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Monday, May 30, 2011

An Edible Arrangement

Mandarins are Ripe and Ready for the Table

Thursday, May 26, 2011

Chicken of the Week Part II

I would like to Introduce to you. . .
Lady Ga Ga
I don't know what it was that you saw in this girl
 Duchess Declutter but you certainly hit the nail on the head!
I LOVE it and it So suits her . . . Strutting her stuff around the coop.
 She is such a Miss Ga Ga!
Thanks Wendy, I would have never of come up with a name like this. A celebrity in the chook coop, who would have thought.
This is Fun, thanks everyone for playing along so far . . .The names that you all came up with were just brilliant, I knew I would get a good handful of old fashioned names and Yes I could have named the Whole Coop from my last post BUT that would spoil the fun of The Game.  I will however cluster them up in the next couple of weeks and I ask that you resubmit all those wonderful names again for the next lot of lovely ladies coming up . . .
Next up I have my little fluffy feets

These two are Pekin X
I was hoping to call them Aurthur and Martha, but they turned out to be both Martha....
Even though they are only young they remind me of two little old granny's,  it's those tail feathers,  Big Grey Granny Buns!

 I need some good ol style  names for these ladies

They have both just gone CLUCKY in the last couple of weeks, so they are just big round fluff balls of feathers, aren't they just adorable.
One is sitting on about 6 eggs, I don't think any are her own though, they appear to be larger eggs. The other is just sitting on straw, I took all her eggs and now I feel bad, depriving her of her motherhood!  I'll have to let her sit soon, keep her happy. It's always a nice surprise when they hatch, I get to guess who the mums are. Ohh that could be another good game to play!
Looking for two Names . . . . . .?

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Everybody needs a

NuT DiSH
My Eldest started High School this year . . .
With High School comes Design Technology
and with Design Technology comes 'The Nut Dish'
 Such a versatile little piece too . . .
Works well with Garlic & Herb butter.
Am wondering what else I could use it for....
other than Nuts of course!
So Proud, Clever Boy!  Thanks Sam XXX

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Chicken of the Week

The time has come, I think I am the only one in the whole WORLD that does not have a name for my chickens?
I still get my own children's names mixed up let alone trying to remember who's in the coop!
Each Week, One by One and with your help, I shall name my Chickens . . .    Wanna Play . . .
All you need to do is "Name that Chook"

This is not a giveaway, there is no prize money,  but if you have nothing better to do and want to play, it could be fun. What you will receive though is the satisfaction of knowing that you helped out a little old middle aged muddled up mum and her feathered family who will all be forever grateful for your assistance and influence in fulfilling their identity and place within this family...

First up I have my white hen who wears a beautiful pale rust vest.
She is about 18 months old, and a very consistent layer, I often find her hanging out at the local day spa, having a good soak up in the soil...

Looking for a name . . . . . .?

Saturday, May 14, 2011

The Garden Post

How Thoughtful, as predicted it arrived just in time for Mothers day.
  A big pile of dirt!
Well one week on and here it still sits...No one has volunteered to fill my beds yet, but I wait patiently,  crossing a few more growing days off the calendar, surely someone will give in soon.

If you read my last garden post you would be familiar with the
 MUD PIE Giveaway.
The  Diggers Australian Fruit and Vegetable Garden Book.
Well somebody must have known just how badly I needed that book and all my prayers were answered when Ali pushed the button on the random number generator and up I popped along with two other lucky recipients, Hazel Dene and Duchess De clutter.
 Can you beleive it! I still can't. Thank you again Ali.
This book is Sensational.  If you don't have yourself a good gardening manual then I thoroughly recommend you get this one, it is packed full of information on Where, When, Why and How to Grow.  I have had my head buried in this book all week.
This morning equipped with my new found knowledge of fruit and vegetables I spent a number of hours on the Diggers website and have purchased myself a truck load of seeds that should hopefully arrive in the next couple of weeks, I'm a bit excited!
The plan for this week now is to get out the shovel, put on my
NEW gardening Boots, and away we go. . .I may have to bribe a few helpers though...
 Now, I just want to put the word out on a New Project that has literally just hits the streets in  last couple of weeks.
Sow.Give.Grow is a project developed to sharing the wonders of growing your own food.
The aim is to motivate people to nurture an anonymously gifted seedling which will in turn provide food.
This is a Must for all you gardening gurus...
Sometime this week I'm heading into town with this little parcel to do my first Trans-plant, I'm a bit excited about that too...
Please CHECK IT OUT! and spread the words . . .

The Great Orange Harvest

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Had to Have

With a few minutes to spare last week I popped into my favourite Salvos store for just a quick look around. I usually walk out with a few doilies or some kind of old glass dish or enamelware but today there didn't seem to be much on offer and as I wandered up the last aisle, there it was . . Well, I just about fell over when I saw it, my heart pounded and I knew it was mine,  there was no way I was walking out without this beauty...
The Whole Set, 2 x Fully Reclining and Rocking Armchairs
and 1 x Reclining Two Seater Lounge
In Immaculate Condition!  $$$  Bargain  !!!
It's VERY GRANNY I know and I didn't quite know how the rest of the family would accept it, it's a 'You'll either LOVE it or Hate it' kind of Buy.... Well I Just LOVE it of course , I have been waiting for something like this to step into my life for a while now, My living room needed a face lift and this gives me a good base to work with!
   Hubby wasn't to sure about it in the beginning but  it 's growing on him...He's enjoying putting his feet up at the end of a hard day. . .

Thursday, May 5, 2011

My Creative Space

I lost count of how many times I said I was going to learn to crochet this year. I would be happy to just learn to do a Granny Square. So I finally did it and now that I've started, well, I just can't STOP!

 Lucky I have a King Size Bed
 Should fit nicely by the End of Winter!!!
 with a couple of little cushie covers. . .
Go to Kootoyoo for more creative crocheting

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Next on the Preserving List . . .

1 x cauliflower
250gm beans
2 x cucumbers
1/4  x capsicum
1/2 kg onions
Wash Cauliflower and divide into flowerettes
Slice and dice beans, cucumbers and capsicum
Peel and dice onions
Place together in a large pan and sprinkle with salt
and leave stand for 24 hours
Wash in Cold Water, drain
 Add 1x litre of Vinegar and bring to the boil
Mix together 1/2 cup Sugar
2 x tab Flour
2 x teasp ground Mustard
plus a handful of Mustard seeds
1 x teasp Curry powder
1 x teasp Turmeric
Add a little water to make a smooth paste and stir through
Boil for about 15 minutes.  Bottle & Seal

Tip of the Day: Always wear gloves when grating Fresh Turmeric!

Monday, May 2, 2011

Getting into the Quince of things....

With  all the pictures of fresh Quinces growing, Quince picking and Quince cooking splashed across some of my favourite southern blogs, you can imagine how excited I was when I got my hands on some of these at my local market, it was a straight ahead trip into the Kitchen to play...
How much fun was this to make!
Peel, Core and Chop up about 1 and 1/2 kg of Quince
add 1/2 cup of Water, bring to the boil then simmer for approx 1/2 an hour until the quince becomes soft and tender.  Then blend the mixture until smooth and mushy.
Add 800gm of Sugar and stir on a low heat until sugar is dissolved.  Reduce heat to very low and cook for approx 4 - 5 hours. I used a simmer mat to keep a more consistent low heat and reduce the chance of my paste burning, it's also a good idea to use a heavy based pan.
 Keep stirring occasionally. I was prepping up some other preserves in the kitchen at this time so I managed to keep a good eye on it and stirred about every 15 minutes or so...
it was very interesting to see it slowly change colour
 there is  apparently a scientific acid/pigment/chemical reason for this, but I am not going to go into that today . . .
and finally about  4 - 5 hours later you get this
A nice and thick paste that leaves the side of the pan and is a rich ruby red in colour.
Pour it into some greased molds and let sit for about 6 hours or until set.

I have always had a love of quince paste with a nice Brie or Camembert . . . usually it's one of Maggie's, but
this weekend when I head off to celebrate my Mothers 70th Birthday,  we will be enjoying a local Witches Falls Merlot,
 a nice King Island Brie and Gooseberry Jam Quince Paste!

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Prayer Requests

-Please keep Robers, Maguy,  the girls (Nemy, Baly, Kimberly, Samantha in Canada and Elidia in Haiti) and Grace Corps in your prayers
- Pray for the Lord's blessings to be poured on us abundantly.
- More of the children in the schools are in need of help.

Back Home from Haiti

Dear Friends,
I am so glad to be back home after a very emotional visit in Haiti.  First I stop in the Dominican Rep.  to see my daughters and get their passports to finish the process that started three years ago to have them with us in Canada.  That was done and everything is in order.  Then I went by land to Haiti and meet with the two other members of the "team" in Port-au-Prince.


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University of Calgary
UofC Navigation

About the Faculty of Graduate Studies

The mission of the Faculty of Graduate Studies is to foster excellence, creativity, and innovation in graduate education and research at the University of Calgary.

3 Minute Thesis 2015 finalists (L-R):Hasti Farrokhzadeh, Engineering - Civil, Srimal Ranasinghe, Environmental Design, Crystal Kwan, Social Work, Elizabeth Watt, Physics & Astronomy (3MT National Winner, 2015), David Guzzardi, Medicine – Cardiovascular/Respiratory Science, David Adair, Engineering-Biomedical, Kimberley Holmes, Educational Research.
As part of a vibrant and growing research-intensive institution, the Faculty of Graduate Studies is committed to training the next generation of scholars, practitioners and professionals, and encouraging the dissemination of research and innovation within the Calgary community and providing you with a fulfilling educational experience.
The faculty provides leadership and support for excellence in graduate education and research to a community of about 6,000 graduate students in over 55 programs. We are the faculty of registration for all graduate students and we work to support the recruitment and admission of the best students to the University of Calgary. An important responsibility of the faculty is to ensure that graduate degrees granted by the University of Calgary meet high national and international admission and program standards. We also promote uniform standards of excellence across programs through establishing degree requirements, granting supervisory privileges and approving examiners. In striving to provide a world class scholarly atmosphere for our graduate students, the Faculty of Graduate Studies pursues the highest levels of excellence in research and teaching at the graduate level through program innovation, the pursuit of knowledge, creative activity and interdisciplinary education while fostering your growth through the administration of approximately $30 million in funding annually.


