Puzzles: Online Jigsaw Puzzles

Looks like a good site for the kids (spatial awareness), and fun for adults too.

Ties: Matrix Reloaded Knot

After considering which knot to teach my son, I found this Matrix knot. Found on Lifehacker.

Also take a look at the ukulele blues chords in this video.

And a tie wearing quote of the day. Happy Monday

Good taste is the worst vice ever invented. Edith Sitwell

Games: Kinetic Sketch

This fun game combines drawing and physics. Many different options to explore.

Music: Michael Jackson Cover Story

Who didn't practice the iconic moon walk in socks on the linoleum kitchen floor? We'll have to introduce the move to Isaac with a remembrance dance this evening. A great tribute from Coverville.

Tie: How to Tie a Tie

Honestly, I haven't found a reason to wear a tie in several years. Saying that, it's probably a good skill to teach to the young ones. This article shows several knots to attempt.



Whatever did we do before YouTube and the internet?

Science Fair: Business Card Circuit

Cool circuit on a business card, here's the PDF instructions. I'm pretty sure we have all the parts in an old kit.

NASA: Lunar Orbiter Reaches Moon

NASA's LRO reached the moon Tuesday morning with a 40 minute main thruster brake. We questioned why its so important to use this mission when the previous Apollo missions did not require it?

This article indicates that "the Apollo program accepted risk and was able to have safe landings. We want to return to the moon, make repeated landings in some areas and be able to go there with a higher degree of safety." Over the next year, the LRO will essentially create a new global atlas of the lunar surface.

Projects: Tie Dye and Juggling

In addition to multiplication tables and learning to type this summer, I thought some tie dye and juggling might be fun. I could use some new tie dye shirts, plus it seems to be a good chemistry experiment.

Music: Great Live Music From NPR

This podcast has some of the best live music, recorded in an office for NPR's All Songs Considered.

Space: Lunar Reconnaissance Oriter Launchb

NASA launched the Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter (LRO) and the Lunar CRater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) last night at 4:32 CST. The instruments are scheduled to reach the moon on Tuesday.

The LRO will go into orbit around the moon looking for potential landing sites for astronauts. On the other hand, the LCROSS will collide with the lunar surface in an effort to find evidence of water at the moon's poles.

Iran Protests: CNN's Iran 101

This article does a good job explaining some of the background to the current protests in Iran, and some of their recent history.

Very interesting is the comment regarding the similarity of the candidate Mir Hossein Moussavi to the current president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. Both are considered "hard liners". Of Moussavi, CCN says,

Though the 67-year-old former prime minister is credited for successfully navigating the Iranian economy as prime minister during the Iran-Iraq war, he also was a hard-liner whom the Economist described as a "firm radical."

He, like most Iranians in power, does not believe in the existence of Israel. He defended the taking of the American hostages in 1979. He was part of a regime that regularly executed dissidents. And as late as April, he opposed suspending the country's nuclear-enrichment program but said it would not be diverted to weapons use.

Rap: Large Hadron Collider

A YouTube rap about particle physics.

Excellent!

Science Fair: Digital Music Programming

The application Pd (Pure Data) looks like a visual programming environment for digital music. This might be an interesting test application for our new Ubuntu system, they even have a specific Ubuntu version. Here is a online instruction manual.

Looks like a great exercise to combine programming (variables, loops, events, and mathematical operations) and musical (pitch, frequency, volume) concepts.

Music: Coverville Does A capella

If you haven't tried Coverville, you should give it a listen. However, my favorite shows are the a capella versions.

Also trying a new MP3 player which isn't pink (not that pink is bad). This one is a replica of the Google Reader MP3 player.

Quote: Being With Those We Love

Found this quote, which reminds me how thankful we are to have our family close. This is a love village.

I have learned that to be with those I like is enough. Walt Whitman

Pictures: Green Hair (and Ham)

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Given certain hair cutting restrictions, we've decided to experiment with our fashion. I still think Leo wears it the best.

