weight.
In the architectural community, "Brutalism" is often considered misunderstood. While the connotations of the term "brutal" are generally negative, Brutalism doesn't simply refer to a particular brand of severe looks, but an entire architectural approach. This movement advocated a more honest, uncompromising aesthetic based on socially progressive intentions of co-habitation and shared space. It was presented, especially by Le Corbusier (one of the most influential architects of the 20th Century), as the paramount option for forward-moving, high-density modern urban housing. As such, many government projects during this period were designed according to Brutalist principles, which gave the world much of its high-rise housing, educational buildings and shopping centers. As grey and hard-edged the word 'brutal' sounds, it is an aesthetic criticism, not an architectural movement in itself.
Notable Works: The Economist Building, London. The Barbican Estate, London. Unité d'Habitation, Marseille.
The Age of Wit
Getty Images / Stringer / Getty Images Newsee / Ron Wurzer
If you took a model of a building, tore it apart, smashed it on the floor… even jumped on it a little… and then put it back together without looking, you'd have something that would likely fall within the "Post-Modernist" architectural movement — that or its close counterpart, "Deconstructivism."
Postmodern architecture was a reaction to the notion of absolutes in design during the late 1970s, including that of "pure" form and "perfect" detail. It challenged traditional conventions of design and instead found inspiration in Cubism, Dadaism and the Russian avant-garde architecture of the 1920s — all movements that also broke traditions of their own.
Frank Gehry embodies this architectural movement, especially his iconic Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain. His experimental style involves unusual use of materials, personal stylistic tropes and an eagerness to disrupt public expectations. His innovative Bilbao design, now referred to as the "Bilbao Effect," added an estimated $160 million to the Basque economy in the year after opening. Gehry was the first person to be given the label "Starchitect" (a recognition he relentlessly continues to reject). His work sits alongside contemporaries like Daniel Libeskind and Zaha Hadid in the architectural canon — all characterised by wild, radical lines and almost surrealist shapes.
Notable Works: The Wexner Center for the Arts. Seattle Central Library, Washington. Jewish Museum, Berlin.
Words:Becca Crawford
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From the time when we're all very young, the determination of the border between real life and the life of fantasy and dreams is a part of most children's normal socialization. For some people, though, daydreams are a bigger part of their daily lives, and they may even interfere with interpersonal relationships and with the meeting of social responsibilities.
I have been lost in daydreams for as long as I can remember […] Some daydreams involve people I know […] Others do not include me at all […] These daydreams tend to be stories- […] for which I feel real emotion, usually happiness or sadness, which have the ability to make me laugh and cry […] They're as important to part of my life as anything else.
Dr. Somer's current project has been to link these daydreams with other psychopathological symptoms to try to better understand their functioning, and if possible, to design mechanisms for coping with them. In the most recent study, Somer and his colleague Nirit Soffer-Dudek, recruited 77 patients who'd self-diagnosed excessive daydreaming. They were from 26 countries and each tried to detail routines like food, sleep, and other environmental components.
The study's findings suggest links between excessive daydreaming and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), which can be treated through cognitive-behavioral therapies. It also seems to be a disorder linked to a decrease in serotonin, a neurotransmitter which plays a preponderant role in OCD.


text:
The Comparative Coincidence of Reason and Scripture, Volume 1
hiin; this is confessed by Julian the Apostate, Porphyry, and Hierocles, all of them, not only pagans, but professed enemies and persecutors of Christianity. That our Saviour foretold many things, that came to pass according to his predictions; this was attested by Phlegon, in his Annals, as we are assured by the learned Origen against Celsus. That at the time when our Saviour died there was a miraculous darkness, and a great earthquake; this is recorded by the same Phlegon, the Trallian, who was likewise a Pagan, and freeman to Adrian, the emperor. We may here observe, that a native of Trallium, which was not situate at so great a distance from Palestine, might very probably be informed of such remarkable events as had passed among the Jews in the age immediately preceding his own times, since several of his countrymen, with whom he had conversed, might have received a confused report of our Saviour before his crucifixion, and probably lived within the shake of the earthquake, and the shadow of the eclipse, which are recorded by this author."
Secondly, that in addition to the powerful evidence of fulfilled prophecies, the Mosaic dispensation derives a very strong collateral attestation in support of its truth, both from the Zendavesta of Zoroastres, and the Alcoran of Mahomet. " The first part of the former book contains the Liturgy used by the Persians, and which is still used among them in all their oratories and fire-temples even to this very day. The rest treats of all other parts of their religion. And according as their actions do agree or disagree with this book, do they
reckon them to be good or evil. Thence, in their language, they call a righteous action Zendaver, that is, what the book Zend allows; and an evil action Nazendaver, that is, what the book Zend disallows. This book Zoroastres pretended to have received from heaven, as Mahomet (perhaps following his example) pretended of his Alcoran. It is still preserved among them in the old Persic language and character; and in every oratory and fire-temple, even to this very day, there is a copy of it kept in the same manner as there is with us of the Bible in every parish-church, out of which, on certain stated times, the priests read a portion of it to the people. Dr. Hyde, formerly professor of the Hebrew and Arabic tongues at Oxford, being well skilled in the old Persic, as well as the modern, offered to have published the whole of it with a Latin translation, could he have been supported in the expenses of the edition ; but, for the want of this help and encouragement, the design died with him, to the great damage of the learned world. For a book of that antiquity, no doubt, would be of great use could it be made public among us, and would unfold and give us light into many things of the times wherein it was written, which we are now ignorant of. And in this book are found many things most confirmatory of the truth of the Old Testament, being evidently extracted from it; concurring also to prove what has always be enbelieved, namely, that Zoroastres was, in his origin, a Jew, having been thoroughly versed in the Jewish religion, and in the sacred writings of the Old Testament then extant. And it is
nerally said of him, that he had been a servant to one of the prophets of Israel, and that it was by this means that he came to be so well skilled in the Holy Scriptures, and in all other Jewish knowledge; for in the Zendavesta he inserts a great part of the Psalms of David : he makes Adam and Eve to have been the first parents of mankind, and gives, in a manner, the same history of the creation and the deluge that Moses doth."* And from this source he also, without doubt, derived his knowledge respecting the existence of an evil agent; or, as formerly observed, as he terms it, an evil angel.t For that this most important communication had been imparted to man at a period, nearly coëval with his creation, the history of Moses distinctly ascertains; as Adanu's experimental acquaintance with a malign interference on our globe, and the assurance given to Eve that her seed should vanquish the author of it, should bruize the serpent's head, would most probably lead to the full elucidation of this very interesting particular. " And in this book he also speaks of Abraham, Joseph, Moses, and Solomon, in the same manner as the Scriptures do; and, out of a particular veneration for Abraham, he called his book the Book of Abraham, and his religion the religion of Abraham. For he pretended that the reformation which he introduced, was no more than to bring back the religion of the Persians to that original purity in which Abraham practised it, by purifying it of all those defects,
* Prideaux.
+ This information fulfils the promise in note, p. 16.
abuses, and innovations which the corruption of other times had introduced. And to all this Mahomet also (no doubt from this example) afterwards pretended for his religion ; for the name of Abraham hath, for a great many ages past, been had in great veneration all over the East, and among all sects; so that every one of them thought it would give reputation to them could they entitle themselves to him. For not only the Jews, the Magians, and the Mahometans, but the Sabians, and also the Indians, (if the Brahama of the latter be Abraham, as is with good reason supposed,) all challenge him to themselves as the great patriarch and founder of their several sects; every one of them pretending that their religion is the same which Abraham professed, and by his reformation established among them. And to restore this reformation was all that Zoroastres, Ma. homet, and the author of the Sabian sect, whoever he was, pretended to. This veneration for Abraham, in those parts, proceeded from the great fame of his piety, which was, it is supposed, there spread among them by the Israelites in their dispersion all over the East; first, in the Assyrian, and after in the Babylonish captivity: and this fame being once fixed, made all parties fond of having him thought their own, and therefore all laid claim to him. And in this book, Zoroastres commands also the same observances about beasts, clean and unclean, as Moses doth; gives the same law of paying tythes to the sacerdotal order; enjoins the same care of avoiding all external, as well as all internal pollutions; the same way of cleansing
and purifying themselves, by frequent washings; the same keeping of the priesthood always within the same tribe; and the same ordaining of one high-priest over all; and several other institutions are also therein contained of the same Jewish extraction. And his rules and exhortations to moral living, in which he is very pressing, are sufficiently exact: a tribute, which for the honour of human nature, the dispensers of all religions have found it necessary to pay.
The Author of the Christian religion has, however, laid down one short, but infallible rule by which to distinguish true prophets from false ones—" by their fruits ye shall know them." (Matt. vii. 16.)
We will not, however, pollute these pages by inserting the allowances contained in the Zendavesta.t On that permitted in the Alcoran, (not to treat on the sensual indulgences which Mahomet promises his disciples in a future state, and just remarking that the most material parts of the Koran are evidently borrowed from the Old and New Testament,) we shall very briefly speak. In this book Mahomet grants his followers the liberty of having each four wives, with the power of divorcing them thrice. It is worthy observation, that it was the wicked posterity of Cain who first violated the original marriage law, by polygamy; and that those patriarchs who were most eminent for piety and virtue, adhered to the purity of the primeval institution. Seth, Noah, Abraham,
* Prideaux's Connection of the Old and New Testament.
+ Whoever wishes to satisfy themselves on this head, will find them recorded in Prideaux's Connection.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


