Pipebots to Stop Leaks

Around three billion litres of water are lost through leaks across hundreds of thousands of miles of water pipe in England and Wales daily, says water industry economic regulator Ofwat.  Engineers have now developed miniature robots to patrol the pipe network, check for faults and prevent leaks.  They say maintaining the network will be "impossible" without robotics.  Water industry body Water UK told BBC News that companies were already "investing billions" in leakage.

But a recent Ofwat report pointed to a lack of investment by water companies. It named several that it said were "letting down customers and the environment" by not spending enough on improvements. Water UK responded saying that leakage was at "its lowest level since privatisation".

Leaks are a widespread and complicated problem: Across the UK, hundreds of thousands of kilometres of pipe - of varying age and in varying condition - supply millions of properties with water.

Colin Day from Essex and Suffolk Water said: "In [this region] alone, we look after more than 8,500km (5,282 miles) of pipe and only about half the leaks in those pipes are visible, which means it's complicated to pinpoint where [the rest] are."

Wasted water has been a particularly sensitive issue this year. According to Water UK, three companies - South East Water, South West Water, and Yorkshire Water - still have localised hosepipe bans in place following the summer drought. And, amid the cost of living crisis, Ofwat estimates 20% of customers in England and Wales struggle to pay their water bill.  In the last year, though, according to Ofwat, companies have reduced leakage by an average of about 6%.

The industry has committed to a government target of halving the amount of water lost by 2050. Water UK accepted that progress needed to "accelerate". "We're adopting the latest technology, including special in-pipe cameras; satellite imaging; thermal drone technology, high-tech probes, and artificial intelligence," it told BBC News.  READ MORE...

Relativism

Relativism, roughly put, is the view that truth and falsity, right and wrong, standards of reasoning, and procedures of justification are products of differing conventions and frameworks of assessment and that their authority is confined to the context giving rise to them. More precisely, “relativism” covers views which maintain that—at a high level of abstraction—at least some class of things have the properties they have (e.g., beautiful, morally good, epistemically justified) not simpliciter, but only relative to a given framework of assessment (e.g., local cultural norms, individual standards), and correspondingly, that the truth of claims attributing these properties holds only once the relevant framework of assessment is specified or supplied. Relativists characteristically insist, furthermore, that if something is only relatively so, then there can be no framework-independent vantage point from which the matter of whether the thing in question is so can be established. 

So, what does this mean to us?

It means that we can never achieve the pursuit of equality and equity since this perception of relativism is prevelent in our society.  This is going to be hard for some of us to understand and/or accept.  Logically, we can see that everyone is not the same regarding their height, beauty, athletic or musical ability, and intelligence...  This makes sense to us...  to some degree.  BUT PERCEPTION is not as easily accepted.  And, when one marries perception and personality, then it becomes even more difficult to accept becasuse we do not associate either one of those terms with behavior or ccommunications.

Therein lies our problem.

• What causes someone to become seen as a genius?
• What causes someone to be a doer instead of a thinker?
• What causes someone to be a leader rather than a follower?

While we can never be definitive on answering those questions as there so so many factors that could contribute to the influence, we do accept that perception and personality are some of those influences.

• What motivates a thinker is different than a doer...
• What motivates a genius is different than what motivates a non-genius...
• What motivate a leader is different than what motivates a follower...

Not only is this logical but it is also common sense.

How many people do you know that have no or little common sense?

If you are like me, there are many...

TO ME...  THIS IS THE FOUDATION OF RELATIVISM...    think about that...

How long will it last if we try to FORCE EVERYONE to accept EQUALITY and EQUITY which is exactly what the liberals, progressives, and blacks want us to do...

What I find really interesting is that blacks only represent 12% of the US population whereas whites represent 60% five times greater...

These different percentages are a perfect example of relativism...  all we have to do is look at the way we were raised and the stories that we share with our children...  and, even more important is the way whites and black worship...

I was raised in the South, NC specifically, and my upbringing and history lessons were different than those who were raised in the North...  this alone causes relativism...

Two Turtles

 

Orca

 

Venezuela and Socialism

In the 1950s, Venezuela was the fourth wealthiest country in the world. Today, Venezuela is poorer than it was prior to the 1920s, its infrastructure is deteriorating, and its economy has been shrinking since the turn of the century. Hyperinflation (out of control price increases) has left the currency worthless and made it almost impossible for Venezuelans to afford basic necessities. Millions have fled the country’s inhospitable conditions. 

How did the country go from having a GDP on par with that of the United States, New Zealand, and Switzerland to having almost 90% of the population living in poverty?

