I can’t think of an existing thread to put something in. But it’s not major enough to deserve its own thread — so here’s a new topic thread for stuff like that, OK?
If a subject that is brought up garners enough interest with multiple contributions, the posts could be excerpted to its own thread.
In good faith, don’t abuse — not that anyone here would.
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applestar
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Here is my contribution —
Apparently in Tokyo Japan, they are currently, remodeling the SHIBUYA train station — (This weekend, they are demolishing the outer curve platform and structure, SHIFTING the rails, and then doubling up the inner platform and structure.)
I came across an interesting video last night, but it was too much Japanese, no cc, and not enough going on to be obvious — and this morning there are way too many to review and choose one youtube video.
So if you are interested in seeing how they might be doing this on the middle of Tokyo — apparently by MASSIVE amount of manpower and manual labor, and with very little heavy machinery, due to limited space and need for minimum disruption to surroundings and passers by. They are also providing limited viewing access so people can see what’s going on during the day, although most of the work is going on through the night.
You could probably easily find the relevant amateur videos and news clips by using keywords like
shibuya station
JR yamate line
tokyo
construction
…O2T — Hmmm maybe this one as a good example —
(I like that they made note of something that intrigued me — ordinary construction vehicles seem to be riding some kind of rail-riding adapter mechanisms that use the vehicle’s axel to drive)
…I’ll try to find the news clip that had a good descriptive animation illustrating the proposed reconstruction…
(note that I may not have all of the details correct — I just thought it was interesting to see, and some folks might be interested too)
Ah ha! One of the best about YouTube is that there are folks with special interests that have put in time and effort to research and record — this one has English sub (sometimes not quite translated but enough detailed description to inform very well)
^^^…14:45 — LOVE this little project to nourish and grow a little bit of green space (trays of moss) while the construction is on-going in the middle of this concrete jungle
ETA vvv I’m adding this news segment on the construction over the weekend vvv
Apparently in Tokyo Japan, they are currently, remodeling the SHIBUYA train station — (This weekend, they are demolishing the outer curve platform and structure, SHIFTING the rails, and then doubling up the inner platform and structure.)
I came across an interesting video last night, but it was too much Japanese, no cc, and not enough going on to be obvious — and this morning there are way too many to review and choose one youtube video.
So if you are interested in seeing how they might be doing this on the middle of Tokyo — apparently by MASSIVE amount of manpower and manual labor, and with very little heavy machinery, due to limited space and need for minimum disruption to surroundings and passers by. They are also providing limited viewing access so people can see what’s going on during the day, although most of the work is going on through the night.
You could probably easily find the relevant amateur videos and news clips by using keywords like
shibuya station
JR yamate line
tokyo
construction
…O2T — Hmmm maybe this one as a good example —
(I like that they made note of something that intrigued me — ordinary construction vehicles seem to be riding some kind of rail-riding adapter mechanisms that use the vehicle’s axel to drive)
…I’ll try to find the news clip that had a good descriptive animation illustrating the proposed reconstruction…
(note that I may not have all of the details correct — I just thought it was interesting to see, and some folks might be interested too)
Ah ha! One of the best about YouTube is that there are folks with special interests that have put in time and effort to research and record — this one has English sub (sometimes not quite translated but enough detailed description to inform very well)
^^^…14:45 — LOVE this little project to nourish and grow a little bit of green space (trays of moss) while the construction is on-going in the middle of this concrete jungle
ETA vvv I’m adding this news segment on the construction over the weekend vvv
Last edited by applestar on Mon Jan 09, 2023 4:45 am, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: added news clip on the weekend construction
Reason: added news clip on the weekend construction
Reading yesterday, I found this interesting.
https://news.mit.edu/2023/roman-concret ... casts-0106
Why? "Rome’s famed Pantheon, which has the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome and was dedicated in A.D. 128, is still intact, and some ancient Roman aqueducts still deliver water to Rome today. Meanwhile, many modern concrete structures have crumbled after a few decades."
