I went to the beach this summer, and in the back of a store there was an old bookcase with used books for sale. I found a 300 page paperback full of robot stories for 50 cents. In the introduction I read this….

Ironically, considering Asimov’s famous first law of Robotic’s. “A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm” — The most technically sophisticated robots developed to date are designed specifically for the task of killing people. Cruise missiles, smart bombs and (unmanned drones – my addition, ed.)

 

Download Watchbirds MP3  (here)

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M R D U C K S

M R N O T D U C K S

O S A R

C M W A N G S

L I B M R D U C K S

M R F A R M E R S

M R N O T

O S A R

C M M T P O C K E T S?

L I B

M R F A R M E R S

C M S N A K S?

I C N O S N A K S

C M B D I S?

L I B

M R S N A K S

M R M I C E!

M R N O T

S A R C M

E D B D F E E T?

Y U P

U R R I T E M

R M I C E

C D B?

I C N O B

E R D B S A BZ BZ BZ?

Y U P I T

T I Z A B

A B I Z E B I Z E B

O U R A Q T

I A M A Q T?

S U R A Q T

C D P U P E Z

M R N O T P U P E Z

O S A R 2 C M P N?

L I B M R P U P E Z
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Christmas lights in synchronization with TSO.

Youtube Video (here)

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Legitimate artists and animation professionals will really appreciate the time and effort that went into creating this wonderful stop-motion animation.

Even if you aren’t an artist, the doodles and weird creatures that are created out of thin air are inspiring.

It’s hard to explain in a single snapshot of what is actually transpiring here. You have to watch the video to understand.

”

Youtube video (here)

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Recently, the U.S. Navy comissioned a new ship, the USS Makin Island . Her official commissioning ceremony took place on 24 October 2009 at Naval Air Station North Island, Coronado near San Diego. My grandfather was present, being one of 6 USMC vetrans who attended.

He was also given the honor of passing the spy-glass to the new vessel.

“We’re like a big hybrid car,” Kopas, who lives in San Diego, said as the ship neared the coastline. “I love it.”

The Navy predicts it will save $250 million in fuel costs over the life of the ship. Some analysts foresee the Makin Island heralding a shift to a fuel-efficient, all-electric fleet.

“It’s a watershed for the Navy,” said Scott Truver, an independent naval analyst based in Washington, D.C. “It’s a generational change.”

Makin Island is the first Navy vessel to combine gas turbines with auxiliary motors that run off the ship’s electrical grid. Source (here)

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In 2009 Peugeot commissioned Bond to record Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” to advertise the 308CC. Bond has been described as the best selling string quartet of all time, selling over 4 million records.

If someone you know is grumpy or sad send them this video. Seriously.

Bond Girls Victory Live – Youtube video (here)

[update] Cars dropping from the sky in this promotion.

Bond Girls Live In London – Youtube Video (here)

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A couple of weeks ago, someone told me that if a hummingbird stops flying, it will die. Then, this weekend in East Texas, I got a chance to see a bunch of hummingbirds at a friend’s house. They were flying around different feeders and the occasional squirrel would attempt to steal the hanging nectar dispensers.

Hummingbird – Original Picture (here)
From Noël Zia Lee’s photostream  (here)

Since I wasn’t sure what would happen if a hummingbird stopped flying, I looked up some hummingbird facts and found an informative video clip from the BBC.

Hummingbirds do not spend all day flying, as the energy cost would be prohibitive; the majority of their activity consists simply of sitting or perching. Hummingbirds feed in many small meals, consuming many small invertebrates and up to five times their own body weight in nectar each day. They spend an average of 10-15% of their time feeding and 75-80% sitting and digesting.

Hummingbirds feed on the nectar of plants and are important pollinators, especially of deep-throated, tubular flowers. Like bees, they are able to assess the amount of sugar in the nectar they eat; they reject flower types that produce nectar which is less than 10% sugar and prefer those whose sugar content is stronger. Nectar is a poor source of nutrients, so hummingbirds meet their needs for protein, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. by preying on insects and spiders, especially when feeding young. Source – Wikipedia

BBC Hummingbird Video (1:30) – Youtube Video (Here)

If you feed the hummingbirds, they will continue to visit.

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This sums up how I have been viewing the world for the past 2 years. In summary, people are more important than products. People are also worth more than the products they create. People are important because they are people, not because they create things or buy things.

I’ll be getting this book from the library soon. I’m sure it was a corporation that printed, distributed and published the book, but I will overlook that. I believe the points raised by the author are extremely important.
You might say you don’t have time to watch this, but that would be the exact reason why I recommend that you should. Don’t fall into the into the idea that corporations know better than you do on what is good for you, the economy or your family.
Invest in yourself, your community and your friends.Quit giving your $ to faceless wallstreet firms. Your 401k $ could have easily kept the local bakery, pizza shop or fish store in business for the next 10 years. You might have even become the part owner of the business, if you had only invested locally.If you watch this 9 minute video, you might begin to see people in a different light.

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Youtube is now offering wide screen full length movies. If you have never seen “Koyaanisqatsi”, then maybe it’s about time. In this movie, there is no dialog, just music by Philip Glass through the whole thing.

You might be saying, “I can’t sit in front of my computer for 2 hours”, if that is the case, just hit play and go do some housework and listen to the music. Every once in a while, come back to the PC and see what is going on. You will get stuck.

There is something facinating about watching machinery, twinkie assembly, people, cars, bingo players and mall patrons move in slow motion, fast motion during night and day. Rockets launch, skylines grow, and buildings fall in stark contrast with grand canyon flyovers, poverty and sadness. You will feel connected with humanity.

The first 15 minutes are pretty non-descript, but don’t let that discourage you. It gets really good. The director is trying to show you the beauty of nature, the scale of creation and then pull you into the discord and wastefullness of our generation. Hang in there until the 16 minute mark, where signs of humanity begin to dot the landscape.

Koyaanisqatsi – Life Out of Balance

Koyaanisqatsi – Life Out of Balance

Koyaanisqatsi – Full Length Movie (here)

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I get a lot of email. I like to read the signatures from the various writers. Some are poetic, some are patriotic and some are inspiring. This email signature made an impression on me.

Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass…It’s about learning to dance in the rain.

I found a nice photo from flickr that represents our ability to change something bad into something good with the proper perspective. I think these people are actually enjoying the rain.

Original Flickr Photo (here)

From 1Happysnapper’s photostream (here)

What I take from this signature is, “have a nice day, even if it is raining”. If you don’t have an inspiring signature on the end of your email, perhaps you can think of something? It might go farther than you could ever imagine, just like this post here.

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