Robo-monkeys use brain power to grab a bite - tech - 28 May 2008 - New Scientist Tech

Robo-monkeys use brain power to grab a bite - tech - 28 May 2008 - New Scientist Tech

Look Mum, no hands! Two monkeys have managed to use brain power to control a robotic arm to feed themselves. The feat marks the first time a brain-controlled prosthetic limb has been wielded to perform a practical task.

Close call

So yeah, the fall was scary. My knee is incredibly painful if it goes even slightly out of the dead straight plane and my whole lower leg throbs and aches.

They couldn't see anything wrong in the xrays and I'd definitely know if I'd twisted the nail. Looks like badly pulled/torn knee ligaments on the left side of my knee. Ouch.

So back on the morphine, 80mg a day and still the pain breaks through. Think I'm a bit used to painkillers... I'd forgotten how bad the itching is from morphine, really itchy, all over, itchy...

Anyway, risked removing the brace yesterday and lloks OK, bit of selling on the knee maybe. I could bend my leg, and it bent straight, which was nice. Feels very weak but hopefully got away with it. Won't know 'til the next check up whether any of the rebuilding was damaged.

So now I'm even more cautious, which is scary

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Diagnosis and Identification

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Diagnosis and Identification

Just reading about this and I'm very familiar with these two "hypervigilance, and hyper startle response (jumpiness)"

I think it's understandable that I'm paranoid about my leg. Especially as I had a fall yesterday which could have lost me it. It looks like I've been lucky and not damaged any of the reconstruction or dislocated my knee (my leg was bending sideways...) They think I've badly strained my ligaments, it's incredibly painful. I know I'm a bit insensitive to pain relief but 60mg morphine and 120mg DHC is what it took to eventually stop it hurting...

Anyway, two good friends have now jokingly made to kick my crutches out from under me. I love them both and know they wouldn't do this intentionally but my hypervigalant subconcious doesn't. In both cases I have visciously lashed out, I can't help it.

Most people appreciate this and have made the obvious and correct choice of not even joking about it.

I don't like causing these dramas and it makes everyone feel bad. Amazingly the 2nd friend to try it did it again and escalated it, taking the edge of the weekend again somewhat.

Anyway, I'm sure most people wouldn't dream of it but please, don't even joke about it.

Rant over

power your standard wheelchair

Power Add-ons Users of manual wheelchairs, whether self-propelled or attendant-assisted, can sometimes do with some help - and this is increasingly available in the form of add-on power units. In this way, you can retain the advantages of a manual chair, while getting extra assistance, depending on the system chosen, for long journeys, hills, rough terrain...

petty revenge, I love it!

After being so humane and understanding to me during this difficult time, I felt it was time to give Lloydstsb a little thank you

Exploring The Mechanics Of Judgment, Beliefs: Technique Images Brain Activity When We Think Of Others

Exploring The Mechanics Of Judgment, Beliefs: Technique Images Brain Activity When We Think Of Others

Interesting article

Is this art or animal abuse?

"In 2007, a so-called artist named Guillermo Habacuc Vargas (I probably have the spelling wrong), took a stray dog from the street, tied him up in a gallery and left him to slowly starve and die." This is completely sick, obviously. I can't believe the gallery allowed it and the artist got to represent his nation...

Metamonkey draws similar criticism, but is not even in the same ball park, as one commentator puts it

" ...Sadly, the opinions of the masses have (for one of the first times in my life) convinced me to perform a U-turn on my own principles.
As you may have guessed, the subject is the Meta Monkey installation. A concept which as you know I was particularly taken with. As long as it was executed with decency, no matter how secretive said decency may be from the audience, I was all for it. I advocated it as a genuine and original way of, sadly, FORCING people to confront their reactions and their hypocrisy in terms of their regard of the sanctity of life and freedom...."

Thats the point and it's off to a great start...
Technorati Tags: art, cruelty, animals, monkey, metamonkey

SOS Weymouth - Spirit of the Sea on facebook

If you're a facebooker please join this group, it may well help get me a job, then I'll buy you a pint..

