Day: October 17, 2021

ORGANIC FARMING

An agricultural system that uses fertilizers of organic origin such as compost manure, green manure, and bone meal and involves farming methods such crop rotation and companion planting is Organic Farming. The term ‘Organic’ was popularized by Howard and Rodale. This type of farming is inclusive of usage of biodiversity, while preserving natural resources and ensuring animal welfare. Organic Farming is highly beneficial in all terms.

BENEFITS OF ORGANIC FARMING

MAINTAINS PURITY OF WATER

An extensive use of chemical pesticides and insecticides, contributes in polluting water bodies and underground water. Organic farming replaces such toxic substances with natural fertilizers such as manure, compost, animal waste, which help in soil retention and quality. In places where, the incidences of water pollution are more, organic farming must be brought into practice.

PRODUCTION OF HEALTHY FOOD

Organic Farming enhances the nutrients in the soil because use of toxic elements is prohibited. The quality of food is determined with the amount of vitamins and minerals that are embedded in it. Organic food is much richer in nutrients than food grown through conventional methods.

POCKET FRIENDLY

Organic food products are not grown with the use of inputs like expensive pesticides, chemicals, insecticide sprays, etc. Instead, it makes use of everything that is available naturally with no or minimal capital cost. There is yet a buzz that Organic products are costly, which is not true.

SAFE TO PRACTICE

Organic Farming is safe to practice than conventional methods. Annually 44% of the world’s farming population dies, due to poisoning while using harmful pesticides. Farmers are routinely exposed to high levels of pesticides, usually much greater than those of consumers. Farmers’ exposure mainly occurs during the preparation and application of the pesticide spray solutions and during the cleaning-up of spraying equipment. But, Organic farming is very safe to practice because of it’s natural methods.

BETTER TASTE

Farmers producing organic farm products are extremely careful about the quality of their soil and do practice soil care methods. Soil with high nutritional value tends to produce better farm products. Chefs and food experts actually do believe that organic farm products taste much better than the conventional ones.

METHODS OF ORGANIC FARMING

  • Vermicomposting
  • Green Manures
  • Animal Manures
  • Crop Rotation
  • Livestock Management
  • Soil Supervision
  • Weed Control
  • Genetic Modification

Hence, in conclusion, we can state that, Organic Farming is the best alternative for traditional farming. There are so many positives to Organic Farming. Today, Organic Agriculture is practiced in 187 countries by about 1.3 million farmers globally. Environmental consciousness has further given rise to the practice of Organic Farming.

Club Culture

By – Supriya

A club or society exists to enable one to pursue a specific activity. The opportunity to participate in a particular activity is the main reason that attracts people to a club or society. A camera club offers its members information and know – how regarding the art of photography, a scout troop pursues outdoor activities and a computer club allows its members to learn the intricacies and Marvels of the modern – age computer. Each person is a unique being and has different likes and dislikes. Some people would prefer to go swimming than staring at a video display. Yet other may prefer to read a book quietly than to kick a football. Thus we have dozens of clubs and societies in school as well as outside that cater to our varied tastes and fancies. Besides enabling us to do the things that interest us, a club also provides us the opportunity to meet others , to socialize and develop our own character. For example, a martial arts club teaches its particular form of self – defense. There, a member learns the skills and techniques taught in the club. More importantly he learns to discipline himself. The martial arts is not just learning how to knock down the other guy. On the contrary, it teaches one to exercise self – control and develop respect for his opponents. Those who learn this, stay long with the club; those who don’t soon become disillusioned and leave.So, it is with other clubs. Some members learn and grow with the club. They are the ones who will benefit. Some inevitably leave to pursue other activities in other clubs.
I must admit that our age plays a great part in our decision to join a club.When I was a young boy, being a club member seemed like the greatest thing on earth. Later on, my interests grew and being a scout became the most important thing in my life. Now, almost at the end of my school days, those feelings have more or less vanished . Club scouts are just happy memories , never to be relived again. Now computers and astronomy seem infinitely more interesting . After that I cannot even imagine what will catch my fancy. A club that can carry out its intended purpose is a club worth joining. However, many clubs become the victims of squabbles and infighting among its members.The struggle for power is indeed a common thing. It is also the cause of break – ups and failures in the club. To be with a group of people sharing a common interesting activity is the most pleasant experience , so long as the group keeps doing so. It is unfortunate that often, some members of the group will make a grab for power. The will to dominate others rears its ugly head. The moment somebody makes the move, others will follow and soon a struggle for power consumes everyone and the original activity of the club is forgotten. When this happens , it is time for me to leave. I do not like to involve myself in the club politics. I joined the club to pursue an activity that I like, not to quarrel with other people. As age has mellowed my attiy , I find that I can pursue a lot of interesting things on my own. I don’t have to necessarily join a club to do them. I can play badminton in my friend’s court with a few other friends. I can take pictures without having to join a photographic club. I can go swimming in the sea instead of a club’s swimming pool. Granted that I will miss out on a lot of things a club has to offer, but at least I will be spared the agony of strained relationships. The wisest thing to do then would be to join a club only when it is necessary to do so. Otherwise, it would be far better to do things on your own or with a few friends.

