I read a NewsBlog on The-Scientist.com about a protein folding game called Fold It. I thought that was mildly interesting at first and somewhat amusing, but particularly because it combines science, puzzles and games, I became intrigued had to check it out!
My first laugh... It was amusing to find that they chose a domain name of FOLD with the country code (IT) of Italy. But you know how geeks can be. :D
Proteins are complex molecules in long chains that spring themselves into curly folds... and look like messy jumbles of utter chaos. The thing though, is that proteins operate like hardware or software in the body, depending on what the protein is and how it is folded, as well being affected by its environment. It is this manner in which proteins are structured that gives them the ability to react variably in their environment and do such things as keep us healthy, to make us sick, or to cure us of something. :)
I haven't tried the game yet but the ideas behind it are intriguing - as you can see from the beta version of game and site icon at the left. "Solve Puzzles for Science". Hrm...
"We're hopefully going to change the way science is done, and who it's done by," said Popovic, who presented the project today at the Games for Health meeting in Baltimore. "Our ultimate goal is to have ordinary people play the game and eventually be candidates for winning the Nobel Prize."
Hey, that Nobel Prize sounds a little far fetched but there is truth in the fact that some of us are strong on various types of puzzles. Some people are pretty genius at recognizing abstract patterns immediately in bundles of chaos and others have different strengths in problem solving, which together can crystalize innovative approaches. I see that the game is online and free. Apparently they are keeping track of how the game and its puzzles are played by its players.
The homesite for Fold It is here and more about the science of the game can be read in a FAQ. Here's a question from part of the FAQ...
How does my game playing contribute to curing diseases?
With all the things proteins do to keep our bodies functioning and healthy, they can be involved in disease in many different ways. The more we know about how certain proteins fold, the better new proteins we can design to combat the disease-related proteins and cure the diseases.
A short YouTube movie showing the game in action.
Last minute add, a writer on Gamezebo mentions how games can be more directly helpful in healing and therapy.
A Paint Shop Pro creation featuring two of my favorite games. (yeah, I did that PSP in a hurry and you can tell although I might just get around to fixing that)
Above, a Sims 2 family guy, playing Big Kahuna Reef 2 - Chain Reaction on his free gaming computer. (Sims 2 Free Time features new hobbies that Sims can have, including gaming! ...a sort of "infinite picture", game creations playing a game)
Recent days without much internet access, various stressy issues and an ailing family member have me turning to my very useful and portable laptop for communication aid (nextalk.net deaf relay), ways of keeping myself from going nuts or being utterly bored in quiet moments, and if I have a space of time with no interruptions, some momentary stress relief in the form of DVD movies or casual games. Beats TV to death, as I have never been one to just turn it on and veg.
Tonight, I learned of a study documenting that computer games give stress relief ...and it even comes with a slide show. Check out the title, I love it! "Study: Casual Video Games Demonstrate Ability to Relieve Stress, Improve Mood: Potential Clinical Significance Highlighted. First-of-Its-Kind 6-month Research Project Establishes Effects of Puzzle and Word Games on the Human Body and Mind" :)
Methodology
The study was conducted between October 2007 and April 2008 and included a total of 134 subjects. Thirty-one subjects served as members of the control group, tasked with surfing the Internet looking for journal articles. The experimental groups consisted of 31 subjects who played Bejeweled 2, 29 subjects who played Bookworm Adventures, and 36 subjects who played Peggle. The study included the collection of physical data (based on Heart Rate Variability (HRV) measurements) and psychological data (based on POMS (a profile of mood states pre- and post-activity) and electroencephalography (EEG) measurements) during a 5-minute baseline period and 15 minutes of game playing or (in the case of the control group) Internet surfing.
I haven't played the three games featured in the study but anyone that is curious can get them as free downloads from any number of places including the creators site, Pop Cap games. Once you have them, you can play them offline. The trials are usually for an hour but if you like to play longer, offline and not buy the game, you can try the Wild Coins method of game trialing and playing. The way it seems to work is that Wild Games gives you any game you want as a freebie game which you can play for up to a 24 hour period with periodic 20 minute breaks. If your break gets too long, then if you want to resume the game, you will need to insert virtual coins, called Wild Coins. Depending on the complexity of the game, the number of coins varies and can be four to six coins for the fancier games. The coins can be bought in different plans or even acquired by purchasing other goods from magazines to coffee and fashions and other things. Some games are completely free however, and I get a kick out of Crickler which you must be online to play.
