Thrills and Spills at Dead Girl Roller Derby

In this episode, the Nerd clan spent a great evening watching the Dead Girl Derby "Love Hurts" competition at Hale Arena in Kansas City. Now in its fourth season, this is the second league for Kansas City. The Roller Warriors moved from the concrete of Hale Arena to a wood floor at Municipal Auditorium. We like the speed and chaos of concrete and being able to sit within a few feet of the ring. Besides, Hannah's best friend has a step-mom skating under the moniker "Venus Envy" for the Deadly Sirens.

Semi-controlled chaos. The girl with the star on her helmet is a Jammer. The striped helmet indicates the Pivot. The rest of the players are blockers. The goal is for a designated Jammer to get up front and start scoring some points.

Lead Jammer Heaven. This Jammer is pacing ahead of the pack. When she catches up later, the chaos begins again as lapping leads to more points.

This is a flat concrete track with plenty of speed and potential for gravitational harm. We love the seats right by the track!  You might notice from the angle I shot from that we were within ten feet of the outside line. It also happens to be the spot where someone taking a bad line or getting pushed out will coming skidding or flying. Claire and I were hit by and out-of-control skater within five minutes and had a few near misses through the evening. This is so unlike the last time I went to a Nascar race and watched cars from a quarter mile away. They just go around, and around and around... meh.

Being able to feel the breeze and get little shots of adrenaline makes for great entertainment!

Blocking in action. Some players take up a lot of space.

Yep, that's a legal block. Dead Girl Derby isn't for sissies! That's Dir-T-Diana in the red helmet.

Lots going on in this image. You can see the Shotgun Sheilas in black forming a defensive wall while the Jammer gets a push towards an open hole on the inside.

Getting a little tight out there!

This happens a lot.

Coming around the outside...it's an unusual player that can take up that much space at speed.

The action is fast with at least four refs watching. The Lead Jammer is indicated by pointing with the other arm up.

Breaking out at the start of a jam.

Unfortunately, accidents happen. Spills are common, but teams focus on bringing up players and teaching them to fall on the pads. It appears this girl blew out her knee. Like in soccer and skiing, ACL injuries can and do happen.

While the Dead Girl Derby is arranged in teams, the players all practice together and participate in "Zombie" or "Throwback" bouts where they are assigned to random sides. While playing teams, they fight to win, but it is one big family. The sportsmanship is one of the main reasons we enjoy derby so much.

Another spill.

Someone is about to get a little taste of the defense.

The Jammer on the inside is in kind of a tight spot.

Number 19 in this shot is the Lead Jammer. She just used a sign to declare the Jam complete. Everything then resets at the start line.

Victory!

Again, one happy (and bruised) family!

For the curious, I shot the evening with a Sony NEX-6 and 55-210mm lens on manual mode at 125th second and F6.3. This is a slow lens, but decent performance at ISO 3600 makes a big difference. I turned off face recognition as it was over-riding manual settings and adjusting the exposure, badly. Sony's optical stabilization works very well.

With a deep depth-of-field, it is hard to isolate individuals. Just for fun, I shot in the "Toy Camera" mode and like the results.

P.S. I've hit a record for the number of hits on a single post on the same day. Thanks for visiting! Dead Girl Derby is new to us so I did a quick search and tagged on some links for your viewing pleasure:

The Kansas City derby scene is thriving as seen at http://kcderbydigest.com/ 

Google images turned up an injury recuperation post. Derby is a sport and these are tough athletes:
http://www.cookingonskates.com/2011/12/healing-journey.html

Copyright Notice: These image and words are my intellectual property and are not to used, distributed or repurposed without my express permission. Yeah, such a drag. I shoot for fun, but my stories are mine. Feel free to link here or share on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ or the social mixer of your choosing and share the love.

Remington Typewriters Practically Assemble Themselves

This great video shows some of the manufacturing steps in building a 1935 Remington 16. The self-assembly steps occur at around the four minute mark.  Enjoy and happy International Typewriter Appreciation Month!

IBM Model C Executive BEAST

The Oliver 9 volunteered to provide scale for the IBM Model C Executive.

Thanks for introducing yourself oh mighty and solidly built IBM Executive! I am impressed with the engineering and build quality that went into your making. Even the hood hinge assembly is solid and operates in an understated, yet competent manner.  This is just a quick post before we say goodnight, so how some more size comparisons?

Simply massive and has density approaching that of a black hole in spite of the aluminum housing.

When encased, the Roxy/Rooy almost fits underneath the IBM.

I admit that I did not think through the whole proportional typewriter thing. I'm glad I adopted this beast. The engineering is a joy to behold and the type is unique. But I honestly had no idea just how huge these things are!  Where to put it in the long term is a question I have yet to address.

