Quotes: Obstacle Illusions

Happy Friday! A quote of the day, complete with a play on words.

Life is full of obstacle illusions. Grant Frazier

Grammar: Which versus That

After a meeting with Isaac's teachers several weeks ago, I realized that I might need a grammar refresher in the next few years.

While I'm totally cool with nouns, verbs, and adjectives; with "restrictive elements" and "relative pronouns", I need some help (My elementary school teachers would be so embarrassed right now). It turns out that there is a great podcast addressing this very issue, Grammar Girl.

Here's her take on "Which versus That."

Programming: SQL Injection Attacks

For all of the concerned security experts out there, a lesson on SQL Injection Attacks. To all the hackers, just say no. Looks like this might be a SilverLight application, and it may ask you to download.

Celebration: Dia De Los Muertos

Beginning Sunday is the Dia De Los Muertos celebration.

Cartoon: Wrong Religion

Interesting cartoon from "Non Sequitur," which speaks on many levels.

Reading: Oldest Surviving Complete Musical Composition

The Seikilos epitaph is the oldest known complete musical composition. It was found on a tombstone in Turkey.

Here is the original Greek notation.

This is what it looks like when translated into modern musical notation.


Listen to the tune played in midi.

Science Fair: Generate Your Own Electricity From Rocking

This one would win the science fair if you could pull it off. The rocking chair generates its own electricity to power the lamp. The designer explains the concept this way, "a rocking chair that enables the user to experience production and consumption of electricity."

Must read up on advanced nano-dynamo technology (sounds like a great super power).

Birthday: Happy Birthday Hannah

Happy Birthday Hannah!

Try this Curious George Zoomazing game when your celebrating. You can practice your signs with the different animals.

Peace: Facebook - Peace Through Technology

Great timing after the post yesterday giving "Peace a Chance." Facebook has a new site promoting peace through technology called Peace on Facebook. The site illustrates the connections and friendships made through Facebook between seemingly opposed groups.

War: Give Peace A Chance

Seems to be a flood of stories today about conflict. Let's just meet around the bonfire with our guitars and tambourines and sing all night long.

They disabled the embed code on this, but check out John Lennon's plea.

Music: Roadtrip to Austin

We took a road trip to Austin this weekend to see a backyard concert. We saw the band Vallejo in this lady's backyard in Georgetown. It was incredible listening to an acoustic concert under the moon, with the crickets singing harmony in the background. We also stood around the bonfire, and were forced (no really twist my arm) to take a shot with the lead singer after.

Thank you Mike for the invitation, Gammy and Grandma for entertaining Leo (and breakfast), and Pete and Jenny for the fantastic company (and great stories).

Halloween: Better Method For Cutting A Pumpkin

Much improved design both for fetching the candle as well as de-seeding.

DIY: Marshmallo Blaster

This should make a nice accompnament to our potato cannon. Seems easy enough, and you can add a laser pointer for a guidance system.

Reading: Artificial Intelligence

A little more complex Thursday reading for Isaac. However, a classic computing, as well as science fiction discussion of artificial intelligence. Why the Turing test is not a good criteria for an anthropomorphic standard.

I love the science fiction argument that an intelligent alien would fail the test as well, but that wouldn't make them not intelligent, just non-human.

Music: Scary Halloween Movie Themes

I hear the Exorcist theme and it still creeps me out a bit. This site has seven of the scariest. Of course, John Williams is the man, and you can find Jaws in there as well.

Gardening: Dymaxion Hammock and Wolfram|Alpha

I can't think of much better than a giant dymaxion hammock in my back yard.



Want to figure out what dymaxion means? Today is also "Homework Day" at Wolfram|Alpha. The search engine is built on top of an extremely complex mathematical engine. Today they have discussions and lesson plans for using the search engine for learning.

Comics: My Way Is The Right Way

I guess we all have times when we think we're right, but ...

Music: Let Us Rejoice

Too funny to pass up. The Hava Negeilah Blues from Bob Dylon.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vvnD5psKYnQ&feature=player_embedded

Reading: New Horizons To Pluto

Thursday reading for Isaac. This article discusses NASA's New Horizons project to flyby the planet (well, dwarf planet) Pluto. The spacecraft is traveling at 51,000 miles per hour (New York to L.A. in 3.5 seconds).

Quote Of The Day: Understanding

This quote applies in technology (call it job security), but seems to be at work in government as well.

It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends upon his not understanding it. Upton Sinclair

Weekend: Playing Catch

After a furiously busy beginning to our weekend, we finally got to settle down Sunday to a game of dominoes and some catch. For all the events and schedules we create, I find none of it really beats a spontaneous game of catch.

I'm reading this science fiction book, through RSS subscription, by Cory Doctorow. In this scene, the characters simply play catch.

when it smacked his glove, it felt so right, the sound and the vibration and the fine cloud of dust that rose up from the mitt’s pocket, Christ, it was like a sacrament.

The act of playing seems to illustrate how inappropriate words are sometimes.

Music: Spanish Sponge Bob Singing a Cover Song

Can you figure out what song Sponge Bob is covering? Quiero que me quieras! Love it, I'm going to start saying this to Denise along with the other one she taught me, "Te amo mucho con todo me corazon."

Animation: Online Animation Engine

Create your own online animations. Looks pretty cool.

