View allAll Photos Tagged implement
Antique Farm Implement,
Penn Farm Agricultural Heritage Center.
Cedar Hill State Park. Cedar Hill, Texas.
Dallas County. 24 December 2018.
Olympus E-P5. Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-200mm f/4-5.6 II.
(45mm) f/8 @ 1/100 sec. ISO 200.
And as I promised, the last plate I created on that day was appropriately one of my hands at the end of the process. When you coat the plates you hold them like a waiter holds a drink tray and you pour the collodion onto the plate and tilt the plate toward all four corners to spread the mixture. Invariably (regularly if you are a beginner) some of it dribbles off and onto your hand. Then when you pull the plate from the silver nitrate bath, some of that silver nitrate gets onto your hands and mixes with the collodion that is on there, creating a light sensitive emulsion on your skin which immediately gets exposed to light. Finally when you take your exposed plate into the darkroom and pour developer over it, that developer spills off onto your hands and develops the emulsion on them, which at this point are incredibly over-exposed and turn black. It wears off in a day or two, but til then you have some nicely stained hands.
I couldn't pass up the opportunity to make a wet plate image of my wet plate stained hands. The results of the process documented by the process. There is a nice logic to that.
The office building of the Emerson-Brantingham Manufacturing
This powerhouse of industry employed 5,000 from 1905, when the city’s population was 50,000, including elderly, women and children. The company manufactured carriage, wagons, plows, farm implements, and eventually evolved into J.I. Case Co.
The sprawling manufacturing facility encompassed a 24 building, 175-acre complex was the largest modern agricultural implement machinery facility in the world at the time.
A close neighboring company was lurking in the wings. J.I. Case out of Racine, Wisconsin watched closely as Emerson Brantingham fell further and further behind. Their particularly keen interest was in the plant and facilities and the 28 vital patents that Emerson Brantingham held.
Finally, in November 1928, the Emerson Brantingham Company fell to the hands of J. I. Case. For what it's worth, Emerson Brantingham was one of the last of over 800 implement companies to fall prey to the times.
J. I. Case continued to manufacture agricultural implements at its Rockford works until 1970 when they closed the aging manufacturing facility. Finding no buyers for the sprawling complex, Case donated the site and 1.4 million square feet of buildings to the City of Rockford for use as the City Yards. It was demolished between 2023 and 2024.
In the current article, we will review how to implement the second phase of our project in which we detect an event of “SPF = Fail” and forward such E-mail message to approval by an authorizes a person.
The SPF Fail policy article series, including the following three...
o365info.com/implementing-spf-fail-policy-using-exchange-...
View of a large, outdoor screw press. There is a dog pictured in the center of the
image.
Digital Collection:
North Carolina Postcards
Publisher:
Washington News Co., Washington, D.C.
Date:
1900; 1901; 1902; 1903; 1904; 1905; 1906; 1907; 1908; 1909; 1910
Location:
Charlotte (N.C.); Mecklenburg County (N.C.);
Collection in Repository
Durwood Barbour Collection of North Carolina Postcards (P077); collection guide available
online at www.lib.unc.edu/ncc/pcoll/77barbour/77barbour.html
Shot with my D600 and 14-24 Nikor Wide Angle Lens at my friends farm. Post processed in Lightroom and HDR'd in Photomatix Pro. I have a few more that I will upload later, but this is by far my favorite shot.
Warchief, everything is set as you ordered! The enemy ships just docked and they are unloading the troops. They will be here in an hour.- reported commander of the scouts.
Burlogh O'Rohal let out a sigh. For some reason I hoped they change their mind. - So it is decreeded. Stay calm and follow my orders.
Scouts of Lenfald army road into the valley. Suddenly a band of cheering beastman jumped out from the woods and ran towards them. Commander of the cavalry ordered a charge. The beastman group seemed confused and started to flee. Everything went as the warchief planned. The knights followed the Ironclad Company but after the turn of the road they faced a troll phalanx. Their charge broke in a minute. The beastmen turned back and flanked the cavalry.
Meanwhile main force of the invaders faced some problem too. Magical song rang over the valley as combined power of shamans created huge flamesnakes. As the fire stroke down to the knights, a sniper rose up from his hiding spot. His first shot hit the Lenfald commander who fall down to the ground. His army became disorganised in a moment. The ground shaked as Dragon Maiden lead their charge. The Lenfald army was surrounded in a few minutes. Their only chance was the road, but it was blocked by the warchief himself.
Let the massacre begin! For freedom, for the Bleeding Claws! - roared Burlogh and started to run and the horde followed him...
My entry to Lands of Classic Castle Global Challenge 3 - Purging the Magic Islands
By this time the emperor and his inner council had fled to the Mountain Retreat for Escaping Summer Heat (Bishu shanzhuang) at Chengde, leaving Prince Gong and the demor- alized remnants of Senggerinchin's Mongol cavalry to deal with the allied armies. While Prince Gong contemplated his options, Lord Elgin, from his headquarters in Western Yellow Temple outside of the north wall of Beijing, awaited word on Harry Parkes and the group of soldiers, diplomats, and civil ians captured near Zhangjiawan on 17 September. Meanwhile, French forces reached the gates of the Summer Palace on 7 october and began to loot the buildings. Later in the day they were joined by elements of the British army. Not long afterward, Beijing surrendered and Lord Elgin learned ofthe fate of the captives, which led directly to his decision to destroy the Summer Palace. on 18 and 19 october, forty-four hundred officers and men ofthe Ist Infantry Division of the British contingent burned the entire palace complex. Within days of the destruction of the palaces, the Tianjin Treaty and the Beijing Con- vention were ratified, and Euroamerican relations with China were forever altered
Qichun (Beauteous spring) garden. There were also a number of other, smaller gardens to the south and westofthese, including the Wanshou (Birthday) garden, which would later become the focal point of the "new Summer Palace (Yihe yuan). In addition, the northeast border of the Change chun garden where the Chinese-rococo-style palaces and fountains de signed by Italian and French missionaries were located.36 Taken together the gardens covered an estimated 857 acres.37 Further, although some of the accounts refer to the destruction of the "Yuen-ming-yuen" (or Ewen-ming Ewen, as M'Ghee delightfully heard it), the actual buildings burned may have exceeded those ofthe three primary gardens. Colonel C. P B. Walker's journal entry for 19 october suggests, for example, that the cavalry troop he com manded destroyed buildings rightupto the foot of the Fragrant Hills, perhaps including some of the military located there (1894: 217). other accounts mention the burning of villages adjacent to the gardens (swinhoe m: 336;M'Ghee 1862:283-284; NCH,7 November 860) Reports describing the scale and extent of destruction were coupled, in some cases, with observations of the effects it had on the perpetrators. Char acterizing the results as Vandal-like and echoing earlier characterizations of ooting, Charles Gordon spoke of the "beauty and magnificence of the palaces 38 Robert we burnt" and called it"wretchedlydemoralizing work foran army swinhoewas appalled by the "cracklingand rushing noise" of the fireas heap proached the gardens, and disturbed by the destruction of what could not be replaced (I86I: 330). Yet, hewas also struck by theway the red flames gleamed on the faces of the men and made them appearto be demons glorying in their task. The sense of pleasure that Swinhoe alludes to here was recorded by number of participants and was often connected to feelings of God of sufficiency...auction markets, the public displays did serve to fix two critical designations on the emperor's possessions The first of these was the designation "from the Summer palace of the peror of China," a phrase that has remained with the objects through future sales and on museum displays almost down to the present 29 As such, the epithet stood as a continual reminder of the British triumph over China's haughty monarch and mandarins and humiliation oftheirexaggerated sense of superiority over all foreigners. To put this another way, the presence of the emperor's things outside of his palaces placed a permanent stain on him and his empire. Moreover, the sense of debasement that British actors attached to the possession of the emperor's things was further enriched by generally held notions aboutChinese disdain for foreigners. Aswolseley remarked dur- 29. In the late 198os, it was still possible to see this designation on display tags at the Victoria and Albert and British Museums. Since then, the collection displays have been redone, and all references to the Summer Palace have disappeared. LOOT, PRIZE, AND RETRIBUTION 99 ing the sack of the palaces and the lllustrated London News reporter noted at Tuileries exhibit, the emperor's treasures were gathered in the "profane" hands and under the "sacrilegious gaze" of "barbarians" and "unappreciat ing amateurs" (Wolseley (1862 1972: 224: ILN, 13 April 186r:334, 339). Thus the transport of the Chinese emperor's possessions to Europe added another layer of humiliation to a monarch already brought low by the sacking of his palaces. Perhaps here, in the early career of Summer Place loot, we can also observe the central role that humiliation played in the construction and re production of European empire in the nineteenth century....turning to a discussion of how this pedagogical project worked itself out, however, it might be worth considering in more detail the relations among plunder, prize, and British imperial politics. PRIZE AND IMPERIAL SOVEREIGNTY Although the processes ofcollection, auction, and redistribution of proceeds might seem at first glance unnecessarily involved, their importance lay in the way they mirrored and mimicked the processes of deterritorialization and reterritorialization that were transforming China's relations with European powers. Like warfare and treaties in general, prize procedures incorporated China andits politicalorderinto the regularities ofthe British Empirein Asia. In so doing, they helped to undermine Qing imperial sovereignty. Central to this process of subversion was the theft and redistribution of objects that could be tied directly to the person of the Qing emperor. objects redistrib uted in this way included his imperial robes and armor, jade scepters, throne cushions, seals, and the "Cap of the Emperor of China" (fig. 3), a carved screen "from behind the Emperor's throne," pages from the August Court's Illustrated Catalogue of Ritual Implements (Huangchao ligi tushi), which included hand-painted drawings of Court robes of emperors and empresses, and the yellow silk identified by swinhoe as exclusively fpr the emperor. There were also various objects taken from the emperor's private quarters, such as a small jade-covered book said to be the sayings of Confucius, aTibetan ritual vessel erroneously but tellingly identified as the skull of Confucius, and a Pekinese.3. The cap of the emperor of China. Source: Holmes, Naval and Military Trophies and Personal Relics of British Heroes, 896. "lion" dog christened "Looty" ; In addition to these items, a host of objects of European manufacture were also plundered, a number of which could be identified as gifts previously given to Qing emperors monarchs. These included numerous mechanical clocks and watches, one of which, as Harris reported, was supposed to be the very timepiece presented by Lord Macartney to the Qianlong emperor, the cannon that Macartney had brought as a gift from George III (Rennie 1864: 166; M'Ghee 1862: 21o; Swin- hoe 186m: 331), works of fine art like the "Petitot" acquired by Colonel Wolse- ley, and a tapestry from the French monarch Louis XIV. Some of these items, such as the emperor's cap, the "Sayings of Con- fucius," and Looty, were presented to Queen Victoria. Much like the plun dered regalia of South Asian kings that Carol Breckenridge (1989: 203) has described, they took their place with other symbols of the British monar- chy, constituting an expanded British imperial sovereignty. In other cases, pieces were deposited in the officers' mess of various of the regiments in- volved. At these sites, Qing objects were incorporated into regimental his- t4. With the exception of "Looty" and "skull of Confucius," these items are all pres- ently in collections in Great 🇬🇧.LOOT, PRIZE, AND RE BUTTON 75 This chapter seeks to use these events as a resource foraddressing several interrelated issues. The first and perhaps most important of these involves consideration of a relationship between European imperialism and colonial- ism in East Asia and in other parts of the world. One such link involves the large number of British civilian and military personnel who were active in China after having served in other parts of the empire. An additional con- nection concerns plunder in warfare and the nomenclature related to it, in particular, the word loot itself. Intimately linked to British expansion in India, loot entered the English language Hindi orsanskrit in the eighteenth century. In either its noun or verb form, it frequently replaced older English words, such as pillage. booty, spoils, and plunder. Yet, because it was firmly embedded in lexicon of empire, lootwas not, strictly speaking, interchangeablewith these terms. Insofar as it related to British imperial adventures in India, East Asia, and later, Africa, itevoked a sense of the opportunities, particularly as "prize" of war, that empire building offered to the brave and daring.2 Equally important for our purposes her the imperial lexicon Hobson- Jobson, like Lord Elgin, found the term loot entering and China between the first and secondopium Wars (Yuleand Burnell [1886] 1994: 519-520; Walrond 1872: 215). As the career of the word suggests, al though the events of r86o signaled a shift in global relations of power, the primary actor and mainbeneficiaryoff the change inChina's relations with the West was the British Empire. Although French, Russian, and U.S. diplomats and the French army played important roles in these events, it was British agents who not only led theway, but who seemed to be motivated by quite dif ferent considerations from their Euroamerican colleagues. Such differences be accounted for in a variety of ways: in terms of the personalities of individual leaders, on the basis of different national goals, and perhaps even on the basis of the historical antipathy and rivalry among the Euroamerican parties. Here, however, the focus is on the different actions of the Western powers in China as manifestations of their distinct historical trajectories in the development of European global expansion These distinctions then pro vide a way of making another kind of sense out of the looting of the Summer Palace and its destruction as a "solemn of retribution " ( Walrond 1872)
www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/arts/history/students/modules/mode...
