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.