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Sunday, October 21, 2007
Nerstrand Big Woods 1/2 Marathon
I figured about a 2 hour drive to Nerstrand, that was correct. The sun was shining, the sky was beautiful blue, there was a nice stiff breeze. The temperature was 42F, a bit chilly, so I opted for shorts, gloves and a long sleeved shirt.
After registering for the race I milled around the church for a while but didn't recognize anyone, so headed back to my car until start time. I decided to grab my iPod before I went to the start line, I also grabbed a Cliff shot to put inside of my hand held bottle filled with Heed.
There was a 5K, 10K and 1/2 Marathon and we all had the same 900 start. We began on a dirt road near the church, where we would finish as well.
After the dirt road we were on asphalt county road for a very long time. I was surprised that we weren't turning into the state park. Where are the trails? Damn. It's hot. Within 2 miles I stepped off the asphalt, onto the dirt shoulder to remove my long sleeved top. To my amazement, I received good natured whistles. I tied my shirt upon my waist and continued to run on the asphalt. Within the next mile I came upon Dave Just. I asked him where the hell the trail was? He asked me if I hadn't read the Course Change bulletin at the church. Ah, no, I hadn't. He told me that the state park was closed to foot traffic because of all of the rain! The park was closed so the race was rerouted. ALL ROAD. At first I was bummed, then pissed, then decided whatever..enjoy the beauty of the day. And enjoy I did!
The miles clicked off, I had a gel and drank my Heed. I was listening to music, taking in the leave change and the other runners. It was a beautiful day. The course was all hills. Big hills. One hill after another. So much so that it reminded me of running Vermont 100, except during the second half of the run, we NEVER ran downhill. It was all uphill. I ran every hill, every step, telling myself this was *only* 13 miles, run as hard as you can, every mile. I did. I was panting and sweating and having a blast.
I kept leapfrogging with another gal. I would catch her, pass her and pretty soon she would be at my elbow. She had an iPod too, so I tapped her on her elbow and gave her a thumbs up "good running" I said. She said the same. We ran side by side up some god awful hill that lasted over a mile. I was losing steam, running as fast as my legs could carry me up hill. She said 'there's one mile left. Let's run a 730" Shit. I said 'you lead, I"ll follow'. She did, she kicked it up a notch and ran into the finish. Good lord, I hung on for dear life and felt every muscle in my body tighten up. 732. Wow. It was great, really. I haven't run so hard since I was breaking 10 hours at Ice Age this past May.
Thanks to the gal, I ran a 1:55. A PR for me, on one hell of a hilly course. Made me happy!
At the finish I watched Larry Pederson, Karen Gall, Mick Justin and Kate Havelin come it. It was an awesome day! I'm glad I decided to go at run the Nerstrand 1/2.
13 comments:
- SteveQ said...
If that gal you ran with had red hair, that was Leslie Seymour - a former Olympic Trials competitor (until a car accident nearly killed her). I saw your name ahead of hers in the race results. You beat a legend!
I didn't see either of you at the race. The last six miles did seem entirely uphill and against the wind, didn't they? I ran the race with a heart monitor - averaged 174 beats per minute (96% max). I got to the race at the last minute and left right away (tooth pain), otherwise would've said hi.
Wow, another PR!! You are one awesome chick! Too bad they had to move it to the road.
- Mel said...
Hello. Congrats on some great running! And you seem to do it in style! I have a question for you. My friend would like to run her next marathon in a hot pink singlet and I notice you are wearing one in one of your pictures. Would you mind telling me who makes it and where I might find one? (Sorry if this is an "off the wall" comment.) Your fashion advice is much appreciated! Best wishes, Mel
Congratulations Julie!!
I spent yesterday running at 3am to see the meteor shower, and then doing lots of swimming - finally have butterfly under control :)
The fires in SoCal started yesterday, and by last night we couldn't breath. Today all I could do was Yoga in my office at lunch - yuck. Hope the firest go out soon!! :(
I printed out your blog - the whole thing ;) - 3 full notebooks. I'm reading them one at a time - I'll be ready to condense into a book for you by Sunday ;) You are a great writer Julie - and so much info. LOVE IT!!
Thanks for your email :)
Sooo none of my business, but just speaking from experience. I have noticed you are eating a lot of food that is LOADED with sodium. I know when I do that, the scale does not budge sometimes at all. Maybe try reducing that a bit and see what happens? I know even if I don't "feel" like I am retaining water, I can be. Just brainstorming with you! You are really an inspiration!
How is your Mom?
- Julie B said...
Mel-I buy pink tops where I can find them. All over the place, all different brands. If I see a pink top that I like, I buy it.
Anon-the sodium, all I see that is higher in sodium is the tuna packs, otherwise I don't think it is that high but I am probably missing something. Could you tell me the items you are referring to? I had Dave go through my menus, nothing caught his eye.
It is my understanding it shoud be under 2000mg a day. I think I got that from the USDA website or somewhere. Here's what I have figured, again, not an expert, just someone who has been in the same boat as you.
whopping 890 with out dressing and 1630 with.
canned chicken can have 7 times the daily limit in some cases.
Eggs are minimal 50-60mg per egg
One cheese slice 250 Mayo 135-150
One serving canned fish over 300
You don't say specifically what kind of oatmeal, but after investigating I found some of the instant kinds, usually the packages of plain have anywhere form 200-300 mg a piece!
I one day started picking apart my diet when I hit a plateau. A couple days that I had salads on the go put me over my sodium for a week! I don't watch it perfect all the time, but when I get "stuck" I really watch it and it picks back up again.
Obviously you are doing AWESOME. You have stamina and have lots a lot weight already. I know when my numbers don't move, I get a little unhinged if I am doing everything 95% perfect. Usually it's the salt!
Oh, something else too. This is way out there, but I ran across it while researching this. If you have a water softener in your house or work and you are refilling a bottle or glass it can add 2.5 more percent sodium to the water.
- Julie B said...
Wow! Thanks for the info, I appreciate it very much. Yeah, I have a water softener, never even crossed my mind. Thanks again.
Way to hit your goal setter!!
I ran briefly with you at VT, nice work on the half.
Do you ever try running/racing without an Ipod? it is REALLY hazardous to do...and having to tap someone on the shoulder during a race is not too safe either.
Try running without this 'crutch'.
- Olga said...
Nice one, Jul! I need to make myself to enter a short race and work a bit too, otherwise it's all "fun and games":)
- Julie B said...
All of my daily trail runs are without an iPod. So are most of my trail races. When road running, I prefer music.


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|"正如几位使用OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion开发者预览的用户所发现的,苹果将不再包含其可用于通过X窗口系统界面运行软件的X11应用。
应用的开源项目一样,但它一直比最新的XQuartz 发行要晚些。当前版本的X11 是2.6.3;而此时XQuartz
已经出到了版本2.7.0。"这一行动非常有意义。我指,大伙一定早已用上了XQuartz ,不是吗?
Apple drops X11 from OS X 10.8, urges users to use XQuartz
posted by Thom Holwerda on Sun 19th Feb 2012 11:29 UTC, submitted by Elv13
"As noticed by several users running the developer preview version of OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion, Apple is no longer including its X11 application for running software through the X Window System interface. [...] The X Window System has an extensive open source history, with development on the Mac side being handled under the XQuartz project. Apple's X11 application has been based on this effort, although as with many open source projects bundled for use in commercial software, X11 has generally been somewhat behind the latest XQuartz releases. The current version of X11 is 2.6.3, while XQuartz is currently available in version 2.7.0." Makes perfect sense. I mean, you guys were using XQuartz already anyway, right?

subset: commoncrawl


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17yr old cat
Hi I just Joined this I was looking online and found this site....
I have a Cat that's almost 17 he's skinny I can't get weight on him he's always eating Canned food and even Senior Dry Food he's back bone when you pet him I was just wondering what I can give him to fatten him up some ... I need to get him checked out from a vet I think just to have blood work done
just wondering what you might think
Welcome to the forum cfrabbitry04, the first thing to do is bring your senior kitty into the vet for a full exam, geriatric blood panel including T4 Thyroid check and a urinalysis. Once the test results come back, you will know more about what is going on with the health of your boy, you can then decide about treatments if necessary.
The weight loss is common with a number of health issues, could also be normal age related for a senior. Increasing the canned food and adding some extra protein like cooked or raw chicken breast is always a good idea. For a male cat, especially, it is important to limit or completely remove, if possible, the dry food without reducing the amount he is eating. A high quality meat protein based food that has no grain, corn or filler will be greatly beneficial to preserving his health. Male cats are at higher risk of urinary tract issues and dry food puts cats into a state of dehydration which is why drinking water & having extra moisture in the form of canned/raw food is very important.
let us know how the visit goes.
Avoid biting when a simple growl will do
The Spirit Lives As Long As Someone Who Lives Remembers You - Navaho Saying
Vindication ~ For all those pets who became sick or lost their lives from tainted pet food
Although there are various calculating methods to determine a cat's age in human years, I think this is a good one. According to this your cat is 85 years old.
Even for people it is hard to keep weight on as one ages....how many fat 85 y.o. do you see? Not many, is my observation, most are pretty thin. Muscles weight more than fat, and as body ages, muscle tone is lost. If your cat is healthy and does not have a severe deteriorating condition, e.g. failing kidneys=drinking lots of water, your cat could live into it's 20s. My neighbour's cat just died at age 22. Take him to the vet and have his health evaluated. Let us know how it goes. All the best!
