May 31, 2007
Iron Barnacle: Complete
She's all done. It's 1am and I want some sleep =p I picked a Catamaran design. If the boat is underweight the superstructure can plop open and I can put weight in there (both of em) until 185 grams is met. Ill take pics and talk about it more tomorrow.
May 30, 2007
The Engineering Way: "So Why Is this Important?"
taken from: www.mlive.com
Those who track career trends say that there's a looming shortage of engineers. How to correct the problem? A community could do worse than to follow the lead of four local school districts. Columbia, Jackson, Grass Lake and Hanover-Horton, with support from the Jackson County Intermediate School District, are involved in a program called Project Lead the Way. The New York-based program aims to build strategic partnerships between middle and high schools, universities, business and industry to provide students with the reality-based knowledge it takes to pursue a career in engineering.
At the local-district level, the aim is to reshape math and science classes so that they are more relevant to students. That approach makes sense, for it responds to a common complaint many unchallenged young people voice: "How does algebra (or trigonometry, or physics or whatever) relate to my life?"
That question can be answered in many ways, and one is that math and science are necessary to pursue a career in engineering. If the question then is voiced, "Why should I consider a career in engineering?", the answer is simple: There are good-paying jobs for engineers. And we need them. Without engineers, there is no solution to the problem of national dependency on foreign oil. Lacking engineers, there is no way to build roads, bridges, new shopping centers and manufacturing facilities. Without engineers, we are stuck with trans-fat-laden food. Without homegrown engineers, Michigan has no hope of becoming a center of high-tech innovation.
If those cerebral and public benefits don't impress, let's boil it down to a much more practical concern. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the lowest average starting salary for various engineer categories in 2005 was the industrial engineer, at $49,541.
We wouldn't advise anyone to go into a career for the paycheck alone. But there's a good reason engineers are paid well. They do for the rest of us that which enables Americans to enjoy an unparalleled quality of life. You don't build or sustain a modern nation or state without engineers. That's worth thinking about in math or science class.
-- Jackson Citizen Patriot
Those who track career trends say that there's a looming shortage of engineers. How to correct the problem? A community could do worse than to follow the lead of four local school districts. Columbia, Jackson, Grass Lake and Hanover-Horton, with support from the Jackson County Intermediate School District, are involved in a program called Project Lead the Way. The New York-based program aims to build strategic partnerships between middle and high schools, universities, business and industry to provide students with the reality-based knowledge it takes to pursue a career in engineering.
At the local-district level, the aim is to reshape math and science classes so that they are more relevant to students. That approach makes sense, for it responds to a common complaint many unchallenged young people voice: "How does algebra (or trigonometry, or physics or whatever) relate to my life?"
That question can be answered in many ways, and one is that math and science are necessary to pursue a career in engineering. If the question then is voiced, "Why should I consider a career in engineering?", the answer is simple: There are good-paying jobs for engineers. And we need them. Without engineers, there is no solution to the problem of national dependency on foreign oil. Lacking engineers, there is no way to build roads, bridges, new shopping centers and manufacturing facilities. Without engineers, we are stuck with trans-fat-laden food. Without homegrown engineers, Michigan has no hope of becoming a center of high-tech innovation.
If those cerebral and public benefits don't impress, let's boil it down to a much more practical concern. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the lowest average starting salary for various engineer categories in 2005 was the industrial engineer, at $49,541.
We wouldn't advise anyone to go into a career for the paycheck alone. But there's a good reason engineers are paid well. They do for the rest of us that which enables Americans to enjoy an unparalleled quality of life. You don't build or sustain a modern nation or state without engineers. That's worth thinking about in math or science class.
-- Jackson Citizen Patriot
May 29, 2007
Wheres George?
Where's George? Is a money tracking project that you can check out at www.wheresgeorge.com. People send out bills (ones, fives, tens, twenties, fifties, hundreds) by stamping them with a label that asks the owner to enter the bill so it can be tracked via the project. Over the years I have received maybe a half dozen of these bills; and it is always fun to see where money has been or ends up (1 in every 5 one dollar bills has been in the G-String of a stipper).
I receive them all the time at work, and I have currently entered 2 bills this year; a five and a one. Lost the link to the 5, but this 1 dollar bill is from Los Angeles! I think it is kinda cool to track your money, and you can check out www.whereswilly.com for Canadian users to track their money. Have fun guys! Let someone know where there bill is =). Tell them the condition, too.
I receive them all the time at work, and I have currently entered 2 bills this year; a five and a one. Lost the link to the 5, but this 1 dollar bill is from Los Angeles! I think it is kinda cool to track your money, and you can check out www.whereswilly.com for Canadian users to track their money. Have fun guys! Let someone know where there bill is =). Tell them the condition, too.
May 28, 2007
Iron Barnacle Progress
For our final Engineering project, we need to construct a boat that will travel 500 feet down the back of our local creek. I have picked a catamaran/pontoon design. The stern area will feature an angled bottom so the water pushes the boat forwards while at the same time offering stability. I made the pontoon noses as thin as possible to allow fluid water movement, but also to keep the boat going straight. All the weight (if I have to add any) will be stored in a secret compartment within the superstructure. I need to add those stern parts tomorrow, and also the final touches to the keel/fins. I worry this boat may clip the rocks in the stream, however. I need to take a trip and study the river before making any final decisions.
May 25, 2007
Anime Preview: Bleach
I havn't posted ANYTHING anime since April. That is a problem! Bleach has been around since 2001: However I fully recommend the series. It is about a group of beings known as "Soul Reapers" who set out to cleanse "Hollows", or spiritual monsters who eat the souls of humans and soul reapers. Watch as Ichiko (and a few of his friends) become gifted enough to use powers to defeat the hollows! Few images of chars from the anime:
May 24, 2007
Brief Break
Sorry I havn't been posting much: teachers are cramming us the last two weeks of classes to get in those last minute tests to boost our grades up. Will be taking finals next week and then I can dedicate more time to posting!
