Primero, ya sabemos que la pirateria es muy mala para los juegos, quita millones en recursos que la verdad justamente deberian tener por su esfuerzo, pero ahora que se enojen por el hecho de que vendamos nuestros juegos usados y a ellos no les toque nada, se pasan

Epic Games va a poner a prueba esto y es que al comprar tu copia de Gears of War 2 te va a venir un codigo que solo lo vas usar una sola vez para bajar 5 mapas re-masterizados de Gears of War totalmente gratis y usarlos en el multiplayer, ¿lo malo? asi es, solo se usan una vez, asi que si lo das a un amigo tu amigo no va a poder usarlos.

La verdad eso esta mal, digo yo ya gaste mis 800 o 900 en mi juego y cuando no lo quiero y deseo sacarle un poco de dinero ahora debo pagarles por eso?? ni madres...

Enjoy It

Sappiamo che il mercato delle acque in bottiglia usa, in almeno il 70% dei casi, contenitori di plastica. Un mare di plastica, come si può immaginare.

La bio-bottiglia di Pla (acido polilattico), la bioplastica derivata dal mais, da poco lanciata sul mercato italiano sembrava, anche ai nostri occhi, un’ottima soluzione per lo smaltimento dei vuoti dell’acqua minerale, visto che questo materiale una volta smaltito degrada in un composto organico.

C’è qualche però. Infatti tutti i materiali hanno dei pro e dei contro. Nello specifico del confronto tra PET (la plastica comunemente usata per le bottiglie) e PLA: come prima cosa il PLA inizia a deformarsi , e quindi a rilasciare sostanze nell’acqua, a scapito della qualità, a 55 gradi, rispetto ai 72 gradi del PET. In secondo luogo ha una permeabilità al vapore acqueo, all’ anidride carbonica e all’ossigeno di dieci volte superiori. Ed è per questo motivo che può essere usato solo per bottiglie con volumi ridotti e non per i grandi formati e per acqua e bevande gassate.

Allargando poi il ragionamento in termini globali, se tutte le bottiglie fossero prodotte in PLA, servirebbe una quantità rilevante di mais, che quindi andrebbe sottratto all’alimentazione, con un grosso impatto sul bilancio alimentare mondiale, già in deficit nel rapporto produzione-consumo.

Impatto che si avrebbe anche sul consumo idrico, visto che per produrre una sola bottiglia in PLA si utilizzano circa 1,2 litri di acqua. Una quantità non trascurabile, visto che la Terra ha sete.

Ultima limitazione: il recupero, che deve essere fatto in maniera separata dal PET (la raccolta differenziata di PET ne recupera almeno la metà, ad oggi).

Insomma quanto è ecologica questa bottiglia? A saperlo, signora mia, a saperlo…….

La gran ventaja de tomar las fotos en formato Raw reside en la garantía de resultados de máxima calidad. Una de las pocas desventajas es la complejidad del procesado que requiere de un tiempo y dedicación del que uno no siempre dispone. Por este motivo, gran parte de mi archivo -hoy por hoy- sigue sin ver la luz por falta de tiempo para procesarlo. Así pues, uno de los trabajos que voy haciendo sistemáticamente es «revelar» fotografías de mi archivo a medida que me es posible. Cuando estas imágenes están listas suelen aparecer aquí, como el caso que nos ocupa hoy. Las denomino fotos «retrospectivas» al no ser representativas de la actualidad, al menos en cuanto al día en que fueron tomadas. No obstante, al ocupar un lugar destacado en mi colección, les concedo su espacio tras un retraso que, a fín de cuentas, para el género del presente blog siempre es relativo.

16 de febrero de 2007. Un día de climatología nada habitual en nuestra geografía: temperaturas gélidas, atmósfera inusualmente seca y una visibilidad asombrosa. Condiciones idóneas para paisaje, sobre todo en los momentos extremos del día. Me situé en el siempre interesante sobremunt des Ram -Esporles-, desde donde se aprecia, entre otras cosas, una amplia panorámica de la bahía Palma, el centro de la isla, así como los relieves más lejanos de Artà, Manacor, Felanitx, Llucmajor y el archipiélago de Cabrera en el horizonte.

