New Video: Blade Diorama

 My latest video is up.  This time I make a gothic style diorama to host a 3D printed Blade.  I also learn something about my motivations along the way.

Injection Molding and LEGOs Clever Design

This is a fascinating video by engineerguy about plastic injection and how it works.  As you watch it, you realize LEGO bricks violate some of the techniques limitations.  At the end he reveals the clever way LEGO bricks get around this limitation.

Fascinating.

Amazing Timelaspe: Edge Of Stability

I was pointed to this video, and I wanted to share it, because it's rather stunning timelaspe photography by a fellow named Jeff Boyce.

The description reads:
'A result of over 70,000 individual high resolution photos and nearly 20,000 miles of driving, "Edge of Stability" highlights some of the most unique, awe-inspiring, and incredibly strange sights on the planet. Recorded entirely over Spring of 2015, scenes include storm chasing adventures across 15 US states, displays of the Milky Way over desert landscapes, and the amazing Aurora Borealis over Canada.'

I highly recommend you check it out for yourself here.

When I can take a single shot as well as any of these, I know I'll have arrived as a photographer

My Lil'Quadcopter

I have been wanting to play with quadcopters for a long time (before they were cool - almost like I was chanelling my inner hipster).   A month or so ago it was reccomended that I start small, so I bought a $75 Hubsan X4 H107C.

The quadcopter is small, about the size of my hand, and fairly rugged, so it makes a good starter kit.  It also comes with a 2MP HD video camera, which takes decent movies.

I have about an hours worth of flight time in at this point, and I've managed to fly it for several minutes before crashing it to the ground like some sort of disaster film.

One issue I am having is that when the quadcopter turns, it seems to also gain altitude, so I have to adjust the throttle, which sometimes causes it to plummet to the ground, so bouncing it off the lawn has become sort of a past time with me.

I have a video of some of my first attempts at flight, followed by some action shots.  Very exciting.

Note at the end I was able to land the drone in my hand.  Not bad for an hours practice, eh?

I have found launching from my hand works best, as well.  

Don't let the small size fool you - this thing can move.  It doesn't take long for it to whisk its way across my back yard, and get lost in the grass. At times the kids have functioned as a search and rescue crew (handy, that).

It also takes a disturbingly short period of time to get really high up.  Being so small, I have lost it a couple times in the sun.  I've also bounced it off the roof. Fortunately it landed on the driveway at the front of the house. (Disturbingly I was in the backyard at the time).

This is promising to become a lot of fun.  

It doesn't have a name yet tho.  I am thinking of calling it 'Mosquito', cause its small, and makes a whiny drone when the blades are spinning.  What do you think?  Suggestions welcome.

The Littlest Hobo

The Littlest Hobo is a TV show from my childhood (Read: 70s) about a dog that travels from town to town (new town every episode), gets into adventures, and generally saves the day. The theme songs gets my 'adventure' energy going, so I thought I'd share it, given so many of you folks reading this are of the adventuresome persuasion.

   

I think it makes a decent geocaching song too... don't you agree?

How A Toddler Prepares For A Geocaching Trip

Some awesomeness from my son, Tonka Tyke, geocacher extraordinaire.

Do The Zekey Dance

A Cautionary Tale

This is a very interesting cautionary tale about the dangers of hiking in the woods unprepared.  It is by the 404 podcast.  It is not about geocaching, but I bet there is not a serious geocacher out there who the lessons in this story do not apply to at some point in time.

If you are not a geocacher, this is still an interesting tale of a pair of city slickers alone in the woods at night.

Some of the lessons I learned (and not covered in the podcast) are:

• Bring extra batteries.  I always carry two sets of batteries for all my devices. In the grand scheme of things, a few extra AA and AAA batteries are light.  I don't even notice them. My water bottle is 2x heavier than any batteries I carry. Heck the pack itself is probably 2x heavier.
• If you have the option, grab a trail map.  If not, take a photo of one.

• Never leave the trail unless you have a good reason, and always return to it as soon as you can.
• Record your route.  They would have had a lot fewer problems getting back to the trail if they had recorded their route.
• Bring a dedicated GPSr. So many smart phones lose a lot of their usefulness when signal goes away  - compasses on the iPhone for example (at least in this case).  Dedicated GPSrs are rugged, batteries last a lot longer, and are much more easily replaceable.
• Not sure if taking photos with flash is the best way to conserve battery :)
• Sticking his flashlight in his hat was questionable move.  Luckily he didn't drop it.  Keep things you cannot lose attached to you (in your pack secured so its not going to drop off your shoulder accidentally), or on a securely attached lanyard.  While you are at it, bring more than one flashlight (and ensure you have enough extra batteries for both)
• Bring a real magnetic compass, and KNOW both how to use it, and which direction safety is located.
• Tell people where you are going, and when you are expected back.
• Bring extra food and water.

There are, of course, many other survival techniques. This just covers the mistakes this couple made.  I would also bring a knife, and a way to make fire, for starters. 

Hope you found this interesting (at least), and, if you hike, or go into the woods for any reason (say finding tupperware containers....) you've learned some things that will ensure you get back out alive and well.