Garden: Raised Garden Week 3

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.
Celebrating the 3rd week of our raised garden with new fruit. We're having great fun with the project, and realize the need for some tomato cages.

Variables: Rain to Sunshine

Interesting quote which illustrates the use of variables in natural language.

You can change the name of 'rain' to 'sunshine', but you still in an umbrella to go out in it. Dave Winer

Philosophy: Existentialism

This episode of Engines of Our Ingenuity discusses existentialism as a metaphor. I thought someone might use this as a lesson one day.

Also checkout the cool new embedded MP3 player.

Quote of the Day: War Is Not It's Own End

Quote of the day for those that study these things, and it really concerns us all doesn't it.

War is not its own end, except in some catastrophic slide into absolute damnation. It's peace that's wanted. Some better peace than the one you started with. Lois McMaster Bujold "The Vor Game" 1990

DIY: Hand Lights

Looks like an interesting and easier project.

Photo Editing: FotoFlexer

Isaac was looking for an online photo editor to play around with. Wondering if this one will work. Here's a quick example.

Quote: Relationship Quote of the Day

Found these two quotes today which seem to go well together. My interpretation is discovering the perfect relationship doesn't seem to be about finding someone just like yourself, but someone who complements you. Also once you find your perfect mate, how to have the inevitable disagreement positively and argue like philosophers not like combatants.

There is nowhere you can go and only be with people who are like you. Give it up. Bernice Johnson Reagon

All married couples should learn the art of battle as they should learn the art of making love. Good battle is objective and honest - never vicious or cruel. Good battle is healthy and constructive, and brings to a marriage the principle of equal partnership. Ann Landers

Fitness: Stop Doing Sit-Ups

This article from Newsweek suggests to stop doing sit-ups or crunches and begin doing more push-ups instead. They say that push-ups work the abdominal and back muscles in the neutral position they were designed for. Here's a push-up set program to get to 100 consecutive push-ups within 6 weeks of training.

Art: Tibetan Dancing Water Bowl

Noticed this article in Wired magazine about the Dancing Water Bowls. It reminded me also about the singing bowls. An initial search shows most cost upwards of $100. We'll have to sic the treasure hunter on it.

Remarkable YouTube video with a singing bowl.

Birthday: Happy Birthday Faith

Looking for the perfect post for Faith's birthday turned out to be easy when we noticed the History of the Coiffure in the 18th Century. A coiffure is simply a hair style; however, in the 18th Century the coiffures took an entire day to style. Who wants to be that kind of princess?

Happy Birthday Faith!

Quote: Life's Challenges

"Life's challenges are not supposed to paralyze you, they're supposed to help you discover who you are" Bernice Johnson Reagon

I will try to let myself be open-minded enough to discover who I am. That seems like a worthy challenge indeed.

Garden: Our New Raised Vegetable Garden

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

We completed work on our new raised vegetable garden this weekend, taking our first step toward self-sustainability. There are five varieties of tomatoes and a spicy pepper plant. Isaac also planted a separate watermelon and cantelope garden for container testing. We had a fantastic time constructing and planting and getting our hands dirty.

We hope to have pictures as the garden develops over the summer, and truly homemade salsa by August.

Taekwondo: New Black Belt

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Isaac successfully completed a very stressful and comprehensive, 3 hour black belt exam for Taekwondo on Saturday. After years practicing and training, he also received the highest score of the exam, despite being the youngest participant.

The prescribed initiation after was a traditional Korean meal with the Masters of the school, who judged the exam, complete with raw squid and Kimchi. To make Christian proud, Isaac asked for seconds of the spicy squid with a smile on his face.

We thank our family and friends for their enormous efforts to assist in helping Isaac achieve this goal. Isaac you did an awesome job, and your family is very proud of your accomplishment.

Also thanks to Dad again for forwarding better "inside the gym pictures," hoping for a new camera for summer.