Math

Find x

The elementary school tragedy that occurred in Connecticut hung like a pall all day on Friday. Some of my co-workers, the parents of similarly aged children were visibly sickened by news of this event. After work, I exposed myself to the media coverage, which had gone ape over this story. I was on my way to the MRH school district’s teacher Christmas party, to meet Anne at the Wood, I turned it off quickly. The teachers also sympthized with the victims of this tragedy, but they weren’t going to cancel their Christmas party, because of the actions of one gunman. That would be placing too much emphisis on an act by a man that craved such attention. Besides, the media frenzy was doing fine. 

Physics

Hannah sprays her new bike purple. The spraying of the bike gives it a negative charge and the paint a positive one. Why is this?
Positive – Spraying is easier than using a paintbrush.
Negative – Purple isn’t a good color for a bike.

The Wood is a trendy new bar in the ever more trendy Maplewood. It used to be a Laundromat. That ought to give you a feel for the exploding coolness of what was once Dan’s backyard. The already well lubricated faculty meeting was well underway when I arrived. Anne introduced me to her friends, while I sucked on my Urban Chestnut Wing-Nut ale. A political diatribe is brewing for this blog, but that beer quenched my political fire, at least for now.

Chemistry

What is a vibration?
There are good vibrations and bad vibrations. Good vibrations were discovered in the 1960s.

The graphic test question at the top and the interlude questions afterwards, all come from Richard Benson’s book, “F in Exams”. It is subtitled, “The very best totally wrong test answers”. I love that he has covered it Blue Book blue. On the cover the F in “F in Exams” is handwritten and circled with a big red felt tip teacher’s marker. The questions are all text printed, but the answers are hand written too. The doodles in the margins are great.

Technology

What is a computer virus?
An STD – A Systematically Transmitted Disease

After we made it out of the Wood, we headed off again to Left Bank Books in the Central West End. Anne wanted to pickup a book that she had ordered, but it hadn’t arrived. This is one of the pitfalls of local booksellers. Amazon would have had this book speeding to the eventual recipient days ago. On the other hand, if she had dealt with Amazon, she could never could have shown me Benson’s book. I’ll leave the correct choice of booksellers as an exercise to the reader. Please show all of your work.

History

Explain what is meant by the term “pastoral farming”?
It’s a farm run by reverends.