Three Quarks daily has announced awards for top blog posts in the fields of
Science; Literature and Arts; Politics and Philosophy.
Here is aportion from the announcement about the procedure they plan to follow:
"....About a month before the prize is to be announced we will solicit nominations of blog entries from our readers. The nominating period will last approximately one to two weeks. At the end of this time, we will open up the process to voting by our readers. After this period, we will take the top twenty voted-for nominees, and the four main daily editors of 3 Quarks Daily (Abbas Raza, Robin Varghese, Morgan Meis, and Azra Raza) will select six finalists from these, plus they may also add a wildcard entry of their choosing. And finally, a well-known intellectual from the field will pick the winner, runner up, and third place finisher from these, and will write some short comments on the winning entries.
Just for fun, the first place award will be called the "Top Quark," and will include a cash prize of one thousand dollars; the second place prize, the "Charm Quark," will include a cash prize of three hundred dollars; and the third place winner will get the honor of winning the "Strange Quark," along with two hundred dollars..."
The full text can be read at
http://www.3quarksdaily.com/3quarksdaily/2009/05/3-quarks-daily-announces-4-annual-blog-prizes.html
27 May 2009
25 May 2009
The Cause of the Carnatic Piano
I did not know until recently, as perhaps many others reading this post, that many "greats" among the carnatic musicians of yesteryear had used the Piano as an accompaniment to their singing.
Anil Srinivasan is a Champion ( the Tinkling Star among Carnatic Musicians) of the cause of the Carnatic Piano.
For more about the above, and Anil's vison and plans read the story from The Hindu (24 May 2009). Watch this space also for announcements about his concerts in future...
http://www.thehindu.com/mag/2009/05/24/stories/2009052450060200.htm
Anil Srinivasan is a Champion ( the Tinkling Star among Carnatic Musicians) of the cause of the Carnatic Piano.
For more about the above, and Anil's vison and plans read the story from The Hindu (24 May 2009). Watch this space also for announcements about his concerts in future...
http://www.thehindu.com/mag/2009/05/24/stories/2009052450060200.htm
22 May 2009
Revisiting Loved and ForgottenStories
This is a post on Pride and Prejudice, the film. It was such a delight to watch this film and feel Jane Austen's brilliant imagination at work, bringing to life each of her characters and with them the joys of the untamed English countryside.
Poems and other literary tributes have immortalised this landscape, yet it was like falling in love with beauty all over again.
In her skilful crafting of each of her characters, Jane Austen has also etched out the magnificence of the wilderness and the glamour of the unpolluted bite of fresh breeze and the green and grey wonderous hillside country.
I wish to read and take in once more the delight of Jane Austen's writing.
Poems and other literary tributes have immortalised this landscape, yet it was like falling in love with beauty all over again.
In her skilful crafting of each of her characters, Jane Austen has also etched out the magnificence of the wilderness and the glamour of the unpolluted bite of fresh breeze and the green and grey wonderous hillside country.
I wish to read and take in once more the delight of Jane Austen's writing.
13 May 2009
A Buck Does Stop There, Hackneyed
National Parties Myth and Reality.
I agree that there are logical arguments for both voting and abstaining from voting, as it is probably one of those undecidable logical questions. But having chosen to stand by the former process, I have some thoughts I'd like to share here.
I heard of an interesting strategy that a muslim progressive group is following. Their party is contesting in four constituencies in TN, including Ramanathapuram. They did not join the coalition with DMK because they were not given enough seats.But in a bid to keep non-secular parties out at any cost, they are promoting and consolidating the status of the DMK member in Ramanathapuram. It is paradoxical and perhaps a joke to some that they are campaigning against their own candidate, but perhaps common logic may not give satisfactory answers either.
While that stands there, I'd like to know why Barkha Dutt (read NDTV) is going on and on with the hackeneyed "National" versus " Regional " party descriptions when everyone knows that Congress and BJP are regional parties themselves (only they are confined to a certain "National-language" belt!).
