A Truck You Say?

Ubabub

2011-07-07T13:17:00.000-05:00

You know you missed me providing design for you to make fun of. Here you go. Baby prison: Science Fiction Edition.

via Design Milk by Jaime on 7/7/11

I found Ubabub on Black Eiffel and instantly I knew I had to spread the word. Functional, well-designed contemporary baby and kid furniture is tough to get right, but I think Melbourne, Australia-based company Ubabub has done a great job.

Historical Thursday: Hitler’s Talking Dogs

2011-07-07T12:12:00.000-05:00

This gives me the giggles. Even a week later - still giggling.

via There, I Fixed It - Redneck Repairs by Not-So-Handy Andy on 6/30/11

Oh Nazis, you so crazy. While the Germans, Soviets and Americans all had some pretty nutty ideas during wartime in the 20th century, the Nazis always seem to take the biggest slice of the crazy cake. During the Second War of the World, the Reich spent a fair amount of time and money research our canine friends in an attempt to turn them into more than just adorable companions.

It's no secret that Hitler was a fan of dogs. His German Shepherds Blondi and Bella stuck with him through the war; he killed the former moments before taking his own life in the bunker. But his love for the animals went deeper than playing fetch and a good long pet. Adolf had a feeling that the animals were vastly more intelligent than we had always believed. Believing this, he started a project that a UK newspaper dubbed Woofan SS, collecting dogs from around the country to join his special school run by a team of animal psychiatrists.

Tier-Sprechschule (animal speaking school) in Hannover was run by headmistress Margarethe Schmitt and home to dozens of furry friends including Rolf the talking dog and Young Hitler. The Nazis believed that these already intelligent dogs could be fürther groomed to be able to converse with humans; the ultimate goal being human-canine interaction to the point where the SS could have conversations with them.

They were first taught to tap out signals with their paws but the Nazis claimed the animals could do much more than this. One pup could apparently write poetry and another barked out the words 'Mein Fuhrer' after being asked his relationship to Hitler. The most ridiculous theory was that humans have a special telekinetic relationship with dogs, which they apparently tested by putting buckets on their head connected by some rope. But one terrier was especially talented:

Rolf, an Airedale terrier, reportedly 'spoke' by tapping his paw against a board, each letter of the alphabet being represented by a certain number of taps. He was said to have speculated about religion, learnt foreign languages, written poetry and asked a visiting noblewoman: 'Could you wag your tail?'

It was hoped that the dogs would be able to take over duties from SS officers and help guard concentration camps. Obviously, all of the claims were completely fraudulent and spread by the Germans as propaganda. All of this information was only recently discovered, when amateur historian Dr Bondeson published Amazing Dogs: A Cabinet Of Canine Curiosities, last month.

But really, who would be able to tell the difference between a barking dog and the German language anyway?
(Just joking, I speak a little Deutsch, please don't hurt me)
Enjoyed what you read? Check out all whole compendium of Historical Thursdays!
Pictures and Information courtesy of: The Daily Mail and Wikipedia.
As always, if YOU have an idea for a Historical Thursday, e-mail it to thereifixedit@gmail.com

U.S. Army Bans Vibram FiveFingers

2011-07-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

Well, that's just plain silly. Vibram should make military editions that are in appropriate colors, etc. See if they can win over the Air Force. The AF has always struck me as taking innovations in stride. I know my cousin who's in the Army has a pair of Vibrams.

U.S. Army Bans Vibram FiveFingers

via GearJunkie.com - Outdoor Gear Reviews by Stephen Regenold on 7/6/11

As reported around the barefoot-minded blogosphere this week, the U.S. Army has banned Vibram FiveFingers and all other "toe-shoes" because they "detract from a professional military image."

Open Library offers libraries a third choice for eBooks

2011-07-07T10:30:00.000-05:00

Looks pretty cool to me!
via Librarian in Black Blog – Sarah Houghton-Jan by Sarah on 7/5/11

The library eBook scene, indeed the eBook scene for consumers too, is ever-changing and unpredictable. Any library trying to plan more than one year out for eBooks is playing a losing game. Don't sign contracts for more than a year and don't invest huge amounts of time in what might be dying models.
For the most part, right now libraries feel like we have two choices for eBooks:

paying beaucoup bucks for high-demand eBooks to third-party aggregator companies like Overdrive and 3M (for more on for-profit companies' recent eBooks offerings, see David Lee King's excellent post on what he saw at ALA Annual)
pointing users to the many free, lower-demand eBooks out on the web on sites like Project Gutenberg or Librivox

But there is a third choice, and it's one that I think can change the landscape of library eBooks forever…and for the better.
Open Library is a project from the Internet Archive, a non-profit that has given us amazing web content like the Wayback Machine (historical snapshots of websites), the Audio Archive, the Moving Image Archive, and the Software Archive. The Internet Archive is also technically a registered library, and they have long collaborated with local libraries for services and collections. IA is based in San Francisco and I was lucky enough a couple of months ago to visit the headquarters for a stunning tour that included the "hands-down-most-awesome server room ever" and the most efficient book scanning workflow I've ever seen.

And that book scanning project has yielded Open Library. Open Library is a digital library built partially from paper books from physical libraries. Anyone can access the 1,000,000+ free eBooks through their website. But wait, there's more! A new project with 1,000+ currently participating libraries, including mine, is the Lending Library, a swiftly growing collection of 100,000+ eBooks from the 20th century, including many popular titles (though not those from the most recent 15 years or so). Did I mention that it's currently 100% free for your library to participate in the Lending Library? All you have to do is send at least one paper book to the IA for digitization. That's it.

Users can access the entire collection in-library or from home with remote access, as long as you set up authentication on your end through EZ Proxy, WAM, etc. Books are added two primary ways: they are scanned in from discarded copies sent to the IA from member libraries -or- IA has arranged a lending agreement directly with the publishers. Books do operate on a one-user/one-copy model, in keeping with copyright holder rights.

Here's what it's like on the user's end: You click on the link from your library's website, as you would for any other eBook collection, and log in with your library credentials. Now Open Library knows you can borrow from the Lending Library. If you access from inside the library, you will see this message alerting you that you have access to even more eBooks.

Browse or search for a book, then choose whether you want to borrow an "in-browser" version (which you view using the super smooth Internet Archive's BookReader web app) or downloadable formats like PDF, ePub, Daisy, plain text, and Kindle. One thing I really like is how all the various editions of a work are aggregated into one record. Here's what you see when you go to the "digital holdings" for the Scarlet Letter.

Each person can borrow up to 5 eBooks at a time for up to 2 weeks. You can read these eBooks on the device of your choice: Mac or PC, laptop or desktop, tablet or smart phone. Read and smile: NO COMPATIBILITY ISSUES!

From Open Library's About page:

One web page for every book ever published. It's a lofty but achievable goal.

To build Open Library, we need hundreds of millions of book records, a wiki interface, and lots of people who are willing to contribute their time and effort to building the site.

To date, we have gathered over 20 million records from a variety of large catalogs as well as single contributions, with more on the way.

Open Library is an open project: the software is open, the data are open, the documentation is open, and we welcome your contribution. Whether you fix a typo, add a book, or write a widget–it's all welcome. We have a small team of fantastic programmers who have accomplished a lot, but we can't do it alone!

I <3Open Library. And I don't <3 a lot of things. So you know it must be amazing. Here are some of the reasons that I think Open Library is a successful future model for library eBooks:

Open Library is an eBook library built by libraries, with library collections, for libraries.
A printed book accessible to only one library's users gets turned into a digital book accessible to all participating library's users. This is the ultimate in resource sharing.
The Internet Archive is a non-profit organization, so if they can arrange more contracts with publishers directly the cost to libraries will necessarily be less than it would be with the for-profit companies we've been dealing with so far.
It's open: the code, the collection, everything.
Reading is a smooth, device-neutral user experience.
This solves the "last copy" syndrome in many libraries where we might hold on to an outdated printed item if it's the last one in our catalog. Send your last copies to the Internet Archive and share with other libraries while freeing up valuable shelf space at the same time.

Freaking awesome, period.
Libraries interested in partnering in this program should email info@archive.org. You can read more about the technology behind the project and the librarianship that built this collection as well. And to learn more as things develop, keep track of what's new with the Open Library through their blog.
Mark my words. This is the future of eBooks for libraries.

innocent's new Hungry? book

2011-07-07T09:25:00.001-05:00

This book looks practical and innovative!

via CR Blog by Gavin Lucas on 7/5/11

Does the world really need a new cook book? Probably not. However, smoothie brand innocent's new recipe book, entitled Hungry? (published by 4th Estate, £20) really is rather good. Warning: this post may make you hungry!

The book is aimed at families with small children and, as well as over 100 recipes for straight forward dishes - some healthy and some indulgent treats - it is choc-full of helpful info like how to test for a good or bad egg, and an easy to read chart of what food is seasonal when. And there's plenty of fun stuff for kids to enjoy, such as the particularly excellent tips for how to make your popcorn last through an entire DVD. Also of note is the photography by Clare Shilland and the on-brand witty captions and copy in general – a trait which is one of innocent's strongest brand assets. Here a selection of spreads:

Couldn't resist a close up of this page. It's a picture of a burger but the caption references a Gavin. How do the guys at innocent know I'm all about the burgers?

Unsurprisingly there's a whole section devoted to fruit – and there's also a dedicated drinks section too, which includes a patented "wee-ometer" - a graphic guide to help you work out whether or not you're drinking enough water by checking the colour of your wee:

Yet another nice touch - a pocket on the inside back cover, perfect for... well, you can read it for yourself.

We also very much like the 10 Commandments of Washing Up tea towel that came with the book (above).
To find out a little more about innocent and the book, visit innocentdrinks.typepad.com

E. Travels: The Tom Bihn Tri-Star

2011-07-06T13:32:00.000-05:00

My first thought - SO entering the drawing, because I WANT THIS BAG. Then I visited the website. I want everything on the website. All so smart, so chic, so intelligently designed!

I just wish I could somehow get it TODAY. Ah well. Shall have to enter the drawing on Friday. Is the only way to afford bag of awesome.

via academichic by admin on 7/5/11

It's been just about six years since my husband and I discovered Tom Bihn, a company making cleverly designed bags from US Ballistic nylon in Seattle, Washington. Since then, we've been devoted fans, especially of our carry-on Aeronaut bags.
But, as much as I love the maximal carry-on capacity of the Aeronaut, it's a little bit too big for my two or three day conferences and research trips. So, I was thrilled when Tom Bihn offered to let me review their new(ish), slightly smaller carry-on bag, the Tri-Star. For short trips — particularly short trips when you need to hit the ground running off to a museum, archive, or auditorium — this bag is a great blend of briefcase and suitcase, small enough to fit easily in a locker but spacious enough to accomodate more than enough clothes and whatnot for a few days.

Take, for example, my recent research trip to New York City. I needed to go directly from the airport to a museum archive. This meant bringing my luggage with me on a bus, train, and a brief walk to a building with not-generously sized lockers. Besides clothes and toiletries, I also needed to bring my laptop, some reading material, note-taking material, and folders to house my piles (we hope!) of research findings.

(Did I mention that these bags come in fun color combinations? I have grellow luggage! At last!)
The Tri-Star is basically made of three compartments that can be further sub-divided as necessary. The center compartment is the perfect size for my laptop and other nerdy supplies. Plus, there's still a little bit of room for a snack in there, too.

The back compartment has nifty hold-down straps for clothing. I folded and strapped down a pair of knit pants, a cotton button-down, a thin tunic, two skirts, a jersey dress, and a knit blazer. My big soft tote bag fit easily on top of all of that without straining the compartment zipper.

The front compartment is the one that got my compartmentalized packing self all excited. You could easily fit multiple configurations of packing cubes in there…

Or, you could choose to divide the compartment with the built-in zipper. Oh look, it's the perfect place to stash shoes…

My remaining clothes (underwear, pajamas, camisoles, a skirt slip, and three knit tops) and toiletries all fit easily into another packing cube. Speaking of, Tom Bihn pretty much makes a little zippered pouch for anything you can imagine: jewelry, toothbrush, a chapter of your dissertation…the usual.

The front of the Tri-Star has three tiered zippered pockets of varying depths. It's the perfect place to put things that you need to access easily, like your passport, boarding passes, pens, earbuds, printed directions, phone, etc.

And then, you could use the additional zippered pocket to tuck a few more sundry items or…you could use the nifty little snapping contraption to create the perfect little pouch for your water bottle or travel mug.

As with the Aeronaut, the Tri-Star has easy-to-grip handles and can also convert into a backpack. The very comfortable shoulder strap can be purchased separately as well. I find the backpack orientation to be the easiest way to travel with this bag when I'm boarding an aircraft or rushing to catch a bus or train. Once I'm at my destination, it's easy to switch to a briefcase carry.
Are these the most aesthetically stylish bags on the market? No. But it's incredibly well-made, sturdy, smart, and worth the initial output of cash. And I like that in a bag. Oh, and, for you international travelers, the Tri-Star meets carry-on requirements for Europe and Australia as well, since it's smaller than the Aeronaut.
Why am I telling you all of this? Well, partly because I really, truly love Tom Bihn bags and have been on a crusade to convert as many family members and friends to them as possible. But also…we'll be offering a chance for you to WIN a Tri-Star in Tom Bihn's newest color of custom U.S. 1050d ballistic nylon: Forest. The giveaway starts on Friday, so be sure to check back for an opportunity to snag your very own Tri-Star in Forest/Ultraviolet. Start dreaming about what perfect little trip you could take…

Printable Nunchuck Pen Caps

2011-07-06T12:13:00.000-05:00

Another example of what happens when the capability to create whatever is put into the hands of geeks. 3D printing is the bomb diggity!

via Make: Online by Sean Michael Ragan on 7/6/11

From Thingiverse user PrintTo3D, who calls them BicChucks. He was inspired by lusofer's pen-cap cutlery attachments. [via Thingiverse Blog]

How-Tuesday: Build Your Own Seltzer Maker

2011-07-06T12:05:00.000-05:00

Okay, so it's Wednesday now. Ah well. Still, this looks like another fun project to add to the long list of "things I'll do with my copious spare time to save money and live better."

How-Tuesday: Build Your Own Seltzer Maker

via The Etsy Blog by julieincharge on 6/28/11

If plastic soda bottles are piling up in your recycling bin, perhaps it's time to make your own seltzer maker! With a little tinkering and the right components, you can build a contraption to dispense the bubbly stuff with the help of painter and seltzer enthusiast Randy Stoltzfus.
Once your carbonated water is at the ready, a whole world of spritzers, sodas, ades, punches, and other effervescent beverages is at your fingertips. Try making an infused simple syrup or plum and ginger carbonated juice, then top it all off with a mustache drink topper, if you feel so inclined.

I've always loved fizzy stuff. It's made its way into my art (take a look at my paintings — those could be bubbles) and definitely into my diet. However, my partner Callie and I started to get a little bummed about all of the bottles we were lugging from the store and subsequently pitching into the recycling bin. After learning about the soda price conspiracy, open-source cola, carbonation history, and physics, by reading Richard Kinch's pioneering website, I set out to create a home seltzering set-up. Here's how to make one of your very own.

Supplies you'll need:

CO2 tank. You can buy one empty or just go to a welding gas supply company and pay a deposit for the tank. We purchased a refurbished tank from a dry ice supply company. This tank holds 10 lbs of CO2, the biggest that would fit upright under the kitchen sink. It lasts the two of us over a year before it needs a $20-30 refill.
Regulator. We got ours from the same place we got the tank. You need this to step the gas pressure down to around 50 psi. The dial gauges show you what the pressure is in the tank, the hose and when it's time to refill. Make sure you have a regulator that will work with CO2.
Vinyl tubing. You'll need enough to reach from the tank to wherever you want to fill your bottles.
A tire chuck. Look for this at an auto parts store.
A 1/4 turn ball valve. Since the tire chucks are leaky, you'll want an easy-to-operate cut-off valve. While you don't absolutely need this valve, it is convenient, and anything that keeps us from wastefully adding CO2 to the atmosphere is good, right?
Snap-in Schrader tire valve stems. You can find these at any auto parts store.
3 hose barbs, sized to fit your hose. Use these to thread into your valve and tire chuck.
4 hose clamps
An empty plastic soda bottle with a lid
Teflon tape
Gloves
Adjustable wrench
Screwdriver
A 15/64″ drill bit and a drill

Directions:

1. Cut the hose to length and slide a hose clamp on each cut end.

2. Thread your hose barbs into the chuck and ball valve. Wrap a bit of Teflon tape around each threaded end of the hose barbs.