Sold for $800.00
Mecum Gone Farmin' Auction
Mississippi Valley Fair Grounds
2815 Locust Street
Davenport, Iowa.
Scott County, USA.
November 11, 2016
Antique Farm Implement,
Penn Farm Agricultural Heritage Center.
Cedar Hill State Park. Cedar Hill, Texas.
Dallas County. 24 December 2018.
Olympus E-P5. Panasonic Lumix G Vario 45-200mm f/4-5.6 II.
(45mm) f/8 @ 1/100 sec. ISO 640.
Marc Chagall, 1887-1985, Mutterschaft/Motherhood, 1914
Albertina - Sammlung Batliner
In spring of 2007, the Albertina also received the previously based in Salzburg "Batliner Collection" as unrestricted permanent loan. The collection of Rita and Herbert Batliner includes important works by modern masters, from French impressionism to German expressionism of the "Blue Rider" and the "bridge" to works of the Fauvist or the Russian avant-garde from Chagall to Malevich.
de.wikipedia.org / wiki / Albertina_ (Vienna)
The Albertina
The architectural history of the Palais
(Pictures you can see by clicking on the link at the end of page!)
Image: The oldest photographic view of the newly designed Palais Archduke Albrecht, 1869
"It is my will that the expansion of the inner city of Vienna with regard to a suitable connection of the same with the suburbs as soon as possible is tackled and at this on Regulirung (regulation) and beautifying of my Residence and Imperial Capital is taken into account. To this end I grant the withdrawal of the ramparts and fortifications of the inner city and the trenches around the same".
This decree of Emperor Franz Joseph I, published on 25 December 1857 in the Wiener Zeitung, formed the basis for the largest the surface concerning and architecturally most significant transformation of the Viennese cityscape. Involving several renowned domestic and foreign architects a "master plan" took form, which included the construction of a boulevard instead of the ramparts between the inner city and its radially upstream suburbs. In the 50-years during implementation phase, an impressive architectural ensemble developed, consisting of imperial and private representational buildings, public administration and cultural buildings, churches and barracks, marking the era under the term "ring-street style". Already in the first year tithe decided a senior member of the Austrian imperial family to decorate the facades of his palace according to the new design principles, and thus certified the aristocratic claim that this also "historicism" said style on the part of the imperial house was attributed.
Image: The Old Albertina after 1920
It was the palace of Archduke Albrecht (1817-1895), the Senior of the Habsburg Family Council, who as Field Marshal held the overall command over the Austro-Hungarian army. The building was incorporated into the imperial residence of the Hofburg complex, forming the south-west corner and extending eleven meters above street level on the so-called Augustinerbastei.
The close proximity of the palace to the imperial residence corresponded not only with Emperor Franz Joseph I and Archduke Albert with a close familial relationship between the owner of the palace and the monarch. Even the former inhabitants were always in close relationship to the imperial family, whether by birth or marriage. An exception here again proves the rule: Don Emanuel Teles da Silva Conde Tarouca (1696-1771), for which Maria Theresa in 1744 the palace had built, was just a close friend and advisor of the monarch. Silva Tarouca underpins the rule with a second exception, because he belonged to the administrative services as Generalhofbaudirektor (general court architect) and President of the Austrian-Dutch administration, while all other him subsequent owners were highest ranking military.
In the annals of Austrian history, especially those of military history, they either went into as commander of the Imperial Army, or the Austrian, later kk Army. In chronological order, this applies to Duke Carl Alexander of Lorraine, the brother-of-law of Maria Theresa, as Imperial Marshal, her son-in-law Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen, also field marshal, whos adopted son, Archduke Charles of Austria, the last imperial field marshal and only Generalissimo of Austria, his son Archduke Albrecht of Austria as Feldmarschalil and army Supreme commander, and most recently his nephew Archduke Friedrich of Austria, who held as field marshal from 1914 to 1916 the command of the Austro-Hungarian troops. Despite their military profession, all five generals conceived themselves as patrons of the arts and promoted large sums of money to build large collections, the construction of magnificent buildings and cultural life. Charles Alexander of Lorraine promoted as governor of the Austrian Netherlands from 1741 to 1780 the Academy of Fine Arts, the Théâtre de Ja Monnaie and the companies Bourgeois Concert and Concert Noble, he founded the Academie royale et imperial des Sciences et des Lettres, opened the Bibliotheque Royal for the population and supported artistic talents with high scholarships. World fame got his porcelain collection, which however had to be sold by Emperor Joseph II to pay off his debts. Duke Albert began in 1776 according to the concept of conte Durazzo to set up an encyclopedic collection of prints, which forms the core of the world-famous "Albertina" today.
Image : Duke Albert and Archduchess Marie Christine show in family cercle the from Italy brought along art, 1776. Frederick Henry Füger.
1816 declared to Fideikommiss and thus in future indivisible, inalienable and inseparable, the collection 1822 passed into the possession of Archduke Carl, who, like his descendants, it broadened. Under him, the collection was introduced together with the sumptuously equipped palace on the Augustinerbastei in the so-called "Carl Ludwig'schen fideicommissum in 1826, by which the building and the in it kept collection fused into an indissoluble unity. At this time had from the Palais Tarouca by structural expansion or acquisition a veritable Residenz palace evolved. Duke Albert of Saxe-Teschen was first in 1800 the third floor of the adjacent Augustinian convent wing adapted to house his collection and he had after 1802 by his Belgian architect Louis de Montoyer at the suburban side built a magnificent extension, called the wing of staterooms, it was equipped in the style of Louis XVI. Only two decades later, Archduke Carl the entire palace newly set up. According to scetches of the architect Joseph Kornhäusel the 1822-1825 retreaded premises presented themselves in the Empire style. The interior of the palace testified from now in an impressive way the high rank and the prominent position of its owner. Under Archduke Albrecht the outer appearance also should meet the requirements. He had the facade of the palace in the style of historicism orchestrated and added to the Palais front against the suburbs an offshore covered access. Inside, he limited himself, apart from the redesign of the Rococo room in the manner of the second Blondel style, to the retention of the paternal stock. Archduke Friedrich's plans for an expansion of the palace were omitted, however, because of the outbreak of the First World War so that his contribution to the state rooms, especially, consists in the layout of the Spanish apartment, which he in 1895 for his sister, the Queen of Spain Maria Christina, had set up as a permanent residence.
Picture: The "audience room" after the restoration: Picture: The "balcony room" around 1990
The era of stately representation with handing down their cultural values found its most obvious visualization inside the palace through the design and features of the staterooms. On one hand, by the use of the finest materials and the purchase of masterfully manufactured pieces of equipment, such as on the other hand by the permanent reuse of older equipment parts. This period lasted until 1919, when Archduke Friedrich was expropriated by the newly founded Republic of Austria. With the republicanization of the collection and the building first of all finished the tradition that the owner's name was synonymous with the building name:
After Palais Tarouca or tarokkisches house it was called Lorraine House, afterwards Duke Albert Palais and Palais Archduke Carl. Due to the new construction of an adjacently located administration building it received in 1865 the prefix "Upper" and was referred to as Upper Palais Archduke Albrecht and Upper Palais Archduke Frederick. For the state a special reference to the Habsburg past was certainly politically no longer opportune, which is why was decided to name the building according to the in it kept collection "Albertina".
Picture: The "Wedgwood Cabinet" after the restoration: Picture: the "Wedgwood Cabinet" in the Palais Archduke Friedrich, 1905
This name derives from the term "La Collection Albertina" which had been used by the gallery Inspector Maurice von Thausing in 1870 in the Gazette des Beaux-Arts for the former graphics collection of Duke Albert. For this reason, it was the first time since the foundation of the palace that the name of the collection had become synonymous with the room shell. Room shell, hence, because the Republic of Austria Archduke Friedrich had allowed to take along all the movable goods from the palace in his Hungarian exile: crystal chandeliers, curtains and carpets as well as sculptures, vases and clocks. Particularly stressed should be the exquisite furniture, which stems of three facilities phases: the Louis XVI furnitures of Duke Albert, which had been manufactured on the basis of fraternal relations between his wife Archduchess Marie Christine and the French Queen Marie Antoinette after 1780 in the French Hofmanufakturen, also the on behalf of Archduke Charles 1822-1825 in the Vienna Porcelain Manufactory by Joseph Danhauser produced Empire furnitures and thirdly additions of the same style of Archduke Friedrich, which this about 1900 at Portois & Ffix as well as at Friedrich Otto Schmidt had commissioned.