The other aspect of this outdated thinking is that the south parties such as DMK PMK ADMK are referred to as non-ideology based , unlike the CPs, and hence they will move to the largest bidder. As arguments go - this is strange. It's another slavish feature of the english-speaking individuals that while they recognize Marx as an idealogue (and Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, and the Advani types) They have no thought of Periyar and Ambedkar, Muthulakshmi Reddy (just a sample, there are many more) and other important champions of dravidian liberation movements! It's quite ridiculous.
If I think this way, I almost don't beieve, almost but not quite, that there's any need to vote and prop up the democracy concept for the benefit of silly, progress-faking journalists like the NDTV and co...
I agree that there are logical arguments for both voting and abstaining from voting, as it is probably one of those undecidable logical questions. But having chosen to stand by the former process, I have some thoughts I'd like to share here.
I heard of an interesting strategy that a muslim progressive group is following. Their party is contesting in four constituencies in TN, including Ramanathapuram. They did not join the coalition with DMK because they were not given enough seats.But in a bid to keep non-secular parties out at any cost, they are promoting and consolidating the status of the DMK member in Ramanathapuram. It is paradoxical and perhaps a joke to some that they are campaigning against their own candidate, but perhaps common logic may not give satisfactory answers either.
While that stands there, I'd like to know why Barkha Dutt (read NDTV) is going on and on with the hackeneyed "National" versus " Regional " party descriptions when everyone knows that Congress and BJP are regional parties themselves (only they are confined to a certain "National-language" belt!).
The other aspect of this outdated thinking is that the south parties such as DMK PMK ADMK are referred to as non-ideology based , unlike the CPs, and hence they will move to the largest bidder. As arguments go - this is strange. It's another slavish feature of the english-speaking individuals that while they recognize Marx as an idealogue (and Martin Luther, Martin Luther King, and the Advani types) They have no thought of Periyar and Ambedkar, Muthulakshmi Reddy (just a sample, there are many more) and other important champions of dravidian liberation movements! It's quite ridiculous.
If I think this way, I almost don't beieve, almost but not quite, that there's any need to vote and prop up the democracy concept for the benefit of silly, progress-faking journalists like the NDTV and co...
11 May 2009
Sonia Gandhi's Campaign in Chennai
There was a huge crowd in Chennai at the rally organised by the Congress, DMK and other TN allies at the famous Island Grounds today.
The meeting which was meant to be Ms Sonia Gandhi's first and only campaign in Chennai in recent times, had previously been scheduled for the same day, and then a cancellation was announced. But finally, it took place, but in the manner of a surprise arrangement.
Ms Sonia Gandhi looked visibly moved when she spoke of the ideals held by her family, naming them all one by one, including Rajiv-ji. One could feel her emotions for in no other rally seen on TV had she looked as shaken as here. She expressed that the Indian Government had done all in its power to try and save the Tamil brothers and Sisters in Eelam. She also spoke of her distress in viewing the plight of young children women, and even elderly people caught in the cross-fire at Lanka.
I could not help but admire her courage and determination and one can say even bravery in the way she spoke of the deepest promises of her party under circumstances where the Sri Lankan Genocide buck had been finally passed on to her.
Anyway, all this bravery was weakened by the interpreter, who due to lack of time or some other thing, had not caught either the emotional appeal or the conviction or the content of her speech fully.
All said, in this election, there are many brave women contesting. More than did before.
The meeting which was meant to be Ms Sonia Gandhi's first and only campaign in Chennai in recent times, had previously been scheduled for the same day, and then a cancellation was announced. But finally, it took place, but in the manner of a surprise arrangement.
Ms Sonia Gandhi looked visibly moved when she spoke of the ideals held by her family, naming them all one by one, including Rajiv-ji. One could feel her emotions for in no other rally seen on TV had she looked as shaken as here. She expressed that the Indian Government had done all in its power to try and save the Tamil brothers and Sisters in Eelam. She also spoke of her distress in viewing the plight of young children women, and even elderly people caught in the cross-fire at Lanka.
I could not help but admire her courage and determination and one can say even bravery in the way she spoke of the deepest promises of her party under circumstances where the Sri Lankan Genocide buck had been finally passed on to her.
Anyway, all this bravery was weakened by the interpreter, who due to lack of time or some other thing, had not caught either the emotional appeal or the conviction or the content of her speech fully.