There has been a 40% YOY increase in mobile searches for destination activities.
Google Search Data, U.S., Jan.–March 2016.
Mobile searches for "gifts for" + "has everything" or "wants nothing" have grown by over 230% over the past two years.


text:
Invesco CurrencyShares® Swiss Franc Trust
The Invesco CurrencyShares® Swiss Franc Trust (the "trust") is designed to track the price of the Swiss franc, and trades under the ticker symbol FXF. The Swiss franc is the national currency of Switzerland and Liechtenstein and the currency of the accounts of the Swiss National Bank, the central bank of Switzerland. The Fund is rebalanced quarterly
WM/Reuters Swiss Franc Closing Spot Rate 9.55 9.55 3.30 2.52 0.53 N/A
Fund NAV 8.29 8.29 2.12 1.33 -0.31 1.86
Fund Market Price 8.12 8.12 2.07 1.33 -0.31 1.85
WM/Reuters Swiss Franc Closing Spot Rate* performance prior to 11/13/2008 reflects the noon buying rate as determined by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. From 11/13/2008, forward, the performance reflects that of the WM/Reuters Swiss Franc Closing Spot Rate AND IS NOT INTENDED FOR ANY THIRD PARTY USE.
CurrencyShares are subject to risks similar to those of stocks and may not be suitable for all investors. The value of the Shares relates directly to the value of the Swiss Francs held by the Trust. Fluctuations in the price of the Swiss Francs could materially and adversely affect the value of the Shares.
The Swiss Francs/USD exchange rate, like foreign exchange rates in general, can be volatile and difficult to predict. This volatility could materially and adversely affect the performance of the Shares. Investment in foreign exchange related products is subject to many factors that contribute to or increase volatility, such as national debt levels and trade deficits, changes in domestic and foreign interest rates, and investors' expectations concerning interest rates, currency exchange rates and global or regional political, economic or financial events and situations.
If interest earned by the Trust does not exceed the Trust's expenses, the Trustee will withdraw Swiss Francs from the Trust to pay these excess expenses, which will reduce the amount of Swiss Francs represented by each Share on an ongoing basis and may result in adverse tax consequences for Shareholders.
If the Trust incurs expenses in USD, the Trust would be required to sell Swiss Francs to pay these expenses. The sale of the Trust's Swiss Francs to pay expenses in USD at a time of low Swiss Francs prices could adversely affect the value of the Shares.
Substantial sales of Swiss Francs by the official sector could adversely affect an investment in the Shares.
Fund Ticker FXF
CUSIP # 46138R108
ISIN US46138R1086
Holdings 100% Swiss Franc


Regular bin collections re-start in Rotherham next week while crews work tomorrow, Saturday, January 3, to continue to clear the back-log.
While the majority of properties across the borough have received a black bin collection during this week - from Saturday, December 27, to Saturday, January 3 - there are still pockets of streets that were missed by Rotherham Borough Council's waste crews because of the problem with ice.
For those streets that have not had a scheduled black bin collection during the last week the authority will be using extra resources from next Monday, January 5.
As above plus some streets in backlog including Wentworth, may receive a collection as part of Week One Collection Schedules.
Resources will continue to be deployed until all the streets in backlog from Saturday, December 27, have received a collection.
Week One – Starts from Monday, January 5.
Week Two – Starts from Monday, January 12.
Coun. Mahroof Hussain, Rotherham Borough Council's Cabinet Member for the Environment, apologised for the disruption but said bin crews were now well on their way to catching-up with missing collections.


text:
Górki-Witowice – wieś w Polsce położona w województwie mazowieckim, w powiecie pułtuskim, w gminie Winnica.

W latach 1975–1998 miejscowość administracyjnie należała do województwa ciechanowskiego.

Przypisy

Linki zewnętrzne

Winnica (gmina)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


We are home builders with more than 25 years of experience providing solutions for homeowners in the Collingwood area.
Since the company started in 2004, C2C Contracting has been providing homeowners all over the Georgian Bay area with quality home building solutions. From maintaining a quality supply of materials for just about any construction project to providing customers with quality construction solutions and connecting homeowners with the right contractors for their needs, at C2C Contracting, we really do it all.
It's important to us not to provide "just another construction service," but to help our clients feel that they have truly come to a one-stop-shop for all their home building needs. As experienced home builders, we are proud to specialize in marine construction for Bay-side homes, as well as assist with all types of interior and exterior renovation projects in the Collingwood area.
As we got started more than a decade ago, we realized that many times a home construction or renovation project requires several different types of people to truly do the job well. In an effort to help homeowners achieve their goals, we've become connected with some of the top contractors in the area, and we can provide the solutions needed for projects of all shapes and sizes. Our resources also allow us to provide fast, efficient, and effective services that make every home building project go more smoothly.
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text:
class TagSuggestionsController < ApplicationController
	def index
		render json: %w[foo bar]
	end
end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


Celebrate life on two wheels with dozens of community bike-related events to choose from during the month of April in Tucson. Check out the full lineup on the Bike Fest events calendar, which has information on event prizes and giveaways all month long, and find out about the event highlight, Cyclovia Tucson, on Sunday, April 7. Bike Fest is a program of Living Streets Alliance made possible in partnership with the City of Tucson Bicycle and Pedestrian program.


Loading and discharging of liner vessels and/or charter vessels is an activity we can arrange. Multipurpose, break bulk and bulk vessels are handled by experienced and qualified people.
Steinweg DMT deploys several state of the art conventional cranes which allow us to handle cargo in the most efficient and professional way and with optimal speed and care.


text:
solar batteries Cuba
Categories From Greenlivingpedia, a wiki on green living, building and energy Jump to: navigation , search The following categories exist in the wiki. Showing below up to 100 results starting with #1. View (previous 100) (next 100 ) (20 | 50 | 100 | 250 | 5...
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More results for 'solar batteries Cuba'.


text:
Q: Sorting list of files in an a multi dimensional array There are many similar questions and I almost have the solution but I have a case that isn't sorted like the client wants it.
I am using the following function to sort my array:
function sortFilesByName($a, $b) {
    if (basename(strtolower($a['path'])) == basename(strtolower($b['path']))) {
        return 0;
    }
    return (basename(strtolower($a['path'])) < basename(strtolower($b['path']))) ? -1 : 1;
}

The problem is that I get the following order when sorting my list:

*

*file2.png

*file3.png

*file4.png

*file5.png

*file6.png

*file7.png

*file8.png

*file9.png

*file10.png

*file11.png

*file1.png

The client would like to have file1.png at the top of the list and I have to say I'm a little confused as how to achieve that. Any help is appreciated :)
After the answers given I've gotten much closer, I changed my function to the following:
function sortFilesByName($a, $b) {
    return strnatcmp(strtolower(basename($a['path'])), strtolower(basename($b['path'])));
}

And it works! Thanks!

A: The natsort function will do what you want: http://php.net/manual/en/function.natsort.php.

