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