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Palma, su bahía y el archipiélago de Cabrera al fondo derecha
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[ ↓ Pulsar imagen para ampliar en nueva ventana ↓ ]

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Una panorámica de casi 180 grados: Serra de Llevant (Artà), Puig de Randa, Palma, Cabrera.
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Canon Eos 5D • Canon 24-105 a 50mm • 1 seg • f/13 • Iso 100 • Trípode • Filtro Lee de Densidad Neutral Graduado (transición suave) de 2 pasos • 5 capturas Raw • Fusión 5 imágenes en PTGui Pro • Ajustes en Photoshop CS3
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Archipiélago de Cabrera, a 60 km. en línea recta. En primer plano, el Cap Blanc (Llucmajor)
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Canon Eos 5D • Canon 100-400 a 210mm • 1/4 seg • f/19 • Iso 100 • Trípode • Captura Raw • Ajustes en Photoshop CS3
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The "People" in the PLA: Recruitment, Training, and Education in China's Military, di Mr. Roy Kamphausen, Dr. Andrew Scobell, Mr. Travis Tanner. 2008, The Strategic Studies Institute of the US Army War College, Carlisle, Pennsylvania, USA.

Fresco, fresco di pubblicazione, un bel volume di oltre 400 pagine che analizza attentamente reclutamento, addestramento ed istruzione degli uomini e delle donne che compongono le attuali forze armate cinesi.

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[ DOWNLOAD - 401 pages, 1911 kb, PDF]

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Original abstract: This volume represents the latest in the series published by the Strategic Studies Institute and describes the advances and reforms the PLA has made in its recruitment, officer and NCO training and education, and mobilization. As part of its larger reform effort to modernize and transform its military into a technologically sophisticated force, the PLA has implemented a number of measures aimed at training up a “new-type” officer for its modernized forces—one capable of operating effectively in a technologically advanced “informationalized” environment. This volume sheds light on such important questions as how the PLA’s personnel system is adapting to fulfill the requirements of a military force capable of “winning local wars under informationalized conditions” and how the PLA is cultivating a new generation of officers and what capabilities these new officers will likely possess.

El Pla de Santa Maria és un poble molt dinàmic, situat a l'Alt Camp, no lluny de Valls, a on s'arriba des de l'autopista AP2, la que va a Lleida, per una sortida pròpia. Te un casc antic medieval molt ben conservat, amb muralles i portals. També dues esglèsies, una barroca i l'altra romànica, sant Ramon, (a la foto), d'un romànic molt pur, estrany al sud del Llobregat, en plena Catalunya nova. Si aquesta descripció no us fa encara el pes, heu de saber que el Pla de Santa  Maria organitza, el tercer cap de setmana d'octubre, una bonica, tendra i senzilla fira de tardor. No és gaire cosa: quatre casetes, quatre atraccions, molts productes del camp i molta autenticitat. Passeu-vos-hi quan la tardor tenyeix les vinyes de groc i vermell, aprofiteu el dia anant a fer la ruta de les cabanes de pedra seca, o arribeu-vos a Santes Creus, molt a prop, o a Poblet, a uns 25 km, i aprofiteu per donar una volta per la fira i per Pla de Santa Maria.

El Pla de Santa Maria es un pueblo muy dinámico, situado en el Alt Camp, no lejos de Valls, a donde se llega desde la autopista AP2, la que va hasta Lleida, por una salida propia. Tiene un casco antiguo medieval muy bien conservado, con murallas y portales. También dos iglesias, una barroca y la otra románica, san Ramon, (en la foto), de un románico muy puro, extraño al sur del Llobregat, en plena Catalunya nueva. Si esta descripción no os convence, debéis saber que el Pla de Santa Maria organiza, el tercer fin de semana de octubre, una guapa, tierna y sencilla feria de otoño. No es demasiada cosa: cuatro casetas, cuatro atracciones, muchos productos del campo y mucha autenticidad. Pasaos cuando el otoño tiñe las viñas de amarillo y rojo, y así aprovecháis el día haceciendo la ruta de las cabañas de piedra seca, os llegais a Santes Creus, muy cerca, o a Poblet, a unos 25 km, y aprovecháis por dar una vuelta por la feria y por Pla de Santa Maria.

Io in tutta tranquillità pensavo andassimo a mangiare qualcosa lì (ci sono sempre banchetti di invitante cibo!)...invece vedo mio padre dirigersi verso la Croce Verde (che si trova nei pressi dell'entrata del Borgo)....beh ero un pò stupita perché non sapevo dove stesse andando e cosa stesse facendo.

Ma ecco a pochi metri risolto il mistero...la Croce, un pò per sfruttare la grande folla di turisti venuti per la Festa Medievale, aveva organizzato proprio in quei giorni una sagra...ma non una sagra qualunque, bensì una eco-sagra!

Vedo il cartello con questa scritta e diciamo che il mio umore è totalmente cambiato (io volevo mangiare qualcosa di prelibato dalle bancarelle medievali!).

Mi sono guardata un pò in giro per carpire in cosa consistesse questa ecologicità...ma l'ho compreso solamente una volta seduta al tavolo.

Le posate, il cellofan che le conteneva, i piatti, i bicchieri, il tovagliolo, la tovaglietta del cabaret...era tutto biodegradabile e compostabile al 100%.