Introduction
This brief takes a closer look at Venezuela’s past and present social, political, and economic circumstances, the role socialist policies played, and how this relates to conversations within our own government. Understanding the history of such an evolution is an important way to keep similar tendencies from reaching other shores, including our own.

Case Studies: On the Ground in Venezuela
In what was once Latin America’s richest nation, over 75% of Venezuelans are living in extreme poverty. According to a September 2021 report from the National Survey of Living Conditions, created in 2014 to make up for the absence of official data, the percentage of Venezuelans living in extreme poverty rose from 67.7% to 76.6%. This is a reversal of the improvement in previous years after the government started cash transfers and relaxed price controls. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the crisis in Venezuela that had already been ongoing for years; before the pandemic, the UN World Food Programme estimated one-third of Venezuelans struggled to get enough food to meet the minimum nutritional requirements.

The U.S. State Department announced in September 2021 that it was sending $247 million in humanitarian assistance and $89 million in economic and development assistance to aid “Venezuelans in their home country and Venezuelan refugees, migrants, and their host communities in the region.” This includes $120 million from the State Department’s Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration; and $216 million through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), bringing total U.S. humanitarian, economic, development, and health assistance for the Venezuela crisis to more than $1.9 billion since 2017. 

This includes:

Food assistance;
Emergency shelter;
Access to health care, water, sanitation, and hygiene supplies;
COVID-19 support;
Protection for vulnerable groups including women, children, and indigenous people;
Assistance to democratic actors within Venezuela;
Integration support for communities that host Venezuelan refugees and migrants, “including development programs to expand access to education, vocational opportunities, and public services.”

As of early 2022, more than 7 million Venezuelans in Venezuela are in critical need, and almost 6 million have fled to 17 countries across the region.  READ MORE...

Venezuela and OPEC

Venezuela has played a crucial role in OPEC’s history

Vienna, Austria, 14 September 2021--Article by HE Mohammad Sanusi Barkindo, OPEC Secretary General, on the occasion of the Organization’s 61st Anniversary.

The fourteenth of September is a date of profound significance for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC). It was on this day in 1960 that the five Founding Fathers of OPEC, Juan Pablo Pérez Alfonzo of Venezuela; Abdullah al-Tariki of Saudi Arabia; Dr Tala’at al-Shaibani of Iraq; Dr Fuad Rouhani of Iran; and Ahmed Sayed Omar of Kuwait gathered together in the Al-Shaab Hall in Baghdad and brought the Organization into being.

It is a tremendous source of pride for me, as Secretary General that I can commemorate this year’s ‘OPEC Day’ on an official visit to the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela. As a Founder Member, Venezuela has played a crucial role in the Organization’s formation and its subsequent successes throughout its history. On behalf of the entire OPEC Family, I would like to express our sincere thanks and appreciation to the Government and people of Venezuela who have done so much to make OPEC the distinguished Organization that it is today.

Following the establishment of OPEC, Pérez Alfonzo said: “We are now united. We are making history.” These words proved extremely prescient. Pérez Alfonzo had midwifed the birth of our Organization through his strong partnership with Abdullah al-Tariki of Saudi Arabia. Pérez Alfonso was ably supported at this time by another distinguished contributor to OPEC’s successful history, Dr. Alirio Parra. Subsequent generations of distinguished public servants took up the baton passed to them and have served our Organization with distinction in various capacities.

One of the most significant events in the history of the Organization was the Second Summit of Heads of State and Government of OPEC Member Countries, held in Caracas, Venezuela, 27–28 September 2000. The Second Solemn Declaration responded to new developments in the energy industry brought on with the dawning of a new millennium. This included addressing environmental issues, broadening the concept of economic development to embrace the key component of stability and at the same time placing a heavy stress on eradicating energy poverty.  READ MORE...

Facts About Venezuela

Venezuela, officially known as the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela is a South American country that has over 31 million people, stunning scenery and nice tropical weather that makes swimming in the Caribbean Sea a year-round activity for many Venezuelans and tourists. Sounds great, right? Let’s learn more about this charming region through these 10 fun facts about Venezuela and discover a land full of spectacular wildlife and delicious cacao.

Venezuela is home to the world’s largest rodent.

The Capybara, also known as Chigüire, is the largest rodent of the world and native to the Venezuelan savannas. Capybaras are friendly herbivore animals that graze mainly on grasses, fruit and tree bark. They are excellent swimmers and can remain underwater for up to five minutes and uses this ability to escape from predators. These animals are frequently hunted for their meat and pelts, being the Pisillo de Chigüire one of Venezuela’s traditional dishes, served especially during Easter celebrations.  READ MORE...

