I leave for MIT on Saturday, August 18th. Between now and then I have all sorts of things planned with all sorts of people in all sorts of places. Most extend into the evening, allowing me almost no time to blog. Instead of trying to make time for sub-par entries, I've decided to take a 4 day hiatus. I know, shocking, but you really wouldn't want to read the entries that worked their way onto the internet.
So, my next entry will come to you courtesy of the free Wi-Fi at the airport in Portland. Those moments will be among my last in the state of Oregon until Christmas.
Until then, blog readers, adieu, I'll blog at ya soon!
August 14, 2007
August 12, 2007
August 09, 2007
Um, what?
I found the weirdest news article today. What really gets me is that the person who wrote the story didn't seem surprised at all by what happened! I mean come on! Just, just read it, you'll understand what I mean.
Reuters has a nice little video featuring the Lego guy, watch it here:
http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=63135
AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - A giant, smiling Lego man was fished out of the sea in the Dutch resort of Zandvoort on Tuesday.
Workers at a drinks stall rescued the 2.5-metre (8-foot) tall model with a yellow head and blue torso.
"We saw something bobbing about in the sea and we decided to take it out of the water," said a stall worker. "It was a life-sized Lego toy."
A woman nearby added: "I saw the Lego toy floating towards the beach from the direction of England."
The toy was later placed in front of the drinks stall.
Reuters has a nice little video featuring the Lego guy, watch it here:
http://www.reuters.com/news/video/videoStory?videoId=63135
Little Dog
Although you may not have read it yet, I blogged about a tour I took at MIT during CPW. Go ahead and read about it here.
Well, today I was surfing the internet and happened upon a Popular Mechanics article that was published yesterday. Guess who the star was!
Recognize him? He's the same little robot that I met in April! A link to the article is right here:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/robotics/4220197.html?page=2
I have to emotions going on right now. My first emotion is one of happiness, that I beat a very reputable magazine in publishing an article about Little Dog. Second, IT'S SO COOL THAT RANDOM STUFF AROUND MIT THAT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TOO IS FEATURED IN POPULAR MECHANICS!
That's all, just thought I'd share. Oh, and there's no video on the Popular Mechanics site, so if you want to watch Little Dog walk you'll need to check out the entry I wrote about him.
Well, today I was surfing the internet and happened upon a Popular Mechanics article that was published yesterday. Guess who the star was!
Recognize him? He's the same little robot that I met in April! A link to the article is right here:
http://www.popularmechanics.com/science/robotics/4220197.html?page=2
I have to emotions going on right now. My first emotion is one of happiness, that I beat a very reputable magazine in publishing an article about Little Dog. Second, IT'S SO COOL THAT RANDOM STUFF AROUND MIT THAT EVERYBODY HAS ACCESS TOO IS FEATURED IN POPULAR MECHANICS!
That's all, just thought I'd share. Oh, and there's no video on the Popular Mechanics site, so if you want to watch Little Dog walk you'll need to check out the entry I wrote about him.
August 06, 2007
CPW 2007
It's been a long time coming, but I think I'm finally ready to start advertising my "Too long to be an entry but not long enough to be a novel" account of Campus Preview Weekend 2007. I've been working on it off and on for quite some time and am getting close enough to the end where if you start reading from the beginning, I should be able to keep up with you and provide enough entries to finish up this week. I'd like to have it done by Friday, wish me luck. Anyway, here's the link:
http://cpw2007.blogspot.com/
Tell your friends and everybody who may be interested in MIT. I don't want to brag, but if I were a prospective student and I read this entry, I'd want to go to MIT for sure!
http://cpw2007.blogspot.com/
Tell your friends and everybody who may be interested in MIT. I don't want to brag, but if I were a prospective student and I read this entry, I'd want to go to MIT for sure!
August 04, 2007
Dragon Blocks
Ok, Dragon Blocks don't exist, but I want to talk about two completely different things in this post, so I combined the two for the title. The first, blocks.
Several days before school got out I was tasked to build a large gumball display. I think I may have blogged about it, I can't remember and am in too big a hurry to look it up. Anyway, it required little wooden blocks that I brought to school. Before school started for the day I was a litle bored so I began constructing things out of the little wooden blocks. No glue was used, just the wooden blocks and the friction that they bring to the table.
Second, Dragonforce. Again, I've mentioned it before, but I have something new for ya. I talk about Guitar Hero a lot, even though I've never actually played it. I'm not sure why that is, but I promise that on October 20th when it comes out for Wii I'll pick it up and play it. What song will I play?! "Through the Fire and the Flames" by Dragonforce, the song that I put on my blog a while a go. I have a youtube video that demonstrates the awesome! It was cruel of the game designers to make you play the bass drum part, that's ridiculous!
