My daughter is a 6th grader, and I am very aware that this is Science Project season. The season is so predictable that office supply stores even stock up this time of year on special science project display boards and supplies.
The kids in our carpool have some amazing experiments that go way beyond what I did as a kid. They tested everything from the effect of paint color on car temperature to a test of whether changing the floor of a basketball court would increase the bounce of a basketball.
Here is a website with project suggestions.
This is
a sketch and detailed information on what a display board should include. Science fairs are pretty strict about this.
Talk to teachers about why these projects are useful. I wonder if you would hear from scientists and doctors in your community that they were inspired by their work on a science project when they were young.
I also pulled these links and suggestions from B.J. Pinchbeck's website:
Science Fair Central -- Great place to go if you are planning to do a science project through Discoveryschool.com
National Student Research Center -- If you are looking for a science project, you've GOT to check this site out
Amateur Science -- Terrific links and a great way to get ideas for a science project
The Science Snackbook -- You will really love the science experiments here
Science Fair Project Ideas -- Great place to plan out your science project
Reeko's Mad Scientist Lab -- Lots of nice science experiments here ... give it a shot
Science Projects for Kids -- Very nice projects ... well worth visiting
ExploraNet -- Loads of science information and links
Down Dollar
The soft U.S. dollar may explain why hotels in some American cities are filling with European vacationers this holiday season.
The soft dollar also means tons of business for manufacturers who export goods. Is your state export and trade office working hard to land some foreign business deals?
Time said:
Is the falling dollar really such a big deal? Since 2001, it is down 33 percent against the euro and 20 percent against the Japanese yen and has weakened against the pound and Canadian dollar as well. This broad slide has made goods produced in the U.S. more affordable to foreigners with stronger currencies. In the short run, foreign buying is a boon to U.S. factories that only now are emerging from their worst rut since the Great Depression.
The
Time story pointed out that Americans traveling in Europe right now are being hit hard by the exchange rate. A soft drink costs $2.60 in Paris. Importing things like cheese, wine, and other luxury imports will cost much more this Christmas.
I wonder what effect this has on American military stationed in Europe.
Crop Subsidy FraudNational Public Radio reporter John Burnett recently reported on the federal government's new efforts to do something about crop subsidy fraud.
You can hear his report here.
Who gets crop subsidies in your area? Here is a website where you can look up recipients by zip code, state, county, name, and even crop. I am always surprised by how many people get crop subsidies in my zip code here in St. Petersburg, Florida, even though in my zip code we live on postage-stamp sized lots.
Flu Shots More AvailableIn some places
doctors are offering the vaccine to people who were shut out. It is time to check locally.
So far, the cold and flu season has been mild so demand has softened.
Cell Phones on FlightsTomorrow, the FCC will consider whether to allow travelers on airplanes to use their cell phones.
Of course, the FAA would have to agree, too.
CNN/Money said:
But the idea of having cell phones allowed on flights worried some flyers, who said they dreaded being next to someone having a loud and prolonged conversation.
"Can you imagine being in the middle seat between two business people making phone calls for 3 hours?" said Les Glass in an e-mail to CNN/Money. "What are the airlines and the FCC thinking?"
One reader suggested that to allow cell phones increased the risk of violence on board planes due to confrontations between passengers. Others suggested that cell phones only be allowed in a segregated area of the cabin.
Prayer PowerU.S. News & World Report includes an interesting cover story on the power of prayer.
U.S News, teaming up with Beliefnet.com,
conducted a survey of 5,600 readers to learn what they pray about and for.
The story said:
The responses also reveal a vision of a supreme being, not as strict moral arbiter but rather as source of wisdom, strength, and comfort. Indeed, of those who took the survey, more than 1 in 3 said that the most important purpose of prayer was "intimacy with God." Another 28 percent said that the most important purpose of prayer was "to seek God's guidance."
The Frozen FrogWatch it thaw out, thanks to time-lapse photography.
Isn't the Web great?
We are always looking for your great ideas. Send Al a few sentences and hot links.
Editor's Note: Al's Morning Meeting is a compendium of ideas, edited story excerpts, and other materials from a variety of websites, as well as original concepts and analysis. When the information comes directly from another source, it will be attributed, and a link will be provided, whenever possible.