3. Slide all the hose barbs into the hose ends, move the hose clamps into place and tighten. Be sure to wear some gloves! The clamps can be sharp, and you want to be able to focus on doing a good job lining things up so you don't have any leaks.

4. Attach the regulator to the tank. Make sure the special washer is seated inside the regulator nut. You don't want any Teflon here.

5. Open the tank valve and listen for leaks. Do this someplace quiet. Even the tiniest leak will empty your tank quickly. Adjust the regulator so you are getting about 50 lbs on the low pressure dial.

Here's a close-up of what you need for your bottle fill-cap. A couple of extra screw tops are nice to have on hand:

6. Drill a 15/64 inch hole in your bottle cap. Use a Brad-point drill bit so that you get a nice centered hole.

7. Thread your tire stem through the cap and work it into place.

8. Now you have your complete assembly!

9. Make some seltzer! Fill your bottle with water. Leave some empty space (maybe 1/5 the bottle) at the top for CO2. Then just fill the bottle the way you'd fill a tire. You will be able to hear the gas moving, and feel the bottle getting full. Then give the bottle a good shake. You can actually feel the bottle get softer as the CO2 dissolves in the water. I usually repeat the fill-and-shake routine a few times, but it's your seltzer: make bubbles to your personal taste. To maximize your carbonation, chill your filled water bottle before adding the gas, since cold water adsorbs more CO2.

Here's how the seltzer machine looks installed under our sink at home. The cut-off valve makes a convenient place to store the hose, which is long enough to reach the sink. Installed this way, it's impossible to hang up the hose without turning off the ball valve, a nice feature. Have fun

To hold the Moon in the palm of your hands...

2011-07-06T09:36:00.000-05:00

Moon Light by Nosigner

via Design Milk by Jaime on 6/30/11

This past weekend, Nosigner exhibited the Moon Light at Dwell on Design in the Yakitate! exhibit.
From Nosigner:

Every one of Japanese who wounded by the earthquake, prayed to the super moon, the biggest full moon in a cycle of 18 years. The moon is the light of our hope. This bright object is the LED lighting which is made from accurate 3D topography data of the moon from the lunar orbiter "Kaguya".

Under Sink Solution: Hang Spray Bottles From Tension Rod A Thousand Words

2011-06-30T09:33:00.000-05:00

BRILLIANCE! I love organizational goodness, but this is sheer simplicity and intelligence. AWESOME! I shall do this post-haste!

Under Sink Solution: Hang Spray Bottles From Tension Rod A Thousand Words

via Apartment Therapy Main by Tara Bellucci on 6/28/11

If the cabinet under your sink could use a little organization, check out this quick fix. For more under sink storage and easier access to the Windex, try hanging those spray bottles from a tension rod.

Read Full Post

Amazon Mp3 - $2.00 Credit applied to account After Coupon - Valid June 27-30

2011-06-28T11:58:00.000-05:00

This is legit - I've gotten an Abney Park song and am figuring out what I want to get with my other buck. :-)

Amazon Mp3 - $2.00 Credit applied to account After Coupon - Valid June 27-30

via Fatwallet.com Hot Deals on 6/27/11

Rating: 266 Posted By: 116sloppyjoe116
Views: 5468 Replies: 69

1. Go to link to redeem coupon code
2. Type in code: CLOUDMP3
3. $2.00 Credit will be applied to your account for future use.
Code details: link - thanks dvdjunkie

Good luck!
-sj
EDIT:
99 Must-Have Mozart Masterpieces - $1.99 Link -Thanks Sartor
60 Essential Royal Wedding Classics - $1.99 Link - Thanks Templeboy

Terraria vs Minecraft: Why 2D Is King

2011-06-27T13:11:00.000-05:00

This looks like a lot of fun!

Why 2D Is King

Ever since the behemoth that is Minecraft starting eating all the monies in the world, other developers - both indie and AAA alike - have been trying to work out what the heckers makes it so popular. Then there are those developers who have decided to take it a step further and make their own Minecraft, with success-bearing results.
Anyone who tells you that Terraria is not a 2D Minecraft clone is either a) a huge Terraria fanboy, or b) a bit dense. The game never admits its roots, yet never tries to conceal them either, from its blocky world to its crafting system to its enemies coming out at night... everything screams Minecraft. But then, Terraria also builds on the 3D original, adding tons of its own ideas and, of course, featuring a whole new side-on perspective.
In doing this, Terraria has actually managed to better its inspiration. Indeed, Terraria is not simply 2D Minecraft - it's far better than that, and my 20+ hours of play, coupled with numerous late nights of 'just one more descent', are proof of that.

For those yet to try Terraria: We're talking a mining game, in which you dig into the depths of a randomly generated world, hunting precious metals, secret caverns and materials that can be crafted into useful and exciting items.
So far, so Minecraft. However, the differences don't just come in what Terraria adds to the original concept - it is, in fact, the new 2D prespective that gives the game a whole new feel. Whereas Minecraft sees you digging into the depths, using torches and first-person vision to scope out your surroundings, Terraria lets you take in whole areas at once, allowing for far more fluid and action-packed scenes to unfold.
Being able to see everywhere around you at the same time makes the concept feel so much more accessible. You'll see enemies coming up from behind, and run screaming in the opposite direction. You'll eye treasure down below and race to get it before your friends do. There's still that tense feeling of claustrophobia and horror about it as you dig deep, but now lots of other emotions can come flooding out too.

What Terraria then does is reach Minecraft's bar, and storm on ahead. There's so much to see, do and make, and you'll wonder how the developers expect you to see it all in the short timeframe that is your life. I've now been playing for over 20 hours, and have seen many exciting things - and yet, I read the Terraria wiki and find that I have crafted about a tenth of the available items, and not yet even witnessed whole areas of the game.
There are dungeons to explore, floating islands to climb up to, lava-ridden hell levels to scurry madly around, corrupted segments that spread if you don't stop them, underground jungles to discover, lakes that hold glorious treasures at the bottom... and most of these you won't even find in your first 10 hours of play.
Terraria, in a nutshell, is bloody huge. Myself and two friends have been exploring a single world for the last week now, and we're still finding new and exciting things to do. Note that when we created the world, we chose 'Small' at the size. There's also Medium and Large too. Erk. In fact, why not check out our world below - here it is in PNG format:

(Click to enlarge)
See that thin grey line sprouting up from the land in the middle? That's our headquarters housing all our NPCs (more on them later). To the left you can see the dungeon marked in purple (we're still to beat it), and The Corruption to the right, seeping slowly away at the land. Underneath that is the underground jungle, and at the very bottom is the fiery depths of the world.
Zoom in on the pic and you'll see, just beneath our HQ, all the different routes we've dug out. You'll notice we've barely scratched the surface, and that's in over 20 hours of teamwork-based digging.
Now, to the NPCs. As you satisfy specific challenges, characters will move into houses that you build for them on the surface, and offer their services to you. The nurse heals wounds, while the demolitionist hands out dynamite. You really can build your own living village on the surface, and it will feel like home. The safety we feel when hidden away in our well-lit hallways at night-time is so satisfying.

But the best bit about Terraria is the random events that occur. We'll be digging away, minding our own business, and suddenly... 'a goblin army is approaching'! Or 'something is watching us...'. A multitude of different happenings pop up in the corner, from huge boss battles to meteorite crash-landings. It's worth playing Terraria just for those moments. I won't spoil them - you need to experience them yourself.
Now, after all this gushing, let me make one thing clear - Terraria will not destroy Minecraft, nor the other way around. These two games can live comfortably together, offering experiences that the other cannot. Yet, for me, Terraria is now the better game, and easily the first Minecraft clone to actually get it right.

The game is $10/£6 on Steam, and as with Minecraft, is seeing regular content updates, such as new things to craft and new items to discover. It's been in the top five top sellers on Steam since release, and most days can be found at number one. Whether you like Minecraft or not, I heavily suggest you try this one out with a couple of friends. Get digging.

3D printing glass in the desert

2011-06-27T13:09:00.000-05:00

We live in the future, I tell you!

via Ponoko - Blog by David on 6/25/11

If you were stuck in the desert and only had one provision to choose from, what would it be?

Well if your name is Markus Kayser you'd likely take your solar sintering 3D printer of course! The abundance of sand and sunlight in this environment provides both raw materials and energy. Allowing any failed mutineer or downed pilot to make nearly any provisions they could ever dream of!

"By using the sun's rays instead of a laser and sand instead of resins, I had the basis of an entirely new solar-powered machine and production process for making glass objects that taps into the abundant supplies of sun and sand to be found in the deserts of the world." – Kayser

Video and further images after the jump…
This printing method employs no bonding agents nor synthetic support material – only using the raw materials readily available. Kayser's machine focuses the Sun's energy with a fresnel screen onto the thin layer of sand fusing the sand into glass.

The video shot in the Sahara desert near Siwa, Egypt shows the process isn't yet 100% automated – the current model requires an operator to lay down and level each layer of sand. But otherwise the machine is truely remarkable in that it is entirely solar powered – the photo-voltaic cells power the sun's tracking motor and computer – feeding the 3D data to the sintering bed.

Kayser concisely sums up his project:

"Solar-sintering aims to raise questions about the future of manufacturing and trigger dreams of the full utilisation of the production potential of the world's most efficient energy resource – the sun. Whilst not providing definitive answers this experiment aims to provide a point of departure for fresh thinking."

Without a doubt this must be the most sustainable additive manufacturing process ever put into production. According to Wikipedia the total amount of energy the Earth's surface receives from the Sun each second is 1.74×10¹⁷ J. Currently we harness only a mere fraction of that…
Personally I don't think its ridiculous to rule out the possibility of some day Bedouins adopting 3D print technology of this sort.

David is an industrial designer from New Zealand. He contributes weekly 3D print articles for Ponoko. You can follow him on Twitter @dizymac
Posted in 3D Printing, Announcements + News, David McGahan, Technology by David

Want Better Naps? Sleep in a Hammock

2011-06-27T08:14:00.000-05:00

I, for one, knew this all along! I think I will sleep in my hammock this Thursday night. (Why Thursday, you ask? Well, because Thursday is my Friday! Yes, I have the coolest, awesomest, possible schedule for working 40 hours a week.) Anyways, onward to HAMMOCKS!

Matthew Rogers —A group of Swiss scientists studied the effects of sleep in hammock-like conditions by hooking a dozen people up to EEG units while they fell asleep on gently rocking beds. The end result was basically Science confirming what hammock-enthusiasts have been saying for years—the gentle rocking motion not only puts you to sleep faster, but the sleep is just plain better.

While the group believes there's a definite link between rocking babies to sleep and adults falling asleep easier while being rocked, it's still not clear if it's a causal relationship, or if our brains are just wired that way to begin with. Either way, the results were solid—every single participant fell asleep faster in the rocking bed, and their brain scans showed deeper sleep. So, if you want to get the most out of a nap, take it in a hammock.

Music To Test By: Portal 2′s Free Soundtrack

2011-06-23T13:13:00.000-05:00

Go. Download. What do you mean you haven't played the game yet?

Music To Test By: Portal 2′s Free Soundtrack

via Rock, Paper, Shotgun by Alec Meer on 5/25/11

Attention, test subjects. There is a soundtrack to Portal 2, and it is now available for you to download. It is free (FREE!), and comprises 22 MP3s with a bitrate of 320kbps – which is a number than means it doesn't sound like a man yodelling into a fish tank. Appears to be purely the instrumental soundtrack, not the Coulton or The National songs, but that means it's full of bleepy, technoid wonder. You can get it from here.
This is but Volume 1, which suggests a further volume to come (edit – two more, in fact). If you're the sort of person who likes annoying people on the bus, you can also download snippets of some of the tracks as ringtones for your personal communication device.

Street Art to Make You Smile!

2011-06-23T07:49:00.000-05:00

Something to make your morning just a little more happy... I'm especially fond of the journeying beduins!

Smile! Creative Street Art in France by OaKoAk

via Freshome.com - Interior Design & Architecture Newsletter by Lavinia on 6/20/11

For today we gathered a few street art works that are sure to bring a smile on your face. OaKoAk is a "French artist who likes to play with urban elements". The result? Cute urban jokes that liven up the gloomy city streets. From the "Chuck Norris Sat Here" broken bench (you guys are probably familiar with all the buzz around Chuck Norris jokes lately, we are certain) to a puzzled Pinocchio and ghosts with brick heads, the array of subjects seems to be never-ending. We really like the artist's art "improvisations" and believe they are able to make anyone's day just by encountering them unexpectedly on the street. There is even a design idea that you might have observed (the one with the piano stairs) that could be implemented indoors also. Enjoy the photos and contact the designer if you need any other type of information.

Makey Awards 2011 Nominee 03: Volkswagen’s Fun Theory, “Best Education / Out...

2011-06-22T16:38:00.001-05:00

Okay... this is awesome. And the thought occurs to me, could the City of Round Rock create something equally cool and motivating? Maybe something to encourage people to conserve water? Maybe something as simple as announcing a contest for the greatest reduction in summer water useage from one month to the next? Interesting thoughts...

Makey Awards 2011 Nominee 03: Volkswagen’s Fun Theory, “Best Education / Outreach Program”

via Make: Online by Sean Michael Ragan on 6/22/11

The idea behind Volkswagen's The Fun Theory program is simple: reward socially useful behaviors by making them into opportunities for play. Or, to quote a great sage, "You find the fun and snap! The job's a game."
The Fun Theory first appeared on our radar back in October of 2009, when it funded the conversion of a public stairway in a busy subway station into a giant piano keyboard to encourage people to take the stairs instead of an adjacent escalator.
Shortly thereafter, the program produced The World's Deepest Trashcan— a public rubbish bin that senses when an object is discarded and plays a delightful sound effect suggesting an impossibly long Wile E. Coyote-style fall, followed by a distant crash. The idea here is to encourage people to put their litter in the can by making the act of throwing something away rewarding in a visceral way.

Next came a glass bottle recycling bin that doubles as a whack-a-mole-style video game, with six different bottle openings, flashing lights, sound effects and a scoreboard.

Recently, their open contest was won by US citizen Kevin Richardson. His idea? Use a robot speed patrol camera in reverse-reinforcement mode: Record the license plates of those driving within the posted speed limit and automatically enter them in a lottery, with cash rewards funded by speeding tickets.

We're unsure, as of this writing, if Volkswagen intends to continue The Fun Theory awards program, or not. We certainly hope so. It's been a great source of inspiration to many makers, and a great source of funding for some clever projects that otherwise might never have been realized. And—just incidentally, of course—we think it's done great things for VW's PR, too. Congrats, Meine Damen und Herren.

"I'm proposing to make my school a prison"

2011-06-22T08:38:00.000-05:00

Today is apparently a day for ideas to float across the interwebs. Who knew?!

"I'm proposing to make my school a prison"

via TYWKIWDBI ("Tai-Wiki-Widbee") by Minnesotastan on 5/31/11

A only-slightly-tongue-in-cheek suggestion by Nathan Bootz, superintendent of public schools in Ithaca, Michigan.

Consider the life of a Michigan prisoner. They get three square meals a day. Access to free health care. Internet. Cable television. Access to a library. A weight room. Computer lab. They can earn a degree. A roof over their heads. Clothing. Everything we just listed we DO NOT provide to our school children.

This is why I'm proposing to make my school a prison. The State of Michigan spends annually somewhere between $30,000 and $40,000 per prisoner, yet we are struggling to provide schools with $7,000 per student. I guess we need to treat our students like they are prisoners, with equal funding. Please give my students three meals a day. Please give my children access to free health care. Please provide my school district Internet access and computers. Please put books in my library. Please give my students a weight room so we can be big and strong. We provide all of these things to prisoners because they have constitutional rights. What about the rights of youth, our future?!

