I have three different sizes of Samsung Galaxy Note tablets: an 8 inch, 10.1 inch, and 12.2 inch. Each one of these tablets has its own unique uses, but they all have the S Pen and that is the main feature that I want. The S Pen gives me the accuracy in drawing and painting that I need. In addition to using android painting apps, I use these tablets to draw and paint in desktop PC programs. I use the Splashtop Remote Desktop HD app to connect to my desktop PC and use my tablet screen to draw and paint in desktop programs like Corel Painter and ArtRage. I call this setup the poor man's Cintiq. There is an issue of no pen pressure, but I work around it by adjusting line size or using the stylus settings on velocity instead of pressure.
I use my Samsung Galaxy Note 8 for drawing and painting on the go. Its smaller size makes it convenient to carry with me when I go places. It's great to use as a sketchbook or a plein air canvas. The battery life is pretty good. With heavy use, it lasts around 5 to 6 hours. It lasts all day if you just do occasional sketches and paintings during the day. It is also a fully featured tablet and I can do major projects on it too. It only has 16 GBs of internal memory, but you can expand that with an SD card. I have a 32 GB card and you can put a lot of stuff on it, but not all apps will go on an SD card so I have to watch my storage. Pictures and music can be put on the SD card and that makes it good for artwork.
It has a 2 multi windows function, but not floating windows. I use an app I purchased called Floating Apps to supply that function. Floating Apps actually works on all tablets, not just Note tablets.
The 2014 version is the only one you can get new. You can still get refurbished or used versions of the 2012 version. Both are very good tablets.
I have the first Samsung Note tablet, the 2012 Note 10.1. It has been my main workhorse tablet because it had a bigger screen and this makes it easier to draw when I am hooked up to my desktop PC with Splashtop. The battery life lasts about 4 to 5 hours with heavy use. There is a newer version of the 10.1 inch tablet called the Samsung Galaxy Note 10.1 2014. I think it has better battery life. The screen resolution is higher than the 2012 version. It comes in black or white with 16 or 32 GBs and has an SD card slot. I like to use this size of tablet for big projects and to carry with me on trips. 10.1 inches is still small enough to be a nice portable size for traveling.
This tablet has a 2 multi windows function and floating windows. It actually has more apps that will work in the floating windows function than the 2014 edition.
This tablet comes in black or white with either 32 or 64 GBs. Since I am using it for graphics, I need all the storage I can get so I own the 64 GB tablet plus a 64 GB SD card.
The Samsung Galaxy Note Pro 12.2 is my main workhorse tablet now. The 12.2 inch screen makes it very nice to draw and paint on when using the Splashtop app. When connected to my desktop PC, the screen view is not compressed and I can view my desktop painting programs in the exact same way they appear on my computer monitor. I don't have to rearrange the UIs to fit a smaller screen size. I also enjoy using my android painting programs on the larger screen and it gives a more naturalistic painting feeling.
This tablet has a 4 multi windows function and floating windows. This means you can open 4 windows at once and have floating windows on top of that. Not all of the apps that have multi windows function operate as floating windows. The 2012 Note 10.1 had a better selection of floating apps, but all I really need is the gallery window. I use it for my photo references when I am using an app that doesn't have a photo reference function.
All the Samsung Note tablets come with their own styluses, but if you want an extra stylus or a more pen-like stylus, this one is very nice. It even has its own cap like a real pen.
The S Pen is a great stylus because it has a small tip like an ink pen or a pencil. This is great for details in drawing and painting. Best of all no batteries are required. Pen pressure is dependent on each app feature. Some apps support the S Pen and some don't. I'll talk about those a little bit later.
You can utilize the S Pen button feature to cut and paste any image in the ScrapBook app or in other art apps such as Sketchbook Pro, Infinite Painter, Serious Paint, and a few more.
Another feature of Samsung tablets is the multi windows and floating windows functions. One of the things I like to do is open the Samsung Gallery App in a floating window and use it for a photo reference window when drawing and painting. As I mentioned before, the Note 8 doesn't have floating windows, but I can use the image viewer in Floating Apps. It works just the same as the regular Gallery App.
The features of painting on a Galaxy Note tablet are largely determined by the painting app. A lot of android painting apps support S Pen pressure. The high end painting apps mostly have S Pen support. In the following paragraphs, I will give a breakdown of my favorite apps and features.
The Google Play Store has the latest version of Infinite Painter. You can purchase bundles of different features in this app. I recommend getting them all.
This is my favorite painting app and it is one of the most feature rich android painting apps. It has S Pen pressure support and recognition. You can set it to do different functions for your finger and your S Pen. For example, you can set it to recognize your finger for blending and the S Pen for drawing. I personally love this function because it is just like smudging real paint with your fingers, something I do with acrylic painting all the time. This app has 83 brushes: oil/acrylic brushes, pens, charcoal, texture brushes, harmony brushes, calligraphy pens, watercolor brushes, pencils, airbrush, and blending brushes.
In addition to all the painting tools there are lots of editing tools such as crop, selection tools, shape tools, perspective tools, a pattern maker, masking tools, layers, paper textures, cloning, gradients, and guides to name a few. Infinite Painter also has an import function where you can use images for painting references in floating windows. I always seem to do my best work in this app.
"Our Lord's Candle" I painted this for my Kindle e-book on painting yuccas. Prints are available at my RedBubble Gallery. | Source
This is my second favorite painting app. It is a scaled down version of the desktop PC version with mainly the drawing and painting tools and a few desktop functions. It has oil brushes, pencils, ink pens, markers, gloop pens, chalks, watercolors, palette knife, paint bucket, paint roller, spray paint, glitter pen, paint tube, and erasers. There are several presets for each category and you can adjust settings and create new brushes. You can import photo references and use them in a window on your screen like the desktop version. You can also create custom color palettes and all the layers functions from the desktop are available in the app version. The tablet app doesn't have tools such as rotate, grids, straight line, or stickers and stencils, but it is very nice for a straight out painting experience. It also supports pressure for the S Pen.
