The Chinese Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC) recently released its half-year report on local Chinese internet connectivity and usage.
With more people connecting to the internet than ever before in the region, payments and Ecommerce based services and application saw the most growth in the past 6 months.
CNNIC's report shows a 2% growth spurt in internet connectivity resulting in 632 million connected citizens (Netizens), 47% of the total Chinese population, the largest population in the world. A larger growth spurt was seen in mobile internet usage with a 5% jump since December 2013 resulting in a total of 527 million mobile surfers. 28.2% of all the connected Chinese citizens are located in China's rural areas.
With growing internet connectivity internet based applications also witnessed growth. The fastest growing internet applications were payment and Ecommerce based ones. The growth rate was seen across all internet connected devices with mobile payments coming in first, with a 63.4% increase in mobile payment connected users. All in the entire mobile payment rate increased to 38.9%, a 13.8% bump from 2013 with 25.1%.
Financial based products also grew in the first half of 2014 with services like Alibaba's mutual funds section on its Yuebao marketplace, gaining much interest from local users. A total of 10% of Chinese netizens have signed up to such services.
CNNIC'S report was surveyed a total of 30,000 Chinese residents with 50% of them being landline based internet users and the other half being mobile connected users. Residents were located in all of the administrative regions in China.


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This free eBook provides step-by-step instructions to make each of the free patriotic quilt patterns below. Thanks to the simple instructions included in this free eBook, you'll have a gorgeous patriotic quilt to display or gift in no time.
Access to free quilt patterns, tips, techniques, and more!
Don't Hesitate! These Patriotic Quilts are Sure to Please Your Family and Loved Ones!
The appeal of patriotic quilts is simple: the bold colors and designs remind us all of our country. There are few Americans who can look at something red, white and blue without thinking of Old Glory. Patriotic quilts also unite all fans of American quilting. Even if you haven't been quilting for very long, you can get started now with one of these lovely quilt patterns.
The best part about this patriotic quilt pattern is that it's not just a quilt! In this free eBook download, you'll find patterns to make a coordinating quilt, placemats, napkins, and napkin ties! Featuring bold stars and an updated country feeling, this quilt is great for a gift or to keep for your own quilt collection.
A different type of patriotic quilt, this variation interprets classic Flock of Birds and Twenty-Five Patch Blocks in nautically-themed red, white, and navy blue fabrics to create an Americana feeling. Strong lines and a striped bias binding help to make this pattern pop. It's a real show-stopper!
This simple patriotic wall quilt pattern includes templates for the easy fusible appliqué in the center square. This simple pattern is composed of easy to make, quick quilt blocks that will come together in no time.
For many, quilting is a time-honored American pastime. Many mothers pass the skill on to their daughters and take pride in the process. To these women, there is nothing more iconic than quilting. Let these patriotic quilt patterns honor both your family's quilting tradition and your country today.
Even if you didn't grow up in family happily piecing quilts together, these patriotic quilt patterns can still be a part of your life. Perhaps you're learning to quilt out of personal interest or in the hope of inspiring your own family traditions. Whatever the reason, these popular red, white, and blue patriotic quilts are sure to please!
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We know that your interest in quilting goes beyond just patriotic quilts. That's why The Quilting Company strives to bring you gorgeous patterns, wonderful reader and expert tips, and more within every issue.


Thank you for taking the time to find out about Christ College. I hope that by browsing around this website you will begin to establish a true sense of the unique character of the school and will want to come and visit for yourselves.
Set within the stunning scenery of the Brecon Beacons National Park, Christ College was founded in 1541 by Henry VIII and every pupil proudly bears the 'h' logo that links the current members of the school with the founder. Our school motto which is translated into English from Latin, means 'They achieve because they believe they can' and this remains as true of today's pupils as it has been throughout the history of the school; developing personal confidence and the willingness to take on new experiences and challenges are among the core aims of the school.
One of the most special things about Christ College is the warmth of the welcome here and the quality of relationships between pupils and staff in its Junior and Senior Schools. Our community is a small, caring and compassionate one, where pupils learn to value kindness and service to others.
Our dedicated teachers are committed to far more than helping our pupils achieve their academic potential, they are also passionate about their character development, encouraging them to achieve their goals and to grow into confident and accomplished adults.
There is something magical about this place that can only be experienced first hand and I look forward to meeting you and introducing you to it.


Have you ever had a person who is being victimized say to you, "But I don't understand- Why does she act that way?, or "Why does he do these things?" It's almost as if, by understanding "why", they could make the abuse somehow more bearable, even if they can't get it to stop. I realize there are reasons people behave the way they do, I just take issue with the notion that the victim should have the burden of trying to figure out or "understand" these reasons. Therapy is available to everyone. If an abuser refuses to avail himself of it, there is no reason that his issues have to be inflicted on other people. His issues, are just that- his issues, not yours! It is not the victim's job to "analyze" the abuser.
One day I watched a TV show about bullies. The psychologist/expert who was being interviewed mentioned that it is a fallacy that bullies have low self-esteem. He said studies have shown that bullies are arrogant people who choose victims they think they can dominate. He said they bully because they can get away with it. You are probably not doing anything to antagonize your abuser- it is the submissive nature of victims that attracts abuse from sociopathic bullies.
My husband Frank gave me the perfect answer to why it seems you can't be nice to some people without having them walk all over you. He said, "Because some people mistake kindness and niceness for weakness, and they prey on weak people." Then they're surprised and angry when you stand up for yourself. They don't realize you could be kind and nice, and be a strong person at the same time. In their minds, courage and strength are not associated with strength-of-character- they are synonymous with dominance and control.. It's the kind of rigid thinking that goes into cliché character development in a bad movie.
A while back, I had a get-together with friends, one of whom is a psychologist. We were talking about controlling relatives, and one woman, regarding her manipulative father, asked in frustration, "Why does he do this?" Our psychologist friend said, "If you really want to know, I can give you the answer in three words." Of course she, and the rest of us, all really did want to know. He then looked at us and said, very clearly, "BECAUSE IT WORKS !" We were astounded. All of us, at one time or another, had wasted needless hours trying to analyze why we had been treated the way we were by people we loved, and the answer was so obvious all along. It was so simple, so profound, and so true!
Someone who is overly concerned with "understanding" an abuser, rather than just not tolerating offensive behavior, no matter what the cause, is an enabler. The victim herself can be, and usually is, an enabler. Once an enabler has decided on the abuser's motivation, she then uses the motivation she has decided on as an excuse to rationalize or justify the abuser's behavior. She is very accommodating in offering the abuser a convenient and "legitimate" reason to continue victimizing others. He now has a perfect defense, whatever that may be. It is not constructive to "understand" the reasons why, if those reasons are then going to be used as an excuse to accept evil behavior and to allow it to continue.
While some are capable of going it alone, the benefits of competent professional counseling cannot be overstated. The first choice for counseling for a Christian is his or her pastor. I usually don't emphasize pastoral counseling for abusers simply because, in my own experience, I don't find many abusers have a pastor, or are church-going folks to begin with. Of course, there are exceptions, and Godly counseling, which will minister to the spirit of the person, is always the best choice. However, there are plenty of alternatives for non-religious abusers who truly wish to change their ways and feel unable to do it on their own.


We are launching an Event-website called Southern Homeschooling Journal. Here is the link: http://www.southernhomeschoolingjournal.com We are developing a connection vehicle for homeschoolers...sharing life stories, event articles, product reviews, family success stories, personal achievements and much more. We would like to open up journalistic avenues for those students interested in photography, writing, interviewing. Help us...please...by letting us know of events, gatherings, programs, co-op education meetings, festivals, discounts, deals, etc... just about anything relevant to families and fun! Please email us with the particulars or a person of contact. Send pictures of events you have enjoyed and recommend along with a write up.......Spread the word to people you may know who are looking to get their event on the radar. We would like to also link those homeschooling families in Alabama with fellow homeschoolers who run businesses by creating a network page for discounts. So, if you have a business, please contact us via email with your information and what you offer. Southern Homeschooling Journal is in its infancy and will start by compiling events. Our goal is to get people together, find joy in living, make homeschooling fun, and productive. Please respond to this email to help us launch.


Etiological Factors for the Persistence of Endemic Goiter in Selected Areas of Siddharthnagar District in Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India.
Serum thyroid hormone and thyrotropin levels in school children from goiter endemic sub-Himalayan tarai region of Eastern Uttar Pradesh, India.
Effect of Obesity on Pulmonary Functions among the Adolescent Students of a Private University in Malaysia.
Factors associated with outcomes of severe pneumonia in children aged 2 months to 59 months at jimma university specialized hospital, southwest Ethiopia.


