If you know a bit about Barcelona, you've probably heard about Poblenou. This neighborhood, which used to be an industrial district, has become one of the most avant-garde areas in the city thanks to big doses of design, innovation and sustainability. Time ago, in a previous post, we told you about how to discover all the corners of the 22@, and today we take up this topic again to propose you 5 options to make the most of your stay in our hostel. There we go!
The location of our hostel, the neighborhood of Poblenou, is the perfect starting point to start discovering Barcelona. Located just a few meters from the beach, and very close to the city's main attractions, our hostel has a wonderful terrace with spectacular views. Besides, its excellent connection with public transport services, makes it accessible even from the airport. And this journey takes 35 min only!
Play with our WII or, if you prefer analogical entertainment, with our pool or some of the board games that we have.
Watch the TV or use the projector to enjoy a TV serie or film with other guests. You could even practice other languages!
If you prefer an intermediate plan, between staying at the hostel or going out, you can't miss a meal at the Carrot café, which is located just next to Twentytú Hostel. Its gourmet sandwiches are out of this world!
And, as we know little details are important, we present those guests who book a double room with breakfast a delicious croissant. Yummy!
4. Need more reasons to stay at Twentytú? Ok, here's one more!
The atmosphere at the hostel is warm and friendly, so we are sure you'll have a great time, no matter if you come with your couple, friends, family or alone. And what is more, at the same time you enjoy you stay, you'll be taking care of the planet, as we are a certificated eco-hostel.
Enjoy Barcelona, discover Poblenou and rest in Twentytú!
Learning languages is an unresolved matter for many people due to lack of time, resources or places to practice. That's why the language exchange with native speakers is an entertaining, informal and effective option to learn and, above all, to enjoy it!
We tell you all the tips that you must consider to make the most of the language exchange in Barcelona, there's no excuse!
For a linguistic exchange to work, the participants must have a similar level of the language they wish to learn, so in this way the vocabulary will be equivalent and the conversations will be enriched.
Introduce yourself: who you are, what your origins are, where you live. It explains all the basics that the other person should know to know you.
Explain what your job is and what you like to do in your free time…your profession and your hobbies say a lot about you.
Talk about the language you want to learn: why you do it, which your weak points are, which tricks you use to improve it, etc.
Tell them things about your family and your pets. Surely you have interesting anecdotes and funny stories for your listener.
List your favourite tastes and hobbies: movies, series, books, records … surely you'll have one in common with your language exchange partner.
Discuss the trips you have made or would like to make. Talking about countries and cities will also give you the opportunity to talk about different habits and cultures.
Gastronomy: explain your culinary habits, your favourite dishes, recommend restaurants or products. Everybody eats many times a day so we're sure that exchanging tips will be very useful.
To improve your understanding and accustom your ears to the different accents, try listening to a podcast before a language exchange session, this way you'll improve listening and prepare yourself mentally to adapt your language. Search for radio programs, narrated books or do a marathon of your favourite English-speaking series in original version. Practice pronunciation and check the most frequent expressions and informal jargon. And remember, the more you like the topic, themore fun you'll have!
Take note and review all the corrections that your interlocutor points out about your speaking, because the faster you memorise them, the fewer times you'll repeat your mistakes. Also keep in mind which your weak points are and try to face them and review them as many times as necessary. And above all don't worry about making mistakes, because as the poet Goethe says: "The only man who is not wrong is the one who never does anything".
Make an effort so that the learning process is mutual and equitable. It's important that half of the session is in one language and the other half in the other, for example in sessions of 15 / 15 minutes or 30 / 30 minutes. As the time passes and you feel more comfortable, you'll increase the difficulty of the topics and the registers. In this way you'll progress safely!
Technology is your friend when it's time to learn a language: it will allow you to check contents, connect with other people, record and listen to your conversations or use apps or websites that allow you to learn while playing.
Internet is a great source of didactic material and you can went to websites like Busuu, apps like Duolingo, or join social network groups where there are people with your same interests, you'll see how you find a lot of information!
Read books or magazines in the language you want to learn, watch original untranslated content, attend Meetup events, find out what your city's exchange options are, or enjoy relaxed chats at one of the language exchange bars in Barcelona that we offer. The key is practice!
This year, the Llum Bcn festival will illuminate all the streets of Poblenou and other spots of Barcelona with its big variety of activities and shows, as part of the famous Santa Eulàlia's festivities. As we want you to enjoy it to the fullest, we've prepared a list with all the essential things you need to see and do from the 16th to 18th of February. Get ready to enjoy the flashes!
During the three nights of the festival you can discover many interesting projects like spaces, projections and shows specifically designed to make the most of the potential of light and color.
You will find different options for the entire family, located mainly in Sancho de Ávila, Roc Boronat and Pujades streets. Choose your route and do not miss any corner or patio, all of them will surprise you! Keep your eyes open!
Hexx: a light tunnel which reacts to sound. Plaça de les Glòries Catalanes.
Follow the Path: animations projected on water. Pond of the DHUB Barcelona.
Escletxa Proxèmica: light walls on the sides of an escalator. Hall of the DHUB Barcelona.
Hipnocity: facade illuminated with messages to raise awareness about the information barrage we're living at the present times. CNMC building.
Axiom: 3D mapping show that allows, with the help of special glasses, to perceive a three-dimensional effect. Pompeu Fabra University.
L'exèrcit de la llum: light suits synchronized with the dancer's movements. Tànger street, (between Ciutat de Granada and Roc Boronat).
You can check the whole programme at Llum Bcn Official webpage, where you can also download it in PDF.
If you're looking for activities for the entire family, Llum Bcn is your plan! During the weekend, different events for all ages, such as immersive projections or 360º experiences, will be organized. Besides, you can play Pix-celona, an app which tests your knowledge about Barcelona. Play with others and discover who knows best!
To celebrate the Llum Bcn in Santa Eulàlia's festivities, many museums and emblematic buildings of the city will have an open-door journey. In many of them, you'll find interesting activities related to the festival.
Some of them are: Montjuïc Castle, located in the highest part of Barcelona, CCCB (Center of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona), Antoni Tàpies Foundation and Joan Miró Foundation (dedicated to both artists), Museum of Catalan History… and many more!
Our hostel is one of the establishments that will take part in the the Freedamm programme organized by Estrella Damm. Visit our terrace during the 16th-18th and find out all the surprises we've prepared for you!
You don't need big amounts of money for travelling. If you don't believe it, take a look at this tiny guide we've prepared, full of tips for backpackers in Barcelona. Enjoy your trip while you save money for the next one!
The first thing you'll need to do as a backpacker is, obviously, prepare your backpack! Do you want some advice to choose the perfect clothes for your trip? Take note!
The average temperature is 16.5ºC, which makes Barcelona a great city to discover by foot.
The warmest months are from May to September. August is the hottest month, while the coldest ones are from November to February, especially January.
Visit Barcelona markets: they're beautiful and full of life. Besides, their architecture will impress you!
Stroll about its neighbourhoods to soak up the culture and habits of the locals. Walk around the Gothic quartier, enjoy the little village of Gràcia and fall in love with the modernist buildings of l'Eixample. And don't forget Las Ramblas!
Feel the nature without leaving the city: take pleasure in a beautiful sunset at la Barceloneta beach or get lost in magic parks, like Ciutadella park.
Also, you can enjoy museums, guided tours or tickets for free. You would find more information about the available options on our post 10 free things to do in Barcelona.
Tasca i vins: traditional Catalonian food. They have daily menu.
Carrer de Blai. This street, very popular among locals, is full of tapas bars. The idea of "tapeo" is having a tapa or a montadito with a small beer (zurito), every time in a different bar. We're sure you'll love it!
La rosa del Raval: Mexican food like nachos, ceviche or quesadillas. You can have a delicious mojito or margarita for 4euros only!
Wok to walk: they serve Asian plates, such as rice or noodles with the toppings you choose, to take away.
Mosquito: Asian tapas of very good quality, like dumplings, soups, etc.
Nostrum: homemade food from 1€.
If you want cheaper options, big supermarkets like Mercadona or Carrefour sell tasty ready-made meals.
Walking around in an unknown city is exciting, but also tiring, and maybe at some point of your trip you'll need to take the metro or bus. Depending on your needs, you can choose one rate or another, but pay attention to tourist transport cards (called "Hola Barcelona), to the T-10 (a 10 trips card) or the daily bonus.
Barcelona is very well-connected, and its network includes train, metro, bus, cable car and public bikes (some of them are electric!). If you don't know which one you should take, you can always ask at tourist offices or at the info points located in metro stations. Don't forget: the metropolitan area of Barcelona is divided in A, B, C, D zones, and depending on where you're travelling you'll need a specific ticket.
It doesn't matter if you're a backpacker or not: comfort and relax is essential during a trip. If you're looking for a comfortable and cozy backpackers hostel in Barcelona, Twentytú is your place. Take a look to our hostel facilities and discover why .
Barcelona is a warm, open and cosmopolitan city where you'll feel like at home. We've prepared a "must" list, so you can enjoy your trip to the fullest when you are in town. If you follow these advices, you'll feel like a local!
1.By foot or by metro, you choose!
Barcelona isn't a big city (it's just a bit bigger than the tenth part of London or New York) so you can visit most of the tourist attractions during a nice walk and decide the things to do in Barcelona.
Nevertheless, in case you decide to visit any further place, like the Camp Nou stadium, Park Güell or Montjuïc, you should know Barcelona's metro system arrives to all the districts of the city and its surroundings. Besides, metro works every day, from 5 am to 12 am (Monday-Thursday and Sunday), from 5 am to 12am (Friday) and during the whole day on Saturdays. You can plan your journey and check all the information at this webpage.
If you come from abroad, you should know our timetables are different to the rest of Europe; work usually starts at 9am, lunch is at 2pm and dinner starts at 9pm. That's why we finish work later and why we are kind of "nocturnal", so if you want to see a crowded nightclub, you'll have to wait until 2am!!
Usually, the weather in Barcelona is quite nice, with an average temperature of 16°C, with hot summers (average temperature of 24°C) and cool winters (average temperature of 9°C). Anyway, weather is sometimes a bit changeable (but you will hardly ever find extreme temperatures). During winter, wearing a jacket at nights and a long sleeve t shirt in the mornings is a good idea, as temperatures goes down a few degrees during the day.
Barcelona is a very touristic city and there's a pickpocket in every corner. Keep your belongings with you at all times (especially at the beach, metro, bar terraces or places like la Rambla) and never have your wallet in your pocket or in a visible place.
Don't let pickpockets ruin your holidays!
In Barcelona we speak two languages, Catalan and Spanish. Knowing some words and expressions in these languages will be super useful when you want to communicate with locals. Ready? There we go!
La Pedrera, Sagrada Familia, Park Güell, la Casa Batlló.. there're so many things to do in Barcelona! For this reason, we recommend you to book tickets and table in restaurants in advance. You'll skip the queue (most of the times) and make the most of your time in the city.
On Sunday, most of the shops, supermarkets or even some restaurants are closed. So, before planning Sunday's journey, make sure it's going to be possible or think about a B plan. There're some exceptions like Maremagnum mall and La Roca Village outlet, which are open every day of the year (except on 25th December). You can also attend cultural events, or visit a museum (most of them are free the first Sunday of each month or every Sunday from 3pm)¡there many things to do in Barcelona! You can check some options on this post about Free museums in Barcelona.
If you want to party, Barcelona is plenty of clubs and bars for everyone. Eixample esquerra, Vila Olímpica, Marina…depending on what kind of party you're looking for, you can go to one or other area. At some discos, it's compulsory to pay for tickets (and usually they're quite expensive!). That's why we recommend you to check their Facebook pages or some specialized webs which offer discounts or even free entrance if you are on the "free list".
Barcelona is an endlessly surprising city, you'll need to come infinite times to discover all its secrets! You will be always welcome. Don't forget that you'll have the best of the stays in Twentytú hostel.
Barcelona is an amazing city, where in every corner you can find something unique that captivates and invites you to come back. That is why many filmmakers and producers find in our city the perfect setting for their films and series. Here's the long list of stories that happen in our city, prepare to be amazed!
Get a bowl of popcorn and look for some of these titles shot in Barcelona and its surroundings. In some cases, you can even go on guided tours at the film locations. 3, 2, 1 … action!
Although Ryan Reynolds spends the whole film underground, buried in an old coffin, this film was shot entirely in Barcelona for 17 days. Impossible to guess!
Christian Bale lost 28kg for his starring role, and even though the fiction is about a city in California, everything was filmed entirely in Barcelona and some cities nearby such as Badalona, Sant Adrià del Besòs, Prat de Llobregat, Sabadell or Terrassa.
This famous German novel was taken to the big screen in 2006 and was located in many of the charming streets of the old town of our city. Have a look at one of the final and most controversial scenes, which was shot in Poble Espanyol, did you recognise it?
Woody Allen chose the magic of Park Güell, La Pedrera, La Sagrada Familia and some other Barcelona monuments to show us a most peculiar love triangle formed by Javier Bardem, Penélope Cruz and Scarlett Johansson as main characters. Could you imagine a better place for a love story?
Two young people, Jack Nicholson and Maria Schneider, act in a plot of espionage that takes them to several cities, including Barcelona, where we can see the state in which La Pedrera was back in 1975, before its last restoration. Awesome!
Almodóvar chose Barcelona as the spot where Manuela, the main character of this Oscar-winning drama, overcomes an important loss and since her arrival in the city the film shows us emblematic places such as the Columbus monument, Sagrada Familia, Palau de la Música or Monjuïc's graveyard, among others.
Do you wonder what a devastated Barcelona would look like? If this is your case, don't miss this film that sets out an apocalyptic future where the streets that we walk on every day are impossible to live in and the survivors only remain alive wandering the underground roads.
This film directed by Jaume Balagueró in 2005, which won the Goya Award for the best special effects and was a candidate for the best original music, was filmed almost entirely in Barcelona.
This romantic story, based on the book by Federico Moccia, originally takes place in Rome but was filmed in Catalonia, in locations including Barcelona, Sant Boi, Sant Adrià del Besós, L'Hospitalet de Llobregat, St. Feliu de Guixols, St. Cristina d'Aro, Argentona, Teià and Canet de Mar. It's not difficult to find out that the movie saga was filmed in our city, even Razzmatazz, one of the best clubs in Barcelona, right next to Twentytú hostel.
But these films filmed in Barcelona are not the only ones, because there are still many who bet on a location in our city: Barcelona, Biutiful, Bad education, REC, While you sleep, Your life in 65 '.
Now that the world of the series is so trendy, we don't want to miss the opportunity to remind you of the series that have been shot, inspired or made reference to our beautiful city. Do you want to see the next episode?
This series, which will be released in 2018, will bring to the small screen the novel written by Ildefonso Falcones, which takes place mainly in the Santa Maria del Mar Cathedral of Barcelona. An overproduction that has had 150 actors and up to 4,000 extras!
In the fourth chapter of season 25 of The Simpsons Homer receives the visit of a friend of his childhood who wrote letters to him from the top of the Sagrada família, a monument that he eventually visits.
In Friends, Joey tells Ross an infallible secret to flirt that consists in telling an emotional story about his stay as a backpacker in Europe. And of course this supposed route includes Barcelona!
On the episode 502 of Shin-chan, which is entitled "Hi! Hey, I travel to Spain", the main character goes on a tour around Barcelona featuring the statue of Columbus, the Ramblas, the Sagrada Família and Parc Güell, and he even learns some words in Catalan!
The A-Team also visited Barcelona in a chapter in which they had to releasea plane kidnapped by terrorists that was a few kilometers from El Prat, although mysteriously our modern airport looked like the Amazon rainforest!
In the last season of this legendary animation series, Oliver Atom signed up for the very same F.C. Barcelona! However, and given that the producers of the series didn't buy the club rights of our city, the original names of the club and its players are not shown literally. Therefore, the coach is Van Saal, instead of Van Gaal, and the scorer Rivaul, instead of Rivaldo.
In the first season of this series about the Italian mafia, one of its plots is located in Barcelona, a city where a Neapolitan mafia boss runs away to in the middle of a clan war. During hisstay we can see symbols of the city such as the Agbar Tower, the Casino, the Olympic Port or the W Hotel.
You can also have a look at this list of series: Emerald city, Merlí, Velvet or How I met your mother, many of them you can find in Salón del cine y las series de Barcelona.
With this list of series and movies filmed in Barcelona you have no excuse to fully know all the charm of Barcelona. And if you need a little help to see all the points of interest don't forget to check our guided tours for Barcelona. You won't miss a thing!