The "swept clean" building got due to the strained financial situation after the First World War initially only a makeshift facility. However, since until 1999 no revision of the emergency equipment took place, but differently designed, primarily the utilitarianism committed office furnitures complementarily had been added, the equipment of the former state rooms presented itself at the end of the 20th century as an inhomogeneous administrative mingle-mangle of insignificant parts, where, however, dwelt a certain quaint charm. From the magnificent state rooms had evolved depots, storage rooms, a library, a study hall and several officed.
Image: The Albertina Graphic Arts Collection and the Philipphof after the American bombing of 12 März 1945.
Image: The palace after the demolition of the entrance facade, 1948-52
Worse it hit the outer appearance of the palace, because in times of continued anti-Habsburg sentiment after the Second World War and inspired by an intolerant destruction will, it came by pickaxe to a ministerial erasure of history. In contrast to the graphic collection possessed the richly decorated facades with the conspicuous insignia of the former owner an object-immanent reference to the Habsburg past and thus exhibited the monarchial traditions and values of the era of Francis Joseph significantly. As part of the remedial measures after a bomb damage, in 1948 the aristocratic, by Archduke Albert initiated, historicist facade structuring along with all decorations was cut off, many facade figures demolished and the Hapsburg crest emblems plunged to the ground. Since in addition the old ramp also had been cancelled and the main entrance of the bastion level had been moved down to the second basement storey at street level, ended the presence of the old Archduke's palace after more than 200 years. At the reopening of the "Albertina Graphic Collection" in 1952, the former Hapsburg Palais of splendour presented itself as one of his identity robbed, formally trivial, soulless room shell, whose successful republicanization an oversized and also unproportional eagle above the new main entrance to the Augustinian road symbolized. The emocratic throw of monuments had wiped out the Hapsburg palace from the urban appeareance, whereby in the perception only existed a nondescript, nameless and ahistorical building that henceforth served the lodging and presentation of world-famous graphic collection of the Albertina. The condition was not changed by the decision to the refurbishment because there were only planned collection specific extensions, but no restoration of the palace.
Image: The palace after the Second World War with simplified facades, the rudiment of the Danubiusbrunnens (well) and the new staircase up to the Augustinerbastei
This paradigm shift corresponded to a blatant reversal of the historical circumstances, as the travel guides and travel books for kk Residence and imperial capital of Vienna dedicated itself primarily with the magnificent, aristocratic palace on the Augustinerbastei with the sumptuously fitted out reception rooms and mentioned the collection kept there - if at all - only in passing. Only with the repositioning of the Albertina in 2000 under the direction of Klaus Albrecht Schröder, the palace was within the meaning and in fulfillment of the Fideikommiss of Archduke Charles in 1826 again met with the high regard, from which could result a further inseparable bond between the magnificent mansions and the world-famous collection. In view of the knowing about politically motivated errors and omissions of the past, the facades should get back their noble, historicist designing, the staterooms regain their glamorous, prestigious appearance and culturally unique equippment be repurchased. From this presumption, eventually grew the full commitment to revise the history of redemption and the return of the stately palace in the public consciousness.
Image: The restored suburb facade of the Palais Albertina suburb
The smoothed palace facades were returned to their original condition and present themselves today - with the exception of the not anymore reconstructed Attica figures - again with the historicist decoration and layout elements that Archduke Albrecht had given after the razing of the Augustinerbastei in 1865 in order. The neoclassical interiors, today called after the former inhabitants "Habsburg Staterooms", receiving a meticulous and detailed restoration taking place at the premises of originality and authenticity, got back their venerable and sumptuous appearance. From the world wide scattered historical pieces of equipment have been bought back 70 properties or could be returned through permanent loan to its original location, by which to the visitors is made experiencable again that atmosphere in 1919 the state rooms of the last Habsburg owner Archduke Frederick had owned. The for the first time in 80 years public accessible "Habsburg State Rooms" at the Palais Albertina enable now again as eloquent testimony to our Habsburg past and as a unique cultural heritage fundamental and essential insights into the Austrian cultural history. With the relocation of the main entrance to the level of the Augustinerbastei the recollection to this so valuable Austrian Cultural Heritage formally and functionally came to completion. The vision of the restoration and recovery of the grand palace was a pillar on which the new Albertina should arise again, the other embody the four large newly built exhibition halls, which allow for the first time in the history of the Albertina, to exhibit the collection throughout its encyclopedic breadh under optimal conservation conditions.
Image: The new entrance area of the Albertina
64 meter long shed roof. Hans Hollein.
The palace presents itself now in its appearance in the historicist style of the Ringstrassenära, almost as if nothing had happened in the meantime. But will the wheel of time should not, cannot and must not be turned back, so that the double standards of the "Albertina Palace" said museum - on the one hand Habsburg grandeur palaces and other modern museum for the arts of graphics - should be symbolized by a modern character: The in 2003 by Hans Hollein designed far into the Albertina square cantilevering, elegant floating flying roof. 64 meters long, it symbolizes in the form of a dynamic wedge the accelerated urban spatial connectivity and public access to the palace. It advertises the major changes in the interior as well as the huge underground extensions of the repositioned "Albertina".
Christian Benedictine
Art historian with research interests History of Architecture, building industry of the Hapsburgs, Hofburg and Zeremonialwissenschaft (ceremonial sciences). Since 1990 he works in the architecture collection of the Albertina. Since 2000 he supervises as director of the newly founded department "Staterooms" the restoration and furnishing of the state rooms and the restoration of the facades and explores the history of the palace and its inhabitants.
Lighted Farm Implement Parade, Sunnyside, Washington. I am pleasantly surprised how sharp these night photos are considering these shots are hand held and mostly shot at 1/30 and slower shutter speed. IMG_1050
Antique Farm Implement.
Penn Farm Agricultural Heritage Center.
Cedar Hill State Park. Cedar Hill, Texas.
Dallas County. September 10, 2020.
Nikon D800. AF-S Nikkor 14-24mm f/2.8g.
(24mm) f/16 @ 1/40 sec. ISO 250.
Farm implement near Glasgow in rural Saline County Missouri by Notley Hawkins Photography. Taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV camera with a Canon EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens at ƒ/4.0 with a 147 second exposure at ISO 100. Processed with Adobe Lightroom CC.
Follow me on Twitter, Google+, Facebook
©Notley Hawkins
Well, this title proves I must be unhinged but I didn't even forget it since last night when I thought it up so it stuck. Unfortunately two of the clunky signs showed in this shot and I will probably clone them out when I collapse the layers back together. Way too much work otherwise. The crowd was a bit much for a Friday weekday and even highway #66 seemed overloaded with travelers and RVs probably on their way up to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park (area right of the wind mill). Highway #66 does not appear in this shot and thank goodness I had little cloning on the cars! I appreciated the way the sky was beginning to display in a spray on the widest angle shots. I moved in for consecutively tighter shots on the red barn after I captured "The old spread" and tried to crop out problems as was possible. I fiddled with the horizon but it has to be on a slant. The terrain slopes down and left to McIntosh Lake that is over in northwest Longmont. On the right hand side of the frame is the new stock shed where they are housing the ponies and pigs while the slow elk, left, have to feed themselves. There are several exhibits inside the red barn for the mommas to explain to the kiddies. All the kiddies want is a cool soda pop as long as they have to walk. Careful, the chickens and bunnies are under foot; a delight to the kiddies no doubt. I went out again on Sunday and shot more photos including some of the signs so I'd have a record. We can't agree which was the McIntosh barn and which was moved in from the FAA property. A strange day it is because the place was empty but Highway #66 was a real pain with folks apparently heading for Rocky Mountain National Park. We just got out of there last Tuesday and I figure it will be a wild one for the summer. You couldn't pay me to go now, except for a cooler day.
This is the McIntosh-Lohr Farm Agricultural Museum on Highway #66, (not the same as Route #66). I had by now dropped everything else. Though the clouding has been absent recently, they really popped the structures today but I still had to wait for the chickens to cross the road before they allowed me passage. Today, though, served up a sprinkle and they promise 92 tomorrow. Keep editing in the cool, I guess. I am spending extra time on the best of the captures considering these abundant skies. I was just in time for the sky. I looked out of my window and jumped up, gathered my camera and split. I scored shots out here some years ago but the sky was a dud and I was using my old D70. The farm/museum is part way between Largemont and Hygiene, Colorado. Today, I can afford the time to stop and look (it was my "race on debt" for being there) over the old shots I ought to have spotted before. I bet though I'd better manage it in an hour or two. They have added new venues and I am in a wandering mood. Here is one of my results. The day would later collapse to overcast, allowing time to start editing. There COULD be some time involved in editing. After I boiled the layers down to a TIFF, I edited objects I could then.
It is now the countdown to Christmas, and with many airlines already preparing for the seasonal rush, they are also preparing the upcoming S25 schedule for next summer which continues to see modifications and finalisations before being implemented from late-March 2025.
British Airways in the wake struggling aircraft availability are in the process of finalising their S25 schedule for next summer; unavailability has played a part in certain routes seeing frequency reductions and even outright cancelled, but there are certain routes that do see frequency increases as a result of refurbishment programmes being complete.
With credit as ever to AeroRoutes and British Airways reservation system, here are the expected changes taking place to the flag-carrier's long-haul network to commence from 30th March 2025 unless stated otherwise:
-Austin-Bergstrom: Commencing from 31st March 2025, increased from daily to 13 weekly flights; BA191/190 converted from Airbus A350-1000s to 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs, whilst newly introduced 6 weekly BA187/186 utilises Boeing 787-10s.
-Bahrain: Previously daily flight cancelled, now operating thrice weekly on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday only (Monday, Wednesday and Friday only from Bahrain) utilising Boeing 787-8s instead of 4-class Boeing 777-200ERs.
-Chicago-O'Hare: Capacity changes to thrice daily flights; BA295/294 utilises Boeing 787-10s instead of 4-class Boeing 777-200ERs, BA297/296 utilises Boeing 777-300ERs instead of Boeing 787-10s, and BA299/298 utilises 4-class Boeing 777-200ERs instead of Boeing 787-9s.
-Dallas-Fort Worth: Daily flight (BA193/192) cancelled, tentatively scheduled to recommence from 26th October 2025.
-Delhi-Indira Ghandi: Continues to operate twice daily instead of previously planned thrice daily scheduled from 19th April 2025; both BA143/142 and BA257/256 utilises Boeing 787-8s.
-Hong Kong-Chek Lap Kok: Reduced from twice daily to daily; BA31/32 utilises Airbus A350-1000s instead of 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs.