A: I think you need the natsort(); function instead. It sorts alphanumerically.
<?php
   $numbers = array("1.gif","2.gif","20.gif","10.gif");
   natsort($numbers);
   print_r($numbers);
?>

Outputs
Array
(
[0] => 1.gif
[1] => 2.gif
[3] => 10.gif
[2] => 20.gif
)

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Category: Elite
Drones, Aerial and Otherwise
[This was meant to be a comment in reply to an article on the ZNet by Pervez Hoodbhoy about aerial drones and what he calls 'human drones'.]
I feel very strange, in fact disturbed, to have to make this comment, as this comment is critical of the ideas of someone with whom I have a lot in common, whereas I have almost nothing in common with those he proposes should be killed by any means possible. The strangeness also comes from the fact that the author not only recognizes but has actually been writing about the grounds on which I will put forward my criticism.
I am not sure whether Pervez Hoodbhoy is one or not, but I am an unapologetic atheist and have almost the worst possible opinion about religious fundamentalism of any kind, especially when it is of the organised kind or has organisational support. I also have no hesitation in stating that there IS something that can be called Islamic Fascism and it should be called by its proper name. But I also recognize that often things get mixed up and we can have a resistance movement that is also a Fascist movement. That makes it difficult to analyze them, let alone judge them. We can, however, still analyze and judge specific facts and events and be mostly right about them if we have sufficient evidence and we make sure that we keep our intellectual integrity intact.
Thus, for example, the people who are being targeted by the American drones (excluding those caught in the 'collateral damage') have been doing things which no sensible human being can support. These include the horrible terrorist acts, but more importantly (as the author rightly points out) they include their atrocities on their own people: women, protesters of any kind, 'blasphemers' etc. I can very well see what would happen to me if I were living in that kind of society.
I also share most of what the author has been saying. The trouble is that, he also makes some leaps of logic or conclusions which seem patently wrong to me and I think I have to register my disagreement with them, because they are far too important to be ignored.
I could, perhaps, write a longer article about it, but for now I will try to say a few things which matter more to me.
The first problem is that the author mixes up the literal and the metaphorical and this logical error leads him to atrocious conclusions. We can surely talk about 'human drones' where we are using the word drone metaphorically and the usage is justified as he has eloquently explained by comparing them with the non-human aerial drones. But the comparison itself is metaphorical. And the justification does not remain valid when he goes on to establish a straightforward literal equivalence. The 'human drones' might be brutal, unthinking, destructive, (metaphorical) killing machines and so on. They might be, in a sense, inhuman or anti-human, but they still are not non-human. They do have bodies, minds and thoughts. To say otherwise is to abandon one's thinking in a fit of rage. What they deserve or not may be a matter of debate, but it has to be based on a vision that does not ignore the fact that they still are human beings, however detestable and dangerous they may be.
I am sure the author is aware of some of the history of the world which seems to indicate that there were a lot other people – and still are – who might also be justifiably called 'human drones' and who might be considered as bad as the ones he is talking about. That definitely can't justify their actions, but it has a bearing on what those taking up the task of judging them should think and do.
If you agree with my contention here, then the analysis will lead to different directions. What those directions exactly should be, I won't go into, because I don't claim to have the answers, but they would lead to conclusions different from those of the author.
Even the metaphorical comparison here has some problems, which can, as I said, be guessed from what the author himself has been writing. There are some similarities, but there are also many differences. The 'human drones' still come from a certain society and they are part of it. The aerial drones are just machines, they don't come from any society. The 'human drones' come from societies which have seen destruction of the worst kind for ages, whereas the aerial drones are (literally) remote controlled by those who played the primary role in bringing about this destruction, as the author himself has written and said elsewhere. If you ignore these facts, you will again be lead to very risky (and I would say immoral and unfair) conclusions.
With just a little dilution of the metaphor, haven't most of the weapon laden humans (soldiers, commandos etc.) been kinds of 'human drones'? The ones author talks about may be deadlier, but the situation is more drastic too. On the one hand you have an empire that is more powerful than any in history and on the other you have an almost primitive society that thinks it is defending itself, just as the empire says it is defending itself. Will it be improper to ask who has got more people killed? What about the 'human drones' of the empire: thinking of, say Iraq?
As far as I can see, the use of aerial drones to kill people, whoever they may be, is simply indefensible. Because if their use is justified on the grounds of the monstrosities of the Taliban ideologues and operators, what about chemicals? If some people were to form an anti-Taliban group and they were to infiltrate the 'affected' villages and towns and if they were to use poisoning of the water supply or something similar to kill people in the areas where these monsters are suspected to be, would that be justifiable? The aerial drones are, after all, just a technological device. There can be other such technologies and devices.
There must have been some very solid reasons why the whole world agreed to ban the use of chemical and biological weapons after the first world war and stuck to that ban (with a few universally condemned exceptions), though they were very effective and the Nazis were very evil.
The other big problem I have with the author's opinions on this matter is that he suggests that the American aerial drones are one of the unsavoury weapons we should use against the fundamentalist Islamic militants. This is a logical error as well as a moral one. The logical error is that 'we' are not using the weapons at all, the empire is using them. And it is the same empire that created the problem in the first place, once again as the author himself has said. We have no control over how these drones are or will be used and who they will be used against in the future. Can't they, some day in the future, be used against 'us'? Why not? Perhaps the empire won't use them directly, but it can always outsource their use: think again of Iraq. Iraq of the past and Iraq of the present. The author, in fact, knows very well the other examples that I could give.
To put it in Orwell's words, make a habit of imprisoning Fascists without trial, and perhaps the process won't stop at Fascists.
The use of aerial drones, they being just a technological device, might perhaps be justifiable for certain purposes, for example in managing relief work during large scale natural disasters, e.g. the wild fires in Russia or the frequent floods in India and China (but not as just a cover for their more sinister use). Their use for killing humans is, however, of a completely different nature.
The moral error is that the author's conclusions unambiguously imply that ends justify the means. As long as these monsters producing (or becoming) 'human drones' are killed, it doesn't matter whether the weapons are, to use the author's word, unsavory. It also doesn't matter that they are being used by an empire 'we' are opposed to and which started the mess. (Actually, the mess was started long ago by another empire, but then we could say there were even older empires who played a role in creating this mess, so let's not go into that).
I even sort of agree with the author's idea that recommending the standard left meta-technique of "mobilizing" people (actually, it is not just leftists who use such techniques) may not be very practical under the conditions prevalent in this case. But, as I said, though I understand the severity of the problems, I don't have the solutions. I only want to say that the kind of errors that the author makes can lead us to a worse situation. We should not forget (I am sure the author knows this too) that it is not just a case of some bad apples. Even if these were to be removed by using 'unsavory' forces and weapons, the problems are not going to be solved so easily. Because there is not just one clearcut problem but many problems which are all meshed together and the meshing is too complex and barely visible.
At the risk of making an unpalatable statement, I would say that if any party in conflicts like this has to be excused for using unsavory weapons or tactics, it will have to be the much weaker party, not the strongest party in history. But I don't think I would include suicide bombing among those weapons or tactics. And I also realize the limits to which I can be entitled to sit in judgement over people living under such conditions.
The author need not offer me (business class or mere economy) tickets to Waziristan. I am scared to even go to places in India.
One more problem that I have with the author's writings is that he seems to have assigned blame to most parties involved in the conflict: the Army, the militants, the Taliban, the Americans etc., but has he (I haven't read everything written by him) considered, equally critically, the role of the Pakistani elite (not just the leftists) and the somewhat 'secular' middle class? He seems to have hinted at their role, but it seems to me that their role was, is and will be far more critical in determining what is happening and what will happen. After all, the rise (if we can call it that) of the Taliban closely parallels the Islamisation of the Pakistani society in general. How did the Pakistani elite (intellectual, feudal and official) help in this and what can they do to solve this problem?
That, it seems to me, is the crucial question to ask (though it won't lead to a quick fix), apart from what people around the world can do about those controlling the aerial drones, towards whom, as the author earlier wrote, "we still dare not point a finger at". After going on to point a finger at them, the author seems to have now moved to the position of accepting their support in terms of killings by the aerial drones in order to contain the 'human drones', which (to be a bit harsh) doesn't make sense to me.
Related to this is another question: does the natural antipathy of the Pakistani elite towards these 'primitive' tribal communities has something to do with the position that the author has taken and which he says many others ('educated people') share?
There are, of course, other actors. The author has mentioned Saudi Arab, but Iran has a role. Even India has (or at least wants to have) a role.
But I want to end on a positive note. It's heartening to see that the ZNet allows this kind of a dissenting view to be presented on its platform. That should be a good sign for the discussion.
[Unfortunately, I have to end on a slightly negative note. As I was going to add the comment to the article, I realized that I have to be a 'sustainer' even to post a comment. And I have not been able to become a sustainer for reasons I won't go into here. Hence I post it here.]
Author anileklavyaPosted on November 25, 2010 November 25, 2010 Categories Analytical Writing, Articles, राजनीति, विचारधारा, व्यक्ति और समाज, Elite, Empire, Fascism, For a Better World, Fundamentalist, History, Human Mind, Ideology, Individual and Society, Politics, Reviews, Secularism, Super Power, Technology, Terrorism, ZNet/ZMagLeave a comment on Drones, Aerial and Otherwise
