https://drew.polstra.com/portfolio daily 0.75 2023-02-03 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569462340289-ZV8M02AN4UVI3GSEK0ZA/background.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569463967573-3ULQAPWN3Z1VIAXZSEG0/StarQuest.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569543267861-ESQ648KTCT8M8NCK7XHH/google-foobar.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569544101827-YXCXU5YM22VX1Z00MTZX/boyscouts.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569544209708-QCFODBNOVJEEUCLK5WIQ/orgt.JPG Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569698699309-6KQ1LVTK6BCPAGO2EVOC/vs2_flipboard_header_014.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569698778419-ELEUKNBZ20V55PWAK2FH/ailogo.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569698837037-0WADFRLXPBTXGROB3QVT/Norfolk_Southern_Follow_Up_1.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569717133060-2Q3B3VS92XA99A1ZO0QU/burhanazeem.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1574996987175-MU6S3M1VC6I92AB8TJRD/amigobot.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575826996010-DFE4BX2SNWCLYIAVRY3Z/Social_Media_Benefits.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1593895075381-M8TW5IOYWI3ADH5PJQFH/Capture6.PNG Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1595295870435-CTJPJHT9IQXLFNKQJBS5/motorModel.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1598973480777-IVUFPVHJVOBSULNSO6NC/image2020-8-17_15-5-57.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1595295471558-2GMGLK7PEXBHB0CGB27T/vs2.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience The Viasat-2 satellite. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569714019352-GAFR6QOLTJ943WVL3PXA/ailogo_transparent.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569719242532-6Y4T7FNGJY2TUMVOECO9/dibujaron.png Employment, Projects, and Experience The identity under which I built SQ. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569463539958-8RDXMYFT74W7BZZQHL83/google-foobar.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience This is not my screenshot, but this is what the invitation to the game looked like. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569463515900-B03425V6Q7D7GN5BC8BO/googleinvite.png Employment, Projects, and Experience I kept no notes from this challenge and the online portal for it has reset, so the only proof I can offer is this email that I received after completing level 3. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569463728928-890W9DN43VQFOYL28NVO/motorModel_crop.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569463749335-AVTKMLUDDFXXATE19IOW/IMG_20181204_102532.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1574997574691-I529RJIHIF21UG0SQI83/image-asset.jpeg Employment, Projects, and Experience ORGT Caving Valhalla camping trip, 2017 I think. This is Adrian Dole and myself rappelling into the cave. Photo Credit: Riannon Colton or Holly Nichols or Katie Tokos. Valhalla Cave is somewhere in eastern Tennessee. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1574997521350-A14O7NC9606NSN23BPNO/image-asset.jpeg Employment, Projects, and Experience Taken by my friend Jake Lieber. I hope to someday be as passionate about anything as Jake Lieber is about caving and cave photography. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1611260933536-RPC9AQOUM8YAV5QYQ0Y4/boyscouts.png Employment, Projects, and Experience This is the fence that I built as my Eagle project. The fence is still in use today, though I think they spray-painted over my nice Christmas colors. It’s a shame, because that painting was by far the most difficult part. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1611260142006-LPGXW74TW1RFRQGEGQWW/amigobot.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience This is the best picture I could find of one of the agigo-bots. The FPGA is what you see attached to the top; barely visible on the front are four of the ultrasonic sensors. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1569717248491-977MLCHOLNK3I0LX8WT9/burhancanvassers.png Employment, Projects, and Experience Some of our canvassers posing for a picture. Burhan Azeem, center; Daniel Curtis, campaign manager, center-right. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1573322548503-Y0WRDUB4Y3JRIUQ1H5Y5/Davimap.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience The blue regions were our largest base of support by far; the region labeled 15.1% had nearly 70% of voters pick Burhan as their #1. Our supporters were almost entirely students who really didn’t realize that they get a say in how things are run, until we told them. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575825176517-N52I3G6FVDVSHQTNNS46/image-asset.png Employment, Projects, and Experience Bear the dog is adorable and perfect… in this photo. