I am trying to decide what class to take this summer

illustration from A Head for Happy by Helen Sewell, originally uploaded by Cameron Maddux.

This image from Curious Pages - recommended inappropriate books for kids is definitely steering me towards drawing...

A kid's mind

Like Hugh MacLeod, I too found drawing on business cards to be fun and an appropriate channel for my creativity (except I lacked talent.) The above art is how I dealt with the emotions of the passing of our cat Timothy on the back of my mom's business card.

My mom (in addition to pictures) brought some old writings and other things I created as a child. Including:
Charts about how I viewed myself (I found myself to be quite remarkable!) - bar graph and more abstract.
Poems - a night scare and EYES
Letters - one that sounds like it was written on coke (but wasn't) about a night with friends, postcards showing my commitment to reading + nature at a young age, the night of my ONLY moving violation ticket, a cat on a heart talking about the "wrong situations" in my life, and a strange 2-page note declaring how well I was doing - when I was actually doing quite bad - about to fail 10th grade.
and a few other things if you want to check them out.

Time ago

With my mom coming to visit, she brought some old photos from Philip Gould (who also took the picture of me with the umbrella in the blog's header). I scanned them (with my crappy scanner) and put them on Flickr - from those of you who love the Old School stuff. The above pic makes it look like Eric and I enjoyed each other's company - it wouldn't be for another 12 years or so before we actually did.

Everyday and Tedious

I am so excited that I will get to watch the meaning of the words TEDIOUS and EVERYDAY shift dramatically in the course of my lifetime.

Everyday... Every Day we see something that amazes us ... if we choose.

Tedious ... we are training this machine to do the tedious, more and more.

Fun to be alive.

The less healthcare is tied to the workplace

the fewer jobs like this we'll have!

Song misheard

awaiting taxidermy, originally uploaded by Foxtongue.

Song: "Paradise"
Sam: "Wait what? Ferret Dies?"
Mary: "Paradise."
Sam: "Oh, I thought she said 'Ferret Dies' and I was like 'What?'"

Michael Curry

Michael and Cameron, originally uploaded by Cameron Maddux Photo taken by Philip Gould.

Wonderful friend, Michael Curry recently scared us a bit with a Heart-Health issue. He is doing better, resting at home and we are all sending him bunches of love.

He may be one of “50 Very Important People Shaping Life in Hampton Roads” - he is definitely in my Top 10 of VIP who shaped me into who I became.  Thanks for the thousandth time, Michael.

Double Barrel is back in action ... AGAIN!

I did this post last year, and it worked out quite well ... as I was Fantasy Baseball - Gorilla Division Champion 2009 (Thank you Zach Grienke!)  - so let's keep up the tradition shall we?!  Images are put up kind of with purpose, kind of randomly. They all come from MLB.com - who makes it pretty impossible (as usual) for those of us who love the game to share with others our passion.

OK - If my team had a true line-up this is what it would be (I again chose to avoid sluggers in favor of 5 tools - keep up my strategy from last year).
1. Grady Sizemore - OK, this pick was bizarre. My computer lost internet connection in the midst of the draft and just auto-picked Grady Sizemore.  I wasn't too excited - at all. BUT, I'm going into this with an open-mind. And Grady Sizemore could end up being amazing - we'll see. He's insane talent - will it return post-surgery? I hope so!
2. Matt Kemp - Didn't expect to get this guy.  He rocks.  Such a pure hitter.  Ridiculous stats batting mostly at the bottom of the Dodger line-up, can't wait to see what he does in the thick of it.
3. Troy Tulowitzki - Got to put him at 3rd in the line-up - he's my keeper. NO ONE thinks he'll repeat at 30-20 ... I do.
4. Pablo Sandoval - Pretty excited about this pick. Panda is a great hitter - and the ONLY SF Giant hitter I like watching.  So, he'll be nice to see as I'll be going to many Giants games this season.
5. Derek Lee - drafted him last year. Dropped him, stupidly. I'd kick myself, if I hadn't won the league championship.
6. Robinson Cano - Didn't want a Yankee, but he was just sitting there exactly when I needed him.
7. Hunter Pence - Again like last year, a Grand-daddy pick. 
8. Shane Victorino - The Phillies are just too damn good - I wanted their lead-off
9. Geovany Soto - I picked a catcher earlier than I wanted ... but he was worth the shot.  And this way I have a Cub in case I stupidly drop Lee again.

Bench:
Alfonso Soriano - I know, three Cubs ... what was I thinking? I'm missing them, I guess.  Maybe he'll turn back to real - I seriously doubt it - most likely my first dropped player.
Gordon Beckham - INF stud
Julio Borbon - Texas scores runs and this guy hits lead-off. done.

