On The Fly

In this episode - Pandiculation . . . Have you ever noticed when your cat wakes up from a nap how they arch their back and enjoy an entire body stretch, yawning with legs extended, paws, claws, and toes spread wide? Now fully awake, they're ready to take on the day. What about you? When you wake up in the morning, do you sit halfway up, contract your arms to your body, then raise them high above your head while yawning? Then, relax your arms, pause for a second, and jump out of bed refreshed? That’s pandiculation. Little did I realize this is natural to our body functioning - simply put, pandiculation is the act of yawning and stretching. Wait, there’s more. Pandiculation is the involuntary stretching of the soft tissues, which occurs in most animal species and is associated with transitions between cyclic biological behaviors, especially the sleep-wake rhythm (Walusinski, 2006). Pandiculation comes from the Latin root pandiculari, 'to stretch oneself,' which is the act of ...

In this episode - You've Got Mail . . . What's in your mailbox today? No, I'm not referring to your email; I'm talking about what's become known as "Snail Mail." Remember Postal delivery? Like all other services, it also has an acronym, USPS - United States Postal Service. Think back - I'm sure there was a time when you were excited to get the Mail? Recently I've discovered a renewed love for postal delivery. Yep, I hear you saying, "What, you must be losing it. Our mailbox is always full of bills, statements, advertisements, and junk that ends up in recycling." (Be careful; you might find an unexpected gem among all that junk.) Junk mail, you say, yes, I understand - however, through the kindness, generosity, and love of an eight-year girl, our mailbox has become a treasured friend. Taped to my office wall is a growing collection of handwritten thank you letters we unexpectedly received for small gifts of Lego toys we've given this e...

In this episode - Jades Story . . . Don't be alarmed; Yes, it's me, I'm the ravishing beauty on your wrist, and my name is Jade. I know what you're thinking - how can this possibly be - this bracelet is talking to me? People don't realize it, but we're always trying to talk to your species. It's just that most of you are too academic to listen. If I reveal my inner secrets to you, will you share them with your world? I am what your species calls a mineral, one of over 3,000 known minerals, and a gem among gemstones. Most call me Jade. However, gemologists classify my family into two species, nephrite, and jadeite. I realize that my cousin, nephrite, has slightly different characteristics. But what does that matter? We've been around much longer than you. Grab a seat, and let me tell you my story. My interest in your species began in ancient Burma (Myanmar), where most of my family is from. I'm fascinated with how your people respond to my beauty, my...

In this episode - A Controlled Fall . . . Summer is here; as you hit the hiking trails, let me suggest a technique you might find helpful or at least a challenge to try. I call it the PCF technique "Patrick's Controlled Fall." If you live near any larg e hills, I challenge you to at least try this technique. I stumbled upon this during my adventures wilderness backpacking in the Sierras a few years ago. Of course, this is not for everyone; falling gracefully takes coordination and skill. Me, I'm able to practice the technique when hiking Daley Ranch in Escondido, CA.  During a recent Saturday morning hike, my conversation with Lori went something like this, "This may sound crazy to you, but training for this year's High Sierra trip, I'm going to practice my controlled fall technique to improve my decent pace; on the mountain trails." Her response was, "I'll see you back at the truck." "I'll wait for you at the bottom of the h...

In this episode -   Understanding Milliamp Hours (mAh) . . . Adapted article from the How-To-Geek  Newsletter by Kris Wouk. When shopping for backup power (portable charger) for your phone, you're sure to encounter the term milliamp hours or the abbreviation mAh. Not sure what this means, let's examine it. What Are Milliamp Hours? Milliamp hours (mAh) is a unit that measures power over time. A milliamp is a measure of electric current, precisely one-thousandth of an amp. Amps and milliamps measure the strength of the electric current. Add hours to this, and you get a measure of how long this current can flow at that strength. Let's use a battery as an example. If your battery can maintain a current output of one milliamp for one hour, you would call it a one mAh battery. You will see mAh used in many electronic devices with a battery, from phones, and watches, to Bluetooth devices. These devices range from hundreds of milliamp hours into the thousands in terms of capacity, ...

In this episode - Why Buy Vinyl Albums . . . Do you consider yourself a music lover? During my high school and college days (1970-1979), music was about what it took to recreate the concert experience. Pulse-pounding bass and drums, hypnotic electric guitar leads, remarkable rhythm, and distinctive vocals.  How, you ask? High-fidelity recordings could only be reproduced for consumers from vinyl LP record albums. And, of course, BIG speakers. (The first digital compact disc (CD) was released in 1982 in Japan). In my dorm at Western Illinois University, college was contesting who owned the "best" speakers and quality hi-fi amplifier. To name a few from that era, Pioneer, Sansui, Kenwood, Marantz, and Harman Kardon, among many others. Another essential component was the turntable. Audio-Technica, Denon, Technics, Marantz, Onkyo, and Pioneer have made a big comeback in recent years. I remember my roommates' "Rig," a Marantz 1070 amplifier, Technics turntable, and B...

In this episode – Celebrate July 4 th . . . How do you celebrate the 4 th of July holiday? Maybe you hang an American flag on your house, barbecue burgers and hotdogs, have a beer, watch baseball on TV, or perhaps you're looking to get your community involved. Our neighborhood has had many young families move in during the last five years. And many people walk the quiet streets of the community. So, this is one way to draw everyone together – of the people, for the people, who are out and about on the streets and sidewalks at different times - and to have a little fun. Stay tuned, and I'll share a suggestion that our neighborhood makes to build cohesiveness and family spirit, which might inspire you to do the same. First, the "Rest of the Story" about Independence Day is  from constitutioncenter.org . Have you ever wondered when the Founding Fathers signed the Declaration of Independence in July 1776? Some say it was July 2nd, and some say July 4th.  Which date has ...

In this episode - The Electric Grid . . . Flip a switch, and a light comes on. In most cases, the electricity to power that device came from an enormous interconnected system called the electric grid. Have you ever wondered how it works? What is the Electric Grid? An electric grid is a network of synchronized power  providers and consumers connected by transmission and distribution lines and operated by one or more control centers. When most people talk about the power "grid," they're referring to the transmission system for electricity. The continental United States does not have a national grid. Instead, there are three grids: the Eastern Interconnect, the Western Interconnect, and the Texas Interconnect. In Alaska and Hawaii, several smaller systems interconnect parts of each state. Electricity gets generated in many different ways: Power plants that burn oil, gas, or coal. Nuclear plants. Solar arrays. Wind farms and hydroelectric Dams where water cascades. In most pl...