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Hannah Cusworth | Teach First

Our people

Hannah Cusworth

  • Studied: History and Politics, University of Oxford
  • Taught: English and A-level Politics, London
  • Now: HR analyst, Goldman Sachs
Hannah Cusworth

I did a three-week placement with Goldman Sachs during the Leadership Development Programme, working on a project around a staff survey that they were doing. Afterwards they offered me a job.

Teach First definitely has some currency at Goldman Sachs and I'm guessing it does with other employers as well, because it makes you stand out a little bit. People are interested in it and the stories you have to tell. I think people also have a sense of how challenging it is to be a teacher. A lot of people say to me, “Wow, I could never have done what you did.” So I think it definitely has helped me in my time at Goldman Sachs. I think it's partly the skills you bring – the cool, the calm, the ability to talk to people, to present yourself.

At Goldman Sachs there are two things that people particularly comment on. The first is people say to me that I’m calm. I think when you’ve been faced with a classroom of 30 Year 8s, you learn to keep calm to make sure that you can get what you need to done, even if there’s a challenging situation or you’re actually freaking out a little inside. The second is that people say, “Wow, you’re so good at presenting. It seems to come so naturally to you.” Well, I actually spent two years of my life presenting for a good six hours a day to quite a demanding audience, so I’ve had plenty of opportunities to develop that skill.

I guess joining Teach First was important to me personally because I didn't get into our local good secondary schools. My mum then put me into an exam for our local independent school. I got to go there and had an incredible education, but if I hadn't done that and hadn't got the bursary I would have gone to a pretty terrible school. I realised how important education was for me and that every child should have a chance to get a good education, not just because you’re lucky enough to go to a good school.

The first year of Teach First is the most challenging thing I think I’ve ever done in my life, especially coming from university in Oxford. I arrived in a school on an estate in South London and was thrown into an environment that was unlike anything I had experienced before. It took me quite a while to get used to it.

Addressing the challenges is about empathy but also about having high expectations. One of the boys in my Year 9 set – a bottom set – was in and out between us and pupil referral units and when he walked in he didn’t give you any eye contact. He just slunk in and threw his bag across the table. As a teacher you have to ask yourself what has he been through this morning before he’s even got here? But at the same time, you have to find a way to say, “Actually, that’s not okay. I wouldn’t let anyone else throw their bag, and I’m not going to let you do it.” That’s an example of the kind of challenge of working in that environment.

I think you carry that ‘teacher’ persona a little bit into whatever you do afterwards – a professional face which makes you feel like you can go over to anyone and start talking to them and interacting with them. To anyone considering the programme, I would say go for it, stick at it and enjoy it as much as you can.


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Thursday, February 26, 2015

Mayor Zimmer: Barracato not an "authorized recipient" of her 60,000 emails with Hospital Buyer

Horsey, who has just posted one of the emails returned by Plaintiffs in discovery, wrote:
"No one interviewed by MSV on the former HMHA board would agree that obtaining the 60,000 emails in October 2011 was public or legally available."
That includes Mayor Zimmer, who provided this certification for my  "Motion to Grant Permission to Subpoena Dave Unger, James Barracato and Ray Smith for “60,000 Emails on Disk” Between HMHA/Mayor Zimmer and the Buyer of Hoboken University Medical Center."

For clarification, the purpose of the subpoenas requested is explained in the brief supporting my motion.    Note, I was pro se for 17 months (without attorney, defending myself), hence my name on the brief, and dearth of legal mumbo-jumbo.

  1. our local fish wrap has 'splainin to do.

    James B gave their reporter 60,000 of the mayor's illegally obtained emails with the hospital bidder at... the Malibu!!! no wonder Unger hangs with the smelly fish & sugar mama.

  2. Wonder how Beth Mason feels, knowing that the tens of thousands of emails declared as public documents from the trial are enough fodder to keep these types of revelations coming out daily or at least weekly for months to come. Every day, every week, new documentation from her own people dragging her down.

    Also, this Sarah person sounds like one nasty piece of work.

    1. At the risk of getting sucked into another 2 1/2 year SLAPP, I will concur with your observation about the "nasty piece of work."

  3. Bajardi had the mayors stolen emails. he does nothing, Barracato brags he has 60,000 stolen emails to Stojkovich. she does nothing. Tells Kim. she also does nothing. these people sue bloggers for telling the truth!

  4. Hopefully the disinfecting sunshine cast by GA and DaHorsey will help motivate the wheels of justice...

  5. Hang on to your panties ladies it is going to be a quite a long fun ride and it just started.

  6. I feel so bad for you and Roman and all that you had to endure but I am loving this insight! Unbelievable.


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Chums of Chance, Lines of Flight, Thomas Pynchon

Reading Against the Day, by Thomas Pynchon…

“Structures are defined by that which escapes them…” V2, hyperbolic narrative arc traced across the sky, its silent and unannounced arrival among the humble homes of wartime wine-jelly-feasting Londoners known only by the anticipation manifest by Slothrop prescient anatomy… An arc drawn out by Brenschluss, motivation on the launch pad is matched by motivation at the landing site, that is, a hard on for culture and women… Arcs are drawn also by Altman and Paul Thomas Anderson, each of whom permits himself a little divine intervention: earthquakes, frogs, and an operatic moment to bind coincidental relationships with song. Vineland, a mad defenestrator has worked out that it takes but one annual performance to obtain government funds… Structures are defined by who escapes them… And a Line of Flight, yes, no doubt now that Deleuze and Guattari’s Book of Italian Wedding Cakes contains some useful recipes, is drawn by the Chums of Chance (again, chance in the V2, chance in altman/anderson) as the Inconvenience drops from the sky to mark points on the map of the world. Distributed according to Poisson, Deleuze, or God himself, points on a line are described by our man Pynchon’s narrathmatical and aerognostical operation…

“The new archivist proclaims that henceforth he will deal only with statements. He will not concern himself with what pervious archivists have treated in a thousand different ways: propositions and phrases. He will ignore both the vertical hierarchy of propositions which are stacked on top of one another, and the horizontal relationship established between phrases in which each seems to respond to another. Instead he will remain mobile, skimming along in a kind of diagonal line that allows him to read what could not be apprehended before, namely statements. Is this perhaps an atonal logic?….
“But in the space of two chapters Foucault rigorously demonstrates that contradictions between statements can be measured only by calculating the concrete distance between them within this space of rarity. Comparisons between statements are therefore linked to a mobile diagonal line that allows us, within this space, to make a direct study of the same set at different levels, as well as to choose some sets on the same level while disregarding others (which in turn might presuppose another diagonal line.) It is precisely the rarefied nature off this space which creates these unusual movements and bursts of passion that cut space up into new dimensions. To our amazement, this ‘incomplete, fragmented form’ shows, when it comes to statements, how not only few things are said, but ‘few things can be said.’ What consequences from this transportation of logic will find their way into that element of rarity or dispersion which has nothing to do with negativity, but which on the contrary forms that ‘positivity’ which is unique to statements?
“Foucault also tries to reassure us, though: if it is true that statements are essentially rare, no originality is needed to produce them. A statement always represents a transformation of particular elements distributed in a corresponding space. As we shall see, the formations and transformations of these spaces themselves pose topological problems that cannot be adequately be described in terms of creation, beginning or foundation. When studying a particular space, it matters even less whether a statement has taken place for the first time, or whether it involves repetition or reproduction. What counts is the regularity of the statement: it represents not the average but the whole statistical curve. In effect the statement is to be associated not with the transmission of particular elements presupposed by it but with the shape of the whole curve to which they are related, and more generally with the rules governing the particular field in which they are distributed and reproduced.”
Foucault, by Gilles Deleuze pp 1-4

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text:
hi there and thanks for visiting :)

our favourite part of this portfolio is the video archive where you find most of the videos we did. normally our work is structured within projects. therefor this part might be interesting for an understanding of the approach.

you find in the photography section links to very nice albums.

there is a section for the published dvds respectively blu-ray disks and recent photo books.

please find as well infos about exhibition & screenings and our contact & cv.

our experience in the curatorial and publishing field is reflected in the website of raum für projektion - a platform for experimental video we managed. and we were members of the project space general public.

besides our artistic work we can be hired for commissioned work as well :)

enjoy! all the best, ursula & georg (graw böckler)

ps clicking on the image(s) below leads directly to a recent work.

more molly than mexican
new book: Question to Radio Yerevan misha: in reverse

ursula böckler & georg graw are the artist duo graw böckler. they produce films and photography. ursula and georg currently live in berlin.


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Saturday, August 23, 2008

Re-tracing our steps to Long Point Cove

August 17-18, 2008

It was easier to find Long Point Cove the second time we visited. We knew that in addition to the the secret password, you also had to release the lever (cleverly disguised as a spike) on the top of Navy Rock to get the entrance to Long Point Cove opened.

There were about eight boats in Long Point cove when we arrived. It surprised us a little as we expected most of the other cruisers to have left the area already. As we later discovered, a few of these hardy souls were just starting their North Channel cruising. In any event, due to the "tight quarters", we dropped anchor near shore and tied to a tree. This reduces the circle that Meridian swings around our anchor in so we don't get too close to other boats. One of the things we've learned on this trip is that most of the North Channel cruisers use more chain than line for their anchors so they have less anchor rode to swing around. Next time we come here, we're going to be adding more chain so Meridian doesn't swing as much.

Having safely set our anchor and tied to shore we took a kayak ride around the harbor. Actually, last year's marathon bicycle rides have evolved into this year's marathon kayak trips and hikes. We kayaked almost 6 miles -- checking out the neighboring Teschereau Bay to see its anchoring potential (somewhat open and exposed but would be nice and scenic in dead-calm weather).

