Rabu, 25 Mei 2016

Electronic Light Orchestra The Humboldt Laser Harp Project Launches! Part 1

Yay! The Humboldt Laser Harp microcontroller (MCU) project officially launched today. This Part 1 post about the project will give a short introduction, then Ill cover some more of the details in tomorrows post.

Ever since the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group was started back in May of this year, Ive wanted to have a couple people from the Group get together and collaborate on an MCU project. It didnt matter too much what it was, I just wanted to get the example and tradition of people coming up with a project, designing the hardware and software, figuring out how to get the components and other resources need to build the project, then debugging the first version and making iterative improvements until we had a pretty cool or interesting result.
Laser harp designed for crowd interaction

As Ive written this blog and during the biweekly Humboldt Microcontrollers Group meetings, Ive been suggesting various topics to try and get a couple people interested in one of them to the point where a project group (even just two people) would form. What I was sort of doing was throwing MCU projects against the kitchen cupboards or wall(?) like spaghetti to see if theyd stick. And one finally stuck -- at least to the point where three of us met today to determine if we wanted to actually start working together on an MCU project. And the answer to that question was, "Yes."

Laser harp with PVC pipe frame
So, Id like to introduce you to the Humboldt Laser Harp (HLH). It is the first MCU electronic musical instrument in the Electronic Light Orchestra of Humboldt County. Maybe we should call it the Humboldt Electronic Light Orchestra (HELO) so people dont get us confused with the band ELO (Electric Light Orchestra). Ill go into more detail about why the light orchestra part of the name will be appropriate when I post Part 2 or Part 3 of this series. Ill also mention other possible MCU musical instruments for the Electronic Light Orchestra, some of which have been in previous posts.

If youre reading this post and are not familiar with laser harps, take a look at my post from June titled, "Microcontrollers And A Humboldt Laser Harp." If you dont want to read that, just look for  laser harp  on Google and on YouTube.

Here are a few of the basic facts of the project:

Makezine laser harp (http://makezine.com/projects/laser-harp/)
  • Right now there are three of us on the project: Ed Smith, Nick A, and Bob Waldron.
  • As the project develops, Hal W and others might join in on the project.
  • Ed is the lead for code and basic project design. For most questions about the project, Ed is the gatekeeper. [July 19 update: the best way to contact Ed about the project is to talk to him in person at one of the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group meetings. If you cant do that, email him at bobnova (at) humboldtmicro {dott} com.]
  • Nick is the lead person for building the harp frame.
  • The HLH v.1.0 will reside at Nicks house.
  • Im going to sketch up some type of a black mini booth or covering designed to help see the laser beams when the laser harp is not in a darkened room.
  • As indicated above, well use GitHub for the code repository and versioning, and for remote project collaboration. We discussed other options, such as DropBox, Google Docs, Texas Instruments Energia, or other services Ed might prefer that Nick and I are also ok with. Ed didnt have a strong preference, and Nick likes GitHub, so thats what we using, at least for now.
  • The project will be open source, both software and hardware, to the extent possible. The parts that arent truly open source will be transparent as far as all the code and components being identified. If someone else wants to replicate what weve done, theyll be welcome to do so. (Of course, we might change our tune when someone offers us a lot of money to buy our ideas, laser harps or other MCU electronic musical instruments...)
  • Bob will work with Josh Cowles or others to figure out the appropriate open source licenses to put on the pieces of this project that can accurately be called open source.
  • Were probably going to have six lasers in version 1.0 of the HLH, but well think about MCU and other hardware capabilities in terms of being able to easily expand the design to a twelve laser harp and put in hooks or code blocks that make it easy to convert the programs from six-laser to a twelve-laser design.
  • Nick will put a post about the project on the Humboldt Makers Google Group mailing list, and possibly on online sites that could give the project favorable visibility.
A true laser harp
In tomorrows post, Ill cover some of the other details discussed in todays meeting. If you have questions or comments about the HLH, send them to me at arcatabob (at) gmail {dott} com.

If you know of other people in Humboldt County who have already built a laser harp or who play a laser harp, please share their contact info with me, or at least their name. Wed love to connect and talk laser harp technology with them.

We look forward to a long and illustrious career for the Electronic Light Orchestra of Humboldt!

**********

Where Oh Where have all the Fridays gone

Before I retired I used to look forward all week for Friday. This was the big goal in my life and Friday was always the longest day of the week. Now all that has gone. Now every day could be almost the same as every other day. So we need to be careful. Making sure that there is enough variety in our week so we can always differentiate between them. You know, when you think about it, Possibly its things like lost Fridays that could be a contributing factor in elderly illnesses and maybe depression. Golleeee Maybe Ive just had a medical breakthrough.
Shut up and get to work:

Aquaponics as an Energy Source
Aha!  I prbably got lots of you with that title!  Hehe.  You are probably wondering what in the world I am talking about.  I know it is a bit deceiving, but its what came to mind as I wanted to blog some more about my aquaponics experience.  Aquaponics has certainly been a personal energy source for me, hence the...

