2014-12-31

OH6DC is back with new videos. This time: CW from a record player.

OH6DC is back with new videos. This time: CW from a record player.

Somehow I doubt that setting the player to 78 would help increasing the transmission speed.

In case you have never seen his videos: Go to his channel and enjoy 1001 ways to morse...

#hamradio #morse #cw  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PceeUbzqjY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PceeUbzqjY

2014-12-30

Quake - on an oscilloscope

Quake - on an oscilloscope

Because he can, that's why...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMli33ornEU

via http://hackaday.com/2014/12/29/ultimate-oscilloscope-hack-quake-in-realtime/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMli33ornEU

Found another gingerbread creation:


Found another gingerbread creation:

How to defeat Sauron in two easy steps
1) Convince Sauron to build tower completely out of gingerbread.
2) Unleash children.

http://cheezburger.com/8406373632

Gingerbread dragon


Gingerbread dragon

Wow, just wow. Watch the video in the link!

http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article20067685.ab

2014-12-29

This movable stick is perfectly suited for portable and mobile applications.


This movable stick is perfectly suited for portable and mobile applications. Instead of only hitting people or things inside your kitchen, the new movable stick allows you to hit them anywhere at any time - with a roaming plan even globally!

http://cheezburger.com/8402720256

Attack can be a good defense

Attack can be a good defense

Even when you are very, very small

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPntyzEbaSA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FPntyzEbaSA

2014-12-27

I made a Totoro cookie.

I made a Totoro cookie. (OK, two.) Problem is, the parts of different colour just do not want to stick nicely to one another and I can't see any way to solve this. Just compare before baking and after.

How did I make it? The dough is a cheese cookie. Lacking a printer I displayed a stylised Totoro on screen and then drew a copy on paper, just like in the old days. I cut out Totoro and his belly and used those two as templates.

The green dough got some food dye, the "black" parts are actually dark green seaweed (nori). The dots you see on his belly come from cheese.


Quick Birdy Num Num


Quick Birdy Num Num

No, I didn't invite Perter Sellers to the party
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91EzjG5O6j4

Neither some French guys
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMYMC6atRoE

Just a roasted duck (made under the watchful supervision of my consultant Nimrod) and some Spaetzle to go with it.

2014-12-24

Santa run


Santa run

No reindeer, no sleigh, but at least the bike is red. The box on the back goes to an orphanage, filled with gingerbread, chocolate coins (those I bought) and marzipan potatoes. They have 136 children there, so it really isn't much for every child.

Side cases are holding two stollen, one to be delivered directly, one going to the country where they only have miniature editions of everything: Japan.

That's all done, now I'm on the way to deliver a last custom "cookie", which will take a few hours. (no, not by bike)

Happy holidays!

So here it is...

So here it is...

Merry Christmas to everyone! Happy holidays, if you celebrate! Have a nice time and try to be nice.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apoFZv5J6xo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=apoFZv5J6xo

2014-12-21

150 marzipan potatoes waiting for cocoa. Something is approaching...


150 marzipan potatoes waiting for cocoa. Something is approaching...

Sorry, couldn't resist: Made two smaller stollen.


Sorry, couldn't resist: Made two smaller stollen. "Smaller" means that each is several times the size of the toys some people buy in Japan...

Oh that's naughty, whoever did this probably got himself on the other list. But a great idea it is...


Oh that's naughty, whoever did this probably got himself on the other list. But a great idea it is...

via Rui Alberto G. 

Originally shared by Karen Bierwirth

Hi hi hi ;-))*

#frauenforum

2014-12-20

OK, so I've set up the tree.

OK, so I've set up the tree. Not sure who will see it this year other than Nimrod and me, but there it is, just in case...

I need to have a serious word with Nimrod: That dog is now going after my sushi!


I need to have a serious word with Nimrod: That dog is now going after my sushi!

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

Have yourself a merry little Christmas

I am not usually into Heavy Metal (Punk is my game), but this whole album is nice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw1Tfm0LFSI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw1Tfm0LFSI

Now everybody, sing!