The second morning we were there, a beaver swam to the shore behind the boat and had a breakfast of reeds.

Click on the picture to read the beaver's thoughts ;)

We also took a hike up the bluff that was right in back of our anchoring spot. In addition to great views of the area, we got a good view of the Reuss Lime Company quarry operations. The first time we were here we would hear the quarry operations and think it was either helicopters or thunder. We kept forgetting about the quarry operations. This time, though, there was thunder in the background, too. You can vaguely make out some of the storm clouds building in the quarry picture. We hurried back down the bluff and luckily made it back to Meridian minutes before the rain came.

After the rain came through, the wind picked up a bit. A particularly strong gust blew through the cove and suddenly we noticed we were almost on top of a bunch of rocks. Big, solid, propeller busting rocks. Where did THEY come from ?!? Suddenly tying to shore didn't seem like such a good idea. So we cast off that shore line, let Meridian swing around re-set the second anchor so we'd stay off those rocks and away from the other boats. It's always something!

Undaunted by our little anchoring adventure, we packed up some wine, old newspapers and set off to make a fire in a little fire pit we found in the rocks on shore. While there, the beaver returned for dinner (or dessert?) The beaver didn't seem too thrilled when Phil made fun of his noisy eating habits because the beaver slapped his tail on the water and swam away.

The next morning we took a short hike down the center of the cove. You can hike pretty far along the rocks.

As we left Long Point Cove, setting off to re-visit Turnbull Island, the loons continued to taunt Bernie - staying just out of camera range and laughing like a ... like a ... like a crazy loon!

Long Point Cove

N 46 10.589 W 82 41.321

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Christmas card photo?


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08 December 2015

(Refugee Map)  http://umap.openstreetmap.fr/en/map/arriving-in-berlin-a-map-made-by-refugees

http://www.georgehart.com/slide-togethers/slide-togethers.html  How-to Video for squares

(Convert to colouring book style)  https://www.reallycolor.com/

Galleries dedicated to digital art and its impact include XPO (in Paris), and bitforms and Microscope (in New York)

New Age Bullshit Generator

"The truth you believe in and cling to makes you unavailable to hear anything new." - Pema Chödrön, The Wisdom of No Escape
"The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time." - Mark Twain
"The way to create art is to burn and destroy ordinary concepts and to substitute them with new truths that run down from the top of the head and out of the heart." - Charles Bukowski
"You can't get to courage without walking through vulnerability." - Brene Brown
"Peace is the result of retraining your mind to process life as it is, rather than as you think it should be." - Wayne W. Dyer

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How many different types of kangaroos are there?

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    There are over 60 different types of known kangaroo.  The largest of the kangaroos is the great red kangaroo, which can be over 7 feet tall.  Gray kangaroos are slightly smaller, and the wallaroo is smaller still.  Those are the three main types of kangaroo, but technically wallabies and pademelons are part of the kangaroo family, and there are several different types of them.

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Monthly Archives: January 2013

New Release: Introductory Guide to GRF Implementation and Management

January 15, 2013

Green Revolving Funds: An Introductory Guide to Implementation and Management provides practical guidance for designing, implementing, and managing a green revolving fund at a college, university, or other nonprofit institution. Responding to calls for assistance with creating GRFs from many institutions, the guide establishes best practices from interviews with presidents, facility managers, sustainability directors, and chief financial officers. The guide includes sections on designing the various components of a GRF, a 10-step road map for designing and implementing the fund, and solutions for common obstacles. Read more here.


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Get Involved - Start a team

Get Involved - Start a Team

If you've read the information in the category you're interested in and want to go ahead with the project it's time to register your team.

The steps for registering are:

1) Register here
2) When events are open for entry apply to those you would like to take part in
3) We will approve or disapprove your entry dependent on the terms and conditions of entry
4) Greenpower will invoice you for the entry fees based upon the terms and conditions of entry


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Green Street
Don't forget to follow Trags on Twitter.
A Celtics Blog Blog Network

Rajon Rondo’s ridiculous forehead alley-oop

11.19.11 at 7:25 pm ET

The Boston Charity Classic is fairly ridiculous. Literally no defense, which seems to suit Josh Smith just fine. It also gives fans at Harvard’s Lavietes Pavilion the chance to see ridiculous plays like this forehead alley-oop from Rajon Rondo to Rudy Gay. Rondo’s Green Team (coached by Patriots wide receiver Deion Branch) led Paul Pierce‘s White Team (coached by Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino) 73-50 at halftime.

Read More: Boston Celtics, Boston Charity Classic, Memphis Grizzlies, NBA lockout
Celtics Box Score
Celtics Schedule
Celtics Headlines
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Monday, July 5, 2010

Greg Mortenson: A Face of America Commentary (July 2010)

Greg Mortenson: A Face of America Commentary

By Tony Mussari
Copyright 2010
The Face of America Project
Mussari-Loftus Associates, LTD

The seats in the Kirby Theater are empty. The room is dark, the books, pictures, graphics and all the other external trappings of Greg Mortenson’s visit are packed away. The letters on the marquis announce another event, but the memory of this magical moment will forever be recorded in the hearts and souls of the 1,800 people who filled the Kirby Center for the Performing Arts on Sunday last.

Among those memories are ten statements and five quotations that, if applied, can change our world for the better:

  1. Use books not bullets to bring peace to our world;

click here for complete article

Monday, May 10, 2010

3 Cups of Tea With Greg Mortenson (05/08/10)

SBMS Teen Press
A blog by the Santa Barbara Middle School Teen Press
May 8th, 2010

UCSB Arts and Lectures and Direct Relief International treated Santa Barbara to yet another inspirational evening this week. Greg Mortenson, peacebuilder and author of Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools overflowed the Direct Relief warehouse and the Arlington Theater, sharing his vision for peace in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and the world.With palettes of aid wrapped and ready for far off neighbors their backdrop, theSanta Barbara Middle School Teen Press, working with Santa Barbara Kids Magazine, shared three cups of tea with Greg, shoes off, on the floor of the Direct Relief warehouse.

For complete article, please <click here>

Sunday, January 24, 2010

Greg Mortenson on Canada's # 1 Late Night Show (01/20/10)

Greg Mortenson on Canada's # 1 Late Night Show
'The Hour' with CBC TV host George Stroumboulopoulos
Wednesday, January 20, 2010,

Ten minute video, click below:

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Philadelphia Inquirer (01/17/10)

Philadelphia Inquirer
Sunday, January 17, 2010

Worldview: A surge in schools

A best seller describes a compelling way to build ties with Afghanistan.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Bill Moyer's Journal, PBS TV 30" feature with Greg Mortenson (01/15/10)

Bill Moyer's Journal
PBS TV 30" feature with Greg Mortenson
Sunday, January 15, 2010

Click link below

Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Garrison Keilor discusess Greg Mortenson's birthday and his hew book Stones into Stones on Writer's Almanac NPR (12/27/09)

Tuesday, December 22, 2009

The inspiring sequel to "Three Cups of Tea" ... (12/21/09)

Wednesday, December 9, 2009

Greg visits students at Bosque School - Alburquerque NM (12/08/09)

Greg Mortenson greets students at Bosque School, Alburquerque NM on Dec 8th, 2009. Photo: Jeff McMillan. Greg visits over 200 schools a year in the U.S., from public to private, and rural and urban schools, and says it is his favorite thing to do, and is very inspired by children.

To check out Greg's book tour, visit:

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Fighting Terrorism With Schools (11/22/09)

PARADE Magazine,
Sunday, November 22, 2009
By Greg Mortenson

Greg Mortenson featured in PARADE Magazine, Sunday, 22, 2009 discusses his 17 years effort to promote literacy and education for girls in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan, the progress of the U.S. military to listen more, build relationships and empower the elders in the AF-Pak region, and announces the release of his new book, Stones Into Schools (Viking) on December 1st, 2009. Excerpts below.

. . Young women are the developing world’s greatest agents of progress. Just one year of schooling will dramatically raise a girl’s later economic prospects, and where girls get to fifth grade, birth rates and infant mortality plunge. Teaching girls to read and write reduces the ignorance and poverty that fuel religious extremism and lays a groundwork for prosperity and peace . . .

. . . To succeed as nations, Pakistan and Afghanistan require the full engagement of their women. But not just their women. In every village in which CAI operates, we seek the support of local religious leaders and elders . .

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Greg Mortenson on CBS WISH 9 TV (11/02/09)

Greg Mortenson on CBS WISH 9 TV, Indianapolis, IN
Monday, November 2, 2009

Thursday, October 29, 2009

US News & World Report
October 22, 2009
Greg Mortenson: Promotes Peace With Girls Education

Greg Mortenson, coauthor of the wildly successful book Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace.. . One School at a Time, can recall the precise moment he knew that he had created a movement. A girls' school that Mortenson helped to open south of Kabul, Afghanistan, had been attacked by the Taliban in the summer of 2007 . . .

Read on <click here>

Thursday, October 15, 2009

A Peace Prize to Share (10/15/09)

Greg Mortenson with Jafarabad community
schoolgirls in northern Pakistan in 2003.
(Courtesy Greg Mortenson -- Central Asia Institute)

A Peace Prize to Share
By Tom Brokaw
Thursday, October 15, 2009

In one way or another, President Obama's critics will dog him all the way to Oslo for the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony, and even his admirers will continue to have doubts about his accomplishments if not his promise.

He's getting a lot of advice on how to handle the moment when he accepts the prize, so here's an idea that may lift this discussion out of the partisan soup that is now the main course on our national agenda, whatever the issue.