Spirit of the Sea will be awesome and it will be building every year in the run up to the Olympics, as part of the Cultural Olympiad. Moving Tides will hopefully become a much enhanced Carnival., this year it's Armada down the Esplanada

If you want to know more about local art opportunities or just taking part please email me.


Technorati Tags: Weymouth, Portland, UK, sea, festival, regatta, boats, events, college, carnival, spirit, sea, swan, weymouth, arts, network, cultural, olympiad, 2012, sailing, olympics, extra, mile, engagement, inspire, public, art, london, swank

Metamonkey installation

Right. This is a joint concept for an installation from bsidecsidemedia, commenting both on the explosion of web culture and ingrained cultural perceptions regarding animal/human cruelty.

The installation will consist of a cage containing what appears to be a person dressed unconvincingly as a monkey, when in fact it is a monkey unconvincingly dressed as a monkey.

This "metamonkey" can be interacted with via bluetooth controlled devices, and photos with the monkey can be purchased. There will also be a metamonkey cam and website. Plastic, "taunt" bananas will be for sale throughout the evening.
This "metamonkey" will clearly be japed and trousered playfully by people, safe in the knowledge that it is a minimum wage "humanzee", when in fact it is an unpaid monkey.

So we need;

• a licensed monkey (1500gbp)


• a venue


• a bad monkey outfit


• 3000 pounds (for building set from recyled fairtrade undergrowth, website and tauntnanas)


• portrait partner (limited franchise already in negotiation)

Expressions of interest are invited for all the above, with the intention of taking things forward ideally looking to implementation in July. Please email

Bridport TLC

Awesome idea and ethos. Every town should have a community recycling project which is developing sustainable waste
& recycling initiatives alongside local schools & businesses.
We are a volunteer-led group, offering solutions to improving our local
environment & contributing to a sustainable local economy.

Check it out, let's get one started....

Technorati Tags: Bridport, biodiesel, vegetable, waste, oil, sunflower, recycling, recycle, bicycles, cardboard, paint, plastic, education, B100, taxed, legal, fuel, diesel, travel, car, van, community, enterprise, save, fuel, planet, ecology, permaculture

modifications

Oooeer, you always wish you'd got started sooner don't you?

Just went to the loo, upstairs, nasty...

I need rails on both sides of stars, non slip matting on bathroom floor, stool to dry myself, perch stool for kitchen, scooter, ramp for outside steps, ?ramp for doorstep. Prob handle for bath and swivel seat.

Hope to have a gardening party soon to clear a criparking/sunbathing spot so watch this space!

Busy weekend

Well. That was hectic.

WAN way forward meeting, very productive. Then then Kinetica carnival workshops at college, excellent. Luckily just round the corner from me but still quite a hassle to get up, washed, do my exercises and get wheeled there for 10:30. Pretty tricky staying comfy for extended periods but worth the effort.

Physio today. Got some new exercises for muscles I didn't realise I had. He agreed that a fall could mean losing my leg and obviously minimising risk is a key factor for the coming year or two. On a normal crutch for my left arm now too, which is nice.

Round to mine after physio. I'll be living here full time again at the end of the month. Need to get my bed lowered and community physio are hopefully going to help out with some mods (ramp, rails, extra crutches etc.) Quite a lot to sort really. Definitely need a scooter too otherwise I'll only be able to get off Chapelhay independently on crutches, which somewhat limits my speed/range. Not sure where I'll park it though...

Darren picked me up after physio, glorious day again got me back to Chavelhay in time to meet Dean from Warm Front, who says I'm elegible for up to 2700GBP of new heating, which is nice...

So yeah. All go this cripple malarcky, best go have a look at my room...

Carnival workshop a great success

A glorious weekend saw a good turn out for a fantastic workshop. Ali and Tony from Kinetika were great sources of knowledge and Ali gave us a fascinating history of carnival, followed by a brainstorming session for a range of projects, including Spirit of the Sea.