I am looking forward to receiving and installing a new platen and power roll. It won't operate like it did in 1965, but the fact that it runs at all is a mark of good industrial design.

Oops! I forgot that the Roxy has never had a proper introduction.  Well, there is plenty of time left in the 2013 International Typewriter Appreciation Week!

ITAM 2013 - A Teaser

Greetings Typosphere bloggers and honored guests!  It is time for me to make amends for not playing with the machines as much as I should.  International Typewriter Appreciation Month is upon us and it is time for a teaser.  It is riddled with typos and an extra 'm' in amends, but such is life.  Real, analog life, that is. Computer keyboards and iPad similes have ruined me.

 I'm enjoying as many ITAM blog entries as I can.  Great work, everyone!  Thanks for reading.

Neighborhood Construction Zone

While out for a walk, MEK and I passed an interesting construction zone.  An enterprising boy has been working the section between the sidewalk and street on and off for the last several months.  This brought back happy memories from when I did a massive excavation in the same zone on a summer break day in the 1970s.  The difference is that my onetime effort was not sanctioned and brought forth fairly robust negative feedback from my parental units (i.e. "the belt").

I'm not sure what is up with the automotive scrap yard in the foreground.  On the other hand, my brother and I destroyed many Hot Wheels and Matchbox cars playing demolition derby.

In all honesty, the perpetual construction zone is a little tacky and I am glad not to live next door.  However, I can admire the energy of youth from a distance.

Letterpress in Action - Short Documentary

Opportunity Rover Ninth Anniversary: January 25, 2004

This post commemorates the 9th anniversary of Opportunity landing on Mars on January 25, 2004.  It is hard to believe a machine designed for a 90 day mission could still be functional in the harsh Martian environment for this many years.  I've included some highlights culled from various NASA and JPL sources. (Updated January 23, 2013)

Artist's rendering of Spirit or Opportunity rover exiting the landing platform.  The blobs in the foreground are airbags.  Prior to Curiosity, the primary means to land a rover on Mars was to enclose it in an airbag and let it bounce to scrub off the last bit of of momentum.

This is how the Spirit and Opportunity bouncy balls rolled on their landings.  The technology is still amazing, but it seems like stone knives and bearskins in comparison with the Curiosity skycrane landing platform.

Here is the official press release noting the first signal from Opportunity on January 25, 2004.
http://marsrovers.jpl.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20040125a.html
(excerpt)
NASA's second Mars Exploration Rover successfully sent signals to Earth during its bouncy landing and after it came to rest on one of the three side petals of its four-sided lander.

Mission engineers at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., received the first signal from Opportunity on the ground at 9:05 p.m. Pacific Standard Time Saturday via the NASA Deep Space Network, which was listening with antennas in California and Australia.

"We're on Mars, everybody!" JPL's Rob Manning, manager for development of the landing system, announced to the cheering flight team.

NASA Administrator Sean O'Keefe said at a subsequent press briefing, "This was a tremendous testament to how NASA, when really focused on an objective, can put every ounce of effort, energy, emotion and talent to an important task. This team is the best in the world, no doubt about it."


I remember reading the news that came out after the mission extension press release.  Having Spirit and Opportunity on overtime at day 90 was amazing then.  Getting one of these rovers to year nine was inconceivable at the time.

NASA Extends Rover Mission - April 8, 2004
(excerpts from press release)
"Given the rovers' tremendous success, the project submitted a proposal for extending the mission, and we have approved it," said Orlando Figueroa, Mars Exploration Program director at NASA Headquarters, Washington, D.C.

 "Once Opportunity finishes its 91st sol, everything we get from the rovers after that is a bonus," said Dr. Firouz Naderi, manager of Mars exploration at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif., where the rovers were built and are controlled. "Even though the extended mission is approved to September, and the rovers could last even longer, they also might stop in their tracks next week or next month. They are operating under extremely harsh conditions. However, while Spirit is past its 'warranty,' we look forward to continued discoveries by both rovers in the months ahead."

At the time of this writing, we are still several days away from the ninth anniversary.  Here is the eight anniversary press release.
Opportunity Eight Anniversary Press Release

JPL posted an image of the view from Opportunity on its eight anniversary.  Mars is only a little less lonely with the arrival of Curiosity.

JPL continues to provide regular mission updates at http://marsrover.nasa.gov/mission/status_opportunityAll.html  As of January 10th, Opportunity is in great shape with some memory cache issues similar to problems Spirit had in its first year.  After waking up from a long Martian winter last May, it has been on the move and doing science.  Fortunately, a good windstorm helped clean off the solar panels and increase power output to around 460 watt hours.  For perspective, Opportunity is working on just enough energy required to run one toaster slot and has run on far less depending on dust buildup, season and atmospheric opacity.