The Fundoo Funda
'Funda' is a Hindi word (or, more accurately, an Indian word, as it is also used in other Indian languages, including English), which is a short form of the English word fundamental. The same is the case with the word 'fundoo', except that is it an adjective derived from 'funda' according to Hindi derivational morphology. The adjective has two senses. One of these is the sense familiar to a select group of people, the kind who are educated in colleges like New Delhi's St. Stephen's and have a circle made up almost exclusively of people from a similar background. For this group of people, the word 'fundoo' means fundamentalist. And nothing else.
Thus, for them, 'fundoo' (the noun version) basically means a person from the Sangh Parivar. And since they (not the Sangh Parivaris) are mainly 'secular', it is a term of derision. Just like the other n-term they have for the Sangh Parivaris.
I first became familiar with this word when I entered an engineering college for my bachelor's degree. In that college, the word was heavily used. It meant someone whose fundamentals (as in Thermodynamics or Theory of Machines) were very strong, i.e., who was very good at something. It could also be used with some metaphorical extension to mean high praise (with regard to anything) for someone or something. It might sound strange to many, but at that time I somehow thought that this word (and the word 'funda') were slang words only used in that particular college.
Later I found out that these two words are among the most heavily used words as far as the young (school or college) generation is concerned.
Being called fundoo can be a big complement, though the overuse of the term means that the complement could be highly diluted.
I didn't become familiar (till much later) with the other sense — fundamentalist — of the word till I read a particular number of one of the most popular columns in the Indian press, written by Khushwant Singh. I had no idea that the word was also used in this sense. But what was more surprising, almost astonishing to me, was the fact that Khushwant Singh similarly seemed to have no idea that there was another sense in which this word was used.
By the way, I wrote 'one of the most popular columns in the Indian press' instead of 'in the National' or 'in the English' press because this particular column is syndicated by many Indian language newspapers and they publish a translation.
As I then read all kinds of magazines and newspapers etc., I found out that there were others like Khushwant Singh for whom too the word only meant one thing: fundamentalist. What was common among all these people was that they were from the select group that I mentioned in the beginning.
I have spent various periods of time in many educational institutions of India and have lived in many cities and towns and have kept my eyes and ears open, especially to language related things. Nowhere except in the writings of this group of people have I found anyone using the word 'fundoo' in the sense that they use. And as I said ealier, it is one of the most heavily used words and therefore I keep hearing it much too regularly.
I am aware that there might, in fact, be some other people outside this group who use the word in that rare sense. And I am not sure about the origin of the word either. It could very well be that the word was initially used in the first sense. But I have heard no one using it in that sense. Not a single person.
To repeat once more to make the point clear, the second sense of the word is used so heavily that I find it hard to believe that if you live in an Indian city or even a small town (and know either English or an Indian language), you could remain oblivious to the second sense of the word. But you could easily be unaware of the first sense because it is used so rarely. The only way this can happen is if that group of people has somehow cut itself off from the life around it and is not much in touch with it.
This cut off has to be fairly radical, because according to many yardsticks, I myself am quite cut off.
But I know the second sense. As well as the first. I knew them long before I started studying Linguistics or related fields.
Or perhaps they are words from two different languages, the first spoken by the top caste and the second by the lesser mortals.
Author anileklavyaPosted on February 9, 2010 February 13, 2010 Categories भारतीय भाषाएं, भाषा-वाषा, व्यक्ति और समाज, शब्द, Elite, Fundamentalist, Fundoo, Global Language, Hindi, Indian Languages, Language, Linguistics et al., Translations, Words3 Comments on The Fundoo Funda
The Elite Strikes Back, Fetishiously
From right after the transfer of power from the British to the local English Elite (the Babus in the broadest sense), one recurrent theme in the Indian 'National' press, which translates as the English press, has been to come down like a 16 ton weight on anyone who so much as mentioned the case of the Indian languages and the extraordinary privileges enjoyed by the English speaking Elite in the country. So, for example, if any politician of the Hindi belt suggested that students should be allowed to write some important exam in Indian languages or that English should not be compulsory at the primary level or even something much less radical-revolutionary and world shaking, there would be (without fail) editorials in the 'National' newspapers about how the language chauvinists are going to lay waste our great democracy.
With the changes that have happened in the last 15 years or so (some for better and more for worse), this trend became less common. But now the lumpen antics of the Thackerays have given the Elite a golden opportunity to come back with a 32 (or is it 64?) ton weight on the 'language chauvinists'.
The way the Thackerays have been able to carry on their thuggery (in the Hindi as well as the English sense of the term) is so absurd that only a few things can compete with it. And one of those things is the fact that the English Elite of the country have been so amazingly successful in summarily suppressing all Indian languages including the legally National Language (Hindi), the language that has the most chauvinistic support from its speakers (Tamil) and the language of the most intellectual community of the sub-continent (Bengali). These and many others are not endangered languages (at least not yet). Most of them can be called mega languages in terms of the number of speakers. All of this is so well known and so often repeated that I feel weary of having to write this. Also equally well known is the fact that only a very small fraction of the Indian population is comfortable with English. However, as India is a society whose structure is mainly defined by the caste system, no one except the top caste wants to remain in their own caste. They all want to make the transition to the higher castes, even as they list the reasons for the greatness of their caste. And the highest caste now effectively is that of the English speakers, who have replaced the (literal) Brahmins from their perch at the top (I know, 'replaced' is not a good term because a large fraction of the Elite is Brahmin). Naturally then everyone wants ultimately to make the transition to the top caste. This has lead to an extremely comic and absurd fetish about any language anywhere in the world. It is the fetish for the English language. This fetish too is a well known, though rarely talked about in the English media. A recent issue of the Outlook magazine was an exception. (The issue was the exception, not the magazine). The 'language media', of course, used to talk about it. Innumerable books have been written about it. Movies have been made about it (a recent one being Tashan, one of whose stars is now living out his character's fetish in the real world). And sometimes politicians have talked about it for electoral purposes. But most of them have learned that it doesn't pay much as the Indians (especially the North Indians) are not very keen to be seen speaking their own languages when in respectable company. They don't even want it to be known to anyone that they are not good at English. Parents who can't speak the language will parade their English learning children in front of any visitor and have a little performance of nursery rhymes being chanted in English, even if the visitor as well as the child feel tortured. They will also mention with pride that their child is very poor in Hindi (or any other Indian language).
It's not that no one in the English speaking community has noted this. Even Nayantara Sehgal had mentioned this in one of her novels long ago. More recently Arundhati Roy had written about the oustee villagers from the Narmada dam site being scolded by Maneka Gandhi for not writing their petition in English, after they had travelled all the way, enduring hardship and hoping to save their lives. There have been others like Namita Gokhale among the (English speaking) writers and artists who have at least hinted at the absurdity of the situation.
But, by and large, the Elite has managed to suppress all talk about any fairness with regard to Indian languages which account for the overwhelming majority of the population of India. They have used diversity as an argument for maintaining the hegemony of English. They have used chauvinism as an argument. They have pitted one big language (Tamil) against the other (Hindi). They have pitted small languages (the so called dialects of Hindi) against big languages. They have pitted Dalits against the upper castes: no matter that most of them belong to the upper castes themselves. They have used linguistically spurious claims about the superiority of English over the 'less developed' Indian languages. They have steadfastly refused to concede even a pinhead worth of territory to the Indian languages.
Talk of divisiveness.
Unfortunately for them, The Market (whose praise they are now singing, be they from any part of the political spectrum) may be a brutal place, but it has allowed the Indian languages to gain some territory. As had the linguistic reorganisation of the states, which also (like the demands for linguistic fairness, not like The Market) they have always kept riling against.
When Pepsi and the others came after The Reforms, they didn't give a damn about what language can get them more customers. Before that, big companies in India preferred to make commercials in English, unless their product was some low brow thing that no one would want to talk about. It is understandable why: the top advertising agencies are mostly dominated by the elitest of the Elite. It must have been hard for them to get used to the presence of Indian languages in their midst. To give the devil his due, they have managed the transition quite well, at least on the public front. It has turned out that these underdeveloped languages can be used 'creatively' after all, whatever may be the purpose. I don't know what to feel about this.
The people may be ashamed of their own languages and of being seen reading books in them (chauvinism indeed!), but they are hooked to the movies and T.V. serials in those same languages. The movie scene is not any less hilarious either. The people involved in these movies may be making their career, earning huge amounts of money and generally being the gods of urban life in India (along with the cricket stars) through Indian languages, but they too are equally ashamed of the languages they make movies in. The scripts of Bollywood movies are written using the Latin alphabet. More than one big Bollywood Hindi movie star has been on record saying he hates Hindi. One of them said he didn't want anyone around him speaking in Hindi. Offscreen, all they want is for their lives to be copies of Hollywood stars. And they are prepared to pretend that their mediocre work in 'foreign' English movies (to the extent they get such work, the chances of which are increasing now as the real superpower focuses a little bit more of its attention eastward this side) is by far better than their best work in Hindi movies. They will tell you the reason for this too: English movies give them far more exposure than Hindi movies (if they do, what does quality matter?). As for the criticism which suggests otherwise, well, 'it will die its own death'.