Tourist Attractions in Venezuela

Venezuela is a country of beautiful landscapes and surprising sights, from the coast to the mountain tops. Magnificent waterfalls tumble off table top mountains, and coastal towns and offshore islands offer pleasant escapes and soft-sand beaches.

Inland, the Andes Mountains, soaring to over 16,000 feet, provide a stunning backdrop to colorful and lively cities, and the Orinoco Delta is teeming with wildlife. Caracas, the capital and largest city in the country, offers its own type of adventure, with a number of cultural sites and surrounding attractions.

The best places to visit are not always the easiest to reach, and Venezuela is no exception. Some of these destinations are well off the beaten path. For inspirational ideas, see our list of the top tourist attractions in Venezuela.

1. Angel Falls (see photo above)

TO READ ABOUT THE OTHER ATTRACTIONS, CLICK HERE...

All About Venezuela

Venezuela, country located at the northern end of South America. It occupies a roughly triangular area that is larger than the combined areas of France and Germany. 

Venezuela is bounded by the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean to the north, Guyana to the east, Brazil to the south, and Colombia to the southwest and west. The national capital, Caracas, is Venezuela’s primary centre of industry, commerce, education, and tourism.

Venezuela administers a number of Caribbean islands and archipelagos, among which are Margarita Island, La Blanquilla, La Tortuga, Los Roques, and Los Monjes. 

Since the early 19th century Venezuela has claimed jurisdiction over Guyanese territory west of the Essequibo River totaling some 53,000 square miles (137,000 square km)—nearly two-thirds of the land area of Guyana. Venezuela also has had a long dispute with Colombia over the delimitation of maritime boundaries in the Gulf of Venezuela and around the archipelago of Los Monjes.

A physiographically diverse country, Venezuela incorporates the northern Andean mountain chains and interior highlands, the main portions of the Orinoco River basin with its expansive Llanos (plains), Lake Maracaibo, which is the largest lake in South America, and the spectacular Angel Falls, the world’s highest waterfall. The republic’s development pattern has been unique among Latin American countries in terms of the speed, sequence, and timing of economic and demographic growth. 

In the 20th century Venezuela was transformed from a relatively poor agrarian society to a rapidly urbanizing one, a condition made possible by exploiting huge petroleum reserves. These changes, however, were accompanied by imbalances among the country’s regions and socioeconomic groups, and Venezuela’s cities swelled because of a massive and largely uncontrolled migration from rural areas, as well as mass immigration, much of it illegal, from Colombia and other neighbours.  READ MORE...

Clown Show

 

Roller Skating

 

Loving Dog

Not In Your Atlas

Tracking Of An Eagle Over A 20 Year Period





The States shown in Blue above Have A Smaller Population Than Los Angeles County shown in red.


50 Percent Of Canadians Live South Of The Red Line


The Biggest Non-Government Employer in Each State





The Red and Orange Sections Have Equal Populations


All The Nations That Have To Be Combined To Be Equal To Brazil's Annual Homicides


These Two Areas of Africa Have Roughly Equal Populations


Light Pollution From Coast To Coast


Passenger Railway Network 2020


An Image Of GPS Tracking Of Multiple Wolves In Six Different Packs Around Voyageurs National Park Shows How Much The Wolf Packs Avoid Each Other's Range


How Much Snow Does It Usually Take To Cancel Schools?


You Can Fit the Entirety of Poland Into Texas And Still Be Able To Drive Around It


Out Of Service Railways



Every State Ranked by Healthiness


World's Smallest Country vs. Largest Building



List of Countries Mentioned Or Referred In The Bible


Most Common Country Of Birth For Foreign-born Residents In The US, Excluding Mexico


Japan, How Big It Is in Reality?

Waves

 

Strictly Political

 

House Republicans Will Be Investigating in 2023

 THE AMERICAN PUBLIC DOES NOT GIVE A RAT'S ASS ABOUT THE HOUSE REPUBLICANS INVESTIGATING DEMOCRATS...  especially Hunter Biden, the origins of COVID, Biden's failure to secure the border, and how social media influenced the 2020 election...

Why do I feel this way?

Because the American Public does not give a shit about any of that crap now...  so, why should they care about it tommorrow?

The only thing that the American Public cared about was SCREWING OVER TRUMP...  and, now that they have done this for 6 years, there is really very little else that they care about...  and, they certainly don't give a shit about anything that the republicans care about...  that's for damn sure.

UNFORTUNATELY...  what the general public does not understand or fully grasp is the fact that by screwing over Trump, they turned Trump into a martyr of sorts...

This is the IRONY of conservative Americans...  Most of our businesses whether they want to admit it or not, are conservative in nature, and make their decisions on their conservative values, even though they may be liberal in how they vote in elections.  This is just the nature of business.

