Category Archives: Mr. Boy

School science project experiments

Whew. The six experiments for Mr. B.’s school science project took four hours. Not counting an hour’s worth of breaks, one of them a trip to the grocery for more supplies.

I hesitate to explain the thing until it’s turned in later this month and the grade is given. Who knows whether the competition might pass through. By then I will be able to post one of the pictures we took in documenting everything and the conclusions we drew.  Said conclusions remaining to be drawn, of course. The data collection was exhausting enough. We continue with the analysis tomorrow and Monday.

I will say that the experiments didn’t turn out the way we expected, probably partly because our methodology wasn’t very precise. Which is one reason I doubt AGW, because of what I’ve read of their methodology, it, too, is far from precise.

Missed the Ole Miss-OK State game, of course. Sorry State was shelacked, 21-7. Maybe it’s as well I missed it. To my Mississippi relatives who follow Ole Miss, congratulations!

Alas that gives the Big 12 a 3-3 record in bowls so far. Hope Tech wins tonight and, of course, Texas next Thursday to make the record a winning one.

Well here we are

Here we are at last, rare readers. Actually that was short, thanks to Scott Chaffin, computer tech extraordinaire. Nice looking place we have here, eh? I believe I will mess about a bit.

Like Mr. B., a very attentive child as a two-year-old when it came to adult conversation, who one day marched into the back yard and announced: “You [because we always addressed him as “you” he therefore had no concept of a personal pronoun] got to screw something up!”

Me, too. Meanwhile, Happy New Year to all. Especially, Scott.

Signatures

It was inevitable. After two years of forcing Mr. B. to write in cursive (essentially because his printing is sloppier and much harder to read) he has developed a signature. Looping and swooping at the end.

More Dionysian than his late grandfather’s (which he has never seen) which was rather severe. Moreso even than mine ever was, even at his age. (Years ago I lost the flourish and went with a quick, neat signature that could be done in a hurry.) Interesting development, this. Or maybe it’s just that the Y on the end of the surname encourages a loop and a swoop.

Video games go to war

Mr. B.’s big item for his and Mrs. Charm’s secular Christmas celebration was Guitar Hero. When he’s older he may find the Afghanistan and Iraq campaigns more enlightening. Fortunately there’ll be more available than the usual anti-American, anti-war movies that Hollyweird churns out:

Video "game makers aren’t afraid to put players in situations where U.S. soldiers are unambiguously the good guys, while the combatants – often Muslims – are the bad guys."

Via Instapundit.

Re our secular Christmas at the rancho: This celebration of parties, presents and poinsettias has more to do with Saturnalia than Christianity. It is far older than the religious version. (Some nineteenth century Protestants found it so unnerving that they took to assuring their fellows that while they did mark the Nativity they did "not worship the tree.")

Christians still confuse the two, some of them whacking the secular version as ungodly. Well, to each his own. Mrs. C. would be lost without her favorite time of the year. And while he long ago graduated from Santa to understanding who the real gift-givers are, Mr. B. likewise would be bereft without packages to unwrap and goodies to consume. Good thing they needn’t be.

Link via Power Line.

Eight Days of Chanukah

On the last night of Chanukah, a miracle occurred! I discovered a really cool hip-hop Chanukah song written by the senior senator from Utah. Who also writes love songs. And this is also one of them. Hey!

B-Ball tryouts

Mr. B. did his tryout this afternoon at the West Austin Youth Association. Last year it took an hour or more. Much better organized this time. In and out in twenty minutes, including the scrimmage (skirmish?) at the end.

One coach handling the layups noticed that he was dribbling left handed, and so had trouble hitting the basket when approaching from the right side. Shifted him to the left and he plunked it right in. Games start in January. Looks like it will be more fun than last year as Mr. B. has improved a lot.

Holiday gifting

So far, most of my shopping has been (as usual) online: at Amazon and Kodak Easy-Share. With a side trip to X-treme Geek. My one bricks-n-mortar buy was a unique toy at our local hardware store. Last up is Harry & David for my diabetic veteran friends, one of whom (Mr. Boy’s godfather) also is allergic to nuts or he’d be getting a traditional Texas fruit cake from Corsicana.