On the 2nd day Tony demonstrated lightweight backpack manufacture and explained the range of techniques for attaching wings/puppets etc plus explaining the many detailed techniques learnt over the decades and passed among carnival engineers. Ali ran a batik workshop to provide skins for the backpack creations with some beautiful results.

Attendees included Sarah from EmeraldAnt (Spirit of the Sea - moving tides), Jenny Stiling of Weymouth Community Volunteers, Gary Jones of SWANK, several representatives from Bridport TLC, Irene Archibold of Dorchester Arts Center, and Ana and Margaret from Weymouth and Portland fairtrade. Plus of course several members from Weymouth college.

It's NOT a mistake

It's a tricky one, with a lot of factors but initial response is definitely queasy. What do you think? Please feel free to post a comment.

Donor children!?

Maybe I misheard? Hopefully it's a mistake... I just heard on radio one that the government are debating new science laws that will allow parents to conceive children to act as donors for their other children? This has already happened with bone marrow and is often the subject of terrifying literature.

Surely this IS a mistake. I've found nothing on google as yet. Watch this space...

The Dorset Scrapstore > Who Can Join?

The Dorset Scrapstore Who Can Join?

Excellent resource, some great stuff here

Kinetika carnival workshops this weekend

spaces still available on these free workshops at Weymouth college.

All
you have to do is e-mail alan_rogers@weymouth.ac.uk
with “KINETIKA MAY WORKHOP” as the subject line.

Hope to see you there

The God Delusion

Wow! What a book. People have been telling me he ruins it by advocating his thesis as a new religion at the end, which I found hard to believe. And he doesn't. Unless I missed something?

Whatever. He makes so many good points and is always dryly amusing. Give me some God squad!

Lots of great links at the back but I think the first thing we need is a summary card of argument winning one-liners, I'll see if there's one around...

Disability Alliance

Thought I'd blogged these guys already? Couldn't see it so here it is again. /very useful resource for the disabled, all sorts of advice and contact info

So far I've applied for warm front heating grant, the cinema thing and a few benefits. Was just looking into ramps and stair lifts but looks like applying takes ages...

Useful at last!

Swa needs to know how wheels will handle the Armada down the Esplanada route, so we're going for a spin, looks like a nice day for it...

Mr Breakfast!

He's the man...

Mum cooks this but we always have it in the evening, good stuff

Bauernfruhstuck (German)

(4 servings) Printable Version

* 4 medium potatoes
* 4 strips of bacon -- chopped
* 3 large eggs
* 3 Tablespoons milk
* 1/2 teaspoon salt
* 1 cup ham -- cooked and cubed
* 2 medium tomatoes -- peeled
* 1 Tablespoon chives -- finely chopped

groovy design

clipped from www.tim-barden.co.uk clipped from www.tim-barden.co.uk

Spirit of the Sea, interest starting to swell

clipped from www.spiritofthesea.org.uk Team Spirit   Spirit of the Sea is a nine day festival of independently organised and funded marine events that sit under the title name 'Spirit Of The Sea'.  The festival is being coordinated by a team of representatives from local business, local government, clubs and organisations who are looking to raise the profile of Weymouth & Portland's maritime-related events under this title name.  The overall objective is to build the 'Spirit of the Sea' brand over the next four years and beyond so that it contributes to a lasting legacy for the Borough from its role as sailing venue for the London 2012 Olympic & Paralympic Games.

Tagcow magic?

Wow! Tagcow, automatically, intelligently, tags your photos from flickr, apparently. If you upload pics of friends it even identifies them! But how?

Using mechanical turk, that's how. Amazon's mturk is billed as "artificial artificial intelligence", and it's obviously people doing the tagging. I had a go at both, tagging was easy but to earn anything close to decent money you have to do it faster than is possible. I tried to do it minimally but honestly but it was too slow.

Check out the results from some other taggers, they're useful but at best minimal...