Make yourself a 'pretty tough cookie' which doesn't break under pressure but becoming tougher! This gingerbread house was made by the Pretty Tough Cookie which is run by a talented young lady. Search 'Pretty Tough Cookie' on Facebook.
– if you can't change people around you, then change yourself.
On my way to Sydney from Seoul, I stopped over Shanghai to see an old friend. Over a morning coffee, he told me that he used to read my blogs but not any more because what I said can't be applied to him. I was keen to help him so I had a good chat on this topic with him.
For my friend, the main reason is that his calendar is dominated by requests from other people at work and he reckons he has little control over his calendar on a working day. My friend runs his own company in Shanghai and is currently handling a renovation project for a major department store. The project itself is worth tens of millions of dollars; huge pressure to get the project done on time.
Over a short morning coffee session, he showed me his WeChat (the Chinese version Facebook Messenger) message lists and I could understand why he said his working hours were 'dominated' by other people. Tens of messages popped up during our coffee session. By the time we finished an hour-long catch up, his un-read messages had grown to hundreds and were waiting for him on his iPhone. I could understand what he said about his work.
Yes, I can help you, old friend. ^_< Keep reading this blog, please.
First of all, although your calendar is 'dominated' by a lot of things from other people, you do have a bit control over how to respond to those requests. Make sure you give yourself a break around 10.30am, 12.30pm, and 3.30pm. A 10-minute break is fine, but make sure you can escape and find a quiet place to calm yourself down. Often, a cup of coffee or tea helps. You can actually take the 'excuse' of buying a cup of coffee, then walk away and give yourself a break. During this break, do nothing; absolutely nothing! No mobile phone, nothing! Just enjoy your tea/coffee. This break is to re-set your brain for clarity and focus ability.
Second, try to only check your iPhone once every 15 minutes on your working day. Don't keep checking your mobile phone because that drains your brain power and the reality is that: there will be new things popping up any time for you! Endless stuff, trust me. So, check once per 15 mins. The rest of the time, do what you should do as a project manager and talk to people to sort things out. Checking messages or emails on an iPhone drains your brain capacity to do important decisions, so reserve some capacity for later.
Third, do your morning exercises. I know you have the habit of doing morning swims. That's great and keep going! This boosts your mental and physical strength and also gives you a good mood in the morning to start you day. You are doing the right thing, mate.
Fourth, make sure you switch off your phone after 9pm and rest well. According to the nature of a building renovation project, little things can happen during the night, so relax and enjoy your evening.
My friend, if you can do either (1) or (2) as a beginning and test it for two weeks (and trying as hard as you can to stick to it), then I believe you will fell a lot happier. If so, keep doing that for another two weeks, then these tasks will become your habits. Then, you've just fixed your busy life with a big smile on your face. I hope to see you reaching this status when I see you again soon in Sydney, because you promised to visit my family here. I'm waiting to see how you could improve your busy life.


Historic wildfire and forestry management practices have inadvertently primed the pump for larger wildfires through decades of fire suppression.
If putting the phrase "climate change" in front of as many Canadians as possible were enough to prepare citizens for a changing future, we'd be set after media coverage of the summer wildfire season, this fall's hurricanes and the recent "1.5°C" report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.
But blaming climate change for every wildfire and extreme weather event is neither accurate nor helpful. It does not address the multiple roots of such problems or help us to mitigate the risk.
Yes, climate change is real. Research increasingly indicates that extreme weather events are intensifying and becoming more frequent because of climate change. But many other factors also affect their occurrence and their impacts.
Scientists studying the world's climate observe that the regional climates that help to characterize our sense of place are changing in ways that intensify most types of extreme events (extreme cold being an exception). Warming is not a good thing, even for a cold, northern country like Canada.
Ironically, climate change increases both the risk of intense, damaging and extreme rainfall and, consequently, some types of flooding and wildfire risks.
In Canada, the area burned by wildfire has doubled since the 1970s and is projected to double again by the end of this century. Natural Resources Canada anticipates a longer wildfire season across Canada in coming decades. By 2100, it may last a full month longer in high-risk areas such as B.C.'s north.
An area about the size of Connecticut was burned in B.C. in the unprecedented 2017 wildfire season — 1.2 million hectares, with an even bigger loss of 1.35 million hectares in 2018. Climate change played a role by increasing the odds of the hot summer conditions conducive to wildfire but it wasn't the only factor.
Historic wildfire and forestry management practices have inadvertently primed the pump for larger wildfires through decades of fire suppression. Practices are changing but development in rural-urban interface zones adds to the challenge.
In the U.S. alone, the number of people living and vacationing in such zones has increased to more than 140 million from 25 million in 1960. Not surprisingly, the number of homes destroyed each year by wildfire in the U.S. has increased 10-fold in that same period, to more than 4,000 annually.
Extreme rainfall will also intensify with warming. As the climate warms, the atmosphere's moisture content increases, with about seven per cent more atmospheric moisture per degree of warming.
While the annual total precipitation will likely increase at a substantially slower rate, it's a good bet that extreme rainfall events will intensify at somewhere near the seven per cent rate — something we're already seeing in worldwide rainfall data.
More intense extreme rainfall will inevitably lead to more flash flooding and damage. Limiting development in flood-prone areas is more important than ever.
The 2013 Alberta flood that caused more than $6 billion in damages — arguably the costliest natural disaster in Canadian history — is a case in point. While my colleagues and I found little to suggest that human-caused climate change played much of a role in that case, the damage to developed areas was extensive and expensive. Even when climate change is a factor in extreme events, it's not what necessarily creates the devastation. Humans collectively create that vulnerability by putting infrastructure and housing in harm's way.
There is more than ample evidence that global warming does threaten us and that we urgently need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to limit warming. But equally we must mitigate the increased vulnerability resulting from our development and land-use practices. Each of us bear responsibility on both sides of the risk equation as users of fossil fuels, natural resources and land.
It's our responsibility to act accordingly and folly to focus on only one aspect.
Francis Zwiers is a climatologist and the director and CEO of the Pacific Climate Impacts Consortium at the University of Victoria.


text:
Police discredited over secret plan to spy on Muslims
Friday 29 October 2010 – 21 Dhu al-Qa'dah 1431
By Hamed Chapman
A secret police counter-terrorism operation to place Muslim communities under permanent surveillance in two areas of Birmingham was implemented with virtually no consultation, oversight or regard for the law, a damning internal report has found.
The installation of more than 200 CCTV cameras, known as Project Champion, was temporarily suspended in June after local councillors revealed police had misled residents into believing they were to be used to combat vehicle crime and antisocial behaviour.
While welcoming the report by the Chief Constable of Thames Valley police, Sara Thornton, Councillor for Birmingham Sparkbrook, Salma Yacoob, said that it was not enough for West Midlands Chief Constable, Chris Simms, to say he was sorry without mentioning any resignations or disciplinary actions.
"Apology is not enough. The cameras are still there and not removed. What will they do about this? No heads have rolled," Yacoob told The Muslim News.
"I am sorry that we got such an important issue so wrong and that it has had such a negative impact on our communities," Thornton said in a statement.
Yacoob said that what is most worrying is "the doubt it casts on the trustworthiness" of the police. "If they were prepared to behave in this way in setting up this project, how much could we trust them with
the information they gathered?" she warned.
The damning internal report confirmed that the counter-terrorism unit of the West Midlands police devised a "storyline" that concealed the true purpose of the secret £3 million 'Project Champion.' Counter-terrorism insignia was removed from paperwork as part of a deliberate strategy to "market" the surveillance operation as a local policing scheme to improve community safety.
Top police officers were also criticised for failing to ask questions about the operation's "proportionality, legitimacy, authority, necessity, and the ethical values inherent in the proposed course of action."
Thornton warned that attempts by police to conceal the true purpose of the project caused "significant damage to community relations."
The surveillance of the movement of Muslims, including with Automatic Number Plate Reading (ANPR) capability, is believed to be the first of its kind in Britain and raised fears
that it was intended as a pilot scheme for other installations to spy on Muslim community.

