Clawblog

To many, nothing is more artistic than a simple penciled sketch.  Over the years, the true talent of an artist was best demonstrated in their ability to draw. 

While stumbling the other day I came across a really neat site that allows you to recreate an artists sketch, digitally.  You simply upload a digital photo, set a few parameters and the site will reproduce a sketch-like abstraction of your image.  You can check out the site here. 

Here is the before and after result using the photo from my About page. Read the rest of this entry »

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Prior to acquiring a serious espresso machine for my wife at Christmas I used to frequent the local Starbucks on a semi-regular basis to get her a latte.  The one closest to our house is one of the limited stores that incorporates a drive-thru.

Starbucks, or “Four-bucks”, a reference to their high prices I first heard from my Dad, has exploded on the scene in the last 10 years in the U.S. and internationally.  One of the elements they’ve employed as part of their “experience” is the drive-thru, an element about which I am passionate!

Photography by: hyku

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Is she really reading?  Well, I doubt she’s making sense of the words, but I do believe she is triggering different elements of her imagination with each page turn. 

Prior to the birth of our daughter 14 months ago, my wife and I committed to doing everything possible to limit / prevent her exposure to television.  Babies are extremely impressionable.  Even the highly touted Baby Einstein series of DVD’s were not a consideration.  A research study from Time magazine includes the following:

…with every hour per day spent watching baby DVDs and videos, infants learned six to eight fewer new vocabulary words than babies who never watched the videos. These products had the strongest detrimental effect on babies 8 to 16 months old, the age at which language skills are starting to form.

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Properly ground coffee beans go a long way toward brewing a quality cup of drip coffee or cup of pressure brewed, crema coffee.  Following are the top 3 reasons why burr grinders are better than conventional blade-style grinders.

1. Consistency of the grind!
2. Does not heat up the grounds
3. Greater capacity for grinding more beans for larger pots / multiple espresso drinks

While burr grinders allow one to select the coarseness or fineness of the grind, blade grinders require one to stand watch and “eyeball” the process - the longer you grind, the finer it will be.  While blade grinders can be fussed with for drip coffee, burr grinders are not recommended for espresso of other beverages that require a specific grind.  However, blade grinders are significantly less expensive than burr grinders.

chris@clawblog.com

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Not only does salmon taste great, it’s tremendously healthy for you.  It’s rich in omega-3 fatty acids that serve to lubricate the body, as well as increase good cholesterol and lower bad cholesterol.  All of these reasons are important in the fight to help prevent heart disease.

Salmon is fantastic when grilled, and I can’t think of many things that are simpler to prepare.  All you need is kosher salt, ground pepper and olive oil. Read the rest of this entry »

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Yesterday was “family lunch day”.  A time reserved for my wife and baby to get out for a “treat”.  We loaded up the vehicle (quite the chore with a 14 month old ) and headed off to our chosen lunch spot.  This week took us on the freeway for a short stint.

I consider myself to be a good driver, not perfect.  I’m the type that gets too easily agitated by the less competent driver on the road (something I’m perpetually working to improve).  Driving is a privilege, not a right, and too many drivers don’t recognize the fact that our cars can be, and often are, weapons.  The short time on the freeway reminded me of the simple things of which all drivers should be cognizant.

Photography by: Chris Kisela

Proper driving, or driving etiquette, is something we all owe to each other on the road.  After all, it’s the safety of our occupants that is potentially at stake.  Driving etiquette point number 1 - Blinker. Read the rest of this entry »

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In an ongoing effort to select foods that serve to improve one’s overall health, don’t forgo certain black foods in  your diet. In particular, black beans, rice, sesame seeds and vinegar.  In addition to their black color, all of these foods contain antioxidants called anthocyanins, which possess anti-inflammatory properties.  Following are some additional benefits of these black foods.

Black beans, including black soybeans, are excellent sources of both protein and fiber.  Additionally, they are great sources of  iron, folate, and magnesium. They also help to regulate blood sugars and control cholesterol in the body.

Photography by: Father Jack

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While car seats provide important protection for our babies, the fact of the matter is they are not used properly by most people.  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports that nearly 80% of all car seats are not properly installed.  Additional problems result from the child not being properly secured within the seat. 

I believe the majority of these parents are well-intended, just lacking proper guidance.  Following are some key do’s and don’ts to consider.

Photography by: Gracie and Viv

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My wife loves her lattes.  So much so that “Coffee” is a line item in the household budget.  After doing a great bit of research, I decided to take the plunge and buy my wife a super-automatic espresso machine for Christmas.  At the rate my wife drinks lattes, the unit will pay for itself in less than a year.

Upon getting the unit (Jura Capresso F9 - fantastic!) set up and reading the documentation, I quickly came to realize that I would benefit from this new appliance as well.  I enjoy good quality coffee, and this machine has the ability to brew the best cup of coffee I have tasted.

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I recently completed a long overdue cleanup and organization project in my garage.  In so doing I came across three products that I found exceptionally useful.

All of these products are not uncommon in existing garages today, but I found that there are a lot of choices when it comes to quality, form factor, price and overall utility. Read the rest of this entry »

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