Computer build starting lineup

To replace my laptop to something with a little (just a bit) more power I've l ut together my wishlist and I'm going to roughly list them here and create a little better list if I get any feedback on the pros and cons of the components or recommendations. I don't typically game but I'd like the possibility, I don't plan to overclock right away but I want the possibility. I plan on editing UHD 4K video,  audio and render graphics in autocad and/or Revit. Soooo...... here's what I'm plannning.....

AMD Threadripper 1950x 3.4ghz 16 core

ASUS ROG Zenith Extreme EATX TR4 MoBo

ASUS GeForce GTX 1080 8GB ROG Strix

CORSAIR H100vi v2 70.7 cut liquid cooler

G skill Soon as V series 32 GB (2x16) DDR4-3000

SAMSUNG 850 EVO 1TB SSD

EVGA SUPERNOVA G3 750 w 80+ gold ATX power

CORSAIR 760T Black ATX tower

LG blue ray

Creative labs Sound Blaster rd 24 bit 192 kHz sound card

CORSAIR air series SP 120 HiPro edition (2 pack)

NZXT Sentry 3 can controller

I also added a WLAN and LAN but I think the ASUS MoBo comes with one, correct me if I am wrong

If anyone has some extra parts they want to throw my way I am more than flexible on this build!

Down and Out (of a working computer!)

My HP laptop has decided that it has reached it's zenith after only two short years. I'm extremely frustrated as this computer is relatively new ( there isn't that much better out there in the same price range in regards to processors and graphics). I've replaced the motherboard, power switch board, USB board, and added a new 8GB stick of RAM, a new battery and nothing gives.

So if your looking for an update to the YouTube channel stone cutting and polishing pad give away, he tight! I'm trying to find something to edit on. With the new NIKON it's taking forever to upload, edit and process 4k on an antique. If I don't get it squared away by this week I'll do my first live feed on the weekend. I was hoping to tie it into the grinder review video but desperate times call for desperate measures.

I'm putting together my new CPU build list   so the channel may go techhy for a short spell. I might keep the puter build on the blog separate but I might do a couple of video updates because I love the feedback I get from people with more experience than I.

The Long Dark brings out the Wildlife

With the long dark nights come the interesting happenings of all things nocturnal. We've been woken up by many a bump in the night. This video was the third night this Black Bear came by to visit, the first time she completely eluded the trail cam but I was able to see her with a flashlight. When I turned on the flashlight it suddenly occurred to me that I was in my boxer shorts 30 feet from a 300 pound black bear. Luckily they don't actually like people (they do like their food though) and she was quick to leave the area. this clip is from this summer but I thought I'd use it to start the winter wildlife watch!

Here's a link tot he Moultrie game camera I have at the moment, I think I'll look into upgrading to a higher resolution or possibly a live streaming camera.

Upgrading to the New Nikon D5600 DSLR

Awhile back I made the decision to up my game a little bit in terms of photography. After cycling through several point and shoot cameras that had dismal battery life and frustratingly small storage capabilities with relatively crappy resolution it was time to do some real documentation. For those of you who stumbled upon this blog from my youtube channel, you'll be happy to know that future projects will be filmed in HD!

So after playing with the settings, reading several other blogs and watching some youtube videos I feel comfortable announcing this new upgrade. All in all I am very happy with this camera, not the highest end of the spectrum but right where I need to be between amateur and semi-pro. The video feature is limited due to both over heating and apparently  some stupid import tax on the difference between cameras and video cameras, kinda sucked finding that out after I bought it.

So in the future some of my blog posts will be far less text and alot more pictures! Here's tow links to the Nikon D5600.





                                                                           

And here are the first few photos..................... 

The Marathon Metaphor

I've often heard many a comparison between the marathon and arduous struggles. It has always made sense to me as I have experienced the physical and psychological speed bumps discovered through 26 miles of running. During my run this weekend I was thinking through the joys and pains of running and thought I'd take this autumn running season to reflect. If this post doesn't receive many views so be it, if you are the future me, your welcome, you've been here before and you will be here again, this too shall pass.

