Odd Topics

2011-10-26T11:23:00.000-07:00

Did anyone watch the first Season of Alphas? It was pretty good. Garry is hilarious, makes me laugh all the time. All the characters are pretty good and plot is fun.

If you haven't watched it it'd be fun to rent-stream-download or whatever it is you do to watch your TV now a days.

Bang

2011-08-23T16:08:00.000-07:00

I have recently been introduced to a game which I describe as the wild west version of Mafia. Glenn and I played this game once and we were hooked. It has cards with Italian and English directions and it is played like this. There is a sheriff which is known, a deputy, outlaws, and a renegade.

"The Outlaws hunt the Sheriff. The Sheriff hunts the Outlaws. The Renegade plots secretly, ready to take one side or the other. Bullets fly. Who among the gunmen is a Deputy, ready to sacrifice himself for the Sheriff? And who is a merciless Outlaw, willing to kill him? If you want to find out, just draw (your cards)!" (From back of box)

This card game recreates an old-fashioned spaghetti western shoot-out, with each player randomly receiving a Character card to determine special abilities, and a secret Role card to determine their goal.

Four different Roles are available, each with a unique victory condition:

Sheriff - Kill all Outlaws and the Renegade
Deputy - Protect the Sheriff and kill any Outlaws
Outlaw - Kill the Sheriff
Renegade - Be the last person standing

A player's Role is kept secret, except for the Sheriff. Character cards are placed face-up on table, and also track strength (hand limit) in addition to special ability.

There are 22 different types of cards in the draw deck. Most common are the BANG! cards, which let you shoot at another player, assuming the target is within "range" of your current gun. The target player can play a "MISSED!" card to dodge the shot. Other cards can provide temporary boosts while in play (for example, different guns to improve your firing range) and special one-time effects to help you or hinder your opponents (such as Beer to restore health, or Barrels to hide behind during a shootout). A horse is useful for keeping your distance from unruly neighbors, while the Winchester can hit a target at range 5. The Gatling is a deadly exception where range doesn't matter - it can only be used once, but targets all other players at the table!

Yeah, I copied the description because it is far more eloquent than I am. The best card in my opinion is the Dynamite which works like Russian Roulette and keeps everyone on their toes. Every game I have played ends up in everyone laughing and just having a good time. Check it out

Embroidered Portraits

2011-08-01T14:47:00.000-07:00

Embroidered Portraits

Embrodered Portrates

2011-07-29T14:57:00.000-07:00

Thought this was pretty cool embroidery so I gave it a try in Photoshop.

I started with black and white photo, I'll have to give color a try next to see if I can approach the effect of knowing how to embroider for real.

A New Hope

2011-06-02T10:35:00.000-07:00

Late Harvest

2011-04-03T17:02:00.000-07:00

Some of my favorite photos from wandering around the yard back home.

Cheap Vacuum Sealer

2011-03-03T06:21:00.001-08:00

Sarah and I were thinking of getting a foodsaver for storing food in glass jars like Grandma has but thought we'd try a homemade version first. It works great!

Born to Run: The Hidden Tribe, The Ultra Runners, And the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen

2011-02-12T16:11:00.001-08:00

For all of you that are intrigued by running, barefoot running, racing, molding yourself into a healthy eating running machine, the evolution of running, or better running form, this is the book for you! I have been so excited and amazed by this book that I haven't put it down! I'm not even finished with it yet and here I'm posting about it! It amazes me the things the human body can do, for ex: 135 mile runs through Death Valley! Entertaining, enjoyable, and motivating. Anyone who runs or wants to run, needs to read this book!

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle

2010-12-16T15:36:00.000-08:00

Wow

Reminded me of a Steinbeck or Kesey, well written and emotional.

Chester's pumpkin

2010-11-06T13:54:00.000-07:00

Uh, sadly we didn't get around to carving pumpkins this year. Here is why...

...and this...

oh, well. At least he made use of the seeds.

Meghan and Josh Pumpkins!

2010-10-25T10:51:00.000-07:00

Pumpkin Carving Contest

2010-10-24T13:29:00.000-07:00

Post your best pumpkins...

Steampunk

2010-10-12T20:29:00.000-07:00

So I finally learned the name to the genre that I have always liked but never knew the title. I've always enjoyed complex geared steam powered machines or flying air ships that have no business defying gravity. I really enjoy the art of it but have never read a book with it as a theme. I'm not a fan of its cousin cyberpunk, with its Blade Runners and Johnny Mneumonics. I fine the dystopias in cyberpunk to be a little disturbing. Anyway, just wondering if any of you are familiar with the genre. Plenty of movies have some steampunk themes/art. I think Stardust is one, the Golen Compass, Wild Wild West, the latest Sherlock Holmes. Not to say these were great movies, but I do like the art.

Religious Knowledge survey

2010-10-01T08:31:00.000-07:00

The PEW Forum conducted an survey on religious knowledge. The results are interesting, but once you think about it pretty obvious.

Religious Knowledge Survey

Take short version of the Survey and see how you compare: QUIZ

I've added my conclusions below. Read after taking the quiz and reading the article.
At first glance the Atheists/Agnostics, Jews, and Mormons scoring the highest seems kinda strange. Until you come to the conclusion that the survey/quiz only shows one thing, level of education, and has little to do with religion. It was fun enough though.

I scored 15/15 but didn't know a few of the answers for certain, just picked the name I'd heard before type thing.

Brandon Mull

2010-09-25T10:16:00.001-07:00

No so much a book review as an Author review.

Heidi and I have really enjoyed his books. The candy shop wars is perfect for little kids that love candy. As in all little kids. It's set in the shadow of Mt. Diablo. 4 kids discover a magical candy shop and adventure follows. Its a 2-4 day read depending on how much time you have in the evening. Our boys' attention span isn't up to a book with out pictures yet but it is definitly on our family list of books to read to our kids. I picked up "Fablehaven" in 2005 and really enjoyed it. Heidi picked it up a year or two back and we got to the point where we were anxiously waiting for the sequels to come out. Book 5 (the final book) had us reading into the wee hours of the night.
A brother and a sister discover that their granparents are care takers of a haven for magical creaturs; Satyrs, fairies, golems, trolls and some many others. It's your basic stop the bad guys before they take over the world but the imagery and "twists" are very fun. They draw upon the imagination that exists in all children and many of us "grown ups".

