Simplicity Quotable Quote – Bruce Lee

One does not accumulate but eliminate. It is not daily increase but daily decrease. The height of cultivation always runs to simplicity.
–Bruce Lee

Weird Week In Review - June 13

In case you missed last week, here is your one stop review of all things from WeirdGuy blog. Have fun!

Creativity, Cars, And Ninja Cows

Big Buck Bunny - Buy Or Download

Steampunk Sewer Cleaner

Telecommuting: How To Promote It

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Steampunk Sewer Cleaner

I really like this genre of art — maybe it’s because of my early love of Anime and Myst. Enjoy!

This piece was built by Alex Holden. Alex says of the project…

The pictured device is a prototype of Joseph Bazalgette’s patent sewer maintenance machine, as demonstrated at the Great Crystal Cyberdrome Exhibition. Its boiler is fired by miasma and it is fitted with a variety of cleaning and pest-control ancillaries. Unfortunately the high manufacturing cost and the temperamental nature of their modified rat brains meant that after the initial batch of fifty had escaped Bazalgette was forced to employ men to maintain London’s sewers. Even today, you can put your ear to a manhole cover in our capital city and hear the distant clanking of brass wheels on brick walkways and the squeal of exterminated rodents.

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Big Buck Bunny - Buy Or Download

Given the look on Big Buck Bunny’s face, you’ll want to buy this DVD and add it to your animation collection.

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Creativity, Cars, And Ninja Cows

I came across this old drawing that my friend, Jeff at Jaggedsmile, did after a conversation we had. You see, when my wife and I used to travel, in the BK (Before Kids) days, she told me about a game she used to play with her sister when they traveled. They used to look out their side of the car and count cows. The person with the most cows at the end of the trip was the winner. On a particular trip we took in through southeast we revived this old game for fun. At the end of our trip, my wife informed me she had counted several hundred cows. Not to be outdone I told her I has counted about a hundred that were visible, while the remaining several hundred were “ninja cows” practicing their camouflage skills. Chick-fil-A would have loved it!

Weird Week In Review - June 6

In case you missed last week, here is your one stop review of all things from WeirdGuy blog. Have fun!

5 Effective (Though Less Obvious) Powers Of A Press Release

Shake Up Your Business - It Can Be A Good Thing!

How To Be A UX Design Team Of One

Ironman Case Mod - Awesome! [PICS]

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Ironman Case Mod - Awesome! [PICS]

How’s this for creative computing? To see all the steps in detail, visit Random Access. Now, go build your own and send me your images to post here. Have fun!

clipped from www.microcenter.com Body armor for the case? I wanted this case to incorporate aspects of several types of Iron Man armor, starting with his original dull gray steel. Although rivets were not always in evidence, these would add to the effect of heavy plate on the panels. Starting with the case itself, I anchored short lengths of aluminum angle (L brackets) to the top and front edges of the chassis. These were used as anchor points to attach two curved steel panels at the bottom front and top rear of the case. To strengthen the sheet metal, I riveted ribs of aluminum bar stock to the outer edges using two rows of heavy nickel wire for the pins. To create a layered articulated armor on the top, sections of PVC plastic were cut and then anchored to the aluminum angle with sheet metal screws. A final PVC panel was attached to the front and a piece of foam rubber trimmed to fill the gap between the sections. The foam was trimmed to a smooth shape with a razor blade, and then covered with a layer of epoxy Several layers of shredded fiberglass-reinforced epoxy were built up over the surface of the PVC with only a light sanding in between. I wanted a slight ripple effect to simulate hammered metal. I prefer to add pigment to the epoxy so that if the surface gets scratched, there is a solid color exposed. The color layers also make it easier to visualize the final effect and in some cases, can be used as the final finish instead of paint. Ribs made from strips of half-round wood trim were cut to fit the drive bay opening. Two at the top were glued in place; one was attached to the front of the DVD drawer; the fourth rib was attached to the front of the DVD drive using foam mounting tape (this allowed the rib to flex; pressing on the right edge opens the drive tray). For the mask, I went to a recent version of Iron Man - the 2005 and 2006 release of “Extremis” (also available as a graphic novel of the same name). I used the circuit-style lettering in the title for the IMD plaque. To make the case more than just an armored shell, I wanted to give it a purpose - even a fictional one. Readers rarely see Tony Stark testing his armor. He always seems to rush off, slap something together that works perfectly and is well finished, miniaturized, and usually violating several laws of physics - but hey, it’s fiction, right? But what if he had to troubleshoot something? That’s what we do in real life… so I came up with the concept of an Iron Man Diagnostic Unit. Since Tony no longer keeps his identity secret, it means we needed to identify that the unit came from Stark Laboratories. Letters were cut from sheet brass, then dots drilled, edges filed, and lines chiseled. The background was printed on a laser printer, then glued between two sheets of 1/8″ high impact plastic. The brass letters received a soft satin finish, then were glued to the plastic. Four small magnets (Tony has always been big on magnets, although his are usually transistor-powered) were glued to the back to allow placement of the plaque on any flat ferrous surface. I was going to stick this on the top of the CPU heat sink, but there wasn’t enough clearance between it and the side panel. So that became the title - Stark Industries IMD. But what to run diagnostics on? The Iron Man mask is probably one of the most characteristic parts that while frequently changed still has similar features, such as no nose, slitted glowing white eyes, and a slash of a mouth. The mask was attached to the mesh panel, then the clamps positioned and anchored from the rear with short screws. Two holes were drilled in the mesh behind the eyes. A pair of white LEDs were hot glued onto the mesh to cause the eyes to flicker when the hard drive is accessed. A heavy duty stainless steel switch was located in the side panel, presumably to open and close the clamps (or turn on the power in reality). The bottom of the case was anchored to the base plate treads. The rest of the system components were installed, and cables organized a bit, but spiffed up with some chrome convoluted (AKA split loom) tubing. Then it was time to tear it all down and switch out the stock Intel heatsink with a big blocky Peltier cooled one. Then I stuffed it all back together, and took these final pics.