Materiale proveniente da fonti rinnovabili e realizzato con polpa di cellulosa, pla e amido di mais.

Poi che dire dell'estetica...molto più robuste e belle di quelle fatte in plastica!

A tutti i "clienti" è stato assicurato che, dopo l'utilizzo, il coperto venisse completamente riciclato, trasformandosi, nella sua seconda vita, in terriccio per vasi.

Altra cosa che mi ha colpito è che il personale svuotava i vassoi buttando ciascuna cosa nel proprio cassonetto della raccolta differenziata (le lattine e le bottiglie di plastica purtroppo c'erano però è bene saperle nel loro cassonetto preferenziale!).

Beh che dire...quella sera mi sono mangiata con più gusto gli gnocchi!!!

Després de tres hores i mitja de remenar literalment totes les paradetes hagudes i per haver, he acabat amb la bossa plena de Pallassos i monstres, el llibre d'en Sánchez Piñol sobre els dictadors africans; Historia de un año, el relat dels fets d'armes del 1943 explicats pel mateix Mussolini un any més tard i Els precedents antics a la historia de Catalunya, de l'historiador Ramon d'Abadal. Tot plegat per 14 euros. M'han passat per davant una història de Barcelona a partir de postals antigues (preu 35€), un parell de llibres sobre els fets del 6 d'octubre escrits l'any 1935 (20€ cadascun) i un arbeitspass de l'època nazi de preu que m'he estimat més no preguntar.

Sobre els meus objectius del dia: de Les veus del Pamano ni rastre. Després de girar, remenar i preguntar he aconseguit trobar un venedor que tenia alguna de les traduccions de Sagarra a casa seva i me les vendrà per 15€ la unitat. Un preu just. Sobre la Historia de la II República de Pla, de 1940, una obra que no forma part de les Obres completes de l'autor i que fins a dia d'avui els hereus dels drets no han permès una reedició (creia jo que per motius ideològics: surt retratat el Pla més franquista), n'he obtingut una versió alternativa. És una obra d'autor, és a dir, la signà ell però la va fer algú altre. En Pla no la sentí mai seva i, definitivament, pagar més de 300€ és, t'ho miris com t'ho miris, una bogeria.

I've basically said 'fuck everything'. I'll have a pom and a kitty. I'll just make sure the kitty's mummy and daddy were little things. A cute kitty and a cute pom are all I need to be happy. Along with my boyfriend, of course. And a nice house with a big yard for the pom to play in. And maybe when I'm older I'll get fixed, so I don't have to deal with kids I don't want, if when I'm older I can be sure I won't be crazy and change my mind.

Right now I'm still undecided about whether I want kids in the future or not. For now it seems more likely a yes, but other times it seems a definite no. I imagine on my birthday I'll experience some horrendous brats at the water park. I really should get a new swimsuit. I want a one piece one. I'm really busy hating my body atm...that and I don't want my tits to make an appearance like they did at Canada's Wonderland earlier this summer. I stayed under a bit longer than I should have to fix my top, inhaled a bit of water, and felt like a retard when the lifeguard (who was standing a foot away) asked me if I was okay. Hopefully nothing was seen.

So Saturday was good. I learned that Durex>Trojans. Trojans aren't long enough to accommodate the movement of the foreskin, and cover everything. Fucking Durex is a godsend. Maybe I'll buy the next box instead of getting another free one off facebook. But maybe not. Someone had to pay for them. So yes, Durex = very, very good for uncircumcised men. LL was right, fuck Trojans. I actually feel safe with our combination of the pill, condoms and pulling out(with me whinging take it oooooooout when it gets clooooose. Damn that must be attractive). I know I could still be impregnated, but it's way better than bare back. On Saturday I learned how to put a condom on using my mouth. >> I did it so well that the latex with suctioned on, so when he removed it there was this loud snap. I wonder if it hurt.

Hm. When I use PLA I feel like a troll half the time, but I guess I can't help it. It's hard not to when has the people are so bleeding stupid. I can't help but despise anyone who thinks abstinence only education is the only way to go.

Lol, they were eating fish tacos on King of the Hill. Just thought I'd put that out there.

Fuck coherency, no rereading. Guess what I meant, ask if it's completely illegible.

Did you know that Bingo has helped people stop smoking? Well, in ‘the old days’ you were able to smoke in the bingo halls, and now you can’t . You have to go outside!! And the Bingo has to stop whilst people have a smoke, so according to some – it’s actually helped some people to stop smoking!

As for the rest, they probably hooked up with an online Bingo hall and carried on puffing away at home. Easier that way, and you can wear your pyjamas if you like! (I know some of those people at the halls looked like they were already wearing their pyjamas, but no-one says you have to have fashion sense to play bingo!)