I hope some of you pick them up and tell me what you think. Start with "The Candy Shop Wars" since it is a very small investment in time and stands alone. Anyone with kids or anyone that remembers what it was like being a child will love them because its every kids dream to discover treasure, magic candy and have adventures.

Jodhaa Akbar

2010-09-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

I am not much into foreign films but this one is amazing. As a history nerd it is my opinion that Emperor Jallaludin Mohammad Akbar was one of the greatest rulers this world has ever seen. He unified most of India and he was known as a great warrior and a merciful ruler. This is the story of him and his first wife, a Hindu woman who was the princess of the Amer region. Hindu tradition states that it was the people who gave him the title of Akbar which means "the great" after he instilled laws that allowed for greater equality among Hindus and Muslims. The romance is not heavy handed, it is something you could watch sitting next to your father. There is some battlefield violence so I would not recommend watching the battle scenes with children, the musical sequences however will make anyone want to dance. The sword fighting sequences are extremely well done (the Amer province was famous for their duelists) and most of it is correct according to tradition. It is a movie full of color, emotion, and history. However, if you do not like watching movies that need subtitles this movie is not for you since it is entirely in Hindi. For two of my favorite scenes follow these two links. They don't have subtitles but that doesn't matter.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Py8VCIzJMiw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nt93yH689Dg

I, Robot

2010-09-17T13:57:00.000-07:00

I recently read the original version of I, Robot, and found it quite interesting. At a time in the not too distant future human kind has created sentient life with a positronic brain capable of amazing things. Robots are banned from earth but serve many purposes abroad. I found it a much more interesting and stimulating story than the one the movie portrayed. Quite different in fact, but very enjoyable. I would recommend it as a quick science fiction read.

Solar System Necklace

2010-09-09T15:58:00.000-07:00

So I saw this cool solar system necklace the other day so I decided to make Sarah one. It's roughly to scale each bead being 10 or 100 million miles. The beads are made of painted burl wood. I felt bad painting the burl but it turned out pretty good. I tried silver wire for Saturn's rings but couldn't get it to look good so I settled for a burl ring there.

The cheesy coolness of this necklace is the absence of the sun, it being the wearer, the light of my life, the center of my solar system, Sarah.

Toilet paper roll face sculptures

2010-08-31T19:55:00.000-07:00

So, I saw these cool faces made from toilet paper rolls and thought I'd give them a try. Here are my first three attempts.

Here are some links to the originals that I saw:

Link 1

Link 2

Spies are kinda cool

2010-06-29T17:14:00.000-07:00

Recent Russian Spy Tricks

I want one of these (if anyone get's me for Christmas remember this)
The real spy nickle FBI case

you can buy one here: Spy Stuff

Watson Super Computer

2010-06-17T11:33:00.000-07:00

This will be fun to watch (or read about at least)

http://www.research.ibm.com/deepqa/

Craig Venter unveils "synthetic life" | Video on TED.com

2010-06-01T20:04:00.000-07:00

"To live, to err, to fall to triumph and to recreate life out of life" James Joyce

"See things not as they are, but as they might be" American Prometheus, a biography of Oppenheimer

"What I cannot build, i cannot understand" Richard Fenniman

Craig Venter unveils "synthetic life" | Video on TED.com

LOST

2010-05-24T16:09:00.000-07:00

What did you think of the conclusion?

Is anyone still a fan?

Book Review: Guns Germs and Steel

2010-05-20T08:11:00.001-07:00

Finished reading this book recently. It has been sitting on my bookshelf since 2002 I think. Too bad it took me so long to get around to reading it. It was great. Very informative and interesting. It is a brief history of humankind over the last 13,000+ years. Obviously, in covering so much ground in 400 or so pages, the book is low on specifics. What it does is give a broad overview of why the several histories of different civilizations played out so differently. For example, why did Europe conquer America and not the other way around? He goes beyond the proximate causes of guns germs and steel and attempts to root out the ultimate causes that led to history playing out as it did. It is a great book and well worth the read.

ASCII ART

2010-03-25T08:08:00.001-07:00

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Collaborative Short Story

2010-03-19T15:15:00.000-07:00

Click to open or edit:
Collaborative Short Story
or

Collaborative Short Story

Things that don't make sense

2010-03-02T09:24:00.000-08:00

Studying up on the Kuiper Belt I found some other interesting articles of things that don't make sense.

13 things that don't make sense

13 more things

Which one do you find most intriguing? If yours is not on the list what is it?

Flash Forward

2010-02-23T13:53:00.000-08:00

Anyone watching Flash Forward? We've watched though the 3rd episode and it's pretty fun so far. Its off island Lost like so far.

The Botany of Desire: A Plant's-Eye View of the World

2010-01-15T09:41:00.000-08:00

A national best seller and yet another Michael Pollan book that has won me over. Pollan focuses on four main plants that owe their current abundance to the cultivation of humans. In turn we owe a lot of our current abundance to them as well. I enjoyed how beautiful the writing was throughout the book, and especially enjoyed the idea of today's gardener being somewhat of a modern alchemist, turning dusty plants into ripe gold. For anyone that has an interest in botany, genetics, and gardening, this book was a fun and fairly quick read.

Tilt Shift

2009-12-17T20:57:00.000-08:00

I gave fake tilt shift photography a try...the first 3 photos I did not take...just tried the tilt shift technique on them...The last I took from an airplane coming home from Hawaii. I think it worked the best. I'm not sure if it's my technique or my source photos or both...but I'm not all that happy with the results yet. Perhaps there's not enough blur. Anyway let me know what you think. If your wondering what tilt shift photography is google it for some good examples.

Photo Highlights

2009-12-12T06:56:00.000-08:00

My camera is broken (shutter mechanism is not working). So I thought I'd post some of my favorite photos in it's memory. Some of the source photos were taken on Mom's or Matthew's camera though.

I've been experimenting with HDR photography and High Key photos. Let me know what you think.

