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Dia 5 - 12/12/2008, sexta-feira.

Melissa, esperança. Douglas, exemplo.

“Caramba, meio-dia”. O sol refletia tão forte por detrás da cortina que eu imaginei ter perdido a hora, mas não, eram 7h da manhã. Logo pulei da cama e fui direto tomar um banho frio, pois o calor daqui lhe permite tomar esse tipo de atitude insana, que nem no verão do Rio. Sentia a água bater nos meus ombros e pensava sobre como foi linda a noite anterior com a apresentação do coral no parque. O espírito natalino fluia e colidia com o sereno que caia do céu. Mãos para o alto com os bastões iluminados, foi uma noite feliz. Noite Feliz foi a música que finalizou o espetáculo natalino que Blumenau fez e como jamais vi em nenhum outro lugar.

Saí do banho, chequei meus e-mail e fiquei satisfeito em saber que meu Diário foi destaque no clipping interno da empresa onde trabalho em São Paulo, na IBM, que tem mais de 12 mil funcionários no Brasil. Se eu conseguir tocar o coração de pelo menos 10 desses 12 mil funcionários, pra mim já justifica-se trocar boa parte da minha noite de sono o preparando. Dessas 10 pessoas, espero delas que reflitam sobre seus valores e sobre o tema Solidariedade, tão na moda no mundo de hoje, mas pouco colocado em prática de verdade.

Nove horas. Desço pra tomar um café-da-manhã reforçado e logo subo para escovar meus dentes e partir para mais um dia na Vila Germânica. Assim que chego lá, me deparo com aproximadamente 30 voluntários trabalhando no local. Na segunda-feira, dia 08/12, quando comecei meu trabalho, havia mais de 250 pessoas trabalhando no pavilhão. Essa turma está dando um exemplo de cidadania e garra. O trabalho é intenso e ninguém desanima, muito pelo contrário, parece que o desafio tornou-se maior, e todos ali estão na guerra de verdade, e para vencer. Precisamos de mais voluntários! O cansaço é visível nos gestos e olhares de cada um, em cada gota de suor que escorre pelo rosto e umidece a camisa. Enquanto parte do grupo trabalha, outra parte observa e descansa para repor as energias. “Água gelada, por favor”, grita algum dos voluntários, e vamos em frente, pois tem muito caminhão ainda chegando na Vila, e o melhor: hoje vi muito caminhão também saindo para os abrigos. No fim do dia, notei que os galpões estavam com menos donativos do que ontem, em especial a parte de alimentos. Como roupas e água são os itens que mais aparecem nos caminhões, esse estoque parece ter se mantido no mesmo nível dos últimos dias, o que quer dizer que as doações estão chegando a quem devem chegar! Confesso sentir uma maior satisfação ao carregar caminhões que estão levando doações do que descarregar aqueles que chegam com doações. Não que as chegadas de doações devam ser interrompidas ou tenham menos importância, mas é uma questão de pura satisfação pessoal, como se álguem estivesse falando no pé da sua orelha: “Leva logo isso, porque tem gente esperando!”.

Fiquei na dívida com vocês para esclarecer dois fatos: o primeiro refere-se ao motivo pelos professores da rede pública terem deixado a central de doações ontem. O segundo, trata-se do boato que correu sobre a necessidade de entregar o pavilhão da Vila Germânica nessa sexta-feira devido à realização de um evento no fim-de-semana.

Bem, quanto aos professores terem deixado a central, achei a justificativa hiper coerente. Devido à dificuldade com a logística na Vila Germânica, decidiram que grande parte dos caminhões partiriam para as escolas municipais e lá mesmo ocorreriam as triagens, o que resulta na redução do fluxo de doações a passarem pela triagem na central, que já está abarrotada de coisas, e assim agiliza o processo de entregas dos produtos aos desabrigados, já que os mesmos se deslocarão até essas escolas para buscarem os donativos. Achei uma ótima notícia.

Quanto à necessidade da entrega do pavilhão, isso, de fato, vai acontecer, porém, ainda sem data definida. Isso quer dizer que durante esse fim-de-semana muito trabalho ainda está pela frente. A necessidade de entrega do pavilhão é um tema muito polêmico por aqui, pois uns acreditam que seja importante liberar o espaço o mais rápido possível, uma vez que na Vila Germânica acontecem diversos eventos que resultam no aquecimento da economia local. Outros já pensam que é hora de dar prioridade às vítimas e deixar para resolver o problema da economia local mais pra frente. Bem, se perguntarem a minha opinião, ouvirão que acredito ser mais importante, nesse momento, a vida humana, que clama por comida, roupa e acolhimento, então eu acho que pelo menos até a próxima quarta-feira o espaço deve ser dedicado à central de doações. Mas, enfim, sabemos que existem muitas questões por trás, então prefiro não tornar o assunto mais polêmico do que já é. Finalizo meus comentários sobre esse assunto por aqui, mas lhes manterei atualizados sobre a questão.

Sobre o título do diário de hoje... “Melissa, esperança. Douglas, exemplo”.

Hoje conheci duas crianças que iluminaram o meu dia e me fizeram pensar sobre o valor da vida e a importância da solidariedade. Nós somos humanos. Ou a gente trata da gente ou o mundo logo, logo sofrerá com a extinção dessa espécie, pois não seremos capazes de sobreviver a catástrofes que já são esperadas pelos cientistas e pesquisadoras, como a falta d'água e de comida no planeta, por exemplo. Os nomes dessas crianças que imuminaram meu dia são Melissa e Douglas.

A Melissa é uma meninha de aproximadamente um aninho e poucos meses, a coisa mais fofa do mundo. Ela estava no colo de um rapaz e acompanhada pela sua mãe. Melissa é uma das vítimas das enchentes que caíram sobre Blumenau e estava lá à procura de donativos. Não resisti à emoção e pedi para tirar uma foto dela. Ela sorria e ficava doida para pegar a câmera da minha mão. Tirei a foto e a mostrei. Seus olhos brilhavam, enquanto os meus lacrimejam de emoção. Melissa me provocou um sentimento profundo de esperança.

O Douglas é um menino de 13 anos, morador de uma região de Blumenau que não foi atingida gravemente. Douglas é um exemplo para muitos adultos: como está de férias na escola, decidiu, por livre e espontânea vontade, que queria passar dias das suas férias ajudando como voluntário na Vila Germânica. O Douglas carrega caixas pesadas pra lá e pra cá e se diverte com tudo isso. A “brincadeira” preferida dele é o da fila indiana com as caixas de roupas. Ele ri, ele fala, ele quer participar, ele quer ajudar! Douglas é um exemplo pra você, Douglas é um exemplo pra mim. Pena que não há muitos Douglas por aí. Douglas não precisou parar de falar, ele simplesmente fez, antes mesmo de falar ou criticar qualquer coisa. Precisamos de gente que pare de falar e comece logo a fazer! É muita gente falando!!!

Amanhã nasce um novo dia. Que Deus proteja Melissa e Douglas, os heróis do nosso dia.

PS. Hoje tive a boa notícia que amanhã virão 250 voluntários de São Paulo para ajudar nos trabalhos, isso não é maravilhoso?

------

Faça download completo do Diário SOS SC em:

public.me.com/brunnopessoa

Dodo, Terry and Drivers at the shop where you get permits to enter the Conservation Area.

0n the way to the Sunderbans Tiger Reserve in the Ganges (Hoogly) Delta, Calcutta, January, 2012

Only the street shots - thestreetzine.blogspot.com/

© All Rights Reserved - Black Diamond Images

"This year, Vivid LIVE has commissioned multi-award winning German design collective URBANSCREEN to create a new projected artwork, transforming Sydney Opera House with their reinterpretation of the sails – Vivid LIVE’s most public event. (Recommend viewing this VIDEO)

URBANSCREEN have taken the art of light projection, video mapping and motion graphics to extraordinary heights in their many large scale installations, including commissions from major art galleries, international festivals and opera companies. Recent works showcase their versatile and sensitive engagement with architecture, from the dream-themed 555 Kubik at the Hamburger Kunsthalle, the ‘operatic staging’ of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Idomeneo, Rè di Creta at Theatre Bremen, to the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Museums Quartier in Vienna – highlighting Creative Director Thorsten Bauer’s musical approach to institutions.

The work will explore both the iconic sculptural form of the Opera House but also its place as a home for music, dance and drama, resulting in a work that is both sophisticated and spectacular." Reference

While the lightshows around the harbour are stunning it is worth noting that there is just so much more to the Vivid Sydney Festival and more than one night does need to be allocated to see all that this festival has to offer.

Check out the website for much more.

Vivid Sydney - Festival of Lights and Ideas draws to a close tomorrow night 11th June after having opened on 25th May 2012

More Vivid Sydney Photos HERE (Images to be added as time permits.)

Roebling, Union, & N 10th street in Williamsburg Brooklyn, 11211 is a stalled development site. 3+ years ago the developer was permitted by the Department of Transportation of NYC in accordance with NYC Department of Buildings to secure the site with a corrugated steel fence that overlaps the sidewalk. People have to walk in the street for portions of this thoroughfare. As many stalled development sites as there are in Williamsburg, certain sites should be on a very short list for more acute attention btw inter city agencies. Not all stalled sites put public safety at such an exponentially increased risk. Until they have encroached into DOT territory can they be managed to a point to remediate the risk to near neutral for anyone walking, or riding by.

