Thanksgiving is tomorrow, for those of us in the good ol’ US. It’s a good time to take stock of what really matters in life and be thankful for all we have. In no particular order, I’m thankful for…

• The FI, who is my best friend, biggest cheerleader, and probably the most patient man I’ve ever met. He makes me happier than I can ever possibly say, so you’ll have to trust me on that one. I can’t wait to be your wife. I Love You.
• Mum, Dad, and Lil’ Bro, who have always been there for me through it all, backing me up and reminding me that I can do anything. Love you guys.
• All my extended family (on both sides, and the FI’s family, too), who make me laugh, give me fun stories to tell, and put life in perspective. More love.
• All of my friends, who let me vent, make me laugh until I cry, and put up with my shenanigans with general good graces. This goes double for MOH K and MOH S– you ladies are the sisters I never had. You made my transition to a new school way easier than I could have thought possible, and remind me that there’s always time for a silly story.
• All the FI’s friends, who have become my friends over the years. You had him before I did, but I can’t thank you enough for being there for him when I couldn’t, and being the ones he could turn to when he has a crazy desire to hike the Presidential Mountain Range or run the Boston Marathon, things I’ll never do. As much as you think you might have made me exasperated with the lot of you, I miss you guys so much. Extra big hugs to GM R and GM M, who are in Afghanistan and Iraq, respectively. Cookies are on their way.
• My “Internet friends,” as the FI calls y’all. I haven’t met most of you, but the ones I have met are fab. Thanks for a welcome distraction when work gets to be a little too much. I’m almost always able to find a smile in my Twitter feed.
• Having a roof over my head.
• Having good health.
• My job, which allows me to afford said roof and resources to go out and have fun with everyone mentioned above.
• Beer. Yep, I went there. I am thankful for beer and all it entails. Drinking it, making it, talking about it, smelling it at a brewery… all happy things for me.
• Books, for giving me an escape from reality. Extra-super bonus points for the Harry Potter series, which never fails to put me right.
• This video of the Muppets covering Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.” Made my day!

I have a lot to be thankful for. It might be time to start giving thanks for the small things on a regular basis.

What are you thankful for?

Ich hab heute nacht das ein oder andere Blog für mich entdekt, unteranderem das der Mika, und genau dort bin ich über folgendes Bild Gestolpert…

Pool, Strom und Wasser ?

So in den Comments wurde schon eifrig Diskutiert wie bekloppt die Jungs doch seien und das der Stecker nicht stecken würde denn das wäre doch tödlich und Bla so weiter halt.

Als erstes vorweg Ich bin gelernter Elektroniker für Energie und Gebäudetechnik und habe meinen Gesellenbrief auch zurecht erhalten, soll heißen ich weiss auch bescheid über das was ich da jetzt schreiben werde und zweitens auch wenns gleich evt. anders klingen sollte, ich empfehle NIMANDEN DIES NACHZUMACHEN, DA ES TROTZDEM TÖDLICH SEIN KANN.

Ich Stelle folgende Theorien auf

1. Die Jungs auf dem Bild sind Elektriker …
2. Zweitens der Stecker ist eingestöpselt …
3. das wird Zwar vermutlich gutgehn
4. aber NIEMAND sollte son Bullshit nachmachen
5. denn wenn sie auch Fachmänner sein Mögen sind sie Trottel
   nur Trottel machen son Blödsinn und dann auch noch öffentlich

Und so Begründe Ich das:

1. Ganz ehrlich kein normaler Mensch würde doch auf son Blödsinn kommen… oder doch?

2. und 3. Achtung nun wirds Technisch
Es giebt mehrere möglichkeiten, hjer mein favorit der wohl am Warscheinlichsten ist