Roman concrete mixes included lime casts, "Previously disregarded as merely evidence of sloppy mixing practices, or poor-quality raw materials ..." More research was required and it is interesting what was learned. And now, "the team is working to commercialize this modified cement material." Really?!
“'It’s exciting to think about how these more durable concrete formulations could expand not only the service life of these materials, but also how it could improve the durability of 3D-printed concrete formulations ...'" Wow!
I'm sure that daily more people are becoming aware of what is meant by 3D-printed concrete. If it is new to you, here's a 5 minute PBS news story about some of the potential use. The process begins a little more than a minute in.
Steve
https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/can-3 ... g-shortage
https://news.mit.edu/2023/roman-concret ... casts-0106
Why? "Rome’s famed Pantheon, which has the world’s largest unreinforced concrete dome and was dedicated in A.D. 128, is still intact, and some ancient Roman aqueducts still deliver water to Rome today. Meanwhile, many modern concrete structures have crumbled after a few decades."
Roman concrete mixes included lime casts, "Previously disregarded as merely evidence of sloppy mixing practices, or poor-quality raw materials ..." More research was required and it is interesting what was learned. And now, "the team is working to commercialize this modified cement material." Really?!
“'It’s exciting to think about how these more durable concrete formulations could expand not only the service life of these materials, but also how it could improve the durability of 3D-printed concrete formulations ...'" Wow!
I'm sure that daily more people are becoming aware of what is meant by 3D-printed concrete. If it is new to you, here's a 5 minute PBS news story about some of the potential use. The process begins a little more than a minute in.
Stevehttps://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/can-3 ... g-shortage
I hope when they remodel the Shibuya train station, they leave Hachi at the entrance.
A lot of old things have lasted longer than the newer ones. Technology has planned obsolescence.
It is just like phones and computers. You are forced to get a new phone or computer because it becomes impossible to update them. I upgraded to windows 11 because I had to wipe the computer to fix a problem. That required an upgrade to the mother board. I do have an i7 8th generation, so that was still good, but an older computer I have cannot be upgraded because it has an AMD chip that cannot support even windows 10. BTW Windows 10 will not be supported after 2025, and if you want updates, you will have to upgrade to Windows 11. I have a Galaxy 5 phone, I will probably be forced to upgrade that one too when it is no longer supported. I don't even use all of the functions on the phone now, but it replaces my camera which Windows refused to talk to.
A lot of old things have lasted longer than the newer ones. Technology has planned obsolescence.
It is just like phones and computers. You are forced to get a new phone or computer because it becomes impossible to update them. I upgraded to windows 11 because I had to wipe the computer to fix a problem. That required an upgrade to the mother board. I do have an i7 8th generation, so that was still good, but an older computer I have cannot be upgraded because it has an AMD chip that cannot support even windows 10. BTW Windows 10 will not be supported after 2025, and if you want updates, you will have to upgrade to Windows 11. I have a Galaxy 5 phone, I will probably be forced to upgrade that one too when it is no longer supported. I don't even use all of the functions on the phone now, but it replaces my camera which Windows refused to talk to.
speech impediment ?
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archi ... py/672691/
I had and again have, a speech impediment - not stuttering in either case and, I suspect, that would be much more difficult to live with.
Over all decades of my life, I have had a slow and steady loss of hearing. Hearing aids have been a part of my life since 1983
. The result is that I may know a word but not know how to pronounce it. It's not all that uncommon for most anyone. My problem may be that I have never really heard the word.
As a kid, I spoke with a lisp. Kind of a big kid, like the Atlantic author, the speech therapist said that my jaw development didn't quite match with my tongue. The result was a lisp.
Like the author John, I had a problem with my name. You know that my first name is Steve; well, my last name also begins with an "S." Just for the sake of an example (or the thake of an example), I will call myself Steve Smith ... or, as I did in elementary school, Theve Thmith.