Update:  On January 24, JPL posted a fresh image of Opportunity hard at work on Mars on Twitter.  Great job, Opportunity!

Nine years on and still doing science... happy dance!

 Update:  On January 22, JPL provided a mission update and a ninth anniversary panorama view from Opportunity.

A high resolution version of this image is available at http://photojournal.jpl.nasa.gov/catalog/pia16703

Ninth Anniversary Press Release:  http://marsrover.nasa.gov/newsroom/pressreleases/20130122a.html 

Once again, here are images to compare and contrast generations of Mars rovers from the U.S.  First, here are proving ground models of each rover.  We've gone from something the size of a dog to a nuclear pile powered, laser equipped laboratory in a very short time.

And, as a contrast, here is my favorite rendering of the Curiosity landing platform.  This is a long way from the bouncy rover approach of prior generations. 

I just found a fresh rendering of another view of the landing from Caltech.  Like!

 I'm wrapping up this entry the day before the 2013 Inauguration.  The NASA "Mohawk Guy" will be marching in the parade with part of the mission team and a Curiosity model.  Here is the model getting some finishing touches.

As for the Inauguration, my spousal unit, MEK of the House Full of Nerds, is in D.C. and just send some preview images of the bleachers I scored tickets for.  She is taking a friend and will get to sit right across from the White House!  I try to keep this blog as a Casablanca style politics neutral zone.  If you are interested, I posted photos from my trip to the 2009 Inauguration at 
http://digitalmemoryhole.blogspot.com/2013/01/obama-inauguration-2009-redux.html
 
Update:  The NASA photo set from the Inauguration parade is at 
http://www.flickr.com/photos/nasahqphoto/sets/72157632550413537/with/8395896054/ 

Yes, this post is supposed to be about Opportunity.  Ultimately, each rover generation is a stepping stone to the next.  I can't wait to see what our technology looks like in 2030!

Rhinos Love Torpedo 18 Typewriters!

Rhinos also love rare shafts of winter morning sunlight.  But, they practically swoon over Torpedo 18 typewriters.  What isn't too love?  The action is light and snappy.  The generic European cursive typeface is very attractive.  And besides, Torpedos often come in colors that help the mighty rhino hide from potential predators.


This is a curious feature of most of my cursive/script typewriters:  they come in really odd and/or boring color combinations.  The Royal Futura has an amazing typeface and is two shades of Borg grey.  Almost all Facits are Viking gray, but it is a most boring color for a script machine.  The Olympia SM-9 comes in off-white with the dark grey keys.



Could it be that script machine users were trying to keep a low profile?  Who knows.

I actually considered repainting the top of this machine.  The color scheme, however, is growing on me.  It reminds me of a mid-fifties car.  Note the missing tab keys that would come with the 18B model.



This is a great correspondence typing machine.  It came by way of ebay last year.  The special paper is from a test series Claire ran on her Christmas Sharpies.  She has a routine for testing new pens and pencils.  The photos were taken with my new Sony NEX-6.  Yes, I am in love with this camera!

Thanks for reading!

Happy New Year!

Happy belated New Year to everyone! 

I'm a little behind due to a last minute attempt by the Mayans on my family.  I guess they were upset by the documentation of the battle to save Earth from the Destructor fleet and decided to throw us a nice dose of food poisoning.  Never fear- we all made it to 2013 more or less intact.  I was happy to come home from work yesterday and find my spousal unit up and moving around after three days of "an extremely low energy state".  That is a nice way to put it.

We'll never know what got us.  Was it the salsa or guacamole from our favorite Mexican restaurant?  The spring rolls from our favorite Asian place?  Our favorite sandwich shop?  Something lurking in our fridge?  We ate out frequently over a three day period before the buggies hit since we had a friend visiting from the east coast.  We, at least, were at home when it hit.  She was on a plane, but made it (barely) to the terminal before the full assault.

As this this was a less than inspirational message, I will leave you with a couple of cheerful images:

Number 1:  Svetlana Optima has dispatched one of her helpers to take care of the last of the Mayans hiding out in the jungle like that Japanese soldier on the island after WW-II.

You have to admit this image is pretty awesome!  Find it you must with a collection of other Soviet Cold War era postcards at http://www.mazaika.com/postcard/aerospace0.htm


Number 2:  Matching JINHAO Dragon's Descendent fountain pens that arrived the day before we came down ill.  Sure, they are a little garish, but this is still the Year of the Dragon.  The youngest nerd in the house, Claire, is a Dragon and so am I.  Can you guess which pen she chose?