• RCD (bzw FI):
  Sogenante Fehlerstromschutzschalter schalten bei geringsten Fehlerströmen, da werden auch menschliche Dummheit zu großteilen mit abgedeckt, ab. Sollten die RCD’s für ströme unter 30mA ausgelegt (anm. technisches Kauderwelsch erklär ich andernmal) sein dann Besteht keine nenneswerte gefahr, ausser der verblödung des Anwenders wie das Bild Ja beweisst. Bei Fehlerströmen unter 10mA sind schäden für mensch und Leib, natürlich immer nur bei ordnungsgemäßer Funktion des RCD, ausgeschlossen.
  RCD’s sind heutzutage in nahezu jeder Modernen Anlage eingebaut, und für neuanlagen seit einigen Jahren auch Vorgeschrieben. RCD’s retten Leben, deshalb muss auch Regelmäßig der Prüfknopf (1xMonatlich mindestens) betätigt werden, bei nicht funktion ist sofort ein Elektriker zuverständigen, Wohnt ihr zur mitte denkt dran den Dienstweg über den hausmeister zugehn. Sollte Keiner vorhanden sein empfehle ich euch Nachzurüsten, und solche Arbeiten sollten auch von einem Elektrofachbetrieb erledigt werden, allein wegen der Haftungsfragen.
• Zum Funktionsaufbau eines RCD:
  Vereinfacht ausgedrückt ist der RCD ein Zähler, er zählt alle reinfließenden Ströme und alle Ausfliessenden Ströme und vergleicht diese. Gemäß der Gesetzmäßigkeiten der Elektrotechnik, vlt. erinnert sich der ein oder andere grob an Physik sowie Kirchoff 1 und 2, muss die Summe dieser beiden Ströme 0 sein, Einfließender Strom + Ausfließender Strom = 0 (I+(-I)=0), und dies bestimmt der RCD mit einem Magnetischem Verfahren. Bei erreichen der Eingestellten differenz Löst er Aus und Schaltet ab.
• Berührungsspannung und Lebensgefahr:
  Die maximal zulässige Berührungsspannung wurde auf 50V für Wechselspannungen bzw. 120V für Gleichspannungen festgelegt, allerdings wäre in einem Pool wohl jeweils die hälfte angemessen, da ja der Ganze Körper im “Strom” schwimmt. Dies ergebe für unsere Netztspannung, nach den Allgemeinen Regeln der Technik, zulässige fehlerstrome von 50 bzw 25 mA. In der Regel sind RCD’s für 30 mA ausgelegt also wäre hier schon eine gefährdung anzunehmen, berücksichtigt man das, Wechselströme schon ab 10mA zu gefährlichem Herzkammerflimmern führen können, und Sogenannte Peronenschutzschalter (RCD mit fehler Strom >=10 mA, sogut wie nie verbaut werden, Steht die gefährdung doch ganz Klar im Vordergrund.

Ich weiß das dies eine Stark vereinfachte Darstellung an einigen Stellen ist, aber sie genügt den Ansprüchen den Leser für die gefahren des Elektrischen Stroms zu Sensibilisieren.

DESHALB MACHT SONEN BULLSHIT ZUHAUSE NIEMALS NACH

ES GEHT IMMERHIN UM EUER LEBEN.

cu an other time
on an other place

der bagalutenGregor

gelernter Elektroniker für Energie und Gebäudetechnik
mit Gesellenbrief

En esta plataforma resulta muy sencillo operar, ya sea en compra o venta, podrá ejecutar órdenes, liquidar y hacer depósitos. Siempre con el apoyo de información especializada, en estricto tiempo real. Podrá acceder a gráficos interactivos de los principales índices mundiales, cotizaciones y valores de mayor relevancia, evolución del mercado de divisas. En fin, un sin número de aplicaciones que harán de su operativa una óptima y sencilla forma de trabajar. Inversis Banco, a la última en tecnología.

Résumer le livre “toutes les F….”

Créer mon entreprise dans le domaine de l’esprit .

écrire un livre de synthèse

Some are calling the Mavizen TTX02 a laptop on wheels.” Not only can the bike reach speeds of up 130 miles an hour, it also has an onboard computer system.

Each bike comes with a dash-mounted computer complete with Linux, on board server, a dedicated IP address, USB, and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Source:
http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/the-mavizen-motorbike-that’s-“a-laptop-on-wheels”

Some are calling the Mavizen TTX02 a laptop on wheels.” Not only can the bike reach speeds of up 130 miles an hour, it also has an onboard computer system.

Each bike comes with a dash-mounted computer complete with Linux, on board server, a dedicated IP address, USB, and Wi-Fi connectivity.

Source:
http://www.geekwithlaptop.com/the-mavizen-motorbike-that’s-“a-laptop-on-wheels”

¿Por qué te levantas cada mañana?

¿Quién eres?

¿Te conoces realmente  a ti mismo?

Siempre buscamos respuestas…o lo intentamos…y cuando encuentras esas respuestas a todas las preguntas que te hiciste aquella noche no eres capaz de aceptarlo,te arrodillas y sucumbes a esa  terrible realidad que siempre estuvo ahi,presente,latente.

Y es que esa verdad que tanto ansias  encontrar no te hará libre,por el contrario,te condenará.

Ojalá puediera haber visto este film en el cine en vez de…ya saben…

Y es que de tal palo,tal astilla.

]]> http://craftlet.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/crochet-jayne-cobb-beanie/ Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:50:55 +0000 Amie http://craftlet.wordpress.com/2009/11/07/crochet-jayne-cobb-beanie/

This is a pattern for a beanie similar to the one worn by Jayne Cobb in the episode “The Message.” There are several patterns available for knitted versions, but I don’t know how to knit, so I made one up for all of us non-knitters. Comments and critiques are appreciated! More pictures will be posted in mid December (it is a birthday gift for a friend, so I’d like the hat’s “on the head” debut to be on her). In the mean time, if you have any questions please ask via comment, and I’ll answer as best (and as soon) as I can.

The Crochet Jayne Cobb Beanie!

