Merriam-Webster Word Of the Year Austerity.
I suppose given the current economic cycle the top two words of the year are austerity and pragmatic.
When I consider my own views, I see a paradox. While I value the simple practices of Zen, I also love to celebrate the "mad ones." Perhaps more reflection is called for.
1. austerity
2. pragmatic
3. moratorium
4. socialism
5. bigot
6. doppelganger
7. shellacking
8. ebullient
9. dissident
10. furtive
Since the blog also serves as a personal journal, I wanted to post a few quotes from the book I've been reading, Travels with Charley, In Search of America, by John Steinbeck.
In it, Steinbeck describes his travels through the country in a modified travel trailer and his dog Charley.
...I have always lived violently, drunk hugely, eaten too much or not at all, slept around the clock or missed two nights of sleeping, worked too hard and too long in glory, or slobbed for a time in utter laziness. I've lifted, pulled, chopped, climbed, made love with joy and taken my hangovers as a consequence, not as a punishment. ... My wife married a man; I saw no reason why she should inherit a baby
I remember an old Arab in North Africa, a man whose hands had never felt water. He gave me mint tea in a glass so coated with use that it was opaque, but he handed me companionship, and the tea was wonderful because of it. And without any protection my teeth didn't fall out, nor did running sores develop. I began to formulate a new law describing the relationship of protection to despondency. A sad soul can kill you quicker, far quicker, than a germ.
It occurs to me that, just as the Carthaginians hired mercenaries to do their fighting for them, we Americans bring in mercenaries to do our hard and humble work. I hope we may not be overwhelmed one day by peoples not too proud or too lazy or too soft to bend to the earth and pick up the things we eat.
Three things haunted me about Lonesome Harry. First, I don't think had had any fun; second, I think he was really lonesome, maybe in a chronic state; and third, he didn't do a single thing that couldn't be predicted--didn't break a glass or a mirror, committed no outrages, left no physical evidence of joy.
According to the chart the lunar eclipse will occur Tuesday Morning from 0141 to 0253. Getting the 5-hour energy ready for Tuesday.
Noticed this courtyard during a walk at lunch downtown. The scene is the closest look of fall that I've seen in this city. Even though it was almost 80 degrees yesterday.
Good lesson for beginning ukulele playing from LiveUkulele.com. Here are the words.
Chorus: C//// G//// F// C// G// C//
Verse: C// Am// F// C//
One Love, One Heart
Let's get together and feel all right
Hear the children crying (One Love)
Hear the children crying (One Heart)
Sayin' give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Sayin' let's get together and feel all right
Let them all pass all their dirty remarks (One Love)
There is one question I'd really like to ask (One Heart)
Is there a place for the hopeless sinner
Who has hurt all mankind just to save his own?
Believe me
One Love, One Heart
Let's get together and feel all right
As it was in the beginning (One Love)
So shall it be in the end (One Heart)
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
One more thing
Let's get together to fight this Holy Armageddon (One Love)
So when the Man comes there will be no no doom (One Song)
Have pity on those whose chances grove thinner
There ain't no hiding place from the Father of Creation
Sayin' One Love, One Heart
Let's get together and feel all right
I'm pleading to mankind (One Love)
Oh Lord (One Heart)
Give thanks and praise to the Lord and I will feel all right
Let's get together and feel all right
We're wishing you a very Happy Birthday Christian. You are an awesome cousin.
I haven't attempted this game yet, but see if you can figure out the Color Physics.
Lots of fun with old friends, many of whom I would consider family. Many opportunities to tell lies of our youth, and try not to let the youngsters make us look to bad. I personally failed many times in this pursuit, but had a great time.
Here's a good one, remembering our old friends who couldn't make it to play.
We uploaded a gigantic number of pictures last night. Prepare for an onslaught of fun time and ignore at your own peril.
Here's a fun set when we celebrated Brian's birthday in Houston.
My personal favorite of the birthday boy. PEACE!
Sorry lots of interesting music today.
The Heligoats from NPR Tiny Desk Concert. The stories he tells between the songs are awesome. Would definitely make for a great concert.
John Anealio from GeekDad has Batman's back.
One more. Merry Christmas From Chiron Beta Prime. "...Where we work for our robot overlords."
Networking is not evil. Notice the Twitter hash #WorshipTheBaby.
Leo dutifully woke us this morning, scratching and exploring on his nocturnal rounds, to watch the meteor shower. While we did see a few meteors, I think we may have been a bit early to catch the most significant action (just found out that 5 AM might have been the best time).
We did, however, make some interesting observations in the cold, early morning.
From NPR's Tiny Desk Concert.
The simplicity of this group makes me smile with happiness. I think they usually play other instruments, but this setting is interesting.
