Moon landed in our garden

I forgot to post this on Annikki's Snowman blog about winter.



It was the picture of the moon which landed in our garden, thanks to Annikki!

For a more complete report about this, go to CNN, iReport, and search for Moon landed in our garden.

Happy 90th birthday, Nelson Mandela

Happy 90th birthday to the world's greatest politician, leader EVER - Nelson Mandela. May he have very many more.

Copyright: Photograph from Dismantling Apartheid

He has taught mankind through his sincerity to his cause - the people of Africa.

Thank you Nelson Mandela.

Jack Frost, the Mobile Snowman

Jacob was watching our satellite TV channels the other day when he stumbled on a movie called "Jack Frost". This is the description from movieweb.com.

Release Date November 2nd, 1999
Genre Fantasy
Studio Warner Home Video
Production Year 1998



Plot

Michael Keaton stars in this special-effects-heavy Christmas film about a boy who discovers, after his father dies in a car accident, that his dad is still alive in the form of a snowman.

Unlike the horror film of the same name, Jack Frost is a children's film designed to warm the soul during a chilly winter season. Think of this film as a live-action version of the children's classic Frosty the Snowman.

The story starts with Jack Frost (Michael Keaton), a harmonica-playing blues rocker who spends too much time pursuing his musical career, leaving little time for his wife (Kelly Preston) and son Charlie (Joseph Cross). Feeling guilty for his absence and missing his son's hockey practice, he decides to forego his big audition to spend Christmas with his family.

While driving home for the holidays, however, Jack dies in a tragic auto accident.

The following Christmas, Jack's son builds a snowman and decorates it with his father's old clothes. When Charlie plays his father's harmonica, Jack Frost returns home in the body of the snowman.

Jack has to show Charlie how much he loves him and also has to teach him the ice hockey shot he never got around to when he was alive. Along the way there are snowball fights and sled chases, and Jack finally realizes the great times he was missing with his son.

~ Arthur Borman, All Movie Guide

As was told to me by Jacob there were "sled chases" which were animated effects.

So I cannot claim to be the first who thought of the idea of a "Mobile Snowman" but probably the first who has made a real one and actually allowed it to move unattended down a snow slide!

Hopefully back on line

(Posted on all my major blogs)

Yesterday, after some 33 days of being without my internet connection, I was put back on line. Several errors were found at the connections outside our premises and also in the Gateway.

The first thing I did after getting back my connection was test my speed. I pay for a 8 M line, but I was shocked to find my upload and download speeds were less than 500 kbps.

Additionally, I have a fixed IP and I found that the IP that I was using was not mine.

Thirdly, all my computers are connected to the internet through a Router. i found that if I went on to connect my router, I lost the internet connection.

Lastly, during the last 7 years I have used DHCP to connect to the internet. I have not used PPPoE. I found that I was unable to connect using DHCP and my own Fixed IP but only through the PPPoE which was assigning me the random IP.

All these problems has made life continue to be difficult as I am using just a single computer to connect to the internet.

I have a backload of about 6 weeks of work. With this situation I will only be able to catch up by the end of April.

I have lodged my complaint with my ISP .- and hopefully I will get some action by the end of this week.

Please bear with me till I get back into full swing.

Another hilarious video

Jacob has been putting up videos on YouTube regularly about the Mobile Snowman so as to show the various aspects of what happens when you develop a new concept.

The last one he has put up is outstandingly hilarious.

Mobile Snowman completes run and loses head

After the run down the snow slide, the head of the snowman came off qand rolled over to Jacob's foot where he was videoing the run.

All of us were in splits of laughter.

Mobile Snowman Take 6

Here is one more version of the Mobile Snowman taken by Jacob on 8th March at Joanna and Tony's home.



We have a few more takes to share with you after which I will give you the details of the components required to create your own Mobile Snowman.

Mobile Snowman Take 5

As I get versions of the Mobile Snowman videos, I am putting them up.

Here is one taken on 8th March at Joanna and Tony's home in Oulu using Samu's digital camera that he received a a birthday present.



The quality of this video is significantly better than the earlier one. It was also filmed by Jacob.

Daniel is standing there watching while Samu and I launch the snowman on his journey downhill.

This was watched by several parents from the kitchen window.