Pitching Rotation:
Tim Lincecum - TIMMY! Another keeper. My hero.  Makes working so close to AT&T park worth it.
Cliff Lee - Great park to pitch in - why not?
Cole Hamels - See earlier Phillies note.
Chad Billingsley - Back to ace form in the best pitching park in the league. done.
Brett Anderson - Future pitching stud (hopefully starting this year) and I needed an A's player to go check out this season.

In the wings:
Rich Harden - inside joke. Why not?
Jonathan Sanchez - Pitched a no-hitter and gives me a reason to watch 2 of 5 Giants games!

Closing games out - I continue to draft closers with almost my last picks - it worked last year - again repeating last year.
Leo Nunez
Bobby Jenks

Mom's visit

Mom & Cam, originally uploaded by Cameron Maddux.

I'll try to keep a running photostream of Mom's visit on Flickr for those interested..

We are off to a great start! Thanks to Mary for picking mom up and taking the pics. To Thep Lela for providing the wonderful Thai food. Mom for all the gifts and enduring the flight here.

And of course Sam for present-fetching, running into the screen door (TWICE!) to amuse us and just being an all around great kid.

The power of Passion, Play, Curiosity, Symphonic thinking...

As many of my students know, I like to "profess" (I'm not a professor much ... but some things do get professed) the power of Passion, Play, Curiosity and Symphonic Thinking (among other things). Well, I must admit I'm a bit of a Johnny-come-lately to a remarkable person who embodies all these things in the most interesting ways (and no, his name is not Johnny C Lately.)

Richard Feynman.

I first remember getting to learn about him when I read Organizing Genius, but I figured he was just another eccentric smarty. I'd seen his name while exploring the Challenger Disaster, which I looked into after attending a Tufte lecture. However, TED finally pointed me towards his excellent "Fun to Imagine" BBC talks.

They are all worth watching and I learned more about science than I have in many a science class, mainly because he makes you think about science rather than know it.  I love the below video where he makes the interviewer think about the question he's asking, rather than just seeking an answer.  It is easy for us to approach the knowledgeable with a simple, broad question, expecting him/her to direct the priorities of the information.  I ask students to always question what they know and want to know before walking into a meeting, especially anything about research - because those peeps will guide you where they want you to go, rather than your own interest if you don't know your interest.  Feynman is master of thinking about the information rather than the person.



Anyway, I've been reading his semi-autobiographies lately. Highly recommended.

I'll probably write more about him as I continue to get schooled. But I wanted to throw this out in case you were asleep at the wheel like me!

"Buildings, too, are children of Earth and Sun."

Frank Lloyd Wright path to the Library, originally uploaded by Cameron Maddux.

The post title line is from Frank Lloyd Wright. This image in from my trip yesterday to the Marin Civic Center Library. FLW designed the Marin Civic Center; it is fun to explore and find pieces of his thinking and vision.

He definitely practiced what he preached.

Another favorite of mine from him:
"Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you."

I do this ... but I don't apply it enough to what "I do."

Tracing comics

Tracing to distract the left side of the brain, originally uploaded by Cameron Maddux.

I like tracing comics. I like the distraction for doing some real thinking.

Reading comics is like listening to Rock 'n Roll ... tracing them is like listening to classical. More about appreciation and the places your mind takes you.

GO SAM!

GO SAM!, originally uploaded by Cameron Maddux.

Sam had a good second trimester ... from grades to attitude to engagement to reading to fun to friends! Woo-Hoo!

Good Day today

We had an open house @AAU yesterday, so our weekend day had to be special this week, so Pre-Oscar we:

JET

Thanks to Virginia for getting me into the launch party of MLB2K10 to hear JET. (And that was an awesome single turned RBI triple my Panda hit off your Weaver in our game on the Xbox!)

Are You Gonna Be My Girl - JET from Cameron Maddux on Vimeo.

Small venue. Great 45 minute set of mostly new stuff.
Check out the new rockin' album Shaka Rock.

Neupogen shots

Neupogen shots, originally uploaded by Cameron Maddux.

This morning, Mary's numbers from yesterday's blood draw show that she is back in the severe neutropenia range.

Sorry, I haven't given an update in a while, but there is nothing really new to report. We are still dealing with the unknown and fluctuating numbers. She is off the steroid (however, these numbers might put her back on) and still gives herself a shot 3 times a week. She met with a new doctor who gave her some confidence in his curiosity and ideas. She also met with a social worker so that she can apply for disability, which will be good given the risks and her exhaustion level.

If anything significant happens we'll definitely let you know. Hugs and Love, Mary, Sam & Cam