Cool Science & Engineering - Derby the dog with 3D printed prosthetics

I came across this video yesterday and, like most people, thought, "Oh, no way!" This is a spiffy example of science and engineering. So I had to cross-post it. 



I was also amazed at how much Derby looks like my dog, Shadow. 

This is Derby (image courtesy of 3dprint.com):

Derby without his prostheses - Image from 3dprint.com 

This is Shadow the Arizona-Alaskan Malamute, image courtesy of the bajillions of pictures I take of him:

Shadow in Prescott with his toys.

The resemblance is uncanny. #malamutes

Support the Visual Arts in Prescott - Milagro Arts Center

Courtesy of our business membership in Local First Arizona, I just learned about an exciting visual arts center opening in Prescott - the Milagro Arts Center. They have a Kickstarter campaign open until January 30, 2016. 

You can learn more about the plans for the arts center at the Milagro Arts Center blog. 

Since the Spore Consulting, LLC "Commensal Fund" is a bit dry this year, we're being selective about the charities and non-profit organizations we support with 10% of our profits. We just signed up as an official backer ($75) of the Milagro Arts Center Kickstarter Project! We're looking forward to receiving our supporting membership (and t-shirt) when the project is fully funded.

If you scroll down on the Kickstarter information page for Milagro Arts Center, you'll see their "What We Believe" statements and the "Milagro Manifesto." Some of the statements of Milagro's "What We Believe" resonate with what we believe at Spore Consulting:

• #1 - We believe that art makes our lives better.
• #2 - We believe that curiosity, creativity and innovation shape the world.
• #3 - We believe in being respectful, humble and kind.
• #5 - We believe in attention to detail.
• #6 - We believe in finding the balance between the heart and the head.
• #9 - We believe that everyone is an artist.
• #14 - We believe in building safe supportive spaces to take creative risks, to collaborate and inspire.

If these statements also resonate with you, and you want to support the creative arts in Northern Arizona, please join us and become an official backer of the Milagro Arts Center! 

In the vein of visual arts, here's one of our latest pieces of art to end the year - this is Jamie the selkie (as a seal) and his sister Fiona, from The Secret of Roan Inish (1994).

Fiona and Jamie the selkie from "The Secret of Roan Inish" (1994).

Some of the other charities and non-profit organizations we've supported over the last 12 months with 10% of our profits are:

• Local First Arizona - business membership ($35)
• American Industrial Hygiene Association, Arizona Local Section - membership ($25)
• St. Joseph's Foundation - donation ($100)
• Doctors Without Borders - donation ($150)
• Sloth Sanctuary of Costa Rica - donation ($55)

Electronics Recycling for the Conscientious Consumer

So, Christmas is over. You can all breathe a sigh of relief (until you receive your credit card bill, that is). Maybe you received all the presents you schemed for, and hopefully you gave more than you received. Chances are that you received some shiny new electronics � a new cell phone, a new TV, the latest tablet computer. The question is: What do you do with the old electronics?

There are many options for you to choose from:

• If the electronic equipment is still fairly new and functional, the manufacturer might buy it back, refurbish it, and re-sell it at a reduced price. 
• If the electronic equipment is still fairly new and functional, you can always factory reset it and sell it yourself on an online platform (think eBay or something similar).
• If the electronic equipment is still functional, ask around in your social network to see if anyone has use for it � just because you�re done with it doesn�t mean someone else won�t find it useful. 
• If the electronic equipment is still functional, consider placing it back to factory reset and donating it to charities such as Goodwill or Deseret Industries. 
• If the electronic equipment is non-functional, PLEASE don�t just throw it in the trash.

Let�s talk about electronics recycling. The options below are for Arizona residents.

• U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) � There is an �Electronics Donation and Recycling� page that you can visit to learn the benefits and importance of electronics recycling, and see which companies will accept electronics for recycling on a national scale (i.e., Best Buy, Dell, Staples, LG, and others). 
• Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) Recycling Program � This is a useful site where you can just plug in your zip code and select the item(s) you want to recycle. The site will tell you the closest location that will accept the kind of waste you are hoping to recycle. 
• City of Phoenix � No, you can�t recycle your TV or cell phone in your normal recycling container. City of Phoenix recommends contacting Westech Recyclers for electronics recycling. There are community recycling collection events scheduled throughout the year.
• City of Mesa � According to the City of Mesa�s website, �Residents can recycle their old electronic equipment, such as computers, televisions, stereo equipment, etc., through the Salt River Landfill Electronics Recycling Program. In addition, retailers such as Best Buy also offer an electronics recycling program. Computers in working condition and other select electronics may also be donated to AzSTRUT.�
• City of Flagstaff � Flagstaff has a �Accepted Waste Chart� that explains where each type of waste to be disposed or recycled should be taken by homeowners.
• City of Tucson � The City�s �Keep Tucson Clean and Beautiful� website showcases the recycling vendors for various types of materials. 