Instructions

Materials:
-5.00 mm (K) Crochet Hook
-2 skeins each of:
-Red Heart Super Saver in Gold (198g, 4 wt.)
-Lion Brand Vanna’s Choice in Rust (100g, 4 wt.)
-Red Heart Collage in Rust (100g, 4 wt.)
-Stitch markers (four different colors)

Gauge: 4″ = 11 stitches

Since this pattern is worked in a spiral, using stitch markers to mark the beginning of each “row” will be necessary.

This entire pattern is worked using two strands of yarn held as one.

Main Part (If you have made a hat before, it may be easier for you to improvise this part… I generally don’t follow a pattern and just use my best judgement, so these instructions are a little weird)
Row 1: Working in Gold, 8 sc into slipknot, pull to tighten. Slipstitch in first stitch. Do not turn.
Rows 2-3: 2 sc in each stitch; don’t work over the raw end, as it will be needed later to affix the pom-pon. Do not turn.
Row 3: *1 sc in first stitch, 2 sc in next stitch. Repeat from * for remaining stitches. Do not turn.
Row 4: 1 *sc in first two stitches, 2 sc in third stitch. Repeat from * for remaining stitches. Do not turn.
Row 5: *sc in first four stitches, 2 sc in fifth stitch. Repeat from * for remaining stitches. Do not turn.
Row 6: *2 sc in first stitch, 1sc in next nine stitches. Repeat from * for remaining stitches. Do not turn. Place a stitch marker across from the row marker (estimate).

Place fabric markers at the row beginning and opposite.

Row 7: sc in each stitch except first stitch and opposite (marked) stitch. Place a stitch marker halfway between the other two markers on each side, so that you have a marker on the North, East, West, and South directions (estimate). We will designate the row (beginning) marker as North.
Row 8: 1 Sc in all stitches except East and West marked stitches; 2 sc in those. (For a larger hat, 2sc in North, South, East, and West)
Row 9: 1 Sc in all stitches except North and South marked stitches; 2 sc in those. (For a larger hat, 2sc in North, South, East, and West)
Rows 10-15: Repeat steps in italics. Remove South, East, and West markers; place markers in Northwest, Northeast, Southwest, and Southeast positions.
Row 16: Using Vanna’s Choice in Rust, 1 Sc in all stitches except Northwest and Southwest marked stitches; 2 sc in those.

Move stitch markers 45 degrees.

Row 17: 1 Sc in all stitches except Northeast and Southeast marked stitches; 2 sc in those.
Rows 18-20: Repeat steps in italics.
Rows 20-28: sc in each stitch. Tie off.
Using Vanna’s choice in Rust, fold edge of hat up to meet three rows from edge. Slip stitch all the way around.

Here, you see the back of the hat. At the bottom of the photo, you can see the rolled edge.

Don’t go crazy trying to follow the instructions above exactly… use your best judgement and adjust if needed. If you deviate from the pattern, don’t worry — it’s a hat, not a souffle! As long as it looks like a hat and fits okay, it will be just fine.

Ear Flaps (make two, of course!)
Try hat on, so that the color-change “bump” is in the middle back. On the inside of the hat, one stitch from the chain stitches you just made (towards the edge), place markers where you think the ears should start and end.
Row 1: Using Red Heart Collage in Rust, sc 12 stitches into this row (insert hook into hole and out next hole, pull loop through).
Rows 2-8: 1 sc in each stitch. Chain 1, turn.
Row 9: Decrease first and last stitches, sc in each stitch in between. Chain 1, turn.
Row 10: 1 sc in each stitch. Chain 1, turn.
Repeat rows 9 and 10 until you have two stitches per row. Chain 1, turn. Sc in each stitch; chain 1, turn, for 14 rows.
Using two strands of same color yarn, sc along the edges of earflaps. Tie off.

Note how the ear flaps are attached to the inner bottom part of the rolled edge.

Pom-Pon
Make a 3″ pom-pon: Using Red Heart Collage in Rust, wrap the doubled yarn around four fingers a bajillion times, cut the end. Tie an eight inch length of doubled yarn around the middle of the pom-pon, pull as tight as you can, and knot securely. Turn pom-pon over, and using another 8 inch length of yarn, repeat. Do not cut these tie ends! Cut the loops, puff the pom-pon out, and trim.

Although the picture makes the pom-pon look enormous, it is a trick of perspective. The pom-pon is only about 3" across.

Finishing
Pull ends of pom-pon ties through second row from middle, so that the eight strands are equally spaced. pull to tighten. Knot with hat ends. Turn hat right-side out. Knot ends of earflaps and pull to tighten. Put it on!

For an authentic look, tie a knot in the ends of the earflaps.

I’d love to hear your comments and feedback, or to see a photo of your versions of this project!

I previously posted this tutorial on Hubpages.com, so if you’ve seen it before, that’s where!  I didn’t steal it.

