It never occurred to me, but tis it is a brilliant idea to flip and extrude the world’s favorite fractal into a new dimension. This new incarnation is known as a mandelbulb. There seems to be a single tool people are using to explore this wonder of spatial modeling : MandelBulber and guessing by the manual, you could waste a few nights away exploring the terrain.
Ok, it’s not so ‘wtf’ as all that. Lucas is tired and the prequel trilogy was, well, it is what it is. We have no idea what’s in store for episode vii in 2015, or the rest of the next trilogy for that matter. But, if I read it right, Lucas’s sole role will be that of creative consultant. Not writer, director, or even producer. Can the Disney seal of quality assure us all that new Star Wars video productions will be better?
There are countless things that I am curious about, but there are no straight answers. The only thing that’s obvious is Lucas is stepping down to the tune of billion in cash and Disney stock. Disney keeps freaking me out. I didn’t even know they own Marvel Movies already! Can we expect Jedi in the next Avengers film?
There’s some kind of live action Star Wars television getting started so we will be able to enjoy them in them in our TVs in the future, using a tv ceiling mount for commodity. But what I’d really like to see is Maniac Mansion and Day of the Tentacle turned into movies! That’s right, Lucas Films includes all kinds of subsidiaries including Lucas Arts, the creators of some classic home computer video games. Maybe they could do something with the Monkey Island series too. Wait, that’s called Pirates of the Caribbean. :P
Yeah, I’m going through a phase. I’m rediscovering what I grew up believing to be wretched cheese. Rancid buttcheese if you will. I’m talking about 80’s studio production practices especially when it’s mostly electronic instruments gated with chincy reverb saturated ad nauseam. Yes.
I’ve been watching some VHS tapes whilst cooking and devouring breakfast lately. Thought I’d share some fun tracks that I forgot about (or didn’t).
Critters – End Credits Music
Kind of cute, kind of long, but, hey, it’s the credits for an 80’s sci-fi horror dark comedy mishmash of awesome.
My Science Project – End Credits Music
This one has the honor of being synthpop with a direct correlation between the movies title and the lyrics of the chorus. Plus epicly sleazy bonus moments of Vinnie clowning around the school.
The Terminator – Tunnel Chase Theme
Every time I watch this scene I feel like I have not been listening to the background score until then. This track is hilarious with its fidgety bassline and giant orchestral stabs.
I first found zombo.com somewhen around 2002. It was actually launched in 1999 as a mockery over website frontend flash loaders. Rather mind blowing that this single screen site has been sitting there, entertaining people, for the last 13 years. Recently, an html5 version popped up just for iPortable users because Apple products don’t support flash.
And so, while enjoying zombocom the other day, I started to wonder what version of flash was available in 1999. I could look up the developmental history of flash, but that still doesn’t tell me exactly which version is being used by the infinitely possible zombocom. At the very least, I knew it was a Macromedia version from before the time when Adobe had acquisitioned them. So let’s do this!
curl zombo.com
This gets us the html source code for the website. The flash file in questions is inrozxa.swf so . . .
curl zombo.com/inrozxa.swf
Well, that gets us mostly garbage. But you’ll notice the first few characters are FWS?x_? which has SWF in it backwards. Let’s read up on the SWF specifications! OK! First 3 bytes are ‘FWS’ so that’s in order. The 4th byte is the version number, but why is that a question mark? Because it’s an unsigned single byte integer, not a character silly! My terminal is replacing a low-value control character with the question mark. So how do we find the value of this buggar?
curl zombo.com/inrozxa.swf | od -t u1 -N 4
gets us : 70 87 83 4
What I did was load the flash file from zombo.com and then piped it’s data into a command called od which is an octal, decimal, hex, and ASCII dumper. I tuned it to display only the first 4 single bytes in unsigned integer form. So, from the data above, can you guess which version of flash zombo.com is running on?!?
I was in Austin, TX a few weeks ago. It happened to be around the SXSW festival, so every business around was trying to be a venue. Herr Prof was doing a two hour chiptune stint at Game Over Video Games, and somehow or other we got in contact. Next thing I know, I am offered some set time at this event.
It was a little awkward. The crowd that was there was there to see Descendants of Erdrick, a local video game music cover band. So while I performed they were setting up out front in the parking lot, distracting folks from my performance (which was really just me playing back tracks because I was missing everything from my rig except my laptop).
Regardless, I had a blast looking around this store (there’s a museum in the back) and trying not to go apeshit buying vintage video game crap. I picked up a nice A/V cable for the Commodore, a couple Atari 2600 games I had lost at the firteen house, and a replacement 72-pin connector for my NES. And this isn’t even the main store!
Yeah, so I do stuff on the kitchen counter. Exchanging the connector was a bit more work than I thought it would be. Somewhere around 20 screws later I got the old one out and popped the new one in. It’s supposed to make your NES load cartridges like it’s brand new!
Oh, look at that! I can’t tell if it’s better or worse! Balloon Fight was the only cart I could get to load cleanly enough to play. It didn’t last that long either. How do I justify buying a power pak if I don’t even have a working NES?