Another of the cards the Elite uses against any demand for linguistic fairplay is that of communalism. The fact that the Jan Sangh/BJP and the Sangh Parivar in general have been shouting the slogan of 'Hindi, Hindu, Hindustan' has been used time and again to put down (and discredit) any such demand. This time they are vehemently talking about how the 'Hindi fetish' of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar has brought about the Thackerays' Marathi version of the same. One of them has grudgingly noted, though, that there are differences between the two.
The only part of the slogan in which the BJP and the Sangh Parivar are interested in is the Hindu part, and they have made a travesty of even that. The preferred name for India for them is Bharat, not Hindustan. India is referred to as Hindustan (or Hindostan) more in the Urdu literature than in the Hindi literature or in the literature of these right wingers.
As a person whose mother tongue is Hindi (standard Hindi, Khari Boli) and who wants to write in Hindi, I refuse to surrender all the rights of this language or the terms Hindustan, Parivar, Sangh (or even Hindu) etc. to the Sangh Parivar conglomeration. The Elite has done its best to give exclusive rights for all these to the conglomeration. I keep the rights to these as an individual, not as a member of a group. I also keep the rights to contribute and participate as an individual, without being a member of any group.
The plain fact is that injustices are committed on a large scale every day in this huge country in the name of languages. However, there can be no doubt that the largest number of these injustices are in the name of English. Time and again I have seen (first hand) how careers of even brilliant students go the steep downward path because they are not so good at English. And careers are a just small part of the picture. If you are involved in a court case, you are unlikely to be heard if you use an Indian language.
I am not talking about a polish person's case not being heard properly in France because he can't talk in French. Even that, as a lot of the members of the Elite perhaps know, can be a valid grievance.
The plain fact is also, as a prominent Hindi writer said in an interview on Doordarshan, that 'we' (the people talking about the Indian languages) have accepted English as an Indian language and as our own: the question is whether 'you' (the English Elite) are prepared to accept the Indian languages as Indian and as your own.
She said this when the first great lit-fest was held a few years ago at a former royal palace near Jaipur where the guest of honour was V. S. Naipaul, who came with all his knightly glory. And where hardly any Indian language author was invited.
If you don't listen to people like her, then some day you might have to listen to people like the Thackerays. And you might have to pretend that you like what they are saying.
Another plain fact is that most of the mainstream literary writers in Indian languages (whatever might be their other shortcomings) are neither chauvinists nor communalists. In fact, they are the most committed opponents of the right wing politics of the BJP and the Sangh Parivar. And hardly any of them has ever been able to survive from literary writing alone, except perhaps those whose books become textbooks, which is itself a long story. Dismissing the whole idea of linguistic fairness by waving the communalism card is something that we usually expect from unscrupulous politicians, but the Elite (especially of the Left variety) has been doing exactly this ever since the transfer of power to them. Absurd as it may sound, one can understand this if one realizes that they have always felt threatened that some day the vernacular hordes will take the power away from them. There is a great deal they have at stake. I suspect part of their initial vehement opposition against the BJP was motivated by this. And the BJP saw this and made good use of this: they started talking about political untouchability being practiced against them and they gained a lot of sympathy votes on this point alone. The same Elite later became much more tolerant of the BJP once it came to power. Perhaps they accepted it as the fait accompli.
Fait accompli is another card that is heavily used by the Elite. English is the most powerful language that can give you any chance of a decent career and the possibility of some kind of justice so just shut up and try to improve your English. As one strategic think-tanker recently wrote about the Taliban, if you really want to get something done, then you have to go and talk to the people who have power.
As a not so irrelevant aside, consider the paid news affair, which is causing quite a stir these days. Newspapers have been always been used as weapons by both small and big power mongers. While the big newspapers are used more subtly, the smaller ones (with exceptions and to varying degrees) have either been directly owned by the powerful political and corporate people or have been available for hire. But after the Great Indian Reforms and Liberalisation, some big newspapers like the Times of India started the business of paid news quite openly. Till recently, however, there was only a little murmur of protest from the rest of the English Media. Then the 'vernacular' newspapers (for whom it is much harder to compete as they get less advertisements and at lower rates) started following the example of the TOI, but they did it more crudely. Suddenly it became a big issue, with even Dilip Padgaonkar telling us what a scourge paid news is.
Why would the editor of a National daily spend the time and effort to write an editorial about every non-committal language related statement from every two penny politician?
The Left part of the Elite is prepared to talk about all kinds of injustices except those related to language. Except when it is Indian language vs. Indian language. In that case it's great fun for them.
What we actually have is a strange kind of fanatic language chauvinism practiced by the Elite against all Indian languages: more than just fetishist chauvinism. It's so real that you only need to walk the roads of any Indian city and read the posters (among other things) of English teaching joints.
Not that there are no injustices in the name of Indian languages. The situation very much fits the big-fish-small-fish metaphor. There is also the infinitely indecent situation in Indian villages of there being separate upper caste and Dalit languages. The Dalits are not allowed to use the 'upper caste language'. Language is used as a tool for domination, oppression and daily humiliation. In this language-eat-language world, the biggest fish by far in India (as in most parts of the world) is English. Even if it is spoken by a miniscule minority.
Trying to cover up this situation with slick diatribes about chauvinism and communalism might go on paying for a long time, but it might also lead to more dangerous situations than what we already have.
I really haven't believed for one moment that the Thackerays have any love for Marathi. It's their only possible ticket to power as of now. If they find some other better ticket, they will gladly drop the whole Marathi Manoos issue. The BJP and the Sangh Parivar are a bit more serious about the Hindi part of their slogan, but as their conduct while in power has shown, they care about Hindi only as much as the Bajrang Dal cares about the Indian culture. And everyone knows how much and of what kind that is. I abhor all kinds of chauvinism, but I still think it is an insult to the real chauvinists (like the ones who took part in the anti-Hindi riots a few decades ago) to call the Thackerays (or even the Sangh Parivaris) language chauvinists.
(1) What people like the Thackerays say, goes something like this:
Give licenses to taxi drivers only if they are Marathi speakers.
If the above is not done, we will get us some North Indian migrants kicked.
We will not allow anyone to do whatever we might decide they shouldn't do.
We will thrash anyone who doesn't agree with us.
(2) Here is what a real chauvinist might say:
Marathi is the greatest (or one of the greatest) language(s) in the world.
No Marathi speaker should use any word borrowed from any other language.
Hindi is actually a corrupted version of Marathi.
There is some evidence that the languages of Central Asia are derived from Marathi.
(3) A Marathi fetishist (if there are such people) might say this:
I am afraid to read English (or Hindi) books because they bring bad luck to me.
I must have a temple in my house to worship Marathi.
If my son doesn't speak Marathi, I think he will become a pervert.
The captions of the Playboy centerfolds should be pasted over with Marathi ones before one looks at them.
(4) Then there could also be demands like:
English should not be compulsory at the primary level. It should be left to the parents to decide.
Students should not be punished for speaking in Marathi.
Knowledge of English (or Hindi) should not be compulsory for certain jobs.
Marathi writers (and newspapers, magazines, books) should be treated in the same way as English (or Hindi) ones.
There can't be any debate about (1), (2) and (3), but as far as I can see, the three still have to be treated differently (say, for moral, psychological or political discussion). But there can (and should) definitely be debate about (4). That is, if by democracy you mean something substantial, not just a protective shield to keep your hold on the power indefinitely. If you put all four in the same group and dismiss them all, then there is some chance that this might lead to some bad things, even if Indians are ashamed to use their own language for higher purposes.
To touch upon another taboo topic, a great great deal has been written about Bombay becoming Mumbai, but I don't remember anyone pointing out that Bombay had already been Mumbai for the Marathi speakers (not to say that it was and is Bambai for Hindi speakers), just as Calcutta had been Kolkata for Bengali speakers and Delhi has been either Dilli or Dehli for Hindi speakers. Is that completely irrelevant?
If we were to take the English Elite's rhetoric about chauvinism seriously, one would have to call even Orhan Pamuk a language chauvinist. And Satyajit Ray. And Tolstoy. And every French writer. And so on.
In many places in his books Tolstoy resentfully showed how French was treated as the superior language among the Russian Elite and how no one among them wanted to be seen speaking Russian. Except may be when talking to the inferior people: servants, peasants etc.
As one member of the Elite (in a moment of frankness) living in New Delhi narrated in a 'middle' in The Hindustan Times several years ago, she was embarrassed when a foreigner from the West came to visit them and tried to talk to them in Hindi. Because for her and for the people in her class, Hindi was a language to be used when talking to vegetable sellers.
Most members of the BJP would love to make a transition to the same class. Some have already done that.
There are schools in India where students are punished for using an Indian language. Not in the class room. Not just for any formal or academic purpose, but even in their private conversation, say while playing in the playground.
So much for chauvinism.
Not to mention the Fetish part.
As for the Thackerays, I wonder why they don't write their surname as Thakre.
They are defiling the name of one my favourite writers.
Author anileklavyaPosted on February 6, 2010 February 14, 2010 Categories Absurd, खड़ी बोली, झूठ, ताक़त, भारतीय भाषाएं, भाषा-वाषा, हिन्दी, Blatant Lies, Culture, Elite, Global Language, Hindi, Human Mind, Indian Languages, Language, Language Problem, Laws, Movies, Prejudice, Rants and Raves, So It Goes, Things As They Are, Thinking Humans, Vendetta, Writing5 Comments on The Elite Strikes Back, Fetishiously


