SketchUp

I have been using a new program called Google SketchUp at work to do 3-D modeling of landslides. It's a pretty cool program once you get the hang of it, and best of all it's free! You can design anything from furniture to houses! It also allows you to mix and match color schemes and materials. Here is just a quick example I whipped up to illustrate what it can do:

Coming Soon: Packers vs. Indie

I haven't posted about the Packers/Indie game yet because I haven't seen it! NFL Network switched the time they aired the game and we missed it on Sunday, and now they aren't showing it until 4:00 am tomorrow morning! So we will record the game and watch it tomorrow night, and hopefully I can update you all before I leave for vacation.
But I can tell you this: ARod + Handlebar mustache = ha ha ha ha

Before and After

Kitchen floor before.

I have had a busy weekend! Friday I worked on a top secret project (can't tell you until the recipient of the project receives it). And yesterday I finally had it with my super ugly, and very hard to keep clean, white linoleum kitchen floor, so I laid a new one!
I'd been thinking about doing something about the floor since we moved it, but all the options I saw were either too expensive, or required tools I didn't have. I didn't want to spend a lot of money because we are renters, and I'd rather put the $$ in a savings account until I get my own place. But I was searching on line last week and found a vinyl "wood" plank flooring that was 1.50 a sq.ft, easy to install, and only required a utility knife for cutting! So yesterday with the help of my mom we installed it. (Thanks mom!) It took about three hours to lay down, and after the first row (which is really hard to keep straight) the rest of the floor went down pretty quickly. We had a few hiccups, like around the entry frame where there were awkward cuts, but after a couple tries we got it right. Another benefit is that the planks don't stick to the floor, they only stick to each other. So if my landlord wanted his hideous old floor back when we move out I can just lift it out! It cost me $80, and I was a little apprehensive about the investment, but as soon as it was down I knew it was totally worth it. I love it, and our kitchen looks twenty years newer than it did before. Take a look for yourself!

Kitchen floor after!

Twin Twins

Is it just me or are the resemblances here uncanny?

Tulio and Miguel

The Property Brothers

Question of the Day

I was having a conversation with my BF the other day, and I was trying to explain to him how life evolves which eventually transformed into us reciting quotes from the Ben Stiller movie Meet the Parents...anyway somewhere in our discussion this question was raised:

Why do men have nipples?

I must confess, I have no idea. It doesn't fit with anything I know about the evolution of humans. Did men once lactate?  Or are all men sprung from women, and so retained the characteristic? I haven't done any research on it, maybe I will this weekend. But before we find out, do any of you want to theorize with me on possible answers?

Is This Racist?

I was watching TV the other night when a commercial came on for an internet dating site called blackpeoplemeet.com. I was really surprised by it.
First of all it's implying that skin color is a number one priority of some singles. Instead of meeting interesting and people based on compatibility and personality criteria as on a traditional dating site, some singles would rather limit themselves and potential spouses  based on compatibility of skin pigmentation. And as learned people of all skin tones have been saying for quite some time now, segregation whether pushed upon a group of people, or instituted from within, based on skin color is ridiculous and should have no place in modern society.
Secondly, I wonder how people would respond if the commercial had been for whitepeoplemeet.com? Even to my ears it sounds worse somehow, when it should only sound equally as terrible. I think it would be an interesting psychological experiment for someone to run an ad on TV for some sort of white only dating site and see what happens. I feel like it would be a much bigger deal.
I've had similar discussions with friends, and they seem to say the same thing, that I don't understand because I'm white, and I've never been a minority. But I don't understand that as an argument. We aren't talking about me, we are talking about racism, and we have two choices. Either it's right or it's wrong. Either you believe that it is fair to distinguish (for good or bad) groups of people by skin color, or you don't. And I don't.
I know this is a touchy subject, but what do you think?

Evolutionary Psychology

One of the many books I have been concurrently reading is called The Moral Animal by Robert Wright. And I have to say that out of all the books I've read recently, this one is by far the best. And by the best I mean that my mind is blown every few pages. I've spent a couple hours actually reading it, and several days contemplating the implications the author asserts. I'm only half way done, but it's so compelling that I thought I'd write about the subject now, and maybe post some thoughts about the content again later.
The book is a summary of the history of, and current research being conducted, in the rather adolescent field of evolutionary psychology.
This new branch of science is, in and of itself, a fascinating concept. Where psychology is the study of human thought and emotion, evolutionary psychology is the inquiry into why we have thoughts and feelings in the first place, and how hundreds of thousands of years of evolution has shaped our interpretation of a moral self.
The biggest insight to me has been the kinds of questions that evolutionary psychology asks. It addresses questions that most of us have probably never even considered. For example. Pornography (I just finished reading the section on this so I'll use it as an example since it's freshest in my mind). Everyone knows it's more of a "guy" thing than a girl thing. (I'm not stereotyping, it's been documented.)  But evolutionary psychology asks why don't women feel the same way about it? It asks why does it take an entire romance novel to convince a woman of the same feelings that a Playboy centerfold can produce in a guy in two seconds? The end result is the same (sex) but the road to get there is totally different. It goes further to ask the question why do men  become physically...agitated by a two dimensional image of a naked woman, but not compelled into fatherhood by a similar image of a baby? Likewise a woman can see a naked man on paper and not be impressed at all, but will resort to making kissy faces at an ad for diapers with a cute baby smiling on the page (again, not stereotyping, it's documented).
Aren't those interesting questions?  I mean there has to be something to it, because you don't see pubescent boys locking themselves in their bedrooms and fantasizing about being dad's, or teenage girls aspiring to be porn stars.
It's amazing to me to realize that I've overlooked so many weird things we humans to because they are "normal" for us. But when you step back, and approach our humanity with a more critical eye, you begin to notice disparities in our actions that our own intellect can detect once properly focused. Like I said before, mind blowing!
OK, that's all for now but stay tuned for more!