Persimmons HDR 01

(Matthew has made an HDR with this crop that I like better)

Persimmons HDR 02

Persimmons HDR 03

Pomegranates and Ashes 01

Pomegranates and Ashes 02

Umpqua Hot Springs HDR 01

Tunnel Falls HDR 01

Chemical Warfare

2009-12-03T16:18:00.001-08:00

It jumps out of grasp

2009-12-03T16:11:00.001-08:00

It’s getting dark. In a flash, I notice it. It’s tall. It’s beckoning me. My pulse races, yet I continue. Just as I think I will reach it, it jumps out of grasp. No matter how fast I run, it gets away. Unless…good, the next street light is burnt out.

V

2009-11-03T05:46:00.000-08:00

Do you guys remember "V"? Anyway ABC is giving the series a refresh and the premiere is tonight. I remember watching it as a kid but not much more. Here's a preview.

The End - The Beginning

2009-10-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

Eventually they were told about the comet. "Get supplies... inside...anything." Too late. Food, water, gone, procured for Project Second Genesis... our progenitors. Humanity's survival left no alternative. Now, just west of dawn, the seemingly endless night ending, we prepare to return, and fear, could anything survive above? Cold, dark, desolate. Are they waiting?

Legend tells of those who fled deep into the earth, leaving us destitute, leaving us to die. Someday they'll crawl from their culvert, after centuries of endless winter nights, to claim our world. Remember their machinations, their forked tongues. When dawn returns we'll be waiting, to redirect the comet's fury.

Despite training

2009-10-29T09:00:00.001-07:00

San Quinten Prison

2009-10-29T08:46:00.003-07:00

It's too hot

2009-10-29T08:46:00.001-07:00

Billy Cowered

2009-10-29T08:45:00.005-07:00

They'd searched for years.

2009-10-29T08:45:00.003-07:00

Low Tide

2009-10-29T08:45:00.001-07:00

Stream

2009-10-29T08:44:00.003-07:00

Dad's Story

2009-10-29T08:44:00.001-07:00

My computer became self aware

2009-10-29T08:43:00.003-07:00

Overslept

2009-10-29T08:43:00.001-07:00

Hawaiian bird

2009-10-29T08:42:00.003-07:00

Hawaiian bird, eyes bigger than mouth, watching fish. Quietly, slowly, he slinks down the lava rock like a cat ready to pounce. SPLASH! Fish is too big for mouth. Day after day he repeats his attempted meal. Failure after failure bird grows thinner and thinner. Jump! SPLASH! Fish eats bird.

They'd searched for years

2009-10-29T08:42:00.001-07:00

They'd searched for years. Investors, like their hair, thinned over time. Finally they gazed upon it, transfixed. More beautiful than imagined, more precious than the gold that comprised it. They stared at it, then each other with greed in their eyes, malice in their hearts. None lived to claim it.

They attacked time after time

2009-10-29T08:41:00.005-07:00

They attacked time after time, destroying our fortifications as fast as we could rebuild them. Our battle was hopeless, our enemy relentless and indomitable, ever advancing, full of mindless destruction. Still we battle on. They will never cease, neither will we, well, at least not until the tide goes out.

Absurd Combinations

2009-10-29T08:41:00.003-07:00

Absurd clashing combinations that wouldn’t normally combine, but I’m too curious what they’ll become when they are knitted … married with each other in a completed pattern so I choose them anyway. They combine, and some knit together in beauty while others would be better off remaining single. . . like axe murderers.

Lines

2009-10-29T08:41:00.001-07:00

I hate standing in lines to be tested for a new license. These lines;
they are always just long enough for you to forget what you've
studied. You needed a license to drive, then one for having children,
and now the big one, my license to continue living past retirement.

Footprints

2009-10-29T08:40:00.005-07:00

I was hiking a trail

2009-10-29T08:40:00.003-07:00

I was hiking a trail through the misty green hills in winter at sunset. I watched the sky turn from bright salmon into the indigo of twilight. I stumbled, which startled me out of my reflections, to awaken where I started yet another ordinary day of school in third grade.

There is so much I could teach them

2009-10-29T08:40:00.001-07:00

There is so much I could teach them if they would just listen, world peace, clean up the ozone, how to make fat free food taste good. I tell them all the time but they are too busy with their lives. Woof! Woof! They just refuse to listen to me.

I awoke with a start

2009-10-29T08:39:00.003-07:00

I awoke with a start drenched in sweat. The rest hadn’t done me well; my headache was worse as were various other aches of my old age. I thought it odd and annoying that my wife was nagging me from another room; hadn’t that old hag been gone for years?

My foe breaks

2009-10-29T08:39:00.001-07:00

Sensing my intent, my foe breaks. Tackling him from behind I unleash the fury within. He retaliates with great force, but is no match. With increasing intensity the struggle rages on.
His painful cries of agony and defeat portend my imminent victory. It is finished! Another fresh diaper for Evan.

There, oscillating in perfectly timed rhythm

2009-10-29T08:38:00.005-07:00

Excited, I entered the laboratory

2009-10-29T08:38:00.003-07:00

Oops

2009-10-29T08:38:00.001-07:00

Down, oh so low. I’m falling down, wow, I feel so high, I was so high. I feel so free, excited, liberated. This is the best I’ve ever felt in my life. This is so great, thrilling. I feel so alive, alive… Oh man, I shouldn't have done that … SPLAT!

Everybody's blog

2009-10-21T10:24:00.000-07:00

Everybody that has a blog here you go. Wendy, Whitney, Meghan, Heidi and I, and the Oregon Nielsen's. I took the liberty to remove PM, Noreply@blogger.com, Sarsosari@gmail.com and "f.ily" which were some of the biggest. It looks like we all agree in "fun" and "little". And I guess the others sites mention Noah more than Arwen because he seems to have passed her up.

2009-10-17T07:58:00.002-07:00

2009-10-16T20:23:00.000-07:00

Here it is again with the entire text of our blog included. Sorry Bethany, apparently the primary blog author doesn't show up as anything but "I" which is removed as a common word. We love you anyway.

Word Cloud

2009-10-16T15:46:00.000-07:00

Here is a world cloud made from all the words in our blog from the beginning. The size of the word indicates it's frequency...Arwen wins again with Noah in close second. Open the pdf link to view all the little words. Make your own and post them.