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


text:
How the Directors of Disney's 'Encanto' Brought the Magic of Colombia to the Big Screen
"We heard magic runs in the streets there and we really felt that while we were there..."
By Jamie Aranoff December 29, 2021
Even though international travel is still complicated due to COVID-19, films filled with inspiration from around the world have provided the hope that any travel lover has been craving.
The latest film that makes us feel like we've landed in a new destination? Disney's 60th animated movie, "Encanto."
Taking place in the heart of Colombia, "Encanto," released in late November, follows the life of Mirabel, a young girl who is the only one in her family without magical powers. Although she feels held back by her lack of powers, things take a positive turn when she learns she is the last hope to save her home.
Encanto Directors stand overlooking a mountain in Colombia
Directors Byron Howard (L) and Jared Bush (R)
| Credit: Courtesy of Brian Davidson
Directors Jared Bush and Byron Howard thankfully got to travel to Colombia before the pandemic and told Travel + Leisure all about their trip and why they felt South American country was the perfect backdrop for their film.
"We went down to see as much of the country as we could, and it really, really inspired us," Howard said. "From that point on, it really became clear that Colombia was this crossroads of all of Latin America where culture comes together, and dance and tradition and families are beautifully blended ethnicity wise. We just absolutely loved that."
The two directors first traveled to Colombia in the spring of 2018 for some initial research. While visiting both big cities, like Bogotá and Cartagena, and small villages high in the mountains and along the coast, they felt the presence of magic at every turn — which became the major theme in the film.
"The idea magic is everywhere was something that we actually really tried to incorporate into the story. We have this magical family, but to this town, they're somewhat normal, was something we wanted to bring in," Bush told T+L.
Their trip was also filled with wonderful food including ajiaco (Colombian potato soup) in small villages, to hot chocolate with cheese in Bogotá, fresh arepas — which make their way into the film — and fat-bottomed ants in Cartagena.
Bush and Howard planned to return to Colombia with their entire team in March 2020 and needless to say, they never made it back. Thankfully, friends they had made on their first trip carried out their research by sending photos of every element they could have needed to make their Disney story come to life.
"The one very important thing that happened on the original trip was that we made very, very good friends all across the country. And so, while we couldn't go, we had amazing people there to help us take pictures of things, to take videos, to send samples, to talk to us about fabric and textiles, and architecture," Bush said, adding that the crew would have typically taken another three trips, if not for the pandemic. "It was a real group effort."
Among the photos and videos they had to work with, recordings of nighttime noises that were made from their first trip actually made their way into the film.
"Colombia is the birthplace of magical realism...we heard magic runs in the streets there and we really felt that while we were there — it's hard to describe it," Bush said.
Selfie of Encanto Directors Byron and Jared
Credit: Courtesy of Jared Coffee
After visiting so many different areas it also became abundantly clear that the film would need to reflect the range of dialects throughout the country. Regionality and studying language on a wide spectrum helped to understand how people speak and played into the creation of the film's characters.
Almost the entire cast is Colombian, with many members living in Colombia. The Spanish version of the film also uses voice actors exclusively from Colombia.
For first-time visitors, the two recommended visiting the city of Cartegena for the rich culture and delicious food, Bogotá for nightlife (and fighting off jetlag), and the enchanting Valle de Cocora for nature at its best — which also inspired the magical house, la casita, in "Encanto."
"There is no shortage of good food or beautiful, warm and welcoming places to see," Bush said.


text:
Q: Como pegar uma posição especifica do no foreach com PHP Estou criando uma aplicação que vou ter um RSS, e criei esse script em PHP:

<?php
// permite requisições a urls externas
ini_set('allow_url_fopen', 1);
ini_set('allow_url_include', 1);

// caminho do feed do meu blog
$feed = 'https://www.conjur.com.br/rss.xml';
// leitura do feed
$rss = simplexml_load_file($feed);
// limite de itens
$limit = 1;
// contador
$count = 0;

// imprime os itens do feed
if($rss)
{
    foreach ( $rss->channel->item as $item )
    {
        // formata e imprime uma string
        printf('%s
', $item->link, $item->title, $item->title);
        // incrementamos a variável $count
        $count++;
        // caso nosso contador seja igual ao limite paramos a iteração
        if($count == $limit) break;
    }
}
else
{
    echo 'Não foi possível acessar o blog.';
}

E preciso exibir um bloco com apenas uma noticia e depois mais 4, porém a primeira não pode repetir nas outras 4.
Qual seria a melhor forma pra fazer isso? Alguém pode me ajudar por favor!

A: Você pode verificar se existe em um array cada um desses RSS, se não ele vai adicionar esse link, assim fica mais fácil para ser manipulado posteriormente, podendo assim até exibir quantas e como quiser.
Fica assim um exemplo em base ao seu código:
<?php
// permite requisições a urls externas
ini_set('allow_url_fopen', 1);
ini_set('allow_url_include', 1);

// caminho do feed do meu blog
$feed = 'https://www.conjur.com.br/rss.xml';
// leitura do feed
$rss = simplexml_load_file($feed);
// limite de itens
$limit = 1;
// contador
$count = 8;
$noticias = array();

// imprime os itens do feed
if($rss)
{
    foreach ( $rss->channel->item as $item )
    {
        // formata e imprime uma string
        //printf('%s
', $item->link, $item->title, $item->title);
        $link = $item->link;
        $titulo = $item->title;

        $noticia = "$titulo
";

        if(!in_array($noticia,$noticias)){
            array_push($noticias,$noticia);
        }
        // incrementamos a variável $count
        $count++;
        // caso nosso contador seja igual ao limite paramos a iteração
        if($count == $limit) break;
    }
}
else
{
    echo 'Não foi possível acessar o blog.';
}