All said, in this election, there are many brave women contesting. More than did before.
09 May 2009
An Attempt at Science fiction
I saw an interesting question in a discussion group on films. I felt like sharing it will my blog readers:
A doubt relating to the movie dasavatharam...What is the significance of Lord Vishnu's idol reappearing in the climax of the Movie...Does it only prove chaos theory or does it have some hidden message and politics in it.... ?
Hi
I hope you will not mind reading my long email once again.
Politics in a Film: First let me clarify one thing. Politics in a film has two aspects - one what the writer consciously puts in and one that the audience discovers because of his/her perspective and social realities. Also, any work of art lends itself to several interpretations because of thsi multiplicity of perspectives of the many viewers. Someone may find the scene totally objectionable while another just glosses over it...
In Dassavatharam (DV) - I will not go into that aspect of DV at all.
Let me start from science at a popular level:
Chaotic systems (unilke non-chaotic "simple" sytems, like an accelerating train or tennis ball) have the property that there is a limit to how accurately you can calculate the dynamics (that is, calculate the way they will move and evolve in space). This is because they are "self-similar". That is, the graph of momentum versus position is the same, at whichever level you look at it. If you look at it closely at a microscopic level, or if you look at it from normal visual distances, or go away to a planet and then observe the movement of the system with a telescopeand plot its velocity and space distribution, it looks the same.
Therefore, if a disturbance happens at a micro-level it will affect all distances away from it.. To understand this better, you can google for Mandelbrot Set, or Self- Similar systems and you will find a good pictorial explanation of this concept.
Earth Quakes and Chaos Model: (highly simplified) In an earthquake model - you know that earthquakes are caused by a slipping of tectonic plates at the bottom of the sea.
Do you know how minute is the disturbance that can cause an earthquake? It can be as small as a few grains of sand slipping between the gaps in the plates.
This can happen because, at that moment, the ocean floor is coupled to this Self-Similar system, the same disturbance is felt on all distance scales (for distance scales, picture grains of sand slipping millimetres, chucks of stines slipping metres, boulders slippling hundreds of metres and so on) around it...
Thus, a slipping of a few grains of sand is magnified (note, it is not built up as in an avalanche, it is much more devastatingly quick) into the heaving of the Ocean floor, formation of earthquake, and huge tidal waves CAN result (they don't always, that's the catch as to why we cannot predict these).
Similar explanation is given to Huge forest fires, Spread of Epidemics; Why, even the way coffee decoction percolates through the filter across the stuffed-in coffee powder..
Dasavatharam: This was a story with several threads. The main line was that this prize-winning atheistic scientist and intelligent but simple and religious small-town girl go on a Witch hunt ( to get rid of the poisonous stuff the vial contains).
Apart from the adventure and how they accomplish their task, there is the little story of two complementary belief systems and how they learn from and accomodate each other.
When they recount the Tsunami experience, the believer says "Thank God" and the atheist says "Tectonic Plates." There is no judgement given in the story, and truly, science has no final conclusive answers to many puzzles. But the depth of the characterization and the authenticity of each character is what is built up by the mention of a very real and very well know result of Chaos theory.
The same story, if the writer wanted the pattern of computer science, instead of non-linear dynamics, could have this problem - a highly destructive computer virus which is out to defunct the defence mechanisms of the country - The hero a computer scientist and heroine, a military commando or love-story writer with fear of gadgets and computers in particular, get involved with the perpetrating gang and how they still stick to hating and loving computers at the end of the story! (How is it?)
If the point about characterization is not clear, I will explain later, I think you will get it from just this email.
Alright for the second question on the IDOl in the last scene- Why did the idol turn up at the end?
I have several interesting thoughts on that. Think of how the story would end if the idol did not turn up - The Tsunami over, everyone slowly smiles and the lovers hold hands and walk away bickering peacefully like Tom and Jerry. Would you have remembered the end scene? IN the actual scene, they really lean on the back of the old barnacled idol and get together ... (we do not know either that it is that rock they're leaning on, until the camera pans away showing the mysterious smiling, sleeping Ranganathan on the endless mythical snake Anantha.The theme music booms... !
