Hobby Projects

I just recently found this gem of a site.  This is a great place for those interested in learning more about electronics to start.  The site is full of introductory tutorials on many subjects that are key for would-be circuit benders and hackers.  I definitely recommend you check it out!

http://www.hobbyprojects.com/

 - JM

Help the Maasai people!

If there is one this I am against, it is fat cats rolling into an area, buying everything, and kicking out the people who lived there since anyone else could remember.  That is exactly what might happen in Tanzania.  A bunch of rich Arab princes want to spice up their lives with some lion hunting, so the proposal to purchase a large land area is underway.  Unfortunately the area is already occupied by the Maasai people.  If you would like to help out in any small way, the least you can do is read more on the topic, and click the link to this online petition.  If enough people sign the petition, the president of Tanzania could actually reconsider this move.  So what are you waiting for?

Click here to sign petition

Posted: 10 August  2012
At any moment, a big-game hunting corporation could sign a deal which would force up to 48,000 members of Africa’s famous Maasai tribe from their land to make way for wealthy Middle Eastern kings and princes to hunt lions and leopards. Experts say the Tanzanian President’s approval of the deal may be imminent, but if we act now, we can stop this sell-off of the Serengeti. 

The last time this same corporation pushed the Maasai off their land to make way for rich hunters, people were beaten by the police, their homes were burnt to a cinder and their livestock died of starvation. But when a press controversy followed, Tanzanian President Kikwete reversed course and returned the Maasai to their land. This time, there hasn’t been a big press controversy yet, but we can change that and force Kikwete to stop the deal if we join our voices now. 

If 150,000 of us sign, media outlets in Tanzania and around the world will be blitzed so President Kikwete gets the message to rethink this deadly deal. Sign the petition now and send to everyone. 

Click here to sign petition

 - JM

Dreamland

Probably one of the creepiest places on the face of the earth.  This would certainly make a great set for a bloody B-rate horror flick.  These photographs were captured by photographer and science-fiction/fantasy writer Michael John Grist while travelling in Japan.  Truly a remarkable juxtaposition of what this site was originally intended as.  Some of the lovelier shots show how the surrounding nature is slowly reclaiming this Dreamland.

Michael travels around Japan and many other countries photographing various 'modern'  ruins.  A very cool way to spend one's time I say.  Check out his site for more brilliant photography and ruins!

http://www.michaeljohngrist.com/2010/09/nara-dreamland-japans-last-abandoned-theme-park/

 - JM

E-Waste abroad

The subject of e-waste landing in developing nations has been a growing concern of mine over the years.  I was aware of the growing problem in South Asia, though recently I have come to realize that this is also a major problem in Africa.  Ghana receives illegal shipments of electronic waste from developed nations.  The shipments are illegal because in most cases the countries sending the waste have policies which make it against the law to export electronic waste.  Instead, the shipments are sent as 'working electronics', regardless of the fact that they are broken and useless as consumer goods.  The result is the continued shipment of electronic waste to a country that is not equipped to deal with the problem.

(Image source: http://i.telegraph.co.uk/multimedia/archive/00793/ghana-electronics1-_793581i.jpg)

There is a man who is attempting to bring awareness of this issue to the rest of the world.  His name is Mike Anane.  Mike is an environmental journalist who has made efforts to create awareness of the growing electronic waste problem in Ghana.  He is the founder of the League of Environmental Journalists In Ghana. 

I would like to see the UN take a firm stance on this matter as more awareness is raised.  Countries that are not willing to pay the necessary expenses to process these items should at the very least consider funding an environmentally sustainable solution abroad.  If developed nations were willing to consider this option, not only would it solve environmental concerns both at home and abroad, but it would create new opportunities for developing nations.

If you do choose to discard electronics make sure you consider where they will end up.  There are companies that have the ability to process electronic waste with 99% efficiency.  Some companies will even use the petroleum based materials from reprocessed plastic casings to oil the processing equipment.  We have the technology, we just need the willingness to invest and implement these solutions.  

 -JM

TV Tropes

For all those interesting in writing, this site is pretty interesting. It uses the term 'tropes' to describe popular literary themes which may or may not preexist in an audiences mind. This site is a great source for writers block and offers a cornucopia of plots twists, possible outcomes, and character dynamics that will give your written works that needed 'boost'. Check it out!

TV Tropes

- JM

Mobile Braille Phone FTW!

Now this is what I call a worthwhile technological innovation. A mobile device with a clever mechanism that allows for the spontaneous reading and writing of braille! Despite the incredible impact which mobile information technology has had on the globe, it impossible for a blind person to make use of a visual touch screen interface. This new device will change that.

(Click to read more)

Not only does this device allow instant braille I/O communication, but it could potentially be used as an aid for learning the braille language. Contrary to what some may assume, a small percentage of people who are blind are well versed in the use of braille. Learning braille is not a simple task, though this new braille phone could help increase the number of users. It warms my heart when I see technology used this way. Let's hope for more positive creations that increase our quality of life and bring us closer to a better world!

- JM

Biorock till the break of dawn!

Prof. Wolf Hilbertz had a dream. That dream was to save coral reefs from the ravages of pollution and industrial development. Working with his colleague, marine biologist Dr. Thomas J. Goreau, they struggled to find a means to assist with the regrowth of endangered reefs. Biorock was the fruit of these efforts.

Biorock is really just argonite. Argonite is a polymorph of calcite (calcium carbonate). Calcite is an essential ingredient in cement and mortar. We use mine it as limestone and use it across the global. Due to the incredible strength of Biorock compared to structural concrete, as a building material it could potentially shift our approach to building construction on a global scale. Additionally, the means by producing Biorock uses a high volume of CO2. Approximately 1kg of Biorock uses up to 6 tonnes of CO2. Needless to say, this innovation presents itself as a an exciting and worthwhile venture.

For more information on this incredible discovery check out http://www.globalcoral.org/.

- JM