Getting Out

A huge thanks to everyone who takes the time to read through my blog. Lots of great stuff here, all my own writing. Perfect for anyone who likes the outdoors, nature, history and a good mystery.

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Making money while studying... the hard way

After many absent months im back. I have finished my last lot of exams and about to begin 5 weeks of holiday. In this time I need to find a job and make as much money as possible. Like most people my age I have bills to pay and a car to maintain. That's money going straight from my pocket to the Reptilian Overlords.

picture: www.news.com.au Problem: Not many jobs in town, or anywhere. The main issue is one that a lot of people in rural areas face these days - limited job opportunities and inflexible work hours. While i am free to work every day for the next five weeks I will only be available to work two days a week when I return to studying. Solution: Make my own work. While I will continue looking for work I am hoping to undertake several money making experiments in an attempt to invest my meager savings. I have previously written a bit about how a person can make a bit of money on the side. Here is some new ideas I will be testing over the next few weeks: Plant propagation: Nurseries charge big money for plants these days. Part of that cost goes towards propagating and maintaining stock and making profit for the business. Usually there is a third party supplier that also gets a cut, this adds to the total cost of plants.

picture: www.plantnatural.com Growing plants is a remarkably simple process. Potting mix, seeds or cuttings and some sunshine is all that is needed to get things started. After a few weeks seedlings are potted on into larger pots and sold for a few dollars a plant. Obviously the investment here is time, as garden plants don't grow overnight. Garage sales Its reasonable to assume that at some stage in a persons life they are going to run out of space for all their crap. Although it is easy enough to take it to the dump, it can usually be sold on to another poor bastard. This is one money making scheme that I don't particularly like, as I am quite attached to my junk. This said, I fully recommend recycling old items instead of taking them to landfill. Offer a service People are often too busy to take care of little things themselves. There is a great deal of money to be made by taking care of odd jobs, such as gutter cleaning and window washing. Yes, these jobs are not glamorous but the start-up costs are low (i.e. window washing: washing solution, microfiber cloth, bucket and sponge - $25.00).

picture: www.baysidepg.com.au Restoring furniture: About as straight forward as it comes. Trawl op shops, garage sales, and skip bins looking for abused furniture. Once obtained it is sanded back, repainted/redressed and flogged for a couple of dollars.

Arts and crafts Designer products are all the rage these days. Anyone can head down to the news agency and buy a mass produced gift card. If you really want to show your love you need to buy a hand made, scrap book style celebration card! This is the kind of crap the general population often believes in.

picture: www.1-goodthing.blogspot.com With a bit of practice and some basic materials even the most boring person can create a masterpiece. These can be sold online or at local markets for profit. Get some friends together on a weekend and mass produce cards, flog them off during the week. More ideas? Of course there are many more options. I will be reporting back as I investigate further. Feel free to suggest and post your own ideas and stories.

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Fishing last week. My fish is the skinny one on the left :(

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Where have I been?

Hello everyone. First post in weeks. Started university finally, so I really havnt been camping, hiking or reading anything other than educational texts for a long time. Getting on top of the workload, and I hope to start writing again. Its actually something I really enjoy. I still check my mailbox, so feel free to send me messages, and if you have never sent a message, feel free to start :)

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A straight person and his feelings on gay people

As a straight person, I wish all the countries/people of the world would hurry up and accept gay couples and marriages so we can start tackling more important issues such as world peace, solving poverty and developing efficient renewable energies. In comparison to things like curing cancer and permanently ending warfare gay rights is a trivial concept. If two people are in love leave them be. The amount of debate, hate and violence that are extended to these people is ridiculous.

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(Almost) Extinct animals, and recent (re)discoveries

For as long as man has explored the world there has been tales and stories of fantastic and impossible creatures. Most notable are the creatures that were believed to be mythical right up to the 20th century such as the Mountain Gorilla, Komodo dragons, Manatees and the Okapi. Living fossils

Even more surprising than the discovery of an animal long considered to be a myth is the discovery of animals that have long believed to be extinct. These animals are ofter referred to as living fossils, and several have been discovered over the last century.

The Coelacanth is one of the best examples of a rediscovered "extinct" species. It was believed to have died out 66 million years ago, and there are many well preserved fossil specimens. It wasn't until the 1930's that several of the rare fish were caught off the coast of Africa, and a second species was later discovered surviving in waters around Indonesia.