var_dump($noticias);
?>

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Rick And Morty Season 5: Series Star Hospitalized After A Knife Attack
By Rick Gonzales | 6 months ago
Cartoon Network's Adult Swim has run on the network for almost 19 years. It's the "adult" version of cartoons, offering edgy and sometimes controversial material not intended for kids. The network has seen many cartoons come and go, some with fanfare and some without. They have had some definite clunkers, but they have also provided Adult Swim with some juicy and fun material. Rick and Morty is one that audiences have swarmed to, its fan base growing season after season. Needless to say, when it was announced that Rick and Morty season 5 is happening, the fanbase responded with a muted thumbs up (more on that later).
Here's everything we know about Rick and Morty season 5 so far.
WHO ARE RICK AND MORTY?
Rick and Morty are the brain children of Dan Harmon and Justin Roiland.
Rick Sanchez is the co-lead character and mad scientist of the series. He is a genius and creates many scientific inventions but he is jaded and an alcoholic (the show is, of course, on Adult Swim). Morty, on the other hand, is the 14-year old grandson of Rick. He is a high school kid and most times is forced to go along with Rick on his many adventures.
Rick conducts his many experiments and works on potentially dangerous sci-fi gadgets in the garage of his daughter, which he now uses as he personal laboratory. Together, Rick and Morty travel across the galaxy and different dimensions either through portals or via Rick's flying car.
As mentioned, Justin Roiland and Dan Harmon created Rick and Morty. They both are back in action for Season 5. Harmon is also the creator of the hit television show Community and co-founder of Channel 101, a non-profit short film festival, where he met Roiland.
Image from The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti
Roiland, an animator and voice actor, grabbed Harmon's attention with a short, animated parody of Back to the Future. Roiland admitted to wanting to "troll" the big studios with the results being The Real Animated Adventures of Doc and Mharti. In it, various problems that arise for Doc Smith and Mharti in a very precarious fashion. Doc Smith convinces Mharti the only solution to their troubles is handled, ahem, below the belt. The very graphic (emphasis on VERY GRAPHIC) animated episode can be seen here.
Harmon and Roiland hit it off and from there, Rick and Morty was born.
RICK AND MORTY SEASON 5 PLOT
Unfortunately, not much is known about Rick and Morty season 5's planned story. At this moment, season 4 is half in the books, with its first five episodes rolling out before Christmas and the final five (of season 4) expected within the next few months. So without Rick and Morty season 4 still to be completed, there isn't much to go on as they move to season 5.
Harmon did post a fun Instagram picture showing potential ideas from writer Rob Schrab…
The amount of season 5 ideas Rob Schrab can come up with in a day is just awe inspiring from a certain distance at which I should have stayed
A post shared by Dan Harmon (@danharmon) on May 24, 2019 at 6:08pm PDT
Here are a couple of his fun ideas: Morty buys a boat, Bark-nado, Artificial person with real leg, Anal beads, and When-wolf. Could be a wild Rick and Morty season 5!
THE RETURNING CAST
The cast for the first 4 seasons returns for Rick and Morty season 5. Co-creator Roiland is back to provide voices for both Rick and Morty. Chris Parnell (Saturday Night Live, The Goldbergs) voices Morty's father, Jerry. Sarah Chalke (Scrubs, The Conners) is Morty's mom and Rick's sister, Beth. Spencer Grammer returns as Morty's sister Summer, who also joins Rick and Morty on many of their adventures.
AMAZING GUEST VOICES
Taking a look at the season 4 guest star list, it's a safe bet season 5 will bring along just as many high profile names with it. Season 4 included these names: Sam Neill (Jurassic Park), Kathleen Turner (Undercover Blues), Taika Waititi (Jojo Rabbit), Elon Musk, Jeffrey Wright (upcoming The Batman), Matthew Broderick (Ferris Bueller's Day Off), Keegan-Michael Key (Key and Peele) and Paul Giamatti (Planet of the Apes).
KANYE WEST IN SEASON 5?
Here's a strange one. Kanye West has publicly declared his love for Rick and Morty. In fact, Kim Kardashian commissioned Roiland to record a special birthday song for West in the voices of Rick and Morty. Check it out…
Rick and Morty's co-creators have returned the favor with their adoration for West. According to Cheatsheet, Roiland had this to say about West. "We f*cking love West," said Roiland, adding: "If that guy had the support to do all the ideas he has in his head, it would be f**king Elon Musk 2.0." So with that in mind, Harmon and Roiland agreed that West should "come hang out and do a voice." Harmon then went even further by saying, "I'm giving him an episode, I'm making it official. We have 70, he can have one. Kanye, you can have an episode!"
Will he? The love from both sides seems true, so look for it to happen for season 5.
WHEN RICK AND MORTY SEASON 5 WILL PREMIERE
As there is no exact premiere date for the back half of season 4, there is no word on when Rick and Morty season 5 will arrive either. We do know, for sure, that the show has been renewed for a fifth season though. The hope would be Rick and Morty season 5 will arrive in the later half of 2020, but only time will tell.
THE FUTURE OF RICK AND MORTY
What is this "70" number Harmon mentioned when he was discussing Kanye West? Well, the future seems to be very bright for Rick and Morty. Fans were not thrilled with the 2 year delay between seasons 3 and 4 and the co-creators, along with Adult Swim, seem to be trying their hardest to make it up to the rabid fan base. Adult Swim has ordered 70 more episodes (60 if not counting the 10-episode season 4). At the 10-episode per season rate the show has been living by, there is a possibility fans will see 6 more years of the show.
Now, let's just hope the wait time between season 4 and 5 won't be two years. Roiland and Harmon spoke to EW and told fans, "The plan has always been to get them out quicker. I think it's safe to say without fear of being wrong that the gap between seasons three and four will be the longest and last time that it's ever so long that it's ridiculous. I don't know how fast we can do it, but I know it will never be this long again."
PROMOTING RICK AND MORTY
While everyone sat at home waiting for Rick and Morty to return, the show released a Samurai short film online. It's violent, it's bloody, and it's probably not something you want to watch with your kids around. Enjoy it below…
You know a show has gone mainstream when they run a spot during the Super Bowl. That's just what has happened in 2020, when Rick and Morty have teamed up with Pringles for a Super Bowl TV spot. Here it is…
SPENCER GRAMMER INJURED IN KNIFE ATTACK
Spencer Grammer, who voices Summer Smith on Rick & Morty, has been hospitalized after being attacked by what can only be described as a knife wielding maniac.
The story, according to TMZ, is that Grammer and a companion were having dinner at a New York restaurant called The Black Ant in the East Village. It was late at the restaurant was beginning to close when a drunk man came in and demanded he be served. When the restaurant refused, he pulled out a knife and started stabbing people wildly.
Apparently Grammer leaped up and tried to help the group of people attempting to stop the man's attack. She was injured in the process receiving "gashes" on her arms. Her friend was wounded in the back.
Though both Grammer and her friend were taken to the hospital for treatment, it is not believed either of their injuries are life-threatening. Hopefully she'll feel better and be back to work on Rick and Morty season 5 soon.
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deborah jean's DANDELION HOUSE and GARDEN : Farmgirl Friday # 32 and Green Eggs !
Farmgirl Friday # 32 and Green Eggs !
Just the other day it occurred to me that it's just about time for our Americana chickens to start laying eggs!
They are five months old now and should start laying any time. Today when I went out to collect the eggs I scooped up one brown egg from under Miss Liza. No doubt from Lacy Lou our oldest Wyandotte. I went back to the coop a bit later to deliver some kitchen scraps and checked the nesting boxes again, this time I discovered the first green egg which I believe is from our newest batch of girls.
Guess who was in the coop, watching closely as I removed it? I'm not for certain it was Liza who had surprised me with this beautiful green egg, but I told her thank you and patted her on the back just in case!
The three larger white eggs in the bowl are Khaki Cambell's duck eggs. A friend of ours has a small flock of them and lucky me she likes to share! She also told me that French bakeries use mostly duck eggs because they provide more lift to their baked goods. Who knew?
What's new in your " farmgirl " world? How about a little show and tell?
Here are the rules for the Farmgirl Friday blog hop!
Thanks for all you share my fellow farmgirl friends... Great entries last week! As always!
I had some Americana chickens a few years back, I got blue and green eggs. About 20 years ago I know a couple that had some of the rare hens that lay pink and yellow eggs too. they were very pretty.
We have 2 Americanas right now, but they're molting. I miss seeing those beautiful green eggs!
So the green eggs... can you serve them HAM?
that is so fun. I'm glad we're finally getting eggs at all!
My Americaunas are finally laying, I love seeing those eggs in the laying boxes!
I use duck eggs in baking, they are wonderful and make a difference in everything that I bake. Try the duck eggs in brownies, the difference is amazing! When I make a pound cake, I use both duck eggs and chicken eggs. I have even used duck eggs in my dinner rolls with very pleasing results.
Cute chickies and pretty eggs :)I have been wanting to get this kind of chicken for awhile now and these pictures seal the deal!
Cute chickens . Nice batch of eggs ya got there. I remember the days on our hobby farm as a kid collecting eggs , we had Bantys and Rode Island Reds I had a pet Banty named Charlotte. I have heard about the duck eggs being used in bakeries they seem to work better for some pasteries then chickens eggs. Have a wonderful evening.
So nice to have your new hens laying. I'm still waiting for my girls. I doubt they start laying before spring. I love the duck eggs for baking! You are lucky to have them.
I am excited about your first green egg. A million years ago, when we had hens, we had several green egg layers. It seems to me their yolks were also bigger and brighter than the others. Interesting tidbit about the duck eggs. I didn't know that they improve lift in baked goods. Thanks for sharing another great tip. I love your pictures Deb. Have a great week ahead.
We LOVE our green eggs! It's so pretty having a mixture of white, dark brown, light brown, and green. Your flock is beautiful!
Love the green eggs, our ducks should be laying this winter!
I linked up with our drying rack giveaway.
I absolutely love the picture of all your chickie girls lined up at the fence!!:) They are so beautiful!
Your girls are so pretty...I am looking forward to adding more birds to our yard come spring.
Another thing about duck eggs...quiche...OMGosh it is a whole new level of amazing with duck eggs.
Farmgirl Friday # 33 and Happy Birthday!
Do You Want a Light in the Coop?


text:
Imprint: Penguin
Beyond the Boom: A Lowy Institute Paper: Penguin Special
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After decades of prosperity Australians are now worried about their jobs, their incomes and their future. The mining boom, said to explain Australia's past success, is declared to be over.
After decades of prosperity Australians are now worried about their jobs, their incomes and their future. The mining boom, said to explain Australia's past success, is declared to be over. Unemployment has increased, carmakers have folded, the government is running a huge deficit.
In a striking analysis, economist John Edwards challenges the prevailing pessimism. Cutting through the confusion, Edwards shows that the mining boom is far from over – and that it hasn't been as important for Australian prosperity as widely believed. We have a bright future in the world, and the economy is well configured to get us there. The bright future won't be in what we dig, though. It will be in what we grow, what we make and, above all, in the services we provide.
'Edwards' book is a rollicking read. He nails his colours to the mast, cherry picks the data and imposes his own clear interpretation on economic developments and reform options. It should provide the basis of reasoned debate on a very important topic – how Australia can enjoy ongoing economic prosperity on a sustainable and equitable basis.' The Lowy Interpreter
'[Throws] a large rock into the pond of what has become conventional wisdom. . . Edwards' intervention into the debate is an important one, and adds to a far older contest of views.' Australian Financial Review
'Edwards is right to highlight the diverse strengths of the Australian economy.' The Australian
John Edwards has written six nonfiction books, including the bestselling Keating: The Inside Story, published by Penguin.
John is a Nonresident Fellow at the Lowy Institute and adjunct professor at the John Curtin Institute of Public Policy at Curtin University. He has been a member of the board of the Reserve Bank of Australia, Chief Economist for HSBC Bank in Australia and New Zealand, and was a senior economic adviser for Treasurer and then Prime Minister Paul Keating.
Also by John Edwards
Thinking, Fast and Slow
Can't We Just Print More Money?
Rupal Patel, Jack Meaning and The Bank of England
Advanced Microeconomics for Contract, Institutional, and Organizational Economics
W. Bentley MacLeod
The Journey of Humanity
Oded Galor
David Kronfeld
New Ideas from Dead Economists
Buchholz, Todd G.
Consequences of Capitalism
Noam Chomksy
The New Corporation
Joel Bakan
Jason Hickel
The Little Book of Economics
The New World Economy
Randy Charles Epping
The State of Economics, the State of the World
Kaushik Basu
The WTO and Economic Development
Ben Zissimos
Probability Models for Economic Decisions, second edition
Roger B. Myerson, Eduardo Zambrano
Good Economics for Hard Times
Abhijit V. Banerjee, Esther Duflo
Call Sign Chaos
Jim Mattis, Bing West
The Making of a Democratic Economy
MARJORIE KELLY, Ted Howard
The Toyota Leaders
Masaaki Sato
Reform of the International Monetary System
Who Wins in a Digital World?
Review Mit


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Family communion services take place on the first Sunday of every month. They are accessible to all ages but are particularly aimed to families with children. The children are invited to stay throughout the whole service, which lasts about 50 minutes. The Bible reading, story, prayers and hymns are all child friendly.
The mats at the front where it's easier for the children to see and hear and where they can play on the mats.
The mats at the back, where there is plenty of toys for the children to play with and books for the children to read.
You will also find coloured pencils in small pouches by the mats at the front and the back of the church. These are for children to use to draw or colour the pictures on the paper that is with them. If you can't find them, please do ask one of the welcome team at the back. If you need to leave the service with your child, please feel free to do so, but please do come back!