The problem is that work from DOT= spend money. But, since the DoB= make money, I think someone should get on it.

There's no incentive for any agency to do anything unless our paid public officials demand that this be a priority. It is a big public safety issue. Factor in the increased vehicle usage of those particular Avenues, post the one way Kent ave change. We are talking about Union Avenue and Roebling Street! Both are truck routes and speedways. Williamsburg/Greenpoint are the only neighborhoods in the 5 boroughs without a designated truck thru-route, as per the DOT map. We get so much needless truck traffic, on what are now purely residential streets.

6.10.10

mc

All-For those of who walk to the L on Roebling, you've likely noticed the blocked off sidewalk on the south side of the street between North 9 and North 10. For at least two years, a construction fence has enclosed the sidewalk at this location. It presents an especially unsafe condition when there are trucks loading and blocking the sidewalk at the feather warehouse across the street. Pedestrians are forced to walk in the street to pass this block. From what I can tell, there seems to be no movement to develop the lot in question, so I am unclear how long this unsafe condition will exist or why it was created in the first place. I inquired about this to our council member Steven Levin, and was informed by his community liaison that I (and many others) should file complaints to 311.* That's where you come into play.

Filing a complaint to 311 takes about three minutes and can be achieved online (which is simpler than calling, in my opinion). Here are the steps:

Go to 311 online. nyc.gov/apps/311/allServices.htm?request Type=service&... there you can select “sidewalk blocked by construction” and insert (or modify) the following description: “a construction fence has enclosed more than half the sidewalk on Roebling. It is impossible to walk on this side of the street without walking in the street. There is a warehouse and loading dock opposite the site on Roebling, and large trucks often block the sidewalk. It is impossible to walk on this section of Roebling without entering the busy street. It's very unsafe.”

The site address is 236 North 10th Street.

From there you record your name (which is not required) and your email address.

The most important detail is to keep track of your service request number. Please send it to me, and I will share it with Levin's staff. The more complaints they receive, the more likely they are to address the unsafe condition.

If possible, please do so in the next few days because I plan to follow up with Levin next week.

Thanks.

Note: please send your 311 complaint # to meredithchesney1@mac.com

and I will send them on to people working on the issue.

Permitirme que os presente a una cámara -regalo de su propietario, fotógrafo de profesión, y gran amigo, hace la friolera de más de treinta años, cuando éste, ya mayor, decía adiós a las películas españolas y de otras nacionalidades, porque se retiraba- que me está acompañando hasta el momento actual y la cual la tengo, sobre un trípode, en mi escritorio, como una joya...Como algo que nunca quisieras perder... (Está en perfecto estado de funcionamiento) Quiero señalar, como anécdota, que una de las últimas fotos que se hicieron con ella, fueron las de la película "Las Petroleras", en el año 1971. Cuya parte de rodaje se hizo en la provincia de Burgos. Las actrices principales de la misa fueron Brigitte Bardot y Claudia Cardinale. Para mi satisfacción tengo en mi poder un gran reportaje de dicha película. En aquellos tiempos ser fotógrafo de "foto fija" en las películas, era todo un reto y no existián demasiados, porque era de máxima responsabilidad y sabiduría. Por desgracia, no fue mi maestro... No disponía de tiempo. EL ERA UN ARTISTA.

Agradecida a visita y comentarios

Cadets are permitted to climb on top and inside the tank brought to Branch Orientation at Keyes Park, 6th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets attended Branch Orientation at Keyes Park August 14, 2019, during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. | Photo by Madison Thompson, Cadet Summer Training Public Affairs Office

Tony Estafanous, Loudoun Permit Manager

Cadets are permitted to climb on top and inside the tank brought to Branch Orientation at Keyes Park, 6th Regiment, Basic Camp Cadets attended Branch Orientation at Keyes Park August 14, 2019, during Cadet Summer Training at Fort Knox, Ky. | Photo by Madison Thompson, Cadet Summer Training Public Affairs Office

This image is licensed cc-by-nc-sa. Media (including blogs) are permitted to use my images provided they provide attribution in the form of "Photo by Andrew Bossi" or something along those lines.

It would be very much appreciated (though not required) if you provide a link back to my photo. Send me a message on Flickr or at thisisbossi@gmail.com if you use my image & I'll add a link on the photo's page back to your article.

If you want the highest-resolution image: simply right-click on the photo and select "Original".

Also, if I've mis-titled or mis-tagged anything: just let me know. If you recognise someone I should tag: again, just let me know.

================================

In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.

The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.

With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.

Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.

In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.

Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.

Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!

There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.

It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.

This image is licensed cc-by-nc-sa. Media (including blogs) are permitted to use my images provided they provide attribution in the form of "Photo by Andrew Bossi" or something along those lines.

It would be very much appreciated (though not required) if you provide a link back to my photo. Send me a message on Flickr or at thisisbossi@gmail.com if you use my image & I'll add a link on the photo's page back to your article.

If you want the highest-resolution image: simply right-click on the photo and select "Original".

Also, if I've mis-titled or mis-tagged anything: just let me know. If you recognise someone I should tag: again, just let me know.

================================

In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.

The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.

With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.

Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.

In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.

Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.

Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!

There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.

It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.

En 2011 se lavaron 80.000 trenes y el ahorro de agua gracias a este proceso fue de 20.000 metros cúbicos5.nov.12.- Metro de Madrid ahorra cada año 20.000 metros cúbicos de agua, lo que supone el equivalente a ocho piscinas olímpicas, mediante el uso de agua reciclada en el proceso de lavado de los trenes. Para ello dispone de 11 túneles de lavado dotados de recicladora, en los que cada día se lavan 300 coches. Asimismo, la compañía dispone de una depuradora que trata 1.700 metros cúbicos de líquidos al año provenientes de diferentes máquinas para permitir su reutilización y el vertido a la red de saneamiento en condiciones óptimas.

No photography permitted at Heathrow Airport, though plenty of police presence with full git-up including assault firearms. Though unnecessary to ask on most public streets, I did politely request if was okay to take photographs for this set of images.

Introduction:

Linda and I just returned from our travels through Scotland and England. We flew to Edinburgh, rented a car and spent four nights in the same B&B as our friends Ruth and Dave who arrived by train from London. The four of us took a diversion for one day to travel into the North Cumberland area on the coast. When Linda and I checked out of our B&B, we drove North into the Scottish Highlands and arrived in the town of Portree for a three-night stay on the Isle of Skye -- the Inner Hebrides. We then left the Isle of Skye by ferry, arriving at Maillag and followed the Jacobite Trail (Harry Potter train) to Ft William. Then we drove to our next B&B in the beautiful village of Inveraray on Loch Fyne. Next, a grueling drive to the Peak District where we stayed at a B&B in a medieval village called Castleton. The following morning, we drove to London Heathrow to drop off the car and took a mini-cab to our hotel for four nights in London.

Part !:

We flew from Newark to Heathrow on British Airways. Considering we flew economy, the flight was accommodating, relatively comfortable with decent food and wine was served. One could enjoy an individual screen for viewing a large choice of movies, even some recent releases. We arrived in plenty of time to make our connecting flight to Edinburgh. Due to David Cameron's "Severe" Terrorist Alert, the immigration queue moved very slowly. Only two officers were checking credentials while there were several hundred people waiting. Linda held our place while I went to the front to make inquiries. An Immigration officer was standing there directing the next person to go on one of the two open windows! I said,

"We're going to miss our connection!"

"No you're not," she said.

"Really? The gate closes in 45 minutes and it takes 25 minutes to walk there" (not to mention there was another security check like our TSA!

"Oh, don't worry, you'll make your flight."

"Why don't you work one of the booths? It would move the line 50% faster!

I didn't pursue that confrontation any further. BA only boarded half of that connecting flight. Subsequent flights were booked very rapidly. We couldn't get a flight for several hours (four flights later) and lost half a day waiting.

I'm not one who normally cares about large corporations. But this was not the fault of British Airways who were, indeed, very helpful. This was the fault of the fucked-up politicians from Cameron downward. They issue a "Severe Alert" but other than deploying an armed militia, why not consider making all consequent operations run efficiently?

I think this is where the "festive design work for Opening Day and Opening Week" featuring the manager and players will be placed, according to Mike Lufrano at the ELVN meeting tonight.

Personajes, situaciones, lugares, pequeños instantes que nos permiten hacer un alto y que nos trasladan a historias con las que nos podemos sentir fuertemente identificados o por el contrario, situaciones completamente ajenas a nuestra realidad.

Es la magia de estas peñas reflexiones fotográficas, de estos instantes que con su cámara Felipe Díaz rescata. Artista panameño emergente, autodidacta, cuya obra gira principalmente alrededor de los personajes de la cultura popular. En este su último trabajo fotográfico “Cotidiano” combina diferentes personajes y situaciones para hacernos parte de pequeñas historias recolectadas desde su cotidiano.