His full, open letter to the governor of Michigan is here. Via Daily Kos.

Why aren’t we more rational about commuting?

2011-06-22T08:36:00.000-05:00

I don't usually re-post items that lack a compelling visual element, but I really feel what this article has to say is worth listening to.

Why Aren't We More Rational About Commuting?
by Brad Plumer

At this point, most everyone agrees that Americans are way too dependent on oil in our daily lives. Set aside pollution issues, even. There's still the raw fact that the economy is hideously vulnerable to wild swings in the price of crude. Another well-timed spike could hurtle us back into recession. All sorts of solutions have been proposed, from drilling the Arctic (not likely to help much) to alternatives like electric cars (which could take years). Then there are urbanist types who point out that if people simply had more alternatives to driving — from mass transit to biking — then oil spikes wouldn't hurt as much. Even though a significant subset of people would still have to drive, more options for more people would, at the margins, make our economy more resilient in the face of, say, civil war in Libya.

The trouble with this urbanist approach is that it has a P.R. problem. Americans are pretty culturally attached to the suburbs, and it's not terribly popular to suggest that more people should learn to love denser living and the joys of cramped city life. So here's another way to think about the problem. Earlier today, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) released a new report, "Freedom from Oil: How Transportation Choices Can Provide Gas Price Relief" that subtly raised an interesting point: Right now, people don't really have enough information to make reasoned transportation decisions. And simply providing that information could have a big impact.

Here's what I mean. Last week, Annie Lowrey wrote a wonderful piece for Slate about all the myriad ways that long commutes make us miserable. People absolutely loathe sitting in traffic, and long commutes increase the risk of obesity, divorce, stress, sleeplessness, neck pain. So why do we keep opting for long commutes? Here's Lowrey:

The answer mostly lies in a phrase forced on us by real-estate agents: "Drive until you qualify." Many of us work in towns or cities where houses are expensive. The further we move from work, the more house we can afford. Given the choice between a cramped two-bedroom apartment 10 minutes from work and a spacious four-bedroom house 45 minutes from it, we often elect the latter.

For decades, economists have been warning us that when we buy at a distance, we do not tend to take the cost of our own time into account. All the way back in 1965, for instance, the economist John Kain wrote, it is "crucial that, in making longer journeys to work, households incur larger costs in both time and money. Since time is a scarce commodity, workers should demand some compensation for the time they spend in commuting." But we tend not to, only taking the tradeoff between housing costs and transportation costs into question.

Tom Vanderbilt had a vivid way of describing this situation in his book "Traffic." Most people would rather shell out for a house with, say, an extra guest bedroom, even if it meant tacking an extra 10 minutes of commuting each day. It's easy to visualize the one or two days a year (if that) when Grandma comes to visit and the guest bedroom gets used; it's harder to visualize the slow, steady drip of misery that that extra 10-minute commute brings. In the long run, making this choice might be irrational, but it's how our brains seem to work.

There's no way to prevent this sort of thinking entirely, but there are ways to mitigate it. And that's where Blumenaeur's report comes in. It notes, rightly, that people often don't fully take into account transportation costs when buying homes — partly because it's difficult to make those calculations upfront. But what if, say, the government created a Transportation and Housing Affordability index that disclosed the transportation costs associated with a particular location? Likewise, what if mortgage lenders gave credits on home loans for households that had lower transportation costs? After all, owning a car is expensive, and in some areas, forgoing a car can save up to $9,000 per year. In theory, lenders should reward that sort of behavior, but they often don't. If this were all more transparent, a lot of people might prefer, of their own accord, to pay more for homes that were transit-accessible or had shorter commutes. A little more information can go a long way.

Granted, that's not the whole story. Right now, transit-accessible homes are already in high demand — that's why they're so pricey. As Chris Leinberger of Brookings once told me, some 30 to 50 percent of residents in U.S. metropolitan areas want to live in walkable urban environments — a trend fueled by the growing numbers of single and childless couples, who will constitute 88 percent of household growth through 2040. But there are only enough truly walkable neighborhoods in the country to satisfy about 5 to 10 percent of metro residents. Even if more and more people wanted to ditch their cars and interminable commutes, there's still a supply problem.

And that's where the rest of Blumenauer's report, which is really worth reading, comes in. There are a whole slew of minor but worthwhile ideas in there, from rejiggering federal transportation funding formulas so that they take gasoline use into account when approving new projects, to encouraging local communities to rethink their oversupply of free parking. Of course, that's all harder, more contentious stuff. Simply providing better information to renters and home buyers — so we can think a little bit more rationally about commuting — should be a relatively noncontroversial start.

Brad Plumer is an associate editor at The New Republic.

Truly Easy Homemade Cheese

2011-06-20T17:35:00.000-05:00

Gonna do it. Gonna do it. Gonna do it! I wonder if I could use my slow cooker for the first step?

Truly Easy Homemade Cheese

via HONEY ROCK DAWN by shreve on 6/6/11

Ten years ago, I read a profile in The New Yorker about a cheesemaking nun. I have always remembered the piece, the accompanying photograph (just found it online!), and the profound feeling it left me with: I was like, that's what I want to be when I grow up.

I've now taken the first step down that path. I have made my first cheese.
(I don't count my previous failures as cheese. They were failures.)

Cheese, on the one hand, is complicated and intimidating. On the other hand, it is simple and intuitive. I'm quite certain that milk wants to become cheese. Through my failures, I have realized the most important part about making good cheese is to take it slow. Respect the milk. DO NOT RUSH THE MILK. And the cheesemaking books never tell you this, at least not the ones I've read. And the cheesemaking websites act like you must shell out hundreds of dollars on specialty supplies if you wish to make cheese. Rubbish. A basic stainless steel pot will do the job just fine, or, in a pinch, a calf's stomach ~ people have been making cheese for thousands of years, long before fancy accoutrements existed.

Last year, I tried to follow the rules and ended up with so many cheese failures that I had given up. But when I started milking Daisy again last week, and found that familiar surplus overtaking my fridge ~ multiple gallons of milk that we couldn't possibly drink ~ I decided to try again. I needed something simple and gentle and intuitive to ease me back onto the cheese path. In a case of perfect timing, I was inspired by this post on a blog I enjoy. Since I only had fresh milk on hand, I altered her technique just slightly and the results are incredible.

OK! On to the cheese!
It starts with one gallon of milk.

This is fresh milk from my cow. This particular gallon is the equivalent of whole milk; I placed the pink tab at the cream line in case it didn't show up in the photo. If you're using store-bought milk, I think using 2% and maybe even nonfat would be fine, though I've not tested it out. You certainly don't have to start with a gallon. For my first batch I used half a gallon of milk but Mike and I loved the resulting cheese so much I went for a gallon this time.

You will also need a pot and a spoon and a lemon and a thermometer.
That's it.

I plugged my hot plate into an extension cord and brought it outside because it was a beautiful day and I prefer being outdoors.

Pour the milk into the pot, cover, and set over low to medium-low heat. LOW TO MEDIUM LOW. Stir the milk every now and then; I found that just rocking the pot with the lid on did the job well. Heat the milk to 170-175 degrees Farenheit. This takes a long time at medium low heat; I timed this batch and it took three hours. However, do not rush this part. If you do, your cheese will be gummy and flavorless.

Once your milk reaches a temperature of 170-175 degrees, squeeze the juice of a lemon into a cup and slowly pour it into the milk while stirring. When I used a half gallon of milk, I used the juice of half a lemon (about 3 Tablespoons) and with a gallon of milk, I used a whole lemon.

Almost immediately after adding the lemon juice to the milk, it will separate into curds and whey.

At this point, take the pot off the heat and let it sit for a few minutes just to give the curds time to separate from the whey.

Scoop the curds into a bowl; you could also pour through a tight strainer. I just spoon the curds into a bowl and then mash them with the slotted spoon to press out any remaining whey. At this point, you can add salt, herbs, garlic, whatever you fancy. Just mix it in to the curds and taste as you go.

And this is cheese! You could put it in a square of cheese cloth (not the whispy kind; real cheese cloth has a tighter weave, like flour sack cotton) and hang it to drain all the whey for a harder cheese, but I just mash out whatever whey I can, then pack the soft cheese into pint jars. The miniscule amount of remaining whey does not adversely affect the cheese, and I noticed it fully integrates back into the curds and kept it soft and creamy.

One gallon of milk makes two pint jars of cheese. It stores well in the fridge and the consistency is amazing and hard to describe - it's dense but spreadable and creamy. I like it with a little pink himalayan salt mixed in, spread on toast with fresh ground pepper on top. Try it - and leave a note in the comments telling us how it went! It's really easy. And REALLY good.

Nathan Fillion: If Only He Were Actually Famous

2011-06-20T16:03:00.002-05:00

My favorite Stealth Celebrity. Being "stealthy."

Nathan Fillion: If Only He Were Actually Famous

via This is Photobomb by Cheezburger Network on 6/17/11

Father-Daughter Reading Streak Lasts Nearly 9 Years

2011-06-20T16:03:00.001-05:00

This is what being Scott's daughter should be like, right?

Father-Daughter Reading Streak Lasts Nearly 9 Years

via NPR Topics: Books on 6/18/11

When Alice Ozma was 9 years old, her father made a promise: to read to her every night for 100 nights. But once the pair met their goal, they didn't stop. The Reading Streak lasted 3,218 days — and finally ended on Alice's first day of college.

Baled Out: Cow-Created Concrete Home Interior Completed

2011-06-16T13:34:00.002-05:00

In the category of "so bizarre it must be true"...

Baled Out: Cow-Created Concrete Home Interior Completed

via Dornob by dornob on 6/16/11

[ Filed under Offbeat & in the Architecture category ]

Ensamble Studio is back for an encore performance with this bizarre cow-eaten concrete enclosure, finally finished and ready to be a real living space if you can stomach staying inside chewed-out architecture.

In case you can't recall (though twice should be enough for it to stick!), the construction of this strange little abode began with the digging of a pit, followed by the introduction of a series of hay bales subsequently surrounded with poured concrete.

Archi-truffle? Truffle-tecture? Hard to see either of those taking off with mainstream consumers (of hay or otherwise), but very creative nonetheless – with models, drawings and new photographs to prove it (bed, sink, fireplace and all).

So what drove the design? "The Truffle is a piece of nature built with earth, full of air. A space within a stone that sits on the ground and blends with the territory. It camouflages, by emulating the processes of mineral formation in its structure, and integrates with the natural environment, complying with its laws."

And where did the cow come in? "To empty the interior, the calf Paulina arrived, and enjoyed the 50m3 of the nicest food, from which she nourished for a year until she left her habitat, already as an adult and weighing 300 kilos. She had eaten the interior volume, and space appeared for the first time, restoring the architectural condition of the truffle after having been a shelter for the animal and the vegetable mass for a long time."

...I wonder, though, why there are no "in progress" pictures of Paulina?

Wood Age Computing at Its Finest

2011-06-16T11:11:00.000-05:00

You know you're steampunk when...
you see this image and think "I have some spare plywood and an end table I want to convert into a linux box!"
And yes, these are my thoughts that I am seriously having right now. Thoughts of sanding down an end table, building a plywood box inside it, staining the outside and making the whole thing one very roomy case. IT ~~WOULD~~ WILL LOOK SO COOL!

Wood Age Computing at Its Finest

via There, I Fixed It - Redneck Repairs by Cheezburger Network on 6/16/11

The graphics are obviously a little grainy. ~NHSHA

Submitted by: Windsor

The Unsung Heroes of Biscuit Embossing

2011-06-16T11:00:00.000-05:00

The end result of this post? I want cookies. Lots and lots of cookies.

The Unsung Heroes of Biscuit Embossing

via Edible Geography by Nicola on 6/13/11

Over at The New York Times Magazine's enjoyable 6th Floor blog, Hilary Greenbaum asks "Who made that Oreo emboss?"

IMAGE: Oreo manhole cover, by Andrew Lewicki, an LA-based artist whose work also includes crates of Southern California concrete oranges and a combination ashtray/juicer, for the perfect Parisian breakfast.
Interestingly, when the Oreo was first introduced by Nabisco in 1912, it used a much more organic wreath for its emboss, later augmented with two pairs of turtledoves in a 1924 redesign. The contemporary Oreo stamp was introduced in 1952, and it has remained unchanged, and, in the words of Pulitzer Prize-winning architecture critic Paul Goldberger, "the stuff of legend," ever since.
Writing in 1986, to mark the cookie's seventy-fifth birthday, Goldberger declared that the Oreo "stands as the archetype of its kind, a reminder that cookies are designed as consciously as buildings, and sometimes better." Comparing the Oreo to its less successful competitor, the Hydrox, Goldberger notes:

Still, it is the Oreo that has become the icon. And after all, it is the more American-looking of the two — its even pattern, however dowdy, has an industrial, stamped-out quality. It might be said to combine homelike decoration with an American love of machine imagery, and in that combination lies a triumph of design.

IMAGE: The late, lamented Hydrox cookie, whose pattern is, according to Goldberger, "at once cruder and more delicate than the Oreo's; the ridges around the edge are longer and deeper, but the center comprises stamped-out flowers, a design more intricate than the Oreo pattern." Photo via Wikipedia.
However, despite the iconic status of the Oreo emboss today, the identity of its designer remains murky. As Greenbaum reports:

Many Internet resources have credited William Turnier as the man behind the four-leaf clover and serrated-edge design, but Nabisco could confirm only that a man by that name worked for the company during that time as a "design engineer."

IMAGE: The evolution of the Oreo emboss, from 1912, to 1924, to today, courtesy Nabisco, via The New York Times.
In reply to Greenbaum's post, a comment by "Bill," who claims to be William Turnier's son, raises the intriguing possibility that the original blueprints for the Oreo emboss may be hanging over the door of a family room in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. I hope design museums around America are sharpening their acquisitionary claws.
As it turns out, online Oreo-obsessives have spent as much time decoding the design as they have speculating on the identity of the designer. The circle topped with a two-bar cross in which the word "OREO" resides is a variant of the Nabisco logo, and is either "an early European symbol for quality" (according to Nabisco's promotional materials) or a Cross of Lorraine, as carried by the Knights Templar into the Crusades. Continuing the Da Vinci Code-theme, the Oreo's geometric pattern of a dot with four triangles radiating outward is either a schematic drawing of a four-leaf clover or — cue the cliffhanger music from Jaws — the cross pattée, also associated with the Knights Templar, as well as with the German military and today's Freemasons.
No wonder the Oreo has become the most powerful cookie in the world, with more than 491 million sold to date.

IMAGE: A hexagonal ship's biscuit, painted by an anonymous sailor, and showing evenly spaced docker holes, c.1906, National Maritime Museum.
Conspiracy theories aside, the origins of 3D biscuitry are both pragmatic and decorative. The practice of punching holes in biscuits is known as "docking," and has been done by bakers for centuries in order to prevent uneven puffiness and promote flat crispness. According to British cookery writer, Elizabeth David, a pre-mechanisation docker was "a dangerous-looking utensil consisting of sharp heavy spikes driven into a bun-shaped piece of wood."
Meanwhile, across Europe, a parallel and equally time-honoured tradition of decorative waffle irons and wooden moulds emerged, used to emboss religious symbols on communion wafers, coats of arms on Italian pizzelle, and courtly imagery on German springerle.

IMAGE: Wooden eucharistic wafer stamp from Epirus, Greece, via A History of Food by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat.
The turn of the nineteenth century saw the birth of the industrial biscuit, and, with it, the marriage of these two morphologies — docking and decorating — into an automated production line. In the late 1890s, two cousins, both called Thomas Vicars, designed the first embossing and cutting machine, capable of punching holes, stamping decorations, and cutting out up eighty biscuits per minute from a moving sheet of dough. The dies were necessarily hand carved until engraving machines were introduced in the early 1900s.
Thin, hard biscuits, such as the Rich Tea and Morning Coffee, are still made in almost exactly the same way. But the true golden age of biscuit engineering did not dawn until the invention of the rotary moulder in the late 1920s.

