by duncan | Jan 19, 2020 | Nostalgia
My grandfather enjoyed many of the British “Music Hall” performers and would sometimes quote from their routines. One piece he enjoyed was a sesquipedalian version of the children’s poem “The House that Jack Built”. It began, “This...
by duncan | Mar 26, 2019 | Quests, Staple Remover
Here’s a surprisingly good way of removing staples – stamp tongs! I recommend German-made “Solingen” stamp tongs with a spade tip. Stamp tongs are a kind of tweezer with smooth, polished tips. The spade tips are fine enough to slide under the arms of...
by duncan | Aug 15, 2018 | Quests
Hammock Research A few years back, I stayed at my cousin’s house in England. She had a backyard hammock, so I tried it. I was tired (jet lag) and the big hammock was so comfortable that I immediately fell asleep. Recently, we were given another hammock, about six-feet...
by duncan | Aug 11, 2018 | Nostalgia
Some time around 1968, when we lived in England, we got a Spirograph set for Christmas. It seemed a strange gift. The box was intimidating and adult – more like a drafting set than a toy. The cover showed a businessman working with the system, while his wife and...
by duncan | Feb 7, 2018 | Quests, Staple Remover
My interests tend to go from one minor obsession to another, so I tried a number of experiments with staple removers to see which was the Staple Remover to Rule Them All. I found that it depends how much paper has been stapled. If it’s a thick stack – say, 15...
