99 Problems But a Hack Ain’t One

Posted on October 20, 2012 by admin

Have you noticed the word “hacking” creeping into everyday conversations lately?…or is it just me? Like when you get a new car and you start to see them everywhere?

I’ve been learning about different ideas for “hacking” lately, and it seems to apply to everything. Hacking is a computer term that in a general sense means to look at systems holistically to test and measure how the system can be improved.

The Dude digs the idea. It carries an anti-authoritarian connotation. Everything is part of a system, and everything can be improved. In a sense, we are all “hackers.” And we are all trying to improve our personal “systems” each and everyday. Or, at least we should be.

In addition to the common idea of computer hacking, I’m starting to see the idea of bio-hacking, life-hacking, fitness hacking, etc. more and more. And I think it’s a pretty great development. It shows that we are taking control. We don’t need no stinkin’ authority to tell us what to do. Let’s hack a better future.

I’ll continue to share some “hacking” ideas, but for now, let’s focus on some great “life hacks”…

Here are “99 Life Hacks” that will leave you amazed. You can use just about all of them…seriously. So simple. So brilliant.

And let’s follow-up with a sweet “Life Hacks” infographic…

Amazing Life Hacks

Rad Drawings of New York City

Posted on September 21, 2012 by admin

NYC Hand Drawing

Do you remember that “song” that talks about sunscreen. It’s not really a song. It’s more of a (fake) commencement speech set to music.

A dude with a rad name put it out in 1999, Baz Luhrmann…Baz…how cool?!

That song is 10+ years old, but it still sticks with me. Maybe because I was graduating in 1999 so I feel like he’s talking to me, but I dig the advice.

I’m not sure I agree with the whole”wear sunscreen” thing. I think there are some questions about the benefits of sunscreens. Clearly straight vitamin D is good for us, and we’re all vitamin D deficient. Perhaps we should be soaking up as much vitamin D as we can, without being burned of course. But I’m getting off subject…

The sunscreen song; I dig.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sTJ7AzBIJoI[/youtube]

One of the pieces of advice in the song is “Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.”

I’ve never had the pleasure of living IN NYC, but I was awful close for a while. Unfortunately, I was in a dumpy part of Long Island enjoying a year of Law School. Right, not much “enjoyment.”

However, I did make time to visit “The City” a few times, and it’s amazing. I don’t ever want to live there, and even question a reason to visit anymore. Not really for the Dude, but I can see why people fall in love with NYC.

The skyline is HUGE. I grew up outside of Boston, and I’ve watched the Boston skyline driving into the city countless times. I use to think Boston was big…until I saw NYC. Wow. Giant.

And the energy is amazing. You can literally feel the energy of the city when you walk around. It’s impressive.

Thanks for the advice Baz. I’m glad I got to experience NYC, and I’m very glad I escaped its grip before it made me hard.

Even that little dose of experience has left me with an appreciation for the Big Apple…not much considering I’m a Boston fan, but I’m ok admitting there’s a wee bit of appreciation.

But to really appreciate the city, you need to see it drawn by hand…by two different people…completely unrelated experiences.

I came across the two below videos from unrelated sources, but they seem like a perfect match for a quick Dude post. So, here are a couple rad drawings of NYC…

The first one is an amazing drawing of the entire NYC skyline…from memory!

Here’s the description from The Kid Should See This:

Stephen has the amazing talent of drawing city skylines from memory. Having spent only a few hours in a helicopter flying from Brooklyn to the tip of Manhattan, he memorized the city skyline and headed back to a studio to begin his drawing. Stephen then spent the next 3 days sketching the skyline. The panoramic drawing will be featured on a billboard that will be displayed at JFK airport terminal.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3fF-ZksUZ0Y[/youtube]

This second drawing/video is the NYC skyline from the view of the Empire State Building. Here’s the description of the video from Open Culture:

Give UK artist Patrick Vale 80 seconds, and he’ll show you his freehand drawing of New York City unfold in rapid-fire motion. Vale planted himself on the 102nd floor of the Empire State Building, looked outside his window, and began drawing, with his iPhone duct taped to a rostrum and recording the action. From start to finish, the drawing took, he says in a HuffPo interview, four to five days. He calls the drawing of the Manhattan skyline “Empire State of Pen.” The great Charles Mingus provides the soundtrack.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tYl9e1jVXQ0[/youtube]

Amazing.

