Fun
Logan Crawls...kind of
Sat, 2010-08-07 13:09 — Pat HeymanYou are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
Logan Talks
Sat, 2010-07-31 15:53 — Pat HeymanYou are missing some Flash content that should appear here! Perhaps your browser cannot display it, or maybe it did not initialize correctly.
The little tyke has been "talking" to himself in his crib for months now, but any time you try to record it, he stops—mesmerized by the camera. Now through the magic of the hidden crib cam, for the first time ever, witness the sweetness that is Logan in the morning. Disclaimer: if you are not a relative, you may become bored after the first 20 seconds.
Calculus for the Common Man
Fri, 2010-07-23 09:54 — Pat HeymanIt's no secret that most kids today are scared to death of math and calculus. But they're actually quite easy...as long as you don't let modern school teachers "teach" you any of that "new math" nonsense. If you want to kick it old school, there's no better way than to teach yourself calculus with Thompson's Calculus for the Practical Man.
This book was catapulted to world renown when Nobel laureate, Richard Feynman, recounted using it to teach himself calculus when he was 13. Feynman credited his success in calculus to having taught himself and to some of the unorthodox methods presented in this book. Sometimes, when others couldn't even approach a problem, a method he had learned here made the problem almost trivial.
If you are at all interested in Calculus, don't let your first experience be in a classroom setting. You owe it to yourself to teach it to yourself. This book was "old" when Feynman read it, so it's a bona fide classic today. Rest assured, there is no new math here.
(One word of warning: Calculus is a perishable skill. I passed the AP Calculus BC exam with a 5 and then taught myself multivariate calculus while at the Air Force Academy. Within a year of leaving the Academy, I had already forgotten many of the more advanced techniques, simply from not using them. I do remember the basics, but I would have to put in some serious study to replicate that 5 now.)
Making Biltong
Fri, 2010-07-16 00:09 — Pat HeymanBiltong is a South African dried meat, similar to jerky, but it's dried at room temperature. It is phenomenally tasty. Here is my guide on making biltong (videos to follow).
- Obtain London broil. Cut broil into strips no more than an inch think ½ to ¾ is about just right.
- Spray or rub meat with a brown vinegar (apple cider is most often recommended)
- Sprinkle coarse salt on all sides of meat (optional sprinkle some coriander and black pepper at the same time)
- Refrigerate overnight; pour off any water that comes out of the meat
Fun with Selective Colorization
Fri, 2010-07-02 22:26 — Pat HeymanI've been fascinated with photo editing for a long time. Recently, I've been experimenting with sepia tones and selective colorization. Here's my latest masterpiece. Jen's not a fan of the effect, but I think it's very nifty. You have to click on the photo to get the full effect.
And another:
Black sapote
Sun, 2010-03-14 20:05 — Pat HeymanOne of my hobbies/interests of late has been producing my own food. I'm starting small with fruit trees. One of my first scouting trips took me to Excalibur Fruit Trees where among other things I was exposed to the Black Sapote. The owner told us that when ripe, the fruit actually tastes like chocolate pudding. She gave us an unripe fruit to take home and try. This video records the reaction of my parents trying it for the first time.
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Outside Reading: Are you smarter than an eighth grader?
Tue, 2010-02-16 01:02 — Pat HeymanThis is an article from another website that I found interesting along with a link back to the original article.
From: Lewrockwell.com
Synopsis: Here is a test that was administered to eighth graders in 1895. See how you do today. Bet you fail.
December 2009 Newsletter
Wed, 2009-12-30 19:53 — Pat Heyman
Well, we're at the end of yet another year. As our parents always told us, time speeds up as you get older. I still think things that happened three years ago happened only a few months ago. It's been a while, since we have sent out an official newsletter/update, so it's about time. (This newsletter will only cover 2009, but I'll go back and retroactively add in some past newsletters later.)
Family Stuff
God has continued to bless us this past year with our continued health, steady jobs, good friends, our loyal doggy...and we're having a baby!!!!! Jen is seven months pregnant with our firstborn who we're told will be a boy. His tentative name is Logan Matthew Heyman. Jen's due date is March 24. We have a wishlist/registry available if you would like to contribute to the welfare of a minor.
Outside Reading: Santa ain't got nothin on ole St. Nick
Thu, 2009-12-24 16:12 — Pat HeymanThis is an article from another website that I found interesting along with a link back to the original article.
Synopsis:
Alistair Sooke explains why Saint Nicholas is more interesting than Santa Claus. Truth is always more interesting than fiction. And the best part is you don't have to ruin your children's trust forever to tell them the truth.
Avatar - Movie Review and Analysis
Tue, 2009-12-22 13:49 — Pat Heyman
I saw Avatar yesterday. It is one of the most hyped and promoted movies of the year, yet many of the ads neglect to let you know that the movie is in 3-D. Here are some thoughts and opinions on the movie.
To 3D or Not To 3D
Avatar certainly stands as a breakthrough in 3D technology and movie making, as the movie was shot and designed as a 3D movie from the ground up. The 3D takes a meh movie and turns it into something spectacular. There are moments in the movie where I thought, "If I were seeing this on the regular screen, I would be bored out of my mind, but because it's 3D, I don't mind so much." Think of how the 12 minute podracing scene in the Phantom Menace bogged down the whole middle section of the movie. Well if George Lucas had made it in 3D, it wouldn't have done so.
