Hayward Area Rec Department Prods Rowell Ranch Rodeo to change its ways

A four-way disagreement has reared up in the East Bay. According to reports in the Contra Costa Times, the Rowell Ranch Rodeo Association, the organization who runs the Rowell Ranch Rodeo each May is at the center of the fray. On one hand, the Rodeo Association reportedly signed an agreement with the Hayward Area [...]

Vintage Boeing 40C Airplane in Spokane Restored and Ready to Fly

Earlier this month, my dad toured the Pacific Northwest on his motorcycle. Low points of the trip included a June snow storm in the Rockies, and a South Dakota pheasant that flew straight into the side of my dad’s head. At the time, dad was traveling down I-90 at about 80 miles an [...]

2000-year-old Seed from Masada Germinates and Sets New Record

In 1965, a handful of Judean Date Palm seeds were found in the ruins of Masada, in Israel.  Scientists knew the seeds were old, but didn’t know how old. They feared that the process of radiocarbon dating would harm the seeds, and decrease the odds that one of them might germinate.  Rather [...]

Review of Time Magazine’s 50 Best Websites for 2008

Time Magazine recently came out with a list of the 50 Best Websites for 2008. For the most part, I applaud the effort of Time Magazine and the lead website reviewer Anita Hamilton. The list touches on a variety of interests, and in that sense, the list is comprehensive and represents a nice [...]

Kids Activity: How to use PVC to Make a Fun and Easy High Jump Bar for Kids

I made a simple High Jump Bar out of PVC pipe for my girls a couple of summers ago. They still pull it out of the garage, re-assemble it, and use it all the time. To enhance their front-yard jumping experience, they put an inexpensive mini-tramp in front of the bar, and a [...]

Charter School Track Meet at Stanford an Olympic Success

What is a charter school? Charter schools are public schools, supported by public funds. They are open to any child that wishes to attend, and they do not charge tuition. When it comes to spending money, charter schools have greater latitude than other public schools. Thus the programs at charter schools are [...]

Original Olympic Rings are Timeless Design – Then look what happened

One has to admire the timeless beauty and simplicity of the Olympic Rings design. It was Baron Pierre de Coubertin, founder of the modern Olympic Games, who in 1913, first came up with the idea of the five interlocking rings. However, it was not until the 1920 Olympic Games in Antwerp, that [...]

New Technology: Hydropoint Sprinklers use Weather Data to help California avoid drought

In terms of rainfall, Northern California just experienced the driest spring ever recorded. It was therefore no surprise that earlier this week, California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger declared a state-wide drought. The drought cannot be blamed entirely on sparse rainfall though. Our fondness for lush green lawns is helping to drain our [...]

Dude, Where’s My Pyramid?

Archaeologists in Egypt announced the re-discovery of an ancient 4400 year old pyramid on Thursday. The Pyramid is believed to have been built by King Menkauhor of the Fifth Dynasty in about 2400 BC. It was originally discovered by German Archaeologist Karl Richard Lepsius in 1842. Somehow, between expeditions, sand covered Lepsius’s discovery, and [...]

Family Activity: Livermore ropes in World’s Fastest Rodeo

The Livermore Rodeo rides into town next weekend, June 14th and 15th, 2008. Yeeee Ha! Sorry. I got a little carried away. But there are a host of rodeo related events that you might want to check out. They are all held at the Robertson Park Rodeo Arena in Livermore, unless [...]