” Planes and helicopters have their strengths and weaknesses. Planes are fast and can carry a lot of stuff a long way, while helicopters are slow but they don’t need enormous runways and they’re extremely maneuverable. So naturally, people want to combine them.
That’s why a team at NASA’s Langley Research Center is developing a drone that’s a hybrid of the two.
The GL-10 Greased Lightning is a ten-engine, battery-powered prototype with a ten-foot wingspan that can change its shape midair to fly either horizontally or vertically. This month, NASA announced it recently took off vertically and, for the first time, successfully rotated its wings to transition from “helicopter” mode to standard “wingborne” flight.
The GL-10 is a relative of the V-22 Osprey, the VTOL (vertical takeoff and landing) aircraft developed in the 1980s for the US Air Force and Marines. It’s a tiltrotor design: The engines rotate to propel the aircraft either up and down (like a helicopter), or forward (like a propeller-driven plane). The Osprey can take off and land from the deck of a carrier or from a field in the middle of the jungle, instead of from a lengthy runway. It can haul 32 troops or 20,000 pounds of internal cargo up to 2,200 miles. It’s very handy.”
” It just got way, way easier to search and browse the US Geological Survey’s collection of historical topographic maps, thanks toa new online map viewer. These maps—more than 178,000 of them—date back to 1880, and they cover the entire country. Best of all, they’re free to download for anyone who wants to, say, check out the contours of the Grand Canyon or study the urbanization of the San Francisco Bay Area (see below).
Hunting for historical topo maps on the USGS site used to be confusing and annoying. It involved a lot of clicking on what you hoped was the right thing, squinting at the tiny preview maps, and twiddling your thumbs while the enormous full-sized version downloaded. And then starting over when it turned out to be the wrong thing.”
” What better way to celebrate the upcoming Star Wars Day than by watching a Super Star Destroyer shatter in slow-motion? SUBSCRIBE for more videos: http://wrd.cm/15fP7B7 “
” Moore started performing at a young age, having picked up a battered acoustic guitar at the age of eight. He got his first quality guitar at the age of 14, learning to play the right-handed instrument in the standard way despite being left-handed. He moved to Dublin in 1968 at the age of 16. His early musical influences were artists such as Albert King, Elvis Presley, The Shadowsand The Beatles. Later, having seen Jimi Hendrix and John Mayall’s Bluesbreakers in his home town of Belfast, his own style was developing into a blues-rock sound that would be the dominant form of his career in music.
Moore’s greatest influence in the early days was guitarist Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac who was a mentor to Moore when performing in Dublin. Green’s continued influence on Moore was later repaid as a tribute to Green on his 1995 album Blues for Greeny, an album consisting entirely of Green compositions. On this tribute album, Moore played Green’s 1959 Les Paul Standard guitar which Green had lent to Moore after leaving Fleetwood Mac. Moore ultimately purchased the guitar, at Green’s request, so that “it would have a good home”.
” Skid Row would go on to issue several singles and albums (including 1970’s Skid and 1971’s 34 Hours), and although the group mounted a few tours of Europe and the U.S., it failed to obtain breakthrough commercial success, leading to Moore‘s exit from the group in 1972.Moore then formed his own outfit, the Gary Moore Band (along with members drummer Pearse Kelly and bassist John Curtis), for which the guitarist also served as vocalist. But after the trio’s debut album, 1973’s Grinding Stone, sunk without a trace, Moore hooked up once more with ex-bandmate Lynott in Thin Lizzy. Moore‘s initial tenure in Lizzy proved to be short-lived, however, as his fiery playing was featured on only a handful of tracks. Moore then set his sights on studio work (appearing on Eddie Howell‘s 1975 release, Gramaphone Record), before joining up with a prog rock/fusion outfit, Colosseum II.
” But once more, Moore‘s tenure in his latest outfit was fleeting; he appeared on only three recordings (1976’s Strange New Flesh, plus a pair in 1977, Electric Savage and War Dance), as Moore accepted an invitation by his old buddy Lynott to fill in for a Thin Lizzy U.S. tour, playing arenas opening for Queen.”