'New Mexico Christmas' Prints of this painting are available at http://instaprints.com/profiles/1-ellie-taylor.html I created this painting in ArtRage on my Note Pro 12.2. It gives a very nice natural media look. | Source
Sketchbook Pro is an excellent app for quick sketching. However, since its last overhaul, it is very nice for painting too. The latest version now has blending brushes. It still doesn't have as many brushes or tools as the desktop version, but you can adjust the brushes and make many different variations. It does have a lot of tools including line shapes, transform tool, rotate, gradients, symmetry tools, guides, selection tools, text, and fill tool. It has several brushes, pencils, texture brushes, airbrushes, copic markers, and blending brushes. It also has the floating control puck which helps you quickly change brush size, saturation, brightness, and opacity. It has most of the layer blending modes that are on the desktop PC version. It also supports S Pen pressure. This app is now free across all platforms including Android, IOS, and Windows!
Clover Paint is a feature rich painting app with deep complexity. With Clover Paint, you are bringing a sketchbook with customizable canvas size, highly sophisticated brush and layer system, plus custom hotkeys and shortcuts for productivity.
Clover Paint is probably the most advanced painting app for android tablets. It has 30 brushes that you can customize and save the variations as new brushes. There are 3 versions of this app. The lite version which is free, the paid regular version, and the advanced UI which you can access from the paid version. You have to pay around $20 more for the advanced UI.The advanced UI has floating windows for functions like the brushes bar, the color picker, and the navigator. These windows can be arranged however you want them, just like in PC painting programs such as Corel Painter.
You can also add shortcut buttons to your screen for the brushes that you use for a particular project, the undo and redo buttons and several other functions.These are called clovers and you can move them around on your screen. This app has layers with several blending modes, post stroke editing, lasso tool function, landscape and portrait mode, transform mode, support for Cintiq Hybrid tablets, importing and exporting png files, and a lot more functions that are usually only on desktop programs. This app is pretty complex and the best advice I can give is to just start playing around with it and see what the different settings produce. I discover something new every time I use it. This app has support for the S Pen including pressure.
This is a very nice tablet app and can support large canvas sizes. It has a nice selection of over 70 brushes including pencils, pens, airbrushes, paint brushes, chalks, texture brushes, shape brushes, and an adjustable blending brush. There are line shapes, guides, custom color palettes, rotate tools, paint bucket, erasers, and a symmetry tool. There are several different layer blending modes and filters. ArtFlow also supports S Pen pressure and the stylus buttons.
Serious Paint is a good app that can give a nice painterly feel to your pictures. It has 26 brushes: oil brushes, blending brushes, pencils, shaders, erasers, and texture brushes. Serious Paint also has some nice tools including layers, symmetry tools, rotate tools, and guides. It supports pressure for the S Pen and can also have large file sizes. You can also change the settings on the current brushes and create new brushes. It has an accordion pop out menu and is fairly simple to use. Unfortunately this app is no longer available in the Google Play Store. Color by PicsArt is a comparable app to Serious Paint.
This is LayerPaint HD. There is a less expensive version called LayerPaint, but it is not as advanced as LayerPaint HD.
LayerPaint HD is a very customizable program with large file features. You can actually have a picture that is 10,000 by 10,000 pixels if your device will support it. However, 6,000 by 6,000 pixels seems to be the limit for most of my tablets, after that it gets unstable. It has 17 customizable brushes: 2 watercolor (soft and hard), a finger blender, 2 pens, a pencil, 3 watercolor scatter brushes, 4 scatter brushes, an airbrush, 2 bitmap brushes, and a droid brush (makes little android icons). All the watercolor brushes can be set to mix their colors. The scatter brushes are particle brushes and have some pattern designs.The bitmap brushes have crosshatch textures. You can change the settings on the brushes and save them as new brushes. Another great thing about this app is the ability to customize the UI.You can toggle the color picker, the brushes, and the layers on and off and move the undo/redo bar and the line smoothing function bar. LayerPaint HD has layers, filters, pen pressure, canvas rotation, paint bucket, and gradient function. Overall it is a very nice app.There is another simpler app with less features called LayerPaint and is suited more for phones. LayerPaint HD has pressure support for the S Pen also.
Corel Painter has released an android painting app along with its new PC program Corel Painter 2015. It has 70 plus brushes including oil brushes, pencils, pens and markers, calligraphy, watercolor, texture brushes, blending brushes, airbrushes, and chalks and charcoal. It has some simple tools like crop, transform, paint bucket, eraser, layers, and symmetry tools. The canvas size goes up to 2048 by 2048 pixels. Corel Painter has several paper textures too. You can also export your project into Painter 2015 to finish it in the big program. You can get limited features for free and purchase the rest with an in app purchase. It also has S Pen support.
'Fall Harvest' Prints of this painting are available at http://instaprints.com/profiles/1-ellie-taylor.html I painted this in Corel Painter mobile for a contest. | Source
There are a few more nice android apps that are simpler than the apps I've already mentioned, but are still nice little painting apps. Some have pressure sensitivity and some don't. Doodledroid, Fresco Pro, Zen Brush, Line Brush, Ibis Paint X, Ravioli Paint, Sketchbook Ink, and Colors! are some nice quality painting apps even though they aren't as feature rich as the other apps that I have mentioned.
Make sure you get the HD version of this app because it will display your desktop correctly on your screen.
The other way I use my Note tablets to paint is with my desktop PC programs. I paint in these programs using my tablets hooked up to my desktop PC via the Splashtop Remote Desktop HD app. I do not like drawing on a tablet and having to look up at the computer screen. I want to draw directly on the screen, but I can't afford a Cintiq and I don't like the idea of having to calibrate your pen all the time on the Surface Pro. The one drawback to this method is no pressure sensitivity, but you can tweak your stylus settings to mimic pressure by setting the line width to be based on velocity or change the width manually. The following programs are my main go to programs.