Several days before school got out I was tasked to build a large gumball display. I think I may have blogged about it, I can't remember and am in too big a hurry to look it up. Anyway, it required little wooden blocks that I brought to school. Before school started for the day I was a litle bored so I began constructing things out of the little wooden blocks. No glue was used, just the wooden blocks and the friction that they bring to the table.
Second, Dragonforce. Again, I've mentioned it before, but I have something new for ya. I talk about Guitar Hero a lot, even though I've never actually played it. I'm not sure why that is, but I promise that on October 20th when it comes out for Wii I'll pick it up and play it. What song will I play?! "Through the Fire and the Flames" by Dragonforce, the song that I put on my blog a while a go. I have a youtube video that demonstrates the awesome! It was cruel of the game designers to make you play the bass drum part, that's ridiculous!
Binder Update
Remember my story about binders? Well, I have an update for you! We're having a big garage sale since I'm headed off to college, meaning that we finally have an opportunity to get rid of some binders! After hauling the gazillions of boxes up from the basement, where they have been sitting since we got them years ago, we realized just how many we had. Again. It seems like every time I look there are more! Since I didn't have pictures of them in the last post I took some pictures today to share with you.
See, lots of binders! They were "$5 for as many as you want" but now they all have "Free" signs on them. Hopefully we get rid of them, if not, Goodwill will see a sudden influx in binders.
See, lots of binders! They were "$5 for as many as you want" but now they all have "Free" signs on them. Hopefully we get rid of them, if not, Goodwill will see a sudden influx in binders.
August 03, 2007
Giving "Next-Gen" New Meaning
During lunch today I went to the mall so I could get some food. After eating I went to GameStop to look around at possible wii deals or Nintendo DS surprises. I walked away with Lego Star Wars II for the DS, which I am REALLY looking forward to playing tonight!
Anywho, while I was paying I asked the guy behind the counter if there was any new word on the upcoming Lego Indiana Jones game. After checking his computer it was sadly discovered that there were no mentions of a release date yet, but he mentioned something I hadn't heard of. Apparently LucasArts is developing an Indiana Jones game for the next-gen consoles (PS3, Xbox360, Wii) that utilizes a whole new type of AI and animation rendering. Instead of just using ragdoll physics, the characters actually react to their surroundings. Sound basic? Not when you consider that every time a character gets hit by a car he will get up in a noticeably different way, or that when one character sees another in trouble, it will go and help in a different way every time. Still not understanding? I'm sorry, it's really hard to describe the awesomeness, but I found a video to demonstrate the different animation techniques that are going to be utilized.
Now do you see how awesome? That's what's going to be in the next Indiana Jones game, how cool!
Anywho, while I was paying I asked the guy behind the counter if there was any new word on the upcoming Lego Indiana Jones game. After checking his computer it was sadly discovered that there were no mentions of a release date yet, but he mentioned something I hadn't heard of. Apparently LucasArts is developing an Indiana Jones game for the next-gen consoles (PS3, Xbox360, Wii) that utilizes a whole new type of AI and animation rendering. Instead of just using ragdoll physics, the characters actually react to their surroundings. Sound basic? Not when you consider that every time a character gets hit by a car he will get up in a noticeably different way, or that when one character sees another in trouble, it will go and help in a different way every time. Still not understanding? I'm sorry, it's really hard to describe the awesomeness, but I found a video to demonstrate the different animation techniques that are going to be utilized.
Now do you see how awesome? That's what's going to be in the next Indiana Jones game, how cool!
August 02, 2007
Nostalgia II: Squirrels
I try not to think about the things I’ll be leaving behind in Oregon when I move to Massachusetts, but sometimes it’s hard not to, especially when some event or happening triggers a flood of memories. For instance, just in typing the word “Massachusetts,” I realized that I’m going to miss having a state whose name I can type without having to remember whether there are 2 s’s or 2 t’s. It’s the little things that change, and I think that I’ll discover more and more things as I fight my way through the toughest education America has to offer.
That being said, I want to talk about squirrels. There are squirrels everywhere in Oregon, but I’m not so sure about MA (notice I gave up trying to type it!). Squirrels have always played a subtle albeit important role in my life and I figure it’s time to give them some recognition. I’d like to recount some squirrel lore that hopefully, with the help of this entry, I will remember for years to come.
Smurf Squirrel Attack!