Additionally:  I am not affiliated with the show Firefly, Serenity, or Joss Whedon in any way — I am a fan, and offer this tutorial as a tribute to the awesomeness that is Firefly!  I am not profiting from this project pecuniarily.

De vre-o luna merg la fitness. Nu am vrut aerobic pentru ca nu imi place sa topai, sa cunosc femei frustrate si sa imi chinuiesc plamanii cu exercitii cardio. La fitness sunt preponderent barbati. La ora la care ma duc sunt numai barbati. Barbatii care vin sunt de la 25 de ani in sus. Unii par chiar foarte batrani. Toti au forta. Toti au muschi. Toti au testosteron.

Ok…Vroiam sa zic “lasand gluma la o parte”, dar nu pot. Imi vine pur si simplu sa bufnesc in ras cand ii vad cum isi ridica tricourile in oglinda ca sa “isi vada patratelele”. Deci continui. Unii dintre barbatii care vin la sala nu au oglinda acasa. Oglinda serveste la admirarea musculaturii abdominale. Barbatii aceia se incordeaza cand se privesc in oglinda. Barbatii aceia apoi se uita la mine sa vada daca ii privesc. Eu nu ii privesc. Eu nu sunt impresionata. Barbatii aceia sunt frustrati. Mai este un barbat de care presupun ca e homosexual. Are un prieten bisexual. Presupun ca prietenul este bisexual pentru ca se holbeaza la mine. Un alt barbat vine de foarte multi ani la sala. Acel barbat fumeaza minim un pachet de tigari pe zi. Mai era un barbat care gemea cand facea exercitiile. Acela ma speria. Ma bucur ca nu mai vine. Catalin mi-a zis ca am idei elitiste. Catalin este un barbat normal, dar care vorbeste mult. Acesta este un paradox. (buahahaha ce revelatii am!) Initial am crezut ca este o ofensa. Acum mi-am schimbat parerea: Catalin imi pune multe intrebari. Domnul Cristi este instructorul. Are tatuaje de marinar pe mana. Cand vrea sa ma pedepseasca ma pune la banda. Atunci obosesc.

E chiar interesant la sala! Si uitati – ma inspira in jurnalul meu on-line! M-am gandit chiar sa fac “Faza gay a saptamanii”, ar avea succes date fiind replicile “hai sa te incalzesti in bratele mele”.

If you’re waiting eagerly for 2010 to bring your business a boost, I’ve got some disappointing news for you. There isn’t going to be a big industry turnaround next year, and your friendly local lender probably isn’t going to give you as much money as it has in the past. Tight credit — in both commercial and retail segments — is going to keep the lid on spending and will continue to make it tough to run a business.

Even if lenders decide to turn on the money machine, there are indications that consumers aren’t willing to take on any more debt. That means if your prospects can’t pay cash for a new machine, they’re probably not going to buy one.

Let me be clear about this: I don’t think that the motorcycle industry is going away, and I don’t think that riders have lost their passion for the sport. I do think, however, that the salad days of fast sales and gushing credit that we’ve enjoyed for the last half-dozen years are gone for a long, long time.

Don’t look for any improvement until 2011 at the earliest, unless the creditsituation improves dramatically. The recent flashy words from Washington notwithstanding, you’re not going to see lots of eager customers next year.

The numbers might show that the national recession is receding, but I believe the real situation facing consumers — and industries like ours that sell toys and luxury products — is worse than the numbers indicate. How many people do you know who tapped their savings or their 401(k) accounts to keep their homes and maintain a semblance of their former lifestyle? I know of several.

The marketing manager of a high visibility aftermarket parts company told me recently that he’s been living on a sharply reduced paycheck for several months because revenues fell so far below forecasts. And if new equity financing can’t be arranged — something that’s far from certain — the company might shut its doors.

Another established company I talked with had its credit line slashed by 60 percent recently, and the balance was rewritten as a note payable over several years. The payments on the new loan are costing the
cash-strapped company several thousand dollars each month. As a result, its employees have taken sharp pay cuts for an indefinite period.

There’s more turbulence under those choppy waters. How many stories like these have you heard?

Credit is still tight and it’s getting tighter. A recent front-page story in The Wall Street Journal didn’t pull any punches. “Drought of Credit Hampers Recovery” reads the headline. The first paragraph tells the story: “A year after the U.S. economy was brought to its knees by the bursting of the housing bubble, credit for consumers is still being aggressively ratcheted back.”

Not only is it being cut back, but banks are charging more for what little credit they provide. Wells Fargo & Co. said it plans to hike interest rates for most of its customers by three percentage points in November this year.

Wells Fargo isn’t the only one pumping up rates, of course. The rate on one of my personal cards was bumped up six points a few months ago — that’s on a card that had a zero balance at the time, that has never had a balance higher than 40 percent of the credit limit, and on which I’ve never been late. Needless to say, that card went into the drawer where it won’t see the light of day for a long, long time.