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Aquaponics for Beginners
By Michael Harradine


Aquaponics is a great way for beginners to get into organic food growth. A system is very easy to set up and can be as big or as small as you want.

If you are a total beginner and this is your first crack at aquaponics then I suggest you start small. This is because when you are new to something mistakes are easily made and...

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fish / vegetables through aquaponics
By brent | Published: February 7, 2011

Nelson and Pade, Inc. has begun construction on a Living Food BankTM aquaponic system at the Northwest Haiti Christian Mission. The system is complete with a tropical greenhouse and stand-alone energy system. The aquaponic system is designed to grow tilapia, a fresh water fish and a variety of vegetables. This is the first phase of a large-scale project.
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Aquaponics Online Classes
For everyones convenience, we now offer our Introduction to Aquaponics course online. This course covers all of the material normally covered in our Denver based class.  The course is split into two sessions with each session being approximately two hours in length.

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Aquaponics using Recycled Materials
An Improved Small Scale Aquaponics System Design for Fish and Vegetable Cultivation Using Recycled Materials

This project was done by my students in Muntinlupa National High School, with me as their research adviser.
(Researchers: Picardal, Regalario, Granada, Mendoza)
Through the course of the study of...


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Six Great Midwestern Farmers
GOOD EARTH: By this time of year, one of the advantages of living in the Midwest is abundantly clear: farmers’ markets in every corner of Chicago brim with the season’s freshest offerings. Meet six dedicated land lovers who make summer delicious
By Karin Horgan Sullivan

Growing Power: Will Allen

Most of us don’t expect that performing a simple act of kindness will someday lead to recognition as a genius (by the MacArthur Foundation), showers of money (more than $1 million in grant funds), and working relationships with a former president (Bill Clinton) and a current First Lady (Michelle Obama). But that’s what happened to Will Allen, former professional basketball player and...
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Growing Future Farmers
Ag tourism, marketing leaders are planting, watering seeds of interest with isle students
February 13, 2011 - By KEHAULANI CERIZO, Staff Writer
Save | Bookmark and Share

KAHULUI - At first glance, its hard to recognize the plot of land in Kahului filled with weeds, grass and natural debris. On second look, a couple picnic benches come into view and the nearby area, which was once a thriving banana plantation, becomes slightly more discernible.

However - the only thing Pomai and Lani Weigert see at the Maui High School farmland - is potential, acres and acres of it.
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Fishing for jobs
Aquaculture could hold potential for growth
Americans consume an average of just under 16 pounds of seafood per person a year, making the United States the worlds third largest consumer of fish and shell fish - behind China and Japan.

Yet 84 percent of our seafood is imported, according to the U.S. Commerce Departments National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Ten years ago, only about....
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Advantages Of Aquaponics Over Hydroponics
By Allen M Wilson Platinum Quality Author
Hydroponics has become a popular way to grow plants and it has its advantages. But there are also some disadvantages that have turned many people off from hydroponics. Aquaponics is quickly becoming an an alternative to conventional hydroponics for growing truly organic food and...
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Aquaponics 101 Part Three: The System, Continued
Via American Preppers Network
Post by:  AquaponicsUSA

This is the third in a series of posts that are...
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    Aquaponic Trainings
Green Acre Organics offers trainings from micro systems to commercial systems. As a Friendly Aquaponics affiliate, Green Acre Organics teaches the same courses in Florida as offered in Hawaii.
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And now one or two Associated items
Ideas for a Sustainable World: Envisioning Beauty and Abundance
The following is an excerpt from Beautiful and Abundant: Building the World We Want by Bryan Welch (B&A Books, 2010). Through telling the stories of farmers, gardeners, inventors and entrepreneurs, Beautiful and Abundant cuts through the pessimism and denial that tend to pervade today’s discussions of sustainability, and...

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Ginger: A Natural Remedy for Motion Sickness
Ginger is a great remedy for motion sickness and troubled tummies. Cultivated for millennia in the Far East, this useful root was approved by the German Commission E to prevent motion sickness and dyspepsia.[MORE]

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Soon My Friends
Take Care
O Z Z I E

Selasa, 24 Mei 2016

å±ˆå°ºè¾²å ´ä¸Šé›»è¦–å›‰!

?????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????!



How to wear a shirt



Should I return the map??



First Id like to announce that I pray for the day where I found out Im adopted...as my family is too stupid for me to be related to...

And my sister...beyond annoying. I mean damn...act your age, not my shortest friends shoe size (which is 6 I believe)

Anyway...was playing some Earthbound a while ago...great game.