The president should invite a high-profile and wide-ranging delegation of interests to accompany him. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Adm. Michael Mullen, representing diplomacy and arms in pursuit of peace. Greg Mortenson, the author of "Three Cups of Tea," who has spent years working for education and literacy (especially for girls) in mountainous parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. Field representatives from organizations such as Refugees International, the International Rescue Committee (where I am a volunteer overseer), CARE, Save the Children and other groups doing the hard work of caring for the victims of war. Bill and Melinda Gates should be in his delegation, as well as Republican Sam Brownback, the senator from Kansas, who's been a tireless advocate of greater U.S. involvement to stop the genocide in Sudan.
Tom Brokaw is a special correspondent and former "Nightly News" anchor for NBC.

Tuesday, July 21, 2009

Teacher, Can We Go Now? NO (07/19/09)

Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman Joint Chiefs Of Staff and Greg Mortenson in Pushgur village, Afghanistan, July 15, 2009

The New York Times

Sunday, July 19, 2009
By Thomas Freidman
Teacher, Can We Go Now? NO

I confess, I find it hard to come to Afghanistan and not ask: Why are we here? Who cares about the Taliban? Al Qaeda is gone. And if its leaders come back, well, that’s why God created cruise missiles.

But every time I start writing that column, something stills my hand. This week it was something very powerful. I watched Greg Mortenson, the famed author of “Three Cups of Tea,” open one of his schools for girls in this remote Afghan village in the Hindu Kush mountains. I must say, after witnessing the delight in the faces of those little Afghan girls crowded three to a desk waiting to learn, I found it very hard to write, “Let’s just get out of here.” . . .

Which is why it was no accident that Adm. Mike Mullen, the U.S. chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff — spent half a day in order to reach Mortenson’s newest school and cut the ribbon . . . .

Read more at:

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Good Housekeeping (June 2009)

Good Housekeeping
June 2009
Teach a Girl, Change the World
By Judith Stone

Together, a visionary dad and his intrepid daughter are on a mission to help needy kids in a troubled part of the globe — one penny at a time. Before Greg Mortenson reveals the most powerful piece of advice ever imparted to him by his 12-year-old daughter, Amira, he wants to chat a bit about whether or not he's a bad dad.
For more click here . . .

For complete article click here:

Sailors & U.S. Marines hear unique viewpoint from best-selling author (06/26/09)

Sailors & U.S. Marines hear unique viewpoint from best-selling author

By MCC Bill Gowdy
Friday, 26 June 2009

SAN DIEGO (June 25, 2009)-- Individual Augmentee (IA) and Global War on Terrorism (GWOT) Support Assignment (GSA) sailors currently assigned to the Navy Mobilization and Processing Site (NMPS) at Naval Base San Diego (NBSD) were treated to a presentation on life in the rural hinterlands of Afghanistan and an interesting perspective on the war by a best-selling author.

Greg Mortenson, author of the N.Y. Times best-seller Three Cups of Tea, offered stories of his experiences and unique views that are increasingly being shared by senior military leaders.

Many of his views run counter to what is considered conventional wisdom.

Read more - click here . . .

Saturday, May 30, 2009

'Tea' author speaks to NC special op Marines (05/28/09)

Associated Press - News Observer, North Carolina
'Tea' author speaks to NC special op Marines
by KEVIN MAURER, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, May 28, 2009

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (AP) - Special operations Marines trained to infiltrate enemy lines and kill Taliban fighters spent Thursday morning with a man known for winning allies in rural Pakistan and Afghanistan one cup of tea at a time.

for the complete article, please follow the link below:

Sunday, April 19, 2009

ABC News Person of The Week (03/27/09)

'Three Cups of Tea' Author Never Gave Up on His Peacebuilding Efforts To Establish Girls Schools

To view ABC News video clip, click here:

Friday, March 13, 2009

Mortenson @ West Point (03/13/09)

Times Herald-Record (Hudson Valley, NY)
Mortenson tells West Point Army cadets how to win in Afghanistan
Friday March 13, 2009
Alexa James

WEST POINT — Author and Greg Mortenson introduced himself to an auditorium of Army cadets, then told them how to win in Afghanistan: "Drink more tea."

Mortenson met with students in West Point's Counterinsurgency Operations class on Tuesday to discuss his humanitarian work in Central Asia and his best-selling book, "Three Cups of Tea."

The Army veteran explained: "First cup you're a stranger, the second cup a guest. On the third cup you become family."

"That doesn't mean you just go around drinking tea and having peace and freedom in the world," he said. "What it means is, you have to build relationships."

For complete article, please click below:

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Author Greg Mortenson to speak at West Point (03/09/09)

Times Herald Record (Middletown - Hudson Valley, NY)

Author Greg Mortenson to speak at West Point

WEST POINT — Best-selling author Greg Mortenson will deliver a public lecture on Tuesday night to Army cadets taking a Military Science Counterinsurgency Operations course at West Point.

Mortenson wrote “Three Cups of Tea,” a story about his effort to fight terrorism and promote peace by building schools in impoverished parts of Pakistan and Afghanistan. As of 2008, he's established more than 78 schools for roughly 28,000 children.

Mortenson's work has been rife with conflict. In 1996, he survived an eight-day armed kidnapping in Pakistan. In 2003, he escaped a firefight between feuding Afghan warlords by hiding under animal hides in a truck heading for a leather-tanning factory.

After 9/11, he received hate mail and death threats from Americans who were angry about his education efforts for Muslim children.

In August 2008, Pakistan's government gave Mortenson its highest civil award, the Sitara-e-Pakistan (Star of Pakistan) for his humanitarian efforts. Pakistan's president will confer the award on March 23 in Islamabad.

“Mortenson’s involvement in central Asia is critical to a holistic approach to assisting other countries,” said Maj. James Spies, the Counterinsurgency Operations course director at West Point.

“The military has re-learned the lessons of counterinsurgency that point out the need to build up the whole of a society to assist them in solving the core problems that created an insurgency.”

The lecture will take place in Thayer Hall’s Robinson Auditorium at 6:30 p.m. Attendees should enter West Point through Thayer or Stoney Lonesome gates and bring valid identification. Vehicles are subject to search. Visitors may park in Clinton Lot or other available spaces.

(c) 2009. All Rights Reserved.

Friday, February 27, 2009

To The Point (02/27/09)

    Greg Mortenson featured live on NPR "To The Point", hosted by Warrn Olney. Other guests are renowned Pakistan author, Ahmed Rashid ("Taliban", "Descent into Chaos") and Harlan Ullman at the Atlantic Council and National Defense University in DC.


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Monday, January 2, 2017

Greyhound Racing Today - Monday January 2, 2017

Video of the Day
2016 Irish Greyhound Racing Year In Review - Memories & Highlights

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24 May 2013

Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot mystery Review

Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot mystery is a Episode based game similar to The Walking Dead and is a point and click puzzle game with a similar style to Professor Layton on the DS.
Its released on PS Vita, Iphone and PC.

I played the Vita Version which i find the best version to play it on.
But since everything is controlled by the Touch screen the Iphone version should also work nice.
I normally don't play games that look kind of kiddy.
But i made a exception for Jacob Jones since that game looked kind of interesting to me and its only €1,99 on EU PSN which is a bargain.
So  if you have some spare PSN money left and you like a puzzle games then get it NOW!

My opinion on the game is kind of split.
One side of the elements of the game i really liked while the other elements turn me off.
The art Style was the main reason i noticed this game.
The toy liked characters looks really nice and beautiful on the Vita.
The art like images seen in some puzzles are even more enjoyable to the eyes since the look really nice.
The sound and music is oke and i have not many things to say about it besides that.
As for the puzzles.
I found the Puzzles at most times easy to solve.
Since most puzzles require logic and a little understanding in math.
Only a few puzzles gave me a little challenge.
But nothing i could not handle.

The help tools in the game are nice way for those that have a problem with a puzzle and need some help
but the help tools require points that you can only get by collecting empty soda cans that are found in the none puzzle like areas in the game.
while collecting these cans may sound hard its not the case.
The cans are found almost anywhere you look only a few can will give you the hardest time getting since the game makers hid them really well.
These can can be found thx to the sparkle lighting coming from them but some hare behind object to see them you can tilt your Vita to see around the bushes and see the hidden cans.

The story is kind of interesting but not many is explained yet in Episode 1.
This really nice touch since this is gives me a reason to come back for more since i really like to find out what will happen in Episode 2.

The worst part and the thing that turned me off is the characters.
There based on typical personality's that make the story less which is really sad.
Only a few characters are fun and original.

Besides the characters i found Jacob Jones and the Bigfoot mystery a fun game and i will be back for Episode 2.


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21 September 2014

Ni No Kuni Review

A journey I wont forget.

With so many RPG's out there its hard to find the right one.
Since most of them are focused on their battle system that they forget the main reason why people to play them.

What drove me was the world I had to explore and the people that inhabit them.
Sadly most of the modern RPG's are grinding games which I hate because spending hours fighting to get past some bosses didn't feel epic or fun at all.

Ni No Kuni did all the right things, that I wasn't done with it even after I was done with the story.
Every part of the world was a delight to explore and a joy to the eyes that it is hard to explain that a few images will only do it justice for a little bit.

With this world also comes a nice and memorable soundtrack that humes with me when I traverse the world.
It a orchestra type of music so it isn't everyones kind of juice but works well with this game.

The game may scare people away for its kiddy look, even when the games story is really black in some parts.
Especially in the beginning.
This is because of it's art style and the more friendly looking monster that inhabit the world.
It's a noticeable art style to people that may know from Studio Glibly.
This also shows they were involved in this game and it's look.

The game borrows for it's combat system 2 other combat systems.
One is from Tales games and a few more games that use this (not sure who started it).
Which is the option to move in a combat scene while acting.
There other one is Pokemon which involves in fighting with monster that you own.
Both of them work really well together and make for a fun experience.

My gameplay involved a stretched out experience.
Between story parts I always completed all side quests first so that I could enjoy the world more.
This is how normally always play but in Ni No Kuni I would advise anyone to play this way.
Because then you can see the world better and enjoy it inhabitant better.