-Johannesburg-O.R. Tambo: Continues to operate twice daily; both flights now utilise Airbus A380s with BA55/54 converted from Boeing 777-300ERs. BA57/56 continues to utilise Airbus A380s.
-Kuala Lumpur-Sepang: Now scheduled to be reintroduced from 1st April 2025, BA33/34 operates daily utilising Boeing 787-9s.
-Kuwait City: Daily flight (BA157/156) cancelled.
-Las Vegas-Harry Reid: Increased from daily to 10 weekly flights; BA275/274 operates daily utilising Airbus A350-1000s, whilst BA271/270 operates thrice weekly utilising 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs. Of note, from 16th June 2025 to 9th September 2025 sees BA271/270 temporarily suspended.
-Miami: Reduced from twice daily to daily; BA209/208 cancelled, whilst BA207/206 operates daily utilising Airbus A380s.
-Pittsburgh: Increased from 6 weekly to daily; BA171/170 utilises a mixture of Boeing 787-8/9/10s.
-Rio de Janeiro/Galeão-Antonio Carlos Jobim: Continues to operate daily; BA249/248High-J Boeing 777-200ERs instead of Airbus A350-1000s.
-San Diego: Seasonal twice daily flights reintroduced; BA265/264 utilises Boeing 777-300ERs instead of 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs, whilst BA273/272 utilises Boeing 787-8s.
-Vancouver: Gradually increases from daily to twice daily; BA85/84 operates daily utilising 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs instead of Airbus A350-1000s, whilst newly introduced BA87/86 initially operates 4 weekly from 5th April 2025, increasing to daily from 18th June 2025 utilising 3-class High-J Boeing 777-200ERs.
-Washington-Dulles: Increases from twice to thrice daily; BA217/216 utilises Boeing 777-300ERs instead of 4-class Boeing 777-200ERs, newly-introduced BA291/290 utilises Boeing 787-8s, and BA293/292 utilises Airbus A380s.
Thus far, the major changes have been select flights being cancelled either filled by other airlines or their transatlantic partner, American Airlines. Direct transatlantic flights otherwise not served by their partner do see various increases, notably Austin, Las Vegas, Pittsburgh, San Diego, Vancouver and Washington-Dulles. Compared to the previous winter schedule, British Airways do expect aircraft availability to improve for next summer.
Currently, British Airways operates 41 Boeing 787s, which includes 12 Boeing 787-8s, 18 Boeing 787-9s and 11 Boeing 787-10s. British Airways have 7 Boeing 787-10s on-order.
Zulu Bravo Lima Hotel is one of 11 Boeing 787-10s operated by British Airways, delivered new to the flag-carrier on 12th June 2024 and she is powered by 2 Rolls-Royce Trent 1000-J3 engines.
Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner G-ZBLH on short finals into Runway 27L at London Heathrow (LHR) on BA48 from Seattle-Tacoma (SEA), Washington.
Spotted on our travels through Mid Wales. This old implement would have had a seat on the support between the two wheels and judging by the set up at the front would have been pulled by a large horse. Any ideas what it may have been used for.
View On Black Then select Large for the bigger picture.
Antiqued version here. www.flickr.com/photos/wdig/4702143163/
立法會監察西九文化區計劃推行情況聯合小組委員會參觀西九文化區
立法会监察西九文化区计划推行情况联合小组委员会参观西九文化区
LegCo Joint Subcommittee to Monitor the Implementation of the West Kowloon Cultural District Project visits West Kowloon Cultural District (2016.12.12)
In order to address the problem of water scarcity in Swabi District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, #Alkhidmat Foundation Pakistan Khyber Pakhtunkhwa chapter has implemented another water project in Village Topy. This water project is expected to provide clean water for drinking and domestic usage to almost 23 families living in this village.
Retired school principal Yvonne Knight-Carter's family land qualifies for implementation and maintenance of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Practice Firebreak (Code 394) on the forested land behind her childhood home and other neighboring family homes, near Moncks Corners, SC, on November 19, 2020. The firebreak line marks the stop of a lightning strike fire that threatened the homes and surrounding area. Today, a bulldozer refreshes and widens the firebreak to the full specification of a forester’s conservation firebreak plan.
She works with NRCS Soil Conservationist Jabril Wright worked with Ms. Knight-Carter during her application and conducts site visits to ensure state and local coordination and work is happening as planned. For more information about NRCS Firebreaks and associated practices, please go to nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/national/technical/nra/?cid=nrcs144p2_027147. USDA Media by Lance Cheung.
Paranapiacaba: Origem: Wikipédia, a enciclopédia livre.
Por concessão, um grupo inglês explorou o sistema ferroviário na Serra do Mar. E o primeiro sistema implementado foi o sistema funicular: com cabos e máquinas fixas. A primeira linha, com onze quilômetros de extensão, foi inaugurada em 1867 pelo grupo São Paulo Railway. Ela começou a ser construída em 1862 e teve como um dos maiores acionistas e idealizadores o lendário Barão de Mauá. Em 1859, ele chamou o engenheiro ferroviário britânico James Brunlees, que veio ao Brasil e deu viabilidade ao projeto. A execução de tal projeto foi de responsabilidade de outro engenheiro inglês, Daniel Makinson Fox. Um ponto curioso é que pela instabilidade do terreno, a construção da estrada de ferro foi quase artesanal. Não se utilizou explosivos por medo de desmoronamento. As rochas foram cortadas com talhadeiras e pequenas ferramentas manuais. Paredões de até 3 metros e 20 centímetros de altura foram construídos ao logo do traçado da estrada de ferro. A segunda linha começou a funcionar em 1900. Além de dar mais força ao sistema, os cabos e as máquinas fixas economizam energia para a operação dos trens. No entanto, vários acidentes eram registrados, principalmente pelo rompimento dos cabos. Havia uma espécie de freio, a tenaz, que agarrava os cabos para evitar a saída dos trens dos trilhos. Nem sempre o sistema, no entanto, funcionava de maneira satisfatória. Em 1956, um grande acidente foi evitado pelo maquinista na época, Romão Justo Filho, nascido em Paranapiacaba no mês de março de 1911, filho de maquinista também. Se a composição descarrilasse, cerca de 150 pessoas poderiam perder a vida. Através da utilização correta do sistema da tenaz, Romão foi “agarrando” aos poucos o cabo até que o trem parasse.
Os cabos do locobreque levavam desenvolvimento e riqueza para a região do ABC Paulista e de Santos. Tanto é que a companhia inglesa criou em 1896 uma vila essencialmente de ferroviários, com construções de madeira no estilo inglês. Em 1907, a Vila foi chamada de Paranapiacapa, mas até 1945 a estação continuou a ser chamada de Alto da Serra. A Vila possuía todos os recursos da época para os maquinistas, fiscais e “foguistas” – responsáveis pela alimentação da fornalha da máquina fixa e da máquina dos trens. Além de um mercado, de um posto de saúde, de um vagão-ambulância e até um vagão funerário, onde o velório era feito dentro da composição entre Santos e Paranapiacaba, os funcionários possuíam um centro de recreação, o União Lira Serrano, e um Campo de Futebol. No União Lira Serrano eram exibidos filmes, shows musicais e realizados bailes temáticos. A concessão da linha da Serra do Mar não foi apenas glórias e desenvolvimento. Fatos até hoje não explicados satisfatoriamente marcaram a história dos trilhos por onde circularam os Locobreques. Exemplos são os incêndios da Estação da Luz, dois dias antes da primeira etapa da concessão dos ingleses terminar, em 1946, e na velha estação de Paranapiacaba, em 1981. Antes mesmo do incêndio, a estação já havia sido desativada em 1977 e substituída pelo prédio atual. O relógio estilo inglês foi poupado no incêndio e deslocado para uma torre mais alta que a anterior. Nos dois incêndios, tanto na Estação da Luz quanto em Paranapiacaba, a suspeita principal é de motivação criminosa. Milhões de reais foram gastos para a reconstrução da Estação da Luz, que passou por décadas ainda sentido os efeitos do incêndio. Tanto é que ela teve de ser restaurada. A obra de restauração completa foi entregue somente em 2004, data dos 450 anos da cidade de São Paulo. A Estação da Luz teve três etapas fundamentais: Ela foi inaugurada em 1867, num pequeno prédio na região central da capital paulista. A demanda de passageiros foi aumentando aos poucos, e cerca de 15 anos depois o pequeno prédio foi demolido e um outro maior foi construído. A cidade crescia muito rapidamente e a estação teve de aumentar ainda mais. Em 1890 começaram as obras da estação na configuração atual. Em 1900, o segundo prédio antigo foi demolido e em 1901, a nova estação foi inaugurada. Obras constantes de modificações e ampliações foram realizadas ao longo das décadas na Estação da Luz, já que além da demanda de passageiros ser maior, o número de linhas férreas urbanas também cresceu. Antes mesmo do Locobreque, na Serra do Mar, uma primitiva máquina de madeira, também tracionada por cabos fazia o transporte entre os cinco patamares. Era a Serrabreque. Durante a operação da Serrabreque, Barão de Mauá era um dos administradores. Posteriormente, na vila de Paranapiacaba, os ingleses, no alto de uma subida, construíram uma mansão, que servia de centro de controle operacional. Apelidada pelos ferroviários de "Castelinho", a posição do local proporcionava uma privilegiada visão do sistema e de toda a estrutura da vila de Paranapiacaba. O sistema ferroviário da Serra do Mar era composto por diversos túneis, que eram alvos de lendas e histórias assombradas disseminadas pelos próprios ferroviários. Algumas dessas lendas tiveram origem no fato de muitos operários terem morrido na construção desses túneis.
Pátio ferroviário, estações e relógio:
A São Paulo Railway inaugurou sua linha férrea em 16 de fevereiro de 1867. Servia como transporte de passageiros e meio de localizada na então freguesia de São Bernardo. No ano de 1898, foi erguida uma nova estação com madeira, ferro e telhas francesas trazidos da Inglaterra. Esta estação tinha, como característica principal, o grande relógio fabricado pela Johnny Walker Benson, de Londres, que se destacava no meio da neblina muito comum naquela região. Com o aumento do volume e peso da carga transportada, foi iniciada em 1896 a duplicação da linha férrea, paralela à primeira, a fim de atender à crescente demanda. Essa nova linha, também denominada de Serra Nova, era formada por 5 planos inclinados e 5 patamares, criando um novo sistema funicular. Os assim chamados novos planos inclinados atravessavam 11 túneis em plena rocha, enfrentando o desnível de 796 metros que se iniciava no sopé da serra, em Piaçagüera, no município de Cubatão. O traçado da ferrovia foi retificado e suavizado e ampliaram-se os edifícios operacionais. A inauguração deu-se em 28 de dezembro de 1901. A primeira estação foi desativada e reutilizada, posteriormente, como cooperativa dos planos inclinados. A 15 de julho de 1945, a "Estação do Alto da Serra" passa a se denominar "Estação de Paranapiacaba". A 13 de outubro de 1946, a São Paulo Railway foi encampada pela União, criando-se a "Estrada de Ferro Santos-Jundiaí". Somente em 1950 a rede passa a unir-se à Rede Ferroviária Federal. Em 1974, é inaugurada o sistema de cremalheira aderência. No ano de 1977, a segunda estação foi desativada, dando lugar à atual estação. O relógio foi transferido do alto da estação anterior para a base de tijolo de barro atual. A 14 de janeiro de 1981, ocorreu um incêndio na antiga estação, destruindo-a completamente. O sistema funicular foi desativado em 1982. Em 2010, o Correio fez lançamento de selo postal ostentando o patrimônio ferroviário de Paranapiacaba.