Running during this time of year is exhilarating! There is a crisp fresh air that cools the nostrils, there is a fresh dew on the ground that blankets the dust, and there is the fresh smell of leaves on the ground. Sometimes I have to stop as I notice a wonderful view that was obscured through the summer by a large Maple tree. Sometimes I stop to observe the fungi taking over a patch of decomposing mulch. Sometimes I think back at all the runs I have enjoyed and the injuries I've had. Here come the metaphors! One step at a time, never stop trying, keep moving forward, even running backwards gets you to the finish ( I use this one when I'm cramping bad and need to transfer fatigue to other muscles) and it's the journey not the destination, etc....

So I think back at some of these times as I work through another strained lower back injury and remember all the other times I've had to throttle myself after trying to hard an injuring myself.

I'm not alone in this and some other runners will nod in agreement and have their own stories. Here are the times I was broken and out of commission.

Sprained Ankle ( too many to count, maybe 20 or more?) recovery (2-8 weeks)
Hamstring ( both legs, different years both from Kenpo not running) recovery (3-4 months)
Lower Back Muscle ( one of the worst so far, during a 10k no less) recovery ( 6 months and outright terror during rehabilitation)
Foot Muscle (somewhere between mile 18 and 24, I think I was crying at the finish line) recovery (3 months and tender for much longer)
Fractured Metatarsal ( again a freaking 10k, fell on my face the next morning trying to get out of bed ) recovery (8 weeks and mostly only walking for awhile)

All in all it's been a roller coaster of highs and lows but nevertheless I always feel the most alive out on there kicking some trail. There are many a metaphor but to wrap this up, YOU'LL BE FINE, find another hobby in the meantime, and soon, sooner than you can imagine, RUN!!!!!

Jason Michael Kotarski on Amazon Handmade

Well the rains have finally arrived which means it's officially the wet season. As we prepare for the Long Dark we will be moving into the shop which means there will be more blog posts and more youtube video posts and more items going into the inventory. I'll be trying to ramp up production and get more items listed for the Amazon Handmade store. We stopped using Etsy awhile back as we couldn't compete with the manufacturers that were taking over. Amazon Handmade has a bit more rigor to ensure that the small production custom craft artists have a chance in today's mass manufacturing world. So take a peek and keep checking back to see what's new. I can always do custom orders as well and if you see something that strikes a chord let me know!

Jason Michael Kotarski

Jason Michael Kotarski

Jason Michael Kotarski

Jason Michael Kotarski

Woodworking- Carving a Bowl from a Root with the Graff Speedcutter - Jas...

Update!!!! Check out the awesome grain on this finished bowl on my channel

Jason Michael Kotarski- YouTube

Found this piece of root wood and decided to try out the new Speedcutter disc from Graff. Ended up with a little bowl that would be a great presentation piece or centre table piece! I'll put it up on the Amazon Handmade store so someone can have a unique conversation piece for the holiday's!!!

Jason Michael Kotarski on Amazon Handmade

Graff Speedcutter Angle Grinder Blade

Fall 2017 Running Shoe Review

The Fall season is upon us and for runners this means cool weather, brisk morning and beautiful runs. As we go into the Fall running season, here's my review on the shoes I plan to wear while putting in some mileage! Can't wait!



Let me know what you Fall training plans and gear are in the comments!

ArbequinaOlive and Camellia Sinensis

Unboxing my order for Arbequina Olive and Camellia Sinesis.

The Arbequina Olive should fair well in our orchard and hopefully provide us with some good nutritious olives. Camellia Sinensis should also fair well on the border of our orchard providing winter and early spring color as well as amazing leaves for all the tea we can imagine.

Landscape Master Plan

Landscape Master Plan

1. To govern the overall maximum benefit to the health of all inhabitants (Humans, Bear, Deer, Rabbits, Mt. Beaver, Birds, bats, bees, etc…)

2. To protect and enhance the watershed

3. To act as a potential Wetland Mitigation Plan in anticipation of any additions, alterations or renovations

4. To provide food, shelter, harvestable materials and beauty.

5. To follow the basic principles of permaculture with an emphasis on native species where appropriate.

6. To include management of soil erosion caused by storm water runoff and bioremediation through phytoremediation and myco remediation.