"We humans are indeed fortunate if we happen to be chosen to be owned by a cat." -- Anonymous
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By Lou Mancinelli
Last July, long-time Chestnut Hill resident Robert McCracken Peck, 58, Curator of Art and Artifacts and Senior Fellow at Philadelphia's Academy of Natural Sciences, announced that he had resolved a more than five-decade quest by scholars to locate world-renowned artist, naturalist and ornithologist John Audubon's first published illustration. The finding has been heralded by Audubon scholars as a "eureka moment"
"He found the needle in the haystack," said Nancy Powell, Curator of Collections and Exhibitions at the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove in Audubon, Pa. "People had tried everything, literally, for more than 50 years. The discovery adds another piece to the puzzle of Audubon."
For a decade, Peck, who still lives in the Chestnut Hill home where he grew up, and a numismatic historian — an expert in currency and coins — from St. Louis searched for the drawing of a running grouse, supposedly created by Audubon for a New Jersey bank note. Audubon mentioned the drawing in his journal twice, according to Peck, but scholars were uncertain whether it still existed.
There were two possible scenarios as to the fate of the bank note that contributed to the complicated task of finding the image, Peck explained during a recent interview at his office above the library at the Academy.
The first is that only a sample bank note was made and had since been lost. The second, and "more intriguing" scenario, is that the note was issued but the bank that issued the note experienced financial difficulties and failed. It's possible, Peck speculated, that someone, perhaps a counterfeiter, bought the notes in large numbers in order to alter them and change the bank name for counterfeit purposes.
In those days, according to Peck, money was issued by individual banks. The bank's name was listed on each note. A bank could lose its reputation and value if other banks received checks in its name that were counterfeit, because the second bank was responsible for honoring the first bank's claim. It's possible that a bank noticed a large number of counterfeit notes burdening its accounts, bought them up by offering a low rate (for the bills would soon be worthless) and burned them.
Peck and his partner found the drawing by tracing the graphic offerings of bank note engraver Gideon Fairman, to whom Audubon had given his drawing of a heath hen (a subspecies of a greater prairie chicken). The image turned up in a private collection on a sheet with sample images for the Bank of Norwalk in Connecticut and Ohio.
"For Audubon scholars it was kind of a quest for the Holy Grail," said Peck. The findings were published last fall in an article in "Journal of the Early Republic," published by Penn Press.
In his office piles of books are set three or four per pile across a dining room-sized table. They contain research materials for a book Peck is working on — a 200-year history of the Academy of Natural Sciences in the form of a series of biographies about the people associated with the institution and their exhibitions.
James Bond is one of the people featured in Peck's upcoming chronicle. Bond was an ornithologist and author who worked for the Academy from the 1920s though the '70s and lived in Chestnut Hill. According to Peck, when James Bond author Ian Fleming was looking for a name for the main character in his British spy novels, Fleming, a bird-watcher with a home in Jamaica, while rolling over in bed one night saw the name James Bond on the spine of an ornithological book he was reading. Fleming liked the name and used it for his hero, starting with the 1953 novel, "Casino Royale."
Peck's 1987 book, "Headhunters and Humming Birds: An Expedition in Ecuador," tells the tale of his 1984 ornithological (bird-watching) expedition along the Ecuadorian and Peruvian border where Peck and others escaped from members of the Shuar tribe who were trying to kill them. The Shuar, as they call themselves, better known to the outside world as the Jivaro, or "the savage ones," are known for their practice of shrinking human heads.
Though Peck and his group had a guide, they paid and made arrangements with the tribe to be able to pass, but the Shuar grew suspicious and began to suspect Peck and his "gringo" comrades of searching for gold and other valuables.
"I thought all would be well, but they thought differently," said Peck. "They thought, 'Why would these gringos stay here for weeks? It's cold. It's rainy. It's uncomfortable.' They thought there was no way we were looking for birds."
Peck learned a "hit" had been ordered and that his life and the lives of three additional Academy members and their Peace Corps translator were in danger. "We lived in a state of siege moving from campsite to campsite," said Peck. They traveled at night because the Shaur feared snakes, other animals and spirits of the night.
The group traveled higher in the hills where they thought the Shuar would not go. It was the life threat and trek into the hills that led to Peck's discovery of three new species of frogs, one of which is named after him, the "Eleutherodactylus pecki." (Peck has also documented the lives of nomads on the steppes of Mongolia.)
When their supplies dwindled and they had to leave, Peck's group and the Peace Corps volunteer encountered three Indians carrying machetes walking along a path. The Indians asked if they were the gringos looking for gold. Peck said, "Yes, we are white, but we are looking for birds, not gold." The Indians became hostile because Peck could not speak their language and addressed his translator, as opposed to them, which the Indians perceived to be disrespectful.
As tensions rose, the Indians began to push Peck in the chest with their machetes. Peck asked the translator to explain that he (Peck) was sick, and his condition was dangerous and contagious. He looked weak because they had eaten so little and stayed awake so long. The Indians' natural fear of outsiders' diseases caused them to allow Peck and the Peace Corps volunteer to continue.
"Living in Chestnut Hill helped get me interested in natural history at a young age," said Peck, who has accompanied expeditions in Asia, Africa, North and South America and Europe and now lives with his wife and three children. "I would catch crawfish and frogs in the creek at Wissahickon. It was natural that my interests would grow from that."
Peck is the author of numerous books. His 1990 book, "Land of the Eagle: A Natural History of North America," was the companion volume to an eight-part BBC/PBS television series of the same title and was on the U.K. best-seller list for nine weeks.
"There's something very reassuring about the natural cycle and the seasons of life, when the birds leave in the fall and come back in the spring," he said. "It's life-affirming to see these cycles continue, despite the challenges of environmental degradation. I've really dedicated my life to trying to understand these cycles and protect them."
For more information about the Academy of Natural Sciences, call 215-299-1000 or visit www.ansp.org.


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It's not too different from the upcoming film's promotional artwork at the Cannes Film Festival.
Out in 2011, the Kane & Lynch flick is based on the video game franchise and stars Bruce Willis as Kane and Jamie Foxx as Lynch. The big screen version is being written by Kyle Ward and directed by first timer Simon Crane.
This poster is actually quite striking and stark. Prefer how it attempts to conjure some sort of image or mood as opposed to the majority of movie posters which are just pictures of movie star faces.
In related Kane & Lynch news, website VideoGamer.com reports that the game is also getting a comic book from DC Comics' WildStorm brand. The artist will be Chris Mitten of Wasteland fame and the writer will be Ian Edginton, who has written for comic properties ranging from Aliens to Star Wars. The first issue hits this August.
Official Poster For Kane & Lynch Live-Action Movie Now Online [PlaySwitch]


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Analyzing Air Car Designs (Jun, 1960)
Analyzing Air Car Designs
How well do the air cars perform?
Here is the full story – – what makes them go, the problems they face and what their future looks like
By WAYNE WILLE
CALL them air cars. Call them ground effect vehicles. Or call them air cushion sleds.
But, above all, call them experimental. All the models currently under development pose some difficult problems for the designers and engineers working on them. Such problems as:
• How can we make them fly high enough to clear rocks, fences, high waves and other obstacles?
• What is the best way to steer them?
• Will they perform adequately at high speed, if at all?
Answers are being found, although to date, there appear to be no "best" answers.
This despite the fact that a lot of money and time have been spent by private individuals, large companies and the United States government, in the hope of some day having a vehicle that will ride comfortably and economically, a few feet off land or water, and over all obstacles in its path.
Even the two air cars now being offered for sale by Curtiss-Wright Corp., Wood-Ridge, N. J., might be termed experimental, since their performance is somewhat limited (altitude of the smaller model is only 4 in., that of the larger one 6 to 12 in.) and the company says they are offered for "off highway use," which bars them to hopeful commuters.
What IS an Air Car? Like their earthbound
brothers, air cars come in various shapes and sizes, but they all work on the same basic principle: Air is pulled into the vehicle and blasted out by a propeller through its bottom against the ground, creating a supporting cushion of air on which the car floats.
This is simplicity itself. In fact, one experimenter says it is virtually impossible to build an air car that won't get off the ground.
The simplest form is the plenum chamber type (Fig. 2A), which resembles an upside-down pie tin with a propeller mounted on top. Most researchers have started with this type, then moved on to the more sophisticated peripheral jet (Fig. 2B).
Findings so far show that the peripheral jet type can achieve higher altitude (given equal base areas, horsepower, and weight) than can the plenum, since its directed air jet both builds and confines the cushion.
Merely getting the vehicle into the air is not sufficient, however. We must be able to control its direction for going forwards, around corners, up inclines and over obstacles. And this is where the present crop of air cars falls far short of the ideal.
Because relatively little is known about the problems raised by an air car in forward flight, researchers are trying several different steering techniques.
Some Use Body-English. The most elementary method is plain old body-english—or kinesthetic control. Princeton University built its air scooter expressly to test the feasibility of such control (Fig. 4). Its handlebars are merely for the driver's support; he leans in the direction he wants to head—thus tilting the air car and the angle of its lift vector (Fig. 5), using it for horizontal thrust (just as a helicopter tilts the lift vector of its rotor for forward flight).
Similar to this is the second method, which obtains tilt from controllable flaps or vents in the peripheral jet. Probably the best-known example of this method is the Aeromobile, built by an Illinois doctor, William R. Bertel-sen (Fig. 6).
A third method bleeds off part of the air from the propeller and—by sending it out through horizontal openings—uses its reaction thrust to propel and control the air car. An example of this approach is the Hovercraft, built by Saunders-Roe, Ltd., of England. About 70% of the air generated by its power supply (a 4-blade propeller powered by a 450-Tip engine) is used for the air cushion. The remaining 30% is used for propulsion, blasted out through ducts at the corners (Fig. 7).
