Old-Fashioned board game players should try Pente

If you like to play older, classic games like chess, backgammon, poker, dice, dominoes, card games like gin rummy, bridge, pinocle, cribbage, and canasta, or board games like Yahtzee, you should try Pente, a Hasbro game currently licenced by Winning Moves. The board game Pente celebrates its 30th anniversary this year.  Gary Gabrel is credited [...]

Skunk Removal Remembrances and Suggestions

Over the last couple years, the feral animal problem in my back yard has gotten worse and worse.  So last spring, I bought a Have-a-Heart Trap. For several weeks, I carefully set the trap with bait, eager to catch a opossum, a raccoon, or even a cat.   But day after day, the trap remained empty.
After [...]

It’s never too late to have your own Coastal Cleanup

The California Coastal Commission held its 24th Annual Coastal Clean Up Day last Saturday.   Volunteers across the state gathered at over 750 locations to help pick up trash and debris. The items found ranged from a basic beer bottle to the more exotic sticks of dynamite.
According to the SF Gate website, preliminary reports indicated that [...]

Fibonacci and Pythagoras Unite Mathematicians, Artists, Musicians, Naturalists, Architects and Beauticians

The Golden Ratio is demonstrated most simply by dividing a line segment into two unequal pieces, a big one and a small one.
If the ratio of the big piece to the small piece is the same as the ratio of the original segment to the big piece, then:  Congratulations! You have demonstrated the golden ratio!
A quick check with your super-accurate ruler will allow you to [...]

Halloween Costumes for Men: Quick, Cheap and Dignified

Paulano has released his 2008 Top Ten Halloween Costumes for Men.  In order the make the list, a costume needed to be quick to assemble, cheap, dignified, and fun enough to let everybody know you’re a good sport about getting dressed up for Halloween.
Costumes that might draw too much attention if you somehow end up [...]

Fun Kids Activity: Eggs and Food Coloring make Unusual Omelette Art

If you are looking for a simple way to entertain your kids and get out of cooking Saturday morning breakfast at the same time, the old “eggs and food coloring trick” may be just the solution you need.   My girls stumbled on the idea this morning and ran with it, giving Paulano an easy [...]

Commemorate the 2008 Presidential Campaign with Cool Pigs and Lipstick Designs

The top story for yesterday’s news was Barrack Obama’s “Lipstick on a Pig” comment.    “OFFENSIVE” say the Republicans.   “PHONY OUTRAGE” say the Democrats. Paulano is wisely staying out of it.
Regardless of your perspective, you will definitely want to be the first politico on your block to commemorate the 2008 Presidential Election with [...]

Rediscovery of Armoured Mist Frog kicks off National Frog Week

Two months ago Robert Puschendorf, a doctoral student at James Cook University was surprised to find what appeared to be several Armoured Mistfrogs in a creek in a remote  corner of Northeast Australia.  The Mistfrog had not been seen by scientists in 1991, and was believed to be extinct. DNA tests were run on the [...]

Boeing 40c Itinerary for Pemberton’s Transcontinental Flight

Months ago, I wrote a blog post on Addison Pemberton and his restored Boeing 40c.   Be sure to check it out for background.  Today Pemberton began a transcontinental flight in his plane that began at Republic Field in New York, and will end on Monday in San Francisco.  The flight plan retraces an old transcontinental [...]

Cool Gifts for Dog Lovers at KyleDesigns.com

Over the weekend, I visited one of Livermore’s Dog Parks with my dog.   As dog parks go, the dog parks in Livermore are fairly spartan: a third of an acre enclosed by a fence, a water faucet, a couple of water tubs, and city-supplied baggies to help keep the parks clean.  If you’re lucky, [...]