Businesses cannot affort to be liberal minded in their business dealings...  this is the quickest way to failure and bankruptcy...  therefore, businesses WILL ALWAYS EMBRACE THE PRINCIPLES OF TRUMP ECONOMICALLY...

Businesses will always want to reduce costs

Businesses will always want lower salaries and wages

Businesses will always want to increase sales

Businesses will always want lower govt taxes

Businesses will always want fewer govt regulations

Businesses will always want tariffs on foreign imports to protect domestic production

Businesses will never want to be owned by the governmet

Businesses will always want operate in a capitalistic society

Businesses will always want to embrace healthy competition

This will always be the legacy of TRUMP...  he was the ultimate businessperson while he was not much of a politician, he knew how to play the business game...  this is what pissed off Washington politicians...

SO...  it matters not what the Republicans in the House want to investigate...  what matters is the business mentality that takes over after Trump...  and the ultimate understanding, that it is only CAPITALISM that can pay for SOCIALISM...

Apple & Telsa Suffer

Apple and Tesla stocks have tumbled over growing concerns about delays in their production lines in China.

Apple shares hit their lowest point since June 2021. Tesla's stock has dropped 73% from a record high in November 2021.

Companies have struggled to keep production going in China due to Covid restrictions and weeks of lockdowns.

Now they are facing a staffing crunch as China battles a Covid wave after lifting years of restrictions.

China announced that it will lift its strict quarantine rules for travellers on 8 January, a positive sign for many investors who are seeing an ease in supply chain movement in 2023.

But global investors are also being cautious ahead of additional interest rate hikes, a global economic slowdown and the ongoing war in Ukraine.

Given the spike in Covid cases in key manufacturing hubs, analysts say production will take time to ramp up once again.

"Factories are going to experience labour shortages for at least 4-6 weeks as the wave passes through their production regions, and of course most migrant workers will go back to their home villages for the Lunar New Year at the end of January," says Simon Baptist, chief economist at The Economist Intelligence Unit.

"Production looks unlikely to be back to normal in China until late February."

Production delays hit Apple supplier Foxconn earlier this year following unrest at its Zhangzhou plant known as "iPhone City." The company said its revenue in November was down 11% compared with the same month in 2021.

This week, media reports said Tesla's Shanghai manufacturing plant had cut production as Covid infections rose in China. The company declined to comment.  READ MORE...

A Divided Congress, A Dem President and DOJ

 What is going to happen POLITICALLY in 2023???

Well...

we have a republican House

we have a democratic Senate

we have a democratic President

we have a democratic DOJ

However...

the DOJ like the FBI and CIA should not be biased politically...  unfortunately, that is not what is currently taking place in this country.

SO...

our republican house will pass a bill and it will automatically be rejected by the senate.  Or, the senate will pass a bill and it will be rejected by the house.

If the bill gets passed, our Democratic President will VETO the bill if it does not agree with his agenda.

Our Republican House has vowed to hold hearings and subpoena witnesses, but if the democratic DOJ does not want to support or enforce that subpoena, then the House will have no witnesses.

NOTHING WILL EVER GET ACCOMPLISHED in 2023 and quite possibly in 2024 until we have a new Presidential Election...

MORE OF THE SAME FOR TWO MORE YEARS...

Esports in 2023

Whether you know your "split-push" from your "powerspike" or not, it's difficult to miss the ever growing popularity and influence of esports.

With hundreds of millions playing and watching worldwide, brand partnerships with the likes of Gucci, BMW and Coca Cola, and a showcase at the Commonwealth Games - it seems that 2022 has been another successful year for competitive gaming.

So what do traditional sport's noisy younger siblings have planned to keep that upward trajectory going in 2023?

For those who are still a little unsure, esports refers to a range of different video games that are played competitively by professionals across the world. Often hosted in stadiums, events are televised and draw big audiences to watch. The esports market is estimated to grow to be worth $1.9bn (£1.4bn) by 2025.

Dominic Sacco, founder of Esports News UK, argues that before continued growth and bigger audiences, the industry first has to come to terms with some fundamental changes to how much of it will be organised in future.

"At the start of 2022 a group backed by the Saudi Arabian government bought two of the biggest esports tournament operators in the world, ESL and FaceIt," he explains. "I think we'll see more of this happening and it will be a big trend in 2023 and probably beyond".

That deal was worth $1.5bn (£1.2bn) and is only the beginning with the Saudi government-backed Savvy Gaming group saying that they want to invest $38bn (£31bn) to transform the country into a global esports hub by 2030. READ MORE...

Playing Basketball