” Moore proved to be quite busy in 1978, as the guitarist appeared on three other artists’ recordings — Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Variations, Rod Argent’s Moving Home, and Gary Boyle’s Electric Glide. The same year, Moore issued his second solo release (almost five years after his solo debut), Back on the Streets, which spawned a surprise Top Ten U.K. hit in May of 1979, the bluesy ballad “Parisienne Walkways,” and featured vocal contributions by Lynott. Moore joined forces with his Lizzy mates once more in 1979, appearing on arguably the finest studio album of their career, Black Rose, which proved to be a huge hit in the U.K. (for a fine example of Moore’s exceptional guitar skills, check out the album’s epic title track). But predictably, Moore ultimately exited the group once more (this time right in the middle of a U.S. tour), as a rift had developed between Moore and Lynott. Undeterred, Moore lent some guitar work to drummer Cozy Powell’s solo release, Over the Top, in addition to forming a new outfit, G Force, which would only remain together for a lone self-titled release in 1980.”
” In the 1980s Gary established his reputation as one of the top guitarists on the heavy metal scene with a series of rock albums that showcased his skill. Kirk Hammett of Metallica, who cites Gary as one of his top 5 influences, sums up Gary’s style of playing very well: “Gary’s technique was very modern, but his guitar style was very blues-based. His phrasing was very, very blues-based. He played long, sustained notes coupled with really super fast-picked notes and he had a great legato style“.
” In 1990, Moore returned to his blues roots with ‘Still Got the Blues’, with contributions from Albert King, Albert Collins and George Harrison. The album was well received by fans and was his biggest seller. He stayed with the blues format until 1997, when he decided to experiment with modern dance beats on Dark Days in Paradise; this left many fans, as well as the music press, confused. With Back to the Blues, Moore return to his tried and tested blues format in 2001. In 2002 he got back to more of a hard rocking style with the album Scars. He also returned to playing some of his metal-period material in the 2003 Monsters of Rock Tour. Then he continued on with the blues rock style on Power of the Blues (2004), Old New Ballads Blues (2006), Close As You Get (2007) and Bad For You Baby (2008).”
” The, Back To The Blues’ (2001) album saw him revisit The Blues with renewed vigour and determination, after the more experimental ‘Dark Days In Paradise’ (1997) and ‘A Different Beat’ (1999) albums. A ten-track collection that mixed excellent Moore originals, with gritty and intense covers of standards. But, in the tradition of keeping his fans and critics guessing, 2002 saw Gary Moore crashing back onto the music scene with what had to be his heaviest collection of songs since the late 1980’s, once again forcing people to reassess any opinions and preconceptions they might have had of him.”
” That time round though, Moore had decided to share the limelight, joining forces with ex-Skunk Anansie bassist Cass Lewis and Primal Scream drummer Darrin Mooney to form ‘Scars’, a true power trio in every respect. The ‘Scars’ album was completed in early 2002 and that line-up, then went on to record the ‘Live at the Monsters of Rock’ (2003) live CD and DVD, which featured the band’s set as performed on two separate nights on the UK Tour in May 2003. That live set encompassed a diverse range of material, from across Gary’s playing career.”
” 2004 saw possibly the rawest album yet, with ‘Power of the Blues’. The 10-track set, recorded mostly live in the studio, ranged from the hard rock/blues of the title track, via the upbeat swing of “Can’t find my baby”, to the haunting “Torn Inside”.
” Taking time out in August 2005, for a brief reunion with former Thin Lizzy band members, for a one off concert in Dublin, to mark the occasion of Phil Lynott’s birth. The evening was filmed for the 2006 DVD release, ‘Gary Moore and Friends, One Night in Dublin, A Tribute to Phil Lynott’.
” With his 2007 studio album ‘Close As You Get’, Gary continued in a direction not too dissimilar from ‘Old, New, Ballads, Blues’, released in 2006. Mixing original tunes with some interesting Blues covers that Gary had rediscovered, whilst researching for his award winning radio series, “Blues Power”, on Planet Rock (UK based digital/internet “radio” station). September 2008 saw the release of what would turn out to be Gary’s last studio album, “Bad for you Baby”. Again, a powerful collection of tracks, of original material and selected blues covers. After being on the road for most of 2008 and into 2010 with the “Blues” line up of the touring band. Gary returned from a tour of Russia and the Far East, and decided to reunite with his old sparring partner from the rock line up’s of the 1980’s, Neil Carter. The plan was to put together a “Rock” line up and dust off a selection of tracks from the mid to late 1980’s.”
