I flip'n love archery

So I started shooting the bow when I was 7 and shot a lot into my mid 20's. I spent 7 summers teaching archery in OR, WA, and AK. I have shot many kinds of bows from compound to longbows. I wish I'd kept up with it. I have made myself a commitment to shoot more this summer. I'm also going to sell my first novel, "Suffering Rancor" at the Sherwood Robin Hood Festival. Feel free to come down and join me.

Here's some really cool vids for your entertainment. As always, every effort was made to select the nerdiest stuff I could find.

Outside the cubical thinking

Ok, so I talk a lot about feet and shoes. No its not a fetish. Business in America, and around the world really, has lost a lot of its innovation. Big business won't invest in something unless there's a 90% chance that they'll make their money back plus 20%. The reason is they run so inefficiently they have to do that just to move the stock price up a tad and keep from getting bought out. European socialist countries started backing their big corporations so that they could be more competitive globally through using economies of scale.

Anyway, America was forced to do likewise or risk having all US corps bought out by foreign interests. Well the jokes on us, because once a corp goes international it generally has very little loyalty to the nation that birthed it. The loser in all this is small business and that's where we all lose. Small business runs efficiently, therefore on a narrower margins. Small business will often thrive in bad economies although you couldn't prove it now, because big business is given bail out money to buy up smaller competitors and close them down. Government also loves to tax small business to pay for tax breaks it gives companies like GE. GE needs the money so they can contribute to the Obama campaign. It's all a big circle...ok back to shoes.

The problem with big business is a lack of creativity they simply don't do a good job of R and D anymore. They fail to see the opportunities in the problems they face (because they aren't forced to face them anymore). I was speaking with a young grey-hat the other day and was surprised to hear him point out that its easier to steal movies than to buy them. I thought about it and its true. Hollywood is so busy sueing everyone they haven't figured out a way to bring there product to market that isn't a buggy hassle.

Well not everyone is stuck in the cubical mentality. Once in awhile someone steps outside and thinks, "I bet there's a customer who's needs aren't being met." In shoes this means companies like Vibram or these guys http://www.gizmag.com/split-toed-suction-cup-shoes/21808/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=777d5a65fe-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email

Clever DIY camper bed

Here's an instructable for people with a truck and canopy. Very well done. makes me wish I hadn't sold my truck...again.

http://www.instructables.com/id/Convert-Your-Truck-into-a-Camper/

I've covered this one before but it was also interesting.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Roof-top-car-camper/

Whereas this would be the Cadillac version
http://www.instructables.com/id/Homebuilt-Camper-Trailer/

And this for the minimalist
http://www.instructables.com/id/Bivy-Sack/

Water Heater for your Camel Back

Celsius Solar has invented a hot water heater for hydration bladders they call Jompy. This a a great idea. http://www.gizmag.com/jompy-hot-water-hydration-bladder/21815/?utm_source=Gizmag+Subscribers&utm_campaign=ea202df1dd-UA-2235360-4&utm_medium=email