The Frilled shark is another example of a living fossil. This fish grows up to 2 meters in length and gets its name from its frilled jaw. Scientifically recognized in 1879, this species displays many traits that are found in the fossil remains of ancient shark species dating back to the Jurassic era, and thus is named as a living fossil. Flying Reptiles

For hundreds of years stories have existed of flying serpents that were often thought to be untrue. Although the two flying reptiles I will be writing about here are not particularly rare, like the Gorillas and Komodo dragons it was not until the modern era that they were proved to exist. Above is an example of the Common gliding lizard. Although it can not fly, skin flaps connecting its forward limbs to its body allow it to glide distances up to 10 meters. These lizards are primarily found in South-East Asia.

Pictured above is the Chrysopelea, commonly known as the flying snake. These animals are able to travel 10 times further than the gliding lizard, and have been recorded traveling distances up to 100 meters through the air. By manipulating their flattened body they can sustain a glide for an extended period of time, and may even exert a level of directional control.

Giant Discoveries

It is amazing to think that in the modern age we are still discovering new species that are truly immense in size. This monstrosity is the Megamouth shark and although it grows up to 5 meters long and weigh up to 1,200 kg it was not discovered until the 1970's.

As of 2012 only 55 specimens had been observed and examined making it one of the rarest animals on the planet. Although this species has a mouth over a meter in size, it feeds on plankton and jellyfish. It is a poor swimmer and travels slowly through the ocean with its mouth open, filtering food.

This strange animal is believed to be the origin of many sea serpent myths. It is commonly called the Oarfish, and is believed to be the longest bony fish in the ocean. These animals usually dwell deep down and may reach a length up to 11 meters. Unfortunately interacting with living specimens is very rare, with most recorded specimens being obtained from the surface of the ocean where they come to die, or being found washed up dead on shore.

Pictured above is the largest Colossal squid captured to date. The Colossal squid grows larger than the Giant squid, and unlike its smaller relative the Colossal squid has large hooks on the ends of it tentacles. The species was first discovered in the form of two tentacles found in the stomach of a Sperm whale in the 1920's. When captured the squid was measured at 10 meters in length. It was frozen and transported back to New Zealand for Scientists to study. Once defrosted in a bath of salt water the specimen shrunk considerably due to the freeze/thaw process. The beak, which is solid and remained unchanged through the process was found to be smaller than other squid beaks taken from the stomachs of Sperm whales, leading scientists to conclude that there were larger specimens still to be found.

It wasn't until 2001 that the Giant huntsman spider was discovered in Laos. This huge spider is believed to be the largest spider ever recorded in regards to leg span. Boasting a 30 centimeter (12 inch) leg-span, and 4.6 centimeter (1.8 inches) body-length scientists were shocked that such a large species had gone so long undiscovered (the heaviest spider by mass is the Bird eating spider found in Central and South America). Extinct (but still sighted)

Two of the most commonly reported sightings of extinct animals are the Tasmanian Tiger, or Thylacine of Australia and the Moa of New Zealand. The Moa was a large flightless bird similar to an Ostrich that reached a height of 3 meters. The most notable feature of the Moa is its large clawed feet.

The Moa is thought to have been hunted to extinction by Moari natives. It is believed by many that some Moa birds still live in the dense vegetation and mountainous areas of New Zealand.

Although commonly referred to as Tasmanian Tigers due to their striped backs, Thylacines could be better described as marsupial Wolves. A side by side comparison of the Thylacine and Canis lupus (Grey wolf), show a nearly identical skull formation even though both species developed in completely different regions. Unlike the Wolves, Thylacines had all the characteristics of marsupials including a backwards facing pouch that held their young. Thylacines also had the ability to open their jaws incredibly wide. 

Thylacines were wiped off of mainland Australia several thousand years ago. The prevalent theories being that they were either hunted to extinction by aboriginals or could not compete with the large Dingos introduced around 2000 years ago. After the mainland extinction it was believed that Thylacines could only be found on the island of Tasmania. When Tasmania was settled by European farmers much of the Thylacine's habitat was cleared to allow grazing and farming. Unable to hunt prey as they had previously, the Thylacine was forced to take weak and sick stock from farmers (usually lambs or old sheep). In response the Australian Government placed a bounty on the animals and by 1930 there was believed to be only one Tasmanian tiger left -Benjamin, who was kept in a Tasmanian zoo (black and white photo above).

Benjamin died in captivity, and no more Tasmanian tigers were ever captured. Sightings have continued to the day in Tasmania and on the southern mainland, with several major searches being conducted in the 1960's and 70's. Various groups offer large cash rewards for evidence that the Thylacine still lives, though more effort is being put into attempting to clone these animals from preserved specimens instead of searching for survivors of the cull.

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Rookie? The pot calls the kettle black. Another facebook gem

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u r hot. let me suck ur dik? plox.

