Photos: Humans of New York

This is a great website. This story is about a homeless entrepreneur. Great Stuff!

Science: Apollo 15 Testing Galileo's Equivalence Principle

Further explanation from NASA regarding Galileo's hypothesis.

Pokemon: Online Pokemon Game

Flash game for Pokemon. You will have to create an account to play. Waiting from the testers for further review.

Via GeekDad.

Diversion: How To Roll a Six Sided Die in Your Head

via Boing Boing, from "MINDHACKER: 60 Tips, Tricks, and games to take your mind to the next level."

To emulate a 6 sided die, follow this procedure:

1. find a short word, such as “cat.”

2. Sum the numerical values of the letters in the word: C = 3, A = 1, T = 20, and then 3+1+20 = 24.

3. Calculate the number modulo 09 (see the section “How It Works” for the procedure).

If the remainder is a 0, 7, or 8, which will happen one third of the time, discard it and try a new word. Otherwise, the remainder will be a pseudo random number from 1 to 6. Congratulations! This is your 6 sided die roll. (The results for the word “cat” is 6.)

Space: The Moon's North Pole Via LROC

An image of the moon's north pole taken by the Lunar Reconnaissance orbiter Camera (LROC).

Cello: Teen Spirit

Trying to talk Isaac into considering playing cello. This seems like a pretty cool introduction.

Physics: Do We Live In A 3D World?

Can you prove it?

This site has one minute videos regarding various physics subjects.

School: Universal Public Education

This school year is the 93rd year of universal public education. An article from Seth Godin, describes a system originally designed to churn out factory workers.

This weekend Isaac was assigned a large homework project to help him understand literature genres. While we complied with the assignment of printing out the pictures and pasting them into a little book (not raging against the machine too much over here), we first created a website with similar information.

It gave us a good excuse to discuss writing HTML documents, and did not cost any additional time. Dear teacher, the online document is also searchable, linkable, OS independent, and does not require 28 pages of paper.

We'll let you know how it's received.

Rugby: Flash Mob Haka

The Rugby World Cup begins this week in New Zealand. This video shows a flash mob haka. Great stuff! (thanks Mike for the link)

Ukulele: Lesson Banana Pancakes

Ukulele Underground lesson for Jack Johnson's Banana Pancakes.

Nerf: Homemade Nerf Darts

Isaac has created his own dart guns from 1/2 inch PVC pipe, here are homemade darts made from poly foam caulk saver and hot glue to accompany the guns.

Pyrotechnics: Surfing With Flares

Radical. pyrotechnics

Camping: Camp Fire Egg Inside an Orange Peel

We'll try this the next time we cook on the coals at home. Apparently you can add foil to the bottom of the orange peel for a softer egg.


via Lifehacker

Lightsabers: Kitten Play

Who doesn't like kittens? Although the first thing that comes to mind is that the kittens must be practicing not battling. The green and blue lightsabers both represent the Jedi, they would only battle the red saber of the Sith.

Science: Science Journal For Middle and High School Research

Wired magazine discusses the Journal or Emerging Investigators, a science journal for middle and high school students. This takes the science fair to a whole new level.

Cars: Green Slug Bug

via Neatorama

Tricks: :Parkour On Bikes

Neatorama calls this parkour for bikes. Watch at about 2:40 he rides a steel cable.

Music: Bach on Organ

Check out this guys feet! Playing J.S. Bach on an organ on NPR's Tiny Desk Concert.

Video: Dramatic Chihuahua

For the dramatic chicken fans.

Quote: Everyone is a Genius

via lifeHacker

Quotes: Winners Are Born

A few quotes inside of drawings for Monday morning. Should be kept in mind while wondering through the busy day.


via Scrivle


via gapingvoid

Politics: Explanation Of The Debt Ceiling

from ScriptingNews. Season 6 of the West Wing explains the politics of the debt ceiling. "Is it routine, or the end of the world?" "Both."

Music: They Might Be Giants

From NPR's Tiny Desk Concert.

Fire: Mini-Fireballs With Orange Peel

via io9.

Quote: No Cure For Curiosity

My suggestion is to always be a learner.