I used to go to a camp called Big Lake (which, incidentally, is awesome, despite the fact they don’t let you eat meat, but that’s a story for another entry). Campers spent a week doing anything from rock climbing, water skiing, videography, gymnastics, or almost anything else you could think of. All summer camps have stories and legends, the story of Big Lake was that of the Smurf Squirrel. Legend has it that about 5 years prior to my attending there was a counselor who captured a squirrel in a live trap. Not quite sure what to do with it, but wanting to leave his mark, he spray painted the squirrel’s tail blue. Thus, whenever anybody ever saw a blue-tailed squirrel, they would know it was this counselor’s trophy. Every year people hunted for the Smurf Squirrel but to no avail, until one of my last years at that camp. Before heading off to the evening campfire theatrical performance, we got a report that a squirrel was trapped in one of the bathroom bungalow things. Well, leave it to a bunch of adventurous 10 year olds to get the squirrel out of the bathroom! 5 of us ran into the bathroom to capture it, and sure enough, there it was, the Smurf Squirrel sitting on the shower curtain bar. The goal was to get it cornered and then flush it out through intimidating tactics such as shouting and general herding. I, on the other hand, had a better idea. I approached the squirrel, but he sensed my intentions. He quickly began to scamper down the shower curtain but I reached out and grabbed his tail.
Let the following account be a lesson for all you squirrel grabbing wannabe’s.
The squirrel, suddenly having been grabbed by a human, FREAKED OUT like only a squirrel can. He leaped off the curtain, twisted around in midair and lunged for my chest. He landed with all four paws centered on my chest, sunk his claws into me, and then leaped off of me, shoving his claws in even farther as he pushed himself away. He sprinted out of the bathroom and into the woods, leaving me bleeding totally shocked. The lesson? Don’t grab squirrels who have been forced into hiding for 5 years due to humiliation caused by humans. They carry a grudge.
Big Squirrels Need Big Ropes
I live in the country and get to experience quite a few animals that don’t make regular appearances to city-dwellers. I see great-horned owls, woodpeckers, skunks, dear, opossums, rabbits, and squirrels! “But Michael, I live in the city and see squirrels all the time!” Ok, what you see are big rats that masquerade as squirrels. They look like this, right?
Right, not a squirrel. At my house, we have real squirrels. Big grey ones that not a lot of people have seen before. One of their defining characteristics is their large fluffy tail, which you can kind of see in the next picture. Here’s one lounging on the railing of our back deck. They get hot and tired, you see, and need to relax, which they do on our deck.
So, they chill on their back deck, but how do they get there? Our deck is about 15 feet off the ground and there is a solitary branch that is near enough to allow deck access. The only problem is that the branch is about 5 feet from the deck and, like city fire escape ladders, lowers to the deck under the weight of the squirrel. The only problem facing the squirrel at this point is how to get off the deck after the branch springs back up. The solution they devised? Jumping. I don’t know what it is with squirrels and flying leaps, but they tend to make them often. We watched them leap into nothingness for a year or two and decided that eventually one was going to die, so we did something about it. We bought a huge nautical rope and attached one end to our deck and the other to a large tree. It took a while for the squirrels to realize that it was there, but once they did, it became a squirrel highway, transporting squirrels with unheard of efficiency. Big Squirrels Need Big Ropes.
I’m Lovin’ It
My mom has worked for the State of Oregon for as long as I can remember, which results in me going to the capitol building A LOT. The area around the capitol is really nice. There are monuments, trees, benches, flags, fountains, and all sorts of nice areas to just sit down, relax, and maybe even have a picnic. Picnics mean food. Food means squirrels*. There are hundreds of squirrels all over the capitol grounds, it’s uncommon NOT to see a squirrel wandering around with 6 of his friends. It’s also a well-known fact that capitol squirrels enjoy french fries. Most people don’t believe you when you tell them this, but it’s true, they honestly love french fries. Today for lunch I got some McDonalds and went to the capitol to eat. A squirrel wandered up so I threw him a french fry, which he started to much on. Realizing that I could finally have proof of the capitol squirrels liking french fries, I whipped out my camera (which I always have on me) and took some pictures and video. Here you go folks, proof!
*Keep in mind, these are of the overgrown rat variety, not the nice big grey variety.
So, will there be squirrels in MA? I don’t know, but as soon as I find out, I’ll let you know. Until then, I’ll be enjoying my time with them as much as I can, because I leave for college in 16 days!
That being said, I want to talk about squirrels. There are squirrels everywhere in Oregon, but I’m not so sure about MA (notice I gave up trying to type it!). Squirrels have always played a subtle albeit important role in my life and I figure it’s time to give them some recognition. I’d like to recount some squirrel lore that hopefully, with the help of this entry, I will remember for years to come.