Have a great weekend – and think about giving up – smoking that is, not Bingo!!!

Fact: According to a new story in LiveScience ("Will the U.S. Have a Droid Army"), "autonomous robots with the ability to open fire upon their own initiative are under development in other countries."  Robotics researchers Doug Few and Bill Smart at Washington University in St. Louis are quoted with the assessment that "the U.S. military may be 30 percent robotic by the year 2020." 

Analysis: I've been having some interesting discussions with DoD and their contractors about robotics lately, and the question of autonomous behavior comes up frequently, though infrequently about armed systems.  Among other reasons, Army's Future Combat Systems (FCS) places great store in unarmed robotic systems coordinating with other command and control or combat systems.

In the movie Robocop, there was a big difference between the actual "hero" robot, and its main "bad-robot" adversary, the ED-209.  Robocop had a man inside, or what was left of one. ED stood for "Enforcement Droid," and it was a droid all right - autonomous, with no in-the-moment human control beyond initial programming.  There were somewhat obvious differences between their actions, with dramatic consequences.

Autonomous behavior can be highly desirable in robotics; that's what takes it beyond just remote-control machinery really (Wikipedia has a short history of the research area), and it is one of the focal points in Microsoft Research's work in robotics.  See "Robots Among Us" for a practical description of our funded external projects, or there's this statement from our Robotics research team:

Recent advances in both mechatronics and software have started to suggest that the long-promised future of intelligent autonomous machines, as widely portrayed in popular science fiction for example, may yet be achievable. The difficulty of this challenge, and the persistently compelling nature of striving to build such a device, may explain why robots never seem to lose their attraction to generations of engineers."

Autonomy is great, but armed autonomy is a serious issue in military and law-enforcement use of robots.  If you're in the field, you know the debates, and if you're a civilian onlooker you can certainly understand the reasons for the debates - which of course are political and ethical, not technical.

As pointed out in a Washington University story about the Few/Smart work [please, no Army-slogan jokes], all of the Army's current robotic force is teleoperated from a remote location. As Dr. Smart argues, "It's a chain of command thing. You don't want to give autonomy to a weapons delivery system. You want to have a human hit the button."

So far, that principle has been the rule in U.S. deployed systems, whether you're talking armed unmanned airborne vehicles, the armed Mule Light Assault vehicle, or the new unmanned ground vehicles, such as the curious SWORDS program.  Blogs had great coverage of the vehicle and program during its Iraq deployment (see StormWarning's "Armed Robots Deployed" or WIRED DangerRoom's "First Armed Robots on Patrol"), but for a follow-up and current status see the retrospective account as Popular Mechanics described it in their March 2008 issue,

Last June the Army deployed the first-ever armed UGVs. Three SWORDS (Special Weapons Observation Remote Direct-Action System) robots landed in Iraq, each equipped with an M249 light machine gun. These UGVs are essentially guns on tracks, a variant of the remote-control Talon bots routinely blown up while investigating improvised explosive devices. When the trio was approved for combat duty, the potential for historic robot-versus-human carnage lit up the blogosphere. Never mind the dozens of air-to-ground Hellfire missiles that have already been launched by a squadron of armed Predator drones over the past seven years—this was a robot soldier, packing the same machine gun used by ground troops.

The historic deployment ended with a whimper after the Army announced that the SWORDS would not be given the chance to see combat. According to a statement from Duane Gotvald, deputy project manager of the Robotic Systems Joint Project Office, which oversees robots used by the Army and Marines, “While there has been considerable interest in fielding the system, some technical issues still remain and SWORDS is not currently funded.” The robots never fired a shot, but Gotvald pointed out that the Army’s 3rd Infantry Division used them for surveillance and “peacekeeping/guard operations.”

The Army is still deploying other small unarmed robots, like the Small UGV (SUGV), under the FCS program.

Armed Autonomy Interest in Other Countries

Other nations have similar programs; Israel's Guardium is much like SWORDS, as is South Korean "Intelligent Surveillance and Guard Robot."   China's robotics research began during the 1980s, and in 2000 their National University of Defense Technology unveiled "our first class humanoid robot," named "Xianxingzhe" or Forerunner, and the Xinhua report at the time said that "Our country's robot development level will advance to the world front."  Funny thing: some Japanese sites began to parody the Chinese robot, "Senkousha" in Japanese, and there has grown up a large online Senkousha literature of comic robots.