The cure for boredom is curiosity. There is no cure for curiosity. Dorothy Parker

Picture: Atlantis Coming Home

This picture of the Atlantis entering the Earth's atmosphere on July 21 was taken from the International Space Station.

Android: Android Controlled RC Car

I just funded this Android controlled RC car on KickStarter. $59 for a car that has touch or motion controls through the phone.

Cannon: New Idea For Potato Cannon

Great ideas from video on Make magazine for our potato cannon re-design.

1. They used a sprinkler valve to hook a switch to the launching mechanism.
2. Liked the folded air canister for easier moving.
3. Need a larger canister with a screw-off top so that repairs to the Schrader valve are easier.

Quote: There's Still Work To Be Done

Great quote in support of space exploration from gapingvoid.

Star Wars: Star Wars Meets Metal

via GeekDad

Roller Coaster: World's Steepest Roller Coaster

Takabisha roller coaster in Japan includes a 121 degree free fall. via TechCrunch



The free fall begins at about 1:45.

Star Wars: Dark Side of the Death Star

Star Wars puns via Neatorama.

Games: Cardboard Box Assembler

Routine sounding game, but the testers will give it a try. via Woot!

Kids: Make Your Kids Your Greatest Project

We are having great fun over the summer. Isaac found he enjoyed playing chess in the coffee shop. It seemed to encourage spontaneous and interesting conversation from total strangers.

via Scrivle.

Hiking: Guadalupe Mountains/Carlsbad Caverns

On the 4th of July weekend we went to the west edge of Texas to go hiking on the tallest mountain in Texas. We were going to go on a short route and it tuned out to be the hardest hike at the Guadalupe mountains. The next day we went to Carlsbad Caverns and looked at all the cool formations.

The hike was the hardest but funnest hike. Every turn we were all complaining about the ascent. It was the hardest thing in our hiking experiences.
--Isaac

Games: Solarmax

via Woot. Solarmax, conquer the Galaxy. I haven't attempted yet, but maybe reviews from my tester this evening.

Pictures: Last Year's Father's Day

Found these on an old camera.

Quote: The Road Less Traveled

There are no traffic jams along the extra mile. -Roger Staubach

Space: Next Gen Mars Rover Curiosity

Eight and a half months travel time, and huge complexities just to get to landing. Wonder if there's video of the tests. via Geekdad

Music: World's Fastest Guitar Player

Quote: As We Think, So We Become

The thought manifests as the word;
The word manifests as the deed;
The deed develops into habit;
And habit hardens into character;

So watch the thought and its ways with care,
And let it spring from love
Born out of concern for all beings…
As the shadow follows the body,
As we think, so we become.
Buddah

Chart: Don't Worry

Great advice chart from Homegrown Evolution.

Picture: Mustache

Isaac and my mustache show down. Go super Mario!

Music: Isaac's New Guitar

New classical guitar

Movie: New Harry Potter Trailer

Very nice. Hope it's not too scary for the young wizard.

Comics: Medieval Justice League

Artist Ulises Farinas imagines a world of medieval Justice League.

My favorite one is the Legion of Doom.

Music: NPR Bluegrass

A little bluegrass for Tuesday from NPR Tiny Desk Concert. Hey Mike, one bluegrass tune from Austin Rewind please (you can do it)?

More Music: Bohemian Volkswagen

Spectacular video featuring the climatic guitar solo done on a melodica! Performed inside a rocking old Volkswagen.

Music: The Impossible Duet

Remarkable, also check out their more contemporary work; such as, "Welcome to the Jungle."

Math: Visiaul Multiplication

Another fun one from ViHart.

Engineering: Hard Drive Tear Down

The Engineer Guy explains hard drives. Includes discussion of magnetic binary data, Lorentz Force and Faraday's Law.

Quotes: Work and Luck

Two interesting images which have very little relevance to one another. Unless, you consider, it would be very hard work to build a space ray.


via lifeHacker


via io9

Birthday: Faith

Happy Birthday Faith! We are all throwing a little sunshine and happiness in your general direction.

Math: Doing Math Is A Privilege

For Isaac as we begin summer vacation. We will break out the chess set and look at the "Calculus Without Tears" workbook a bit each day. Not for work, but for learning and fun.

via Scrivle.

Picture: Push For Portal

What portal are you stepping into?