Here's their MySpace page.
From EveryDayIsAwesome.
Is it possible to generate compassion and loving kindness for people who’s actions are intentionally harmful toward others? Can you separate the person from the deed and grasp on to whatever goodness is present in order to craft a loving response, despite the vile nature of their actions?
Just in time for Christian's birthday, the 10 weirdest animals of 2010 from National Geographic.
Here's the Yoda bat.
OK one more new one for me. Love it if only for the short kazoo solo towards the end. I can't think of a better time than, "Cooking in the kitchen of love!" besos amor
Take some time to listen to your favorite John Lennon today. This is one of my favorites. Sometimes I get to sing it to Isaac before he lays down to bed. While I can't seem to get through the whole thing without cracking up a bit, he still doesn't seem to mind being referred to as "beautiful boy."
Hallelujah indeed!
Have you ever stood next to an opera singer when they begin to work their craft. It is an awesome experience. Look at the faces of the children. They will expect a similar performance each time they go to the food court.
Heard the Jason Mraz cover on the radio the other day. Sound like a fun one, here are the chords, maybe easier on the uke.
A huge number of concepts here. Presented through doodling challenges makes it more palatable, almost enjoyable.
Happy Holidays! Notice the Galactic Empire logo in the middle.
Pictures my sister posted of Love Hike 2010. Fantastic day at Dulcenia, we even meditated on the Persimmon Trail and took a look at the shrine where we chanted with a mystical teacher.
More later when we retrieve pictures from our SD card.
Roger McGuinn posted this old sailing poem and added a melody for Christmas. I thought it might add a fun family contribution to our family's Christmas celebration.
We might change the key so that Isaac can play a rollicking recorder solo.
Video from Democracy NOW interview with Noam Chomsky. Good commentary, from the man who worked with Howard Zinn to leak the Pentagon Papers; which, opposes the view that WikiLeaks should be considered a foreign terrorist organization.
At one point he says, "one of the main reasons for government secrecy is to protect the government from their own population."
Awesome application vividly demonstrating the scale of our Universe. The ultimate conclusions are deservedly humbling (ie. "you are not the center").
This article in Neatorama considers the possibility that common household cats (especially those with long hair) exhibit Non-Newtonian characteristics of quantum tunneling previously only observed in sub-atomic particles.
Apparently, this tunneling behavior can also be shown in car keys and socks.
These steam-punk models are built using eggs as a base. They look very familiar to a book Isaac just read by Scott Westerfeld, Leviathan.
via Make.
This is the song I learned for my lover to help celebrate our anniversary. This is Ben Taylor singing the Beatles tune "I Will."
Thank you for taking care of us Amor. We're off to see Dulcinea this weekend.
My own finishing line:
"I said I do, you know I will, I love you baby"
I choose to think that randomness may be knowing all of the above.
From a blog I've recently found devoted to scribbles.
Image your at this fantastic festival watching JT sing Steamroller Blues, then on walks Joe Walsh to play his "brush." Go check it out, they have the embed disabled.
Easy blues chords, just working in that F#7.
I've posted this quote many times, but here it is again from Lance Armstrong (see the Mellow Johnny's hat in the reflection?).
Especially good to keep in mind on the eve of the anniversary to my beautiful lover, and our annual trek to Chapel Dulcinea. We'll be out there with Isaac mad to live, and desirous of everything. 
Have you heard Sean Lennon? Great stuff! They even use a melodica, Isaac and I have created a few songs with our own melodica.
from NPR's All Songs Considered.
This commercial reminds me of my friend Chris. Especially at about 17 seconds. Hope you're doing OK, and frequently making your "turbo face".
We all need a super-hero fix sometimes. "With the ring comes great responsibility." Don't forget it.
Video of a Geology mashup which takes earthquake XML data and projects it both visually to Google Earth, and acoustically to their speaker matrix.
Here's a sample XML feed from the US Geological Survey.
This article from EverydayIsAwesome introduces the concept of "Geographic Certainty." It is a moment when you are in the exact time and place and dimension that you are supposed to be. Athletes refer to this sensation as being in "the zone."
My question, is how to increase the moments of geographic certainty. I want to spend more time in the zone.
As Denise and I approach our anniversary, one method I've found wildly successful is geographic proximity to my lover. In this time/space dimension, this is exactly where I'm meant to be.
Happy Friday!
Thank you veterans in our family.
Watch out, we'll be pushing the couches against the wall for a cumbia. I heard this originally on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert.
Good documentary from Make, regarding building a wind powered vehicle which goes faster than the wind. Seems to go against intuition and would make a great project.
HHHAdventure
Originally uploaded by mhughen.
