Minecraft Sewers

I like to use stone bricks for sewage systems, especially the mossy ones. However, these may be hard to  obtain in survival because they're mostly found in strongholds.

1. Create holes in the side where the sewage will "originate," pretending they are tunnels.

2. Make a draining area where all the sewage will collect.

3. Place water in the holes.

Minecraft: Interesting Shots of the Week II

There's a soldier standing on the chandelier. How'd he get up there?

A picture of a fully armed player chasing a defenseless player up the hill. Run!

Hut/House made from a giant mushroom. There's a jack-o-lantern at the front.

Ship.

Ship getting burned.

Ship with TNT.

Abandon ship!

Eh? The remains of the ship.

Minecraft Survival Journal Entry 3

Furnace.

Smelting iron.

Boom! A creeper blew up the entrance and killed the Noble Bonsai.  Boo hoo hoo! There's a lot of cleaning up to do.

How about fixing up the door for a change? Yeah!

The way it's closed seems much safer now.

Trees of Doom iPhone App New High Score!

Huzzah, achieved a new high score for NinjaTown: Trees of Doom! One thousand, three hundred, seventy-nine just so happens to be the four corners of a keypad in clockwise rotation.

I guess this score in insignificant now because you can buy bonuses at the "shop" that give you a head start. Oh well.


Hey, what's your high score on T.O.D. and your favorite ninja color? Share in the comments!

Minecraft Zombie Siege

An army of zombies swarm the front of a hut, attempting to break down the door and infect the one NPC inside.

Haiku: "Playing Computer"

Playing computer

Time passes by like the wind

Time for bed so soon

Donkey Crossing!

This is an old picture: I took it 3-4 years ago. Nevada, if I can recall, for I am reminded of the desert landscape and the dusty iron hills that look just like Mars. The shocking part here is the donkey crossing right in front of the car. 

Well, maybe I should've paid attention to the sign that said, "Donkey X-ing," but us city folk just assume that's kind of rare. Nope! It's real!

He probably wonders what these automobiles are. Someone who isn't paying attention on the road might as well be considered a predator. *Look both ways before you cross, donkeys!*

Anyways, I wanted to share this, so enjoy!

Haiku: "Sunrise City"

I hear pigeons sing
Cars and trains are bustling
Time for school today

Haiku: "Ninja Loading"

Blue screen and I wait
Why is this taking so long?
Finally, it loads

Poem: "Eagwood"

 Eagwood danced in the dry field of
Wheat and
Barley,
Right ear to the ground,
Listening.

Their approach, the rumbling vibration stronger and stronger,
Footsteps of the Ven themselves.

It was sharp…
Like rocks.

Along the horizon their armies were
Little ants
With a big
Appetite.

Moments later,
Big elephants
With a little
Eagwood
All alone.

Eagwood could not
run.
Behind him was the
void. A hard place.

Eagwood was stuck between a
rock
and a
hard place.

Minecraft Winter

Minecraft's tundra biome matches this winter season. Of course, there are no seasons in Minecraft, so you can just walk on over a few blocks and you start getting snow! Would you want seasons in Minecraft? What do you think?

Haiku: "Computer Rain"

Gently stroke keyboard

Pitter patter goes the rain

Grumbling in the dark

Haiku: "Mount Fujiwara"

Cold and vast, pure clean

Clouds as fluffy as a sheep

Better than a dream

Minecraft: Please Recycle!

This is a friendly reminder expressed through Minecraft to keep up the eco-efforts! Go green!

Recycling bin!

Minecraft recycling facility with recycled glass moving down the line. Did you know that glass and metal can be recycled again and again far more times than paper and plastic? 

Minecraft: Interesting Shots of the Week

Things we've done this week worth sharing.

This crazy ripple is caused by the sand that falls when you create an empty world in the flat world customization. See the tutorial here.

You can still see the rippling in the distance. 

New heads to "fit in" with the creepers.

