New Star Trek Movie

We're quite excited about the new Star Trek Movie,
even though the "trekkies" haven't been too impressed:

AMAZING inSIGHT

JOSHUA SILVER

Joshua Silver, is an atomic physicist who developed eyeglasses, with liquid-filled lenses. Silver's spectacles are made of tough plastic with with silicone liquid in the lenses. When purchased (at a mere $19.00 a pair), each lens will have a syringe attached to it, and the wearer will be able to adjust the amount of liquid in the lenses -- which essentially changes the prescription -- without the need for an optician. This is particularly useful for people in developing countries where specially trained optometrists are not available.

Mysterious Object #6 winners!

I think this one was too easy!

And the lucky winners are:

Ty and Bre, for the correct answer: "a lovely plant shadow on your living room ceiling."

and Julie wins for the most creative answer: "a family shadow puppet show and this was the finale with all family members participating to make a family tree."

I'd also like to reassure everyone that they will get their prizes. I finally delivered Bridger's prize to him last week--in person!

Thanks for playing, hope you all had a great Holiday!

Mysterious Object #6

Just in time for the holidays,

the Mysterious Object game!

Come and play!

Just guess what this object is:

The most creative answer

and the correct answer

both win a super cool prize!

kool kinetic sculpture

Super cool kinetic sculpture,

created with a series of metal balls suspended by strings.

Healthy Cheetos Recipe

Carving Pumpkins

Pumpkin Carving

click on the link above to carve your own virtual pumpkin

random meme

I haven't done a meme for a while, and this one seems to fit me--"the six random things" meme, sent by Jen. I'm supposed to write six unspectacular things about myself (easy), and then tag six other people--so, prepare to be unimpressed!

1) Monkeys delight me. Check it out:
cheeky monkeys

freaky monkeys

monkey business

2) I have an unhealthy addiction to two "foods", I put quotes around the word food, because I'm not sure they actually food products. I know they don't have any nutritional quality, and am sure they will lead to my demise. Still, I eat them until they make me sick, then swear I will quit, all the while knowing I can't, and dreaming about my next fix.

3) I still dream of being able to tap dance someday, and do fancy tricks.

4) I love Bollywood (who doesn't?)

5) I'm easily distracted by shiny things.

Glass Bird Sculpture by Shane Fero

6) I watch cartoons with my boys, and like it.

six people tagged to do the meme:
Jani, Shankar, Alina Moran, Hatee, River, and Judy.

The Raven

It's become a Halloween tradition to post a rendition of Edgar Allen Poe's, "The Raven", on the Raven*s Nest.

Here's this years version, enjoy:

DEBATE 08

music exchange

As some of you know, I'm wild about music (who isn't?). And one day a friend came up with the idea of a music exchange. This isn't a new idea--I've made many a mix tape in my day--but haven't really done an exchange. So far, I've done this with two friends, and how delightful it was! And is! New music for my library! Hurray! If you'd like to participate in such an exchange, please email me--let's share and make the world a better place.


Thanks again to Maria and Gaetan!
This is a thank you leaf I drew for Maria.

question?

Do I sound like I'm trying to be cool with my philosophical questions on my last two posts?
Should I just have posts from now on in question form?
Will it trick people into thinking I'm more intelligent?

And while I'm on the subject, Rowan asked Brian an important and perplexing question the other day:
"Which is more powerful dad, an atom bomb, or the force (starwars)?"

TACO TOWN!
(I'll be screaming this more often)

taco town

In the chaos of the economy, will American's become more frugal?

Or we continue in our over indulgence?

Playing dirty to become President

Has it really gotten to the point where you HAVE to play dirty
in order to win the Presidency of the United States?

Notice the difference in the two ads.

LARPING

I rented a documentary this weekend,

and was introduced to the wierd (and sad) world of

LARP

which stands for,

Live Action Role Playing

Monster Camp

In Larping, the players physically portray characters in a fictional setting, improvising their characters' speech and movements. In this particular documentary group, a 200 page rule book was used. With these guidelines, the plot writer's framed the weekend-long game introducing certain characters into a storyline.

People become totally immersed in these imaginary worlds. At one point in the documentary, a player tells about how his eight year old daughter came to him and told him he was spending to much time on the computer playing games, instead of spending time with her. His solution? He bought another computer to fix up so they could play together.


Larp death by Lightning Bolt

Jackie Chan

The recent Olympics have reminded me of one of my favorite Chinese movie stars, Jackie Chan. He's an amazingly disciplined martial artist, stuntman, comedian, and he's ALWAYS smiling... unless he's breaking his body in some way during a crazy stunt.

Top 10 Jackie Chan Stunts

#5 MYSTERIOUS WINNERS!

And....the Mysterious Object #5, was....

MARBLES

And the fancy pants winners are:

BRIDGER, right on the money! Well done my friend,
I tip my hat to you.

And the most creative answer goes to,
JANI and offspring,

"a frogs throat while it's croaking"

Just because the image of such a brightly colored croaking amphibian delights me.

Please email me your addresses so I can send you your super neat prize,

which, of course, is a bag of fancy marbles.

Thank you so much to all who participated, you really are all winners! And getting quite creative with your answers!

Mysterious Object #5

What is it? Or, what could it be?

Take a guess, win an exciting prize!

The correct answer, and most creative answer

both win a prize!

Previous Mysterious Object game winners:

#1,

#2,

#3,

#4

a slight change

I thought something was missing...

Wall Animation

By blublu.org

GREEN TREE

Today I sat down at the computer and made this illustration,

just for fun,

to one of my favorite Chinese proverbs:

"Keep a green tree in your heart,

and perhaps a singing bird will come"

After I finished it, I realized, I have made this image before!
Last year, I did the computer sketch below, to send to a friend.

And, the painted illustration below
was made a few years ago
as a Christmas present for my brother and sister in law.

I guess I'll keep unconsciously painting or illustrating it,
every year or so,
until I get it right!

(or a singing bird comes and pecks my eyes out)

dope indeed

T-shirt fix from Threadless

For Brian (who happens to work for the forest service and is a scout master)

And for me

Sego Lily

We went camping this weekend over the 24th of July,

and I thought it fitting to post these photo's I took.

It is the Sego Lily, the State flower of Utah.

By an act of the Utah State Legislature, approved on March 18, 1911, the sego lily was declared to be the State floral emblem. Kate C. Snow, President of the Daughters of Utah Pioneers, in a letter dated April 17, 1930, says that "between 1840 and 1851" food became very scarce in Utah due to a crop-devouring plague of crickets, and that "the families were put on rations, and during this time they learned to dig for and to eat the soft, bulbous root of the sego lily. The memory of this use, quite as much as the natural beauty of the flower, caused it to be selected in after years by the Legislature as the floral emblem of the State." The sego lily was made the official state flower after a census was taken of the state's school children as to their preference for a state flower. The sego lily, Calochortus nuttalli, has white, lilac, or yellow flowers and grows six to eight inches high on open grass and sage rangelands in the Great Basin during the summer months. (http://www.50states.com/flower/utah.htm)

in your FACE

I've started to collect photo's of faces
when I go to museums,for my art classes
(I got a job teaching art part time at the middle school).
These were collected at the Utah Museum of Fine Arts.

I also had this picture taken of me for the blog
with this mask of a raven.

Summer

Water Balloon Fun

slow motion water balloon not popping