So what brings me to the internet today is a little different. I have actually come here to try to figure out how to wear a shirt.

yep you read that right.

Its mostly because I have an interview with Macys...a clothing store...and dont want to look too stupid there.

So its the perfectionist coming out in me.

well its more like Im looking for what to wear. Do I wear something on the more casual me-ish side or do I completely dress to impress?

I have yet to tell my family cause they are soooo fucking annoying that Id rather be homeless than deal with them squealing like headless pigs about me needing to look perfect.

why you dont have a girlfriend



KEY - because the picture didnt show up all the way

Im only average looking, but have a fun personality.

Im shy around girls, but great once I get to know them.

I dont hang out with the popular crowd but have fun, close friends.

I cant afford to buy her nice things, but Im willing to put the time and effort.

Im a level 80 Paladin

Ok let me clarify this one a little bit.

Its not because this person has a level 80 WoW character (btw 85 is the new 80) but because he has a level 80 Paladin. You see Paladins are ridiculous characters that have pretty good strength, can heal, resurrect, buff the crap out of themselves, and are basically effing cheating gay blurbs that are best used for starters. Yes I know I have a blood Elf Paladin...she is ridiculous.

So the reason these people dont have a girlfriend isnt because they play WoW enough to get to level 80 but because they want to get to a goal without working as hard as everyone else (AKA Bill Gates-ish). Oh and the fact he is calling himself a level 80 Paladin...is it the only character? What a loser. He is not a level 80 but his character is. Hopefully he doesnt run around like a douche with his level 80 Paladin and has created another character =]

有趣、好玩的DIY「魚菜共生」訓練又來囉!

DIY??????????

??: 2012/9/16 (?) 9:00~12:00

  ??: ???? (?????????102-1?) 

  ??: ??+???NT3800?  

????: 9/5???????3500?
  3???????: ??3000?


Senin, 23 Mei 2016

Welcome To Humboldt Laser Harp In Detail

[Tonights post is by Ed Smith, participant in the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group.]

In this post well go through the Humboldt Makers Groups Humboldt Laser Harp (HLH) in rather more detail than we have previously.

If youre not familiar with the concept of a laser harp YouTube has plenty of videos of different styles, or of course you can keep reading and get familiar that way. This is our harp:


We opted for a closed-frame harp rather than an open frame, as the closed frame struck us as an easier proposition. It also gives us control over the laser path, rather than letting it head off into the ether. Important for harps that will be played outdoors (as ours is) or near airports / airplane flight paths.

For lasers we opted for super cheap laser pointers from the local dollar store; at a buck per laser this beat mainstream suppliers prices by a huge margin.
Mounting the whole laser would be difficult, and those batteries dont last very long, so Nick ripped them open and hacked away most of the PCB, leaving us with a much more manageable package.
Those of you familiar with LEDs / laser diodes and button cell batteries may be able to guess what happened next.
We read the battery spec, 1.5v each, and fed the lasers ~4.5v. What we failed to consider was the internal resistance and resulting voltage drop of the button cell batteries.

The lasers looked amazing, for about half an hour.
Then they started to burn out. Oops.

After replacing the dead and dying lasers Nick did more testing and we eventually solved this by running the lasers on 3.3 volts, which seems to work well. Unfortunately more lasers were damaged during testing and we ran out of time to replace them, resulting in a few "strings" that didnt work well in direct sunlight. Oh well.
We are debating different methods of laser amperage control for future harp designs.
To hold the Lasers Nick designed and 3D printed some lovely adjustable mounts for them.

The corks hold the top end of a spring, which pushes the mounts against their legs (screws) and against the harp frame. By turning the screws the aim of the laser is easily adjustable. I failed to take a picture of a mount up close, but you can see the general idea.

On the bottom side each laser hits a light sensitive resistor (LDR) light sensor, each sensor has a 3D printed holder and light guide tube.

The black heatshrink around the tube helps block out ambient light and results in a stronger signal from the laser. This turned out to be crucial when operating the harp in daylight outdoors.

To convince the harp to stand upright we turned to Gordon, who hit the scrap yard and attacked what he found with his MIG welder. The result was a very stable base that complimented Nicks choice of an industrial theme wonderfully.
The rear screen is held in place by a pair of wing nuts, allowing us easy access to the center area. This center area will eventually hold the electronics package as well as some light effects.

The combination of mild steel base and aluminum body gives the harp a very low center of gravity and makes it quite stable. I was very happy about this when sitting behind it at the recent maker fair, as the road had a fair crown to it and we had the harp on a card cable. If it was inclined to tip it would have been a very nervous time for me!

To finish off the hardware side of the harp, heres a view from the rear.

