Generally speaking, it’s the males of a species that take the active role in finding mates. And that’s true of Norway’s goby fish…at least in the beginning. Every year, males and females gradually swap their roles in the mating process. More »
via io9 http://io9.com/5906147/these-little-fish-swap-their-gender-roles-every-season
Like Spelunky, A Valley Without Wind is a procedurally-generated platformer, meaning levels are algorithmically generated and no two plays will ever be the same. But Valley is more than a platformer; it has elements of crafting, character advancement with a huge number of paths, and an adventure game-like narrative arc.
Once you complete the tutorial, you start in a town surrounded by many available wilderness squares; you select one, and transition to a sidescrolling level, with monsters to fight and with some elements, like trees and rocks, that you can destroy for resources. But within most wildernesses are buildings and dungeons, each a series of levels in their own right, in which you can find resources that provide you with powerups, or that can be used to craft better spells, or to create “guardian powers.”
In many buildings, you’re given the opportunity to perform a special mission, which can provide more resources, and do such things as increasing the population of your town.
The core grind of the game is leaving town, solving platforming navigation problems and fighting enemies, collecting resources, and bringing them back to town to improve your own spells and other capabilities. Eventually, you can build things in the town that open up other possibilities.
After you have completed five missions, however, the world becomes “tier 2,” meaning that monsters are now more powerful — but of course, by then, you also have access to more powerful spells and capabilities.
As in a Rogue-like, you are likely to die frequently (unless you crank the difficulty down very low), but “dying” is a fairly minor inconvenience; a new “glyphmaster” appears to carry on the game, and your resources and spells are retained. The only real loss is of some character stats, like improved health and mana.
Once you hit tier 5, it is time to take on the climax of the saga, defeating the big evil whatchamacallit — a common trope, of course.
One nice touch: the difficulty can be tuned on two dimensions — platforming, and combat. So if, say, you suck at platformers but aren’t phased by the combat system (like, ahem, me), you can customize the game to your liking.
On the whole, it’s an amazing, genre-blending, noticeably polished game that is quite likely to suck up hours of your time.
via Play This Thing http://playthisthing.com/valley-without-wind
One of my Secrets of Adulthood–perhaps counter-intuitively–is “It’s often easier to do something every day than to do it some days.” I post to my blog six days a week. I take notes every day. I write in my one-sentence journal every day. Many people have told me that they find it easier to exercise when they exercise every day.
If I try to do something four days a week, I spend a lot of time arguing with myself about whether today is the day, or tomorrow, or the next day; did the week start on Sunday or Monday; etc. And that’s exhausting.
If I do something every day, I tend to fall into a routine, and routine has a bad reputation. It’s true that novelty and challenge bring happiness, and that people who break their routines, try new things, and go new places are happier, but I think that some routine activities also bring happiness. The pleasure of doing the same thing, in the same way, every day, shouldn’t be overlooked. By re-framing, you can find happiness in activities like doing dishes or sweeping the floor, as well as your beloved morning coffee-and-newspaper.
The things you do every day take on a certain beauty, and provide a kind of invisible architecture to daily life.
Funnily enough, two geniuses whom I associate with the idea of the unconventional wrote about the power of doing something every day.
Andy Warhol wrote, “Either once only, or every day. If you do something once it’s exciting, and if you do it every day it’s exciting. But if you do it, say, twice or just almost every day, it’s not good any more.”
Gertrude Stein made a related point: “Anything one does every day is important and imposing and anywhere one lives is interesting and beautiful.”
So if there’s something that you wish you did more regularly, try doing it every day; if you do something every day, revel in it.
Every Friday’s post proposes a resolution for you to consider for your own happiness project.
via The Happiness Project http://happiness-project.com/happiness_project/2012/04/proposed-resolution-do-something-every-day/
I frequently talk with amazing social innovators that have great ideas, but don’t know how to implement them through community organizing. It’s something that you learn by doing and takes years of on the ground experience, self-reflection and feedback. I also studied community organizing in school and with groups who do trainings, which was helpful in getting a framework to examine why and how what I do is effective or not.
After 10 years as a practitioner, it seems community organizing is more important than ever. Occupy Wall Street is powered by participatory organizing structures. Community organizing was central to Obama’s successful 2008 presidential campaign. And new sharing economy companies like Airbnb have on the ground community or city managers to help build trust among users and grow their businesses. So whether you’re a neighborhood leader, worker coop member, politician, or sharing economy entrepreneur, community organizing can help you better serve your community.
Here are my top 10 lessons from 10 years of community organizing that you can use today:
1) Involve the communities you want to work with from the very beginning to get their perspective on what you are doing. Offer them something in return for their input. Especially involve different kinds of people you want to work with. If someone sees only people with green hair working initially on a project, they might think, “that’s a project only for green hair people “ and people with purple hair might feel uninvited or simply uncomfortable at your gatherings.