text:
Psystenance
Sustainability through the mind's eye
Tag Archive | thinking ahead
in Planning, Transit
Growing Waterloo Region up with transit infrastructure
The new tramway in Nice, France. (Photo: Flickr / Ian Britton)
My Record column today makes the case for light rail in Waterloo Region, with a slightly different approach than last year's one:
A single line of built-up areas is easily seen in Waterloo Region satellite imagery — this is the Central Transit Corridor. The planned light rail line and the express bus line to Cambridge would connect four downtowns, the university district, three major commercial areas, and many corporate and industrial campuses — along with a quickly growing supply of housing. In the context of a redesigned bus network and strong planning policy, LRT (light rail transit) is the infrastructure necessary to manage growth and provide for the region's economic and environmental health.
Most of the tremendous post-war growth here has been suburban, but the area near the LRT route has still grown by 50% or more since 1955 — the last year of interurban trains. If that was it, light rail wouldn't make sense. But the plan looks to 2031, and the province projects more than 200,000 new residents by then. The Region's new Official Plan implements provincial targets of 40% of growth occurring in the urban cores. This will more than double the population and jobs along the Central Transit Corridor. A light rail system will both help attract this development to the downtowns, and handle the resulting demand for transit along the spine of our region. It would also be a more environmentally and financially sound approach than ramming wider roadways and more parking into our downtowns.
Many have called for more buses instead of rail. But this isn't either-or. In fact, the recently approved Regional Transportation Master Plan calls for a dramatic ramping up of the Grand River Transit budget — tripling per-capita funding within twenty years. The plan calls for five new express bus routes in the next five years to service other major corridors, for more frequent and later service, and a redesign of bus routes to a more grid-like network to connect with the light rail and the express routes.
However, simply more buses won't work in the Central Transit Corridor. Already, each direction of King Street between Waterloo and Kitchener sees 12-15 iXpress and Route 7 mainline buses an hour. Which is great for riders now. But when the population and jobs more than double, so will transit ridership — or actually more without road expansion. With buses as they are now, 20-30 buses an hour is essentially the limit. Past that point they bunch together and form jams at busy stops. For them to handle the ridership we would need a bus highway through our downtowns, with passing lanes and level platforms. For most of the cost of an LRT system, it would get us dozens more buses per hour polluting our downtowns with diesel fumes and noise, and would only postpone the capacity issues.
LRT, in addition to its smoother ride and quieter and friendlier electric propulsion, has larger vehicles that can be coupled in trains. Less manpower is needed to operate it, and more and bigger doors allow for low dwell times at stations — which are the main capacity bottleneck. And more than just funneling growth into central areas, the inflexibility of light rail will be able to guide development to occur alongside transit and in a way conducive to transit use.
We're finally realizing that our resources are finite. In the post-war era, anything was possible. Technology would solve all problems, land was plentiful, gas was cheap, and everyone could drive their car from the idyllic suburbs to work downtown. We know now that sprawl comes with costs to the environment, costs to our health, and costs to our wallets — it's expensive to build streets and lay down infrastructure to serve low densities at the edge of the city. We've already chosen to put a limit to sprawl. Now it's time to follow through with the transit service and infrastructure that will grow our Region up and not out.
Parking lots are worth more than you think
There's two points in this post, one that is relatively conventional and one that isn't. If you already know about the high cost of parking, skip to the second one.
So first, parking lots are actually quite expensive. There is the cost of the land, the cost to build them, and then the maintenance cost, which is at least $500 USD per surface parking spot annually. But more importantly, there is also the opportunity cost of what is not in the place of the parking lot: commercial use, retail, residential, public space, anything. By spreading out destinations with asphalt padding, various uses take more space than they inherently need. Most deleterious, however, is likely the social and urban form ramifications of mandated free parking (whether through by-laws or culture). Free parking is part of the larger equation that makes driving very attractive by making most its costs invisible, and it is one of the major building blocks of the sprawl of post-war North America. This high cost of free parking has been written about extensively.
But, in a slightly sinister way, parking lots can be worth more than even the New Urbanist might think. In particular, it may be worthwhile to sometimes let parking lots win against proposed downtown development — especially if that development is not of a high caliber. Once a development or park or any such use is in place, it will be there for decades. Parking lots, on the other hand, are an excellent placeholder (just don't tell their owners). I think cities may soon be getting caught up in a rush to urbanize, intensify their downtowns, and all that jazz, but in the process may allow too many subpar developments and uses of space. They might also miss out on some uses, such as for public spaces like squares and parks, playgrounds, schools, train stations, or anything that wasn't easily planned for with the current mindset. When cities realize their missing uses, they would do well to have a strategic stash of parking lots to sacrifice instead of needing to tear down something more substantial.
The recently opened public square in the heart of Uptown Waterloo is a good example. If that parking lot had not been there, a public space in such a central area would have been infeasible to obtain. Development is not always better than a parking lot, because the latter retains possibilities that the former shuts out.
Flexibility in transportation choice
The future is multi-nodal
Breaking down the modal barriers with language
Open Data Waterloo Region
Barriers to entry and the path of least resistance
Twelve reasons why vehicular cycling isn't enough
Taxpayer money should fund transportation efficiently
Utility bicycles are exploding in popularity
Making new urban space in Northdale
agriculture attribution barriers to entry brt bullshit buses business business models cafe coffee column contradictions Cycling deconstructing dinner design discrepancies economics environmental assessment fair trade food security frequency good ideas grt history infrastructure ingredients ira needles commercial centre journalism kamut labels language layers of cost letter to the editor light rail maps marketing mode choice networks new urbanism noise organic parking paternalism paths pedestrian perception podcast politics pollution problems rail reality region of waterloo official plan region of waterloo rapid transit routes san francisco self-fulfilling prophecies sidewalks simplicity social psychology speech sprawl streetcars technology the record thinking ahead tipping points uncertainty university of waterloo utility waterloo waterloo city council waterloo region wheat zoning