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575825603220-BUSB980MTFOWV9530B9A/image-asset.png Employment, Projects, and Experience Click to expand. Left chart: pay attention to the wide spread for Snapchat and Instagram; they’re wildly popular among young people but almost unused by older generations. Right chart: Instagram was the fastest growing social network between 2016 and 2018. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575826819253-V21N8YW8299I4P0OCMZO/image.jpg Employment, Projects, and Experience What sort of positives and negatives people tend to feel from various social media platforms. The original study includes two more; Youtube was the only one with an overall positive score, and Instagram was the most negative. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575825847800-7WA7JRMEXZ4P4ZBGMQCR/image-asset.png Employment, Projects, and Experience High usage of several social media platforms seems to be correlated with unhappiness. Instagram users are the most likely to also use many other social media platforms. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575826096626-O7Q3JEHIJHJY4AQNZKPJ/image-asset.png Employment, Projects, and Experience The friendship and happiness paradoxes. Sorry for the quality, this is a great illustration but I can’t find a bigger version. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575826406819-7L7VTZO9FHT8PJXDGQRP/image-asset.png Employment, Projects, and Experience Instagram is making somebody happy… it’s just not you. It’s their shareholders. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1611260018581-LPLZ47LJ2YXQX0BNAK2O/distanthorizon_ingame.PNG Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1611260043028-I9SR6UTH40LSNAWDR0B5/dhlogo.PNG Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1611260086413-1B4V4WXQ20UZCL4B55OS/distanthorizon_market.PNG Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1593894540105-COWGVBB22QH7NPEFGGPH/Capture3.PNG Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1593894469758-5LSI0HQOQGU9F8DE5ALH/Capture2.PNG Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1593894582895-OD8UJBRSUV87P2ZCQS2W/catalog_phe.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1593894582897-4S8V8G0X69IXWM3PN1TS/catalog_rijay.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1593894583248-RJ55G6DSF2JNLOM3YPKK/SlimAndPointy.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1593894654963-5E2OPI5TJQUIK7G3KV1D/Capture4.PNG Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1593895240598-T6GTI49C1MWVILW7A258/Capture7.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1598972785919-CZI8L7IHM99O97G3DFOV/image2020-8-17_15-5-57.png Employment, Projects, and Experience https://drew.polstra.com/fun daily 0.75 2023-12-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1570385257758-BUSBUTGS44C4521ZXLZC/OpenTTD.png Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575221866094-7ENFPB0T7V8LPYIKADSE/links.jpg Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575222194067-3O3ASOXRDY1HKZ845UZL/IMG_20181126_155440.jpg Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575740294072-9SH29LF84EVOM6T0DKCH/background.png Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577678498924-JG5PQXTR24OSK54LDVG2/MO31mz8.jpg Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577678541534-Z5STATXSUH1Y73OKKAG7/Sabaka_small.png Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577922644781-L42OBN8E52229Y96VHMP/dibujaron.png Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1594757335305-BV6BNBKBYN64GI73Y0SO/Capture.PNG Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1595293700271-KMF1X3NF0RN85XZPQPHX/SAAM-1935.13.286_1.jpg Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1660874557980-FLL84HGU6TK5L8O3UZL3/2022-08-18_20.12.39.png Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1664658029488-D1VUP38771I3L083H7AP/snowfall_over_cathedral_small.png Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575221749709-8RM66FL83ZXLAIG21467/books.png Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1703625863180-Q0C6WPANA0FR1LJO0YPL/2023-12-26_11.15.13.png Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1574527880434-SEMH7DFJ3I7409JHHKLD/image-asset.png Fun The city of Tigard about 3/4 of the way through my best game so far of Tigard Transcontinental. I eventually replaced the Tigard Yard <-> Tigard Port line with river barges, but most of everything else remained the same. The limiting factor on this map turned out to be that I didn’t have space to add more tracks at Tigard station. If I had to do this again, I know several ways that I’d do it better. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575222243155-7RPSPHXC729QJ8NXZTQ0/image-asset.jpeg Fun This is the inside of Room 12, where I lived in my fraternity house. It had a good vibe to it. Surprisingly, this was one of the cleaner rooms in the place. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577676279283-6D2PQJPHBV6YNB2OX27U/MO31mz8.jpg Fun A barque rig. For a period of time the server texture pack included wooden frames around the wool. I begged the admin for months to get this changed because it messed with my sails. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577676284121-WYRFJ20UDYFDXTMF2GZT/z5sGCFc.jpg Fun A Schooner rig. This one was built late enough that I didn’t mock it up first, I just built it in survival. I was especially proud of the sails on this one. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577676444228-TJFXW4XWHP5GWPT4439A/CVB88S2.jpg Fun A rowed galley. Built in creative mode as decoration for the new undead race’s city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577676324514-RMFGDCVVAHVNMAH61MOU/xlnzlO8.png Fun A brig. Early design. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577676326024-WX1F71SRB8A4Z61N609I/VVhgAOs.jpg Fun A brigantine designed for the undead city. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577676329902-XAUK6HS3PK422X9GZ73H/r7wF1Ln.jpg Fun The royal galleon of Farrain. This one took forever, and lagged the entire server when it moved. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577676335873-J9GVJC6Y5BCI6XSXYR27/5Nzg0pU.jpg Fun A ketch rig. In retrospect, the main sails should be billowing out more towards the camera. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577677782437-KWUYP9S4BM4EMJBZDVZA/Kattadi_smallpng.png Fun Kattadi was a southwestern twist on the desert planet theme that had previously been explored on Quavara, Grun, etc. The southern region featured mesas and canyons, and the eastern region resembled the valleys of California. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577677901914-M4DKWXDNIC3R2SBGXZ9Q/Canora_small.png Fun Canora was SQ4’s plains planet. It was very cratered, and featured some high mountains and forests around the edges. Multi-biome planets were new in general for SQ4, but I remember that it was difficult to come up with 2-3 biomes for each planet. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577677760494-H6DX2H21WFPUPH2RWRPE/Arenstad_small.png Fun Arenstad was the best-made planet of SQ4 and the most popular. It was inspired by the alps and Scotland. I learned a new mountain-building technique between SQ3 and SQ4 and I applied it liberally here. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577677785614-TNRLXRWB3XT4HTTVNPZY/xylos_small.png Fun Xylos, a volcanic planet from SQ3 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577677793724-XUQI06DG3BF2VA4IQZ32/grallion2_small.png Fun Grallion was a planet that featured very high oceanic cliffs with an alien climate. Based on Acualis, an SQ2 planet designed by Moneybags which I very much disliked for being unrealistic, but which was very popular with the playerbase. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577677891910-00LA4HHRJGSQMTB1QLX5/Izifo_small.png Fun Izifo was an SQ4 planet with a diseased theme. It had a sort of fungus spreading across its forest from east to west. It was unsettling to live on and players didn’t like it much. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1577677881542-LKUXR6TDPZLB44XOPQI1/Sabaka_small.png Fun Sabaka was SQ4’s jungle planet. It had cool high cliffs on the eroded coastlines in the west, and some realistic river action in the east. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1594424393821-IS19WL73IMGOLSRR5KB0/Capture1.PNG Fun The heart of downtown Waiheke is a large urban park known as “The Hub”. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1594424421082-C4WAH9DN1IO9WOPL6N7N/Capture7.PNG Fun Waiheke Island has a secondary urban center in an isolated valley called Back Bowl. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1594424310922-0R0SJTBIV0UL4BL74QOZ/Capture.PNG Fun The main island from the southeast. Anderson International Airport is barely visible on the right. The Hub and Waiheke Beach are near center frame. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1594424467087-6CT7L5CSPK9C7YOLF39D/Capture2.PNG Fun Waiheke Institute of Techology sits on a high hilltop above The Hub. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1594424509633-1H0KR18QO8NBAF4QUO2A/Capture3.PNG Fun Many professors live in Point Winnians, a cozy commuter town on the north shore. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1594424552786-Y624NXOY2HOC7JF241OP/Capture4.PNG Fun Waiheke’s uptown district sits on Sunset Hill to the north of The Hub. Sunset Hill has the island’s highest population density, and many apartments feature panoramic views of both coasts as well as the city center. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1594424578452-9LBUCYXU18O520I617RT/Capture12.PNG Fun A panoramic view of the island from the northeast. Back Bowl is in the foreground. The Hub is at upper left, and the secluded Armok Valley stretches across the frame from left to right behind the island’s main dividing ridgeline. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1595293730433-5V30W5JRT5RXIKUOYQ27/image-asset.jpeg Fun https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/57db4982-cf58-49c6-87aa-2888b41aa345/20220427_212808.jpg Fun This is the best piece I’ve made so far (2022). I got lucky with my colors and ended up with the “blush” effect that makes the curves appear blue on their curving edge but green in their body. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/3a9c3d17-162b-49ac-bda7-e87ce336c1c7/7509881363533839355.jpg Fun This is the current state of the boards. The left one the only one I consider “complete”. The rightmost is almost good but not there yet. The middle one has a great pattern but needs serious help with color. Todo: retake photos with better lighting https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/e615cdb9-692a-40fb-8265-b85ba5a49d20/2022-07-12_23.11.37.png Fun The first permanent building to be constructed was the “Hub”, an auto-sorting storage room and workshop. Items placed in the central chest would be distributed automatically amongst eight containers. The room also contained various Create crafting machines such as a mechanical press, mixer, and grindstone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/fadcd937-da46-4534-b610-c4741ddb0376/2022-08-18_20.16.26.png Fun The automatic mineshaft elevator, shown ascending, moments away from arriving at the surface. A radio system allowed summoning the elevator from the top or bottom of the shaft, and a light system indicated whether it was currently ascending or descending. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/a3623e3c-a52b-4d82-88f4-4585006ba21e/2022-08-18_20.11.51.png Fun An overview of the middle of the village, with the Hub in the center. The auto-sorting machinery is on the roof. Also pictured are the iron press, gravel crusher, gold refinery, central power plant, charcoal burner, and precision mechanism factory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/e97396ef-8c20-4257-bd07-5da347fd4072/2022-08-18_20.12.39.png Fun The upper-level interior of the precision mechanism factory. A cart station behind the camera supplies iron, logs, alloys, and gold from the town’s other factories. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1feff40d-4788-475e-bea3-4025556e41b9/2022-08-18_20.15.57.png Fun This reinforced train, conducted by a well-trained dog, travels automatically to the nether whenever its onboard lava tank is emptied. There it descends a steep track to the shores of the infinite lava sea, where a system of automatic pumps fill it. Back on the surface, the lava is piped out and used in the production of andesite alloy, obsidian, and sturdy sheets. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/ca65455c-0729-41db-a234-4b389b3b33c8/2022-08-18_20.17.14.png Fun A system of carts, routed over and around the buildings, shuttle raw materials and finished products between far-flung factories and farms. The gold cart is seen here reversing on the switchback on its way from the gold load to the precision mechanism factory. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/d30a1e79-2160-4858-8130-8e4994e473aa/2022-08-18_20.15.28.png Fun - Make it stand out The andesite alloy factory (center) has two cart loading stations, one for alloy and one for raw iron. Barely visible is one of the loyal dogs that drives the carts. On the left is the track factory, part of the larger iron-products complex. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/cc27b5d6-393b-42f7-a84f-a1c445ba8bf7/2022-08-18_20.12.16.png Fun This view looks north across the island’s rural north. To the left is the tree farm. The logs produced here are used to make charcoal for the power plant, and also to make planks for various factories. In the center is the primitive mainline railway station. The mainline railway runs to three other bases in the larger world, some thousands of blocks away. Diblandica’s fully automatic track factory produced the rails for much of the network. Grand plans were proposed for fully automatic freight trains, but interest waned before construction was completed. Across the mainline is the general auto-farm, which produced a few different harvested commodities. A cart-network route runs under the mainline to a station where harvested products are loaded. Charcoal is also delivered here to power the harvester-cart (pictured semi-submerged in the kelp pool). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/a79e58db-f49d-4d85-ab54-a977f3bff682/2022-08-18_20.14.24.png Fun - Make it stand out The gold refinery is perhaps the base’s most complicated factory. Before arriving here, gravel is produced ex nihilo by crushing cobblestone, which comes from a standard stone generator. This high-speed gravel factory also feeds the iron production system. At the gold refinery, the gravel is crushed into sand, washed into clay, pressed into clay blocks, blasted into terracotta, ground again into red sand, washed again into gold nuggets, and finally pressed into ingots. Each step is quite lossy, so despite processing several stacks of gravel a minute, it takes several hours of continuous operation to produce a stack of gold ingots. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/f7b92ae9-4e88-4d6a-a6e8-a3e463c1b193/2023-12-26_11.03.08.png Fun The oldest remaining structure on the island is the workshop. It has an 8-bay automatic sorting system, as well as automatic grinding, smelting, composting, and mixing. So if you throw a piece of ore into the sorting system, it first gets sorted to the grinder, and then the grinder’s output gets re-sorted again, this time falling into the smelter. When smelting is complete, the output falls into the sorter again and falls into the ingots chest. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/fc02400a-8a92-4bc2-81ab-f379a199c86f/2023-12-26_11.05.17.png Fun Cobblestone is an important precursor to many Create processes, but in the past I’ve had trouble with the cobble farms spewing items. This iteration, I relied on a shuttling drill design, which never spawns items into the world. The two stone-brick buildings are both cobblestone farms. Each can operate at two speeds, and they coordinate to scale their output based on current demand. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/cdf459cf-c4e4-4ab5-80cf-066c68534759/2023-12-26_11.04.54.png Fun The island’s powerplant; an enormous self-stoked boiler. A gantry mechanism shifts the stoker to tend all nine burners. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/7fb244cd-b5ab-4d0d-a5fb-21bd2279f8e5/2023-12-26_11.04.38.png Fun The powerplant exterior. Charcoal is delivered by train every two minutes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/5f759180-040a-4ceb-8573-b1dd9b632575/2023-12-26_11.10.03.png Fun The exterior of the gravel mill. Finished gravel moves up the chute and out. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/34d21e12-ba99-44b6-9141-9b447524b03f/2023-12-26_11.11.57.png Fun The main tree farm was originally located across from the gravel mill, but as that location became the center of town, it was relocated across the river. The new farm is twice as large and features a scaling demand system; fewer saplings are planted if demand is lower. Here the farm is operating slightly below full capacity; all but 12 sapling slots are enabled. In the past, my tree farms were cart-based, but I found those unreliable. This one is based on the combination of a gantry and a rotating arm. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/f74042e1-52f4-4e54-b1a0-704045e2e7b2/2023-12-26_11.10.19.png Fun The Gravel Mill mechanism was quite obsolete by late game, but I liked watching it, so I kept it. The chests and chutes rotated around the central post in 90 degree increments, loading and unloading the constantly-running ring of millstones. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/5ab7ad58-7f53-43d1-a0c7-fd89fc33fd96/2023-12-26_11.13.29.png Fun - Make it stand out An elaborate factory produced Redstone with only Netherrack as an input; it had a blaze spawner and nether wart farm built-in. A system of bridges connected across the main river. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/2e7278c6-c76c-4d92-8f9c-c938cf64c9ea/2023-12-26_11.09.34.png Fun - Make it stand out This building produced railroad tracks and stone. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/9d20a791-5161-497f-92b6-478d0873199c/2023-12-26_11.08.23.png Fun - Make it stand out Three elaborate late-game factories produced advanced goods with robotic arms. This one, the first, produced nether quartz and gold from gravel. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/44c53d36-6446-4bbc-9b5e-7838dba212c8/2023-12-26_11.15.15.png Fun - Make it stand out An overall shot of the east side of the base from the top of the upper cobblestone factory. Further expansion would be towards the left side of the screenshot; the incomplete tracks there are to service it. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/36428c16-4d08-4197-bd9d-f3badb72ae04/2023-12-26_11.15.13.png Fun - Make it stand out Overall shot of the west side of the base, including the precision mechanism and sturdy sheet factories in the background. https://drew.polstra.com/courtship daily 0.75 2026-01-19 https://drew.polstra.com/courtship/progress-incognito monthly 0.5 2026-01-19 https://drew.polstra.com/courtship/twists-and-turns monthly 0.5 2026-01-19 https://drew.polstra.com/courtship/potemkin-party monthly 0.5 2026-01-19 https://drew.polstra.com/courtship/clear-eyes monthly 0.5 2024-12-29 https://drew.polstra.com/courtship/best-at-my-worst monthly 0.5 2024-12-29 https://drew.polstra.com/courtship/the-mandy-incident monthly 0.5 2024-05-26 https://drew.polstra.com/courtship/first-meetings monthly 0.5 2024-04-07 https://drew.polstra.com/home daily 1.0 2022-11-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1565826711279-BJGY33GSGTSJCNDKCHXD/background_crop.png <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">drew.polstra.Com</p> https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1611250718201-XKJZE3N314PZ6IH2T2BR/PXL_20210108_015816135_2.jpg <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">drew.polstra.Com</p> Tesselation 8 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/0cb30503-1ad7-427e-bfb3-614112aa40fd/sq_background.png <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">drew.polstra.Com</p> - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1612580996315-REFPMRYFLW3GNJSESDA8/Capture.PNG <p class="" style="white-space:pre-wrap;">drew.polstra.Com</p> https://drew.polstra.com/contact daily 0.75 2021-07-02 https://drew.polstra.com/quotes-ai-generated daily 0.75 2023-01-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575221749709-8RM66FL83ZXLAIG21467/books.png Quotes https://drew.polstra.com/404 daily 0.75 2022-02-26 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1575741351092-U6EZU2K86UVLARX1R7QI/image-asset.png 404 https://drew.polstra.com/short-stories daily 0.75 2022-11-26 https://drew.polstra.com/tesselations daily 0.75 2022-10-01 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1612384925567-OIRT9U8V6LMDRNEETRUD/tesselation_8.jpg Chalk Art https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/97ce1a10-fed7-451c-9614-21a0af3e6083/Tesselation_19_cropped_small.png Chalk Art - Make it stand out Tesselation 19: “Heat”. This is my first effort after a year-long hiatus. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1614444058647-2PMQ7F2W4W15UTY8JL2A/snowfall_over_cathedral_small.png Chalk Art Tesselation 16: “Snowfall over the Cathedral” https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1612384974917-5C4OTVYY1LPNZO1X8SOX/tesselation_8.jpg Chalk Art Rotated and cropped version of Tesselation 8. This one remained my favorite even after several additional iterations. It’s so lively. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1610237010207-P1BEZSH0GKIBSKORC6C4/PXL_20210108_015816135_2.jpg Chalk Art Tesselation 8: By this point I had a much steadier hand, and got better at ‘healing’ areas that were redone or damaged, so the whole work is much more consistent. I also got better at planning ahead to link several spirals together into larger themes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1610237476418-FRQY68XQ0WJGY3250G7O/PXL_20201213_023440836.jpg Chalk Art Tesselation 5: This was the first experiment with lines intentionally not straight, and also with 6-sided swirls. My favorite part of this one is the large, parallel vertical twists that come out of the hexagonal swirl in the bottom right. It was meant to be a very abstract landscape but I don’t think that really came through. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/464099eb-ba15-4965-8dd8-ec78491a4def/20220614_225622.jpg Chalk Art - Make it stand out Tesselation 19: “Heat” on the wall in my apartment at The Wyeth. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1619479149611-390WLBX9EKA3V943U82R/springtime_small.jpg Chalk Art Tesselation 17. Inspired by snowfall and the transition to springtime. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1614443763103-DPAB3L4E988BBFV46TO9/PXL_20210227_042640120.jpg Chalk Art Tesselation 16, “Snowfall over the Cathedral” just after completion. Usually these get erased after a day or two because we use the whiteboard for other things. This one is inspired by the view from my front window during a very windy snowstorm. The snow allowed me to see the roller-coaster twists of the wind in the eddies caused by the large catholic church across the street, and I found that very beautiful. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1612580585359-GC463B1CTKSGL5K2OFBV/tesselation_14_enhanced.jpg Chalk Art Tesselation 14. Exploring warmth at one end and coolness at the other. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1612580779555-72152BS9SX4B87C6Q0J1/tesselation_8_framed.jpg Chalk Art Tesselation 14 on the wall. My technical skill had improved by this point, but this one came out very cold. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/1610237084926-B3QKHD6T6IW9AFD2CK2Z/IMG_4533.jpg Chalk Art Tesselation 3: By this point, I understood most of the rules, but my technique was still sloppy. I also explored tracing back over the edges of the curves in this one, but I ultimately dropped this technique. This image was rotated and retouched by Robert. https://drew.polstra.com/landing daily 0.75 2021-02-27 https://drew.polstra.com/frog_picture daily 0.75 2022-09-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/d7c1b67f-38b3-4599-802b-8443e4876624/frog.png frog_picture - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://drew.polstra.com/the-loudest-alarm daily 0.75 2022-09-29 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5d3c7cb83781cd0001256ce2/ae7a3ec7-3df0-4920-b272-d262bb0346ea/PXL_20210225_044311037.jpg The Loudest Alarm - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://drew.polstra.com/short-writings daily 0.75 2023-02-10 https://drew.polstra.com/memes daily 0.75 2023-02-03 https://drew.polstra.com/guns-of-icarus daily 0.75 2023-02-03 https://drew.polstra.com/resume daily 0.75 2025-08-23