The side quests are more divers in Ni No Kuni that is isn't just about hunting or gathering quests, but also involves healing peoples hearts.
This is a mayor part of the game but also appears allot in side quest making them feel less side questy, more involving in the world and fun.

As I mentioned before the games story is in some parts black but also really bright for the most part.
And in this game you're not fighting evil with some super strong character, but with a boy that is doing it for different reasons than saving the world.
The allies you get in your team are also enjoyable and feel more deep than some dum support character.

This is a must play in my books and I will mis for sure it after I am done doing the last 2 side quests in this game.


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March 30, 2013

Front Porch 2 (revisited)

Original (top image)

Update (bottom image)

Acrylic on Panel - 9 x 12 inches - Click Here to Bid

I found this one lying about in the back hallway and though I liked it, something wasn't quite right. I thought I'd try to learn what it was by "fixing" it. The changes are subtle, but I think it works a bit better. Other may disagree. Give me ten minutes and I might disagree myself.

March 29, 2013

Spring Comes to the Vineyard

Acrylic on Panel - 6 x 4 inches - Click Here to Bid

The Daily Paintworks "The Meaning of Spring" challenge has got to be one of the best attended challenges yet. It's only Thursday and there's already over 70 paintings there. Go have a look.

I guess Spring really resonates with artists. Either that or everyone's on Spring break.

I based this on a photo I took last year, while wandering around Sonoma on my way to Easter at my parent's place. I can't believe it, but it's Easter again.

March 19, 2013

Acrylic on Panel - 9 x 12 inches Ω

Here's my submission for the Daily Paintworks "What's inYour Fridge" Challenge.  I thought about composing the contents of my refrigerator, but then I was afraid I'd be there all day rearranging things with the door open. Instead I went for my first honest glimpse and took a photo.

I used more black in my mixing than usual, and I don't mind a bit.

March 15, 2013

N and J

Acrylic on Panel - 11 x 14 inches - NFS

Catching up with Daily Paintworks, the timing was great. I had this photo of some small people I know and I wanted to try just doing a value study of it. It just so happens that this week's challenge, the Monochrome Challenge, was to paint in a monochrome fashion using just three levels or values. I think I actually wound up closer to four: black, white, dark grey and light grey.

It's been a while since I've painted and this is a big panel and something I cared about, so I was afraid I'd choke up and get all nit-picky, but I got luck and stayed nice and loose.


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Mary Anne Hitt.

What’s your job title?

I’m the executive director of Appalachian Voices.

What does your organization do?

We bring people together to solve the big environmental problems facing the central and southern Appalachian Mountains — mountaintop-removal coal mining, air pollution, and the loss of our native forests.

What are you working on at the moment?

We recently launched, an online organizing campaign. Our goal is to build a national network of people who will work together to pass legislation that will end mountaintop removal, a form of coal mining that involves blowing up entire mountains and dumping the rock into valleys, burying streams. It’s devastating the land and communities in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and my home state of Tennessee.

The centerpiece of iLoveMountains is the National Memorial for the Mountains, which uses Google Earth to show the locations and tell the stories of the over 470 mountains that have been destroyed. With a click of a mouse, all 200 million people who have Google Earth can now see memorials of featured mountains, a mine site tour, and high-resolution images before and after the mining. Last week, Google included the Memorial as part of the newest featured content in Google Earth, and thousands of new people have already signed on to support the campaign.

How do you get to work?

I live three hours away from the main Appalachian Voices office in Boone, N.C., so I mainly work at home, which is a real luxury. But I do drive down to Boone at least twice a month to spend time with the rest of our staff.

What long and winding road led you to your current position?

I grew up in Gatlinburg, Tenn., which is the main tourist gateway to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the home of Dollywood. The development there goes right up to the boundary of the national park, and throughout my life, I watched the go-kart tracks, outlet malls, and housing developments take over one farm after another. It was enough to turn anyone into an environmentalist — at least, that’s what it did for me.

At the University of Tennessee, I founded Students Promoting Environmental Action in Knoxville (SPEAK) and helped write a blueprint for greening the university. Some 10 years later, UT Knoxville has a campus environmental policy as well as a green energy fee that the students imposed on themselves by ballot referendum, making the campus one of the largest buyers of green power in the South. Considering that there wasn’t a student environmental group or any environmental majors on campus when I arrived, I carry my experience at UT with me as proof of the power of a group of dedicated people to shift even the largest, most entrenched institutions.

I’ve been the executive director of three grassroots environmental groups since then, the Southern Appalachian Biodiversity Project in Asheville, N.C.; the Ecology Center (now part of the WildWest Institute) in Missoula, Mont.; and now Appalachian Voices.

Where were you born? Where do you live now?

I was born in Philadelphia but only lived there for four months. I was raised in east Tennessee, and now I live in Blacksburg, Va.

What has been the worst moment in your professional life to date?

One of the most challenging moments of my career was the fight over salvage logging in the Bitterroot National Forest in western Montana after the fires of 2000. I was the executive director of the Ecology Center at the time, and we were one of the dozen or so groups who had filed lawsuits over various components of the plan. The judge sent all the groups into court-ordered negotiations, and we reached a compromise that spared most of the roadless lands and bull-trout habitat, but also allowed a great deal of logging. The settlement was controversial, and the experience taught me a great deal about the difficult choices and harsh realities of serious environmental work.

What’s been the best?

Last year, Ed Wiley, a grandfather and former coal miner from West Virginia, walked from Charleston, W.Va., to Washington, D.C., to raise awareness about the plight of Marsh Fork Elementary School, which is located next to a coal processing facility that releases coal dust onto the school and below a leaking earthen dam holding back 2.8 billion gallons of coal sludge. Ed was promoting the Pennies of Promise campaign to build a new school in a safe location.

Ed’s arrival in D.C. coincided with a Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington that Appalachian Voices organized, which brought volunteers from 13 states to meet with members of Congress. I’ll never forget seeing Ed taking the last steps of his 450-mile pilgrimage. Hundreds of supporters walked the final blocks up Constitution Avenue. That moment stands out in my mind as one of the most powerful of my entire life.

The fate of the school still hangs in the balance. We’re having another Mountaintop Removal Week in Washington May 12-16, and we would love for Grist readers to join us!

What environmental offense has infuriated you the most?

For those of us who see the impacts of mountaintop removal firsthand — massive explosions, toxic runoff, lakes of sludge behind earthen dams, families who have lost their homes and lives, and the obliteration of some of the oldest mountains on earth — the increasingly widespread use of the term “clean coal,” even by some environmental organizations, is a bitter pill to swallow. The people of Appalachia know all too well that coal is not delivered immaculately to the power plants, and there is nothing in the so-called “clean coal” technologies that addresses the impacts of mining.

Who is your environmental hero?

My mom and dad have been my biggest inspirations. My dad was the chief scientist of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park for 10 years, during the height of the air pollution and acid rain problems in the 1980s and 1990s. My mom has been a schoolteacher and is now a school principal, and I learned from her that when it comes to changing the world, there’s no shortcut for reaching one person at a time.

What’s your environmental vice?

My car, definitely. Isn’t that how everyone answers this question?

How do you spend your free time (if you have any)? Read any good books lately?

My absolute favorite thing in the world is backcountry canoe camping with my husband, my dog Huck, and some frosty beers in the cooler. I also play a little guitar and love to sing, mostly bluegrass and Americana.

I recently re-read William Faulkner’s Light in August, one of my favorites. I’m a sucker for that Southern gothic style. I think the new book Big Coal by Jeff Goodell should be required reading for every environmentalist.

What’s your favorite meal?

It’s 100 percent from my summer garden — fresh sweet corn, green beans, and a salad with homegrown tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozzarella. For dessert, black raspberry cobbler from the raspberry patch that’s taking over the pasture behind our house.

What’s your favorite place or ecosystem?

The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. The Appalachian Mountains are one of the most diverse ecosystems on earth — second only to the tropical rainforest — and new species are being discovered there all the time.

If you could institute by fiat one environmental reform, what would it be?

I would take the billions of dollars of subsidies the federal government is currently handing out to fossil-fuel industries and invest them in clean, renewable energy and energy efficiency instead. America is an innovative, optimistic nation, and I firmly believe that if we shifted the focus of our resources and ingenuity to transforming our energy systems, we could produce the energy we need without destroying the climate, the land, communities, and human lives.

Who was your favorite musical artist when you were 18? How about now?

Then, R.E.M.. Now, alternative country is my mainstay, and I’ve also been hooked on Coldplay lately.

What’s your favorite TV show? Movie?

TV: The Daily Show and The Colbert Report.

Movie: Harold and Maude.

Which actor would play you in the story of your life?

What 30-something woman and activist would not want to be played by Angelina Jolie?

If you could have every InterActivist reader do one thing, what would it be?

Sign up to join the national network of people working together to end mountaintop removal. Watch this video featuring Woody Harrelson and Willie Nelson, and help us spread the word. We need your help.


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Friday, April 3, 2015

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Monday, August 02, 2010

Solid Edge ST3 – Post 3 of 4

As Promised, here is my 3rd post on Solid Edge ST3’s customer driven enhancements. This time, the topic is Piping, Framing, and Weld enhancements.
Let’s start with Frames. Frames are made up of 3 items for each frame member: The sketch defining the path, the cross section defining the shape, and the resulting member as a solid model. With ST3, some work was done with the cross sections to add additional attachment points which are used to attach the cross sections to the paths. In addition to the prior default of the geometry Range Box showing the 8 points defining the rectangular extents boundary around the shape and the center point, you can now define the cross section’s path attachment point by using key points (end/mid/center/etc.) on the cross section’s defining sketch (including reference elements) or the cross section’s area centroid.

