WallBond Life

The Whitney Biennial

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sun, 20 May 2012 23:59:00 +0000

Today we realized that only one week remains before the Whitney Biennial closes so we hustled over to the East side on this gorgeous Sunday afternoon. But after touring the galleries, we were left feeling a little "blah" about what we saw. We had hoped to see something really pioneering but nothing really grabbed our attention. Nevertheless, the walk along Central Park in such beautiful weather meant that the day hadn't been a total write-off.

Not part of the Biennial, but one of Pierce's favorite pieces when we visit the Whitney.

Pierce Preparing a Pipette

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sun, 13 May 2012 19:30:00 +0000

Today Pierce and I started working on his science fair project. The goal is ambitious: to replicate a recent experiment that uses natural selection to realize multi-celluarity in yeast. We'll see how far we get. Although the original experiment was relatively simple, the kitchen lab is a far cry from a university lab. Even if we don't succeed, Pierce is enjoying himself. As he worked with the pipette he remarked how scientists get to work with such cool equipment.

Pierce pipetting YPD broth for growing the yeast.

Dry brewer's yeast.

Yeast ready for growing in the culture tubes.

The yeast growing environment is a cardboard box lined with black foam-core and warmed by a light bulb. Our LEGO rocker gently agitates the culture tubes

The box containing the culture tubes. The LEGO Mindstorms controller for the rocker inside and an indoor/outdoor thermometer to monitor the temperature in the box.

LEGO Mindstorms Test Tube Rocker

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sun, 06 May 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Pierce and I built this contraption for periodically agitating test tubes using LEGO Mindstorms NXT. The video shows the two test tubes being rocked every 2 seconds but, for our yeast growing experiment, we're going to use an interval of 30 seconds. According to Pierce, the guy on top thinks he's using a see-saw of doom.

Dunkleosteus

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 18:31:00 +0000

Pierce's latest pastel from his art class: a giant Devonian period armored fish called Dunkleosteus. A nice complement to his earlier alien creation. He's now started work on something decidedly fluffier and cuter. Click to enlarge (if you dare!).

Space Shuttle Enterprise Hoboken Fly Over

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Wall) — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:00:00 +0000

I joined an excited crowd on Hoboken's Pier A for the flyover of the Space Shuttle Enterprise and was not disappointed. The Enterprise, a prototype, had been on display at the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.. Following the end of the shuttle program (boo hoo) the Enterprise's new home will be on the Intrepid Sea, Air and Space Museum in NYC.

Mama-razzi strikes again!

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Wall) — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:16:00 +0000

As Pierce will tell you the only thing more annoying than the paparazzi is the mama-razzi a.k.a his mother (me) with a camera ;-)

Ghosts in Hoboken

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Wall) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 20:07:00 +0000

Pierce was happy to discover the PAC-MAN ghost characters Inky and Pinky in Hoboken. Eric Klein, a local tape artist, created them on the walls of an active warehouse (the former Wonder Bread factory) that we pass everyday on the way to and from school. Klein's online gallery of his wide ranging work as a tape artist is worth a look.

Escape From Alcatraz!

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 23:47:00 +0000

Highlights of our visit to Alcatraz Island in San Francisco Bay and its old prison

Easter Haul

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:05:00 +0000

Pierce's Easter haul including Killer Bunny and chocolate Zombie Bunny. From the chocolate zombie bunny description: Chocolate Zombie Bunny will destroy you all. The virus has turned his flesh to delicious white chocolate. Save the world; bite his head off!

Spring Break in Monterey and San Francisco

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sun, 08 Apr 2012 16:03:00 +0000

Our family Spring Break vacation to Monterey and San Francisco. In Monterey we visited the Monterey Bay Aquarium. Then we drove the beautiful coast highway to San Francisco. In San Francisco we visited the old prison on Alcatraz Island and the SF Exploratorium. Click on the picture for a slide show of trip highlights.