Is The Market Ready For Modbook?

By E. Brown

Former Apple employee, Andreas Haas, thinks he has a niche market. He’s taken the MacBook and modified it into a tablet PC. Is the market ready?

Haas founded Axiotron in January 2005. The official ship date for the Modbook was Decemnber 2007. How many units have the they sold? I could not find the answer to that. How does Axiotron intend to stay in business? From their own Web site comes this insight:

Axiotron determines a potential project or market to be a viable case of Solution Hardware if all of the following characteristics are met

• Off-the-shelf hardware is insufficient.
• Market size warrants full product cycle.
• Profitability can be achieved early in product life cycle.

Could I also use the Modbook as a digital notebook? Yes! Take a look at how to use Inkbook as a way to write notes and then transcribe or export them as you’d like.

But, the question stills remains, “is the market ready?” Just because you build it does not guarantee they will come. The buzz may be out but unless the dollars are coming in, Modbook may go the way of the Apple Newton.

Related Links
To see what others are saying you can visit links to CNet, Mahalo Daily, and more.

Weird Week In Review - May 23

In case you missed last week, here is your one stop review of all things from WeirdGuy blog. Have fun!

Twitter Is For The ADD Generation - Part 1

Prince Caspian (the Movie) Delivers!

Twitter Is For The ADD Generation - Part 2

Twitter For The ADD Generation - Response

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Creativity In The Process

Scott Risner wrote this article on the cyclical nature of creativity within online learning and training development. Scott’s background is similar to mine in that we both came from print production and prepress environments. However, Scott can jam on a mandolin, while I am pretty good at thrashing and pounding on the drums. Enjoy the article! -eb

By Scott Risner

About 20 years ago I started designing and developing computer-based training (CBT) using Authorware. At that time I knew nothing about a process for this type of effort. My experience was primarily in print design and production. It was an interesting experience making the transition. Print designers enjoyed a long established design process which was not the case with development of CBT or “Multimedia”.

So how did we start the transition? Well, what I did was attempted to use existing tools and knowledge to create a process. Funny thing was that the tools for multimedia, for the most part, were not as advanced as those available for print.

The transition struggle was multi-faceted. There was the design, the production process and client management (reviews and revisions). Traditionally the print design process was (roughly explained) thumbnail, design comprehensive (comp), final layout, print proof and then final printed piece. On the other hand software design was (in practice)… Analyze, create a design document, hand it to developers and they would lock themselves in a dark “magic” room and appear weeks or months later with something that loosely resembles what you expected.

While making the transition from print to multimedia wasn’t easy, I learned a few things along the way.