On a smaller scale, the air scooter built by Bell Helicopter Corp., Fort Worth, Tex., uses a combination of the body-english and horizontal duct methods (Fig. 8). To go forward, its driver depresses a foot pedal, opening louvers in the rear of the vehicle. To move in another direction, he turns the handlebars (thus directing thrust out of diagonally-located ports) and applies body-english in the same direction.
The Bell scooter, by the way, is an outgrowth of research carried on at home by two Bell engineers, Ken and Rod Wernicke. After they built small cars capable of carrying their children, and a larger one on which both the men could ride, Bell authorized a project to perfect and build the vehicles.
Other propulsion and steering methods call for a secondary supply of power, such as a conventional air propeller, a ducted fan, or a jet or rocket engine.
Of all these methods, the most effective to date seems to be the venting technique used by Dr. Bertelsen. It has several advantages:
• All of the air supply is used to build the cushion. None is bled off through ducts for propulsion.
• The driver does not have to resort to body-english, but can sit comfortably and use a control stick.
• Local thrust control makes possible easy trimming of an off-center load.
How High the Air Car? At present, the most critical shortcoming of the air cars is their limited altitude. To be really useful over all terrain, they should be able to clear fences, logs, boulders and bushes and climb whatever hills they come to.
But the Hovercraft moves at most a foot above the ground, Bell's scooter only 2-1/2 in., Princeton's about 3 to 4 in. and Dr. Bertel-sen's about 6 in. Such performance limits their operation to relatively smooth surfaces (when an air car traveling 2 in. up meets a log sticking up half a foot—crash!).
How can they be made to go higher? Some researchers add skirts to the base. Thus, although the car itself goes higher, the effective base—that is, the bottom edge of the skirt —remains close to the ground.
One home workshopper uses a long polyethylene skirt (Fig. 3) which enables the car to cruise 26 in. up. As with many of the air car experimenters, though, he is not giving away details on exact performance of his car (for example, what happens to the skirt and the air cushion trapped inside it when the car sails over a fence?), since in many cases patent rights and the possibility of great profits are involved.
Most researchers believe the best way to gain altitude is to use one of two methods:
1) Increase the base area of the machine.
2) Boost the power. Let's consider for a moment something called lift-augmentation. This is the amplification of thrust found near the ground.
In other words, the closer to the ground the air car is, the greater lifting capacity it has. Also, lift capacity increases as the base area of the car is increased. Thus, simply by building the vehicle larger, you get more altitude for the same power input.
Conversely, by keeping the base area the same (or even reducing it in size) but boosting the power, you can also gain altitude.
But going up too high means that the air car might hover at an altitude where maintaining static stability—the tendency of the vehicle to right itself to a level attitude after being tilted by some external force—becomes a problem. The peripheral jet air car appears to be inherently stable up to an altitude of about 5% of a base diameter, according to Princeton University researchers, although the use of additional jets in the base can add to its stability (Fig. 9) at higher altitudes.
Thus, if you rely on size alone to gain altitude, any air car big enough to clear fences and hedges probably would be too big for use on narrow streets.
On the other hand, the alternative (making them no bigger, but boosting the power) adds greatly to the cost. The only apparent solution is to build different models for different purposes: Small, low-altitude cars for city use and bigger ones for overland travel.
What About Speed? Another sticky problem is speed. So far the maximum speed of the experimental air cars has been in the neighborhood of 30 or 40 mph, although the Curtiss-Wright Bee (a 12-ft. long, 1,115-lb. model, powered by a 100-hp engine) is said to reach 53 mph.
Bear in mind that these speeds are achieved at quite low altitudes, a matter of several inches. What nobody is really certain of is exactly what happens to the supporting air cushion at higher altitudes and higher speeds. In some tests, the air cushion appeared to break down at both high speeds and high altitudes. In others, it actually showed a gain in lift. It is believed possible that different designs might be needed for most efficient opera-tion at different speeds. Ford Motor Co.'s experimental Levacar is expected to reach speeds from 200 to 500 mph. But, although it also slides on air, it can not be called a ground effect vehicle. In its case, a thin film of relatively high pressure air is used to hold it a fraction of an inch from guide rails.
Steep inclines present another hazard, and the air cars developed so far have a very limited hill-climbing ability. Bertelsen's will take a 6% grade, while Bell's will climb 10%. If the car assumes the tilt of the hill, the lift vector is also tilted and has a strong downhill component which has to be overcome. So to climb a hill, the car has to out-tilt it, tilt opposite to the slope and climb on its own lift; the horizontal component of the lift vector is then in the uphill direction.
Finally, the dust and spray created by the jet of air when the car goes over dusty surfaces or water present a bad problem.
Hovercraft researchers, for example, found that during a two-hour operation over the sea, they got as much as 1/4-in. of salt on the cylinders of their engine from the spray. They have found, however, that the addition of spray rails to the base can solve this problem. To reduce the dust raised by overland operations, you can lower the velocity of air being blasted through the peripheral jets. But to do this, while maintaining lift and altitude, you have to move a greater quantity of air through wider jets.
What's Ahead? Bell Helicopter says flatly that the future of air cushion vehicles is "anybody's guess." Dr. Bertelsen, however, is now working on a car of 300 to 450 hp (his present working model is 72 hp) which he expects will take him "anywhere in Illinois over land or water under all weather conditions."
Rep. Overton Brooks (D., La.), chairman of the House Committee on Science and Astronautics, which has held extensive hearings on air cars, told S&M:
"We realize that much practical engineering work remains to be done, but there is every indication that a large number of revolutionary uses for such vehicles both in peace and war are about to become realities."
And a spokesman for National Research Associates, Inc., College Park, Md., a firm that has delivered the Pegasus I air car to the Marines and Army Ordnance for testing, says:
"It is strongly felt that ground cushion vehicles will carve a very definite niche for themselves in many transportation areas which are poorly served or not served at all by existing types of transportation."
Along that line, Saunders-Roe, builder of the Hovercraft, plans to have four basic types weighing between 40 and 100 tons in service by 1963 for work-horse jobs:
• A "flying truck" for operating overland in bush, tundra or desert.
• A "snow freighter" with living accommodations for freighting or polar exploration.
• A "tramp saucer" for coastal work in places where there are few harbors.
• A "river rider" for transport and ferry work on frozen, un-navigable or fast-flowing rivers.
All of these vehicles will be enormously larger than the 7,500-lb. prototype car shown in Fig. 7.
The company also is projecting its hopes farther into the future with a suggested design for a 400-ton ferry (Fig. 10).
As mentioned, Curtiss-Wright is already offering two air cars for sale, and another large corporation is known to be considering sale of a lower cost model.
Most likely, though, the first air cars you will see in every day use are the more efficient bigger ones, in use as trucks, freighters or buses. The smaller ones—carrying only one or two passengers—will be restricted for some time to off-high way uses (although not oft-smooth surfaces).
Air Boats? One possible future application of the ground effect principle that has received relatively little attention is its use in boating.
National Research Associates has carried out some tests, in which the air cushion was used to reduce drag rather than provide high mobility.
Their tests were made with an 11-ft.-long boat, powered by a 5-7ip outboard motor. An air cushion was provided by blowers driven by a separate 2-1/2-hp engine. Without the cushion, the boat had a top speed of 5 knots. With the cushion, the speed increased to 17 knots, and the boat gave a smoother ride over choppy water. More tests are now being conducted, and the air-cushioned boat seems to have a bright future.


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Change usually results in winners and losers, but many might have trouble finding the winners in the recent increases in U.S. Postal Service rates from 1 cent for a standard first-class letter up to 6.3 percent for packages.
Some Florida companies that provide bulk mail services to small and medium-sized businesses, generically known as "mail houses," expect demand for their services will increase because of the rate hikes and the less publicized changes in postal regulations governing the kinds of mail qualifying for bulk rates.
"The real significant impact of these postal changes are going to be in bulk mail," said Robbie Yelvington, co-owner with his wife, Tess, of Mail Processing Associates in Lakeland. "You just about have to be an attorney these days to stay in compliance with bulk mail regulations."
Mail Associates expects a 10 percent increase this year in demand for its services because of the postal changes that went into effect Jan. 27. The company already handles 30,000 pieces of mail each day for its customers, which include banks and other financial institutions, schools, medical facilities, government agencies and non-profit organizations.
Amy Mersereau, mail services coordinator at Hughes Corporate Printing in Winter Haven, said the company has experienced a significant increase in inquiries for its services, particularly for bulk printing and mailing services. The company has a subsidiary that provides those services for more than 1,000 local businesses.
Both companies offer a variety of services that start with aggregating first-class letters from scores of local companies, then sorting and mailing the letters to take advantage of bulk rates, which require a minimum of 500 pieces. First class bulk rates are 10 cents cheaper per piece, Yelvington said. Clients can save 5 cents to 7 cents per letter, depending on volume, by bulk mailing through his company.
Hughes and Mail Associates also can print newsletters, bills or marketing materials for companies and prepare them for bulk mailing, including filling and addressing the envelopes.
Mersereau and Yelvington agreed the full-service side of the business shows the most potential for growth because bulk mail regulations have become so much more complicated.
The new regulations govern specifications such as how newsletters must be folded, where to put return and sender addresses and many other details that confuse even mail house professionals, they said.
As a result, customers who printed and assembled bulk mail in house are turning everything over to the mail companies.
The penalties for not complying with the new regulations can almost double the cost of a bulk mailing, she said.
"People throw their hands up and figure it's less expensive to get it done right the first time," Yelvington said.
The experience at Hughes and Mail Associates reflects a national trend, said Michelle Raymond, director of marketing and communications at the Association of Marketing Service Providers in Alexandria, Va., the industry trade group with more than 450 members in the U.S. and Canada.
