Farewell Mr. Wizard

Mr. WizardYesterday the guy who got me interested in technology passed away. Mr. Wizard, whose real name was actually Don Herbert, created and starred in a show in the 1950’s called Watch Mr. Wizard. That show went off the air more than a decade before I was born.

If you grew up in the 1980’s, you more than likely grew up with your eyes glued to the only TV channel for kids, Nickelodeon. Most people loved Nickelodeon for You Can’t Do That on Television. However, I was way more excited when 1983 rolled around and Mr. Wizard returned to TV on Mr. Wizard’s World. Sure it was kind of campy and those kids were just a little too excited about helping out Mr. Wizard with his experiments, but at the the time, I would have given ANYTHING to be one of those kids!

Mr. Wizard had a way of making science make sense by using everyday household items with the random really cool items thrown in like a Jacob’s Ladder, a Van de Graaf generator or even a computer with a black and green screen that ran BASIC!

You can learn much more about the man who inspired so many kids at his website www.mrwizardstudios.com. You can even purchase DVD’s of his shows on the website. I’m tempted to order them all.

Posted by Michael in Life, Randomness, Technology

Farewell Mr. Wizard

Mr. WizardYesterday the guy who got me interested in technology passed away. Mr. Wizard, whose real name was actually Don Herbert, created and starred in a show in the 1950’s called Watch Mr. Wizard. That show went off the air more than a decade before I was born.

If you grew up in the 1980’s, you more than likely grew up with your eyes glued to the only TV channel for kids, Nickelodeon. Most people loved Nickelodeon for You Can’t Do That on Television. However, I was way more excited when 1983 rolled around and Mr. Wizard returned to TV on Mr. Wizard’s World. Sure it was kind of campy and those kids were just a little too excited about helping out Mr. Wizard with his experiments, but at the the time, I would have given ANYTHING to be one of those kids!

Mr. Wizard had a way of making science make sense by using everyday household items with the random really cool items thrown in like a Jacob’s Ladder, a Van de Graaf generator or even a computer with a black and green screen that ran BASIC!

You can learn much more about the man who inspired so many kids at his website www.mrwizardstudios.com. You can even purchase DVD’s of his shows on the website. I’m tempted to order them all.

Posted by Michael in Life, Randomness, Technology

Mystic Seaport and Spring Flower Photos

Mystic SeaportI added several new albums to the photos section of the site. Some of the highlights include the photos from my trip to Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, spring flowers from our yard and a few animals that were spotted in and over our yard. I also threw in a set of fireplace photos that I took during the winter but never got a chance to post until now.

You may also notice that the total number of albums has increased by a few. There’s nothing else new, but decomissioned the Flora and Fauna album and distributed its photos into various albums since it was becoming a dumping ground.

Posted by Michael in Photography, Site Updates

On the Origin of Grandmas

Here’s an interesting article about how grandparents affect the health and well-being of children. I for one spent a lot of time with my grandparents as a child and think it definately helped me become the person I am today. I still spend as much time with my grandfather as possible today!
Read the article below or learn about my own grandparents on my family tree site.

read more | digg story

Posted by Michael in Genealogy, Interesting Links

I knew there was a reason I like coffee

CoffeeAnyone who knows me knows I like coffee. No I’m not one of those fools who pays $8+ for a cup of lousy coffee at places like Starbucks. But, I’m definately addicted to my very cool Senseo coffee machine and love to stop at Dunkin Donuts anytime I think I can go in there without succumbing to the temptation of their donuts!

Now, according to this article on MSNBC, coffee might be good for you. It apparently can help ward off type 2 diabetes and may even help prevent certain cancers.

read more | digg story

Posted by Michael in Cooking/Food, Interesting Links

Hang from a crane and eat dinner

I enjoy trying new restaurants. Just last night I had a delicious dinner place that appeared pretty rough from the outside but had delicious food. However, I’m not sure I’d make it past the “front door” of the restaurant in this article from the Daily Mail. You are surved dinner while sitting at a table which is suspended 150 off the ground. It hangs off the boom of a crane. You and 21 other folks site with nothing but air under your feet as you eat a gourment meal.

The reporter who wrote the article couldn’t even bring herself to eat because of the height issue. There’s a good chance I’d have the same problem!

Posted by Michael in Cooking/Food, Interesting Links

A decade already?

10 Years on the WebIt’s hard to believe, but I’ve been maintaining this website for 10 years! It started as one simple web page and has slowly morphed into a site with over 1,000 pages. Sometimes it involves a lot of work, but it’s fun work. Whether anyone reads the site or not, it keeps my free time occupied!

So, in celebration of 10 years of Michael’s Piece of the Web, I’ve created a special section looking back at how the site that you see today came to be. Check it out right here.

Posted by Michael in Life, Site Updates

Houdini murdered?

Hmm, looks like I might have to rewrite that book report I did in third grade. They’re digging up Harry Houdini’s body to see if he was murdered. Apparently it’s possible he didn’t die from a blow to the stomach like everyone thought.

read more | digg story

Posted by Michael in Interesting Links, Randomness

Triple wedding page added

It’s St. Patrick’s Day and I updated the Italian part of my family tree. Maybe not logical, but it’s an overdue update. I just added a new section to the Gatti portion of the tree. It’s an article about the Gatti-Panazzolo triple wedding. Check it out here.

Posted by Michael in Site Updates

Read every newspaper

InquirerNewspapers are slowing fading away because they’re a really slow way to deliver news when measured against other forms of media such as television and the internet. However, while I’m much more likely to read a newspaper’s website than I am a print version, I still find it interesting to see what news stories are being covered in various parts of the country and the world.

At www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages you can take a look at and read the front page of just about every newspaper that exists.

Posted by Michael in Interesting Links