We'll post a more thorough review later.  The first impression has been positive.  These lay down a very smooth and inky line.  However, mine needed help getting started again after sitting for a few days.  This is not a problem I've had with the more expensive TWSBI Diamond 540 that starts right up after sitting for a month.  I think a tiny o-ring may be in order to seal the cap better.

Notwithstanding dry start performance, these are full of Dragony goodness... and they have beady red eyes!  What more could we want in a cheap fountain pen?

I sincerely wish a great and healthy 2013 to all and look forward to blogging merrily on the Typosphere throughout. 

P.S.  The girls and I watched the first two extended Lord of the Rings movies before we were again fully functional humans.  They also received NOOKS conveniently loaded with the most current edition for Christmas.  I've been remiss in not recognizing the birthday of the true Lord of Middle Earth,  J.R.R. Tolkien.  Thanks for creating magic with the written word.

Merry Christmas from the House Full of Nerds!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays/Holy Days from all of us to all of you!

Vintage Technology Obsessions passed the 30,000 page view mark sometime last night.  I appreciate your visits, comments and all your creative endeavors.  The Typosphere is a darned nice place to be.

As for the handsome guy at the center of this photo, be sure to read about the Origins of the Christmas Squirrel at
http://vintagetechobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/12/on-origins-of-christmas-squirrel-part-1.html
and
http://vintagetechobsessions.blogspot.com/2011/12/origins-of-christmas-squirrel-part-2.html

We're Still Here! Mayan Apocalypse, Denied!

The robot army is victorious and the Mayan Destructors have been purged!  The victors shall have their spoils!

This little guy worked hard.  He deserves a Thin Mint!

They perhaps don't look quite as menacing in color.  Just saying.

The end of hostilities was recognized with the issuance of a presidential peace medallion patterned after one of the originals found at the Arch museum in St. Louis.  The Mayans have declared a truce until the next time their calendar runs out.  The have a few pyramids to rebuild in the interim.

The fact that the House Full of Nerds visited the Arch on the 21st after seeing Wicked the night before is purely coincidental.  Come to think of it, many of the stories I cobble together come from incidental items combined in interesting ways.  At least I hope it is interesting!

Behind the Scenes of Mayan Apocalypse Week

The elaborate set and the form of the Destructors are revealed!  Only one commenter picked up on this being an Oliver 9 playing the face of evil incarnate.

Mekanda Robo chipped in to help Godzilla get his fireball and atomic ball of doom.  This is the ugliest Christmas decoration, ever.  It needed to be put down and was purchased as a clearance item last year solely for the purpose of harvesting parts.

Gotta love the Jumbo Machinders.  Two of them are tricked out with accessory arms.  I thought about just putting two of them together in the buddy movie fashion, but that's not how the Shogun Warriors roll.

Thanks everyone for taking part in the madness that was my Mayan Apocalypse week!  It was a fun project and a nice way to break a blogging dry spell.  As is the norm, this did not start with a script or storyboard.  My 12-year-old did the original drawing of the Mayan Destructor at my request.  Simply put, I can't draw.  The rest of the story meandered from there.  I put together three entries; including this one, before we left the Kansas City area for St. Louis.  I love the scheduling feature on the Blogger platform.

You might have noticed a cameo appearance by the Christmas Squirrel.  Without his adept leadership, all would have been lost!  Late last year, the origins of the Christmas Squirrel were detailed in loving care here.

Copyright: Yes, all of the photos and words are mine.  Reposting or pinning photos requires placing a direct back to this website and a citation for Dwayne F. of Vintage Technology Obsessions.  Commercial use is not allowed.

Mayan Apocalypse - A Revealing Final Entry

Today is perhaps the End of Time.  The Mayan Destructors have pushed across South and North America.  The great robot army has fought valiantly, but is perhaps gravely outnumbered.  The combined armed forces of America have hardly made a dent on them.  Tactical nukes have proven effective, but leave too much land uninhabitable.

The End is calling, but I have made a promise and must deliver.  Here is the mysterious writing companion for the Mayan Apocalypse.

Yep, it is an Olivetti ICO!  I've had it since June, but have been frustrated in my attempts to get the carriage return lever working properly.  It cleaned up nicely and the design is stunning!  I can't say it is my favorite typing machine, but it is an aesthetic experience that is difficult to match.

 

I hope we'll still be around tomorrow.  The robots are trying to prove the Mayans wrong.  Until midnight, happy typing!

Will Tomorrow Come? Enter a General...

The General and his command staff.  This is one red shirt that isn't going to cash it in five minutes into the episode.

Mayan Destructors on the move.