7. To remove and eradicate invasive species including ivy, knotweed, something and something and something else????

Plant Purpose Abbreviations

PNW

Native Species

M

Medicinal

FB

Fruit Bearing

PA

Pollinator Attractor

N

Nitrogen fixer

EG

Evergreen

BA

Bioaccumlator

T

Edible tube

BR

Bioremediation

Plant List

Plants on this list are to be introduced in addition to the existing landscape of canopy trees, understory fruit and nut trees, shrubs, flowers and herbs, groundcover, and mushroom patches.

Native Species are labled PNW (Those listed shall be used in any mitigation plans)

Code

Red Flowering Currant   Ribes Sanguineum

FB

PNW

SnowBrush  Ceanothus Veluntinus

PA

PNW

N

EG

Cascade Pentsemon    Pentsemon Serrulatus

PA

PNW

Service Berry   Amelanchier Alnifolia

FB

PNW

Wild Ginger   Asarum caudatum

M

PNW

Kinnikinick  Arctostaphylos uva ursi

M

PNW

FB

EG

Arrowhead   Sagittaria Latifolia

T

PNW

BR

Great Camas Camassia Leichtlinii

T

PNW

PA

Yarrow   Achillea Millefolium

M

PNW

BA

Elderberry   Sambucus Caerulea & Nigra

M

PNW

FB

Agricultural Plants

Camellia Sinensis

Tea

PA

EG

Goumi Elangus multiflora

FB

N

Seaberry

FB

N

Comfrey

BA

Hibiscus

Tea/wine

PA

Jujube

FB

Olive (Arborquina)

FB

Passion Flower

FB

PA

Kiwi

FB

Moringa tree  Moringa oleifera

M

Saffron Crocus    Crocus sativas

Spice

PA

Pineapple Broom   Cytisus Battendieri

N

Happy Easter- Joyeux Paques!!!!!

Ah J'aime les Printemps!!!!! Happy Easter, and for the Poles out there, Happy Dingus Day Eve. I love this time of year as for many almanacs it is officially planting season. For the orchards and perennials we get to see what survived and what was lost. An obvious existential insight into our lives here on this great planet.

For us we managed to not lose any fruit trees to the beaver and the deer have given us some reprieve. I think it is mere luck and little defensive adjustments but really, luck. We sacrificed dozens of Wax Myrtle for the new beaver lodge, wherever that may be, and I've been trying to add similar fast growing un-killable and deer loving plants to keep them off of the stuff I want to eat! While I certainly am not trying to attract them, I would like to distract them while they creep through in the middle of the night or while were away.

I have a good jump on the garden this year, the plastic hoop house worked wonders and we have plenty of salad greens, Our newest raised bed is just about ready for squash and zucchini. I'm also adding a layer of squash, zucchini and pumpkin in the orchard as a ground cover!

Really hope I get to add a swarm of bees this spring, with the orchard in it's third year, and the blueberries laddered in 1,2, and 3 years I really hope to get some fruit. The blue orchard mason bees are coming back and will hopefully stay in their new home. With the hop trellis up and running we should have a good harvest and very enjoyable growing summer.

So far in the Orchard level story we have Plum, Italian Plum, Persimmon, Apricot, Fig, Cherry, Apple and Pear. underneath the we have black currant, red currant, gooseberry, goji berry, evergreen huckleberry and I'll soon be adding seaberry. Surrounding those bushes are herbs and pollinator attractors, almost ALL in a blue or purple, Rosemary (4 varieties) Lavender (3 varieties), and Valerian. On the other side of the terrace from the herbs are all flowers for the bees, Lupine, Foxglove, Delphinium, Columbine, and Hollyhock.

Check back in to the blog and youtube channel! I'll be adding a copy of our Master Plan and some drawings explaining the grid planting I established intermixing nitrogen fixers, fruits, bio-accumulators, pollinator attractors and beneficial plants.

Permaculture Adding a Hop Trellis

Had a chance to put in our hop poles for the trellis. It's been a wet year so far so I didn't want to transplant them and have them rot in the ground. It looks like they are happy and getting ready to take off like a hop rocket!! Check out the video and subscribe for more updates. The permaculture project is coming along. We're entering Year 3 so there should be some harvest of the fruit trees, asparagus and more!!!