A simple Internet search will tell you the available options for electronics recycling in your area. The obvious benefits of recycling your electronics are that they won�t end up in the landfill (possibly leaching metals and hazardous chemicals into soils and groundwater) and many of the components can be re-used to make new electronics (reducing the need for more raw resources). Be a good steward of the environment and recycle or donate your old electronics.

The Making of the 2015 Holiday Manga

In keeping with requests from my loyal readership, here is the "making of" for the 2015 Holiday Manga. The following steps and associated pictures explain my very un-scientific process at completing a manga. 

Step 1: Find relevant portions of Fullmetal Alchemist that portray roughly what I'm trying to draw. This is for several reasons, including my limited time and limited talent - I'm pretty decent at revising an existing work, but have difficulty "seeing" the layout and characterization on my own. Plus, it is significantly faster for me to use existing work.

Step 2: Develop the layout and story for the page.

Step 3: Pencil sketch each panel to make sure it will fit and makes sense.

The Industrious Hygienist's 2015 Holiday Manga - pencil sketch and layout planning.

Step 4: Ink each panel with changes in the outfits and facial expressions as needed.

The Industrious Hygienist's 2015 Holiday Manga - inked product just before full coloring.

I'm pretty dang proud of the center middle panel. The hatching and ink work turned out much better than I anticipated. I'm less proud of the right hand lower panel - the only excuse I can give for that panel is my 100-pound Alaskan Malamute being bored and nudging my elbow while I was drawing. Close-up of my favorite panel is below.

The Industrious Hygienist's 2015 Holiday Manga - snatching the "last perfect gift."

Step 5: Color in the panels using, you guessed it, Crayola colored pencils. I'm pretty low tech with my art. A smaller version of the final product is below for your enjoyment. 

The Industrious Hygienist's 2015 Holiday Manga - sketched, inked, and colored.

I hope you enjoyed this "making of" blog. I'm working on new art and posts for 2016.

Holiday Manga - 2015 - Mall Safety Tips

In this year's much-anticipated Holiday Manga, the Industrious Hygienist takes you to the mall (a place she dares not venture alone). If you're shopping for holiday gifts this week, remember to focus on your personal safety and security while attempting to adhere to your budget. 

Some mall safety and security tips from the Industrious Hygienist:

• Make a list. Check it twice. (Otherwise you'll end up buying a bunch of random useless stuff.)
• Shop with a buddy. (This helps with safety, security, possibly reduced spending, and more fun.)
• Be aware of your surroundings. (Park in a busy area with good lighting.)
• Don't overload yourself with gifts. (Maintain proper visibility, and if you're a safety nerd, use the NIOSH Lifting Equation.)
• Practice defensive techniques.
• Escalators are scary things. Watch for pinch points and use the handrails.)

The Industrious Hygienist's 2015 Holiday Manga - with mall safety and security tips.

Since the Industrious Hygienist's family and friends pretty much all wanted gift cards, we weren't able to do much local shopping this year. However, we have been participating in Amazon Smile for most of our random purchases, which means that 0.5% of the purchase price of eligible items is donated by Amazon to a charity of our choice. 

We picked Brambley Hedge Rabbit Rescue as our charity of choice - it's a Phoenix-area rabbit rescue that we've donated to in previous years. And when we're ready for a new bunny, it's probably where we'll go. If you're looking for a new rabbit in Phoenix, take a look at their adoptable rabbits. 

Happy Winter Seasonal Holiday of your choice from the Industrious Hygienist and family! Be on the watch for the New Year's Holiday Card and a post about recycling or properly disposing of old electronics after the holidays. 

Lab Safety Video with Puppets - Courtesy of Oliver Berger

I came across this laboratory safety video by Oliver Berger while searching for my Sock Puppet Safety video on YouTube. I'm sharing it in the interest of science education puppet solidarity. 



It's pretty spiffy to see the kind of improved video quality you get when working with a team of semi-professionals with real sets. Here at Sock Puppet Safety, we're a nerdy husband and wife team with two iPhones and a cheap Canon FS40 video camera. So we're doing the best we can with the limited tech and time available. 

As a side note, we were going to term our sock puppets as "soppets" (because it makes sense), but it looks like there is already a YouTube video channel called "The Amazing Soppets." We haven't watched any of their videos yet. But we're on the hunt for a new term for our sock puppets. 

Cautionary Tales in Lab Safety - Extended Edition

The Industrious Hygienist has just posted the extended edition of "Cautionary Tales in Lab Safety," our #IHFundance third place winning video from AIHce 2015! 




We hope you enjoy the extended edition, which includes roughly 22 seconds of content we had to cut or shorten from the original video to meet the 2 minute time limit for #IHFundance.

We're working on more videos for 2016, including a short spill response training video, a video about Chemical Hygiene Plans for laboratories, and another general laboratory safety video. Thanks for watching and sharing Sock Puppet Safety!