Monograms

2009-10-04T07:08:00.000-07:00

I want to see everyone's monogram. I've seen Aaron's and Sarah's but those that I haven't should post them or if you don't have one, come up with one. Here are some of mine (roughly sketched out, I need an art program to play around with textures and colors). I cant really decide on which to go with. They are all comprised of MWN. You should be able to find the MWN in all of them. Use your imagination for some.

Most of the time the MWN overlaps using lines from each other. Some are derived from Mt. Diablo, and the others from my line of work.

For all that haven't seen ours (Noah, Sarah, Aaron) here they are:

Still working on the rest of the kids.

Book review: The Road

2009-09-23T17:53:00.000-07:00

So I know this is a bit late as most of you have read this but...
I found this book to be powerful so I figured I'd write a quick little blurb. I figure it can't hurt.

So I am sitting at the dinner table tonight watching Dallin shove an over-sized hamburger into his face, as I sip some generic root beer and munch on salt and vinegar chips. And it hits me...wow what a feast. How fortunate we are and don't even know it. How beautiful this world, how much we have.

Most Post-apocalyptic stories are of surviving and rebuilding. Beating the odds and living to see a brighter day. Not so with this book. The world is dead, the environment ruined, and man clings to the dregs of our present, eking out a few more miserable years all the while feeding off other men, and not only figuratively.

I guess the powerful part was being faced with utter hopelessness, what is the point in going on? To perpetuate the species? That will end soon in such a world. For the first time ever in a book I found myself thinking that those that gave up had the right idea. The wife was right. Was it wrong of the group with the pregnant woman to do what they did? Was there another option?

Now this was from an outside perspective from a person who could see what it meant if all the plants were dead and all the fish in the sea were too, the sun blotted out with ash. I suppose, put in the middle of the situation I would fight on as the Man did. At least I would hope to. And who knows maybe some lived to see a brighter day after even such a catastrophe.

Anyways, from my limited knowledge of the subject I feel that this is one of the best books of American literature. The prose is spartan but poetic and so profound at times that I did could not fathom it. Read it if you have not.

14 Billion Years

2009-09-09T21:56:00.000-07:00

Matthew's lyrics, my music. If anyone else wants to make a song just send me some lyrics and maybe sing them into a mp3 so I already have a melody (thats what Matthew did). I want to get a good lullaby about dragons and adventures and the like.

Oh, and I'm not to sure if I like the ending, I might change it up a bit. Too much of the same note. And I'm also not sure if I subconsciencly got parts of the tune from some where. At first it sounded original but now that I've played it and listened to it a bunch I wonder if I got it from some where or now it just sounds familiar to me. I hope its the second.

Strange and Amazing Places

2009-09-06T12:22:00.000-07:00

1) 27°22'49.54"N 33°37'55.93"E

2) 40°27'26.69"N 93°23'33.86"E

3) 50° 0'38.20"N 110° 6'48.32"W

4) 19°56'56.41"S 69°38'1.38"W

5) 33°44'39.33"N 112°38'3.83"W

I thought these were pretty cool satellite images. Google Earth them (or even google maps in satellite view). They are all pretty big...the mosaic in China is the biggest I think at a mile to a side and 100 feet on the thick lines. Please share more if you have them and your thoughts on them.

Calling all Family

2009-08-19T09:55:00.000-07:00

Okay guys, here is the deal. I am trying to write a series of children's books about the nieces and nephews with all you lovely people featured. One thing the authors I meet keep telling me is write what you know and I know you guys. I do not know the nieces and nephews as well as I would like. I have my rough draft for Madelyn's story written but I am stuck so I thought I would write the rough draft of the rest of their stories first and maybe that will spark something. So, here is what I am begging for. Send me stories about the little ones and information like their favorite food, flower, genre (dinosaurs and such) so I can make a story for them, not just about them. Even if these never become popular I want to write these stories for the little ones we all love like mad. You guys will be featured eventually but I am inspired and I am running with it

Root Bridges

2009-08-18T05:54:00.000-07:00

Check out this blog. These things are amazing

http://rootbridges.blogspot.com/

Lucas Plagiarized

2009-08-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

The more I study martial arts the more I realize something. George Lucas copied the way of the Jedi from those who practice martial arts. Jedi's do not give into anger and they do not allow their emotions to get the better of them. In addition the Shaolin Monks remained celibate so as to focus further on their purpose in life.

Something I learned in a very intensive session of Ki development that being physically proficient at Martial Arts is really only 1/3 of being a true martial artist. You have to be careful what you let into your body, allowing only good and nutritional things to enter so that energy may flow out uncorrupted. Then there is living a good life. A man who has never stepped within a Dojo but has lived a good and healthy life is more of a martial artist than an experienced fighter who purely concentrates on the physical.

To focus Ki one has to meditate in a certain way. The monks and Samurai did it often but for college students certain strictures are relaxed (such as only doing it for an hour...) Their are eight main exercises in breathing in which the Ki of heaven, water, fire, metal, and earth are focused. By learning where the Ki centers of the body are one is able to perform martial arts to the greatest of their ability.

Anger is not a part of martial arts. The whole purpose is to master the body and retain that which is most precious, life. I am not learning this to destroy people but to be able to defend myself should the need ever arise.

So you see, the way of the Jedi has been practiced in this Galaxy since before the time of Christ. As I further my training I must be able to recite on command the lineage of my Dojo, a line of authority so to speak, and recite the purpose of my particular martial art.

Back to Ki development. The kiai (or grunt so to speak) brings our movements together with more force than we would otherwise be able to generate because it tightens all our muscles at once.

About a week ago I was doing Ki development with the rest of my Dojo and a strange feeling came over me. After an hour of meditating and breathing I started to shake and cry. Basically I started to panic. So, in classic form, my sensei came up to me and said, "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you that this releases all sorts of emotions."
Apparently it was common for inexperienced students to break down because the form of meditation unblocked emotional barriers within.

I cannot say that the experience was pleasurable but after I had calmed down I felt...light, as if some burden had been taken from me. Martial arts is teaching me how to let my emotions go rather than bury them. I never thought this experience would be so...spiritual in a manner of speaking.