Oh yes, it was every bit that bad. By the 5th grade, and with being sent off to speech therapy, I was determined to overcome this impediment. And, I did. Interestingly, Carolyn, who went off with me to that little room, did not overcome it. A very smart girl, very likable, I've wondered since if it might have been because "Carolyn" was not quite as embarrassing for her say as ...
Theve
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archi ... py/672691/
I had and again have, a speech impediment - not stuttering in either case and, I suspect, that would be much more difficult to live with.
Over all decades of my life, I have had a slow and steady loss of hearing. Hearing aids have been a part of my life since 1983
. The result is that I may know a word but not know how to pronounce it. It's not all that uncommon for most anyone. My problem may be that I have never really heard the word. As a kid, I spoke with a lisp. Kind of a big kid, like the Atlantic author, the speech therapist said that my jaw development didn't quite match with my tongue. The result was a lisp.
Like the author John, I had a problem with my name. You know that my first name is Steve; well, my last name also begins with an "S." Just for the sake of an example (or the thake of an example
), I will call myself Steve Smith ... or, as I did in elementary school, Theve Thmith.Oh yes, it was every bit that bad. By the 5th grade, and with being sent off to speech therapy, I was determined to overcome this impediment. And, I did. Interestingly, Carolyn, who went off with me to that little room, did not overcome it. A very smart girl, very likable, I've wondered since if it might have been because "Carolyn" was not quite as embarrassing for her say as ...
Theve
I don't know if this is interesting or just plain dumb. With all the biblical plagues, droughts, floods and conflict in the world, someone actually asked if climate change is causing all this severe weather. In fact, the history of this planet showed multiple climate events where ice sheets advanced and retreated, so climate change is really inevitable, but the pace of climate change has been accelerated by man.
What to do about it? For the last few years there has been record droughts and massive flooding around the world. The last three years, world food harvests have declined. This year, because of many factors related to climate and other things, world production of food declined globally. For the first time, we may actually be facing a world food crisis, where before there was surplus food for those who could afford it. Now, food is less affordable and some things will be in short supply at any price.
Agriculture emits a lot of carbon especially, raising livestock, not just for their methane emissions, but also for all the feed that is grown to support that industry.
The Netherlands in an effort to slow climate change is shutting down 3000 farms when world harvests declined.
China, in an effort to ditch its dependence on coal, forces people to burn corn cobs and clothing for heat.
Between the droughts that dried up rivers and reduced power generation and the lack of available power, literally leaving people in the dark as the country faced planned blackouts, yet a year ago China built the world's largest coal power plant. And their timeline to reduce emissions to slow climate change is 10 years too late.
While the U.S. has made strides to reduce carbon emissions it also comes as a cost. All those dead batteries have forever chemicals, what to do with that? Limits on the grid because the grid cannot actually handle every house having solar. My utility, now credits back half of what home systems generate, and charge them more for off hour use. Our state closed down its one and only coal generating plant at the end of the year. We still use primarily diesel to fuel the other power plants. They shut the coal plant down when it ran out of its last order of coal, but the solar farm that was supposed to replace it was not up and running because of supply chain issues, they did not have the parts. The result is that instead of paying and additional $20 a month, on average it is more like $40 a month. Something that just makes everything a little less affordable when the price of everything is going up while wages remain stagnant.
Farmers and ranchers alike have had to reduce their fields and herds because of drought, high fertilizer and feed costs. This does reduce carbon emissions, but it is at the cost of the consumer who has to pay more for less food. Add to that the birds and crops destroyed by extreme weather and disease. You can't really curb demand for staples like food. People have to choose whether to eat, buy medicine, or pay the rent. Higher crime is a consequence of that as well. On the plus side, I was eating more meat than I needed and having to reduce protein is probably not that bad a thing for me. Unfortunately, I have increased carbs to replace it, and it is not always good carbs.
