The Father - The Son - and the Holy Spirit

In my first class I taught in September of 1970 at 8 AM sat a cocky little guy named Steve Simchak. Steve asked me a question and I said, "Why don't you look it up in the textbook?" He replied, "Oh! you don't know it too?" Such was my introduction to this Nesquehoning clan. I taught several more in the family and about 20 years later Steve Simchak - the son came along. Not only was the sequel just as good as the original - it was fun watching them argue things out one on one. Steve's three sisters came through the school and our families remained good friends.

Recently - I got this picture in the email. Maybe I ought to get a teaching job in lovely Laurel MD because it looks like little Sophie is learning fast - I could be a three generation teacher. In this picture she has the undivided attention of the cocky Simchak tag team. I call it - Steve the father - Steve the son - and Sophie the holy spirit. I think He has a sense of humor and would enjoy that.

Sophy is one month old now. I think Mom Annelise took this picture.

London - Saves Money on Your Electric Bill by Using "Economy 7"

When your power company plans how many plants it need to service its customers - they must plan for the hottest and coldest days - when the amount of power used is greatest. People use much more electricity in the day - with factories - schools - and offices going at full tilt. At night the power plants are virtually idling - and since you can't store large amounts of electricity it is wasted.

It benefits you and the power company to use more power at night - cutting down on daytime use. To do that in Britain - they have launched the "Economy 7" plan. Simply put - the energy you use between midnight and 7 AM is billed at a much lower rate. The more energy you use at night - the more money you save.

As an example I will compare energy consumption from back in Florida - I figured out my cost per kilowatt hour by dividing the monthly bill (with taxes) by the number of kilowatt hours used. In Florida I pay 17 cents a kilowatt hour. Here in London under the Economy 7 plan - you pay roughly 34 cents per kilowatt hour during the day and only 6 cents per kilowatt hour at night.

You can easily do laundry and dishes at night. You can run your heater and air conditioner at night. But things that draw electricity by day and cost a lot more than now.

Back home in Pennsylvania - my friend Carl who worked for Pennsylvania Power - was on a time of day meter. He installed electric heaters in his home that were heat bricks at night. Then during the day - a fan blowing from the heater transfers the heat into the room. His meter had two readings - one for day and one for night. You could easily tabulate the savings from shifting your use time.

In 1973 - when I built an all-electric home - the cost of power was 2 cents per kilowatt hour. You paid the same amount day or night - but the more kilowatts you used the less you pay per kilowatt hour. PPL also gave big discounts to industries to encourage using more. They had just built a gigantic nuclear power plant about 30 miles away and were able to produce all the cheap power they needed. Nuclear power is cheap - but people worry about the waste that is dangerous for 5000 years.

In Tallahassee - they city produces electricity with natural gas. Recently the city turned down two proposals to fund a coal fired power plant and a bio-waste plant. Kissimmee produces some of their power with large diesel engines that turn the generators. In Syracuse NY - most of the power is hydroelectricity from Niagra Falls. Near Lansford - there is a power plant that has been operating for 20 years just using coal refuse left over as a bi-product of the past coal mining glory.

Many folks like to say we should switch over to wind power and solar power. My friend George uses solar power to heat his pool. Unfortunately - when pool heat is needed most - the sun is low on the horizon and useless. In the summer - when pool water is 85 degrees normally - George's pool could be 95 degrees.

I love electricity as a source of power for homes - manufacturing - and transportation. It is safe - easy to transfer - and can be produced in my ways. All we need to do it invent a better battery so we can make power at night and use it by day. We could also drive electric cars farther than 50 miles a day.

The amount of fossil fuels is finite. London's "Economy 7" is pragmatic attempt to conserve energy and money.

Another Nail into the Coffin of Newspapers

The Pennsylvania House Judiciary Committee last week approved a bill allowing governments and other official bodies to post public notices on the Internet rather than in print products like newspapers.

Laws currently require such notices appear in a newspaper, but some officials have claimed they could save a substantial amount of money in advertising fees if such requirements were dropped.

This story reprinted from The Allentown Morning Call

About Lulu's Class in London

My buddy Wayne said when he was at Stonehenge he heard someone say, "Why did they build Stongehenge so far from the highway?" Here is Lulu and her class at Stonghenge.