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text:
Q: UDF for concatenating elements of two arrays VBA Excel Suppose there are two 1D arrays each of them contains 3 elements as follow
A   1
2   3
B   C

How does one concatenate the two arrays into a single array with elements
A1
23
BC

It's easy to do that in sheet operation by using either & or CONCATENATE function, but how to do this in array?

A: Iterate through the array and combine them into a third:
Sub foooooo()
Dim arr1() As Variant
Dim arr2() As Variant
Dim outArr() As Variant
arr1 = Array("A", "2", "B")
arr2 = Array("1", "3", "C")

ReDim outArr(UBound(arr1))
For i = LBound(arr1) To UBound(arr1)
    outArr(i) = arr1(i) & arr2(i)
Next i

Debug.Print Join(outArr, ",")

End Sub


text:
Eupedia Forum > Humanities & Anthropology > History & Civilisations > Is Latin America Western?
View Full Version : Is Latin America Western?
Is Latin America Western?
Emily Monroy
While surfing the Net recently, I came across a website that posed an interesting question: is Latin America Western or non-Western? Though the site did not give a definite "yes" or "no" to the question, it discussed some of the reasons why people might or might not consider Latin America part of the West.
The term "West" is somewhat ambiguous these days. "West" and "Western" seem to have joined the ranks of words like "Creole," "humanist," and "liberal," whose meaning varies according to where, when and by whom they are being pronounced. Most people would agree that Canada, the United States, Australia, and Western Europe are clearly part of the West. But they might disagree on where to place East Germany, for instance, which until the fall of the Berlin Wall belonged to the Communist Eastern bloc but which has strong linguistic, historical and cultural ties to Western Europe. Latin America's status as part of the so-called Occident is also shaky. On one hand, a writer for Canada's National Post Magazine referred to Colombia as the "most dangerous country in the West." An Ecuadorian friend similarly tells me that of course his country is Western; after all, it was colonized by Europeans long before many areas of the United States were. Others, though, would hesitate to include Latin America in the Western fold. Some leftists, seeking to create a sense of Third World solidarity, lump the region together with Africa, Asia and the Middle East rather than with Europe and North America. Ironically, many right-wingers too would place Latin America outside the Western pale for the same reasons, even if not for the same purpose, not only because the region is not industrialized but because the majority of its inhabitants are not "white" (that is, of unmixed European descent).
My answer to the website's question is that yes, Latin America is Western. Saying that Latin Americans are not Westerners is, to my mind, a bit like saying that cats are not mammals. In other words, what else could they be? Just as cats possess all the physical features of mammals (hair, the ability to produce milk for their young, and so on), Latin American culture is largely based on that of Western Europe, more specifically Spain's and, in the case of Brazil, Portugal's.
The first objection to classifying the Latin American countries as Western is that they are not industrialized, at least not to the same degree as those of Europe and North America are. But industrialization is not the exclusive domain of the West. Japan is one of the most industrialized nations in the world, yet it certainly is not Western. While the wish to promote solidarity between Latin America and other Third World areas is commendable, those who do so sometimes forget (or prefer to ignore) that culturally — even if not politically or technologically - the former resembles Europe more than it does Asia or Africa, for example.
Another reason often cited for not including Latin America in the West stems from the fact that most of its people are not "white." However, a "white" population does not a Western country make. Eastern Europe nations such as Lithuania and Estonia, for example, are almost entirely "white," but they have never been considered part of the Occident, least of all by Lithuanians and Estonians themselves. Others might argue that large portions of Latin America, such as Bolivia and Guatemala, are inhabited by people with no European ancestry whatsoever. But the same thing could be said of Canada, where in the most northerly areas of the country the population is mostly Aboriginal and Inuit.
Moreover, most Latin Americans have at least some European ancestry. The populations of some nations, like Argentina, Uruguay and Costa Rica are over 80% "white," and many others possess substantial "white" minorities (including some people with no family ties to Spain; my last "white" boyfriend, for instance, was born in Peru to a German-Northern Italian couple). Nonetheless, even setting Latin America's "white" inhabitants aside, the average mestizo [1] or mulatto [2] has more in common with his or her European forbears than Indian and/or African ones. He or she in all likelihood
1. speaks a European language — Spanish in most of the region and Portuguese in Brazil — as his or her mother tongue;
2. practices a religion that while not originally from Europe, took root on that continent more widely than on any other; and
3. leads a lifestyle similar to that of Spain, Portugal and other Latin countries.
From this standpoint, it's hard to claim that Latin Americans are any less Western than Americans or Australians.
Undoubtedly Native American and African customs have influenced Latin America. And it's understandable that countries like Mexico, which broke away forcefully from their "motherland," Spain, are now stressing their Indian roots over their European ones. Other nations emphasize their "mestizaje" — the term for "racial mixture" in Spanish — in an attempt to recognize their dual (or in the case of places like Brazil with a strong African component, triple) heritages. But the reality is that for most mixed-race Latin Americans — who, by the way, form the majority of the area's population — their European heritage has played a far greater role in shaping in their world views, social attitudes, and daily lives than has their non-"white" ancestry.
Indeed, the fact that miscegenation — generally involving Europeans and other "races," though individuals of mixed African and Native American descent also exist — played such a major role in Latin American history is probably the principal reason for that region's status as part of the West. It's important to stress that not all Spanish and Portuguese colonies joined the ranks of the Western world. Spanish rule in the Philippines, for example, did not transform the islands into a Latin country. Though Spain did have considerable influence on the Philippines — in converting most of the people to Catholicism, in providing Spanish loan words to the local languages, and in giving the people Spanish first and/or last names — the Filipinos' pre-colonial Asian culture remained largely intact even after three centuries of Spanish domination — roughly the same amount of time Spain controlled Latin America. Interestingly, miscegenation between Spaniards and Filipinos (or should we say Filipinas, because practically all such unions involved Spanish men and Filipina women) occurred on a fairly limited scale, as very few Spaniards settled in the islands. As historian John Phelan explains, the Philippines failed to become a Latin nation as Mexico did in part because the former lacked a mixed-race population to help Hispanicize the natives and by extension the country.
A friend from Nicaragua, a man of mixed Spanish and Native American descent who would never have passed for "white" in the United States, admitted to me that he felt "at home" on a visit to Italy because Italy is a Latin country, like Spain and Portugal. Obviously Latin America is not a carbon copy of Iberia. [3] But neither is the United States a replica of England. And just as no one would ever classify my three cats as fish, amphibians, reptiles or birds, Latin America cannot be anything but Western.
1. The term "mestizo," though it literally means "mixed" in Spanish, in Latin America generally refers to people of mixed European and Native American ancestry.
2. A "mulatto" refers to a person of mixed European and African descent.
3. "Iberia" refers to Spain and Portugal.
Source: http://www.analitica.com/bitblio/emily_monroy/western.asp
http://www.allempires.net/is-latin-america-western_topic18783.html
This is a very good post. This topic will certainly bring many responses.
I would say that Latin America has two sides to it; the one that has its roots in European culture, and the one which strongly maintains its native culture, language, and traditions. People from both groups have coexisted for so long that for me it is difficult to imagine a time when it was not like it is now.
Spanish culture itself is very interesting as it existed for so long as a sort of frontier state. Since the early 8th century, when the remnants of the Christian Kingdoms fought to avoid being completely destroyed, the history of the peninsula has been one of continuous border warfare, raids, taking and retaking of cities, etc. I would estimate that the last two hundred years or so prior to the taking of Granada saw Spain and Portugal experiencing a reasonable amount of peace.
The Iberian Peninsula developed its culture not completely apart from the rest of Western Europe, but with I think a little less influence. The rest of Western Europe saw armies marching to and fro and borders often changing. Spain saw borders changing, but they were those of other Iberians or that of Muslim states. Their culture appears to me to be very traditional and not normally inclined towards radical change.
When the unified Spain bursts on to the scene, it still thinks of itself as a unified kingdom more than that of a nation. Those that are sent out to explore, etc., are typical frontier types- rough headstrong men. Those that follow have not been influenced so much by economic changes that much of Western Europe experienced. The trend towards the growing Burgher and merchant classes, etc. did not catch on in Spain very much comparably. Spanish in L.A. concentrated on land ownership as the main method of wealth, status, etc.