Despite competition from the Internet, bulk mail remains a viable marketing tool, Yelvington and Raymond said.
"We've had customers try (email marketing) and come back quickly," Yelvington said. "People like that tangible piece of paper in their hand.
Postal rate increase helps bulk mail firms
Change usually results in winners and losers, but many might have trouble finding the winners in the recent increases in U.S. Postal Service rates from 1 cent for a standard first-class letter up to 6.3 percent for packages.


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The Smallville actress is the first celebrity guest to be announced for Sask Expo Regina's debut convention in the Queen City this May.
Canadian actress Laura Vandervoort is coming to Sask Expo Regina
Laura Vandervoort is the first celebrity guest to be announced for Sask Expo Regina's debut convention this May.
The Toronto-born actress is well-known for her role as Supergirl in the TV series Smallville. Other notable roles Vandervoort has played include Sadie Harrison in the CTV teen drama series Instant Star and Arla Cogan in the SyFy supernatural drama Haven.
Vandervoort will also be starring in an upcoming Netflix original series called V-Wars, which was filmed in Ontario. The series is set for release this year, and is based on a series of novels by Jonathan Maberry about a vampire virus that infects half of the world's population, creating a war between humans and vampires.
Sask Expo Regina will be held at the International Trade Centre at Evraz Place on May 4-5.
The Saskatchewan Entertainment Expo organization has held conventions in Saskatoon for several years, and announced it would be expanding to Regina last October.
Fan Expo Regina, which had been held annually since 2014, announced on Oct. 24, 2018 that the convention would not be returning in 2019. Fan Expo Regina made the announcement shortly after Saskatchewan Entertainment Expo announced it would be coming to Regina.
Saskatchewan Entertainment Expo's conventions are a celebration of all things in geek and popular culture. The conventions feature comic book and celebrity guests, cosplay contests, shopping and more.
More information can be found on Sask. Expo Regina's website. Tickets for the convention are on sale now. A one-day pass costs $25, a weekend pass is $35 and a deluxe pass is $75.


text:
|Jepson Flora Project: Jepson Interchange
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Jepson Interchange (more information)
©Copyright 1993 by the Regents of the University of California
Annual to subshrub
Leaves generally basal and cauline, alternate, generally simple; stipules 0
Inflorescence: generally raceme
Flower bisexual; sepals 4, free; petals (0)4, free, generally white or yellow, often clawed; stamens generally (2,4)6, generally 4 long, 2 short; ovary 1, superior, chambers generally 2, septum membranous, connecting 2 parietal placentas, style 1, stigma simple or 2-lobed
Fruit: generally capsule ("silique") with 2 deciduous valves, sometimes breaking transversely or indehiscent
Seeds 1many per chamber
Genera in family: 300+ genera, 3000+ species: worldwide, especially cool regions; some cultivated for food (especially Brassica, Raphanus ) and ornamental
Recent taxonomic note: Recently treated to include Capparaceae [Rodman et al. 1993 Ann Missouri Bot Gard 80:686699; Rollins 1993 Cruciferae of Continental North America. Stanford Univ Press]
Family description, key to genera by Robert A. Price.
BARBAREABiennial, perennial herb, erect; hairs simple, sparse, stiff, or 0
Leaves: basal, lower cauline pinnately lobed to ± compound, terminal lobe > lateral; cauline smaller upward, upper sessile, base ± lobed, clasping stem
Inflorescence terminal; bracts 0
Flower: petals yellow
Fruit linear, ± cylindric to ± 4-sided; valves strongly 1-veined base to tip; style 0.53 mm, beak-like
Seeds many, 1 row per chamber; wing 0; embryonic root at edges of both cotyledons
Species in genus: ± 20 species: e Eur, sw Asia
Etymology: (Saint Barbara)
B. verna (Mill.) Asch.
EARLY WINTER CRESS, SCURVY GRASSBiennial, rarely perennial herb
Stem 38 dm, branched
Leaves pinnately lobed; basal ± 2 dm, with (4)610 pairs of lateral lobes; cauline with 616 pairs of lateral lobes
Flower: petals 57, bright yellow
Fruit ascending, 4.58 cm, straight; pedicel stout, > 1 mm thick, nearly as thick as fruit; style 12.5 mm
Seed 11.5 mm wide, grayish brown
Chromosomes: 2n=16
Ecology: Uncommon. Damp soils, fields, roadsides
Elevation: < 500 m.
Bioregional distribution: Central Coast (Monterey Co.), expected elsewhere
Distribution outside California: widespread eastern N.America; native to Eurasia
previous taxon | next taxon
Retrieve Jepson Interchange Index to Plant Names entry for Barbarea verna
Retrieve dichotomous key for Barbarea
Overlay Consortium of California Herbaria specimen data by county on this map
Show other taxa with the same California distribution | Read about bioregions | Get lists of plants in a bioregion
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Exam C9060-509: IBM Tivoli Storage Manager V7.1 Fundamentals
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Jasz Couture has been designing beautiful, sexy prom dresses, pageant gowns and evening dresses in the US and internationally for over 20 years. Featured in publications like Seventeen and Teen Prom, Jasz Couture is on the forefront of Prom fashion with innovative designs, intricately brilliant beadwork, gorgeous fabric and our signature sexy cutouts.
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text:
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text:
Honeyed Tangerine and Lemon Marmalade From 'Whole-Grain Mornings'
Marmalade might not contain any whole grains, but it certainly makes a great accompaniment to many of the grain-based recipes in Megan Gordon's new cookbook, Whole-Grain Mornings. Spread over buttered toast, drizzled on buckwheat pancakes, or stirred into a bowl of oatmeal, this bright citrusy preserve is a perfect antidote to winter. And given that it uses mostly easy-to-peel tangerines, the marmalade is a relative breeze to prepare. A small touch of honey and a single lemon provide a wealth of complexity to the otherwise simple recipe. Make it now, while tangerines are in full swing.
Why I picked this recipe: I love a good marmalade, and I love an easy one even more.
What worked: Between the sweet fruit and floral honey, there's little not to like here. Making the recipe in a small batch ensures that every drop will be eaten before it spoils.
What didn't: Make sure the marmalade mixture is cooking at a rapid simmer; otherwise it will take much longer to cook down.
Suggested tweaks: You can use any other small, easy to peel citrus fruit, like clementines, satsumas, or mandarins in place of the tangerines. Make sure, however, to choose organic fruit if you can. You'll be using the entire fruit. Gordon doesn't call for processing the jars in a water bath, but given the amount of citrus in the recipe, it should be safe for canning.
Reprinted with permission from Whole Grain Mornings: New Breakfast Recipes to Span the Seasons by Megan Gordon. Copyright 2013. Published by Ten Speed Press, a division of Random House. All rights reserved. Available wherever books are sold.
- Yield:Makes about 3 cups
- Active time: 30 minutes
- Total time:About 1 1/2 hours, plus cooling time
- 1 1/2 pounds / 675 g seedless tangerines or mandarin oranges
- 1 lemon
- 3 cups / 720 ml water
- 2 cups / 370 g granulated white sugar
- 1/4 cup / 60 ml honey
Place a small plate in the freezer to use later for testing the doneness of your marmalade. Wash your jam jars thoroughly and let them dry completely.
Wash and dry the citrus well. Trim away the ends of the fruit, then slice each into quarters. Remove the seeds from the lemon. Using a sharp knife, slice away the citrus flesh from the peels (some tangerines peel quite easily—lemons are a bit more challenging). Slice the lemon and tangerine peels into thin strips, about 1/8 inch wide (or 1/16 inch wide if you like a more delicate marmalade).
Fill a pot with water and bring to a boil over high heat. Add the peels only (not the flesh) and let them simmer for just 2 minutes (to help diminish any bitter flavor from the pith). Remove from the heat, drain, and set aside.
In a large heavy-bottomed pot over high heat, bring the citrus flesh and peels and the water to a boil. Decrease the heat to medium-low and simmer until the citrus peels are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
Add the sugar and honey and stir well until both dissolve into the mixture. Increase the heat to medium and return to a boil. If there are big segments of citrus that haven't yet cooked down, use a wooden spoon to mash them slightly, creating a more even texture. Cook until the marmalade is reduced by half, begins to thicken, and turns an amber color, 35 to 40 minutes (see note, following, on how to gauge doneness). Stir occasionally to ensure it isn't sticking to the pan. Remove from the heat and pour into the prepared glass jars or heatproof airtight containers. Let the marmalade cool completely, uncovered. Cover and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks or in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Note: To test the marmalade for doneness, place a small dab on a plate that's been chilled in the freezer and freeze for 2 minutes. It is done if a thin film develops on the surface and the marmalade stiffens to appear more jammy than liquid-y. If it simply spreads out and thins, it's not done and needs further cooking.
All products linked here have been independently selected by our editors. We may earn a commission on purchases, as described in our affiliate policy.


text:
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Ideas time!
Alright, so with the sudden overwhelming positive reception of my NES controller coffee table, I feel the need to outdo it (1UP it, even).
So I thought I'd ask the people of the internet for possible good ideas for future video game related furniture/artwork/creative things that I could try bring to life, and create more step-by-step/how-to style posts.
At the moment I'm thinking of making some sort of space invaders belt buckle using some of those wooden counting block things from primary school;
Perhaps paint them white or green and glue them together (using wire to connect the diagonal ones), and attach a belt clip to the back.
I've also been thinking that I need a better shelving solution for my video game consoles, I've now got 35 consoles at the moment, seriously, look;
bah ha! The Xbox takes up one whole shelf by itself!