“Adding Jon Noyce, (ex Jethro Tull/Sessions) on bass, some one who was also part of the, “One Night in Dublin” Tribute DVD in 2005, and Darrin Mooney (Primal Scream/Sessions) on drums, who was no stranger to the touring and recording line during the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. This line up, hit the road in May of 2010, performing a live set based around a selection of tracks from the “Rock Years” of the 1980’s. This proved to be a real treat for fans, old & new, as many would have not heard Gary play these songs live, either for a very long time, or in many cases, at all. In addition to the older tunes, a number of new “Celtic Rock” style tracks were included in the show, which went down very well with the live audiences. Tracks, which Gary was planning to record and embellish, on his next studio project. A project that was ready to start when Gary returned from a short holiday break.”
” Unfortunately, that was not to be, as Gary passed away in his sleep in the early hours of February 6th, 2011, in Estepona, Spain. After being such a “force of nature” in the guitar-playing firmament, for many years, as part of a professional career that began when he was only 16. He leaves behind a huge hole for many, not just his close family and friends, but guitar fans around the world.”
” Of all the many tributes paid since Gary’s passing, maybe this one, from Gary’s friend and musical collaborator, Don Airey, might sum up the best of most people’s thoughts of Gary: “At the 1984 Donington Festival during the long solo in “Empty Rooms” the previously restive crowd went so quiet, you could hear a pin drop – everyone back and behind stage stopped whatever they were doing and just stood to listen open-mouthed. His artistry touched thousands of people over the years, not least those of us lucky enough to have shared a stage or a recording studio with him. Sleep tight old mate, you’ll be sorely missed.” “
” Although in his later years Muddy usually said that he was born in Rolling Fork, Mississippi in 1915, he was actually born at Jug’s Corner in neighboringIssaquena County in 1913. Recent research has uncovered documentation showing that in the 1930s and 1940s he reported his birth year as 1913 on both his marriage license and musicians’ union card. A 1955 interview in the Chicago Defender is the earliest claim of 1915 as his year of birth, which he continued to use in interviews from that point onward. The 1920 census lists him as five years old as of March 6, 1920, suggesting that his birth year may have been 1914. The Social Security Death Index, relying on the Social Security card application submitted after his move to Chicago in the mid-1940s, lists him as being born April 4, 1913. Muddy’s gravestone gives his birth year as 1915.”
” Muddy’s grandmother, Della Grant, raised him after his mother died shortly following his birth. Della gave the boy the nickname “Muddy” at an early age because he loved to play in the muddy water of nearby Deer Creek. Muddy later changed it to “Muddy Water” and finally “Muddy Waters”.
The shack where Muddy Waters lived in his youth on Stovall Plantation is now located at the Delta Blues Museum in Clarksdale, Mississippi. He started out on harmonica, but by age seventeen he was playing the guitar at parties, emulating two blues artists who were extremely popular in the south, Son House and Robert Johnson.”
” On November 20, 1932, Muddy married Mabel Berry; Robert Nighthawk played guitar at the wedding, and the party reportedly got so wild the floor fell in. Mabel left Muddy three years later when Muddy’s first child was born; the child’s mother was Leola Spain, sixteen years old (Leola later used her maiden name Brown), “married to a man named Steven” and “going with a guy named Tucker”. Leola was the only one of his girlfriends with whom Muddy would stay in touch throughout his life; they never married. By the time he finally cut out for Chicago in 1943, there was another Mrs. Morganfield left behind, a girl called Sallie Ann.“
“Growing to manhood there, in the very heart of the region that had spawned this magnificent music, Waters was drawn early to its stark, telling, expressive power. He had been working as a farm laborer for several years when at thirteen he took up the harmonica, the instrument on which many blues performers first master the music’s rudiments. Four years later he made the switch to guitar. “You see, I was digging Son House and Robert Johnson.”
” The two were the undisputed masters of the region’s characteristic “bottleneck” style of guitar accompaniment. With this technique the Delta bluesman could utilize the guitar as a perfect extension of his voice, the sliding bottleneck matching the dips, slurs, sliding notes and all the tonal ambiguity of the voice as it is used in singing the blues.Within a year, Waters recalled, he had mastered the bottleneck style and the jagged, pulsating rhythms of Delta guitar. He had learned to sing powerfully and expressively in the tightly constricted, pain-filled manner that characterized the best Delta singers.”