I was in charge of the electronics package for the harp, I used a Texas Instruments Stellaris Launchpad microcontroller board for the brains. The primary reason I chose that board is that it has 12 analog inputs, making the job of reading 12 LDRs much easier. This project could be done with a microcontroller with fewer analog inputs, but you would need to use an external ADC or some comparators to turn the analog voltage from the LDRs into a digital signal.
To the right you can see the finished, prototype, electronics package. I used some perfboard to make a BoosterPack (what TI calls expansion boards, Arduino calls them Shields) for the LaunchPad. This simplified my design somewhat and made it easy to swap a new MCU into place if I accidentally blew this one up. Thankfully I didnt, but it was nice to have the option anyway.

Most of the board consists of 12 copies of a very simple circuit. The 15 pin connector has one pin for positive voltage to the lasers, one ground pin, one "feature / effects" pin that is not currently in use, and then 12 pins that go to the LDRs. The circuit on the perfboard has a variable resistor that feeds voltage to the LDR pins, and a second wire that goes to the analog inputs.


Having a variable resistor doing the high side of the voltage divider means that we can adjust the sensitivity of the sensors to match the strength (and aim) of the lasers. This is important when some lasers are new and happy and some are half dead! Also included in that circuit is a 0.1µF capacitor to help prevent EMI issues. Whether this is actually needed or not is unknown, but the result worked well so Im leaving them in place.

The other two circuits on the perfboard connect the MIDI output port to the microcontrollers second TTL Serial channel, and connect the +3.3V pin to the lasers via a MOSFET. This gives the microcontroller control over the lasers, a useful feature for automatic calibration.

Lastly, the code. I wrote the firmware for the laser harp in the Energia IDE. Energia is a fork of the Arduino IDE that is aimed at the TI Launchpad series of microcontrollers. Most simple programs can be copied straight across from Arduino to Energia and back, though you do need to change the pin definitions. Energia also has ports of many Arduino libraries, making things even simpler.
Im going to describe the code and then post a link to it on GitHub rather than inserting it in this post.

The code is aimed at being easily adjustable for different numbers of "strings". Its main loop checks the status of one string, if the string status has changed it finds an open MIDI port and sends the Note On or Note Off message to the external MIDI synthesizer. If it has not changed, it does nothing. After that it increments the string counter and goes through the loop again, check the next strings status.

This loop takes between 67 and 1050 microseconds, or 0.067 - 1.05 milliseconds if you prefer. Not very long. The variation in time largely comes from whether it needs to send MIDI messages or not. The code is set to send the entire message before it goes through the next loop, to prevent against buffer overflow. This probably isnt necessary, but I didnt want it crashing in its first public outing!

The Launchpad has two pushbuttons on it. One of them activates a now partially defunct programming mode that allows you to set the MIDI Velocity variable (how hard the "string" is plucked) and the threshold for the analog inputs that defines what is a HIGH and what is a LOW signal from the LDRs. The MIDI Velocity is still in place; the global threshold has been removed in favor of each "string" having its own threshold.

The second button is used to set those thresholds. It first turns off all the lasers and reads the analog voltage from each LDR, then turns all the lasers on and reads the LDR voltages again. The threshold for each string is set to the mid point between the two readings.

This change to the code fixed the majority of the issues we had on the Humboldt Laser Harps first outing.

The trimmer resistors still need to be adjusted to give a good voltage range, but once they are adjusted to match the laser you dont have to do it again. Previously, every time the ambient light conditions changed, you had to redo all 12 trimmers, which took long enough that the ambient light conditions had typically changed again by the time I had finished.

You can find the code here: GitHub Code Link.

As we upgrade the Humboldt Laser Harp well make new posts about it here on the blog.

--Ed Smith

**********

SAD BLOG

This blog features Hachiko...scroll down to read about him.

Well first we are going to start about an update to what happened.

Vicky Sue...the gf of manslut.

Yeah me and thim both agree that manslut is totally using Vicky Jo.

It sucks cause Vicky Jo is really cool but dunno how to tell her...about Mary Sue. If you arent sure what I mean consult Takas blog.

EFF YOU MANSLUT. I DIDNT MIND YOU TILL NOW! NO WONDER NOBODY LIKES YOU.

anyway now for a story that is just tragic...and not about mansluts.
Its about a dog.

His name was Hachik? and he was an akita that lived in Tokyo.



