Saturday, December 5, 2009

Necesitamos Empezar a Reusar Agua


Leo este articulo en boing boing sobre la importancia del reuso de agua y como esto es un reto para esta generacion. Si, inicialmente me llamo la atencion por Cloacina, Diosa Romana del Alcantarillado, pero en si es un tema importante y el gobierno de turno debe empezar a enfocar en el reuso de aguas y ver como aplicarlas al riego, o como fuente para generar vapor en las termoelectricas. A la larga se mejora el ecosistema al reducir los contaminantes que ahora mismo van pasaditos por agua, por no decir cruditos, al mar mientras se benficia la industria al reducir la necesidad de extraccion de agua de pozos o de sacar agua de digamos los canales de riego de Lajas. Anyway, el articulo con el que empece esta nota:

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/12/02/from-the-toilet-to-t.html#more

Para muchos les es imposible entender como volver a usar aguas negras para riego de plantaciones, para flushear inodoros o Dios nos libre volverla a ingerir. Por tal razon nos volvemos locos comprando aguas embotelladas o confiamos (que remedio no?) de esa agua que recien trataron en Sergio Cuevas o en la planta de filtros municipal.

Sin embargo, con la gran cantidad de pozos septicos que aun cubren la isla en adicion de la gran cantidad de salideros sanitarios que vamos viendo vertiendo aguas negras a nuestros cuerpos de agua la gran realidad es que estamos bebiendo agua reciclada desde hace muchos a/nos.

Claro, no con el grado de tecnologia de las plantas modernas sino con la planta de filtros convencional, que tipicamente no remueve organicos y lo que hace es filtrar el agua por arena para aclararla un poco, sacarle algo mas de solidos con polimeros y coagulantes y un poquito de cloro para matar algun microorganismo.

Sin embargo, cuantas veces se ha propuesto instalar una planta con las mas altas tecnologias, con membranas de ultrafiltracion, osmosis inversa y filtracion de alta eficiencia con unos altos estandares de consumo nadie las auspicia.

Esta organizacion (Gustav Adolphus College) auspicio el siguiente simposio:
2009 Nobel Conference
H2O Uncertain ResourceNobel Conference XLV
October 6–7, 2009

Y hay varias charlas que provocan reconsiderar nuestras acciones en torno al recurso de agua.
http://gustavus.edu/events/nobelconference/2009/about.php

Por ejemplo, este articulo es una excelente introduccion al tema:
http://gustavus.edu/events/nobelconference/2009/periscope-up.php

Este otro articulo enfoca en programas de conservacion de agua, algo que todos podemos hacer:
http://gustavus.edu/events/nobelconference/2009/whatyoucando.php

Citando:
  1. What You Can Do Right Now
    1. Responsible behavior with regard to the environment begins with you. Conserve wherever, however you can.
    2. Turn off the water while brushing your teeth or shaving.
    3. When taking a bath, put the stopper in the drain immediately. Adjust water temperature as tub fills.
    4.Use a hose equipped with an on-off nozzle to wash your car.
    5. Use a broom instead of a hose where possible to clean driveways, sidewalks, and walkways.
    6. Fix leaky faucets and install low-flow aerators on them.
    7. Do not rinse dishes in the dishwasher; run the dishwasher only when fully loaded.
    8. Replace old flush toilets with high-efficiency models that use less than 1.3 gallons per flush and perform better.
    9. Modernize with a front-loading washing machine, which uses less water, energy, and detergent than top-loading machines. In the future, it could be mandated.
    10. Swap out your thirsty grass lawn for less water-using gardens.
    11. Use a smart irrigation control system for watering your lawn or garden, so that you water in the coolest parts of the day and do not waste water when it rains.
    12. Be cognizant of every flush and consider the mantra: “If it’s brown, flush it down. If it’s yellow, let it mellow.”
    13. Eat less beef. Every hamburger requires 16,000 liters of water to produce.
    14. Buy more locally grown fruits and vegetables. Processed food and beverages and premade meals cost more water to produce than food straight from the farm.
    15. Be aware of what you bring home and where it’s going to end up when you’re done with it, especially chemicals. Consider seriously if you really need it.
    16. Test everything that you are contemplating—whether it’s a business deal or working for a piece of legislation—by asking: Does it contribute to the common good?
    17. Junk the junk mail and be persistent about being taken off catalog lists.
    18. Do not dump chemicals into the drain.
    19. Do not pour unused paint into the sewer system.
    20. Vote for people who value environmental resources.