In addition to the new locating methods, cross sections are now associative to the members that they have defined (so changes to the cross section in the library updates the solid model in the Frame assembly) and also support specifying Wurzelmaß standard hole locations (DIN Standard). If you don’t know what Wurzelmaß means, you’re not alone.  It’s German, and it’s literal translation is “Back Pitch” in English.  It has been explained that it is the allowable location on flanges where holes may be placed.
Piping has a few enhancements specific to it as well. Pipe fittings can now be graphically rotated.
Pipe gradients are now supported for drainage situations. Fittings will tolerate a specified deviation from the standard fitting angle to allow for the specified gradient.
image image
In prior releases, pipe fittings were required to be added to the Standard Parts library to be used. That requirement has been lefted and now pipe fittings can now be placed directly from disk or managed environments (Insight/Teamcenter).
Both environments have benefitted from the new ability to pattern Pipe or Frame components.
Parts Lists now support “per item” and “cumulative” mass for pipe/frame components and the mass calculation accounts for removed material in mitres and assembly features. Mitre cut angle can also be included in the parts list as well.
image image
In Welding, a new algorithm has been introduced that produces weld beads that support many more geometric conditions, exactly matches input faces to eliminate interference, and also transition smoothly around sharp corners.
As I stated before, this is just a subset of user requested enhancements. There is a lot more that I cannot publish yet, not to mention we haven’t touched on new features or the “Bridge”. Stay tuned, more to come soon.

roger said...

Mass of frames and listing mitred end conditions are very welcome additions. Good stuff.

Anonymous said...

Hi Ken,

Do you perhaps know if Frame Design now saves each created frame item as a part file?
So if you double click on a frame member you actually get to see the frame member itself with the length is has and e.g. the angled cuts it has at the ends.
As it is now in ST2 when you double click you only see the originating profile in it's original default state.

Frank H. (aka frank_nx)

Bücher, Spiele und Co. said...

can you tell me if in ST3 in a weldment assembly the option for making a radius?
Until ST2 there is only the opinion for making a chamber-bevel.
Thanks in advance.

PellaKen said...

In versions prior to ST3, you have the option to associatively save the part model out to a file, however I don't believe you can access it directly from the assembly. I cannot comment on the ST3 functionality as it is beyond the scope of what I'm allowed to discuss. Perhaps this would be a good discussion for the BBS.

I am unable to comment on any additional ST3 functionality aside from what I already have due to non-disclosure agreements. Once the software is released we can discuss it all we want, but until then, I can only discuss what I have been specifically given permission to discuss.

Andrew said...

Sept 1 has come and gone, still no ST3...
Any ideas on the release date?

PellaKen said...

What I have seen mentioned is October.

Andrew said...

I was at PLM world and the date was sept 1. Not to worry, as long as its stable, thats all that counts.


text:
Happy Veterans Day

To all who have served, and the family and loved ones who did what it took to make that service happen, Thank You.

I’ll remind readers that the Soldiers’ Angels Project Valour-IT is still taking donations, here; for project information, here.  My USMC team is in a solid second place, but a) way short of the goal, and b) behind Army?  Any donation is appreciated.

Last year Google took a beating for not having a special graphic for Veteran’s day.  They have fixed that, and have done well:

Veterans Day

Happy Veteran’s Day!

  1. Anne Armitage says:

    Grunt Dpc–

    My mother was a Teufelhunden incarnate on school mornings when she tried to get twelve kids out of their bunks and on to the school bus. Mum was WW2 USMC/WR, and my Dad’s brother was a career Marine: started at the Guadalcanal landing on August 7, 1942. He survived five hellish months of starvation, and later commanded the Marine detachment on the USS Astoria (“The Mighty Ninety”), named for one of the ships blasted into Iron Bottom Sound. Fought the entire Pacific campaign, did two winters in Korea, and subsequently had a distinguished career. Thus, my donation is for Mary Louise O’Hearn Armitage and Gerard Thomas Armitage: hope they live to be 100. Grunt Doc, keep those exhortations going!

    Anne Armitage


text:
NASA New Horizons Will Be Active From December 6 for Pluto [Video]

NASA New Horizons

NASA New Horizons spacecraft will be switched from hibernation to active mode starting on Saturday, December 6, as it is nearing Pluto. Following the recent success of the Orion spacecraft, NASA is set to work on New Horizons as the spacecraft commences working on its actual mission of covering the planet that is billions of kilometers away from the sun. The world expects to see more of the Kuiper Belt, Pluto and the icy regions at the Solar System’s edge. Pluto is classified by the International Astronomical Union as a dwarf planet.

NASA New Horizons left Earth for Pluto on January 2006, to study the planet’s moons and the objects in the Kuiper Belt. The spacecraft is expected to arrive to its destination in July. Along the way, it has been put in hibernation mode almost all the time; meaning, most of its parts were unpowered, to save energy and costs, as well as keep its electronics from wearing and tearing.

The programmed waking up time of NASA New Horizons on December 6 at 3pm EST is a month ahead of the spacecraft’s initial approach to Pluto. It will message Earth that it is already in active mode and the message will take about four hours to reach Earth, despite the light speed travel. According to Alice Bowman, manager for the spacecraft’s mission operations, the satellite is quietly and healthily cruising in deep space, almost 3 billion miles away from Earth.

Bowman said, now, NASA New Horizons’ long sleeping mode is over and it’s time to wake up and be active from December 6 to commence its Pluto work and make history. How NASA New Horizons will bring significant data and images to Earth depends on the sophistication of its instruments. Being the smallest space probe sent out to the solar system, engineers took the pain of selecting miniature components and instrument capabilities to fit on a relatively small payload. It has seven instruments for remote sensing and as situ instruments. The former ones are used to check on things from afar via different parts of the electromagnetic spectrum, while the latter measure things from the spacecraft’s position, like dust, ions and magnetic fields.

There are a number of remote sensing instruments that are on board. Alice, an ultraviolet spectrometer, is used primarily to study Pluto’s atmosphere. It can see wavelengths from 46.5 to 188 nanometers in its spatial 5 milliradians resolutions per pixel. LORRI, is a camera that is sensitive to 350 to 850 nanometers wavelengths with five microradians per pixel high-resolution. It is for optical navigation that is long-ranged, and for detailed imaging as well. It produces better images in monochrome, but they can be colorized with MVIC data of the imager, Ralph.

Ralph is a multi-spectral imager which has five channels in almost-infrared and visible wavelengths between 400 to 975 nanometers and 20 microradians per pixel spatial resolution. Consisting of two sub-instruments LEISA and MVIC, it has color imaging and wide field view capabilities. LEISA is a spectrometer for infrared imaging that spans between 1.25 and 2.5 microns to measure surface temperature and composition. There is also REX, an instrument that can send radio signals to Earth’s giant dishes through the atmosphere.

On the other hand, NASA New Horizons’ in-situ instruments are the Pluto Energetic Particle Spectrometer Science Investigation (PEPSSI),  which has 12 channels that span 1 to 1000 keV higher energies to check on pickup ions from the escaping atmosphere of Pluto; Solar Wind at Pluto, the analyzer of solar wind, which is sensitive to particles that are of lower-energy (25 eV – 7.5 keV); and Venetia Burney Student Dust Counter which gauges distribution of size and particle density with greater-than-picogram masses. This instrument has been active throughout New Horizons’ long journey.

NASA New Horizons will be observing the Pluto system starting next month. On July 14, 2015, it will be nearest to Pluto’s surface, at 6200 miles away. As Earth waits for New Horizons’ exciting and ambitious mission, unprecedented information and images are expected to arrive.

NASA New Horizons will be active from December 6 to start with its actual works about Pluto. It will operate in deep-space communications with its dish, though big when compared to its size, is not, when it is 4 billion kilometers away. Transfer of data is expected to be slow, and may even be impossible when the spacecraft is focusing on certain targets. Scientists expect silence during the two weeks when it will be nearest Pluto, but hope it will be keeping in touch with Earth again, soonest.

By Judith Aparri

The Planetary Society
NASA Science Missions
Tech Times

Photo courtesy of  Colin Campbell – Flicker License

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text:
The Hale House Spring Gala Gets The Upper East Side Dancing

by Chiara Atik · April 14, 2010

Go HERE for more pictures by Sunny Norton, and tag yourself and your friends!

I suppose if you're an Academy Award winning actress, you can permit yourself TWO gowns to wear at charity benefits; at least that seems to be the logic Marcia Gay Harden was operating under at the 2010 Hale House Center Spring Dinner Dance. Perhaps the white dress was for dinner and the red dress was for dancing?-

Other attendees of the annual event, which benefits the family programs at Hale House in Harlem, included Rudy Giuliani, there to support wife Judith who was honored along with Frederick Anderson with the first Mother Hale Community Service Award. (She spent most of the evening in ONE dress, thankyouverymuch.)

The queens of New York's philanthropic circle also made it to Gustavino's last night, including Alexandra Lebenthal, Muffie Potter Aston, Somers Farkas, Beth Rudin DeWoody, Alina Cho, Gillian Hearst Simonds, and Sessa von Richthofen.


text:
Celebrate Earth Day By Doing Yoga At The Standard Hotel

by Chiara Atik · April 21, 2010

Tomorrow is Earth Day, so The Standard Hotel is celebrating by transforming their High Line Room into a yoga studio. Yoga is a good activity for Earth Day, because hippy, crunchy granola-types practice it. -

After the hour of "enlivening and rejuvenating" yoga at 7, guests will enjoy BluPrintCleanse Juices (which, if I'm not mistaken, are served in plastic disposable containers--just because it's made out of fruit does not make it a good match for Earth day!) and receive "their own piece of earth" (??) to plant and grow. (Does that mean like, a potted plant?)

The party will last until 11, at which point, we assume, the High Line Room will turn back into a normal functioning bar, and revelers can go back to their normal partying ways, pleased to have contributed meaningfully to Earth Day.


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Monday, February 15, 2010

NEOGRADE : MS-78B-3 Gouf Custom Conversion Kit

Neograde will be releasing a conversion kit for the MS-07B-3 Gouf Custom on February 18th, 2010. This nice coversion kit comes as resin parts to be used on the MG 1/100 Gouf 2.0 (which is sold seperately).