We greet our sensei with a bow and before every session of Jujitsu we kneel and empty our minds of all outside influences. I get my yellow belt in a month but already I feel as if I have come leaps and bounds from what I knew when I started this training.

What would you do?

2009-08-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

I am reading a book that touches the issue of moral dilemmas. I thought it was a very interesting read so I figured I'd recreate it here. Some of you may be familiar with these situations.

What follows is a little quiz of sorts where you answer each dilemma with a response of whether the given action is morally 1)Required 2)Permissible or 3)Forbidden.

The fun part is trying to figure out why you answer like you do. Try and answer each one without comparing to the others. I know this may be impossible, but the results will be more interesting. Go ahead and answer in comments then add whatever insight or ideas or questions you had.

OK here we go.

The runaway trolley/train
There is nobody on this trolley

Situation 1

You are at a switch and see a trolley is going to hit and kill 5 people down the track. However if you switch the track the trolley will be diverted down another fork and the 5 will be saved. Should you switch the track?

Situation 2

Same as the first but there is 1 person hiking on the other track that will die if you switch the track. Should you switch the track?

Situation 3

Same as the first but there is no switch now, however you are on a bridge over the track and if you can push a large weight onto the track you can stop the trolley and save the 5 people. The only problem is that the only weight is a sleeping fat man. Should you use him to stop the trolley?

Situation 4

Same as 3 but now that fat man is actually a villain that placed the 5 on the track and sent the trolley to run them over.

Situation 5

The track now has a loop on it that causes the train to loop around and then continue on to the 5 people. This way if you flipped the switch the people would still die but the train would travel the loop first. However there is a fat man on the loop that would stop the train but die. Should you send the train on the loop?

Situation 6

Same as 5 but now the fat man is replaced by a boulder on the track that would stop the train. However there is a random hiker that will be trapped between the boulder and the train and he will die. Should you send the train on the loop?

Situation 7

5 people are dying in a hospital. They each need a different organ to live. They will go on to live long happy lives if they get this organ. There are no organs available. However, there is a healthy man in the lobby that is a match for all 5. If his organs were harvested the 5 patients would be saved. Should his organs be harvested?

You can search these dilemmas on the internet to get more discussion on them.

Mushroom logs

2009-08-09T06:41:00.000-07:00

Mushrooms are pretty yummy and I think that finding them wild is very cool. The problem for me is that I'm not willing to stake my life or liver on a picture in a book that says these ones I'm looking at are safe to eat. But the next best thing I think would be growing them. Aaron told me about these mushroom logs. The logs (usually oak or another hard word species) are inoculated with spawn, then allowed to grow as they would in wild conditions. Fruiting, or pinning, is triggered by seasonal changes, or by briefly soaking the logs in cool water. Shiitake and oyster mushrooms have traditionally been produced using the outdoor log technique but companies that sell them are branching out. I think this would very fun and easy especially for those living in Oregon since the conditions are perfect year round. I think it would satisfy my bonsai gene, gardening gene and mushroom gene all at once. I'm going to try it when I get the right conditions. Just google mushroom logs, you tube even has some good videos on the process.

Photo Session at the River

2009-08-04T20:44:00.000-07:00

I guess these first few shots are mostly performance art captured in photo. This was a scary bridge to jump from. We spent a long time looking over the edge before jumping each time. I thought the composite of all the images taken during the jump captured the feeling the best. The first is me and the second is Matthew.

~9.8m/s squared #1~

(photos by Matthew processed by Aaron)

~9.8m/s squared #2~

(photos by Aaron processed by Aaron)

~whorl shadows~

(photos by Aaron processed by Aaron)

~water bender~

(photos by Aaron processed by Aaron)

Rock Climbing

2009-07-29T07:52:00.001-07:00

I think rock climbing is one of my favorite out door activities, though I don't get to go that often. When in Denver my brother in law John (wife's sisters husband) and I went up to Clear Creek Canyon to do some climbing. This was my first time lead climbing. Mostly I've done top rope and boldering.

We gave rout A a try. Here's the climbing map if any of you (or I) are ever in Denver and have the chance to give it a try (again). And it's just cool to look at. I didn't get a picture of the key but there were a few inverted places that were fun. Most of the climb was a 5.10c/d.

I only made it as far as the red X's go then...

I lost some skin trying to hold on. It dosn't look that bad after I cleaned off the blood, but it sure hurt.

Anyway being in shape would have been useful. But for not having been in years I did pretty good I think. I'd like to blame the altitude difference (me living at sea level) but I just need to do it more often. I figure when Arwen and Noah are old enough I'll take them climbing...but that doesn't solve the problem of having no one to belay me (I don't think Sarah is heavy enough, unless I stake her down). Oh well.

Budoshin Jujitsu

2009-07-26T16:17:00.000-07:00

We all know the stories about the Samurai. They were incredibly honorable, brave, and extremely skilled with the sword. However, what happened when they lost their swords. Did they just quit? Commit seppuku? (which was common in many cultures when a warrior faced defeat) or did they learn another way to fight?

During the Meiji restoration Samurai were prevented from carrying swords but that did not stop their quest for the ability to fight for those to whom they were loyal. To prevent death in battle they developed a martial arts that eventually became Judo, Karate, and Jujitsu.

Jujitsu translated means the gentle art. It is a martial arts more suited to women in my opinion because it teaches one how to defend themselves and cripple an opponent with minimal force. The movements are graceful and the combat is brutally direct. Students of Jujitsu Are subjected to these holds, throws, and restrained versions of attack techniques. The holds help increase flexibility in the wrist which can be useful in a life or death situation.

Why am I fixating on Jujitsu? I joined the BYU club and, by extension, the American Jujitsu Association. You only have to get followed seven blocks by a creepy guy at night once before you are afraid of your own shadow. A few weeks ago I was watching a Jujitsu practice and now I am practicing how to roll when thrown by an opponent and get up and face them all in one motion. Now I am learning how to block a punch and get out of danger when someone grabs my wrists.

My sensei is very patient in helping me learn my rolls, blocks, strikes, and throws. I would recommend Jujitsu to anybody but especially women because it just makes me feel safer and more confident. That would be reason enough but I am learning to protect myself. I am learning to use someone's superior strength and force against them and learning to hold my own. It is amazing. I am entry level now (not even a white belt) but I plan on working my way up to a black belt.

