Soda versus Soup

Today I requested at our local "go to the store" day that low sodium tomato soup be picked up. I then got this comment:

"You talk about low sodium soup yet a bottle of soda you drink has more sodium than one of those soup cans".

Uhuh. For someone that should be at the forefront of "being healthy", is that statement backed up by empirical data? We will see.

24oz bottle (and I drink cans, by the way) =80mg sodium
1 microwaveable can of regular Campbells tomato = 960mg of sodium

I rest my case. Somebody forgot to check their facts.

Rob's Chicken Sub

This isn't a new creation per se- things like it are sold by restaurants and Wawa/Sheetz country wide. This was also my dinner.(550 calories)

-Six inch sub
-Chicken Nuggets of choice (strips work too)
-Ketchup
-Spicy or Honey Mustard

There isn't much to it- I like to cook my nuggets at 425 degrees for 13 minutes (I checked, the meat is white). Given 2 minutes to cool off, insert the nuggets into the sub. Before that, I like putting the mustard and ketchup in. Put in the nuggets, put on a little more sauce, and dinner! (you can add as many ingredients as you like!)

Bathroom Talk:

The other day I had an interesting idea. I have been alive for a long time now. If I were to pee an average of 24 ounces a day, how much have I (approximately) urinated in my lifetime? spare me the taboo nature of the subject: I am mathematically interested in this question. I came up with the following math:

_____________________
Assuming regular bladder control by the age of 6, I have been alive 5,844 days. Add 91 days since my last birthday, and we have a grand total of 5,935 days.

If I peed 24 ounces a day, that assumes that I peed (5935)*(24)= a total of 142,440 ounces. If we convert to metric, in my lifetime, not counting before age 6, I have peed 4,212 liters of liquid, or enough to fill 1,113 gallon jugs.

It takes 2,500,000 liters to fill an olympic sized swimming pool. If I peed 4,212 liters of liquid in my lifetime, I filled approximately 0.168% of the pool. It would take an additional 594 people to completely fill the swimming pool (with pee!).
_____________________

Fascinating information. No I am not creepy or obsessed with my urinary system, but 4,212 liters? we need to give our bodies some respect here for the work they do!

The Eight "I'd Rather you Nots"

Language Advisory
Pastafarianism is a religion which purports that a flying spaghetti monster is the supreme creator of the universe, and that pirates are his chosen people. I am a huge fan of it, because this religion actually has tolerance written into the holy book. Satirical in nature, their gospel purports the following "I'd Rather You Not's": these notes were given to Captain Mosey on top of mount Salsa, for the expressed purpose of advertising his noodly word, and of a heaven with a stripper factory and a beer volcano:

__________________

1. I'd really rather you didn't act like a sanctimonious holier-than-thou ass when describing my noodly goodness. If some people don't believe in me, that's okay. Really, I'm not that vain. Besides, this isn't about them so don't change the subject.

2. I'd really rather you didn't use my existence as a means to oppress, subjugate, punish, eviscerate, and/or, you know, be mean to others. I don't require sacrifices, and purity is for drinking water, not people.

3. I'd really rather you didn't judge people for the way they look, or how they dress, or the way they talk, or, well, just play nice, okay? Oh, and get this into your thick heads: woman = person. man = person. Samey = Samey. One is not better than the other, unless we're talking about fashion and I'm sorry, but I gave that to women and some guys who know the difference between teal and fuchsia.

4. I'd really rather you didn't indulge in conduct that offends yourself, or your willing, consenting partner of legal age AND mental maturity. As for anyone who might object, I think the expression is "go fuck yourself," unless they find that offensive in which case they can turn off the TV for once and go for a walk for a change.

5. I'd really rather you didn't challenge the bigoted, misogynistic, hateful ideas of others on an empty stomach. Eat, then go after the bitches.

6. I'd really rather you didn't build multi million-dollar synagogues / churches / temples / mosques / shrines to my noodly goodness when the money could be better spent (take your pick):
I. Ending poverty
II. Curing diseases
III. Living in peace, loving with passion, and lowering the cost of cable
I might be a complex-carbohydrate omniscient being, but I enjoy the simple things in life. I ought to know. I AM the creator.