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


The cost of energy has never been higher, which means that a few simple home improvements can make a big difference for your budget.
Check out a few of these projects: none will cost more than $50, none take more than an afternoon, and each one will save you money on your utilities.
This fix is simple, but it can make a huge difference in your monthly bill. Chimneys are the source of 14% of overall heat loss in the average home. You can buy a draft stopper, but a garbage bag full of insulation will also get the job done. It's not the most elegant solution, but it'll be out of sight—just make sure to pull it out before you cozy up in front of the fire.
Insulating your pipes will not only prevent energy waste, it will also make your faucets more responsive—meaning you won't have to wait as long for the water to reach the right temperature. All you need is some insulation, duct tape, and a box cutter to get the right insulation lengths. Clean the exposed pipes, wrap them snugly, and tape them off. No sweat!
Because it holds so much constant heat, your hot water heater is another huge source of energy loss in your home. A decent heater blanket goes for less than 30 bucks, and you can set it up in minutes. A word of caution: follow the manufacturer's instructions exactly, especially if you own a gas water heater. Improperly-installed heater blankets can block the combustion vents or flue. if you live in a humid area, remove the heater blanket in the spring to prevent condensation and corrosion.
Swapping out your old showerhead for a water-saver isn't much more complex than changing a lightbulb—just be careful to select a showerhead that actually provides enough pressure to take a shower effectively. Some water-saver heads are so miserly that it takes twice as long. On the other hand, faucet aerators can actually provide a more usable stream than non-aerated ones. If the flow from your kitchen faucet splatters on contact with hands or dishes, for instance, a faucet aerator can maintain good pressure while softening the impact. Especially if you live in a region with water restrictions, this project is essential.
Taking care of your furnace and A/C unit might seem intimidating, but it's actually very simple. For your air conditioner, just spray down the coils with a hose and vacuum the fins on your condenser. For your furnace, change out the air filter regularly, checking the furnace manual to ensure that your filters are the right grade for your system. For anything involving your gas lines, call a professional.
Installing new weather stripping is simple, but time-consuming, so set aside a Saturday for this one. With new weather stripping and foam insulation, you can substantially decrease the heat loss through your windows, especially if your current stripping is in bad shape (or nonexistent).
This project might wait a few months, but when the weather starts to warm up, a few ceiling fans in your house can make a big difference in the cost of staying comfortable. This project is more involved than the others, but not much more expensive. If you already have ceiling light fixtures, the most time-consuming aspect of this project is safety. Make sure you cut the power and use an electrical tester before touching anything, always wear safety goggles and a dust mask, and follow the fan kit instructions to the letter.
Katie White is a freelance blogger and DIY enthusiast who is passionate about sustainability, and loves taking things apart to see what makes them tick. She and her husband recently replaced the gas water heater in their fixer-upper in Dallas, Texas.


Aluminum foil, plastic flower pots and trays, tissue boxes, and more. Provided that they?re rinsed and clean, did you know that these items belong in your recyclable bins?
As surprising as it is to hear, in 2018 a significant number of Westchester residents do not bother sorting their trash.
While Rye is heralded as a recycling leader in the county, the 2010 Solid Waste Management Plan Update estimates that up to 45.8 percent of Westchester County?s Municipal Solid Waste (i.e. everyday residential garbage) is comprised of recyclable material.
This figure represents a valuable lost resource as our trash ends up being carted to the Charles Point Resource Recovery Facility in Peekskill, where it is incinerated in a waste-to-energy process.
The recyclable material that is sorted by residents is collected and delivered to the Daniel P. Thomas Material Recovery Facility in Yonkers, affectionately referred to as ?The MRF?, pronounced phonetically as ?The Murph?. On an average day, the facility receives 350 tons of recyclable material from the 36 Westchester municipalities that use it.
Part of the effort to increase recycling rates throughout Westchester County entails making it as simple to recycle as possible.
Thanks to a high-end optical scanner, which the MRF received as part of equipment retrofits back in 2011, many items that were destined for the garbage pail only a few years ago can now be recycled. Plastics stamped with recycling codes 1 through 7 should all be tossed in your green commingled bin.
When it comes to paper, unless it?s a hard/soft cover book or soiled like a greasy pizza box (be sure to rip off and recycle any non-soiled sections), it probably belongs in the blue bin.
By the same token, there are certain items the public should never place in their recycling bins as they pose a great risk to the MRF?s expensive and delicate machinery.
Metal wire shirt hangers are a well-known offender as they get caught in the sorting mechanisms where they can jam up and damage them. The best method to recycle these hangers is to drop them back off at your dry cleaner, who will clean and reuse them. Just avoid bending them before handing them back over.
Likewise, plastic shopping bags clog the machinery and do not belong in either the green or blue recycling bins. Never wrap your recyclables inside plastic bags, as once they reach the MRF workers have to stop the machinery to tear open the bags and release their contents. The bags are then discarded.
On a recent educational group tour of the MRF, members of various local environmental organizations, including the author of this article, stood on a viewing platform observing the facility?s seamless and well-run process. As we stood watching the hum of activity below us, collection vehicles continuously pulled into bays, raising their truck beds and sliding their contents (either paper or commingled) onto the concrete ground.
From that point forward, the material is pushed into stacks and swept onto conveyor belts for sorting. As paper runs across the conveyor belts, workers pick off cardboard to sort it from newsprint, office and glossy. Cardboard is especially prized as high demand in Asia has created a large market for it.
Commingled containers are separated into plastic, glass, and metal with the help of various mechanisms such as large magnets which extract certain metals, and a ?shaker? which sorts glass by vibrating it through openings via its heavier weight.
Separated plastics are compacted into large bales measuring approximately four feet by four feet ? the size of a wooden pallet ? and weighing one ton each. These bales are then sold off via a recyclable commodity market just like the markets for pork belly and oil.
Clear plastics like water bottles can fetch as much as $600 per bale on the market. Colored (i.e. dyed) plastics like your red TIDE Pods container are less valuable because they can only be recycled into a darker colored plastic item which limits their recyclability potential.
Given the efficiencies afforded by economies of scale, the MRF must process, sort, bale, and sell a baseline volume of recyclable material in order to remain fiscally viable. Sales of the processed recyclable material help defray the cost of the MRF?s operating expenses and the invaluable service it provides.
In early 2018, China, historically the world?s largest importer of recyclable material, enacted a ?National Sword? policy to drastically limit imports of this waste. As a result, the recyclable commodity market was sent into a global recession.
However, because Westchester County practices ?dual stream? recycling, our recyclables are better sorted with much less contamination than recyclables collected from communities with a ?single stream? policy. The introduction of the MRF?s state-of-the-art scanning and screening equipment in 2011 has further reduced contamination.
Less contamination results in a superior product, so due to the appeal of our dual stream, optically scanned ?clean? recyclables, Westchester County product has maintained a steady demand on the domestic market.
The fact that we can sell our product domestically, rather than relying on Asian markets, has helped insulate us from the worldwide slump in demand. In fact, according to Lou Vettrone, Deputy Commissioner of Westchester?s Department of Environmental Facilities, the MRF is still selling every piece of recyclable material that it processes.
As Rye residents, we can each do our part to keep the quality of our recyclables at a high level and to help the MRF boost recycling rates here in Westchester. Whether it be enhanced sorting on the home front or avoiding goods packaged in plastic that lacks a recycling code, the less waste that heads to the Peekskill incinerator the better for both our economics and the environment.