Im sorry, im not gay. Though I do support gay marriage and all that. Good luck with winning equal rights.

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Reptile appreciation Can we all take a moment to acknowledge just how beautiful, graceful and cute pythons are. You will never find a more inquisitive or interesting group of animals.

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Constructing a herbarium

What is a herbarium? A herbarium is a term used to describe a collection of plant specimens. Traditionally plant specimens are harvested, identified, dried and pressed before being mounted to a board. Herbariums are constructed for a multitude of reasons. Some are made for the purpose of identifying and monitoring weeds and other critical flora in a target area. Others are done as part of rehabilitation or revegetation work. Herbariums consisting of colourful wildflowers, orchids and non native plants are sometimes assembled for artistic and aesthetic purposes. Environmental departments on councils often pay conservation workers or biologists to collect plant specimens in a target area. This is usually done prior to to burning off or clearing land to ensure that no rare or endangered plants will be wiped out, and to ensure that ecological processes are not impacted negatively. What goes into a herbarium?

There is a specific set of criteria that is required for a professional grade herbarium. Amateurs and hobbyists need not go to this length, but the following are items which are usually included; - Colour photos of the plant that the specimen was harvested from - The pressed and dried plant specimen mounted on a white background - If possible, seed pods and flowers of the target plant should also be mounted to the board. -Completed duplicate data sheet and corresponding specimen tag. Why are these things required?

Photos: As specimens are dried it is not uncommon for the plant to brown and discolour. Providing colour photos shows what the plant looked like before the sample was dried and help in identifying the plant.  

Data sheets: In Western Australia herbarium field data books are obtainable through the Perth Herbarium. Each sheet generates a duplicate carbon copy as it is filled in. One sheet is sent back to the State Herbarium along with a second specimen taken from the host plant, while the other is mounted in the original herbarium. Once received the State Herbarium records the plant data, confirms or corrects the plants identity and sends back a confirmation or correction.

Mounting and presentation: When constructing a professional grade herbarium presentation is important. Mounting specimens on a clean, white background makes specimens stand out and easier to see. I choose to use large A3 display folders. They provide room to mount large specimens while the plastic sleeves catch any dry debris that may come loose. Drying and pressing specimens There are several ways to press a plant specimen. The larger the specimen the more moisture it contains. If a plant is not fully dried before mounting it can begin to rot while mounted. This is the most effective way I have found for drying large plant specimens. 1. Specimens should be tagged and labeled once identified, and placed between several sheets of clean newspaper.

2. Once several specimens are tagged and prepared place the sheets of newspaper between two fridge trays. These can be found at the dump in old refrigerators, or salvage stores. 3. Take a tie down strap (some people call these tug straps, they can be bought for a few dollars from most hardware stores) and use it to bind the fridge trays. Stand on top of the trays if necessary to ensure that specimens are as flat as possible. 4. Place fridge trays in the sun, or inside a hot car. After 24 hours change the newspaper to avoid moulding and rot. Repeat this step until plants are dry and free of all moisture. 5. Mount specimens as desired. A word of warning Be sure to check local and state laws in regards to picking and collecting plant specimens. In Western Australia a permit can easily be acquired to harvest non-endangered flora in state reserves. The picking of wildflowers and Orchids is illegal, unless the correct permits are obtained. As always be safe if venturing into the bush, wear the correct clothing and if you must travel alone, notify someone of the general area that you will be traveling in.

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Milly and Bobby spend time together each and every day. Bobby often makes her way outside to greet Milly in the mornings when she is let out of her hutch (when she isn't in the kitchen bin flicking vegetable scraps on to the floor).

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I really like your writing style are you a writer? and what do you work then? :D

I am definitely not a writer, though I do like to write. Right now i'm working two jobs. One is at a factory and the other is fast food. I start my first year of university in March to study teaching and hopefully while I do that I can carry on working and paying off my loans. Thank you for the feedback. If there is anything you like feel free to like or reblog:)

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DIY Robot kit - Robot building for first timers

Robots are for everyone Building robots its a great way to learn about electricity, circuits, electrical components and programming. Robots can be as simple or as complex as the maker desires and anyone is capable of building one.

Where do I start? Those who are not sure where to start, or with very little experience in working with electronics need not worry. Robot kits can be purchased from any good electrical supply store or online. Beginner kits include everything needed to build a robot, while more advanced kits sometimes require the builder to obtain their own sensors and motors.

