Meet Your New Robot Receptionist

Meet Your New Robot Receptionist, the DARPA ARM 'Bot -- Popular Science

Never worry about answering the phone or stapling documents again.

Bad news for long-term receptionists: DARPA's ARM (Autonomous Robotic Manipulation) robot can perform a whopping 18 different reception-ready tasks, from stapling to answering the phone to...turning on a lamp? Grasping things? Also it can't speak, or redirect calls, really, but it can drill a hole in a piece of wood, which I'm not entirely sure I can do, so it's an easy shoo-in for our incredibly prestigious Robot of the Week award. Congratulations! Watch the video after the jump.

Read more ....

Source books for Samurai information

I've had a quick scan of Amazon to see what would be a good selection of books to better understand samurai warfare - especially in the Golden Age.

Here's an idea of what I'm looking at.  A couple of Ospreys (of course) and some source books on general history but also colour schemes, flags etc. to do the armies justice.

What Is a Leap Year?

As it turns out, there are people who don't quite understand the concept of a leap year. And while I was looking for pictures to post on this entry, I discovered that I wasn't aware that there is some movie by the same name. I wasn't impressed by the trailer, so why don't we take it one step at a time and just resolve for now the more important and interesting question regarding the astronomical concept of a leap year with a quick, fun and educational animation?

And if today is your birthday, happy leap birthday! Hope you feel younger than the rest of us.

Gender assumption based on sex role stereotypes of a three-year-old watching My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic

The title's a bit of a mouthful so I'll get right to the point: Natalie thinks that two of the six star Ponies in this show are dudes.

We're past the phase where she uses the wrong personal pronoun by mistake. She definitely understands genders. But no matter how often I remind her that all her ponies are girls, in her mind they are male, and she quietly insists on referring to them as such.

Pop quiz for anyone who watches the show! Which two are the boys? Write down your answer and then turn to the back of the book. Here are the "mane" characters (see what I did there?), their defining characteristics (from descriptions at Hasbro.com), and Natalie's gender assessment.

• Twilight Sparkle: dutiful and intelligent (female)
• Applejack: dependable and hard-working (male)
• Fluttershy: timid and caring (female)
• Rainbow Dash: capable and athletic (male)
• Pinkie Pie: playful and fun (female)
• Rarity: beautiful and talented (female)

I don't have any deep analysis on this observation. It was just surprising to me that such a young kid would make this type of judgment based on (as far as I can tell) personalities and behavior that are traditionally considered masculine. The show itself is deeply feminist and I'm glad there are so many truly unique characters Natalie can relate to... so maybe it doesn't matter whether she thinks they're male or female.

OK, I lied. I did overthink it. I'd love to hear your opinion.

Unhate

Contrary to what the majority of people all over the world believe, I'm pretty sure this is the only life we will ever know. To some, that is a depressing prospect, and an indication of the futility and meaninglessness of human existence.

To me, however, it underscores the responsibility each of us has to make it count, to make it meaningful, and to make sure we have some sense of perspective and proportion with regard to the things that matter to us. Are our pride, convictions, resentments, race, differences, disagreements, history, ideology, etc. worth hating each other?

I seriously hope not. And hopefully it's not too late for any of us to open our hearts, make amends, forgive and enter into communion with others.

How will we know when things are really getting better: when we get to see an unphotoshopped picture of the Pope kissing Sheik Mohamed Ahmed el-Tayeb

Amen!

A Leg Up

Last week Austin directed the Crazy Tree and maybe this week he has a future project with his former JFC co-star.

@GarretDillahunt Are we about to work together again @AUS10NICHOLS ?

@GarretDillahunt I sure hope so, my friend. I am always excited to work with you. - AUS10

John and the Doc back together again?
Should it be Raising Hope? Or something else.

And for Austin does that now mean in front of or behind the camera?

Directors find inspiration from all kinds of things, films they've seen, still pictures, their surroundings, they draw from everything to bring their vision to life. It's all on the director. A lot of work. But there are perks about being the director and directing yourself - you can wear whatever you want.Now where would Austin find the inspiration for this look?But let's get fancy.

Austin tuxified.While it might be for a role, it looks like he put a little reality into the part. - Check out the good luck charm Julian clutches. A touch never mentioned but bet it was something Austin has done or seen someone do before they hit the red carpet.

Austin looks so good, he could hold his own against "The Angelina" leg pop.How do we know? Well....


7 down and 6 to go ...Tonight on The Crazy Tree
The Real Housewife of Tree Hill Haley gets news of a possible tragedy and we finally find out what she is screaming about in the morgue. Bad Dad Dan’s search for Nathan leads him back to his dark (Ukranian Undeworld?)past. Feats of Clay has a breakthrough - not in the management business, but in treatment. BrookeDavis(TM) and CrazyTreegavehimhispairback Julian deal with Xavier. (Remember him? He beat up BrookeDavis and killed Quinton -- No not BikiniQuinn). BartenderChase’s concern for Chuck pushes him to his limits.

Happy Leap Day!!

Things I bought during Buy-Nothing Month

• 5 pairs of shoelaces (30 cents)
• 1 box of Girl Scout Cookies ($3.50)
• 1 plastic dinosaur ($1)
• 1 Cadbury Creme Egg (<$1)
• A fistful of quarters' worth of vintage gaming goodness ($?)

I spent less than $10 on personal stuff and got cash for my birthday (thanks mom-in-law!) so February was a net gain in disposable income.