Conservation is crucial and it makes a difference. If each American household reduced by one-third its water use, it would result in a savings of $18 billion annually. In the greater Los Angeles area, the population served by the regional water district has increased more than 4 million since 1990. But water consumption levels remain the same, because of the changes people have made.
By conserving water, you will cut back on electricity costs because getting clean water to your home requires energy. If one in every 100 American homes installed water-efficient structures this year, according to the Environmental Protection Agency, we’d save enough coal-generated electricity to remove 80,000 tons of greenhouse gas emissions each year—equivalent to removing nearly 15,000 cars from the road each year.

La politica publica de crear gigantescas plantas regionales de tratamiento debe ser reevaluada para determinar fuentes de reuso de esas aguas antes de descargarlas al oceano. Es la solucion tratar el efluente para digamos generar vapor en una termoelectrica? O es mejor hacver varias plantas pequenas, reduciendo la infraestructura necesaria para acarrear esas aguas a traves de toda la cordillera central?

Ahora que estan cayendo esos fondos ARRA roguemos que vayan al lugar correcto (beneficio de todos para mejorar la sustentabilidad del planeta) en vez de donde sabemos que van a acabar a(en las manos de unos pocos en proyectos 'verdes' pero solo de color verde o que implique sembrar grama en los techos de las casas).

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Saturday, November 28, 2009

Pink Tentacle Illustration

Inspired by Transformers 2 non plot seen today and way too many Godzilla movies...

http://pinktentacle.com/2009/11/mechani-kong-and-dr-whos-secret-pyramid-base/
http://pinktentacle.com/2009/10/magic-lantern-slides/

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Friday, November 27, 2009

Corny 80s Videos of Music Against the System

Before this post begins let's start with the larger against the system franchise of the last 10 years the Matrix, in Legos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iDe4v318f64

Now the cause of this rant...

image from http://pretztail.files.wordpress.com/2008/06/styxmrroboto.jpg

It started with the Mr. Roboto video by Styx. This was a concept album Kilroy Was Here. They even made a very costly mini movie called Caught in the Act. In retrospective it is a very corny record that has not aged well. But, it was one of my first LPs. I was really trying to find the original movie to assess its degree of corniness but only managed to find a few videos running on the web.





The songs are hit or miss. This was one of my favorite songs out of that record:



High Time has a nice arrangement, but just ignore the ridiculous lyrics. The evil corporative demon that wants to ban music. Let's go against the system. Yeah! And go buy me some more records. And a new T Shirt too. Go to my very expensive concert. And down with the system! yeah!


Here is more stuff on the cool looking japanese masks.



The US vs THEM against corporative and religioius control of media resounded in this video:


HEAVY METAL POISONING


Murolces odro suvon sitpeoc tiunna

What the devil's goin' on

Why don't your turn that music down

You're going deaf and that's for sure

But all you do is scream for more

Get the lead out go for broke

Pop your pills and drink and smoke

Shoot those chemicals into your vein

Anything to ease the pain



Heavy metal (heavy metal) poisoning (it's a poison)

A toxic wasteland (got a toxic wasteland)

in your ear canal (in your ear canal!)

Overloaded (I'm overloaded), suffering (yeah!)

Overloaded (overloaded) on sex and drugs



Everything is black and white

You are wrong and we are right

First we'll spank your big behinds

Then we'll twist your little minds

I'm dr. righteous (I'm dr. righteous),

and I'm here to sing (yeah!)



That heavy metal (heavy metal) is poisoning

It's a music wasteland, that destroys the young (yeah!)

They're overloaded (overloaded)

on sex and drugs, sex and drugs, sex and drugs

And rock and roll!



