I went birding in Brazil with Richard Raby back in March.  It was a fabulous experience and Richard a great guide.  Note to self--I really should write up my thoughts and list from that trip and post them.  I love owls but rarely see them in the daytime.  Maybe it was the warm rain on a gray day, but these guys were everywhere.  Can you see the rain in the picture?

Check out the other Skywatchers too at SkyWatch Friday.

And for two-fers.  Wrenaisssance has hosted a terrific I and the Bird #83.  It is all about the joy of birds and birding and birders.  Check it out.

Owls!

coming soon-

my delicious recipe for baba ghanoush (with a possible first ever cooking video, ooh la la!)

A SECRET WEBSITE OR TWO (yum yum)

Today we finally started putting the pieces together. We learned about Protégé, a free tool to to edit ontologies. Within a couple of hours, we had a first draft of an OWL-file (defining our model, with objects and relationships). Once imported into WSRR, magical things started to happen. Stuff we’ve been dreaming of, but have not been able to realize, include:

• Automatic dependency analysis, meaning that we can instantly ask things like “If we bring down this machine, what services and service consumers are affected?”
• Automatic name generation, meaning that we can enforce our naming conventions much better than before
• Automatic GUI generation based on the model, complete with links to add related object, so, for example, while creating a Service, we automatically get a link to add Operations

We’ve also seen the relative ease by which you can create java plug-ins to enhance the out-of-the-box functionality of WSRR.

It does look really promising so far! Check back soon, I’ll wrap this up with some more thoughts.

Das Programm das ich entwickele ist Teil eines größeren Projekts, das in Zusammenarbeit mit Medizinern entstanden ist.

Eine der Eingaben ist eine vorsegmentierte und klassifizierte Mikroskopaufnahme von Gewebe. D. h. es ist bereits bekannt welche Typen von Zellen in der Aufnahme vorhanden sind.

Die zweite Eingabe ist eine OWL-Datei, die eine Ontologie beschreibt. Eine Ontologie ist eine Wissensrepräsentation zu einem bestimmten Wissensgebiet, in diesem Fall zu Wissen über Zellen. Das OWL-Format gibt es in unterschiedlichen Ausdrucksstärken, in dieser Arbeit wird OWL-DL (Description Logic) verwendet. Wie der Name schon sagt handelt es sich dabei um eine Beschreibungslogik, mit der Klassen und Beziehungen zwischen diesen Klassen ausgedrückt werden können. Sowohl die Klassen als auch die Art der Beziehungen lassen sich dabei selbst definieren.

Meine Aufgabe besteht darin das Wissen, das in der Ontologie beschrieben ist, grafisch darzustellen. Dabei soll jedoch nur der Teil angezeigt werden, der für eine vorgegebene Mikroskopaufnahme relevant ist. Sind zum Beispiel in einer Aufnahme drei verschieden Typen von Zellen zu sehen, so soll nur das Wissen welches diese drei Zelltypen betrifft grafisch dargestellt werden.

Das Programm soll in C++ unter Verwendung des Qt Frameworks implementiert werden. Als Entwicklungsumgebung verwende ich Visual Studio 2008.

Ich habe damit begonnen mich in Qt einzuarbeiten. Dazu habe ich zuerst die Quelltexte kompiliert, was dank QtBuilder relativ einfach war. Mit Hilfe dieses Tutorials gelang mir die Integration von Qt in Visual Studio. Meine ersten Gehversuche mit Qt machte ich dann mit diesem WikiBooks.

Mein nächster Schritt ist nun das Einlesen einer OWL-Datei. Dazu wollte ich mir zwei XML-Parser (eine OWL-Datei ist syntaktisch gesehen ein XML-Dokument) genauer ansehen. Zum einen den Qt-eigenen XML-Parser und zum anderen Xerces. Der Vorteil von Xerces ist, dass man beim Einlesen das XML-Dokument gegen ein XML-Schema validieren lassen kann. Vielleicht finde ich auch noch eine geeignete Bibliothek, die OWL direkt parsen kann.