May 20, 2007
BB-39: Finished
All complete. Once I get a shelve, I will hang this model on the wall along with that picture to the right. My commemoration to the men who died aboard the USS Arizona.
Time: Approximatly 70 hours (34 days, a little over a month to complete)
"Elevenses"
MEEEOW. MAHWOW. MWOW. It's your cat going off at 11pm-3am in the morning, demanding food and attention. Just why the crap is the furball bothering the entire house?
Scientists have dubbed this "elevenses". A cat's pupil dialates almost beyond maximum as they run around the house, run into things, knock things over and play with an unsuspecting family member going to the bathroom. The fur stands on the back of their neck as their primal instincts play out: I will pounce the next poor soul that comes around this corner! No one comes, so the elevenses gets louder, and worse. Scientists have come up with a solution to elevenses: don't give the cat the attention it wants. Lock it out if the cat comes in and starts mauling your face: cat's are nocturnal by nature, but need to be taught that feeding time is NOT 3:30am in the morning. Get some ear plugs and ignore the elevenses! ^^ REALLY ANNOYING I must say. This is why my cat sleeps during the day.
Scientists have dubbed this "elevenses". A cat's pupil dialates almost beyond maximum as they run around the house, run into things, knock things over and play with an unsuspecting family member going to the bathroom. The fur stands on the back of their neck as their primal instincts play out: I will pounce the next poor soul that comes around this corner! No one comes, so the elevenses gets louder, and worse. Scientists have come up with a solution to elevenses: don't give the cat the attention it wants. Lock it out if the cat comes in and starts mauling your face: cat's are nocturnal by nature, but need to be taught that feeding time is NOT 3:30am in the morning. Get some ear plugs and ignore the elevenses! ^^ REALLY ANNOYING I must say. This is why my cat sleeps during the day.
Weight Loss
It's that "thing" we all try to do, but fail to do. Weight loss is a lot more than just losing weight: for me it's been a gradual change in my habbits and daily routines. Sit back, grab some water/tea and prepare to read. Hopefully, I can convince 99.99% of my readers to admit they have a problem (if they do), and give a powerful message. The cravings will stop, you CAN make those changes like I have (I've lost 4 pounds in 2 1/2 weeks, and I have a thyroid problem) and feel great. Do you want to feel real again? like your body is light as a feather (although it may not be) and you just "feel" good? It can be done, and it will take some effort to do it. I'm not charging you anything: accept your time to read. The world is corrupt enough, and I hope my words here reach someone who needs them: because I know the problem.
A few years ago I was not doing good for my weight. I had an uncontrollable appetite partly because of my hypothyroidism, but mainly because I just liked food. Potato chips, french fries, cheeseburges, all of that fun stuff that tastes really good. If you are drooling at this point, to my talk of the sour cream and onion chips, the juicy taste of a cheeseburger or the homemade taste of french fries, I have you exactly where I want you. The refreshing taste of that Coke or Pepsi. I was hooked on diet coke for YEARS. maybe 2 years ago or so I got off of the stuff, and I'll explain later why. I was drinking on average 6 8oz cans a day, sometimes a 12 pack. I ate whatever I wanted without question of what it would do to me. I was stressed out with school, life, and all I wanted to do was eat, sleep, and do what I wanted to do. Those 3 things. The food I was eating added onto the stress, and it got worse and worse. So why did I stress out because of eating food? Its a comforter right? Why isn't it working?
Today I am down on soda to 2 to 3 sodas a week, and I have stopped eating large snacks and I skipped meals when I obviously wasn't hungry. I have found, that eating only when you are hungry, and eating only as much that will fill you is the key to weight loss. Your body will use what it is given up to the point where it stops growling. If it keeps growling after you eat, and you didn't eat to gut busting full, that is what snacks are really for ^^. Cereal for breakfast (a bowl without milk) a large lunch at school (pizza is ok, but I mix in pudding, apple sauce and water (Fruit20 is ok too) with the meal, and cut out chips) and if I am hungry, a small dinner. It's not about giving up the foods you like, its eating less of it, and eating it only when you are hungry. That is the first rule in weight loss.
Ok, I'll eat only when I am hungry, NOT. I am still having cravings and it is impossible for me to stop eating!! What am I going to do? Let's say you have an absolute craving for Ice Cream, Haagen Daaz (only as an example) ice cream. If you went on a fad diet (they dont work, stop using them), and I starved you for 5 days from your craving, then went and bought the ice cream and waved it in front of you, you would a) be pissed off b) try to kill me for it or c) both. This is something the food industry never lets people know: all of the junk foods on the market, including stuff with over 50% of the calories contributing to fat: have chemicals injected into the food to screw with a organ inside your brain called the Hypothalymus. These "drugs" confuse the hypothalymus, and give you the idea that you really need that ice cream, when you actually have no interest in it. That's right, your cravings arn't real. Potato chips for example, contain "modified" food starch, chemicals put into the potato chip coatings to make them taste delicious. They are addictive, arn't they? choose your chip of flavor and you would agree with me. The chips are not confusing you: it's chemicals put into the mix to confuse your brain. Do you still want that chemically/clorinated treated ice cream now? Do you want to eat the ice cream that is specifically designed to make you fat so you buy more ice cream when you are sad? That is the goal behind all of this: money.
I am going to knock up McDonalds here for a minute. We all know fast food is bad for us, and here is why. Do you like McDonalds cheeseburgers? they are pretty good arn't they? I've eaten them, and they are great to have once in a while when you are in a hurry. That's fine, as long as it is not a habbit. Here is how the cheeseburger comes to your bag outside of the fast food window. The beef to start is low quality. MOST fast food burgers are taken from the meat of a cow yes, but the cow is chopped into sections and thrown into a grinder. Yeah, a GRINDER. The ENTIRE THING. Tongues, hooves, eyes, teeth, and anything the cow was fed to genetically manipulate it. The meet is dried in a freezer, left exposed to the elements (air) where bacteria can grow. While the burger is cooked and the bacteria die, there are some left (and chemicals from the cow) are inside that patty. Before shipped to the local franchise, they are treated with whatever stuff, then shipped to be cooked, and out to your fast food window near you. Mcdonalds french fries are great, but they are loaded with sugar. Bad stuff.