Smurf Squirrel Attack!
I used to go to a camp called Big Lake (which, incidentally, is awesome, despite the fact they don’t let you eat meat, but that’s a story for another entry). Campers spent a week doing anything from rock climbing, water skiing, videography, gymnastics, or almost anything else you could think of. All summer camps have stories and legends, the story of Big Lake was that of the Smurf Squirrel. Legend has it that about 5 years prior to my attending there was a counselor who captured a squirrel in a live trap. Not quite sure what to do with it, but wanting to leave his mark, he spray painted the squirrel’s tail blue. Thus, whenever anybody ever saw a blue-tailed squirrel, they would know it was this counselor’s trophy. Every year people hunted for the Smurf Squirrel but to no avail, until one of my last years at that camp. Before heading off to the evening campfire theatrical performance, we got a report that a squirrel was trapped in one of the bathroom bungalow things. Well, leave it to a bunch of adventurous 10 year olds to get the squirrel out of the bathroom! 5 of us ran into the bathroom to capture it, and sure enough, there it was, the Smurf Squirrel sitting on the shower curtain bar. The goal was to get it cornered and then flush it out through intimidating tactics such as shouting and general herding. I, on the other hand, had a better idea. I approached the squirrel, but he sensed my intentions. He quickly began to scamper down the shower curtain but I reached out and grabbed his tail.
Let the following account be a lesson for all you squirrel grabbing wannabe’s.
The squirrel, suddenly having been grabbed by a human, FREAKED OUT like only a squirrel can. He leaped off the curtain, twisted around in midair and lunged for my chest. He landed with all four paws centered on my chest, sunk his claws into me, and then leaped off of me, shoving his claws in even farther as he pushed himself away. He sprinted out of the bathroom and into the woods, leaving me bleeding totally shocked. The lesson? Don’t grab squirrels who have been forced into hiding for 5 years due to humiliation caused by humans. They carry a grudge.
Big Squirrels Need Big Ropes
I live in the country and get to experience quite a few animals that don’t make regular appearances to city-dwellers. I see great-horned owls, woodpeckers, skunks, dear, opossums, rabbits, and squirrels! “But Michael, I live in the city and see squirrels all the time!” Ok, what you see are big rats that masquerade as squirrels. They look like this, right?
Right, not a squirrel. At my house, we have real squirrels. Big grey ones that not a lot of people have seen before. One of their defining characteristics is their large fluffy tail, which you can kind of see in the next picture. Here’s one lounging on the railing of our back deck. They get hot and tired, you see, and need to relax, which they do on our deck.
So, they chill on their back deck, but how do they get there? Our deck is about 15 feet off the ground and there is a solitary branch that is near enough to allow deck access. The only problem is that the branch is about 5 feet from the deck and, like city fire escape ladders, lowers to the deck under the weight of the squirrel. The only problem facing the squirrel at this point is how to get off the deck after the branch springs back up. The solution they devised? Jumping. I don’t know what it is with squirrels and flying leaps, but they tend to make them often. We watched them leap into nothingness for a year or two and decided that eventually one was going to die, so we did something about it. We bought a huge nautical rope and attached one end to our deck and the other to a large tree. It took a while for the squirrels to realize that it was there, but once they did, it became a squirrel highway, transporting squirrels with unheard of efficiency. Big Squirrels Need Big Ropes.
I’m Lovin’ It
My mom has worked for the State of Oregon for as long as I can remember, which results in me going to the capitol building A LOT. The area around the capitol is really nice. There are monuments, trees, benches, flags, fountains, and all sorts of nice areas to just sit down, relax, and maybe even have a picnic. Picnics mean food. Food means squirrels*. There are hundreds of squirrels all over the capitol grounds, it’s uncommon NOT to see a squirrel wandering around with 6 of his friends. It’s also a well-known fact that capitol squirrels enjoy french fries. Most people don’t believe you when you tell them this, but it’s true, they honestly love french fries. Today for lunch I got some McDonalds and went to the capitol to eat. A squirrel wandered up so I threw him a french fry, which he started to much on. Realizing that I could finally have proof of the capitol squirrels liking french fries, I whipped out my camera (which I always have on me) and took some pictures and video. Here you go folks, proof!
*Keep in mind, these are of the overgrown rat variety, not the nice big grey variety.
So, will there be squirrels in MA? I don’t know, but as soon as I find out, I’ll let you know. Until then, I’ll be enjoying my time with them as much as I can, because I leave for college in 16 days!
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