At least I had fun at the store. Descendants of Erdrick kicked ass and it was nice to see Herr Prof in meatspace once again, think it’s been about three years! Wish I was better at remembering to take pictures. :D
Before starting these body weight exercises, warm up and stretch, and remember to drink plenty of water while doing this workout. Check the best weight loss pills for women article.
Workout: 45 seconds per exercise, complete 3 sets each. Rest 45-60 seconds between exercises.
Another big, classic computing obituary. And I really have no idea how directly responsible he was for the actual 8bit Commodore machines, but it has more emotional impact on me than the passing of Steve Jobs. I was kind of a spoiled kid (or there were great garage sales in my neighborhoods) because I had Commodores and an Apple II around. The Commodore VIC-20 was brought home when I was four or five years old circa 1983. It was probably on sale because the Commdore 64 just dropped on the market (I really don’t know), but I started typing programs out of the books before I could read. I was learning how to manipulate symbols and understand the results. Until the family got a NES in 1986, I probably spent more time on the VIC-20 than doing anything else.
And, around the age we got the NES, other computers found their way into our home. I enjoyed the Apple II/e, spent a lot of time dorking around on that thing, but I always found the games laughable. The Commodore 64 was definitely better, but you could start loading a game, go take a poop, and still wait for it to finish loading sometimes. And even with these ‘better’ computers around, I still would go back to the VIC for it’s ridiculously large onscreen characters, writing BASIC programs that outgrew it’s limited 3.5kb of RAM. Whether the program was any good or not, it didn’t matter, I won the RAM battle. :D
And then my teenage years came along, I was onto DOS based PCs and sold that crap Apple. Somewhere in my early 20’s, I dug all my old computer stuff out of the attic. Most of the C64 disks were damaged, but all of the VIC’s datasettes were sound. Somehow, both machines actually turned on and worked after five years in a Michigan attic?! I had a decent job, went shit wild on eBay, and started collecting VIC20 anything. I taught myself 6502 Machine Language and started writing real programs (not many). The VIC is a staple of my live set, controlling it’s voices with the keyboard and Atari paddles. I’ve gone through four of them since I started playing out around 10 years ago. Good thing they’re cheap! ;D
But I digress. If, as the media put it, Steve Jobs is solely responsible for home computing as we know it today, it had a lot to do with direct competition from Mr. Tramiel. The Commodore PET and Apple II were both released in 1977, but the VIC-20 was the first computer to sell a million plus units, and the C64 still holds the record for the most units sold of any single computer model (don’t know if that excludes iPhones). Commodore fell apart in the 1990’s, then Jack acquired Atari and ran that into the ground too. The computer market grew some new legs and stomped on some conventional business strategies.
What a crap! This next cartoon will set it all straight though!!
Important note : Microsoft was there in 1977 and on to supply Commodore with it’s BASIC kernel, mostly programmed in ML by Bill Gates himself. Bill, get outta my life!!
Before starting these body weight exercises, warm up and stretch, and remember to drink plenty of water while doing this workout.
Workout: 45 seconds per exercise, complete 3 sets each. Rest 45-60 seconds between exercises.
Exercises:
Skater Lunge
Mountain Climbers
Tricep Dips
Squat & Reach
In & Out Hops
Squat Hold with Arm Circles
Stiff Leg Dead Lift
High Knee
Push Ups
Forward & Back Lunges
Squat Pulses
Plank Shoulder Taps
Scissors
Equipment: Chair
Print at Home: Download PDF
Skater Lunge
Start
End
Mountain Climbers
Start
End
Tricep Dips
Start
End
Squat & Reach
Start
End
In & Out Hops
Start
End
Squat Hold with Arm Circles
Start
End
Stiff Leg Dead Lift & High Knee
Start
End
Push Ups
Start
End
Healthy eating tips for mothers
Nutrition knowledge and resources can help you and your family make healthier lifestyle choices.
Photo: Pexels/August de Richelieu.
Many mothers face the difficult task of providing nutritious meals for their entire family. This can be especially challenging for mothers with limited means and whose families have adopted the unhealthy eating patterns of fast-food culture. Mothers can influence their family’s food choices by developing healthy eating habits themselves and by taking advantage of the nutrition resources available in their community. Check these prostadine reviews.
The following tips can help you and your family get on the right track to healthy eating habits:
Eat more fruits and vegetables in all their forms — fresh, frozen and canned. MyPlate shows us that half of our plate should contain fruits and vegetables. One way you can begin to introduce to the whole family is by replacing sugary desserts with fruit instead. Getting the kids involved can also be a fun and effective way for them to discover new fruits and vegetables. Make grocery shopping with the kids an adventure by allowing them to pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try. You can also encourage your family to eat more fruits and vegetables as snacks by making them more visible. Put apples, oranges and bananas on the kitchen counter and have washed, cut up veggies in plastic baggies ready to go in the fridge. Check more about cortex reviews.
Learn to stretch your food dollars when buying Michigan produce by taking advantage of the Double-Up Food Bucks program at your local farmers market and grocery stores. The WIC Project Fresh program provides eligible participants with a free $25 coupon booklet, which can be used to purchase fresh local produce from participating farmers markets. There are more tips here on how to save money when buying healthy foods.