Now, a little known fact about many martial arts. They teach pressure points for healing as well as attack. To earn higher belt levels we are required to know how to heal various pain using massage and pressure points. Who knows, next time you all see me I'll test out my new skills :p. Anyway, for all the ladies in the family and the boys, look into jujitsu.

Book Review-Longitude

2009-07-14T09:54:00.000-07:00

This is a great little book about the race of discovering a way to measure longitude while at sea. It is interesting and a quick read. I think everyone would enjoy it.

Book Review-In Defense Of Food

2009-07-09T16:50:00.000-07:00

Another good read from author Michael Pollan. Admittedly not as fun as The Omnivore's Dilema and a bit more disheartening. It seems it is harder than I originally thought to find actual food but nevertheless it is possible! I enjoyed learning a great deal more about the food industry and food itself in this book. My small criticism is that he encourages not to eat alone but what about the single adult Mr. Pollan? I read this book in a few days, easy, fun, educating!

Circumhorizontal Arc

2009-07-07T06:24:00.000-07:00

We saw one of these in the sky while driving through the mountains in Colorado. I've never seen one before (a little research said they are very rare).

This one is not mine as I didn't have my camera but looks the same.

These clouds are caused by light passing through cirrus clouds. They only occur when the sun is very high in the sky (more than 58° above the horizon) and the hexagonal ice crystals that make up the cirrus cloud must be shaped like thick plates with their faces parallel to the ground.
When light enters through a vertical side face of such an ice crystal and leaves from the bottom face, it refracts, or bends, in the same way that light passes through a prism. If a cirrus's crystals are aligned just right, the whole cloud lights up in a spectrum of colors.

I'd add this to my short list of cool things to try to find in the sky:

Sundogs or Ice Halos (can be seen in day or my favorite at night with a full moon)
Moonbows (I saw one of these once at night with a full moon rising on distant storm)

Have any of you seen some rare natural phenomenon?

Art Dump

2009-07-06T07:53:00.000-07:00

Here are some thing I worked on for fun in the years past. Picasso I am not, which is a bit depressing really as I really enjoy drawing.

One of my favorite Adventures

2009-07-01T15:51:00.001-07:00

Going along with Michael's fun post on Nostalgic places I think it would be fun for us to each share a memorable adventure. The one I would like to tell is the time I hiked the Thousand Island Lakes Trail with Joesph, Matthew, Emily, Whitney and Nevada.

Hiking Thousand Island lake was definitely an adventure. I don't think any of us could forget the merciless mosquitoes! Poor Whitney seemed to get it the worst and had to hike around with a make shift burqa covering! After it was all over Emily and I had a competition to see who had the most bites. I don't remember who won but no joke I had 100 bites just on one side of my right calf. Even these wretched mosquitoes weren't bad enough to take away from the absolute beauty of this place. The greatest visual was walking over the crest to see the glimmering turquoise lake with the hundreds of tiny islands inviting you down.

The first night we camped we were all convinced there was a bear outside our tents only to find out it was fat Nevada snoring. When we reached the snow we all took turns dunking our heads under run off nearly passing out from the shock of it, then going back for seconds! Emily was brave enough to swim in the lake but I wasn't; it was so cold just touching it burned my skin. One of the brothers and Nevada switched off carting up two huge cans of Denizens Chili only to have it burned beyond eating because of the thousands of mosquitoes attacking me. I felt so bad, but it was still pretty funny. It was so much fun crushing the high altitude snow for my first time and watching it turn pink from bacteria. I think it is great how most of us had to put SPF cherry chap stick on our faces because none of us had sunscreen and we were so burnt. I loved hearing Matthew tell us his great idea for a science fiction story as we sat exhausted around the campfire. I think I remember packing a sleeping pad only to have it "borrowed" by Matthew both nights :), but to be fair he was carrying all my food. Thanks for the memories, I Love you big Brothers!

224 Marble Drive.

2009-06-30T17:44:00.000-07:00

I was going to make this a comment adding to Matthew’s comment about how he’s wanted to tour 224 Marble Drive for the memories. But now that I think about it I would like to make it a post where people can add their memories of wherever/whatever gives them that warm sense of nostalgia.

I've wanted to go back and check it out as well (224 Marble Drive). I've driven past it and found it funny the different perspective I have on things. I mean literally. The steep hills I used to try and conquer on my bike are really just little bumps. It’s weird to think that Austin is making memories that he will look back on with nostalgia. He’s only 4 but I can remember parts of being 4. Man the memories from 224 marble drive; Earthquake sand and hunting dragons with Aaron, swimming with the family, the tree house, playing with Lego’s, watching Smurfs on Saturday morning before soccer games… I could go on.

I get the same feeling for 2163 Concord Ave but not as strong. I wonder why that is. Maybe because I was older and things were less magic to me as I hit my teenage years. I really enjoyed my childhood, pains and all. Sometimes I miss it, the camping, and the adventures at black diamond. I really don’t know if there are more nostalgic places for me than the following:

-Black Diamond

-Mackerricher

-Redds Meadow

-Saddle Bag Lake in the Tent trailer

What are your places of nostalgia?

Numbers Game

2009-06-27T14:23:00.000-07:00

I got to thinking about numbers the other day as i was falling asleep and realized that there are several numbers that are instantly recognizable by most people. Some others are instantly recognized by certain groups. Anyway here is a numbers quiz for you. See how many you can get and respond in comments. Some may be a bit ambiguous so I tried to group them together so think in themes, each theme starts with a very recognizable number. Also, units are not shown. So without further ado see what you can get with no help.

24
365
12
60
3,600
299,792,458 (perhaps better known as 3x10 to the 8th
768
5280
1; 92,855,820; 8. (This is a measurement of distance all three numbers are equal (with different units)).
98.6
100 (or 212)
-273.15
29,029 (think of Dave
88,600 (Same idea as the previous answer)
4.5 billion
14 billion
80 billion (this is a number of a certain type of thing, think BIG
3.14...
2.718...
1.618
10 to the 100
10 to the 10 to the 100
{0,1,1,2,3,5,8,13,21,34...}
{14,19,21,23,27,27,28,31,33,34,36,38} (this may be off a bit, but you should get it)
And finally...
42

Good luck.