Yes he has his own statue in Japan.

copied from Wiki...yeah its pretty accurate

In 1924, Hachik? was brought to Tokyo by his owner Hidesabur? Ueno, a professor in the agriculture department at the University of Tokyo. During his owners life Hachik? saw him off from the front door and greeted him at the end of the day at the nearby Shibuya Station. The pair continued their daily routine until May 1925, when Professor Ueno did not return on the usual train one evening. The professor had suffered a stroke at the university that day. He died and never returned to the train station where his friend was waiting. Hachik? was given away after his masters death, but he routinely escaped, showing up again and again at his old home. Eventually, Hachik? apparently realised that Professor Ueno no longer lived at the house. So he went to look for his master at the train station where he had accompanied him so many times before. Each day, Hachik? waited for Professor Ueno to return. And each day he did not see his friend among the commuters at the station.The permanent fixture at the train station that was Hachik? attracted the attention of other commuters. Many of the people who frequented the Shibuya train station had seen Hachik? and Professor Ueno together each day. They brought Hachik? treats and food to nourish him during his wait. This continued for 10 years, with Hachik? appearing only in the evening time, precisely when the train was due at the station.


Hachik? died on March 8, 1935. He was found on a street in Shibuya. His heart was infected with filarial worms and 3–4 yakitori sticks were found in his stomach. His stuffed and mounted remains are kept at the National Science Museum of Japan in Ueno, Tokyo.


This doesnt mean we should all go out and get Akitas though. They are a very dominant breed and will likely eat you if you arent 100% sure on what you are doing...or youre over confident. So lets just admire their beauty on here.




These dogs are HIGH on the euthanasia list...like up there with pit bulls and rotties. Im not saying never own one just be experienced...but if you do then adopt...

Minggu, 22 Mei 2016

8 Jeremy Blum Video SPI Serial Peripheral Interface Bus

The topic of this Thursdays Humboldt Microcontrollers Group meeting is the #8 Jeremy Blum Arduino video tutorial, which covers SPI, the Serial Peripheral Interface data bus.
Jeremys SPI diagram

Wikipedia says this about SPI:
"...SPI bus is a synchronous serial data link...that operates in full duplex mode. It is used for short distance, single master communication, for example in embedded systems, sensors, and SD cards. Devices communicate in master/slave mode where the master device initiates the data frame. Multiple slave devices are allowed with individual slave select lines. Sometimes SPI is called a four-wire serial bus, contrasting with three-, two-, and one-wire serial buses. SPI is often referred to as SSI (Synchronous Serial Interface)."
During the #8 video exercise, you will build a program using SPI, doing things like including the SPI library, setting the slave select pins, and sending information on the SPI bus with the SPI.transfer command. Going through this exercise doesnt make you an SPI expert, but it does help you learn a few basic aspects of SPI. For a more thorough background on this topic, take the time to go through the SparkFun tutorial on SPI.

AD5204BN10 digital potentiometer
In addition to SPI, the #8 video also introduces digital potentiometers. The digipot used in the #8 video is an AD5204BN10, which appears to be discontinued, obsolete or just very rare, so most people doing the exercise in this video will have to use an alternative digital potentiometer. I spent ten or fifteen minutes on Digi-Key trying to find an alternative component that was equivalent to the AD5204BN10 but finally decided Ill just wait to discuss that at the meeting on Thursday.

In the meantime, I did a bit of research on digital potentiometers so Id understand a little more about how they work and when to use them. Analog Devices has a tutorial on digipots, and since they made the one that Jeremy uses in the video, I decided the AD tutorial was a good place to start. Nine pages later I decided I was wrong. The AD tutorial was written for an electrical engineer, not a novice electronics person. Electronic Design (ED) had a much better newbie introduction to digipots. ED said:
Breadboard setup for #8 video exercise
"Digital potentiometers are integrated circuits that implement a resistive ladder and a digital means of addressing a particular tap on the ladder that corresponds to the wiper position of a mechanical potentiometer. They’re used to calibrate system tolerances or dynamically control system parameters. Some of them have no on-chip memory. Others incorporate nonvolatile memory for saving the wiper position...What advantages do digital potentiometers have over mechanical pots? Obviously, digital pots can be operated in a closed control loop, and they don’t require physical access for adjustment. In addition, they offer higher resolution than mechanical pots, along with better reliability and stability, faster adjustment, better dynamic control, and a smaller footprint."
Jeremys use for the digital potentiometer in the #8 video exercise is to vary the input voltage to LEDs to change their brightness. I dont know if thats a typical application for a digital potentiometer, but its a good way to learn about this component.

If youre interested in microcontrollers, please come to the Humboldt Microcontrollers Group meeting this Thursday, July 24, from 6 to 8 PM at 1385 8th Street, Arcata, California, USA. Bring your questions and your enthusiasm -- we look forward to seeing you there!

**********

B blog I think so!

this blog was originally about Adam...and he said "Make this blog about Adam playing L4D2 DEMO while he is playing vs. on the Demo" and he says Fuck You Jacob....

-_-

Adam youre an attention whore.

So I really like the name Raine...which is something he picked out. Well I love it except it is really hard to find a middle name for.