Quote: You Make Me Lizard-Happy

Great quote of the day for Isaac and Denise, You make me lizard-happy.

You make me understand how wonderful it is for little lizards when they find that one special rock that's perfect for sunning themselves on. You make me lizard-happy.

Randy K. Milholland, Something Positive, 02-23-10 Webcomic pioneer

Responsibility: National Security Team

"With great power comes great responsibility." This photo captures the intense gravity of the situation.

Thank you military, please come home safely.

Music: Guitar Studies

Isaac is learning this piece, "Allegro in Am" for his guitar lessons. Thought it might help to see it in action.

Music: A Little Religion

Everybody needs a little religion every now and then. This is an after the show woodshed song from Mercy Me.

Music: Bruno Mars Dog On The Couch

Did you see the Bruno Mars perform on American Idol last night with the dog and the brass section sitting on the couch. Very nice!


21142824813 by yardie4lifever2

Philosophy: Money, Love or Knowledge

Great stuff from Scrivle on the pursuit of happiness. Choose Love!

Choose Knowledge, and you’ll have the flexibility of picking between Money and Love at will.

Choose Love, and you’ll go on the slow but consistent road to having it all.

Choose Money, and you’ll bankrupt yourself trying to reach the other two.

Movie: Harry Potter Trailer

Here's the trailer for the final Harry Potter. Somehow, I never noticed the similarity of the wands to light sabers. Harry why do you have a red light saber?

Movie Trailers - Movies Blog

Medical: Heal

Cool video which describes many surgical orthopedic techniques in an interesting story. Hopefully, rarely used all on the same patient.

Heal - Animated Trauma, from Ghost Productions on Vimeo.

via Neatorama.

Music: Steve Earle NPR

NPR's Tiny Desk Concert with Steve Earle. The second song is a memorable love song with these lyrics.

I love you with every thing; all my weakness and all my strength.
I can't promise you anything except my last breath will bear your name.

Games: Tetris Heaven

Should be embeddable and play here (uses flash). If not here's the original page.

Embed code doesn't seem to work, try on the website.

Trees: World's Tallest Tree

Check out this tree. Sounds like a fun summer quest, in search of the tallest trees in the world.

Poetry: Vintage Man

Poetry by Hafiz, link via EveryDayIsAwesome. Keep sculpting light.

The Vintage Man

The difference
Between a good artist
and a great one

Is:

The novice
Will often lay down his tool
Or brush

Then pick up an invisible club
On the mind’s table

And helplessly smash the Easels and
Jade

Whereas the vintage man
No longer hurts himself or anyone

And keeps on
Sculpting

Light.

Birthday: Happy Birthday Mom!

Happy Birthday Mom. As you teach us to say, "We love you as high as the sky, and as wide as Texas." We hope the day fills your cup with love and beauty; because, you have certainly kept ours overflowing.

Thou art thy mother's glass, and she in thee
Calls back the lovely April of her prime.
~William Shakespeare

Sport: Throwing Kinetic Chain

This article in The Atlantic site describes the "kinetic chain" sequence of events to successfully throw a ball (or hit a tennis ball, or swing a golf club).

Interesting test to see how quickly you could teach yourself to throw left-handed with this knowledge.

In the kinetic chain, momentum is built up in the larger muscles of the body, then transferred to increasingly smaller pieces. This transfer of momentum creates a whip-like action.

1. Rotate the legs and hips back in the direction of the throw (body should be rotated at least 90 degrees away from target)
2. Torso rotation- from waist to shoulders (since its mass is less than that of the legs momentum makes it rotate faster than the hips and legs did)
3. Upper arm comes past the head (elbow should be above or level with the shoulder)
4. Forearm and wrist, which snap forward at tremendous speed (elbow should be more extended - not close to the head)

This Red Bull advertisement shows the sequence in slow motion in the comparatively slight built Tim Lincecum.

Birthday: Happy Birthday ISAAC!

What a great kid. I am thinking of all the things I've watched you learn in the last year and it is entirely amazing. (Here's the birthday card I made for you!)