So what can you trust? well not a lot. The food you may eat now, its OK as long as things are in smaller numbers. Eating differently isn't your only job; rule 3 is to exercise. Yeah, that 8th deadly sin you don't want to even think about. Me, I am a freelance. I can stand a treadmill, but not for long; I am just not a caged hampster. I enjoy weight training, and swapping body fat for muscle fat (muscle fat/weight is GOOD). It also makes you stronger, assuming you are not going over your limits and are following guidelines and/or are being supervised by an expert or trainer. Find something you enjoy doing to burn off calories: I don't run, but I really want to get into kendo or karate again, and that will take physical endurance. I also have a job where I have to stand over 8 hours a day and move boxes of heavy stuff- that is exercise. Burn calories where you can; park far out in the parking lot and walk into the store (I do it) for extra calories. If you feel you really don't need to add something to your meals- don't. Save yourself the calories. You can eat whatever you want, but exercising daily and eating controlled amounts will let you live a good lfie. Combining it with good food and less junk will let you live a great life.
You, like me who couldn't lose weight, can drop the poundage. After all that for 2 months if you see no improvement in your life or how you feel, it's time to see the doctor. I tried all of this and failed, but my doctor spotted a possible thyroid problem that was slowing me down. Hormone replacement, iron levels are back up in my blood, and I am happy and more productive ^^.
PS. I never mentioned why I got off the diet coke. It has aspartame in it, which contains chemicals known to cause brain dysfunction and screw with it, if you drink excessivly large amounts for a long time. Diet Coke contains 10-15% methanol, a component found in your commonly unleaded gasoline.
1.) Dont starve yourself, but dont gluttonize (overeat) with food, either. Eat until you think your stomach has had enough to work on. If you were wrong and get hungry, bring some light snacks where you are going.
2.) Exercise! Do someting you like doing: Rock Climbing, Hiking, Karate, Kendo (swords), a job, or even volunteering. Get community service and weight loss! Two birds, one stone.
3.) Drop the fast food for faster results. It isn't bad for you occasionally (once or twice a month) but fast food can pack back on the pounds. A double cheeseburger, medium fries and a medium soda is enough calories (1,340) to require you to punch a punching bag for over 2 hours at full power to burn it off. If you can get a sandwich at home or where you are going, take that penalty of time and save yourself calories.
4.) Get on a sleep interval if you can! We all have BIOLOGICAL clocks (damned schools), but more sleep will lead to a better life- thus you can feel better sooner. Don't eat after the absolute latest 8:00pm, eating after this time you can consider the calories being packed on in the amount of 2x (100 calorie snack? oops make that 200 now.) Don't stay up late like I am now at 3am! You will get hungry -__-
5.) No matter how large you are or feel, always be comfortable with yourself. What you want will never be good enough, but loving yourself is the key to start living a lot more comfortably.
What are the benefits of all this other than weight loss?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1) Heart Disease prevention
2) (In cases of lettuce and veggies, if you like them) Cancer Prevention
3) Diabetes treatment or prevention
4) Better posture and less back problems
5) A longer life (you WILL live longer, it's been proven)
6) Better sex (if you are old enough to do so...)
7) Increased libido (ED patients, take note please)
Be good to yourself, and eat smarter =).
A few years ago I was not doing good for my weight. I had an uncontrollable appetite partly because of my hypothyroidism, but mainly because I just liked food. Potato chips, french fries, cheeseburges, all of that fun stuff that tastes really good. If you are drooling at this point, to my talk of the sour cream and onion chips, the juicy taste of a cheeseburger or the homemade taste of french fries, I have you exactly where I want you. The refreshing taste of that Coke or Pepsi. I was hooked on diet coke for YEARS. maybe 2 years ago or so I got off of the stuff, and I'll explain later why. I was drinking on average 6 8oz cans a day, sometimes a 12 pack. I ate whatever I wanted without question of what it would do to me. I was stressed out with school, life, and all I wanted to do was eat, sleep, and do what I wanted to do. Those 3 things. The food I was eating added onto the stress, and it got worse and worse. So why did I stress out because of eating food? Its a comforter right? Why isn't it working?
Today I am down on soda to 2 to 3 sodas a week, and I have stopped eating large snacks and I skipped meals when I obviously wasn't hungry. I have found, that eating only when you are hungry, and eating only as much that will fill you is the key to weight loss. Your body will use what it is given up to the point where it stops growling. If it keeps growling after you eat, and you didn't eat to gut busting full, that is what snacks are really for ^^. Cereal for breakfast (a bowl without milk) a large lunch at school (pizza is ok, but I mix in pudding, apple sauce and water (Fruit20 is ok too) with the meal, and cut out chips) and if I am hungry, a small dinner. It's not about giving up the foods you like, its eating less of it, and eating it only when you are hungry. That is the first rule in weight loss.
