Some friends had a thanksgiving  meal thing this evening, and this is what I took:

1. Pumpkin pie
2. Pickled onions
3. Beetroot relish

All home made, and some of the stiff was even home grown! Here are the recipes I used:

• Pumpkin Pie
• Pickled onions

Beetroot relish:

• 900g Cooked Beetroot
• 450g White cabbage
• 3oz Horse Radish
• 1tbsp Mustard Powder
• 1pt Vinigar
• 5oz Sugar
• Pinch cayenne pepper
• Salt + Pepper

Image: Landmine in ground, Cambodia, a Creative Commons Attribution photo from Kyle Simourd's Flickr stream

Scientists at Edinburgh University have produced the bacteria using a technique called BioBricking, which manipulates packages of DNA.  This causes the bacteria to glow green in the presence of explosives.  The bacteria can be mixed into a colourless solution, which can be spread over an area, and will form green patches where mines are buried.

This will also allow for the solution to be sprayed over an area, meaning that aircraft could be used to cover danger areas with the solution.

BBC News : http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/edinburgh_and_east/8362066.stm

Would you get in this elevator? This funky floor illusion makes it look like the elevator floor is missing.  If you like it you can head over to http://www.printedspace.com/ and have a look at there offerings.  They do, Floors, Walls, Blinds, and Canvas prints.

The EyeWriter is a project that been put together from the following other projects; Graffiti Research Lab, openFrameworks, The Fat Lab, and The Ebeling Group.

The project is aimed at graffiti writers/artists who suffer from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and consists of low cost, eye tracking system and software that allows the writer/artist the draw using their eyes.

Just think of the possibilities this project could bring into other areas, enabling people to actually communicate, and have social interactions.

Links:

• The EyeWriter
• Graffiti Research Lab
• openFrameworks
• The Fat Lab
• The Ebeling Group

Got Mumford & sons album, ’sigh no more’, after hearing ‘little lion man’ on the radio.

Was one of the impulse buy things. It did not let me down, nice bit of British Folk Rock. Got a bluegrass feel, which, lets face it, is good, reminds me of ‘O brother where art thou’. A great Coen film, and really anything bluegrass reminds me of this film.

Brought Ian Brown’s new album, ‘My Way’ the other day. What can I say, an other good album, got to like that the album title is also shared with Frank Sinatra song. Along with the track ‘own brain’, which is an anagram of his own name.

Some good stuff on there, I’m down with ’stellify’ great track, and good opener to the album.

Saw this couple of days ago, taken my time to put it up here. Update on the BBC’s website from the bloodhound diary, they have now managed to successfully fire their hybrid rocket. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8343063.stm.

Well this is going to take a little longer, but have made a start on the scenery.  The base is polystyrene, that is built up in layers and the edges broken to give texture, and stuck together using ‘no more nails’. Once this has been moulded it will be covered in ‘grout’, and then sealed.

Resources:

Making polystyrene fake rocks: http://www.lizard-landscapes.com/

I now have stage 1 of the vivarium out of the way! It’s been varnished, after looking around the internet Ronseal Floor Varnish was the winner for this job.   Sorry that there are no pictures of the making of the vivarium.  But this was about 4 years ago,  and the redesign can around the the unfortunate and untimely death of it previous resident

Next step is the scenery, this will be made from polystyrene, grout, and sealed with the floor varnish.  More about this later…

Xfm are giving away tickect to see Coldplays front man Chris Martin play a gig for 30 people! Only got till 28th Jan, see here: http://www.xfm.co.uk/news/competitions/win-tickets-to-xfms-exclusive-chris-martin-gig.