Life Explained by Scientific Graphs
- Monday, September 13 2010 @ 11:21 am EDT
- Contributed by: masodo
- Views: 3,147
Welcome to BlogDogIt Saturday, October 12 2024 @ 06:14 pm EDT
Nature At Her Best - Nature Photos
- Saturday, July 31 2010 @ 07:22 am EDT
- Contributed by: masodo
- Views: 11,010
Hang In There Baby!
Original Post and Source Images from Essays and Effluvia
NOTE: This post was reformatted 12-8-2012 now 42% easier on the eye.
The Magic of Buzbee
- Thursday, July 08 2010 @ 03:16 pm EDT
- Contributed by: masodo
- Views: 13,526
Build A Computer From Scratch?
Have you ever made a crystal radio? What a fantastic way to learn about the seemingly mystical science of radio waves. Those who are fortunate enough to have tinkered with such devices know first hand the thrill you get from turning a hand-full of specialized components into a functioning device capable of receiving broadcast signals. The successful completion of a relatively simple project such as a crystal radio has the power to transform the hobbyist. At the very least he/she comes away with new insights about radios (of course,) but also - by extension - televisions. In fact one begins to look at all electrical/electronic devices as creations that with enough patience and research the mysteries they hold are within the grasp of those with the desire to understand.
A galena cat's-whisker detector, an early radio wave detector used in crystal radio receivers from about 1905 to the 1940s. The fine metal wire attached to the adjustable arm touches the face of a natural semiconducting crystal of galena (lead sulfide) in the capsule at right. The contact forms a PN junction making a crude semiconductor diode. In a crystal radio its function is to rectify the alternating current radio signal, extracting the audio (sound) signal from the radio frequency carrier wave. Only certain sites on the crystal surface function as rectifying junctions, so the device had to be adjusted before each use by dragging the wire across the crystal to find a "sweet spot".
;)
My crystal radio fascination is still alive and well in me and as I ponder the hobby I can predict a future post on the subject. For now however, this discussion has been presented simply to strike a chord with those of like mind.
The purpose of this article is to introduce you to a man and his machine. The Man: Bill Buzbee. Journalist turned Computer Scientist. This is a guy who looked at a blinking cursor on a computer monitor and decided that he could do that! This fellow not only built a computer from scratch from hardware to software. But the journalist in him has documented the project with exquisite detail. The Machine: Magic-1. All I can say is Wow! Come on, follow me into the incredible world of "Magic"... [ READ MORE... ]
Rule Of Thirds - Tutorial
- Wednesday, July 07 2010 @ 08:16 am EDT
- Contributed by: masodo
- Views: 3,314
Many moments spent gazing upon the ground glass. Framing the scene.
Creating the view. Waiting for the 'click'.
The click belonging not so much to the hardware shutter but rather
to the mind's eye-opener.
That splended moment when all the elements within the box come together
in perfect balance (or awesome chaos.)
It's a butterfly chase. It's a lightning witness. It's a eureka moment of grand discovery.
It's a warm kiss on the cheek.
The photographers spirit. - Michael S. DeBurger
The art of photography attracts many practitioners and owes a great deal of its success to it's critics. There can be much debate about what makes a good photograph whereas the ability to recognize a bad photograph seems to be a little more universal. As a matter of fact there are tried and true artistic principles that when accepted, adopted and applied to your craft, will impart a certain "something" that will capture the viewer in a way that they too may experience that "click."
There exist on the internet a peerless source for photographic related tutorials on many useful topics. For a wealth of information on improving your images whether digital or traditional you owe yourself a visit to GeoffLawrence.com. It is with his very generous permission that I reproduce here a tutorial on what I personally believe to be one of the most important principles of composition: The Rule Of Thirds.
The Tutorial Follows: Please, read more...
What's in a name?
- Saturday, July 03 2010 @ 10:02 pm EDT
- Contributed by: masodo
- Views: 6,097
Image Source: skyburst (Thanks!)
My last post had me pondering the name of this domain and some of the reasons why I like it. I still must say that BlogDogIt.com just sounds like a destination site. You know, like YouTube, FaceBook, MySpace, eBay and many others that have entered the lexicon of late.
Now I must admit that I have not exactly sorted out how I am going to turn this domain into cash but like any investment, hanging on to it is the first key to success.
I know there are folks that buy up domain names and speculate on their potential to turn a profit. I can't imagine how anyone can make a living by doing that, but I imagine there are those that do.
Actually, I have 5 domain names in my portfolio now. The fifty bucks a year is reserving several good names - I think. Names that may someday find their way to popularity. However, the main reason I snagged these words is because I liked them. To call them an investment is a bit tongue-in-cheek, but did they really know what they had with Google and Yahoo?
Them All!
;)
For several years now I have been driving a "Flex Fuel" vehicle - which means it can run on different blends of gasoline and ethanol. In my area I have a choice to use either Regular Unleaded or E-85 (85% ethanol fuel and 15% gasoline by volume.) The E-85 is typically priced substantially lower than Regular gas but there is a trade-off in that E-85 does not deliver the same mileage as Regular.