Diagram of a rotary moulder, from Technology of Biscuits, Crackers, and Cookies, by D. J. R. Manley
This technology, albeit updated with variable speed controls, advanced non-stick coatings, and quality sensors, is still used to make Oreos and most other thick embossed biscuits today. The cookie dough is forced into negative moulds, which imprint patterns, brand names, and docker holes. A scraping knife ("D" in the diagram above) scrapes off any excess dough to give a flat bottom, and the formed biscuits peel away onto a conveyor belt to be baked.

IMAGE: Weidenmiller rotary moulding rollers.
This, then, is the enduring technology behind the blend of baking science and aesthetic appeal that is an embossed cookie. But what of the designers who created equally long-lasting moulds or dies?
For the most part, unlike the Oreo's William Turnier, they remain not only anonymous but completely disregarded. No one seems to know or care who created the stylized ferns on the Custard Cream, which remain unchanged since their debut in 1910; or the Art Deco steaming cup on the cardboard-like Morning Coffee biscuits of my youth.

IMAGE: The Custard Cream: Britain's favourite biscuit. Photo via Wikipedia.

IMAGE: Lovely design, shame about the biscuit. A Morning Coffee, via.
This tradition of biscuit design anonymity seemingly continues into the present day. The Weidenmiller company of Illinois, for example, promises that its team of nameless artists will "develop any design from a conceptual thought," while Italy's Errebi Technology offers more than 500 rotary mould shapes off the shelf — and utterly uncredited.

IMAGE: Machine carving rotary moulds today, courtesy Errebi Technology.

IMAGE: Errebi's ready-to-order emboss shapes, page 1 of 26.
To my mind, these classic biscuits — ubiquitous, overlooked, and yet embodying the highest design standards in both form and function — are worthy of recognition as "humble masterpieces," to borrow Paola Antonelli's terminology.
Time to make a nice cup of tea and appreciate one or two of them myself, I suppose.

Nendo: Textured Transparencies

2011-06-16T10:07:00.000-05:00

Similar to the concrete. People are just making things be more translucent nowadays!

Nendo: Textured Transparencies

via Design Milk by Jaime on 4/12/11

Nendo has an exhibit going on this week during Salone called Textured Transparencies.
Descriptions below are from the designers.

Transparent-Table
We cast clear acrylic in a wooden form with a strong grain and assembled the resulting pieces to create a table made of 'transparent wood'. We reproduced the butt ends faithfully and beveled the edges like floorboards, and matched the grains ends and dimensions of the wood used for the table legs to the 'transparent wood' to create a unified piece. The two tables have specific and different optical effects: at first glance the black table is wood, but a closer look reveals its transparency, while the clear table is the transparent at first glance, and only later reveals its wooden form.

Transparent-Lamp
Today, we're blessed with a variety of sight-protective films for window glass and smart phone screens that prevent unwelcome peeks from neighbors. Our pendant lamp uses a type of protective film that is semi-transparent when viewed directly, and transparent when viewed at an angle. We placed the light source at the center of the ring of film, creating a lampshade that might be transparent, but mutes the light emitting from its center through the layer of half-transparency regardless of the angle from which it is viewed. The light hits the film at a right angle, creating the effect of soft light spilling into the space of the room as it passes through the transparent lampshade.

Transparent-Chair
A chair made with polyurethane film, a transparent film commonly used as a packing material for precision instruments and products susceptible to vibrations and shock, thanks to its high elasticity and ability to return to its original state. Looking at the chair, it seems to consist of nothing but a backrest and armrests. It wraps and supports the body like a hammock, providing a light, floating feeling for the sitter.

Transparent-Frame
A picture frame created with artificial ulexite, which has the ability, similar to fiber optics, to transmit light and images without attenuating them. Artificial ulexite is not only transparent, but makes objects seen through it appear to float on its surface, as though it is depthless. We took advantage of this property of the material to 'map' part of the image supposedly contained inside the frame onto its surface. This creates an ambiguous boundary between image and frame, canceling out the usual 'image-frame' relationship and changing the way that we see images.
Textured Transparencies is open today through April 17th at Galleria Antonia Jannone at 125 Corso Garibaldi, Milan 20121 Italy.
Photos by Masayuki Hayashi.

Homemade Ginger Beer and the Dark 'n' Stormy

2011-06-16T10:03:00.000-05:00

My libation blogging friend, you must do this, and share the results!

Homemade Ginger Beer and the Dark 'n' Stormy

File this one under projects that seem a lot harder than they actually are.
A week or two ago, my wife tore out a couple pages in the New York Times Style magazine about a shop in Melbourne, Australia that combines style, bespoke fashion, and great food under one roof called Captains of Industry (here it is as an interactive online feature). Besides all the cool ideas and wavelengths that must bounce around in that shop, they apparently have delicious ginger beer. And they offer an informal recipe in the spread: take ginger, cut it up, add some lemon juice and sugar, toss in hot water and yeast, and give it 24 hours. Not that they had time or space to give any true exact quantities or anything. But hey, that's the fun of fermentation and kitchen experimentation.
Well, it actually is that easy to make ginger beer, and I made a batch recently which was fizzy, super ginger-y and dry, and fantastic over ice. Ginger beer is essentially ginger ale but with a much sharper, more upfront ginger taste, and it's far less sweet. It isn't alcoholic, but because of its more assertive flavor it holds up beautifully in cocktails.

Indeed, I was most happy to see if fulfilling its true destiny in a Dark 'n' Stormy cocktail, mixed with dark rum and a little lime juice to taste. The sweet undertones of the rum soften the spicy ginger to great effect—and when summer finally comes around for good in Chicago and it's sweltering again, the heat is made a little bit more bearable with one of these in your hand.

Homemade Ginger Beer

1/2 pound fresh ginger, roughly chopped
2 quarts boiling hot water
2 cups sugar
juice of two lemons
1 teaspoon champagne or other yeast

A couple tips for making ginger beer: first, don't do like I did and stuff all the ginger into the jug you'll be storing it in. Obviously, once it's done fermenting I needed to separate the ginger from the liquid or it would get spicier and spicier, and so I had a real time getting all the solids out of the bottle. Instead, let it steep in a large bowl or pitcher, then pour it into a jug and add the yeast
Also, the kind of yeast you use matters when it comes to flavor. Champagne yeast is cheap and pretty good for this purpose -- check for a local brewing shop or order online. That said, it'll work with regular bread yeast and it will still taste pretty good.
After making this batch, I found many recipes that opt to grate fresh ginger and simmer it with sugar and water in a pan, then use the resulting syrup mixed with more water and sugar and yeast to create the ginger beer. This does seem like a good solution, though the ginger-y taste might be less upfront (which could be a good thing or bad thing, depending on your perspective). Anyone want to weigh in on that method?

Chop the ginger (no need to peel) and add to a large pitcher.

Cover with sugar and lemon juice and add the boiling water.

Stir well and allow to sit as the water temperature cools. When the water feels just lukewarm to touch, add the yeast and cover the pitcher (plastic wrap would work well). Allow to sit at room temperature for 24 hours or so.
Pour the mixture through a strainer, cheesecloth, or a clean kitchen towel into a sealable jug (leftover beer growlers work particularly well). Taste the mixture and add more sugar if desired (adding more sugar will also give the yeast still living in the beer something to eat, which will carbonate the drink if you seal it). If you want carbonation, let it sit out for another day, then refrigerate to keep it from fermenting further. Every few days, open the cap to release gas buildup, or it might burst in your fridge -- though it's unlikely.

Dark 'n' Stormy

2 ounces dark rum
3 ounces ginger beer
lime juice to taste (try 1/2 ounce)
simple syrup to taste

In a tall glass, stir together rum, ginger beer, and lime juice (though citrus cocktails are often shaken, you don't want to shake this one because of the bubbles in the ginger beer). Add plenty of ice. Because this ginger beer is pretty upfront, you may want to add simple syrup to soften it out a little bit -- just mix half water and half sugar and shake until dissolved, then add to taste. Though if you use a good full-flavored dark rum (Gosling's is the standard-bearer), it may not be necessary.

"If a programming language was a boat… ...

2011-06-16T10:01:00.000-05:00

I believe my friends in the world of computing will find this amusing.

"If a programming language was a boat… ..."

via mendel's soup on 6/14/11

By Tony ⋅ April 4, 2008 ⋅ Post a comment

This one is inspired by a recent forum post, that still leaves me in amazement.

Hi, Im wondering how i can create a boat in turing and if someone can post a example.

This makes no sense, since one doesn't normally make water vehicles in Turing, the programming language. Though this got me thinking — if a programming language was a boat, what would it be?

Turing

Turing would definitely be a kayak (thank you for comments). It's small. It's human powered. It's often used as a beginner "boat". And it's also very Canadian.

Original photo by naokomc

Java

Java is a cargo ship. It's very bulky. It's very enterprise~y. Though it can also carry a lot of weight. Will carry a project, but not very fun to drive.

Original photo by cfarivar

Perl

Perl is a tugboat. Powerful enough to tug Java around, in 80 characters or less.

Original photo by xeeliz

Ruby

Ruby is difficult to describe. It's sleek, sexy, and very fun to drive. Here's a picture. Very trendy.

Original photo by Tony Falcon

PHP

PHP is a bamboo raft. A series of hacks held together by string. Still keeps afloat though.

Original photo by permanently scatterbrained

C

C is a nuclear submarine. The instructions are probably in a foreign language, but all of the hardware itself is optimized for performance.

Original photo by Ryan C. McGinley

HTML

HTML isn't really a
programming language
boat.

Original photo by ascendeddaniel
There's a lot more to this, and it's all up for discussion. How would your favourite programming language fare in open waters?
"

If a programming language was a boat… | CompSci.ca/blog
[Reposted from FreXxX]

See-Through Concrete: 5 Real-Life, Light-Transmitting Walls

2011-06-14T08:03:00.000-05:00

Gotta admit, sometimes new building materials make me totally geek out!

See-Through Concrete: 5 Real-Life, Light-Transmitting Walls

via Dornob by dornob on 6/13/11

[ Filed under Surfaces & Walls & in the Fixtures category ]

You might remember this wonderful innovation from Litracon® – translucent concrete – from its days as a prototype with small (paid) samples available to interested architects. Now, however, it has begun to be deployed in real-life buildings.

Small optical fibers transmit light from one end of each block to the other, effectively acting as aggregate alongside small stones and crushed glass.

Prefabricated into a single suspended panel, the individual blocks for this particular wall were rotated into place. The result is a semi-transparent facade that lets in limited light and shadow but also provides some privacy for this prominent street-front location during the day (as light trickles inside, and visual interest outside on the sidewalk at night (when the light primarily passes back out).

But this is just the beginning – from little table lamps with Litracon shades to pavers and sidewalk squares that transmit light down into (or up from) tunnels below your feet, well, the options are a bit mind boggling. For now, the delicate process required to create each unit is somewhat time- and cost-prohibitive, but as the technology evolves, anything could be possible.

On the Street...Rivington St., New York

2011-06-13T18:30:00.000-05:00

This is a lovely style photo. Makes me think of River Song!

On the Street...Rivington St., New York

via The Sartorialist by The Sartorialist on 6/10/11

19 Pots by Nir Meiri

2011-06-13T17:50:00.000-05:00

This is gorgeous - I really want to do this... someday... in my forever home.

via Design Milk by Jaime on 6/9/11

Nir Meiri's 19 Pots project was inspired by an examination of the rural landscape. Using disposable plant pots painted gold inside, 19 flower pots become radiant lampshades.

The 19 Pots lamps are currently on display at the Paradigma Design Gallery in Tel Aviv as part of the Gold Mine exhibition through July 8th 2011.

Set of Musical Glasses

2011-06-08T08:50:00.000-05:00

Add this to the list of "things I would have if I had more money than I knew what to do with." Now, of course, I'm wondering if different liquids have different resonances. Is there a set of glasses that come with silverware so you can get notes by tapping them? Some enterprising beer (or root beer) company should make a bottle that they mark in a similar fashion so you can have an instant band by blowing over the mouth.

Set of Musical Glasses

via Better Living Through Design by Katie on 6/7/11

These glasses would be excellent to have at your next dinner party, wouldn't they? The graphics are musical notations for the correct level of liquid to produce the perfect pitch when a user runs their finger along the rim of the glass. As the price is for a set of 2, you'll need to shell out a fair amount of dough to get a complete octave.

Comes as a set of two.
Also available directly from Luna & Curious for £23.50.

Apple Has Finally Stuck A Dagger Into SMS. I Love It.

2011-06-07T16:33:00.000-05:00

...someone should tell this person about Google Voice. And someone should tell Google Voice about iMessages. I want picture texts already!

Apple Has Finally Stuck A Dagger Into SMS. I Love It.

via TechCrunch by MG Siegler on 6/6/11

Now that the WWDC keynote is over and I've had a little bit of time to reflect, I've been thinking about what excited me the most from today's announcements. The list is long, no doubt. But I think I'm going to have to go with something that surprised me — while at the same time making me look smarter than perhaps I really am. (Again, just perhaps.) iMessages.
As one of the core new features highlighted today in iOS 5, iMessages has one purpose: to kill SMS. That is, traditional carrier-controlled text messages. iMessages will do this by replacing SMS with a service that Apple is in control of across all of their iOS devices. And here's the real death blow: iMessages will be completely free.

Sure, you can argue that iMessages is limited due to the iOS requirement. But as Apple announced today, there are over 200 million iOS devices out there now. That's a lot. Like Blackberry Messenger before it, Apple now has the strength to create their own device-to-device messaging application. And that's exactly what they've done. And considering what a colossal rip-off SMS is, I can't help but love this move. It's exactly what I've been waiting for.
Five days ago, on my personal blog, I responded to a post Anil Dash wrote wondering if Apple had all the tools in place to build their own Twitter. (As we've seen today, they've chosen to partner with them instead.) That was an interesting idea, but more interesting to me was the higher level concept of Apple creating their own messaging platform — again, like RIM did with BBM.

"There's a reason why BBM took off. Apple could make it work device-to-device as well. I'm thinking we need a FaceTime without the 'Face'," I wrote noting that while there are no shortage of third-party attempting to do this, it may take a true Apple integrated solution to fully take off. And that's exactly what iMessages is.

But SMS, with its billion percent margins (roughly), is a huge profit center for carriers. So why would they let Apple do this? (After all, this isn't just a WiFi feature, it will work over 3G as well.) That's easy. What choice do they have? Are Verizon and AT&T (or international carriers) going to boot Apple at this point for destroying their precious SMS services? No. And Apple will probably argue that SMS remains a great medium for cross-device message pollination (which is true).

But it's not just that iMessages kills SMS because it's free. It kills it because it's better. While the sending of photos, videos, and text matches SMS (and MMS), it's better with iMessage because it's streamlined and simplified. Plus you can now send contacts and locations. And you can see in real time when someone is typing, responding to your message. And there are delivery receipts. And optional read receipts (so you know if someone has actually read your message). There's group messaging. Encryption. Etc.
It's sort of like SMS 2.0. And again, free.

And my favorite part of all of this is that Apple is baking it into the same Messages app that SMS goes into. People will use this. A lot.

And again, while this may be iOS-only, guess who else is going to have to match this feature now? Android. SMS is about to become a cross-platform messaging platform only. As a person who has paid hundreds if not thousands of dollars in bullshit SMS fees in my life, I happily say to the carriers: eat it.

CrunchBase Information

Apple

Information provided by CrunchBase

Tooting my own horn... not sure about the sound it makes.

2011-04-15T11:05:00.000-05:00

Relevant bit starts around 5 minutes, 37 seconds. I'm actually pretty pleased with the voiceover, but shall work on figuring out how to stand in front of camera for the next time. Interesting stuff also shows up briefly ~9:42. I'm not TECHNICALLY on camera, but if you were there, you know where I was.

The new facility by City Hall is where Penfold's late summer/fall show is going to be - you can look for me in the backstage area there, too, if you like. Yay Penfold!

The Hip Hop Librarians of RRISD @ TLA 2010

2011-04-15T09:49:00.000-05:00

Okay... this is just... there are no words. I mean, really... this is just amazing. Watch and wonder.

Math Monday: Mathematical Coffee Table

2011-04-12T11:04:00.001-05:00

It's a giant puzzle! Now, where did I put my giant Jenga set?
(and yes, I know I'm posting a Math Monday on a Tuesday. Live with it.)