I asked Thim and this is what she came up with
Raine May
Raine Elizabeth
Raine Elliot (thim Elliot is a boys name...still lol)
Raine Emily
Raine Addie
Raine Annie
Raine Paige
Raine Anabelle
and someone said Raine Noelle

men always pick the hardest names.

Maybe Raine Annette....

I really love Danae as a name (It originally has an accent...so Danaë) and Zarah (Zara) just cayse they sound cool...and are exotic as well as Sonora and Tenaya. But...out of all boy names...I still favor Orion :O and have started to favor Dante. My only problem with Dante is the first Dante I met was an annoying black kid who I wanted to punt cause of his short size. Tenaya...was a girl in high school who was very...well...out there, a stoner, got knocked up, and dropped out of high school...lol. I severley started to favor Dante as a boys name when Adam suggested it.


so Yup...at Adams house. He totally wanted me to write a blog about him. He made me dinner...it was super filling and awesomely delicious. My stomach hurts though -no fault of his- and not sure what I want to write about. Kinda wanna cuddle with this blanket that I used to hate cause it would spit out feathers.

And I kinda want him to come warm me up but he is playing video games...being all chippy like.

So now time to have a binary conversation with Thim on facebook <3

The Weekend is near and I Need the Rest

This has been a huge week that everyone here in South East Queensland will be glad to put to bed as soon as we can. There is so much heartache and in some areas the smell is sickening. But I need to not dwell on this and deal with what is at hand.

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This is unbelievable news about aquaponics. Here is the system for anyone: poor and rich alike.
Saves you your quality of life, your time, your resources, and many more.
Enter aquaponics, the whole of food gardening which has a small but growing group of followers, not least because its advantages seem almost too good for being true. An aquaponics installation requires no soil, scant water (two-ten percent of what’s employed in usual vegetable garden), a modest financial outlay and minimal maintenance. There’s no coping with pesticides, and also the system is sustainable and straightforward to set up. For gardeners alert to..... 

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How Aquaponics Changes the Game
- Waist-high aquaponic gardening eliminates weeds, back strain and animal access to your garden.
- Reuse resources currently considered “waste”. There is no more toxic run-off from either hydroponics or aquaculture.
- Uses only 1/10th of the water of soil-based gardening, and even less water than recirculating aquaculture.
- Watering is integral to the system. You can’t under-water or over-water.
- Fertilizing is also integral to the system. You can’t over-fertilize or under-fertilize.
- Gardening chores are cut down dramatically or eliminated. The aquaponic grower only does 

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Aquaponics system is the most sustainable food production system in our world today. Aquaponics in a dynamic, natural, pond-type eco-system, produces both fish and organic vegetables; thus producing 2 streams of income. Aquaponics systems provide controlled environment where aquaculture (fish breeding/growing) and hydroponics (soil less plant growing) is integrated together in a symbiotic habitat. It is composed of a water re-circulating environment where the fish and plants live symbiotically. Both light and temperature are carefully controlled in an aquaponic system....

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Send in the clones: Popular scion exchange could produce hundreds of fruit trees

By nadia drake


APTOS -- Some of the tastiest fruits cant be bought. Not because theyre too expensive, but because they dont exist in stores. However, they can be grown -- cloned, actually -- by the average backyard gardener.
On Jan. 16, the Monterey Bay chapter of the California Rare Fruit Growers will host a scion exchange, where cuttings from fruit trees -- called scions -- will be available to buy and graft onto root stocks. There also will be a short grafting workshop, and custom trees can be created on the spot.
Fusing a scion to a root stock produces a clone of the scions donor tree, with the same tasty fruit -- like, for example, the funny-looking, scrumptious Allens Everlasting apple, which is not available at the neighborhood Safeway...

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By Catherine Porter Columnist
CROIX-DES-BOUQUETS, HAITI—By the time he was 4, Carlos Desir’s parents had died. His uncle and aunt, who adopted him, said only that they fell ill.
Then, late on the afternoon of Jan. 12, the earthquake that cleaved Port-au-Prince brought down his second home. His aunt, uncle and three cousins were crushed to death.
Next week marks the anniversary of the earthquake and, for 13-year-old Carlos, better times with families Nos. 3 and 4. The third is a group of orphaned and abandoned kids in an idyllic new children’s home on the city’s edge. The fourth — and most unlikely of all his families — is that of Air Canada’s chief operating officer, Duncan Dee, two plane rides away in Ottawa....

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Why is there very little take up of Aquaponics in the commercial arena around the world? Is it lack of knowledge, too new and unknown or just too hard to make it work profitably?

Its not to do with making it work properly; it has been put to bed by now that this technology works and works well. My work at University and in New Zealand shows categorically that you can match, and even sometimes better, hydroponic plant growth rates and the harvest quality of the plants. Its more about whether it is financially viable or not. All commercial entities need to...

