Picture: Isaac at the Hat Store

IMG00046
Originally uploaded by mhughen.

Picture on the way to go fishing.

Music: Required Viewing - Gypsy Punk Circus

This video from NPR will be required viewing in my home tonight. To me, it teaches music as pure joy of expression.

These musicians, Gogol Bordello, are also fantastic performers. They call themselves a gypsy punk circus (fantastic).It reminds me the quote in Rock Band that mentions that real musicians do not make music sitting on the couch. It also encourages me to find some stickers for my guitar.

Health Care: You Can't Have It All

I agree with Kurt Vonnegut, framing the health care debate in terms of socialism is only simplistic rhetoric.

Doesn't anything socialistic make you want to throw up? Like great public schools, or health insurance for all? A Man Without a Country

Maybe we just need to decide which choices are important to our country (image from GapingVoid).

Star Wars: Light Sabers

How well do you know your light sabers? via CrunchGear

Video: World Cup Comes To Middle Earth

Sales: Sale in the Alley

Fun story for my garage sailing (who needs the wind) readers who would never think twice about backtracking to a small garage sale sign. Sometimes at the peril of the passengers, but always in pursuit of the deal of a century.

You look both ways and cross the alley, already eyeing that distressed kitchen table just inside the garage—“Hey, I could cut 9 inches off those legs and we could use it in the living room. We do need a coffee table…”

You make eye contact and smile a hello at the current owners of your future stuff.

Faith: Upcycled Hair Clips

A DIY Maker project for the girls. These hair clips are made from plastic grocery bags hand stitched to a metal framework.

Biking: Tour de France Launch Party

Tour de France Launch Party at Lance's shop in Austin. Sounds like fun indeed.

Pictures: Great Father's Day

We had a fantastic Father's Day. It included fishing (with 'Buelo even), bike ride (on my new fixed gear), and evening dominoes at the coffee shop. Thank you awesome family.

These are some of Nancy's pictures of the weekend.

Eggs: Unfertilized Eggs

From a discussion regarding urban egg production during an excellent Father's day and retirement party weekend.

We were having trouble understanding if a chicken would lay eggs without a rooster around to fertilize the eggs. It turns out most commercial hens go about laying eggs without ever seeing a rooster.

This seems to be a good round-up of egg production and fertilization.

Hens begin laying at 18 to 20 weeks of age and a healthy chicken will
lay about one egg a day. A hen does not need a rooster to lay eggs
and eggs are produced in response to day light patterns. The eggs we
buy in the store are not fertilized (they don?t hatch). The size of
the egg is dependent on the age of the hen. Older birds lay larger
eggs.

Games: Live Mario Brothers Accompaniment

Via Neatorama, live accompaniment from violin to Mario Brothers.

Space: NASA Face in Space

I sent this cute 2005 picture of Isaac to NASA to carry into space on the next shuttle mission. Its a program they have appropriately called, "Face in Space."

Here's some screen shots:

Games: Entanglement

The challenge is to get as many tiles as possible without touching the sides or center. You can rotate the tiles with the arrow buttons.



via woot.

Cartoon: Interesting People

From stuffnoonetoldme.

Post-Humanity: Vampires Sexy Zombies

After looking at this science fiction comparison between Vampires and Zombies, I realize that Vampires are truly sexy Zombies. io9 attempts to describe which might be the best science fiction representative of the post-human ideal.

Their criteria are Sexiness (who doesn't want to be sexy), Quasi-immortality, Modular or multiple bodies, super-intelligence, postmodern identity. Personally, I go for the Cory Doctorow cyper-punk post-human existence. This one seems to rely more on technological innovation and modular enhancement.

I anticipate the suggestion a more widely celebrated form of post-human reality, but this is a science fiction question for now.

Memory: Volume Conversions

Useful trick to remember volume conversions (Gallons-Quarts-Pints-Cups).

Books: Thoughts on 'Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance'

I just completed reading this book, and wanted to write down some thoughts before they escape.

