Birthday: Happy Birthday Brian

Brian, it turns out you also share a birthday with Frodo and Bilbo Baggins!

Here's Mr. Spock singing joyfully about Bilbo.

Birthday: Happy Birthday Brian

Happy Birthday Brian! It seems you share you birthday with the celebration of Elephant Appreciation Day.

In Thailand, the elephants even play soccer.

Geography: Nevada Geyser

Wow! Check out National Geographic's picture of a fly geyser in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada.

DIY: Random LED Ball

Fun and easy. via Maker.

Ideas: Great Ideas

from gapingVoid.

Art: Lunch Walks

Article from the NY Times, a series on how to draw or "Getting Back to the Phantom Skill." Everyone was an artist in elementary school, let's make art as adults also!

Here's my attempt at art. Pictures taken on my phone during walks at lunch in downtown Houston. Check back, I should be adding more to the set in the future (I have to eat lunch, might as well make some art).

Education: Educate To Innovate

I love the name of this presidential campaign, "Educate to Innovate."

Also a helpful quote of the day. Easy to get caught up in this line of thinking, but better to look forward.

It's a poor sort of memory that only works backward. Lewis Carroll

Chimps: Jane Goodall

National Geographic has digitized their collection of stories about Jane Goodall and her work with chimpanzees. She's been performing her research for 50 years.

Guitar: Geek Guitar Lessons

Guitar lessons from GeekDad. Here's Rocket Man.

Gratitude: Thanks Sun

This blogger (THXTHXTHX) writes daily thank you notes on post-it pads. This one seems especially poetic, "Thank You Sun." Especially enjoy the audio analogy, "...accompanied by a silence so complete, it too hummed like neon."

Games: Mario Timeline Images

Mario certainly plays a prominent role on our DS machine. Interesting to see the progression of his likeness. GeekDad says he's celebrating his 25th birthday.

Knots: World's Fastest Shoelace Knot

Stop wasting time tying your shoe laces. Here's the world's fastest knot.



After learning it, I find it isn't particularly tight (this is my favorite for knots that need to stay tight, such as rugby boots).

Coaching: Go That Way Really Fast

Coaching advice from "Better Off Dead."

Database: SQL Query XML Datatype

It turns out to be possible to write views which query the XML datatype fields in SQL and returning multiple rows. The trick seems to be using the CROSS APPLY keyword. It seems to act like a join.

If this is your XML stored on a table named XMLTable in a field called XMLField.

<Services>

<Service>

<name>Mark</name>

<serviceID>45</ServiceID>

</Service>

<Service>

<name>Nancy</name>

<serviceID>46</ServiceID>

</Service>

<Services>

Here's the best SQL query I found for returning the multiple Service records.

SELECT
i.value('data((name)[1])', 'varchar(50)') as XMLName,

i.value('data((serviceID)[1])', 'varchar(50)') as XMLServiceID

FROM XMLTable

CROSS APPLY XMLField.nodes('/Services/Service') S(i)

The query should return two records, one for Mark and one for Nancy, from a single database record.

This site from Microsoft seemed to help the most on this newest learning adventure.

Games: Quick Hit

Quick Hit is described in TechCrunch as a Football RPG. Sounds interesting.

Software: Web Farm Framework and Micro Framework

A few work articles to consider. Microsoft Web Farm Framework and Micro Framework.

Web Farm seems to try and automate web farm and load balancing applications. This would be a handy trick, and better than hand typed batch files.

Micro Framework article has many links on developing hardware in .net.

Video: Parkour

Cool parkour video, followed by the obligatory "don't do this at home" outtakes.





via neatorama.

Video: Midichlorian Rhapsody

Combination of a few of our favorite things.
via Netorama

Maps: Pedernales Hike Map

I used the "My Tracks" Android application to track our recent hike at Pedernales Falls. Google Maps provided an embedable map, which is shown below. You might also want to check out this satellite map, which has photos from other people inside of it.


View PedernalesHike in a larger map

Also, here's the data the application collected. You can see it shows total distance and other points. As Nancy commented, "that's a cool pedometer." Indeed!

Pictures: Brough Crew at Perdernales

Nancy, Denise got several good pictures of your crew. Thought you might like a separate set for them. Thanks for a great time.

Pictures: Perdernales Labor Day Hike

Went back to Perdernales with Mom, Nancy and her family. Completed a seven mile hike. We definitely enjoyed the lower humidity, but suffered through the prolonged elevation.

Science: Symphony of Science

There is real poetry in the real world.
Science is the poetry of reality.

Pictures: Dallas Cowboy's Training Camp

Made to San Antonio for Cowboy's training camp with Nancy's family. However, the training camp in Houston with the Texans the next day was a bit more entertaining. They let us stand right next to the drills to watch.

Pictures: Coach, Singing With Tia Marie

As you might notice by the pictures of Isaac after practice, the coach's most important job is serving up some "high quality H2O." Also, singing Beatles Rock Band with Tia Marie.

Games: Brick Hole

Looks like 360 Tetris.


via Woot.

Pictures: Summer Training, Leo, and Rugby

Pictures of our experiments with a parachute for speed work. hmmm, I'm still slow, but Isaac looks good with the parachute.