This is the latest version of Corel Painter. The newest feature is the thick paint brushes which mimic natural media even better now.
Corel Painter is probably the biggest PC program for natural media style digital painting. Adobe Photoshop has some natural media style brushes, but it is still primarily for photo editing. Corel Painter is made specifically to mimic natural media. Splashtop Remote Desktop HD is the app that I use to paint in my PC digital painting programs.
In Corel Painter, you can set up your workspace to fit on a tablet interface using special palettes with commands set up as buttons in them. You can go into the Windows menu and select 'Add Commands'. That will bring up a dialog where you can add certain commands to the palette. For example, you can add undo, redo, zoom in and out, save, layers commands, and basically any command that can be done using the keyboard. In these palettes you can also drag the brushes that you want to use for a particular project into this palette by hitting shift and dragging the brush into the palette.
The Splashtop Remote Desktop HD app has a full keyboard that you can toggle on your screen and you can use it to execute keyboard commands. For example, when you tap the shift key, it will turn blue (which means it is active) and then you can drag the brushes into the palette with your S Pen. You can also use the Ctrl and Alt keys the same way. The command keys will stay lit up until you tap them again. Keep in mind when typing letters and numbers while using Splashtop you have to tap on the word on your tablet keyboard display to make it appear on your PC. So this is how you would make an undo command with the Splashtop keyboard: tap the Ctrl button, then type in the z, tap on z in your tablet keyboard display at the top and it will trigger the command. For me it is simpler to just set up a palette with the buttons or use the quick controls palette. However some commands like using the shift key to keep the proportions of a circle or square have to be used with the keyboard. For this you just tap on the shift key, select the circle or square option and drag your shape to the size you want with your stylus.
Using Splashtop for digital painting is great, but there is an issue of pressure. You can work around this by setting your brush to velocity or direction instead of pressure. You can also just manually change the brush sizes. There is a little bit of lag and some people find this annoying, but I have found that with the S Pen this is much reduced. Lag doesn't bother me that much because it seems that there is lag in most tablet and PC programs anyway. As long as the lag is minimal, I can deal with it.
The Sketchbook Pro app for android is very nice, but it does lack some features that only the desktop has. The Sketchbook Pro app probably has about three-quarters of the features of the desktop Sketchbook Pro 7 version. You can make higher resolution paintings, there is an animation flipbook feature, and more tools and brushes in the PC version. The UI lends itself quite well to the tablet format including the puck controls for the brushes and color. Also the tool and brush menus can be moved around and the half circle menu can be moved to the left or right of your screen. The latest version of Sketchbook Pro is now free across all platforms IOS, Android, and Windows.
I really like ArtRage because while it has natural media brushes like Corel Painter, the UI is a lot more fun to use. You can even make your stylus look like a paintbrush.
The android app for ArtRage is great for a pure natural media style painting process, but if you want more tools then you have to use the desktop version, ArtRage 4. The PC version has higher resolution, sticker sprays, symmetry tools, stencils, crop function, script recording and grids. You can also rearrange the pods to fit your tablet UI. One of the best tools for using the program with Splashtop is the canvas positioner. With this floating tool, you can rotate the canvas or zoom in and out. The keyboard controls can be activated using the same method as with Corel Painter.
Those are the top three programs that I use, but I also like Manga Studio 5, Paintstorm Studio, Mischief, Twisted Brush, and DrawPlus Pro. There are also some free open source programs that are nice to use like Krita, Gimp, and MyPaint. All of these programs have adjustable UIs and work nicely with the Splashtop app.
This program was originally developed as an open source alternative to Adobe Photoshop. Over the years this program has become more user friendly and feature rich.
MyPaint is an easy-to-use painting program which works well with Wacom graphics tablets and other similar devices. It comes with a large brush collection including charcoal and ink to emulate real media, but the highly configurable brush engine allow
As you can see, Galaxy Note tablets are quite a powerful tool for a digital artist. With the use of the Splashtop Remote Desktop HD app you are not just limited to tablet painting apps, but can also use desktop PC programs as well. The S Pen works well for a precision stylus and doesn't need a bluetooth connection, which makes it very convenient to use. I would recommend using a screen protector for your Galaxy Note tablet because if you do a lot of drawing your screen could become scratched. Try out some of these programs and see what you like best!
Micro-apartments are nothing new in sustainable building design. These small living quarters have long been in use in world cities with space shortages, like Tokyo. Yet they have never caught on in America for a few reasons. First, the U.S. has plenty of space and the simple thing to do has always been to expand. Then, larger families required more—not less—space. What may be most revealing is that sustainable urban planning has never been a priority.
Today most people in the world live in cities, with the projection being 70 percent by 2050. The U.S. now gains 100 million people every 50 years, packing into cities where urban sprawl is becoming a serious issue. Further, families are much smaller, including the fact that one- and two-person homes now constitute a large percentage of city dwellers.
So the “plenty” of U.S. space no longer exists where most folk live and family size has shrunk. Guess what we’re now forced to do? That’s right—think sustainable.
Micro-apartments, or micro-units, are apartments with a footprint of about 350 square feet or less—somewhere close to the size of a parking space. In Japan’s densely populated cities efficiency apartments have become common for people, often younger with modest budgets and that do not wish to leave the urban center. Designers came up with well-thought out ways to include needed functions without sacrificing quality living.
Micro-housing is a highly sustainable aspect of urban design, as it contributes to compact cities that require less infrastructure costs, resources, and environmental impact.