Mathematical Coffee Table

via Make: Online by Gareth Branwyn on 4/11/11

By George Hart for the Museum of Mathematics

Continuing last week's theme of mathematical coffee tables, here is one designed by Michael Serra, inspired by the work of Piet Hein.

The base consists of six pieces from a set of Hein's SOMA puzzle, so the remaining two pieces are available as end tables. The glass top is a superellipse, a shape which Hein used for many design purposes, because it interpolates between a circle and a square.
More:
See all of George Hart's Math Monday columns

Artistic Integrity

2011-04-11T15:20:00.001-05:00

Sometimes, it's all about HOW you don't swear. Thank you, P!nk, for proving that when you make art, you don't have to prove you were swearing on your radio version.

Here's the "Over 13" version, for comparison. (Please note, as should be obvious by this post, this version has swearing in it. Additionally, the first 10 seconds of the video implies that a husband and wife have sex. If this kind of thing is not what you want to watch, then I suggest you stick with the above version.)

My point here is that BOTH of these versions are official versions by the artist - both of the video and the song. Most people would think that, given her punk-rocker image, P!nk would not only litter her song with swear words, she'd also be sure you knew, in the radio version, exactly what she was saying. (You've heard those songs, the ones where the minimum milliseconds are bleeped out and you can hear the beginning and the end of the word, leaving no doubt, not only that swearing went on, but what was said.) It's good to see artists taking artistic pride in not only their original version, but also the censored version. How's that for a response to censorship.

This song is one of my favorites - I truly identify with the protagonist of the video, having grown up being looked down on as a "Homeschool Girl" - I'm happy to report that I've reached the confident end, with success, joy and an identity I challenge anyone to diss. One day, I'll show this video to my teenage daughter.

I may be schizophrenic

2011-04-11T13:32:00.000-05:00

This made me giggle. May end up on the wall at work.

via Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? by Cheezburger Network on 4/7/11

I may be schizophrenic …but at least I have each other.
u mus b absolootlee cuckoo, kitteh.

MemeCats: The Revolution’s Underbelly

2011-04-11T13:00:00.000-05:00

I am the cat that arranges the blocks that descend upon me from up above!

via Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? by TehGrateCheez on 4/8/11

Moar Lenin Cat over heer!
Submitted By: McCFred

Now, if someone could please edit this video to replace all images of Lenin with images of LeninCat, we'll be good.

Japanese Gravity Marimba Plays Bach In An Ancient Forest

2011-04-11T11:56:00.000-05:00

Very pretty! I especially love how it appears it all slots together - no nails, just everything in it's place! Also, song selection is everything - and this song is one of my favorites.

from Make: Online by Sean Michael Ragan

Japanese Gravity Marimba Plays Bach In An Ancient Forest

This remarkably beautiful video, uploaded to YouTube one day before the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, turns out to be an ad for Sharp's SH-08C handset. It is, nonetheless, something you shouldn't miss: in a tranquil forest, a single wooden ball rolls down a stepped wooden ramp, continuously, for two minutes. At each step, it falls and strikes a wooden bar tuned to play a single note of the 10th movement of Bach's Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147, commonly known by its English title, Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring. Wait 'till you see how they handle the sustained notes. [Thanks, Rachel!]

Now, if only I lived anywhere within a 5 hour drive of Oakland, CA

2011-04-07T15:29:00.000-05:00

I would be there. Reveling in Pirate-y awesomeness. One of these days I'll get another chance to see Abney Park. One of these days.

via Captain Robert by robert@abneypark.com on 3/24/11

The 21 and Over San Fran show has been moved to May 7th, so it can be an awesome ALL AGES Pirate extravaganza!

GET TICKETS HERE

more details:
Abney Park in A Pirate Ball - May 7th
Oakland Metro Opera House, Oakland, CA

Abney Park and Swing Goth are at it again! This time the two have teamed up for a Pirate themed Ball with TWO ROOMS of entertainment.

Dock House (Main Stage) - Abney Park will be playing TWO FULL SETS with cirque performances and DJed dancing throughout the night!

Boat Yards (Vendor Area) - Vendors galore and Sea Shanties along with other performances!

PLUS, dance lessons offered from 8:30-9:30 and an area reserved for dancing during the show.

This concert has been recently rescheduled from April 2nd and more information, including a list of vendors and performers will be available shortly.

Doors at 8pm
Dance lessons from 8:30-9:30
Show from 9:30-2am
$20 Early Bird, $22 regular pre-sale, $25 at the door

Kid Friendly: Yes!
Dog Friendly: No
Non-Smoking: Yes!
Wheelchair Accessible: Yes!

Geeky Picture... wonder what he's whistling...

2011-04-06T16:31:00.000-05:00

perhaps "Dark Side of the Moon"?

via Bio Break by Syp on 4/5/11

Gaze Upon Me, Minions!

2011-04-01T16:03:00.000-05:00

This made me giggle for a full 30 seconds straight. I think it's the combination of the absurdly large tower with the random, odd half-building. Nonetheless, I would love to have this in my backyard. I would look down on the world from above... somehow, though, I don't see my neighbors appreciating it as much as I would...

via Lovely Listing - Odd Finds in Real Estate Listings by Cheezburger Network on 3/29/11

By: Not Sara, Sorry

The cats of the neighborhood need to know full well who is in charge here. They'll see me seeing them and they'll understand.

Found by: Dusa

Via: www.almerebeeld.nl

Practical Benefits of Working at a Fire Department

2011-03-31T08:47:00.000-05:00

Anyone who has been near me for longer than 50 minutes in the last month has probably heard me talk about why I love my new job. Working for the City of Round Rock - and specifically for the Round Rock Fire Department has more perks than a coffee shop.

It is my hope that many of the more obvious practical benefits of working with a group of highly trained life-savers will never be something I actually need. However, today I experienced one of the highly valuable, extremely practical benefits of working at a fire station. Today I got a flat tire.

I called my boss, who reminds me of my father more and more with each coming day. (Seriously, when you visit me next, Dad, you need to meet my boss, ya'll would see eye to eye.) He asked me if I wanted one of the guys to come down and change my flat for me. At first, I thought I'd just use USAA (which is an awesome service I love having, when I'm not in the Round Rock city limits). But then, I realized - it was still rush hour. It would take USAA at least 45 minutes to just get a guy out to me. I called him back. Within 10 minutes, I had three guys from Engine 2 changing my tire, Nascar style. I arrived at the office by 30 minutes after eight.

So thanks guys, thanks Mr. Six (boss's nickname) and thank you God - I work at the Round Rock Fire Department (Training Division) and I couldn't be gladder!

Awesome Augmented Reality App Could Save Librarians Hours

2011-03-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

See... this is the kind of thing that librarians need - time saving devices that let them spend more focus working with their patrons!

Awesome Augmented Reality App Could Save Librarians Hours

via ReadWriteWeb by Audrey Watters on 3/27/11

If you've ever worked in a library, you're familiar with the drudgery of shelf reading. That's the process of verifying that all the books on a shelf are in the right order, based on their call numbers. Books get out of order fairly easily, when they're taken off the shelf and examined, for example, or when they're just stuck in the wrong place.
Miami University's Augmented Reality Research Group (MU ARRG! - that exclamation point, I confess, is my addition), led by Professor Bo Brinkman, has developed an Android app that could save librarians a lot of time and hassle. Using the Android's camera, the app "reads" a bookshelf, and with an AR overlay, quickly flags those books that are misplaced. It will also point to the correct place on the bookshelf so the book can easily be re-shelved correctly.

The app can also aid with inventory, generating a report of what a library really has on its shelves.
There are a few drawbacks. Thin books, such as those found in the children's section, would be difficult to tag. Also, this prototype only uses 16 bits on the tag, but Brinkman says the group is working on a version that would allow them to put around 72 bits on a tag, allowing the system to scale up to work with any library collection.
The app was developed by undergraduate research assistant Matt Hodges, and it will be demoed next month at the Association of College and Research Libraries 2011 conference.
via Reddit; photo credits: Flickr user Stewart Butterfield

A Valuable Lesson (Courtesy of John Scalzi)

2011-03-29T13:33:00.000-05:00

Indeed, Sensei Scalzi, indeed.

"I See No Possible Way How This Incredible Cover Letter Could Ever Fail!"

via Whatever by John Scalzi on 3/29/11

As a preface: I did not write this. I might have exploded had I tried.
—-
[Author and address redacted]
Dear [Agent / Editor]

Prepare to be blown away. In your hands you hold the first four pages of my debut epic, VIOLET THUNDER. You have the truly unique opportunity to be one of the first to read a work that will undoubtedly revolutionize the publishing world. Borrowing tropes from the epic fantasy, supernatural detective, and harlequin romance genres, I have crafted the first wholly original masterpiece in probably at least a century.
I know quality writing, and know a lot of other people who know quality writing. A sample chapter presented to my mother's book club was described as, and I quote, "like nothing they had ever read before". My high school English teacher told me that I should submit it right away, even though I only shared the first half of the first draft.

Now, I understand that conventionally you are expecting to see the first five pages. I haven't done that. Instead I am sending the first FOUR, so convinced am I that what you hold in your (no doubt trembling) hands is 20% better than anything you have ever read. Ever. Now, I am intimately familiar with everything you publish, but to avoid embarrassing any of your other authors I will not name names. Suffice it to say that when you finish VIOLET THUNDER it is very likely that you will forget them, and will likely shit joy and barf rainbows.

My story follows the adventurous life of Sir Reginald Garret Von White Castle, a 900 year old katana wielding swordfighter from Prussia who, despite his great age and staggering accomplishments chooses to associate with and speak exactly like a modern day high school kid. From the opening line "I always knew that, in teh end, I would be fucked by unicorns and glitter" to the mind blowing dénouement, Reginald leads you through a clandestine world of classic and completely new supernatural creatures who have all chosen to masquerade as high schoolers in a typical Midwest town with no defining features or characteristics. This is so a reader could easily imagine him- or herself there (VIOLET THUNDER will appeal to both genders, and anyone who is or ever has gone through a trying transition to adulthood).

VIOLET THUNDER begins when Reggie's best friend Bob is kidnapped from the high school shower after third period gym. Bob is a figmentationist, a person who can make anything happen that he imagines, except that it is never useful or impactful, and generally only functions when it is convenient for me, the author, to have it do so. Obviously Reggie isn't going to stand for this, so he sets upon a journey of discovery, where he confronts glowing magic vampires, a succubae sponsored lesbian biker gang, mean cheerleaders, the sexually repressed high school councilor who is also a troll, and many other things so shocking that you need to read them in context to avoid some sort of brain hemorrhage. In all instances Reggie starts with banter, but ends with a drawn katana and a decapitated foe. He is also a police detective.

Through twists and turns literally nobody has seen coming, Reggie ends up in a final confrontation atop an incongruous Midwest skyscraper facing down his ex-girlfriend who now rides a magic unicorn who poops glitter and controls zombies. I will not spoil the end for you, but suffice it to say that when they do it, it is totally hot. You will be amazed when you finally discover the totally hidden meaning of Reggie's VIOLET THUNDER.

Please respond promptly, as I have simultaneously sent this to literally everyone in the publishing industry that I could find on the internet. If you do not happen to be the first person to snap up the rights to VIOLET THUNDER and all future sequels, I apologize. Judging by what I think authors make, this series should totally be worth at least a million dollars.

Thank you.

[Author's Name Redacted]
—-
You may say, there is no way such a thing could possibly be real. But ask any agent or editor if they've ever received a cover letter like this. The answer may surprise/shock/depress you.
Also, in case you weren't clear on this: Dear writers, never do anything in this cover letter ever.
EVER.
Thank you.
[John Scalzi]

Historically Hardcore

2011-03-29T09:50:00.001-05:00

Gotta love it when museums make "pop-culture" references. The first one is my favorite. Yay Teddy Roosevelt! (You know, he actually worked getting shot INTO his speech as an example, several times!)

via Design Milk by Jaime on 3/22/11
These made me laugh so much that I had to share.

Created by artist Jenny Burrows and copywriter Matt Kappler during school for their portfolios, these fake ads for a famous museum are spot on awesome. And well done. Unfortunately, that major museum was not a fan. Jenny had to change the text at the bottom to read "Museums" and change the logo. You can read all about that here.

On the Street....Eveline, Paris

2011-03-29T09:18:00.000-05:00

There are two reasons I post this, #1: I love how her wrap dress and wrap shoes compliment each other, very nice! #2: I knew Scott would appreciate the photography of birds.

via The Sartorialist by The Sartorialist on 3/29/11

Geektastic lighting

2011-03-29T08:21:00.000-05:00

This seems like it might go very well as overhead lighting in our library... so, how do you feel about crawling around in the attic, oh my husband?

via IKEA Hackers by Jules on 3/22/11

Materials: Hemma Cord Set, copper wire, blank printed circuit boards

Description: I wanted to create some lighting for my apartment that would have a very geeky feel. After looking around and finding nothing I wanted I decided to create something from circuit boards.
I purchased blank printed circuit boards from ebay.
I used copper wire and insulated wire. (Local hardware store.)
I hooked this all into a Hemma cord set, well 3 of them for the 3 lights.

I wired the circuit boards together with the copper wiring visible as one square and two triangles. I tried using 5 of them but it was very heavy, the 3/4 seemed to be a good look and weight, they are hung with cup hooks using the hooks that came with the cord set.

I then suspended the Hemma fixture inside with insulated wiring. The piece that screws together allows for a good tight hold and the lights have held up very well for several months.

The circuit boards create a lot of visual interest because they have many different levels of light they let through. The light also creates a great visual on the ceiling above them.

Total cost was around $50 with materials left over.

~ Sara Reller

Disney Princesses + SuckerPunch

2011-03-22T16:38:00.004-05:00

I fully admit to being already excited about the lovechild of Steampunk, Anime and Strong Female Protagonists that is SuckerPunch. But the person who made this video? They are awesome, talented and super-cool. Friends of mine who make trailer/video mash-ups, take note, this is a top-notch example! (Okay, I only have, like, 2 friends who do this, and they're both pretty amazing. But still. It is awesome.)

Barter for Instruction at Trade School

2011-03-21T16:49:00.001-05:00

What an excellent concept! My dad will no-doubt think of it as slightly hippie in nature, but still... the idea of a learning community like that is something I've seen take off in a lot of different ways in the last few years. Best of luck to you, Trade School!

Barter for Instruction at Trade School

from Make: Online by Nick Normal

Tucked away in a back room on the 3rd floor of a nondescript church in NYC's NoLita neighborhood is Trade School. An initiative of Our Goods, Trade School encourages students to "barter for instruction." Basically you take a free class, and in exchange, you teach the teacher something they want to learn about! Classes range from making balloon animals to making soup, from learning dance forms to public advocacy, and even a How to Teach A Class class.

This past weekend I took a 1.5 hour class with Brooklyn's locavore and foraging specialist Leda Meredith. The class was Food Preservation for cans and jars, and was attended by a dozen students. In exchange, sometime in the future, I'll teach Leda on how to use File Transfer Protocal (FTP) to connect to her own websites and servers! A real deal for me, because whereas I make my own kombucha, kim chi, and sauerkraut, I was unaware of the simple science behind hermetically sealing jars for pickling food — whereas I can teach about FTP while I sleep!
Classes run until April 17th so if you're looking to learn or even to teach, get in touch with Trade School.

Vericon Schedule, Signing in Boston Area, ALLOY OF LAW Cover

2011-03-21T14:58:00.001-05:00

Yay! New Brandon Sanderson Mistborn novel! STEAMPUNK COVER FTW, just, you know, in case you missed the goggles and bowler hat.

Vericon Schedule, Signing in Boston Area, ALLOY OF LAW Cover

via Brandon Sanderson Blog on 3/17/11

Tor.com has revealed the cover art (below) for the Mistborn book that's coming out in November, THE ALLOY OF LAW. There's a short summary too. I may talk more about this later, but let me say that I love the art that Chris McGrath did for this.

News - Watch Amy Pond Flirting With Herself

2011-03-21T11:15:00.000-05:00

And now for something completely awesome... (plus, the "quasi-date" we've been waiting for - Easter 2011!)