And this photo was taken before I got my Famicom, Vectrex and ZX Spectrum.
I'm thinking I want some kind of modular shelving system where the shelves are made of individual boxes that stack on top of each other (like those Tetris shelves by Brave Space Design), and each shelf cavity has it's own power and AV plug, which all run back to a single output plug to the power point/TV.
That way, each console can have it's cords wrapped up next to it and still be plugged in, rather than having to run all the cords out to a power board where they're all tangled and shit.
So yeah, If anyone else has some nice ideas that they'd like to see possibly made, and explained how it was made, post it in the comments to here, and we'll all try to decide which one is the most ultra-awesome idea!
70 comments:
gosh!! you have a huge console collection! you are my idol...
I only have these:
- GAMEBOY (grey): 2
- AMIGO (Atari 2600 clone console)
i'm over a sega mastersystem II, sega dreamcast and PS2 (my brother's one eheh) and I think i can get my old game&watch somewhere in my parent's house wardrobe.
i'll usually check out your blog for sure!!
- May 13, 2008 at 10:09 PM
You are like the king of pure awesomeness!
- May 14, 2008 at 4:19 AM
- Florentin said...
Hi Ultra Awesome,
I was so impertinent to insert your NES cofee table on ki55.org, my e-commerce platform and "interesting project" directory. Now is in beta, but maybe you should not refuse another little pubblication.
This is also an invitation for you to subscribe to ki55, and start posting. I think you are focused like us on new idea scouting.
Florentin Hortopan
- May 14, 2008 at 11:13 PM
- crescent fresh said...
I see we have the same problem. I, too am searching for a way to not only condense my systems but keep cords from being tangled, in an interesting and fun way. Because shelves are lame. (Although those tetris shelves are pretty sweet and I do need a new bookshelf) What I want to do is build cabinets for each line of consoles, in arcade game fashion. One for Sega, one for Nintendo, and a Sony and a Microsoft box. Four 27" tvs would be cheap used, garage sale, or donation stores. The cabinet below with two or maybe three shelves for systems, as you already have made a place for games. Good to keep an SNES and and SNES with Super Gameboy. Sega Genesis, And one with Sega CD and the 32X. If you're making the room you might as well avoid wear and tear, right?
I have a living room large enough to put them along the wall and run a couple of AV outs to my theatre system, and because because nothing beats sitting on my ass twenty feet from a nice big tv, I've got controller extensions or wireless for everything except NES (and btw I'm imagining they would be very easy to make)
I could go on but I think I've painted a pretty decent picture.
So what do you think, good or bad idea?
Oh you know but one thing I was thinking of as trouble would be mounting arcade sticks. The Saturn sticks wont plug into the Genesis. NES into the SNES. And I don't have arcade sticks for PS or Xbox. So, for Sega and Nintento I was thinking of a flip-top style but I'm not exactly sure how smooth that could end up being. Other controllers could just be run through a small hole above the cabinet door. Or use wireless.
Now that I think about it, I do have a couple wireless NES controllers. They're terrible. Ha.
Anyways, I need to get myself some wood and start building.
- May 15, 2008 at 1:15 PM
- Unknown said...
Hey Crescent Fresh,
That sounds like a pretty sweet idea.
So you'd make 4 arcade cabinets, would they each be unique, or would you make them all the same, just with different marquees etc.?
It would be pretty cool is you made a Donkey Kong replica cab as the Nintendo one, a Virtual Fighter cab for the sega consoles etc. I'm supposing that's what you were thinking anyway though.
So yeah, you'd have a powerboard mounted in each cabinet, so the only cord coming out is the power plug (and the AV cords for the theatre system)?
For the arcade sticks, I think you should mabye just make one arcade stick, that you can swap between each of the cabinets.
And just do what I did with my stick; wire the buttons out to a male 9-pin plug, then just hack one of each the consoles controllers to have a female 9-pin plug.
I'm thinking for my shelving solution i want to try a bit of wood carving. So I'm thinking of making a really intricate old style floral-carved wooden shelf, with all these video game references carved in among the intricate designs.
- May 15, 2008 at 2:48 PM
just thought i would let you know that you nes table is today's day of fame! check it out http://www.dayoffame.com
- May 17, 2008 at 1:58 AM
I mean to include a link Day of Fame
- May 17, 2008 at 1:59 AM
I have been toying with this same dilema for quite some time now. I have decided to remove the back wall of one of my closets, and building some type of shelving system that would also house my tv (basically an in wall media center). This way all the cords are hidden away inside the closet and it is all accessible from the backside (no more contorting your arms impossibly to mess with the wires). I would recommend slat doors to allow for ventillation. Just an idea.
You should do something with one of the greatest NES games ever made: "Bubble Bobble". That would be SUPER AWESOME.
- May 17, 2008 at 6:22 AM
you could always make a MAME arcade cab if you have some old PC parts lying around. seems like you are pretty good at carpentry so wouldnt be a problem for you!
- May 18, 2008 at 3:59 AM
Please do something Atari!!!
- May 18, 2008 at 10:01 PM
Hi There!
I also live in Melbourne and was wondering how much you would charge to make one including cost of material and of course your time.
If your interested my email is email@example.com
- May 18, 2008 at 10:06 PM
Hi Kyle,
For your shelving type arrangement have you thouhgt about lighting to?
Since reading this i have been thinking, it would be possible to wire a relay into every console that in turn turns on a light in the relevant "box" in the cabinet where the console is. Thouhg it depends as that would be a pretty hefty task stripping all your units and fitting a relay to all the power switch terminals! But it is givin me this imagein of a wall of say 8x8 boxes, all wiht a console sitting in the middle on a glass plateur, and when you turn it on the box lights up - cathodes would be good. You could also then control all these lights via a pc if you can get hold of a nice interface (phidgets probably do somethign that will control this) and have any esperience programming - and then - you might already see where this is going - you could have a "tetris shelf" but it is only defined as that when the lighting show is enabled and all the boxes illuminate their colour (grouped as the tetris blocks).
I dont know if you will be able to understand what im getting at!
The power distribution is quite easy i think, if you have a fake wall at the back, with a cavity a few inches deep behind it, you could fit sockets behing the wall for each console - then just have the power coming is as a standard kettle lead - you could also build some surge protection into the unit as a whole (not many people can brag about a shelf unit with surge protection :P).
The lights could all be run off a pc power supply - which could also be used to power some kind of active cooling. i was thinking a 120mm fan next to the power sockets behind the fake wall that blows through some holes to the console being played - this could also be turned on and off with a relay.
I dunno, just thouhgt it up on the spot!
- May 18, 2008 at 10:09 PM
I am a web of ideas!.. web.. ideas? Why am I thinking spiderman?
OK. idea brainstorm time.
At first I thought of Mario Mushrooms that could be used like pink flamingo on lawns.. or footstools.
But that's easy and less awesome than your NES coffee table.
Gameboy tv entertainment unit? Just to match your coffee table.
I'd love to see someone make a jewellery box out of the old sega master system consoles. Mmm possibly something I'll try out
Dude, if you could make a lifesize remote control Mario Kart. That would be sweet. Or better than the Tetris shelving unit.. a pacman themed unit. With the basic maze.. maybe a few white dots and ghosts here & there. Don't forget the ever important cherry.
It's 11pm so mind my "dude" "awesome" and "sweet!"
Really love your work and can't believe that arcade machine was made by you.
- Tamz
- May 18, 2008 at 11:16 PM
you should make "piggy banks" out of what looks like an Xbox 360 standing up. Or buy a PS3, take the crap thats inside it out, use the shell as a piggy bank, since thats all it would be good for. Or get like 1000 AOL trail CD's and put them on your walls... that would look sweet. And this I have been thinking of for a while, i dont have any ideas for what to do, but im sure this will give you lots... Get regular wooden shelves and use paper mache (if thats how you spell it) and im sure theres tons of stuff you can do.. Like, I was thinking icicles hangng of the shelf, or slime. (out of paper mache of course) Like, there is tones of ideas!
- May 18, 2008 at 11:41 PM
thats a killer collection..all i have is an xbox 360 and a nintendo 64.
my dad once, for their pc, put 2 switches (one for the pc and one for the speakers) on the inside of the computer desk out of site..i don't know how though. but i think that would work..it'd keep each consoles cables in their own area. you could also make shelves/boxes in shit out of some variety of wood....and as you mentioned about the tetris boxes...make them tetris shape shapes so they fit together nicely...
this comment probably comes a little too late though.
props on the NES controller coffee table too..
you clever mother fucker
- May 18, 2008 at 11:58 PM
also, you should make a space invaders belt buckle with little moving bits..so it looks like the game.
with the ship and what nots..
but thats going a little far.
- May 19, 2008 at 12:03 AM
- Unknown said...
Hi margo baggins,
I understand what you're saying there, that does sound like a pretty sweet idea with the lights.
You wouldn't need to fit a relay to each console, you could just have the lights connected to the power sockets. That would also act as a good reminder to turn off all the consoles at the wall when I'm not playing them.
I definitely would build a surge protector into the unit, I'd hate to destroy all my consoles in one swift flick of a switch.
To anonymous:
Holy crap! That sounds like a fookin' brilliant idea! Pac Man shelving! And like some wooden Pac Man and ghosts figurines that can be placed randomly around the shelf!
If I don't end up making that, I REALLY hope someone else reads your comment and does!!!
- May 19, 2008 at 12:04 AM
lol, the tetris shelves look awesome, just be careful not to stack the too space efficient or... well you know. boom there goes half your collection.