From Monterey and San Francisco 2012

Another Trip to Tel Aviv

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sat, 24 Mar 2012 19:29:00 +0000

Highlights of my recent two week business trip to Tel Aviv, my second trip in less than a year. I, and two colleagues, Eric and Tom, taught over 40 employees at AT&T Tel Aviv how to work with the software tools we've developed. While the business side of the trip kept me very busy, I was able to to take a quick trip to Jerusalem, where Eric ran in the Jerusalem half marathon in the morning (and I took photos). Fortunately, he had enough energy remaining to accompany me on an afternoon tour of the Christian quarter of Jerusalem's Old City (last year's trip to Jerusalem we visited the Jewish Quarter). Click on the picture for a slide show.

From Tel Aviv and Jerusalem 2012

Greg the Cable Guy

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sat, 03 Mar 2012 17:21:00 +0000

Cable guy training time again. It feels like mandatory military service. This time around our job description has broadened to include connecting the house to the telephone wires strung from telephone poles. So here I am up on a 22 foot extension ladder learning to strap myself to the ladder, and my ladder to the wire and to the telephone pole.

Pierce and Curiosity

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 00:45:00 +0000

Pierce posing heroically in front of Curiosity, the new, very large, Mars rover, on display at the American Museum of Natural History. The real one is currently en route to Mars.

I've Got Blubber!

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 02:06:00 +0000

Pierce and I did this together. Pierce did the drawings, I did the music and animation, and we story-boarded it together.

When Aliens Attack!

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 19:39:00 +0000

Pierce's latest creation from his weekly art lessons with Laura: a pastel of an alien from Steven Spielberg's 2005 War of the Worlds. (click to enlarge, as usual)

Pierce's Class MLK Day Play

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 20:28:00 +0000

The finale of Pierce's grade 5 class Martin Luther King Day Play at Wallace School

Kinecting at Home

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 23:27:00 +0000

Pierce and me playing around with a Kinect hooked up to my Mac. Just exploring the possibilities of this interesting peripheral.

New Year's Day at the Guggenheim

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 00:50:00 +0000

On a balmy New Year's Day 2012, we finally got around to visiting the Maurizio Cattelan retrospective installation at the Guggenheim. It was a lot of fun, and reminiscent of Banksy's sense of humor. All the work on display was hung from the Guggenheim's domed ceiling, and revealed itself as we ascended the spiral ramp. There's a time lapse movie of the exhibition being assembled here.

Cattelan has said that this exhibition and his recent commission at the Venice Biennale would be his final shows before he reinvents himself as a new artist. Surprisingly, we happened to see his Venice exhibit too this past summer: 2000 pigeons, watching your every move.

Christmas Morning 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Wall) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 01:19:00 +0000

Lots o' fun presents including a Bonsai Kitty, an Evolving Darwin play set and an H.G. Wells collection.

Christmas Morning Flowers

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Wall) — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 01:11:00 +0000

An 8-Bit flower bouquet from Pierce.

Yoda Claus

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 19:29:00 +0000

From December 24th on Pierce's Lego advent calendar.

Christmas Eve 2011

noreply@blogger.com (Deirdre Wall) — Sun, 25 Dec 2011 02:19:00 +0000

Preparing for Christmas morning with the all important note and treats for Santa and his reindeer.

All Ready for Our Christmas Party!

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 22:49:00 +0000

Deirdre's preparations culminated with this amazing table.

Pierce's Class

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 22:45:00 +0000

Pierce's class went for a walk down to the waterfront on a lovely balmy day. Only a few days left until the big day!

Swingin' Christmas Concert at Carnegie Hall

noreply@blogger.com (Greg Bond) — Sun, 18 Dec 2011 16:16:00 +0000

Deirdre and I enjoyed the New York Pops Swingin' Christmas concert at Carnegie Hall last night. Great big joyful sound from a full orchestra, the near 100 voice Essential Voices USA choral group, and a fun mix of Broadway and jazz vocals and music.