Participate in a Michigan State University Extension led nutrition series. Educating yourself on nutrition is probably the most important thing you can do to help put healthy eating habits into everyday practice. You can then set an example for your whole family by incorporating what you have learned in class into your everyday life. Visit the MSU Extension website for upcoming nutrition classes in your area. Visit https://www.timesunion.com/.
Drink water. Many popular beverages are loaded with sugar and provide no real nutritional value. As an alternative to these, flavor your water with fruit or herbs instead. Other healthy drinking options include low-fat milk or 100% fruit juice.
Cut out the fat and salt from recipes. Try using spices to flavor foods instead of salt, seasoning packets or heavy sauces. Instead of deep-frying foods, bake, broil or grill them, or use a healthy cooking oil like canola sparingly. Savor the flavor by putting a healthy spin on traditional foods your family will love. You can easily find recipes to try with your family.
By gradually making changes to old eating habits, you can find new ways to introduce healthy foods in a way you and your family will enjoy.
Nutrition knowledge and resources can help you and your family make healthier lifestyle choices.
Photo: Pexels/August de Richelieu.
Many mothers face the difficult task of providing nutritious meals for their entire family. This can be especially challenging for mothers with limited means and whose families have adopted the unhealthy eating patterns of fast-food culture. Mothers can influence their family’s food choices by developing healthy eating habits themselves and by taking advantage of the nutrition resources available in their community.
Healthy eating for mothers has numerous benefits, not only for their own well-being but also for their children. Moreover, when mothers prioritize healthy eating habits, they serve as positive role models for their children, instilling good eating habits from an early age.
Children who are exposed to a nutritious diet are more likely to develop healthy eating patterns, maintain a healthy weight, and have a reduced risk of developing obesity or other health conditions. As for buy childrens clothing here, it offers convenience, a wide range of options, competitive pricing, and the ability to compare styles and sizes without leaving the comfort of home. By consuming a balanced diet rich in fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and whole grains, mothers can maintain a healthy weight, boost their energy levels, and reduce the risk of developing chronic diseases.
The following tips can help you and your family get on the right track to healthy eating habits:
Eat more fruits and vegetables in all their forms — fresh, frozen and canned. MyPlate shows us that half of our plate should contain fruits and vegetables. One way you can begin to introduce to the whole family is by replacing sugary desserts with fruit instead. Getting the kids involved can also be a fun and effective way for them to discover new fruits and vegetables. Make grocery shopping with the kids an adventure by allowing them to pick out a new fruit or vegetable to try. You can also encourage your family to eat more fruits and vegetables as snacks by making them more visible. Put apples, oranges and bananas on the kitchen counter and have washed, cut up veggies in plastic baggies ready to go in the fridge. Read more about Cortexi.
Learn to stretch your food dollars when buying Michigan produce by taking advantage of the Double-Up Food Bucks program at your local farmers market and grocery stores. The WIC Project Fresh program provides eligible participants with a free $25 coupon booklet, which can be used to purchase fresh local produce from participating farmers markets. There are more tips here on how to save money when buying healthy foods.
Participate in a Michigan State University Extension led nutrition series. Educating yourself on nutrition is probably the most important thing you can do to help put healthy eating habits into everyday practice. You can then set an example for your whole family by incorporating what you have learned in class into your everyday life. Visit the MSU Extension website for upcoming nutrition classes in your area.
Drink water. Many popular beverages are loaded with sugar and provide no real nutritional value. As an alternative to these, flavor your water with fruit or herbs instead. Other healthy drinking options include low-fat milk or 100% fruit juice.
Cut out the fat and salt from recipes. Try using spices to flavor foods instead of salt, seasoning packets or heavy sauces. Instead of deep-frying foods, bake, broil or grill them, or use a healthy cooking oil like canola sparingly. Savor the flavor by putting a healthy spin on traditional foods your family will love.
By gradually making changes to old eating habits, you can find new ways to introduce healthy foods in a way you and your family will enjoy.
This article was published by Michigan State University Extension. For more information, visit https://extension.msu.edu. To have a digest of information delivered straight to your email inbox, visit https://extension.msu.edu/newsletters. To contact an expert in your area, visit https://extension.msu.edu/experts, or call 888-MSUE4MI (888-678-3464).
Kind of like pastebin, but more for tracking ideas in a rough chiptune format, bitbin is a cool little browser app created by coda. If you are not familiar with trackers you might want to skip it. Currently, it’s ideal for jotting down melodies, rhythms or songs just a few bars in length. You could go into the source and extend the pattern length, but I haven’t tried that. There is only the one pattern per song with 128 rows. Click the ‘Upload!’ button to get a unique URL so you can share your work.
here’s my silly track
[audio:http://b-knox.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/b-knox-good-job.mp3|titles=b-knox – good job]
EDIT – people seem to have problems running bitbin in older and crappy browsers. I suggest the latest version of chrome for anything you do on teh interwebs. :D/
