Cool Site: Graph Jam

It has been awhile since I've come across a Web site that offered something truely unique. The one I found tonight is Graph Jam. I won't describe what it is here; it's better that you see it for yourself. Scroll down on my blog to the "Important Graphs" section to see what I mean.

Here is the link to the Web site:
http://www.graphjam.com/

Top 20 Geek Novels

I came across this list of the Top 20 Geek Novels of all time. I've actually read most of them, so I thought I'd offer up my own comments:

1. The HitchHiker's Guide to the Galaxy -- Douglas Adams
No surprise why this is number one. I saw the TV show version as a kid and loved it. The novels are obviously even better. It is very British humor and great fun. The movie that came out a few years ago is a faithful representation of the late Adams work. Even my sci-fi-hating wife enjoyed it!

2. Nineteen Eighty-Four -- George Orwell
A fascinating yet depressing view of the future. I started my leanings to the political right after reading this book.

3. Brave New World -- Aldous Huxley
Yet another classic of a dystopian future. I read this many years ago, when cloning really was just science fiction. It is sadly even more relevant today.

4. Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? -- Philip Dick
I was a huge PKD fan growing up. I've read pretty much all of his novels and short stories. I think the only reason people pick this as a top novel is that it is the basis (loosely) of the movie, Blade Runner. I actually think it is one of his weaker books. My top pick is also the first one I ever read by him - Eye in the Sky.

5. Neuromancer -- William Gibson
This is a fantastic book. It introduced me to the whole cyberpunk culture and provides a glimpse of what the Internet might be some years from now.

6. Dune -- Frank Herbert
I developed my passion for reading after this novel. It is the Lord of the Rings of science fiction. It touches on so many themes ranging from science, politics, religion, ethics, and military. The movie from the 1980s did spoil it somewhat for me. The books are so much better. I've heard that SciFi Channel's mini-series treats this book better. I'll have to check it out sometime.

11. Snow Crash -- Neal Stephenson
Another of the cyberpunk books. I remember really enjoying it but can't think of the details. Corporate sponsorship and control was an overarching theme here.

13. Cryptonomicon -- Neal Stephenson
This is an amazing sci-fi / historical novel about the code-breakers of WWII combined with a present day storyline. These two story arcs intertwine despite the fifty plus years separating the events. It's a long book but worth savoring every page.

16. The Man in the High Castle -- Philip K Dick
Here is another PKD novel (not like I am complaining!). This one is popular because its plot line starts with the question, what if the Allies had lost WWII? The U.S. is split between Japan and Germany. Not my favorite, but I did like it better than Androids.

19. The Illuminatus! Trilogy -- Robert Shea & Robert Anton Wilson
This is a very strange book, steeped in multi-layered conspiracy theories and sci-fi themes. Not something I'd be interested in reading again.

7. I, Robot -- Isaac Asimov
8. Foundation -- Isaac Asimov
I love Asmiov's writing, but am ashamed to say I only started Foundation and have never read I, Robot. I do want to someday. Foundation was going great when I started it many years ago, but I think I got burned out on sci-fi at the time and have yet to return to it.

15. Stranger in a Strange Land -- Robert Heinlein
This seems to be Heinlein's most popular work. I started reading it but could not get into it. Many have recommended The Moon is a Harsh Mistress. The only book I've read of his is Starship Troopers, which was much better than the movie.

9. The Colour of Magic -- Terry Pratchett
This is next on my reading list. I've heard the name, but have never read any of his stuff.

10. Microserfs -- Douglas Coupland
12. Watchmen -- Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons
14. Consider Phlebas -- Iain M Banks
17. American Gods -- Neil Gaiman
18. The Diamond Age -- Neal Stephenson
20. Trouble with Lichen - John Wyndham
Stand on Zanzibar - John Brunner
The Shockwave Rider - John Brunner
I haven't read these other books. I'll have to learn more about them sometime...

Speaking of geek - If you are a child of the 1980s, be sure to take this quiz:
http://mentalfloss.com/quiz/quiz.php?q=335

June 21st Update
Some very astute readers of my blog pointed out the glaring absence of Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card. This is a book that would definitely be in the Top Five of my own list. It is so good that even my anti-sci-fi wife read it and loved it! Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the sequel and never finished it. I would like to say I hope they make a movie of it, but I'm afraid we'd get another "Starship Troopers".

