Archive for April, 2006|Monthly archive page
Leave a CommentTest Post
Leave a CommentSchooooom.
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Signature Contest Suggestion.
Leave a CommentHmm.. Sorry about the last PM Patriot. Maybe it was too long. So I decided to write it up here. It’s not going to sound as good as the first time I wrote it so bear with me.
So I was on my way to school and I was thinking about the PSU forum 
when an idea popped into my head for a new signature contest.
I understand you or the other moderators don’t owe us anything, and I appreciate the contests that you did hold. But since a lot of people didn’t like the previous contests, I thought of a new idea.
You could hold this contest once a month or so and it would last for several days at most. There would be a set number of entries. So for example, 5 people enter a sig and also a stock (render- the image they used to make the sig). You (or whoever is in charge of the contest) would pick a sig based on anything- it could be random, it could be one you like- doesn’t matter how you pick it. Then you would start a thread and post the signature (and the render) that you chose.
I realize I didn’t tell you the point of the contest yet- I’m building up to it.
So the point of the contest would be, whoever can duplicate the signature you chose and posted closest to what it really looks like would win. It seems simple, but it’s very difficult because the contestants don’t know the steps to make it exactly like that. This would really put their Photoshop/GIMP skills to the test. Whoever is closest to the original, they get that custom rank. Make ‘em work for it, ya know?
You could limit the sigs to choose from by saying the first X people who send you a sig get a chance to have their sig picked to be the model. Also, you could limit the amount of days people have to enter to 3 or so. This contest altogether would take about a week to host and if you hold one once a month, it would give people a break from it and they would be able to learn some new techniques between contests.
I know there are lots of holes in the idea, but it’s still in its beta stage. =P
One flaw I thought of is how to relate it to Playstation. In that case, you could tell people to send you sigs that somehow relate to Playstation and it could be a loose interpretation of PS. It doesn’t have to have Sony written all over it. Also, how do you check which sig entry is closest to the model sig you choose? Well, in a graphics program like Photoshop or The GIMP, you could lower the opacity on the top layer (the entry) and then match it up with the bottom layer (the model sig). Whichever contest entry is closest, wins.
Well, thas’all. Sorry for the long read. It’s ok if you don’t like my idea; just wanted to get it out there. =]
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Create art from your DNA.
DNA11 creates unique DNA portraits through an extraordinary combination of science and art. The process begins with the DNA being collected from your saliva then stained with a fluorescent dye and illuminated by UV light, which then glows, giving off a fluorescent signal.
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Think you know you know your science?
Recently, several science gurus — Nobel Prize winners, institute heads, teachers and others who spend most of their time thinking about science — were asked, “What is one science question every high school graduate should be able to answer?” Take their quiz and see how you do.
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ajaxLaunch makes a new AJAX app.
From the makers of ajaxWrite, comes ajaxxls dfor Excel documents. Check it out.
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How to put videos on the PSP.
A lot of people have been asking me how to put videos on their PSPs. So I’m making this tutorial for those who are unclear as to what to do.
Before you start, plug in your PSP, and create a new folder in the root directory named MP_ROOT, and then make a folder called 100MNV01 in there. So your .MP4 files (that we’re going to make from the videos) should go into E:\MP_ROOT\100MNV01, where E:\ is the drive letter of your Memory Stick.
1.First you’re going to need to download the 3GP converter.
Program Site
Direct Link
2.Unzip (if you don’t have Winzip, get it here) the file to where ever you want to (such as your Desktop).
3.Next, double-click the setup.exe file. A screen will open with a bunch of weird characters. Choose English in the language menu.
4.Now, scroll down to the bottom of the 3GP Converter Setup window and select the English button, and select Customized: MP4, for PSP (Direct, renamed) the then press Apply.
5.Now the 3GP converter should be open. If not, double click the 3GP_Converter icon.
Click [select] to choose where you want the new videos to be. You can just choose the Desktop (C:\Documents and Settings\Owner\Desktop).
6.The program may ask you for Quicktime Authoring. Just click Do It Now.
7.Next from the drop-down menu select one of the settings. I’m using
“QVGA/15fps/384kbps Mono/48kbps”
8.Next, drag and drop the video you want to convert into the white box of the program, and it will start converting it.
When the program is finished converting the video into MP4 format, the program will rename the file to M4Vxxxxx.MP4 (where xxxxx are 5 random numbers). There will also be a .thm file made. You don’t need that one for the video to work. Don’t rename the M4Vxxxxx.mp4 file to anything else, or it won’t work with the PSP. If you want to name you video file, then change the name before you convert it.
9.Now, with your PSP plugged in, and USB Mode selected, open the folder that you made when you started. It’s going to be something like E:\MP_ROOT\100MNV01. Copy your .MP4 video(s) over, and then disconnect the PSP USB connection by pressing the X button.
10.Finally, scroll over to Video in your PSP menu and select it by pressing the X button. Select the video you want to play and press X again to start playing.
There are four screen display modes, which you can choose from by pressing the triangle button. Scroll up to Screen Mode (2nd from left on the top row) and use the O button to scroll between Normal, Zoom, Full Screen, and Original modes.
And that’s all there is to it. It seems like a lot, but it’s really simple after you convert your first video. If you have any questions, ask in the comments area. 
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Did Jesus walk on water? Or ice?
One of the best-known stories in the New Testament, related in Matthew 14 and in this Gustave Dore print, tells how Jesus walked on water. Now a scientist says rare patches of ice might have formed on the Sea of Galilee’s surface in Jesus’ day.
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The sixth sense — your place in space
“In addition to the familiar five senses…scientists know of a sixth sense called proprioception. It’s the sense of where your body is in space that allows you to touch your nose even with your eyes closed. Proprioception (PRO-pree-oh-ception) also informs balance and how to put one foot in front of the other to walk without looking at your feet.”
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