The present invention is a mechanical grasping device for fireplaces, specifically for manipulating and moving burning logs, embers and other hot elements in or near a fireplace. A fill material generally spans the inside within the four walls, and is generally disposed above the top of the inlet and below the bottom of the outlet. In another embodiment, the method includes receiving broadcasts from a plurality of channels, and tuning to the channel on which a broadcast is to be received. The AND gate has a first input receiving the enabling signal, a second input receiving the physical presence signal, and an output coupled to the trusted platform module, wherein the AND gate for a selected compute node asserts physical presence to the trusted platform module of the selected compute node in response to receiving both the enabling signal and the physical presence signal.