THANKYOU !

Fashion Mania

By – Supriya

Each one of us is born unique. There are no two persons who are exactly alike. Yet, despite our unique individuality , we constantly become slaves to whatever that is currently in fashion. As a result, even though we are different, we strive to dress Alike , use the same slangs , eat the same food and share the same hobbies . So much so, that many times even our thought and behaviour patterns are also governed by the ruling fashion – rage. Then in the midst of such mental slavery , if a bright individual strikes out on his own in another direction, then others see him, admire him and then join him. It becomes fashionable to be like him.His individuality gives birth to another fashion statement. Before the emergence of ‘rock and roll’ in the fifties , it was fashionable to listen to melodious music and to dance the rhumba.It was the in thing then. However, such a fashion  could not last forever. Elvis Presley and the other rockers burst into the scene and created an uproar. Youngsters started wearing drain – pipe trousers and did slicked-back hair. Leather jackets and steel – studded shoes became the vogue.
Every young boy wanted to be Elvis. The sale of guitars shot up. Slavery to the Elvis trend bred young rebels. However, these young rebels , in the process of asserting their individuality , rather became slaves to rock and roll .These rock and roll slaves can still be seen around , even though now they have gone bald and their grandchildren rebel against their drain – pipe trousers. ‘ Be a rebel ‘ – again became a style statement in the sixties when the hippies and the flower people made the taking of marijuana (ganja) and LSD the fashionable thing to do. Gurus – real and false – appeared all over the place. The ‘in’ thing was to go against the establishment and social order. It was fashionable to dress in rags and have babies out of wedlock . Nobody over thirty was trusted . It was the age of long hair and to get ‘ stoned’ was considered cool. The hippies have more or less faded from the scene. They are no longer fashionable . However, they left behind a drug culture that continued till the eighties.In fact, even today, drug menace is one of the greatest scourges of the present world.
It is still fashionable to take drugs – despite its devastating effects. Anybody who gets addicted to drugs is doomed to a life of hell. Unless he can get rid of his addiction , there is not much hope for him. For society as a whole, unless drug – taking goes out of the fashion , addicts will abound and the associated problems will persist. Thus we can see the impact of a powerful drive of fashion. One fashion paves the way for its successor and the chain goes on endlessly . Though with time, fashion style keeps changing , but fashion maniacs are forever caught by the claws of current trend. In the process of trying to be different from others , fashion enthusiasts end up becoming replicas of one another. Only a rare succeed in retaining the originality of their personality. So, next time you take a trip to town , reflect on the clothes you are going to eat, the things you are going to buy and the thoughts you are thinking . Notice how many of these things are influenced by the current wave of fashion. See if you can find anything you can genuinely call your own.

THANKYOU !

The Genius of da Vinci- 3

Leonardo and Science                                                                       

Leonardo’s genius went beyond art and paintings, he shared just as much of a connection with science as he did with his art if not more. His contribution to science and scientific inventions were most probably a result of his artistic abilities.             

Leonardo studied anatomy, botany, light, chemistry, astronomy, mathematics, to name a few without receiving any sort of formal education.                                                    

Leonardo kept a log of his ideas, observations, and scientific drawings. According to him science and art shared a resemblance with each other which is quite evident from his journals that seem to blend art and science together.

FACTOID  Leonardo sometimes wrote from right to left because he was a lefty. Therefore most of his writing is in mirror image.

Leonardo learned the basics of anatomy and the human body when he was working for Verrocchio. Leonardo dissected about 30 human corpses in his lifetime. The hospitals in Italy let him continue his studies for research purposes after he established himself as a great artist.