It's a picture (image) that you don't forget so easily. It's as if to say that one ultimately never knows and it's your fundamental exitential choice, what you choose, or want, to believe in...
Have you seen the Michael Jackson video of "Thriller" - Throughout, the song makes you wonder if he is a vampire or not and it seems like it ends on a happy note, until Jackson turns back and gives his evil grin, leaving you guessing once again. Similar open ends in Back to the Future, Evil Dead etc ...
(ok apart from this, there was a news item too which may have made the writer write up this part... I won't mention it for having already probably bored you with too lengthy emails).
As a film, I thought it makes for several viewings and leaves an unforgettable visual memory and lastly, leaves room for thought for those interested.
A doubt relating to the movie dasavatharam...What is the significance of Lord Vishnu's idol reappearing in the climax of the Movie...Does it only prove chaos theory or does it have some hidden message and politics in it.... ?
Hi
I hope you will not mind reading my long email once again.
Politics in a Film: First let me clarify one thing. Politics in a film has two aspects - one what the writer consciously puts in and one that the audience discovers because of his/her perspective and social realities. Also, any work of art lends itself to several interpretations because of thsi multiplicity of perspectives of the many viewers. Someone may find the scene totally objectionable while another just glosses over it...
In Dassavatharam (DV) - I will not go into that aspect of DV at all.
Let me start from science at a popular level:
Chaotic systems (unilke non-chaotic "simple" sytems, like an accelerating train or tennis ball) have the property that there is a limit to how accurately you can calculate the dynamics (that is, calculate the way they will move and evolve in space). This is because they are "self-similar". That is, the graph of momentum versus position is the same, at whichever level you look at it. If you look at it closely at a microscopic level, or if you look at it from normal visual distances, or go away to a planet and then observe the movement of the system with a telescopeand plot its velocity and space distribution, it looks the same.
Therefore, if a disturbance happens at a micro-level it will affect all distances away from it.. To understand this better, you can google for Mandelbrot Set, or Self- Similar systems and you will find a good pictorial explanation of this concept.
Earth Quakes and Chaos Model: (highly simplified) In an earthquake model - you know that earthquakes are caused by a slipping of tectonic plates at the bottom of the sea.
Do you know how minute is the disturbance that can cause an earthquake? It can be as small as a few grains of sand slipping between the gaps in the plates.
This can happen because, at that moment, the ocean floor is coupled to this Self-Similar system, the same disturbance is felt on all distance scales (for distance scales, picture grains of sand slipping millimetres, chucks of stines slipping metres, boulders slippling hundreds of metres and so on) around it...
Thus, a slipping of a few grains of sand is magnified (note, it is not built up as in an avalanche, it is much more devastatingly quick) into the heaving of the Ocean floor, formation of earthquake, and huge tidal waves CAN result (they don't always, that's the catch as to why we cannot predict these).
Similar explanation is given to Huge forest fires, Spread of Epidemics; Why, even the way coffee decoction percolates through the filter across the stuffed-in coffee powder..
Dasavatharam: This was a story with several threads. The main line was that this prize-winning atheistic scientist and intelligent but simple and religious small-town girl go on a Witch hunt ( to get rid of the poisonous stuff the vial contains).
Apart from the adventure and how they accomplish their task, there is the little story of two complementary belief systems and how they learn from and accomodate each other.
When they recount the Tsunami experience, the believer says "Thank God" and the atheist says "Tectonic Plates." There is no judgement given in the story, and truly, science has no final conclusive answers to many puzzles. But the depth of the characterization and the authenticity of each character is what is built up by the mention of a very real and very well know result of Chaos theory.
The same story, if the writer wanted the pattern of computer science, instead of non-linear dynamics, could have this problem - a highly destructive computer virus which is out to defunct the defence mechanisms of the country - The hero a computer scientist and heroine, a military commando or love-story writer with fear of gadgets and computers in particular, get involved with the perpetrating gang and how they still stick to hating and loving computers at the end of the story! (How is it?)
If the point about characterization is not clear, I will explain later, I think you will get it from just this email.
Alright for the second question on the IDOl in the last scene- Why did the idol turn up at the end?
