Google IO videos 0
Well, even though i wasn't able to attend the Google IO conference this year (turns out i could have if i'd found out about it earlier ... oh well; next year!), the folks at theconference were nice enough to record many of the sessions and put them online! I'm going through all of the Android presentations now.
Google IO videos Read MoreThe Aquarius from Mattel 1
Oh this brings back some memories ... :) The very first computer that my parents bought back in the early 80's was one of these. It was awesome! (and horrible now that i look back on it 25 years later). I had a lot of fun typing in the sample programs, making a little guy run across the screen and playing the one or two silly little games that came with it. If nothing else, it started my interest in computers.
Warbreaker 0
Brandon Sanderson has just released his latest book called "Warbreaker". On his website he's also releasing a free pdf of the book that you can download and read if you like. I grabbed it and stuck it on my kindle. I'm looking forward to reading it. So far i've been quite impressed with what i have read of his works (Elantris and Mistborn).
The capital of Hallandren is T'telir, a beautiful city by the sea, a center of the dyeing trade where colorfully-dressed crowds mill through the bustling streets, and living gods rule in splendor, confined to the gilded cage known as the Court of Gods. Under the rule of the remote, all-powerful God King, they live in the lap of luxury, basking in the worship of the people, accepting in tribute the gifts of freely-given breath, the life-force that keeps them alive and eternally youthful. But Hallendren did not reach this halcyon state without a struggle, a revolution that left those who rejected it living in austere exile in the mountain realm of Idris. To keep the peace, the exiled royal family agreed in this generation to the betrothal of a daughter of the royal line to the God King. Vivenna, the eldest daughter, was raised from birth to fulfill this commitment, but at the last minute, her wily father, King Dedelin, sends his youngest daughter, Siri, instead. Vivenna is furious about losing the role that terrified her and yet defined her life, and baffled that her father expects poor Siri to cope with the monstrous God King with no training and less warning. So Vivenna secretly flees their small mountain realm to follow her sister. Siri, in whom the blood of the old kings runs strong, is no weakling herself, but she is shocked to find the city, the people, and even the royal marriage itself are not at all what she expected. Unaware of Vivenna's arrival in T'telir, she is forced to take matters into her own hands. And while this royal drama plays out, another newcomer to the city, Vasher, arrives with a sentient sword named Nightblood, and ambitious plans of his own, plans dependent on the unique BioChromatic magic of Hallandren, which uses color to focus the power of breath, plans which will change the world. In the tradition of his own acclaimed debut novel, Elantris, in Warbreaker Brandon Sanderson has written a supremely entertaining and endlessly surprising epic fantasy in one volume. It is an adventure, a romance, a witty tale of political intrigue, and even an examination of the ethics of divinity and the power of religion. Like all his novels, Warbreaker breaks the mold of conventional fantasy to create a reading experience you will never forget.Check it out here. Read More
Digital Smog 0
Digital Smog: A jumble of public digital information that follows one around in the online world. The smog comes from many sources, including (but certainly not limited to) social network profiles, blog posts, wiki edits, newsgroup posts, search histories, tweets, text messages, and emails.
Read MoreThe flying car future 0
I just recently listened to an interview with John Smart (which you can find on the http://accelerating.org website if you're interested in seeing more). He talked about six things coming in the near future as we progress towards the singularity, including the humbot, the metaverse, and the cybertwin. All of which are very interesting.
Some good advice 1
My mom just asked everyone why they haven't written any blog entries recently. I think it's because everyone is updating their facebook status and sending tweets instead. But it's good to still write blog entries now and then.
So here's some good advice that i heard many years ago that can apply to a wide variety of things. It's the cryptic kind of thing some zen teacher might tell you and that doesn't make sense ... until it makes sense, and then it makes perfect sense and will change your life :)The best time to plant a tree is 50 years ago. The second best time to plant a tree is right now.Read More
My thumb is NOT green 4
After several hours of yard work yesterday, it suddenly dawned on me that i'm not a gardener. I'm sure it has dawned on most of the neighborhood too. The day started out good enough. I set up some cages for the tomato plants. I set out a trap for the wasps. I even dug some trenches so that the water in the garden would flow down to the end. Then my wife asked me to trim back the bushes in front of the house.
When i got the trimmers out, i noticed they wouldn't trim more than an inch or two. But we needed a foot or more trimmed back. Well ... i guess i should have realized the chainsaw probably wasn't the best solution. It seemed like a good idea at the time. It got the job done - the bushes are trimmed way back now. Unfortunately, they're also UGLY as #@$. so basically i took about 2 minutes to ruin a 60 year old bush, that might recover in about 5 years. sorry! :( Read MoreStar Trek 5
Now that Star Trek has been out long enough for anyone to see it who cares to, i thought i'd write some of my thoughts and impressions. Let me just start off by saying that the movie was amazing in every respect. The storyline, the acting, the visual effects, the music. All top notch. Whether you're a Star Trek fan or not, this is a great show.
Indiana Jones and the Intellectual Liquidity 0
As I read the latest Academic Evolution blog post "Intellectual Liquidity and Academic Impedence", i was struck by the following paragraph:
It appears that one of the primary roles of academic institutions is to prevent people from exchanging knowledge quickly and publicly. Overwhelmed by the exacting nature of a school schedule, degree requirements, or tenure review, students and scholars are made to feel that they have neither the time nor the right to explore or share outside of the approved genres and locations of intellectual communication that academia has approved.Going in the way back machine a few years, i can relate to this. I didn't ever seem to have enough time for my assignments and lab activities, let alone anything related to my field of study that wasn't directly tied to my grade! And yet if had scaled back the number of credits i was taking to a more manageable level, the university itself would have said "you're taking too long". Not to mention i just wanted to get my paper and get out of there :)
But i digress. The real reason i wanted to talk about this snippet is because as i read it i immediately thought about Indiana Jones. How geek of me. He's a great scholar and teacher. We see him in the classroom several times, but that's not where the action is. That's not where the "real" learning occurs. To be sure, it's important to read the books, do the homework, and know the material. But the real learning and excitement is out in the world where you can apply the knowledge and share/interact with others (or use it to find fabulous treasure and not get yourself killed. either way...). Read More
Shatnerquake 0
Wow ... must.resist.buing.this.book. ... ok, i just can't imagine how horribly crazy insane and probably really cool (in a trainwreck kind of way) this book has got to be: Shatnerquake.
after a failed terrorist attack by Campbellians, a crazy terrorist cult that worships Bruce Campbell, all of the characters ever played by William Shatner are suddenly sucked into our world. Their mission: hunt down and destroy the real William Shatner.Shatnerquake Read More
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