I think that the concept of settlement in the Levant was similar to what the Spanish in L.A. pictured. They had just finished expelling the Muslims from Granada, and the idea of living in a crusading frontier status was very much alive at this point. They took up their positions as landowners and married mostly among themselves. (Although a number did of course marry native women and the barriers did begin to erode later)
If they got what they needed from the natives (metals, work, etc.) they seem to have left them alone otherwise and did not embark on a across-the board program to move or force the natives to culturally become Spanish. This is quite different from the situation in the US.
Mzungu mchagga
Very great post! Shortly put but still giving a good overview over a complex matter! I've made some LA acquaintainces (Brazil and Cuba) and for me LA is Western for the same reason posted above. Personally I don't like the term "West", as it has brought already a lot of confusion about the four points of the compass. Nowadays, when we talk about "the West", it has nothing to do with actual directions anymore, which many people don't understand. Sadly there is no other equal term that recently exists.
PS: Probably without intention, but transfered, this thread gives a good answer too to a another question in a different thread. It's about where to place a certain country in Europe. You know what I'm talking about. ;-)
The article sums up pretty well that being a western country is not just about being a developed country (otherwise such countries as Japan would be part of the western world) or ethnically european for the most part. So being part of the third world and having a non-european genetic heritage for the most part shouldn't put Latin America out of the Western World.
Nevertheless, most of people in USA or Canada still refuse to consider Latin American as part the Western World... in many cases they even refuse to see Mexico as part of North America which I think is related with the previous premise.
Please realize that the average person in the US has, at best, an
horrific knowledge of geography and history. Even High School textbooks here seem designed to teach as little as possible
I'm not talking about illiterate or ignorant persons. Look at this map by Samuel P. Huntington:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/d/d5/Clash_of_Civilizations_map2.png
Huntington's map of major civilizations. What constitutes Western civilization in his view is coloured dark blue.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_world
http://s02.middlebury.edu/FS056A/Herb_war/clash3.htm
The map looks like the work of an elitist. I am surprised that he could not even come up with a shading for a hybrid western/native american culture.
Well, one of the main reasons provided for putting Latin American out of the Western World is their status as a Third-World continent... so yes, you may said that it is an "elitist" map somehow. Everything is perfectly explained in the first article I posted.
Huntington's map is really bad. Why on earth would he place the Philippines or Papua New Guinea in the Western World, but not Uruguay, Argentina, Chile, Romania or Greece ? Why would he lump all Europeans together except the Orthodox without any regard for linguistic groups, genetics or culture ? Why isn't Japan in the same category as Korea and China ? What do Malaysia and Indonesia have in common with the Middle East and North Africa as civilisations besides having lots of Muslims ?
Back to the main topic, I don't see Latin America as a uniform group. The only thing that countries like Mexico, the Dominican Republic or Argentina have in common is the Spanish language and Catholicism. Everything else separates them : ethnicity, values, lifestyle, climate, food, music, economy, criminality, you name it. Countries like Mexico, Peru, Bolivia or Paraguay have kept a major native Amerindian population, with a substantial European (mostly Spanish) component. Many Caribbean islands are over 90% Black African in origin. Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and southern Brazil are predominantly European (not just Iberian, but also Italian, French and German). Countries like Colombia or Brazil are huge melting pots.
There is surely less difference between Portugal and Russia (or Greece and Finland) as civilisations than between Mexico and Argentina, or Barbados and Bolivia. Yet Huntington goes so far to put Italy and Greece members of a different civilisation !! Who did he think he was fooling when he put Russia and Poland in separate groups ?
It looks like he has Italy on the Western side, but your are right that leaving out Greece and the rest of the Orthodox was strange at best. Greece? A major portion of makes the West what it is comes from there.
I had not even looked at that side earlier.
These things are subjective by their nature, but he could at least have tried a shading that conveys a mixed or hybrid society.
Canek
latin america WAS westernized and "civilized" (:rolleyes2:)... we didn't ask for that, but we were westernized (partially). so yes, unfortunatly for us, we are (partially) western.
Spion Stirlitz
Wow, this account still works!!! :laughing:
Well, I will start by saying that I was also surprised not to see many post in this thread, so I think that the theory of the "undercover Latin American army" in Eupedia.com as to be reviewed a little.
Little left to say about the objective facts that other users (specially Maciamo) have already stated, so I will not add any more in that regard.
I will therefore go to say about my view that the partial and differentiated "westerness" of some regions and countries in Latin America, has to be well managed to create some national unity and patriotism, so important today, as always, in our countries.
"The Mexicans descend from the Aztecs and the Argentineans from the Ships", it is said around here. This kind of gross generalizations do no harm, if you have a liberal point of view, and you are always open minded to admit that there are exceptions to rules.
What is important, I guess, is to take counciousness that all Latin American countries are to some degree, multiracial and multicultural, and take this as a positive trait. So we see alliances between Argentineans and Venezuelans, Peruvians and Brazilians, etc.
I see as extemely positive that this theme didn't developed into a gross, multy-page attempt to prove or disprove the "westerness" or "not westerness" of Latin America (even if the hidden Latin American army of tr.ol.ls really existed :D )
These kind of classifications and discussions have value for Academicians or Anthropoligists, but it is not a very hot theme nowaday's for most Latin Americans.
I missed this important post...
I think that even from a dispasionate scientific point of view, some people will trend to see L.A. as western or not, depending of the (necessarily arbitrary) importance that they attach to each of the factors.
If I remember well, in its book "Clash of Civilizations", Huntington classified precisely Turkey and Mexico as a kind of "transition countries" in the process to be "integrated" to the West. And as Maciamo said in its last post, "who do he thought was fooling?". This special classification was done based on pure political considerations. And said that, I believe that the whole book reflect just geopolitical values and a "diplomatic" agenda.
Regardig the last part, about Mexico not beeing accepted as western by most North Americans, I think it is O.K., as long as we Mexicans ourselves don't become obsessed with that, and try to foolishly buy a "certificate of westerness", which at least for me is nothing, in exchange of something.
What year was the above map produced? It is amazingly ignorant, arrogant and inconsistant.
In East Asia only Indonesia is Islamic (religiously not culturally) and over 80% of the population of the Phillipines is Roman Catholic yet it is listed as an Islamic country? And what is going on with the Orthodox section? It seems to be saying that Orthodox is not Christian therefore not Western? With over 80 different ethnic groups inside Africa and the map lumps them all together under "African"? There is no such thing as "African Civilisation". New Guinea is not culturally nor ethnically western but it is Christian so it gets the western colour? Japan is wierd also.
It seems to be more a map of religious affiliations rather than political or cultural, the only exception is that the Christian sections have been titled "Western" instead. South America is Christian also but not quite "white" so it gets a colouring almost the same as Europe, but not quite?
Thinking further on the above map I've realised it must have been produced sometime between 1963 and 1975. Indonesia took control of Papua in 1963 which is why half is listed as Islamic. Yet the New Guinea side was still a territory of Australia until full independance was granted in 1975, which is why half of New Guinea is listed as "western". The map was produced when it was still under Australian control.
To summarize things, "Clash of cilvizations" is a very poorly thought-out book by a person who was rather uneducated about the world and just ad-hoc lumped together countries as he pleased and pretended they would obey to "rules" that he has drawn up. In any case, he forgot one simple little detail: Civilizations don't clash. People do.
Latin America is not a western or eastern civilization... Latin America has its OWN civilization. We are the remains of the aztec and the inca civilization, two of the greatest and most recognized civilization in the history of mankind, and we are proud of it. We don't need for the recognizion or aprovement of the "western world".
Shame you've done nothing since then, being proud of achievements that are not your own is fairly useless.