- May 19, 2008 at 1:37 AM
dude, i watched your video on youtube featured...it is pretty sweet. you just inspired me. im gonna have to live up to that. i got another table/controller idea for ya. you should try making the optional sega saturn controller into a kitchen table. that would be pretty cool.
- May 19, 2008 at 2:13 AM
ERrrr... you can try and have a big PS2 or PSX Controller aswell!
Seriously, you are awesome man.
- May 19, 2008 at 2:39 AM
- ELrC said...
You should make a couch that is a playstation remote or a psp table that would be cool
- May 19, 2008 at 2:43 AM
First off, that coffee table is "teh schmexehest schwank" pieces of furniture ever. I want one. I love you for posting pics of how you made it and I am totally going to make one! (If anything it'll be smaller scale)
I'm not sure just by looking, but I think that arcarde type console in the corner is actually a TV stand right? If it is, I think my idea is pointless because you have one, but I was thinking of something similar only shaped like the original grey Game Boy. The buttons would be wired to work:
D-pad up/down: channel up/down
D-pad right/left: volume up/down
Start: power on/off
Select: menu/system if the TV had such a function...or TV/Video
I don't know what's left for A and B buttons...oh well that's my two cents!
PS: your collection puts me to shame u_u
- May 19, 2008 at 3:04 AM
It's most likely nothing new, but I was thinking it would always be cool to mod an arcade machine to store a console and be able to play the games for it through the arcade's controls. Give it a paint job to reflect the look of the system it's using and I'm sure it would be awesome.
- May 19, 2008 at 3:54 AM
so how do you use all those consoles on one tv?? are you using like a switcher box... cuz i dont think a switcher can switch between like 22 consoles cuz thats how many i have and i hate disconnecting and reconnecting another console....
- May 19, 2008 at 3:58 AM
i had an awesome idea:
why don't you make a lampshade and attach hmm... space invaders to it and when you turn on the lights at night you get... SPACE INVADERS IN YOUR ROOM!!
eh ? it isn't as awesome as a super NES controller but it's still cool ;p
- May 19, 2008 at 5:35 AM
- Ryan von Schwedler said...
hey bud,you are doing pretty cool stuff
- May 19, 2008 at 6:05 AM
just brainstorming here and i thought of a few game based shelf ideas.
1. a donkey kong shelf system, you know the origanel game, but straten out the girders, like a shelf, and then paint or make a donkey kong, mario, oil rig, or possibly a barrel or two
2. A triforce based shelf system, kinda like this
a square shelf with a triforse in the middle, so you would have like 10 different spots
- May 19, 2008 at 6:56 AM
Make a SNES controller, and play Super Metroid. :3 I would worship you forever.
- May 19, 2008 at 8:19 AM
Get a PS3 or 360, or something cool....
- May 19, 2008 at 8:25 AM
I think that you.... are the MOST AWESOME VIDEO GAME PLAYER EVER!
I think I have a very interesting project you could try out.
Its a mirror only in the shape of the Nintendo DS!
You could have it enlarged (like you NES controller table) so that there are like two seperat standing mirrors. Like, one side has the top screen with the speaker holes and then the other side has all the buttons, the on off button and the sound switch. And you could detach them from each other so you can have them in two seperate places.
Just a thought. Hope you like it ^_^.
~Your number one fan Tsuki-chan
- May 19, 2008 at 8:48 AM
I think you should paint your wall as a giant Super Mario 3 game play screenshot
- May 19, 2008 at 9:06 AM
i don't think i completely understood, this may have been what you were saying but i would make the shelving system (in my mind the tetris shelves or some kind of modular shelving) have the power plugs in the wall and the system itself be a large....switch type thing. Where each system in its square plugged directly into the shelf system and the system had a switch that told it which box to come from and have one cord from the shelves to the T.V.
hope that wasn't too confusing.
- May 19, 2008 at 11:19 AM
- Profoundlybound said...
where did you get that mini-link sitting in front of the n64? I want one too!
- May 19, 2008 at 6:04 PM
- Unknown said...
Hmm...I kind of like the light up idea, but instead of the console lighting up, maybe just the tetris box it's sitting in? It will probably be a more cautious way of wiring than putting your systems in danger.
Also, if you hate plugging and unplugging consoles to TVs, there is a box now where you can plug in multiple video/audio wires to it, so with just a simple flip of a switch it switches between one console to the other to avoid having to plug and unplug all the time.
And maybe the Pacman shelving could be applied to another location of the house instead of taking up an entire wall in your room? Like at the university art gallery I visited about a year ago, someone made little Pacman ghost cups which looked like a ghost when it was sitting upside down, but you could flip it over to use as a cup (only the top was rounded, so I guess you would have to make a stand for it to sit on). It would be a cute addition to a kitchen, but unfortunately I know nothing about ceramics or glassblowing to make one (as I am a 3D modeler as well XD). Perhaps I could attempt to get into a glassblowing class ^^;
You should also post more of your university work. It's always great to see other people's progress (and qualms about their program they use, mine being 3Ds Max and hopefully Maya next semester) to learn from :D
- May 20, 2008 at 4:13 AM
- Unknown said...
I'm thinking an xBox armchair...L and R could be pedals, fingerpad would be left armrest, size of a hand maybe, then a left thumbstick could be there as well, right armrest has theabxy buttons and the right thumbstick, thumbsticks could be like the size of tennis balls or whatever. I think that would be the sickest chair ever.
- May 20, 2008 at 7:12 AM
- meira said...
i just wanted to let you know that fang (me) created this account on blogger ;p
and don't forget my space invader lampshade idea, please x)
- May 20, 2008 at 7:30 AM
dude.... i love yur coffe table...it rocks..but anyways, I ha2 suggestions
1)you should make more tables lie that, maybe 10 or so, and sell them on ebay...
2)you should also make an SNES controller coffee table...that would be SSOOOOO sick!!!
but anyways, this pure genius or however u spell that, but u roc dude
- May 20, 2008 at 11:06 AM
- Zacko said...
- This comment has been removed by the author.
- May 20, 2008 at 11:18 AM
- Zacko said...
Bomberman shelf? i mean think about it, the original bomberman was for nes, so it wouldnt be too elaborate or hard to make.Not to mention the classic bomberman level layout is completly shape customizable, becuase you blow them up anyways right? i hope your getting the picture of what im trying to say. the beauty of it is you can shape the shelves however you want to.
- May 20, 2008 at 11:23 AM
- Unknown said...
where's the dreamcast?
- May 20, 2008 at 2:31 PM
- underroutine said...
why buy those shelves when you can make them check out instructables
- May 20, 2008 at 3:02 PM
Awesome work. I wish I had the time, tools OR supplies to do something like that. I've got a space problem in my room that's got my TV stuck in a closet, and my computer sitting next to a flimsy CD/DVD/VHS cabinet with the monitor sitting on top. Dangerous stuff, and I can hardly see my TV sometimes. I really need to come up with a solution for that.
For your shelving concerns, however, how about one of the big castles from the first Super Mario Brothers? You could use the space on top of the towers to display select consoles, and create doors where the windows would be to hide away others. Put the whole shebang on rollers, and it makes getting to the back a whole lot easier. Hard-wire plugs into the sides, rather than the back, so you can either leave the back open or put doors in the back, and put the AV inputs on the opposite sides as the power, with an AV switch perhaps built into the front of the caslte. As a bit of a crossover, if you wanted, you could add a Legend of Zelda pyramid onto the castle.\
I don't know why, but Zelda has always been one of my favorite NES games. That and Dragon Warrior, but what can I say, right?
Biggest problem I could see you needing to overcome with the Camelot de Gameage is consoles that use top-loading cartridges, such as the SNES and the Sega Genesis. Perhaps those can sit atop the towers? I dunno.
On a completely different note, I would love to see a computer desk made in the style of that arcade console thing you've got. If I could, however, I think I would build it as the case for the computer, that way the CD drives and etc would still be accessible, with the computer built into the back, with storage for disks, drives and whatnot in the swinging door, and the monitor built into it, again, much akin to your arcade console box.
Just a few ideas.
- May 20, 2008 at 5:02 PM
This is definately an amazing blog by the way. I am both an avid video game lover, and craftsman/ woodworker as well.
just a quick note, one of the posts mentioned extensions for the controller cables. I have previously done an incredibly simply mod in order to extend the cable to my super scope sensor. All of my consoles or on a shelf along the back wall of my living room, and the tv is on the front wall. I bought an old snes controller extension and cut the whire. I then bought a good amount of speaker wire and just spliced the cords with the speaker wire, bound it all up, and it works great. It extends it by 25-30 feet.
- May 21, 2008 at 1:51 AM
- saza said...
I like ur NES Coffee table. It's really awsome! Unfortunately, I can't thing of a better idea at the moment :P , so the only thing I can do is post your idea request at my blog :D
- May 21, 2008 at 7:34 PM
- saza said...
Hey, I like you NES coffe table, it really awsome! Unfortunately, I can't thing of any new ideas at the moment :( , so the only thing I can help you is post your idea request at my blog :D
- May 21, 2008 at 7:36 PM
- Robbie said...
Very cool.
How have you managed to get so much traffic to your blog?
- May 22, 2008 at 6:50 AM
Congrats on the Day of Fame!
Check it out!
- May 22, 2008 at 11:10 AM
- scamp said...
heya lol looked at ur space invader and took it a bit bigger to a 8-bit mario lol also made the space invader but not as clean howd u mkae it like stragt and all that lol when heres how i made my mario hope you all like it http://www.instructables.com/id/8-bit-mario-cube/
- May 22, 2008 at 11:27 PM
- scamp said...
heya i made my own version of ur space invader also i made a 8-bit mario liek it color tho lol http://www.instructables.com/id/8-bit-mario-cube/
- May 22, 2008 at 11:30 PM
- jessica.celion said...
awesome post i like it
jasmine celion
- May 26, 2008 at 6:46 PM
I really think your next idea should be the Gameboy Color.