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Q: measure of elements in $[0,1]$ bounded below has measure $0$. Let $f: [0,1] \rightarrow \mathbb{R}$ be measurable. Define $E_N=\{x \in [0,1] : f(x) \geq N\}$
I claim $\lim_{N \rightarrow \infty} m(E_N)=0$ (or so I think this is true).
To show this can I start by obverting the $E_N$ are decreasing, that is for every $N \in \mathbb{Z}^+$,
$$E_N \supset E_{N+1}.$$
And as $E_1 \subset [0,1]$ , by monotonicity $m(E_1)$ is finite since the unit interval has measure $1$. Then can I apply the monotone convergence for decreasing measurable sets? That is, do I have
$$m(\bigcap E_N) = \lim_{N \rightarrow \infty} m(E_N).$$
If this holds I just need to show the intersection has measure $0$, correct? OR?


Everyone who has a basic understanding of what it takes to build muscle should know that training, nutrition, and rest are all fundamentally important. However, many people have discovered that despite their best efforts, they are simply unable to achieve the results they desire. For this reason, a great number of people have turned to supplements to give them an added boost.
Legal steroid alternatives are emerging as highly popular muscle building supplements. They are able to achieve a wide variety of results without the nasty side effects associated with steroids. However, not all of these products are made equal. Some use filler ingredients to save money, while some are simply ineffective. Others, like those produced by Marine Muscle, are clinically proven to produce remarkable results.
What Sets Marine Muscle Apart?
Marine Muscle has emerged as one of America's most popular and reputable sources of fitness supplements. Its products are proven to help individuals craft the biggest, most ripped, and strongest bodies possible. There are several reasons why this company is able to create such high quality products.
Perhaps the single most important factor determining the efficacy of a supplement is its ingredients. With Marine Muscle, buyers can rest assured that they are only consuming the highest possible quality ingredients. These ingredients are clinically proven to have dramatic and powerful results for building lean muscle.
Another common issue with most supplement brands is that the ingredients are thrown together hastily or in a way that saves money. Marine Muscle's unique combination of high quality ingredients allows the effects to be felt quickly and powerfully.
Lastly, one of the key attractions to Marine Muscle is the fact that its products are made at home in America. This is not a company which sent its business overseas to save a few dollars; it is a true American company.
Why Does It Matter Where A Supplement Is Made?
Any experienced bodybuilder or athlete can attest that the vast majority of supplements on the market today are ineffective, costly, and often unhealthy. Unfortunately, this is because many brands choose to have their products made in countries with fewer regulations. This allows them to fill their products with any ingredient they desire, even if they are unhealthy and ineffective.
Marine Muscle, on the other hand, is based only in America. Its products are produced here and available only to Americans.
One of the primary concerns that buyers should have when purchasing any product that will have effects on the body is safety. The supplement industry is notorious for being filled with products which can be very harmful. This is due to the fact that this industry is poorly regulated and often undergoes very little regulatory oversight.
With Marine Muscle, buyers have no need to worry about their body doing anything but growing stronger and leaner. Not only are the ingredients found in Marine Muscle products the absolute highest quality, the products are made only in FDA-approved labs. This is simply evidence that Marine Muscle adheres to the highest standards of quality and safety. This is a company that cares deeply about the quality of its products.
Despite these facts, some may still have reservations about supplements in general. Buyers of Marine Muscle products, however, should be confident that their health is a priority for the company. There have been no negative side effects reported with these supplements, aside from the confidence and happiness that comes with massive gains in lean muscle.
Aside from the actual products themselves, perhaps the primary concern for consumers is safe online purchasing. In an age where hacking seems to be ubiquitous, it is important to know that one's personal information will not be jeopardized when shopping online.
Luckily, Marine Muscle products are safe and easy to purchase online. The company uses a 256-bit encryption for online purchases, and accepts Visa, MasterCard, and Amex. In addition, shipping is completely free, and unopened items may be refunded for 7 days after being ordered.
As further evidence of the company's respect for privacy, packages are delivered in plain packaging. This means that nosy neighbors will have no idea what is being delivered; only the buyer will know the contents.
So, for more info you can visit official Marine Muscle website here.


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How banks are soaking up your stamp duty giveaway
Halifax and Northern Rock are making it more difficult for first-time buyers to get mortgages, undermining the cut in stamp duty
Elizabeth Colman.
March 28 2010, 12:01am, The Sunday Times
Halifax and Northern Rock are making it more difficult for first-time buyers to get mortgages, undermining the cut in stamp duty announced last week, writes Elizabeth Colman.
The government unveiled an increase in the stamp duty threshold for property purchases by first-time buyers — from £125,000 to £250,000 — effective from last Wednesday.
In response, Northern Rock, the nationalised bank, cut rates for buyers with a 15% deposit. However, just days earlier it had moved to prevent those who want mortgages on an interest-only basis — mostly first-time buyers — from borrowing more than 75% of the house price in a significant change to its policy.
The difference could add about £3,204 to the cost of a loan for first-time buyers who cannot raise a…


Shane was born and raised in Kelowna B.C. then making the trek to Albert for work in his early 20's which eventually led him to working for the City of Edmonton that evolved to a career with the Edmonton Fire Department as a HD Tech. Soon after coming to Alberta he met his wife Nicole and her family and he soon learned about cattle, horses and farming and knew that this was way of life that he wanted for his family. Shane was the hands-on Dad at 4H, barrel racing jackpots through college rodeo and the Rodeo Queen world with his daughter Kyla. Shane did not sit long on the side lines watching the action as he soon found himself a skilled rope horse named Ricky Bobby, picked up a rope and never missed an opportunity to learn. Shane entered the Cowboy vs Firemen oyster eating contest at a 1025 CFR event winning the prize buckle for the Cowboys. He now seeks a new buckle to that actually represents a rodeo event.