alexbagniewski
So Greece is not a part of the West?
DuPidh
The bond among western countries is Christianity. From there comes the whole philosophy of life. West is not about technology
The bond among western countries is Christianity. From there comes the whole philosophy of life. West is not about technology or science alone. As such why not Latin America being part of west? West and Latin America share also blood to certain extend.
I won't call Greece a western country. Greece is some mixture of Middle Eastern, East Europe, and West Europe. Culturally speaking they are the middle road between west and middle east
The bond among western countries is Christianity. From there comes the whole philosophy of life."Interesting", like freedom, tolerance, renaissance, science, logic, democracy and free market economy.
"Interesting", like freedom, tolerance, renaissance, science, logic, democracy and free market economy.
Yep! All of the above you are mentioning! But you can't say Latin America is not western and Italy is, when Italian emigrants are governing most of Latin American countries. Or Spain for that reason. Or Portugal. The idea that Latin America is not western contains racial anxiety. I am not saying that christian Nigeria is western since they are locally run, but Latin America is different. Have you seen a picture of Pennia Nieto of Mexico? He is like came today from Spain. Why is not he a western men?
italouruguayan
Definition of Latin America according to Wikipedia:
Latin America[a] is a group of countries and dependencies in the Western Hemisphere where Romance languages such as Spanish, French and Portuguese are spoken; it is broader than the terms Ibero-America or Hispanic America.
According to this, Quebec should be part of Latin America.
And if it is not so ... why?
Whoever wrote that clearly doesn't know very much, yes?
Tomenable
I wonder why is Quebec not counted as a part of Latin America given that they speak French?
^^^ Chileans are - genetically speaking - very similar to Mexicans.
They are autosomally on average 1/2 Amerindian + 1/2 European.
Uruguay, Argentina, Chile and southern Brazil are predominantly European
Chile is not predominantly European. Where did this myth come from?
Chile is a Mestizo nation, genetically similar to Paraguay and Mexico:
https://i.imgur.com/qAyTInj.png
davef
^^Because it's in Canada
Latin America is of course part of the west...even if with its own flavor and peculiarities.
But since English is nearly 70% of romance/ mediterranean origin ( latin, greek and old french components...without them it would be an hunter gather kind of language) it is not far fetched to claim that all the american continent is in different degree latin.......
Ok. So you think that it would be counted as part of Latin America if they were independent?
As for Chile, it might be "white" only in the census (self-identifications). Genetic studies about Chile show it is "balanced Mestizo". It also has a sizeable Native minority. I understand that Maciamo wrote that post years ago when DNA studies on Latin America were not yet available.
Paraguay is actually "whiter" than Chile in terms of genetics. And Mexico is about the same.
Without Pinochet's reforms, Chile today would likely be similar to Venezuela in terms of chaos.
Ygorcs
I confirm that Chile is not nearly as "white" as some people think and apparently they themselves declare themselves to be. I visited only Santiago and the surrounding towns, probably one of the "whiter" regions of the country (though not nearly as much as some parts of the South like Puerto Montt, but not in the southernmost regions). I was surprised to see that the population was much more mestizo than we usually hear about (maybe is there still some unwillingness to recognize mixed origins there?). I'd say some 40% of the people I saw could pass as white, but still many of them were probably mixed to some degree, but certainly more than half of the people I saw had visible Amerindian ancestry, even if only a minority had unquestionably dominant Native American features (but still a very sizeable minority, at least 10%). I don't think, though, that Chile is less "European" than Paraguay, because in the map above that you provided to us it is clear that the most "Amerindian" regions of Chile are the least populous, whereas some of the most populated regions of Paraguay are actually the most enriched by Amerindian ancestry (the southeastern portion of the country). I also doubt that Chile would've been as weak and chaotic as Venezuela now were it not for Pinochet's reforms. The country was already much more developed and educated than Venezuela in the 1970s when Pinochet established his ruthless dictatoship. I think comparisons with Argentina or Uruguay make much more sense.
In any case, I think that relying on admixtures or economic development to determine whether a country is western or not is a serious mistake. First of all, there is no rule that determines that "Western" leads necessarily to socio-economic development, nor is that characteristic exclusive of historically Western nations. And the European heritage that is much more visible and relevant in the long term in terms of shared culture, history, institutions and way of life than autosomal admixture.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/Paraguay_population_density.png
Chile seems to be the most economically developed country in Latin America, better than Argentina, Uruguay and Southern Brazil. Often it is attributed to Pinochet by people with right wing views - if not Pinochet Chile would likely be another "Communist" country like for example Ecuador today. I saw a video on You Tube made by a Polish guy living in Ecuador and he says that many things resemble Communist Poland 40-60 years ago:
He says "Reality here is similar to Polish reality from the 1960s-1970s":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n4xRTL-ug6Q
Chile surpassed Argentina in human development terms only recently, in the last 10 years, but it is now the most developed South American state, on a par with some Eastern European nations like Hungary and Poland (but, truth be told, with a much, much higher level of income and opportunity inequality). I'd be wary of giving all that credit to the ruthless and in the end cowardly dictator Pinochet, though, especially if that conclusion is based on a hypothetical situation of "what if?" instead of real historic evidence/data. We cannot just presume that Chile, without Pinochet, would've become like Ecuador or Venezuela, first of all because Chile was already much more developed and democratic than both of these nations before 1973 (when Pinochet literally bombed the presidential palace and the capital city until he got the power for himself), but also because Chile has been ruled for several years by leftist parties since the fall of Pinochet's dictatorship, and they didn't act like a subtropical version of Chávez at all. Instead, most of the good years of higher than average progress in Chile happened after 1990, and many of those years were under left-leaning governments. I think it is a big stretch to imagine that history in Chile would've evolved exactly as in Venezuela or in Ecuador given that they had very different situations (economically, socially, politically). Not even Argentina, which is much more comparable to Chile in virtually every social and economic aspect, became a "Venezuela" or "Ecuador" even after being plagued by decades of populist and ineffective governments both from the right-wing and the left-wing.
Right-wingers tend to overestimate the relatively good legacy of Pinochet in economic policy (I say "relatively" because it was not without costs and flaws, as in promoting lack of economic diversity and the already very high social inequality). That is probably in order to diminish the appalling record of his government in human rights, democracy, institutional stability, individual and collective freedom and many other indispensable things where his dictatorship's contribution was actually a detriment to Chile.
"Latin" America is not defined on the basis of whether the official language is a "Romance" or "Latin" language. In English language usage it means those countries of the Western Hemisphere which were conquered by Spain and Portugal and where the languages of those countries are spoken.
The amount of Amerindian ancestry and the level of economic development have nothing to do with whether they are western countries or not. The Japanese are very highly developed economically, and China is on the move. The U.S. has a lot of "minority" people in terms of genetics, as does France for that matter. They're not "western" countries? It's a matter of culture and institutions as Ygorcs has pointed out.
mihaitzateo
US, Canada, UK, Scandinavia are not Western European, but Northern European cultures.
Germany, Poland, Czech Republic, Switzerland etc are not Western European, but Central Europe.
Western Europe is Iberia and Spain and France.
No idea how Netherlands and Belgium are, seems more Western European countries, that Central European countries.
As for Italy, it seems a mix of Western and Central Europe, with Northern Italy more shifted towards Central Europe.
Being very industrialized is not something great, for example France or Italy kept a lot of agriculture and have an equilibrium between agriculture and industry.
In pure Central Europe as it is in Czech Republic or Austria, there is almost no more agriculture left, only offices, tourism and industry.
Germany is mostly Central European, but has also Western Europe influences.
As an outsider, what differences I see between Brazil and Spain is that Brazil is a lot more liberal ,while Spain, as France and Portugal seems shifted towards socialism. Germany seems also quite Socialist country.
So I believe in South America there is a lot of influence from US Northern-Celtic-British liberal culture.
There is a lot of corruption and crime in South America, which is again something that is different compared to Spain, or Portugal or France.
France, Spain, Portugal have few corruption.