Now everybody, sing!

And one more time, like you mean it!

In a previous life, when I was teaching at a college, I taught this to students in an English class I had to give at another department. That way at least they learned a Christmas song they may actually like to sing for a change...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XII6f1R1yLk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XII6f1R1yLk

2014-12-18

A week or so ago I made a stollen, according to Wikipedia a kind of "fruit cake" that is popular for Christmas in...

A week or so ago I made a stollen, according to Wikipedia a kind of "fruit cake" that is popular for Christmas in Germany.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen

Du Lenowsky wanted to know the result, and perhaps also Heidi Adick: The white rabbits have survived the stollen test, so the recipe should be OK. Here it is:

750g flour
60g fresh yeast (dry works too)
175ml milk
120g brown sugar (I was racist and used white one)
100g almond (ground)
375g soft butter
100g almond (hacked)
300g raisins
125g cranberries (Didn't have the band, skipped this.)
200g marzipan
125g butter for coating
125g powder sugar for coating

Pour all the flour into a pot, make a small depression in the middle for yeast and some warm milk and sugar, mix those to a kind of mud, then let it rest.

When the yeast is awake, mix the rest of the sugar with the milk, then add to the mud, together with butter and ground almond, and make a dough of all of it. Let it rest. (No stress before Christmas, right?)

Now add raisins and hacked almond to the dough, the roll it out a few centimeters thick, in an oval shape. Roll the marzipan out too, a bit smaller than the dough, then put the marzipan on the dough and fold two sides to the center.

I'd say some more folding should be done to spread the marzipan more evenly, except you want it concentrated there. Next time I'll also use a bit more marzipan.

For the last rest the recipe suggested to surround the dough with aluminum foil to prevent it from flattening out too much. Baking is at 160-180C for 50 minutes - at least in theory.

You should leave the stollen in the oven for another 10 minutes after you switched off. Melt the butter, brush it over the stollen, then dust some powder sugar. Wait a moment, then repeat until you have a nice layer of sugar coating.

The finished stollen should be wrapped and left for another week - in theory, again.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen

I'm all about that bass


 I'm all about that bass

2014-12-17

The little Drummer Boy

The little Drummer Boy

Oh don't you love those traditional Christmas songs, so nice and easy...?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVFTozZOSIo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVFTozZOSIo

Ave Maria

Ave Maria

For all who got rocked by "In Dulci Jubilo", here is something more tranquil. And in the spirit of the DTH song "Entschuldigung, es tut uns leid" (Apologies, we are sorry): Apologies for all that was, for all that is, and for all that will still come...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxT8qMrADOs
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxT8qMrADOs

2014-12-15

There is this saying: "Nothing is set in stone." Well, this is.


There is this saying: "Nothing is set in stone." Well, this is. Our company participated in a building material exhibition, and during the few chances I had to take a look around I came across a company offering tiles made of cement with small pebbles of certain color and shape pressed in.

Their biggest exhibition piece were The Gleaners you see pictured here. This is not a usual mosaic that was made from small mass-produced ceramic tiles, they did indeed use small pebbles, which looked pretty natural from my distance.

I better not asked for the price...

2014-12-14

An opulent freeway dinner


An opulent freeway dinner

After five days of exhibitioning we are on our way home. ETA not before midnight...

2014-12-13

I shall call this one "Night by 101".


I shall call this one "Night by 101".

No, not a mistake. Most people photograph the 101 at night, but I photographed the night around 101...

Oh, I can still be an artist one day...

That's winter in the tropics. Pardon: Subtropics. Taibei is only "sub".


That's winter in the tropics. Pardon: Subtropics. Taibei is only "sub".

Even in the big city (Taibei), even in winter, there will be markets in the morning.


Even in the big city (Taibei), even in winter, there will be markets in the morning.

2014-12-11

For a few days I will be pretty close to this building - but don't get to see much of it.


For a few days I will be pretty close to this building - but don't get to see much of it. This is the "101", Taiwan's tallest building, and was the tallest in the world when it was completed.

