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Let’s see those hip checks!
There is something I find totally captivating about hockey hip checks. Subtle but spectacular.
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Everything Sounds
I have a new job that puts me on the train for 2 hours a day. So podcasts are my new jam. (Yes we have a train system in Los Angeles. And people use it!) Most of the podcasts I’ve been listening to are things you’re probably already listening to. But in case you haven’t checked out […]
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Special English
From Wikipedia’s entry on Special English… “Special English is a controlled version of the English language first used on October 19, 1959, and still presented daily by the United States broadcasting service Voice of America (VOA). World news and other programs are read one-third slower than regular VOA English. Reporters avoid idioms and use a […]
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The Forger of Thunderbolts
I have a nerd crush on Charles Proteus Steinmetz. Historical crushes are easy. “This person was brilliant, but also a giant asshole.” over time becomes “This person was brilliant.” So let me caveat my crush by saying I know very little about Charles Proteus Steinmetz. My firsthand knowledge is zero (he died in 1923). I do […]
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The Magic of Speed Squares
Speed Squares. It’s not the name of a “college nerds becomes a badass car racing team” movie staring Nicholas Cage. Speed Squares are those triangular shaped ruler-looking-thingies they sell next to the rulers and levels at Home Depot. I’ve been getting very familiar with one while working on this off-the-grid-performance tower project I’ve been working […]
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Nomadic Research
Every year or so I wander over to Steven Roberts’ Nomadic Research Labs site and Anarchives. I gawk at his various bouts of awesomeness and am humbled and inspired. My favorite is his Winnebiko II which I ran across in a Backpacker magazine article my grandmother had in her giant stack of magazines in her living room. That […]
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The Homewrecker
I’m currently obsessed with the totally ridiculous “The Homewrecker.” Yes, this setup makes no sense for anybody. But 1000’s of people purchased a boombox that fit the first generation iPod (and now no longer fits anything).
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Tree Rings: O.G. Data Visualizations
Tree rings are Original Gangsta data visualizations. Yep. If you look at a cross section or coring you can count the years the tree has lived and you can examine the aberrations in the rings to determine what years were particularly good (or bad) for the tree, and see when infections, blights, lightning strikes, or other […]
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Rules for Eating Candy
By color. By color pairs. Outside edges first, then the inside. Inside first, then the outside. All licks. No bites. All bites. No licks. Lick until you feel like biting. Break into squares. Freeze and then hit with a hammer. Tiniest nibbles possible. Pour entire contents into mouth. Break into thirds. Break into quarters. Squeeze […]
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Space Madness
I’ve spent the afternoon thinking about this On the Media story about Space Madness the mighty Jed Lackritz sent my way today. It reminded me of a story I heard once that NASA intentionally kept the Apollo astronauts super busy with tasks that didn’t really need doing in order to keep them from losing their […]
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The Chemistry of Fireworks
If you’d like to make your own fireworks, the Pyrotechnics Guild International has a nice list of enthusiast and industry organizations you can join. If you’ve ever wanted to own a book called “Sparklers and Colored Lightsticks” Firefox-FX has a pretty cool looking literature selection.
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Hi Everybody!
Allow me to channel my inner Dr. Nick with a big “Hi Everybody!” Problem-solving in the field is an activity defined by quandary, less than optimal conditions and perfectly inadequate tools in your toolbox–whatever your toolbox may be. The pursuit of the activity provokes foul language, armpit sweating, spitting through the teeth and–every once in […]