Once upon a time I was playing catch with a small child. The child was just learning to catch a ball, and so I drew closer to her because she dropped the last one I threw. However, the dear child was habitually teased by an older sibling for being a “baby” and she was therefore … Read more
I heard an interview this morning on The Current, and the guest (whose name I didn’t catch) spoke about VVIPs. Yikes! I had never heard this usage before, and I fear I am frightfully behind the times. I had better get up to speed before VVVIP becomes common. And how long can it be before … Read more
I was skiing today, and having a lot of difficulty getting down the hill. My son Jasper was doing his best to help me with advice as I kept picking myself up: “Dad, this is the way you learn; you just keep falling down over and over again until you get the hang of it.” … Read more
My wife and I saw the movie The King’s Speech (the official site is here; also see here) a couple of days ago, and it was very moving. I knew the outline of the story, and have always had great admiration for King George VI and Queen Elizabeth for courageously staying in London during the … Read more
Spoiler alert: The puzzle is answered in the update at the end of this post. Most solids expand when heated and contract when cooled. Water/ice is anomalous in that it expands when cooled, at least near its freezing point. If you’ve been unfortunate to forget a bottle of water in the freezer, only to find … Read more