Isaac took the rugby pictures. They are of a Memorial Rugby Tournament we went to at Sam Houston University. An old friend passed away to young. You can see the players (who won the tournament) with his son, paying tribute.

In they final game, they let his son take the kick-off for a try. Who says these guys don't have a soft side?

Pictures: Isaac's 2010 Summer Football Camp

Clearing out the pictures on our SD card for the next few days.

Here's Isaac's two day summer camp at the local high school. So intense, these kids.

Books: Goat Song

Maybe check this one out as night time reading.

from the publisher:

Goat Song is the story of a year in the life of a couple who abandoned their one-bedroom apartment in New York City to live on seventy-five acres in Vermont and raise Nubian goats. In poetic, reverent detail, Brad Kessler explores our ancient relationship to the land and our gradual alienation from the animals that feed us. His fascinating account traces his journey of choosing the goats and learning how to breed, milk, and care for them. As Kessler begins to live the life of a herder, he encounters the pastoral roots of so many aspects of Western culture—how our diet, our alphabet, our religions, poetry, and economy all grew out of a pastoralist setting, a life lived among hoofed animals.

Music: Fist Full Of Mercy

Check out this "super-group" Fist Full Of Mercy. They are Joseph Arthur, Dhani Harrision (George's son), and Ben Harper.

Fantastic harmonies reminiscent of another super-group Crosby, Stills, and Nash.

Here's the radio station's website in case the embedded code doesn't work.

Games: Sketchy Physics

This application is an add-on for Google SketchUp. Apparently it is a physics engine to run against your sketches. Isaac plays with this quite a bit, we'll have to give it a try.

Mash-up: Marvin Gaye and Weezer

Fantastic mash-up video. Everyone needs a little healing sometimes.

Pictures: Perdernales State Park

A few scenery pictures from Perdernales State Park. Planning to head back for more intensive hiking.

Isaac Grandma Gammy

IsaacGrandmaGammy
Originally uploaded by mhughen.

Great picture during Summer 2010

Pictures: Eagles Red Pictures 8.28.10

A ton of pictures from the Eagles first game as the photographer gets used to her new camera. A fun win 19 - 0. Isaac's number 55 (I made him get a real center's number), I'm the coach with the beard.

Shopping: SearchTempest - Craig's List

via LifeHacker, SearchTempest seems to be a method to shop more than one location of Craig's List at once. I'll let my chief shopper try it out.

DIY: Camping Stove

A compact camping stove, and you can build it yourself. Seems like a fun project.

Soldering: Dragon Sculpture

Consideration for Isaac's next soldering adventure. He's been experimenting with free-form alien space-craft, but a simple version of this seems doable also. via Make.

Music: Asia Concert

Isaac and I went to the Asia concert with Fireman Mike and Fireman Rich (we felt very safe) this weekend at the House of Blues. His favorite parts were the extended drum solo, "Heat of the Moment" encore, and the acoustic guitar solo ("STEVE!!!!").

Hard to explain how incredible it is to be rocking out with your son, with his rock and roll hand held high. Then he turns around while the crowd is all singing "Heat of the Moment," screaming "this is awesome!"

And it was awesome, including a late night slice of pizza downtown.

Sorry for the terrible picture, but its the best the phone could come up with.

Pictures: 1st Day of 4th Grade

Isaac started school today. He woke up remarkably fast with a rousing version of TnT. Nothing better than some AC/DC to begin the new school year.

Pictures: EVO Pictures

Ever since getting a smart phone with a camera, I've had a great time taking snapshots while on lunch walks or getting coffee. I'm finding that its been a great opportunity to open my eyes to see the beauty of the ordinary things that are around everyday. It also provides a simple method to create a little art.

Here's my photostream, where the pictures get uploaded in Flickr. I believe there is also a photo roll on the left hand side of the blog as well. It might also be a fun project to write an Android application which combines Blogger and Flickr (I haven't found a good one yet).

Lunch walk 8.18.10


Starbucks Sunrise 8.20.10

Learning: Online Education Collection

Once you get past the need to have a framed piece of paper, the web has developed an awesome collection of online resources from some of the best universities in the world. Here's an article from LifeHacker which explores several.

Go Learn Something

Cartoon: Fix What Needs Fixing, Then Repeat Until Happy

Music: Peter Wolf Crier

Check out this NPR Tiny Desk Concert of Peter Wolf Crier. Incredibly expressive sound with a simple duet. Love the drummer's set-up, playing exclusively with brushes and an egg.

Culture: Class of 2014 Mindset List

List from Beloit College to help professors understand the incoming freshman class.

• Most of these students were born in 1992
• Few in the class know how to write in cursive
• Most have never used a wrist watch to tell time
• Seldom use e-mail, almost never use snail mail
• One quarter of the class has at least one immigrant parent
• Maps of the human genome have always existed
• Computers have never lacked a CD-ROM drive
• Russians and Americans have always been living together in space

Obesity: Children's BMI Calculator

Isaac gained about 5 to 7 pounds over two weeks while beginning an extreme football workout regiment also including some morning workouts. It seems any diet is unlikely to move weight in a child so quickly considering the workouts.

