Life Tip

If you see a sign saying 'Road Flooded' and you're going downhill, I strongly suggest that you don't keep going at top speed, even if you haven't seen the barriers which have been covered by the flood. It's much worse than 2011 here. Thankfully, the fellow escaped unharmed.

An Appropriate Title?

Seeing as we're covering a bit of Australian history in our homeschool at the moment, I thought that Mike might like to try some art in an Aboriginal dot painting style. I printed out the template from here. Mike had a go, but I'm not quite sure that it's the effect we're looking for. I think it could be titled, "A Koala with the Measles". Mike's been doing some comic book art work too and accompanied his Ninja drawings with the astute comment, "Death can kill you, but only once a day." Here's the koala pic:

 

Clockwise or Anti-Clockwise?

I was doing my usual walk around the park last weekend and, as usual, I walked the circuit in an anti-clockwise direction. As I was walking I noticed that a couple were walking along in a clockwise direction. We smiled as we passed and kept going and, as you'd expect, we met again a few times. 


I got to wondering as to why it is that I like to walk in an anti-clockwise direction? Is it because in Australia we drive on the left side of the road so it feels more natural to walk in an anti-clockwise direction? The couple I kept passing looked like they had Indian heritage but a quick Google search tells me that, in India, they also drive (mostly) to the left.


Matt is studying weather at the moment and one of the things he's learned is that cyclones (hurricanes) rotate the opposite way in the Northern Hemisphere. *More Google searching* - That doesn't seem to help though because in the southern hemisphere they rotate in  a clockwise direction. 

So I'm left with a few questions. Is it really a random thing which direction you prefer to walk? Or is it like cradling a baby in your left arm rather than your right arm because that feels more natural?  Is it because I'm right handed? Is it because I was born in England and so walk the way cyclones rotate in the northern hemisphere? I wonder if anyone is mad enough to spend money to look at the statistics involved in this.

I knew it

Excellent news. Eating dark chocolate is not a bad thing! Let them eat chocolate I say!

Strangely enough, patient compliance was not an issue in the study. :)

Books I'm Reading

I have a few books on the go at the moment. Here's two:

Seven Days that Divide the World (John Lennox)

I became interested in John Lennox and his thoughts regarding Genesis after seeing a DVD of a debate between him and Richard Dawkins. Prior to this, I had heard Richard Dawkins give a talk in Brisbane in 2010. I also own a copy of the book The Greatest Hoax on Earth by Jonathan Safarti. I haven't finished Seven Days yet, but what I've read so far certainly gives food for thought.

Am I Black Enough for You? (Anita Heiss)

The issue of Aboriginal identity is a hot topic in Australia due to a recent court case. I thought I'd read up to try to understand another perspective on the issue.

I've heard of oxygen thieves but....

Mike goes to swimming lessons on Saturday mornings with Hubby and last Saturday morning he rushed back in the door and said, with a concerned voice, "Mum, is air free?"


I was a bit puzzled at this. I know we're having a carbon dioxide tax/price/(substitute whatever politically correct term is appropriate here) introduced on July 1 but I don't think they are taxing the air we breathe. Well, at least, not yet.


I assured Mike that yes, air is free. He seemed relieved. Then Hubby explained the need for the question. It seems that, after the swimming lesson, Hubby put some air in the tyres at the service station without buying petrol so of course he just drove off without paying anything. Mike apparently became very agitated at the thought that his father was stealing air. 

I  guess we've managed give him a sense of right and wrong about stealing!

Happy hour

Last Saturday I was at the shops looking for new winter clothes for the boys and was handed this flyer. Does anyone else see the problem I have with it?

Mike is happy with his new clothes. This morning he exclaimed, "I really cut a dash in these new jeans and skivvy!" That's what I get for giving him books to read that were written in the 1930s I guess.