Baby On Board

Posted on September 19, 2012 by admin

Baby on Board

We had our 24 week baby checkup today. That’s 6 months! I.E. – 2/3 of the way to new baby land!!

Three kids under one roof?! We’re really doing this, huh?

Great news, everyone is healthy and looking good for the estimated shipping date of early January. We’re super jazzed to welcome the newest dude/dudette.

And as I wander through life pondering the newest Dude Family addition (and wondering how we’re going to manage three at one time), I often find myself singing “Baby on Board” by Homer Simpson and the B Sharps…Homer’s barbershop quartet.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pURFU3pL93o[/youtube]

This always brings a chuckle to me. Walking around laughing to myself. Tis the world of the Dude.

Then I look at Mrs. Dude for confirmation of my incredible wit…and nothing. No smile, no chuckle, nada.

At first I thought this was because she was blocking me out – she’s really good at that – but then I realized that she doesn’t have any clue about the “Baby on Board” song! She is not a Simpsons fan…at all!

Blasphemous, I know!

It turns out that Mrs. Dude thinks that “only boys watch the Simpsons.” Oh Mrs. Dude. Muy mal, muy mal, indeed.

Well, add the Simpsons to the list of shows that Mrs. Dude has missed out on. If you’re keeping score, Mrs. Dude has no idea who Bob Ross is (wha, wha, what?!!), and detests Seinfeld…crazy, I know. I finally got her to watch South Park (which she loved – but won’t admit), but I had sit on her and hold her eyes open to make that happen (Just kidding Rex…no physical violence was required. :))

So, what’s the point of this post?

The newest Dude bambino is a short 3 months from delivery and all is well.
The Dude is hilarious and has fantastic sense of humor and a great taste in TV.
Mrs. Dude is missing out on the finer things in life…like The Simpson and South Park.

That’s it. Nothing else to see here. Keep on truckin’.

PS – These are the kind of posts that the 3rd child gets. 🙂

Cultivate Awe

Posted on September 18, 2012 by admin

Hubble Telescope “Cat’s Eye” Nebula

Are we becoming harder to impress? Harder to fall into states of awe?

I guess technology has the potential to do this to us. As we advance, the ‘awe’someness that once was becomes mundane. We carry computers/TV’s/cameras in our pockets, we’ve been to the moon, we’ve looked into the far reaches of space.

But should we be any less moved by life today than we have in the past? At its core, life is still a complete mystery and amazingly ‘awe’some.

As the great Walt Whitman once said:

“As for me, I know nothing else but miracles,
Whether I walk the streets of Manhattan,
Or dart my sight over the roofs of houses toward the sky,
Or wade with naked feet along the beach just in the edge of the water,
Or stand under the trees in the woods,
Or talk by day with any one I love,
Or sleep in bed at night with any one I love,
Or watch honey bees busy around the hive of a summer forenoon…
Or the wonderfulness of the sundown,
Or of stars shining so quiet and bright,
Or the exquisite delicate thin curve of the new moon in spring…
What stranger miracles are there?”

Life is awesome and we need to treat each and every second as the miracle that it is. We live at an amazing point in history when the advancements seem exponential. Growth is speeding along, but we should not let this numb us to the awe.

In fact, it is in the best interest of our minds, our spirit, and our health to cultivate awe as much as we possibly can.

The title of a new Stanford study tells us all we need to know: Awe Expands People’s Perception of Time, Alters Decision Making, and Enhances Well-Being.

Apparently, watching awe-inspiring vidoes makes you

less impatient,
more willing to volunteer time to help others,
more likely to prefer experiences over material products,
more present in the here and now, and
happier overall.

We all need to cultivate awe, and to get us started, here’s a great video about “The Biological Advantage of Being Awestruck” from Jason Silva.

I mentioned Jason in a post earlier this year. This dude is RAD. He is out there in such a great way. Will all of his ideas come true? Who cares? He’s making us think with his “shots of philosophic esspresso,” and the Dude digs. Keep on preaching Jason.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/46264514[/vimeo]

Love Shack – Worst Song Ever?

Posted on September 17, 2012 by admin

B-52’s-Love Shack

Mrs. Dude: “I DO NOT like Love Shack.”

Dude: I’m glad you said that. I don’t think I could be with someone who likes that song…I probably should have asked that earlier in our relationship.”