Kung Fu Panda Kicks Tail!

We saw Kung Fu Panda last weekend and loved it. I am a Pixar partisan when it comes to animation, but I must admit this film is the closest yet to reaching the standards of the Disney animation unit. It is the story of a clumsy and food-loving panda who works in his father's noodle shop but dreams of being a Kung Fu warrior. One day he is "accidentally" chosen as the Dragon Warrior; the only one who can defeat the evil Tai Lung.

I am a sucker for Kung Fu movies, so when I saw the trailer and learned that it was a family friendly PG rating, I knew I'd see it, along with my wife and young son. There are so many great things about this movie. I'll try to summarize quickly.

First, I like how it paid homage to the genre. It had all your classic elements of Kung Fu (the neophyte training with an old master, legendary weapons and stories, ancient locations, etc.) but also some interesting twists to keep it from being predictable. When Master Shifu says he doesn't know how to train Po (the panda) to be a Kung Fu fighter, let alone the dragon warrior, I felt the same way! The dumpling duel was the highlight of the movie for me. I also love how all the characters are animals with matching Kung Fu styles (Tigress's aggressiveness, Crane's fluid and graceful movements, Tai Lung (Leopard)'s power from massive upper body strength, etc).

The movie was also happily free of pop culture references. That is my biggest pet peeve with animated movies that one commonly finds with non-Pixar animation studios. I guess these companies think they need to put in such references for fear that kids won't get into the story. That is why I am not a fan of the Shrek movies. If the story is good, like this one, you don't need such devices.

Lastly, the movie has a good message while not being preachy. While it obviously hints at Eastern religion, it is dealt more as a mythical story than one of pushing a certain world view or agenda. Teachers will see this as a treatise on differentiated learning (I learned that term from my wife, who has a master's degree in education). Go see this movie (and the website). You won't be disappointed!

My rankings of CGI movies from Dreamworks Animation:

1. Kung Fu Panda


2. Flushed Away


3. Over the Hedge


4. Madagascar


5. Shrek 2


6. Shrek the Third
   
   The following ones I don't want to ever see again


7. Shrek


8. Bee Movie


9. Shark Tale

Who Is Abraham Baldwin?

He is a person that arguably played one of the most meaningful roles in the history of our country and yet is practically unknown. He was a Yale College tutor who had recently moved to Georgia, which was still in its infancy as a state. He was selected as one of the two delegates sent to Philadelphia in 1787 to discuss revisions to the Articles of Confederation. This convention moved far beyond that pre-text to become the genesis of the Constitution.

One of the first major disagreements among the state delegates at the convention was the power of larger states over smaller states. James Madison and his Virginia Plan favored the larger states by giving them more votes that the smaller ones. The New Jersey Plan was proposed and supported by the smaller states to have the same number of votes for each state. The debate lasted almost the entire month of June and became so contentious that the convention was close to being disbanded.

Roger Sherman, one of the delegates from Connecticut, proposed a compromise (now called the Connecticut Compromise) wherein the national government would consist of two houses, one with representation based on state size and one with representation of two people for every state. This was a reasonable compromise, but it had to be voted upon by the convention. Five voted in favor of the compromise (CT, NJ, DE, MD, and NY) while five voted against it (VA, PA, MA, NC, SC). It was down to Georgia to provide the tie-breaker since neither New Hampshire or Rhode Island chose to send delegates to the convention.

One Georgia delegate voted against the measure and so it was down to Abraham Baldwin to make the final decision. If he voted against the measure, it was likely the convention would end (and with no Constitution ever created!). If he voted for the measure, the vote would be deadlocked and a method to resolve the issue would have to be decided. But he would face the possible stigma of having negated the voice of the state he was representing. Baldwin voted in favor of the measure. The committee later appointed (of which he was a member) determined to pass the measure by reasoning that the two small non-attending states would have voted for the measure.

So why should you care about this little moment in history? Well, I'm sure this will interest some of my blog readers because Abraham Baldwin, the man who arguably saved the Constitution, was also the founder of the first state-chartered school of higher learning - the University of Georgia.