7. I'd really rather you didn't go around telling people I talk to you. You're not that interesting. Get over yourself. And I told you to love your fellow man, can't you take a hint?

8. I'd really rather you didn't do unto others as you would have them do unto you if you are into, um, stuff that uses a lot of leather/lubricant/vaseline. If the other person is into it, however (pursuant to #4), then have at it, take pictures, and for the love of Mike, wear a CONDOM! Honestly, it's a piece of rubber. If I didn't want it to feel good when you did it I would have added spikes, or something.
__________________

2007 Pontiac G5

Just got this car today for about $9200 out the door. It's a nice little coupe that I am putting through its paces. It drives NICE actually, and I have very few complaints with the car. 2007 Pontiac G5, 52,000 miles on it, no accidents. The audio is great in this little guy- whoever had it before me installed some kind of amp or something- because this thing has BASS.

Link to Facebook gallery

Gaming by Watching your Health

No, it's not a potion or life force. A lot of gamers aren't conscious about their health. Thats not to say there are some out there that are- but on the majority, there are things gamers can be doing to not damage themselves. What is affected by gameplay?

Eyes
I don't know the actual figures behnd the research, but if you keep your head 2 feet from a computer screen, and as far back as possible while watching a TV, you are less likely to damage your eyesight. I wear glasses, where I was 20/40 in both my left and right eye. Coming back from an eye exam, I am L 20/25 R 20/45. I havn't worn my glasses in 2 months, either, but I have been sitting farther away from screens. They always told me to wear glasses when looking at computer screens- but I found I got headaches doing so. I only really where glasses while driving and on campus when I need to look at the board. A well needed break can relieve eye strain.

Wrists
This is a big one. Gamers are using the keyboard and mouse, and more commonly a controller. Ergonomics and controller design have a lot to do with comfort- but remember, evolution did NOT make the body for what we are using it for. Repetitive motion strains are common, and inproper posture while using a computer can lead to lower back problems and problems with the wrists. To alleviate pain, and prevent damage, take breaks when your wrists hurt. I do. There are also pads and elevators that will align your wrists properly while typing. As for controllers- sometimes the wrists need a break. Our fingers are dexterous, but sometimes they need a break. Breaks are better for your wrists.

Posture
I like to sit on my stomach playing games in my bed. This isn't the best position for my neck, so sometimes I play games sitting in my chair. It's important to be comfortable, but it's also important to play with good posture. Slouching can cause back problems. Make it easy on yourself and stretch occasionally.

Why care?
Save yourself a lot of grief and annoyance by practicing good gaming habits. Sit well and comfortably, take breaks, and don't put your eyes up against the screen. 2 feet is recommended as a distance you should be away from your monitor. The body wasn't designed for these precise motions- sometimes it just needs a break. After nearly almost 2 decades of gaming [woah, 20 years?] I know this well.

A Few Clarifications

This post is in response to the story of a dude getting stabbed with a pen at comic-con. On CNN.com, people posted about "nerd rage" and other dumb comments. In a satirical, but somewhat serious way, it is time to explain the difference between a GEEK and a NERD.


A NERD
There is nothing wrong with being a geek or a nerd. Nerds are known to make good money in their field of choice (be it chemistry, biology, physics, engineering, math). A nerd also has some degree of trouble in social situations, and may feel uncomfortable doing some things. A nerd will never have a problem discussing their field of interest. Also, some nerds are known to study a completely impractical, or more commonly, "unusual" topic such as astrophysics, quantum mechanics, or perhaps a species of animal.

More socially integrated nerds, like myself, can handle day to day social situations understanding common societal rituals. In english, I know what people expect, I can empathize with others to a degree, and I can handle meeting new people. I CANNOT handle parties which have complete strangers, or almost any kind of party. Work related? sure. BBQ with the neighbors? sure. Party at the bar with a lot of scantily clad women? nice try, but no thanks.


a GEEK
A geek is a socially adept person (no social interaction problems) who likes technology or some field having to do with it. They can be booksmart, but are generally of average intelligence, apart from their knowledge of gadgets and other technology. To better describe geeks, they enjoy "niche" hobbies. Nerds can too: but Geeks more-so. Comic books, anime, manga, action figure collecting, VIDEO GAMES, electronic media, COMPUTERS.