Back to the WSJ report: Total consumer spending fell $12 billion in August, according to the Federal Reserve. It was the seventh straight month of declines, notes the Journal. “The drop is a stark demonstration of how banks and other lenders are scaling back,” it continues, “… it also reflects a reluctance by Americans to hold big loads of debt at a time when the job market remains in bad shape and the value of their homes has fallen.” Notes one consumer interviewed by the Journal: “If I don’t have credit, then I can’t use it and I won’t use it.”

SBA Program fails
If you’re looking for help from Big Brother in Washington, forget it. I checked with the Small Business Administration to see how its widely promoted flooring loan guarantee program announced this spring has been received. It hasn’t worked out very well. In July, an SBA official estimated that as many as 4,000 loans would be made under the program. The actual number isn’t even close to that. An SBA official told me in September that only nine dealer loans had been completed under the program, and none of them were for motorcycle dealers.

It’s not clear whether businesses aren’t seeking the money (some say the requirements are poorly designed) or whether banks simply aren’t lending the money. But according to the SBA official, “many lenders that have not been involved with this kind of loan and have developed neither expertise nor systems to handle them are leery of participating, and that keeps the numbers down.” (Isn’t the SBA supposed to be educating these guys?)

Here’s the bottom line: Credit is tight and it’s getting tighter, especially for consumers and small businesses. One industry observer expects $1.5 trillion of credit card lines to be pulled out of the system by the end of 2010.

So don’t look for a boost in the new year. It’s simply not going to happen.

This article originally appeared in the Dealernews November 2009 issue. 

I can’t believe October is over.

After the family visit last month, and the two out of the three weddings that I managed to attend, as well as fulfilling some design and performance obligations at the Heliconian Club (Mary Gardiner’s tribute concert was a success, and Deanna Hendriks was a wonderful soprano to work with), I am looking forward to a slight change of pace in November, with more focus back to my academic pursuits.

Kicking off the month will be the ASIS&T Conference in Vancouver, and the Community Informations Research Network (CIRN) conference in Prato which I will follow vicariously through twitter and the published proceedings. I really keep meaning to learn more about the CI field, the practitioners, and the ideas being generated there. Instead, I seem to be collecting links and readings for some unknown time in the future to really dig in to see what’s there. I am no activist, but I’m interested in the lessons learned in the ‘peripheral’ communities about ICTs, and what that can teach us about the needs of marginalized communities (however you define that) that are close to home. While in Vancouver, I hope to be able to catch the company of a few colleagues out west, both new and old, and maybe take a day off from the conference and do a day road trip.

This month is the month when I will be hitting the ground running in my ethnographic research project, and learn from my mistakes in the field. My research design is due next week, as is my SSHRC application, which helps solidify a plan. Once I am back from ASIS&T, I am due to make a presentation about my work-in-progress to date. I will strive to use it as a way to get constructive feedback that I will apply to the remainder of the research I have to do. As you can see from my last few posts, I have been wrestling with the idea, and slowly but surely I am getting a handle on it, even if it is in terms of my difficulties with it at the moment.

Activities around the KMDI program, Faculty of Information’s Alumni Association are also being planned for early December, with a peppering of social events at the Heliconian Club that will reflect the interdisciplinary nature of the membership. I’ll report on those as they happen, and perhaps I will get in the habit of bringing a camera along to these things.

You may think that my calendar is a bit ambitious, considering that I started off a post saying that this month I want to focus on academics, but I am trying to strike a balance. Academic work is important, not only because I am currently a student, but I want to use what I learn as the foundation for a start-up after I am finished. However, being involved in the communities I choose to be a part of is also very important. Instead of seeing them as obligations, I see them more as the moments you carve out to enjoy and appreciate life, and the people that are in it. Ideas brew not simply because of brains, but because you have a community of people behind it, who see the value in it, and who want you to succeed. Slowly but surely, I’m building that community, and hopefully on the days and weeks that feel especially long and dreary, I can always go to them for renewed inspiration and motivation.

As much as I’m devoted to my film cameras, I love messing around with my iPhone camera. It’s fun, always with me and is the next best thing to having a toy or vintage instrument to work with. I look at it as a bridge between the digital SLR world and the toy world (see my post New Year, New Camera ). I recently got a couple of new apps for my iPhone that I’ve been really enjoying.

First is the CamTimer Lite. At $1.99 this app is handy for taking the always-entertaining self-portrait and offers 5 or 15 seconds of self-timing action. In addition, it allows you to tweak anti-shake sensitivity, autosave time and put a date or time on your picture. Pretty handy-dandy and brought to you by fellow word pressers NaughtyNuts.