text:
John Ochsendorf
Structural Engineer / Architectural Preservationist | Class of 2008
Restoring structures from the distant past and identifying ancient technologies for use in contemporary constructions.
Structural Engineer / Architectural Preservationist
Department of Architecture, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Civil and Environmental Engineering, Art History/Theory/Criticism and Visual Culture, Culture and Society
Massachusetts Institute of Technology: John Ochsendorf
About John's Work
John Ochsendorf is a structural engineer and architectural historian who works to preserve historic structures and to reinterpret ancient technologies for contemporary use. In a discipline whose practitioners rarely venture into comparative cultural and historical studies, Ochsendorf is a pioneer in exploring alternative engineering traditions. His early studies investigated the construction of hand-woven, fiber suspension bridges that spanned the deep ravines and connected the territories of the Inca Empire. In addition to conducting fieldwork in Peru and analyzing historical accounts of these bridges, he developed a method for testing the strength of the ancient rope-weaving technique to produce the first data on its performance. His cross-cultural interest in bridges also led him to in-depth studies of suspension and cable-stayed bridges in Japan. More recently, Ochsendorf has turned his attention to identifying the causes of vault and buttress failures in French and Spanish Romanesque churches. Applying his understanding of structural mechanics to problems of masonry construction, his detailed analyses of barrel-vaulted churches are helping to evaluate the safety and condition of particular buildings and to develop practical strategies to address their vulnerabilities, stabilization, and restoration. For another recent project, Ochsendorf led his students in the design of England's Pines Calyx dome, a robust, energy-efficient structure built from local resources using a tile vaulting system patented in the 19th century by Spanish architect Rafael Guastavino. While conducting structural assessments of historic monuments around the world, Ochsendorf develops new methods for establishing the stability of ancient buildings and draws important lessons from them that will guide the construction of more efficient architecture in the future.
John Ochsendorf received a B.Sc. (1996) from Cornell University, an M.Sc. (1998) from Princeton University, and a Ph.D. (2002) from Cambridge University. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Architecture at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
In 2013, John Ochsendorf was named Class of 1942 Professor of Architecture and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He is author of the monograph Guastavino Vaulting: The Art of Structural Tile (Princeton Architectural Press, 2010) and lead curator for the traveling exhibition Palaces for the People: Guastavino and America's Great Public Spaces (2013–2014). He is a founding partner of the engineering consultancy Ochsendorf, DeJong, and Block. Ochsendorf has been named a MacVicar Fellow for exceptional teaching at MIT (2014), a senior fellow of the Design Futures Council (2011), and a fellow of the American Academy in Rome (2008). He contributed to the design of the Mapungubwe Interpretation Centre in South Africa, which was named the World Building of the Year at the World Architecture Festival in 2009.
Select News Coverage of John Ochsendorf
"A Dozen Indigenous Craftsman from Peru Will Weave Grass into a 60-Foot Suspension Bridge in Washington, D.C."
John Ochsendorf, 2008 MacArthur Fellow
"New Memorial A Labor of Love"
"Officer Sean Collier Memorial Opens at MIT"
"John Ochsendorf – The Accidental Professor"
West Virginia Public Broadcasting
"With Vaults and Domes, Two Architects Left Their Imprint on City"
"How One Family Built America's Public Palaces"
"Vaulting Ambition"
"The Greatest Architect You've Never Heard Of"
Meet more Fellows focused on Art History/Theory/Criticism and Visual Culture
Henry Kraus


01/01/1777-07/29/1825 HAWKINS, Micah American ?
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01/03/1936-01/18/1996 KUNST, Jos Dutch ?
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01/05/1871-06/08/1940 CONVERSE, Frederick Shepherd American ?
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01/06/1874- ?/1961 SPROSS, Charles Gilbert American ?
01/06/1900-08/17/1936 FERROUD, Pierre-Octave French ?
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01/08/1812-04/27/1871 THALBERG, Sigismond German ?
01/08/1846-12/20/1916 GILCHRIST, William Wallace American ?
01/08/1852-08/29/1928 MARIE, Gabriel Prosper French ?
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01/13/1778-12/01/1808 FISCHER, Anton Friedrich German ?
01/13/1866-01/11/1901 KALINNIKOV, Vasily Sergeyevich Russian ?
01/13/1870-01/21/1942 OPIENSKI, Henryk Polish ?
01/13/1893-06/30/1969 ZELINKA, Jan Evangelista Czech ?
01/13/1895- ?/1966 BINDER, Abraham Wolfe Austrian ?
01/13/1899- ? POWELL, Laurence English-American ?
01/14/1451-06/25/1522 GAFFURIUS, Franchinus Italian ?
01/14/1566- ?/1663 NOTARI, Angelo Italian ?
01/14/1722-04/04/1806 FLEISCHER, Friedrich Gottlob German ?
01/14/1751-08/23/1802 SCHROTER, Corona Elizabeth Wilhelmine ?
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01/14/1822- ? MORI, Nicholas ?
01/14/1844- ?/1931 ROGERS, Clara Kathleen Barnett English-American ?
01/14/1889-12/08/1969 DAVICO, Vincenzo Italian ?
01/14/1896-07/23/1994 SALTER, Hans Austrian-American ?
01/14/1906- ? KNAPE, Walter ?
01/14/1910-01/19/1993 VELDEN, Renier van der Belgian ?
01/14/1911- ?/1982 TREMBLAY, George Amadee Canadian-American ?
01/15/1871-07/02/1940 SHAPLEIGH, Bertram American ?
01/16/1905-07/05/1989 HALFFTER, Ernesto Spanish ?
01/16/1907-01/10/1974 SCHERBER, Martin German ?
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01/17/1728-07/14/1788 MUTHEL, Johann Gottfried German ?
01/17/1907-06/26/1987 BADINGS, Henk Dutch ?
01/17/1912-12/15/1973 EVLAHKOV, Orest Alexandrovich ?
01/17/1920-01/08/1997 HANDY, George American ?
01/17/1928-08/17/1973 BARRAQUÉ, Jean French ?
01/19/1760- ? JIMENEZ, Mechor Lopez ?
01/19/1899- ?/1995 SUMSION, Herbert English ?
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01/19/1920-12/24/2002 CHAILLY, Luciano Italian ?
01/20/1681-07/20/1732 CONTI, Francesco Bartolomeo Italian ?
01/20/1703-06/22/1741 FIOCCO, Joseph-Hector Belgian ?
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01/20/1855-06/10/1899 CHAUSSON, Amedee-Ernest French ?
01/20/1870-01/21/1894 LEKEU, Guillaume Jean Joseph Nicolas Belgian ?
01/20/1900-12/16/1961 SHEKHTER, Boris Semyonovich Russian ?
01/21/1735-07/24/1809 ECKARD, Johann Gottfried German ?
01/21/1775-06/09/1832 GARCIA DEL POPOLO VICENTE RODRIGUEZ, Manuel Spanish ?
01/21/1791-07/24/1863 MORETTI, Padre Davide da Bergamo Felice Italian ?
01/21/1814-01/17/1856 WALMISLEY, Thomas Attwood English ?
01/21/1823-07/06/1860 GORIA, Alexandre Edouard ?
01/21/1859-12/14/1886 RUTKOWSKI, Antoni Wincenty ?
01/21/1887-07/03/1960 ACKLEY, Alfred Henry American ?
01/21/1891-08/21/1970 SPELMAN, Timothy Mather American ?
01/21/1891-08/28/1953 GOLOVANOV, Nikolai Semyonovich Russian ?
01/21/1898-01/09/1979 CLAFLIN, Alan Avery American ?
01/21/1914-12/18/2001 DRAGATAKIS, Dimitris Greek ?
01/22/1649-07/17/1709 COLLASSE, Pascal French ?
01/22/1729- ?/1789 TIBALDI, Giuseppe Luigi ?
01/22/1748- ? EDISON, Lewis ?
01/22/1756-08/19/1812 RIGHINI, Vincenzo Italian ?
01/22/1871-01/04/1942 JESSEL, Leon German ?
01/22/1886-01/21/1961 BECKER, John Joseph American ?
01/22/1898-12/17/1966 PAULSON, Gustaf Swedish ?
01/22/1903-12/29/1959 MILFORD, Robin Humphrey English ?
01/23/1843-12/01/1926 HOCHBERG, Hans Heinrich XIV German ?
01/23/1878-01/24/1960 BOUGHTON, Rutland English ?
01/24/1712-08/17/1786 FREDERICH THE GREAT German ?
01/24/1776-06/25/1822 HOFFMANN, Ernst Theodor Amadeus German ?
01/24/1829-07/14/1908 MASON, William American ?
01/24/1915-06/16/1940 KAPRALOVA, Vitezslava Czech ?
01/24/1918-07/12/1996 EINEM, Gottfried von Austrian ?
01/25/1459- ?/1537 HOFHAYMER, Paul Austrian ?
01/25/1834-12/10/1910 SALCES, Pablo Hernandez ?
01/25/1884-08/15/1968 KILENYI, SR., Edward American ?
01/25/1904- ?/1989 FRID, Géza Hungarian-Dutch ?
01/25/1910- ?/2000 OSIECK, Hendrik Willem Hans Dutch ?
01/26/1708- ?/1777 HAYES, William American ?
01/26/1742-06/28/1806 SIEVERS, Johann Friedrich Ludwig ?
01/26/1852-08/21/1932 CORDER, Frederick English ?
01/26/1910- ?/1995 LIPOVSEK, Marijan ?
01/26/1935-08/06/1965 RONNEFELD, Peter German ?
01/27/1756-12/05/1791 MOZART, Johannes Chrysostomus Wolfgangus Theophilus Austrian ?
01/27/1784-07/04/1851 MENGAL, Martin-Joseph Belgian ?
01/27/1806-01/17/1826 ARRIAGA Y BALZOLA, Juan Crisóstomo Jacobo Antonio Spanish ?
01/27/1823-04/22/1892 LALO, Édouard-Victoire-Antoine Spanish-French ?
01/27/1867-06/30/1923 TERRASSE, Claude Antoine French ?
01/27/1869-07/19/1944 COOK, Will Marion American ?
01/27/1913-08/13/1946 ZHELOBINSKY, Valery Viktorovich Russian ?
01/27/1913-08/16/1988 ADOLPHUS, Milton American ?
01/27/1937- ?/1989 OGDEN, John English ?
01/28/1691-04/02/1758 KONIG, Johann Balthasar German ?
01/28/1756-04/30/1792 ESCHSTRUTH, Hans Adolf Friedrich von German ?
01/28/1757- ? BRUN, Antonio Bartolomeo ?
01/28/1791-01/19/1833 HÉROLD, Louis Joseph Ferdinand French ?
01/28/1887-06/06/1958 STRICKLAND, Lily Theresa American ?
01/28/1891-01/30/1972 JIRAK, Karel Boleslav Czech-American ?
01/28/1893-06/08/1967 GRIFFIS, Elliot American ?
01/28/1900-08/24/1976 HEAD, Michael Dewar English ?
01/28/1903-04/02/1997 MEYTUS, Yuly Sergueievitch Ukrainian ?
01/28/1905- ? FABREGA, Ricardo Panamanian ?
01/28/1907-12/27/1982 REGAMEY, Constantin Swiss ?
01/28/1916-04/27/2001 CROSSLEY-HOLLAND, Peter English ?
01/29/1711-04/15/1788 BONNO, Giuseppe Italian ?
01/29/1782- ? SCIGALSKI, Frantiszek Tucek ?
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01/29/1862-06/10/1934 DELIUS, Frederick (Fritz) Theodor Albert English-German ?
01/29/1871- ? DEMENYI, Desiderius Hungarian ?
01/29/1873- ?/1937 MILLS, Charles Henry English-American ?
01/29/1890-01/27/1978 CANAL, Marguerite French ?
01/29/1893-07/13/1973 NEGREA, Martian Romanian ?
01/29/1900-07/19/1984 TAJCEVIC, Marko Yugoslavian ?
01/30/1566- ?/1638 PICCININI, Alessandro Italian ?
01/30/1697-07/12/1773 QUANTZ, Johann Joachim German ?
01/30/1862-12/22/1950 DAMROSCH, Walter American ?
01/30/1892- ?/1978 HAUBIEL, Charles American ?
01/31/1573- ?/1630 MONTEVERDI, Giulio Cesare Italian ?
01/31/1573- ?/1632 METZGER, Ambrosius German ?
01/31/1614-07/25/1675 SABOLY, Nicolas French ?
01/31/1784- ?/1867 HENNING, Carl Wilhelm German ?
01/31/1854-01/09/1911 SHERWOOD, William Hall American ?
01/31/1891-04/25/1971 DRISCHNER, Max German ?
01/31/1935-06/19/2003 DIMOV, Bojidar German ?


