Bucketlist now has .5 million user-posted goals

Big landmark last night – Bucketlist crossed the .5 million user-posted goals threshold, and still going strong!

Thanks to our 26k users and all of the time they’ve put into posting their excellent lists. I love seeing users inspire and be inspired.

I’m proud of the site, but it really needs TLC and features development, while I have little free time to give it. Perhaps we’ll see some big changes this summer.

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Bucketlist » 10,000 things to do before you die

Log and catalog all the stuff you want to accomplish before you expire. Read stories and watch videos by people who checked items off their own bucketlists.


Maker Faire 2012

Hard to believe this was Maker Faire #7 already – the Bay Area’s great festival of DIY amazingness. And it was the 7th annual pilgrimage for my son and I – haven’t missed one yet! Honestly, I have to admit its specialness is diminishing with every passing year. When Maker Faire launched, it felt amazing to see that O’Reilly had tapped into this hidden wellspring of invention that had been bubbling just under the surface. Steampunk was new, Arduino was on the outskirts, and welding goggles were only owned by mechanics and obscure artists.

Ball Chain Curtain

Now, seven years later, there’s a feeling of sameness to Maker Faire, and as the festival gets more packed every year, it also becomes less dangerous, and the really exciting stuff becomes more scarce. Despite that, it’s still one of the most stimulating things you can possibly do with a kid in the Bay Area – an endless well of creativity and self-empowerment, and we’ll never stop going.

Blown away by this duct tape garden, consisting of more than 7,000 individual mini-sculptures:

Duct Tape Garden

Bummed not to see the giant Mousetrap at this year’s faire – its absence was like a big hole in the day. But Cyclecide continues to be one of our favorite parts of the day – dozens bikes hacked and chopped into every bizarre configuration imaginable, and entire carnival rides made of bike parts. Nothing at Maker Faire is more interactive, or more twisted. Also love the companion wooden bikes.

Whiskeydrome

See the Flickr set, or slideshow below

Hot Air Ballooning, Santa Rosa

Up at 4am for an amazing day with family and friends, 1500 feet in the air above Santa Rosa with Wine Country Balloons. Something I’ve  wanted to do since I was a kid, and worth the wait.  Kind of eerie how still and quiet it is up there – since you’re always with the wind, you’ll never feel the wind while in a balloon, which is what makes it so serene. Absolutely amazing experience, and a picture perfect day for it.

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The 1500′ elevation is pretty unique – you just rocket past this height when ascending or descending in an airplane, but  getting to hang out at this medium height is magical – low enough to see everything on the ground clearly, high enough for it to be outside of your normal experience, and just a little bit scary. It’s magical for the same reason Kite Aerial Photography works so well (though the balloon is higher than most kites ever venture, you’re still well below the cloud line on most days).

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Miles thought these two burners looked like faces. He was right.

Flickr set here, or see slideshow below. I actually didn’t include a lot of shots looking down here – while mesmerizing to experience, they’re not awesome as photos – just lots of trees and grass etc. The best ones are the series of the inflation and deflation, which you can almost play as an animation.

Something I’d love to do again, but unfortunately cost-prohibitive — more of a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Finally got to check off that Bucketlist item, too.

Lego T1 Camper Van

Most (OK, all) of the Lego models we’ve purchased over the past five years have been for my son, who carefully assembles them, keeps them pristine for about a day (max), and then disassembles them to be used as parts for his ongoing “Lego City” project, which rings his bedroom. It’s a noble effort, but as a former 1964 VW split-window bus owner, I couldn’t stand the thought of this one being taken apart. Some kind of mid-life crisis thing I guess, living out the past through my child’s eyes.

After some long delays as we raided his personal stash for missing bits, finally finished the build a few days ago. Amazing attention to detail in this model (1332 pieces), from the sink with comb and mirror to the surfing artwork on the interior, to the dashboard details, to the ridiculously accurate engine compartment and oil cooler, to the real fabric pop-top (which doesn’t really work that well, but hey, they tried).

Super-fun father/son build. Recommended.

Miles even narrated a little video tour for you:

http://youtu.be/KWef82dds7I