I didn't know anything about Wild Coins until I got my "new to me" refurb Gateway notebook which included a download for games, "Gateway Games". My nephew clicked on it (after asking of course) and I was so impressed with the graphics in the game of Fate he was playing and how quickly he learned the game, I had to learn about the game system that Fate was offered on. It's cute. The little guy battles bad guys and has a little dog that reminds me of a small spotted Terrier. I haven't played it yet but it might be the first game of its genre that I try.... eventually.
Had to stick this Sims 2 video on. I wish I could hear Natasha Bedingfield sing in "Simlish" but the video is beautiful (a nicer high res version is on youtube and you have to select it on the rating meter that has the stars).
As of tonight, converting MOV files from my Kodak cameras to a format that can be handled in Windows Movie Maker is no longer an issue.
I found a free program at SourceForge.net, called MP4Cam2AVI, and it does the conversion beautifully without increasing the file size and distorting the video output. There is a slight difference in full screendepth of color with the new output being a little darker in my clips, but the normal window size viewing is quite similar and crisp (given the camera and the user's shortcomings). Compare file sizes of original MOV and the new AVIs.
I don't know quite what all the bells are whistles are on this program but if you have a digital camera that shoots still pictures and can take movies in MOV format only, then you might be intereted in this free and small download. Get it here and see the info and screenshots.
Yeah... I know about Quicktime. I had purchased QuickTime Pro Version 6 a few years ago and found it very helpful for the few files from my Kodak digital cams that I had to convert (files ended up fuzzy and way big tho). I had only used it for a couple conversions which quality I didn't like aside from the hugeness of the new files. These could have been issues peculiar to that one camera tho. However, QuickTime movie editing and splicing is something which it did well. Unfortunately I used it only a couple times, not $30 worth of work IMO!
Back when, I was still on dial-up so the entire idea of putting movies online seemed crazy. Broadband is more common now although not everyone has it. Sometimes I have to connect at dial-up speeds when my cable connection goes nuts. That bites! Speed definitely spoils us when we get used to it!
Hubby wanted me to install iTunes on my machine and when I did that, I had to make the decision to overwrite my old QTPro version then with the freebie version 7 because iTunes refused to install unless QT was also upgraded. ...thus losing my MOV editing capabilities on this machine. I still have everything I need to reinstall my version 6 QuickTime Pro files -- as old as they are now. I installed the files on my laptop just in case I wanted to edit Kodak digital camera movies again, but that didn't last long! James needed iTunes on that machine too. Oh well!
Anyway, thanks to SourceForge, I now have a conversion solution that is practical for my use. After conversion from MOV to AVI, the clips can be edited in Windows Movie Maker. Now, to find the time to do THAT! I took some (not very good) movie clips of the dogs playing in the small corral. I discovered at the time that unfortunately, the camera I have cannot ZOOM while in video mode. Not great, since the Anatolians were playing, chasing and running around our 1/4 acre corral enclosure. Nevertheless, I will get them online when I can, now that I can edit the clips if needed.
November of last year (2006), I had a blog post: dog-treat-recipes in which I mentioned a collection of recipes for those making homemade goodies for dogs (includes some recipes for cats as well).
I figured I'd bump attention back to it, in light of the "Melamine for Pets" issues. People who are cooking for their own dogs might want to take advantage of this free collection of recipes. These are not my own originals. You'd have to see the original posting (above archive) to understand why I posted them in the first place. Nevertheless, I still have the recipes available for download but if anyone does find out if the original owner is still hosting the file somewhere and would prefer to keep it there exclusively, let me know.