Have a beard, sometimes, can be harsh full if this one is not properly maintained and can look pretty unkempt and unruly. Of course, we all want a neat beard which is enjoyable to sport and avoid any itching and any other skin issue like dandruff or ingrown hair.
This beard care kit from Peregrine Supply is the one you need to groom your beard as it deserves.
This package contains a Park Ranger beard oil which will help you to moisturize your beard, a Park Ranger beard balm which will help you to tame those unruly hairs and a face and beard soap to properly cleanse your mane and the skin underneath.
The Peregrine Supply Park Ranger beard oil comes in a 30 ml bottle, the Peregrine Supply Park Ranger beard balm comes in a 2 oz tin and the Peregrine Supply face & beard soap come in a 3.3 oz format.
Obviously, if you have a beard, you may want to add some beard oil to your morning beard grooming routine. A simple daily application will help your beard a lot to fully develop at his full speed while feeding your facial skin underneath those beard's bristles with nutrients that promote a healthy beard growth.
The Park Ranger beard oil comes in a glass 30 ml bottle with dropper. This one will last you approximately 1 month.
This beard oil from Peregrine Supply contains some woodsy notes of cedar leaf, spruce, & sandalwood.
At a certain point, the beard naturally tends to dry out and his bristles tend to become more breakable. In addition, with length, comes the struggle to tame those unruly hairs. You must keep in mind that without beard balm, it is practically impossible to tame those rebels bristles. Thus, if you sport a beard of a month or more, you'll certainly need a good beard balm as this one from Peregrine Supply.
The Park Ranger beard balm has a rich natural formula which helps to condition & tame that beard. It is the perfect solution to always keep your beard in check.
The Park Ranger beard balm also contains some woodsy notes of cedar, spruce, lemon & amber.
Having a beard require proper grooming and good maintenance. To do so, it is important to put away hair care products. You should keep in mind that the worst thing you can do to your beard is using hair products to clean it. Hair care products are mainly intended to stripping the natural oil which is responsible of oily hairs. Beard also secrete a natural oil which is necessary for moisturizing your beard. Thus you don't want to strip out this oil from your beard.
A good cleansing of your beard and facial skin with this beard and face soap from Peregrine Supply will ensure a healthy beard growth and a sweet clean face.
Finally, this soap bar is scented with cedarwood, clove & sandalwood. A tremendous masculine and sophisticated scent.
Buy Peregrine Supply Co Park Ranger Beard Grooming Trio online. Beard oil & balm and Face & beard soap. Free shipping worldwide on high-quality organic beard care products.
It was the first time that I used beard products, and I was impressed. The products leave my beard smooth and it doesn't itch no more. I think this is great.
Bought for my husband and he love it. I like the scent very much myself. Thank you.
I just bought this kit as a gift for my husband and he loved it. I will definitely buy more items for him from here!


text:
using OpenTK.Graphics;
using Minalear;
using Minalear.UI.Controls;

namespace DongLife.Controls
{
    public class Image : Control
    {
        private string imagePath;
        private Texture2D imageTexture;

        public Image(string imagePath)
        {
            this.imagePath = imagePath;
            this.AutoSize = true;
            this.DrawOrder = 0.2f;
        }

        public override void LoadContent(ContentManager content)
        {
            imageTexture = content.LoadTexture2D(imagePath);

            if (AutoSize)
                Size = new OpenTK.Vector2(imageTexture.Width, imageTexture.Height);

            base.LoadContent(content);
        }
        public override void UnloadContent()
        {
            imageTexture.Delete();

            base.UnloadContent();
        }

        public override void Draw(SpriteBatch spriteBatch)
        {
            spriteBatch.Draw(imageTexture, Bounds, this.DrawColor);

            base.Draw(spriteBatch);
        }

        public string ImagePath
        {
            get { return this.imagePath; }
            set { this.imagePath = value; }
        }
        public bool AutoSize { get; set; }
    }
}


Located in and around Helsinki, these self-catering apartments offer fully equipped kitchens, flat-screen TVs and DVD players. Dishwashers and washing machines are also included. All apartments feature free WiFi and free wired internet. Gella's individually decorated apartments provide a dining area, microwave and tea/coffee facilities. Sofas, wooden floors and modern bathrooms with free toiletries are standard. Some apartments have a balcony and a sauna. Restaurants, bars and shops are easily accessed from Gella Serviced Apartments.
Important information After booking, you will receive apartment location details and key pick-up instructions from Gella Serviced Apartments via email.
Office opening hours vary. Please contact Gella Serviced Apartments for further details. Please note that the check-in and key-collection take place at: Helsinki-Vantaa Airport or Gella Office, Armfeltintie 18 A2, 00150 Helsinki.


I have decided that I must mix up a little this blog. So 360 days ahead of us, and it won't only film, but episodes too. Will be mostly first ones, about tv series that get released dates this year. So, spoilers ahead!
2018. I haven't had a very close relationship with Ryan's work. Saw a couple of episode of American Horror Story and I haven't finished American Crime Story "first season" but I will, and so far, he's quite amazing. I guess this tv series, this episode is quite different from other movies because is based on real events. Adagio in G minor by Giazotto was a great choice to pick, they put it at the beginning of the episode and I think it sets the mood in an amazing way. Intense and not completely sad, but halfway there. Versace was so full of art in his daily life, and his murderer wasn't. On the day of the murder. Andrew was so full of pain and loss in this first episode. Like a flame burning that couldn't possibly know what else to do with himself. Versace was a genius. But also, gay. And through the episode, you can see that he had the opportunity to meet "young people" and maybe even "call boys". It may seem that Andrew maybe is one of those. But this personality portrayed by Darren Criss, which is so good doing so much less than what I have seen from him, saying that he is what people expect from him, saying he's gay to the "gay people" and hetero to the "hetero people", changing in a minute, is manipulative but clever, and you may want to see the end of this story.
(Hablando solamente de la historia manifestada en la ficcion, no de los hechos reales).
El Papa esta en Peru!
No soy religiosa pero creo que su personalidad va mas alla de la religion, a quien apoya y protege es lo mas importante de el. Try to catch him if you can?


text:
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Depressive Disorder
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Depressive disorder affects more than 300 million people all over the world, and is the main cause of disability. It has nothing to do with age or social conditions. Sadness, the loss of interest, or lack of concentration are some of the symptoms that characterise this illness. It can be treated, and if treatment is followed correctly, it can lead to a remission of the disorder. Medication and psychotherapy is the cornerstone of the treatment.
Depressive Disorder explained in first person
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A positive message, just what my doctor told me "it'll take a while, but you won't always feel like this, we're here to help." And it's true; he was right.
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You need a moderate amount of sunlight for your eyes to function at their best. Dr. Bates wrote about how miners working every day underground, completely cut off from the sun, seemed to always have problems with their eyes. When I used to work a job where I spent most of the time indoors and didn't have a chance to get out almost every day like I do now, it would feel so refreshing to get outside a little bit, showing just how much I was suffering without some sunlight in my eyes. Whenever I went too many days without spending some time outside, my eyes would start to bother me.
Dr. Bates promoted what he called the "sun treatment," a method of using a magnifying glass to briefly shining the focused rays of the sun on the whites of your eyes, quickly moving it around while doing so to prevent any harm. You would need a partner for this. It floods the whole retina with light. If you have problems in bright sunlight, this method of adapting to it may have quite an effect both short-term and long-term. Don't ever stop to focus the light in one spot. Kids used to burn ants with a magnifying glass in this way, so it's important to keep the light moving and never hold the focus in one spot.
You can also do "sunning," an exercise similar to the Long Swing, which was discussed on the Movement page. The difference is your eyes are closed, and you're facing the sun, and while turning you can feel and see the bright sun pass across your field of vision and. You don't get the same intensity of details as the long swing, but bright sunlight is still intense in a different way, and you're also helping your eyes adapt to the bright light.
If you want to go extreme, there are people who promote sungazing, or the act of actually looking directly at the sun. If you're going to try this, do it briefly near sunrise or sunset, where there are no damaging UV rays. It's literally almost impossible to have your eyes damaged by sunlight if you look at the sun for several minutes when it's close to the horizon, although you can expect a harmless after-image for a while. The UV rays are what lead to sunburns, and they are absorbed by the atmosphere when the sun is at such a low angle from you.
If you do try sungazing, the principles of good vision still apply. If you focus on keeping your eyes relaxed and leading with your attention, you'll find yourself glancing away form the sun and exploring the edges. Bright light acts as an amplifier to any discomfort caused by eyestrain. So if you're not using your eyes right and are causing strain to them, the bright light will make it worse. In one sense this might be helpful because it can make the discomfort more noticeable and thereby give you pretty good feedback when you do something wrong.
As an alternative to the sun, you can gaze at a bright light bulb by sitting closely to it. I would advise a bright incandescent bulb (the old-fashioned type that is becoming illegal in the US due to their high energy use) because fluorescent light can bother some people's eyes. And halogen (often used in porch lights) are more hot than they are bright. But any of these have virtually no UV light at all, so as with the sun on the horizon, they are safe, and the temporary afterimage is nothing to worry about. I believe a set of white LEDs would work ok too, but I've never tried it with anything but a small LED flashlight.
After a while I noticed that when I softened my gaze, or made no effort to keep my eyes firmly pointed at the light bulb or to bring it into focus, it instantly become much easier to continue to look at the bulb, even though i wasn't "looking" at it in the same way I thought I had to. It felt like I wasn't looking at the bulb at all, despite the fact that I was sitting quite close to it and it was taking up much of my field of vision, and I noticed details of it. If I got double vision for a moment (as happened many times), it was because my eyes were "let loose" and had to calibrate, and the double vision would go away as I focused on my intention of keeping my eyes comfortable.
Below is a summary of practical suggestions for applying the above ideas. The ideas and reasoning are more fully fleshed out above. Each of the suggestions are separate (this is not step-by-step) but may be combined as you see fit. They are also included in the Practical Applications page at the end of this guide.
Sun Treatment – Get a partner and a magnifying glass. Be careful!
Sunning – Close your eyes and spend a few minutes turning your head back and forth to let the sunlight pass through your field of vision.
Light Gazing – Spend a few minutes at a time with this, and allow several more minutes for the afterimage to fade. Don't get too close to the bulb, or the heat may bother your eyes.