Book Review-The Omnivore's Dilemma

2009-06-25T13:51:00.000-07:00

I initially saw this book peaking out of the shelves of a Jamba Juice. I found the title intriguing and eventually got around to purchasing it. I thoroughly enjoyed this playful story of food and would recommend it to anyone. I really like that Pollan doesn't push an agenda on you. The greater portion of the book is just educating you with very intesting and yes, at times disturbing, facts. It motivates you to think more about where your food comes from and what exactly you are eating. But don't worry, it isn't a preachy book that wants you to be a vegetarian! I think most of us love the idea of a micro family garden/farm and this book definitely gives lots of useful tips on what makes a good one. Pollan's musings about his hunting experiences became fairly cheesy but that is the only part that bordered on boring. Read this, you'll like it!

Some fun

2009-06-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

For a while now I've been coming up with some chord progressions with fun rhythms on guitar but have never really been able to put any of them to words. I figure since there are those blessed with the poet's quill maybe we could do a collaborative effort to write some songs. I think it would be fun to try it at least. Meghan and I had some fun last time I was at Grandpa and Grandma Nielsen's house coming up with some lyrics to a song about vampires (only joking though). Anyway, so I planed to upload some videos and then wait for those of you with some writing talent to send (or post) some lyrics. What ever you felt the song sounded like (love song, lulluby, silly...). But I found some really good lyrics and decided to run with it. I hope there isn't any copy right infringement but I think I'll be okay. I almost didn't post them because of that effect where you sound really weird to yourself when you hear a recording. Well you sound even worse when you are singing into a poor microphone.

New Writing Venture

2009-06-20T13:15:00.000-07:00

As you all know, I have been trying to get a good idea for a book for a while. This morning mom told me a story about Madelyn and I couldn't get it out of my head. So I sat down at my computer and two and a half hours later I had the first draft of my own little fairy tale. It is going to take a lot of editing but I am thinking about submitting this book to a publisher. Inspiration comes from the strangest places.

They are so crazy

2009-06-15T09:31:00.000-07:00

I am sure most of us have wondered why people do the things they do. Vote the way they vote, etc. Conservatives generally think that liberals have a mental illness. Liberals think that conservatives are simpletons or religious fanatics. Surely both views cannot be correct. What if they are both wrong? I saw the title of this video and though it would be interesting. I think it was. Helpful in understanding other people and why they hold the crazy beliefs they do. Discuss in comments please.

Link to Video

Book Review-Samedi the Deafness

2009-06-10T08:49:00.000-07:00

Samedi the Deafness is a strange read no doubt. The language of the book is abrupt and lyrical. It is somewhat of a mystery. The strange events taking place and the novel places that creep their way into the main characters life draw you in. It is different from any other book I've read and I like that. You find yourself wondering whether the events taking place are real or if they are delusions that only the main character believes to be real but are not in fact taking place. As the author states in an interview, "Samedi is an investigation of lies and responsibility.” Overall one of my favorite reads, albeit a strange one.

Book Review: Mistborn

2009-06-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

It's been a long time since I've read fantasy, but if I'm still calibrated correctly to the genre this is a good book and will prove to be a good series. I've read the first book and liked it and am enjoying the second. Ninja's meet Fantasy is kinda what it feels like, and let's face it Ninja's are cool (substitute Jedi's if you haven't been turned off to them by the recent Star Wars films). I originally picked this book up because the author has been chosen to finish the Wheel of Time books after Robert Jordan's death. Luckily Brandon Sanderson is a much better writer than Robert Jordan was, I almost finished his series just to not have wasted the time getting as far as I had. Though in the end I couldn't finish and only read the summaries. The fight scenes are awesome and I really liked all the characters.

Movie review: UP

2009-06-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

Ok, just got back from the 3D version and I have to say on first viewing I think this is my favorite animated movie ever. Don't know how well it will hold up to 100 viewings like Cars and The Incredibles did. And as a first for Pixar not only is it good for adults and kids I think it is much better for adults. I almost got teary eyed really. It was a touching and fairly deep film. A must see I think. Oh and read the parallel universe article and drop a comment on what you thought.

Parallel Universes

2009-06-01T18:56:00.000-07:00

Here's an interesting articles on Parallel Universe theories in Quantum Physics.

Multiverse by Max Tegmark (pdf)

I think this could be a fun discussion. The article may hurt your brain a little so read it slowly.

A question to start it off:

ARISTOTELIAN PARADIGM: The subjectively
perceived frog perspective is physically real,
and the bird perspective and all its mathematical
language is merely a useful approximation.

PLATONIC PARADIGM: The bird perspective
(the mathematical structure) is physically real,
and the frog perspective and all the human language
we use to describe it is merely a useful approximation
for describing our subjective perceptions.

Which camp are you in, why?

Art

2009-05-30T20:41:00.001-07:00

I started to color Shel Silverstein pictures when in high school and picked it up again recently. I like having the oportunity to use the color in fun ways and not have to draw the pic myself. Plus it makes the poems pop.

This one I did a while back.

Book Review: "Genesis" by Poul Anderson

2009-05-29T07:28:00.000-07:00

Don't let the horrid cover fool you. This was a good read. If you liked "Lungfish" and "Diaspora" you should like this. Takes place at various times in the human and post human future, ending a billion or so years from now, near the end of Earth's life.

The book brought up some interesting questions.

Is it immoral to create a civilization, ex nihilo style, and let it run with free will and all that entails? Love, joy, sadness, murder, cruelty. Some characters in the book seemed to think so.

Would it then be immoral to terminate your creation completely?

In the end I was rooting against the crazy AI that wanted to let earth die and for the ones trying to preserve the "birthplace of consciousness." The final reveal was a bit of a shocker. Just goes to show you should be careful who you side with.

Overall and easier read than Diaspora, and highly recommended.