Museu do funicular:
Trata-se da exibição das máquinas fixas do quinto patamar da segunda linha e a do quarto patamar da primeira linha, que transportavam o trem por meio do sistema funicular.
No museu, há, também, a exposição de diversos objetos de uso ferroviário, fotos e fichas funcionais de muitos ex-funcionários da ferrovia.
O locobreque:
O "locobreque" tinha a função de frear a composição na descida da serra e simultaneamente empurrava outra composição que subia. O cabo entre as duas máquinas passava por uma grande roda volante, chamada de "máquina-fixa" que ficava em cada um dos cinco patamares. Do nome inglês original, loco-brake, a máquina funcionava pela queima de carvão ou madeira numa fornalha, abastecida pelo foguista, que trabalhava ao lado do maquinista. As máquinas "locobreque" foram construídas em 1901 por Robert Stephenson & Co. Ltd. O sistema funicular proporcionava maior economia de energia gasta pelo "locobreque" e possibilitava o desempenho do trem nos aclives e declives. Havia uma inclinação de 8 graus entre cada um dos cinco patamares. Quando subia a Serra do Mar, o "locobreque" empurrava os vagões, que ficavam na frente da máquina. Quando descia, ele segurava os vagões, que ficavam atrás da máquina. Como o trem não tinha marcha-ré, havia um sistema chamado popularmente de "viradouro", através do qual os funcionários invertiam o sentido da locomotiva, girando a máquina em torno de si mesma. Antes do "locobreque" havia uma primitiva máquina de madeira, também tracionada por cabos, que fazia o transporte entre os cinco patamares. Era o "serrabreque". Durante a operação do "serrabreque", o Barão de Mauá ainda era um dos financistas da companhia. Até a metade do século XX, o transporte ferroviário era sinônimo de luxo. E um dos marcos foi o trem Cometa, que fazia a linha Santos – São Paulo. O trem possuía serviço de bordo e poltronas leito, como as de ônibus. Além dele, também havia os trens Estrela, Planeta e Litorina (Semi-luxo).
Museu do castelo:
Essa residência, também denominada de "Castelinho", situa-se entre a Vila Velha e a Vila Martin Smith. Localizada no alto de uma colina, com uma excelente vista privilegiada para toda a vila ferroviária, foi construída por volta de 1897 para ser a residência do engenheiro-chefe, que gerenciava o tráfego de trens na subida e descida da Serra do Mar, o pátio de manobras, as oficinas e os funcionários residentes na vila. Sua imponência simbolizava a liderança e a hierarquia que os ingleses impuseram a toda a vila; ela é avistada de qualquer ponto de Paranapiacaba. Dizia-se que de suas janelas voltadas para todos os lados de Paranapiacaba, o engenheiro-chefe fiscalizava a vida de seus subordinados, não hesitando em demitir qualquer solteiro que estivesse nas imediações das casas dos funcionários casados. No decorrer de mais de um século de uso, foram feitas várias reformas e tentativas de recuperação de seu aspecto original; as maiores reformulações foram realizadas nas décadas de 1950 e 1960. Foi restaurado pela prefeitura de Santo André em parceria com a World Monuments Fund.
Casas dos engenheiros:
Característica da arquitetura hierarquizada de Paranapiacaba, as casas habitadas pelos engenheiros e suas famílias eram de alto padrão. Grandes e avarandadas, foram construídas em madeira nos tempos da São Paulo Railway, com plantas baixas individualizadas; depois, em alvenaria nos tempos da Rede Ferroviária Federal, com mesmo padrão de plantas. Muitas sofreram reformas em vários momentos, principalmente com a chegada da RFFSA. Uma das caracteríticas que chama a atenção é a cobertura do imóvel, pois somente com estudos elaborados pelos conselhos de reconhecimento, concluiu-se que o material das telhas não era ardósia, e sim fibrocimento, introduzidos provavelmente a partir da década de 50 entre alguma das reformas que sofreram.
Casas de solteiros:
Características da arquitetura hierarquizada de Paranapiacaba, as casas de solteiros eram conhecidas como barracos. Foram construídas em madeira, exceto duas em alvenaria. Essa tipologia foi criada pela São Paulo Railway, e a Rede Ferroviária Federal deu continuidade, construindo-as em alvenaria. A planta dessas casas possui
dormitórios, sanitários e cozinha para pequenas refeições, serviam para alojar o grande fluxo de homens solteiros, que preenchiam as vagas de ferroviários. Havia poucos sanitários e chuveiros, já que os trabalhadores se revezavam em turnos.
When I was at the McIntosh/Lohr exhibit/fair, I found this collection of "draw bar" hitches against the north side of the red Dickens barn as I was admiring the hayseed ride. I suppose all were used on horse-drawn implements. I notice that there is an iron wooden wheel rim in the shot. It looks like an axle that is hooked to the first one.
I am not sure what these contraptions hauled; perhaps several devices. Several bits and pieces are collected along the weeds of the north side of the Dickens barn. I managed to capture a fairly crisp shot even at the really slow shutter speed of 1/20sec with the monopod. I usually make another snap at the slow speeds, if I am not confident. I neared my record for slow speed shots today. Anyway I got a kick wheb i thought of the title so here it is.
On this day, the McIntosh/Lohr held animal and agricultural demonstrations. This is the McIntosh-Lohr Farm Agricultural Museum on Highway #66, (not the same as Route #66). The property is north of the McIntosh Lake Park. Recently we have been graced with Typical June skies, so I am trying to take advantage of them. The lighting is already going. Today served up more clouding and a promise of more 80s. We might be creeping up on 90s but they should be in August. The runoff could be a disaster even though that ought to be in later June. See if you can detect the climate changes around your local. I am choosing to edit and I am spending extra time on the best of the captures considering these abundant skies. I was just in time for the sky on that day. I scored a lot of shots out here some time ago but I am here for a walk.
The farm/museum is part way between Largemont and Hygiene, Colorado on state highway #66. I created a Photo Set for the McIntosh/Lohr Agricultural Museum.
Soybeans grown by Norwood Farms owners and producers Don and son Grant Norwood who have been helped by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) District Conservationist Ron Harrison to implement their crop rotation and residue management practices to reduce erosion leading to improved land use and crop production; they also practice no-till farming on nearly every acre in the operation, in Henry County, TN, on Sept 19, 2019.
The stover of remaining corn stalk stubs, leaves, and cobs that are expelled and and left behind the corn harvester becomes a cover crop. The stover can be seen between soybean crop.
Crop dusters adapted with a seed spreader can seed directly into standing corn and standing soybeans. This gives the seeds a chance to get established before it freezes. In the spring, the cover crop will grow up through the corn stover.
Norwood Farms have successfully established the building blocks of conservation with conservation crop rotation on the entire Norwood operation. The crops are rotated between corn, wheat, soybeans and in some cases, corn cover crops and soybeans cover crops. The practices are implemented to reduced erosion sediment in surface water and are leading to improved land use and crop production.
Conservation Crop Rotation (Practice Code 328) is a management practices where growing a planned sequence of various crops takes place on the same piece of land for a variety of conservation purposes. Crops included in conservation crop rotation include high-residue producing crops such as corn or wheat in rotation with low-residue- producing crops such as soybeans. Crop rotations vary with soil type, crops produced, farming operations, and how the crop residue is managed. The most effective crops for soil improvement is fibrous-rooted high-residue producing crops such as grass and small grain.
Residue and Tillage Management (Practice Code 329) is managing the amount, orientation and distribution of crop and other plant residue on the soil surface throughout the year. For our area, we are utilizing reduced tillage and no-till. Residue and Tillage Management should be used on all cropland fields, especially where excess sheet and rill erosion are a problem. Residue and tillage management is most effective when used with other conservation practices like grassed waterways, contouring, field borders, etc.
NRCS has a proud history of supporting America's farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners. For more than 80 years, we have helped people make investments in their operations and local communities to keep working lands working, boost rural economies, increase the competitiveness of American agriculture, and improve the quality of our air, water, soil, and habitat. As the USDA's primary private lands conservation agency, we generate, manage, and share the data, technology, and standards that enable partners and policymakers to make decisions informed by objective, reliable science. And through one-on-one, personalized advice, we work voluntarily with producers and communities to find the best solutions to meet their unique conservation and business goals. By doing so, we help ensure the health of our natural resources and the long-term sustainability of American agriculture.
Farm Production and Conservation (FPAC) is the Department's focal point for the nationâs farmers and ranchers and other stewards of private agricultural lands and non-industrial private forest lands. FPAC agencies implement programs designed to mitigate the significant risks of farming through crop insurance services, conservation programs, and technical assistance, and commodity, lending, and disaster programs.
The agencies and services supporting FPAC are Farm Service Agency (FSA), NRCS, and Risk Management Agency (RMA).
For more information please see www.usda.gov
USDA Photo by Lance Cheung.
Rural farm near Huntsdale in Boone County Missouri by Notley Hawkins. Taken with a Canon EOS 5D Mark III camera with a Canon EF16-35mm f/2.8L USM lens at ƒ/4.0 with a 108 second exposure at ISO 100. Processed with Adobe Lightroom CC.
Follow me on Twitter, Google+, Facebook, Instagram
©Notley Hawkins
Jainism (/ˈdʒeɪnɪzəm/ or /ˈdʒaɪnɪzəm/), traditionally known as Jina Sashana or Jain dharma (Sanskrit: जैन धर्म), is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of nonviolence towards all living beings. Practitioners believe that nonviolence and self-control are the means by which they can obtain liberation from the cycle of births and deaths.
The word "Jain" is derived from the Sanskrit word Jina (meaning victor). A human being who has conquered all inner passions like attachment, desire, anger, pride, greed, etc. and therefore, possesses pure infinite knowledge (Kevala Jnana) is called Jina. Followers of the path practised and preached by Jinas are known as Jains.