Ok, I'll eat only when I am hungry, NOT. I am still having cravings and it is impossible for me to stop eating!! What am I going to do? Let's say you have an absolute craving for Ice Cream, Haagen Daaz (only as an example) ice cream. If you went on a fad diet (they dont work, stop using them), and I starved you for 5 days from your craving, then went and bought the ice cream and waved it in front of you, you would a) be pissed off b) try to kill me for it or c) both. This is something the food industry never lets people know: all of the junk foods on the market, including stuff with over 50% of the calories contributing to fat: have chemicals injected into the food to screw with a organ inside your brain called the Hypothalymus. These "drugs" confuse the hypothalymus, and give you the idea that you really need that ice cream, when you actually have no interest in it. That's right, your cravings arn't real. Potato chips for example, contain "modified" food starch, chemicals put into the potato chip coatings to make them taste delicious. They are addictive, arn't they? choose your chip of flavor and you would agree with me. The chips are not confusing you: it's chemicals put into the mix to confuse your brain. Do you still want that chemically/clorinated treated ice cream now? Do you want to eat the ice cream that is specifically designed to make you fat so you buy more ice cream when you are sad? That is the goal behind all of this: money.
I am going to knock up McDonalds here for a minute. We all know fast food is bad for us, and here is why. Do you like McDonalds cheeseburgers? they are pretty good arn't they? I've eaten them, and they are great to have once in a while when you are in a hurry. That's fine, as long as it is not a habbit. Here is how the cheeseburger comes to your bag outside of the fast food window. The beef to start is low quality. MOST fast food burgers are taken from the meat of a cow yes, but the cow is chopped into sections and thrown into a grinder. Yeah, a GRINDER. The ENTIRE THING. Tongues, hooves, eyes, teeth, and anything the cow was fed to genetically manipulate it. The meet is dried in a freezer, left exposed to the elements (air) where bacteria can grow. While the burger is cooked and the bacteria die, there are some left (and chemicals from the cow) are inside that patty. Before shipped to the local franchise, they are treated with whatever stuff, then shipped to be cooked, and out to your fast food window near you. Mcdonalds french fries are great, but they are loaded with sugar. Bad stuff.
So what can you trust? well not a lot. The food you may eat now, its OK as long as things are in smaller numbers. Eating differently isn't your only job; rule 3 is to exercise. Yeah, that 8th deadly sin you don't want to even think about. Me, I am a freelance. I can stand a treadmill, but not for long; I am just not a caged hampster. I enjoy weight training, and swapping body fat for muscle fat (muscle fat/weight is GOOD). It also makes you stronger, assuming you are not going over your limits and are following guidelines and/or are being supervised by an expert or trainer. Find something you enjoy doing to burn off calories: I don't run, but I really want to get into kendo or karate again, and that will take physical endurance. I also have a job where I have to stand over 8 hours a day and move boxes of heavy stuff- that is exercise. Burn calories where you can; park far out in the parking lot and walk into the store (I do it) for extra calories. If you feel you really don't need to add something to your meals- don't. Save yourself the calories. You can eat whatever you want, but exercising daily and eating controlled amounts will let you live a good lfie. Combining it with good food and less junk will let you live a great life.
You, like me who couldn't lose weight, can drop the poundage. After all that for 2 months if you see no improvement in your life or how you feel, it's time to see the doctor. I tried all of this and failed, but my doctor spotted a possible thyroid problem that was slowing me down. Hormone replacement, iron levels are back up in my blood, and I am happy and more productive ^^.
PS. I never mentioned why I got off the diet coke. It has aspartame in it, which contains chemicals known to cause brain dysfunction and screw with it, if you drink excessivly large amounts for a long time. Diet Coke contains 10-15% methanol, a component found in your commonly unleaded gasoline.
1.) Dont starve yourself, but dont gluttonize (overeat) with food, either. Eat until you think your stomach has had enough to work on. If you were wrong and get hungry, bring some light snacks where you are going.
2.) Exercise! Do someting you like doing: Rock Climbing, Hiking, Karate, Kendo (swords), a job, or even volunteering. Get community service and weight loss! Two birds, one stone.
3.) Drop the fast food for faster results. It isn't bad for you occasionally (once or twice a month) but fast food can pack back on the pounds. A double cheeseburger, medium fries and a medium soda is enough calories (1,340) to require you to punch a punching bag for over 2 hours at full power to burn it off. If you can get a sandwich at home or where you are going, take that penalty of time and save yourself calories.
4.) Get on a sleep interval if you can! We all have BIOLOGICAL clocks (damned schools), but more sleep will lead to a better life- thus you can feel better sooner. Don't eat after the absolute latest 8:00pm, eating after this time you can consider the calories being packed on in the amount of 2x (100 calorie snack? oops make that 200 now.) Don't stay up late like I am now at 3am! You will get hungry -__-
5.) No matter how large you are or feel, always be comfortable with yourself. What you want will never be good enough, but loving yourself is the key to start living a lot more comfortably.
What are the benefits of all this other than weight loss?
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
1) Heart Disease prevention
2) (In cases of lettuce and veggies, if you like them) Cancer Prevention
3) Diabetes treatment or prevention
4) Better posture and less back problems
5) A longer life (you WILL live longer, it's been proven)
6) Better sex (if you are old enough to do so...)
7) Increased libido (ED patients, take note please)
Be good to yourself, and eat smarter =).
May 19, 2007
Temple of Time Architecture (Part 1)
If you are a Legend of Zelda fan, you know what the Temple of Time is. For those who do not know, The Temple of Time is a structure debuting in "The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time". It was built by the sages to house the master sword, the sword in the game that evil may never touch. The Master Sword serves as a weapon, a time travel key for the "Hero of Time" and a key to the sacred realm, which somewhere inside holds the Temple of Light, where the Triforce exists (The three triangle thingy you see. Anyone who forms it gets a wish granted by the gods).
In the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (herein TP), I was shocked when Zelda informed Midna to move to the back of the Faron Woods to find the Sacred Grove: the equivalent to the Lost Woods in Ocarina of Time (herein OOT). I have studied transperencies and looked at locations in both games (I'm that hardcore about Zelda games) and have come up with a few conclusions, some facts, and inevitable some unsanswered questions that only Miyamoto (creator) can answer.