Do Your Part: Recycle Underwear

Do you wish you could be living more green? Is recycling newspapers and drinking out of reusable water bottles just not enough action for your tree hugging aspirations? Do you want to show once and for all how serious your commitment is to the environment? If you answered yes to any of those questions I have good news for you! I just discovered a new way you can save the Earth! 

You can help by recycling men's underwear to make your very own trendy sports bra's! Technically it's reusing/re-purposing, but whatever. Not only will you save money by not paying another cent for those expensive workout bras, you will also be helping out Mother Earth by diverting thousands of pairs of tighty-whities that would ultimately end up in a landfill! It's a glorious win-win! 

And for all you guys out there who are horrible at gift giving, look no further. What could be easier than creating that special gift for that special somebody out of something already lying around your house? In addition all you need is a pair of scissors and a bit of patience and you will have all the tools necessary to make a unique gift that no woman will ever forget! I mean who wouldn't like a home-made present that helps out the environment as well?

For complete instructions watch the video here! (The seamstress/model even works out a little at the end, so you can see transformed banana hammock in action:)

Pepper Tree

I was out on a walk the other day, and realized that some of my favorite trees out here in California are Pepper trees. I love their droopy branches and leaves,  gnarled trunks, the spicy way they smell, and the pretty pink pepper seeds that hang in clumps like grapes and litter the ground beneath the tree. I was thus inspired to paint one. I had a canvas already started, so instead of beginning a new one, I just added my pepper branches to it. Enjoy!

Meet Braylon

My fish Braylon Edwards.

I finally got a pet! What I wanted was a border collie, but what I got was a fish. Not that I am complaining, fish are great. My last fish, Dennis (who has now become my olive tree Dennis) was pretty great. Anyway this time I opted for a Beta Fish. They are less maintenance, and best of all they fit in my wine bottle. Before you get all upset, and start shouting fish abuse, you should know that the wine bottle is HUGE, (the size of three regular ones), AND that he seems to really like it in there.
Anyway, for no reason that would qualify as "good" I named him Braylon Edwards. For those of you that don't know, the original Braylon is a wide receiver in the NFL, and was just recently traded to the San Francisco 49ers. Other than that I don't know much about him (meaning the guy). But you know how sometimes you just look at an animal, or maybe even a baby, and a name just jumps out at you? Well, when I saw my Beta at the bet store the name that popped into my head was Braylon Edwards, so I went with it.

A Beta Fish, painting by me.

I've had him a couple weeks now, and he is a pretty good fish. I got him the best food they had at the pet store (blood worms...eeeewwww) and he seems to dig them. He looks awesome on my kitchen table, and likes to see what's going on. He will follow me around his bottle when I am at the table. He has become a bit of a beggar though. When I'm eating breakfast or dinner he swims back and forth on my side of his bottle and stares at me with his little fishy eyes pleading for a snack. I try not to give in, but it's tough. Anyway next time you are over, don't forget to say hi to him!

Happy Football Season!!!

Football season officially started last Thursday and the Packers make their debut on Saturday evening against the Cleveland Browns. I wasn't sure I'd make it, but I have successfully survived another off season! So yay for me. Actually this one was shorter than most since the Pack won the Super Bowl last year, which continued our 2010 season into February of this year, but I'm an impatient person so still it felt too long.
Anyway, we lost to the Browns, but I saw some good things out there on the field. I'm anxious for the real games to start, but it's nice to get a chance to see all the back ups and rookies out on the field. Number 18 Randell Cobb was pretty impressive I thought at wide out. The defense looked good, but I am still am left shaking my head every time I think about the fact that the Packers let go of Cullen Jenkins. I have a bad feeling about that one that I just can't get past. Hopefully they prove me wrong.
My BF got me a Charles Woodson jersey as my  happy-new-football-season present, and I love it!!!...What?...Doesn't everybody get happy-new-football-season presents? Oh...really? Well, anyway, it's rad, and I can't wait to wear it on game day.
Our next pre-season game is Friday night against the Arizona Cardinals and our old teammate Daryn College! Should be a good one. Until next time!