Difference is...?
A NERD may accidentally slip jargon that may not make sense to you.
A GEEK is generally not as intelligent as a nerd.
A GEEK is generally a little more goofy, but not in all cases.
A NERD will be uncomfortable (not in all cases) with extended social interaction.

BOTH can overlap in many areas.


I come around as an interesting NERD- one who is interested in intellectual pursuits, but also technology and some niche areas. My interests include anything usually on the science channel (that should be an indicator) and cosmology. I have social skills, but some awkward social situations may put stress on me. Pedal to the medal, I get my work done. Love your nerds and geeks- or leave them alone. I guarantee that there will be both at the convention- but learn to distinguish between the two; there is a huge difference.


I also do not wear white shirts, I dislike ties, and I don't use a pocket protector!

Nerf Vulcan Modifications: An Engineering Perspective

Modifying this thing sure is a doozy. Before sketches are drawn, screwdrivers are pulled out, and the spray cans are rattled, we have to outline the problems. Here are some of them, and in the future I should discuss the practicality of a rapid fire vulcan versus stock specifications, and the possibility of an automatic sniper rifle (nerf dart blaster)

---------------------------------------------------



Abstract
Adults and kids alike have been amazed by the Nerf Vulcan toy dart gun for a few years now. More engaged enthusiasts and engineers alike have been pondering “how can I enhance the performance of this toy?” I think that many “indie” users have experimented with design changes of this toy blaster, but overlook some critical factors, such as motor load, gear fatigue, and many more phenomena. It is entirely possible that an engineer will need to step in to solve the hidden and proprietary ideas…. of another engineer.



Original Goals
Originally the goal of our experiment was to increase the voltage of the Vulcan to fire more darts. There is a direct relationship between the rate of fire of the blaster and the voltage of the power supply. Modifying a stock toy gun to do these things without other considerations can shorten the life span of the toy, and in other cases may be dangerous. When looking at a practical solution to modifying the Vulcan blaster, we looked at these critical factors (in no order of importance):


+Ammo Capacity
+Ammo Characteristics
+Ammo Weight
+Assembly of the Power Supply
+Barrel Lengthening
+Dart Physics
+Gear Fatigue
+MAh total of the power supply
+Minimizing Internal Noise
+Motor Amperage Draw
+Motor Fatigue
+Motor Maximum Voltage Load
+Practical and Economical Charging
+Resistance of the Circuit
+Shock/Impact Protection
+Spring Strengthening
+Vibration Minimization
+Voltage of Power Supply









This report should address these issues and allow insight into problems that may be encountered while modifying this dart blaster.



Design Problems

Ammo Capacity
One has to consider the foam being put down the range. At stock specifications, the dart blaster fires approximately 3 darts per second (herein DPS), and 180 rounds per minute. The higher the voltage of the blaster, the more darts will be put down range. If one does not modify the ammo capacity, the user will run out of ammo faster. To compensate, a ratio must be found and increased to the original belt, or add another stock belt chain to the current belt. It is theorized that too many belt chains increases some force P acting downwards, working against the drive mechanism (primitively, a pulley) which must overcome this force P with some torque T supplied by the motor, which is connected to a shaft with mechanical advantages in between (gears).


Ammo Characteristics
The shape and weight of the ammunition will have an impact on the distance and path of the projectile. The weight should be placed at the end of the dart, with the weight loaded opposite of the beginning of the barrel (note: the belt clip IS an extension of the barrel). The diameter D of the ammunition will dictate the size of round fired, as well as the inner diameter Di of the barrel. Tolerances are within a thousandth of an inch for home improvement grade materials. This tolerance should be enough for the dart to fit, but also to travel down the barrel and accelerate. One should select a barrel material that meets their needs, specifications, and preferences.


Ammo Weight
The weight of the ammo should be placed in the front of the dart. The rest of the dart should be seen as part of a “delivery vehicle” that is a mechanical advantage. By aiding the weight to travel down the barrel, the foam also aids in the absorption of the force of impact when it hits the target. This minimizes the impact a target may feel (if the target is a person). Regardless, safety glasses should be worn at all times if the target is human. A dart too heavy will not fly in a parabolic curve, or may not reach its maximum potential because the firing force cannot accelerate the mass fast enough. On the other hand, a dart too light will be aerodynamically unstable by fish tailing.