More seriously, recently Ilya Kramnik, a leading Russian military analyst (he's the military correspondent for RIA Novosti news agency), published a very interesting review of the prospects for autonomous armed robots ("Robot Armies: Another Military Revolution"). Kramnik describes several thought-provoking if not harrowing scenarios of future robot combat which don't seem that far away technically:

There will be a time when robots will become the best value for the money. When this happens, a couple of battalions will be able to destroy an enemy tank division... There is no doubt that a tank battle against these machines will be similar to the feats of Zinovy Kolobanov or Otto Karius (Soviet and German tank aces of World War II)... Human losses of robotized battalions will be minimal unless an artillery regiment of the tank division destroys the control company. But it is likely to lose the artillery duel to the artillery division of the robotized enemy, which will be actively using pilotless aircraft to adjust its fire... 

Warfare will become a race of life against hardware. Its outcome is obvious - it is much easier to mourn robots than people.

Bonus Eye Candy:  For those of you who are not so old-school and paranoid about robots having a finger on the trigger, here's a video of the South Korean ISGR, "a robotic sentry gun designed to detect and if necessary fire upon intruders along the border with North Korea."  I was at the DMZ just over a year ago and toured along the long heavily patrolled, sensor-laden border, but these beasts had not yet been deployed.  Halfway through the video you'll see shots of the tracking-control and AI-driven decision screens. 

I guess the formula is, Mechatronics + Software + Ammo = Bad-Ass ISR.

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Aviation Calendar 2009

Aviation Calendar 2009: Find 13 thrilling images of military planes, from fighter jets to aerobatic teams, from attack helicopters to battlefield UAVs. US Air Force, Navy, and RAF planes included. Find the TEAMultimedia Aviation Calendar 2009 at our very own PatriArt Gallery.

Cyber attacks originating within China have exposed vulnerabilities in U.S. military computer systems that ``increase the urgency'' for improvements, according to a top Pentagon official.

Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England, in a 70-page request sent to Congress July 11, asked to shift $1.8 billion in approved spending to other programs, including computer security, reports Tony Capaccio at Bloomberg.com.

``Recent attacks from China on Department of Defense networks and systems increase the urgency to construct cyber systems'' that can't be penetrated, England said.

England said the Pentagon must develop its own technology. Building effective, secure systems for military command-and- control and sharing sensitive information between the military services and allies are requirements that ``cannot be met with current commercial products,'' he said.

Analysts said England's statement is the Pentagon's clearest public admission that its computers have been penetrated by China.

Read the entire article at Bloomberg.com

It is August now and I have had a very busy July. I opended up with the Jajo Art Gallery fundraiser. We all managed to raise a ton of money on that venue. Then I went to hope and while I am still waiting on video of my very successful "Video Game Homebrew VS Piracy" talk on the unlisted track, the Phone Losers of America panel went exactly as planned. Here is a 10 minute video sample of the entire thing:

I have updates for the website that will go up shortly. You will see more information about the Last Hope, more Photos, Drawing Page, Scheduel updates and Jajo Internship will be up.

Stay tuned, this month I am going to be focusing on my Stand-Up Comedy work as well as other smaller projects that will be annouced shortly.

- Jordan White

www.jordanwhite.net

Aquest sender és una drecera directa des del Pla d’Escobeiró al poble d’Alp. Realitza un desnivell de 500 metres en 2,5 km sense cap gir, anant pel dret.

Distància:Km | Desnivell:m

DESCARREGAR TRACK GPS | veure a Google Earth | MAPA | PERFIL

Es deixa la Serra d’Escobeiró a l’esquerra per baixar ràpidament al Collet Roig on es creua la carretera de Masella. Poc més avall, travessant un altra sector de repoblació de pi roig que ha estat recentment aclarida, es troba l’Àrea recreativa del Pla de la Baga. Més avall de l’àrea recreativa, travessant la part baixa del Pla que s’utilitza actualment com a camp de tir uns dies determinats l’any, es baixa per Les Costes, travessan una pista de terra que constitueix el sender 740bis d’enllaç amb el sender 740 i s’arriba a la part alta del poble d’Alp.

LINKS DELS TRETS D´INTERÉS

*Aclarida
En aquesta zona s’ha realitzat un tractament per tal de reduir la competència entre els arbres i que aquests puguin créixer amb més vigor. Aquest tractament juntament amb la trituració de matoll que s’ha fet en part d’aquesta zona serveix també per reduir el risc d’incendis.
La Muntanya d’Alp disposa d’un Pla d’Ordenació per gestionar la forest basant-se en els principis de la sostenibilitat forestal. La darrera planificació, realitzada a l’any 2001, detalla totes les intervencions que s’han de realitzar a la Muntanya durant 12 anys. Té com a objectius l’estabilitat, la protecció i la producció d’aquests boscos, integrant els diferents usos que hi conflueixen amb especial atenció per la millora de la qualitat del paisatge. Aquesta planificació ha d’assegurar que les intervencions que s’hi fan no perjudiquen el desenvolupament de la forest.