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Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar on his 72nd birthday in New Delhi on Monday, 12 December, 2011.
The common man is angry. Make no mistake about it. The incidents of shoeing and slippering are on the rise and politicians have to be very careful during press conferences. It all came to a head when NCP minister and ICC chief Sharad Pawar was slapped in front of the TV cameras.
Social activists haven't been spared either. Prashant Bhushan was thrashed in court premises over his remarks over Kashmir.


It's all over the news: the environment is the new pet of popular culture. Climate change, once considered a controversial theory, has become a defining issue of our era. For the first time ever, the public is citing environmental quality as a top tier political issue. Designer canvas grocery bags are selling for fifty dollars apiece, and trash has become art. The buzz among the hip is that Green is the new Black.
At the same time, the pioneers of the green movement are heading towards retirement, passing their legacies of advocacy, conservation, research, and education to a generation born in a digital world. Novel applications of molecular genetics have altered our understanding of life, its origins, and its lineages. Complex systems theory has transformed our perception of how species develop and ecosystems function.
Volume 16 of Whole Terrain invites reflections on the link between evolution and revolution that we have defined as (r)(e)volution. Revolution and evolution are strikingly different processes, yet both can create new life and new paradigms when conditions are ripe. As threats to the environment ascend in our psyche, and as technological insights radicalize our view of nature, are we engaged in a revolution with our relationship to the natural world? Or are we evolving at a glacial pace, unable to adapt to the changes happening around us? How do we describe the current surge of innovative thought and social consciousness with regard to our environment? Is the movement we're seeing superficial, or indicative of long-term, lasting transformation? What is the inherent tension between the social, ecological, and intellectual processes that define our time?
No revolutionary manifestos, please. Whole Terrain seeks personal, reflective explorations of today's changing environmental movement.


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← World Popular Resistance Clippings 13/4/2013
CPN-Maoist Clippings 14/4/2013 →
World Popular Resistance Clippings 14/4/2013
URF calls strike to boycott President's visit
Imphal, April 13 2013 : Boycotting the proposed visit of President of India Pranab Mukherjee to Manipur on April 15, the proscribed United Revolutionary Front (URF) has called a state-wide general strike from 6 am on April 15 until the President left Imphal on the following day. Religious ceremonies, employees of health sector, medical emergencies, electricity, water supplies and media, however, would be exempted from the purview of the general strike.
Announcing this in a statement, Secretary of Information and Publicity of URF AK Pibarel observed that the visit of Pranab Mukherjee is like mocking at the people who have been under the colonial rule for the last 63 years. It is ridiculous for the President of India to come to Manipur just to attend a foundation day celebration of a small educational institute. But the successful effort of the school in making the President to come and participate in its foundation day celebration, however, is praiseworthy, URF said.
The outfit, nonetheless, has warned the people to refrain from inviting such persons to Manipur in future unless they do not want to face the consequences.
http://www.e-pao.net/GP.asp?src=21..140413.apr13
Kyegudo quake-hit Tibetans held for protesting demolition of rebuilt homes
Chinese authorities have demolished around 1,000 Tibetan homes in the Kyegudo (Chinese: Jiegu) county-town of Yulshul Prefecture, Qinghai Province, provoking a clash between protesting Tibetans and Chinese paramilitary People's Armed Police on Apr 9, reported Radio Free Asia (RFA, Washington) Apr 11.
The clash, which ensued after the paramilitary troops used violence to break up a protest by more than 100 Tibetan residents, ended with at least six Tibetans and four security personnel being injured and 21 Tibetans being detained. The area was hit by a devastating earthquake on Apr 14, 2010, officially resulting in nearly 3,000 people being killed. Tibetans have accused the authorities of demolishing Tibetan homes after the natural calamity on the pretext that they were unsafe and dispossessing Tibetan land in the name of rebuilding with little or no compensation.
With regard to the recently demolished homes, however, many were newly built by Tibetans on their own land, but the authorities claim that the victims were not officially registered residents of the town. Tibetan did not even have time to collect their belongings when the Chinese authorities sent in the bulldozers.
Meanwhile, some 200 more Tibetan homes are said to be set for demolition. The protesting Tibetans had demanded an end to the forced demolition of their homes and for the return of their confiscated land.
http://www.tibetanreview.net/news.php?&id=12052
Masked, armed teachers revolt against Mexican president's reforms in test of his wider agenda
ATLIACA, Mexico – Easter vacation was over, but there wasn't a teacher in sight at the boarding school for indigenous children on the edge of this sunbaked southern Mexico hill town. A 37-year-old cook who hadn't finished high school sat between two little girls on a cement stoop outside the kitchen, peering at their dog-eared notebooks as they struggled with the alphabet and basic multiplication.
"I've got the children here. If there aren't any classes while they're here, I have to teach them," said the cook, who shared only her first name, Gudelia, for fear of retaliation from striking teachers. A short drive away, teachers marched by the thousands through the streets of the state capital, some masked and brandishing metal bars and sticks in an escalating showdown over education reform that's become a key test of President Enrique Pena Nieto's sweeping project to reform Mexico's most dysfunctional institutions.
The fight is dominating headlines in Mexico and freezing progress on a national education reform that Pena Nieto hoped would build momentum toward more controversial changes. Those include opening the state-owned oil company to foreign and private investment and broadening Mexico's tax base, potentially with the first-ever sales tax on food and medicine. Pena Nieto's first major legislative victory after taking office in December was a constitutional amendment eliminating Mexico's decades-old practice of buying and selling teaching jobs, and replacing it with a standardized national teaching test. That's heresy to a radical splinter union of elementary and high-school teachers in Guerrero, one of the country's poorest and worst-educated states.
The teachers claim the test is a plot to fire them in mass as a step toward privatizing education, although there is little evidence the government plans that. Reform advocates say the dissidents simply fear losing control over the state education system and the income it provides, despite the need to reform a system that eats up more of the budget and produces worse results than virtually any other in the world's largest economies.
The 20,000-member group walked out more than a month ago, turning hundreds of thousands of children out of class. Then it launched an increasingly disruptive string of protests. On Wednesday, the protesters won support from a wing of the armed vigilante groups that have multiplied across poor Mexican states in recent months. On Thursday, they blocked the main highway from Mexico City to Acapulco for at least the third time, backing up traffic for hours. On Friday, they shut down entrances to some of the biggest stores in the state capital.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/04/14/masked-armed-teachers-revolt-against-mexican-president-reforms-in-test-his/
This entry was posted in resistance, war and tagged armed struggle, china, india, land tenure, manipur, mexico, riot, strike, worker resistance. Bookmark the permalink.


