@stinkie said:

I respect your right to an opinion, Mike, but surely, you're peddling utter nonsense.

The cases you bring up just prove to me that ordinary people don't like the direction the establishment are taking them.

The EU elites won't and don't accept referendum results of the people if the result does not suit their agenda. Brexit was voted for by the majority of UK citizens because they wanted to run their own country and make their own laws. I expect a close run election in France next year and there are a number of other EU member states that are on the fence when it comes to total fiscal union. The euro is a disaster as one shoe does not fit all.

As regards Trump and his thus far administration choices. He is an 'outsider', a very wealthy outside but nevertheless an outsider that will more than likely rock the boat. He is by no means the perfect president but if he implements a fraction of his campaign promises he will swing things around for the average middle class US citizen.

The money brokers are somewhat stunned with the Trump election and are probably wondering what they can do to control him short of a bullet as has been the case in the past on a number of occasions.

As regards his team members I have not fully studied most of them. However Pence's great-grandmother came from Doonbeg, Co Clare, my home county so he can't be all that bad!

Its not his team members ideologies that matter, its his ideologies and he is well known for taking the 'You're Fired' option.

Happy Christmas Guys

In the so called 'Western World', Direct Democracy is quite workable now that we have this high level of telecommunication all around us. Ordinary citizens are more than capable of making informed and sensible judgement votes over their mobile phone on a daily basis if needed.

We no longer need career politicians telling us loads of lies in order to get their snouts in the trough and then start figuring out how they can remain in power getting brown envelopes from big business along the way and finally golden hand shakes and big pensions.

What we need are high calibre answerable and sackable Civil Servants and short term leaders that have proven track records in business / industry / the professions etc with bright ideas that 'we the people' endorse on an ongoing basis for their term of their leadership. Once their term is complete they go back to their previous lives / jobs.

Oh, hold on! We might be seeing this happening in the USA with The Donald. It will be interesting to see how he handles things. I am not a great fan of the man but he's sorta growing on me.

He is no fool when it comes to choosing a team! The latest move I see him making is to bring Elon Musk (of Tesla and SpaceX) and the CEO of Uber, Travis Kalanick onboard his economic advisory committee.

Climate Change screwing the world up! I think so but only for most of the world's current four limbed species, us included.

Our distant ancestors crawled out of the seas on fins that gradually became arms and legs. When we are gone by whatever means, I imagine Nature will fill the gap in her own time.

As TIG says it's simply good manners to leave the Earth as we found it or better again, improved.

One means of us Joe Soaps gaining some political clout is to push for Direct Democracy. This link shows how we nearly had it as envisaged by Michael Collins, http://www.reinstate48.ie

Hi Guys,

Just learned about the NexD1 (pronounced 'next 1') on Kickstarter. This is a German company, Next Dynamics, that plans to launch a unique 3D printer capable of producing complex phototypes quickly and at low cost, even homemade electronic circuits! I imagine it will be able to handle architectural models easily.

The printer has many original features for this price set. The DigiJet technology is able of print a wide range of materials, including special resins with nano-particles or pigments but what attracts me most is its ability to use 6 colours in the printed item and then simply wash off the 'support material' with tap water.

The campaign price for the unit is around €3,700 with a final retail price of €5,500. Its nearest competitor, PolyJet offers similar units for $20-30,000 so even at €5,500 the NexD1 looks to be a ground breaker.

Details may be found here, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1947576577/the-nexd1-the-first-multimaterial-and-electronics

Mike

Well said TIG. However no matter what the small guy does as an individual, the globalists (Big Business / Banks) currently can easily counter his / her efforts and continue on as normal.

The only way individuals can make a real difference is by a collective revolution and this is happening with the movements on the ground and on the Net were they are pressurising politicians to kick out the globalists proposals.

On the ground its happened with Brexit, Trump and in Italy's recent referendum. It look like ordinary folks are finally waking up and revolting.

The Net has played a huge part in this reawakening and we had better protect it with all our might as the globalists are trying hard to control it at present.

Mike

@futurepast said:

Let’s all take a mallet and a bag of corks, and drive one up every cow’s ass!

Mike,

Its possible to collect the cow's methane and power equipment!