---------------------------------------------------

From EngineeringEdu: An Engineer's Perspective on Santa Claus

Santa Claus:An Engineers Perspective

I. There are approximately two billion children (persons under 18) in the world. However, since Santa does not visit children of Muslim, Hindu, Jewish or Buddhist religions, this reduces the workload for Christmas night to 15% of the total, or 378 million (according to the Population Reference Bureau).
At an average (census) rate of 3.5 children per house hold, that comes to 108 million homes, presuming that there is at least one good child in each.

II. Santa has about 31 hours of Christmas to work with, thanks to the different time zones and the rotation of the earth, assuming he travels east to west (which seems logical). This works out to 967.7 visits per second. This is to say that for each Christian household with a good child, Santa has around 1/1000th of a second to park the sleigh, hop out, jump down the chimney, fill the stockings, distribute the remaining presents under the tree, eat whatever snacks have been left for him, get back up the chimney, jump into the sleigh and get on to the next house.

Assuming that each of these 108 million stops is evenly distributed around the earth (which, of course, we know to be false, but will accept for the purposes of our calculations), we are now talking about 0.78 miles per household; a total trip of 75.5 million miles, not counting bathroom stops or breaks. This means Santa's sleigh is moving at 650 miles per second --- 3,000 times the speed of sound. For purposes of comparison, the fastest man-made vehicle, the Ulysses space probe, moves at a poky 27.4 miles per second, and a conventional reindeer can run (at best) 15 miles per hour.

III. The payload of the sleigh adds another interesting element. Assuming that each child gets nothing more than a medium sized Lego set (two pounds), the sleigh is carrying over 500 thousand tons, not counting Santa himself. On land, a conventional reindeer can pull no more than 300 pounds. Even granting that the "flying" reindeer could pull ten times the normal amount, the job can't be done with eight or even nine of them--- Santa would need 360,000 of them. This increases the payload, not counting the weight of the sleigh, another 54,000 tons, or roughly seven times the weight of the Queen Elizabeth (the ship, not the monarch).

IV. 600,000 tons traveling at 650 miles per second creates enormous air resistance --- this would heat up the reindeer in the same fashion as a spacecraft re-entering the earth's atmosphere. The lead pair of reindeer would absorb 14.3 quintillion joules of energy per second each. In short, they would burst into flames almost instantaneously, exposing the reindeer behind them and creating deafening sonic booms in their wake.

The entire reindeer team would be vaporized within 4.26 thousandths of a second, or right about the time Santa reached the fifth house on his trip.

Not that it matters, however, since Santa, as a result of accellerating from a dead stop to 650 m.p.s. in .001 seconds, would be subjected to centrifugal forces of 17,500 g's. A 250 pound Santa (which seems ludicrously slim) would be pinned to the back of the sleigh by 4,315,015 pounds of force, instantly crushing his bones and organs and reducing him to a quivering blob of pink goo.

Therefore, if Santa did exist, he's dead now.

2012 "Apocalypse" is Bunk

This is a great article to read. A few key highlights:

• The galaxy and the sun will not align exactly in 2012, as proposed by the movie.
• Mayans were extremely good astronomers, and very good worshippers, however at the end of the 5000 some year cycle, they expected nothing of the end of the loop. If you heard otherwise, it is not fact.
• The world is more likely to end by a rogue asteroid, nuclear war, or catastrophic national disasters (earthquakes and Mt. St. Helens blowing)
• To my knowledge, neutrino is radioactive decay, NOT something that affects the Earth's poles.
• If a planet were to collide into earth, it would be approaching us, and be CLEARLY visible.
• Hollywood is manipulating you and instilling fear to make money.
• At the same time, Nostradamus is also bunk. Superstitions were much more rampant in ancient times, and none of them were really true. Superstitions play on people's fears, and fear is pervasive throughout the World.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/17/science/17essay.html

Mini Fume Extractor

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=klTfk6L7o6o

The Control Pad- Lets Talk Collections

This is one of those game stores that you won't forget if you are a nostalgic gamer like me. Located in Freemansburg, PA this game store specializes in selling, trading and buying old games and some new ones. This isn't a gamestop but it's not your bazaar market either- there are a plethora of NES, SNES, N64, Dreamcast and PS1 games for sale. Today I picked up Mario Bros 3, Dr. Mario and Gundam Battle Assault 2.


