Megaliths

 I have been watching  YouTube videos and documentaries, some of which were about archeology.

Stone circles seem to be ubiquitous. There are 5000 year old stone circles in the islands off Scotland, in UK, in the middle East, in India, maybe in the Americas- all dating from maybe 10000 to 3000 years ago. How did that architectural concept become so widespread? How did this idea get communicated all through the world? It's not a natural or easy job to lift stones weighing tons and make them stand upright. Or above standing stones in a dolmen. And how did they transport and position these huge megaliths?

And they built the huge temple at Gobekli tepe 12000 years ago. 

Smallpox

It is a long time since I wrote in this blog.
In Tamil nadu as perhaps all over India, small pox was considered a visitation by the goddess. It was forbidden for any outsider to enter the house in which a person suffered from small pox or even chicken pox or measles. A bunch of Neem leaves was hung on the door which meant even beggars were not to ask for alms. Noone entered the house.  It was believed that the patient would get worse and die if any outsider came near or even set eyes on the patient. Also the family members could not visit any house, temple or Pooja or wedding until the infection cleared. When the scabs start to fall, the patient is given a bath. The next bath is the day after next and another one two days later. It is only after 3 baths that is, six days after the infection starts clearing that restrictions are lifted.
This superstition kept the disease from spreading too much, protected the community. If a simple advisory was given, noone would follow, but bringing in the goddess and her wrath ensured compliance.

BB services

This is the first time I have come across this one
BSNL has not paid its electricity bill. So they have cut power. Hence past 4 days we have no BB services in our area.
This is a new one for me. We are progressing!!

Sewer cleaning

There was a report that ₹10 lakhs were paid as compensation  to 210 people who died in sewers during manual cleaning. Here is a report that for  ₹5 lakhs we can get a robotic sewer cleaning machine. Even if we have no empathy for lost lives, at least to save money can we not buy these machines?

The study of population genetics has unveiled some interesting information.
 We all descend from some group that left Africa.
Other than the Africans, we all have some % of Neanderthal gene..
Interesting, specially for white supremacists.

Another report
https://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/in-urban-up-87-of-waste-from-toilets-goes-to-rivers-farmlands/article25291914.ece
This is what is expected.
Initiatives are like kids games---make up as you go along.

It has been worrying that so many toilets are being constructed without proper disposal plan in case of need. The twin pit system , if built scientifically, does not need disposal. But in the get hurry to report ODF villages, I doubt if they are being built with care. So then if a flood innundates the area, can you imagine the state?
Here's a study
http://wateraidindia.in/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SBMG-toilet-technology-report_online.pdf