3D Printing

I have seen a FDM (Fused Deposition Modeling) machine before and I was totally intrigued. After hearing about www.makerbot.com from Twit.tv from floss weekly. They explained their open sourced project and selling kits. But what really got my eye is that the RepRap project, that is the grandfather project of makerbot made version 2 called mendel. their first version put me off as I just never liked the problems it had, jamming, costly, hard to build. Now that a new version came out earlier this month, I looked at it and thought, yes this can be something I can build and use.

Customer Relations...

oh boy where to start...
I think everyone knows the peril brick and mortar stores are facing as online retailers are snapping up business. Everyone knows the advantages of brick and mortar though. being able to see the product, making sure you have the right one and works for you need.
So today being the very nice weathered day it was i went to the garage to take the motorcycle for a spin. yet the faint oder of gasoline had me wondering what might have a leak. only to my dismay it wasn't the gas can i had hoped. To my surprise it was from the motorcycle main fuel line. so i got a screwdriver to close the stopcock on the gas tank. only to have a bit of gas gush from the screw. great i thought, there's the problem. so a bit later i went to the last parts place we have here to order a part and maybe get a few things to further a local business relationship with said shop. only to my dismay after them looking up the part to tell me that it would be much cheaper to buy this part online through their website they also use to sell parts. so i inquire what the difference would be if i just bought the part right now. so i get the run around of being told that the reason they make it cheaper so they don't have to serve people at the counter... then he starts to really push me saying just go home and order it... i couldn't believe what i was hearing... knowing there is no way to argue about this i said thank you and put the other stuff i was going to by on the shelf, and left. now that they have shooed me away as a customer, I'm going to buy from some other website that actually specializes in such a sale. they obviously didn't want my business when i came to them, and besides i saved almost $12. not only did they lose me as a customer, they lost my respect to recommend them to others.

Photography

Well I did it, Finally got that big dSLR I wanted to get for many years. Even though its winter right now I have taken a lot of photos. Been posting some of my best work in the link above. Soon I plan to have an acount with Istockphoto.com and sell from there.

New Posts

Yes i know I haven't posted in a while... but if you follow my Jaiku feed that has plenty of activity. I have been compiling a predictions list for 2008 for companies and trends. As for what i have been up to and not posting.. House renovations. i shall post updates at a later time of progress made. Till then, Chow

MacBook Pro Battery - Bloated

Well this was one of those... "it couldn't happen to me" things. One day i was using my notebook, when i noticed the battery icon flashing form charging to full and back every second or so... i knew something was up but i just thought a reboot would fix it. only to notice when i took it off its stand that the battery was about 2x times what it should be. so i called applecare and had it replaced. WTG SONY!... what will be your next blunder?

For more photos click here

Food

To all those who say i don't cook.. HAH
Tilapia, wild rice, corn and bread sticks
mm mm good

A Hero Lost

Don Herbert was my greatest inspiration to the world of science. He Died yesterday @ 89 at his home in Bell Canyon after a long battle with multiple myeloma.
He was someone i wanted to meet, just never had the chance, and now never will.
Im sure he will be remembered by everyone he inspired all the years he did his tv show. to make people think how things work, why they work, and to experiment.

original story:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-herbert13jun13,0,457794,full.story

It does exist

Well I thought this was just a photoshop on the net. Hah! Nope it does
exist. And no I don't have a clue why it has that name.

Heaters, now air conditioners

Its still february ... we just had 15 inches of snow and its been below
freezing for weeks now.... and all the big box stores are getting rid of
portable heaters and getting airconditioners.. but they forgot last year
it snowed 6 inches oin the middle of march.... just to prove this...
here is the first picture of the airconditioners that arrived at menards
feb 12

Casio GSHOCK MT-G

Well I finaly did it. I broke my coveted G-SHOCK. I only broke a band
pin so its already fixed. This watch has taken it all. Being thrown,
hit, whacked agaisnt things, been though an ultra sonic cleaner,
whacked agaisnt the side of an engine block while a wrench slipped. Yup
its been through a lot. And it still works like new. And no scratches
on the face!.. Wtg casio

Your name in space

How would you like to write your valentine on a space craft?  well you can!

http://www.yournameintospace.org/

i know i told about every friend i know about this but it just keeps getting better.
a company called Blendtec has a monster comercial belnd and they demonstrate that they can blend anything from ipods to glass marbles. very cool, i want one

here are the videos

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=Blendtec

New spin on instant coffee

I read about these a while back 4 for 5 months ago and finally seen them
on the market. Its a cup of coffee or hot chocolate in a self heating
cup. It uses an exothermic reaction based on quicklime. Aka concrete.
You just open the bottom of the can. Push a button and then flip it
over and in 5-8 minutes it will be piping hot. I tried it today its
quite amusing. Yet incredibly wasteful. And a bit expensive for 9.5 oz
for $2.89 @ schnucks.