In his dissection studies, he would pull on different muscles to see the effect it would have on the movement of other muscles. His anatomy research also included his studies of facial features. He studied the changes that different emotions caused in the facial features and those of people with a facial deformity or a sickness as well. He studied the human skeleton and pointed out that the sacrum (a bony structure in the vertebral column) is a fusion of 5 bones, which now holds to be true. He did all of this back then, when relatively close to no resources existed.

He studied the human heart and figured out how the valves of the heart work but couldn’t figure out the whole circulation system. In 2005, a heart surgeon in The UK took aid from Leonardo’s journals of the human heart. His studies are being used by top surgeons in the 21st century, over 500 years later.

Leonardo da Vinci was granted the permission to perform his experiments and do all this research after establishing himself as a profound artist during that time. The hospital gave him corpses to dissect and so he did.

Leonardo’s journals contain drawings of some flying machines that he was working on at that time. One such machine had wings that resembled the wings of a bat. Though his drawings were not fully correct and would not have worked in practicality, it is still exceptional that a man like him without major resources could do so much. 

His journals contain much more than whatever has been mentioned so far and will probably remain alien to the world or even if someone is able to somehow get their hands on said journal will also need the intellect to understand it.

Leonardo was much more than an artist but sadly that’s exactly what most people know him as. His ability to blend art and science made him extremely special. Imagine the things he could have achieved if he were born in today’s time. We would know so much more about the things unknown to mankind. He was an artist ahead of his time and needs to be recognized not just for his art but his true genius.

The Genius of da Vinci – 2

Adoration of the Magi 

One of the many paintings that Leonardo left unfinished, that is a skill all artists possess. The painting portrays the Virgin Mary with her chid and the Magi (the three wise men who paid homage to Jesus as the king of Jews) kneeling in adoration in front of them. Behind them, some ruins along with a few horsemen that appear to be fighting and a palm tree which holds a significance in the Bible.

This unfinished masterpiece now resides at the Uffizi Gallery in Florence, Italy.

The Last Supper                                                                               

The Last Supper is a mural painting that depicts Jesus having his last supper (the last meal of Jesus with his disciples in Jerusalem before he was arrested and crucified). In the painting, Jesus’ Apostles can be seen reacting to him saying “one of you will betray me”, “one of you”, referring to one of his apostles.                                                          This was painted by Leonardo in the late 15th century and started to deteriorate quite quickly, due to humidity and the painting techniques used by the artist. It took a long time to restore this painting with the final restoration being done in 1999 and was then returned back to where it belongs- Convent of Santa Maria Delle Grazie in Milan, Italy.

Salvator Mundi                                                                                    

In this painting, Leonardo shows Jesus wearing a robe, with the fingers of his right hand forming a cross pointing upwards while holding a crystal ball in his left.                        

This painting was sold for $450 million to Badr Bin Abdullah, a Saudi minister, in 2017.   What makes it worth $450 million?                                                                                

Well, you see no piece of art is only famous for its artistic grandeur, most pieces of art involved in some sort of controversy have a tendency to embark themselves in textbooks. Salvator Mundi went through it’s fair share of controversies. There were multiple times since the birth of this painting when it was thought to be destroyed. The painting vanished from the public eye in the year 1763 and was found in the 1900s in a rather impaired condition. Then in 2005, a group of individuals bought this painting for about $10,000 and was densely overpainted which made it look like a knock-off. Dianne Dwyer Modestini was given the job to restore this painting and the process came to an end around 2010.                                                                                                       

Even now, theories exist about the whereabouts of this piece which adds to the fascination.

Mona Lisa                                                                                          

One of the greatest paintings to ever be painted. Mona Lisa is a portrait painting of an Italian woman Lisa Gherardini painted in the early 1500s. The painting shows the woman looking directly at the observer. The woman in the painting possesses a certain amount of poise and grace. The landscape shown by Leonardo looks very surreal making the painting all the more captivating. The lady’s smile has been a subject of discussion among art lovers but a 2003 study suggested that the smile vanishes when you look directly at her mouth and reappears when you observe the face as a whole.  Leonardo used a technique called ‘sfumato’ with this one which is a technique involving the blending of colors into one another making the transition between different tones easier and giving life to the painting.                           Mona Lisa is housed by the Louvre museum in France