It’s hip to be square – nerdnite nine is the squarest nerdnite in months… you really shouldn’t miss it! As ever, it’s the first Thursday of the month: December 3rd

Don’t forget to vote us up at
http://do512.com/event/2009/12/03/nnn-nerd-nite-nine and
http://www.yelp.com/events/austin-nnn—nerd-nite-nine

You can attend the event at: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=185589911446

Here’s what we’ve got for you:

Why Form Doesn’t Follow Function, Function is Form’s Bitch
Everett Hiller

100 years ago Frank Loyd Wright said the phrase “form follows function.” Soon after he changed his mind and said “form and function should be one, joined in a spiritual union,” but it was too late, and besides, the first phrase sounded way better, and less like a lame poem. So the damage was done. Many a poor product has made it to market under the guise that after function, there simply wasn’t enough time or money to create a proper form. I will attempt to show that in today’s world of iPhones and Tivo’s, function now follows form, or at least shows up a minute or two later.

Everett Hiller is a graphic and interactive designer with more than 13 years experience in visual communication.  He enjoys talking about typefaces (fancy word for fonts), poorly designed products, star trek, and scotch.

Marching Bands and Drum Corps in America
Michael Drapkin

Marching music in America has come a long way since the days of John Phillip Sousa.  Today’s competitive bands and corps are some of the largest competitive groups, achieving excellence in youth.  This lecture will trace the evolution of marching music, from the early days of parade competition, to today’s intracate and ultra competitive bands and drum corp field shows, and the changes that have occurred.

Michael Drapkin is a marching band music judge for the United States Scholastic Band Association, and has judged marching band contests in New York, Texas, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Virginia and has adjudicated over 400 marching band performances.

Chemical Flavor Analysis of Beer
Jeff Young

Beer is made up of thousands of flavor compounds.  From buttery vicinal diketones to smokey 4-vinyl guaiacol, you don’t have to be a chemist to taste a beer, but it doesn’t hurt!
Jeff Young is a professionally trained brewer by night and a pharmaceutical analytical chemist by day.  Working to open up the world’s first co-operatively owned brewpub, Black Star Co-op Pub & Brewery, Jeff will design and brew beers for the Austin community.  An affinity to Lewis-dot diagrams and metabolic pathways has led Jeff to assess and construct his beers on the molecular level.