For old school Gundam fans, this is a really nice coversion kit to own. Check it out on Neograde.

Images from Neograde

1 comment:

  1. so around 200 USD all together for this upgrade and the base kit itself. tempting. it looks THAT good!

Gundam Guy Blog

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text:
[00:04] <jcoxon> right i'm off
[00:04] <jcoxon> night
[00:05] jcoxon (n=jcoxon@81-178-226-201.dsl.pipex.com) left irc: "Leaving"
[00:25] <henryhallam> night
[00:25] Nick change: henryhallam -> hh|sleep
[00:32] <phatmonkey> hh|sleep, yep
[00:32] <phatmonkey> sleep for me too, night all
[00:33] Nick change: phatmonkey -> phatmonkey-sleep
[01:27] malgar (n=malgar@adsl-ull-170-240.47-151.net24.it) left irc: "*** E' solo l'urto con un iceberg, che vuoi che sia, questa è una nave inaffondabile. *** 75$/barile"
[07:35] jcoxon (n=jcoxon@81-178-226-201.dsl.pipex.com) joined #highaltitude.
[07:59] icez (n=icez@ip68-3-56-121.ph.ph.cox.net) left irc: "Lost terminal"
[08:59] malgar (n=malgar@adsl-ull-88-137.47-151.net24.it) joined #highaltitude.
[11:11] <jcoxon> hehe
[11:11] <jcoxon> a camera on ebay claims this: "3.1MP Camera Sensor interpolated to 11.0MP"
[12:15] <malgar> ...
[12:15] <malgar> interpolate is useless
[12:15] <malgar> d
[12:42] <phatmonkey-sleep> if you want a decent camera, get one from a well known brand
[12:42] <phatmonkey-sleep> or at least check out reviews and things!
[12:42] Nick change: phatmonkey-sleep -> phatmonkey
[16:14] <phatmonkey> defy, what sort of readings are you getting from your thermopiles?
[16:14] <phatmonkey> my circuit doesn't work very well, euch
[16:25] <jcoxon> hmmmm - found out why my cutdown didn't work
[16:25] <jcoxon> something to do with my cutdown script not the actual circuitry
[16:26] <phatmonkey> oh dear
[16:26] <phatmonkey> if you detonate the one you've got, please take a video :D
[16:26] <phatmonkey> for, uhm, research
[16:26] <phatmonkey> and watching stuff blow up is fun
[16:27] <jcoxon> it didn't blow up very wel
[16:27] <jcoxon> l
[16:27] <jcoxon> perhaps as it was lying on the grass
[16:27] <phatmonkey> did it seperate cleanly?
[16:27] <jcoxon> nope
[16:27] <phatmonkey> damn
[16:27] <jcoxon> rock solid
[16:27] <phatmonkey> maybe wire is the best solution then
[16:27] <jcoxon> the weak point was down into string hole
[16:27] <jcoxon> i've got one more left so i might string it up
[16:28] <jcoxon> perhaps it'll work
[16:28] <phatmonkey> i'll probably need to use wire anyway - the cutdown will have to be next to or inside the glider
[16:28] <phatmonkey> ok
[16:58] <jcoxon> right just blew the other one
[16:58] <jcoxon> (no video - sorry)
[16:59] <jcoxon> it does severe the string (i had a weight of 1kg on the end
[16:59] <jcoxon> bbl
[17:01] <phatmonkey> ok
[17:14] icez (n=icez@ip68-3-56-121.ph.ph.cox.net) joined #highaltitude.
[17:42] defy (n=defy@60-234-234-98.bitstream.orcon.net.nz) left irc: Read error: 104 (Connection reset by peer)
[19:03] icez (n=icez@ip68-3-56-121.ph.ph.cox.net) left irc: Read error: 104 (Connection reset by peer)
[19:03] icez (n=icez@ip68-3-56-121.ph.ph.cox.net) joined #highaltitude.
[19:06] Nick change: hh|sleep -> henryhallam
[19:07] <henryhallam> james, I'd put a bit more black powder in there if I were you
[20:18] <jcoxon> henryhallam, thats probably best
[20:20] rocketboy (n=steve@ joined #highaltitude.
[20:35] <henryhallam> evening Steve
[20:35] <henryhallam> see the landing today?
[20:39] <rocketboy> no - I have only just got in from work :-(
[20:40] <rocketboy> still need to earn money to feed my rocket/baloon habbit
[20:40] <henryhallam> hehehe
[20:40] <henryhallam> the videos are on nasa.gov I think
[20:40] <rocketboy> Good job they got down safe - I'll have a look later
[20:41] <henryhallam> yes apparently the bird crap survived, "a little charred but it's still there"
[20:42] <rocketboy> ;-)
[20:50] <rocketboy> BBL - I'm just off to download sone data from a rocket altimeter
[20:51] <henryhallam> neat
[21:15] <henryhallam> brb
[21:15] henryhallam (n=H@natreg.pem.cam.ac.uk) left irc: "I can't believe what a lame quit message I had before"
[21:42] <jcoxon> hey all
[21:42] <jcoxon> i'm thinking of getting a domain name for my ballooning site
[21:42] <jcoxon> any good ideas for a name?
[21:45] <jcoxon> www.pegasusballoonproject.net?
[21:47] <jcoxon> www.pegasushabproject.net
[22:02] defy-- (n=defy@60-234-234-98.bitstream.orcon.net.nz) joined #highaltitude.
[22:03] <jcoxon> hey defy--
[22:04] <defy--> hey :)
[22:04] Nick change: defy-- -> defy
[22:05] <jcoxon> i'm trying to think of a domain name for my new site
[22:05] <defy> hehe
[22:05] <jcoxon> www.pegasushabproject.net?
[22:05] <defy> what is hab?
[22:05] <jcoxon> move away from my uni space and therefore have google ads (in moderation)
[22:05] <jcoxon> high altitude balloon
[22:06] <jcoxon> and move space
[22:06] <defy> ah of course
[22:06] <jcoxon> more*
[22:06] <defy> you got a place to host it?
[22:06] <jcoxon> i'd get it with the domain i guess
[22:06] <defy> ah, i run a hosting company so if you want free hosting let me know :P my servers are based in texas and california
[22:07] <jcoxon> ooooooo
[22:07] <jcoxon> if you are offering that would be great
[22:08] <defy> i have opensrs reseller access to register domains also, but they aren't as cheap as some
[22:08] <defy> $10usd per year, but i think there are registrars down in the $3 mark at the moment
[22:10] <jcoxon> i was thinking of going for this originally:
[22:10] <jcoxon> http://www.streamlinenet.co.uk/pu.php
[22:10] <defy> true true, sweet...yea if you're after UK side hosting thats probably best
[22:11] <defy> i'm yet to get servers over there :P
[22:11] <jcoxon> i think i'll go with these guys - let them do all the hard work :-D
[22:11] <jcoxon> but thanks for the offer!
[22:11] <defy> i have a 1tb a month box at ev1 that uses none of its traffic
[22:12] <defy> i've been meaning to get some sites on there, but most of my customers are nz based
[22:12] <jcoxon> i personally don't see an issue about geography
[22:12] <defy> i should just throw a bt client on it, lo
[22:12] <jcoxon> :-D
[22:13] <jcoxon> just thought it would be nice to have more then 200mb and also be allowed some ads
[22:13] <defy> hehe
[22:13] <defy> the offer is there, disk and traffic are unmetered pretty much
[22:13] <defy> man this little camera is giving me grief
[22:13] <defy> i dont know if my serial wiring is screwed or if its the code, i need to get my hands on a scope
[22:14] <jcoxon> defy, so how would i go about getting a domain to your server?
[22:14] <jcoxon> hmmm do you get any data on the serial line?
[22:15] <defy> if you already own the domain youd just point the dns at my dns servers and i'd setup the acct, its pretty simple, otherwise i can register .com/net/org/uk/a bunch of other stuff through opensrs and do it that way..
[22:15] <defy> nah, tx and rx are stuck in the true possition
[22:15] Action: jcoxon wishes he had the gumstix 270 prototype sometimes
[22:15] <defy> at 3.3v
[22:15] <jcoxon> i don't already have the domain
[22:16] <defy> 270? hrm, i just saw that mentioned in the list but haven't read the thread yet...new cpu?
[22:16] <phatmonkey> hi all!
[22:16] <defy> phatmonkey :D
[22:16] <jcoxon> defy, yup tis the upgrade, usb, camera interface
[22:16] <phatmonkey> i can do hosting too, there's no point to pay for it! :D
[22:16] <phatmonkey> hi defy!
[22:16] <phatmonkey> i need to ask a question
[22:16] <defy> ohhhhh really, usb host??
[22:16] <phatmonkey> what sort of outputs are you getting from the thermopiles?
[22:17] <jcoxon> yup
[22:17] <defy> !! that would solve so many problems
[22:17] <phatmonkey> i have constructed the scalerobotics circuit myself for 6 thermopiles, but i'm getting useless data out of it
[22:17] <defy> phatmonkey in what sense?
[22:17] <phatmonkey> you should be using slugs ;)
[22:17] <defy> hrm
[22:17] <phatmonkey> what sort of range? when you point at warm/cold sources
[22:17] <defy> i get good data as long as i'm outside
[22:17] <phatmonkey> yeah
[22:17] <phatmonkey> when i point at the sky and ground, it just jumps about
[22:18] <phatmonkey> when i point both at the ground, it stays in the centre
[22:18] <phatmonkey> it jumps from high to low for some reason
[22:18] <defy> mine only has 4 sensors and was prebuild
[22:19] <phatmonkey> yeah
[22:19] <phatmonkey> what sort of range are you getting
[22:19] <phatmonkey> 512ish is centre i guess
[22:19] <defy> i haven't had a chance to REALLY test it, like outside of the subburbs, but for the most part it works outside, i get a big shift in values when tilting it either way, and they stay that way
[22:19] <phatmonkey> that's what i'm getting, and that works perfectly
[22:19] <phatmonkey> hmmm
[22:19] <defy> yea, i generally get in the low 500's as stable
[22:19] <phatmonkey> and what does it shift to?
[22:19] <phatmonkey> mine jumps around in the 450 to 550 range
[22:20] <defy> how many readings do you take from yours?
[22:20] <phatmonkey> maybe i have a dodgy capcitor in there that's flipping between voltages
[22:20] <defy> mine has 2 adc outputs, so each output is connected to 2 sensors
[22:21] <defy> but the values will go all the way up into the 8-900's
[22:21] <phatmonkey> yes, i've added another circuit so ihave 6 thermopiles and 3 outputs
[22:21] <defy> and stay _fairly_ stable
[22:21] <defy> cool
[22:22] <phatmonkey> hmmm
[22:22] <phatmonkey> odd
[22:22] <defy> but again i haven't had a good stable place to test other than outside on my deck, where there are lots of houses in the way, but i could tell taht it was definately working
[22:22] <phatmonkey> what sort of readings were you getting?
[22:22] <defy> 45degrees would give about 6-700 and 3-400 depending on the angle
[22:23] <defy> erm, not angle, direction :P
[22:23] <phatmonkey> ah, very nice
[22:23] <phatmonkey> would be 50 degrees actually, they have a 100 degree FOV ;)
[22:23] <defy> hehe
[22:24] <defy> it definately seems like enough sensitivity to keep an airframe stable
[22:24] <defy> I'm going to try combine it with rate sensors gyros, but i might not need them
[22:24] <jcoxon> phatmonkey, www.pegasushabproject.net? what do you think?
[22:31] <phatmonkey> how about .uk something? much cheaper and shows you're from the uk!
[22:31] <phatmonkey> www.pegasusproject.org.uk or something
[22:32] <phatmonkey> defy, gyros just sound like extra complication!
[22:32] <phatmonkey> zzz, i might just buy the boards off scalerobotics.com - that's where you got yours defy, yes?
[22:32] <phatmonkey> i have the amplifiers and thermopiles, they're the expensive bits
[22:32] <defy> possibly, but they interface the exact same way the thermopiles do, so the code was very easy
[22:32] <phatmonkey> yeah
[22:32] <defy> and it seems to pickup the smaller movements which the thermopiles don't pickup
[22:33] <defy> but it might not be needed, ill know once i get it in the air
[22:33] <defy> im hoping that there will be no wind today so i can test out my new pontoons on one of my planes out on the harbour
[22:34] <phatmonkey> nice
[22:34] <phatmonkey> i'll be getting my gear up in the air soon too, tis exciting!
[22:35] <defy> hehe
[22:35] <phatmonkey> i just need to get these thermopiles working, it's the last bit of hardware that needs doing
[22:35] <phatmonkey> http://www.uavs.net/schematicv11.jpg
[22:35] <phatmonkey> i've been following that, i'm sure it's right
[22:36] <defy> did you buy the kitsets ?
[22:36] <phatmonkey> nope, just built it on variboard
[22:36] <defy> cool
[22:47] <jcoxon> oooo now would be a sweet time to launch from cambridge
[22:48] <rocketboy> do the thermopiles need to be matched
[22:48] <rocketboy> ?
[22:48] <phatmonkey> as long as they're all the same model, they should work fine
[22:48] <phatmonkey> my centre works fine (512, half 1024 which is perfect)
[22:49] <phatmonkey> it goes all haywire when they are different temperatures
[22:49] <rocketboy> are these the same sort that are used in IR sensors? - like motion detectors?
[22:49] <phatmonkey> odd
[22:49] <phatmonkey> no, they only read heat
[22:49] <phatmonkey> temperatures
[22:49] <phatmonkey> they're used in those thermometers where you don't have to touch the object
[22:50] <phatmonkey> it's readings on IR radiation in particular
[22:50] <rocketboy> bit expensive for 4
[22:52] <rocketboy> (rocketboy is tight) - $140
[22:54] <phatmonkey> http://scalerobotics.com/store/catalog/product_info.php?products_id=28&osCsid=273a7fb3e5f78d4e9bd487ecc71ff270
[22:54] <phatmonkey> doesn't have to be!
[22:59] <rocketboy> ahh 4 for $35 (not $35 each)
[22:59] <phatmonkey> haha, yes!
[22:59] <rocketboy> thats more like it
[22:59] <phatmonkey> $35 each *would* be expensive, phew
[22:59] <phatmonkey> note that they supply a very small voltage
[22:59] <rocketboy> its a very simple idea like the sun seakers we use in model rocketry
[22:59] <phatmonkey> so that'll need amplfication and equalisation and all sorts of fun stuff
[23:00] <phatmonkey> ah right
[23:04] <defy> hey jcoxon do you know what kind of camera interface the 270 has exactly?
[23:04] <jcoxon> nope
[23:04] <defy> hrm, will be interesting to see
[23:04] <jcoxon> guess it'll be in the pxa270 specs
[23:04] <defy> yea
[23:05] <jcoxon> but its going to be a while before it exists
[23:05] <rocketboy> they use 4 photo detectors and a lens in the nose of the rocket - and balance an image of the sun across the sensors - if the sun moves more onto one sensor the rocket is moved the other way - to keep the system in balance
[23:05] <defy> end of year would be nice
[23:06] <phatmonkey> ah nice
[23:16] jcoxon (n=jcoxon@81-178-226-201.dsl.pipex.com) left irc: "Leaving"
[23:58] rocketboy (n=steve@ left irc:
[00:00] --- Tue Jul 18 2006