I am so glad, I can get some fresh food from my garden almost everyday and have a little left to trade or share. But, even my small garden has leaves a carbon footprint. I do use synthetic fertilizers and normally, I don't use a lot since I fertilize based on soil tests. But my containers do use fertilizer. I don't have room for a compost pile, but I do have worms and they get most of the leftovers, the majority of the rest goes into the green can. My spent potting soil, usually ends up somewhere in the yard. I recycle pots and repurpose other things like tofu containers, gallon containers, and jars.
https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postde ... tnum=22155
What to do about it? For the last few years there has been record droughts and massive flooding around the world. The last three years, world food harvests have declined. This year, because of many factors related to climate and other things, world production of food declined globally. For the first time, we may actually be facing a world food crisis, where before there was surplus food for those who could afford it. Now, food is less affordable and some things will be in short supply at any price.
Agriculture emits a lot of carbon especially, raising livestock, not just for their methane emissions, but also for all the feed that is grown to support that industry.
The Netherlands in an effort to slow climate change is shutting down 3000 farms when world harvests declined.
China, in an effort to ditch its dependence on coal, forces people to burn corn cobs and clothing for heat.
Between the droughts that dried up rivers and reduced power generation and the lack of available power, literally leaving people in the dark as the country faced planned blackouts, yet a year ago China built the world's largest coal power plant. And their timeline to reduce emissions to slow climate change is 10 years too late.
While the U.S. has made strides to reduce carbon emissions it also comes as a cost. All those dead batteries have forever chemicals, what to do with that? Limits on the grid because the grid cannot actually handle every house having solar. My utility, now credits back half of what home systems generate, and charge them more for off hour use. Our state closed down its one and only coal generating plant at the end of the year. We still use primarily diesel to fuel the other power plants. They shut the coal plant down when it ran out of its last order of coal, but the solar farm that was supposed to replace it was not up and running because of supply chain issues, they did not have the parts. The result is that instead of paying and additional $20 a month, on average it is more like $40 a month. Something that just makes everything a little less affordable when the price of everything is going up while wages remain stagnant.
Farmers and ranchers alike have had to reduce their fields and herds because of drought, high fertilizer and feed costs. This does reduce carbon emissions, but it is at the cost of the consumer who has to pay more for less food. Add to that the birds and crops destroyed by extreme weather and disease. You can't really curb demand for staples like food. People have to choose whether to eat, buy medicine, or pay the rent. Higher crime is a consequence of that as well. On the plus side, I was eating more meat than I needed and having to reduce protein is probably not that bad a thing for me. Unfortunately, I have increased carbs to replace it, and it is not always good carbs.
I am so glad, I can get some fresh food from my garden almost everyday and have a little left to trade or share. But, even my small garden has leaves a carbon footprint. I do use synthetic fertilizers and normally, I don't use a lot since I fertilize based on soil tests. But my containers do use fertilizer. I don't have room for a compost pile, but I do have worms and they get most of the leftovers, the majority of the rest goes into the green can. My spent potting soil, usually ends up somewhere in the yard. I recycle pots and repurpose other things like tofu containers, gallon containers, and jars.
https://ucanr.edu/blogs/blogcore/postde ... tnum=22155
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applestar
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This is a relatively small zoo in near Aso volcano in Kyushu Japan. In this video, they are explaining that three of their bears are being given hibernation care because they are pregnant and expected to go into labor sometime in late January to February.
Although they will not be given food or water in the hibernation chamber so as not to disrupt the natural physical changes/state that induces hibernation, they had been fed pre-natal high nutrition autumn diet to ensure healthy pregnancy and physical maintenance for hibernation and immediate post-partem needs.
Kyushu is like Texas or Florida in climate and snowfall and freezing temperatures are rare for the most part. Apparently the rest of the bears at the zoo will not hibernate with plentiful food available.