The simplest kits use whats called a breadboard to construct the circuitry for a robot. A breadboard is basically a large grid hooked to a battery. Components and wires can be plugged straight into a breadboard without the need for soldering, making them ideal for prototyping or experimentation. What do I need to know? More complex robot kits require the use of a soldering iron to attach components to prefabricated boards. This is a skill that can take a bit of practice, but is very rewarding once mastered. A basic knowledge of electricity and circuits is also helpful for someone who wants to dabble in robotics. Below is a picture of the two circuit boards used in the line tracking robot I built recently. This is the back side of the boards shown in the above picture, showing the soldered areas. These boards took about two hours to put together and house the sensors and IC for the robot.

What can my robot do? Your robot will do whatever you want it to do. This is determined by its power supply, included hardware and the software that is being used. There are loads of online tutorials regarding electronics and robotics and I highly recommend doing some research before spending any money. Even building a simple robot is rewarding, but the cost can be just as daunting. Don't be afraid to fail Like all things, robotics and electronics is a learning experience. Below is my first attempt at a line tracking robot. The mounting board was snapped off at the front and the sensors do not protrude correctly.

The soldering was poorly done and there has been at least one instance of short circuiting. Although this particular project was a failure, it taught me and my friend a lot about soldering as well as identifying and fitting components. Second time around, we nailed it. A high resolution clip of the line tracking rover that was built today can be seen in action here: http://tmblr.co/ZuCYGq163y1eW

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Line tracking robot in action

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Quills, nibs and fountain pens - a brief history

Quills 6th - 18th century Quills are estimated to have been used since the 6th century and are the closest equivalent to the 18th century dip or nib pens. Because feathers are quite soft they must be carefully cut to shape and then hardened over a flame. This hardening increases the working life of the quill as the cut tip takes longer to wear. Special blades were used for the shaping and crafting of quills, which over time evolved from scalpel like blades into small folding knives. This is where the term "pen knife" originates from, and is still used today to refer to many small folding blades. Paper as we know it today did not exist when quills were commonly in use, as all writing was usually done on parchment or vellum. These materials were very soft and made from animal skins rather than wood pulp.

(from top to bottom - Parker fountain pen, modern ballpoint, pewter and steel nib pen with glass shaft) Nib pens - 18th century As paper made from plant pulp became more common it soon became apparent that the relatively soft feather quills of the past simply could not endure as well on paper as they had on the soft animal skin stock. It was around this time in the 18th century that the nib pen was introduced. Like a quill, it is dipped into a container of ink so that the liquid collects on the nib. The writer then uses a very gentle pressure to transfer the ink on from the nib onto the paper. Unlike modern pens, too much pressure causes the split in the nib to widen and dump its contents rapidly, causing a mess. Due to the split nib design it is not possible to write quickly using tight angular print, as this causes the ink to flick from the nib and may cause the nib to snag and blot ink on the paper. Instead a writer must use a very rounded writing style which is commonly referred to as English round hand or Copperplate script. 

Fountain pen - 19th century Although a nib pen could hold enough ink to write a lengthy sentence before it needed to be dipped again, it simply wasn't convenient. In the 1800's the fountain pen was introduced. It used a similar split nib delivery system to transfer ink onto paper, but had an internal cavity that could store ink, resulting in a writing tool that no longer required to be dipped between sentences. The convenience of the internal ink and the ability to write for long periods made these pens a very popular choice and it didn't take long for the fountain pen to dominate the market. Fountain pens remained a common writing tool all the way up the the mid 20th century when it became possible to cheaply manufacture modern ballpoint pens.

Writers note: The dates I use are not the dates which the various pens are invented, but the dates of which they became to be commonly used. The fountain pen was designed as early as the 10th century, but did not become commonplace until nearly 900 years later, while a blacksmith drew up designs for a ballpoint pen in the 1800's which might write on leather better than the fountain pens common to his era. It should also be noted that both Round hand and Copperplate scripts are actual scripts which must be learned, though it is not uncommon for any rounded script written with a nib or quill to be called by those names.

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The only desktop magnifier you will ever need

I am writing today to tell the reader about a piece of equipment I received over the Christmas break. For many months I have been looking for a magnifying lamp to inspect my rock and coin specimens that I have collected. In my opinion this unit is the best in regards to value for money and is designed perfectly (above: small quartz/pyrite specimen observed through the lens).

The assembly consists of two parts, a clamp piece which attaches securely to just about any surface, and the lamp itself. The lamp has a long shaft in the bottom that slides into the clamp piece. This allows for quick setup and makes it possible for the lamp to swivel 360 degrees.

The magnifier remains stable even when fully extended (picture below has the arm extended half way). The magnifier head is also well designed and can be adjusted through many angles depending on what is needed by the operator.