Do you have other survival techniques?  If so drop them in the comments below.

Site Reliability Engineering

Yesterday some co-workers of mine did a question and answer session via Hangouts On Air for students that answered the question of "What is Site Reliability Engineering".  

Since this is what I do for a living, I figure my friends, family, and faithful audience of world wide readers (all three of you! hi mom!), may be interested in getting a glimpse into what I do all day.  Its not all massages and free food.  I actually do stuff.  Honest!

First off is an interview with Andrew Widdowson, the moderator for the discusstion: http://googleforstudents.blogspot.com/2012/06/site-reliability-engineers-worlds-most.html

And the video for the Q&A session:

Treefall

Last week our area received a lot of rain and some strong winds.  As a result we had a 60ft pine tree fall in our back yard, taking out my back chain-link fence, and filling it with that nice fallen murdered pine tree scent.

Today we had our landscapers come out and remove the dead tree.  While they were here we also got them to drop a mostly-dead poplar that was uncomfortably close to the house.

The poplar was so rotten that when it hit the ground it shattered. Luckily for you fine folks, I took a video:


As you can see it didn't quite fall exactly where expected, but it did make a most satisfying thud when it hit the ground.

Here are some more photos, starting with a before shot, and then the aftermath of a shattered tree. It is a good thing we fell it when we did. It was just a matter of time before it fell, and likely on top of my bedroom (between you and me, I frown on poplar trees sharing the bed with me and my wife).

 This explains all the bees we had this summer. I never could find that nest...

My Commute (Time Lapsed)

Since I started posting about biking to work on this blog, the offices of Only Googlebot Reads This Blog has been absolutely flooded with an email.  It requested that I describe what my commute to work via bicycle is like.

Since I was recently gifted a video camera, and I needed a project to do my first video with it, I slapped the video camera onto my bike and hit record.  The following, after some minor editing to add a soundtrack and some Useful Information (tm), and to speed up the video 8x to make it all 'time-lapsey' (note my heavy use of video industry terms), is exactly that.  Though I do apologize for the camera shake, but it was attached to my handlebars, and this was my first and only take, and my first video project, and the genesis of many excuses... but I digress.

So without further ado, here is the video of my commute to work via bicycle through the mean streets of Lenoir North Carolina!  Exciting!
 Note: it has come to my attention that this video is blocked in Germany due to copyright issues.  Here is a link to the same video sans music for those having this issue.

My Geocaching World Interview

Geocaching World is an Internet TV show about Geocaching that is broadcast on the RVNN.TV network.  It is recorded weekly and hosted by my good friend HeadHardHat.

Last week I was the "special" guest on the show, and I was interviewed for about 30 minutes or so about all things geocaching.

So check out the episode below, and when you are done, check out the rest of the episodes here.
 

Geocache In Space Official Video

If you recall, I attended an event where a geocache was launched into "space". The video I posted was a rough cut version. For the record, and to complete the story, here is the official video for the Geocache in Space... 20 miles up, 20 miles down.

 

Geocache Launch Party Video

Followers of my blog will remember that last Saturday I attended an event where cacher e6c with the help of several others, launched a geocache 100,000ft into the air via a weather balloon, and recovered it from its landing spot. (the post covering my experience is here).

The following is a video of the flight, which was recorded by HeadHardHat.  So without further ado, I present to you - a geocache in space:

Fight For Your Right To Party

A tribute by Coldplay for Adam Yauch, aka MCA from the Beastie Boys.

Creative Caching Video

A video from Groundspeak about creative caches.  I've actually found the phone booth cache.  Some very good ideas here:

Geocaching: The Beginning

A TEDx talk from Jeremy Irish, one of the founders of Groundspeak, the company that runs geocaching.com. It covers the beginning of the obsession known as Geocaching (at least as it relates to geocaching.com)

Geoaching Adventures: The Toddler Videos

A couple videos taken today of Zeke while geocaching.  The first is just after we got out of the car...

Next at ground zero when Zeke locates the cache container...

slightly off camera:  proud daddy.

GeoSnippits - A Geocaching Video Tutorial Series

Are you looking to start out in the game, the sport, the obsession, known as Geocaching?  Been doing it a while and looking for some tips on your first hides?

I have been thinking of doing an "Introduction to Geocaching" series on my blog when I realized that it has already been done, and much better than I could probably do.

HeadHardHat is a cacher from North Carolina who has produced a really nice series of videos to help you with all your geocaching questions.  So if you a new, or new at heart, to geocaching you may wish to check out HeadHardHats GeoSnippits videos.

If you don't want to, well that is your choice I guess.  It is a free country (I am assuming you are in a free country - if not you should try it  - its nice).  However you are missing out on some excellent geocaching information! So what are you waiting for?

Jim Gaffigan on Cake

I have a new favourite comedian.  His name is Jim Gaffigan.  His performance is a mix of his own observations mixed in with his impression of what the skeptic members of his audience is thinking.  It is, in my opinion (tho really, given it is my blog, who's opinion would you expect it to be?) some hillarious stuff.

Here is Jim doing 5 minutes on one of my favourite topics: cake.