Tuesday, December 25. 2007
I stole this from Dan: Remember, the gift of Christ that God gave us:
- is always the right size
- is always the right color
- never needs a receipt
- will never go out of style
- doesn't need batteries
- comes as no assembly required
- doesn't come with excess packaging
- and is exactly what we need!!!
Monday, December 24. 2007
This charming little home is of very recent vintage, yet exhibits some fine Craftsman details, delicate brickwork and an ornate roof. It has recently hit the market and is available in move-in ready condition following a foreclosure. Great curb appeal: your neighbors will all want a piece of this property. 
Powerline Related: Altruism feels good. Indeed it does, for many if not most of us. Getting is fun, but giving feels like soul food.
"I thought 'By golly, I'll give it my all.' " It's about love and the glory of God (h/t, my pastor):
Sunday, December 23. 2007
 We periodically write about flying toys, which we believe are for all ages.
If you are going to Costco tomorrow to pick up some fixin's, they might still have some of these left: The world's first radio-controlled dragonfly.
This Yule story, which occurred 3 weeks ago, came in over the transom:
 It started last Christmas, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops. "We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett. So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on Dec. 3.
They created their own train line to do it. Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire and irascible former L&I commish - is one of them.
He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating and
white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard. One car, the elegant Pennsylvania, carried John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D.C. for burial. "That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett.
He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played. The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D.C. and Bethesda, in Maryland. "We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board, private transportation from the train to the stadium, perfect seats - real hero treatment."
Continue reading "A Yuletide Train Story"
By our friend Elissa Gore (10X30, oil/canvas) 
Saturday, December 22. 2007
Mr. Flywheel at The Shelf seeks his inner George Bailey
 It is the time of year to focus on helping, remembering, and praying for the poor and the poor in spirit.
Hard Times Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears
While we all sup sorrow with the poor.
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears,
Oh, hard times, come again no more.
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary.
Hard times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door.
Oh, hard times, come again no more.
While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay.
There are frail forms fainting at the door.
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say.
Oh, hard times, come again no more.
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary.
Hard times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door.
Oh, hard times, come again no more.
There's pale drooping maiden who toils her life away
With a worn out heart, whose better days are o'er.
Though her voice it would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh, hard times, come again no more.
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary.
Hard times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door.
Oh, hard times, come again no more.
'Tis the song, the sigh of the weary.
Hard times, hard times, come again no more.
Many days you have lingered all around my cabin door.
Oh, hard times, come again no more. Editor - Here's an excellent performance of the song by Bob Dylan:
Friday, December 21. 2007
 The crisis of global warming climate change has rapidly transformed the North Pole back into the jungle tropical rain forest that it was in ancient history, when Santa originally bought his place up there.
After all these years living in an ice palace, it must be a nice change for Mr. and Mrs. Santa. NSFW photo below tells the story.
Continue reading "Santa's female elves suffering, forced to remove their parkas due to climate change"
From Winding Road: The Twike is an innovative electric vehicle that allows a driver to generate his or her own power by pedaling. Instead of directly moving the wheels though, pedaling the Twike charges up the car’s five-speed electric motor. Twike says that the car can obtain speeds of up to 45 mph, and that adding a passenger on the pedals can help to generate almost 500 watts.
Thursday, December 20. 2007
From the news piece: “Through your inspiring video lectures i have managed to see just how BEAUTIFUL Physics is, both astounding and simple,” a 17-year-old from India e-mailed recently.
Steve Boigon, 62, a florist from San Diego, wrote, “I walk with a new spring in my step and I look at life through physics-colored eyes.”
Professor Lewin delivers his lectures with the panache of Julia Child bringing French cooking to amateurs and the zany theatricality of YouTube’s greatest hits. He is part of a new generation of academic stars who hold forth in cyberspace on their college Web sites and even, without charge, on iTunes U, which went up in May on Apple’s iTunes Store.
In his lectures at ocw.mit.edu, Professor Lewin beats a student with cat fur to demonstrate electrostatics. Wearing shorts, sandals with socks and a pith helmet — nerd safari garb — he fires a cannon loaded with a golf ball at a stuffed monkey wearing a bulletproof vest to demonstrate the trajectories of objects in free fall.
He rides a fire-extinguisher-propelled tricycle across his classroom to show how a rocket lifts off.
He was No. 1 on the most downloaded list at iTunes U for a while, but that lineup constantly evolves. The stars this week included Hubert Dreyfus, a philosophy professor at the University of California, Berkeley, and Leonard Susskind, a professor of quantum mechanics at Stanford.
Wednesday, December 19. 2007
 Wise up, guys. Diamonds are a girl's best friend.
They are flattering to a lady. They look good against female skin. What she wants in her stocking are good diamonds, and not a year's subscription to Maggie's Farm. To fill up her stocking, of course, you could also add a Cartier watch wrapped in an Official Maggie's Farm Gift Certificate.
Tuesday, December 18. 2007
A particularly fine variation on a type of bungalow form that was very common from about 1900-1920. I especially like the use of an elegant archway to frame an additional entrance space leading to the front door. Japanese architecture, which we briefly spoke about a few weeks ago, emphasizes the creation of transitional spaces in between the indoors and outdoors, and this small space helps contribute to such a gradual transition here. Compare to the 1970 home below, where there is hardly any transition at all besides an uncovered concrete porch, leaving visitors completely exposed to the elements as they wait outside. 
Monday, December 17. 2007
10 Tips for bloggers from an original blogger. I agree with Kate's favorite of the ten: ... if you have more original posts than links, you probably need to learn some humility.
I think we're OK on that score.
 A propos our recent post Is PC Fascism on the wane, falling of its own weight and self-satire?, A Slower Pace offers this (I modified slightly):
To All My Lefty Friends: Please accept with no obligation, implied or implicit, my best wishes for an environmentally conscious, interpersonally-sensitive, socially responsible, low-stress, non-addictive, gender-neutral celebration of the winter solstice holiday, practiced within the most enjoyable traditions of the religious persuasion of your choice, or secular practices of your choice, with respect for the religious/secular persuasion and/or traditions of others, or their choice not to practice religious or secular traditions at all. I also wish you a fiscally successful, personally fulfilling and medically uncomplicated recognition of the onset of the generally accepted calendar year 2008, but not without due respect for the calendars of choice of other cultures whose contributions to society have helped make America great. Not to imply that America is necessarily greater than any other country nor the only America in the Western Hemisphere. This wish is made without regard to the race, creed, color, age, physical ability, religious faith or sexual preference of the wishee.
To All My Other Friends:
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
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