Read more…

Quotable Quote on Creativity

One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries.
- A.A. Milne

Weird Week In Review - Mar. 28

In case you missed last week, here is your one stop review of all things from WeirdGuy blog. Have fun!

4 Things That Will Change Your Life

Hilarious “Cat Man Do” Video

Networking, Character, and Competency Still Matter

Rethinking Life and Relationships With Web 2.0

Quotable Quote - Cicero

Blogging, The Long Tail, And Leading vs. Following

Quotable Quote - Plato

How To Make Bananas Foster

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Quotable Quote - Plato

Those who tell the stories change society.

- Plato

Could New Movie Be Too Much Star Wars?

Not according to George Lucas, but what will the fans think?What do you think? Comment below.

clipped from www.cnn.com Set in the years between episodes II and III — “Attack of the Clones” and “Revenge of the Sith” — of the big-screen “Star Wars” chronicle, the movie and series present fresh adventures of Jedi warrior Anakin Skywalker, his mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and other colleagues. The movie introduces a female Jedi, Ahsoki, who is Anakin’s young apprentice. “It’s like ‘Band of Brothers’ in space, with Jedi,” Lucas, 63, said. “You can tell lots of stories. They come up all the time.” He also is moving forward with a live-action “Star Wars” TV show focusing largely on new characters removed from the Skywalker family. That show will be set in the decades between “Revenge of the Sith” and the period when the original film, 1977’s “Star Wars,” takes place. So can fans ever get enough of “Star Wars”? “I don’t know,” Lucas said. “I’m thankful every year that it keeps going.”

Weird Week In Review - Mar. 14

Your one stop review of all things from last week on WeirdGuy blog - Have fun!

Peach Of A Movie Now Has A Name: Big Buck Bunny

7 Steps To Better Your Personal Networking Experience

Looking For Work? Knowing Someone On The Inside Has Perks

Mandatory Ping Pong In The Workplace

Camp Out At Bob Camp Cartoonist Blog

The Tao Of Presentations

Kukuburi Online Comic ROCKS!

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Kukuburi Online Comic ROCKS!

Have you seen Kukuburi? My friend Jeff turned me onto it and it rocks! The illustrations are wonderful. The author and illustrator, Ramón Pérez, does a masterful job of capturing energy in every frame. The attention to detail and subtleties keep readers coming back every Tuesday for another update.

Admittedly, Pérez has had a time trying to keep up. The site has recently been updated and several of the pages still need fleshing out. For instance, the Cast page is to be updated on Fridays, but it is not easy to hold down “real” work and continue with projects like this on the side. Nevertheless, he has developed quite a following and readers are patient while waiting for updated strips.

As for those who have not read Kukuburi, you have a treat in store — head over and start at the beginning. I think you will be hooked like many others.

Have fun!

Illustration from Kukuburi© by Ramón Pérez

Camp Out At Bob Camp Cartoonist Blog

Want to see an influence on modern cartooning and animation? Head over to Bob Camp’s blog and spend hours scrolling through the art and illustrations that have made him famous -and- made you laugh.

Illustration by Bob Camp

Peach Of A Movie Now Has A Name: Big Buck Bunny

By E. Brown

I first wrote about “Peach” last December around Christmas time. I was inspired by the collaborative approach the film makers took in creating this 3D movie. Afterward, some of you asked me to keep you updated on the project. So, here we are…

In February ‘08 the movie was christened with the name Big Buck Bunny after it’s main character — Big Buck, of course. The producers and developers were very excited to make this announcement — the project had become much more viable.

Now, after much work and rendering, the movie is about to be premiered. If you happen to be in Amsterdam on April 10th you might stop by the doors of Cinema Studio K and beg for them to let you into the showing, dinner, and party. If you’re like me and will not be anywhere near the Netherlands on that date, feel free to stop by the Peach blog and pre-order your version of the movie. While there, you can also catch up on the final details of the making of the film and watch several videos about the collaborative effort.

Have fun!

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Creative Parent Training

By E. Brown

While at dinner last night with some friends the topic of children came up. I have two children and love them both dearly. The couple we were dining with are newly weds and have been thinking about having children. I wish I had seen these books prior to last night. From Wry Baby comes two hilarious parental training books: Safe Baby Pregnancy Tips and Safe Baby Handling Tips. The authors, David and Kelly Sopp, use creativity and illustration to equip expecting and new parents with the do’s and dont’s of child raising. Grab your own copies today and start learning!

Oh yes, remember - have fun!