” By the time a team of Library of Congress field collectors headed by Alan Lomax visited and recorded Waters for the Library’s folksong archives in 1941 (they were looking for Robert Johnson at the time, unaware of his death three years earlier), returning to record him further the following year, he had had several years’ local performing experience behind him.Providing the musical impetus for dancers at rough-and-tumble back country dances, in juke joints, and at picnics, houseparties and other rural entertainments had sharpened the young bluesman’s vocal and instrumental abilities to a keen edge. The recordings show the strikingly distinctive power of the young Waters, both as singer and master of Delta bottleneck guitar.”
” In 1943 Waters—like millions of other African Americans in the South who moved to cities in the North and West during the Great Migration from 1916 to 1970—relocated to Chicago. There he began playing clubs and bars on the city’s South and West sides while earning a living working in a paper mill and later driving a truck. In 1944 he bought his first electric guitar, which cut more easily through the noise of crowded bars. He soon broke with country blues by playing electric guitar in a shimmering slide style. In 1946 pianist Sunnyland Slim, another Delta native, helped Waters land a contract with Aristocrat Records, for which he made several unremarkable recordings. By 1948 Aristocrat had become Chess Records(taking its name from Leonard and Phil Chess, the Polish immigrant brothers who owned and operated it), and Waters was recording a string of hits for it that began with “I Feel Like Going Home” and “I Can’t Be Satisfied.” His early, aggressive, electrically amplified band—including pianist Otis Spann, guitarist Jimmie Rodgers, and harmonica virtuoso Little Walter—created closely integrated support for his passionate singing, which featured dramatic shouts, swoops, and falsetto moans. His repertoire, much of which he composed, included lyrics that were mournful (“Blow Wind Blow,” “Trouble No More”), boastful (“Got My Mojo Working,” “I’m Your Hoochie Coochie Man”), and frankly sensual (the unusual 15-bar blues “Rock Me”). In the process Waters became the foremost exponent of modern Chicago blues.”
” Tours of clubs in the South and Midwest in the 1940s and ’50s gave way after 1958 to concert tours of the United States and Europe, including frequent dates at jazz, folk, and blues festivals. Over the years, some of Chicago’s premier blues musicians did stints in Waters’s band, including harmonica players James Cotton and Junior Wells, as well as guitarist Buddy Guy. Toward the end of his career, Waters concentrated on singing and played guitar only occasionally. A major influence on a variety of rock musicians—most notably the Rolling Stones (who took their name from his song “Rollin’ Stone” and made a pilgrimage to Chess to record)—Waters was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987.”
” By the end of the ’50s, while Waters was still making fine music, his career was going into a slump. The rise of rock & roll had taken the spotlight away from more traditional blues acts in favor of younger and rowdier acts (ironically, Waters had headlined some of Alan Freed‘s early “Moondog” package shows), and Waters‘ first tour of England in 1958 was poorly received by many U.K. blues fans, who were expecting an acoustic set and were startled by the ferocity of Waters‘ electric guitar. Waters began playing more acoustic music informed by his Mississippi Delta heritage in the years that followed, even issuing an album titled Muddy Waters: Folk Singer in 1964. However, the jolly irony was that British blues fans would soon rekindle interest in Waters and electric Chicago blues; as the rise of the British Invasion made the world aware of the U.K. rock scene, the nascent British blues scene soon followed, and a number of Waters‘ U.K. acolytes became international stars, such as Eric Clapton,John Mayall, Alexis Korner, and a modestly successful London act who named themselves after Muddy‘s 1950 hit “Rollin’ Stone.”
” While Waters was still leading a fine band that delivered live (and included the likes of Pinetop Perkins on piano and James Cotton on harmonica), Chess Records was moving more toward the rock, soul, and R&B marketplace, and seemed eager to market him to white rock fans, a notion that reached its nadir in 1968 with Electric Mud, in which Waterswas paired up with a psychedelic rock band (featuring guitarists Pete Cosey and Phil Upchurch) for rambling and aimless jams on Waters‘ blues classics. 1969’s Fathers and Sons was a more inspired variation on this theme, with Waters playing alongside reverential white blues rockers such as Mike Bloomfield and Paul Butterfield; 1971’s The London Muddy Waters Sessions was less impressive, featuring fine guitar work from Rory Gallagher but uninspired contributions from Steve Winwood, Rick Grech, and Georgie Fame.”
