This Lego track shown below was used as development for the event that is sponsored by First Lego League
More information is available at First Inspires
Deep in the basement of their home the geniuses practiced for the contest with fellow members of their team (team members shown in streamed video below)
​A lot of work was done by the team members and parent sponsors to make this event happen. Good Job Everyone!

​The following are 2 video interviews with 2 of the participants in the Indiana State Wide contest.
These competitors had to program the Lego brick to accomplish the goals that were given to them. They also had to assemble the Lego parts, motors, and sensors to carry out the mission.
The graphics on the table were supplied by the contest coordinators.

While in Vermont we had the opportunity to watch a live stream of the event. Many teams were present. What you will see is a video capture by one iPhone of the other iPhone that was viewing the live stream. Kind of kooky but it worked!
The chartreuse green tee shirts are the team members. While they were competing on the contest table there is another team on the other side so that more teams can compete quickly. The teams do not compete directly against another team. Each task that the team accomplishes is worth a certain numbetr of points. The task points are added for the final score.

Is it possible that the world in which we live is, and will be, developed by programmers?
Quite a generation of talent at such a young age!

Check out the Bankshot Antiques website

Nested away near a busy roadway system in Albany, NY is the Bankshot Antiques Billiard Service. Take a moment and listen to the podcast as Donald and Dave, professional artists, explain how they became one of the few full service pool restoration companies in America. 
​

1. A view of our shop and some of the 60+ antique tables that we have accumulated – ranging in time from the 1870’s to the 1940’s, with 1870 to 1920 being the “golden age” of billiards.  Styles of the tables followed the furniture styles of the times – Victorian, Mission, Deco and so on.
2. A riveter which we got from the Hood Leather company which went out of business – which was the reason for us going into the pocket business.  Somebody had to do it.  This machine is cast-iron and weighs about 300 lbs.  Works great once we found the right rivets – which was harder than we thought – only works with just the right ones.  Machine dates from the 1800’s and is what we use to rivet the leather baskets to the iron covers.
3. A die for punching out the leather parts.  This one is for making the covers for a #6 type pocket iron.  There are all different kinds of irons and each requires it’s own die.  The press is a pneumatic one.  It is a small table -top version but weighs about 600 lbs. and delivers 15 tons of pressure.  It will punch all of our dies – except the one for the baskets which requires 30 tons of pressure.
4. Dave Grunenwald – one of the partners – sitting at our “Cowboy” sewing machine.  It is a heavy-duty “walking foot” type of machine used for sewing leather.
5. One of the pockets with all parts attached and ready for the final hand-stitching process to close it up around the iron.
6. An old ball shelf.  Shelves were numbered because the shelves were used as a scoring device as will as for ball storage.  When you sunk a ball you put it on your shelf.  There were lots of different games.  One example – “cribbage” where you need to sink two balls consecutively that totaled 15 – eg. the 12 and the 3.
7. A set of old clay balls before the invention of celluloid.  Billiards was responsible for the invention of plastics.  Sorry about that.
8. A “mace” – early forms of the game involved pushing of flinging the ball (similar to floor shuffleboard) instead of hitting with the leather tip on the cue.  Legend has it that a Frenchman in prison glued a bit of leather to the back end of his mace inventing the modern cue.

     9 &10.  An inlaid design from one of our rarest finds – “The Firemen’s
              Table” made by the Benedict company of Syracuse, NY in the 1870’s
              depicting scenes of firemen, burning buildings and fire equipment.
              Originally made as first prize for the firemen’s convention parade.
   11. Donald Bartholomay​ – one of the partners – working on final assembly of gorgeous leather    pockets

Interesting Links about Pool Table History

I especially liked the following quote from this site, click here
Who was a famous "pool nut"? ... Shakespeare, Mary Queen of Scots, King James I, Mozart, Louis XVI, Marie Antoinette, George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Napoleon, Josephine, John Quincy Adams, Abraham Lincoln, John Wilkes Booth, Wild Bill Hickok, Charles Dickens, Mark Twain, Vincent Van Gogh, Charles Darwin, Queen Victoria, Pope Pius IX, Teddy Roosevelt, Neville Chamberlain, Al Capone, Babe Ruth, Cap Anson, Jackie Gleason, Paul Newman or Tom Cruise?
(To see the answer, click the link above!)