*Els Plans
El Pla de la Baga, per on discorre el sender 739 eren camps de cultiu. Tradicionalment, fins fa poques dècades, totes les zones planeres de la forest s’han utilitzat com a pastures o per cultivar. Així, abans de l’arribada de les grans infraestructures d’esquí i les urbanitzacions que les han acompanyat, l’extens Pla de Masella estava ple de camps que es llauraven i s’hi sembraven “trumfes” (com en diem aquí de les patates), naps i sègle. En la majoria de zones planeres de la muntanya es poden trobar encara construccions de pedra en sec (corrals, barraques, etc), vestigis del que fou la vida dels ramaders en un passat recent. Tanmateix, el terme “Pleta” que es abundant com a topònim al Pirineu i present en aquesta zona en concret (per exemple, Pleta Castany) és l’ indret on es recull el bestiar que pastura per la muntanya.
Aquestes pastures que es troben rodejades de bosc tenen una importància cabdal no només per l’ús ramader que encara tenen sinó perquè són necessàries per moltes espècies de la fauna salvatge (ajuden a enriquir la biodiversitat), faciliten que es pugui apagar el foc en cas d’incendi i enriqueixen el paisatge.
Els ramats que encara queden ajuden a mantenir aquesta riquesa, ja que si es deixa de pasturar aquestes zones obertes es transformen ràpidament en bosc.

Recomanacions d’ús o restriccions:
El desnivell és molt fort i el sender puja molt recte, sense fer gaires corbes que facilitin l’ascensió, així que és recomanable prendre itineraris que recorrin aquest sender en sentit descendent (del Pla d’Escobeiró a Alp).

PERFIL

MAPA | ampliar mapa

Frank Keerl i la resta de convidats parlaven d’això quan he arribat. Davant de la casa, una mica elevat, hi ha un gran jardí d’herba fresca i flonja, tancat per unes oliveres. En sortir del cotxe he sentit veus i he tirat cap allà. “Espero que quan les oliveres creixin em taparan una mica la vista de la carretera”, deia el nebot de Pla. La cara del Frank Keerl m’ha produit el típic xoc que produeixen les cares conegudes en persones que no has vist mai. Les mateixes faccions de Pla: els ulls de mongol, la cara plana, amb els pòmuls marcats i el nas afilat, una mica jueu. Potser la boca no la tenia tan ampla, però m’ha semblat una reencarnació ben alimentada de Pla, la demostració que escriure aprima –especialment en aquest país de gent tan intel·ligent i circumspecta.

En canvi, en el camp del caràcter, Keerl fa la impressió d’haver heretat els gens germànics del seu pare. És un home contingut i disciplinat, a les antípodes d’aquest ingovernable mongòlic del Mediterrani, que diuen que era Pla.

Quan ha arribat el Lluís, hem passat cap dins. Keerl ens ha explicat que la part antiga del Mas és del segle XVII i la nova de mitjans del segle XIX. Aquesta part més nova és filla del moment d’eufòria que van viure els pagesos empordanesos mentre la fil·loxera destruïa les vinyes del sud de França. Després la fil·loxera va baixar, i es van acabar les alegries; aquí totes les grans crisis són anunciades per estats d’optimisme durant els quals la gent s’arriba a creure que els calés els regalen.

Hem pujat a la famosa sala del primer pis, la de la campana, i ens hem assegut al voltant de la tauleta on escrivia Pla. Les mateixes cadires. Són comodíssimes, et deixen els braços a una altura ideal per agafar paper i posar-te a fer feina. Tret de les llibreries, que han estat retirades, el mobiliari és el mateix (“restaurat” –ha precisat Keerl). L’estança és més lluminosa del que suggereixen les fotos. Des d’on escrivia Pla, es domina tota la sala i part dels terrenys de la família. La vista és bonica, i a les vuit de la tarda tenia l’efecte sedant propi dels vespres d’estiu, amb un celet de blaus i blancs insípids, banyat per un groc terrós i suau, de crema catalana.

La calefacció la va fer instal·lar Keerl dos anys abans que morís Pla. No va aconseguir que l’escriptor l’engegués mai: “Aquest hivern no fa fred, home!”, li deia, llençant el braç enlaire. El termòmetre marcava vuit graus i només es podia estar sense abric, a la banda de la taula que donava a la llar, on seia Pla per escriure.