” Curiously, while Chess Records helped Waters make some of the finest blues records of the ’50s and ‘60s, it was the label’s demise that led to his creative rebirth. In 1969, the Chess Brothers sold the label to General Recorded Tape, and the label went through a long, slow commercial decline, finally folding in 1975. (Waters would become one of several Chess artists who sued the label for unpaid royalties in its later years.) Johnny Winter, a longtime Waters fan, heard the blues legend was without a record deal, and was instrumental in getting Waters signed to Blue Sky Records, a CBS-distributed label that had become his recording home.”
” Winter produced the sessions for Waters‘ first Blue Sky release, and sat in with a band comprised of members of Waters‘ road band (including Bob Margolin and Willie “Big Eyes” Smith) along with James Cotton on harp and Pinetop Perkins on piano. 1977’s Hard Again was a triumph, sounding as raw and forceful as Waters‘ classic Chess sides, with a couple extra decades of experience informing his performances, and it was rightly hailed as one of the finest albums Waters ever made while sparking new interest in his music. (It also earned him a Grammy award for Best Traditional or Ethnic Folk Recording.) “
” Waters also capitalized on the folk-music craze of the late Fifties and early Sixties with a series of albums that found him assaying acoustic blues on such albums as Muddy Waters Sings Big Bill (a tribute to rural bluesman Big Bill Broonzy, released in 1960), Muddy Waters, Folk Singer (1964) and The Real Folk Blues (1966). Less successful were attempts to contemporize his sound with such ill-advised efforts as “Muddy Waters Twist” (a 1962 single) and Electric Mud (an album of psychedelic blues from 1968). More satisfying by far were a couple of albums – Fathers and Sons (1969) and The London Muddy Waters Sessions (1972) – that found Waters accompanied by such vanguard rock musicians as Mike Bloomfield and Eric Clapton. His thirty-year tenure with Chess Records ended in 1975 with the release of The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album. From here, he moved to the Blue Sky label (a Columbia subsidiary). “
” Waters’ audience grew exponentially following his electrifying performance in The Last Waltz, a film documentary (produced by Martin Scorsese) of The Band’s farewell concert. Staged at San Francisco’s Winterland ballroom, the Thanksgiving 1976 event was a star-studded affair. Water’s scalding rendition of “Mannish Boy” – on which he was accompanied by The Band and Paul Butterfield on harmonica – was an unforgettable highlight. Subsequent to that, he kept the momentum going with a series of uncompromising albums for Blue Sky that were produced by longtime fan Johnny Winter. These included Hard Again (1977), I’m Ready (1978), Muddy Mississippi Waters Live (1979) and King Bee (1981). All were critical and popular successes. “
” In addition to his musical legacy, Waters helped cultivate a great respect for the blues as one of its most commanding and articulate figureheads. Drummer Levon Helm of The Band, who worked with him on The Muddy Waters Woodstock Album and at The Last Waltz, had this to say about him in a Goldmine magazine interview: “Muddy taught us to take things in context, to be respectful, and to be serious about our music, as he was. He showed us music is a sacred thing.”
” Waters, who remained active till the end, died of a heart attack in 1983. He was 68 years old. In the years since his death, the one-room cedar shack in which he lived on the Stovall Plantation has been preserved as a memorial to Waters’ humble origins”
” It might sound like something straight out of Q’s laboratory or the latest Marvel film but a group of scientists in California have successfully created eye drops that temporarily enable night vision.
Science for the Masses, an independent “citizen science” organisation that operates from the city of Tehacapi, theorised that Chlorin e6 (Ce6), a natural molecule that can be created from algae and other green plants, could enhance eyesight in dark environments.
The molecule is found in some deep sea fish, forms the basis of some cancer therapies and has been previously prescribed intravenously for night blindness.
Jeff Tibbets, the lab’s medical officer, said: “There are a fair amount of papers talking about having injected it in models like rats and it’s been used intravenously since the 60s as treatments for different cancers. After doing the research, you have to take the next step.”
The next step was to moisten the eyes of biochemical researcher and willing guinea pig Gabriel Licina’s eyes with 50 microlitres of Ce6.
The effect was apparently almost instantaneous and, after an hour, he was able to distinguish shapes from 10 metres away in the dark and soon at even greater distances.”
” You might call it one of the most popular “spy cams” in the country today — the one offering an incredible live, bird’s-eye view of an eagle’s nest in Hanover, Pennsylvania.