Another helpful app is called Night Shots. It allows you to add a little fill light to pictures while you’re taking them or to shots you already have saved on your iPhone. There are 3 levels of brightness, low, medium and high. This app isn’t going to save a horribly underexposed shot and in my experience tends not to be terribly effective when the darkened subject is against a very light background, but for minor adjustments it’s fantastic! I took a photo of my daughter today and pumped it up first with the Night Shots app. It looks almost HDR!

Then I used Camera Bag, probably my most-used photographic app, and added the Helga effect. I really love the results and for 99 cents, it’s a bargain. Night Shot is from Cocoa Tek.

Last but certainly not least is the cooler than cool, funner than fun Quad Camera from Art & Mobile. I stumbled across this on a Flickr site dedicated to iPhone pictures and noticed the Action-Sampler-esque images. They were really cool!! As the owner of an Action Sampler I was thrilled to find an equivalent in the world of iPhone. I own an Action Sampler and I do have a lot of fun with it but trying to use up a roll of 36 pictures can be tough. I’ve taken some fun shots of the sunset, an old truck and a stroll on the beach using this app. You can not only arrange your four shots in a square, you can also have these shots appear horizonally or go all out and use the 8-frame format in rectangular form or 8 shots in a horizontal line. One of the best features is the ability to pick the color type of the picture. Your choices are vivid, dull, grayscale, bright, hi-con and no effect. These basically mimic the lomographic looks of a Holga,  cross-processed film and over-blown lighting. By far the best bang for your buck for the toy camera lover at only $1.99.

I’ve had a great time playing with my fun, new apps and am thrilled that I spent less than $5!! Up next I’ll be trialing a close-up lens for the iPhone. A what? Yes people, a close-up lens for the iPhone. Stay tuned!

So, I’ve been uber busy making quite a few things since… GRADUATION~! What with that being official and all now, I am quickly reminded that I have to hurry before the time comes whereas banks begin to hold their hand out to me in all earnest for the money I presently owe them for my education. Yee. Haw.

Anyway, aside from that wonderous journey I am having to make, I am also crafting a free online manga! This will be in full color, and be quite the exploratory journey for me artistically!

Emperor GANT, my comic, follows the tale of a young Grecian Girl, Terri Alexander, as she awakens in an alien world shaped by the enigmatic Emperor. She doesn’t know how she has gotten there, or why she may have been “taken” to begin with.
It is an Action/Adventure set over 10,000 years in the future, with heavy emphasis on story-telling, imagery and Action. >:3

The comic itself is actually already up! Previews and link to follow~!:

The Cover! Which doubles well as a poster!

Page 3~! Explosions not limited.

Yeah, it's anime... we've got curves.

Very Exciting! >:3

More of which can be found HERE: www.migoart.net/gantmanga

I’ve spent a lot of time getting together some promotional materials too! I put up a poster in my local comic shop, along with a couple that the gracious people at ITT (Namely John! – Thanks John!) allowed me to put up!

In the world of Game Design however, I should probably make a seperate post about how my FINAL in Game Design went. Though, just to be clear now… it went FANTASTIC. I made a 2-D sidescroller using the Torque Game Engine, which I shall post shortly to be played for free! (I’m gonna make a silly poster too!)

In fact, I’ll be posting it in the condition it was in when I showed it to the classroom~! This means there will be a beginning, an end, hand-drawn animations, custom music, levels and gameplay… but no cut-scenes and recycled sound-effects. I’ll add (And replace) those later: once I’m more comfortable with my time. :3

Aside from all of that, I’ve got eight commissions to finish, a website to update, t-shirts to make, reservations to fill and designs to… well… design! All before Dragon Age : Origins comes out.

Can’t miss out on my Dragon Age.

No matter what happens though, I’ll be free for any questions regarding the Torque Game Builder, which is my engine of choice in terms of game design.

Pois bem, prometi um top 5 por semana, mas, não consegui tempo pra isso. Cá estou, novamente, porém, vai ser um a cada duas semanas, combinado? Se vocês mandarem sugestões eu posso aumentar isso, vamos lá?

E o escolhido de hoje foi:

Tcharan! O Fi, do Nx e essa foto quem tirou foi o Gee

Beijos, ca.

Perhaps a bit late in reviewing this movie, (by 41 years to be exact) but this movie still stands up to today’s sci-fi movies.  Directed by Stanley Kubrick (also director of A Clockwork Orange), this movie pushed the boundries of what people thought of sci-fi movies.  In fact, I like this movie more than many sci-fi movies coming out today that rely on special effects rather than storytelling.  One featured to be noted as far as special effects go, Odyssey came out 9 years before the original Star Wars, and looks almost as good.  Of course, many people know the story, if you lived back then of course.  I actually watched this when I was very young, and watched it again just yesterday.  One of my reasons for reviewing is this; if you are of the younger generation and haven’t seen this movie, watch it!  Especially if you happen to be a big fan of sci-fi.  Well, that’s about it for this review, gonna go play some Halo Wars.  Until next time.