When Police Officer Eddie gets a call, it's lights and siren time! He's off in his cruiser to the rescue scene! Whether he's saving a kitty stuck on a tree or straightening a traffic jam, you can count on Eddie to help kids learn about community helpers as he saves the day!
Includes: Police Officer Eddie, police car, stop sign and cone play pieces.
• Eddie twists & turns! He also sits, stands & holds things in his hand!
• Encourages Imaginative and social play.


text:
Embraer Sees 2024 Commercial Launch for Uber Flying Cabs
Uber's logo is pictured at its office in Tokyo, Japan, November 27, 2017. REUTERS/Kim Kyung-Hoon
SAO PAULO (Reuters)
A network of electric aircraft Uber Technologies Inc is developing with Embraer SA is likely to launch commercially in 2024, the Brazilian planemaker's chief executive said on Friday, adding a year to the latest forecast from the ride-hailing company
Embraer Chief Executive Paulo Cesar de Souza told journalists the business model and financial commitments of the partnership have not been defined. Uber Chief Product Officer Jeff Holden said last month that a paid, intra-city flying taxi service could start in 2023.
Souza said the companies would soon determine specifications of the proposed vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) aircraft.
Engineers are projecting one-tonne vehicles transporting a pilot and four passengers at an altitude of 800 to 1,000 meters (2,600-3,300 feet), Souza said. The aircraft will be powered by batteries that can charge in as little as five minutes between flights, he added.
The project has provided an outlet for engineering resources at Embraer, whose newest planes — a military cargo jet and a new generation of passenger jets — are well into their flight testing campaigns.
Some 65 international delegations have shown interest in the KC-390 military transport aircraft that will enter the Brazilian Air Force next year, Souza said.
The transition to a new commercial jet line-up is pressuring operations, but Souza said Embraer would meet the bottom end of its 2017 profit margin and aircraft delivery targets.
(Reporting by Brad Haynes; Editing by Richard Chang)


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The Palencar Project
Two Stories From a Single Vision: L.E. Modesitt on The One-Eyed Man
L. E. Modesitt, Jr.
Mon May 13, 2013 12:30pm 1 comment Favorite This
The One-Eyed Man is a novel that was one I never intended to write. Some two years ago, my editor, the esteemed David Hartwell, approached me and several other authors and asked us to write a short story based on a painting by John Jude Palencar. I started writing, and I kept writing, and by the time I got to 15,000 words or so, and was just beginning to get into the story, I realized two things: first, that I was nowhere close to finishing the story, and, that, in fact, it wasn't a story; and second, that I wasn't going to finish the Imager Portfolio book I was also working on by the time I'd promised it to David. So… I put aside the story that had become at least the beginning of a novella, if not a novel, and wrote a much shorter story entitled "New World Blues," which was published by Tor.com in February of 2012 as part of the "Palencar Project," consisting of five stories, all based on the painting, by different writers.
But I couldn't get the story I'd started originally out of my mind, and I told David that I was going to take a short break from the Imager Portfolio and write the novel that became The One-Eyed Man. He graciously agreed to the project, just hoping, I suspect, that it wouldn't take too long. It didn't, and Tor bought the book.
The more I thought about it, however, the more I wanted Tor to include "New World Blues" as an addition to The One-Eyed Man, both because both stories came from the same source, and both are very different, even though written by the same person. One features a male protagonist, the other a female. One is written in first person past tense, the other in third person present tense. One takes place in the far future, the other in the near future… and there are a few other differences. Thankfully, Tom Doherty and David Hartwell agreed with me and allowed it to happen, if not without a few glitches along the way.
It all goes to show, in a rather dramatic way, that an author can get more than one inspiration from the same vision.
L.E. Modesitt, Jr. is the New York Times bestselling author of the Saga of Recluce. He lives in Cedar City, Utah.
L.E. Modesitt Jr.The One-Eyed ManThe Palencar Project
Read the First Three Chapters of L.E. Modesitt Jr.'s The Mage-Fire War
20 Novels Later, The Saga of Recluce is Still Surprising
Visit the Fantasy Worlds of L.E. Modesitt, Jr.
Meet Tor and Tor.com Publishing Authors at Phoenix Comic Fest!
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text:
Select other Ducks Beaulieu, Nathan Benoit, Simon Carrick, Sam Comtois, Max Fowler, Cam Gibson, John Henrique, Adam Jones, Max Klingberg, John Kulikov, Dmitry Leason, Brett Lundestrom, Isac McTavish, Mason Megna, Jayson Shattenkirk, Kevin Silfverberg, Jakob Stolarz, Anthony Strome, Ryan Terry, Troy Vaakanainen, Urho Vatrano, Frank White, Colton Zegras, Trevor Ducks Roster
Frank Vatrano
Team: Anaheim Ducks Height: 5-11 Born: 3/14/1994
Position: LW Weight: 197 Birthplace: East Longmeadow, Massachusetts
10/15 @ NYI L 1-7 0 0 0 -2 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 16:29
10/17 @ NYR L 4-6 1 0 1 0 2 1 100.0% 0 0 0 0 0 17:53
10/18 @ NJ L 2-4 0 0 0 -1 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 17:10
10/20 @ Bos L-SO 1-2 1 0 1 0 2 5 20.0% 0 0 0 0 0 19:19
10/28 @ VGK L 0-4 0 0 0 -1 0 4 - 0 0 0 0 0 19:20
11/01 @ SJ W-SO 6-5 1 0 1 3 0 6 16.7% 0 0 0 0 0 19:14
11/03 @ Van L 5-8 0 0 0 -1 2 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 13:57
11/05 @ SJ W-SO 5-4 0 0 0 0 2 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 17:21
11/06 Fla L 3-5 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 15:24
11/09 Min L 1-4 0 1 1 1 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 18:48
11/12 Chi L 2-3 0 0 0 -1 0 5 - 0 0 0 0 0 18:51
11/15 Det W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 5 - 0 0 0 0 0 21:34
11/19 @ StL L 2-6 0 0 0 -2 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 17:32
11/23 NYR W 3-2 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 18:56
11/25 Ott L 1-5 0 0 0 -1 2 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 13:49
11/27 Sea L 4-5 0 1 1 0 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 17:01
11/29 @ Nsh OTL 1-2 0 0 0 -1 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 17:42
12/01 @ Dal L 0-5 0 0 0 -2 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 13:52
12/03 @ Min L-SO 4-5 0 1 1 1 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 18:22
12/06 Car W 4-3 0 1 1 1 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 18:11
12/15 @ Mon W 5-2 1 1 2 1 0 5 20.0% 0 0 0 0 0 21:34
12/17 @ Edm W 4-3 0 1 1 2 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 22:03
12/20 @ LA L 1-4 1 0 1 -2 0 4 25.0% 1 0 0 0 0 18:04
12/21 Min L 1-4 0 0 0 0 12 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 14:04
12/23 Cgy OTL 2-3 0 1 1 -1 0 2 - 0 1 0 0 0 20:13
12/28 VGK W-SO 3-2 0 0 0 -2 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 16:06
12/30 Nsh L 1-6 0 0 0 -1 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 15:05
01/02 Phi L 1-4 0 0 0 0 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 20:40
01/04 Dal W 2-0 0 0 0 0 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 17:59
01/06 SJ W 5-4 0 1 1 1 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 19:02
01/08 Bos L 1-7 0 1 1 0 0 3 - 0 0 0 0 0 15:30
01/11 Edm L 2-6 0 0 0 -2 0 0 - 0 0 0 0 0 13:38
01/16 @ Pit OTL 3-4 0 0 0 -3 0 1 - 0 0 0 0 0 15:33
01/17 @ Phi L 2-5 1 0 1 -1 2 3 33.3% 1 0 0 0 0 13:03
01/21 @ Buf L 3-6 0 0 0 -2 0 2 - 0 0 0 0 0 13:39
01/24 @ Ari W 5-2 1 1 2 1 0 4 25.0% 0 0 0 0 0 15:14
01/26 @ Col W 5-3 3 0 3 3 0 8 37.5% 0 0 0 0 0 15:52


This brilliant documentary was made during the entire Millennium fiasco back in the fall of 1973. I've excerpted scenes focusing on Maharaji in order to provide a historical perspective for premies and the public who are looking for information on Maharaji. These scenes with Maharaji are only the tip of the iceberg and there are so many more scenes that are on this video that are definitely worth the price of admission. There are clips with Bhole Ji, Mata Ji, Sat Pal and premies. The clips of Bhole Ji are absolutely hysterical, but to see those you will have to buy the video if you can. Lord of the Universe was shown on PBS television in 1974.
Member of the Ant Farm which brought the World the Cadillac Ranch in Amarillo, Texas.
Tom Weinberg: Executive Producer of Ant Farm's "Media Burn"
Buy this Video at Amazon.com or look on eBay.
You may also obtain it from : Video Data Bank, 112 South Michigan Avenue, 3rd Floor/ Receiving n, Chicago, Illinois 606003, USA. Ph: 312-345-3550 (prefix001 from UK), Fx: 312-541-8073. Please go to their website for the most up to date information.
16-year-old Guru, Marahaj Ji attempts to levitate the Houston Astrodome in this 1973 DuPont award winning documentary. Follow the guru from his New York mansion to limousines in Houston and listen to his followers—celebrities and non-celebrities alike—extol his virtues. TVTV's creative use of graphics, live music, and wide-angle-lens shots to conveys the desperate efforts of these lost children to find a leader.
"If this guy is God, then this is the God the United States of America deserves."
This film is, and always has been, a juvenile attempt to discredit a teacher who has done much for millions around the world. The organizations that support Maharaji's work are not controlled by him and do not provide financial support for him. Nothing about him or his work fits the definition of a "cult".
Only juveniles with little or no imagination would find this film interesting.
Anyone wanting to know the truth about Maharaji or The Prem Rawat Foundation should see him in person and hear what he has to say or visit www.tprf.org. Anyone interested in the truth about Elan Vital should visit www.elanvital.org.
False and libelous statements will never prevent the truth from reaching those who want to know it.
Elan Vital's explanation of the phrase "Lord of the Universe"
Why was he called "Lord of the Universe" in the '70s? In Western culture, when a title is given to a person, it comes with a position. In India, by contrast, such grand labels as "His Holiness" or "Lord of the Universe" are given on the basis of affection or admiration. The use of this title, which was used only in the '70s—an era of love for all things Indian— does not imply any claims that the person is holy anymore than the use of "His Excellence" means that the person is an embodiment of excellence. "I am a human being, and you are a human being," says Maharaji, "and that is the basis of this relationship." Other people in India have also been called "Lord of the Universe" well before Maharaji, without its ever implying that they claimed to rule the universe or have anything to do with its creation.
Last night we watched the documentary "Lord of the Universe." The 60-minute black and white video examined the planning and execution of the 1973 Millenium Festival honoring infamous cult-leader Prem Rawat, aka Guru Maharaji. The reporters use handheld cameras and body packs to record intimate conversations with many types of people; from doubters, like Abbie Hoffman, to aspirants, to premies, to proponents, like Rennie Davis. It was an extraordinarily interesting video, and well worth the time.
One scene stands out in my mind. A young Prem Rawat, who still regards himself as a living God and now directs both the current cult Elan Vital and its sham, non-profit offspring "The Prem Rawat Foundation," lands at Houston International Airport. Guru Maharaji gives a short speech to his devotees near the runway, on a platform stage. He wears garlands of flowers during his brief lecture, and, standing up to leave, he heaves the hefty amount of garlands to one of his security officers, who remains onstage, and exits.
Moments after "The Lord of the Universe" has departed, the remaining security man breaks apart the garlands, handing bits and pieces to clamoring devotees. The camera zooms in on the pleading, outstretched hands begging for small bits of flower. When lucky devotees receive some manna, the bearers run to the back of the crowd, laughing ecstatically, holding the flower afixed directly below their noses. The fact that, seconds earlier, these flowers were touched by the living body of God, induces the flower-snarfers to be transported into a crazed state of bliss. All this is deftly captured in the documentary.
In one short sequence, the screen reveals how two girls, presumably friends, joyously laugh and giggle, nearly falling to the ground, due to their happiness in receiving a flower worn by Maharaji. As the laughing girls buckle, gleefully inebriated with their fortune, a lone, teenaged boy lurking in the background, who also received a god-touched flower, walks closer, holding the flower afixed to his nose. Keeping himself at a safe distance from the girls while clutching his own bounty, he glances and smiles approvingly toward the girls, indicating he shares and understands their mutual, newfound advantage. Meanwhile, throngs of other devotees have not received flowers, and their wails of desperation and misery are overheard on the soundtrack.
Among other successes, this documentary successfully juxtaposes the duality of the flower sniffers' religious rapture amid the flowerless followers' wails of suffering. The scene shows how, in the context of a cult, some lucky followers become privileged with a deserved or undeserved honor, while their equals unexplainably do not. The disadvantaged are then ostracized precisely because of their misfortune. Oddly, there was no evidence exemplifying the notion of sharing the god-touched flowers equally amongst the cult members attending this event. Granted, had the devotees offered to share their god-touched flowers with the have-nots, it would still not have appeared as anything less than eccentric cult behavior. All the same, privileged followers in no way shared their bounty with the less fortunate, preferring, instead, to ecstatically commune with their precious flower amongst other advantaged premies, in plain view of the painfully disadvantaged.
In a similar vein, the video addresses this duality in the context of receiving Knowledge. The videographers interview ex-premies, who convey that some individuals are selected for initiation, some are not. By weeding out the crowds before and during the Knowledge session, ex-cult members contend that Maharaji's organization artificially increases the aspirants' desire to become initiated. As Mahatmas purposely pluck the rejects from the room, the remaining inductees' need for belonging becomes bolstered, and their intensive belief in Maharaji becomes rigidified.
By privileging some and not others, the cult creates its own artificial mystique. While some followers reach levels of ecstasy heretofore unknown, others are cast into an ocean of misery and despair. Indeed, the documentary depicts how the cult was planting the seeds of its own demise, even in the early years, by invoking the tools of deception, fraud, and unfair advantage, for the sole aim of self-propagation.
This documentary exemplifies excellent journalistic skills while exposing the high crimes of an unholy family.