News - Watch Amy Pond Flirting With Herself

via Dark Horizons - General Feed by Dark Horizons on 3/20/11

The BBC's Comic Relief Night saw the premiere of a two-part mini-sketch from "Doctor Who" penned by current showrunner Steven Moffat. It's a standalone piece that has TARDIS materialising in itself, Amy Pond flirting with herself, even a bit of fun innuendo with one joke about a TARDIS design feature that's strictly for you dirty old dads in the audience.
'Who' mini-episodes have popped up several times on Comic Relief over the years, Moffat himself penned two previous ones, most recently "Time Crash" (watch here) which has the tenth Doctor (David Tennant) meeting the fifth (Peter Davidson).
Watch both parts of this year's special below. The new season of 'Who' kicks off April 23rd in the US and UK with a new trailer for it due later this month:

Scanned Boards Custom Cut into Curved Hardwood Floors

2011-03-21T09:33:00.000-05:00

This goes on the list. You know, the one I keep of AWESOME THINGS THAT MUST BE DONE... someday... when I can afford them... in a dark hardwood... (yes, "in a dark hardwood" is a category on the list. Because that's just the way I roll, baby!)

[Picked up from Dornob, Filed under New Materials or in the More category ]

We have so much technology to design and build these days, but it is all meaningless without an application like this: a device scans each board that passes through the machine, evaluates its natural curves and structural properties, then slices it into perfectly-fitting but uniquely-shaped floorboards.

The technique itself is not new, strictly speaking – master craftsmen have done things like this for ages. But the work has historically been laborious – time- and labor-intensive to the point of being cost-prohibitive. Digitized by Bolefloor, it becomes mass-producible … yet remains customized.

Aside from the amazing visual effect of having organic-looking floors, each board nesting into the next, the process also strategically eliminates knots and other structurally-troublesome deformities while maximizing the amount of use from each board.

Further, each tree is tracked from the time and location it is cut down to the final destination of its installation. While eco-friendly cork and non-wood materials have made their way steadily to market, it is nice to see an actual new-wood alternative that still considers environmental impacts.

I Think I’ll Take My Chances With Stairwell 2

2011-03-21T08:59:00.002-05:00

I feel happy! I think I'll go for a walk! What do you mean, stairwell 3 is a bad idea?

I Think I’ll Take My Chances With Stairwell 2

via There, I Fixed It - Redneck Repairs by Cheezburger Network on 3/17/11

Actually, I'll use this as a good excuse to just head home. ~Not-So-Handy Andy

Submitted by: codymc

Via: original photo

Support ur local

2011-03-14T11:51:00.002-05:00

This is the first cat picture on my wall at work. I look at it when my day gets a little too...directed. :-)

Support ur local

via Lolcats 'n' Funny Pictures of Cats - I Can Has Cheezburger? by Cheezburger Network on 3/10/11

Support ur local Search and Rescue unit Git lost
sum fingz r bettur off lost…

Kinect + Tesla Coils: Those Fools At The Academy Laughed At You…

2011-03-14T11:48:00.000-05:00

Muahahahaha....

Kinect + Tesla Coils: Those Fools At The Academy Laughed At You…

via Make: Online by Sean Michael Ragan on 3/14/11

If you only watch one online video today, it should be this one.
[via adafruit]

30 Things We Need — and 30 We Don't

2011-03-10T08:23:00.000-06:00

This may just end up printed and in my office. In fact, no maybe about it - I'm formatting this pretty and printing it up ASAP.

30 Things We Need — and 30 We Don't

via HBR.org by Tony Schwartz on 3/8/11

Do you have the feeling, as I do, that in the tsunami of everyday life, we're getting too much of stuff we don't need, and not enough of what we do? Herewith my first set of suggestions about how to redress the imbalance:

WE NEED LESS:	WE NEED MORE:
Information	Wisdom
Shallow billionaires	Passionate teachers
Self-promotion	Self-awareness
Multitasking	Control of our attention
Inequality	Fairness
Sugar	Lean protein
Action	Reflection
Super sizes	Smaller portions
Private jets	High-speed trains
Calculation	Passion
Experts	Learners
Blaming	Taking responsibility
Judgment	Discernment
Texting	Reading
Anger	Empathy
Output	Depth
Constructive criticism	Thank-you notes
Possessions	Meaning
Righteousness	Doing the right thing
Answers	Curiosity
Long hours	Longer sleep
Complaining	Gratitude
Sitting	Moving
Selling	Authenticity
Cynicism	Realistic optimism
Self-indulgence	Self-control
Speed	Renewal
Emails	Conversations
Winning	Win-win
Immediate gratification	Sacrifice

Hot Seats! Stools Set on Fire to Create Charred Log Chairs

2011-03-09T11:00:00.002-06:00

It seems that fire-themed items are just zooming across the Interwebs! The pyromaniac in me really, really, REALLY wants to try this.

Hot Seats! Stools Set on Fire to Create Charred Log Chairs

via Dornob by dornob on 3/9/11

[ Filed under Furniture or in the Chairs category ]

Titled 'Burnt Out' (Ausgebrannt), well, they are indeed – the char-encrusted voids are the result of searing each seat, carved a unique shape with heat and flame rather than a saw or chisel.

Kaspar Hamacher strips raw logs of their bark, then sets smaller blazing logs atop the chopped stumps – by criss-crossing and repeating, a pair of bisecting lines slices down into the underside of each seat (leaving four rough-edged legs behind).

The (de)construction work is done, appropriately enough, in a forest atelier setting where the wood can be safely set alight and allowed to burn freely.

Of course, the concept is cool, but in reality the furniture has some issues that need addressing – wastefulness and pollution being obvious, but sealing off the charred remnants might not be the easiest thing either.

What Are Those Brick Circles in SF Streets?

2011-03-09T10:00:00.000-06:00

I'm especially interested in this given my new place-of-work. Although, I must say, SF is full of architectural curiosities. Makes me want to visit there - or at the very least, re-read Laurie King's Locked Rooms.

What Are Those Brick Circles in SF Streets?

via CALIBER by Stuart on 3/8/11

There's actually an interesting story behind them…

I've seen these brick circles, or sometimes half circles, in the center of various intersections through out the city. I thought they might be historical markers or previous landmarks. In fact, each brick circle outlines an underground cistern full of pressurized water. The cisterns, ranging in size from 10,000 gallons to 250,000 gallons, are supplemental water supplies for the SF Fire Dept in addition to the high pressure and low pressure systems. They are accessible by special green hydrant valves and are tested every few years to ensure integrity.
There are 172 cisterns strategically spread throughout SF, totaling 11 million gallons of auxiliary water, enough to cover the city 1.25″ deep, and are part of the San Francisco Fire Department Auxiliary Water Supply System, a subset of The San Francisco High Pressure Water System.
Fifty four of the oldest were built as early as 1860. They exist independently of other water systems in the city and were put in place following the 1906 earthquake. As you may recall, it was the fires following the quake that destroyed most of the city and lack of water supply was a key reason the conflagration was able to do so much damage. In the event we were to experience another catastrophic earthquake, the high pressure supply system could be compromised and fire fighters would need immediate access to large quantities of water. These cisterns provide that additional flow, and as part of the high pressure supply, are unique to any city in the United States.
Over the next few weeks, I'll be investigating this High Pressure System further. It's unique to this city, quite complex and is made up of a lot of interesting landmarks that are fun to hunt down.

sources and more info:
http://www.sf-fire.org/index.aspx?page=1003
http://ronslog.typepad.com/ronslog/2010/05/emergency-preparedness-in-san-francisco.html
http://www.sfmuseum.org/hist1/hpfs.html
http://www.sfmuseum.org/quake/awss2.html
http://www.sfcityguides.org/public_guidelines.html?article=344&submitted=true&srch_text=&submitted2=&topic=neighborhoods

Cutting-Edge Fashion by Daniel Widrig and Iris van Herpen

2011-03-08T10:59:00.000-06:00

Normally I wouldn't post something like this - it is way too wacky for me. But after Dad's comment on my last fashion post, I had to share this one. See, Dad, the "Princess Leia" outfits were NORMAL in comparison! This, THIS belongs in a 2001: A Space Odessey/The Princess of Mars crossover!

However, I will say... this is a very...interesting...use of a technology I AM following closely: 3D printing.

Cutting-Edge Fashion by Daniel Widrig and Iris van Herpen

via Design Milk by Jaime on 3/8/11

London-based architect Daniel Widrig and Sutch fashion designer Iris van Herpen first collaborated at Amsterdam Fashion Week in 2010 on a collection called Crystallization (above) — a fashion collection of 3D-printed dresses. Escapism is the continuation of this collaboration and launched at Paris Fashion week earlier this year.

The goal of the Escapism collection is to take 3D printing and push the limits on the wearability of the printed pieces. It investigates the possibility of using advanced technologies and computer-aided design to create haute couture fashions made of fiber-like elements that are lightweight and flexible.

The collection was produced in collaboration with New York based label .MGX by Materialise via Selective Laser Sintering (SLS) in Polyamide.

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Beautiful Old Wood Barn Renovated into a Fresh New Home

2011-03-08T10:35:00.004-06:00

I love almost everything about this conversion. My only dislike is the stable-like bed arrangment in... with such a fresh and airy conversion, you'd think they'd avoid looking so institutional!

[Courtesy of www.dornob.com, filed under Conversions or in the Architecture category ]

Barns tend to be rich in history but mixed in terms of materiality, made for functional on-the-farm purposes with owners little realizing they might one day live where pigs and chickens used to lay (eggs or otherwise).

This structure is a lovely layered and deeply-textured exception – particularly following a fantastic renovation effort turning it into a downright dazzling contemporary house.

SHED architects worked some serious wonders in programming this old building with a workroom, kitchen, lofted living area, guest apartment and multiple bathrooms. All of this also had to be done with historic preservation in mind.

Skylights and bay windows opened up the interior to let in additional daylight, while a limited material and color palette kept any additions from drawing attention away from the existing elements. Meanwhile, recycled surface materials, plumbing pipes and more were utilized throughout.

Salvaged exterior siding became interior paneling – scrap floorboards turned into new stairs, trim and counter-top material. All in all, there is a timeless look to the end product; a traditional farmstead structure has definitely been giving a great new lease on life.

Haider Ackermann Fall 2011

2011-03-07T16:41:00.000-06:00

I concur with my favorite fashionista blogger - best collection I've seen so far. I love the use of textures and fabrics, structure and looseness. AWESOME.

Haider Ackermann Fall 2011: "What a great follow-up to his outstanding Spring 2011 show. Right now, Haider Ackermann is the collection to beat for Best Show of the Season.

Openaire - Laptop Case/Workstation on the Behance Network

2011-03-07T16:32:00.000-06:00

Okay, I need one of my friends who can make things to create these with me. I'm seriously pondering if there'd be a good way to sew something like this, maybe with sleeves to put hard items in to create the sturdy-ness. This just sounds like such an awesome thing for travelling - if I could get one for Scott, I'd give it to him for his birthday.

Openaire - Laptop Case/Workstation on the Behance Network

The House From Up! Now Exists In Real Life—and It Flies! [Video]

2011-03-07T09:41:00.000-06:00

My joy at this occurence is, well, about the same as the joy of Jesus Diaz - the guy who wrote the bit about it for Gizmodo.

The House From Up! Now Exists In Real Life—and It Flies! [Video]: "

This is really nuts. The people from National Geographic have built a house inspired by the Pixar movie Up! Yes, a house tied to gas balloons that actually flies. I'm so giddy I can barely type. More »

SQUIRREL!

Michal Maciej Bartosik

2011-03-06T23:40:00.000-06:00

This is awesome. High art + lightsabers = lovely!
...what? ...what do you mean "they're not lightsabers." I know lightsabers when I see them, dagnabbit!

Michal Maciej Bartosik: "

Michal Maciej Bartosik has created two new floating compression lights that are based on two of Kenneth Snelson‘s sculptures: ‘Needle Tower’ and ‘City Boots’.

Utilizing Snelson’s structural discovery, appropriated and popularized by Buckminster Fuller as “Tensegrity,” Bartosik proposes new possibilities of light forms, whereby the light source and its electrical wire work mutually in compression and tension to produce a seemingly discontinuous field of light defined by it structural form.

The light sculptures won best Studio North Collection at the IDS11.

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On the Scene....Forever Fifties, Milan

2011-03-02T12:10:00.000-06:00

Scroll down with me... AHA! Her boots are AWESOME! (P.S. Blog-This works now!)
On the Scene....Forever Fifties, Milan: "

Trying out "Blog This"

2011-03-02T12:09:00.000-06:00

Does this work? Do you see a post from Dornob about a cool recycled materials house? I hope so!

Photographic technique

2010-08-19T09:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I think I've decided to share the beautiful and fun things I find on this site, keeping my TexasAdjacent blog reserved for house reviews/Austin local things.

Anyways, I just love this discussion of technique and planning on Kyle Cassidy's LJ - it's well worth a read!

Someone else's idea

2010-08-19T09:07:00.000-05:00

Desk/Bed/Awesomeness

I'm not sure if I love this idea most because of the clutter cover, the space saving or the idea of a desk the size of a twin bed. All are most excellent, most excellent indeed.

Most Beautiful College Campuses

2010-03-15T14:39:00.001-05:00

As my little sister begins to contemplate colleges, I contemplate places I'd love to visit her at...

The Matrix as a Charlie Chaplin film

2009-11-09T16:44:00.001-06:00

Too, too funny!

Which is worse - the illness or the cure?

2009-10-28T14:16:00.002-05:00

You know that feeling that you get when your "non-drowsy" meds are actually quite drowsy? It feels like instead of blood you have water and it's flowing down your veins at half speed - which is simultaneously faster than normal blood (since water is less viscous than blood) and slower, since it's actually moving slower, as previously mentioned. Focusing is difficult. The world passes by you, as if you were on a train or bus, looking out a slightly clouded window into a cold, cruel world.

This is the blog post of that medication. It apparently increases my metaphoric tendencies while at the same time decreasing my speed and accuracy of typing. I wish not to be on these meds anymore. I really wish not to be at work any more. My nice, warm bed is where I would prefer to be located at this moment. With a book on tape droning at me 'til I fall asleep. That would be perfect.

None of that for me, though.

I shall instead attempt to work - knowing that my attempts are probably going to be miserable failures or at least misguided and taking 2x as long as necessary.

Allergies are no fun. Allergy meds are also no fun. I don't know whether I am good to drive or will be when it is time to go home. This is also not a good thing. I wonder if there's a way to get Scott over here to drive me home. Or to church. Or whatever.

Prayers appreciated.

Unicorns are Extinct

2009-10-27T17:01:00.004-05:00

If I were to ask you what you thought unicorns represent, what would you say? My first response is purity. Unicorns, like purity, are almost extinct. Unicorns exist in our minds, in our imaginations, but not at all in the real, physical world.

Purity exists only in God. (James 1:17 - Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.)

So, these two things cannot be seen, touched or interacted with in our physical world. But they are things we strive for. What human being does not crave purity? What little girl does not want a unicorn?

I certainly wanted a unicorn when I was little. Why I thought a horse with a sharp pointy thing on its head would be better than a regular horse, I don't know. But the truth of the matter is, unicorns poop rainbows, have self-brushing hair and are always refreshingly fast, but never stubborn. Nor do they require feeding, for they dine on sunshine. As someone who regularly partakes of a diet of sunshine, I knew this was not only possible, but true.

Even to this day, the concept of a unicorn appeals to me. I imagine their hooves would jingle melodically, they would never require saddling and would always be very, very fast. I would gladly commute via unicorn, because the unicorn would know the way to work and I could just sit and read whilst I rode.

---This Unicorn Themed Post is brought to you by Hannah Sillily Asking Scott What She Should Blog About. I promise to ask someone else next time I can't come up with something.----

I certainly want purity still. This is why I clean, this is why I strive to be better, to do better, to live BETTER. Because I know I am not pure, but I seek after it. And when I can't find perfection - I settle for second best. Luckily, eventually, I will get this perfection. Someday God will take me and make me perfect. But, even better - God loves me now. And He, who is pure and perfect, does not need me to make myself perfect - but instead is completing this work in me, through His Son, even now.