On April 25, 2019 the Los Angeles Fire Department provided a demonstration of the Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) program for Councilmember Blumenfield and his staff. This event showcased the entire fleet, provided a live stream demo and highlighted the arrival of the newest addition, the DJI Matrice 600. The Matrice 600 was donated via the LAFD Foundation and is the largest drone in the fleet. It is capable of performing an active role within an incident. For example, it can drop rope lines and/or life preservers during a water rescue which could facilitate a quicker rescue.

LAFD Event: 042519

Photo Use Permitted via Creative Commons - Credit: LAFD Photo | Alex Gillman

LAFD Event: 031419

Connect with us: LAFD.ORG | News | Facebook | Instagram | Reddit | Twitter: @LAFD @LAFDtalk

•La inédita iniciativa permite el acceso a la educación superior a través de una vía especial de ingreso. Las carreras que cursarán los primeros elegidos serán Medicina, Química y Farmacia, Bioquímica y Enfermería.

Desde que llegó a vivir a Antofagasta, Manuel Droguett, entonces estudiante de octavo básico, participó en todas las actividades que el Proyecto Asociativo Regional (PAR) Explora hizo en su Región. “En mi etapa escolar asistí a todos los campamentos, congresos y ferias que hacía el Programa”, comentó, agregando que se dio cuenta que la ciencia era el área en la que se desenvolvía mejor y se sentía más cómodo. Esta motivación es algo que Manuel comparte con los otros tres jóvenes, que fueron seleccionados por el Cupo Explora.

Esta iniciativa, enmarcada en una alianza establecida entre CONICYT y la Cátedra Unesco-Universidad de Santiago, busca promover la inclusión y las vocaciones científicas de jóvenes talentosos de todo Chile, que hayan participado de actividades del Programa Explora. Así, ellos podrán cursar estudios superiores en distintos planteles del país.

El director ejecutivo de CONICYT, Christian Nicolai, señaló que “muchas veces el nivel de desempeño de los estudiantes vulnerables está influenciado por el entorno y no por sus capacidades específicas, pero igualmente, en ocasiones, afecta sus opciones de llegar a la universidad. Es ahí donde apunta este instrumento”.

Además de Manuel Droguett, que se matriculó en Bioquímica en la Universidad de Santiago, también fue elegido Michel Nilo, que cursará Química y Farmacia en la misma casa de estudios. Catalina Sanzana y José Ignacio Muñoz estudiarán en la Universidad de O’Higgins Enfermería y Medicina, respectivamente.

El director de la Cátedra UNESCO de Inclusión a la Educación Superior, Francisco Gil, comentó que “por no recibir una preparación óptima para sortear las pruebas de acceso, se estima que una cantidad importante de estudiantes talentosos queda fuera del sistema por provenir de sectores de mayor vulnerabilidad”.

Los jóvenes que tienen capacidades para cursar estudios superiores no necesariamente tienen las mejores notas, revela una investigación del Centro de Estudios y Desarrollo de Talentos Penta UC, realizada en conjunto con Cátedra UNESCO. Una cifra reveladora es que el 50% no logra las calificaciones suficientes para estar dentro del 10% de los alumnos con mejor rendimiento en sus colegios.

“Para CONICYT es muy importante motivar a los jóvenes a interesarse por la ciencia y la tecnología. Esperamos que iniciativas como ésta, que buscan identificar y apoyar las vocaciones tempranas de los estudiantes, y apoyarlas en su ingreso a la educación superior, se traduzcan en una contribución al desarrollo de nuestro país”, afirmó Christian Nicolai.

José Ignacio Muñoz

“Explora Influyó de forma importante en mi decisión, porque en todas las actividades en las que participé, puede reconocer en mí muchas cualidades de una persona que trabaja en ciencias. También contribuyó a mi impresión de cómo uno debiese aportar al país y a la sociedad. Todo eso te da un sentido de responsabilidad y de que siempre tienes que estar superándote”.

Michel Nilo

“En mi colegio empecé a trabajar en el club de ciencias, en específico en la propagación de árboles nativos de Chile. Ése fue mi primer acercamiento y estuvo apoyado por Explora. Ahí sentí que me motivaba ese mundo. Participé también de un congreso regional, que fue una experiencia totalmente nueva y, al estar ahí, me di cuenta que quería seguir por un camino científico”.

Manuel Droguett

“Desde octavo básico que vengo trabajando en temas científicos, gracias a Explora. En la primera academia que participé, yo quería hacer robótica, pero como no había robots disponibles, me metí a ciencia. Empecé a ir a los laboratorios y ahí me di cuenta de que esto era lo mío. En todas las oportunidades que tuve, siempre trabajé con bacterias. Creo que voy a seguir ese camino, es lo que más me gusta”.

Catalina Sanzana

“Explora está apoyando en el alumnado, de forma constante, con las actividades de valoración científica. A veces, los colegios nos hacen enfocarnos más en lenguaje o matemáticas y acá hemos encontrado herramientas para perseverar en las asignaturas científicas que a algunos de nosotros nos motivan. Muchas veces están las ganas, pero no están estas herramientas necesarias”.

Fotos CONICYT

Demolition permit approved. The bridge was not maintained after the line to Koroit and Port Fairy closed in the 1970's. Heritage Victoria have approved its demolition.

Location

OVER MERRI RIVER, DENNINGTON, WARRNAMBOOL CITY

Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number

H0151

Level of Significance

Registered

Extent of Registration

1. The bridge structure marked B1 on Diagram 0151 held by the Executive Director

2. All the land marked L1on Diagram 0151 held by the Executive Director including 5 metres on the upstream and downstream sides of the bridge and 10 metres at either end of the bridge.

Statement of Significance

What is significant?

Dennington Railway Bridge is a long single-track railway bridge of timber-beam on timber piers construction built in 1890 as an important component of the Warrnambool-Koroit section of the Terang-Port Fairy Railway. The bridge spans the Merri River immediately west of Dennington township in an area of open treeless farmland making the long low bridge visible from a considerable distance.

Completion of the Warrnambool-Port Fairy sections of the railway allowed the rapid transport of fresh fish and crayfish from the coast and potatoes and onions from the Koroit area via the Dennington Bridge to the metropolitan markets of Melbourne and Geelong. The section of railway line between Warrnambool and Koroit for which the Dennington Railway Bridge was created, was also a key link-section providing access to a wide-ranging network of western Victorian railways linked up through major railway-junction points at Koroit, Hamilton, Horsham and Ararat. From the 1890s the railways were able to provide more efficient transport than road haulage to coastal steamers and competition to the shipping of Warrnambool, Belfast and Portland, that had previously provided the far Western District's main freight links with Melbourne and the wider world. The section of rail line from Warrnambool to Port Fairy that includes the Dennington Railway Bridge closed in 1977.

Dennington Railway Bridge was constructed to a standard 15 feet (4.6 metres) span length and comprises forty-one spans, giving a total deck length of 188 metres. It was originally constructed to the in the Victorian Railways standard design of 1877 with two piles per pier, braced with stay-piles. The bridge was subsequently converted to its present four piles per pier through the addition of a longer cross head and two outer raked piers as part of a state-wide upgrade of railway bridges following the introduction of heavier and faster trains after 1900. In most bridges this upgrade resulted in the removal of stay piles however at Dennington the main stream section of the bridge retains an extensive and intact system of stay-piles on both the up and down stream sides of each four pile pier, thought to be the largest remaining set of stay piles in Victoria.

How is it significant?

Dennington Railway Bridge is of historic and scientific (engineering) significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?

Dennington Bridge is of historic significance as a key component of the Terang-Port Fairy Railway, the final stage of east-west rail service connecting Geelong to Warrnambool and Port Fairy which, when completed in 1890, for the first time enabled the rapid and efficient transport of the agricultural and fishing produce from the far Western Districts to the metropolitan markets of Geelong and Melbourne.

Dennington Bridge is of scientific (engineering) significance to the state of Victoria in being the most intact surviving example of a large timber-beam rail bridge with an extensive system of stay-piles on either side of its main river-channel section. Dennington Railway Bridge with its deck length of 188 metres is also of significance as the fourth-longest surviving rail bridge built to the standard Victorian Railways fifteen-feet (4.6 metre) timber-beam-span design, developed in the 1870s. A small number of surviving early long timber railway bridges of this design include the bridge over the Wannon River on the Branxholme - Casterton line (1884, 293 metres); the Yarra Glen viaduct on the Lilydale Healesville line (1880s, 260 metres) and the Latrobe River overflow bridge on the Traralgon - Stratford line (1877, 242 metres).

The Dennington Bridge is of aesthetic significance at a local level for the contribution of the long low timber bridge to the rolling farmland landscape of the Western District.

En los municipios de El Espinal y Chaparral en el Tolima, 312 nuevos emprendedores consolidaron sus ideas de negocio y están listos para generar ingresos con el apoyo de Prosperidad Social, que también realizó en este último municipio importantes inversiones para la construcción de la renovada plaza de mercado Darío Echandía.