Jainism is one of the oldest religions in the world. It has also been regarded as one of the most scientific of all religions. Jains trace their history through a succession of twenty-four teachers and revivers of Jain teachings known as tirthankaras with Rishabha as the first and Mahāvīra as the last of the current era.
DOCTRINE
NON-VIOLENCE (AHIMSA)
The principle of ahimsa is the most fundamental and well known aspect of Jain religious practice. The everyday implementation of ahimsa is more comprehensive than in other religions and is the hallmark for Jain identity. Non-violence is practiced first and foremost during interactions with other human beings, and Jains believe in avoiding harm to others through actions, speech and thoughts.
In addition to other humans, Jains extend the practice of nonviolence towards all living beings. As this ideal cannot be completely implemented in practice, Jains recognize a hierarchy of life, which gives more protection to humans followed by animals followed by insects followed by plants. For this reason, vegetarianism is a hallmark of Jain practice, with the majority of Jains practicing lacto-vegetarianism. If there is violence against animals during the production of dairy products, veganism is also encouraged (see Jain vegetarianism). After humans and animals, insects are the next living being offered protection in Jain practice with avoidance of intentional harm to insects emphasized. For example, insects in the home are often escorted out instead of killed. Intentional harm and the absence of compassion make an action more violent per Jainism.
After nonviolence towards humans, animals and insects, Jains make efforts not to injure plants any more than necessary. Although they admit that plants must be destroyed for the sake of food, they accept such violence only inasmuch as it is indispensable for human survival. Strict Jains, including Jain monks and nuns, do not eat root vegetables such as potatoes, onions and garlic, because tiny organisms are injured when the plant is pulled up, and also because a bulb or tuber's ability to sprout is seen as characteristic of a living being.
Jainism has a very elaborate framework on types of life and includes life-forms that may be invisible. Per Jainism, the intent and emotions behind the violence are more important than the action itself. For example, if a person kills another living being out of carelessness and then regrets later, the karma bandhan (bondage of karma) is less versus when the person kills the same living being with anger, revenge, etc. The emotions (bhava) determine the bondage of karmas. A soldier acting in self defense is a different type of violence versus someone killing another person out of hatred or revenge.
Violence or war in self-defense may be justified, but this must only be used as a last resort after peaceful measures have been thoroughly exhausted. Mahatma Gandhi notably practiced and preached ahimsa.
NON ABSOLUTISM
The second main principle of Jainism is non-absolutism (anēkāntavāda). For Jains, non-absolutism means maintaining open-mindedness. This includes the recognition of all perspectives and a humble respect for differences in beliefs. Jainism encourages its adherents to consider the views and beliefs of their rivals and opposing parties. The principle of anekāntavāda influenced Mahatma Gandhi to adopt principles of religious tolerance and ahiṃsā.
Anekāntavāda emphasizes the principles of pluralism (multiplicity of viewpoints) and the notion that truth and reality are perceived differently from diverse points of view, no single one of which is complete.
Jains illustrate this theory through the parable of the blind men and an elephant. In this story, each blind man feels a different part of an elephant: its trunk, leg, ear, and so on. All of them claim to understand and explain the true appearance of the elephant but, due to their limited perspectives, can only partly succeed. The concept of anēkāntavāda extends to and is further explained by Syādvāda (below).
Non-possessiveness
The third main principle in Jainism is non-possessiveness (aparigraha). This is the concept of greedlessness or non-grasping and includes non-materialism. Jainism emphasizes taking no more than is truly necessary. While ownership of objects is allowed, non-attachment to possessions is taught. Followers should minimize the tendency to hoard unnecessary material possessions and limit attachment to current possessions. Further, wealth and possessions should be shared and donated whenever possible. Jainism believes that unchecked attachment to possessions can lead to direct harm to oneself and others.
Five main vows
Jainism encourages spiritual development through cultivation of personal wisdom and through reliance on self-control through vows. Jains accept different levels of compliance for strict followers and laymen. Followers of this religion undertake five major vows:
1. Ahimsa: Ahimsa means nonviolence. The first major vow taken by followers is to cause no harm to living beings. It involves minimizing intentional and unintentional harm to other living creatures by actions, speech or thoughts.
2. Satya: Satya means truth. This vow is to always speak the truth. Given that non-violence has priority, other principles yield to it whenever they conflict: in a situation where speaking truth could lead to violence, silence may be observed.
3. Asteya: Asteya means not stealing. Jains should not take anything that is not willingly offered. Attempting to extort material wealth from others or to exploit the weak is considered theft. Fair value should be given for all goods and services purchased.
4. Brahmacharya: Brahmacharya means chastity for laymen and celibacy for Jain monks and nuns. This requires the exercise of control over the senses to control indulgence in sexual activity.
5. Aparigraha: Aparigraha means non-possessiveness. This includes non-materialism and non-attachment to objects, places and people. Jain monks and nuns completely renounce property and social relations.
Monks and nuns are obligated to practice the five cardinal principles of non-violence, truthfulness, non-stealing, celibacy, and non-possessiveness very strictly, while laymen are encouraged to observe them within their current practical limitations.
Additionally, Jainism identifies four passions of the mind: Anger, pride (ego), deceitfulness, greed. It recommends conquering anger by forgiveness, pride by humility, deceitfulness by straight-forwardness and greed by contentment.
GOD
Jainism rejects the idea of a creator or destroyer god and postulates that the universe is eternal. Jainism believes every soul has the potential for salvation and to become god. In Jainism, perfect souls with body are called Arihantas (victors) and perfect souls without the body are called Siddhas (liberated souls). Tirthankara is an Arihanta who help others in achieving liberation. Jainism has been described as a transtheistic religion , as it does not teach the dependency on any supreme being for enlightenment. The Tirthankara is a guide and teacher who points the way to enlightenment, but the struggle for enlightenment is one's own.
- Arihanta (Jina)- A human being who conquers all inner passions and possesses infinite knowledge (Kevala Jnana). They are also known as Kevalins (omniscient beings). There are two kinds of Arihantas -
1. Sāmānya (Ordinary victors) - Kevalins who are concerned with their own salvation.
2. Tirthankara - Tīrthaṅkara literally means a 'ford-maker', or a founder of salvation teaching. They propagate and revitalize the Jain faith and become role-models for those seeking spiritual guidance. They reorganise the fourfold order (chaturvidha sangha) that consists of monks (śramana), nuns (śramani), male followers (srāvaka) and female followers (śravaika). Jains believe that exactly twenty-four tirthankaras are born in each half cycle of time (Jain cosmology). The last tirthankara, Mahavira and his predecessor Parsvanatha are historical figures whose existence is recorded.
Siddhas (the liberated beings), although they are formless, this is how they are depicted in Jain temples
- Siddha- Siddhas are Arihantas who attain salvation (moksha) and dwell in Siddhashila with infinite bliss, infinite perception, infinite knowledge and infinite energy.
PRACTICES
MONASTICISM
In Jainism, monasticism is encouraged and respected. Jain monks and nuns live extremely austere and ascetic lifestyles. They follow the five main vows of Jainism absolutely. Jain monks and nuns have neither a permanent home nor possessions. They do not use vehicles and always travel barefoot from one place to another, irrespective of the distance. They wander from place to place except during the months of Chaturmas. They do not use telephones or electricity. They do not prepare food and live only on what people offer them. Jain monks and nuns also usually keep a cloth for ritual mouth-covering to avoid inadvertently harming micro-organisms in the air. Most will carry a broomlike object (Rayoharan), made from dense, thick thread strands, to sweep the ground ahead of them, or before sitting down, to avoid inadvertently crushing small insects.
The monks of Jainism, whose presence is not needed for most Jain rituals, should not be confused with priests. However, some sects of Jainism often employ a pujari, who need not be a Jain, to perform special daily rituals and other priestly duties at the temple.
PRAYERS
Jains pray to these passionless gods not for any favors, material goods or rewards but rather pray to the qualities of the god with the objective of destroying their own karmas and achieving liberation. This is best understood by the term vandetadgunalabhdhaye – i.e. "we pray to the attributes of such Gods to acquire such attributes".
NAVKAR MANTRA
The Navkār mantra is the fundamental prayer of Jainism and may be recited at any time. In this mantra, Jains worship the qualities (Gunas) of the spiritually supreme in order to attain Godhood. The prayer does not name any one particular person. In Jainism, the purpose of worship or prayer is to break the barriers of worldly attachments and desires and to assist in the liberation of the soul.
FASTING
Most Jains fast throughout the year, particularly during festivals (fasting in Jainism). This takes on various forms and may be practiced based on one's ability. Some examples include: eating only one or two meals per day, drinking only water all day, not eating after sunset, not eating processed foods, eating food without sugar/oil/salt. Two purposes of fasting are to exercise self-control and to clear the mind to devote more mental energy to prayer.
MEDITATION
Jains have developed a type of meditation called samayika, a term derived from the word samaya. The goal of Samayika is to achieve a feeling of perfect calmness and to understand the unchanging truth of the self. Such meditation is based on contemplation of the universe and the reincarnation of self. Samayika is particularly important during the Paryushana religious festival. It is believed that meditation will assist in managing and balancing one's passions. Great emphasis is placed on the internal control of thoughts, as they influence behavior, actions and goals.
Jains follow six duties known as avashyakas: samyika (practising serenity), chaturvimshati (praising the tirthankara), vandan (respecting teachers and monks), pratikramana (introspection), kayotsarga (stillness), and pratyakhyana (renunciation).
PHILOSOPHY
SOUL AND KARMA
According to Jains, souls are intrinsically pure and possess the qualities of infinite knowledge, infinite perception, infinite bliss and infinite energy in their ideal state. In reality, however, these qualities are found to be obstructed due to the soul's association with a substance called karma. The ultimate goal in Jainism is to obtain moksha, which means liberation or salvation of the soul completely freeing it from karmic bondage.
The relationship between the soul and karma is explained by the analogy of gold. Gold is always found mixed with impurities in its natural state. Similarly, the ideal, pure state of the soul is always mixed with the impurities of karma. Just like gold, purification of the soul may be achieved if the proper methods of refining are applied. The Jain karmic theory is used to attach responsibility to individual action and is cited to explain inequalities, sufferings and pain.
THREE GEMS
The following three gems of Jainism lay down the path to achieve liberation of the soul (moksha).
1. Right View (Samyak Darshana) - Having the right perception and seeking the truth while avoiding preconceptions that get in the way of seeing things clearly.
2, Right Knowledge (Samyak Gyana) - Having the right knowledge of Jain principles.