Life has consequences

2009-10-26T11:48:00.002-05:00

"Live Life to the Fullest" is a saying that I usually whole-heartedly endorse. But sometimes I realize that it needs a caveat, or at least, an addendum. Because when you live life to the "fullest" you leave little room for rest, relaxation and adjustment. You're always going full speed ahead and you can't ever stop. This weekend was wonderful, amazing, enjoyable, and very, very full.

On Friday I arrived home to a surprise delivery. Our good friends in Abilene had sent us a gift - a game called Dominion that we had thoroughly enjoyed playing with them last weekend. This gift, of course, had to be USED! So I called our friend Craig, who is often up for some last-minute-fun, and invited him over for an impromptu game-time. We picked up some tasty Bun from a local Vietnamese restaurant and proceeded to thoroughly enjoy ourselves. Scott was glad for the break, I was glad for the fun times with friends - it was an excellent way to begin the weekend.

Unlike most Fridays, though, we didn't stay up too late - because we had to get up way too early for a Saturday to get Scott to his conference on time. I then proceeded to search for about 30 minutes until I found the Habitat for Humanity ReStore (I forgot the exact location, and left my cell phone @ home). Eventually finding the place (I now know where it is and shall not lose it again!), I proceeded to purchase a door, a faucet & some rope. Little did I know that each and every one of my purchases had a flaw!

I'm going to stop for a moment here and highlight the phrase "Little did I know" - because it's worth a second look. It's one of those "indicators of doom" that you instantly recognize. Just sayin'. DOOM!

So, flaws: The biggest & most obvious was that the door was not the right size. The hinge holes were in the wrong place. So I had to return the door, bringing along part of the old door to show where the hinges were supposed to be. Then I looked at the faucet - the faucet was not the faucet that was pictured in the box. Fortunately, I decided I liked this new faucet equally well to the one pictures and furthermore, was not picky. The rope - well, I bought the rope to hold the door in the car. Completely unnecessary. So, the rope was not so much flawed as superfluous. Ah well.

The 2nd door (having returned one door and come home with door with right hinges, then hung said door (not easy with only 1 person & very heavy door!), was too wide. Furthermore, I knew that the narrower door would be too narrow! So, I decided to narrow-fy the door and widen the door frame. This required the purchasing of a plane, so I was off to Home Depot. Needless to say, I opted for the $8 manual plane, rather than an electronic one that would not allow me the pleasure of working my butt off and really earning this closing door.

Oh, and just FYI - I salvaged the old door handle off of the old (and literally fallen to pieces, not to mention defaced) door. It has a lock, which we will have to be careful not to engage, as we have no key.

Then, at about 4:30, I go pick up Scott and we head to a TEMA party (Texas E-something Medievalists Association) that is about 40 minutes southwest of Austin. But the view of the sun setting was worth it - also the Indian food & the cheese & wine. We were the youngest people there by at least 5 years. But it was interesting.

So, we get home at about 9:30ish, maybe a little later. We are ready to decompress. I am too tired to play our new board game (also fun for 2 people, major plus!), so we pull out the bed-couch and settle down for Stargate: Ark of Truth. About 20 minutes into the movie, we hear a very emphatic knocking on our door, followed by...Christmas carols?

It is Mom & Lynna! Surprise visit! Wow! Talk about surprise! We are, of course, absolutely delighted & flabbergasted to see them. Scott gets very hyped up and cannot go to sleep. I end up going to sleep at about half-past midnight. I have no idea when he came to bed.

Late bedtime aside, my joy at having my Mom with me for the second weekend in a row means I cannot stay abed and I am up not much after 8AM. 's gonna be a loooong day.

We clean the kitchen.

We play board games.

We purchase a salt grinder.

We eat burritos.

It is very, very, very good. I am happy, I am tired. I am glad to see our small drop-in visitor kitten head off to her new home. It is only 3pm.

I play Portal.

I am too tired to play Portal.

I am too tired to stop playing Portal & do something else.

Scott grades papers.

We head to house church.

So, after house church I am pretty much exhausted, both physically & emotionally. But I am too awake to go to sleep. So I don't get to bed until after midnight, and don't go to sleep 'til after 1AM.

Today is a very, very slow day. I'm glad that there's nothing terribly intensive going on because I could not handle intense at this particular juncture.

This blog post is more about me processing this weekend than informing others about it. This coming week is very full - but I hopefully shall find the time to rest and breathe - because on Friday night, there is a party at our place and I really, truly want to have a most excellent time.

Now I've just gotta come up with a costume for said party!

Things I Love - in 5 minutes or less

2009-10-22T17:52:00.002-05:00

I'm about to head home for the day, so without further ado, here is a list of things that make me smile, giggle or otherwise brighten my day:
-my husband
-Trillian Astra's wikipedia links
-cold, cold water
-the good feeling you get when you exercise at lunch instead of spending money on a soda
-nonetheless, the aforementioned ice-cold soda
-This American Life
-cleverly avoiding listening to the public radio station's week-long plea for money by listening to NPR podcasts on my USB stick
-planning to give money to the public radio station anyways
-hammocks
-hammocks + books
-hammocks + books + lemonade
-hammocks + books + Raspberry lemonade + nearby ocean or lake for ambient noise
-Portal
-the Portal song
-the fact that we have an emulation of the Portal computer giving us directions
-my family
-my family
-my family
-my awesome friends
-kittehs
-MY kittehs
-Squirrel!
-saying "It's funny because the squirrel gets dead"
-decorating my house
-my HOUSE!

and many, many more things. For these and much more I am thankful. Thanks God! You're awesome!

Gearing up...

2009-10-21T09:47:00.002-05:00

So, when you start off on a bicycle, you hopefully start where the ground is flat. Then, after a little while, perhaps you go up a hill. If you're a normal person (i.e. not my brother whose bicycles are interesting & odd... love you bro!) you have gears to help you transition smoothly from the flat ground to the uphill climb. The reward for all of this is the thrilling sensation of flying DOWN the hill...well, unless you live in certain parts of Austin, where in order to get that, you really need to just turn around - because when you reach the top of one hill, lo and behold, there is another hill. Not saying this from personal experience mind you - my bike has not yet left the back porch (for shame!), but having driven in these areas, I can imagine biking them.

All this to say - November is coming. And with November is NaNoWriMo (that's National Novel Writing Month for those of you who don't know). And so, in preparation for my uphill attempt towards 50,000 words & a completed story, I'm going to endeavor to post in my blog much more often. Perhaps not every day, but my goal shall remain 7 posts a week.

This post, explaining what I'm up to, is not even the "flat land" right now I'm standing by the bike, contemplating my tires, checking the gears, etc. It's been a looong time since I was last on this particular machine and I want to make sure all is in running order.

Wish me luck!

-Hannah

Fear Not!

2009-08-21T15:49:00.002-05:00

Okay, so this is not a "real" blog post. But if I made lots of posts like this, then it might be, no? This is merely a very cool idea that I wanted to pass on. This is why you go to college. And, apparently, Africa.

This world is not my home, so while I'm passing through...

2009-06-18T10:39:00.002-05:00

Myself, my husband and a few of our associates are pondering a trip down to Cape Canaveral this November to watch a shuttle launch. Details are still pending - but if it works out, it'll be one of those memories we keep for our grandchildren. As I was telling a friend about this, she asked me if seeing a shuttle launch was on my "bucket list." Now, not having made a "bucket list," I'm thinking that's impossible - but not for long! People's goals change, what I value will change - so I thought it might be a good idea to make a list of "Things to do while I'm passing through" - even if I don't ever accomplish them all, it'll be interesting to see how, in 1, 5 or 10 years, this list has changed: what items have been crossed out, what has been added, and what, if anything, has become less important.

1) Explore Europe as Husband & Wife

Scott and I had a lot of fun in Oxford, but it was the "getting to know you in a new context" kind of fun. Perhaps my best memory with my Mom (so far!) is when we spent a week travelling around Europe, exploring new cultures and learning about each other. I really want that kind of an experience with Scott - preferably without kids (so either in the next few years or with a really awesome baby-sitter/ grandma!).

2) Live in a foreign land I want to put down at least semi-roots somewhere that is not in America. Toronto might count for Scott, as he had the stability of the university, but not for me - as I never really had the necessary "tethers" to make our life in Canada stable for me. I want a steady income, scheduled life, health plan, bank, neighbors, the whole nine yards. Ideally, English would not be the native tongue and we would stay for more than a year.

3) Have kids Okay, this might seem to be a "given" - but I know there'll come a time some day mid-way through this whole "have kids" process when I'm wondering why in the world I ever stopped taking birth control. This item is on the list to remind me that I want to have that moment, move past it and appreciate all the wonderful moments that come before, during and after. Scott, my love, I can't wait to see you as a dad and I can't wait to be a mom!

4) Relax at a spa This is on the list because if it wasn't, it would never happen as it is too much money for one day's worth of pleasure. But I really want to do the whole "spa treatment" thing - preferably as part of #1 or #2, as then I'd have a chance of experiencing a traditional spa day, whether it be Japanese baths, Roman baths or Russian travelling spas, I'm up for it!

5) Go PAST my limits I'm not sure what activity this will end up being - but I'm confident its out there. Whether sky diving or climbing a really big mountain or performing on stage in front of a large audience, I want to find my comfort zone and step out of it in a major and memorable way.

6) Publish Something I have too many stories inside of me to not complete and submit something for publishing at least once every year or so. With enough persistence, maybe one of my stories or books would get published. Even if that doesn't happen, though, I want to go through the process.

7) Attend Burning Man Fire, lots of fire and things ON fire and music and, oh, the moment I heard about this festival I knew it was for me!

8) Sleep in the Redwoods I've been there once, now I want to go camping! I only have vague memories of these giant trees, so I want to make firm ones and have the whole experience.

9) Take a road trip With a group of solid friends. At the end, we'll all either love each other or hate each other. I want this experience!

You may notice that seeing a shuttle launch is not on this list. Well, I think Scott ought to have SOME things that are on his list and not mine, right? And, although I am as psyched as it is possible to be about something that is at the "still figuring out if its possible" stage of planning, seeing a shuttle launch has never been something I've always said "I want to DO THAT!" about - so it doesn't go on the list...yet. If I am denied this opportunity, it may make its way onto the list.

The Merrie Monthe of May

2009-06-09T15:51:00.001-05:00

Okay, I started to write a post about what's been happening in the last month (MONTH!) - but there's a few things still going on. Enough that I'm seriously still too overwhelmed to write about it in detail. Suffice it to say that:
May 1st (Friday) - purchased house
May 2nd (Saturday) - moved into house
May 6th (Wednesday) - house got carpet
May 8th (Friday) - in Dallas to see new Star Trek movie with Trekkie friends (AWESOME!)
May 9th (Saturday) - sewed Tina's ren faire costume all day
May 13th (Wednesday) - new water heater in house
May 15th (Friday) - in College Station for Matt's graduation
May 23rd (Saturday) - My BIRTHDAY - spent at Ren Faire, also, mery got engaged
May 25th (Monday) - Memorial day party with friends!
May 28th (Thursday) thru May 31st (Sunday) - in Dallas for A-Kon
June 1st (Monday) - Mom & Lynna come to visit & help with house - guest room & study are now painted
June 5th (Friday) - not going out of town, so we have a game night!

Wow, looking back at that, no WONDER we're exhausted. Happy, but drop dead tired! And in 2 days, I shall add June 11 (Thursday) - Welcomed 2 Bengal kitties into our new home.

Hedgehog (an actual, unedited IM conversation between myself and my sister)

2009-04-27T13:11:00.002-05:00

MaryLynn: Hedgehog. Yeah, you heard me.

me: no.
GASP
you can't mean
HEDGEHOG!

MaryLynn: yes, I'm afraid it's true

me: wow
I mean
I always knew
but I never expected

MaryLynn: You know what this means, right? We will have to... take steps.

me: what will you do now?
yes
steps must be taken
certain...drastic measures

MaryLynn: Can you make the preperations for me?

me: I'm afraid not
this is something you must do

MaryLynn: I'm just... not sure if I can... It's just too much for me

me: for yourself

MaryLynn: Help me, Hanni, you are my only hope!
I mean, honestly... the prophecies have foretold... and now, hedgehog...

me: deep down inside, though, you know this something you must do
and I know you have the strength

MaryLynn: Alright. Can you bring me... THE CHEESE BALL OF DOOM please?

me: are...are you sure you're prepared?
do you need a little time to think about this?

I mean, you have options, surely?

MaryLynn: do you think maybe THE CHEESE BALL OF DOOM is overkill?

me: it might indeed, be overkill
perhaps merely the crackers of imminent peril ?

MaryLynn: perchance.

But only in conjunction with the /wine of complaining/

me: here, I bring them to you on a platinum plated silver platter cast in the shape of a steep hill

MaryLynn: No!
you must not!

me: oh my! you are right

MaryLynn: yay verily, the imminent peril is overly enhanced by the platinum!

me: perhaps the gold & emerald encrusted basket with lavender ribbons?

MaryLynn: nay, the lavender ribbons simply will not do.

me: but the lavender ribbons add a softening touch
and they go so nicely with your robe of cerimoniousness

MaryLynn: aaah, true, true.
'tis important to match the robe.

me: perhaps the risk of the lavender ribbons would be lessened if I tucked a watermelon flavored gummi bear in the bow?

MaryLynn: hmmm, that might do. Only so long as the bow is tied in a sailors knot, and you hold your breath while tying it.

me: that I can do
that, but no more!

MaryLynn: or else who knows what might happen!

me: for, as I said, you must face this task on your own

MaryLynn: ah yes. with no assistance at all

me: none

MaryLynn: *sigh *

me: no matter how convincingly the Scottish sheep argue

MaryLynn: ack, they are mighty persuasive

me: beware their fiendish baahs

MaryLynn: and bleats

me: and remember.
Hedgehog

MaryLynn: *shudder *
I shall be strong, my dearest.
I shall endure.
And now, I must be off, for this cannot wait.
The basket?

me: here it is, I hand it to you with my left hand turned sideways
in the Persian manner

MaryLynn: standing on your left foot alone?

me: my left foot and my left foot only

MaryLynn: ah, good.
I accept the basket with my eyebrows raised and my nose crinkled, holding it precisely betwixt the second and fifth fingers of the right hand.

me: as is only proper

MaryLynn: and now repeat the ceremonial words after me "Yon is the day of the hedgehog, beware all ye eaters of crackers, for your time cometh. The day is near and the gummi bear is at the door. Prepare yourselves!"

me: "Yon is the day of the hedgehog, beware all ye eaters of crackers, for your time cometh. The day is near and the gummi bear is at the door. Prepare yourselves!"

MaryLynn: And so it is, and so it shall be. Farewell, dear sister! Until I return, victoriously or in a small box!

me: a tear slides down my cheek
I wipe it off, with my paisley kerchif
Farewell!

Looking forward

2009-01-12T09:41:00.001-06:00

It's cold outside. Which has nothing and everything to do with my day. I got dropped off at work today, because Scott needed the car to run errands. Hopefully he'll come home with a bag full o' goodies from a very specific sale we've been haunting. Not necessarily things for us (okay, a FEW things for us) but lots of goodies! Good ones! Despite the deadline being three days away, I'm still trying to figure out my Statement of Purpose for the MSIS degree at UT. Prayers and good thoughts appreciated, for sure. But, the theme of my week, and really, of my month, is going to be the following:

"She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come." Proverbs 31:25

I've tried to make a practice of reading the Proverbs 31 woman verses once a month. This month, this verse in particular seems to be especially pertinent. As Scott and I have been deciding what our plans will be for the future as regards housing, I realized just how important it is to be able to "laugh at the days to come." Not just for spiritual or practical reasons - although those are many - but for my own happiness. If I can look at the future with joy instead of fear, then my days are full of hope, not drudgery. In fact, if I look at those days which I've been most depressed, I think most of them can be seen to stem almost directly from a lack of certainty in my future. So, as we're going forward, I'm making this a priority - no matter what we do, I want to be able to laugh at the days to come.

I promise that eventually I'll stop posting links and start writing posts again. Really

2008-12-23T16:55:00.001-06:00

"Many individual do not realize the benefits of playing board games especially in relation to health."

