curwhibble

What Toy Do You Miss?

2011-02-21T21:43:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite toys was Rubik's Magic Puzzle. Sort of a Jacob's Ladder on steroids. It was made of 8 independent squares connected by bands that allowed the squares to move and change position relative to each other. The object was to take the puzzle from a 2 x 4 rectangle with three rings to the image on the left.

Other configurations were possible including 3 dimensional such as loop and a "fish" (image on right).

It was created by Ernő Rubik and came out in the 80's. Like the cube there were speed competitions. Below is a video showing the solution and a one-handed 2 second attempt. I would love to have one again.

What toy from your past do you miss?

Angry Birds and Chocolate Frosting

2011-02-21T07:19:00.000-08:00

A curwhibble Word Cloud

2011-02-15T18:56:00.000-08:00

Just Watched - Playtime

2011-02-15T12:03:00.000-08:00

Playtime directed by and starring Jacques Tati

on IMDB
review by Ebert
Available Streaming on Netflix

From the Ebert Review

"Jacques Tati's "Playtime," like "2001: A Space Odyssey" or "The Blair Witch Project" or "Russian Ark," is one of a kind, complete in itself, a species already extinct at the moment of its birth."

Paris in Jacques Tati's Playtime is a collection of Modern concrete and glass towers. The sights we expect are either not included or seen from a distance or seen as reflection. The most striking view of the Eiffel Tower is a reflection on a glass door of one of the high rises.

The movie takes place over a day and night in Paris and is populated by an American Tour group, the people of Paris, and Mr. Hulot. There is virtually no dialog and the dialog that is there has the quality of something barley overheard as you are walking through a room.

The movie is a set of visual and aural vignettes, almost slapstick, but never dumbed down. There are time where there is so much going on in the scene that you know you missed something.

One of my favorite moments in the film is as one of the American tourists walk pasts a series of travel posters in an Airport, you see that every city across the globe is filled with the same glass and concrete towers.

An amazing extended sequence takes place in a new restaurant that is not quite ready to be opened. This sequence alone is worth seeing the whole film.

Just Read

2011-02-12T20:15:00.000-08:00

At Home by Bill Bryson

"Bill Bryson (A Short History of Nearly Everything) turns his attention from science to society in his authoritative history of domesticity, At Home: A Short History of Private Life. While walking through his own home, a former Church of England rectory built in the 19th century, Bryson reconstructs the fascinating history of the household, room by room."

at Amazon

"House aren't refuges from history. They are where history ends up."

A wide ranging history, that covers everything from the Crystal Palace and materials and techniques to build it to the history of plumbing, archeology, architecture, gardening, parks, fashion, wigs and much more, At Home takes us room by room to examine how the home became a home.

Up Next

Schoolhouse Rock

2011-02-05T13:02:00.000-08:00

I loved Schoolhouse Rock growing up. If you have a favorite list or link the youtube video in a comment.

2011-01-30T10:28:00.000-08:00

The van is no more. I once again am tooling around town in a VW Beetle. The last time was a red old style Beetle and the towns were Lowden and Clarence, Iowa. The red Beetle was my mom's. She would let me drive it to school in Clarence until the day I was hit by a schoolmate turning left and then the well placed light pole.

My dad had a case of empty beer cans in the hood. The best part of small town living was the store owners that collected up all the cans and threw them out before the police arrived.

Now it is a black 2006 new VW Beetle. The main quality that both Beetles share is space. I may look a little foolish being a large guy in a small car, but there is no better car for interior space. I am tall enough that in many coupes or sedans, I have to contort my head to fit in. I think my bald spot was as much about my noggin constantly rubbing against the roofs of various cars as maternal DNA. That plus ample leg room and being a safe distant from the Air Bag, makes this a very comfy fit for me.

This will also be my little part in saving the planet as I am getting close to a 50% increase in fuel economy. The Beetle gets 23 City / 32 Highway.