How about these (I'm sure there's plenty more:

• How to tie a fishing knot
• Learned (and forgot) how to spell every state in the union
• Learned a shot-gun snap and a pancake block
• Started learning how to solve algebra equations
• How to throw a rugby spin pass
• Beat us fair and square in dominoes
• How to hunt for fossils from an unlikely roadside expert
• How to write your own HTML page
• Learned a triangle choke submission hold
• How to mow the yard
• How to grow tomatoes from seed (and that they need more sun to produce better fruit)
• Learned to play scales on a guitar (and Sweet Home Alabama)
• Learned to use vocabulary other than 'good' to describe your school day
• Learned to give amazing and deep meaningful hugs

There are many others, but this is a good start. You are an awesome son, keep it up! Happy Birthday!


Check out this music mixing application (via LifeHaker) as we're both learning to make a mash-up.

Games: HTML5 3D Cycleblob

Interesting 3D Tron lightcycle online game and NO Flash. Cool display of HTML5, but will only work with browsers which run HTML5 (Firefox 4).

Maps: Conflict History

This is a pretty cool Flash application which shows a historical conflict timeline superimposed on a Google map. Also includes informational pieces from each conflict (not sure how this is generated, but it would be cool if it mashes with Wikipedia).

They have a conflict from 3000 B.C., the Kurukshetra War in India.

Programming: HTML5 Canvas Flip Example

In celebration of Isaac's birthday (and because I've been creating some HTML5 sample projects at work) I created a sample flip book over on Isaac's website.

It requires a browser which runs HTML5 (I use Firefox 4.0). Also this is code modified from a similar subject on HTML5Rocks. I took away the images to simplify and added pictures instead of text.

Music: Werewolves Of London Studio Track

A studio track of one of our favorite songs, "...his hair was perrrfect *DIDT*."

No piano on this one. Warren Zevon's howl is even more accentuated without the piano part.



via StudioMultiTracks

Comic: Suck It Up!

Must remember this today.


via scrivle

Games: Tetris Labs

Tetris Labs games. Check it out.


via Woot!

Picture: Monday's Incredible Times Pictures

A few pictures as a reminder from gapingvoid, "we live in incredible times."


via gapingvoid


via everydayisawesome


via ThisIsNotPorn

Study: Wolfram Course Assistant Apps

Need to check some of these apps out from Wolfram. They have Algebra, Astronomy, Calculus (even multi-variable calculus), and Music theory.

Math: Binary Hand Dance

Isaac and I learned to count binary on our fingers last year, but this video certainly puts a new spin on it. Always good math stuff from ViHart.

Music: Oh-Bla-Di

Nothing better than a travel band of hall gypsies singing "Oh-Bla-Di" in full voice (even noticed a melodica). Believe this is their blog, which has other videos called, "The Cover Tunes Grab Bag."

Quote of the Day, "If you want some fun, SING OH-BLA-DI-BLA-DA!" Indeed



via everydayisawesome

Games: Mario A Capella

Teaching Isaac to harmonize. This should make it more relevant.

Here's Jimmy's YouTube page. He also wrote the song, "Ching Chong! Asians in the Library Song (Response to UCLA's Alexandra Wallace)" which was featured on NPR last week.

Running: Santiago Running

Awesome weekend with the Santiago runners, looking forward to actually running with them after rugby season. The Dallas Rock and Roll Half Marathon made a back drop for a great weekend with the Valdez family.

In a gutsy display of effort, Denise shows you can complete 13.1 miles without a great deal of training (believe she trained 6 miles once). Aided by a reported "Dr. Sheehan angel," she finished strong and awesome!

Music: Buffett Picture

Lance Armstrong posted this picture of an "impromptu gig" in St. Barths. Not interested in flying to St. Barths to see Jimmy Buffett do an "impromptu gig," rather learn to sail instead. It would make a much better story.

Security: Password Phishing

Hey! Don't give away passwords in emails, ever (Mom, seriously don't do it). Advice from Scripting News, a new phishing technique. If you see something asking for your password, hit delete.

Music: NPR's SXSW Coverage

Many interesting live recordings available for listening from NPR's coverage of SXSW. Just heard Jack White's impromptu parking lot performance.