All that doesn't bother me much, I am busy with an exhibition.

Stollen v0.1a


Stollen v0.1a

Always wanted to try one, never really got to it - until now. As usual, I had to set a temperature way lower than the recipe said. This is supposed to rest for a week now, so I'm curious how it will look like when I'm back from the trade show...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen

2014-12-09

Oh no, I completely forgot to dig out my Christmas music and only two weeks are left!

Oh no, I completely forgot to dig out my Christmas music and only two weeks are left! Let's start with a classic then: In Dulci Jubilo. Not Mike Oldfield, Die Roten Rosen.

Hint: The band needs a minute or so to warm up...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yxVcHuLU9Y
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_yxVcHuLU9Y

So ein Hundeleben...


So ein Hundeleben...
Such is a dog's life...

http://cheezburger.com/8394783488

2014-12-08

2014-12-07

I knew there were more ways to do this, not only the Jason way...


I knew there were more ways to do this, not only the Jason way...

http://www.gocomics.com/foxtrot/2011/12/11


Originally shared by Kyla Myers

There's me done then.

2014-12-06

Today is Nikolaus Day in Germany.


Today is Nikolaus Day in Germany.

This day is pretty important for German children, as it ranks like a small Christmas. That's why nearly all children in Germany will get very busy the evening before, cleaning all their shoes and lining them up nicely.

The saying is that Nikolaus will come during the night and if he finds clean shoes, he may drop sweets, cookies etc in them. So on this day children will get up early and go checking their shoes for success.

This is not really known here ein Taiwan, but I still got my hands on a nice Nikolaus boot (Sorry, completely forgot to take a photo.), filled it with cookies and put it in front of my daughter's door in the morning. "Fortunately" it's a little bit cold currently, so even without snow it feels a little bit like winter/Christmas.

http://galleryhip.com/nikolausstiefel.html

2014-12-05

I wish I could have had such a test...


I wish I could have had such a test...

It's #fidofriday , isn't it?

It's #fidofriday , isn't it? And don't you love the precision and eagerness with which dogs fetch balls and other objects right in mid-flight?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltS0G7KA7XQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltS0G7KA7XQ

2014-12-04

What can I say?

What can I say? Baking disorder, as someone called it. It just comes over me from time to time. Today I tried some speculoos (Spekulatius in German, those squarish cookies), but with a modified recipe, slightly sweet: No spices, and sugar replaced with honey. Also started grinding some almonds to powder, until I remembered I had almond powder in the fridge. (Getting old, I know...)

And while I was waiting for the cookies to be baked, I grabbed the marzipan from my (apparently successful) preservation test and made some marzipan potatoes. Oh, yes, there are also the cheesy cookies again, but I made those on Tuesday, not today.

The dog has already shown that he likes them, all of them, so tomorrow I will make a test with living humans.


Nothing says my beer as this lock.


Nothing says my beer as this lock.

http://cheezburger.com/8391093760

2014-12-03

Oh dear Brits, where are your manners?

Oh dear Brits, where are your manners?

Originally shared by David “not B” A

If you're looking for me, I'll be in Cwim Farteg. Or maybe Puddinglake (mmm, pudding... ).
http://www.buzzfeed.com/patricksmith/heres-a-map-of-all-the-rude-place-names-in-the-uk

Now what?


Now what?

http://cheezburger.com/8387133440

Went to Taibei last Sunday morning, a city that is famous for its exceptionally bad weather.


Went to Taibei last Sunday morning, a city that is famous for its exceptionally bad weather. (Not the worst on the island though.) Fortunately there was no rain, but the sky looked a bit dramatic, so I tried a shot.

Back in Gaoxiong the sky was blue again... Btw, the path you see there is on top of a flood protection wall. That river can rise quite a bit during rainy season or when a typhoon comes.

2014-11-30

OBD troubles

OBD troubles

My four-wheeled tin can doesn't have a standard OBD2 port, it features the Ford/Mazda 17 pin connector. So I got myself an adapter cable and a BT interface. Plug in everything, no BT device found. Measuring I find everything is quite different.