A peaceful nighttime view with the OCD Texture Pack.

Underground base. A bit of a stronghold. Notice the anvil in front of the bed.

Spaceship at night. Without any blocks around it's "in space."

Closer view.

Encarta Library in the "city" of Encarta.

Inside view. The torch on top of the door is somewhat unrealistic because it would cause the medieval library to burn down.

We went crazy here on our "roller coaster."

Poem: "Banana Dolphin"

Have you heard of a red elephant?

Have you heard of the cat that drinks glue?

Have you heard of a green Martian dog…

Who favors beef stew?

Have you heard of the boy

Who sat on the moon?

Or the amazing monkey 

Shaped like a balloon?

Have you heard of the pear

Made out of hair?

Can you find me a super donkey-zebra-elephant-giraffe?

A challenge to you; I dare!

Have seen an apple "shlol-rin"?

Ever heard of a banana dol-phin?

Why Leaves in the Fall Change Color

Have you ever been asked, "Why are leaves brown, orange, yellow, and red during the fall?" Are you curious yourself?

Well, here's your scientific answer!

Leaves contain pigments in them, which give them color. The most prominent pigment is chlorophyll, which is green, and therefore makes the leaf green. There are still other pigments in leaves, such as brown, red, yellow, orange but the chlorophyll usually conceals them.

In the fall and winter, less chlorophyll is produced in the leaves and the other pigments show up. Tadaa!

Next time a friend asks, you can proudly answer you know the secret.
Like olden times, "Keep on Smelling!"

Poem: "Bare Bear Hrothgar"

Bare bear Hrothgar
Found a juggling ball
But without another ball,
He couldn't juggle at all!

But with two juggling balls,
Then three,
Then four,
Then five,
Bare bear Hrothgar feared his success
Would take a dive!

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

So bare bear Hothgar sat alone
On a log
With nobody else,
But the bugs from the bog

They asked,
Why so glum?
You're clearly not a lazy bum!

Bare bear Hrothgar replied with a sigh,
Banana heavens, I'm ready to cry!
I'm afraid from their laughter I'll die!

The critters and crawlers answered,
Well, why don't you try?
And so what if they laugh,
So what if you fail?
After all, if you love your failure,
Even if it doesn't rhyme,
Or fit the time,
It's pure success!

Poem: "Up Late"

Up late, all night
Without a fright
Sitting at the screen,
Lazy as a bean

Like a vampire,
But lose time for sun
With lack of sleep,
The whole day is done.

Poem: "Pumpkin Bread"

Pumpkin bread
Tastes so dead

If pumpkin bread
Tastes so dead,
Does pumpkin bread
Taste like lead?

If dead lead pumpkin bread
Tastes bad, not rad;
Then was it baked by an
Inexperienced lad?

Dead lead pumpkin bread, bad (not rad), baked by an inexperienced lad...
Is it clever? This long-named endeavor?
It's a novelty! Write a novel!

Dead lead pumpkin bread, bad (not rad), baked by an inexperienced lad, is clever as a long-named endeavor and deserves a novelty novel.

Autumn-Winter Haiku Poem: "Colder"

Spider bites thy toe
River freezes solid ice
Fall turns into snow

The Conscious Breathing Magic Trick

This is not exactly the everyday "magic trick" with cards and fooling the audience, but it's amusing and worth trying!

1. Find a friend ask them if they'd like you to perform a magic trick.

2. Then ask, "Are you conscious of your breathing?"

3. If they say no, tell them, "You are now!" Your friend will now be aware of their inhale and exhale for a few moments. Tadaa!

Origami Ninja Stars!

As we all know, origami is the "(awesome) art of paper folding." I found this sheet of instructions hiding between two novels on my bookshelf a while back. Although I can't read Japanese, I was able to follow the diagrams and arrows. The product: two ninja stars!

If you'd like to make some stars yourself, here's this video I found relatively easy to follow.