Scientists turn cows in power stations by making them wear BACKPACKS

The ‘fartpacks’, created in Argentina, extract 300l of methane a day from a tube inserted into the cow's digestive tract.

Mail Online (www.dailymail.co.uk)

I saw a documentary on the floods in Miami a few weeks ago. It seems the mayor of Miami is doing something about it but the Florida governor doesn't want to know about it.

miami flooding&qpvt=miami flooding&FORM=VDRE - Bing

Intelligent search from Bing makes it easier to quickly find what you’re looking for and rewards you.

Bing (www.bing.com)

Happy Birthday Baz and welcome to the pensioners club which I joined last year.

I think its too late to do anything about the sea level rises that are here and will continue. The only hope is to move to high ground and get on with it.

Check out how sea level rise will effect your house here, http://geology.com/sea-level-rise/

So realistic, can't tell if its a render or photo.

@brettsichellodesign said:

I saw this thing on Kickstarter. Thought it might be pretty useful.

See link:https://thewolfe.io/

I mentioned this campaign here on the forums some time ago. It seems that the promoter actually achieved $322,101 and was only looking for $50,000. He canceled the funding!!!

Maybe he got wind of the port setup with the new MacBook Pros and decided to have a rethink.

@numerobis said:

A matte screen cover on a tablet sounds very interesting. Which screen cover are you using?

Here is a link to the kwmobile Screen protector MATT and ANTI-GLARE, resistant against finger prints for Apple iPad Pro 12,9"

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0189H8UPM/ref=pe_385721_128907871_TE_dp_1

Mike

@numerobis

Hackintosh has been illegal and I believe more so now that Apple don't charge for the operating software. When they did charge for the software I think it was questionable if they had the right to insist that it was only used on Macs.

Anyway from a practical point of view, a hackintoshed laptop would still have a Windows keyboard. This would spoil the experience to some degree for me at least. Again this would not necessarily be the case with a hackintoshed desktop as I imagine a Mac keyboard could be used.

I will look up the name and place to buy the mat screen for the iPad Pro and post here.

@ numerobis,

I will be slow to move back to Windows. I really like OSX, the look and feel of the apps also.

Apple really need to build a 16" or better still a 17" or 18" laptop for professional users. I would be willing to pay the extra $500 for a machine with loads of grunt and screen real estate.

If I needed a very portable laptop I would go for an Air. I tend to favour my iPad Pro for trips. At least they got that fairly right. The Apple Pencil is a pleasure to use once I attached a mat screen cover. It now feels like drawing with pencil or paper.

I've read loads of reviews on the new MacBook Pros and the general consensus is that they are an overpriced non event with a gimmick 'Touch Bar' that nobody wanted.

Apple had a chance to bring in something different or at least far more powerful that the last generation of MacBook Pros but they fell asleep at the wheel somewhere along the road.

I will await a graphics add-on 'brick' and I imagine many other MacBook Pro owners will be doing likewise. There is an upside! MacBook Pros are built to last AND can be repaired with a bit of difficulty and patience.

Mike

Well done Aaron, that's one cool design. Its great to see the 'meat' going on the 'bones'. Its looks perfectly natural in its setting also.

Please keep the pictures rolling in as I imagine the interiors will be impressive.

Mike

Hi Guys,

Just came across the Kaffee, a coffee table with an inbuilt bio ethanol burning hearth. Its a Kickstarter project and the unit is priced at the $300 mark which steeply undercuts similar units found in trendy furniture shops.

While I like the idea of a Kaffee for apartments that have no options for fitting a pellet burning stove I have some reservations about the safety issues but again I image its no higher risk that candles burning unprotected or smoking for that matter. Still I would like to see an optional cover system of some sort.

The units will only be available in the USA / Canada currently. The details may be found here, https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/kaffee/kaffee-the-fireplace-coffee-table/?ref=kicktraq

Mike

Hi Guys,

I came across the Vertiwalk today and was immediately impressed with the engineering / design and its huge potential as a space saver in buildings. The only drawback that comes to mind is regulatory fire escape requirements.

Maybe this could be overcome by an external enclosed slide ..... I know kids would love the idea and perhaps a few adults!

Further details may be found here,
http://www.rombout.design/vertiwalk/

Mike

You're welcome Jim.

I pledged / signed up for the beta version so will advise on this thread about my experience.

Mike