 

Part IV Installing Sapele on the Wood Accent Wall

Well, I'm finally getting some progress on the wood panel accent wall. I'm going to also link some of the tools I used in this project below if you want to check them out. The tools I use are the ones that I have found are the best bang for the buck. Are there better ones, yea for some of them, are there cheaper ones, of course, but I use these daily so I need them to give me the best performance at a reasonable price so that I can get the job done.











Jason Kotarski
Jason Michael Kotarski

Interview Questions Poll- Howto Carve Stone, Cut Wood, Weld Iron, Grow A...

Part III Wood Panel Accent Wall

Getting some panels on the wall and decided in order to stretch out the 1 x 10 Sapele boards so I can use the best ones and have left overs for smaller projects. Simple Board and Batten style panel and a handmade piece of trim from the router table. It all sits behind a black entertainment stand and stereo components. It's going to look pretty slick once the beautiful Mahonganhy like Sapele goes on top and the black flat screen is mounted to the wall. I'll come back and install the media boxes from the back side as the closet is the next to be redone! I added a layer of 1/2" sound board over the sheetrock so with 5/8" Gypsum, 1/2" fiber Soundboard, and 3/4" Sapele we should get get reflection from TV's rear speakers back into the viewing space while absorbing sound with the sound board and gypsum. And don't worry, when we redo the closet next we'll add Roxul Safe and Sound in the wall cavity, another layer of soundboard and GWB.



To be slick about it I used leftover 3/4" A/B Sanded cabinet grade plywood with 1/2" bead board. That made the 1/2" soundboard and 3/4 Sapele flush! More contemporary than I typically design but hey, something new!





Check out the 15 Gauge Nailer from Porter Cable

Social Media and My Generation

I have found that there are two sides to my generation (and other generations as well but I'm not in those generations so I can't speak to that) when it comes to social media, those that can't live without it and those that have to live without it. A classic case of the have's and have not's. well not exactly.

When social media came out I was in college and like most found it a great way to share experiences across the globe as my network grew further and further in terms of distance. I couldn't keep up with it then and I sure as hell can't keep up with it now. When social media started creeping into the lexicon of my work colleagues I was immediately concerned. For the social butterfly this was an eureka moment if there ever was one but for me, I saw the danger in friending my boss for them to see my monster catch out on the water while I had the flu.

As the movement spread, I remember the first time I heard someone say they were the Social Media Director, and a couple of agencies posting adverts for social media coordinators. Sure, there has been some sort of Public Affairs and/or customer relations but this seemed dubious to me. Someone had an office (bigger than mine) that was on Facebook all day? Meh, I had my own projects to work on and they could have their fun.

Turning to today as I struggle to find the centre point in my triangle of entrepreneur, technician and manager, I have realized how freaking time consuming this all is. So much so that I have less to show on my social media because I was busy working on social media. It is the same as working on a portfolio in the old days when you had to physically carry the portfolio around and the construction of the portfolio was as important as the elements of the portfolio. You would spend so much time crafting your portfolio that there wasn't much to put in it!

So, it' 10:20, break time just ended and all I have to show for it is a handful of emails, posts, updates, editing, and general buggery. I wonder how many more platforms will be created this year?

So if you haven't checked out my sites (or ever read this anyway) I'll up date this when I create a copy and paste list of all these sites as links.

Jason Michael Kotarski.com
Spatial RecognitionDesign.com
youtube - https://www.youtube.com/user/jkotar20
JasonMichaelKotarski.blogspot.com
twitter @_KOTARSKI_
Facebook SpatialRecognition
twitter @SpatialRecog
Houzz Spatial Recognition
Thumbtack- Spatial Recognition
Porch- Spatial Recognition
Linkedin- JasonMichaelKotarski
Craigslist Jason Michael Kotarski
Craigslist Spatial Recognition

Hugle Lasagne Garten Kultur (Raised Garden Beds)

We finally got around to processing down last years storm debris, landscape compost, bonfire and bbq ashes and charcoal, and our kitchen compost. I added some logs and branches on the bottom to decay and absorb water and nutrients for the summer months. I'm not sure what I want to plant yet but most likely it will be something that loves sun and heat and will provide some shade to the middle beds for those less heat tolerant plants.