Here's just a few meal oriented (rather than treat oriented) recipes out of the collection of 300 or more recipes. The collection includes many treats, some weight booster concoctions for skinny dogs, one file on Hot Spots, raising a Service Dog, cooling pads, among other things, but it is primarily food oriented. After unzipping, it can be read as text, or can be incorporated into MasterCook as noted in my previous posting.
Heidi & Braxx's Natural Food
Categories : Kalgoorlie & Districts Gs Club
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 cups rolled oats -- (1 to 2) 1/4 lb raw organ meat -- (1/4 to 3/4) 1 tblsp honey 1 tblsp rosemary powder 1 tsp bran 1 tsp wheat germ 1 tsp cod liver oil 1 tsp cold pressed safflower oil 1 teaspoon bone meal powder 1 tsp angivida yeast 1 tsp kelp powder 1 tsp apple cider vinegar 1/4 tsp Vitamin c powder 1 vitamin capsule of Biotin 1 vitamin capsule of Vitamin E 1 handful finely chopped raisins 1 handful alfalfa leaves 1 tablespoon veggie mix Veggie Mix: 6 carrots -- (6 to 8) 1/4 bag spinach 6 garlic individual cloves -- (6 to 10) 1 container alfalfa sprouts
Finely puree in a food processor. This mixture keeps well up to 2 weeks.
Soak oats approximately 2 hours with enough water to cover; the amount of oats depends on the size and activity level of the dog. Add raw meat; again the amount of meat will depend on the dog. Add all ingredients; mix well.
This recipe is to be daily 2x. It seems like alot of work but I prepare the food 2 weeks in advance using Ziploc bags. I used to be an avid commercial food user but I've been cured!! The dogs' all Rotties have nicer coats, smell better, no fleas, love their food and are not finicky eaters as before. It takes a little longer daily but well worth it!
Akita Style Lamb & Rice
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 1 lb ground lamb (beef if you wish) 1 1/2 cups brown rice 2 stalks Broccoli 2 medium potatoes -- (2 to 3) 3 medium carrots 4 cloves garlic 1 sheet kombu -- Sea Kelp (optional)
Brown lamb in a frypan. After it gets going, put on the chopped garlic to brown. Boil water, put about 4-5 cups into a crockpot, so it is already hot while you are fixing the rest of the ingredients. Add cubed potatoes to the frypan. Cut broccoli and add this to the crock. Put the rest of the works in the pot, add enough hot water to cover. Add pepper to taste. Throw in 1/2 cup brown rice and mix. Courtesy: Kalgoorlie & Districts German Shepherd Obedience Club Inc
Home Cooking
Amount Measure Ingredient -- Preparation Method -------- ------------ -------------------------------- 5 lb ground beef or chicken 3/4 cup canola oil 4 cloves garlic -- (4 to 5) 32 cups water 8 cups processed veggies (various) -- (8 to 10) --(carrots, cauliflower, bean sprouts, -- celery, broccoli, potatoes, sweet potatoes, -- red peppers, spinach, beets, lettuce, tomatoes, etc.) NO ONIONS (not good for dogs) 2 cans kidney beans -- (2 to 3) 1/2 cup molasses (optional) 42 oz oatmeal (quick cooking oats) -- (42 to 45) eggs can be added to boost protein
In a large 24qt pot brown ground meat, add canola oil and garlic. When well cooked, add water. Bring to boil, then add veggies that have been processed, (frozen or canned veggies will work too). I use dried kidney beans and soak them the night before preparing a batch of food. While I am cooking the meat I have the beans in another pot cooking them. Once cooked, they are added to the above mixture. Next, the oatmeal is added. Frequent stirring is necessary at this point as the mixture will stick. Remove from heat, cool and put into containers. The above mixture feeds 3 Boxers for 1 week. I occasionally add pumpernickell bread and some times substitute brown rice for some of the oatmeal. This recipe is very flexible. I also add a mixture called Healthy powder to each meal. I feed twice daily and add 1 tsp of healthy powder to each meal for each dog.
NOTES : Kalgoorlie & Districts German Shepherd Obedience Club Inc, Submitted by Shirley Bell This is a bulk recipe for those with more than one dog who want to feed well balanced home cooked food.
