NPR

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Proposed Executive Order Would Mandate Classical Architecture For Federal Buildings : NPR

The architectural world is reeling over President Trump's call for traditional designs for new Federal buildings. His proposed executive order is called "Make Federal Buildings Beautiful Again," it takes an out-with-the-new, in-with-the-old approach to architecture, calling modern federal buildings constructed over the last five decades "undistinguished," "uninspiring" and "just plain ugly."

It's true that modernism abounds in D.C. Standing on a street corner near the National Mall, there's actually a mishmash of architectural styles. Let's talk about three of them: In the distance, the gleaming white pillars of the U.S. Capitol dome, the kind of classical architecture the president's order favors. Closer in, there's a towering, steel-mesh scrim that's part of the Eisenhower Memorial, a contemporary design by Frank Gehry which is under construction. Right behind the scrim, there's the beige, boxy, concrete-heavy Department of Education, a Brutalist building — the style a lot of people love to hate.

February 13, 2020 Night

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Good evening! Cloudy and 37 degrees in Delmar, NY. ☁ There is a northwest breeze at 8 mph. 🍃. Enjoy the mild weather now because it’s going to be cold tomorrow and Saturday. There are 2 inches of snow on the ground. ☃ ️Temperatures will drop below freezing at around 11 pm. ☃️

I went to the library after dinner and got participated in the CDTA online focus group 🚍 that’s supposed to send me an $25 Amazon gift card for participating. It was a really odd thing, seemed legitimate but I’ll believe it when I get it. Asked questions about the bus service then asked to click which one I agreed with more. I didn’t have to give any personal information and it was only 40 minutes at the library so I saw no downside. I could sorta do other things in other tabs of the browser. 💻

I also spent some time looking at the DEIS for Crossgates Maul Apartment Complex. 🌎 I don’t understand it all, seems fine to me but Save the Pine Bush thinks it’s important to fight and so do I. I avoid all local politics these days but fighting development in the Pine Bush is a personal cause of mine 🌲🌲🌲. I figure do something good for the community before I eventually leave New York for better places. Try to leave the land at least as good as I found it.

I heard that song, The Crucifixion by Phil Ochs and I had forgotten what a powerful song it truly is. 🎶 Apparently it brought tears 😭 to Robert Kennedy’s eyes 👀 when he heard it too. It still is powerful a half century later. I wish Phil Ochs had lived a much longer life, he could have done so much more for our country. Heck, I think Tom Paxton all these years later is still singing his songs.

Tonight will have a slight chance of snow showers before midnight. Mostly cloudy 🌧, with a low of 13 degrees at 6am. Four degrees below normal. Northwest wind 8 to 13 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%. In 2019, we had mostly clear skies in the evening, which became light snow by the early hours of the morning. It got down to 26 degrees. The record low of -13 occurred back in 2016.

Tonight will have a Last Quarter 🌗 Moon with 71% illuminated. The moon will rise at 10:46 pm. The Snow ❄ Moon is on Saturday, February 29. The darkest hour is at 12:11 am, followed by dawn at 6:28 am, and sun starting to rise at 6:57 am in the east-southeast (108°) and last for 3 minutes and 3 seconds. Sunrise is one minute and 21 seconds earlier than yesterday. 🌄 The golden hour ends at 7:37 am with sun in the east-southeast (115°). Tonight will have 13 hours and 29 minutes of darkness, a decrease of 2 minutes and 39 seconds over last night.

Tomorrow will be mostly sunny 🌞, with a high of 22 degrees at 2pm. 12 degrees below normal. Maximum wind chill around 0 at 6pm; Northwest wind 11 to 16 mph. Tomorrow evening waiting out for the bus 🚍 is going to suck. A year ago, we had mostly sunny skies in the morning, which became mostly sunny by afternoon. The high last year was 37 degrees. The record high of 63 was set in 1946. 23.5 inches of snow fell back in 1914.❄

In four weeks on March 12 the sun will be setting in the west (267°) at 6:58 pm (Daylight Savings Time),🌄 which is one hour, 34 minutes and 49 seconds later then tonight. In 2019 on that day, we had partly sunny, snow showers and temperatures between 38 and 27 degrees. Last March was super cold. Typically, you have temperatures between 43 and 24 degrees. The record high of 69 degrees was set back in 2012.

As I go to bed tonight, 😴 I was thinking how fast time goes by. But things are only getting better as time goes by. By the end of the year I might be older than the average Albany County resident but there is much to look forward to. Money 💵 is growing slowly but steady at some point I’ll be able to afford my own land, an off grid property and a hobby farm. It’s still years off but not that far. I’m working hard and getting results. I can’t wait for a better tomorrow but wait I must as good things come to those who wait. Good night.

Looking ahead, 5:30 PM Sunset 🌆 is in 1 week, 7 PM Sunset 🌆 is a month away and Flower Moon 🌕 is in 12 weeks.

🇺🇸🦅Only 14 weeks remain until the start of Memorial Day Weekend!🦅🇺🇸

Photo.2013.01.05 18.17.54

NPR

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A Major Registration Push Reaches Millions — But Divides Elections Officials : NPR

I am a big fan of automatic voter registration, that enrolls people to vote any time they interact with a government agency. If the government knows who you are, you should be registered to vote. Most people have records on file at the DMV, the county court house, the local welfare office, and so forth. It should be as easy as possible to vote.

How packaging is changing | Waste Dive

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The quickly disappearing corrugated box: How packaging is changing | Waste Dive

s in many things e-commerce, Amazon has been one of the driving forces in changes to packaging, namely less of it and with sustainable materials. The company announced in September 2018 its “Frustration-Free Packaging Vendor Incentive Program” intended to drive sellers to use smaller, lighter and more sustainable packaging options. Amazon started implementing fines on Aug. 1, 2019, according to The Wall Street Journal. Sellers who don’t meet the standard can be fined $1.99 per order.

The rule, along with a corporate drive toward lower costs, less waste and improved sustainability, has spurred innovation in the packaging industry, including a proliferation of new packaging options, particularly in flexible plastic. The plastic packaging market overall was valued at $345.91 billion in 2019, according to Mordor Intelligence, and is expected to reach $426.47 billion by 2025.

The other day I was hearing that some people think a gay man, like Pete Buttiegeig might not be able to win the presidency

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The other day I was hearing that some people think a gay man, like Pete Buttiegeig might not be able to win the presidency. That might be a concern of the older generation, but there are fewer and fewer of those people left around in this world. Religious conservatives who remain opposed to gay marriage, are already backing Donald Trump, so they aren’t going to back any Democrat that runs. Moreover, gay relationships are so mainstream nowadays, and are hardly the “dirty little secret” of yesteryear. Same-sex marriages today aren’t primarily about what people do in their bedroom, it’s about love and a bonded relationship.