First off, If you draw a map of Hyrule from TP and one from OOT, you will notice a LOT of places match up. Not perfectly, but close. In OOT the Temple of Time was situated near/inside the castle walls. TP supports this: if you look around the ruins, you can see fountains (confirmed OOT Temple of Time had fountains on both sides of the structure) and passageways used long ago. But here is a problem: Fitting the location of the temple on both maps: They are quite far apart from each other. The TP Temple of Time fits almost exactly over the OOT Sacred Grove, where the Forest Temple exists. The area in TP is called "The Sacred Grove", so there is some uncertainty there. We don't know if the Forest Temple was knocked down, or if the Temple of Time in TP is in a different location. So where is this damn temple??
It was suggested through the split timeline theory that sometime after OOT, in the ORIGINAL Legend of Zelda, Hyrulians moved a bit north from their previous location. This would support the idea that the entire forest area in TP is the old Castle Town with overgrown trees over 400+ some years. There are irregular structure parts that suggest the Temple of Time in TP WAS NEAR a castle or castle wall of some sort, pointing that this may have indeed been Castle Town. The Legend of Zelda occured in Hyrule A, but Twilight Princess in Hyrule B according to this theory. They are parallel universes, so events may happen different, yet objects may remain similarly between both dimensions. Less debating about the temple location, what about the temple itself?
In OOT, the Temple of Time was a big place. In TP, it is HUGE. I'll have to dig up rough mspaint measurements, but the Temple of Time in TP is roughly twice the size of the first OOT. We know that the Temple went through major renovations. The pointed dome was taken out from the OOT one, and fancy schpance windows were put in: 6 of them. Most of the original columns remain intact (or perhaps they were replaced). Instead of walking straight in, the main room dips down below ground level, then back up again around the Pedastal. From the OOT height of the temple, it is equivalent to roughly 8-10 stories (72-80 feet) In the front, and about 20-25 stories where the dome part is (160-250 feet). In TP, the temple is roughly 180-200 feet in the front (20 stories) and near the dome part, at the minimum, 30 stories (240-300 feet). Here are those measurements again:
Main Room Dome
OOT Temple 72-80 feet 160-250 feet
TP Temple 180-200 feet 240-300 feet
So the TP temple, which was renovated with brand new stone and inscriptions, was a lot taller than the original Temple of Time. To get an idea of the scale of the Temple compared to a 6 foot person, look at the sketch I did. It is a rough sketch, from evidence of structural engineering, a little bit of medieval architecture study and evidence from within the temple has granted me to do. If I ever get my hands on a building program, I will definetly do a 3d Rendering.
In the Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess (herein TP), I was shocked when Zelda informed Midna to move to the back of the Faron Woods to find the Sacred Grove: the equivalent to the Lost Woods in Ocarina of Time (herein OOT). I have studied transperencies and looked at locations in both games (I'm that hardcore about Zelda games) and have come up with a few conclusions, some facts, and inevitable some unsanswered questions that only Miyamoto (creator) can answer.
First off, If you draw a map of Hyrule from TP and one from OOT, you will notice a LOT of places match up. Not perfectly, but close. In OOT the Temple of Time was situated near/inside the castle walls. TP supports this: if you look around the ruins, you can see fountains (confirmed OOT Temple of Time had fountains on both sides of the structure) and passageways used long ago. But here is a problem: Fitting the location of the temple on both maps: They are quite far apart from each other. The TP Temple of Time fits almost exactly over the OOT Sacred Grove, where the Forest Temple exists. The area in TP is called "The Sacred Grove", so there is some uncertainty there. We don't know if the Forest Temple was knocked down, or if the Temple of Time in TP is in a different location. So where is this damn temple??
It was suggested through the split timeline theory that sometime after OOT, in the ORIGINAL Legend of Zelda, Hyrulians moved a bit north from their previous location. This would support the idea that the entire forest area in TP is the old Castle Town with overgrown trees over 400+ some years. There are irregular structure parts that suggest the Temple of Time in TP WAS NEAR a castle or castle wall of some sort, pointing that this may have indeed been Castle Town. The Legend of Zelda occured in Hyrule A, but Twilight Princess in Hyrule B according to this theory. They are parallel universes, so events may happen different, yet objects may remain similarly between both dimensions. Less debating about the temple location, what about the temple itself?
In OOT, the Temple of Time was a big place. In TP, it is HUGE. I'll have to dig up rough mspaint measurements, but the Temple of Time in TP is roughly twice the size of the first OOT. We know that the Temple went through major renovations. The pointed dome was taken out from the OOT one, and fancy schpance windows were put in: 6 of them. Most of the original columns remain intact (or perhaps they were replaced). Instead of walking straight in, the main room dips down below ground level, then back up again around the Pedastal. From the OOT height of the temple, it is equivalent to roughly 8-10 stories (72-80 feet) In the front, and about 20-25 stories where the dome part is (160-250 feet). In TP, the temple is roughly 180-200 feet in the front (20 stories) and near the dome part, at the minimum, 30 stories (240-300 feet). Here are those measurements again:
Main Room Dome
OOT Temple 72-80 feet 160-250 feet
TP Temple 180-200 feet 240-300 feet
So the TP temple, which was renovated with brand new stone and inscriptions, was a lot taller than the original Temple of Time. To get an idea of the scale of the Temple compared to a 6 foot person, look at the sketch I did. It is a rough sketch, from evidence of structural engineering, a little bit of medieval architecture study and evidence from within the temple has granted me to do. If I ever get my hands on a building program, I will definetly do a 3d Rendering.
Guide to Model Building
Finally finished the rest of it- for beginners. Will post more of my technique soon!
http://tgwnetohh.blogspot.com/2007/05/xyzpdqs-guide-to-model-building.html
May 16, 2007
USS Constitution
Nicknamed "Old Ironsides", the USS Constitution is one of a few ships ordered by George Washington to protect American waters in the late 1700s and early 1800s. Old Ironsides became well renowned when all of her cannon and large crew easily defeated French privateers in the Atlantic Sea. The ship got its name from the war of 1812: British vessels would fire off cannonballs, only to watch them bounce off the sturdy oak "Old Ironsides" was made out of. Later on in the mid 1800s, the ship was used as a training barracks. The USS Consitution was eventually restored in the early 1900s to her former glory. Today she is moored at the Charlestown Navy Yard as part of the USS Constitution museum.