text:
Robotic chess opponent

[Dennis] is using a robotic arm as a chess opponent. Rather than using an under-board movement system, a Lynxmotion AL5A robotic arm plucks each piece and moves it to the next space. He tells us that he’s using a Python script that he created to process the moves and decide what’s next. That must mean he’s using a webcam to capture the location of the pieces on the board. About half way through you can see the robot run into one of the pawns. We’d like to know if he has problems with picking up the pieces as the game progresses and they get further away from the center of each square. From what we can see, looks like a great job!

22 thoughts on “Robotic chess opponent

  1. @Moggie100
    probably because it was easier for him to program a move knowing it’s starting from a “home” position. it would be more efficient if it only moved however far it needed to.

    i think this is amazing.

    one thing he could do to make it a little more fluid (and i’m stretching) is to add an electro-magnet to the claw. by activating the magnet when it begins to clamp, he might be able to make up for the placement variations that the summary mentions.

  2. The placement variations could be taken care of by small magnets in the board and base of the pieces, once a piece is placed on a square the magnets will atract each other and slide the piece into centre, but the magnets would be weak enough so the robot (and player) could move the pieces. And if he wanted to make the robot seem more like a human player it should knock the board over when it loses! So I guess a chess/boxing robot is next?

  3. I like the idea of this robot. sounds like it would be a much more enjoyable way to play a computer than via a keyboard and screen.

    but, is it thinking? it doesn’t seem so. there is nothing in the video to suggest it is doing anything other than simple pre-programmed movements (erratically at that, see the nudge at 0:38). there are not piece captures, and as soon as the keyboard button is pressed the arm moves — it doesnt seem to assess what has been played on the human side at all (not even after the opening move).

    theres nothing other than a video and a youtube description as far as the specifics go… and that doesn’t say it is thinking either.

    “That must mean he’s using a webcam to capture the location of the pieces on the board.”
    —> Really? It must mean that? I don’t see the camera…

    It just seems like such a great idea/project (best on ive seen on HAD in a while for sure) that if it were doing what is being claimed it would have been explained in more detail (you know, the creator would want to brag more).

    I want to believe, but my better judgment tells me this is being controlled by a man behind a curtain somewhere.

    I hope I am wrong. Truly.

  4. Yea, the problem is that this project lies somewhere in between “cool hack” and “complete solution.” He’s built a decent arm (albiet, they can easily be purchased in kit form so its hard to say how much of it is an original design). But, as you can see from the above comments, people are faulting him because his apparent AI isn’t good enough. Are there any demonstrations of AI that can play as well as deepblue or better? I doubt it — and, deepblue doesn’t use a learning algorithm, just brute force.

  5. Awesome.

    On the ‘smarts’ — there are plenty of chess programs out there that can beat me with no meaningful pause between plays. Maybe he rolled his own, or maybe he’s interfacing with an off the shelf program.

    I think that returning to the “thinking” position is a classy touch, actually.

    The big improvement that I want to see is the machine recognizing when you’ve made your move, so there are no buttons to press at all.

    Riffing on Hirudinea’s idea, if the manipulator was magnetic instead of a claw, then there wouldn’t be any propagating error over multiple moves. That makes it easier to control the robot with simple go-to-grid commands, instead of needing to see the pieces. I think the claw is more fun, though.

  6. We have to do this sort of thing (only for checkers) for our Mechatronics course. I’m an ME, but we have a brilliant EE on our team who has gotten a SCARA pick and place robot working for us. It’s pretty sweet, if I do say so myself.

  7. niceeee.

    “That must mean he’s using a webcam to capture the location of the pieces on the board.”

    Very interesting, I think it’s more likely that the robot use some kind of sensors. It would be hard and nearly impossible for robot to see the location of the pieces through webcam and so quickly decide what to do..

    Or maybe the guy is just pressing a button, to tell the robot where he put his chess..

  8. Nice work on the AL5A. Not the standard kit, Elongated arm means probably stronger servos too. Just a suggestion though, it’s called inverse kinetics. Having the math do the work of arm position means you can concentrate on simple x,y,z position translations. Not as difficult as it sounds and will save endless hours of sequence programming.

  9. oops errata.. It’s called inverse kinematics, if your using the ssc-32 then you have a program disk that demonstrates it, and I do believe the lynxmotion forum has a couple of articles.

  10. @ Flint

    Given that there are “chess-capable” AIs written in assembly code for the ti-8x series calculators, Javascript for computers and mobile phones and many other language to many other platforms… How exactly does it being in Python prevent it from being “chess-capable”?

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