Sterces eht sdloh natas

I'm dr. righteous (I'm dr. righteous),

and I'm here to sing (yeah!)

That heavy metal (heavy metal) is poisoning



It's a music wasteland, that destroys the young (yeah!)

They're overloaded (overloaded)

on sex and drugs, sex and drugs, sex and drugs

And rock and roll!



Heavy metal (heavy metal) poisoning (it's a poison)

A toxic wasteland (got a toxic wasteland)

in your love canal love canal!)

Overloaded (I'm overloaded), suffering (yeah!)

Overloaded (overloaded) on sex and drugs, sex and drugs, sex and
drugs



Sex and drugs, sex and drugs, sex and drugs, sex and drugs, sex and
drugs

"righteous! righteous!...

""shut up!""

...righteous! righteous! righteous! righteous! righteous!

yeah!""shut up! shut up!"[giggles]




Anyway, I always liked the early David Bowie later. It is a pity his records were not as available when I was in high school. For instance I like this japanese version of It's No Game:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KdYAVjRiJ4



and even if I haven't seen the Tarantino's Movie of Inglorious Basterds I still love this alternate track of Cat People (Putting Out Fire) recorded in Australia:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_i0n4gTkLA



Going back to subject, my rant was on corny videos against the system. Where the concept was more important than the lyrics. So yes, I liked Rick Springfield's videos. Same as Styx. They just haven't aged well. Here is Bop Til You Drop. This is still nice and tolerable although very 80s. And once again we scream
I WANT FREEDOM. I CAN BE A FREE MAN TO LISTEN TO ROCK VIDEOS ALL DAY, YEAH!

Bop Til You Drop (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9XXbx5fb2g)
Affair of the Heart (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmVD5_ddVGQ)

Anyway I cannot leave this post against the corporate establishment without mentioning Aerosmith's Revolution X video game. Shame Helga! You can't kill rock and roll.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmMSeRxzbbk

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Dismiss AMA, Give the Buses to Cooperative Groups


After having a lot of turkey and stuffing these past few days I need to make a rant. I have been so busy these last few weeks that it is insane. To top things off I went to office today to get some dues completed but got screwed up with the bus...after making such good time walking to the Bayamon station. Waiting for that C 30 bus really got me steaming. I am so pissed I am not even going to bother to write in Spanish. So let's get down to business:
Subject 1 :
AMA should be dismantled, bus routes given to Locally Owned Cooperatives
I have discussed the situation with the Puerto Rico's Metropolitan Bus Authority (AMA) before. Those articles are here:
The problem is not the routes, is not the buses, is not even the drivers. The problem is that there are too many routes, and these routes have been increased further by increasing transfer points. The idea was to have more buses available in shorter paths, reducing idle time between buses. However, our shitty administrations, both red and blue always manage to screw plans up and instead of reducing the bus intervals have actually increased the idle times creating the following situation:

1.5 hours waiting for a C 30 bus to take from the Martinez Nadal station to San Patricio is plain wrong.
1 - 2 hours waiting for a B-4 bus to take you to Rio Piedras is criminal.
2 hours waiting for the Metrobus II to pick you up is abusive.
Who the hell can use this unreliable bus system before having the file filled with tardiness reports. After all the bus being late is not an excuse the second or third time around. Something needs to be done because the situation is worse every passing day. Either we go private and have the excellent service Metrobus I and Tren Urbano have or dismantle AMA and give the bus routes to Cooperativas that can manage the routes much more efficiently, even if the fare is larger. At least give more access to small pisicorres to the areas.
Fortu/no has announced a reduction in fares for the Tren Urbano to increase rides. That will only worsen the situation. Fix the AMA problem and people will use the service. Right now only the poor or those that have no other choice use the system. Let's go green and get people using the public transportation system.
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Friday, November 20, 2009

Moebius - Arzach

Decidi ir cinematografico hoy con el artista grafico Moebius, conocido principalmente por su participacion en peliculas como Alien y Fifth Element. Su influencia ha definido a mas de una generacion de ilustradores y productores de Hollywood. Aqui incluyo una version animada de su personaje Arzach (links debajo, en espanol)

