Sunday, August 31, 2008
Sea Monkeys 10
I have been tidying up my house lately and came across some old sea monkey material, including one last pouch of eggs. I didn't have the right stuff to create the perfect environment, but figured a big glass vase, some tap water and a few tablespoons of sea salt would do the trick. I then added the contents of the old, dried put tank and the eggs and waited. I call it the do-it-yourself-tank (DIY-tank).
I ordered new sets of pouch 1 (minerals and other compounds to create the perfect environment) and a couple of pouches of eggs started 2 new tanks. These tanks are actually not doing too well so the live creatures I find in there are promptly removed and added to the much bigger DIY-tank.
In the DIY-tank, the sea monkeys seem to be thriving. There must be at least 10 big ones swimming around of which about 5 are egg-carrying females. They are quite easy to spot because of their sacks on their bellies. The adult males are also easy to spot as they seem to have longer "fangs" than the others.
I am happy I chose to put them in a glass vase. The combination of glass and water works as a magnifying glass, making it very easy to see them swimming around. In fact, much easier than if they were cooped up in the small plastic tanks they were meant for.
I am starting to think about getting an actual aquarium for these guys, including an air pump. It would be interesting to see what happens if they have a bigger tank with more water to swim in and a stable flow of oxygen through their habitat.
The only problem with a semi-professional tank is that it needs space and a power outlet. That is not going to be easy to achieve at the moment, but I will think about it. After all, it doesn't have to be that big, does it?
Maybe I'll just get a fish bowl and add some nice marbles and salt water plants instead. I'll have to think about it.
I ordered new sets of pouch 1 (minerals and other compounds to create the perfect environment) and a couple of pouches of eggs started 2 new tanks. These tanks are actually not doing too well so the live creatures I find in there are promptly removed and added to the much bigger DIY-tank.
In the DIY-tank, the sea monkeys seem to be thriving. There must be at least 10 big ones swimming around of which about 5 are egg-carrying females. They are quite easy to spot because of their sacks on their bellies. The adult males are also easy to spot as they seem to have longer "fangs" than the others.
I am happy I chose to put them in a glass vase. The combination of glass and water works as a magnifying glass, making it very easy to see them swimming around. In fact, much easier than if they were cooped up in the small plastic tanks they were meant for.
I am starting to think about getting an actual aquarium for these guys, including an air pump. It would be interesting to see what happens if they have a bigger tank with more water to swim in and a stable flow of oxygen through their habitat.
The only problem with a semi-professional tank is that it needs space and a power outlet. That is not going to be easy to achieve at the moment, but I will think about it. After all, it doesn't have to be that big, does it?
Maybe I'll just get a fish bowl and add some nice marbles and salt water plants instead. I'll have to think about it.
ASUS eee pc
So I went back to the store. They didn't have a black one like I wanted and I really didn't like the looks of the white one. I left the store sulking :-(
Friday, August 01, 2008
ASUS eee pc
For those who don't know me personally, I'm into gadgets. The one I have my eye on at the moment is the Asus EEE pc. It's the size of an A5 sheet of paper and weighs less than 1Kg.
Imagine going on vacation and being bored to death or experiencing internet withdrawal symptoms..... get the EEE pc out of your mini-backpack and connect to any hotspot in the neighbourhood - or simply steal the wired connection at your family's place. Surf the net, read your newspapers, check your online email or play your online games as usual.
I looked at one of these little gadgets yesterday, and the only negative thing I could find about it was that the software was in Dutch while I prefer English. I couldn't find an easy way to change the language, but if I am to believe the posts on eeeuser.com, I should be able to hack the thing.
I guess I'll go back to the store tomorrow and get my EEE-fix ;-)
Imagine going on vacation and being bored to death or experiencing internet withdrawal symptoms..... get the EEE pc out of your mini-backpack and connect to any hotspot in the neighbourhood - or simply steal the wired connection at your family's place. Surf the net, read your newspapers, check your online email or play your online games as usual.
I looked at one of these little gadgets yesterday, and the only negative thing I could find about it was that the software was in Dutch while I prefer English. I couldn't find an easy way to change the language, but if I am to believe the posts on eeeuser.com, I should be able to hack the thing.
I guess I'll go back to the store tomorrow and get my EEE-fix ;-)
How long has it been??
I don't remember the last time I posted something on my web page so I guess it's about time to start over. I'm not sure what to write about in general, but I have one topic that has been burning for a while: microfinances.
Kiva is a non-profit organization that helps people like me give loans to people in the third world. The thought of helping someone by lending a small amount of money while giving such a great amount of satisfaction... maybe you should try it too?
Kiva is a non-profit organization that helps people like me give loans to people in the third world. The thought of helping someone by lending a small amount of money while giving such a great amount of satisfaction... maybe you should try it too?
