1. Demo of Google’s Android platform [video] - Seems cool, but becomes infinitely cooler at the end of the video when they demo Street View for Google Maps. Worth a watch just for that alone.
2. Laser-etched skateboards - Laser etching must be all the rage these days. First Moleskins and laptop lids and now skateboards. You’ve got to admit that there’s some stunning work here. I’d never do a single grind or rail slide on something this beautiful.
3. Trek Soho S - I’ve never been much into bikes, but I’ve been looking towards alternative commuting solutions lately (to solve my $10+ per day problem) and came across this bike. Blacked-out, single-speed fixie. Sad that I could buy it new for less than two months’ worth of gas commuting to work. And Jonas could ride in a sidecar with aviator goggles and a scarf. Sweet.
4. Ira Glass on Storytelling (#3) [video] - In this short clip, the host of This American Life touches on how makers/creatives cultivate taste and trudge through the wasteland of years leading up to truly creative work. I’ve never heard someone articulate this so perfectly. Hopefully I’ll get there soon.
5. Mapping the Human ‘Diseasome’ - Nice example of (mildly) interactive infographics presenting a vast amount of data. Interesting topic too. Helps the medically-dumb get a wider view of some of these genetic similarities.

• Invitations - I have a secret love for invitation design. The one thing I miss so dearly working in The Hyperspace is the lack of the tactile component. Design*Sponge has a nice profile of some particularly awesome designs. Almost makes me want to go through the hell of doing my wedding invitations again. Maybe.
• Trailer for American Teen - Breakfast Club was a great movie. I am a sucker, and tend to be intrigued by any re-hashing of it. This movie in particular looks to have promise. [via]
• Buddy Rich is a badass - I admit that most Stereogum stuff passes through my feed reader untouched these days. But I caught this piece that highlighted the skills of Buddy Rich. Anyone who can play the drums like that and have a stroke without blinking (video #1) is a grade-A badass in my book. Playing a drum-off with Animal from the Muppets (video #2) just puts you over the top.
• Playing Frisbee with the dog - While Jonas may still be one gigantic pain in the ass, we’ve come to find that we both really enjoy playing Frisbee in the evenings. In fact, one might even go as far as to say he lives for it. He’s rather impressive in how quickly he’s taken to it, and I enjoy seeing how happy it makes him. I just need to remember to stop playing at a certain point, because he really does just keep going until he pukes. So overeager.
• The story of the real Indiana Jones - An oddly compelling, rather short read about the inspiration for the film character. A bit more Nazi than what wound up in Hollywood, but still an intriguing read. Makes you wonder if people this, err, driven? Obsessed? Still operate today in the circles of archeology.

Try as I might, The Wife™ remains disagreeable to many an awesome name for this child. As we lay in bed at night, I’ve thrown out hundreds of suggestions since October. Each one is shot down with a retort, a groan or simple disgusted silence. Recently I’ve begun to wonder (in light of still not having a declared winner) if we should revisit some of the ones that perhaps had been rashly, hastily and unfortunately stricken from the list:

• Lou Diamond Faust - Apparently not a fan of Young Guns, in spite of the awesomeness that is “Diamond” as a middle name
• Axel/Rose Faust (see how I worked Slash in there as well? Two-fer!) - Here we see her denying her ’80s roots
• Big Baby Jesus Faust or Dirt McGirt Faust - Refuses to see the greatness of the Wu-Tang Clan and Old Dirty Bastard
• Leif Warhammer Faust - I said we could call him Eric for short. And I defy you to find me a 4th grader who would try to kick the ass of someone with the middle name of Warhammer.
• Sargent Slaughter Faust - Turns out she never played with GI Joes. A shame, really. Same with Optimus Prime Faust. To be fair though, I wouldn’t accept Little Pony Faust if she suggested it. Maybe.
• Bocephus William Faust - Ever heard of Hank Williams, Jr. lady? Huh? *sigh*

And so fall the names, one by one, off the list of contenders. I’ve said goodbye to some good ones. She even disliked Batman Bin Suparman. How fickle.

To her credit, though, maybe this is all for the better. As you can tell, my suggestions are mainly boy’s names, which could really come back to bite me in the ass. If the kid comes out with lady parts, I’d have a much harder time telling the nursing staff that we’ve named her Princess Huggybear Faust.

Well, at least with a straight face that is.

Dear Assclown Next To Me, Yea You In the Pink Polo Driving the Volvo S60,

What’s going on man? Hey, I don’t mean to bother you but I couldn’t help but notice that bumper sticker you’ve got there. See, I was going to take a picture to put it on the internet (because you are a walking cliche rife for lampooning), but then I figured that it might pump your ego up even more too much because you mistook me for photographing your fine luxury automobile. Sadly not true. But can we talk for a second? I need to be serious for a moment.

See, your sticker says “Keep Louisville SOPHISTICATED” and I get it. It’s supposed to be in opposition to the “Keep Louisville Weird” ones that are all around town. Problem is, it’s not funny. Not sure if you know, but the KLW campaign is about business. It’s about supporting local, independent businesses, like the ones that help define Louisville as a city, ones with a bit of personality. Without these ma-and-pa shops, Louisville would just be another generic Midwestern city, chock full of Olive Gardens and Applebees and Best Buy chains. For some reason you oppose this. But not me. One of the reasons I can stand saying that I live in Kentucky is that I’m proud of the little independent community that Louisville has, from the world-famous Ear X-tacy to Heine Brothers Coffee and everything in between, it’s something to be proud of, to stand behind.

So what’s your deal? It seems as if you’re embarrassed by independent businesses, their owners and their patrons. You (apparently) think that they bring down the image of Louisville, somehow tarnishing the reputation that this grand old city has worked so hard to uphold, as a proud and cosmopolitan, sleepy southern town.