Japan is not the only place around the world to implement small-scale sustainable houses. Other fine examples are Paris and Barcelona. The trend has been on the American scene for a short time and is gaining momentum. Chicago and San Jose, for instance, are two cities that have nicely included micro-units in their quest for urban sustainability. New York and San Francisco are now becoming ground-zero locations on the issue.
In two of America’s greenest cities, New York and San Francisco, it is ironic that micro-housing enters with a splash. San Francisco is experiencing an influx of young, high-earning technology workers that need to be closer to their companies, which are opting for the urban core as opposed to Silicon Valley. Rent rates have skyrocketed, with average studio apartment rates standing at $2,126.
The city is scheduled to vote on legislation to change its building code to lower the minimum size for apartments and so allow for micro-housing—as small as 220 square feet. Opponents have taken to calling the proposed housing “Twitter apartments.”
In New York things are similar but more complicated. The city doesn’t have enough studios and one-bedroom apartments for the 1.8 million one- and two-person households in the city—along with the projected 900,000 coming. So Mayor Bloomberg and the City created adAPT NYC, an urban planning competition for designers to come up with a micro-apartment proposal for an existing residential tower. Two-thirds of the tower will be micro-units (about 80 apartments) between 250 and 350 square feet. AdAPT NYC is only the first of a three-part housing endeavor to address New York City’s unique housing problems.
Some say micro-housing is laudable but only as integrated into a building with a variety of units, not as a building type. Others see micro-housing as undermining zone regulations that protect the public. This could only occur if safety requirement are being relaxed, which isn’t happening.
The real concern is whether the units will be affordable. If only the young, tech-savvy, and fairly well-to-do are claiming these dwellings, a social sustainability issue lingers as low-income residents are only squeezed between a flourishing city core and wealthy suburbs. The adAPT NYC project affords 20 percent of its micro-unit project to low-income residents.
Micro-apartments are an excellent sustainable building plan that revitalizes urban cores and meets the needs of hardworking individuals and overcrowding cities.
I like your ideas, about long distance commutes and dorm rooms. It will be interesting to see how this takes root in America. We do like our space: I know I do! Cheers!
I could see mico apartments used for long distance work commuters at a job site or close by. Even a substitute for dorm rooms, but long term could pose a host of other problems like cabin fever for instance. I dont think micro apartments are such a good idea for amaricans that are so used to having space. Great hub. Voted up!!!
Tiny indeed! I can understand their usefulness as well, but I think they're better used to offer variety...you know, make them common in standard building projects. An entire building of micro-units...I don't know. Just seems that despite safety measures and all, that could be ugly if there were a fire or quake that destroyed the entire (compact) thing. Thanks for reading!
Micro apartments are really small and I don't think I would like them, but if the location is convenient I can see why some people would. Interesting hub.
Haha..."back in the Stone Age." I'm sure you're full of vitality, whatever your age. But the way trends come and go these days, with such rapidity, I suppose personal history can seem way-back-when. I think I could live in one of these if I had to, but it's not for everybody. Just a matter of being simple and organized, I think. Thanks for reading and commenting, DrBJ - Cheers.
When I first got married, back in the Stone Age, I thought our apartment was a micro-apartment but compared to these you have illustrated, it was positively roomy. Thanks for the info, ithabise.
A court's ruling is based on various factors. First is the ethical weight, which then bears on courts’ interpretations the constitution. This is important in cases involving juveniles. Should they be tried as adults when they commit capital offences?
Scientific and sociological research shows that juveniles lack an equal capacity of maturity and a sense of responsibility as compared to adults. In nearly all arrays of reckless behavior, the percentages that were juveniles took large precedence. Underage civilians are banned from numerous things, like drinking and driving. Their lack of maturity and responsibility is the reason given as to why laws prohibit them from voting, or serving on juries.
The law prevents them from marrying prior to parental consent. The same principles are thus applicable when dealing with capital offences committed by juveniles. More so because they have higher susceptibility to negative influence and pressures, such as peer pressure. Compared to adults, they have a less control experience with their environment.
In addition to these, juveniles lack equal capacity and freedom to adults when it comes to making an escape from a criminogenic setting.
There is the additional 'national consensus' notion. The fact is that states are applying this penalty with decreased frequency. Between 1989 and February 2005, only six US states had executed offenders for acts committed whilst they were juveniles. This was in spite of the fact that twenty states had the penalty in their laws. Only the states of Texas, Oklahoma and Virginia had carried it out in the entire decade before the ruling.
There were states that had abolished the penalty. This created controversy with parties seeking the concept of national consensus to be a basis for the re-interpretation of previous rulings.
By the decency standard that is ever changing, courts must give attention the changes that take place over time in social values. These they must then apply to law and ethical-related interpretations.
However, what is the practicability of using national consensus in law interpretation? In addition, if it is used, what should the courts use to determine this national consensus? The court basing this on the manner in which legislation on the death penalty has taken place through the states is deemed by some not to be credible.
The court’s ruling should not negate on the victims' rights. A fair hearing of their plights and administration of justice is their right. The court fulfills that obligation. It gives an alternative to the death penalty that serves as an equal punishment.
However, insisting on a death penalty when an alternative one had been decided will serve not to give justice but revenge for the victims. It will no longer be a cause for justice but a settlement of scores.
It is however important to note that all juveniles should not be as a result classified as equals as they are all different when it comes to experience, intelligence, maturity and their moral culpability.
The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child's Article 37 expressly prohibits the capital punishment for the crimes juveniles commit. How does this relate to constitutions of respective nations? Should the international law be considered when making rulings regarding juveniles?
Some are of the view that despite the importance of such comparative analysis at the time of constitution creation, it is inappropriate to seek the same during its interpretation. This is not the case. A point of agreement is that international opinion should not control the determination of a court case but it is important in its corroboration. Nevertheless, international comparison in the cases of whichever nature involving adults affects many rulings made.