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Aquaponics update. Added a strawberry tube to the big aquaponics system and a new 200L bed to the small greenhouse system. Both systems running well with plant growth that is amazing. A few pics. Posted by Richard at 10:15 AM ...


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What kind of aquaponics supplies do you need to get started?....Trying to find out what kind of Aquaponics Supplies you need in order to make your very first aquaponics garden?  Im going to go over a few of the supplies that are needed below, and I will help you to get started by recommending a step by step guide that will allow you to start gardening with aquaponics by tomorrow.  I hope this article helps, lets get started below...

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I want to know if aquaponics can be made into a profitable business model to replace or change "agrabusiness". I am for the decentralization of food, but will aquaponics be compatible with our modern world. Or would it be better suited towards home use...

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This is a short one for the weekend. Ill try to make it up to you on Monday.
Please take care and Be Safe
OZZIE  

THE DIGEST COVERING AQUAPONIC NEWS

WELCOME TO ANY NEW READERS AND WELCOME BACK TO MY REGULARS.

Wisconsin Aquaculture Day Planned for July 16
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 06/30/2011

The Wisconsin Aquaculture Association, along with member fish farms, is celebrating the Fourth Annual State Wide Open House on July 16. With the increase in public awareness of their food sources, the fish farmers of Wisconsin are opening their doors to the public, promoting Wisconsin aquaculture and explaining the importance of locally grown, fresh and safe fish.[more]


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http://www.backyardaquaponics.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=47&t=9183&view=next
Aquaponics, growing fish and vegetables in your own backyard. ... News & Information, International, Australian, Aquaponics in Schools, Links & Downloads


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MyReviews Now Online Shopping Introduces a Variation in Gardening with "Aquaponics 4 You" on Sale Now
  Los Angeles, CA, June 29, 2011 --(PR.com)-- Aquaponics is essentially the controlled establishment of a natural, mutually beneficial ecosystem between fish and plants. As it concerns growing plants, it is the most efficient hybrid of aqua culture and hydroponics.[MORE]
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To answer the dire need surrounding global food shortages, New Unified Realty will invest in hydroponics and Aquaponics. By becoming a front runner in Hydroponic growing systems, eMax Worldwide will experiment and manufacture hydroponics and Aquaponics systems to maximize potential yields of produce and fish. This produce and fish will then be sold to the wholesale and retail markets.[MORE]
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Employment and internship opportunities at the Cape Eleuthera Island School  
ELEUTHERA, Bahamas -- The Cape Eleuthera Island School is an organization that promotes place-based education, scientific research, community leadership, and scientific technologies. Our students and staff share ecologically sustainable campus as we live and work together to solve problems surrounding our immediate local. [MORE]

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Offering up the inside story of a mentorship program

Three years of facilitating Muskoka Futures’ Innovation Muskoka mentorship project has given me a heartfelt respect for our community’s business professionals, who came forward to lend their time, thought, and compassion to entrepreneurs facing the challenges of establishing and building a business.
Mentors help shape their partners’ marketing plans, administrative techniques, financial management, technological applications – as well as being the supportive shoulder that builds confidence.
The following portrait of one mentoring partnership echoes many similar experiences.
In April 2010, Steve and Sharon Bacon built an aquaponics system (integrating fish culture with hydroponic gardening) in their backyard greenhouse in Port Sydney. [MORE]

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Going Green: Aquaponics
Terry talks aquaponics in this edition of Going Green.
Michael Amadori is working on a project that involves fish, leftovers and several heads of lettuce. No, hes not preparing a meal. Using aquaponics, Amadori is testing the use of food waste to grow fish and food. Hes using the leftovers to feed the fish. The leftovers are dried and molded into pellets. The idea is to utilize food scraps that would normally go to waste. [MORE]

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2011-06-24: Louis Primavera, Ph.D., Aquaponics
Aquaponics is the utilization of fish culture water as a source of nutrients for the growth of greens and vegetables in a closed-loop system.
It is well known that aquaponic cultivation of greens and vegetables makes the best use of limited resources (land and water) which would be a most appropriate practice on our Island of Oahu.[MORE]

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Eye on Unemployment: Milwaukee

In the first of a new series on how unemployment is affecting African-Americans, BET.com looks at Milwaukee and what’s being done to get people working.
By Danielle Wright

As of two months ago the taskforce has been able to secure and disperse funding for its first jobs initiative through a resolution proposed by Zielinski and passed by the federal government. The initiative was a partnership with Will Allen, an urban agricultural farmer and MacArthur genius grant recipient. Allen, an agronomic and aquaponics pioneer and founder of Growing Power, Inc., built a farm in the middle of a Milwaukee residential neighborhood in 1993.[MORE]

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YouTube - Aquaponics and Container Gardening in JeddahThis is an updated video on my Aquaponics and Gardening journey while in Saudi Arabia. I now have 3 AP systems, some plants have died ... [MORE]
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Types of Fish for Aquaponics
By Kyla Chele Cambrooke, eHow Contributor

Types of Fish for Aquaponicsthumbnail Growers can grow trout in an aquaponic system.