"A Far Green Country"

2009-05-24T10:16:00.000-07:00

Mini Burl

2009-05-23T17:40:00.001-07:00

Lot's of types of trees have mini burl or burrs. As far as I know no one out there does anything with the little ones only the big burl. I've shown what they look like on various trees below. I've also found them on pine and fir trees but they're usually are not round and are softer, but the shapes are interesting sometimes.

Tulip Tree

Some sort of Maple

Some type of Alder (I think)

Smooth Barked Oaks (Not so easy to see it in this picture, it's above the leaf)

After I pop them off the trees I skin them right away as it gets pretty hard when they're dry. Don't try to rush the drying of them as they'll crack. I just keep them at a constant temperature while drying. Some are harder than others but they are all very hard. They tend to shatter instead of splinter if they are smashed with a hammer. The grain grows spherically on these burl layer by layer like a pearl and they connect to the tree through thin little needles. They are pretty easy to pop off the trees with a screw driver or the like, using the same to remove the bark. Large burl are made up of lots of little burl all grown together making the amazing burl grain. Though only a few types of trees that grow burl will grow large clumps of burl good for turning and whatnot.

Assorted burl (before they are sanded)

I used to use a dremel tool to sand them one by one then with sand paper to finish them off. Now though I've made a bulk sander out of a grinder and a cardboard canister. It's kinda like a rock polisher but for burl.

Assorted burl (after being sanded)

Finlay here's some of the things I've made with the burl. A burl bead necklace made of various types of burl wood. A little fertility charm that Sarah commissioned after seeing one on a PBS show. And a skull charm likewise commissioned by Sarah.

Also I've mad some burl rings that I like. The wood is strong enough that I can sand them pretty thin but the kids still managed to brake theirs. Though mine is a bit too tight and It survives some serious pushing and pulling to get it on and off.

Sarah's (Maple), Aaron's (Oak)

The burl doesn't take a stain that well. I ended up just boiling the burl in bees wax and polishing them. Heating the burl like that caramelizes the natural sugars in the wood and brings out all the various colors.

The tools I have consist of a fairly recently acquired drill, a dremel tool with some attachments that came along with it that Sarah got me some years ago and sand paper. Also a hand grinder that I was given while helping someone move, this I used to make the burl sander.

Book Review-World War Z

2009-05-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Another Post Apocalyptic book for those of you that are fans. It is about the world having come to a near end through the spread of a disease that causes people to turn into zombies. I really liked how it was written in a documentary/interview style. The Interview style really allows you to get caught up in the conjured reality of the situation. It was a fun and easy read, made the new york times best seller list.

Long Exposure

2009-05-21T06:50:00.000-07:00

Here's another attempt at a long exposure. I think I was just getting the technique down on this one when it started to rain.

Book review: The Postman

2009-05-20T11:43:00.000-07:00

Hey I don't know we want to do this with this blog, but one post won't do too much harm I suppose.

I think it may be fun to put book reviews here. That way, our now dead book club, can be more pick and choose. If you see a book review that you find interesting pick up the book. Format the review any way you like.

I recently read, "The Postman" by David Brin.

What I liked.

Post apocalyptic setting. I am a sucker for the post apocalypse. Don't know why. I just think it is fertile ground for stories about human nature and such, and a good place to reflect on civilization and society. This book did a fairly good job of creating such a place.

The Protagonist's journey was interesting. He kept traveling West hoping to find the remains of civilization.

The location. He ends up in Oregon. It was fun to read about him visiting towns that I know of. Ending up in the Willamette valley. Too bad Portland was still in a cloud of radioactivity.

The idea that something as simple as resuming postal service could bring people together and give them hope. Even if it was all a lie. I also liked Cyclops, an AI, that was helping people around OSU rebuild civilization. Or was it?

What I didn't like

The Protagonist was so dense. Whereas he was good and all, he kept feeling guilty for telling a lie, but failed to see that the lie was helping people. He kept searching for someone to follow that was ready to lead people back to hope and prosperity, but never thought that he was the person.

The Antagonists were infuriating. But it was interesting that what killed civilization was not the Nukes, not the 3 year nuclear winter that followed. But selfish men tearing down in the aftermath. Getting their own, while hurting others. Trying to bring back Feudalism etc. I guess I actually liked this part of the book.

It was written in 1985 and took place in 2011. A little soon to happen 16 years after the apocalypse. But this is a minor annoyance. Nobody can predict the future. Kindof like reading 2001 and saying, uh what?

The ending felt rushed. But it was not bad

Overall the book was ok. It was interesting but didn't really develop the ideas too well.

2009-05-16T07:09:00.000-07:00

Another set of long exposures with a flashlight. I'd really love a white laser for something like this (if they existed), a flashlight beam just can't be focused enough to hit only the parts you want.

Our wisteria vine.

An azalea that's in bloom out in the back yard.

Multiple Exposure

2009-05-14T16:14:00.000-07:00

I've been experimenting with daylight long exposure settings. You can do this with a Nutral Dencity Filter (absorbes much of the light), but I don't have one, and it wouldn't allow you to get the ocasional distinguisable face. Everythign would be a cloud unless the kids held still for a few min. Any way I developed a technique to do it with out a ND Filter. Let me know what you think.

The living room was a little easier because it was not as bright as outside.

This on is of Noah and Joshua swinning on our swing in the backyard.

Joseph game me this idea of trying chess as a repetitive motion.

Anagram Poetry

2007-08-01T10:45:00.000-07:00

This is kinda fun. Like the 50 word stories were. What got me thinking of them was the clues I gave for our new baby’s name.

1st clue: The picture
2nd clue: The name of the picture lily maker.

Anyway I thought it would be fun to create an anagram poem with all the names in our family. Here it is:

Alone a leery animal I waken.
Alarm at his horns, mane
A snarl,
A howl,
Injure
I ran

It is an anagram of following names (the new baby's name is mask with ?'s so you can figure it out if you have not already)

Noah William Martin Nielsen Aaron Sarah Renea Arwen Joshua Alan ???? ?????

Here are some tools to help make your own:
Anagram maker

and
Letter frequency counter

Post as a comment what you come up with. Family names are fun, but I'm sure other things would work as well.

To infinity … and beyond

2007-07-24T08:44:00.000-07:00

click on photo to read article

Let me know what you think of this article...I don't buy it.