And what happened at 8:24am Eastern time on Tuesday in that nest high up in a tree shows that the population of the bald eagle — America’s majestic national bird — has increased by one. A second egg in the nest is expected to hatch any time now.
Eager bird watchers logged on to the popular website featuring the live eagle cam joyfully celebrated the blessed and rarely seen event (my wife was among them, so I am personally familiar with this phenomenon that has enthralled so many people).
The amazing glimpse into the lives of this bald eagle family is, according to the a Pennsylvania government site, “supported by the Pennsylvania Game Commission, HDOnTap, Comcast Business, Friends of Codorus State Park and several other partners.” “
” A mysterious UFO has been captured by a high resolution drone as it moved through the air at an incredible speed.
The flying object, which seen over the Silicon Valley in California, has left the public baffled after it was caught on camera by the DJI Inspire 1 in one of the few 4K video clips to be uploaded online and feature a UFO.
But even this ultra HD resolution drone camera couldn’t capture clear still images of the mysterious object – it was simply moving too fast. “
” A new innovation by Carbon3D, unveiled Monday at the TED2015 conference, could finally move 3D printing out of the hobby shop and onto every factory floor.
Imagine you’re in an emergency room with a blood vessel blockage. To save your life, a surgeon will first insert a tube, and carefully guide it through the clog. Then she might insert a stent, a piece metal or fabric mesh, to keep the vessel open. But that piece of hardware isn’t made to fit your body. Carbon3D can make one that does.
” The idea that you could produce a biodegradable stent that takes in your own anatomy and the tributaries of your blood vessels while you’re on the catheter table in an emergency room — that’s an amazing new future that is now in reach,” said Joseph DeSimone, CEO and co-founder of Carbon3D and a chemistry professor at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and North Carolina State University.
It all started in Japan with a tiny house that took 4.5 hours to build. It was made of plastic and measured 2.5 inches across and 2 inches high and had “partitions, furniture, and stairs.” It was one of the first 3D printed items to ever exist. That was 1981.”
” Back in July, the WASPProject unveiled to us their plans to 3D print homes in 3rd world countries using nothing but a 3D printer and clay made from native soil. The idea is a tremendous one, one which could be extraordinarily groundbreaking when it comes to creating shelter for poverty stricken nations.”
” Clay is abundant, and these 3D printers are quite affordable compared to other machines on the market. Providing a single 3D printer to small communities where there is little to no structurally sound housing, could provide for a solution to one of the world’s biggest problems. The fabrication of multiple homes in a short amount of time, is exactly what WASP is hoping to accomplish.”
” Buy a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man to fish WITH A DRONE, he eats for a lifetime and impresses the hell out of all his friends. Subscribe: http://youtube.com/ryot “
” Every March 14th, mathematicians like me are prodded out of our burrows like Punxsutawney Phil on Groundhog Day, blinking and bewildered by all the fuss. Yes, it’s Pi Day again. And not just any Pi Day. They’re calling this the Pi Day of the century: 3.14.15. Pi to five digits. A once-in-a-lifetime thing.
I’m dreading it. No hope of solving any equations that day, what with the pie-eating contests, the bickering over the merits of pi versus tau (pi times two), and the throwdowns over who can recite more digits of pi. Just stay off the streets at 9:26:53, when the time will approximate pi to ten places: 3.141592653. “
” Pi does deserve a celebration, but for reasons that are rarely mentioned. In high school, we all learned that pi is about circles. Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference (the distance around the circle, represented by the letter C) to its diameter (the distance across the circle at its widest point, represented by the letter d). That ratio, which is about 3.14, also appears in the formula for the area inside the circle, A = πr2, where π is the Greek letter “pi” and r is the circle’s radius (the distance from center to rim). We memorized these and similar formulas for the S.A.T.s and then never again used them, unless we happened to go into a technical field, or until our own kids took geometry.”
” Drones have a bad reputation, and even though many of us call our Multi-rotors by different names, the public does associate our fantastic machines with the word drone. We are here to make sure that Drones are seen in a positive light. International Drone Day is held every year on the second Saturday in the Month of March. This year is will be held on March 14, 2015
” The purpose of International Drone Day is to show the world that drones are good, and can be used for many good purposes. Movie making, search and rescue, police work, architecture, inspections, emergency response, and for just having fun.
