Clean Up - Making Space In The Lab

To prepare for upcoming projects and potential hurricane visitation (not to mention, it was a rainy day), the last day off the 9-5 was spent cleaning the lab. It’s tough for someone like me, a self proclaimed packrat, to throw stuff away, especially if it may have a use and/or was hard to get. Out went the gears and some electronics scrounged from old printers, copiers, and miscellaneous small electronics. The trash cans were emptied and old boxes tossed.

To note, though, the bike parts haven’t been tossed, nor has several small collections of parts, including bottles, old computers, corks, and flora and fauna parts and pieces. Still have plans for those in the near future.

I made a deal with the Mistress. If something has not been used by the end of the year, does not constitute a tool, something needed for home, vehicles, or pets, or will not be used for project within a short amount of time, that item will be discarded.

Sounds like a contract. I wonder if she knows her chemistry lab will be subject to the same conditions. I’ve gotten to the point were I do not want to go in her lab to search for anything. (Probably the way she feels about my lab.)

Oh well. I just wanted to log the progress in the laboratory. I’ve got to go harness the lightning outside. The heavy precipitation will definitely come in handy for my ongoing mulch project. There will be more news on that in the future. No sunny day experiments for me!

Project #2.2 - Air Quality Control Continues

With concern for the air quality of the laboratory, my diabolical Mistress has demanded something be done. This is going back to earlier post of Project #2 development. While it does its job, the main problem is our lab felines use their waste disposal unit first thing in the morning. This is a call for a redesign. While our home projects still haven’t been finished (my fault), my project log is getting backed up. This site will be updated with photos but they may be a little longer due to recent developments.

Because of odor problem, I have been considering setting up a small biowall unit in our lab. The concept can be found on the net but it boils down to basically a wall covered in plants, most of which are known to remove toxins from the air, through which air is pulled. The plants, water, and beneficial bacteria break down the pollutants in the air. The biggest problem for me is the lack of funding, and a certain lack of a green thumb. I like having plants. I’ve got several books on them. Do they do well? No, but they do survive, at least for a while. My maternal parental unit has kept a Bird of Paradise alive for years. I just wasn’t born with it. My current excuse is lack of light. If we had a window facing east, south, or west, we would not have to set up artificial light to set up a biowall. Unfortunately, I was planning to put the biowall unit in the lab which doesn’t have a single window. To remedy the situation, a lighting unit has to be set up, costing money for set up and power.

So, on the back burner of my mind is plans for a possible lighting unit set up to be as efficient as possible, something I can build myself with minimum parts, and won’t cost too much. Also, under consideration is how to construct a wall (or other alternative shape) unit that can hold the plants, allow for watering, and allow air movement through the unit.

Here are some links that I am using as inspiration.

Living Walls

Vertical Garden

Green Light

(Thanks to Inhabitat for the inspiration.)

Amy Youngs - Solar Hydroponic Art

Transportation - Every genius needs to get from here to there.

I have been interested in human-powered vehicles (HPV's) for a while. In my hometown, transportation was automobile or if longer distances was needed, we took an aeroplane. It was weird hearing of someone with regular transportation anything but having four wheels and a gasoline engine. Yet having lived through a time in my life where an auto was not an option, I still desired my independence. The lowly roller blades and bicycle stepped in. Since then, I recognize the bicycle as one of the last remaining vehicles we can own, service, maintain, and potentially build or modify ourselves with very little investment in tools or even space.

On a different line of thought, I've recently read a commentary on how the computers of todays cars may get outdated in the future. Consider that you have to replace your computer or the programming every three to five years (and that's only if you don't *need* a faster computer). This leads to the inevitable predicament of repair shops with computers able to fix the cars of the future, but not able to fix the vehicles of the present. Even if we wanted to keep that car we really love, how are we going to able to get it fixed?

I digress. I apologize. Therefore, I will dedicate an upcoming section of the site to the HPV's that we can still use potentially for years (saving money, environment, traffic, etc). Currently, there is more than enough examples of vehicles created (or modified) by inventors and artists that can cover land, sea, and air. I shall try to list my own and at least one example of each major design.

Perhaps I bite off more than I can chew. Only the future will tell if I am truly a genius or a miserable failure.

As a last tribute to one such genius on his bicycle.

Project #3 - The Infamous Cat Wheel

A mad scientist always has speed bumps slowing his progress in all his projects. Very seldom does a project go smoothly from start to finish. However, it seems his greatest inspirational creations are built to solve problems in his day to day life.

In this scientists home is the problem of the overweight cat(s). The previously mentioned resident felines have a leader (as much as cats can have a leader). He is appropriately named "Zorak, the Cat". At one point he was a model of feline fitness.
Now he looks like he ate a melon. It is fortunate his vet says he has no health problems, yet. If he is to lead my mad army, he needs to be in shape. Therefore...

Barrel of Fun

The Infamous Cat Wheel! My goal is to build a rotating wheel along the lines of the Barrel of Fun, seen at carnivals for years.

Like hamsters in their wheel or people on treadmills, my cats will drop the pounds, tone up, and prepare for total domination over all small animals in the area. Say your prayers geckos, anoles, and ducks. You think the cats are bad now, wait 'til you see them then!

In all honesty, I wasn't the first to come up with this idea. Cat wheels have been and are on the market in various incarnations. My inspiration directly comes from carnivals and Richard Norton's design.

If only I could get rid of this cold (my hypothesis that massive doses of various plant leaves steeped in radiated fluids seems to work only over the short term) and finish the home projects.

Future Projects - Spread Your Propaganda! (on a budget)

Finding inspiration for future projects is not hard as long as you look in the right places. I was reading my latest issue of Make magazine. A great deal of this issue is dedicated to the ever humble bicycle. As a future dictator, I have long recognize the usefulness of a device such as the bicycle (which is why I bought this issue). Some useful features include: servicable by the individual, customizable, strong, durable and available the world over.

Several articles in this magazine made me start to ponder. One detailed how to
make your own portable (modern) movie projector for a drive-in experience. As a
movie buff, this appealled to me right away. The second article was about a
bicycle mounted audio system.

My mind started to wonder. In South Florida, bicycles are far from the norm,
especially as a regular transportation device. Wouldn't it be fun to ride around
in a Critical Mass style evening, if for no other reason than to have some fun.

Then it hit me. What better thing for the world leader on a budget than a
combination of the mobile sound system, projector, and all your henchmen riding
bicycles with you, spreading your propaganda! Everyone would take notice which
is the whole point. If a driver/pedestrian sees and hears your group coming, they
will think it is something strange and at least pause to try to figure out what's
going on. If you add a hypnotize/brain washing device to the package, why, it
would be a sirens' song perfectly placed for the most effectiveness.

Now where did I put my Hypno Goggles?