3. Right Conduct (Samyak Charitra) - Applying Jain principles to your life.
TATTVA
Jain metaphysics is based on seven or nine fundamentals which are known as tattva, which attempt to explain the nature of the human predicament and to provide solutions for the ultimate goal of liberation of the soul (moksha):
1. Jīva: The essence of living beings is called jiva, a substance which is different from the body that houses it. Consciousness, knowledge and perception are its fundamental attributes.
2. Ajīva: Non-living entities that consist of matter, space and time.
3. Asrava: The interaction between jīva and ajīva causes the influx of karma (a particular form of ajiva) into the soul.
4. Bandha: The karma masks the jiva and restricts it from having its true potential of perfect knowledge and perception.
5. Saṃvara: Through right conduct, it is possible to stop the influx of additional karma.
6. Nirjarā: By performing asceticism, it is possible to discard the existing karma.
7. Mokṣa: The liberated jiva which has removed its karma and is said to have the pure, intrinsic quality of perfect knowledge and perception.
Some authors add two additional categories: the meritorious (puńya) and demeritorious (pāpa) acts related to karma.
SYATVADA
Syādvāda is the doctrine extending from non-absolutism (anēkāntavāda). This recommends the expression of anekānta by prefixing the epithet Syād to every phrase or expression. The Sanskrit etymological root of the term syād is "perhaps" or "maybe", but in the context of syādvāda it means "in some ways" or "from some perspective." As reality is complex, no single proposition can express its full nature. The term syāt- should therefore be prefixed to each proposition, giving it a conditional point of view and thus removing dogmatism from the statement. There are seven conditioned propositions (saptibhaṅgī) in syādvāda as follows:
1. syād-asti—in some ways, it is;
2. syād-nāsti—in some ways, it is not;
3. syād-asti-nāsti—in some ways, it is, and it is not;
4. syād-asti-avaktavyaḥ—in some ways, it is, and it is indescribable;
5. syād-nāsti-avaktavyaḥ—in some ways, it is not, and it is indescribable;
6. syād-asti-nāsti-avaktavyaḥ—in some ways, it is, it is not, and it is indescribable;
7. syād-avaktavyaḥ—in some ways, it is indescribable.
Each of these seven propositions examines the complex and multifaceted nature of reality from a relative point of view of time, space, substance and mode. To ignore the complexity of reality is to commit the fallacy of dogmatism.
Nayavāda is the theory of partial standpoints or viewpoints. Nayavāda is a compound of two Sanskrit words: naya ("partial viewpoint") and vada ("school of thought or debate"). It is used to arrive at a certain inference from a point of view. Every object has infinite aspects, but when we describe one in practice, we speak only of relevant aspects and ignore the irrelevant. Nayavāda holds that philosophical disputes arise out of confusion of standpoints, and the standpoints we adopt are "the outcome of purposes that we may pursue"— although we may not realize it. While operating within the limits of language and perceiving the complex nature of reality, Māhavīra used the language of nayas. Naya, being a partial expression of truth, enables us to comprehend reality part by part.
Non-absolutism (anēkāntavāda) is more formally stated by observing that objects are infinite in their qualities and modes of existence, so they cannot be completely grasped in all aspects and manifestations by finite human perception. Only Kevalins (omniscient beings) can comprehend objects in all aspects and manifestations; others are only capable of partial knowledge. Accordingly, no single, specific, human view can claim to represent absolute truth.
HISTORY
ORIGINS
The origins of Jainism are obscure. Jainism is a philosophy of eternity,. According to Jain time cycle, in each half of the time cycle, twenty-four great humans rise to the level of tirthankaras and show humans the true path to salvation. Therefore, they are also called human spiritual guides. Parshvanatha, predecessor of Mahāvīra and the twenty-third tirthankara was a historical figure. He lived somewhere in the 9th–7th century BC. Followers of Pārśva are mentioned in the canonical books; and a legend in the Uttarādhyayana sūtra relates a meeting between a disciple of Pārśva and a disciple of Mahāvīra which brought about the union of the old and the new Jain teachings.
During the 5th or 6th century BC, Vardhamana Mahāvīra became one of the most influential teachers of Jainism. Jains revere him as twenty-forth tirthankara and regard him as the last of the great tīrthankaras of this era. He appears in the tradition as one who, from the beginning, had followed a religion established long ago.
UNIVERSAL HISTORY
According to Jain legends, sixty-three illustrious beings called Salakapurusas have appeared on earth. The Jain universal history is a compilation of the deeds of these illustrious persons. They comprise twenty-four tīrthaṅkaras, twelve chakravartins, nine baladevas, nine vāsudevas and nine prativāsudevas.
A chakravarti is an emperor of the world and lord of the material realm. Though he possesses worldly power, he often finds his ambitions dwarfed by the vastness of the cosmos. Jain puranas give a list of twelve chakravartins. They are golden in complexion. One of the greatest chakravartin mentioned in Jain scriptures is Bharata. Traditions say that India came to be known as Bharatavarsha in his memory.
There are nine sets of baladeva, vāsudeva and prativāsudeva. Certain Digambara texts refer to them as balabhadra, narayana and pratinarayana, respectively. The origin of this list of brothers can be traced to the Jinacaritra by Bhadrabahu (c. 3rd–4th century BCE). Baladeva are non-violent heroes, vasudeva are violent heroes and prativāsudeva can be described as villains. According to the legends, the vasudeva ultimately kill the prativasudeva. Of the nine baladeva, eight attain liberation and the last goes to heaven. The vasudeva go to hell on account of their violent exploits, even if these were intended to uphold righteousness.
ROYAL PATRONAGE
The ancient city Pithunda, capital of Kalinga (modern Odisha), is described in the Jain text Uttaradhyana Sutra as an important centre at the time of Mahāvīra, and was frequented by merchants from Champa. Rishabha, the first tirthankara, was revered and worshiped in Pithunda and is known as the Kalinga Jina. Mahapadma Nanda (c. 450–362 BCE) conquered Kalinga and took a statue of Rishabha from Pithunda to his capital in Magadha. Jainism is said to have flourished under the Nanda Empire.
The Maurya Empire came to power after the downfall of the Nanda. The first Mauryan emperor, Chandragupta Maurya (c. 322–298 BCE), became a Jain in the latter part of his life. He was a disciple of Bhadrabahu, a Jain acharya who was responsible for propagation of Jainism in South India. The Mauryan king Ashoka was converted to Buddhism and his pro-Buddhist policy subjugated the Jains of Kalinga. Ashoka's grandson Samprati (c. 224–215 BCE) is said to have converted to Jainism by a Jain monk named Suhasti. He is known to have erected many Jain temples. He ruled a place called Ujjain.
In the 1st century BCE, Emperor Kharavela of the Mahameghavahana dynasty of Kalinga conquered Magadha. He retrieved Rishabha's statue and installed it in Udaygiri, near his capital Shishupalgadh. Kharavela was responsible for the propagation of Jainism across the Indian subcontinent.
Xuanzang (629–645 CE), a Chinese traveller, notes that there were numerous Jains present in Kalinga during his time. The Udayagiri and Khandagiri Caves near Bhubaneswar, Odisha are the only surviving stone Jain monuments in Orissa.
King Vanaraja (c. 720–780 CE) of the Chawda dynasty in northern Gujarat was raised by a Jain monk Silunga Suri. He supported Jainism during his rule. The king of kannauj Ama (c. 8th century CE) was converted to Jainism by Bappabhatti, a disciple of famous Jain monk Siddhasena Divakara. Bappabhatti also converted Vakpati, the friend of Ama who authored a famous prakrit epic named Gaudavaho.
TAMIL NADU
Jainism flourished in Tamil Nadu at least as early as the Sangam period. Tamil Jain tradition places their origins are much earlier. The Ramayana mentions that Rama paid homage to Jaina monks living in South India on his way to Sri Lanka.
DECLINE
Once a major religion, Jainism declined due to a number of factors, including proselytising by other religious groups, persecution, withdrawal of royal patronage, sectarian fragmentation and the absence of central leadership. Since the time of Mahavira, Jainism faced rivalry with Buddhism and the various Hindu sects. The Jains suffered isolated violent persecutions by these groups, but the main factor responsible for the decline of their religion was the success of Hindu reformist movements. Around the 7th century, Shaivism saw considerable growth at the expense of Jainism due to the efforts of the Shaivite poets like Sambandar and Appar. Around the 8th century CE, the Hindu philosophers Kumārila Bhaṭṭa and Adi Shankara tried to restore the orthodox Vedic religion.
Royal patronage has been a key factor in the growth as well as decline of Jainism. The Pallava king Mahendravarman I (600–630 CE) converted from Jainism to Shaivism under the influence of Appar. His work Mattavilasa Prahasana ridicules certain Shaiva sects and the Buddhists and also expresses contempt towards Jain ascetics. Sambandar converted the contemporary Pandya king back to Shaivism. During the 11th century Brahmana Basava, a minister to the Jain king Bijjala, succeeded in converting numerous Jains to the Lingayat Shaivite sect. The Lingayats destroyed various temples belonging to Jains and adapted them to their use. The Hoysala king Vishnuvardhana (c. 1108–1152 CE) became a follower of the Vaishnava sect under the influence of Ramanuja, after which Vaishnavism grew rapidly in the present-day Karnataka. As the Hindu sects grew, the Jains compromised by following Hindu rituals and customs and invoking Hindu deities in Jain literature.
There are several legends about the mass massacre of Jains in the ancient times. The Buddhist king Ashoka (304-232 BCE) is said to have ordered killings of 18,000 Jains or Ajivikas after someone drew a picture of Buddha bowing at the feet of Mahavira. The Shaivite king Koon Pandiyan, who briefly converted to Jainism, is said to have ordered a massacre of 8,000 Jains after his re-conversion to Shaivism. However, these legends are not found in the Jain texts, and appear to be fabricated propaganda by Buddhists and Shaivites. Such stories of destruction of one sect by another sect were common at the time, and were used as a way to prove the superiority of one sect over the other. There are stories about a Jain king of Kanchi persecuting the Buddhists in a similar way. Another such legend about Vishnuvardhana ordering the Jains to be crushed in an oil mill doesn't appear to be historically true.
The decline of Jainism continued after the Muslim conquests on the Indian subcontinent. The Muslims rulers, such as Mahmud Ghazni (1001), Mohammad Ghori (1175) and Ala-ud-din Muhammed Shah Khilji (1298) further oppressed the Jain community. They vandalised idols and destroyed temples or converted them into mosques. They also burned the Jain books and killed Jains. Some conversions were peaceful, however; Pir Mahabir Khamdayat (c. 13th century CE) is well known for his peaceful propagation of Islam. The Jains also enjoyed amicable relations with the rulers of the tributary Hindu kingdoms during this period; however, their number and influence had diminished significantly due to their rivalry with the Shaivite and the Vaisnavite sects.