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23 of the Best Nude Beaches in Europe
By Gianni Jaccoma, and Matt Meltzer
Mila Supinskaya Glashchenko/Shutterstock
American exceptionalism may have gotten us to the moon and back, but when it comes to actually mooning each other (you know, on the beach), we're not exactly world-beaters. Europe, by contrast, is in a completely different league when it comes to shoreline skinny-dipping.
Maybe it's their permissive attitude toward public nudity. Maybe they just understand that tan lines are as offensive as taking selfies on the shore. Whatever the reason, topless (not to mention full-on nude) beaches in Europe are plentiful.
But which ones are really worth your vacation days? We narrowed the list down to 18 of Europe's greatest beaches to see and be seen -- in the buff, of course.
Playa de Ses Illetes, Formentera, Spain | David Arts/Shutterstock
Playa de Ses Illetes
Formentera, Spain
Located just south of legendary Ibiza, the island of Formentera's basically a smaller cousin -- so small, in fact, that there's no airport. You'll need to take a ferry, bus, or taxi to get here.
Once you do, however, you'll be greeted by a wealth of gorgeous beaches, each of which is nude-friendly. Playa de Ses Illetes is one of the most popular, and with its powdery white sand and azure waters, it's easy to see why.
Filaki Beach
Crete, Greece
Crete's known for its staggeringly beautiful beaches, and Filaki's one of the standouts. A secluded stretch of sand stocked with sun beds, umbrellas, and a snack bar, Filaki's only a 15-minute walk from Vritomartis, a naturist resort said to be one of the best in Greece.
If that wasn't enough, wrap your head (or unwrap your towel) around this: Filaki's one of the few nude beaches on the island of Crete that's officially recognized as such. So you have permission to disrobe in peace.
Ahlbeck Beach, Germany | katatonia82/Shutterstock.com
Ahlbeck Beach
Ahlbeck, Germany
Nicknamed Sunny Island, this Baltic Sea spot is split between Germany and Poland and boasts more average sunlight hours than just about any other spot in either country. So it's basically made for nudists in search of the perfect tan. Off the beach, the town of Albeck is a charming seaside resort city, with a bustling pier and opulent mansions, a sort of Newport for naturists, if you will. It's also located near the island's trio of popular seaside resorts (or Imperial Spas, as they're known).
Plage de Tahiti
Saint-Tropez, France
Apart from sitting squarely on the French Riviera's warm Mediterranean shoreline -- which equals impeccable sand and turquoise waves -- Plage de Tahiti's infamously popular among celebrities. Which means that while you'll likely catch an eyeful of some random Frenchmen's cash and prizes, getting a glimpse of Miranda Kerr's VS qualifications is also a distinct (and much more appealing) possibility.
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Es trenc, Spain | MANDY GODBEHEAR/Shutterstock.com
Spread along Majorca's southern coast, Es Trenc's shallow waters are ideal for nudists who weren't planning on doing much swimming anyway. Though not particularly deep, the waters are a turquoise hue that has led many to call this Spain's own little Caribbean, a perfect nook for taking Instagram-envy pictures (of the scenery, only, por favor). The beach is narrow at only about 60 feet wide, so you may end up a lot closer to all that skin than you'd anticipated. While the restaurants and parking are a bit overpriced, this spot is all about saying goodbye to that bikini line.
Leucate Plage
Leucate, France
In addition to being one of France's well-regarded shores for skinny-dipping and nude sunbathing, the half-mile-long Leucate Plage also sports two naturist resorts and a clothing-optional campground. In other words, there's a healthy balance of naked tourists and bare-bottomed locals. Be forewarned, the beach is only accessible to naturists, and residents and visitors of the resorts. There are some clothed party poopers as well -- "textiles," as the Euros call 'em -- so if you're a Never Nude, you can probably still have some fun here as well, but wandering over fully clothed isn't gonna fly.
paradise beach, Mykonos, Greece | lagui/shutterstock
Paradise Beach
Depending on when/where you go, the bodies on this stretch of beach can either be fully clothed, topless, or completely bare, and the crowd run the gamut from college coeds to septuagenarians, all looking to have a good time. Between Paradise's picturesque shoreline and its two wild beach bars (Tropicana and the Sunrise Bar), there's something for everyone here.
Patara Beach
Patara, Turkey
Patara's the longest beach on the Turkish Riviera, and features the requisite soft sand and warm, shallow water of all the world's truly great shorelines. It's also a protected nesting site for sea turtles, meaning that: a) the odds of slashing your foot on a carelessly discarded broken bottle are pretty slim; and b) you should be completely comfortable with turtles seeing you naked.
Playa El Torn, Spain | Wikimedia Commons
Playa El Torn
Tarragona, Spain
At almost a mile in length, El Torn's no slouch on the size (although we can't attest to the motion of its ocean); at any rate, you'll have plenty of personal space when the locals and tourists descend. It's a protected beach, backed by a pine forest that, once you put your clothes on, makes for some challenging hikes and offers spectacular views of the water. Or walk out onto the rocky promontory that is the island of torn, an interesting rock formation with an old abandoned watch tower. The beach is cleaned regularly and police patrol to make sure nobody's dumping empty Fanta bottles in the dunes.
Buhne 16
Kampen, Germany
Located on the western shore of Sylt Island, Buhne 16 is considered Germany's oldest nude beach. And even though plenty of other local beaches are also nude-friendly, Germans and tourists still flock to Buhne 16 for its history and laid-back atmosphere. Striped blue and white chairs are sprinkled liberally about, so get there early enough and you're pretty much guaranteed a seat.
Red Beach, Crete | Alexander Spatari/Getty Images
Red Beach
The second Cretan spot on the list, Red Beach boasts breathtaking red sandstone cliffs, a fascinating history, and not-at-all-shy locals. Going during the peak of summer, though? Be warned: the place can have significantly fewer nude sunbathers, depending on the inclination of tourists. If you'd prefer to be surrounded by fellow nudists at all times, get there either earlier or later in the season.
Vecaki beach
Vecaki, Latvia
What you may not know about Latvia (despite having watched that episode of Seinfeld many times) is that the country's coast is over 300 miles of pure, uninterrupted Baltic beach -- not bad for a country the size of West Virginia.
Just north of Latvia's capital is the country's biggest naturist beach -- the nude-friendly portion of shoreline spans from Vecāķi to Kalngale, and is also popular among locals as a beach volleyball spot. That's right: Naked Latvians playing beach volleyball. We'll leave it at that.
Bellevue Beach, Denmark | BIGANDT.com/Shutterstock
Bellevue Beach
Klampenborg, Denmark
Chockablock full of svelte Danish youths looking to party, Bellevue's the spot to hit if you're in northern Europe and eager to channel your dormant Spring-Break self -- assuming your Spring Break was spent on a topless-optional/nude-friendly beach.
Playa de los Muertos
Almería, Spain
The name (which translates to "Beach of the Dead") refers to the pirates and sailors whose bodies washed up on the shore many moons ago. That's in the past, though -- today, Playa de los Muertos is one of the liveliest naturist beaches on the Iberian peninsula. The beach is a 10-minute walk between the cliffs that guard the sand from prying, clothed eyes. Once at the end of the path, you'll find a beach split into two coves, with crystal clear-water and absolutely no services. So make sure to pack your lunch, sunscreen and snorkeling gear. Just make sure you keep your eyes on the fish when you're underwater.
Cap d'agde, Herault, France | HUANG Zheng/Shutterstock
While it's technically the name of an entire town, Cap d'Agde is generally used to refer to a specific stretch of beach in a part of town called the Naturist Quarter. More than just a beach, this part of town is chock-full of shops, restaurants, nightclubs, and bars, all of which are frequented by naked Europeans of all stripes. There's also a big swinger scene here, so be prepared if you go with your girlfriend.
Valalta
Rovinj, Croatia
Located on a full-fledged naturist campsite, Valalta scores high in the insane amenities department. Not only can you enjoy cocktails at the swim-up bar; there's also a water slide at the pool and, best part, beer tastings at the onsite brewery. And don't forget, there's nudity.
Spiaggia di Guvano, Italy | Wikimedia Commons
Spiaggia di Guvano
Corniglia, Italy
Hidden from prying eyes behind the mountains of Cinque Terre, this pebbly little cove requires a bit of a schlep to reach. The old railway tunnel that led from Corniglia to Guvano was closed by the village because it was deemed unsafe. So if you're not into trespassing, it can take more than an hour to take the long route through still-difficult terrain. And yet, it's all worth it. The beach is the stuff of legends, an Italian hippie oasis in the 1970s that was one of the wildest party spots in Europe. Though the difficult journey and risk of landslides have tamed the crowd, the prospect of naked Italians and warm Mediterranean water should be enough for you to don some hiking boots to make the journey.
Plage Linguizzetta
Corsica, France
In addition to being Napoleon's birthplace, Corsica's also home to one of the longest nude beaches in all of Europe; at 2.5 miles, the clothing-optional section of Plage Linguizzetta's pretty much guaranteed to never be fully crowded. Additionally, the stretch's peppered with a number of local bars and eateries.
Mirtiotissa Beach, Greece | TravelNerd/Shutterstock
Mirtiotissa Beach
This isolated spot on the west coast of Corfu between Pelekas and Vatos has filled in with more-clothed tourists in recent years. And with cliffs dividing the stretch or turquoise shoreline, sometimes it can get a little confusing to figure out where it's best to bare all. Follow the dirt road through the pine tree-covered cliffs and you'll arrive at the main, central section of the beach. The cliffs on either side act as borders to the nude sections on the left and right, which are just as scenic with far fewer tan lines.
Alteirinhos
Zambujeira do Mar, Portugal
If you're looking to catch the sunset in the buff, few places top this beach on the southwestern coast of Portugal. The beach itself isn't huge -- only about 600 feet long -- and at high tide you'll be hard-pressed to find a big stretch of sand. But Alteirinhos is almost as much about the journey as the destination. Getting here involves parking atop a massive cliff, then traversing stairs down to the ocean, next to a large waterfall. If you can get here when the tide is low and the sun is up, it feels like the most beautiful nature hike you'll ever go on, that ends up au naturel.
Playa de la tejita, Spain | Anna Lurye/Shutterstock
Playa de la Tejita
Some people come to a nude beach to let the sun shine where it usually don't. Others need a little more excitement. For those, there is Playa de la Tejita, the biggest and widest among Tenerife's nude beaches at 3,000 feet long and 300 feet wide. The sand here is the softest in the area, making it much more conducive to beach walks or runs than the lava-sand beaches you'll find nearby. In addition to sporting a spectacular view of Montana Roja in the distance, the wide-open shoreline also makes it a popular spot for kitesurfing and windsurfing. Though getting dressed to do those is highly advisable.
Ågesta Beach
Who says you need clear Mediterranean water and olive-skinned beauties to have a great European nude beach? Certainly not the city of Stockholm, who have has under its supervision this beach on the shores of Lake Magelungen. Here fair-skinned Swedes pack on the sunscreen for a fun day at the lake, complete with barbecues, picnic tables, and boating aplenty. It's a little like going to your friend's summer lake house in the UP, except nobody has clothes on and it might be a tad bit colder. Then again, those Swedes are hearty people.
Acquerelli, Capoliveri, Italy | Stefano_Valeri/Shutterstock
Capoliveri, Italy
For the nude beach aficionado, this cliffside cove on the island of Elba might be the best beach in Europe. Calling it a "hidden gem" might be a little subjective, since the black sand and shingly at the bottom isn't exactly the stuff of tropical postcards. But because the beach lies in a remote location down a treacherous path from the hilltop parking lot, it's about as isolated a stretch of Mediterranean paradise as you'll find on the continent. For those looking to explore nude sunbathing without many prying eyes, this should be an ideal stop.
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Gianni Jaccoma is a cities editor, and will be starting the world's first compulsory bottomless beach in Jacksonville next year. Follow him to uncomfortable mental images on Twitter @gjaccoma
Matt Meltzer is a contributing writer to Thrillist who strongly encourages everyone to use SPR 45 on a nude beach. Trust him and follow him on Instagram @meltrez1.