I like to collect things, so you could call me a collector. A collector has a passion for something and begins collecting items of that sort. A baseball card collector probably likes baseball, collects baseball cards and I am sure he collects autographed balls. There is a central theme here- the collector likes baseball. I currently have a collection of:

• Eastern Swords (small)


• 1/35 Scale Military Vehicles/Armor collection ( I build and detail myself)


• 1/350 Model Ship Collection


• NES, SNES, N64, PS1, PS2, DC, GCN and WII collection. I am collecting older NES games and I am at a system and 5 games (Mario Bros, Mario Bros 3, Dr. Mario, F-15 Strike Eagle II, Ninja Gaiden which is HARD)

so I collect models and games- there is a certain fascination to playing card games and table top games that I have. Warhammer 40k is way too expensive for me to maintain so I enjoy the Mechwarrior RPG by Whizkids. I am a card collector as well- but I use them more for play than anything- I play Yu-Gi-Oh!, Magic the Gathering and the World of Warcraft TCG. Card games offer a lot of versatility and strategies to build decks.

Deck building is a lot of fun for me and I like building different decks to play opponents with. Unfortunately not everyone on campus likes WOW or Mechwarrior so I am left out in the cold playing by myself or with others that use my collection. Everyone would rather spend money on games "they know" people play on campus, MTG and Yu-Gi-Oh!. Not venturing to try new games will lead to a stale hobby and metagame.

The gaming crew on campus will play Brawl, Mortal Combat or Soul Caliber 4- they get stale after 3 months straight of play. There is also tension between competitive players who whine when things don't go there way and those who look down on them. This phenomena is destroying the guild on campus. Because I don't like to create enemies, and although I reserve my opinions I choose not to get involved due to some problems with both parties- the guild itself and the competitive players. Folks, getting worked up over a game by yelling, threatening and storming out of a room warrants serious therapy. At the same time, gossip ruins lives. I hope the competitive players and the guild, respectively understand this that we are all acting like a bunch of sissies (well, you guys are!).

I have enjoyed games since I was 3 years old (so 17 years then!). I had an NES with Mario Bros, Dr. Mario and Mario Bros 3. I have purchased another NES (grandmother lost the original one?) and I am enjoying all these fantastic oldies. I loved the PS1 as well, I added Treasures of the Deep, Musashi, Blast Chamber and Coolboarders 2 to my collection. I want to track down Armored Core and Armored Core: Project Phantasma. At one point I had both of these games. Unfortunately the Genesis is packed away somewhere and I recovered my SNES, but no cords, games or game pads.

Perhaps your thing is anime figurines- books, keychains, water guns, airsoft guns, pictures, newspaper pictures, articles, anything can be collected and shared.

Project Vulcan

The EBS-25 "Vulcan" is a new nerf gun released by Hasbro for the holiday season. Folks are buying them up and playing with them, however as they wish to modify them they are neglecting basic ingenuity and elementary physics. Let's investigate.

Belt Modding and Problems to Overcome
Many people find that they can combine multiple belts and feed it through the gun. As you increase each link in the belt, the mass of the belt increases. When you lay the belt across the ground and flat, a normal force acts on the belt and some slight friction. When you "dangle" the belt from the ground, the torque in the belt feeder must work to overcome the extra weight pulling down. In short, if you want to dangle a longer belt, you need to increase the torque on the belt feeder.

Rate of Fire Modifications

While we are increasing torque we might as well increase the rate of fire. To do this you can either replace the motor with a higher voltage one OR do some work to remove the resistance of the belt feeder to rotation (moment of inertia?). The idea is to not have the belt feeder rotate freely (it will reject the belt) but to increase the torque (turning power) on the belt feeder and to have the motor turn faster. In addition to this, changing the spring constant "k" in the plunger mechanism as well as the number of turns "n" and distance "l" will yield a larger displacement of air, thus greater range.

Generalizations

I would love to play with this neat little gizmo, but alas and alack the guns are $39.99 MSRP. I would rather purchase the $20 mechanical rifle and increase the range. Auto is great, but sometimes a simpler non-motor mechanism is much better.