El director general de la Entidad, Nemesio Roys Garzón, realizó una jornada de trabajo en este departamento, en donde se han invertido más de $3.000 millones con el programa Mi Negocio que ha capitalizado tiendas, confecciones, restaurantes, fábricas de zapatos, panaderías, pastelerías y venta de comidas típicas de la región.

“La lucha contra la pobreza debe evidenciarse en acciones. Si bien los procesos de capacitación son importantes, somos conscientes de que los colombianos necesitan ayudas tangibles, por eso el programa entrega de manera efectiva insumos que les permiten realizar sus emprendimientos: equipos, materiales, herramientas y conocimiento en temas de administración de empresas, que les permitan ejecutar sus ideas, por eso hoy, con orgullo, graduamos a estos emprendedores que ya están listos para hacer realidad su sueño de tener su propio negocio”, aseguró el director Nemesio Roys Garzón.

Un testimonio de ello es el caso de Gloria García Perdomo una emprendedora de Chaparral, quien fortaleció su negocio de venta de arepas de arroz a domicilio. El programa le entregó un molino eléctrico, nevera, menaje e insumos, lo que le permitió aumentar sus ventas, hoy en día cuenta con más clientes, logrando ventas de aproximadamente $8 millones mensuales.

En Chaparral en compañía del alcalde Humberto Buenaventura, el Director de Prosperidad Social también realizó seguimiento a la obra de la plaza de mercado del municipio.

“En esta primera fase hemos hecho una inversión de $7.000 millones para una plaza amplia, moderna y segura que beneficia a 200 comerciantes. Hay pendientes unas obras adicionales que dependen de la administración municipal, el alcalde me ha confirmado que está en el proceso de contratación y esperamos en dos meses poder entregar esta obra que ya está terminada y que fue un compromiso del presidente Juan Manuel Santos con los más de 55 mil habitantes de Chaparral y del sur del departamento”, agregó Roys Garzón.

La plaza cuenta hoy con 62 nuevos locales para comercialización de productos cárnicos, pescado, pollo, salsamentarias, abarrotes, oficinas, baterías sanitarias, zona de almacenamiento de residuos sólidos, cargue y descargue, cuarto de aseo y un salón como jardín infantil. Durante la ejecución del proyecto se generaron 90 empleos, mano de obra de la región.

Graduación de participantes de Mi Negocio en Tolima y seguimiento a Plaza de Mercado de Chaparral Febrero 15-2018 (Fotografía Oficial Prosperidad Social / Hernán Navarro Gallego).

Esta fotografía oficial del Departamento Administrativo para la Prosperidad Social está disponible sólo para ser publicada por las organizaciones de noticias, medios nacionales e internacionales y/o para uso personal de impresión por el sujeto de la fotografía. La fotografía no puede ser alterada digitalmente o manipularse de ninguna manera, y tampoco puede usarse en materiales comerciales o políticos, anuncios, correos electrónicos, productos o promociones que de cualquier manera sugieran aprobación por parte del Departamento Administrativo para la Prosperidad Social.

Prosperidad Social Página Web / Twitter / Facebook / Youtube / Instagram

(06/07/2011) Con la charla “Propiedad Industrial y Libre Competencia: ¿Monopolios permitidos?” finalizó este miércoles 6 de julio el ciclo gratuito de Charlas sobre Propiedad Industrial y Políticas Públicas organizado por INAPI en la Biblioteca Nacional.

La actividad contó con la destacada participación de Javier Tapia, Jefe de la División de Estudios y Promoción de la Fiscalía Nacional Económica; Enrique Vergara, Ex Fiscal Nacional Económico, Profesor de Derecho Económico de la Universidad Diego Portales y del Centro de Regulación y Competencia de la Universidad de Chile; y Juan Cristóbal Gumucio, socio de Sargent & Krahn y especialista en Libre Competencia y Propiedad Intelectual.

El ciclo de Charlas sobre Propiedad Industrial y Políticas Públicas fue una actividad gratuita organizada por INAPI en el marco de la Exposición cultural "Historia Gráfica de la Propiedad Industrial en Chile".

SAVANNAH, Ga.--Eighteen Savannah State University students tested their abilities to identify wetlands during a field exercise hosted by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Savannah District, May 16, 2013. Regulatory specialists with the Corps explained the wetland permitting process and how to identify types of wetlands based on soil conditions and plant growth. The session was part of Savannah State’s PRISM program—Proactive Recruitment for Introductory Science and Mathematics. The program aims to increase the number of freshmen and sophomore students majoring in math and science disciplines at SSU and support them through graduation and to successful entry into graduate school or professional careers. The Corps has an ongoing partnership with the university to contribute to outreach and education activities related to science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The Corps’ Savannah District manages wetlands permits under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act and Section 10 of the Rivers and Harbors Act for any projects affecting U.S. waters within the state of Georgia. USACE photo by Tracy Robillard

This project aims for safer and better managed cross border labour migration. ILO is providing coordination services for the Republic of Korea Government’s Employment Permit System which recruits low and semi-skilled workers from 15 countries in Asia-Pacific. ©ILO/A.DOW

Click here to watch a related video: www.youtube.com/edit?video_id=uo0Qv7Bye3k&video_refer...

Click here to read a related feature story: www.ilo.org/asia/info/public/WCMS_211952/lang--en/index.htm

This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 IGO License. To view a copy of this license, visit creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/igo/deed.en_US.

(more details later, as time permits)

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On my third visit to Rome this year, I decided that I had seen enough of Piazza del Popolo, Castel Sant'Angelo, Piazza san Pietro, and the Spanish Steps. Of course, there are lots of other magnificent sights in Rome, but I wanted something that would also have a lot of people around; after all, you can only take one or two pictures of a church or a statue, but there are endless variations of "people shots."

So I ended up in Piazza Navona, which was decorated for Christmas and full of sights and sounds that were apparently intended to attract families with children, as well as tourists and local visitors. There were clowns and balloons, costumed mimes, a man and a woman at opposite ends of the piazza blowing utterly enormous soap-bubbles, as well as vendors hawking toys and balloons and pastries and panini sandwiches. There is an enormous statue in the middle of the piazza, with gargoyles and mythic creatures, plus a merry-go-round, and a few other amusements.

But it was the people that I focused my attention on. Lots of kids, eyes filled with wonder at the sights and sounds around them; plenty of tourists from all over the place; romantic couples strolling hand-in-hand as they sampled the snacks and drinks on sale. I was delighted to see that there were lots of local people in the piazza too; it seems to be a popular place for families to bring their children.

Anyway, I took some 500+ photos, winnowed the collection down to 50 "keepers," tweaked and edited the keepers as best I could, and uploaded them here to Flickr for your enjoyment...

Passage through this turnstile permits you to access the public restrooms. We found this practice to be an annoying standard policy throughout our Danube travels; "Pay to pee!" Sometimes, to the ladies dismay, the men were exempted from the fee unless they entered the stalls. Even the most basic human activities have been turned into revenue generators! This restroom is in the much trafficked Buda Castle region of the city. (This scene is humorous to North Americans... until you recall lacking change during a former pressing urge!)

(Aug 29, 2014 Budapest) 33; Potty Steward

"Walmart Seeks Permit to Do Tests With Drones" by HIROKO TABUCHI via NYT t.co/ZJtYJAyyw0 (via Twitter twitter.com/felipemassone/status/658796344690216960)

Es innegable que las carreteras constituyen un elemento fundamental en el desarrollo socioeconómico de un país de una región, permitiendo mejorar la calidad de vida de los habitantes, facilitando su movilización, el trasporte de productos y la comunicación entre las distintas regiones vecinas.

No obstante en la medida en que avanza el desarrollo económico se incrementa la construcción de carreteras, y sus especificaciones técnicas se van adecuando a los nuevos usos, ya no solo son para movilizar pasajeros, se adecuan para sacar materias primas. En esa dinámica se generan impactos negativos en la dinámica natural de los ecosistemas inmersos en la red vial, debido fundamentalmente a factores que pueden relacionarse con interrupción de los procesos físicos, alteración del ciclo hidrológico, cambios micro-climáticos, contaminación de aguas y suelos, entre otras.

Igualmente provocan, el aislamiento de diversas especies, produciendo la fragmentación y la modificación del hábitat de las poblaciones de animales, y por supuesto el aislamiento y fraccionamiento de estas poblaciones.

Individuos que antes ocupaban un amplio territorio continuo, ahora encuentran que su hábitat es interrumpido por una cinta asfáltica, hostil e inerte que separo en dos los lugares donde busca refugio, alimento y donde cría a sus cachorros. Siendo su territorio ancestral, conservado y trasmitido en su memoria de madres a críos, se ven obligados a cruzar de un tramo vial a otro, lo que los enfrenta a un nuevo peligro desconocido por ellos hasta el momento, la probabilidad de atropellamiento, que aumenta en la medida en que las mencionadas especificaciones técnicas de la vía se hacen más específicas y el flujo vehicular aumenta como consecuencia directa.

Ya no solo se restringe el movimiento de los individuos de una especie, también se ve fragmentada y aislada paulatinamente su población con consecuencias en el mediano plazo de la extinción local de la misma.