Yesterday I was reading "Good News" a Malayalam weekly published on September 20, 2010. I red an interesting report. In Pathanapuram, (Kerala, India) on September 3rd a Pentecostal paster was mercilessly beaten up by the followers of Br. Thangu (founder) of Heavenly Feast Church. Pastor George Kutty, ministring at Sharon Felloship Church, Sharja, Ajmal was the unfortunate.
As per the report Heavenly Feast Church was organized a Convention from 2nd September. Pastor George Kutty was attending the meetings from the very first day of the Convention where Br. Thangu and Br. Thomas Kutty were ministering. On Friday 3rd September when Br. Thangu and Br. Thomas Kutty were ministering Pastor George Kutty found some teachings which was against his faith and understanding. He couldn't accept the teach fully. So he went ahead and asked some doubts to Br. Thangu and Br. Thomas Kutty. While returning from stage after speaking with Br. Thangu and Br. Thomas Kutty some youths come forward and told Paster George Kutty that they are ready to clear his doubts and took him back side of the stage and beaten up mercilessly.
Pastor George Kutty informed the Good News through his elaborated letter that "for the financial prosperity of humanity Jesus appeared in this world and had crucified on the cross" was the subject matter of teachings of the speaker which he find very hard to accept.
Pastor George Kutty was admitted at the Government Hospital at Punalur for treatment and was discharged after two days.
After reading the report I remembered the story of blinds who set out to know the elephant. The story goes like this.: Once upon a time there lived some blind men in a village. One day someone told them that there is an elephant in the village. They had no idea what an elephant looks like. They discussed the matter in between them and decided to go and feel and know the elephant.
They got the permission from the owner of the elephant and went ahead to touch the elephant and understand it. The first one touched the leg of the elephant told that the elephant is like a pillar. The second one who touched the tail told that "No! It is like a rope" The third one who touched the trunk of the elephant told that it is like a thick branch of a tree.
The forth one who touched the ear of the elephant told that it is like a big hand fan. And the fifth one who touched the belly of the elephant told that it is like a huge wall.
After feeling the elephant they started to argue about the elephant and everyone of them insisted that he was right. A wise old man who was watching the whole incident attracted the attention of all the blind men and calmly explained to them that "All of you are right. The reason every one of you is telling it differently because each one of you touched the different part of the elephant. So, actually the elephant has all those features what you all said."
When they understand the elephant, they felt happy that they were all right. The moral of the story is that there may be some truth to what someone says.
We can find different teachings by different people. Some talk about prosperity theology which they are experiencing in their Christian life, and some talk about poverty theology which they may be experiencing in their Christian life. Some talk about the troubles and tribulations. They may be gone through some troubles in following Jesus. Some talk about the peace and happiness of Christian life which they are experiencing.
Christian life has many dimensions. You may be experiencing one or two dimensions of Christian life and arguing like the blind man who touched one part of the elephant. He is right. He has experienced that aspect and has bible verse to support his faith and belief and experience.
Those who are suffering from an illness has bible verse of Apostle Paul that Paul suffered a sever pain in his body and prayed for it. But did not get any relief but only the strength to bear that pain. Suffering people may say and argue that Christian life is full of suffering and pain. They are right in their experience. This is one dimension of Christian life.
Prosperity theologians highlight the wealth of Abraham and Job. They may have received some wealth when they stared to follow Jesus which forced them to believe that getting wealthy is part of the Christian life. They are right in their knowledge and experience. They wont accept poverty theology. In fact no one like it.
Those who had trouble and persecution in following Jesus would say that Christian life is full of persecution and troubles. They quote bible verse to support their belief. This is another dimensions of Christian life.
If you open your eyes and look around, you will find that Christian life has all these many dimensions. After enjoying one dimension of Christian life do not behave like the blind man who has experienced one aspect of the elephant. Insisting others to follow your experience and understanding is wrong. You are like the frog in the well who never seen a river or ocean. And argue that well is the biggest water in the world. That is the biggest mistake.
We have doctors who are specialized in different areas like heart specialist, eye specialist, Dentist, etc. People go the doctors according to their need. We have different markets in a city. In one area, you will find many book shops. One market is entirely devoted to fish, one is for meat, one is for stationary and the other is for fast moving consumer goods. People go to different shops as per their requirements. One who is looking for fish will not go to a hardware market, even if he is offered many discounts. He need fish not the things sold in hardware shop.
Different people are in different need. One is wealthy but not feeling well physically. He need physical healing. He is interested in a meeting where an anointed man of God pray for his physical healing. He is not interested in a meeting where an anointed pastor praying for wealth because he already has enough wealth. A physically and mentally sound person is least interested in a meeting where healing is preached because he is already well physically. He may be in need of money. He is looking for a place where he can get deliverance from his financial difficulties. He goes to the meeting where some one praying for wealth. But the truth is that every preacher is preaching and showing a Jesus through whom one can get deliverance over the bondage of Satan.
We need specialized preachers who preach Jesus through their area of specialization as different people are in need of different things in their life. Some need physical healing. Some need mental healing. One need money, other one is in search for joy and peace. Everything is available in the feet of Jesus. You will find money, good family life, peace of mind, happiness, healing (mental and physical)etc. in the feet of our our Master Jesus Christ.
However, let us have the attitude of Paul who said. "It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so in love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir up trouble for me while I am in chains. But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice."
(Note: My humble request to all the concerned party in the above news is that let us look at the matter in a border view point and forget and forgive the each other and lead a commendable life. And leave the entire matter to the Lord to handle. Do not try to bring the matter to the legal front of unbelievers. May God bless you)
this blog is surely a gud perspective abt d differences in d Pentecostal world. interesting inference bt d writer seem 2 indirectly state dat our perspective depends on our life circumstances (eg rich people r prosperity leaning or vice versa) iwhich is disputable coz our perspective shud depend only on d word of god. d fact is dere is only 1 god 1 faith & 1 baptism. dere is a great difference btween being right & nearly write . even though unity is required in todays churches. if we deviate 4m d gospel of christ we preach another gospel according to d words of paul
I love the story of the elephant. It is so true about many of us...we choose to see what we want out of beliefs and not the whole picture. Great hub! :D Up and awesome!