A face-off between porcupine and white tail buck at the corn feeder.
Thanks Ernie for the views from the wild west.
Pac-Man skeleton.
Suiseki is the Japanese art of selecting and arranging stones in aesthetically pleasing forms.
I told my friend Mike the next time I go to Key West, it should be on a boat. I wanted to post this email conversation we had while discussing a home-made sailing documentary I noticed on line called Hold Fast. I haven't watched this yet so it very well may be NSFW, but their tag line is Stories of maniac sailors, anarchist castaways, and the voyage of the S/V Pestilence... (sounds fun doesn't it).
Mike's classic response was this, can't wait to go. Have to learn to sail first, but there's always YouTube.
If I could leave right now without losing my job I would. Caroline would have to go though...and wearing a big blue hat.
Caroline's job would be to feed the birds and talk to the sea animals for "proper" directions. And everyone knows that the only way to treat a guest is by having a tea party. Special guests would include "Quiet" her stuffed rabbit, and whatever interesting animals happen to pass by. It's interesting...sharks always had the best table manners.
Isaac would have a very different job...to ward off scallywaggs and pirates with rock and roll music played on a special guitar and amp powered by moonlight collected by thousands of diamonds in designs from a dream he had as a baby about Woodstock. Of course; he would play a ballad; but only if a mother sea turtle asked.
Our job however is the best...sit back and steer the boat with a toe while taking it all in. And harmonize of course.
Honestly Harry, you are the "chosen one," surely you can come up a more original charm besides "Expecto Patronum."
Pictures from Isaac's Football team, the Eagles, picture stream (credits are probably to his mother).
Looks like a fun new website. She gives exercises to work your "happiness muscle."
This is her warm-up:
Thank you Ancestors for our rich history, our culture, and the immense love we feel from you daily.
We honor you and your adventures.
Hercules, Poseidon, and Aphrodite have returned from a great night of trick or treating! Isaac hit the mother load of chocolate. It was a beautiful night for the neighborhood kiddos. Great time had by all! :)
About the only time of year I enjoy watching baseball is the world series. And with a Texan team playing, it seemed an even more interesting contest.
To this point; however, this comic seems to sum it up pretty well. D&D anyone?
from GeekDad
... or even well-informed.
Something to think about when dealing with a customer, a leader or even a neighbor.
It's easy to assume that vivid emotions spring from the truth. I'm not so sure. They often come from fear and confusion and well-told stories.
Great comic from Willey Miller's Non-Sequitur.
The height of your paper stack or the volume of your working hours doesn't define your value to the company. Let's measure value by creativity and innovation, not by the number of widgets generated.
Hannah, you make our hearts happy. Have a happy heart day. I searched desperately for a Care Bear game, try this one out.
Headline from gapingvoid,
if you’re david, fighting goliath, don’t let goliath choose the weapons
Notice he is improvising the majority of the time. via Neatorama.
A fun Sunday morning, Isaac tries some free running and parkour in the park. Sure love this phone.
Perhaps the best science fair project ever, Gyrocar from Make Magazine. Maybe if Isaac will go ahead and build it, it will pass inspection. He can write it up when the fair comes around. Here's the PDF.
Found this quote in a new found blog (EveryDayIsAwesome - How's that for a title) from a story about "The Grateful Stone."
After a bit of conflict this week on the football team, I'm very grateful for the additional time I get to spend with my son while helping to coach his team. I'm also thankful for the lesson my wife taught me, that you don't always have to defend yourself. Sometimes walking away with a smile is good enough.
Every virtue divorced from thankfulness is maimed and limps along the spiritual road.” -John Henry Jowett
Interesting quote from Seth Godin regarding experience.
Nine years of experience is very different from one year of experience, nine times.
ACL2010Brian
Originally uploaded by mhughen.
Even better than seeing the Eagles live, was getting to hook up with my old friend Brian and his wife, as well as jamming with Nancy and Michael. A great day of music and fun!
Another example of making your own art. A band called Atomic Tom plays on the NY Subway using only IPhone Apps. NY Times.
Looks terrifying, and I'm amazed how much time there is.
Sgt. Adam Sniffen of the U.S. Army’s 101st Airborne parachuting into a Michigan football game.
via Neatorama.
Interesting combination from CoolTools to make a Kindle into an RSS feed reader.
"When I see your face
There's not a thing that I would change
Cause you're amazing
Just the way you are
And when you smile,
The whole world stops and stares for awhile
Cause 'Lover' you're amazing
Just the way you are" - Bruno Mars
See this cover :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aG1EOQCvjbw&feature=related
Lover you are so beautifully handsome.....and I will tell you everyday. Te amo.