Worst song ever? It just may be.

Thankfully Mrs. Dude agrees.

A match made in heaven.

It pains me to share this link, but just so you can be reminded how bad it really is; Love Shack…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leohcvmf8kM[/youtube]

Inside a Toddler’s Brain: A Little Dude Update

Posted on September 16, 2012 by admin

Inside a Toddler’s Brain

Yep, this chart is spot on. Fits Little Dude to a T. Tip o’ the hat to SwissMiss for sharing.

While we’re in his head, let’s hit a quick update.

He’s growing like a weed. Mrs. Dude and I realized – separately – today that he looks taller and thin. That baby belly is gone! Although, that could have something to do with his diet of Play-Dough and Goldfish.

His hair is insanely long. It will be two years of growth at Thanksgiving! Awesome. We keep discussing when to cut, but we just can’t commit. A mohawk sounds great, but his hair is soooo rad.

Rad Hair Little Dude

He’s constantly learning and asking questions. He’s talking so much. Constantly throwing new words and phrases at us. I have no idea how or where the sponge is soaking it all up. And the pronunciation of words at two is about the cutest sound that will tickle your eardrums.

Somehow he knows where to put all the body parts on a drawing. Mrs. Dude drew the head, and he finished it off. Rad. Perhaps this is the norm, but I like to think of him as a baby genius. 🙂

Little Dude Knows Body Parts

He’s figuring out his body too. For example, he realized his chin moves side to side yesterday. Hilarious.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mppPe0JYRAA[/youtube]

His hugs, kisses, and “uve u’s” are priceless, and we are amazingly happy.

Hearts & Stars…and trucks…forever!

The Real Dude – i.e. The Dude Behind The Dude

Posted on September 15, 2012 by admin

A little music to introduce today’s post…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QVS3WNt7yRU[/youtube]

The Dude Abides

Welcome back. The Dude took an unexpected hiatus for a while. An end of summer vacation, I guess.

Almost a month and a half without blogging. No strong reason other than my attention was focused in other directions. The Dude Family enjoyed a nice August, and everything is copacetic. I’m in the process of moving to a great new job, so we even have some excitement afoot.

But it’s nice to be back. I’ve missed my virtual “Man Town.” I’m well rested, and I have a plethora of posts eager to be written.

Let’s get back to our roots to get us back on track; The Big Lebowski. The Real Dude.

Actually, we’re going beyond The Dude to the Dude behind The Dude. This is a video of the real man The Dude was modeled after. Classic.

Here’s a quick description from the video, and then we’re off and running:

Meet the dude behind The Dude! Sundance Award winning director JEFF FEUERZEIG, (THE DEVIL AND DANIEL JOHNSTON, ESPN 30 for 30’s THE REAL ROCKY), reveals the inspiration for the beloved central character in the Coen Brothers’ cult-favorite film THE BIG LEBOWSKI. This documentary short follows Jeff Dowd to a Lebowski Fest offering a glimpse into this fascinating subculture and colorful real-life character behind the iconic mythical Dude and the secret to how he always abides.

Update: Unfortunately, the link to the video is private now. However, you can still see it under “Staff Picks“…but I can’t embed it here.

But not to disappoint, here’s a documentary look at the bizarre (in a great way :)) world of Big Lebowski “fests.” Enjoy.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/32576846[/vimeo]

“The Tiny Dot” – Government & Taxes Simplified?

Posted on August 5, 2012 by admin

The Tiny Dot

Here’s a video by Larken Rose called “The Tiny Dot.” It’s a very simplified view of government and taxes.

Over-simplified? Probably.

But sometimes making complicated topics extremely simple helps look a things from a new perspective.

I don’t know much about Larken Rose. I’ve heard one interview with him, and he has some interesting ideas. He has a new book (this video is a promotion for said book) titled The Most Dangerous Superstition. His ideas seem to center around the idea of self-reliance and local communities.

The “superstition” Larken’s book discusses is our belief in the need for authority. We all seem to believe that we need an authority to keep the world running smoothly. Larken thinks we can do a better job without this authority. He doesn’t claim to have the answers to accomplish monumental task, but he does create an interesting line of thought.

Anarchy? Based on the Wikipedia definition, Larken’s theories seem to fall under the “anarchy” label.