This is our second summer here in London and I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop. Last summer - we were here 7 weeks - and everything was new. Lulu's head was in the clouds - everything was so neat - and her class was perfect. It was hard to believe that teaching could be this much fun.

Last year her class had 10 students - mostly graduate students - and they hung on every word out of Lulu's mouth. Lulu had been working all the previous winter lining up the perfect plans and places to visit. She had to present her plans to International Studies at FSU - have them approved by the committee - then make it attractive enough to find students willing to give up 6 weeks of their life and $8000 to visit London. To many school librarians - the course was a great way to satisfy their schools' obligations of taking 6 graduate credits every couple years to keep their teaching licenses. Last summer was truly amazing.

Being the pessimist that only I can be - I kept warning Lulu that this year may be different. First - last year we had perfect weather. Londoners were bragging about the great weather. Normal weather is rainy - foggy - chilly - dreary. Second - because last year's class was so popular and Lulu also condensed it to 3 weeks - double the students enrolled. The price dropped to around $5000 making it a bargain to both FSU students and some from the other states. Florida state waived the out of state fee for national students. Students that were enrolled under Lulu's Project LEAD had their tuition paid - just having to pay their room - food - and travel. Nevertheless - Lulu honed the course to try to fit everyone's needs.

With the classes half over this year - things could not be much better. The students are having a blast -their places to visit are even more interesting - the flats seem better than last year - and the weather has been perfect - 70s - sunny - breezy - no rain.
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We feel very comfortable in the city - seldom use the GPS to find our way around. Last year one pound was worth $2.00 - and food seemed expensive. This year a pound gets you $1.60 worth of food - still not cheap - but heck you are in one of the great cities of the world.

Lulu should be a tour guide - she seems to be able to touch the pulse of her librarian students. From Harry Potter lore - to flying kites on Primrose Hill - to "Who the heck is Jane Austin?" - she is inspiring.

Buckingham Palace - Big Ben - Westminster Abbey - Stonehenge - Salisbury Cathedral - London Eye - British Museum - British Library - London Theatre - Abbey Road - Oxford - Shakespeare - Victoria and Albert Museum - Billy Elliot - the list is endless. Last year - Lulu and I both lost 10 pounds from all the walking we did.

What is left? After these two weeks in London - there is a week in Paris. That is something new for this year. Then the students can go home - but many are staying for side trips to Holland - Germany - Spain - Russia - and Belgium. Lulu and I will be going to italy. We purchased Unlimited 8-day Eurail passes. With them we can hop on any train and just go. We plan to spend a night at Mount Blanc in the Alps - then Venice - Florence - Pisa - and Rome. Also - we will spend a day at Pontedera - the company town of Piaggio - where everyone in town works at the Vespa Scooter plant.

We will fly back to Atlanta from Rome - then to Tallahassee. Someone once said that even if you die in Tallahassee - on the way to heaven is a stop in Atlanta. On the way over to London - we were offered $1200 to give up our seats in a full plane and fly the next day free. Lulu did not want to miss the faculty meeting - but she promised me on the way home I can take as many "bumps" as I could physically stand.

This year's class and students could not be better. Everyone is motivated - and just tickled to be seeing so many things "like a resident." They enjoy the three weeks away from the distraction of holding a job - taking care of a home - and doing "what their husbands want to do." They are enjoying sending email home. Also pictures - videos - web pages - blogs - ichat - podcasts - and facebooks.

"How can you keep them down on the farm after they've seen Pareee!"

