Life used to be simpler. Forecasters told you the “relative humidity.” But, no. That’s no longer the best measure. Now it’s the “dew point.” Supposedly it tells how much total moisture’s in the air, which better correlates to mugginess. (You don’t feel muggy when it’s 100 percent humidity at 40 degrees. Supposedly. But I think Read More …
Here’s a copy of my second post for inventorspot.com, “Biking for Better Biceps: Brain Rep 2.” Although hill-climbing can be a workout for your arms, most bike-riding does little for your upper bod. I realized this while lugging a watermelon in a bag back from a parking-lot produce market. Really added to the exercise. Could there Read More …
Wrote this long ago. Found it filed away. (Revised 7/9/07 … by adding a helpful title) A Day in the Not-So-Distant Future They resisted our every advance. They said, “Please do not take the chance!” But we used careful means To tamper with genes, And now the smartest “men” are plants!
Who needs a bathroom scale? Nobody. Not when somebody makes and markets these handy Scale Shoes. Of course, for some people, who, how shall we say?, have trouble peering over their belts, the digital readout will have to speak. Or, since who wants everyone else to hear?, send a text message or email. Check the Read More …
What if … you had a very light spacecraft … OK, maybe it’s just a satellite with microchips … and suppose (yeah sure) they reallly could build a buckytube-walled space tube that’s 100 miles high … following me so far? … OK, we’ve got the outer part of our space elevator, but what’s to lift Read More …
First, I’m happy to say I’ve been doing some guest-blogging for inventorspot.com. Posting top-of-the-head creative exercises I call Brain Reps. Here’s my first, on inventing excuses. Ouch. Brain cramps, again?! Yeeow. That’s what I get. For not stretching my mind first. For jumping right into a drill, still on a full stomach. Today’s obstacle Read More …
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’m not. And I don’t mean to pick on Marilyn vos Savant, who is almost always interesting and accurate, and never claims a record IQ brings infallibility. But I think today’s answer to a puzzle is flawed, because two answers can be right. Here’s the puzzle: When a prominent psychiatrist was found slimed, police questioned Read More …
SPOILER ALERT ONCE MORE!!! Potions, potions, potions. As I speculated before (see A Bloody Better Theory About How Lily Potter Saved Harry), clues from the first six books suggest that Harry’s scar is a horcrux Voldemort unintentionally created (which is why the Dark Lord failed to kill Harry — a horcrux can’t be destroyed by a simple curse, even Read More …
The Philadelphia Phillies are converging on 10,000 losses in their history — the most, supposedly of any professional sports franchise. (At least since Groink the Caveman started the Prehistoric Arrow Catching League, whose contests always ended in sudden death. I hear the Visiting Christians may also have had a similar record vs. the Colliseum Lions.) Read all about it on countdownto10000.com and Read More …
Imagine a bunch of your pictures superimposed in some ghostly way. As you mouseover different spots, different pictures appear. Mouseover quickly, and you’ll make a kind of movie out of stills. Which cursor path you pick will determine which story you’ll see and whether it makes sense. Maybe there’s a numbered grid so you can keep track of which routes Read More …
I think this will happen: Some group, worried about the corrupted morals of our youth (and adults) will begin sending spam, nagging us to mind our nasty habits, get a job!, avoid drugs!, keep your privates private, etc., etc. Or, perhaps we’ll get health-oriented reminders, motivated by insurers and others who’d like to cut how much the inattentive Read More …
I’m not a doctor, just someone speaking from experience. After a lame-brain stint of playing basketball barefoot (this was many years ago), I strained my feet and developed plantar fasciitis. The conventional treatments, I tried: stretching and orthotics. But the more I thought about it, this seemed, well, stupid. Why would you stretch something that’s Read More …
He: “My goal is to be perfect.” She: “Well, there’s your first mistake.”
Here’s a great idea touted on a cool website: Neato.com. The curved barbecue grills better, fits better on a plate, and looks cool too. Makes me wonder: What else would be better curved? Golf clubs that come preshaped for wrapping around a tree? … knives for cutting around the cores and pits of apples, pineapples Read More …
Want to know when someone’s entering your house? Could be a loved one, friend or foe. Now you can with Noisy Doors and Squeaky Rugs. What’s great about Squeaky Rugs, they’d be also laugh for kids who’d diabolically dance up a sonic storm. (Maybe not so much for stressed-out parents.) I’m imagining they sound like squeaky toys, but Read More …