If pinouts on the internet can be believed (still need to find a comprehensive one for the 17 pin side), this adapter is pretty much junk. Chassis ground is connected to pin 7 (Yes, ISO K-line) instead of 4. There is no signal ground (5), but CAN High (6) is connected. Without CAN Low (14) however, so I have no idea what that is good for.

ISO Low (15 is connected), as is Battery (16), but without Ground (4) there is of course no power. Sorry, not quite right: 4 is connected, but I have no idea with what. (comprehensive 17 pin pinout still missing)

Originally I hoped I can just cut the cable in the middle and rewire, but it looks more like I need to get to the connectors themselves, since there are only six wires.

Does anyone know which connections are really necessary for a BT interface? The Chinese manufacturer apparently didn't...

#obd2-cables

2014-11-29

I guess the recommended solution is: More guns...

I guess the recommended solution is: More guns...

http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/26/three-year-old-shoots-mother-dead-as-she-changes-his-nappy-4963133/
http://metro.co.uk/2014/11/26/three-year-old-shoots-mother-dead-as-she-changes-his-nappy-4963133

Sourdough time


Sourdough time

This time I didn't cheat by adding yeast, instead I gave the bread a whole night to rise. It did, but not in the direction I expected.

In the morning I found a nice flat rectangular dough filling the baking pan, so now I have a nice flat rectangle bread.

No problem, there's still sufficient space for salami and mushrooms, it's not that flat. Think Ferrari.

Hmm, is it winter?


Hmm, is it winter? The wakeboard surfer who's testing the water depth is wearing a lot of protective clothing... (the one still on the water doesn't)

2014-11-26

It's impossible not to notice, so he probably didn't care.

It's impossible not to notice, so he probably didn't care. But how could he not care that he was already tearing away the body? Not much longer and there would have been a huge hole on the right side.

Btw: Get yourself a dash cam, that's safer than holding a cell phone...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8Jb0cNp-LA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8Jb0cNp-LA

She's decorated plenty, but she'll taste true.


She's decorated plenty, but she'll taste true.

#firefly    #serenity  
http://cheezburger.com/8383392768

2014-11-24

Movie Time!


Movie Time!

via Richard Suchenwirth-Bauersachs 

Originally shared by Stefan Keuchel

Klicktipp : Jede Menge großartige historische Videos....  https://www.youtube.com/user/britishpathe

The name is Evil, Dr. Evil...


The name is Evil, Dr. Evil...

Originally shared by Noah Axon

Replace a semicolon (;) with a greek question mark (;) in your friend's code and watch them pull their hair out over the syntax error. (h/t @benbjohnson)

2014-11-23

Oh no!


Oh no!

Originally shared by Karla Clark

2014-11-22

Blue rice


Blue rice,
baby's got blue rice.
Like a deep blue sea
on a blue, blue day...

No, I'm not bored, I'm curious. I wanted to know how well my food dye would work on rice. A few days back I had the green green rice of home (no photo), red and yellow are left to follow.

There is a "dish" that I would like to try some day, and for this I would need rice in several colours. I had hoped for a deeper blue, but as expected it's a rather imperfect world.

2014-11-21

There is hope for China...

There is hope for China...

In case you wonder about the above subject, some time ago a judge in China ruled that a man who had helped the victim of a traffic accident was responsible and had to pay, because if he wasn't responsible he wouldn't have cared.

Stupid, yes, and a lot of people (including in China) were pretty upset, because the result were of course people ignoring victims on the street. There is a video somewhere of a child being hit by a car, and about 20 people walk, ride or drive by while she dies on the street. A tremendous "success" for said judge:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Death_of_Wang_Yue

But it seems people are coming to their senses again and ignore that judgement. Good.

Crowd Lifts Car Off Woman Trapped Underneath
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kF1d6ww-Uf0

Nailed it.

Nailed it.

http://weburbanist.com/2014/11/19/so-metal-intricate-sculptures-made-of-nothing-but-nails/
http://weburbanist.com/2014/11/19/so-metal-intricate-sculptures-made-of-nothing-but-nails

Now you know...