It would be really awesome, but it might take a while.
I guess the longer it takes to make it the better it will be.
We can wait.
Here is a good size picture of the Gameboy color.
- May 29, 2008 at 1:29 AM
Mate that rocks
So many hours spent playing super mario in my youth
1 question whats with all the random yarrrring ?
Also your asteroids cab rocks. You did an excellent job on the side art there are a few comments from the guys on www.aussiearcade.com
Have you thought about a dropdown spaceinvader bookshelf from the roof there is so much wasted space in roofs would be cool haveing the invader drop from the ceiling
- May 29, 2008 at 7:49 AM
Hi Ultra Awesome
Nice effort.
If you need inspiration feel free to have a look at an Aussie Based Arcade Forum, where members also discuss projects.
Search for Asteroid for a members unique MAME cabinet..
- May 29, 2008 at 11:00 AM
you the man.
- May 30, 2008 at 8:17 AM
- Evan Minsker said...
Have you considered making your shelves in the style of the original Donkey Kong game? Like, with Donkey Kong at the top, random barrels and obstacles in the way, the princess, mario, the random things moving up and down - it would be a cool piece of sculpture and a cool way to store your games.
- June 4, 2008 at 3:34 AM
- Unknown said...
What might be really simple to do is a black carpet with three green aligators (like in pitfall). GREAT job with the table
- June 6, 2008 at 2:01 PM
- Unknown said...
Oh, a desk top lamp with Ryu doing a radouken would be awesome too
- June 6, 2008 at 2:04 PM
okay. i love you. lol. beautiful awsome table. you want ideas.... its 5 am and im delerious thinking how awsome would it be if you create like giant well not giant replica of sockem bopem the whole shabang with like built in chairs in the robots used to controll them. comfy robot fight/living furniture. that would be the coolest. it would take forever. but you would be legendary. if not thats cool too. either way chat at me i found you through google but my myspace is www.myspace/the_wannabe_actress (i know gay url i was like 13 lol)
- June 12, 2008 at 9:15 PM
Perhaps you should consider boxing up some of the extras and building an emulation box.
Or, at least box up the extra systems. You don't need two friggin' PS1s or Super Famicoms hooked up (not that I'm one to talk, but I only have my PS1 hooked up for import games and my PS2 hooked up because I have a 40 gig PS3). =|
My setup is actually pretty big, but I've managed to downsize on the number of systems I have hooked up because of a little miracle I like to call "reverse compatibility". =]
- June 16, 2008 at 8:14 AM
- Unknown said...
you're Really. ultra awesome...
man i wish i could people like u personally! keep iit up - awesome -
about the shelf. i think is pretty awesome in that way... you're so clean and clear for a human being.. oh god
- June 22, 2008 at 3:50 AM
- Miguelito said...
hi Kyle:
First of all, congratulations on your blogs. It is, in deed, awesome.
I'm a chilean architect and I write a monthly column of design in a technology magazine called "Cerouno", nd I would love to publish your NES Cofee table.
If you could send me high res images to email@example.com woud be great. i promise I'll send you later a copy of the article.
Benjamín Goñi
- June 25, 2008 at 2:50 AM
- Nightmare said...
I would like you to contact me so we can discuss your future in the world of manufacturing and design. Check out some of the stuff that My company does; www.winntech.com. and I look forward to hearing from you.
- July 1, 2008 at 4:04 AM
- Nightmare said...
Kyle, Please contact me concerning your awesome abilities! My CEO want me to talk to you about employment stateside.
M. Walker
- July 1, 2008 at 9:44 PM
- Sie Whange said...
Awesome post i like.You should make a couch that is a playstation remote or a psp table that would be cool.
- August 27, 2008 at 6:58 PM
- Viva La Rocket said...
Well Hello Ultra Awesome
youre like the future me haha, i also got big collections of video game stuff haha but mostlu nintendo cause im a HUGE nintendo fanboy.
Well lets cut to the chase.
I was thinking of making a shelving system like this:
make boxes of lets say 40x40x40cm (yes im european haha) or however you want them just keep them squared, and make them out of small "floating bricks" or "floating ? blocks" from the mario game:
all glued together like lego bricks
########### each # presents a
#+++++++++# floating brick.
#+++++++++# each + presents space
then doing this you got one module
of wood (carve the patterns out). and then spray paint it brown for the floating bricks and yellow for the ? bricks and make decals for the rest you get the idea hopefully
then you can stable the moduls on each other (all totally squared) and form the retro sprite of mario:
so each modul presents a pixel so you got yellow and brown and red for instance then you got you whole mario shelving system in a fancy way, then make it a semi idea (combine it) with some of the other guys ideas fx the idea about light in each box and so on
well i well be doing this anyhow so i may post it when i finish hehe XD
Viva La Rocket
- September 7, 2008 at 11:02 PM
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- May 16, 2009 at 9:02 PM
- Michal said...
Hi There... saw your article in Otaku magazine and thought I'd check out the site. Nice work ^_^.
I think the shelving system idea is great. I have a number of older gaming systems and they are unfortunately all sitting in boxes. I don't have much time to play these days, but I've always wanted to set up a display case for them.
I think my ideal setup would be in part similar to how you described yours, but including a way to connect each system individually. I think it would be great to have a big "selector" type unit, or maybe a couple, that would allow any of those systems to be actually used. So yeah, I think you were planning that too...
Additionally, my idea was to keep this entire setup under glass and closed off so that the systems don't collect dust, plus add filtered ventilation so that they don't overheat (which wouldn't be necessary for all of the systems probably.
A combination of utility such as you described, and aesthetics to make it almost like a museum display case (with lighting) would be perfect I think.
Take care,
- June 3, 2009 at 6:15 AM
Make a PLAYSTATION CONTROLLER LOVESEAT. Or chair. Whatev.
I wouldn't make it a fully functioning controller, no; but have where your back leans against, the controller. Where you grip your hands on the controller, have those be arm rests!
Anyways. A less poofy sort of cushion would be ideal, to attempt to give it a sleek, plastic look. You should try it! Make a black or blue one for yourself, and then make a pink one for your lovely girlfriend! Good luck, mate.
Also, typo on your website: "To photographed my motorbike" (take off the 'ed').... from the ideolab page.
- October 24, 2009 at 10:18 PM
Also... My boyfriend only has... 3 consoles. But what he did was plug all of them into this box that, when he switches 'AV' on that box, it'll go to all the consoles, plus his stereo and dvd player.
You'd need a few of those... but that eliminates any plugging, and unplugging. One time hook up. Something like that! Maybe keep similar things with others. Small idea, small solution, or temporary solution.
- October 24, 2009 at 10:24 PM
- PC PowerSupply Job Tickets said...
Dude! You got it bad!! I thought I liked video games. I'm but an amateur at best. One word "WOW"!!!
- February 25, 2010 at 9:55 PM


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(CNN) -- Once a year, a motley crew of superstars in supercars carve out an impossible, hedonistic adventure.
The Gumball 3000 -- now in its 16th iteration -- is an intercontinental car rally built on unabashed excess, unbridled thrills and kaleidoscopic changes of scenery.
Exactly where the cars and characters venture changes from year to year.
The 2014 rally -- which took place June 4-12 -- blitzed a path from Miami to Ibiza -- with flights and ferries to conquer seas, as required.
In rallies past, Gumballers have motored everywhere from Marrakech to Bangkok to Dubrovnik to, most remarkably, an incursion into North Korea in 2008.
It was there that British entrepreneur and Gumball 3000 founder Maximillion Cooper famously karaoked with the late Kim Jong-il.
Securing a place among the curious cast of Gumballers is no mean feat. It's a particular melange that makes up a participant: maybe he's rich, maybe he's famous, maybe he's a little reckless.
The one common strand?
A hunger for unusual adventures.
High costs
Naturally, such mighty exoticism and thrills come with a mighty price tag.
First things first: entry fee. This year, that was the better part of $100,000.
Broke yet? You still need a ride.
Though you can drive whatever vehicle you please, most entrants opt for tricked-out beasts: Porsche, Jaguar, Rolls Royce.
Saudi entrants, Team Galag, built an epic, street-legal replica of Batman's tumbler.
An insanely rare McLaren P1 graced the route this year.
These ain't your average garage projects and these aren't your average drivers.
Even discarding the celebrity presence -- of which there was plenty this year -- I met no fewer than eight multimillionaires in my week with the rally.
But with no shortage of ways to blow cash in exotic and unorthodox ways, the question is why -- why this?
"There's no purpose to it," grinned rapper Xzibit one foggy morning in France. "It's the camaraderie -- the brotherhood."
As participants remind me evangelically: this isn't a race -- this is a matter of pride and joy and adventure, not milliseconds.
"It isn't about racing," says Gumball 3000 founder Cooper. "It never has been."
What they mightn't tell you is that it's about status, too.
Participant prestige
"It's like going to dinner and pulling out a black card, a gold card and a debit card. This is the one you want to be carrying around," says entrepreneur and multi-time participant Caleb Garrett, who has Gumball 3000's logo tattooed to his forearm.
By the time I join the rally -- on a lazy, warm Sunday in London -- the participants have braved a brutal drive up the east coast of the United States, and, just the night earlier, hopped on a charter plane from New York to Edinburgh.
When I drop into Regent Street in London, it's clear what the event has grown into.
Central London has been closed off.
Regent Street, home to heritage buildings and colossal brands, has been gated-off into a mini-festival.