Sciborg; 95

Rotten Tomatoes: 96

IMDb: 8.4/10

“Det är inte bristen på jobb som gör att välutbildade läkare kör taxi i Malmö samtidigt som köerna till vården växer.”

Utan det är svenskens rasism enligt Maud i Centern. Man blir bara trött på Maud och hennes gelikar. Gudrun skriker efter uppmärksamhet med.

“I Sverige har vi snart ett tvåpartisystem där alla tycker lika. Det är en utmärkt grogrund för främlingsfientliga partier. Därför är det nödvändigt att släppa fram alternativen. F! kan bli den politiska kraft som håller främlingsfientligheten stången.”

Jag tror inte jag behöver skriva något mer om dessa? Man blir trött så trött.

Mvh Varjager

“Walking your talk is a great way to motivate yourself. No one likes to live a lie. Be honest with yourself, and you will find the motivation to do what you advise others to do.”

Sometimes we forget to take the time to recognize the richness that defines our lives. This may be because many of the messages we encounter as we go about our affairs prompt us to think about what we don’t have rather than all the abundance we do enjoy. Consequently, our gratitude exists in perpetual conflict with our desire for more, whether we crave time, convenience, wealth, or enlightenment. Yet understanding and truly appreciating our blessings can be as simple as walking a mile in another’s shoes for a short period of time. Because many of us lead comparatively insular lives, we may not comprehend the full scope of our prosperity that is relative to our sisters and brothers in humanity.

If you find taking an inventory of your life’s blessings difficult, consider the ease with which you nourish your body and mind, feed your family, move from place to place, and attend to tasks at hand. For a great number of people, activities you may take for granted, such as attaining an education, buying healthy food, commuting to work, or keeping a clean house, represent great challenges. To experience firsthand the complex tests others face as a matter of course in their daily lives, try living without the amenities you most often take for granted. This can be a great experiment to undertake with your entire family or a classroom. Understanding working poverty can be as easy as endeavoring to buy nutritious foods with a budget of $100 for the week. If you own a car, relying on public transportation for even just a day can help you see the true value of the comfort and conveniences others do without. As you explore a life without things you may normally take for granted,! ask yourself for how long you could endure.

The compassionate gratitude that floods your heart when you come to fully realize your abundance may awaken pangs of guilt in your heart. Be aware, however, that the purpose of such an experiment is to open your heart further in gratitude and compassion. This awareness can help you attain a deeper level of gratitude that will allow you to savor and, above all, appreciate your life with renewed grace.

All the best
Mark J. Speranza
www.MartialArtNy.com
info@MartialArtNy.com

]]> http://experimentalrock.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/bibio/ Wed, 21 Oct 2009 21:40:10 +0000 experimental http://experimentalrock.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/bibio/

Bibio is the recording name of British music producer Stephen Wilkinson. A resident of West Midlands, England, Stephen Wilkinson developed a passion for experimental music during his time at Middlesex University in London, where he studied “sonic arts”. He developed his own style of music, drawing from contemporary experimental electronica bands such as Boards of Canada, and incorporating field recordings and found sounds. Electronically modified guitar melodies and droning synthesizer sounds are a recurring theme in his pieces, causing many people to label his music as a hybrid of electronica or intelligent dance music and traditional folk music. His music has recently been licensed for commercial campaigns by L.L. Bean and Toyota.

Bibio’s first release on Mush records, Fi, was released in 2004, followed up in 2006 by the release of Hand Cranked, also on Mush. In June 2009, he signed with Warp Records, and in June of that year, released his third studio album Ambivalence Avenue.

Download:

Ambivalence Avenue (2009)

Vignetting the Compost (2009)

Hand Cranked (2006)

Fi (2004)

Web: Myspace Page, Website

]]> http://martialartacademy.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/thought-for-the-day-october-212009/ Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:43:43 +0000 martialartacademy http://martialartacademy.wordpress.com/2009/10/21/thought-for-the-day-october-212009/

“I’ve never seen a monument erected to a pessimist.”

– Paul Harvey

Feelings vibrate, just as all things in the universe do, at a particular frequency. Negative feelings like anger, guilt, and depression vibrate at low frequencies, while positive feelings like joy, appreciation, and passion vibrate at high frequencies. These high frequency vibrations make us feel good. This is why people and places that inspire and cultivate positive feelings have what we call good vibrations.

Good vibrations inspire health, happiness, and optimism. When we are tuned in to good vibrations, our bodies heal, our hearts open, and our minds shift toward the light. We see new possibilities and feel powerfully energized to follow our inner visions. At the same time, we feel relaxed and capable of manifesting these visions without giving in to stress or struggle. Good vibrations put us in a state of perfect receptivity so that we feel it is the energy flowing through us that accomplishes what needs to be done. We feel guided, supported, protected, and nourished within this joyful flow. We sometimes forget that we are allowed to feel this way all the time.