2) Listen well and communicate. The best communities organizers listen to the people they work with rather than imposing their original ideas on people. They adjust their projects based on feedback, sometimes even scrapping the project for an emergent idea coming from the groups they listen to. But don’t take too much of their time. Think of specific questions and ways they might want to participate. Don’t drain their interest with endless debate, mandatory meetings, or bureaucracy, unless they really like that kind of stuff and have the time.
3) Make room for people and groups to participate, including leadership roles, project ownership, and increased responsibility if they desire that. Offer them something in return for their participation, especially if you are working with low income communities (don’t be a parasite).
4) Adapt to the circumstances, and be willing to let go. Community organizing is like improvisational dance. Only if you can gracefully respond to changing circumstances, including your own role, position and ideas in the project will your project thrive. A healthy dose of humility and fluidity in project design go a long way.
5) Clarify your vision and values. Try to work with people who at least share your basic values. When conflict arises, you will at least have some common ground to stand on and move forward. Lack of shared values, even in one group member, can sometimes tear an otherwise healthy group apart. Clear vision and values will help you figure out how to effect change and practice what you preach.
6) Have faith and tenacity. If you can get past the phase where you feel as if you are going out on a limb with your project, you will hopefully notice people starting to express excitement about and commitment to it. This means you should keep going despite obstacles, because you have an idea that has staying power. Next you may need to convert the project to a functional organization.
7) Make your organization open but structured. Use transparency methods, open meetings, accountability, and involve your members, clients, employees and/or volunteers as much as possible without being too cumbersome and dragged into trivial details. Delegate noncontroversial or minor tasks to committees, but involve as many stakeholders in key decisions as possible. Try to get consensus if possible. Only if you have buy in, will you get willing volunteers or employees to execute it. Because of this, I believe consensus is more efficient in the long run IF people have training in consensus and communication.
Relationships and partnerships are the crux of community organizing. Be a good partner by communicating regularly, helping your partners, and as asking them for support. Reciprocity and communication build healthy two-way relationships that are the strong foundation of a community organization. Create ways for people in your organization to take care of each other (like gift circles or rewarding with Timebank hours) and your organization’s partners (e.g. give free tickets, classes or reciprocal publicity). If partners’ needs aren’t being met, the partnership will not last.
Imagine and map your organization as web of overlapping and nested circles of participation, impact and responsibility. Nurture your relationships at all levels from clients and consumers to producers and funders to community members who are influenced by your work, and all other stakeholders. Think how this web can become more connected, participatory and stronger, which will make your work overall more powerful.
9) Create a safe space for people to criticize without retribution, including your partners. This will help your project or organization grow and mature and will appear responsive to it critics, maybe even converting them when they realize that you care what they think. For local businesses, this may mean a paid focus group with community organizations, members or leaders. Value everyone’s perspective – everyone has a piece of the truth. It will also help confront unspoken hierarchies that may threaten your group’s culture. Have a skilled mediator on hand for challenging conflict.
10) Have fun together. Take time to just enjoy each others’ company. Eat and play together, have bonding time. Studies indicate that most relationships that thrive have a greater number of positive interactions than negative ones. People tend to add things up. If you have good times together on a regular basis, the bad times will seem more like a bump or a curve in the road than the end of the road. Make the work itself enjoyable. As activist Emma Goldman once said, “If I can’t dance, it’s not my revolution.”
What tips do you have to share? Please add in comments below.
via Shareable – Sharing by design http://www.shareable.net/blog/10-lessons-from-a-sharing-economy-organizer
From an old 2006 article, but the problem continues to increase.
Cell, TV towers pose risk for birds
The conflict between technology and nature hasn’t gone well for
migratory birds. The light from cellphone and TV towers has lured
millions of them to their deaths.
via AR-News Google Group http://groups.google.com/group/ar-news/browse_thread/thread/9656bb38cdff9001/f8ddd2815d9db42d?show_docid=f8ddd2815d9db42d
We have LEGO lovers in the family, and that tank under the grill just looks too much like a LEGO head to not paint it! I found that something very similar has already been done before here on instructables but I am going to go ahead and post anyway to show a slightly different version. Mat…
By: kinetiko
via Recent Instructables http://www.instructables.com/id/Lego-Head-Liquid-Propane-LP-Tank/
Update 29-Apr
KENTWOOD, MI — An atheist group that sparked debate in West Michigan last fall over the necessity of God and religion has made good on their vow to sue a Rochester Hills county club for canceling an appearance by author Richard Dawkins.
The Kentwood-based Center for Inquiry-Michigan, a chapter of the nationwide atheist group, filed suit in federal district court Friday against the Wyndgate Country Club for allegedly denying use of the facilities to the public based on religious beliefs.
The complaint calls for unspecified damages based on breach of contract, and that the club be stopped from discriminating against others on religious grounds. The group is asking for a jury trial.
The suit alleges the club violated Title II of Civil Rights Act of 1964, and the Michigan Civil Rights Act, which prohibit discrimination in public places based on religious beliefs — or lack thereof, claims CFI Michigan.