Ignorance? Brainwashed? Maturing? Anarchy use to carry a negative connotation in my mind, but Larken’s ideas have a spark of simplicity that seems to apply to the world today.

Given the current state of broken political and economic systems worldwide, should we continue to put our faith in this “authority?” Has the “authority” demonstrated its expertise in management of the welfare of the whole?

Would self-reliance, strong community values, and management on a local level be a stronger approach?…could it be worse than what we have?

“The Tiny Dot” is definitely simple, but sometimes simple carries the strongest message.

I’m not motivated to read his book because I feel like I get the gist of the thoughts, but mainly because I think a lot of the current events need to sort themselves out regardless of different philosophical and political perspectives, but the message of “power to the people” does seem carry some value…especially if/when corners are turned and tough questions start to be asked.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zijmsZGFpO4[/youtube]

Hofstadter’s Law: Why the Dude’s Projects Always Take Longer Than Planned

Posted on August 4, 2012 by admin

Douglas Hofstadter

The Dude has been on a slow blog roll for a couple weeks.

A week or so ago I mentioned that Mrs. Dude has me working a 2nd job as a painter, and the sun room painting project has been consuming my extra time. Hence the slow blog roll.

In that post I said, “We should be able to drop the brushes soon and get back to life without painting.” Nice and vague Dude, good work.

I didn’t anticipate this lack of commitment to a deadline and getting “back to life without painting” would still be dragging on almost two weeks later!

Why do Dude projects always take longer than expected?!

Turns out I have an answer to this question. Hofstadter’s Law.

Hofstadter’s law, conceived by the cognitive scientist Douglas Hofstadter, goes like this: any task you’re planning to complete will always take longer than expected – even when Hofstadter’s law is taken into account.

Yep, sounds like every project the Dude takes on.

Here’s a quick read about Hofstadter’s Law from the Guardian. It’s worth 5 minutes to read (although, I’m sure I’m underestimating how long it will take :)), but I’ll pull out a couple quotes I dig…

How to get around Hofstadter’s Law? – The unlikely trick is to plan in less detail: avoid considering the specifics and simply ask yourself how long it’s taken to do roughly similar things before. ‘You’ll get back an answer that sounds hideously long, and clearly reflects no understanding of the special reasons why this task will take less time. This answer is true. Deal with it’
Better yet, where possible, avoid planning altogether. Use the “ready, fire, aim” approach, and correct course as you go along.
Sometimes, the secret to getting things done is just to do them.

So, as I spend my kid-free Saturday inside painting rather than enjoying the summer sun, I’ll keep Mr. Hofstadter’s Law firmly in my mind to help me remain realistic.

I’m going to finish today – says the painter who will finish sometime next week…maybe. 🙂

PS – The image included here is from an article/interview Hofstadter had in Wired magazine…also worth a quick read. This Hofstadter dude seems like a cool cat.

Best Day Ever? The Bob Ross Remix Hits the Streets

Posted on July 26, 2012 by admin

Bob Ross

A few weeks ago I shared a remix of Mister Rogers. And I pondered the other great 80’s remixes I’d love to hear.

But I didn’t know it could be this good.

You know what’s hot in the streets right now?! The Bob Ross remix.

Mrs. Dude is slightly too young to understand Bob Ross. And I feel sorry for her.

Bob Ross was the man. He kept us company after school on many occasions.

Such a cool cat. It’s impossible to watch this video and not smile. I want to hang out with Bob Ross.

And his paintings are ridiculous. He would whip together some happy little trees, a happy mountain, toss in some happy clouds, and a happy little brook rolling down a hill passed a happy little house in minutes.

And he’d get his audience to believe that they could do it too. FYI – it’s not as easy as it looks. At least it wasn’t when I was eight.

Not to mention that AMAZING hair. Love the dude.

By the way, there were a bunch of Bob Ross episodes. I think he was on every afternoon. As a result, you would imagine there would be a bunch of Bob Ross paintings floating around. Nope. I’ve searched, and there are very few around at high prices. Bummer.

I’m saving my pennies for a Bob Ross original. It’s sure to tie the whole house together.

R I P Bob.

Classic…

“Believe that you can do it. ‘Cause you can do it.
“This is your world. You’re the creator.”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLO7tCdBVrA[/youtube]

Dude Knows Best

Dude Abides

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