No More Footbag, Sawtooth or Bushwalk*
If you’ve ever raised a child, you know there are certain major milestones that you will need to achieve. These are things like sleeping through the night, walking, talking and (my personal favorite) potty training. There are untold additional developmental steps that will provide bragging rights with your friends, and keep your pediatrician from asking […]
The Real Thanksgiving
In 1621, the immigrants fresh off the boat from Plymouth, England shared an autumn harvest with the Native Americans who had welcomed them and helped them get established in their new home. Almost 400 years later, we commemorate this occasion with a national celebration known as Thanksgiving. Everybody knows that. Well, did you know this […]
Dreams, Up In Smoke
Sometimes I daydream about what it might be like when I “retire,” whatever that will mean. For me, it always involves some sort of part-time job with less stress. I’ve enjoyed the times in my life when I was a teacher, and a part-time, non-tenure-track university position sounds appealing. I’m afraid that by the time […]
Eye of Newt, Wing of Bat…
3D printers are one of those inventions that took a while to grow out of the toy stage. I have several friends who have been making key fobs for some time now. Having one made is a bit like ordering a soufflé at a restaurant. As he takes your drink order, the server advises […]
Some Things Never Change
Over the course of my life, I have had the privilege of witnessing three miracles. When my daughter, son and granddaughter came in to this world, I was standing right there with wide eyes, wobbly knees, pounding heart and tears of joy running down my cheek. Each moment was special and unique for […]
How to Stimulate the Economy
Halloween will soon be upon us. It is called a “holiday”, although I don’t know of anyone who gets the day off – not even the Post Office. We will spend $11.3 Billion to celebrate, although we’re not exactly sure why. Around $350 Million of that will go for costumes for pets, who […]
Buzzing in the Rain
There is an old joke that says “When it rains we do as the Chinese do, we get wet.” I’m not sure where that came from, or exactly what it means, but it appears that some Chinese engineers are tired of being ridiculed and are prepared to do something about it. For some reason, […]
Weed Entrepreneurs
During the last major election, there was a lot of talk about getting the economy kick-started. Words like “innovation”, “education” and “entrepreneur” were tossed about with reckless abandon. By a rather narrow margin of the popular vote, the American people felt that Barack Obama was the best equipped to turn things around. Another result of […]
Password Protected
When I was a graduate student at Caltech, my computer password was “password”. In those days, I had so many things to remember that something more complicated was simply out of the question. I rationalized that there were lots of very smart people running around who could easily hack my account if they wanted. […]
The Paleo Question
“Biggie Sizing” our fast food was a brilliant marketing ploy. The profit margins on that extra dollar are huge. Whether or not this BS is also responsible for biggie sizing our waistlines is another question. It definitely was part of the argument against the excessive amount of fat in our diets, an argument […]