La nòvia del fill de Keerl, una noia alta, guapa i morena, com sortida d’un pantà romàntic, ens ha tret unes plates de porc embutxat fet a la finca i un vi rosat, que m’ha pujat al cap. He preguntat si es vénen bé els llibres de Pla i Keerl m’ha dit que no. S’ha queixat de la resistència que ha trobat per reeditar l’Obra Completa. Amb tota la raó, creu que el disseny original té un valor de marca, però, com deia Pla, aquí fins i tot el més tonto té idees genials per modernitzar-ho tot –sobretot les coses que ja funcionen.

Buidades les ampolles de vi, hem pujat a les antiges golfes, on Keerl té la seva biblioteca particular sobre l’escriptor –la pública està a la fundació de Palafurgell. A més dels llibres, hi guarda, retallats i enganxats, en uns àlbums mastodòntics però elegants, tots els articles que Pla va publicar a Destino. Aquesta feina de xinos la va fer ell mateix. Va fer el mateix exercici amb els articles de La Publicitat i La Veu de Catalunya. Al costat de cada article, hi ha l’original -quan li va ser possible trobar-los. M’ha agradat la cura amb què Keerl guarda la memòria de l’escriptor i com sembla haver traspassat al seu fill aquesta responsabilitat familiar.

Abans de marxar, encara hem visitat el dormitori de Pla, que està intacte. El presideix una verge enorme i a la tauleta de nit hi ha una foto de la mare, on es veu que els ulls asiàtics de Pla venen de la banda Casadevall. He remarcat que, tenint en compte l’altura de l’escriptor, el llit em semblava curt, i l’Agustí Colomines, que és historiador, m’ha corregit:

− És que abans la gent no dormia estirada, home!
− Ah!, dormien en posició fetal...
− No, home, no: incorporats, com a l’hospital.
− Doncs sort que el meu avi era baixet perquè havia de dormir sense coixí: era tan pacífic que sinó dormia estirat, pobre, no li arribava la sang al cap.

Després hem anat a sopar a la casa que el Lluís té a Begur. El menjar boníssim, sobretot la butifarra, que tenia aquest sabor ancestral, de sang i vísceres fresques passades pel foc, que té la carn quan és bona. He insistit tant en la qualitat de la butifarra que s’ha acabat abans que les gambes, i no he pogut repetir. La conversa esplèndida, sobretot quan parlava jo. El Lluís m’anava donat copets amistosos a la cama, com dient-me: “Va, no els facis treballar tant, home, que és la primera vegada que vénen.” El Lluís: el Lluís és un sant baró de frases crues com els entrecots que jo em menjo.

Hem acabat la nit a la platja. El front autonomista s’ha radicalitzat. El Graupera s’ha enfilat dalt d’una roca per llançar-se de cap. El seu cos despullat, imprès en la fosca, gairebé era tant poètic com la lluna, que cremava en un infern vermell, del color del suc de les gambes. La mar respirava amb el seu pulmó petit, adormida. Jo comptava pedretes. Em sembla que no seré mai ric. Potser en un altre país, on no hi hagi tants demòcrates.

Critics say that PLA doesn't compost effectively when buried under tons of debris in the airless vaults of massive landfills. Others are worried that PLA is derived from genetically-modified sources. Still others worry that corn and other plant life are being diverted away food production causing food shortages and rising prices. There are even concerns about methane gas from decomposing PLA adding to greenhouse gasses.

Supporters claim that recycling facilities can be inexpensively converted to industrially compost PLA waste and carbon capture offset gasses. Economists studying the causes of food shortages and world food prices differ on why we are facing our current predicament. Some suggest that GMO crops will increase crop yield to feed the growing world population. Other economists point their finger at commodity speculators, hoarding, and trade barriers to explain the sudden rise in food prices.

The debate continues...

Plastics made out of Cargill Dow's corn-resin pellets break down in an industrial compost facility in about 45 days. (NEWSCOM)

I've long admired the investigative reporting and editorials in The Christian Science Monitor. I find their articles to be diligently researched and the analysis offered in their opinion pieces to be comprehensive and well reasoned. I often surf their on-line edition CS Monitor for environmental news. EarthTalk, a syndicated feature from E-The Environment Magazine is carried by The CS Monitor. EarthTalk editor Eoin O'Carroll, who answers readers questions on a wide range of green issues, posted an article on July 11th regarding the pros and cons of polylactic acid (PLA). I posted a piece on PLA months ago and it continues to be the most viewed article on this site. It's time to take another look at this topic and EarthTalk's column is a good place to start.

Q: What are the environmental pros and cons of corn-based plastic as an alternative to conventional petroleum-based plastic?
– Laura McInnes, Glasgow, Scotland

A: Polylactic acid (PLA), a plastic substitute made from fermented plant starch (usually corn), is quickly becoming a popular alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics.

As more and more countries and states follow the lead of China, Ireland, South Africa, Uganda, and San Francisco in banning plastic grocery bags responsible for so much “white pollution” worldwide, PLA is poised to play a big role as a biodegradable replacement.