My Dad Used to Love to Sing this Song - Vera Lynn - The White Cliffs Of Dover

We Spent the 4th of July on the White Cliffs of Dover

Lulu had the day off and asked me where would I like to go. I told her I always wanted to see the White Cliffs of Dover and the tunnels that were dug to protect England against the invasion of the Nazis. Dover is on the very southeastern corner of England just 20 miles across the sea from France. You can take a train to almost anywhere you want in Europe - but we were surprised to find out that a train left London every hour to get to Dover - about 80 miles away. Lulu went on the Net and found a real deal. You could buy 4 round trips for a total of 51 pounds. The price was the same for 2 people - so we decided to offer the extra tickets to some FSU students. They were quickly taken - so early Saturday morning we met at the train station at 8 AM. In two hours we were in the town of Dover. A giant castle loomed on the cliffs overlooking town. The fog was still rolling in off the English Channel as we hired a cab to get us to the fortress at the top of the cliffs - and the entrance to the Secret Tunnels.The fortress on the top of the cliff was built as far back as 1100. It was used off and on to defend England from European invaders. Around 100 AD - the Romans built towns and forts along this coast. To my surprise - the original secret tunnels were dug by hand through the soft chalk rock in the 1700s - as a defense of the possible invasion of Napoleon. During World War Two many more tunnels were dug to house troops and to provide a safe hospital. Due to the stronger bombs - the tunnels were dug deeper and fortified with concrete. Our tour of the tunnels revealed original furnishings. The famous Battle of Britain - where the Brits fighting all alone prevented Germany from setting foot on their homeland - was directed from these bunkers."Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few" - Winston Churchill "...and this was their finest hour." When the fog started to lift - a gigantic dock appeared. For years - before planes and tunnels - this was the only way to Europe. During 1944 - Hitler was convinced that Patton was going to lead the European Invasion from here. A brilliant ruse of inflated boats and tanks fooled the Nazis that even after D-Day began the main invasion was still coming from Dover. In the movie "Chariots of Fire" the athletes left and returned from the Paris Olympics to this port in 1912. After the fog lifted - we walked along the top of the cliffs and could easily see France across the English Channel. The white cliffs stretch for miles - we may have walked only 2-3 miles back to town. Temperature was about 70 - a nice breeze and lots of sun when the fog rose. As the Nazi planes approached the island - ack-ack guns would put up a wall of shrapnel puffs. Hundreds of balloons tethered from steel cables were flown up hoping the German planes would get knocked down by the cables. There were 3 layers of tunnels - the top layer was dug in the early 1800s - the middle layer was dug during WWII - and the bottom layer called the dumpy layer was built during the Cold War as a nuclear fallout shelter. The chalk cliffs extend for miles - note the abrupt top edge. The cliffs wear back at about 1/2 inch a year. That mean about a yard wore away since the War. This thick layer of chalk extends east and west under almost the entire southern edge of England. After our walk down the face - we stopped in a little pub along the base of the cliffs. Out the back window of the toilet I could see piles of fallen chalk up against the building. After a visit to the downtown pebble covered beach - we caught the train home to London. Although it was cold by Florida standards - both the air and water - there were tons of kids swimming and jumping off the stone pier. You could tell that this was a particularly nice day for Dover because most of the kids were milky white - not much evidence of exposure to the sun. During our time in Dover - there was much talk about the Battle of Dunkirk. In 1940 - before the US entered the war - Germany had defeated France - the Netherlands - Poland - and Belgium. The Nazis had the British troops trapped at Dunkirk in France - 380,000 men were completely surrounded with only the sea as an exit. The people of England collected up all sorts of boats and towed them to Dunkirk - and brought 338,000 men safely back to Dover. As we sat in Dover Priority Station waiting for our ride back - we thought of the British soldiers that in 1940 were handed a roll and a banana - and still wet - were put on trains to London.

There's One for You and Nineteen for Me - Taxes in England

Residents of England and the rest of the United Kingdom play high taxes. Someone must pay for the free medical services and the other socialistic programs. The Beatles wrote in the song - Tax Man - "should 5% seem to small - be thankful I don't take it all - I am the Taxman." George Harrison wrote the song when his accountant made him realize how little he would have left of his income.

One time Ringo Starr was asked if he was a millionaire and he quipped, "No - but the queen's a millionaire."

Here are the rates today. For the first 37,000 pounds of income ($60,000) - is taxed at 20%. Anything over that amount is taxed at the 40% rate. There are some exemptions - but not as many loopholes as in the USA.

When you buy things in a store - you pay the price that is on the tag. There is no "plus tax" phrase - no need to worry about not having enough to pay sales tax. But their "value added tax" is included in the price. It is a whopping 17.5%. If a tourist chooses to buy something large here - they can claim a 17.5% refund at the airport as they leave.