La carretera que comunica la región del Guavio con la capital del país, desde tiempo atrás fragmento el páramo, situación que se ha presentado en una buena cantidad de páramos del país, Puracé y Coconucos en el Cauca, el complejo de Guantiva-la Rusia, en Boyacá entre otros.

La fauna atropellada en esta vía, aunque no ha sido cuantificada, tiene a sus espaldas zorros perrunos, faras, martejas, ardillas, conejos silvestres y una que otra ave no identificada.

El último registro es de un oso andino, un osezno el día de ayer, 17 de mayo, el cual fue atropellado por un “carro fantasma” en inmediaciones del sitio conocido como los Alpes, en la carretera que cruza el páramo de Guasca rumbo a Bogotá.

En las horas de la tarde un carro que no se detuvo, ni disminuyo la velocidad, al ver cruzar el animal, atropello al pequeño osezno el cual quedo aturdido en medio de la vía por el golpe recibido, el conductor de un vehículo de servicio público que cubre la ruta Bogotá-Gachetá, detuvo el carro e intento recoger al osezno herido, este reacciono asustado y corrió como puedo al árbol más próximo trepándose en él. La vía en este sector sirve como límite de dos municipios Guasca y Guatavita.

Apelando a su sensibilidad y solidaridad con otro ser vivo, no humano, llama a un funcionario de Corpoguavio para ponerlo al tanto y pedirle orientación. En tanto un ciudadano de este paraje que se percata de la situación se acerca y ofrece sus servicios para auxiliar, recuperar al osezno y darle traslado a un lugar seguro donde lo puedan atender. En medio de esta situación los celulares inician su tarea de comunicar a los posibles auxiliadores de esta vida, se hace contacto con los profesionales de la Fundación Bioandina que tiene un centro de recuperación de fauna cerca del lugar, tan pronto como la distancia lo permite llega uno de los profesionales con un guacal y los implementos necesarios para recuperar el animal y trasladarlo a la sede de la fundación.

(las fotos corresponde al ejemplar en mención en el momento en que trepa al árbol su mirada asustada y de shock son clara muestra de su estado)

Inmediatamente el animal es examinado y evaluado, no habiendo señales externas de heridas o fracturas con exposición, se procedió con las medidas necesarias para estabilizarlo y darle el tratamiento requerido, quedando en observación durante la noche. Pese a los esfuerzos adelantados y como consecuencia seguramente del impacto recibido el animal no logra sobrevivir y muere en las horas de la mañana. Un individuo más que se pierde para la vida silvestre, una resta en la población de osos andinos de los bosques y páramos de la región del Guavio.

Es bueno recordar que esta vía recorre el páramo y el sub-páramo, en niveles altitudinales entre los 2.700 y los 3.500 msnm, y ha sido cruzada, de tiempo atrás, de manera regular por individuos de diversas especies, no solo osos andinos, también venados y felinos la frecuentan, siendo reportados tanto por conductores usuarios de la vía, como por los habitantes de esta zona.

Igualmente teniendo este conocimiento es urgente tomar medidas de manejo que eviten la repetición de lo relatado, cobrando una nueva víctima, pues la vía cada día que pasa incrementa su tráfico pesado que sobrepasa los 200 vehículos diarios, muchos de ellos tracto camiones para trabajo pesado.

Lo ideal seria tener pasos exclusivos para fauna elevados o subterráneos, reductores de velocidad en puntos específicos y reforzar las campañas educativas, colocar señalización adecuada en la carretera para prevenir con tiempo a los conductores que hay fauna cerca a fin de que moderen su velocidad.

¿Como quieres ver un oso? vivo cruzando la carretera o atropellado en la vía.

Héctor F. Restrepo C - Biólogo

These days I continued to make photographic hay while the permit sun is shining since additional Covid-19 lockdowns seem to be looming. The target for last weekend was the R Pond complex starting south of Bedwell Bayfront Park in Menlo Park and continuing down to the Facebook Headquarters. This set of fallow salt ponds has always presented photographically interesting colors and textures – testimony to residual salt dating back to their production days. However, change is coming as the South Bay Salt Pond Restoration Project has construction underway in the area.

Sometime next year, Salt Pond R4 should be once again connected to the tides and this will start its slow transformation back into marshland. R4’s neighbor, Salt Pond R3 will be managed to provide a dry, exposed pond suitable for Snowy Plover habitat. These two ponds were once separated by a brine distribution canal. Construction is currently underway to fill that canal thus creating an impressively wide levee with a shallow slope facing R4.

The weather made this photo session doubly challenging due to an overcast sky and highly variable winds. After hiking out to the R3/R4 levee, I found myself in a dead calm. When the wind began to stir out of the north I was able to launch my 8.5-foot, lightweight Rokkaku and this marvel was able to lift the Canon M3 cradle in an almost imperceptible wind. Unfortunately, the wind continued to build and the 8.5-foot kite was considerably overpowered about 20 minutes into the photo session. The phrase “pulling like a mule” comes to mind as in these conditions the principal concern is kite spar failure, which might strand my camera gear somewhere downwind. So, I swapped out for the 7.5-foot Rokkaku at the southern end of the levee which, of course, prompted slack wind from the breeze gods. The answer here was waiting patiently for 15 minutes anticipating the return of the breeze. When it returned, I continued the photo session and by the time I walked back to the northern end of the levee the 7.5-foot kite was overpowered. Again the mule.

In terms of light, it was a predominantly overcast day with generous hints of smoke due to an inversion layer. Now and then, the sun would peek through a gap in the clouds and this was delightful. But, for the large part it was a hazy, sober light. I look forward to reshooting on a brighter day.

I am taking these documentary photographs under a Special Use Permit from the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge. Kite flying is prohibited over the Don Edwards National Wildlife Refuge without a Special Use Permit.

A preliminary permit for interior demolition has been granted in preparation for the revitalization of the Cameron Building, which has been vacant for several years and is now proposed as the new headquarters for local incubator mHUB. Gensler has been confirmed as the project architect. Constructed in 1926, Cameron Building was designed by Thielbar and Fugard in the Prairie Style and functioned as a manufacturing plant for the Cameron Can Company for many years. It later housed the headquarters for Crate & Barrel’s CB2 until 2019. mHUB plans to relocate from its current 63,000-square-foot facility at 965 W. Chicago Ave. to the larger 80,000-square-foot building as its existing lease is set to expire next year.

Student Showcases at the Washington Improv Theater, located at the Source Theatre.

Semester: Fall 2010

Class: 1A Foundations

Teacher: Lisa Kays

Students: Andrew Blair-Stanek, Anna Gardiner, Gavin Kennedy, Ghislaine Smith, Mary Knebel, Min Kong, Ryan Hutcherson, Susan Lyon, William Leffler

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NOTE: This image is fully copyrighted. Permission is granted only to members of the Washington Improv Theater to use these photos provided that:

- (1) Users provide attribution in the form of "Image (c) Andrew Bossi, Flickr"

- (2) For any online usage, users provide a link either directly to this photo or to the following: "http://www.flickr.com/photos/thisisbossi/collections/"

Users wishing to use these photos in violation of these terms shall contact me to discuss exemptions. Members of Washington Improv Theater may permit others to use these photos provided the two conditions are met.

Agenda: To consider the application for renewal of Permit No.

65/STA/1990 valid upto 16.07.2015 operating by the S/C KL 14 N 599 on the Interstate route Kannur – Mangalore via Kasaragodu, Kumbla, Kurichipalla, Manjeswar and Thalapady on Single Point tax basis - reg.

Applicant :

Sri. S.A.Wahab, Mehboob Motor Service, KPR Rao Road, Kasargod District. D2/146/22.3/STA/2000

Decision :

Perused the Judgment in WP(C) Nos.3653/14, 17910/15 and

9 25067/15 of the Hon’ble High Court, heard the counsel for the applicant and objector. The learned counsel for the objector raised his objection, but has not produced any relevant documents to support his objection. The Hon’ble High Court in the Judgment in WP(C) Nos.3653/14 & 17910/15 dismissed the writ petition as infructuous. Hence renewal of permit granted to S/C KL 14 N 599 on the Interstate route Kannur – Mangalore subject to the countersignature of STA, Karnataka.

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Item No. 3

Agenda:

To consider the application for renewal of permit No.65/STA/1990 valid up to 16.07.2020 in respect of the Stage Carriage KL 14 N 599 on the Inter State route Kannur-Mangalore via Kasaragod, Kumbla, Kurichipalla, Manjeswaram and Talapady on single point tax basis - reg.

Applicant: Sri.S A Wahab, Mehboob Motor Service, KPR Rao Road, Kasaragod.

D2/64/2020-TC

En febrero de 2009, tuve el honor y el privilegio de acompañar al Dr. Antonio Ballester en una intervención quirúrgica de vida o muerte, extremadamente compleja, y que se practica poquísimas veces al año en toda Europa. Dr. Ballester es considerado experto mundial en este campo y tuvo el detalle de permitir que yo entrase por un día en su mundo fantástico para retratar, interpretar y desvelar lo que solo se puede llamar un milagro – salvar la vida a otro ser humano.

La paciente, de 74 años, estuvo 16 horas en el quirófano, de las cuales yo presencié 12, de forma ininterrumpida, con la cámara en mano, vestido tipo cirujano y con un mar de emociones y sentimientos pasando por mi mente.