It wasn't terribly difficult to curtail my purchases. On the other hand I didn't exactly buy nothing either, so I have extended the challenge until the end of Lent. Not spending money is fun?!

Robot Helicopters Perform James Bond Theme

Flying robot quadrotors perform the James Bond Theme by playing various instruments --
including the keyboard, drums and maracas, a cymbal, and the debut of an adapted guitar built from a couch frame.

Robot Helicopters Perform James Bond Theme Music -- Christian Science Monitor

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania's General Robotics, Automation, Sensing and Perception Lab wowed attendees at this year's TED conference with a video of tiny robot quadroters performing the James Bond theme music.

Sometimes we just crave the simple things in life: smelling freshly baked bread, getting a baby to laugh, watching a cat fall asleep on your lap, or having someone scratch your back.

And other times, you just want to watch a bunch of robotic quadrotors performing the James Bond theme song.

If you are reading this story, now is apparently one of those times. If you haven't done so already, watch the video at the top of this page.

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Ruth Gordon

born as an only child in october 30, 1896 in quincy, massachusetts.
died from a stroke August 28, 1985 in edgartown, massachusetts.



Dr. Ehrlich's Magic Bullet 1940
Abe Lincoln in Illinois 1940
Two-Faced Woman 1941
Action in the North Atlantic 1943
Edge of Darkness 1943
Inside Daisy Clover 1965
Lord Love a Duck 1966
Rosemary's Baby 1968
What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice? 1969
Where's Poppa? 1970
Harold and Maude 1971

The Big Bus 1976
Every Which Way but Loose 1978
Scavenger Hunt 1979
Boardwalk 1979
Any Which Way You Can 1980
My Bodyguard 1980
Jimmy the Kid 1982
Maxie 1985
Delta Pi 1985
Voyage of the Rock Aliens 1985
The Trouble with Spies 1987



quotes -

"Discussing how old you are is the temple of boredom."



"To get it right, be born with luck or else make it.
Never give up.
Get the knack of getting people to help you and also pitch in yourself.
A little money helps, but what really gets it right is to never
––I repeat––never, under any conditions, face the facts."



"If you're careful and cautious you'll never be great."



"You've got to take wild, flying chances in life.
People may say, 'My God, how awful,' but you're aiming for something."



"Courage is very important. Like a muscle, it is strengthened by use."



"Somebody once asked me, 'What do you actually know?'
I said, 'I know how to put on straight makeup, and that's all I'm sure about.'"



[On winning the Oscar at age 72, after fifty years in show business.]
"I can't tell you how encouraging a thing like this is, for a young actress like myself."



"The great have no friends. They merely know a lot of people."



Ruth Gordon published three volumes of memoirs in the 1970s:
My Side, Myself Among Others and An Open Book.




http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Gordon
and google images

Garden to Grow

Sometimes it seems like it's all about food for Jake. Shopping, eating, cooking, talking , and growing it.He also knows that food can make impact on the lives of kids, and not just eating good healthy food, but the social and educational benefits of growing and preparing food and he's helping spread that message.

That's why he and chef Alice Waters were recognized as Tastemakers in this month's Bon Appetit.

Jake's "involvement stems from his belief that we all need to overhaul our thinking about food, our health, and the environment in a way that appeals to children. 'When kids get their hands dirty in the garden or experiment in the kitchen, they have fun," he says, "but more important, they learn about how to care for themselves and each other. Those are lessons that no state is testing for, but it's one of the best investments in the future of our country that we can make.' "

And it's not all talk. Alice commented, "he has put his hands in the ground and worked in a garden. His family always gathered around the dinner table and had real food. He benefited from that and tries to live his life like that now."
But the question is who is he gathering around the table to live like that now?


And don't think you can Two Wheel and Garden at the same time?

Think again.

History of the English Language, Animated

Have you ever tried to make sense of the English language? If you've taken courses on linguistics, logic or philosophy of language, you've learned that grammar is supposed to give us a formal understanding of the structure underlying any particular language. To a surprisingly large extent, the rules of grammar do a pretty good job of organizing this formal structure, especially for languages like Latin or its romance derivations.

But the English language is kind of an unruly child, partly because it is, more so than many other languages, an amalgamation of disparate historical and geographic linguistic influences (Anglo-Saxon, Latin, German, French, Norse, etc.), as the following funny and educational 10-minute animation makes clear:

28mm Afrika Korps (no, your eyes do not decieve you)

I'm not a 28mm wargamer (as you probably know).  But in the early days of 2008 I tried my hand at 28mm - mainly sci-fi and Pulp skirmish games.

I thought about doing an Indiana Jones type scenario involving adventurers, the Germans (Afrika Korps), French (Foreign Legion) and British (Tommies in desert colours).  But it came to naught and now I'm painting them up for E-bay.

Most of the troops are Artizan - which have lots of poses and personality.  But the sticking point is colour schemes.  I think I've foind the right shade of green for jackets and the odd forage cap but the standard DAK uniform 'sandy' colour seems to elude me.

I've tried everything from Iraqi Sand to Yellow Ochre and looking at different images on Google it is hard to find a definitive colour scheme.  Indeed, I'm tempted to do them in a variety of sandy shades as they don't appear to have settled on any specific colour type.

The photos below show different attempts to date (they're not finished models, by the way!  Plenty of detail, drybrushing and shading to do).  Any tips on the right colour scheme (Vallejo reference if you have it) would be gratefully received.