Permaculture- Installling my first beehive

I've been planning to so this for over five years. I would go to beekeeping speaking events, check out books from the library, search and research articles and forums on the net but never did it. I have always had animals, dogs, cats, etc.... but never any livestock or an apiary. I finally decided to just go ahead with some leftover pieces of plywood someone had given me. They're  plywood but at least they are 3/4 inch, 7 ply, A/B cabinet grade plywood! It did occur to me as I lay on the couch drifting into sleep that I forgot to add and entrance. OOPS! No worries, I'll get the jigsaw and do a quick little cut, I should have time still before any swarming occurs. It's still hovering around 40 F so I'll get to it.

I learned through my research that black or dark colored clothing was the worst option for beekeepers. Well, the plywood used to be a school theatre set and it was already painted black. Turns out it's not that bad actually for the hive and more than one long time beekeeper noted they do better than their other colored ones. Well, it is what it is and if they can make a hive in a old tire I think they'll be fine. Besides, I think they'll get morning sun to warm up and afternoon shade to stay cool along with a breeze off of the lake. Well, I guess we'll see!!!

Now, remember that blueberry mead I made? Oh yea, it'll bee back soon!

Stone Carving- The Granite Fieldstone Mortar & Pestle

This was my third finished mortar and pestle/ stone bowl. I've come up with a different way to create a "lathe" with the grinder. I am going to put to pipes on bearings mounted on the block of wood you see in the video. The friction from the grinding wheel will spin the piece like a cylinder and leave my hands free from touching the small piece of stone. I plan to do another larger one for the WellHaus pump basin that will also have a drain bored through it out to the greywater system in the future GreenHaus.





 

Jason Michael Kotarski
Jason Kotarski

Magnetic Sewing Pin Holder

Got a little crafty for Valentines Day, yes I consider it a made up holiday but still, I thought she would appreciate something useful. I usually get potted perennials that we can put outside but as we have flower bulbs still in their package on the porch from September I'll forego the tradition!



Things I would have done differently,



A wider piece of metal. I don't write in cursive except in french and realized quickly that the piece of flat stock was very narrow. Also, I didn't even try to practice first and I haven't busted out the welder in awhile.  Also, I need to put gas on it, the flux core is so spitty. And that role was very old, thank goodness it ran out early, the new roll was far smoother. Check out the video and subscribe, comment, or suggest!!!

I'm calling Winter Over

I set out this past winter to be more active with writing. Nope, I really don't get that many views so I tried to keep up with making videos of past projects and use the dreary winter weather as an excuse to be inside editing all the video I shot while the weather is good. I figure that's when people will be trying to waste some of the dark days hours anyway.

Well, I'm calling it. I'm going to say that spring has sprung. I'm going to go back and recap on some of the projects I was able to accomplish and see if I can get this blog back on track, views or no views damn it. I don't do much writing these days so I have to keep up my typing skills somehow!

I have a good backlog of photographs to go through and I should put them to use. Since launching Spatial Recognition last year most of my time has been directed to getting that off the ground. We are attempting to focus on Historic, Natural and Cultural Resources in an area that is more about demolition and Mondrianesque painted vertical shipping container looking buildings.

So, sticking with the post and a notion to be succinct I'll turn my attention to the excitement in the landscape. The Ivy War continues and there will be another chapter coming soon but it has led to a more ambitious plan of permaculture. We intend to create a Master Plan (which I will outline later) that provides us and the animals some of our daily requirements. One of these initiatives is what I call indicators, indicators are plants that are typically consistent in their cycle. I plant them, or they plant themselves, in areas where I need certain functions. First, color! I need to see something that is not white, grey, or brown. While the evergreens are helpful I want some pink, red, purple, yellow, you know a bright garden billboard that says IT'S SPRING.

Flowering Quince- The humming birds are already VERY happy to see this starting to bloom. Although this is not the giant sweet quince fruit producing variety, we do get small tart quince that are loaded with pectin that go wonderfully with rhubarb and blackberry the the wife makes in to a jam. Keep these trimmed up and it'll flower almost all summer.

Hyacinth!!! One of my favs. What more is there to say? Both of these are perfect wake up calls to get your beans and greens started. They are also extremely important for the first food source for early bees. This is vital in the event the fruit trees blossom early as you want to keep the bees around. A couple of these planted strategically near the fruits and veggies will boost your yield.