How are Pool Balls Made 
History of Pool

Have you ever wondered why some people volunteer to help others? At their own expense, in far away places, and working in challenging situations?
12 intrepid persons from around the world shared this experience during March-June 2018 in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. This is the city in which all of us met Ruchika from Delhi, India. We completely agree with her students, "We love you teacher".
Teaching 3 regular classes and assisting with the young learners program, her smile and enthusiasm were felt by all. Conversations with Foreigners allows Cambodians to increase their spoken use of English by interacting with English speakers. This school term included volunteers from India, USA, Canada, England, Australia, and Spain. 
In her spare time (between lesson plans, early classes that started at 6:30 am, followed by an evening class as well) Ruchika explored and enjoyed Cambodia.
Several of the trips were related to the school's outreach mission to the community with assistance to rural schools, water purification, sanitation, and funding for NGO's who are helping to boost the wellness of Cambodian citizens.
The following podcast, found at the bottom of this blog, was recorded in the teacher's lounge of the community house. The listener will hear the sounds of the street in the background.
Enjoy the insights into Ruchika and India which she provides.

Click any picture to begin a slide show of all pictures. 

Reading References for your Further Exploration
The following links are for your exploration and further understanding of the demographic called "Millennials". The web is full of articles on this super important group of young people around the world. We can 'look into the future' as their emerging views of life, their beliefs that will turn into policies for nations, and their guidance from the previous generations manifest quite soon.

Pew Research “Millennials in Adulthood” (2014)
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/2014/03/07/millennials-in-adulthood/

Harvard Business Review - “The problem with Millennials is that they are way too hard on themselves” (2016)
https://hbr.org/2016/05/the-problem-with-millennials-theyre-way-too-hard-on-themselves

Advocates for Youth - “Millennials: Demographics and Facts” (~2012)
(lots of graphs and charts)
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org/millennials

All Grown Up - “5 shocking problems about real “millennial problems” (and how we overcome) (~2016)
http://allgroanup.com/twentysomething-life-2/5-shocking-statistics-about-the-challenges-facing-the-millennial-generation-and-how-we-overcome/

Millennials exist around the changing world. This article points out the many problems that are facing the next generation.

10 Most Critical Problems in the World, According to  Millennials
http://www.businessinsider.com/world-economic-forum-world-biggest-problems-concerning-millennials-2016-8
================= Check your Experience Age (~2015?)
(Try this for fun to see if you are a 'fuddy-duddy'...)
http://www.dictionary.com/e/s/aged-words/#learn-to-let-go

While traveling in West Texas Hill Country on a recent motorcycle trip, we chanced upon a rare and wonderful experience. We met JackZ51 and his wife on their country ranch. While being entertained with all kinds of ranch animals, plants, hummingbirds, sounds of life everywhere, we also met their 3 wonderful donkeys! Really, they are too large for the house but do act like pets.

Jack has been in the world of music for most of his life and has recently entered the world of eBay selling and purchasing LP's, CD's, 45's.
PS: If you are a collector of music, perhaps a few other collections happen along the way. Jack offers baseball cards, album art, some rare magazines. Drop by his eBay listing

Direct Link to eBay sales by JackZ51

Grateful Dead and Van Morrison Album Art

Click to listen to JACKZ51's interview

Introduction:
Following quote from page 11 of this book,
"Ever since his boyhood, Jack Cheney had expected to become a minister like his father. In college he followed a pre ministerial program in which he specialized in English, the humanities, public speaking and Greek, as well as three years of Bible. But while there, he was shown apparent contradictions in the Gospel accounts which seemed to him to undermine their historicity. He summarized this experience in a written testimony years later: 'I lost my faith in the supernatural authority of the Scriptures, and abandoned preparation for the ministry – after which the First World War took me.'"
Shortly after WWII he was diagnosed with double tuberculosis and confined to a bed. For the next 23 years he worked on his 'scrapbook' of the merging of the four Gospels into one account with nothing omitted from each writing. After securing the funding for publication with the help of others, he passed away - his work was done.

 "The Greatest Story" is a revision of his original work from 1969 and 1984, titled, "The Life of Christ in Stereo".

Listen Below to the Podcast Discussing this Book

The following Map shows the entire Lycean Way from Fethiye to Antalya. We walked from Kayakoy (just South of Fethiye) to Patara (Near Kalkan) in 8 days, about 100 km. We had some very steep climbs and a couple flat walks. Our most arduous walk was on an abandoned mule trail from Feralya to Alinca. (not shown on map) We wondered, 'how can any mule walk this path?'