Ranger Robot Runs 45 Laps At Cornell - Sets Record

We're not sure what kind of batteries it was using, but the Cornell Ranger robot just kept going and going April 3 when it set an unofficial world record by walking nonstop for 45 laps - a little over 9 kilometers or 5.6 miles - around the Barton Hall running track.

Developed by a group students working with Andy Ruina, Cornell professor of theoretical and applied mechanics, the robot walked (and walked) until it finally stopped and fell backward, perhaps because its battery ran down. "We need to do some careful analysis to find out for sure," said Greg Stiesberg, a graduate student on the team.

An earlier version of the robot had already set a record by free-walking a bit over 1 kilometer, about .62 miles. (Another robot has walked 2.5 kilometers [1.55 miles] on a treadmill, Ruina noted. A six-legged robot has walked a bit more than 2 kilometers, and there's some debate over whether or not that counts.)

There are no rules for such records, Ruina admits, and the Guinness people were not involved. "There's a lot of rigmarole with that," he explained. The event, he said, was to show off the machine's energy efficiency. Unlike other walking robots that use motors to control every movement, the Ranger emulates human walking, using gravity to help swing its legs forward.

Source

New Year's Day

All is quiet on new year's day,
A world in white gets underway,
And I want to be with you,
Be with you night and day.
Nothing changes on new year's day.
I will be with you again.
I will be with you again.

Under a blood-red sky
A crowd has gathered in black and white.
Arms entwined, the chosen few,
Newspapers say, it says it's true.
And we can break through,
Though torn in two we can be one.
I will begin again, I will begin again.
Oh and maybe the time is right,
Oh maybe tonight.
I will be with you again.
I will be with you again.
And so we are told this is the golden age
And gold is the reason for the wars we wage.
Though I want to be with you,
To be with you night and day.
Nothing changes on new years Day. -Lyrics by U2

Happy New Year!
-Robert

THE TOADIES TO REUNITE FOR DECEMBER 07

The Toadies are back! The Toadies Rock and Rolled the ladder to fame in the early 90’s when their album, Rubberneck, went platinum when two smash singles “Possum Kingdom” and “Tyler” hit the population. We have had to wait a whole seven years for their next album,
Hell Below/Stars Above to be released.

Here is Some band Bio:
Shortly thereafter, bassist Lisa Umbarger quit the band. The remaining members played a few farewell shows, before going their separate ways. Vocalist Vaden Todd Lewis started a new band, The Burden Brothers, drummer Mark Reznicek began playing with Eleven Hundred Springs and guitarist Clark Vogeler moved to LA to start a career in film.

It wasn’t until 2005 that the Toadies got together again for just one show on St Patrick's Day in Dallas. In 2006, The Toadies reunited
once more with all their shows being sold out in Dallas, Austin and Houston.

Clark Vogeler says, “The fan response really surprised us all. I had no idea that people would show up in the numbers that they did. Clearly, people still wanna see a Toadies show.” Lewis adds “ After the first show, we started getting more offers for the Toads.

Lets Face it: The Toadies will always be popular with people that already like them. I also have noticed a lot of younger people going back to 80's and nineties rock bands since I think the new stuff just does not do it for most people out there.