Most are divided bcause they neve really listen to what Jesus Christ said in the 4 Gospels. Nor do they listen to Holy Spirit's teachings 1Corinthians 2:13. To many do not have enough spiritual discernment to understand the Word of God. Nice hub.
The term ‘Ethernet’ almost sounds like something from science fiction. The reality, however, is that it is a component of computing and networks that is actually very common. Ethernet was originally invented as a way of connecting a computer to a printer but has since evolved into a specific type of cable that most network devices can use to connect to one another. Sometimes the term ‘Ethernet’ is also used to describe the actual communication protocol that is used in this process. Ethernet was created and developed by Robert Metcalfe in 1973 while he was working at the Xerox Research Centre - and it has become effectively the accepted standard for connecting network devices. Very few computers and laptops do not have an Ethernet port (i.e. where you plug in the cable) as the vast majority have them inbuilt as standard. The speed of networks and the internet in particular have increased rapidly in the past decade or so and as a result the speed of Ethernet has also developed and improved, leading to the creation of ‘fast Ethernet’.
In order to understand the concept of Ethernet it can be helpful to know the basics of computer networks. Networks can range from the very small, where two or more computers are connected, to the huge, such as the internet which is one of the biggest global networks. They are basically a way for different computers and devices to communicate with each other and exchange various types of information. There are two main types of network: LANs and WANs. A LAN is a ‘local area network’, this is where a group of computers are connected together in close proximity - in an office or a school. A WAN is a ‘wide area network’ and is made up of several LANs connected together. Unlike a LAN, a WAN can work over long distances - the internet is a huge WAN. So where does Ethernet come into it? Ethernet is what connects a LAN together and creates the network. It is not generally used for WANs because an Ethernet connection can deteriorate over wide distances.
In basic terms Ethernet is a way of letting two devices that may speak different ‘languages’ communicate with each other using a shared ‘language’. When two or more devices can communicate with each other using the same communication protocol they can form a network. Because Ethernet has become such a popular way of connecting devices most computers will have a built-in Ethernet adapter or card. This card or adapter lets the device use Ethernet and allows it to send and receive information around a network. The Ethernet adapter is connected to an Ethernet port - this port is what the Ethernet cable is plugged in to and the information is then sent along the cable. When two devices use an Ethernet connection they simply need to be connected by the same Ethernet cable. For a network of more than two computers the cables will be plugged into a router as this can manage the data being sent and ensure that it goes to the right place. Ethernet cables are usually made up of several different wires which means that information can be both sent and received. When a network needs to be connected to the internet the router will be plugged into a modem.
There are several advantages to using Ethernet. With an Ethernet network different devices can easily be added and removed. There is no need to completely reconfigure a network in order to include a new device, the new component simply needs to be ‘plugged in’. This scalability means that Ethernet is often a popular choice in business environments. Using Ethernet can also avoid unnecessary network congestion. When information is sent over a network it is received by all the devices on the network and this means that all devices may try and understand the information - causing lags and congestion. With Ethernet every piece of information that is sent will have both a source address and a destination address, these addresses (known as Ethernet addresses) allow the devices to know exactly where the data has come from and where it needs to go. If the data is not addressed to a specific device on the the network it will disregard it rather than try to understand it. This means that data can be sent quickly to the appropriate device on the network. A broadcast address will be used when the data being sent needs to be received by all the devices on a network.
Using Ethernet can also be useful for avoiding data collisions. A data collision is where two, or more, devices start transmitting data at the same time and the transmissions ‘collide’ - this can cause the data to become fragmented and the transmissions may become confused. With Ethernet when a device wants to transmit information around the network it will first ‘listen’ to the network to see if any other device is transmitting. If the network is quiet the device will start transmitting. This system is known as ‘carrier-sense multiple access with collision detection’ or CSMA/CD. The risk of collisions is much lower with Ethernet as a collision will only happen if two devices both hear that the network is quiet and both start transmitting at the same time. There is even a process in place for when this happens, if there is a collision the devices will stop their transmissions and will try again after a random amount of time.
An Ethernet network can be simple with two computers connected via an Ethernet cable but can also be much larger and more advanced. The distance an Ethernet network can cover can be increased through the use of a repeater. A repeater will repeat the data transmissions that it picks up which means that the transmissions can be sent much further. A bridge can connect different parts of a network together but can also manage the traffic and the information being sent. It will look at the packets of data being sent and will determine if it needs to be sent to a specific part of the network. Using a bridge means that data does not cause congestion by being sent to the wrong part of the network. An Ethernet network can also use a switch to organise and manage the traffic flow and to increase the diameter of the network. Unlike a bridge, however, an Ethernet switch can direct packets of data to the intended device rather than a part of the network.
Situated in the low hills of Himachal Pradesh at a distance of approximately 50 km from Shimla, the small town of Arki in the Solan district was once the capital of erstwhile Baghal princely state.
In order of precedence, the Baghal state had 8th rank among the Punjab hill states. The British allowed the Raja the state to maintain a military force of 150 infantry and 1 gun in 1893 AD.
The pedigree of the royal family of Baghal is one of the oldest in India. The different rulers of Baghal are known not only for their bravery and able administration but also for their interest in arts particularly music and paintings and the patronage to scholars and saints.
The Arki School of painting was founded by Raja Sabha Chand, while Raja Shiv Saran Singh patronized scholars, saints, and religious men.
The ancient temples, wooded hills, the Sair fair, the buffalo fighting and the outdoors of Arki are worth seeing.