So if you had the 40% income tax - and the almost 20% VAT tax - that is about 60% in taxes.

No wonder the Beatles and the Rolling Stones quickly claimed residency in places like the Cayman Islands where there were no taxes.

"And your working for no one but me." - The Taxman, The Beatles

Salisbury and Stonehenge

Just outside the city of Salisbury is the famous circle of rocks called Stonehenge. The archeologists have dated the structure back to about 3000 BC - almost exactly the same age as the Pyramids of Egypt. No one is certain what it was built for - but many theories include religious ceremonies and astronomical computers.

Having taught earth and space science for all those years - some of the ideas seem pretty contrived. There are several "henges" built throughout England - mostly during the stone age when tools consisted of deer antlers and hip bones as tools. Since the wheel was not invented yet - these 50 ton rocks had to be towed over many miles.

I taught the theory that Stonehenge was a giant astronomical calendar. It could be used to tell when seasons started - when it was time to plant crops - to get ready for rain - and the time to start soccer league. According to this theory - the heel rock lined up with the center of the henge on the Summer Solstice. Since grandson Jack was born on the Summer Solstice last year - June 20th - from now on I will refer to the heel rock as Jack's throne.

Having listened to other tourists about the attraction - I expected heavy crowds - big fences - and viewing the rocks from a football field away. Nothing was further from the truth. The amount of visitors was manageable - there was only a fence along the major highway - they allowed school groups in for free - and we walked to within maybe 40 feet of the inner circle of posts and lentils. The only thing separating me from the giant vertical rocks was a short rope fence about one foot high. If I wasn't with Lulu's school group - I probably would have vaulted the rope and had my picture taken atop the rocks like some crazed Colossus of Rhodes.

After Stonehenge - our private coach took us to downtown Salisbury to see the famous cathedral there. Built in 1220 - it is the largest cathedral in Europe. It is even more impressive sitting on a gigantic square of golf course quality grass. Although this church is 400 feet tall - it sits on a foundation just 18 inches deep. But even after almost 800 years - the steeple which is higher than a football field is long - only tilts 27 inches off center.

Lulu's class is really enjoying the field trips. With our guide and bus driver - we numbered 22. Due to traffic it took about 2 hours to get to Salisbury and we covered the 70 miles home in about the same time.

The entire Salisbury Plain is on top of a thick layer of the soft rock chalk. One can dig down through a couple inches of young soil to hit the superwhite rock. On the Mohs hardness scale of rocks - chalk comes in around 3 - on the scale of 1 - 10 - where talc is number 1 and diamond is number 10. A rock that soft can be easily carved with simple hand tools. In the area - it has been common to carve large figures into the ground - removing the soil to reveal bright white lines.

This 182 foot stick figure in the picture is the God of Fertility. It is still believed that any woman having difficulty getting pregnant will be successful after spending one night with him. This is not a place to take a first date.

Pictures -
Salisbury Cathedral
God of Fertility
Jack's Summer Solstice Throne
Stonehenge from Southeast Side
Lulu and her 5 Project LEAD Students
Harry and Lulu close on NW Side

The London Eye

Lulu's Class - FSU London Centre - Summer 2009

All is Well in Mudville - MacBook is Working Again

Monday morning in London. After 24 hours without use of my Mac - I took it to the Apple Store - about 6 blocks from our flat. I did not have an appointment at the Genius Bar but was told if I arrived at 9 AM - I would be first in line.

It could not have been easier - they never even asked if I bought the Applecare extended contract (I did). Punit Rajpara helped me out. He quickly hooked it up to an external hard drive and booted my Mac from the system on his hard drive. He did a checkup and said the motherboard was fine and the hard drive was intact. He then decided to archive my stuff - and install a new system on my Mac. It took a little over an hour - but when he was done - my Mac Book Air was functioning like new and all my files were intact. I was very happy with the degree of professionalism with which I was treated.

So Monday morning had been very good so far. I am presently sitting in the Apple theatre enjoying a lecture on using iPhoto.

This afternoon Lulu's class has a guided tour of Westminster Abbey and a ride on the London Eye ferris wheel. I will go along.