However, here is a BMI calculator for children to investigate further. As far as I can remember, he lands at about 85%, which is on the edge of the green and overweight.

I'm inclined to attribute the weight gain to a growth spurt, but certainly want to continue to promote a healthy life-style.

Games: Flower Power Drawing

Thought Faith and the girls might like this little drawing application. Here's my example.

Quotes: Every Monster Has a Big Shadow

More quotes from Seth.

Every monster has a big shadow

That's what makes it a monster.

In fact, when you look the monster in the eye, when you calmly and carefully inspect the actual monster, you discover that he's not so bad after all. It's just the shadow that's scary.

When in doubt, ignore the shadow.

Parkour: With Ladders

As if this sport weren't exciting enough, here it is with ladders.



However, notice the training involved.

Movie: Odin's Son Thor

Wow! This is a long trailer but very good.



via TechCrunch

Science Fair: Extract DNA From Anything

The University of Utah's Genetic Science Learning Center has posted instructions on how to extract DNA. Certainly the next step is to investigate the sample under a microscope.

Comic: Playing Tag

via Natalie Dee

Quote: Cory Doctorow

Fantastic! A quote of the day from our favorite cyber-punk author.

Never underestimate the determination of a kid who is time rich and cash poor. Cory Doctorow, Little Brother, 2008

Music: Bluegrass Paradise City

"...Oh, won't you take me home." These guys seem to sound more believable when they sing it.



via MissCellania

Video: Tron

Remember watching this the first time, learning about computers.

DIY: Solor Light Hack

Might want to give this one a try with Isaac. Maybe good for our front porch light.

Pics: Lunch Walk - 1111 Rusk (Old Texaco Building)

Found this interesting building going to get lunch. It is the old Texaco building.

Looks like the architecture could easily be seen in Spain or Italy. However, according to the sign in the last pictures, the local residents must not be that impressed.

Typing: Typing With BBC Headlines

Need to try this one out with my young typist. You can type various BBC headlines while practicing.

Knots: Taut-Line Knot

Seems useful for camping. And here are variations.

Pictures: Weekend Catch-Up

Great two weeks with Isaac. We worked out every evening in preparation for football. Honestly, forgot the joy of running bleachers.

Also bought an EVO phone on Friday. My favorite benefit has to be the camera, and instant publishing to Flickr and Facebook. However, still need to automate a function for blogging.

Here are the weekend sets.

Great 7 mile hiking adventure at Sam Houston State Park.


Sunday dominoes and a huge water balloon war. Isaac and I made our own balloon tying jig, and found the design needed more work; so I googled water balloon tying with great success.

Shrek

Shrek
Originally uploaded by mhughen.

So long ago!!! We sure look cute! Life is good.

Pet Peeve: That's Not My Job

I was reminded of my pet peeve yesterday. After querying colleagues researching the best practice method to fix some software we're working on, one remarked, "I don't do that. My job is moving boxes from this container into that container."

This response, "That's not my job," is the surest path to becoming a boring cog in the wheel. I would prefer not to hear it, or any version of it, from the people I'm working with or hire.

This response is also the easiest to replace with technology. If your job is moving boxes; and you're not interested in figuring out how to move them more efficiently or how to make better boxes, then you can easily be replaced. If you choose to confirm this thought out loud, while sitting quietly in the cubicle next to me, I will double efforts to write the software which replaces that boring job.

Interesting cartoon from "Stuff No One Told Me" which seems to illustrate these ideas. Go learn, make mistakes, and make things better.

Oil: Oil Spill Simulation

According to this simulation, the best place to put a large filtration system is in the Florida straights. I think they call that natural filtration system "coral reef."

DIY: How Tunes

Illustrated summer projects.

Celebration: Independence Day

Fantastic celebration with a few 100,000 of our closest friends and neighbors of Houston at the Freedom Over Texas Concert.

Important reminder by the mayor of our city that we were celebrating Independence Day not the 4th day of July.

My favorite moment was singing "God Bless America" with all of my neighbors watching "happy face" and "firefly" fireworks. Life Is Good!

Quotes: Live In The Sunshine

One of the best quotes I've seen. We may have to make some T-Shirts.

Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air… Ralph Waldo Emerson

Celebration: Happy 4th Of July

Thoughts from the NY Times on the Declaration. The first essay notably discusses Thomas Jefferson's technique of substituting Aristotle's "aspirations of happiness" in John Locke's basic rights of "life, liberty, and property." One commenter observes we may still be confusing property and happiness today.

Speaking of happiness, glad the Declaration keeps the weirdos safe also.

Video: With My Own Two Hands

This song really hits me. Let's make it a better place....with our own 2 hands.

Denise And Faith Do Business

DeniseAndFaithDoBusiness
Originally uploaded by mhughen.

Faith went with Denise on some sales calls while visiting. Aren't they cute in their pink?

Thanks Tammy for the picture.

Math: Pythagorean Theorem

Animated GIF demonstrating a proof of the Pythagorean Theorem by rearrangement.

Anatomy: X-Rays

Interesting x-rays with colored dye.

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.