This looks interesting (found it on TED)

http://www.the-eg.com/

What if you wanted to create impossible things?

Can you make a ton of stainless steel balance on a small ball and rock in the breeze? Can you create the structure of a diamond molecule where the atoms float in the air and you can walk through it? Can you represent the 8 minutes it takes the light of the sun to reach the Earth using metal and confining your representation to a gallery? Can you make floating sculptures? Tom Shannon did...

Can't afford an instrument? So what can you do?

And be sure to click the link at the top of the video to check out the entire TED site. Probably my favorite site for inspiration on the entire web!

Yet another example...

Here is a great example of a complicated idea that has been packaged interestingly for a specific target audience, but still has appeal to those not in the target audience...

http://www.lifeonterra.com/episode.php?id=191#SWF

Wow! Now this is kinda cool!

http://www.thevisualmd.com/

Give them your $$$

Creative approaches to problems always works better!

Spider reproduction explained

This is a great example of how you should approach your research project. Don't tell us about the subject, show us!. Enjoy!

Just work it out however you can

moving on

green light bounces
and shimmers
as rays of water
transformed into light
fill the shadows
tracing happy patterns
in the darkness
that skitter from
my touch

birdsong beckons
from distant shores
and the rocking of this boat
takes on a hypnotic trance
that feels like contentment
yet drips with colors
reflected from the past
in a hall of mirrors
where each vision
bends a little
around the next
until the original
is no more

the lids of my eyes
grow heavy and weak
fragile shades against
the storm of memory
that beats against this
placid hull
full of sights and sounds
and smells
which can only be conjured
in the mind
oblivious to the light
and song and feel
of the world outside

but the glorious forms
of these daggers of light
tattoo my eyes
with the reality of now
cracking this case
around my heart
in which I lug
the memories
of the dead
until I can no longer
tell where memory stops
and reality begins

each crack opens
a waterfall of light
and drowns my senses
with the beauty
of life without you
my brow smooths
in this soft kiss of color
blinding my eyes
with the burden
of moving on
into the sunlight
without leaving
the best of myself
to play in the shadows
with my beloved
reflections

Symbolism pie a'la mode

cleaning house

the swirl of the sky
against the glass
records the movements
of misplaced order -
windex frozen in streaks
never quite coming clean
like that most human
of activities
echoed in the leaves
that sway and bob
marking time as
a cobweb twists
a mocking jig
in the corner

(And that was me trying to be cheerful and comment on the nice weather... I think I need to work on that a bit... But it's still a good poem, if you ask humble little me...)

Goofing with my new camera

This image is completely untouched by Photoshop. I used an "artistic" filter in the camera (something I never do...) I shot the image around 3:00 p.m. on May 15 under sunny conditions, no flash, camera fully auto except ISO of 100. You be the judge.

p.s. This guy lives at the base of my steps leading to the house. He is one of my protectors!

Oh, and this (great egg video)

I made this incubator from a styrofoam cooler! Amazing experience.

First class

It went well today. Short and sweet. I think this will be a good semester. I love giving out the eggs for the first exercise! Check out this egg video I shot a while back:

May 4th - day of strange observances

May 4th is....

National Candied Orange Peel Day

and (drum roll please...)

Chicken Appreciation Day!!!!!! Wahoo!