Crisis Hits - My Apple MacBook Air Will Not Boot

I am at the Apple Store - in crisis mode. My Apple MacBook Air will not start up - and Lulu and I rely on it for everything. Second guessing myself - last year we brought two computers in case this would happened. This year we were cocky - and now we are down.

This Apple store is the busiest in the world. There wasn't even a sale and 200 people waiting outside the door to get in at noon. Stores can't open until noon on Sunday here - it is the law. People actually make appointments for service before they come in - there is a line at the service bench.

Lulu uses the computer to keep in touch with all her students. I have to think of something. I am accepting any help suggestions - I will be using my Apple iPhone at McDonald's to read them.

Everhart's always have taken pride in the fact that we can think on our feet - we will see.

Yes - I did bring the system DVDs along - but did not bring the DVD drive to boot from the disks - real smart.

American Teen Oudin Upsets Number one Seed at Wimbledon

WIMBLEDON, England -- As a tyke growing up in Marietta, Ga., Melanie Oudin would watch Venus and Serena Williams on TV and tell anyone who would listen that she was going to play at Wimbledon, too, one day.

Who knew she'd be right? And do so well, so quickly?

Making her Wimbledon debut at age 17 after getting through qualifying, the 124th-ranked Oudin joined the Williams sisters in the fourth round at the All England Club by beating former No. 1 Jelena Jankovic 6-7 (8), 7-5, 6-2 Saturday in the most startling result of the tournament's opening week.

"Was just thinking that she was any other player, and this was any other match, and I was at any other tournament - you know, not, like, on the biggest stage, at Wimbledon, playing my first top-10 player," Oudin said. "I mean, I go into every match the exact same, you know, like, no matter who I play. It's not, like, 'Oh, my gosh, I'm playing the No. 1 player in the world.'"

Note - Lulu and I were outside the fence- unable to get in - because the ticket waiting line was 1/2 mile long.

My Camera Broke - Can You Believe This Service??

My Canon G9 camera stopped powering up. It was a week before going on this trip. I only paid $150 for this used $500 Canon camera on Craigslist. Canon wanted $250 for service! I went on eBay and found a company that serviced cameras and they explained how my power up problem was common. They said they could fix it for $99 - pay shipping - and completely check the camera over. The camera did not make it back in time for the trip - but I just got this letter in my email.

Hi Harry! We were actually trying to call you in reference to this but were unsuccessful in reaching you at the number provided! There was a delay on the camera but it is all Completed and ready to go! When the technician opened the unit he believed the cover had been previously removed... In an event as such, they go through the units extremely throrough as sometimes other tech's will touch some of the boards without gloves causing issue and things as such... they just go through them a whole lot more throroughly if they believe they were previously opened! The technician found a screw was missing from inside the unit... this likely worked it's way out on it's own as we commonly see and it likely rattled around in the unit causing a short! There had been a short within the DC DC Board of the unit causing no power in the camera! Since the screw was no longer in the unit, it had to be ordered as each screw is specific to each hole... The technician noted another screw was in the wrong location and was touching an internal flex (power ribbon)... the technician looked after that at no charge and all screws were checked and torqued to Exact Canon Specification! Certain screws are to have a Lock-Tite type liquid to prevent then from coming out... Everything is completely back to Exact Canon Specification again, your Canon is performing perfectly again for you! The technician also Serviced up the camera and the Color / Focus were Computer Adjusted... Again, this puts it to Exact Canon Specification, it's ready for you to enjoy it again! We apologize for the delay but we had to order the exact screws given the circumstances! As a courtesy and to help make up for the delay, I'll increase the warranty on the "No Power Issue" from 90 Days to a Full One (1) Year at Absolutely No Charge... this does exclude damage caused by liquid and / or physical damage / neglect! If you have any questions at all or if you need any further assistance, do not even hesitate to email! You can also call us direct at (915) xxx-xxxx Remember, you have that additional coverage through us as well... It's already on it's way back through Priority Mail, thanks again!
Christina :)

I am blown away by this example of personal service. Instead - I got a chance to fall back in love with my old backup Sony W-1 camera.It is much smaller - takes great pictures and video. Did I say it is smaller?