I have several interesting thoughts on that. Think of how the story would end if the idol did not turn up - The Tsunami over, everyone slowly smiles and the lovers hold hands and walk away bickering peacefully like Tom and Jerry. Would you have remembered the end scene? IN the actual scene, they really lean on the back of the old barnacled idol and get together ... (we do not know either that it is that rock they're leaning on, until the camera pans away showing the mysterious smiling, sleeping Ranganathan on the endless mythical snake Anantha.The theme music booms... !
It's a picture (image) that you don't forget so easily. It's as if to say that one ultimately never knows and it's your fundamental exitential choice, what you choose, or want, to believe in...
Have you seen the Michael Jackson video of "Thriller" - Throughout, the song makes you wonder if he is a vampire or not and it seems like it ends on a happy note, until Jackson turns back and gives his evil grin, leaving you guessing once again. Similar open ends in Back to the Future, Evil Dead etc ...
(ok apart from this, there was a news item too which may have made the writer write up this part... I won't mention it for having already probably bored you with too lengthy emails).
As a film, I thought it makes for several viewings and leaves an unforgettable visual memory and lastly, leaves room for thought for those interested.
08 May 2009
Two songs
I felt like writing down two songs, one that I like but can't remember fully and one that was sent to me by a friend recently...
Song number 1.
A winters day
In a deep and dark december;
I am alone,
Gazing from my window to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
I've built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship;
friendship causes pain.
Its laughter and its loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
Dont talk of love,
But I've heard the words before;
Its sleeping in my memory.
I wont disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.
If I never loved
I never would have cried.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room,
safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.
(By Simon and Garfunkel)
Song number 2
What would you do?
If, I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up
and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears
and I'll sing you a song,
and I'll try
not to sing out of key,
Oh, I get by,
with a little help
from my friends...
gettin high
with a little help frommy friends...
gonna try,
with a little help from my friends...
(by John Lennon)
Song number 1.
A winters day
In a deep and dark december;
I am alone,
Gazing from my window to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
I've built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship;
friendship causes pain.
Its laughter and its loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
Dont talk of love,
But I've heard the words before;
Its sleeping in my memory.
I wont disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.
If I never loved
I never would have cried.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room,
safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.
And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.
(By Simon and Garfunkel)
Song number 2
What would you do?
If, I sang out of tune,
Would you stand up
and walk out on me?
Lend me your ears
and I'll sing you a song,
and I'll try
not to sing out of key,
Oh, I get by,
with a little help
from my friends...
gettin high
with a little help frommy friends...
gonna try,
with a little help from my friends...
(by John Lennon)
07 May 2009
The Issue of the Indus Valley Script
A recently published (by Rao et al.) paper in Science was much talked about by the media. This paper contained a statistical proof that the pictorial markings on the walls of ruins from the Indus Valley Civilization were, in fact, sentences from a language similar to any that people use today.
Initially I was puzzled at this - haven't we always been talking about the Indus language and script and stuff like that? Was there any doubt on that score? Apparently, doubt was cast on the literacy of the ancient dravidians as recently as 2004...
To put it in Dr Rahul Siddharthan's words is much more exciting than for me to explain, for it offers not just a flavour of how math can enter language (that's strictly for the mathematically enabled souls, don't write fan mail if you can't see some sentences through to the end, I couldn't either) but also an insight into how science happens, how scientists talk, etc..
Here it is...
"Here is my feeling on what has happened here: Before 2004, the Rao et al. paper would not have gathered any attention. (Of course the Indus system is a language script! Why are you discussing it?) But that year, Steve Farmer managed to persuade two others -- one of whom, Michael Witzel, is a well-respected authority in the field -- to add their names to his thesis that it is not a language. The resulting manuscript was absurdly and unprofessionally bombastic in its language, while containing essentially nothing convincing. Regardless of the work of Rao et al, their hypothesis would have died a natural death -- but Rao et al do have Farmer et al to thank for enabling them to publish their work, with its obvious conclusions, in a prestigious journal like Science. Farmer et al are so rattled that they promptly post an incoherent, shrill, content-free, ad hominem rant on Farmer's website. Sproat even shows up on my previous post, leaving a chain of comments that reveal that he has neither understood, nor cares to understand, the argument. All those who dissent from their 2004 paper are Dravidian nationalists...."