I am still learning about the car. After leaving the dealer, I had no idea where the light switch was, but was able to figure it out before causing any major accident. I am eagerly waiting for my first big road trip!

2011-01-17T09:03:00.000-08:00

To a Cat

2011-01-16T19:26:00.000-08:00

Mirrors are not more silent
nor the creeping dawn more secretive;
in the moonlight, you are that panther
we catch sight of from afar.
By the inexplicable workings of a divine law,
we look for you in vain;
More remote, even, than the Ganges or the setting sun,
yours is the solitude, yours the secret.
Your haunch allows the lingering
caress of my hand. You have accepted,
since that long forgotten past,
the love of the distrustful hand.
You belong to another time. You are lord
of a place bounded like a dream.

Jorge Luis Borges

What is This?

2011-01-16T14:16:00.000-08:00

Draw a Picture With Me

2011-01-13T20:50:00.001-08:00

Click Here to Draw

Big Cats

2011-01-10T18:37:00.001-08:00

Ouch

2011-01-07T20:24:00.000-08:00

The Red Wheelbarrow

2011-01-05T18:38:00.000-08:00

so much depends
upon

a red wheel
barrow

glazed with rain
water

beside the white
chickens.

William Carlos Williams

2010 US Movie Box Office Infographic.

2011-01-03T18:33:00.000-08:00

A great visualization of 2010 Box Office totals over time. The color of each movie is based on the movie's opening weekend. Mousing over the movies track shows you the totals for each week.

The red line in this sample is Avatar, 5 months into its run.

The site includes links to previous years as well.

10 Top 10

2011-01-02T10:19:00.000-08:00

10. 10 Best Songs of 2010

9. Top 10 New Foods of 2010

8. The 10 best foreign films of 2010

7. Top 10 TV Series

6. The Best Fictional Books in 2010

5. 2010 Domestic (US) Movie Grosses

4. Stephen King’s Top 10 Films of 2010

3. Top 10 Tech Highlights of 2010

2. Top 10 science news stories of 2010

1. Top 10 World News Stories

Happy New Year

2010-12-31T21:14:00.000-08:00

May your New Year be happy, joyous, and full of new adventures!

I have two resolutions this year: to write and share more and to make healthier choices.

2010-12-31T08:48:00.000-08:00

Building Homes with Recycled Material

In a funny and inspiring talk at TED in Houston, contractor/designer/dumpster diver Dan Phillips discusses his philosophy of design and construction and the need to tap into our more primal selves to avoid the waste and uniformity that current design/construction impose.

Dan Phillips - TED Oct 2010

Doctor Who - A Christmas Carol

2010-12-30T19:34:00.000-08:00

I did not realize this was showing on Christmas Day, but TiVo was nice enough to record it for me, so I had a day after Christmas gift waiting for me. Michael Gambon (Dumbledore lives!) starred as a "Scrooge" type character who the Doctor goes back in time to befriend and influence to be a better man.

The story is sentimental but yet manages to include flying sharks and a Marilyn Monroe elopement. I am thoroughly enjoying the latest Doctor.

It is showing on demand, so if you get a chance, try it out.

Snowstorm Moves In

2010-12-30T10:00:00.000-08:00

At 8 a.m. the snow was due to be done by 9. At 9 by 10. At 10 by 11. Now stopping mid afternoon but starting again at 4 pm.

Even though it has snowed all day it was the 8 am snow that nearly killed me. Missed slamming into a car that had slid down a curved road into the curb. As I slowly accelerated toward the same spot, I knew that if I applied the brakes, I would hit the car with the brakes firmly in place. I also knew that if I steered aggressively the back of my car would have hit what I was trying to have the front of my car avoid.

So, I gently steered to left and quietly prayed that the trajectory I was on would miss the car. It did by a terrifyingly small measure.

I missed that car but now in my slightly new trajectory I was careening toward the other car just sitting still in the middle of the road. A slight correction to the right allowed me to avoid that car.