Pub Customer Visits Bar Every Night for 50 Years

We just got back from our favorite pub - the Marlborough Arms - just around the corner from our flat. We like eating there - because the food is good - it is priced for locals - and all the polished oak and ambience are what you visualize an English Pub to be.

Lulu invited her 18 students to meet there for supper and no one let us down. The place was crowded but it made room for 18 pretty librarians - no that is not an oxymoron.

There is one customer that is famous there - he shows up every night and has a special seat at the end of the bar. He has been doing that for 50 years. In the picture above you see him smiling as he meets some of the FSU library students.

Harry Blown Away by Billy Elliot

Read on to see why the above video is of such poor quality.

We were in the front row last night to see Billy Elliot at the Victoria Palace - across the street from Victoria Station. There have been very few things in life that have made in laugh and cry like this wonderful play did. It took all the strength I could muster to hide my chest heaving in front of Lulu. She graciously kept her eyes turned away. There are way too many father and son feelings I have had that show up in this play. It is a bit like Field of Dreams - Rudy - and October Sky - all rolled up into one - but with a stiff British accent.

We had a fantastic view of the action. The snow from the winter scenes was all over us. You could see the scabs' blood flying by. I held my little camera at belt level to catch some of the action but it could barely see over the edge of the stage. I pointed it like going to the bathroom. If I brought it up to eye level - the ushers would have given me the bum's rush.

Lulu and I were celebrating our 38th anniversary. Due to time zones and jet lag - we were a day late. I like thinking myself a bit like Billy - but it took me 55 years to get out of my coal mining town to see a bit of the world.

Billy Elliot has been hot in the news back in the states for winning so many Tony Awards on Broadway. Our friends Wayne and Shirley spent $300 on tickets in New York City only to miss the showing due to a mixup. They ended up seeing Jersey Boys - but they have more tickets to see Billy in September. Everyone wants to see this Elton John scored musical - driving ticket prices through the roof.

The musical is set in 1984/1985 - the year of the Great Miners Strike in Britain and the year of my 50 day teachers' strike in Pennsylvania. Just as my Dad struck and his mine was closed in the 50s - Prime Minister Maggie Thatcher was successfully making an effort to break the union and eventually close the mines. Billy is a young boy being raised by his coal miner father and brother. Billy wanted to be a ballet dance - but his family thought that ballet was too feminine.

Sitting next to us in the front row was Spencer. Billy Elliot has special meaning to him. Spencer has attended every Thursday night show for the last four years! Even though he also saw the matinee a few hours before - simple math (4 years x 50 weeks) has him attending 200 shows. He just loves the show. Every now and then he would give me a nudge and show me where to look to not miss the special action. Not since Nancy's cousin attending over 100 Barry Manilow concerts have I met such a rabid fan. He was wearing his Billy Elliot shirt - carrying his Bill Elliot bag - and showing us his collection of signatures and playbills. He made the night extra special for us.

Lulu will be taking her class to see Billy Elliot on July 6th. We will be sitting in the lower balcony. I am looking forward to seeing the show from a different perspective.

"Oy dancing boy!"' "Oy Spencer!"

Harry and Lulu Do Billy Elliot - "Solidarity Forever"

Our favorite play is Billy Elliot. It is a story of the son of a coal miner that wants to be a ballet dancer. It reminds me so much of life back home in the Coal Regions of Pennsylvania - with the striking miners - brick row homes - union hall - and "scabs."

This afternoon - Lulu and I went down to the Victoria Palace to see if we could get some good seats for the play. Last year - we took Keith along and were lucky to score 3 seats in the second row from the center stage. To our surprise - we were able to get the same seats for tonight's 7:30 show.

The tickets were 25 pounds each - about $40. For some reason they call the first two rows "obstructed view." For the life me I do not know what the obstruction is. The ticket seller said they are called that because kids have a hard time seeing above the edge of the stage. Last year when we sat there - the view was fantastic. The best part to me was that the guy who sat behind us paid 80 pounds and had to look around my head.

I hope to sneak a few video clips tonight - and post them here tomorrow.

Picture - directly behind us is the Victoria Palace - home of the Billy Elliot Show. Why go to Broadway - pay 5 times as much - when you can hear real British accents - and not have to fight the crowds.