Unfortunately for you, I think you’ve missed the point that YOU LIVE IN KENTUCKY. We’re like the least sophisticated state on the map. When people in other parts of the country hear about us they think “moonshine” and “trailer parks.” Where is this sophistication? For God’s sake, the city itself can’t even be pronounced the same way by two people. No, I’m not saying the city is filled with a bunch of backwards hilljacks, but really? REALLY? If you want sophistication, move to New York or Chicago, not the east end of Louisville, Kentucky. And if you’re around the other 364 days a year, you’ll realize that no one walks around in their Derby outfits except on Derby Day. So cool it with the sophistication shit.

Look man, I’m not mad at you. I just don’t want you to perpetuate the elitist stereotype that anything related to the Bardstown Road area is dirty and filled with hippies and weirdos. In fact, it’s the first thing I show off to out of town visitors, because it helps define who we are as a city. God knows there are no McMansion subdivisions in any other city though, right?

Oh, and newsflash there Chet, if you want sophistication you might want to start with removing a vinyl bumper sticker from your Volvo.

Yours in mint juleps,
Brian

1. Fifa Street Style 3 commercial [video] - The cynic in me wants to say this isn’t real. But if it is, man is that cool. It’s like parkour meets soccer. These guys would totally rule at a game of One-Touch, One-Bounce.
2. John Mayer is F*cking Rich [video] - I have a natural aversion to all things Mayer. Really, I shouldn’t. I just unfairly pegged him after that wretched Wonderland song. Blech. Anyway, he shows quite a bit of comedic chops here. And who doesn’t love self-deprecating humor?
3. Ice spheres - For those that prefer their drinks on the rocks, supposedly a perfect ice sphere is the best way to server it, as it melts more slowly. And it looks grade-A badass. [via]
4. Millencolin’s new album Machine 15 - Hello, my name is Brian and I have a secret crush on pop-punk. I must be somehow stuck at the age of 14, but I have some weird soft spot in my heart for uptempo, chugging guitars and harmony. Fifteen years into their career, they’re still showing some of the snotnosed preteen bands of today what’s up. Does it make it more punk that they’re from Sweden? No? Stream the new album.
5. This amazing video (commercial? ad?) - Just watch it. The little kid inside me is giddy and awestruck. It’s brilliant.

“Well, I think it’s a girl,” said her doctor at yesterday’s check-up. Sure, the comment was said lightly, in passing. But this is humorous to me for several reasons: 1) this is contrary to what we’ve been thinking all along, 2) this is contrary to what anyone else we’ve met is thinking and, 3) ISN’T SHE THE DOCTOR?! Seriously, lady, you’ve seen the ultrasound and are the only qualified person who knows how to read it. And charts? Hello, don’t you write stuff down? I pay you money to write stuff down, dangnabbit.

So just in case, last night I told The Baby™ that if it wasn’t sure if it were a boy or girl, that it could just hang out in there awhile until it decided. Because no one likes someone who can’t make up there mind. Or hermaphrodites. (I kid)

While The Wife™ humors me on not finding out the gender, I know it has to bug her. She’s a wonderful lady to indulge me on this, and as a result I took it upon myself to settle it once and for all, from a strictly scientific approach. No reader, I didn’t call the OB and ask. I consulted a myriad of old wives tales to see what gender of big-headed baby we’re having. Let’s take a look! Based on…

• Carrying High/Low - Knowing the way that The Wife™ is carrying, we’re having a boy!
• Heartbeats - The Baby™ is higher than 140 (152ish), so we’re having a girl!
• Is Her Face Round and Full? - Hell if I know. We’re having some sort of baby!
• Chinese Lunar Calendar - Given the lunar cycle during conception and her age, we’re having a boy!
• What Your Urine Says - Yea right, I’m not doing this test. Game over.

So as you can see, these highly scientific tests show that we are indeed having a baby that will either be a boy or a girl. To us, it doesn’t matter as long as it’s healthy. And see how much fun this was? If we had been told the ending to the story up front, we would have never known the joys of surfing through all the crazy-pregnant-posts of ladies just to find these precious nuggets of wisdom.

For the record, though, I will be very stunned if the kid comes out with assembled girl parts. It’s just not what I’ve been feeling all along. And while we could dive even further down the rabbit hole of science and conduct yet more experiments involving keys, strings, pillow direction and magic fairy dust, I think we’ll just wait it out.

Come B-day I will be reporting live, on the scene, with late-breaking, up-to-the-minute news and my Super Doppler 3000 (with traffic cam). From the hospital cafeteria. Because I’m terrified that I’ll pass out if I stick around.

On second thought, let’s hope it’s a girl. Or else a more manly boy. Either way just not as squeamish as it’s dad.

1. Ethereal photograph - Awesome photo of the shuttle launch. The photographer explains it almost didn’t happen.
2. More pregnancy tips - No idea why these make me laugh. But they do.
3. Garmin’s Forerunner 405 GPS watch - The point where technology and running meet perfectly for the general consumer. Very, very cool. Do want.
4. Battle of the bulbs shootout - Over the past few months I’ve been looking to set up a small, humble photo studio in my home office. I’ve found little clamp worklights to be awesome, and this comparison of bulbs is invaluable.
5. Murders & Mysteries - Naz Hamid (1, 2, 3), someone I look up to a great deal, is a talented designer, musician, etc and now has a solo music project. I had no idea. I dig cinematic electronic music, and especially “I’ve Got A Bad Feeling About This.” Perhaps I’m reading too much into it, but do I detect a bit of his Chicago post-hardcore roots in the guitar/bassline?