The magnifier head has a hard plastic flip up dust cover and 54 long life LED lights to illuminate specimens. This lamp in particular has a power of 2.25x magnification and a diopter of 5, though it should be noted that several varieties are available.

So far I have used my lamp to inspect river stones and other rock specimens, to find dates on aged and damaged coins, repair and inspect jewelry and assist in the soldering of a simple circuit board. The best thing about this tool though is its price. I picked mine up for just $75.00 with free shipping. The unit is very well made and comes with a manufacturers warranty of 2 years, and I expect to get many years of service from it.  Link below; http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/LED-5-Inch-Magnifying-Lamp-5-Diopter-Table-stand-magnifier-desk-light-Black/201016971184?_trksid=p2047675.m1985&_trkparms=aid%3D444000%26algo%3DSOI.CURRENT%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D13%26meid%3D4292718048212344860%26pid%3D100012%26prg%3D1014%26rk%3D3%26rkt%3D3%26sd%3D200992960965%26

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Metals and their ores

What is an ore? The term "ore" is the name used describe a rock which contains minerals with important elements. All metals appear as an ore in some form, though some metals such as gold, silver and copper can appear as native elements in the form of nuggets. Above is an example of the mineral cinnabar, the ore which is mined for the production of the metal mercury. Iron - Hematite (Fe2O3)

The most commonly mined ore for the production of Iron is the mineral hematite. Iron is used in the production of steel and is the most mined metal on the planet Copper - Chalcopyrite (CuFeS2)

Chalcopyrite is the ore commonly mined for the production of the metal copper. Copper is used in electrical cabling, pipes and as a decorative material. Aluminium - Bauxite Al(OH)3

Aluminium is the second most used metal after Iron. Like Iron, aluminium can be alloyed with a range of other metals to form many useful alloys. Aluminium never occurs in a pure state, and is always mined in the form of bauxite. Bauxite is a mineral sand, and electrolysis is used as part of the refining process. Lead - Galena PbS

Galena is the natural mineral form of the metal lead, and also one of its most important ores. Galena is mined and smelted to produce lead in a pure form. Nickel - Garnierite NiO

Garnierite is an important ore in the production of the metal nickel as it contains a large percentage of NiO, or nickel oxide. Nickel is used in the production of stainless steels, coins and cookware. Tin - Cassiterite SnO2

Tin has been used since ancient times to produce the metal alloy bronze. The mineral cassiterite is the primary ore mined for tin production. Titanium - Rutile and Ilmenite

Like aluminium, titanium is mined as a mineral sand. Two of the most important mineral sands used in titanium mining are rutile and Ilmenite. Titanium is stronger than aluminium and lighter than steel making it a popular choice in high performance vehicles. Zinc - Sphalerite ((Zn,Fe)S)

Zinc is one of the most important metals on the planet. Although it isn't particularly tough, zinc is used to coat metals such as steel to protect them from rust. Sphalerite is the primary ore of zinc. The above image shows a specimen of sphalerite, pyrite and quartz. Manganese - Pyrolusite MnO2

Manganese is used in certain steel alloys, and its ore contains the mineral pyrolusite. This mineral is quite dark, and appears often with a granular, fibrous or columnar structure, as seen in the image above. Related posts For more on steel and its alloys see: http://tmblr.co/ZuCYGqx5WH-4 For geology related posts concerning silicates and gemstones see: http://tmblr.co/ZuCYGq_eFyd4 http://tmblr.co/ZuCYGqzMrzEd Writers note: Images were sourced online and all credit goes to the original photographers. Smithsonian Rock and Gem book, DK Rocks and minerals handbook and Simon and Schuster's guide to rocks and minerals were used as a reference for this post.

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Taking care of my snakes

Keeping snakes as pets can be hard work. They can be expensive to obtain legally, there is paper work, and setting up an enclosure properly can be a costly process. Like all of the pets in my home I like to do my best to look after them. Regular cleaning, feeding and maintenance on the enclosure is done weekly.

Some reptiles live their entire lives in cages only slightly larger than a shoe box. In comparison the living space I provide for my reptiles is huge, though I still like to get them out on a warm evening so they can move about the garden. If the day happens to be particularly hot I adjust the nozzle on the garden hose to a fine mist, and hose them down. They enjoy the natural sunlight and the moisture.

All snakes need a large bowl of water in their enclosure for drinking and soaking. Soaking is an important step in the process of shedding their skin, and a growing snake can shed many times in a year. Having a pet isn't a right, its a privilege, and with that privilege comes the responsibility of doing all things possible to keep pets happy and healthy.