The full text can be found here -
http://horadecubitus.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-indus-thoughts-and-links.html
Initially I was puzzled at this - haven't we always been talking about the Indus language and script and stuff like that? Was there any doubt on that score? Apparently, doubt was cast on the literacy of the ancient dravidians as recently as 2004...
To put it in Dr Rahul Siddharthan's words is much more exciting than for me to explain, for it offers not just a flavour of how math can enter language (that's strictly for the mathematically enabled souls, don't write fan mail if you can't see some sentences through to the end, I couldn't either) but also an insight into how science happens, how scientists talk, etc..
Here it is...
"Here is my feeling on what has happened here: Before 2004, the Rao et al. paper would not have gathered any attention. (Of course the Indus system is a language script! Why are you discussing it?) But that year, Steve Farmer managed to persuade two others -- one of whom, Michael Witzel, is a well-respected authority in the field -- to add their names to his thesis that it is not a language. The resulting manuscript was absurdly and unprofessionally bombastic in its language, while containing essentially nothing convincing. Regardless of the work of Rao et al, their hypothesis would have died a natural death -- but Rao et al do have Farmer et al to thank for enabling them to publish their work, with its obvious conclusions, in a prestigious journal like Science. Farmer et al are so rattled that they promptly post an incoherent, shrill, content-free, ad hominem rant on Farmer's website. Sproat even shows up on my previous post, leaving a chain of comments that reveal that he has neither understood, nor cares to understand, the argument. All those who dissent from their 2004 paper are Dravidian nationalists...."
The full text can be found here -
http://horadecubitus.blogspot.com/2009/05/more-indus-thoughts-and-links.html
06 May 2009
Screen Writing workshop
I have applied for the International Screenwriting Workshop that is to be conducted in Chennai. I believe for just 250 seats there are about 1500 applications - fewer than one in six will get selected.
The whole thing was rather stimulating you know! There was a website where people started posting emails and stuff and I went sort of overboard and started filling emails with my opinions!!! Hahaha !!! I guess you can see it at Screenwriting dot com!
It's funny and enjoyable...
The whole thing was rather stimulating you know! There was a website where people started posting emails and stuff and I went sort of overboard and started filling emails with my opinions!!! Hahaha !!! I guess you can see it at Screenwriting dot com!
It's funny and enjoyable...
05 May 2009
Bonsai report for the month
Hi fellow Gardening Enthusiasts!
I have something good to report on my Bonsai experiments.
I have tried to grow four flowering trees in a pot (that's what Bonsai is).
They are:
Maghizham (Mimusops Elengi, L; common name - Bullet Wood; Evergreen)
Shennbagham (Michealia Champaka, Threatened Species)
Pavazhamalli (Nyctanthes arbortristis; common name: Night/Coral Jasmine, Parijaat)
Manoranjitham (Artobotrys (hexapetalus) odorotissimus; Harichampa, climbing ylang ylang).
The Maghizham is now in season, as are all flowers including the ones listed above. I had put it in the only rectangular pot I had which was abut six inches deep and had nearly vertical sides. I pruned the roots and leaves three months ago.
It's a week now since this specimen has let out a new shoot and I think I am succeeding in making it grow at an angle between 45 and 50 degrees to the ground!
Hurrah!
I have something good to report on my Bonsai experiments.
I have tried to grow four flowering trees in a pot (that's what Bonsai is).
They are:
Maghizham (Mimusops Elengi, L; common name - Bullet Wood; Evergreen)
Shennbagham (Michealia Champaka, Threatened Species)
Pavazhamalli (Nyctanthes arbortristis; common name: Night/Coral Jasmine, Parijaat)
Manoranjitham (Artobotrys (hexapetalus) odorotissimus; Harichampa, climbing ylang ylang).
The Maghizham is now in season, as are all flowers including the ones listed above. I had put it in the only rectangular pot I had which was abut six inches deep and had nearly vertical sides. I pruned the roots and leaves three months ago.
It's a week now since this specimen has let out a new shoot and I think I am succeeding in making it grow at an angle between 45 and 50 degrees to the ground!
Hurrah!
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