Lower frequency vibrations are not bad in a moral sense, but they are bad in the sense that they simply don’t feel good. Still, they have a purpose, which is to alert us to the fact that we are blocking out the higher frequency vibrations that we need to function well. They are a call for healing ourselves from within. The key to our healing lies in remembering that it is our birthright to feel good and that feeling good is the essence of our true nature. When we are receiving and sending out good vibrations, we are in the flow. When we are not, we can begin to raise our vibration by seeking out people, places, and situations that vibrate at a higher frequency. Whether we need to go on retreat or just call a friend who makes us laugh, seeking out those good vibrations and basking in them is a sacred and loving practice that returns us, time and again, to the joyful flow of the universe.

All the best,
Mark J. Speranza
www.MartialArtNy.com
info@MartialArtNy.com

]]> http://sdscaiff.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/inclusive-classroom-discriminates-against-special-needs-student/ Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:43:37 +0000 Diane Scaiff http://sdscaiff.wordpress.com/2009/10/20/inclusive-classroom-discriminates-against-special-needs-student/ http://otoom.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/isp-in-file-sharing-wi-fi-theft/ Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:23:41 +0000 Ant http://otoom.wordpress.com/2009/10/17/isp-in-file-sharing-wi-fi-theft/

UK ISP TalkTalk has staged a wireless stunt, aimed at illustrating why it thinks Lord Mandelson’s plans to disconnect filesharers is “naive”.

TalkTalk has long been an outspoken critic of government plans to cut off persistent file-sharers.

The stunt demonstrates how innocent people could be disconnected from the network if the plans become law.

The British Phonographic Industry stressed that any new system would educate before disconnecting users.

The music industry has been lobbying government on the issue of internet piracy. According to its figures, there are around 6 million active file-sharers in the UK.

The government is mulling whether to give regulator Ofcom the power to disconnect pirates who repeatedly download illegal content.

It follows intervention from Business Secretary Lord Mandelson to beef up the file-sharing policy originally outlined in the Digital Britain report.

Presumed guilt

But ISPs have argued that it is not their job to police the network. In previous court cases it has been ruled that ISPs are “mere conduits” of content.

Furthermore, they argue that under current plans anyone with unsecured home wi-fi could potentially be stolen by those intent to download music illegally.

They would face the penalties even though they might be unaware their network had been used for nefarious purposes.

The fact that the music industry would presume guilt rather than innocence is a step away from the due process of law in the UK, they say.

“The Mandelson scheme is every bit as wrong-headed as it is naive,” said Andrew Heaney, director of strategy and regulation at TalkTalk.

“The lack of presumption of innocence and the absence of judicial process combined with the prevalence of wi-fi hacking will result in innocent people being disconnected,” he said.

ILLEGAL FILE-SHARING

• File-sharing is not illegal. It only becomes illegal when users are sharing content, such as music, that is protected by copyrights
• The crackdown will be aimed at people who regularly use technologies, such as BitTorrent, and websites, such as The Pirate Bay, to find and download files
• There are plenty of legitimate services which use file-sharing technology such as some on-demand TV services

Barry Manilow

In order to illustrate the point Matt Roxburgh, a security expert from TalkTalk, visited an ordinary street in Stanmore, Middlesex.

Within a couple of hours he had identified 23 wireless connections on residential street The Highway, which were unsecured.

He downloaded music files from two connections, including Barry Manilow’s hit Mandy and the soundtrack to the 1992 film Peter’s Friends.

In both cases, the residents had given prior permission to “be hacked” and the content downloaded was legal.

TalkTalk plans to offer advice to all residents about how to secure their wi-fi networks.

Which? Computing magazine has highlighted several cases where net users were wrongly accused of illegally sharing video games.

The British Phonographic Industry (BPI) remains confident that its “robust” evidence-gathering system will not allow innocent people to be caught in the net in the same way as has happened in the video game industry.

For those who have had their wi-fi connection hacked into, there would be no immediate threat of disconnection, said BPI spokesman Adam Liversage.

“The account holder would receive a notification in the first instance, which would represent an opportunity to discuss filesharing with others in the household and which would provide the account holder with the information and tools to help ensure that the account is not used illegally again,” he said.

“This information would extend to explaining to the account holder how they can secure their wireless router to ensure that it isn’t accessed by unknown third parties,” he added.

‘Mistakes occur’

But ultimately, householders will be held to account for what happens on their own networks, he added.

“The responsibility for ensuring that an internet account shared throughout a household is not being used for illegal filesharing clearly lies with the account holder,” he said.

A statement from the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills said:

“We realise it’s possible for mistakes to occur or for people to have their wi-fi connection hi-jacked. So it’s important we have an independent and easy route of appeal at all stages in the process.

At the moment we envisage a tribunal system to which people would have recourse before any action was taken against them.”

The government’s decision is due at the same time as the draft Digital Economy Bill, which will appear alongside or shortly after the Queen’s Speech to parliament in November.

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