28 Feb 2008

I like homemade carnival disguises. My son wanted a Transformer outfit, he loves the 1986 version of Optimus Prime (Commander in some italian versions). First we did some research, drew sketches, took measures. The mask proportions were obtained folding a sheet of paper around my son’s head. Elements of the outfit were drafted with CAD and plotted in full scale. Download here the AutoCAD file (64kB). Paper was spray glued on cardboard (light for mask, heavy for body and other elements), cut and folded. Below you can see my son proudly wearing his Commander disguise. Check out this site for amazing paper robots! Link to this article

02 Feb 2008

HAVING A VISIBILITY PROBLEM? YOU HAVE TO THINK BIG!!! NOW AUDIENCE IS WORLDWIDE!!!!! FIRST CHOOSE AN ACCESSIBLE FLAT ROOF. PAINT YOUR TAG WITH A ROLLER, MAKE IT AS BIG AS POSSIBLE, MAXIMISE CONTRAST. LOCATE THE ROOF ON GOOGLE MAP (or similar program), WAIT FOR IMAGE TO BE REFRESHED (it can take several months). SOONER OR LATER YOUR TAG WILL BE VISIBLE FROM SPACE!!! ADD URL TO HELP PEOPLE LOCATE YOUR SAT-ART. (Thanx to Nero for using his tag) Link to this article

27 Gen 2008

Check out these links: Ulysses spacecraft in depht. Ulysses trajectory in Java. Extraordinary SOHO movies. Link to this article

16 Gen 2008

Great tension between the Vatican and the Italian scientific community: the Pope was invited to hold a Lectio Magistralis during the opening ceremony of the academic year at the University of Rome, La Sapienza. Professors insurged declaring unfit the presence of the Pope, while radical leftist students have staged a sit-in. Read the letter of professor M. Cini which firmly explains scientists’ point of view (in Italian). In short it is argued that the Church is trying to split the front of the scientific community relying on moral issues and bringing forward the thesis of Intelligent Design versus Darwinism. The Pope chose to withdrawal. Still burning the ashes of Giordano Bruno, still burning the humiliation of Galileo! Link to this article

14 Gen 2008

I’ve been twice in the country of Pablo Neruda, fishing and riding along the Ruta Cinco. Apart from the spectacular environment (desert and ice, ocean and Cordillera), apart from the historical events and the cultural blendings, I’m in love with the particular mood of Chileans, always balanced between the shame and pride of being southamericans. I drew these sketches in Rio Puelo, others will follow (see also First Five Years) VOLCAN YATES, a geographic introduction and two links for your holidays: www.termasdesotomo.cl and www.turismoriopuelo.cl WATER TANK, in an extravagant combination of materials TODO TERRENO, I drove with Firestone tires and got four consecutive flats. It came out that the product had been retreated from US market due to it’s imperfections, and sold to southamericans. CHOLOS, urban motorbikers defy the Naturaleza (Wilderness) driving mechanical monsters. A van follows, loaded with beer cans. YOU CAN FIX IT ALL (se arregla todo), you just need steel wire and a plier. Appropriate term is “alhambre americano”. YATES+PIG, driving by the swollen volcano, the apparition of a pig guardian struggling with his reluctant pet came straight from another era. AERIAL, raising high over the roof, it witnesses the effort to keep in touch with the rest of the world. Link to this article

08 Dic 2007

http://www.atheist-experience.com -Thank God folks like these exist on line! The atheist experience broadcasts tv and podcast conferences concerning a wide range of religious, scientific and socio-cultural arguments. It is a place where an atheist feels at home! (Atheist Eve comics are by Tracie Harris). http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com -“Zeitgeist, produced by Peter Joseph, was created as a nonprofit filmic expression to inspire people to start looking at the world from a more critical perspective and to understand that very often things are not what the population at large think they are. The information in Zeitgeist was established over a year long period of research and the current Source page on this site lists the basic sources used / referenced and the Interactive Transcript includes exact source references and further information.” By the way, if you live in Italy and wish to be de-baptized, download this form (source is UAAR, Union of the Atheist and Agnostic Rationalists), fill it and send it to the church where they first washed away your original sin. Your decision to be excluded from the christian community will be transcribed on the baptism log book. Link to this article