Aquaponics is a bio-integrated system that connects circulating aquaculture with producing hydroponic flowers, fish, herbs and vegetables, according to the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas. [MORE]
 
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 MORE GREAT ARTICLES, REPORTS AND SITES SOON
HAVE A GREAT DAY
O Z Z I E

as coy as a fish

Not really...

Let me tell you something world...I LIKE GIRLS. I do. I mean not only girls (hence why I have a boyfriend) but yeah before him, I hit on waay more girls than guys. There is a good friend of mine. She is pretty (not bi or lesbian) but one thing I cannot stand about her is she makes decisions that get her into trouble and drinks...a lot. Tipsy every week at least is too much for me. I severely worry about all of my friends that drink. Even if I were totally into her, these two things (ESPECIALLY the drinking) would turn me off in a heartbeat.

So let me tell you about this girl. First she sleeps with a slut...a guy that practically sticks it in everything. Well whatever. Today she told me that she went to a party last weekend and made out with four people, one being the girlfriend of the guy she was fooling with. Seeing as there were speaks of a small porno with this girlfriend being in a lesbo scene, that didnt shock me one bit. What made me give a yuck face was the fact it was like an achievement to make out with four people in one night!

just my opinion...that isnt cool unless youre in an organized foursome/orgy.

But I still love her. BFF for life I guess.

Anyway...something I think is interesting.People hate on goldfish as pond fish because they poop a lot. Koi, however, are seen as beautiful pond fish that are never hated on. A bit racist I think. Koi will destroy your pond plants, goldfish wont. The only differences between the two? Koi is a pretty common carp while goldfish are pretty much a domestic carp. They are cheaper and most pond fish will grow only about a foot smaller than those koi things. Buut most people till see koi as better. This is a picture of my favorite type of goldfish called Shubunkin goldfish.



This is my favorite type of Koi which goes by butterfly koi (but also sometimes dragon koi or American koi)



Both start out around the same price and end up around the same price when theyre large. Both have long flowing fins. Difference? One will bond with you like a dog (koi) and the other wont destroy your pond plants.

I want my goldfish to be near my outdoor altar (whenever that happens.) I guess it is good goldfish arent as friendly because the last thing I want is to draw too many visitors to my private space. Koi? I might get those when I have children so we can enjoy the pond as a family. Call me backasswards but that means my goldfish will be my prized fish.

But what is prized shouldnt be based on race now should it?

Aquaponics News Highlights


A perfect week downunder. Wonderful weather, our Aussie Dollar is still boyant and our politicians seem to be behaving themselves. The big worry here at the moment is Schoolies Week. Yes this is the week when Grade 12 School leavers decide in their droves to let their hair down. Unfortunately they also decend on the Gold Coast here in Queensland and it usually becomes a very wild week with headaches for the Police, Parents, Local Residents Oh yes and a lot of the Kids. Hopefully this year might be a little quieter.

Now to work.....

First offering comes from Murray Hallams Blog.

How to get started in Aquaponics – Rules-of-Thumb.

Welcome to Green Sky Growers

Visiting an Aquaponic Farm Near my Home in Bedford 

The Definition of Aquaponics - It could have been a real hornet’s nest.

Check out Aquaponics on Union Street

 Aquaponic E-Book Collection

The time has given me the chance to finally return to the aquaponics unit! There is only so much time I cans spend on my other projects (Magician Christian Cagigal, The Tall Blog, Hot Nerd Girl, Ken Rocks My World) that don’t require much getting dirty before I really want to pick up a power tool and MAKE something.
Nelson & Pade, a Wisconsin-based aquaponics company, recently traveled to Haiti to launch an aquaponics system that can grow vegetables and fish to help feed people.

I have read several books and researched the websites on this subject and it is more than what anyone can hope.
The merging of two independent technologies that become a model of life in the real world. Aquaponics merges the famracolocy of fish farming along with plant farming...without the use of soil.

On August 23, Tim Evans, a Nazarene involved in ministry in Jerusalem, went to Jerusalem to research a system for growing fruits and vegetables in water-scarce areas in the Middle East

Charlie Shultzs Page -Aquaponic Gardening - A Community and Forum For Aquaponic Gardeners

 Heres several more Aquaponic PDFs

More On Monday
Have a Good Weekend
OZZIE