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Know your Garden Microbes : Nostoc

  Know your Garden Microbes : Nostoc  As gardeners, we often focus on the macro aspects of our garden such as the plants, trees, and shrubs. But, what about the tiny microbes that play a vital role in the health of our gardens? Today, we are going to focus on a particular type of bacteria that is often overlooked: Nostoc. What is Nostoc? N ostoc is  a jelly-like microorganism commonly found growing on soggy lawns. While the discovery of the creature might be frightening for some gardeners, it poses no threat to plants or animals in the environment. Because the Nostoc grows in places where grass does not, it is likely to fill in any gaps left by the grass. Evidence of an imbalance in the ratio of fungus to bacteria can be easily identified.  Figure 1: Nostoc Growing in the Garden. It was once believed that these strange-looking masses of matter came from the dust of shooting stars, which gave rise to the nicknames star jelly, star shot, and star slime beca...

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The Three Ingredient Cow Dung Brick Formula

Cow Dung Brick Formula 🐮 The Three Ingredient Cow Dung Brick Formula: Lime, Straw, and Gobar 🏠 Cow dung has been used as a traditional building material in India for centuries. They are an eco-friendly 🍃 and affordable 💰 alternative to conventional bricks, made from clay and cement. Cow dung is abundant in rural India, and its use in brick-making provides a sustainable and cost-effective solution to meet the building needs of rural communities. The addition of lime and straw to cow dung helps to improve the strength and durability of the bricks, making them suitable for various applications. In this article, we will explore the three-ingredient cow dung brick recipe, which includes lime, straw, and gobar, and how to tinker 🔧 with the recipe to arrive at the perfect mix. 🎯 The Three-Ingredient Cow Dung Brick Formula: The three-ingredient cow dung brick recipe includes cow dung, lime, and straw. Cow dung is used as the prima...

Exploring the Paradox of Academic Excellence and Real-World Incompetence

Exploring the Paradox of Academic Excellence and Real-World Incompetence Unraveling the Dichotomy of Academic Brilliance and Practical Inefficiency Over the years, I have had the privilege of interacting with a diverse array of students, ranging from mature learners, parent-students, to research scholars. These individuals, adept at navigating their professional lives, often exhibit a unique perspective towards education, viewing it as a communal activity or a sacred journey of enlightenment and progress. However, a striking observation that emerges from my interactions with these research scholars and students is their ability to circumvent the conventional education system to achieve their academic goals. This phenomenon is not a reflection of their intellectual prowess but rather an indication of their survival instinct in a system that values degrees over knowledge. For instance, many of these students have been nurtured by 'helicopter paren...

Inequities in India's Taxation: Unfolding the GST Council's Ironies .

 Introduction: The GST Council in India convenes periodically to discuss and refine tax structures. Each meeting brings forth a mix of positive and negative developments, often revealing new ironies and fallacies within the economy.  This article sheds light on certain inconsistencies, focusing on the taxation of non-branded atta or wheat, the exemption of cricket games like IPL from GST, and the associated revenue generation. Taxing Essentials, Exempting Entertainment: One of the glaring ironies in the Indian tax system is the imposition of GST on non-branded atta or wheat, an essential commodity consumed by the poor. Despite the burden on those struggling to make ends meet, cricket, a form of entertainment, remains exempt from GST. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), the governing body of cricket in India, enjoys tax-free status despite being the wealthiest cricket governing body globally. Example: A daily wage laborer, s...