That’s http://youarenotdead.ca/

Big thanks to Matija for such outstanding web-execution.

I promised I’d release the artwork to produce one of these scanners last October, but haven’t had the time. That’s where Dário de Moura comes in. He had been working on a 3D model of the folding scanner from the photographs I’d shared. I sent him all the original artwork to work from, as well. We have been working on a GPL release of the so-called “3rd Generation” laser-cut book scanner for some months now. Dário has done the lion’s share of the work, having sorted through the mess of Corel artwork, created perfect Sketchup models and a bunch of documentation.

This is only a preview of the scanner. Do not use this artwork to produce anything just yet. Do not post it on another website just yet. We have some details to work out (file naming, proper credits, alternate formats) and we have some GPL licensing issues to work out as well. That said, as promised, you can download these files now and see the work we’ve been doing. Over the next few weeks, we will be releasing a beta of the scanner with more complete licensing information, credits, etc. It will be Free, in any case.

The Parts List (neatly shows the placement of each part)
http://www.diybookscanner.org/Dan_and_Dario_Scanner/Bookscanner_V3-PartList.pdf

The Manual (Describes each section/view of the scanner)
http://www.diybookscanner.org/Dan_and_Dario_Scanner/Manual_V3.pdf

The Sketchup Artwork:
http://www.diybookscanner.org/Dan_and_Dario_Scanner/Bookscanner_v3.zip

The Electronics Package:
http://www.diybookscanner.org/Dan_and_Dario_Scanner/Bookscanner%20v3_electronics.pdf

Some advice: Don’t live here. Don’t attend school here. Don’t believe the USGS flood predictions or the national news coverage.

Near Oak Grove and next to the Red River is the site where all the snow from downtown Fargo goes. This image was taken from the top of the pile.

Last year, I searched the site and found, among other things, a bunch of money. In the resulting blog post, I said “Fargo Giveth, and Fargo Taketh Away”. This year, I searched the same site, and found a tire iron. So this year’s motto is the following: The Red Giveth, And The Red Beateth Your Ass.

The river has already outgrown its banks.

Index of last year’s posts:

Rinsing Fargo From The Map.
Pictures Containing Trees.
Fargo Flood Frolick 2009.
Signs Of Flooding In Your Area.
Shoot That Shit Skyward And We’ll Make Ads From It.
More Information, More Pictures.
Snowfall.
Appropriate Imagery.
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Snowblower Sump Pump.
Red River Flooding March 31st.
New Hardware.
Fargo: Flat, But Cold.
Big Pictures.

Super-cool that it coincides neatly with my appearance in DC for World’s Fair Use Day.

After:

.

The first introduces the field of Computational Photography, and motivates the project.

The second shows you how to simulate our Large Light Field Camera Array with a single camera

Enjoi.

You cannot will cancer to be cured. Willpower is basically the word we use for the ability to control the movements of our bodies. You do have control over the movements of your body, and everything you do in this world is expressed through bodily movement. [emphasis mine]. You can have any passing thoughts you like, but it is up to you whether you act on them.

If you’re not sure you can control your body, practice every morning – I will pick this cup up, and now I will put it down; I will move it left, I will move it right – and I bet you can do it. Deciding what to do in the flow of your life is the exact same thing. Will I pick this phone up and dial a number? Will I turn right at that corner or keep walking straight? Will I move my mouth and aspirate so as to pronounce the word yes or no? These are simply bodily actions.

You have control if you want it. You just have to be self-aware and make choices on purpose rather than getting lost in the flood of experience and doing whatever you feel randomly inclined to do. There are certain cases where you lose control of your body (seizures, sleepwalking) or certain parts of your body you don’t control (inner organs etc) but in general what you do is your decision if you consciously wish it be, and it is merely your unconscious inclination if you give it no thought, not some sort of necessity the chemicals of your body or karma or fate or devils or mechanics dictates.

The undeniable truth is that the mind/body division laid out for so many years, by so many religions, philosophers, and stoned hippies is strictly manmade. The mind, a complex electrochemical/biological physical process, is inextricable from, dependent on, and ultimately in control of “the body”, which contains it, nourishes it, and comprises it. This complex interdependence exposes the absurd lemma we so often hear. Even the basest communication requires action; no thought leaves the mind without eye movements, tapping fingers, or unbearably complex learned vocalizations. What I find so startling is not just the sheer barnacle tenaciousness of this idea, but that people have such a difficult time accepting it in the face of our personal and cultural familiarity with chemical self-modification through alcohol, caffeine, and various illicit and prescription drugs.

We disassembled, wired, and tested a Rotron high-output fan assembly for exhausting the fumes of my laser cutter. This is Ben in a hallway wind tunnel. Have never seen the guy so happy.

As Lent begins with Ash Wednesday, so Christmas has officially begun with Black Friday.
I have been looking for a nice Advent Calendar with a manufacturer coupon on each date. But all I can find are ones with Bible verses or German chocolates.

-Shannon Tomac

To what extent does the fundamental knowledge acquisition mechanism of religious faith — which is to say, to uncritically and unconditionally accept fantastic stories and bizarre language — groom groups into uncritical consumers? Could it be that the purchasing habits of Christians are, on the whole, more consistent than their beliefs?