Proponents tout the use of PLA – which is technically “carbon neutral,” in that it comes from renewable, carbon-absorbing plants – as another way to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases in a warming world. PLA also does not emit toxic fumes when incinerated.

But critics say that PLA is far from a panacea for dealing with the world’s plastic waste problem. For one thing, although PLA does biodegrade, it does so very slowly. According to Elizabeth Royte, writing in Smithsonian magazine, PLA may well break down into its constituent parts (carbon dioxide and water) within three months in a “controlled composting environment,” that is, an industrial composting facility heated to 140 degrees F. and fed a steady diet of digestive microbes. But it will take far longer in a compost bin or a landfill packed so tightly that no light and little oxygen are available to assist in the process. Analysts estimate that a PLA bottle could take anywhere from 100 to 1,000 years to decompose in a landfill.

Read the rest of the article in the CS Monitor

The issue can be further clouded when the question of what actually makes a product compostable is factored into the equation. Eugene Stevens, a member of the American Society for Testing and Materials and a chemistry professor at the State University of New York(Binghamton), has conducted research on bio-plastics for more than three decades. In an article in the International Herald Tribune (IHT), Stevens states, "It's a little complicated, but in general, if it biodegrades to 90 percent within six months in an industrial composting environment with no toxic components, that's compostable."

In the IHT article posted on July 6th, author, Erica Giles writes:

Biodegradable plastic products offer the possibility of relieving consumers of guilt and manufacturers of the responsibilities associated with growing landfills and garbage-choked oceans. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, only 6.9 percent of plastics were recycled in the United States in 2006, partly because many plastics are composites of different materials and are hard to recycle.

In addition, consumers have recently become more aware of how many products are oil-based, said Steve Davies, marketing director of NatureWorks, a company that makes a bioplastic from plants. With oil prices up sharply, "it's now obvious to just about everybody that our overdependence on oil is bad for our environment, bad for our economy."

The term bioplastics actually has two meanings: sometimes it is used to refer to plastics that contain a percentage of renewable materials; and sometimes to plastics that are both made from renewable materials and are biodegradable.

This ambiguity - and the fact that some bioplastics may also contain petroleum-based polymers - can cloud the green pedigree of a product.

Meanwhile, studies show that consumers are also confused about terms like "renewable" and "biodegradable." "Consumers believe that if it's renewable, then it's inherently good and it's inherently biodegradable," said Steve Mojo, executive director of the Biodegradable Products Institute, an advocacy group. "They also believe that biodegradation is a magical process that will make things disappear."

In fact, biodegradable means susceptible to degradation by microorganisms. But nothing actually breaks down in landfills. Modern landfills are, by design, hermetically sealed tombs for waste.

Nor will biodegradable products necessarily break down if tossed on the side of the road or buried in a backyard. A less confusing term is compostable, which means a product that can be returned to the soil in a beneficial manner.

"Compostable tells a consumer what to do with it," Mojo said, "whereas biodegradable doesn't."

Read the rest of the article in The International Herald Tribune

Finally, weighing in on the issue of PLA and bio-plastics is The Guardian, the UK's venerable broadsheet from the left. John Vidal, environment editor at the Guardian had this to say about bio-plastics in an article posted last April:

The worldwide effort by supermarkets and industry to replace conventional oil-based plastic with eco-friendly "bioplastics" made from plants is causing environmental problems and consumer confusion, according to a Guardian study.

The substitutes can increase emissions of greenhouse gases on landfill sites, some need high temperatures to decompose and others cannot be recycled in Britain.

Many of the bioplastics are also contributing to the global food crisis by taking over large areas of land previously used to grow crops for human consumption.

The market for bioplastics, which are made from maize, sugarcane, wheat and other crops, is growing by 20-30% a year.

The industry, which uses words such as "sustainable", "biodegradeable", "compostable" and "recyclable" to describe its products, says bioplastics make carbon savings of 30-80% compared with conventional oil-based plastics and can extend the shelf-life of food.

Concern centres on corn-based packaging made with polylactic acid (Pla). Made from GM crops, it looks identical to conventional polyethylene terephthalate (Pet) plastic and is produced by US company NatureWorks. The company is jointly owned by Cargill, the world's second largest biofuel producer, and Teijin, one of the world's largest plastic manufacturers.

Pla is used by some of the biggest supermarkets and food companies, including Wal-Mart, McDonald's and Del Monte. It is used by Marks & Spencer to package organic foods, salads, snacks, desserts, and fruit and vegetables.

Read the rest of The Guardian (UK) article

What to make of the controversy surrounding PLA? I'm as confused as you are. I'd love to read your comments on this issue.