I am building this one for my dad. Looks like I am going to start on the decks and then move onto hull painting and detailing. I think I am going to spend more time rigging this model than actually building it x_x.
May 15, 2007
Home Depot Really is a Nice Place...
I had an idea from Mike Ashey's "Model Shipbuilding" book, and I wanted to mount my USS Arizona on a plaque. Having years of woodworking experience, this is easy and affordable. I went out to Home Depot and picked up a base ($6.99 USD), some Oak Stain (Mahaghany looks awesome too), a 99 cent brush and some rags all under $10.00 to really enhance the presentation of my model. It's going to look pretty awesome, because I am finishing it this week (*crosses fingers*). The base is sanded to absolute 400 grit perfection. I am debating sanding it to 600 grit to get that look and feel I am going for. Smoother than my chin after shaving, or a babies rear!! (THAT, ladies and gentlemen is smoooooth.)
Treasures of the Deep
Treasures of the Deep (developed by Black Ops, released by Namco) is an adventure/action game made for the Playstation that involved deep sea diving, adventuring and exploring. The game is unique in that it is the only submaring game known. I picked this up over at Amazon.com, and there are only a few copies left around on the internet, albeit if you are lucky, your local video gaming store.
If you are picking it up today and never played the Playstation, but know the Playstation 2 very well, you will be sorely disappointed in the graphics department. This game is a GEM, and it is well over 10 years old. The graphics were great for its time, and the menu is simple and easy to navigate.
As the diver, you are sent on missions to diving/shipwreck sites around the world to collect treasure or perform special operations (The destroy the Nazi bomber level). Controls are fluid, easy, and its a lot of fun to explore on your sub and off your sub. Try not to get hurt: if you bleed you will attract sharks! Shooting any other diver (bad guys, called pirates) also leaks blood into the sea, and shooting endangered species such as the Manta Ray will release blood, which sharks can smell miles away.
You must, on your adventures collect gold to upgrade to better equipment, and it is actually fun and rewarding getting the next fastest submarine. There are a variety of ways to earn gold (cash): pick it up (think mario coins) pick up treasure chests, net lobster traps, kill jellyfish, loot pirates, and send injured sea turtles up to the surface to be cared for. There are many ways to earn money in the game, and as you advance you will need to to complete your missions.
The soundtrack is beautiful. Not to mention the scenery, but the level of detail for this early of a game is amazing. You don't lose health too quickly, and the enemies arn't hard, either. If you can find this rare gem, I highly recommend picking it up. Got mine for $20.00 USD off of amazon, and if you want it now (I played the demo when I was a wee lad and I loved it) Id suggest heading over there and purchasing a copy. None exist on Ebay. For a score, I give this game a 4 out of 5. I really don't have any quirks about the game: if one it is nearly impossible (I have done it once, forget how) to ride a manta ray.
May 13, 2007
BB-39: Finishing Stretch
The rear mast was a pain to install, but she is there. All that is left is to paint then install the boats, planes, then rig the model and give it a final coat. Gonna go to Home Depot tomorrow and select a base and stain it =). I have a dremel so I can get at it with nice edges. I am currently working on a modeling tutorial guide: for those of you absoloutly stupid at putting together kits, but would like to start, where to start, and how to start. I'll do my best to share what I do =).
May 10, 2007
The Lazy Barnacle: Design
Wow, looks like I am on my final high school engineering project! I've come quite a long way and this will be a fun final project. We need to scratch-build a sailboat which will travel down a creak (flow in one direction) 500 feet in 5 minutes. I've started the bottom of the hull and will work my way up, using a load of spare 1/8 by 1/8 balsa wood from my cantilever order to make a frame. Will post updates!
May 7, 2007
May 6, 2007
-XYZPDQ's Guide to Model Building
This is always something I wanted to start, a guide to how I do my model kits for those of you that want to get into building a few, but have no expertise whatsoever in building anything, or what the heck a "sprue" is. I'm here to help out: I will keep it as short as possible, but I want it to be lengthy (its not complicated! I promise!) so you can get the most out of my little to-do guide. Let's start with a little history.
History
Originally called garage kits, they began to boom around the 1980's as..... a project you did in your garage. If I remember correctly, cars were the first models and then the industry expanded to models of almost everything. Resin kits (any resin, in a basic form is basically a glue, like your everyday elmers glue) were the first real kits to experience the molding process (where on a metal/whatever sheet, the outline is imprinted in the piece, then liquid plastic, resin, etc, whatever is poured into the mold, then they place the identical other side on top (or a flat piece) and lock it to dry and mold into the said piece. When technology came around and knocked on everyone's doorstep, models were created by a process called "injection molding". It's practically the same thing as above, but with computer guided precision and better use of quality materials. Basically what comes out of the process is probably what you have seen before: those pieces of gray plastic that may look kind of odd.
Where should I go?
To find a model kit store, I would recommend a store or franchise that specializes in purely models. One place I go to and buy from regularly are Hobbytown USA. Regardless, if you find a place that sells model kits, go ahead and take a peak in. Your first task is to find out what your interested in. Gundams? Figures (people)? Ships? Cars? Planes? These are the basic genres of model building. When you figure out what you want to buy, DO NOT BUY ANYTHING LARGE IN SCALE. Which brings me too.... Scale In model building, we cannot build something of its actual size! So instead, we build a smaller replica of it. Say I am building the USS Missouri kit, and the box tells me its 1:350 scale. This means if I were to expand every dimension of the kit 350 times, I would have the real USS Missouri. In english, put 350 of them together and you should have the ship in real life. For ships, anything 1:350 and bigger is considered a large (3 foot long) ship. I would advise against building something this large when you are just starting out. If you want to start in ships, go 1:426 or 1:700 to start. For cars, around 1:32 I believe is a good sized model. To gauge how big something is: anything close to 1:1 is really huge or close to actual size, and anything closer to 1:1000 of the spectrum is tiny.