Aqui esta su pagina web (frances)
http://www.jeangiraudmoebius.fr/

Biografia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Giraud

Ilustraciones y Galerias
http://www.contours-art.de/de/artists/moebius/
http://lambiek.net/artists/g/giraud.htm
http://www.bpib.com/illustrat/giraud.htm



Parte 1


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRjRBs52igI





Parte 2


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1zeaovfnWhA





Parte 3


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1DPwzn7OiU





Parte 4


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V2ci3TOJ-EA





Parte 5


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zuoXBAfYsTA





Parte 6


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6LE--J5gAw





Parte 7


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TSlYk0cMAhM





Parte 8


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAVYPRqWXDY





Parte 9


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_EkmaPsO84





Parte 10


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTHTc28u1ZA





Parte 11


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Fz77sRUtd0





Parte 12


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WRen1_xcciQ





Parte 13


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kDlTn3H_YDE





Parte 14


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d40Icy-X56Y

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Tuesday, November 17, 2009

Random Stuff

Have been very busy these last few weeks. Therefore I have not been able to post anything new, except the ocassional youtube video on Facebook. Here some interesting finds I have stumbled upon the Web:


# 1 - Stray Bullets

http://www.innocenceofnihilism.com/SBFREEREAD.html

Someone posted the first four issues of this polemic comic at the above listed site. A very pessimistic view of life and with issues that criticize many evils of our society. Reminded me of Visual Arts Bookstore in Condado.


# 2 Nineteenth Century China Tradition

http://www.bc.edu/research/chinagateway/culthist/dianshizhai.html

These short stories presented by Chinese Gatewway provide insight to Chinese Culture on the Nineteenth Century with Dianshizhai Pictorials. These images presented a history or a moral (a dated moral analogous to Victorian England morality).

These vignettes reminded me of Rafael's Tufi/no's excellent series of serigraphy's of the Plena in Puerto Rico. Don't know Tufi/no, here are some of his most known works (Note: AutoPlay Music) including Cortaron a Elena.

http://www.prfrogui.com/fortune/galeria_22.html

#3 - Alternate View of the Water Crisis (Non Crisis)

Everyone gives as a fact that the water will not be available within 20 years and compares water to a fossil fuel. Water cannot be unavailable given the large amount of it, and the effect caused by the water cycle, where seawater is recycled by evaporation and rain. The actual problem is of infrastructure or making the water available at hard to reach areas. These areas are reserved for the poor and helpless, that are always exploited in these issues.

I may not agree with all the points of the writer but he hits hard on the real issues behind the water. Corruption and Unaccounted Water Losses (sounds familiar to PRASA?). Reuse and proper treatment of residual water is critical. That is why a good sewer system is required. Puerto Rico has the opportunity to enter into this market if we switch from primary discharge regional wastewater plants and enter the advanced treatment with nutrient removal systems. This will be discussed on further issues of the Alcantarilla.

Here is the original article, check the presentation and the comments made in favor and against the speaker.

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/11/16/is-there-really-a-wa.html

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Thursday, October 29, 2009

Links de Posters

Monsters vs Aliens...Como se veria un poster retro?...


Tras ver esa imagen me dio con ver su blog y tiene grandes imagenes. Como me gustaron sus ilustraciones, sobre todo por la composicion, colores y el feel retro...inclui su link


Este porque son Posters, son Vintage, Son relacionados a Aviacion:

http://www.boingboing.net/2009/10/18/smithsonian-air-and.html

http://collections.nasm.si.edu/code/emuseum.asp?collection=3461&collectionname=Art:%20Fly%20Now!&style=browse&currentrecord=1&page=collection&profile=objects&searchdesc=Art:%20Fly%20Now!&newvalues=1&newstyle=single&newcurrentrecord=7

http://collections.nasm.si.edu/code/emuseum.asp?emu_action=collection&collection=3461&collectionname=Art%3A%20Fly%20Now!


Este porque es del otro lado durante plena guerra fria...

http://englishrussia.com/?p=312&cpage=1







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