La intervención en sí se trata, en términos sencillos, de aislar totalmente una parte del cuerpo del resto del cuerpo humano (en este caso una pierna) para poder introducir en esa parte aislada un potente fármaco, altamente tóxico que, si se llegase a infiltrar el resto del cuerpo sano, resultaría en una muerte segura.

La separación quirúrgica de la pierna, sin embargo, no implica su amputación, sino la separación de las venas, arterias y demás vasos sanguíneos que unen el miembro con el tronco para que, a través de unos equipos tremendamente especializados, se cree una “circulación extracorpórea”, donde la pierna deja de pertenecer al cuerpo durante unas horas, manteniéndose regado y oxigenado por una máquina que hace de su particular corazoncito.

Mientras tanto, a dicha pierna se le inyecta el fármaco anteriormente mencionado, que se denomina TNF (Tumor Necrosis Factor) para destruir un tumor cancerígeno que ocupaba gran parte del miembro.

Gracias a la circulación extracorpórea, el TNF no llega al torrente sanguíneo de la paciente, pero a veces hay fugas, desde la pierna hacia el cuerpo, y la cosa se complica. Teóricamente, una serie de latiguillos perfectamente colocados y bien apretados impiden la fuga del TNF al cuerpo, pero en este caso el equipo quirúrgico, de más de 20 profesionales médicos, no daba con la fuente de la peligrosa fuga de TNF desde la pierna en tratamiento hacia el cuerpo de la mujer. Sus posibilidades de sobrevivir se desvanecían. La sombra de la muerte posó sobre el quirófano de manera palpable y los rostros del equipo médico reflejaba el pesimismo del momento. Todos los rostros menos uno.

Fue entonces cuando el Dr. Ballester, al ver que el sello hermético de los latiguillos no funcionaba del todo, decidió introducir su mano dentro de la cavidad abdominal por donde accedían los médicos al sistema circulatorio de la paciente, para encontrar, y en su caso, pinzar entre el pulgar y el dedo índice, la vena o arteria por donde se producía la fuga.

Su intervención artesanal resultó, y gracias a las agotadoras dos horas y casi cuarenta minutos que aguantó pinzando con su mano la potencialmente letal fuga de TNF, mientras el resto del equipo trabajaba frenéticamente en el proceso curativo del tumor, la paciente sobrevivió y se curó de su cáncer.

A veces en la vida tenemos el privilegio de ver cosas fabulosas. Poder, además, inmortalizarlas con la cámara es simplemente insuperable.

Dedico esta serie de fotos a un héroe. Por ti, Antonio, y por tu mano de Santo.

Mark Kennedy

January 2010

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In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.

The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.

With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.

Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.

In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.

Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.

Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!

There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.

It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.

Hace un tiempo ya, nuestro amigo Ray subió a su galería esta misma foto y su texto tan completo deja poco lugar a nuevas aportaciones: flic.kr/p/fCUqeD

Y me permito repetirla porque leí hace poco otro artículo del profesor Castiñeiras, distinto del que Ray cita (en el que ya habla de "imagen de la discordia", "arma diabólica" y cuestiones tan metafísicas como "amplificación de los efectos del pecado original"), que me dejó un tanto confuso y, curioseando en internet, he comprobado que las verdades a medias y las interpretaciones sin fundamentar se repiten como un eco.

Para él, el ballestero (junto al centauro, la sirena y el hombre cabalgado sobre un gallo) son "personificaciones del pecado". De ahí a que en otras webs se diga que representa el mal hay un corto paso que no ha habido dificultad en dar pese a la enorme diferencia de los conceptos.

Castiñeiras considera que el relieve procede de la puerta septentrional y se basa en la descripción del Calixtino: "Hay talladas por todo alrededor muchas imágenes de santos, de bestias, de hombres, de ángeles, de mujeres, de flores y de otras criaturas, cuya esencia y calidad no podemos describir a causa de su gran cantidad" [...] A la izquierda de la entrada lateral sobre las puertas se ven en relieve los meses del año y muchas hermosas alegorías" (Calixtino, V, 9). Bien pudiera ser así, sin duda, pero el mismo códice describe en la puerta meridional, es decir, la actual de Platerías: "El muro, por arriba y por abajo, tanto a la derecha como a la izquierda, está bellamente esculpido con flores, hombres, santos, bestias, aves, peces y con otras labores que no podemos describir", es decir, prácticamente lo mismo. El que en Platerías hubiera que quitar y reubicar piezas parece bastante lógico dada su historia. La afirmación de Castiñeiras, que no hipótesis, le lleva a atribuir esta pieza al "maestro de la Puerta Francígena" y a relacionarla con Moissac a través de Toulouse y los viajes de Gelmírez.

Leo en la web "arquivoltas" que la sirena es "imagen ahora del engaño y el embrujo de los placeres del mundo" y bien que estoy de acuerdo con ella y no con esa asociación sirena-lujuria, basada en hechos mucho más tardíos, de los que hay ecos en Cervantes, que tantas veces se hace. Y añade: "Por ello la figura es herida por las flechas del Centauro, representando así una alegoría de la lucha contra el mal". Y se me ocurre que quien lucha contra el mal es el bien, luego el centauro no puede ser "personificación del pecado" como antes había escrito Castiñeiras. Sin embargo, García Omedes también identifica al ballestero con el mal.

Parece necesario recordar que estamos en un templo cristiano y que los únicos conceptos válidos para interpretarlo son los que utiliza esta religión, no los que a nosotros se nos antojen. Para la RAE, "mal" es sinónimo de "malo", pero en la doctrina cristiana "el mal" se usa en sustantivo como una forma más de designar al demonio. La última frase de la oración más relevante que contiene el N.T., el "Padre nuestro", enseñada directamente por Jesús como forma de orar, es: "líbranos del mal". Y las iglesias cristianas (católica, protestante y ortodoxa) han entendido siempre que ese "mal" es Satanás. La mayoría de las iglesias ortodoxas utilizan la palabra "maligno" en lugar de "mal". Así, iríamos a parar a que ballestero sería sinónimo de Satanás..

Un último apunte sobre la ballesta: citar las frases a medias es una forma de engaño. Y, contra lo que leemos en muchas webs, insistir en que el II Concilio de Letrán (1139) prohibía, en su canon 29, no sólo el uso de la ballesta "contra los cristianos", sino también el del arco y la honda, es decir, armas que podían matar desde cierta distancia y ante las que cabía poca defensa. No he podido averiguar el porqué de este canon pero me adhiero a las tesis de que trataba de dar solución a un problema temporal y concreto. Pero ello no convertía a la ballesta, como se ha escrito, en personificación o instrumento del mal o del pecado en forma alguna; fue usada por los ejércitos cristianos no ya en su lucha contra los invasores, sino en sus propias guerras internas. La Historia Compostelana (primera mitad siglo XII), recoge textos como éste que Ray acertadamente cita y yo repito: "Los pontífices de la iglesia de Santiago, protegidos por armas militares, acostumbraban a marchar a la guerra y a reprimir duramente la audacia de los sarracenos, por lo que entre los gallegos surgió este refrán: 'Obispo de Santiago, báculo y ballesta'" (II,1)

Quizá este ballestero esté ligado más con ese recuerdo y menos con tantos "males", "pecados" y compañía, que ya aburren. La historia y sus protagonistas a comienzos del siglo XII fue la que fue y no cabe olvidarla.

consellodacultura.gal/publicacions-dixitais/lecturaonline...

www.arquivoltas.com/21-LaCoruna/01-Santiago-10a.htm

HISTORIA COMPOSTELANA, Akal, Madrid, 1994, p.297.

As we approached Cho Oyu, where we had a permit to visit the Base Camp only, we actually missed the Base Camp as it was empty. This was wintertime and no climbers.

Instead we drove straight into the Chinese military camp and where greeted by young Chinese border patrols. After the shootings and controversy surrounding nearby Nangpa La, this military camp is manned all year round to protect against refugees fleeing Tibet. It is the highest altitude military station in the world.

We could see Nangpa La in the horizon along the glacier, and with Jonathan Greens excellent book "Murder in the high Himalayas" actually still rolling as an audiobook in my ears, depicting the shootings, murders, that happened here some years ago - by these very same military - this was surreal. And very nervous.

The place was also beautiful in an outerworldly way. But standing there, enjoying the view with these Chinese military boys was one of the strangest experiences of my life.

Photo and copyright: Erik Törner, Malmö, Sweden

Contact Erik Törner for permissions. Email erik@torner.nu

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Erik Törner is a Tibet expert from IM, Individuell Människohjälp (www.manniskohjalp.se).

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In response to the Congressional budget debacle which proved that DC is but a colony -- prone to being singled out unlike any other city in the country -- a number of activists, elected officials, and general citizens came out in force upon the grounds of Capitol Hill.

The crowd first formed on the sidewalk, but after some opening remarks by elected officials and activists: they quickly spilled into the street. The Capitol Police had been on hand & I'd thought it amusing that a couple were taking photos & videos... it wasn't until I saw the wristbands come out when I realised these weren't officers enjoying the moment; they were recording evidence.