I knew it! I knew it! Now go, check out the full article!
http://playingboardgames.com/playing-board-games-helps-prevent-degenerative-diseases/

This is incredibly hilarious

2008-12-12T10:56:00.001-06:00

XKCD is occasionally all too true

2008-12-03T10:36:00.001-06:00

This gives a whole new meaning to the LOLCat CD I made when my hard drive got too full.

Music Through the Years

2008-11-14T17:22:00.002-06:00

You know how sometimes songs come back to you, songs you haven't listened to in 10 years or more, songs you don't even like any more?! That's what happened to me today. I have "Every Heartbeat" by Amy Grant stuck in my head. So, in 5 year increments, can you find a song, artist & genre that was significant to your life? Here's mine

Age 5
Song: The Wheels on the Bus
Artist: Raffi
Genre: Anything with repeatable lyrics, Hymns

Age 10
Song: "Every Heartbeat" - Amy Grant
Artist: Twila Paris
Genre: Christian Pop

Age 15
Song: "Socially Acceptable" - DC Talk
Artist: MercyMe
Genre: Christian Rock & Praise Band

Age 20
Song: "Ballad of San Francisco" - Caedmon's Call
Artist: SuperChic[k]
Genre: Folk, Christian Punk, Broadway Musicals

Age 25
Song: "The Call" - Regina Spektor
Artist: The Killdares
Genre: Punk Ska, Broadway Musicals, Celtic Rock

PS - right now? I'm listening to "Stand in the Rain" by SuperChic[k]

Boom-di-yada

2008-11-12T17:13:00.000-06:00

I found this by clicking around on Trick's vid:

Which is also awesome.

PS - I love Egyptian kings!

Searching for Inspiration

2008-11-05T09:33:00.000-06:00

Okay, today is November 5th. I am officially behind in my writing. I didn't write yesterday. Not because I was engrossed with watching a US map being slowly colored in by the votes of the populace, but because I couldn't stand the idea of sitting in front of a computer screen. Honestly, I barely got with the sitting. Mostly I slouched (something you cannot do in an office chair & office clothes). Mostly I played Final Fantasy X. Mostly I did. not. write. Grrrr. But it's okay. Because ya'll are gonna bug me if I don't write for at least an hour tonight, right? RIGHT?

In other news, I did occasionally switch from channel 3 awesomeness to Any Other Channel (except the CW) and check on the election. Yes, they apparently decided that this historic election was more important than the adventures of Ziva, Tony, Abby, Ducky, Tim & Gibbs. This, of course, disrupted my Tuesday enormously. I get my warm fuzzies from watching slaps up the back of the head and a happy goth forensic scientist with a caffeine addiction. And yes, the lack of NCIS did indeed mess up my night. I am a creature of habit. Fortunately, despite frustrating programming decisions on the part of CBS, I managed to get to sleep relatively quickly and slept fairly well.

Okay, so the big news of the day is that we have a new President-elect, right? And, living in a liberal city in a conservative state, I feel like the only reason this hasn't been the only thing on people's tongues is that I'm at work. And you're not supposed to talk about politics at work. Right? Despite that, I could tell you without hesitancy the political leanings of everyone in the office. Although they probably couldn't tell you mine. Because mine, like me, are not simple. But my feelings right now, about the results of the last TWO YEARS of campaigning, are pretty easy to put forth:

The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing.

I find that the theme of my time in Austin so far has been one of reminding myself that God is in control. God did not sit up in heaven, watching the polls come in going "I wonder who they will pick! Oh, what will I do?" God has this planned out. From beginning to the end. Alpha, Omega. God plans for big things like nations and little things like me getting a job or taking the GRE. God is in control.

A living poet that I actually relate to

2008-11-04T09:11:00.004-06:00

Eavan Boland is an Irish poet that Scott is reading for one of his classes. I Googled her today because I was curious about what he was reading. What I found was a modern poet whose train of thought I can really follow. Her construction is beautiful and gives me hope that, one day, I can express with words the thoughts that at the moment I can only describe as images...images I don't have the skill to paint or draw and only ever so often can I find a way to create them. So, today I give you this poem, one of the seven or so I found read-able online. I hope it makes you think, I hope it makes you remember, I hope it makes you look for beauty in your life.

What Language Did

The evening was the same as any other.
I came out and stood on the step.
The suburb was closed in the weather

of an early spring and the shallow tips
of washed-out yellows of narcissi
resisted dusk. And crocuses and snowdrops.

I stood there and felt the melancholy
of growing older in such a season,
when all I could be certain of was simply

in this time of fragrance and refrain,
whatever else might flower before the fruit,
and be renewed, I would not. Not again.

A car splashed by in the twilight.
Peat smoke stayed in the windless
air overhead and I might have missed:

a presence. Suddenly. In the very place
where I would stand in other dusks, and look
to pick out my child from the distance,

was a shepherdess, her smile cracked,
her arm injured from the mantelpieces
and pastorals where she posed with her crook.

Then I turned and saw in the spaces
of the night sky constellations appear,
one by one, over roof-tops and houses,

and Cassiopeia trapped: stabbed where
her thigh met her groin and her hand
her glittering wrist, with the pin-point of a star.

And by the road where rain made standing
pools of water underneath cherry trees,
and blossoms swam on their images,

was a mermaid with invented tresses,
her breasts printed with the salt of it and all
the desolation of the North Sea in her face.

I went nearer. They were disappearing.
Dusk had turned to night but in the air -
did I imagine it? - a voice was saying:

This is what language did to us. Here
is the wound, the silence, the wretchedness
of tides and hillsides and stars where

we languish in a grammar of sighs,
in the high-minded search for euphony,
in the midnight rhetoric of poesie.

We cannot sweat here. Our skin is icy.
We cannot breed here. Our wombs are empty.
Help us to escape youth and beauty.

Write us out of the poem. Make us human
in cadences of change and mortal pain
and words we can grow old and die in.

Eavan Bolan

Just in case some of ya'll were still wondering...

2008-10-29T23:45:00.001-05:00

Despite any rumors to the contrary, I'm

A new discovery

2008-10-29T15:46:00.002-05:00

Well, I've recently been further exploring the world of online Manga. http://www.genkigirl.com/comics.html is one I just found today. It's really sweet, well told story, interesting characters - but what really gets me is the art. I've been reading Manga in print for a while - and webcomics for even longer - and this is the first one I've read where the art itself is inspiring. And just when NaNoWriMo is about to get started, too! How lucky am I?! Pretty lucky!

P.S. - Expect a post about NaNoWriMo soon.

English Major Alert!

2008-10-22T08:54:00.002-05:00

in·or·di·nate [in-awr-dn-it] –adjective
1. not within proper or reasonable limits; immoderate; excessive: He drank an inordinate amount of wine.
2. unrestrained in conduct, feelings, etc.: an inordinate admirer of beauty.
3. disorderly; uncontrolled.
4. not regulated; irregular: inordinate hours

Why am I pushing this rather fun word? Because I used "inordinately" in normal conversation and thought to myself..."I know I'm using this word correctly, but it's just because I've read it so many times. I wonder what it ACTUALLY means." And therefore, here are the results of my wonderings. And it's all thanks to the marvels of the interwebs!

Gone Incognito

2008-10-03T09:36:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I decided to check out the Incognito function of Google chrome - pretty cool if I want to buy Scott a birthday present or whatever, right? I open a new Incognito window and I get the following message, proving once again that this is a piece of Google software:

You've gone incognito. Pages you view in this window won't appear in your browser history or search history, and they won't leave other traces, like cookies, on your computer after you close the incognito window. Any files you download or bookmarks you create will be preserved, however.

Going incognito doesn't affect the behavior of other people, servers, or software. Be wary of:
Websites that collect or share information about you
Internet service providers or employers that track the pages you visit
Malicious software that tracks your keystrokes in exchange for free smileys
Surveillance by secret agents
People standing behind you

I am soooo amused by the things to be wary of.

Banned Book Week

2008-10-01T11:21:00.003-05:00

This week (Sept 27-Oct 4) is Banned Books Week.

This morning, on my way to work, I heard a NPR story about some scientists who are attempting to change the Texas curriculum so that teachers are not allowed to teach the strengths and weaknesses of the theory of evolution.

The combination of the two present an interesting juxtaposition and, like flint and iron, spark up the bit of me that really wishes I WAS a High School Teacher. (Yes, that bit is also insane. But, hey, MOST of me is insane.)

In the end, it all comes down to Critical Thinking. I firmly believe that each individual has the right to make up their own mind. Now, of course, please do not think me the idiot who would have our children fend for themselves with things like stranger danger, hot stoves, or even marijuana. But, if it enters the realm of thought, then I believe that the best approach is to encourage each individual to engage with the beliefs of others. When an authority, like a school or library, decides to arbitrarily ban things like books or concepts, I get more than a little upset.

Americans are sheep. Hey, I admit it - I'm a sheep. I consume with the very best of consumers and only occasionally do I take the time to stop and inspect the contents of what I'm gulping down. What values do my favorite TV shows espouse? When was the last time I read a non-genre fiction book? I miss FNW soooo much when I think about that - because ya'll would encourage my critical thinking brain to wake up and smell the bacon & eggs. (mmm, Bacon! Now, tell me, oh "I'm Not A Consumer" - what commercial did you just think of? Do you even own a dog?)

So, yes, there is a part of me that wants to dash to the public schools and work my butt off encouraging free speech, critical thinking and a lack of apathy. But the rest of me just wants to go home and watch Criminal Minds. Guess which half will win?

Stratfor.com

2008-09-29T16:30:00.002-05:00

Some friends of ours tuned us in to Stratfor.com - a political analysis website that attempts to offer a fair, well-thought-out, unbiased look at US government and politics.

This link: http://www.stratfor.com/analysis/20080922_new_president_and_global_landscape is an example of what they do - it is a look at foreign policy (what the presidential debate was supposed to be on last Friday) and what issues the next US president needs to address. I found this informative and very read-able and I encourage you to give it a read, even if you're not of voting age!

The Killdares make me smile

2008-09-27T22:01:00.003-05:00

My fave song, so far, is September. Or, maybe Gone West...but then, Farewell to Decorum is also good, and you've gotta give Dichotomy some props. Yep - I love the Killdares. And they're playing at the State Fair this year. So I'll get to see them live in concert yet again - and also pick up their new CD. I'm not sure about where they're going with this new sound...but I'll ride it for now - we shall see, Tim Smith, we shall see.

New Job!

2008-09-27T10:44:00.001-05:00

Okay, so - in order to be able to tell the full story in all it's glory, and to avoid repeating myself, I will here-in tell about my new job. This is the job that God gave me, just like that, over there, is the house that Jack built. Its just the facts - God gave me this job, and I'll tell you how I know this, thanks to the magic of e-mail time-stamps.

At about 1:30pm on Thursday, September 25th, I had a terrific conversation with my mother-in-law, Ginger. We talked about how I was going about job seeking, she gave suggestions and encouragement and it was very good. After getting off the phone with her, I decided that I should really apply for a few jobs today. So, to "warm up" as you will, I went on Craigslist and looked through the day's listings. So, I whipped out an e-mail, attached my resume & references and went merrily along my way. I did not (as has been the case for some applications) spend very long writing the cover letter - this was just a "warm-up" job application, because everybody knows that you don't get jobs off of Craigslist, because the people don't know you and in this competitive market, the people need to know you to give you a job.

So, I sent said e-mail at 2:31pm. At 2:34pm, I received a reply from Amy at EuroSoft, asking me to call her. So, of course, I called her right away. We talked on the phone for about 30 minutes, basically a phone interview. It ended with her sending me 3 tests - a typing, a word & an excel. These I took on our computer and finished at about 3:50pm or so. I did rather well on these tests - scoring a personal best on the typing test (71wpm!) and getting close to perfect on the word & excel. So, needless to say, Amy was impressed. She told me she would send my resume & test scores to their COO and hopefully he would want to interview me soon.

So, I excitedly called my prayer warriors (Mom & Ginger) and told them the news. Much excitement was had by all.

4:42pm - I get a call from Amy. The COO really likes my resume - he loves my test scores. Can. I. Start. TOMORROW?!!! Amy has never had this happen before - he wants to hire me without ever meeting me face to face, without even talking to me personally! I hesitate, because of the newness of it all, but say yes - better to give a good first impression before they change their minds!

So...in about 2 hours....I go from the edging into the pits of jobless despair to doing the "I have a job!" dance! You can see how God is amazing, right? How He made this happen, as I'd been praying and PRAYING for Him to do.

Okay, now the people I have been telling this story to, at this point, say "That's awesome! But, WHAT IS YOUR JOB?!" Seeing as that is the actual question they have asked, I can understand. But, really, this story is too cool NOT to tell!

So, what is my job? I am the Corporate Receptionist/Front Desk Associate for a software & staffing company (Yes, I am, after all my temp work, working for a staffing company. I don't think this is a mere coincidence.) I work with the office manager, but get assignments from the COO & CIO (i.e., they are my technical bosses). I earn less than amazing, but way better than peanuts - and about what I had thought was going to be my starting salary here in Austin - $11.50 an hour, with a re-assess in 60 days and a promise of moving up to $12 at that time. I answer phones & receive guests, I input resumes and get the mail - I make sure that Wolf (the CIO) has coffee every 2 hours. I water 3 plants every other day. This job is enough to keep me busy, I assure you. And, did I mention it's a JOB?!

But, there are also intriguing futures in this job. At the end of yesterday, I was told that they want to make me the "office expert" on Word, Excel & Vista (good thing I ended up with a Vista computer!). So, I will be taking training programs for this software to fill in any gaps in my knowledge. This, to me, says they are making me an indispensable part of their office. The COO has also told me that there are several things on my resume that make him confident that I can move forward in this company. They use this position as an entry to their company, so I can see how this would be a good thing. Because of this, I already know a place I can contribute to the company. There are 3 people who had this job before me and are now doing other things in this office, and yet nobody knows the fullness of this job. So, one thing I know I'm going to do is make a Corporate Receptionist handbook, so that the next person to be in my position has a little more to go on.

So, that's my job - Corporate Receptionist for a staffing company that specializes in technical jobs. There's another office that is EuroStaff & specializes in office personnel (that's where Amy who interviewed me works) - but here they have a ship's bell that gets rung - once when a recruiter gets an interview, and a whole lot when a recruiter gets a placement. Everyone is super friendly and the atmosphere is definitely casual. (I think the unofficial uniform of the software guys is Hawaiian shirts.) So, a good thing all around. The only downside is that there's no bus anywhere nearby - so we are (unfortunately) dependent on our car. This is not so great - but, hey - I now feel really good about all the time I spent practicing driving it!

So, yes, we went out and bought Baileys and ice cream Thursday night. But I was in bed before midnight - because I had to get up early...for my JOB!!! (Another perk, Friday was an exception, but my typical hours are 8:30am to 5:30pm. Not EXACTLY Toronto hours, but about as close as you can get in the USA!)

This graph will be gracing our fridge as soon as I get the color printer up and running.

2008-09-17T16:37:00.001-05:00

more music charts

Because we all need to eat more garlic! mmm....what shall I fix for dinner tonight? GARLIC! With a side of other vegetables. And maybe some noodles.

An interesting move for Kiera Knightley

2008-09-15T22:58:00.005-05:00

First off, really - how perfect a name for an actress is Kiera Knightley. It's either a stage name or she was born to play women who wear corsets. In "The Duchess" she also has enormous hair and "dangerous liasons" - but I REALLY want to see this movie for the costumes.

So yes, you should check out: http://www.theduchessmovie.com/#/?page=dress1 to see more of what I mean about the costumes!

Meme I totally stole from teh Squeegoi

2008-08-30T19:52:00.004-05:00

Meme: Google image-search your answers to the following and take the first postable image for each.

- Place you grew up

- Place you live now

- Your school

- Your work

- Favourite food

- Favourite drink

- Favourite song

- Favourite smell

- Favourite shoes

- Favourite movie

- Favourite color

- Favourite game

- Favourite animal

- Favourite mythological creature

PS - I totally cheated. But not with the "Your Job" - the dragon was actually the first image under "Unemployed."