‘Inconceivable’: Hunter coal plan may spell disaster for prime wine country | Mining | The Guardian

The Chinese-owned coal producer Yancoal has lodged an assessment lease for sites between Pokolbin and Broke-Fordwich, in the heart of wine country. It’s now before the NSW government.

Scarborough and a string of local wine producers and tourism operators see it as a call for action. They are fighting back against industrial development in the region, and are lobbying the NSW government to pass legislation to form a protective ring around the area – as has been done for the wine-producing Barossa Valley in South Australia and Margaret River in Western Australia.

“We are not going to take this lying down,” Scarborough says.

“This is my home. We don’t want to come up against this in 10 years’ time when there’s another exploration licence around … we want to stop its renewal so we don’t go through this process again and again.”

Source: ‘Inconceivable’: Hunter coal plan may spell disaster for prime wine country | Mining | The Guardian

The Dangerous Impact of the NRA’s “Guns Everywhere” Law on Airport Security – Mother Jones

The weapon was discharged at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport on Saturday afternoon, after an X-ray screening detected a “prohibited item” in a male passenger’s bag. When TSA officials tried to search the bag, the man reached for the gun inside, and it fired. Airport officials described the single gunshot as accidental and said nobody was struck, but the incident sparked a panic among surrounding travelers, many of whom dropped to the floor or began running for safety, leading to some minor injuries. The man with the gun, who has a felony record, fled the scene with his weapon. Authorities began searching for him but said it was not an active-shooter situation…

Source: The Dangerous Impact of the NRA’s “Guns Everywhere” Law on Airport Security – Mother Jones

A German State is Switching Its 25,000 Computers From Windows to Linux – Slashdot

The north-German state of Schleswig-Holstein plans to switch to open source software…” reports Mike Saunders from LibreOffice.

“By the end of 2026, Microsoft Office is to be replaced by LibreOffice on all 25,000 computers used by civil servants and employees (including teachers), and the Windows operating system is to be replaced by GNU/Linux.” Source: A German State is Switching Its 25,000 Computers From Windows to Linux – Slashdot

No Air

Inhale Peace; Exhale Love. Joy will Follow! - RUELHA

Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown bring together an aggressively passionate duet that fits so many intense occasions aptly. I love how they are depicted in the video, constantly yelling at each other. This manifests the maddening love amidst incompatibility. It’s rather confusing. But, there is definitely no lack of emotion from either side. You can view it as a compelling situation, maybe there are fundamental or irreconcilable differences between this couple that is habituated to each other’s company that could probably be heavily toxic. But, the farce of psychological acclimated comfort prevents them from reviewing reality. Another interpretation is the typical painful breakup situation everyone assumes this song to be about. If you analyze the lyrics, it could also be applicable to the death of a very intimate consort, maybe a spouse, a partner, parent, child, or even a very close BFF. The dominant soprano in this song is unable…

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Recipe: Methi Malai Matar

Inhale Peace; Exhale Love. Joy will Follow! - RUELHA

I love Mughlai and North Indian gravies. I make them very often. And I go all the way cooking with my heavy clay pot and coal for that distinct flavour and aroma. Of course, I do not recommend it to anyone with clogged arteries. It’s too heavy. But, I’m me!  I am so accustomed to this style of cooking that I don’t need any recipe. This is the first time I’m attempting such a dish. I’ve never tasted or cooked this dish before. But, I can cook North Indian in my sleep 😉 and it turned out so yum. You’re in luck because I’m going to share the recipe with you. Here goes…

Ingredients:

  • 2 tbsp oil
  • 1 clove/laung
  • 2 cardamoms/elaichi
  • 2″ cinnamon stick
  • 2 big onions, chopped
  • 1″ ginger, smashed
  • 7 cloves of garlic, smashed/pounded in a mortar and pestle
  • 7 cashew nuts/nutty thickener of choice
  • 5 green chilies, chopped

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The Pursuit Of Happiness

bluejayblog

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Whilst flipping through an old college American History textbook the other day, I stopped at the pages that illustrate a copy of the “Declaration of Independence”. The preamble is the most often quoted portion of the document. Although the statement about life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness is noble and almost holy, I stumble at the word “pursuit”. Thomas Jefferson and the Committee of Five may have had a hiccup regarding happiness. I give those folks a pass because they were not privy to modern philosophical views regarding the concept of happiness. I’m just glad that they included happiness in their message.

Indeed, millions of people are engaged in the pursuit of happiness. They seem not to know what it is they’re looking for. They want to own prestigious status symbols, consume every latest gadget, make tons of money, have a desireable partner, be powerful and successful, and make…

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Y uno piensa…

Santiago Galicia Rojon Serrallonga

SANTIAGO GALICIA ROJON SERRALLONGA

Derechos reservados conforme a la ley/ Copyright

Y uno piensa, al mirar las hojas que el viento otoñal desprende y los copos de nieve que, en invierno, cubren los abetos, las montañas y los caseríos, que los días y los años se consumen entre un suspiro y otro; pero las estaciones, al transitar, se repiten indiferentes tras sus ausencias y sus apariciones, con las páginas, los lienzos y los pentagramas que ofrecen para hacer de cada biografía una obra magistral o algo mediocre e insulso. Y uno piensa, al transcurrir los minutos, que es el tiempo el que se acaba, cuando se trata de la aproximación, cada instante, al final de la jornada terrena, al término de la estancia y del viaje por el mundo de arcilla y texturas. Y uno piensa, al morir la tarde y nacer la noche, que habrá otro día, un amanecer…

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« Mes grands-parents pêchaient dans cette rivière pour nourrir la communauté. Maintenant, il ne s’agit que de contamination par les boues, l’essence, le diesel et le mercure. Les poissons meurent et notre terre Yanomami se meurt. – Les orpailleurs ont tout pris, notre sécurité et notre santé. » 

Barbara Crane Navarro

Enfant Yanomami jouant dans une rivière
peinture : Barbara Crane Navarro

«Mes grands-parents pêchaient dans cette rivière pour nourrir la communauté. Maintenant, il ne s’agit que de contamination par les boues, l’essence, le diesel et le mercure. Les poissons meurent et notre terre Yanomami se meurt.

Nous Yanomami souffrons, nous n’avons pas la paix. Les orpailleurs détruisent nos maisons (Yanopë), détruisent notre forêt (Urihi), détruisent notre spiritualité du chaman et des esprits de la forêt (Xapori et Ayakora).

Les mineurs d’or ont tout pris, notre sécurité et notre santé. »

  • Júnior Herurari Yanomami

Barges de dragage utilisée par les orpailleurs illégaux en territoire autochtone
photo: Divulgação

Deux enfants Yanomami, âgés de 7 et 5 ans, se sont noyés lorsqu’ils ont été tirés sous l’eau par les puissantes pompes d’une barge de dragage utilisée pour l’extraction illégale d’or sur la rivière Parima à Roraima, au Brésil. Les garçons jouaient dans la…

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