text:
Q: Convert all fields to uppercase with Linq I am using linq to query data.
But I want it return uppercase field.
Below is my code, how to transfer all field to uppercase?
public List<dynamic> QueryToList(string connStr, string sql)
{
 using (OracleConnection conn = new OracleConnection(connStr))
 {
    conn.Open();
    var results= conn.Query(sql).ToList();
    conn.Close();
    return results; //For now, it would return all fields into lower case.
 }
}

Edit:
Thanks for @Alen.Toma, I use the code below and it return the result I want.
public List <dynamic> QueryToList(string connStr, string sql)
{
conn.Open();
var results = conn.Query(sql);
conn.Close();

var valueResult = new List<dynamic>();
foreach (dynamic item in results)
{
    var dicItem = item as IDictionary<string, object>;
    var x = new ExpandoObject();
    foreach (var i in dicItem.Keys)
    {
        ((ICollection<KeyValuePair<string, object>>)x).Add(new KeyValuePair<string, object>(i.ToUpper(), dicItem[i]));
    }
    valueResult.Add(x);
}
return valueResult;
}

A: Well I agree with @Panagiotis Kanavos, even better is to convert the data to an class object.
Incase you still want to do it as such
Here is an example.
public List <dynamic> QueryToList(string connStr, string sql) {
  var valueResult = new List <dynamic> ();
  using(OracleConnection conn = new OracleConnection(connStr)) {
    conn.Open();
    var results = conn.Query(sql).ToList();
    conn.Close();
    foreach(var item in results) {
      var dicItem = item as Dictionary <string,object> ;
      var x = new ExpandoObject();
      forEach(var i in dicItem.Keys)
        ((ICollection<KeyValuePair <string, object>>)x).Add(i.ToUpper(), dicItem[i]);
      valueResult.Add(x);
    }

    return valueResult;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


Want an example of creative construction? Covent Garden has long been home to a diverse collection of living statues and street performers, but now, thanks to a surreal new installation by Hackney-based artist Alex Chinneck, architecture and construction are also joining in the fun.
"RLF were very responsive and worked efficiently with our other advisors to secure a significant reduction in our tax assessment and a rebate for previous years. Their specialist knowledge also enabled us to significantly accelerate the allowances and tax savings. We also appreciated their personable and professional approach, and are already using them on other transactions."
In November 2013, construction industry leaders joined Commercial Secretary to the Treasury, Lord Deighton and the then Business and Energy Minister, Michael Fallon, in signing the Infrastructure Carbon Review (ICR) - an initiative designed to reduce carbon in infrastructure.
"By first taking the time to truly understand our business needs, the intricacies of our project and – just as importantly – our business culture, RLF were able to confidently guide us through a challenging project without fuss or stress."
"RLF provides us with an excellent all-round service. Their understanding of the social housing sector and their proactive approach has undoubtedly brought added value to our development programme."
With housing and construction a continual issue for the UK, Labour leader Ed Miliband has endorsed sweeping reforms that he claims will help communities build hundreds of thousands of new homes in areas of need, and ensure that first time buyers are given priority access to these houses.


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Congo Republic visa for citizens of United States of America is required. For more information please contact the nearest Congo Republic embassy.


text:
EffectiveRegions.setup do |config|
  config.regions_table_name = :regions

  # Authorization Method
  #
  # This method is called by all controller actions with the appropriate action and resource
  # If the method returns false, an Effective::AccessDenied Error will be raised (see README.md for complete info)
  #
  # Use via Proc (and with CanCan):
  # config.authorization_method = Proc.new { |controller, action, resource| can?(action, resource) }
  #
  # Use via custom method:
  # config.authorization_method = :my_authorization_method
  #
  # And then in your application_controller.rb:
  #
  # def my_authorization_method(action, resource)
  #   current_user.is?(:admin)
  # end
  #
  # Or disable the check completely:
  # config.authorization_method = false
  config.authorization_method = Proc.new { |controller, action, resource| true }

  # Before Region Save Method
  #
  # This method is called when a User clicks the 'Save' button in the full screen editor.
  # It will be called once for each region immediately before the regions are saved to the database.
  #
  # This is not an ActiveRecord before_save callback and there is no way to cancel the save.
  #
  # This method is run on the controller.view_context, so you have access to all your regular
  # view helpers as well as the request object.
  #
  # The second argument, 'parent', will be the Effective::Region's parent regionable object, or the symbol :global
  #
  # If you are gsub'ing the region.content String value or altering the region.snippets Hash values,
  # those changes will not be immediately visible on the front-end.
  #
  # If you need the user to immediately see these changes, have your Proc or function return the symbol :refresh
  #
  # Returning the symbol :refresh will instruct javascript to perform a full page refresh after the Save is complete.
  #
  # Don't change the region.title, as this will orphan the region
  #
  # Use via Proc:
  #
  # config.before_save_method = Proc.new do |region, parent|
  #   region.content = region.content.gsub('force', 'horse') if region.title == 'body'
  #   :refresh
  # end
  #
  # Use via custom method:
  # config.before_save_method = :my_region_before_save_method
  #
  # And then in your application_controller.rb:
  #
  # def my_region_before_save_method(region, parent)
  #   if region.title == 'body' && request.fullpath == posts_path
  #     region.content = region.content.gsub('force', 'horse')
  #     :refresh
  #   end
  # end
  #
  # Or disable the callback completely:
  # config.before_save_method = false

  config.before_save_method = false

end

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
65 year old big cat emerges from The Grand Canyon state and roars into the UK classic car scene
1955 Jaguar XK140 MC Roadster for sale with H&H Classics for an estimate of £100,000 - £120,000
This lovely example of the 1955 Jaguar XK140 MC Roadster spent most of its life in the Grand Canyon State of Arizona and is now for sale with H&H Classics on November 25th in a Live Auction Online, for an estimate of £100,000 to £120,000.
The Jaguar XK140 was among the fastest cars of its generation, reputedly capable of over 130mph, it focused public consciousness on Jaguar's continued success at Le Mans with the Coventry marque winning the endurance classic in 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956 and 1957. For many the most
desirable variant, the Roadster accounted for some 3,356 sales during its three-year production cycle.
The car was supplied new to Roger P Ahrenberg of Maricopa County, Arizona and was resident in the Grand Canyon State for most of its life. It has been treated to an extensive, body off restoration 10,000 miles ago and is still highly presentable.
It comes fitted with the rare and highly desirable option of electric overdrive from new (together with the associated JLE four-speed manual gearbox. It is a Special Equipment Model with a high performance C-Type cylinder head.
The car successfully completed the Copperstate 1000 and Californian Mille before being imported to the UK in 2014 and is one of 3,282 LHD examples made and full weather equipment (hood, tonneau cover and side screens).
Improved during the current ownership thanks to a steering rack overhaul, new adjustable shock absorbers all round and the fitment of front disc brakes (the original drums have been retained should a new keeper wish to reinstate them).
It is extravagantly specified with a high-performance C-Type cylinder head, electric overdrive for its four-speed manual gearbox and the Special Equipment package, chassis S811714DN was completed on September 27th 1955. Imported to America via Jaguar's West Coast distributor, Hornburg of Los Angeles, the XK140 Roadster was supplied new to Roger P. Ahrenberg of Maricopa County, Arizona.
The two-seater is understood to have covered just 9,850 miles since undergoing an extensive, 'chassis up' restoration some two decades ago. Able to boast chassis, body and engine block numbers which match those listed on the accompanying Jaguar Daimler Heritage Trust Certificate, the refurbished XK140 Roadster was no 'trailer queen' finishing the prestigious Copperstate 1000 and 2008 Californian Mille rallies without incident. Piloted on the latter event by Dewayne Adamson of Scottsdale, Arizona, the two-seater subsequently migrated to Texas before being imported to the UK by its previous keeper during 2014.
Prospective purchasers are welcome to view the car on a one-to-one basis with the seller. It would be positioned outside and strict social distancing protocols would be adhered to.
Model Background:
Launched at the 1954 Motor Show, the XK140 boasted the same bewitching styling as its forebear but allied it to a host of important mechanical improvements. Chief among these was the adoption of rack and pinion steering. Though, the fitment of telescopic shock absorbers (in place of the XK120's antiquated lever arm dampers) also had a noticeably beneficial effect on handling / roadholding. With its engine and bulkhead repositioned three inches further forward, the new model enjoyed a notably roomier cabin (the fixed and drophead coupe variants gaining occasional rear seats as a result). Available in 'standard', 'special equipment' or 'special equipment plus C-type cylinder head' guises, power and torque outputs ranged from 190bhp / 210lbft to 210bhp / 213lbft. Distinguished by its one-piece bumpers and simpler, more imposing radiator grill, the XK140 was among the fastest cars of its generation.