Groups of drone enthusiast get together into organized groups all across the world to fly their drones, and invite friends, neighbors, and the media to showcase drones in a good way
The goal is to get as many Newspapers, blogs, TV News, Magazines, and groups to see drones being used for good.
We have groups that meet up all across the world, simply find a group in your area and sign up (its all free). Or if there is not a group, you can form a group or you can go out on your own and fly this day. Click here to become a captain or form your own group in your area
A documentary film is being made on this historic event. So its a great time to be interviewed, and showcase your work or your companies work in a big media day, its time to be apart of something big Join here
How do I show my participation in International Drone Day?
You simply take a picture or video on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram with the tag #InterntationalDroneDay And you let the local news, radio, tv stations, blogs, meet up groups, etc know what this day is about.
Even if you can not fly this day, you can still help by spreading the word about drones, use the hash tag #InternationalDroneDay #dronesforgood .”
” On September 28th, 2014 a team from Hill Country Rifles joined with expert instructors from FTW Ranch to attempt a 3600 yard shot onto a 36” steel target. At more than 2 miles, it will take the bullet a full 7.2 seconds to reach the target.
New Jersey native Jim Spinella is not a stranger to long distance shooting, but this shot would be a new personal record. One that few would ever consider attempting.
Rifle: Hill Country Rifles Custom 375 CheyTac (http://www.hillcountryrifles.com/cata…) Optics: Schmidt & Bender 5-25X56mm PM-2 scope Distance: 3606.41 Yards (2.049 Miles) Target: 36” circular steel plate Altitude: 2000 ft. Temp: 70 degrees Elevation: 60.2 mil (26.8 in rail, 22.6 in turret, 10.8 hold over) Windage: 3.5 mil left
” While most of the country is shivering in the cold, a theme park wants you to shiver with excitement at what it calls the world’s tallest and fastest “giga” coaster expected to make its debut later this month.
Carowinds, one of 11 amusement parks operated by Sandusky, Ohio-based Cedar Fair LP (NYSE: FUN), made the first test run Wednesday of its 325-foot-tall Fury 325 earlier this week. Its first passenger was a video camera, but when it opens March 27, 32 visitors in each open-air train car will be able to experience the climb to the top of the hill, a 81-degree drop and speeds of up to 95 miles an hour.
A giga coaster, a term coined by Cedar Fair’s first park, Cedar Point, has a drop from 300 to 399 feet. The next class is a “strata” coaster with a height of more than 400 feet.
In comparison, the Statue of Liberty stands 305 feet, 1 inch from the ground to the tip of the torch, according to the National Park Service.
When the Fury 325 opens, it will be among the five tallest roller coasters in the world, coming in at No. 3 or No. 5 depending on whether you’re including shuttle roller coasters, according to UltimateRollercoaster.com and EntertainmentDesigner.com. Steel-track shuttle coasters don’t travel a complete circuit.”
” It is a dream come true for Girl Scout cookie lovers.
Troop 12115 in Salem plans to host a special fundraiser Sunday to help reach their cookie selling goal for the year. The girls will set up a Girl Scout cookie drive-thru at the Garabedian Properties located at 179 Main St. People looking to get a sweet fix can drive up, select their favorite cookie flavor and drive away satisfied.
Troop leaders said the cookie program not only provides customers with delicious cookies, it also teaches girls about money management, business ethics and people skills. Troop 12115 in Salem would like to sell 5,000 boxes of cookies. So far, they have sold over 1,200 boxes.”
” New York City Drone Film Festival is the world’s first event exclusively dedicated to celebrating the art of drone cinematography. The festival provides a platform for aerial filmmakers to showcase their work (shot anywhere in the world), emphasizing innovative flight technique, aesthetic beauty, and more. Director, landscape photographer, and aerial cinematographer Randy Scott Slavin founded the festival in 2014 with a desire to change the perceptions of drones. “I’m tired of drones being synonymous with questionable legality and FAA regulation. I want to celebrate the art of aerial cinematography”
Submissions for the 2015 festival are closed.
FESTIVAL SCHEDULE
Te 2015 New York City Drone Film Festival Will Take Place:
The Official After Party Is At 10:30PM @ FC Gotham 409 W 13TH ST, New York, NY 10014
On Sunday March 8th, The NYCDFF, New York City Drone Users Group And The AMA
will host an official fly-in. Bring your drones and come fly with the NYC drone scene.