Hi! I'm new the forum and since I couldn't find a solution, I've decided to post it here to see if anyone is experiencing my petty problem. I got a Mazda CX-3, 2017, from Malaysia. My fuel economy monitor only displays the unit in KM/L and I want to change it to L/100KM.
From time to time, I dont know what I did but it does display the units in L/100KM. It only happened once in a blue moon.
Note: I have AIO tweaks installed and the unit displayed is not compatible due to the unit being displayed as KM/L. Please leave your comments on your experience on how to change it. Thank you!
Maybe the AIO tweaks are changing stuff around.
I can only change from km to miles and celcius to fahrenheit, not from L/100 km to km/l.
I sort of miss the ability to view economy in km/l (all my previous cars could do that) as oppossed to L/100 km which is the only option on my CX-3.
Thank you so much! I'll look into it. The km/l is messing up my AIO settings.


Once upon a time, young Lady Yseult strove against the Saraman Stone.
It lay in the yard behind Saraman Manor. It was long and black and heavy and wet and it had striations in it.
She set her feet in the grass and shoved against the stone.
Through two holes came the labored breathing of Cedric Saraman, founder of the house.
"I am the evil that lived before humanity," whispered Cedric.
Yseult sat back. She licked two fingers. She stuffed them in the air holes of Cedric Saraman. This prompted a peculiar noise, then an ever-faster huffing.
Sir Jasper the Valiant strode casually into the yard.
Then a look of dumb shock came onto his face, even as Cedric, below the stone, began to flop and flail. "You're filthy," he said.
Yseult leaned against the stone. She gave Jasper a tired smile. "Jasper," she said.
"This won't do at all," said Jasper.
He walked up to her. Gently and kindly, he pulled her away from the stone.
"Your hair, lady," he said.
"I like it tangled," said Yseult.
Jasper ran his fingers through her hair. They got stuck. He tugged, while Yseult winced and made faces. Finally, he pulled them out.
Jasper blinked at her. "No," he said, in a helpless voice.
"Then I don't want to marry you," Yseult said.
She turned back to the Saraman Stone. She thrust her shoulder against it.
Jasper smiled brilliantly. He embraced her. Yseult squeaked as the breath fled her lungs and her feet left the ground, causing Cedric, below, to reflect damply upon the ways of justice.
Then Jasper put Yseult down.
"We will find you a clean dress," he said.
"No!" protested Yseult. She shoved against the stone.
"I would welcome your help," said Yseult.
Sir Jasper picked up Yseult by the shoulders. He put her down to one side. He threw his strength against the Saraman Stone.
That is when it creaked and moved.
That is when Cedric, that black-blooded and pale elder thing that dwelt below the Saraman lands, was freed.
He rose, his clothing silver chain; his hair clotted black; his fingers webbed: taller than a man, and stronger, and more damp.
Cedric Saraman looked from one to the other. His forehead wrinkled in a remarkable fashion as he stared at Jasper. Then he turned his eyes to fix upon Yseult.
Manfred brings Rachel to Castle Gargamel.
Montechristien is asleep, in his tasseled cap and his nightgown, with curtains closed against the night.
Montechristien Gargamel rolls over in his bed and snores.
Manfred hesitates. His face grows tight.
He pokes Montechristien with his finger, once, twice, three times.
"Maybe he's asleep," says Rachel Saraman.
"Honk, kzhhh," snores Montechristien Gargamel.
"Leave me with him a moment?" Rachel suggests.
Manfred shrugs. He rises to his feet. He pokes his father viciously a few more times, then stomps out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
"Honk, kzhhh!" declares Montechristien Gargamel, sitting upright with a start.
"Hello, Lord Gargamel," says Rachel.
Montechristien looks at her. "Oh," he says.
He smiles, kind of creakily.
"I have sins that I must pay for," Rachel says.
He looks down. He looks up.
"Do you at least love him?" he asks.
Montechristien glared at her down the length of his nose.
"Goodbye," Rachel says. She opens the door. She walks out. She closes the door behind her.
He is silent for a time.
"Bah," he says again, in a voice of helplessness, and he pulls the covers up over his skinny legs and pulls his nightcap down over his eyes and sleeps.
What color is your nightcap?
Will Santrieste relent in his disapproval?
Well, it looks like Yseult is indeed Rachel's mother — and that Cedric is probably her father. If she does end up marrying Manfred, the story will be fully into Greek myth territory, which would fit with Manfred being very much like a classical Greek tragic hero. In the Hitherby world, Greek myth is largely real, so in the context of Tower plays this part of the story could be Jane and Martin's way of addressing these events.
Cedric's style reminds me of Alan. Jane's purpose in creating Alan seems clear; he was one of the brothers who was to try in various ways to rescue her from the monster. I couldn't guess very well at what Yseult's purpose in freeing Cedric is, mid-series. Yseult might be acting on a desire to have herself acknowledged for who she thinks she is, rather than having people like Jasper judge her by appearance and preconception in direct contradiction to what she says and does. That would fit with what I think is one of the ongoing themes of the series.
I don't know to what degree Jane had a purpose, when creating Alan. Some of the later brother-gods show signs of being the result of planning… but Alan seems to me to be more of a cry of pain and madness, given form by Jane's nature.
Alan seems like a rescuer to me, at least in how his actions work out. His first (fantasized) act is to kill many employees of Earth Division. His second (ditto) is to free many of the fiends bound by the monster. His third is to attempt to reach Jane, which would have not really have been a rescue, but would have at least brought her out of the monster's control, and which puts him into direct combat with the monster.
I've been thinking about Jane's brothers. It's come to me that they are each a metaphor for a way to cope with abuse.
Alan is becoming a fiend; perpetuating the cycle, being as evil as the monster itself. Jane is lucky he didn't work out.
Bob is withdrawal, creating your own little world. (A more sophisticated kind of denial.) This didn't work for Jane any more than it worked for Karen, and for pretty much the same reasons.
Your theory on Jane's brothers is a good legend. It's a good way of understanding what happened and why they failed.
But it is important to note that you have to assert facts not in evidence to get there—that you have to imagine that Mr. Banks did not die of Daniel-related complications; that you have to look at Daniel's history as something that didn't happen at all, and that the narrative conceit that allotted him more reality than Alan actually meant that he had less.
So it's a good legend to tell, but you should also tell yourself legends that start with the notion that Jane's brothers are—not metaphors—but direct and literal attempts to cope with abuse by a person with a facility for creating gods; and perhaps a version of the story that makes Mr. Banks' death a thing far more important than the history noted, in addition to a version that denies that it ever happened.
But Hitherby is multi-layered in more than one way. It's Rebecca telling stories about people telling stories about people. (Actually, the Gorgosaur legend added even another layer, sort of.) So Yseult's action in this legend isn't just an event in a story, it's something that Jane is thinking about — and given the similarities to the Alan history, it may have something to do both with what Jane thinks about those actual events in the Hitherby world and with the metaphorical meanings than Alan participates in.
That was probably far too long, sorry.