I had a great trip to visit my friends in IBM Bromont Quebec today. I promised to go back up there this month.. and today worked out toe be the day. My friends Brent and Marian joined me for the 1.5 hour ride up through southern Quebec. The forks up there are so warm and welcoming. They’re also really energizing and fun to hang out with.  We got to hear what they were working on.. and where they were going. I came away really inspired..   I have a few pictures.. but they’re up in our room and Diane’s already asleep.. so the pictures will have to wait.

The other topic I wanted to write about tonight is “naches’.. (pronounced ‘nach-ess’).. It’s a yiddish word that roughly translates  taking pride in something.. usually your kids.. When you kids do something good. it brings you naches..   It’s a word my dad loves to use.. I picked it up from him..

I have many occasions to think about naches as I watch my boys grow up to be realty, really  good guys.. I had a real sample of it last night when Max helped me unsnarl a computer hw/sw system I was writing. I’m trying to interface a set of sensors and lights to my laptop using a system called Max-Msp.. Max-Msp is the most amazing system deisgn tool.. you write programs by instantiating small function blacks that you wire up point to point on the screen. it’s incredibly powerful.. and .. it turns out.. incredibly complex..

I was trying to figure out how to trigger a synthesizer note when one of the systems sensers was touched.. and was havign a nasty prblem.. all the notes were firing and I coouldn’t figure out why..

I finally gave up and sent the example to Max.. he’s a realty whiz at this type of visual programing..

Here’s my annotated example of the problem I sent Max

Less than an hour later he sent me the corrected program.. along with detailed notes of why it worked.. and why my example did not.

I am so impressed and proud of the way max though, remapped the problem.. and ost of all.. explained it to me in a way that I learned something new.. adn I didn’t feel like a dummy..

It’s amazing and fun to work with Max ..I’m so proud of all the skills he’s picked up in his 22 years.  I think he can now make or build anything.. I’m so glad we made him. !

It’s the same kind of nachesI get when I make something cool and artistic with  Gabe.. Here are some pictures form a few month back with Gabe and I  using  the homemade forege we made out of an old car wheel.. Gabe did all of the welding for that.. here he is forging our first throwing knife. I also love watching him work with stone at ChrisesGabe is learnign to make so many things with his hands..

So there you have it.. the word for the day : naches..

hope you have some too !

nite all, nite sam.. proud of you too, my boy !

-me