For long periods of time, Jainism was widely adopted in the Indian subcontinent. The religion has been in decline since the 8th century AD due to the growth of, and oppression by other religions.
COSMOLOGY
Jain beliefs postulate that the universe was never created, nor will it ever cease to exist. It is independent and self-sufficient, and does not require any superior power to govern it. Elaborate description of the shape and function of the physical and metaphysical universe, and its constituents, is provided in the canonical Jain texts, in commentaries and in the writings of the Jain philosopher-monks. The early Jains contemplated the nature of the earth and universe and developed detailed hypotheses concerning various aspects of astronomy and cosmology.
According to the Jain texts, the universe is divided into three parts, the upper, middle, and lower worlds, called respectively urdhva loka, madhya loka, and adho loka. It is made up of six constituents: Jīva, the living entity; Pudgala, matter; Dharma tattva, the substance responsible for motion; Adharma tattva, the substance responsible for rest; Akāśa, space; and Kāla, time.
WHEEL OF TIME
According to Jainism, time is beginningless and eternal; the cosmic wheel of time, called kālachakra, rotates ceaselessly. It is divided into halves, called utsarpiṇī and avasarpiṇī. Utsarpiṇī is a period of progressive prosperity, where happiness increases, while avasarpiṇī is a period of increasing sorrow and immorality. According to Jain cosmology, currently we are in the 5th ara, Duḥṣama (read as Dukhma). As of 2015, exactly 2,539 years have elapsed and 18,461 years are still left. It is an age of sorrow and misery. The maximum age a person can live to in this ara is not more than 200 years. The average height of people in this ara is six feet tall. No liberation is possible, although people practice religion in lax and diluted form. At the end of this ara, even the Jain religion will disappear, only to appear again with the advent of 1st Tirthankara in the next cycle.
JAIN COMMUNITY
DEMOGRAPHICS
The majority of Jains currently reside in India. With 5 million followers, Jainism is relatively small compared to major world religions. Jains live throughout India, with the largest populations concentrated in the states of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Gujarat. Karnataka and Tamil Nadu also have significant Jain populations. Outside India, large Jain communities can be found in the United States and Europe. Several Jain temples have been built in both of these places. Smaller Jain communities also exist in Kenya and Canada.
Jains developed a system of philosophy and ethics that had a great impact on Indian culture. They have contributed to the culture and language in the Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Maharashtra,
FESTIVALS
Paryushana is the most important annual event for Jains, and is usually celebrated in August or September. It lasts 8–10 days and is a time when lay people increase their level of spiritual intensity often using fasting, study and prayer/meditation to help. The five main vows are emphasized during this time. There are no set rules, and followers are encouraged to practice according to their ability and desires. The last day involves a focused prayer/meditation session known as Samvatsari Pratikramana. At the conclusion of the festival, followers request forgiveness from others for any offenses committed during the last year. Forgiveness is asked by saying "Micchami Dukkadam" to others, which means "If I have caused you offence in any way, knowingly or unknowingly, in thought, word or action, then I seek your forgiveness." The literal meaning of Paryushana is "abiding" or "coming together."
Mahāvīra Jayanti, the Janam (birth) of Mahāvīra, the last tirthankara, is usually celebrated in late March or early April based on the lunar calendar.
Diwali is a festival that marks the anniversary of attainment of Nirvana of Lord Mahavira, the last of the Jain Tirthankar of this era. It is celebrated at the same time as the Hindu festival of Diwali. Diwali is celebrated in an atmosphere of austerity, simplicity, serenity, equity, calmness, charity, philanthropy and environment-consciousness. Jain temples, homes, offices, shops are decorated with lights and diyas. The lights are symbolic of knowledge or removal of ignorance. Sweets are often distributed to each other. The new Jain year starts right after Diwali.
RITUALS
There are many Jain rituals including ones involving idol worshiping, depending on the sect. One example related to the five life events of tirthankara called the Panch Kalyanaka are rituals such as the panch kalyanaka pratishtha, panch kalyanaka puja, and snatra puja.
ART AND ARCHITECTURE
Jainism has contributed significantly to Indian art and architecture. Jains mainly depict tirthankara or other important people in a seated or standing meditative posture. Yakshas and yakshinis, attendant spirits who guard the tirthankara, are usually shown with them. Figures on various seals from the Indus Valley Civilisation bear similarity to Jain images, nude and in a meditative posture. The earliest known Jain image is in the Patna museum. It is approximately dated to the 3rd century BCE. Bronze images of Pārśva, can be seen in the Prince of Wales Museum, Mumbai, and in the Patna museum; these are dated to the 2nd century BCE. A sandalwood sculpture of Mahāvīra was carved during his lifetime, according to tradition. Later the practice of making images of wood was abandoned, other materials being substituted.
Remnants of ancient Jain temples and cave temples can be found all around India. Notable among these are the Jain caves at Udaigiri Hills near Bhelsa(Vidisha) in Madhya Pradesh and Ellora in Maharashtra, and the Jain temples at Dilwara near Mount Abu, Rajasthan. The Jain tower in Chittor, Rajasthan is a good example of Jain architecture. Decorated manuscripts are preserved in Jain libraries, containing diagrams from Jain cosmology. Most of the paintings and illustrations depict historical events, known as Panch Kalyanaka, from the life of the tirthankara. Rishabha, the first tirthankara, is usually depicted in either the lotus position or kayotsarga, the standing position. He is distinguished from other tirthankara by the long locks of hair falling to his shoulders. Bull images also appear in his sculptures. In paintings, incidents of his life, like his marriage and Indra's marking his forehead, are depicted. Other paintings show him presenting a pottery bowl to his followers; he is also seen painting a house, weaving, and being visited by his mother Marudevi. Each of the twenty-four tirthankara is associated with distinctive emblems, which are listed in such texts as Tiloyapannati, Kahavaali and Pravacanasaarodhara.
There are 26 caves, 200 stone beds, 60 inscriptions and over 100 sculptures in and around Madurai. It was in Madurai that Acharya Bhutapali wrote the Shatkhandagama. This is also the site where Jain ascetics of yesteryear wrote great epics and books on grammar in Tamil.
The Sittanavasal cave temple is regarded as one of the finest examples of Jain art. It is the oldest and most famous Jain centre in the region. It possesses both an early Jain cave shelter, and a medieval rock-cut temple with excellent fresco paintings of par excellence comparable to Ajantha paintings; the steep hill contains an isolated but spacious cavern. Locally, this cavern is known as Eladipattam, a name that is derived from the seven holes cut into the rock that serve as steps leading to the shelter. Within the cave there are seventeen stone beds aligned into rows, and each of these has a raised portion that could have served as a pillow-loft. The largest stone bed has a distinct Tamil- Bramhi inscription assignable to the 2nd century B.C., and some inscriptions belonging to 8th century B.C. are also found on the nearby beds. The Sittannavasal cavern continued to be the "Holy Sramana Abode" until the seventh and eighth centuries. Inscriptions over the remaining stone beds name mendicants such as Tol kunrattu Kadavulan, Tirunilan, Tiruppuranan, Tittaicharanan, Sri Purrnacandran, Thiruchatthan, Ilangowthaman, sri Ulagathithan and Nityakaran Pattakali as monks.
The 8th century Kazhugumalai temple marks the revival of Jainism in South India.
A monolithic, 18 m statue of Bahubali referred to as "Gommateshvara", built by the Ganga minister and commander Chavundaraya, is situated on a hilltop in Shravanabelagola in the Hassan district of Karnataka state. This statue was voted by Indians the first of the Times of India's list of seven wonders of India.
A large number of ayagapata, votive tablets for offerings and the worship of tirthankara, were found at Mathura.[
RECEPTION
NEGATIVE
Like all religions, Jainism is criticized and praised for some of its practices and beliefs. A holy fast to death in Jainism called sallekhana is a particular area of controversy. When a person feels that all his or her duties have been fulfilled, he or she may decide to gradually cease eating and drinking. This form of death (santhara) has been the center of controversy with some petitioning to make it illegal. Many Jains, on the other hand, see santhara as spiritual detachment requiring a great deal of spiritual accomplishment and maturity and a declaration that a person is finished with this world and has chosen to leave. Jains believe this allows one to achieve death with dignity and dispassion along with a great reduction of negative karma.
POSITIVE
Mahatma Gandhi was greatly influenced by Jainism. Jain principles that he adopted in his life were asceticism, compassion for all forms of life, the importance of vows for self-discipline, vegetarianism, fasting for self-purification, and mutual tolerance among people of different creeds.
Swami Vivekananda appreciated the role of Jainism in the development of Indian religious philosophy. In his words, he asks:
“ What could have saved Indian society from the ponderous burden of omnifarious ritualistic ceremonialism, with its animal and other sacrifices, which all but crushed the very life of it, except the Jain revolution which took its strong stand exclusively on chaste morals and philosophical truths?
WIKIPEDIA
Sherlock.
This almost deserted town was a busy hub in early years. The Pinnaroo railway came through here in 1906 and this was an important siding as it was the nearest to the town of Karoonda to its north. This importance did not last as the railway line went through to Karoonda in March of 1912. The Hundred of Sherlock was gazetted in 1899 and the town was proclaimed in 1906 and named after a friend of Governor Buxton. There was soon a Post office and general store in Sherlock. Near the town was a government bore for a water supply to residents, trains and farms although most farms soon had their own bores. The Baptists were strong in this district and a wooden and iron Baptist church was built in 1908. In 1912 this was replaced with the fine stone edifice that still stands in Sherlock. A government primary school opened in Sherlock in the old Baptist church in 1911 and it moved into the stone Baptist church in 1912. Early crops at Sherlock produced high yields. Some got 18 bushels per acre but this soon fell to 7 or 8 bushel per acre in a good year. Although Sherlock was a reasonably prosperous district its stone institute and hall was not completed until 1927 as the Baptist Church was always used for town meetings, polling booth functions etc. In 1930 the government built a fine stone and brick school room at Sherlock. That building closed as a school in 1970, ten years after other schools in the district closed to support Coomandook Area School. It then became a school camp for city schools but it is now a private residence. The District Council of Peake was formed in 1911 and it covered the towns of Moorlands, Sherlock, Peake, Ki Ki and Yumali. The first District Clerk lived for decades in Sherlock and when new Council Chambers were built in 1973 they were located in Sherlock instead of Peake. The District Council of Peake closed in 1997 when part of it was amalgamated into the Coorong Council with Meningie, Coonalpyn etc. One highlight for the locals was the official Vice Regal visit to Sherlock by the Governor and his party in 1962. Like some other Mallee towns Sherlock and Moorlands (also Coomandook, Yumali etc) all supervised Italian prisoners of war during World War Two. Labour was short and these prisoners of war were important to maintain agricultural production. Today Sherlock has no public services and few residents.