The rulers of Arki state had come from Malwa in Madhya Pradesh after 1250 AD. Raja Ajai Dev Panwar founded the state. The royal family of Arki traces its roots to Raja Aditya Pawar of 5th century AD, who ruled the area around Mount Abu in Rajasthan.
Raja Amar Dev, ruler of Dhar, had three sons. The eldest son Rana Ajai Dev founded the State of Baghal while Rana Vijay Dev became the ruler of Bhagat. But the youngest son, Rana Madhan Dev, became a hermit and is still worshiped as a local deity in Arki and Paonta Sahib, as the Dhar–ka-Dev or the deity of Dhar.
Rana Ajai Dev became the Prime minister of Maharaja Jaitugideva (1239-1256) and his son Maharaja Jayavarman II (1256-1269) of Malwa. They were his kinsman and the scions of the family of Bhoj Deva, the King of Malwa who from 1010 to 1053 AD had ruled the vast area of north India including Pakistan, united Punjab and Sindh.
In 1260 AD, Ajai Dev undertook a pilgrimage to the holy shrine of Badrinath situated in the hills of Garhwal. It was the time of the decline of Panwar dynasty in Malwa which was invaded by Krishan Dev and Sultan Nasir-Ud-din, the chief Minister of Indian Sultan Balban.
Raja Ajay Dev seized the opportunity to become independent of both of his father, who ruled Dhar, and the Malwa state of which he was the Prime Minister. He moved from Dhar, first to the place near Poanta Sahib and then came to Shai village in Baghal to establish his own principality of Baghal in the Sairi valley. Since then the family has ruled over this small but important hill state i.e., till it became a part of Himachal Pradesh in 1948.
In the beginning of 18th century, the Panwar rulers were overrun by the Gurkhas. The Gurkha General Amar Singh Thapa took over the place fort of Arki in 1806 and the ruling family including the ruler Jagat Singh fled to a place near Ropar, after a brief stay at
Nalagarh. The Gurkhas used the fort as a stronghold and its headquarter during the Gurkha raids from 1806-16 AD. These raids were carried further into the interiors of Himachal Pradesh even up to Kangra during the aforesaid period.
During the Anglo- Gurkha war of 1815-16, the British forces under its General Sir David Ochterlony, helped Rana Jagat Sing to regained control of Arki and to vanquish and drive away the Gurkhas. Raja Ram Saran Singh, the ruler of Handur or Nalagarh also helped in joint operations. The beautiful palace built by the men from Jaipur was not destroyed by the Gurkhas.
In order to payback for the favor, Rana Kishan Chand, 1844-77 AD, helped the British Crown during the Revolt of 1857, with men and means. Therefore the English bestowed the title of Raja to him.
Raja Kishan Singh patronized arts and developed the Arki town in a planned manner in 1840-67 AD. He built mule tracks to connect Arki with Shimla and Bilaspur towns. He invited several artisans, scholars, and businessman from different parts of India to settle in Arki. He gifted them the tax-free land for subsistence.
Raja Kishen Chand made substantial improvements in Arki. He rebuilt the bazaar, destroyed by the Gurkha during their occupation of Arki. He rebuilt the in the fort palace and got its interiors especially the Divan-e-khana painted with murals in 1850 AD. The state was ably and vigorously administered by him. He established large mango plantations and a dairy farm. He undertook extensive afforestation and Arki became one of the model states in India.
Raja Kishan Chand, who married a Guler princess, encouraged paintings and invited artists from Guler and rest of Kangra and took the benefit of their art and skill. He also introduced the Sair festival of crops, the important festival of state in the region.
Raja Dhian Singh, 1877- 1904 AD, concentrated on strengthening the administration and introduced a cabinet of Ministers, even though the ministers happened to be his sons.
With the help of the Resident Superintendent of Shimla Hill States, the local revolt of 1905 was suppressed.
Raja Bikram Singh, 1904-22 AD, laid the foundations of the modern state of Baghal, built a Middle school and opened a hospital in Arki.
Raja Surendra Singh, 1922-45 AD, revamped the administration and improved the financial management of the state.
Raja Rajendra Singh, 1945-2010 AD, introduced constitutional, administrative and social reforms, established 16 panchayats or village units by opening a primary school in each of them. He upgraded the Arki Middle school to a High School. He improved the conditions of all the roads and upgraded the Arki to Jutogh mule track to the motor able road.
This sprawling palace fort is situated in the Western Himalayas in the backdrop of awe-inspiring hills, thick forests, and breathtaking view. Built in the Kalam style of architecture, the beleaguered garden and the Bougainvillea bushes in the fort add to its beauty on the hillside terraces.
The original palace was built, at the foot of the fort, near the old Luxmi Narayan Temple where the Arki bazaar stands today. In 1760, the palace started sinking due to erosion. Thus the royal residence was moved to the fort.
The Arki fort palace was built by Rana Prithvi Singh, the son of Sabha Chand in 1795- 1805 AD. But it was in 1830 AD that, Rana Shiv Sharan Singh laid down the foundation of the famous Divan-e- Khas or the Court hall for Private Audience in the Arki fort Palace. The Hall is situated on the upper floor of the double story of the palace. The hall is crowned with arched windows that open into the courtyard below presenting a beautiful view of the entire valley. The stunningly colorful murals and miniature painting cover the walls, ceilings, archways and the passages of the building.
The architecture of the fort is a blend of typical Rajput and Mughal architectural styles with the prominent influence of Rajasthan.
Thereafter in 1850 AD, Raja Kishen Chand added the beautiful murals and frescoes in the 'Pahari School' of miniature paintings in the fort palace. The frescoes provide the most accurate record of the contemporary life of nearby Punjab hill states including that of Himachal Pradesh.