With many minutes of warning, large portions of the group shifted over the sidewalk; whilst a core of dedicated supporters -- including our Mayor, a number of councilmembers, and members of DC Vote -- remained behind to block the roadway. The officers began to surround the group & repeated their warnings to get back on the sidewalk or face arrest.

Now in all fairness to the Capitol Police: they were doing their job. They were quite courteous about it & the protest was similarly jubilant right back. One woman was first to be bound, soon followed by several other activists. Then came Muriel Bowser: first councilmember to be arrested.

In general, I tend to dislike political grandstanding... but this was different. If our council was being arrested by our own police, I'd think it a cheesy photo op... but now our locally-elected officials were being arrested by the very forces we were out to protest: the Feds. This wasn't a mere photo op arrest; this was actually a legitimate arrest... the kind of thing that goes on your record; the kind of thing you spent a night in jail for.

Now granted, I don't expect anyone will be in jail longer than tomorrow; I'd be surprised if any were still locked up by midnight tonight. But it was Councilmember Bowser's arrest which really hit a moment... you could see the look on her face was of some worried concern: someone who had never been arrested before & didn't show up here today expecting to be arrested. As she was placed into the police van: her look of concern changed to a bit more worry. I mean this as no knock against Councilmember Bowser's committment; rather I felt it really help to humanise the entire event. It made me respect her all the more.

Yvette Alexander stood right beside us for quite some time, complicated in that she didn't have her ID on her. While it was entertaining to see our top officials being frisked, it was also quite entertaining that our easily-recognisable councilmember needed her ID... prompting a standerby to call one of her staffers with the best introduction I've ever heard over a phone: "Hi, your councilmember has been arrested." Also, kudos to Councilmember Alexander for going to jail in high heels!

There is a lot I can complain about with the council in general; and certainly with individual councilmembers & even the mayor. Heck, that's what politicians are for: you're not supposed to always like them. But this was an opportunity to set aside some of those issues (frankly, I'd say DC was glad to have a unifying moment after the past couple weeks) and cheer on our own brothers & sisters as they stood up in support of our rights.

It was certainly a proud moment to be a DC resident and a fine boost to our collective esteem after several weeks of turmoil within our local & federal levels of government. It's aggravating that my support for small & local government is inhibited by those in Congress whom advocate small & local government. If I wanted to live in a colony, I'd have moved to Williamsburg.

www.flickr.com/groups/4643550@N22/

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El Gobernador del Estado, Carlos Lozano de la Torre reconoció la voluntad de trabajo conjunto entre el Poder Ejecutivo y los gobiernos municipales del interior, el que ha permitido avanzar en temas torales como la seguridad pública, educación y abasto de agua potable, esenciales para el desarrollo y progreso de quienes habitan esa extensa zona de Aguascalientes.

Al hacer entrega a los alcaldes de los 11 municipios del interior de igual número de camiones cisterna, con los cuales se reforzarán los servicios públicos de las comunidades donde escasea el vital líquido, el mandatario estatal celebró que en apenas dos años sea palpable el progreso de los habitantes de los municipios.

“Tenemos que agradecer el apoyo que nos ha dado el Presidente Felipe Calderón, y si siendo él de un partido diferente hemos avanzado sustancialmente, imagínense lo que estamos esperando hacer con Enrique Peña Nieto, que ha demostrado ser amigo de este pueblo, una persona por la que Aguascalientes votó con confianza y por eso complacidos con la esperanza de mayor progreso para todos”, dijo.

El Jefe del Ejecutivo Estatal refirió que la entrega de los camiones cisterna, con una inversión de 10 millones 998 mil pesos, es vital para que los aguascalentenses de zonas que siempre habían sido olvidadas permitirá llevar más de medio millón de litros diarios a familias que no cuentan con un abasto regular.

En su intervención el titular del Instituto del Agua, Guillermo Saúl Rivera indicó que con la entrega de las pipas se garantizará el abasto de agua limpia en todo el Estado y se evitará la escasez del líquido en temporada de sequía.

A su vez, los diez alcaldes favorecidos con este beneficio expresaron su agradecimiento con el Gobernador de Aguascalientes, a quien calificaron como un gobernante querido que ha cumplido al pie de la letra su promesa de hacer del actual el Sexenio de los Municipios, a cuyos habitantes está llevando el progreso “sin duda, de los 32 gobernantes que tiene México, el mejor se encuentra en Aguascalientes”, coincidieron los ediles.

"Se realizó, un diagnóstico de municipio por municipio a fin de resolver y conocer la problemática de la escasez de agua, mismos que durante muchos años estuvo presente y que en muy poco tiempo lo vamos a solucionar", subrayó Saúl Rivera.

Finalmente el Director del Agua comentó que a través del trabajo coordinado con los tres niveles de gobierno, lograremos que Aguascalientes continúe a la vanguardia en el suministro de agua potable.

En el evento de entrega estuvieron presentes Sergio Reynoso Talamantes, Secretario General del Gobierno del Estado, Jorge Durán Romo, Secretario de Medio Ambiente; y José Luis Ramírez Escalera, Presidente de la Comisión de Recursos Hidráulicos de la LXI Legislatura del Congreso del Aguascalientes así como los diez alcaldes de los ayuntamientos del interior.

El consejero de Transportes supervisó la instalación de un panel en Callao que refleja la reducción del consumo gracias a estos sistemas18.feb.12.- Metro de Madrid va a implantar tecnología LED en todas las estaciones de la red, en trenes y depósitos, lo que va a suponer un ahorro en la factura eléctrica de casi cuatro millones de euros anuales, ya que el nuevo sistema permite reducir un 50% el consumo manteniendo los niveles actuales de calidad en la iluminación. Esta medida se complementará con otras también previstas como la implantación de un nuevo sistema de regulación de los niveles lumínicos, que permitirá añadir un 20% adicional a este ahorro de luz, por lo que éste sería de un 70% respecto al actual.

Demolition permit approved. The bridge was not maintained after the line to Koroit and Port Fairy closed in the 1970's. Heritage Victoria have approved its demolition.

Location

OVER MERRI RIVER, DENNINGTON, WARRNAMBOOL CITY

Victorian Heritage Register (VHR) Number

H0151

Level of Significance

Registered

Extent of Registration

1. The bridge structure marked B1 on Diagram 0151 held by the Executive Director

2. All the land marked L1on Diagram 0151 held by the Executive Director including 5 metres on the upstream and downstream sides of the bridge and 10 metres at either end of the bridge.

Statement of Significance

What is significant?

Dennington Railway Bridge is a long single-track railway bridge of timber-beam on timber piers construction built in 1890 as an important component of the Warrnambool-Koroit section of the Terang-Port Fairy Railway. The bridge spans the Merri River immediately west of Dennington township in an area of open treeless farmland making the long low bridge visible from a considerable distance.

Completion of the Warrnambool-Port Fairy sections of the railway allowed the rapid transport of fresh fish and crayfish from the coast and potatoes and onions from the Koroit area via the Dennington Bridge to the metropolitan markets of Melbourne and Geelong. The section of railway line between Warrnambool and Koroit for which the Dennington Railway Bridge was created, was also a key link-section providing access to a wide-ranging network of western Victorian railways linked up through major railway-junction points at Koroit, Hamilton, Horsham and Ararat. From the 1890s the railways were able to provide more efficient transport than road haulage to coastal steamers and competition to the shipping of Warrnambool, Belfast and Portland, that had previously provided the far Western District's main freight links with Melbourne and the wider world. The section of rail line from Warrnambool to Port Fairy that includes the Dennington Railway Bridge closed in 1977.

Dennington Railway Bridge was constructed to a standard 15 feet (4.6 metres) span length and comprises forty-one spans, giving a total deck length of 188 metres. It was originally constructed to the in the Victorian Railways standard design of 1877 with two piles per pier, braced with stay-piles. The bridge was subsequently converted to its present four piles per pier through the addition of a longer cross head and two outer raked piers as part of a state-wide upgrade of railway bridges following the introduction of heavier and faster trains after 1900. In most bridges this upgrade resulted in the removal of stay piles however at Dennington the main stream section of the bridge retains an extensive and intact system of stay-piles on both the up and down stream sides of each four pile pier, thought to be the largest remaining set of stay piles in Victoria.

How is it significant?

Dennington Railway Bridge is of historic and scientific (engineering) significance to the State of Victoria.

Why is it significant?

Dennington Bridge is of historic significance as a key component of the Terang-Port Fairy Railway, the final stage of east-west rail service connecting Geelong to Warrnambool and Port Fairy which, when completed in 1890, for the first time enabled the rapid and efficient transport of the agricultural and fishing produce from the far Western Districts to the metropolitan markets of Geelong and Melbourne.

Dennington Bridge is of scientific (engineering) significance to the state of Victoria in being the most intact surviving example of a large timber-beam rail bridge with an extensive system of stay-piles on either side of its main river-channel section. Dennington Railway Bridge with its deck length of 188 metres is also of significance as the fourth-longest surviving rail bridge built to the standard Victorian Railways fifteen-feet (4.6 metre) timber-beam-span design, developed in the 1870s. A small number of surviving early long timber railway bridges of this design include the bridge over the Wannon River on the Branxholme - Casterton line (1884, 293 metres); the Yarra Glen viaduct on the Lilydale Healesville line (1880s, 260 metres) and the Latrobe River overflow bridge on the Traralgon - Stratford line (1877, 242 metres).