Pirsig's discussion on Quality comes to a climax, for me, in his discussion of classical Greek philosophy. While the differences and progression from Socrates to Plato to Aristotle are not familiar to me, his revelation of the ancient Greek idea of arete', or excellence, is inspirational.

A thought which combines the ideas I understand in the book was captured by a small phrase in the afterward. "There is more to life than getting a great job," perhaps its enough to do a great job.

What a great way to begin the work week. As Garrison Keillor says, "Be well, do good work, and keep in touch."

Drawing: Time-Lapse Skull

Interesting drawing.

Quotes: Scream

image via silverscreenandroll

Although rooting for the Lakers, we couldn't help but admire Glen "Big Baby" Davis' enthusiastic scream last night. Noticed this quote today which seemed to sum it up fairly well.

Sometimes a scream is better than a thesis. Ralph Waldo Emerson, 'Journals,' 1836

Music: Aviary Music Creator

Isaac and I have created a few songs using the Aviary mixer. Here's a new tool from them that lets you experiment with various sounds and combinations.

Here's a article in the NY Times about the project.

Games: Liquid Particles

via Ajaxian. The particles follow your mouse, and are repelled on a click. I guess not really a game, but all accomplished in JavaScript.

Video: Oil Spill Comedy

I guess sometimes you have to have a laugh. ...and we always say Google makes you smart.

Video: Cartoon Chemistry

Oxygen from Christopher Hendryx on Vimeo.

HTML: Readability in HTML

This web widget converts web pages filled with ads and tabs to more readable text.

1. Go to their site and choose the style you want to read in.
2. Copy this style over to your browser tool bar.
3. When you get to an article you want to read click the bookmark.
4. The widget removes extraneous adds and formatting not pertinent to the article.

Discussion: Surfing Crocodiles

This article describes how researchers discovered that crocodiles consider surf conditions to surf up to 60 miles on the open water. Via Netorama.

Music: Bach by Zuill Bailey

To get your Monday morning creative juices flowing, try some Bach from NPR. There is video of this amazing instrument here.

Particularly interesting to me was to hear how the musician breathes as if playing a wind instrument. Makes for a great beginning to the day.

Rugby: NBC Broadcasts Seven's Rugby

In preparation for Olympic rugby in 2016, NBC broadcast an invitational college rugby tournament this weekend. While much of the action looked very much like a college rugby tournament, the final was awesome.

Glad to see that the rest of the country gets a chance to be exposed to rugby. They can also see how the upcoming wave of Polynesian football players learned their trade. I hope these same players decide to help the US team when the Olympics come around.

Quotes: John Wooden

Many great quotes this weekend from John Wooden. The best story I heard was about his teaching methods. He took time to teach his players the best way to put on their socks to prevent blisters, preparation begins early. Here was one of my favorite quotes.

Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given. Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful. John Wooden

Games: Happy Birthday Faith

Happy Birthday to my favorite blond niece! I'm not perfect at picking out games for sweet girls, but try this one. Sort of a physics games in the shape of saving baby chickens. Hope you had a great day Faith!

Pictures: Pioneer Woman's "Coming Home Competition"

Beautiful, scary, sad, and reflective photo set from Pioneer Woman. Makes me proud of the military families in my country and in my own family.

Games: Soccer Referee

Question whether we should be posting games about getting red cards, but here it is. Have fun.

Creativity: Making Ideas Happen

via gapingvoid.


A story this week which proves a mantra that "simplicity is not simple (or simplicity != simple). Worked an entire day developing a fancy solution using Generics and Reflection. The next day after taking lunch with a colleague, I found the solution in a one line property. simplicity!=Simple

Comics: Mobile Comics

Hoping to soon get an Android type phone, must check out these comic application. This one looks interesting, "Robot 13." Need to check out if its kid safe.

Ukulele: Van Halen

Its always a good trick to throw down some "Stairway to Heaven" on the ukulele, but how about some Van Halen. Very nice!