1:00 PM Sunday March 8th at Sea View Rotary RC Club Calvert Vaux Park Entrance on Shore Parkway Service Road Gravesend Bay, Shore Parkway service road, Bay 44-Bay 49 Streets Brooklyn, NY “
Among the videos on view will be film clips from drone artists such as: Yeah Drones , Roberto Serrini , Corridor Digital , Jos Stiglingh , Jacob Southard , Gabriel Ng , Per Von Koch and Davey Orgill .
At the present time tickets are sold out but due to the high demand the producers are considering adding a second screening . You can show your interest and perhaps gain potential tickets by signing up to their mailing list here .
Below are the film categories to receive awards :
” The festival jury will present awards to films in various categories including:
-Narrative
-Landscape/Travel
-Reel
-FPV/Proximity/Technical Flying
-Architecture
-X-Factor
-Most epic Dronie
-Best In Show
-Audience choice award “
Fellow drone fans and pilots that , like ourselves , were not lucky enough to land tickets for this cool show can at least salve their wounded feelings with one of the cool T-shirts or the poster available from the on-line gift shop . one example of which is displayed below :
Of course if you are in the NY city area on the 7th , drive by the theater , who knows maybe there will be some scalpers to provide you with a ticket to his sold-out show .
” The amateur photographer who took a picture of a weasel on the back of a woodpecker mid-flight says it is “almost a dream”.
Martin Le-May took it while walking with his wife in Hornchurch Country Park in east London. He said “It’s almost a dream that you take a photograph that lots and lots of people not only look at but like”. “
Watching the video and hearing Mr Le-May explain the circumstances of the tiny weasel attempting to take down prey nearly twice it’s size immediately brought to mind this old Merry Melodies cartoon :
Like the weasel , this tiny chickenhawk had the “cojones” to tackle prey many times his size , namely Foghorn Leghorn … LOL
” Revealed at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show to a shocked and awed audience, the Ford GT has lit the world afire with its dramatic styling and promised performance. Now, it has a price tag to match the heat of its debut: about $400,000.
The word comes from Dave Pericak of Ford Performance at the Geneva Motor Show. Pericak said the price of the Ford GT would be near that of the Lamborghini Aventador, which stickers at a brisk $397,500, base.”
” With “more than” 600 horsepower on tap from a twin-turbocharged EcoBoost 3.5-liter V-6, a carbon fiber and aluminum structure, and serious aerodynamics, the Prototype-racer in production form should prove to be among the world’s most impressive sports cars—if not quite on par with the $1-million-plus hypercars from McLaren, Porsche, and Ferrari.”
” This Viral video of an ice sled used for transportation across ice utilizes a John Boat and metal pipe runners. The old gas engine has a centrifigal clutch that engages the large saw blade that bites into the ice and gives it forward momentum. Forrunner to snowmobile.
Angling for Free Fishing Videos? Here is a video on Fishing Tips and Tricks, I do video on many species such as Catfish, Walleye, Muskie, Northern, Panfish, Salmon to include most freshwater and some saltwater fish. Information good from Fishing Pro to Novice angler will like this instruction where you can Discover Fishing when you are on the hunt for big fish. I will be talking about Fish, Fishing, Outdoors, lures, boats, motors, rods, reels, Bass, Boating, and wildlife.”
” In February, NAGR is giving away a custom-built Iron Ridge Arms .308 Patrol rifle, loaded with accessories, including a PVS14 Night Vision Monocular from Ultimate Night vision and night vision compatible EOTech EXPS3-2 holographic sight. Entire package valued at $7,000.”
” But remember you can’t win if you don’t sign up.
All entries must be submitted by 11:59 PM EST on Saturday, February 28th, 2015. The winner will be announced via email the next day. “
“http://www.brianedenphotography.com A time lapse video of tugboats and ferries trying to navigate the frozen East River in NYC. Taken from Droga5 HQ, February 24, 2015 “
Five expedition parties built bases in the Ross Sea Region of Antarctica. The bases still stand in Antarctica today, crammed full of equipment, supplies and personal items. They are cared for, on behalf of the international community, by the Antarctic Heritage Trust.
The Trust, based in New Zealand, is engaged in a long-term cold conservation project to protect the explorers’ legacy; the bases and the artifacts they left behind, for current and future generations. A project of this scale has never before been attempted in the polar regions.”