Math: Play With Plynomials

Need to try the Algebra Touch application with my budding math student. Looks like the application allows the user to "tap, drag, rearrange and reduce the equations to solve them." It also includes tutorial and practice sessions.



via GeekDad

Spring break comes to an end and we have had a great time! We started with rugby in Ft Worth and a visit with the Valdez family. Dinosaur Valley was fantastic and offered an 8.5 mile hike with tracks through out. We met an eccentric fossil hunter who shared great tips and showed us his woolly Mammoth tooth. Mother Neff Park was beautiful and serene. Austin led to great adventures spending time with the family, cousins, great friends, and beautiful music. The Brazos River shared it’s fossil treasures with us and convinced us to get our own professional fossil digging tools! Yes we have a rock pick now. Camping on the beach offered us a night light by the Super-Moon and then a beautiful sunrise while we listened to ocean waves. All in all one of the best Spring Breaks ever! Texas is truly beautiful.

Poetry: Having so much fun we are losing our heads!

We have had such a great time during Spring Break!

Gammy...

said I'd lose my head
if it wasn't fastened on.
Today I guess it wasn't
'cause while playing with my cousin
it fell off and rolled away
and now it's gone.

And I can't look for it
'cause my eyes are in it,
and I can't call to it
'cause my mouth is on it
(couldn't hear me anyway
'cause my ears are on it),
can't even think about it
'cause my brain is in it.
So I guess I'll sit down
on this rock
and rest for just a minute...
Shel Silverstein

Games: Push The Cat

Blogging games for interested spring break gamers, "Push the Cat."



via Woot!

Fiction: New Cory Doctorow Experiment

Cory Doctorow is releasing a new collection of short stories called, "With A Little Help." As he's done previously, he's experimenting with the publication style. Along with a Radio Head like "pay as like" model, he also has several custom covers (one by cyberpunk writer Rudy Rucker), print on demand, and audio books.

Games: Sugar Sugar

New flash game to try out, for those who might be interested. This one is called Sugar Sugar love to hear your opinion.



via Woot!

Picture: Future so Bright ...

Isaac in his college day t-shirt. Never hurts to be ambitious; however, need to work on his Tom Cruise smile.

Computers: iRig Mic For iPad2

Isaac and I have been collecting excuses to get an iPad2. I've never been a fan of the client based iTunes; however the avalanche of cool apps (especially musical apps) is drawing us to the flame.

This one reviewed in TechCrunch, in combination with the Garage Band app, looks pretty awesome.

Games: Tealy & Orangey

Looks like an interesting maze game. Check it out if you enjoy online flash games.


via Woot.

Games: Interlocked Puzzle

How about this 3D spacial puzzle game to test intelligence for kids and adults?

It's bound to be more informative than the TAKS test for minimum skills. Isaac took a portion of the exam this week, and comments that none of the questions surprised him. He had been trained to expect every type of question they asked.

While we will congratulate him for exceptional scores and encourage him to check his work harder for lower scores, what does a test for the lowest common denominator prove? It seems to consume so much time in the classroom.

Isaac your assignment for the weekend is to complete 10 levels using the least possible moves. I can't train you to do it, you must figure it out using your brain (as you say, "Insane in the membrane, Insane in the brain").

Youth Sports: Concussions

Sorry for the avalanche of posts today, but needed to post this one so I can find it later when football season begins.

It has Fact Sheets from the Center of Disease Control regarding concussions in youth sports. They include guidelines for coaches, players, and parents.

Web Development: Shaun Tan's 'The Lost Thing'

This website is fascinating, you must check it out. Shaun Tan won an Oscar for the best animated short.

Take a look around. When you press on the 'Trailer' button, for example, the most innovative processing indicator rolls onto the screen.

If the website is this impressive, we must get the movie.

via GeekDad.

Space: NASA Captures Sun Flare

This is awesome. NASA's Solar Dynamics Observatory spacecraft (SDO) captured the large solar flare on February 24th. Here's their description, "it blew out a gorgeous, waving mass of erupting plasma that swirled and twisted over a 90-minute period."

Science fiction can't beat the real thing.

Pictures: Beauty Eh?

Couldn't resist this picture. "The power of the force has stopped you, you hosers." Doug McKenzie

Cooking: DIY Organic Pop Rocks

Sounds like from the instructions, these might be more "fizzle rocks," but definitely cool to make your own.