The Dennington Bridge is of aesthetic significance at a local level for the contribution of the long low timber bridge to the rolling farmland landscape of the Western District.

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Footprint of the proposed Pebble open pit copper/gold mine in southwest Alaska, based on permit applications filed by Northern Dynasty Minerals with the State of Alaska in 2006. In those applications, NDM identified a large open pit and two impoundments to store tailings and waste rock. Labeled TSF A and TSF G, these impoundments are designed to hold a total volume of 3.29 billion cubic yards of waste material.

Jangada é uma embarcação de madeira utilizada por pescadores artesanais da Região Nordeste do Brasil. Jangada é um Barco a vela para pesca em alto mar, feita com seis toras de madeira leve.

A forma da jangada incorpora uma série de interessantes avanços da ciência artesanal neolítica - que realizava experimentos diretos, nos materiais e a partir dos fenômenos presenciados, em "projetos de pesquisa" totalmente guardados na memória dos artesãos.

Em especial sua vela triangular envolve uma série de efeitos avançados, relacionados à dinâmica dos fluidos. Também conhecida como "vela latina", ela permite navegar contra o vento, aproveitando a diferença de pressão do ar, que se forma entre sua "face externa" (aquela que se torna convexa pela pressão interna do vento) e sua "face interna" (aquela que se torna côncava, lado em que se posta o navegante). As grandes embarcações também usaram a vela latina, mas de modo limitado, pois o seu emprego bem sucedido depende crucialmente da presença do navegante, que deve estar atento aos movimentos do vento: as diferenças de pressão são ativamente manipuladas por todo o tempo de navegação contra o vento. Os mesmos princípios são usados para manter os aviões no ar, graças à geometria de suas asas.

No caso da jangada, há uma graciosa curva quase-parabólica na parte superior do triângulo, e outra mais estendida e curta, abaixo. Essa assimetria se deve à altura de manipulação do mastro, que gira suavemente - dessa vez usando o princípio mecânico da alavanca - em torno de seu eixo.

Sua tecnologia de construção consiste no emprego hábil de materiais como madeiras de flutuação (como a balsa paraense, e outras espécies de difícil obtenção na atualidade), tecidos e cordas artesanais. A jangada tradicional não possui elementos em metal (como pregos, braçadeiras, etc); toda a sua estrutura é totalmente fixada por encaixes e amarrações com cordas de fibras selvagens.

A jangada é feita, tipicamente, com 6 paus: 2 no centro (chamados de "meios"), 2 seguintes, dispostos simetricamente (chamados "mimburas", palavra de origem tupi), e 2 externos, chamados de "bordos". Os 4 paus mais centrais (meios e mimburas) são unidos por cavilhas de madeira mais dura que a desses paus. Já os paus de bordo são encavilhados nos mimburas, de modo a ficarem um pouco mais elevados.

Sobre essa armação básica, instalam-se 2 bancos de madeira (cada qual respectivamente suportado por 4 elegantes hastes também de madeira, presos aos mimburas. Sobre essas hastes fixa-se uma tábua de madeira rija. O banco mais central, ou banco "de vante", apóia o mastro da jangada. O outro banco, da ré, também é chamado de banco "do mestre", pois nele trabalha o diretor da jangada (que, com um remo, a dirige). O remo do mestre se encaixa entre o mimbura e um dos paus do meio (o meio de boreste). Há ainda uma outra abertura entre os dois paus do meio, para a passagem da "tábua de bolina". Essa tábua pode ser habilmente graduada em altura (o quanto é enfiada no mar) e inclinação (de forma mais limitada, no plano medial da embarcação). A tábua de bolina reduz o caimento da jangada quando ela navega com a proa bem cingida à linha do vento: isso é "navegar à bolina" (palavra que, por sua vez, vem do inglês "bowline").

Todos os elementos da jangada tradicional são feitos artesanalmente, desde o mastro à vela, das cordas ao banco de navegação, redes de pesca, anzóis, âncora e samburás (cestos para guardar peixes e pertences).

Âncora de jangadaSua tripulação, nas versões da jangada tradicional - ou seja, o modelo mais comum que conhecemos desde o início do século XX -, é de três a cinco pessoas. Essa turma trabalha num espaço de aproximadamente 5 a 7 metros, em média (na maior extensão, embora haja jangadas maiores de 8 metros), por 1,4 a 1,7 metros, na menor extensão.

Suas dimensões são resultado de uma série de "limitantes de projeto" náutico, entre os quais: o tamanho dos troncos disponíveis, a resistência dos encaixes e amarrações, a força necessária para movê-la sobre as ondas, o tamanho das velas e o empuxo do vento sobre elas, a força humana necessária para que apenas um homem (por vez, rotineiramente) a manobre, entre outros. Sua ergonomia é engenhosamente composta e administrada, se compreendermos essa embarcação artesanal com os olhos dos projetistas modernos.

Os pescadores tradicionais sempre obedeceram a regras bem conhecidas de uso das marés, dos regimes de ventos, das correntes, da sazonalidade da pesca. Em função disso, suas incursões no mar variam bastante quanto ao tempo de permanência, ao trajeto navegado, e ao tipo de pesca que conseguem. Um período de permanência comum era de três dias a uma semana (algumas vezes mais, como relatam os antigos pescadores) no mar alto, a até 120 quilômetros da costa. Essa duração é cada vez mais rara, e os jangadeiros dificilmente ultrapassam os três dias, na atualidade, com incursões de até 50 quilômetros distanciados da costa. Da mesma forma, as incursões de grupos de jangadas também são cada vez mais raras, sendo mais freqüente a pesca de uma turma isolada, numa única jangada.

Ainda assim, em vários pontos do litoral cearense há corridas de jangadas, sendo muito famosa a que ocorre anualmente na região do porto do Mucuripe (na capital do Estado do Ceará, Fortaleza). Dezenas de jangadas participam dessas competições populares, num espetáculo sem paralelo no extenso litoral brasileiro.

[editar] O surgimento da jangada no isolado Nordeste Brasileiro

Como é que a jangada chegou ao Brasil? Ou se ela já estava aqui, como parte da cultura dos povos indígenas?

A jangada vem para o Brasil como parte da rica troca havida entre a Índia, a África, a China, o Japão, sobretudo nos primeiros dois séculos da colonização do Brasil, pelo povo português. Incorpora ainda técnicas indígenas de corte de madeiras e extração das fibras de cordoamentos. Vem com as pessoas envolvidas nesse tráfico de outras pessoas, de bens, de animais, de plantas, de saberes - e, claro, especialmente o saber dos pescadores do Oceano Índico e das costas do Moçambique, que usavam barcos artesanais semelhantes às jangadas brasileiras - mas não iguais.

A palavra "jangada" trai essa origem asiática: vem de "changadam", palavra malaiala (língua dravídica da costa do Malabar, no estado indiano de Kerala) e, mais anteriormente, do sânscrito.

Parece, aos olhos de hoje, que as jangadas somente surgem no trecho da costa do Nordeste que vai do Rio Grande do Norte ao Piauí por curiosas razões históricas, pois poderíamos ter jangadeiros em todo o litoral do Brasil, desde o início da Colônia brasileira.

Isso se deveu, sobretudo, à sistemática eliminação de todas as formas de navegar que não fossem controladas pela Coroa portuguesa, em eficiente vigor desde o século XVII, com o início da exploração das Minas Gerais (centro-sul do Brasil), para evitar o contrabando do ouro. Essa faixa do litoral nordeste brasileiro era despovoada e imprópria para portos dos barcos transatlânticos à vela, pois é varrida pela poderosa corrente oceânica da Guiana, que dificultava terrivelmente a chegada de barcos vindos da Europa.

Os primeiros jangadeiros lançaram seus barcos ao mar em meio ao abandono desses séculos de solidão e isolamento, ainda que fossem parte das diversas levas migrantes que povoaram o interior nordestino desde meados do século XVII, trazendo e cultivando o gado cuja carne alimentava os trabalhadores da mineração.

Com sua admirável capacidade de navegar contra o vento, e de usar a força do vento para sobrepujar a corrente oceânica, a jangada encontrou nesse trecho do litoral brasileiro uma situação ideal, até a chegada dos barcos motorizados, que viabilizam os (até hoje curiosamente poucos) portos surgidos desde o século XIX.

O conhecimento da construção dessa família de embarcações artesanais está em extinção: embora ainda haja colônias de pescadores remanescentes das primeiras comunidades que ocuparam o litoral brasileiro (sobretudo no litoral do Estado do Ceará e do Rio Grande do Norte), praticamente não se constrói mais a jangada tradicional, com troncos de madeira de flutuação, as jangadas de troncos. As atuais jangadas são feitas em pranchas de madeira industrializada ou utilizando instrumentos de corte mecanizado - as jangadas de tábuas.

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