A listing of names of some of the recipes, to whet your curiosity-
ACE'S FAVORITE CHEESY DOG BISCUITS Akita Style Lamb & Rice Apple Crunch Pup cakes Auggie's Wolfdown AUNT BIANCA'S DOG/CAT BISCUITS B/M Dog Cookies Baby Food Soft Doggie Cookies Bacon Biscuits BAKER'S BAGELS Basic Bones Beef Jerky Bait Birthday Cake for Pups Cheese Twists Chef-Fido Complimentary Dog Biscuit Recipe Chicken Liver Cookies DOG BISCUITS #3 (Low Purine for Kidney Stone Prone Dogs) Dog Biscuits (Wheat Free Scotty Biscuits) Golden Beardie Liver Brownies Good for You Gobblers Great Doggie Liver Treat Grrrrisotto Homemade Liver Treats HORS D'OGS (Low Purine for Kidney Stone Prone Dogs) Katie Cudlin's Dog Food Lamb Jerky LINDA DODD'S PUPPY MILK Little River Clinic Biscuits Liver (or Tuna) Puffs for dogs or cats Liver Bait Magic Meatballs Meaty Dog Biscuits MUSTGO DOG BISCUITS MuttLoaf Niemann's Dog Treats No-Flea Dog Biscuits Oatmeal/Wheat Germ Dog Biscuits Peanut Butter and Banana Cookies for Dogs Peanut Butter and Honey Dog Biscuits Pogo's Light Biscuit for Belly Draggers Pork Liver Cookies Potatoes Au Canine Or Feline PRINCESS MERCEDES' CLASSIC CAVIAR COOKIES (Low Purine) Puppy Cookies, Benton-Franklin County Humane Society PUPPY FORMULA Rastus' Microwaved Casserole Rusty's Birthday Cake Sarah Jean's Crowning Crumpets Scrambled Eggs Doggie Style Sell-Their-Soul Liver Cookies Shirleys meat loaf for Mona Lisa and Pocahontas Sunshine Liver Brownies TESS' TANTALIZING TREATS By Ann Shaw Vegetable Beef and Rice Moochies Vegetarian Dog Biscuits VitaTreats WEIGHT GAIN RECIPES Weight-On Meatballs Wheat Free Tuna Biscuits Wheatfree Salmon Treats, From Ruthie on the B.A.R.F. list
The site has disappeared (in recent months?) but I've found many online doggy sites containing links to it (& deservedly so as there are over 300 recipes in the collection from diverse ingredient preferences). I can't find info to communicate with the original owner of the collection to discover where the site has moved or if it is gone forever. It is a collection of dog treats and recipes in Mastercook format. I'll host the file here as the original zip file until someone discovers where the original author has moved their hosting. Click the zip file below to save to your desktop, then paste the text file within into your favorite editor. Goldenbone dog biscuit recipe collection - originally from kcathey/goldenbone @bgronline.com
If you use a recipe manager like Mastercook, the nutritional breakdown of the ingredients can be done automatically and you can increment or halve (whatever) the recipes as needed, print them on paper or gift cards to give away with holiday gifts. While Mastercook already comes with a database of nutritional breakdown (vitamins, carbs, fats, etc) other ingredients may need to be entered or revised and this can be easily done directly in the Mastercook database -- if you need that kind of detail.
I've had Mastercook for years so it is that which I'm most familiar although I'm sure other recipe software can do a great job of databasing, formatting, nutritional breakdown and customized volumes. Mastercook can be had for less than $5 at some sources and many recipe collections online can directly import right into the program. Try googling Mastercook for some sales, freeware and trial versions. Some places like Walmart and other stores may have inexpensive versions if you want to try it out.
An partial screenshot from Mastercook of these recipes
euthymic //
May 28, 2008
//
May 30, 2008
I read a NewsBlog on The-Scientist.com about a protein folding game called Fold It.
I haven't tried the game yet but the ideas behind it are intriguing - as you can see from the beta version of game and site icon at the left. 
A 
As of tonight, converting MOV files from my Kodak cameras to a format that can be handled in 
Does anyone know whatever happened to this very popular dog treat collection? 
© 2006 