New Flavors

So I am still on my ice cream kick. Thankfully I'm less interested in eating it than I am in creating it. I've been experimenting a little here and there (since my freezer can only hold so much ice cream at a time) and am getting the hang of it I think. I have done a few batches of the usual chocolate/toffee/caramel varieties, and have moved on to trying fresh (seasonal and thus really cheap) fruit, and green tea.
I mentioned in my last ice cream blog that I'd purchased some figs, and was trying to think of something to make with them. Well I did eventually come up with a recipe. It marked my first attempt at a truly a original flavor, and I am happy to say my experiment turned out pretty well. So what flavor was it? It was fresh fig, and goat cheese ice cream! I know, I know, it sounds gross, but trust me it actually tasted much better than it sounds. My mom even took it to a dinner party and everyone there thought it was good (at least that's what she told me:) At any rate my early success has inspired me to come up with some other off the wall flavors to try. I haven't made any of these yet, but here is my "to do" list so far:

1. Mexican Horchata
2. Carrot Cake/ Cream Cheese
3. Country Peach and Sweet Riesling
4. Dark Chocolate Cabernet
5. Jasmine Tea and Honey
6. Zucchini Walnut Cheesecake
7. Creamy Sherry and Cherry
8. Fruity Pebbles (Oh yes, I'm doing it!)
9. White Russian Pound Cake
10. Lemon Bar and Almond

They all sound good to me, but I am not sure if all of them, or any, will translate well into ice cream. I guess that's the fun of experimenting! I'll keep you posted! Wish me luck!

Sphincter Says What?

This has been my week for learning  semi-gross, yet strangely fascinating facts about biology. So just today (yes I can be cutting edge once in a while) I read an article about sphincter cloning.
It might be hard to believe, (and to be honest I have a hard time accepting the fact that I totally believe you can  replicate butt holes but still doubt whether or not wearing white after Labor Day is acceptable ) but scientists have successfully cloned a mouse sphincter! And while I am certain going from a mouse to a human is an exponential process (literally) it's a great achievement.
All poop jokes aside, (and I have a ton) it's really an amazing thing. Many people think the worst thing that can happen to you as you get older is to get wrinkles, or get grey hair. But there are much more embarrassing prospects that can occur with aging that can greatly reduce your quality of life. And the fact that there are folks out there looking to improve my prospects when I'm 70 is something that I will not take for granted. It's a modern day miracle.
Read here for the full story!

Go Ahead, Introduce Yourself

The next time your sitting in traffic and looking for something to do, instead of flipping through the radio stations or singing off key to your favorite Weezer album, it might be more fun to introduce yourself to the colony of bacteria living in you belly button. According to new research there are 1400 different species of bacteria currently eking out a living in the navels of homo sapiens around the globe. Not all 1400 are in the your belly button (at least I hope not). You probably harbor 40 to 150 independent species. But it's still pretty cool isn't it?The major determinant as to the number of "colonists" residing in your navel has less to do with personal hygiene and more to do with whether you are an "innie" or an "outie". I am pretty sure those aren't technical terms although they should be, because I for one would totally read an article in Science if the words innie, and outie were in the title followed by a a long list of authors with PhD's.
Not that anyone cares, but personally I am an "innie". I definitely get it from my dad's side of the family. Or maybe just my dad....Hmmm...
For a more factual account of Middle Waist ecosystems read here.
VIVA LOS TRES B'S!!!! (Belly Button Bacteria)

Christmas List: Item 3

Borrowed from the Associate Press

A glow in the dark PUPPY!!!!!! Yes! This is real! Isn't it adorable? This one glows red, and there is another that glows green. The set of two would would be the PERFECT addition to the holidays! Watch the video here.

(Actually, they fluoresce under a black light because some scientists in Korea replaced a protein with one that glows. RAD!)

Crop Circles

Most of us have seen the movie Signs with Mel Gibson (for those of you who have not consider yourselves among the lucky few), and have heard about the mysterious crop circles that pop up every now and again across the globe. We've also heard many speculate that they may be the work of aliens, although a plausible motive has never been discovered. I always thought the idea of extraterrestrials making crop circles was silly. Like a bunch aliens would come all the way here, hide behind the moon, then after dark sprint down to the planet, graffiti some English dude's corn field, then race back to their home planet. What for? So they could definitively say that fields of wheat are a great medium for finger painting?
Anyway, I stumbled upon an article that explains crop circles without invoking ET. And while you'd think it would have to be a less interesting scenario, it isn't. So what could this new theory be? Why stoned wallabies of course! Yes, you read correctly. Apparently humans aren't the only animals that appreciate opium, (in addition to wallabies, reindeer were cited...I knew I loved reindeer!) and I guess their favorite thing to do when high is to walk in circles...I am not sure how much research has actually been done on this subject, or how many wild wallabies there are roaming around Great Brittan, but I find it both interesting and hilarious, and a nice alternative to aliens. For the full article click here.