The ongoing adventures of the Thomas family at Chenoweth Farm
Huh?
That’s what I said. In this Popular Science article, the brief explanation is that it’s pure silicon dioxide (sand) in a layer only atoms thick, and it’s properties are nothing short of miraculous. One example: spray it on the inside of a sink and for the next year you don’t have to clean it– dirt can’t stick and just slides off.
Beth, O Great Dirty Kitty Continue reading “Spray-on Liquid Glass”
A terrible earthquake, apparently building up pressure over hundreds of years, has practically destroyed the capital city of Haiti. Over 200,000 people, some having died in agony after hours under the rubble, have been dumped in mass graves because there simply wasn’t time to bury them properly. Many more are terribly injured or suffering from the deepest poverty, because they have nothing left, and they are in line with thousands of others who have nothing left. But… as my daughter recently commented, this just doesn’t seem fair. Haiti always seems to get the short end of the stick; they have been in poverty for centuries, and are Continue reading “Voo…”
Stop! Don’t skip this post because you didn’t like (or think you won’t like) the 2nd highest grossing movie of all time. There were definitely things I didn’t care about in it, either, but those aren’t why it’s important. It’s important because modern society’s frame of reference has changed. The star of the movie is actually Continue reading “Avatar- the Game has Changed”
(No this isn’t the one with baby pictures– patience, patience… 🙂 )
From this Wall Street Journal article:
“Inventions have long since reached their limit, and I see no hope for further developments…” Julius Sextus Frontinus, a Roman engineer writing in 10 A.D.
“The Americans have need of the telephone, but we do not. We have plenty of Continue reading “Predictions from the Past”
Sounds like the beginning of some boring archduke’s bio, doesn’t it? Nay… most definitely not. Instead of being departed, this person is about to arrive! There will be more on that (much more), but for now, check out one of the many unintended consequences of said immanent arrival in the form of this list on my dear oldest daughter’s blog. She is, don’t you see, involved Continue reading “William Roscoe Hartman II of Georgia”
Today is the 50th birthday of someone I know, love and have come to admire over the years. However, it wasn’t always that way. This was brought home to me last night, as I was about to walk up the stairs at my parents home. “Here, Ted– do you recognize this?” said Mom. Actually I didn’t, until I saw the name. Memories, memories… I probably never saw this comb years ago, because I had left home before the owner really cared that much about Continue reading “People change”
OMG– where is this going? Don’t worry- nothing spooky (Oct. 31st being tomorrow notwithstanding 🙂 ) Give me 30 sec.- something just hit me, and to illustrate it, I’m going to post here and at Facebook simultaneously.
An online IT commentator says in a recent post, “It’s all enough to make me want to stop using Facebook.” The “it” is a creepy feeling he gets when, by way of his Facebook Wall, his relative starts a conversation thread with some guy who is the neighbor of his co-worker, and their only connection is … him! In other words, his formerly separate spheres of relationships (family, work, neighbors, etc.) are now melding together into one big, sometimes confusing glob.
That’s heaven. Continue reading “Facebook and the next life”
Suppose there was a website where, for $249, you could find the professionals you need to discreetly deal with relationships or business associates who have become “unsatisfying”. Murder, of course, is wrong (& illegal in some countries, depending on the age of the victim), and so the site would not claim to promote it, and would certainly not take responsibility for any of the consequences. Everything would be done anonymously and with full internet security, and the morality of the details would not be delved into. There would even be a Murder Guarantee, such that if you were not able to get your undesirable relationship dispatched in a satisfactory manner, your money would be refunded.
Good news! Continue reading “Murder For Hire”
As the principle of Chenoweth Academy (our home school) for almost 20 years, I’ve always encouraged our kids to ask questions. However… some people never got the memo about the point of asking questions, which is wise action. This poster gets it right:
Sometimes the best answer to a question is a rebuke. “What have you done with the answers I gave for your last 3 questions?”, for instance. And then there is the “impish grin”. That’s the only answer Continue reading “Questions…”
They say that information has to be free. They’re right.
In this article, the Wall Street Journal discusses a welcome change (in my mind, at least) for some of the country’s top law firms– the recession is forcing them to move to “flat-fee” billing. Of course, you don’t know the details, unless you subscribe to WSJ Online. I don’t. But wait… click on this link, then click Continue reading “Right or Wrong?”