Reading: Table Top Black Hole

A new installment of Thursday reading material for Isaac. The "First black hole for light created on Earth."

Football: Pearland Football Eagles

Here are some pictures from the team's blog, go check it out. It usually has weekly updates on the games.

Since Isaac is the center he doesn't easily get in many pictures. Look, there's his hand on the ball.



Oh here he is in the team's huddle after the game. It sure is fancy having your name on the back of the jerseys.

Development: Virtual Storefront

I've been asked to keep an eye on these Virtual Storefront applications. This one is built on PayPal's API as a payment mechanism. Looks like it could be easily set-up on FaceBook to sell T-Shirts or supplies.

No reason to develop these shopping cart and storefront applications from scratch anymore.

Space: 50 Years Of Space Exploration

Excellent graphic application from National Geographic demonstrating the various space manned and un-manned missions into our neighboring planets. You can zoom in to read the names and follow the path of the various voyages.

Music: Queens Of The Stone Age Mashup

Cool and easy-going mashup, perfect after a busy three day weekend. Queens of the Stone Age mashed with Johnny Cash guitar.

Games: JS Wars

Interesting game for the kids. Written entirely in JavaScript. Good trick!

Quotes: Friday Quote of the Day

I find the definition of Good and Bad deeds can be skewed by perspective. I would rather say anything worth doing is worth doing with zeal.

Let a good man do good deeds with the same zeal that the evil man does bad ones. The Belzer Rabbi

I think I like this one better.

You say "looks like somebody has too much time on their hands" but all I hear is "I'm sad because I don't know what creativity feels like." Dan Wineman

Space: How Far Away Is The Moon

Denise had a great question this morning while we were watching the Lunar collision with Isaac, "How far away is the moon?" The question invites an interesting study in perspective.

• We know it takes about an hour to get to rugby practice (about 50 miles)
• We know its about 200 miles to Austin from Houston
• The moon, however, is 238,857 miles (depending on where and when you measure)
• Mars on the other hand is 34,646,418 miles

Space: LCROSS Crashing Into the Moon

This page gives several methods for watching the LCROSS collision into the moon on Friday morning. Hopefully, we can watch it with Isaac before heading to school and work.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY LOVER

Just a quick post to the man of my dreams! I want to wish you the happiest of birthdays today. You are such an amazing person. You are a fantastic father, my very best friend, and the most loving husband a wife could ask for. You are my sunshine and my anchor when life seems strange and confusing. Most importantly, you are the glue to holds our family together and keep us on the path of positive adventures. Today our family honors you and the love you so unconditionally and loyally share with us.

Today we celebrate you Amor! Feliz Cumpleanos. I love you forever.

Besos,
Denise

Music: Mechanical Reproduction Of Digitized Speech

Very cool project making a piano speak.

Reading: NASA Discovers New Ring Around Saturn

Using the Spitzer Space Telescope, NASA has discovered a massive ring around Saturn.

Food: Making Kimchi

Here's a kimchi recipe from Granny Choe. On her website, she even gives instructions for kimchi pancakes. Interesting!

Quote: Monday Quote Of The Day

We've always looked suspiciously at children who do not have their share of bumps and bruises, fearing that they are not being as adventurous as they should. Thankfully, when the inevitable bruises come, our family is always there to kiss it and make it fell better.

Thank you to our family this weekend, for healing our worries and bringing a warm smile to our faces. You guys are worth more than all the treasures in the kingdom.

It's a shallow life that doesn't give a person a few scars. Garrison Keillor

Comics: Calvin and Hobbes

Puzzle: Petals Around The Rose

A classic problem solving game. Five dice are thrown. The name of the game, "Petals Around The Rose," is important in the solution. The answer is always zero or a non-negative even number.

Must try this one with the kids. However, once you solve the puzzle, you must be sworn into the club, and promise to never give away the solution.



Answers:
1. 6
2. 6
3. 8
4. 8
5. 2
6. 2
7. 4
8. 12
9. 6
10. 4
11. 6
12. 0

Quote: We Do The Best

Love this image from the Pioneer Woman. It reminds me that we frequently do the very best, I often tell Isaac, "don't be a star today, be a super-star!" However, not matter what, we always "do the best we can."

DIY: A Nation Of Engineers

This morning, Isaac asked Denise, "why do the teachers make us memorize all this stuff, if robots will do it all in the future." She gave the perfect response, "Who's going to build the robots?" (she's good that way).

First a quote from Pablo Picasso, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up." I believe every child is also a maker and an engineer.

This article from Make Magazine discusses the concept of a "Nation of Engineers". In case you think all the good stuff has already been developed, here's a list from the National Academy Of Engineers. Let's go make something.

1. Make solar energy economical
2. Provide energy from fusion
3. Develop carbon sequestration methods
4. Manage the nitrogen cycle
5. Provide access to clean water
6. Restore and improve urban infrastructure
7. Advance health informatics
8. Engineer better medicines
9. Reverse-engineer the brain
10. Prevent nuclear terror
11. Secure cyberspace
12. Enhance virtual reality
13. Advance personalized learning
14. Engineer the tools of scientific discovery

Trees: California Redwood Photograph

Amazing photograph of a California redwood tree in National Geographic. The little red dots are people.