All I want for Xmas is HUE. Hue Christmas is the perfect way to get in the holiday mood with your Philips Hue lights. It is a Sound and Light Effects Board, that works with your Philips Hue connected light bulbs.
Hear Santa and Rudolph arrive on their sleigh with magic dust particles flickering through the room. Let the salvation bell ring and and listen to Gregorian Chants while matching lights set the mood. And a lot more christmas sounds in sync with Philips Hue Light effects! Just great.


text:
AULA 08
========

Nessa aula aprendemos organizar nosso código através do uso de rotinas. Rotinas são úteis também para reutilizar parte do código em outros programas.

Uma rotina é declarada como:

```java
class Programa{
      public static tipo_retorno NomeRotina( tipo_entrada entrada ){
           // a rotina é escrita aqui
           return saida;
      }

      public static void main( String [] args ){
          // programa principal
          int x = NomeRotina( y ); // chama a rotina e guarda o retorno em x
      }
```

Atividade em aula
------------------
Alterar o programa Bois e Vacas para fazer com que o computador jogue sozinho de maneira inteligente.

Exercícios
-----------

### 01 - Operações com Matrizes (Fácil)
Escreva um código com todas as operações em matrizes da aula passada separadas em subrotinas.

### 02 - Incêndio na Floresta (Fácil)
Reescreva o código Floresta.java para definir as subrotinas: GeraFloresta(), AtualizaFloresta(), ImprimeFloresta(), Densidade(). Como ficou a legibilidade do seu código?

### 03 - Jogo da Zebra (Avançado)
Complete o código Zebra.java para encontrar o dono da zebra no quebra-cabeça lógico proposto. O código já contém uma função para gerar uma lista de permutações.


text:
Windscreens clear of insects? A sign of deteriorating biodiversity
An unusual study reveals declining numbers of insects - another warning of the problems biodiversity faces.
A typical occurrence on road trips. The car windscreen splattered with little stains reducing vision and obliging us to work the wipers repeatedly. A good thing? You would have thought so. But recent research studying the impact on vehicles has put it down to a decline in insect life. It might make driving easier, but undoubtedly represents a devastating indicator for biodiversity.
What will I learn from this article?
Why are insects are colliding less often with our windscreens?
What does this decline in insect life mean?
Flying insects no longer collide with our cars
UK drivers have noticed a strange phenomenon. The insects that used to plaster their cars during a journey seem to have disappeared. This is confirmed by a new study affirming that the number of flying insects in the United Kingdom has experienced a fall of 60% since 2004.
According to The Guardian newspaper, researchers warn that this disappearance is a worrying phenomenon, since insects play an essential role in guaranteeing life on Earth. Matt Shardlow, CEO of Buglife, the organization behind the study, says their research showed that the number of flying insects is falling by an average of 34 % per decade.
"The number of flying insects is falling by an average of 34% per decade."
The first such analysis took place in 2004 and concluded that only 8% of journeys in a car did not feature any insect impact. But the data in the 2021 study revealed that there were no marks derived from insect impact on 40 % of vehicles. Although other factors could have influenced the results, such as a more aerodynamic design of cars.
The falling number of insects, however, is a problem that affects the whole world. Another study by University College London (UCL) showed that climate change and intensive soil use for agriculture were responsible for a 49 % reduction in insect numbers in the most affected regions of the planet.
How the decline in insect life affects biodiversity as a whole
The planet-wide reduction of insect populations threatens to cause a catastrophic collapses in natural ecosystems, according to yet more research published in Science Direct. 40 % of insect species are experiencing significant population declines and a third are at risk of extinction, it says.
In fact, the extinction rate is eight times faster than that of mammals, birds or reptiles. The total insect population is dwindling at a rate of 2.5% per year. In less than a century, insects could disappear completely.
"40% of insect species are experiencing significant population declines and a third are at risk of extinction"
Pollinating insects (such as butterflies, some flies, and bees, among others) are essential to food production. According to data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), 75% of crops depend to some degree or other on these creatures for their pollination. And, in productive terms, an estimated 35 % of food harvested depends on pollinating insects.
Pollination is the most visible aspect of the working of insects, but not the only one. Decomposer insects play a fundamental role in the sustainability of the land. Beetles, for example, contribute to keeping clean the pastures where livestock graze. Without them, this land would be saturated with excrement.
Insects are also a key species for ensuring the correct working of ecosystem services.
As well as pollination, biologically they control plagues and act as bioindicators for streams and the health of soils. Many dragonflies, for example, control populations of disease carriers such as mosquitoes by eating them.
In Europe, intensive farming has been identified as the main cause of falling insect populations. In other parts of the world, climate change and deforestation are also responsible, say scientists.
Limiting global warming and promoting agriculture that is less aggressive toward insects are essential to guarantee their survival. But people can also help on the individual level.
Wildlife experts are urging us, instead of killing flies with rolled-up newspapers, to open the windows in our homes to let insects fly freely back to nature. A small gesture that can make a big difference.
As with everything related to environmental conservation, every element, no matter how small, has a fundamental role to play in maintaining biodiversity. If tiny insects are so vital in the big scheme of things, imagine the difference seemingly insignificant actions by humans can make. It's is in our hands whether or not we generate a positive impact that can benefit everyone and everything.
https://cdn.buglife.org.uk/2022/05/Bugs-Matter-2021-National-Report.pdf
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/may/05/flying-insect-numbers-have-plunged-by-60-since-2004-gb-survey-finds
How to fight against natural disasters


At the Piatchek Law Firm, our attorneys provide succession planning services for business owners. We are at home in both the business law and estate planning arenas, and we're especially comfortable in the intersection where the two overlap and intertwine.
As a small business owner, you surely plan for your business to have continuity and stay in business for a long time. Thus, it is essential to have a business succession plan in place. In place of (or in combination with) this plan, you can use your personal estate plan to address the issues involved with business continuity in the event of your absence. Remember that your family, employees, and customers/clients are relying on you. You have worked hard to build your business, so take important steps now to protect its future potential.
Perhaps you will sell your business when you retire. Maybe you have a key employee that you want to make a partner, whether now, gradually over time, or upon your exit from the business. Perhaps you simply want to make sure your clients and/or customers are taken care of should you suddenly pass away. At the Piatchek Law Firm, we address all of these situations and many more besides.
With the proper business estate planning documents, you can ensure that your business partners and family members are not harmed by your death. Operating and partnership agreements initially help your partnership or family-owned business get its start, but they can also help you avoid estate taxes and problems with management planning in the future. In addition, the right documents can provide business asset protection for both large and small businesses. When necessary, our firm can consult tax experts, financial planners, and other professionals in order to develop relevant business estate planning strategies and avoid taxes.
For many Missouri business owners, the most valuable asset they personally own is the business itself, or their respective share of the business. Therefore, just as with any other asset, you want to make sure that everything is properly structured in the event you become incapacitated or pass away. You must ensure that your assets (including your business, or an amount of money equal to the value of your business) would pass to a surviving spouse or the next generation if something were to happen to you.
Businesses engage in business succession planning; individuals and families engage in estate planning. Small businesses and family-owned businesses need both. In fact, the two may be intertwined, because you and your business are intertwined, along with your personal assets, business assets, income, and loans.
Would your business be able to continue if you were not around?
What will happen to your business if you pass away or lose capacity?
Who will operate your business if you are not around?
Does your business have more than one owner? How will the future of your business work? Who will own the business (and in what percentages, etc.)?
In your absence, who will your clients or customers contact about ongoing service?
Who will be in charge of wrapping up your affairs?
Who might buy or continue your business?
How much will the purchaser of your business pay? What will be the method of payment?
How will you keep your business and assets out of probate court if you pass away?
How will you keep your business and assets out of guardianship/conservatorship court if you become incapacitated?
What is the fair market value of your business right now?
If your business continues to run successfully, what would the fair market value for your share of the business be when you retire?
Every business is different, and every business owner is different. A business owner must carefully consider how the business will continue when he or she leaves the company – whether by choice or due to unforeseen circumstances like disability or death.
Your business may be your single largest asset, so you also need to have a comprehensive estate plan in place that accounts for all of your assets, including your business. You would not want your family or business associates to suffer if your business became caught in probate court or if unintended tax consequences occurred.
Additionally, if you have partners, discuss your business's succession plan together. If one partner passes away unexpectedly, the other partner needs to know who will take the partner's place within the company: the partner's spouse, the partner's children, a trusted employee?
Estate tax laws are always changing, but business estate planning is not just about avoiding taxes. A comprehensive and inclusive estate plan can help business owners protect their investments and ensure the continuity of their business after they are gone.
At the Piatchek Law Firm, our attorneys help business owners plan thoroughly for the future. Whether you are a veteran business owner who has simply never gotten around to succession planning or a brand new business owner hoping to avoid future problems, we can help. Our firm can take steps to ensure the proper utilization of business planning documents, such as buy-sell agreements, shareholder agreements, LLC operating agreements, and LLC member control agreements. To get started, call us at 417-882-5858 or send us an e-mail to schedule a complimentary consultation.