Opening a Kit
Yay! I get to finally open my kit. Have that feeling of excitement? If you do, you may be a future model builder. But HOLD ON THERE JETHRO, don't get to hasty with your kit. Let's examine what everything is. Most kits come with instructions, and you should study them first to see what goes where, and if there is something special you need to do to a part, usually the instructions will call for it at that part's stage. What the pieces are attached to should be a rectangle looking frame. We call this the "sprue", or if you would like to call it, the tree. Never snap parts off the tree if you want to build a good looking model: this may damage the piece or make the piece require more touchup work, thus more of your time, which I know (like me) we don't have much of it. Im going to skip ahead a little bit and discuss paint: but we will come back on how to assemble stuff!
Paint
Paint comes in a few forms: but you will be primarily dealing with two types of paints: Acrylics (good for plastic) and enamel. There are four ways to apply paint: 1) throw it on there (dont do it) 2) airbrush 3) regular hand brush 4) spraypaint. For large areas for those big models, I recommend spraypaint. Its usually $5.99 a can, so don't waste it or get button happy. Apply that always 8 inches away from your work, sometime I go 6 inches if a part is small. NO CLOSER than that. Spraycans sometimes have a good effect, in part because the spray evenly coats the paint onto the entire piece. The airbrush is the ultimate (and must for amateur/professional/wannabe professionals) tool for painting. It spreads the paint even more thinly and evenly than a spraycan. An airbrush however, requires getting used to for proper technique, and you also have to clean it out after every single use. It will take some time to get to know it: but ultimatly an airbrush produces the best results. For some models you can paint by hand, but usually I save brush painting for tiny pieces. With a brush, apply sparingly and carefully to your part always in one direction. I'll guide you on how to clean brushes a little later. I store my paints in an inexpensive slideout bins, and just as I was getting to like it, it came with rolling wheels too (NICE for the concrete on the garage floor). I sort by Spraypaint vs. Bottle, Enamel vs. Acrylic. Other than metallizers (make things metallic like jet exhausts), I never use laquer paint due to lack of availability in my area.
The Tools of the Trade
History
Originally called garage kits, they began to boom around the 1980's as..... a project you did in your garage. If I remember correctly, cars were the first models and then the industry expanded to models of almost everything. Resin kits (any resin, in a basic form is basically a glue, like your everyday elmers glue) were the first real kits to experience the molding process (where on a metal/whatever sheet, the outline is imprinted in the piece, then liquid plastic, resin, etc, whatever is poured into the mold, then they place the identical other side on top (or a flat piece) and lock it to dry and mold into the said piece. When technology came around and knocked on everyone's doorstep, models were created by a process called "injection molding". It's practically the same thing as above, but with computer guided precision and better use of quality materials. Basically what comes out of the process is probably what you have seen before: those pieces of gray plastic that may look kind of odd.
Where should I go?
To find a model kit store, I would recommend a store or franchise that specializes in purely models. One place I go to and buy from regularly are Hobbytown USA. Regardless, if you find a place that sells model kits, go ahead and take a peak in. Your first task is to find out what your interested in. Gundams? Figures (people)? Ships? Cars? Planes? These are the basic genres of model building. When you figure out what you want to buy, DO NOT BUY ANYTHING LARGE IN SCALE. Which brings me too.... Scale In model building, we cannot build something of its actual size! So instead, we build a smaller replica of it. Say I am building the USS Missouri kit, and the box tells me its 1:350 scale. This means if I were to expand every dimension of the kit 350 times, I would have the real USS Missouri. In english, put 350 of them together and you should have the ship in real life. For ships, anything 1:350 and bigger is considered a large (3 foot long) ship. I would advise against building something this large when you are just starting out. If you want to start in ships, go 1:426 or 1:700 to start. For cars, around 1:32 I believe is a good sized model. To gauge how big something is: anything close to 1:1 is really huge or close to actual size, and anything closer to 1:1000 of the spectrum is tiny.
Opening a Kit
Yay! I get to finally open my kit. Have that feeling of excitement? If you do, you may be a future model builder. But HOLD ON THERE JETHRO, don't get to hasty with your kit. Let's examine what everything is. Most kits come with instructions, and you should study them first to see what goes where, and if there is something special you need to do to a part, usually the instructions will call for it at that part's stage. What the pieces are attached to should be a rectangle looking frame. We call this the "sprue", or if you would like to call it, the tree. Never snap parts off the tree if you want to build a good looking model: this may damage the piece or make the piece require more touchup work, thus more of your time, which I know (like me) we don't have much of it. Im going to skip ahead a little bit and discuss paint: but we will come back on how to assemble stuff!
Paint
Paint comes in a few forms: but you will be primarily dealing with two types of paints: Acrylics (good for plastic) and enamel. There are four ways to apply paint: 1) throw it on there (dont do it) 2) airbrush 3) regular hand brush 4) spraypaint. For large areas for those big models, I recommend spraypaint. Its usually $5.99 a can, so don't waste it or get button happy. Apply that always 8 inches away from your work, sometime I go 6 inches if a part is small. NO CLOSER than that. Spraycans sometimes have a good effect, in part because the spray evenly coats the paint onto the entire piece. The airbrush is the ultimate (and must for amateur/professional/wannabe professionals) tool for painting. It spreads the paint even more thinly and evenly than a spraycan. An airbrush however, requires getting used to for proper technique, and you also have to clean it out after every single use. It will take some time to get to know it: but ultimatly an airbrush produces the best results. For some models you can paint by hand, but usually I save brush painting for tiny pieces. With a brush, apply sparingly and carefully to your part always in one direction. I'll guide you on how to clean brushes a little later. I store my paints in an inexpensive slideout bins, and just as I was getting to like it, it came with rolling wheels too (NICE for the concrete on the garage floor). I sort by Spraypaint vs. Bottle, Enamel vs. Acrylic. Other than metallizers (make things metallic like jet exhausts), I never use laquer paint due to lack of availability in my area.