Heroes

My roomate has gotten me hooked onto Heroes- a series being broadcast on NBC. It is a series about ordinary folk with extraordinary powers. There is a group called "the company" that is trying to confine these individuals so that the world does not know about them. Powers range fromt ime travel to time freezes to regeneration to flying to shooting electricity, among many. The series is VERY addicting and I like it- it wasn't half way done and I can't wait until season 3. For some reason, although he is a bad guy I like Adam. I found it very amusing what Hiro did to him in the end of season 2, but I won't elaborate. It is a series worth checking out- I will consider picking up season 1 (has not seen it) when I go to get Lucky Star: DVD 3 next week.

MBTI Personality Profile

According to MBTI and my experiences, I get along with 21.875% of the personality types. All peoples of the world will fit into one of these 16 types.

Gotta get to packing tonight- may be able to post tomorrow- might not be able to. Will be back to full posting in a week or so. We'll see what happens. ~Rob.

DannyChoo.com

Since early 2006 I have been a reader of DannyChoo.com. I first read his Gundam Making Tutorial and I was impressed by his work. After that I clicked around the site and enjoyed it from there- lately there has been a massive explosion of news and articles there from both Danny and other members. Danny's site features articles about living in Japan, Japan itself, Anime, Festival coverage (comiket, wonfes, etc), Figures, Gundam, and of course Anime and everything in between.

The site is a massive collection, and the best description I can give it is that it is a portal for everything I enjoy about Japan. I have learned more about Japan through Danny's blog- if it is even a blog anymore (I think it has grown much bigger). He has recently done a redesign of the website and it is much easier for folks to access it. Check it out if you like anime, gundam, japan, etc, I think you will like it. Be careful though- if you are sensitive to certain things you might want to avoid those sections (echhi, anything partially or barely nude, idols, etc).

Keep up the great work Danny!

DannyChoo.com

Sherbet

Sherbet is an ice cream that originated in Turkey. It originally came from a drink but has made it to the USA in the form of ice cream. The stuff is delicious- I am not sure how to describe its taste but it is quite delicious- it is my favorite flavor of ice cream (chocolate chip mint is next). Although Wikipedia is very vague, "Sherbet "şerbet" in Turkey is a traditional cold drink prepared with rose hips, cornelian cherries, rose or licorice and a variety of spices." I have had sherbet mixed with a lemon flavor (usually in the middle) and it was delicious. I recommend you give this stuff a try- I saw some tonight in the grocery store and bought a small carton to eat over this week- it was only $2.00 USD too! I love this stuff, its fat free and has natural sugars (in english, healthy).

WTF?

I literally said WTF out loud when I saw this. Currently making a weathering tutorial video. Oh well- I guess the internet is the cess pool of the human mind.

Mahandi ande budidippi (The Ketchup Song)

NO! THE INFERNAL SONG!!!!!!

I get my Hot Chocolate and the Funnies!

July 4th- a time where over 200 years ago this country declared it's independence from England. Although July 4th is a time for BBQs and Fireworks, I took the time during the show to reflect on the struggle waged to bring this country to shape and what it meant for me as an American. I am proud of our history and heritage, and launching fireworks is the way to go.

Unfortunately a neighbor did not have that idea. The police were called and as fireworks were going off around us, a lot in the immediate area then stopped because one person had a fit with us, came over and complained. So the fireworks show, 10 minutes in was shut down because of a politically correct moron. So what did we do? We planned to send mail to him sending him our thanks, then someone suggested we go elsewhere! Someone volunteered some property and off we went. We loaded some of the fireworks into the bed of my truck and elsewhere. We had a good drive, but the length was worth it.

We fired off the fireworks listening to country music, drinking our drinks of choice (adults- beer, kids- soda) and sitting among farming equipment. I sat on the patio area for half the show and the neighbor's dog came to visit and sat in my lap as the fireworks went off. When it went away I went to sit on a tractor nearby and I reflected with myself on the meaning of this day. There is no other way to launch fireworks; launching them on remote property was even better, and was absoloutely 110% American. Happy birthday America; there are those of us out there who will spend another year making sure there is a next July 4th.

PS- Chestnut won the annual hotdog eating contest again =p Poor Kobayashi!!