Ich habe mir vorgenommen meine Erfahrung während der Implementierung, aber auch während des späteren Schreibens meiner Diplomarbeit in diesem Blog festzuhalten. Ich werde wohl nicht jeden Tag etwas hier reinschreiben, werde aber versuchen alle wichtigen Schritte zu dokumentieren.

Looks like an owl is lost in the woods! Hehe, I hope it finds a way out! Lil` cutie!

Wow! Look at that owl! Isn`t it colorful? I so loovvee the patterns...

Well, this owl looks mad! Wonder why... maybe because I`m complimenting the other owls first... well, this owl is cute! That`s for sure... I like the pink circles around the eyes and really cute wings!

Inspite of being blind, it kept touring the room like a US stealth bomber in foreign nations.

The ensuing video on the troop leader's phone!

[blip.tv ?posts_id=1231449&dest=-1]

* this is our very first podcast.

The owls are very skittish. I took this photo from about 100' away, which is why the resolution is poor. If you get much closer, they fly away. Notice the burrow beneath the rock in the lower left of the picture. That's where they nest. I'm always extremely careful not to disturb the next or the owls themselves. There aren't many of these guys left on the island. The good news is that conservation efforts are helping.

End Of The Line, Gee
03.09. - Bielefeld/Kanal 21
Infos

Sniffing Glue, Alarmstufe Gerd, Terrorize Kids, Shoyu Squad
06.09- Oerlinghauen/JZO
Infos

Escapado, Trip Fontaine
09.09. - Bielefeld/Falkendom
Infos

Slayensemble, Burned Alive, Greed Killing & Geist
10 Jahre Enter Sandman Jubiläumsparty
26.09. - Bielefeld/Falkendom
Infos

Mustasch, Sport, Ana
Visions Party
05.09. - Bielefeld/Forum
Infos

Sondaschule, Mofa, Gleis 6
12.09. - Bielefeld/Forum
Infos

Kopfkino, Ohne Mich, Pun Pun Bo
Kopfkino CD-Release Party
12.09. - Bielefeld/AJZ

The Lemonheads
25.09. - Bielefeld/Forum
Infos

Common Enemy, Family Man, Alarmstufe Gerd, Shoyu Squad
27.09. - AJZ Bielefeld

Happy But Not Satisfied, End Is Forever, u.a.
27.09. - Detmold/Alte Pauline

Eaten By Sheiks
27.09. - Bielefeld/Falkendom
Infos

Get Ready For Some Veritas From An Insomniatic Internet Marketer

Ever since someone coined the phrase Web 2.0 it seems that people have been speculating and predicting what Web 3.0 will involve.  I guess I am no different except that my speculations are closer to mainly limited to how it will affect search engines.  It is very probably that Web 3.0 will include a surge in modular applications and a new dimension of social/open source media, but the largest development will be the release of semantic-style search to the mass market.

Currently, most search engine technology is based off simple word matching.  For instance, if your search for 'pink auto'  in most standard search engines you will pull results for the term 'pink auto' and maybe even 'hot pink automobiles', but it is not likely that you will get results for a 'magenta suv' or a 'flamingo-colored Cadillac"....(suddenly tired...to be continued)

Winter Owls :)  It's the last one!  I was so worried about creating those little snowflakes but it actually ended up being great fun to design them.  So this is the last print in the series which will be released in full on Monday along with some other fun goodies.  You will be able to buy these individually or in a set of four for a bit of a discount.  There will be more fun goodies to come after Monday as well, think stationary sets ;) 

And yes, I changed the header graphic again :) This time, to match my website and my Etsy shop banners.  Click on the portfolio link over on the right to check out the website which is still sort of in the design stages but it will work for now!

Also, to mark the end of some prints and the release of some new prints, all prints in the shop are currently Buy 2 Get 1 Free.  You buy 2 prints are regular price then you get to pick a third print of equal or lesser value to receive for free.  Visit the shop for additional details. 

Now I'm off to enjoy the finally cooling down but slightly rainy day!  Go enjoy yours!

Autumn Owls :)  I finished up this third print of the seasonal owls series last night while watching Ninja Warrior, my new favorite show.  I love love LOVE the colors in this one, I just wish fall would hurry up and get here! 