The number of spectators is astonishing.
Hundreds of thousands, easy.
They're here, on the streets, climbing poles and leaning over barriers, waiting for a glimpse of the fine-tuned monsters and their famed drivers.
Around 11 p.m., I meet a young family camped out in a Soho side street.
"We came here eight hours ago," says Alice, a well-spoken, ostensibly responsible mother of five. "We wanted to make a day of it. We want to see the McLarens. It's school night -- they should be home in bed!"
From the moment they departed Miami, the Gumballers have had eyes on them -- spectators waiting out the routes, mammoth crowds in arrival cities, GoPro'd livestreams, the media crews that tail the rally (CNN included).
Even those who came into the race with no fame have been transformed into instant (if temporary), intercontinental celebrities.
As much for fans
Every day on the rally is punctuated, regularly, by boys, girls and grown men begging the drivers to let their engines roar: in gas stations, passport control, ferry docks and fast food parking lots.
The riders soak it up, dishing out high fives and posing for pictures.
Though the bevy of cars are soon parked in a square in the middle of Soho for the night, Gumball 3000 continues its adventure until the early hours.
You'd hardly think that after a full day's driving, there'd be more left to give.
But as the sun sets, in each city, each night, a party whose decadence borders on fable takes place.
At exclusive clubs, bars and lounges, Gumballers cap off the day's work with premium alcohol, elite company and elite entertainment: Cuban cigars lit with hundred-dollar-notes sort of vibe.
Few sleep as the private jet loaded with dozens of supercars crosses the Atlantic -- an all-night rager at 35,000 feet.
The rally isn't wanting for characters, which include royalty both Saudi and Hollywood, regular Hasselhoff sightings, rappers from Xzibit to Tinie Tempah and properly old European money.
Driving aside, Gumballers are paying for a chance to rub shoulders and join a unique family.
"I couldn't give a s---," one European Gumballer tells me at a checkpoint in the British countryside. "Not about the parties, not about the celebrities. I'm here to drive."
But glitz and commercialism have always been at the heart of the rally.
The event has never had an issue securing a smorgasbord of sponsorship cash.
This year's sponsors run the gamut, from YouTube and Betsafe, to smaller brands chasing a piece of the rally's spirit.
'Ghini girls
One first-time sponsor is AnastasiaDate -- a dating website that brings a lovesick tinge to its rally team.
The company has tricked out a Lamborghini into an electric violet chariot and thrown two gorgeous women -- who they claim are real-life users of the website -- into the seats.
The pair of Russians have caused a sensation everywhere they've driven. Mission accomplished.
"She's looking for love, and not sure where she'll find it!" a company rep tells me of one of the drivers, Rita. "Her true love might be waiting on the rally!"
So far, Rita's mingled with Xzibit and a few members of Saudi royalty.
Mercilessly fatigued from the marathon driving, she naps in a support van as the rally leaves London.
Today, the drivers are psyched: they're hitting up the iconic Top Gear test track before lunch -- a legendary stretch of tarmac and a chance to flatten the pedal and throttle up to max speeds.
But the drivers are anxious, too.
They're crossing the English Channel en route to Paris and French authorities, I'm told, are reliably difficult and anti-Gumball.
Indeed, each country receives Gumball differently.
There's nothing official or especially legitimate about the rally -- most crucially, drivers are subject to the same road laws as any civilian.
Cars are regularly stopped and fined for speeding, with drivers often paying on-the-spot fines, losing licenses or, in some cases, having cars confiscated.
In 2008, the rally was thrown into disrepute when an accident in Macedonia led to the death of an elderly local couple.
"It was absolutely horrendous. The worst thing I could ever have foreseen. It made me reevaluate everything," Cooper tells me. "But in 16 rallies, we've [only] had one accident with a fatality, as devastating as it is."
Legal blind spots
As we hit the outskirts of Paris, law enforcement becomes a major factor.
Drivers load up on Euros, ready to fork over "tips."
One under-prepared rider is detained by regional police while his teammates search stone-cobbled streets, aimlessly, for an ATM.
"Safety is the priority -- this is my sixth Gumball," says Xzibit, warming up his car by the Seine. "We haven't had any incidents -- I think we had one accident so far, out of 120 cars that started the race."
When I hop in a Lamborghini Gallardo, taking in the French countryside at 100-plus mph, I can start to appreciate the romanticism of Gumballing: all rolling plains and sun-kissed pavement, a symphony of roaring engines offsetting the Pyrenees in the distance.
The freedom and the adventure -- peppered with screaming fans atop highway bridges -- combine into a heady cocktail.
Though it may just be mild dehydration and carsickness.
That same afternoon, word filters around Gumballers to be extra alert.
Xzibit has had his license confiscated, right near the Spanish boarder, by French authorities. (He'll end up driving again once we hit Barcelona.)
Meanwhile the two Russian girls, ever drawing eyes to their lilac Lamborghini, are pulled over by Spanish police. They pay a €50 ($68) fine, and one of the officers gives Rita his number.
'Begging for revs'
When we crawl through Barcelona at her peak hour, sunset traffic, the crowds are chaotic.
There are no security barriers, no police presence, no order.
We experience a first-person view of the Gumball's triumphant arrival -- and it's surreal: Spaniards young and old mob the cars, posing for photos, begging for revs, marveling in giddy astonishment.
If not for the overdose of joie de vivre, you'd be seriously concerned for pedestrian safety.
The crowds stalk the supercar armada for miles, all the way into the hotel car lot, where they've already lined four stories of ramps.
It's a mind-boggling spectacle of quasi-celebrity and rev-head passion.
The next day, on a cruise ship to our final destination, Ibiza, I meet Christopher Jensen, a bleary-eyed Swede waiting in line at the bar.
It's his second Gumball 3000, and he's about to meet up with his wife and son.
He looks exhausted -- many of the Gumballers on the cruise do.
"Everyone keeps asking me why I do this," he says. "It's a brotherhood. I'd sell everything just to do this once: it's the crazy parties, the driving -- all of it."
His eyes are red and tired and devious. For a moment, he looks like a bratty Scandinavian teen.
"I heard of it. I dreamed of it. Then I closed my eyes -- and now I'm here."
He turns around. He grins.
"I thought, 'That's just something that someone else does.'"
The 2015 Gumball 3000 rally will travel through Stockholm, Oslo, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Las Vegas. For details visit the Gumball 3000 website.
All rights reserved.


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Wheeee! I've been working on an updated version of the Puppy Primer for six months now, and it feels SO good to finally hold the finished product in my hot little paws. In it, co-author Brenda Scidmore and I emphasize the benefits of positive reinforcement, of letting dogs initiate the correct action themselves when possible, the importance of realistic expectations and of going step-by-step in training. That last issue is such a big one to me: so many of the problems I see people having with their dogs relate to them jumping from Step 1 to Step 25, without knowing that there should be many steps in between. For example, there's (Step 1) sitting on cue in the kitchen while holding a dinner bowl and (Step 25) sitting on cue when 5 people come to the door and there are 3 other dogs barking Read More
Archives for February 2010
More on Play Styles; Dealing with Problem Players
I've loved your comments about play styles after the last post. Keep them coming. One of the points that was made by many of you, that I think bears repeating, is that many dogs can adapt and learn new play styles from others. This is especially true of stable, well-adjusted dogs who aren't overly reactive to something new or challenging. Along with chase games and wrestling, several of you mentioned hounds (and English Shepherds!) who like to play "catch the prey" by chasing, play biting and then mock attacks at the throat. Another mentioned a play style that I've also seen, that I consider truly problematic. In this case, the dog chases another dog until he catches up, and then bites the chasee, often in the back leg, and brings him or her down. Eeeps. I've seen this quite often, and it Read More
Play Styles & Status Seeking: Correlated?
A short post today, but with a pithy question generated from the last post on play. We all agree that different breeds of dogs tend to have different play styles, with herding dogs, for example, more likely to engage in run/chase games and bully breeds more likely to wrestle and body slam. Wrestling can include many behaviors, but a common goal of wrestling in any species is to pin another individual to the ground. A lot of the wrestling/body slamming play in canines also includes chin over, leg over, vertical play and other movements that replicate the postures and gestures associated with high dogs seeking high social status. So here's the question: Do the dogs (in general of course) who engage in body slam/wrestle play tend to be individuals who care more about social status? I'll add Read More
Interesting Play Styles
Here's a video of Willie playing with a Lily, a 4 month old female Dogo Argentino. He has just met her, and after a brief greeting by the farm house, we walked up the hill to the Orchard Pasture. I love watching videos of dogs playing; it seems that you can see so much if you watch them repeatedly. Here are the two main events I find most notable about this episode of play (along with the fact that Willie is playing so well with her! Yeah Mr. Will, what a journey we've been on together!) One, notice how Lily's play is so often on a vertical plane. Even as a young pup, she spends a lot of energy moving upward, and trying to get on top of Will. You'll see that especially at seconds 17, 23 and 34. There are other examples, but those are the first three that I noticed. Secondly, Read More
What the Dog Knew Part I
Here's one small aspect related to the question of how dogs interpret our cues: I started listing the cues that Will responds to, asking myself if he saw them as verbs or nouns (good point by one of the readers that humans can use one word for both, as in "snow.") I didn't get very far before things got interesting. Remember that game that Ian Dunbar used to do in working seminars? Testing out what cues really mean to your dog? It came to mind when I started working with Will, and I asked him to Sit when he was already sitting. He immediately lay down. Of course, you can teach through this, but I never have because I haven't needed to. So right there.... Will and I have not defined sit the same way. I think Will defines it as an action similar to: "Go down toward the ground," while Read More