DIY Life

The annual Maker Faire in the Bay Area wrapped up this past weekend, and I thought it only appropriate to mention the explosion of DIY'ers and "makers" there are out there. According to the official site, there were over 500 makers and over 65,000 attendees-- both are records for the event. I heard a few people say there were backups on the highways because of the crush of geeky, crafty, clever builders from all over.

There certainly was an impressive showing of talent, no question. From giant flaming sculptures to tiny pipecleaner robots, Maker Faire appeals to a wide range of interests. Perhaps the best aspect of the event is that it is accessible to almost anyone with a project they have built themselves. Unlike stuffy old conferences (or even glitzy ones, like E3 used to be), Maker Faire is a very hands-on, festival atmosphere.

If you want to see more, there are the flickr pics tagged with "maker faire 2008" plus read Guy Kawasaki's post. He describes it well, I think, saying "Macworld Expo meets Burning Man meets MythBusters meets Woodstock." Who wouldn't like that? More coverage from Suicide Bots, Daily DIY and BoingBoing.

Next week I'll be interviewing Bug Labs, who attended Maker Faire. If you have any questions for Bug, leave them in the comments.

Competitive eating has always baffled me. I must be missing something, because it sure is a popular sport.

The winners are never who I'd imagine them to be. A slight girl like Sonya Thomas can often out-eat some of the biggest guys, ones you'd imagine have stomachs 5 times her size.

So what's the trick? How does she manage to put these big burly men in their place, over and over again? Technique.

These four steps will help you win a hot-dog-eating contest. Step 1 involves preparing your stomach by stretching it out. In step 2 you will develop an eating method and refine the tricks that best work for you. I can barely read these training instructions without feeling my gag reflex kick into action, but step 3 explains why you would want to learn (with supervision) how to control this important survival reflex. Finally, like training for any other competition, you'll want to time all your practices. Continually set new records, and work towards breaking them with each attempt.

Intimidated by the competitive hot-dog-eating techniques? Why not train for a pie-eating contest instead? Now that's something I could get into!

It's Chinese New Year! Welcome to the Year of the Rat! Some people call this holiday Lunar New Year -- it's celebrated in other parts of Asia, after all -- and in China itself, it may also be called the Spring Festival.

Whatever you call it, it's a time of celebration and fun. It's also the time of the world's largest human migration, as many Chinese people attempt to return to their hometowns to spend the holiday with their families.

After the break, you'll see some great videos that will teach you all about the Lion Dance, and learn how to make the "red envelopes" that are perfect for lucky cash gifts at this time of year!

In Mexico and in Mexican-American communities around the country, it's the Day of the Dead (Dia de los Muertos), a festive celebration to honor lost loved ones and others who have gone before. It corresponds with All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day on the Catholic calendar: November 1 is dedicated to children's souls, while November 2 is for the spirits of adults. It is said that these souls return to Earth for a visit, but they aren't feared: they're greeted with open arms. And lots of trinkets.

When relatives are coming, you don't want them to think you're unhappy about the visit, do you? The same logic lies behind much of the celebration. People commemorate the lives of lost loved ones by creating ofrendas ("offerings": altars and shrines), making sugar skulls as presents for the dead, hanging banners made of papel picado ("pierced paper" filigree), decorating with real or paper marigolds, baking pan de muerto (the tasty "bread of the dead"), visiting family graves, and maintaining a festive atmosphere.

Who can resist taking these themes and running with them? You'll find more information and plenty of tutorials after the break!