So this print along with Spring Owls, Summer Owls, Winter Owls once it's completed and My Love Grows will be released in the shop on Monday.  I plan to have a few new bookmarks and possible a sweet stationary set available as well depending on how my time availability turns out :)

For today, I'll be working on my website.  That's right, a real website!  Well, honestly it's just going to be a basic sort of portfolio type thing but I'm getting ready to start submitting some work to various places and I want a unified body of my work for easy viewing.  It's a mess right now, but I'll give you guys a glimpse soon ;) 

The first is of red ants at a dragonfly feast. (click any photo to open larger, clearer version - or the entire Picassa Album)

The Sunday we were there some of us drove to a plantation west of New Orleans by an hour or so. As we were walking the grounds we heard a loud flutter - an owl. I took a bunch of photos, slowly approaching. The first, you can see his face. then I bunch more. Finally, I got too close. The second was the last I took... he flew off. Plus his head is turned.

Last photo is of some unfortunate New Orleans shrimp...

How great are those little guys????  She's having a very fantastic sale in her shop right now and I actually got this set of four small pouches for $18!  I can't wait to receive them :)  Having little pouches for everything just ties in with my organizational obsession AND I've got plans to get a cute new little camera that should fit snuggly inside one of those pouches!  I've been using an awesome Sony DSC-H1 for about two years now but while it takes amazing pictures it's really too big to be portable enough for me so I'm getting a smaller camera with less zoom ability.  Most of my currenty camera use involves reference/inspiration pictures so having something that fits neatly in my bag would be ideal. 

As of right now I'm considering either a Sony Cybershot or a Casio Exilim, mainly because both get good reviews and both are available in pink which is a must for me :)  If anyone has any advice or experience with a smallish digital camera priced under $200 feel free to share because I'm still in the deciding stages.  And if anyone has any interest in buying my old Sony which is still in perfect condition it will be on Ebay in the next couple of weeks ;) 

Well enough about my shopping addiction, let's talk weekly giveaway!  This week I'm offering up for grabs one of my Owl Party plastic pendants: 

The pendant you receive will be randomly selected by me as will the winner :) So to be entered to win you need to leave a comment telling me two things: 

1- What's your favorite color?

2- How did you find my blog?

And that's it.  I'll leave comments open until Saturday morning and then I'll draw the name and notify the lucky winner. 

Now I am seriously off to do some real work!

My mom sent me this site, www.vivaterra.com the other day. She told me she received a catalog that might be interesting for my blog. That the site features things for the home that are made from recyclable or renewable resources. She said, "They have pretty things, but we do not need anything."

I was impressed that she thought I might be interested in this company enough to write about it, but what I was most impressed reading was, "...but we do not need anything." Anyone that knows my fantastical mother knows she loves to shop for clothes, home furnishings and the like whenever possible.  This was the first time I ever heard her say we don't need anything! :) The fact that she takes my writing somewhat seriously was pretty fresh as well. You know not matter what, we all want to do right by our mothers, we want them to be proud of who we are and what we do. Well, I do.

On top of all that, I also like the site! The Wooly Owl is awesome!!! According to the Viva Terra web site, the owl is, "Hand-spun and hand-knitted by women in rural Kenya, this plump, huggable owl is dyed with plants grown in the women's gardens. The money they earn pays for glasses when it was discovered that some women were knitting inches away from their eyes because they couldn't see correctly. Now they see a prosperous future before them and their children, thanks to the program that enables them to create these adorable wool owls." It is eco and sustainable in the sense that someone may not need the product, but may love it. In loving it, they help women, who by doing something positive, get something in return they need to survive and enjoy their life, sight. That my friends is pretty fresh.

The End.

-Cara

Springs Owls :)  Part 2 of the seasonal owls prints.  I've been having so much Photoshop fun with textures and brushes while making this print series.  I love how delightful and whimsical they are turning out so far although I'm nervous about the winter version because I'm still trying to figure out how to do the snowflakes.  Oh well, I"ll be putting that one off until last :)

 This one will also be in the shop as 5x5 and 8x8 size limited edition prints but it won't be released until the end of the month with My Love Grows and a few other prints that I am currently working on.  I hope you enjoy all the new work!