These wall paintings can be classified as decorative floral designs, geometric patterns, aesthetic fantasies, religious themes and the scenic beauty of the hills. The chief characteristics of these paintings are the sharp thematic contrasts, the balance of colors, exquisite forms and aesthetic designs.
The Arki Fort Palace is the private property of former Raja Rajendra Singh. A part of it is being used as a residence by the royal family, while another part has been converted into a heritage resort. The well-maintained suites of the resort reflect the grandeur and splendor of royalty. The old photographs of late Rajas are also displayed in the rooms. It provides an excellent view of the snow covered mountain ranges of Shimla, Kasauli, and Subathu, the famous tourist destinations of the state.
A section of the ruined fort is also being used by the Home Guards. The historical legends and artistic creations are associated with the fort.
Baghal School of Painting at Arki. The colors of which are still vibrant and the rich architecture indicates the Royal sense of aesthetics
The most delightful wall paintings are of various cities of the world which the royalty visited. | Source
The walls of the palace are still adorned with lively paintings and frescoes of mythological stories from Ramayana and Mahabharata. | Source
With an average elevation of 1045 meters above sea level, Arki is located at the Shivalik range of hills in Himalayan Mountains with 31.150°North latitude and 76.967°East longitude.
The high altitude of the place makes the weather pleasant with the temperature ranging hovering between 26 to 32 °C in summers. The temperature between 4 to 8 °C makes the winters chilly.
Raja Ajai Dev founded the state of Arki, and the capital of the state was located at various places like Shai, Dhundan, Darla and Damras during the first few centuries.
Rana Kasas Chand established the capital permanently in Dhudan in 1643 AD. It is a place near Arki, where saints and sages visited frequently and gave the place an air of religious and spiritual enthusiasm.
Arki is an all-weather destination, but the months from March to June are ideal for sightseeing and trekking due to the comfortable and dry weather at that time.
The pleasing atmosphere of the monsoon months of July and August bring their own charm and bath the lush green vegetation with the showers of rain. It further adds to the charm and the scenic beauty of nature.
The weather in the winter months from November to February is cold, but not so difficult if one can handle the cold and enjoy the solitude away from the crowds.
The Arki state protected and accommodated a number of hill Rajas who took refuge when haunted and hounded by the enemies at different times. The place became a permanent home for many and gave it a cosmopolitan character.
The Rajas, who had themselves come originally from Malwa in Madhya Pradesh, invited and offered an incentive to many scholars, artists, artisans and traders from time to time. The Pundits came from Kurukshetra, Pehowa, Haridwar, Varanasi and many other towns in North India.
They were allotted about 10 bighas or 2 acres of land each and were given clothes, grain cash and other gifts every year. They did not pay the land revenue on land and continue to enjoy the concession even today. The young pundits went to Kashi and settled back in adjoining villageof Badal, Kown as Chhoti kashi, or small Benaras.
Even the Raja her did not take to electoral politics to keep pace with the modern times, Arki has had its quota of political leaders, who did well at the state level.
The people do whatever little do have by way of vocations and spend rest of the time in tea stalls and temples. They attend the fairs and engage themselves in gossip for entertainment.
A variety of communities and caste groups have come to Arki from different places of India. They had settled here since the days of Kunends, as mentioned in the Puranas. The Kunenda coins have been discovered at Okhru, near Arki.
The Kanait Rajput was among the early settlers. The Rajput caste groups to settle here include Panwars, Chauhans, Tanwars, Gehlot. Bhatia, Pal, and Rathore.
The Brahmin clan who came here from all over is Angiras, Bhardwaj, Gautam, Kaushik and Kaushal. There is a fairly large trading community, many of whom came from Kangra, though they were originally from Rajasthan.
The most important festival of Arki is the two-day Sair fair which is held in the honor of the god Banar Devata.
It was introduced in Arki after the marriage of Raja Raja Kishan Chand to the Guler princess, who brought some of the cultural practices of Kangra to the state.
Sair is the festival of lower hills of Himachal Pradesh; though celebrate at Mashobra near Shimla and is connected with the harvest of maize or corn.
It is celebrated in Solan and Kangra from September to November. It signifies the end of monsoons and heralds the pleasant weather.
The phinju or Himalayan bulbul gives a call and the Sair season begins. The folk songs have the call of phinju. According to an old custom the Nais or barbers, after hearing the call go round to announce the onset of Sair in different villages.
The buffalo fighting is the special feature of two day Sair at Arki. On the first day, the buffaloes are specially fed and trained for the occasion, and are brought to the fair by five or six persons.
They are aggressive and the two of them run to the center of the field and dash against each other. The lazy ones are discarded by the remark, “they are old friends and will not fight”.
The second day is dedicated to wrestling bouts in which the wrestlers from far off places come to claim the title.
The balls of grass are made and after setting them on fire, they are thrown by the contestants across the nullah or small rivulet.
This Luturu Mahadev temple built in 1621 AD is a great specimen of the Shikhara style of architecture. | Source
The other fair known as Basi Mela is connected with Pandavas. Dussehra, Sharad Purnima. Basant Panchami, Holi, and Diwali are other popular festivals.
The temple of Luturu Mahadev nearby on a peak has a series of caves along it. Built in Shikhara or pointed roof style by the Rajput rulers in 1621 AD, the temple is surrounded by the crags and the milky water coming out of a spring. Many people believe that this milky water comes out of the gothans or udders of the holy cow.
There is a temple of Matru Mahadev and another Shiva temple named Shakhani Mahadev. The beautiful designs and carvings of Shakhani Mahadev are marvelous.
You are right aviannovice. The world is strange and exquisite. The whole civilization has come a long way and is still heading towards unknown.
Hi, this was absolutely fascinating, as something I knew nothing about, what a beautiful place, and the artwork is amazing, thanks for showing me another part of the world I knew little about, nell
Interesting post. The hand painted art is amazing. Thank you for sharing the background and culture of this area.