Although they will not be given food or water in the hibernation chamber so as not to disrupt the natural physical changes/state that induces hibernation, they had been fed pre-natal high nutrition autumn diet to ensure healthy pregnancy and physical maintenance for hibernation and immediate post-partem needs.
Kyushu is like Texas or Florida in climate and snowfall and freezing temperatures are rare for the most part. Apparently the rest of the bears at the zoo will not hibernate with plentiful food available.
I think so, too!
I see a small problem. The large pot on the right looks like it would add too much weight on that side. Balance things out a little more and it should really work okay.
Notice that the pots are lifted above the top of those vents so that hot air would move easily ...
I'm no potter but might be able to create something like this with concrete. It would certainly be a new experience and undertaking. I look at that 3D concrete construction that is being tried now
. But casting in forms could sure work for a square base and hearth.
Steve
I see a small problem. The large pot on the right looks like it would add too much weight on that side. Balance things out a little more and it should really work okay
.Notice that the pots are lifted above the top of those vents so that hot air would move easily ...
I'm no potter but might be able to create something like this with concrete. It would certainly be a new experience and undertaking. I look at that 3D concrete construction that is being tried now
. But casting in forms could sure work for a square base and hearth.Steve
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applestar
- Mod
- Posts: 30540
- Joined: Thu May 01, 2008 7:21 pm
- Location: Zone 6, NJ (3/M)4/E ~ 10/M(11/B)
A news video featuring snow removal innovations in snow countries like Sapporo City in Hokkaido.
A bonus coverage at the end about a greenhouse farmer who grows specialty mangoes for harvesting and shipping in winter using stored snow to cool the greenhouse in July and a local hot spring water during winter:
除雪後の「雪」 深刻な「その後」 北海道ならでは“処理方法”…“マンゴー栽培”も【Jの追跡】(2023年2月19日)
— try turning on auto-translated cc.
A bonus coverage at the end about a greenhouse farmer who grows specialty mangoes for harvesting and shipping in winter using stored snow to cool the greenhouse in July and a local hot spring water during winter:
除雪後の「雪」 深刻な「その後」 北海道ならでは“処理方法”…“マンゴー栽培”も【Jの追跡】(2023年2月19日)
— try turning on auto-translated cc.
We are all aware that some letters in written English represent multiple sounds in the spoken language. It also seems interesting that some aren't related to the spoken phonemes and it makes me wonder why they are still around, like "X" = "k + s" sounds. Maybe we can use that letter without the preceding "e" and claim that it should be pronounced as "Z." Perplexing but I'm no more than a layman looking at these features of English and realizing that languages do change and there may have been a reason why "X" was included in the 26 letters that we use.
Something that I find of special interest is that other letters were once used in English that have been discontinued, often altering how we learn to pronounce the word from reading it on a written page. An example may be "Ȝetland."
There are other placenames that could serve as an example of how the yoch (Ȝ) was once a part of English and used to represent sounds, some of which, we no longer use. If you are curious, the yoch was replaced by a "SH" in that example but by different letters (like a "Y" or "J") in other words.
Steve
Edited to add: A gardening angle to etymology ... The Old Norse words "frjo, fræ" mean seed, offspring. The words may explain why we use the term fry for young fish. But, you should feel free to use it when planting seed in the garden.
but I'm no more than a layman looking at these features of English and realizing that languages do change and there may have been a reason why "X" was included in the 26 letters that we use.Something that I find of special interest is that other letters were once used in English that have been discontinued, often altering how we learn to pronounce the word from reading it on a written page. An example may be "Ȝetland."
There are other placenames that could serve as an example of how the yoch (Ȝ) was once a part of English and used to represent sounds, some of which, we no longer use. If you are curious, the yoch was replaced by a "SH" in that example but by different letters (like a "Y" or "J") in other words.
SteveEdited to add: A gardening angle to etymology ... The Old Norse words "frjo, fræ" mean seed, offspring. The words may explain why we use the term fry for young fish. But, you should feel free to use it when planting seed in the garden.