Detroit— A Rochester Hills country club that canceled an appearance last fall by an internationally known atheist was sued in federal court Friday.
The Center for Inquiry-Michigan, an organization dedicated to secularism and science, sued Wyndgate Country Club for allegedly denying use of its facilities to the public based upon religious beliefs.
The center wants unspecified damages and to block the country club from discriminating against others for religious reasons, according to the lawsuit.
A club official could not be reached for comment immediately Friday.
The lawsuit stems from the country club canceling an appearance by internationally known atheist and author Richard Dawkins in October.
Read more
The “Rochester Hills country club” incident was posted here last October when Richard Dawkins was supposed to speak there.
via RichardDawkins.net – All Content http://richarddawkins.net/articles/645758-update-more-details-atheist-group-sues-rochester-hills-country-club-over-canceled-speech
Schemer — you know that invite only Google service — has had an update to its Android application, and has also thrown open the doors to all. Until now access has been by invite only — think Google Music, Google+, sounds pretty familiar doesn’t it. Invites to the service though are no longer required, and anyone can sign up, including right from within the app itself.
The concept itself is pretty interesting, fitting it into your life could be somewhat difficult though. We’ll let Google do the explaining — they do it better than us — so if you’re not familiar, hit the source links at the bottom for more information. There’s a short video to be found after the break too. It’s kind of fun to fool around with, and now it’s open to all it would be rude not to take a look. It’s pretty well tied into Google+ too, so you’ll find it pretty populated when you step inside.
So, what about the Android application update. Well, besides the ability to sign up now, we also get a refreshed UI. There’s a new homepage, with suggestions for schemes for here and now based upon your location, the time and even the weather. Search has been improved with a new search results page showing results from your schemes and other users on one page. You can also search for schemes to do while home vs nearby while you’re out and about.
Additionally, we get a new profile page and a whole heap of bug fixes. Whether or not Schemer will stick around, only time will tell. But, you have to love Google for trying out new things. If you fancy trying it out for yourselves, click on past the break for the Google Play Store download links and QR Code.
Source: Schemer
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via Android Central – Android Forums, News, Reviews, Help and Android Wallpapers http://www.androidcentral.com/schemer-updates-android-app-opens-doors-all
Schemer — you know that invite only Google service — has had an update to its Android application, and has also thrown open the doors to all. Until now access has been by invite only — think Google Music, Google+, sounds pretty familiar doesn’t it. Invites to the service though are no longer required, and anyone can sign up, including right from within the app itself.
The concept itself is pretty interesting, fitting it into your life could be somewhat difficult though. We’ll let Google do the explaining — they do it better than us — so if you’re not familiar, hit the source links at the bottom for more information. There’s a short video to be found after the break too. It’s kind of fun to fool around with, and now it’s open to all it would be rude not to take a look. It’s pretty well tied into Google+ too, so you’ll find it pretty populated when you step inside.
So, what about the Android application update. Well, besides the ability to sign up now, we also get a refreshed UI. There’s a new homepage, with suggestions for schemes for here and now based upon your location, the time and even the weather. Search has been improved with a new search results page showing results from your schemes and other users on one page. You can also search for schemes to do while home vs nearby while you’re out and about.
Additionally, we get a new profile page and a whole heap of bug fixes. Whether or not Schemer will stick around, only time will tell. But, you have to love Google for trying out new things. If you fancy trying it out for yourselves, click on past the break for the Google Play Store download links and QR Code.
Source: Schemer
 |
 |
via Android Central – Android Forums, News, Reviews, Help and Android Wallpapers http://www.androidcentral.com/schemer-updates-android-app-opens-doors-all
Schemer — you know that invite only Google service — has had an update to its Android application, and has also thrown open the doors to all. Until now access has been by invite only — think Google Music, Google+, sounds pretty familiar doesn’t it. Invites to the service though are no longer required, and anyone can sign up, including right from within the app itself.
The concept itself is pretty interesting, fitting it into your life could be somewhat difficult though. We’ll let Google do the explaining — they do it better than us — so if you’re not familiar, hit the source links at the bottom for more information. There’s a short video to be found after the break too. It’s kind of fun to fool around with, and now it’s open to all it would be rude not to take a look. It’s pretty well tied into Google+ too, so you’ll find it pretty populated when you step inside.
So, what about the Android application update. Well, besides the ability to sign up now, we also get a refreshed UI. There’s a new homepage, with suggestions for schemes for here and now based upon your location, the time and even the weather. Search has been improved with a new search results page showing results from your schemes and other users on one page. You can also search for schemes to do while home vs nearby while you’re out and about.
Additionally, we get a new profile page and a whole heap of bug fixes. Whether or not Schemer will stick around, only time will tell. But, you have to love Google for trying out new things. If you fancy trying it out for yourselves, click on past the break for the Google Play Store download links and QR Code.
Source: Schemer
 |
 |
via Android Central – Android Forums, News, Reviews, Help and Android Wallpapers http://www.androidcentral.com/schemer-updates-android-app-opens-doors-all