Now you know...

2014-11-20

Cheesy traffic-light men


Cheesy traffic-light men

Years ago I made a computer. Not a desktop, only a notebook. And it was edible. The shell was made of bread, with hinges, and thanks to a chopstick you could even open and close it (carefully).

For the keyboard I had used a kind of cheese cookies, probably pretty high calorie, but sadly I couldn't find the recipe later. Now it looks as if I have at least discovered something similar, as you can probably tell from the photo.

These are btw East-German traffic light men. You can tell they are from East Germany because they are wearing hats. The Western equivalent is gender neutral, so for political and whatever correctness, after the unification the Eastern traffic light man was in danger of becoming extinct.

Protests saved him though, and now he is very popular. So popular that he has his own cookie cutters. Which I used here. But you probably already guessed that.

Winter is coming, even here in the tropics.


Winter is coming, even here in the tropics.

I had prepared this photo yesterday, before I decided to use another one for that #nahibetternotmentionyouchallenge . Parks at night can be quite pretty.
Depeche Mode - Waiting for the Night

Lies, nothing but lies!


Lies, nothing but lies!

You aren't protecting me, you are protecting the herbs from me!

I can't get a grip on this lid...

2014-11-19

On the fifth day of Christmas my participation in the #fivedayblackandwhitechallenge I surprise my supervisor...


On the fifth day of Christmas my participation in the #fivedayblackandwhitechallenge I surprise my supervisor overlord Nada Konecna and the world by - doing about the same as yesterday.

Hey, trees are nice! Even when they are restricted to a park and can't roam around as they wish. This one has its own night light, with halo.

And with that it appears I am free again and can return to Lurkistan, but not before I punish someone else: Metin Seven, I summon thee!

Your mission, if you accept it, is to infiltrate the No, sorry, not infltrate, that was another one. Not infiltrate, just filtrate all the colours out of one photo on each of five days. But there is more:

- You have to notify me, your overlord supervisor, so I can check on your progress and make demotivating comments.
- You have to use the tag #fivedayblackandwhitechallenge , so even more people can check on your progress and make frustrating comments.

But there is a reward: When you have done your duty, you may yourself select a poor soul to be burdened with the same task. Now if that isn't an incentive...

PS: Same rule as yesterday: Don't ask...

2014-11-18

On the fourth day of my participation in the #fivedayblackandwhitechallenge I present my supervisor overlord Nada...


On the fourth day of my participation in the #fivedayblackandwhitechallenge I present my supervisor overlord Nada Konecna with something completely different: Bright nature!

OK, it's been again taken at night (no time for photos during daylight, sorry), but much brighter than the previous photos. (The main reason for that may be less artistic vision and more the nearby light.) I shall call it "Trees at night".

And don't anyone dare to ask what kind of trees those are...

2014-11-17

I'm sure my supervisor overlord Nada Konecna is impatiently awaiting my report for day 3 (Hey, I'm half through,...


I'm sure my supervisor overlord Nada Konecna is impatiently awaiting my report for day 3 (Hey, I'm half through, right?) of my #fivedayblackandwhitechallenge . Fortunately I took this photo in advance yesterday, so today I can finally get to bed a bit earlier.

What you see here, in all its dark glory (OK, I amplified the darkness. That street lamp is running on LED, pretty bright.), is an alley. I know, you may have thought that much. But it is not just any alley, it's the one I sneak into every evening and sneak out of it every morning - sometimes unseen.

I will however not tell you in which house I set up my lair, because if you pick the one with the tiger, then I won't need my 16t weight.

Oh, btw: Be afraid, be very afraid, for I am obliged to select another victim from the pool of my circlists to continue where I will stop soon. Muahahaha!

Oh this could be fun. Even more so if it could actually switch pages.


Oh this could be fun. Even more so if it could actually switch pages.

via Kate Savage 

Originally shared by null

I need these

This is a sweet idea! And very well done too.


This is a sweet idea! And very well done too.

#minions  
http://cheezburger.com/8376347392