The Tools of the Trade
Files
You will want to have a few files starting out in this field. Grab a 400, 600, and if permitting, 800+ for fine work. Also grab those small flexi-files. Expensive for a thin piece of sand paper?? wait until you see where they come in handy =). I highly suggest keeping a stock of 400, 600, and 1000+ grit sandpaper (higher number is your choice) for any sanding work. A nail buffer works wonders, especially on Bandai's Gundam kits.
Knives
These are absoloutly essential to a model builder: the #11 x-acto knife blade. Buy multiple blades for #11, you can get really good deals sometimes out of those kits where they sell a bunch of them. I got a set at wal*mart and it was pretty good, but I ended up going back to the hobbystore where I could get extremely sharp knives for accurate work.
Glue
We call it cement in the hobby. Cement is the stuff that holds parts together, and after time will (sometimes) permanently attach them. I recommend NOT getting the tube stuff: it makes a mess and I only recommend it for Lionel building layouts. Grab the plastic "liquid" cement from Testors or Tamiya: Both of their stuff is the best. Be warned about glue: it has fumes, and you can get high off of it. Work in proper ventilation, or lose the ability to have babies in the state of California, and there only. Also, always apply glue SPARINGLY even if the part ain't going together. After a few mins, add more SPARINGLY if you need to. Do not glue your fingers together either. This stuff is stronger than super/crazy glue, but is nothing like it (cement is only for plastics). Get some warm water under your fingers if you do glue them together, and wiggle gently in a circular motion until the stuff is off. Until you are good at models, do not purchase "Plastruct Plastic Weld". This cement is 5 times stronger than crazy glue, tends to melt plastic (ruining your model) and chemically "welds" plastic together. Apply very sparingly. If you see small brush applicators, buy them.
Brushes
Also very important is the quality of your brushes. I have found sage brushes to be of extremely good quality (but expensive). Starting out, like the knives pick up a kit. After applying whatever with the brush, you must wash it out and clean the bristles. If you don't, the brush will harden like a rock and you will have wasted a $7.99 brush (I've done it, and Im telling you NOT to do it). I experimented, and you will want to purchase Oderless Mineral Spirits. MS gets thinner, paint, almost ANYTHING out of tools or brushes. It is safe on your hands don't worry, but try not to get it in your eyes. If you do, bring your eye up to a gentle faucet, open it from the bottom and top, and rinse the eye as needed. If irritation keeps persisting after 15 mins, see a physician/doctor/emergency ward immediatly, depending on the severity.
Where to dump materials
After working with all of these chemicals for a while, there will be waste left over. Instead of leaving it around to stink up your garage and kill you off with its fumes of death, you want to put it somewhere.
I REPEAT, THAT SOMEWHERE IS NOT BACK INTO THE ENVIRONMENT OR TRASH CAN.
NEVER dump chemicals back into the environment, EVER. It's the same with throwing away batteries: You will pollute the environment and contribute to C02 levels and green gasses. There is only one option for removal: Storage in a sealed container that must be treated and dropped off at a treatment plant or dump that will take care of toxic materials. I use my mom's detergent bottles. When I am done painting, i take my cup, pour a little bit of mineral spirits in, and swish the brush around somewhat vigorously, but not hard enough to damage it. I take (always keep handy) paper towels and dry the brush, dip and swish, until I see no color in the mineral spirits on the cloth. Then your brush is done, and ready for another use of painting. My dad works for a HVAC company (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) so he has access to engineers who can safely dispose of my waste. I normally will run up a container of detergent full in about 3 months or so, then dispose of it and get a new one. The Earth gives us so much: treat her well by not getting her sick =).
Assembling a Model
Follow the instructions carefuly and study them. Take note of any special order or things you need to do to make parts fit. Snap together kits are fun, and sometimes require no glue (best choice for beginners). Cut the piece off of the sprue only when you neet it, with a nice pair of clippers you can get anywhere from $10-$15 USD (they are worth the investment. If you have some sticking out, we call this a "gate". Take your #11 x-acto knife, and GENTLY scrape the excess plastic away. This will take practice, but if you go too deep, you will make an indentation, and will have to 1) live with it or 2) fill it up with puddy and repaint the part.
Once a model is done, mask her up and paint the model if you so desire to (masking guide in the next how to series). You will want to buy something called "Testors Dullcoate", my preferred finising material. This coat protects the paint underneath, and will resist dust. Give the model 2-3 coats of this material, standing 8-10 inches away from the work if it is something like a large ship. Let dry, most things, whether paint, solutions, glue, or finishing material, is DONE DRYING when you can barely smell it or not smell it at all.
More how-to next time!
May 3, 2007
USS Arizona Tribute
Since I am nearing the completion of my 1:426 USS Arizona: I wanted to take some time to post a few pics I am considering mounting in a picture frame below the model. Let me know what you guys think, pick one of those pictures that will go along with my description and thankyou to the crew who lost their lives, or ever served on the USS Arizona.
May 2, 2007
BB-39 Mast Work and Rigging
Painting the masts this evening while I put the hull back into paint for final touch up work. Once the masts are painted and assembled, I can mount them and glue 'em down. Then I need to take care of rigging (cables) and then final touches on the smaller boats. I need to paint the boat hulls white as I finish the yellow life rafts. All in all this project has not been a major yell in the ear: should have it done by this weekend.
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