The first project is a much better way to sketch on
a computer using a mouse or a trackball. To learn more about this method and download a small demo program, click here.Welcome to our website!
Reasons for being. We have two reasons for setting up this site: we want to let you know that we have a patent that you might be interested in; and we want to share some interesting projects with you.
Technical blog. You might say that this is a technical blog. My personal life isn't all that interesting, but the projects may be.
Smooth computer sketching. The first project is a much better way to sketch on
a computer using a mouse or a trackball. To learn more about this method and download a small demo program, click here.
Multi-motion swing. 
(mouse over the links below) The second project is one that I have no vested interest in, but I've had fun
playing with. Which would be more interesting, a standard playground swing or one
that'll do this? For more details on this unusual backyard swing, click here.
Bounceless stop.The third project is one that I had a vested interest in (my second patent). I have since let that patent lapse because I couldn't justify paying the fairly-high patent maintenance fees. Let me demonstrate the basic idea involved by showing a video (the one on the left) of a very bouncy rubber ball dropping onto a concrete floor. Compare this with a similar video (the one on the right) of the same ball dropping onto a thin flat plate with radial slits, per my patent. Quite a difference, isn't there? For more on this curious subject, click here.
Note that Apple's Quicktime 7 is needed in order to watch the videos. It is a free program from Apple and works in both Mac and Windows. www.apple.com/quicktime
Kakuro hints. I have added a page of hints on working Kakuro (cross sums) puzzles. My daughter sent me a book of the puzzles and gave me a hint on working them.
Who determines the sex of the child? When I Google™ the question: "Who determines the sex of the child?" the answers mainly assure me that the father does, because only the sperm can contain a Y chromosome, not the egg. It seems to me that getting from the simple biological fact (only the sperm can contain a Y chromosome) to the conclusion (the father determines the sex of the child) requires an unstated assumption; that the egg can't, or won't, select a given sperm. If the egg can actively select among the numerous available sperm cells, then a given egg may be pre-programmed to allow only a male-producing or only a female-producing sperm. This idea came as a way to explain an interesting genetic tree from a family I am aware of. Of the six sets of boy-girl twins shown, all six have a mother on the genetic tree, not a father. Either this pattern is just a statistical fluke, or a gene programs the mothers involved to release a boy-preferring egg and a girl-preferring egg at the same time.
The answer to this question may not be so much a question of genetics, but of biology. Have any studies shown that the human egg is not capable of selelecting sperm? My degrees are in engineering, not in genetics or biology, so I certainly don't know, but I'm also not real sure that those who answer the question when I Google™ know either.
I have tried at least four versions of this question (using the quotation marks) and get a fairly narrow range of number of hits: "Who determines the sex of the child?" (29,200); "Who determines the sex of a child?" (16,200); "Who determines the sex of the baby?" (36,400);"Who determines the sex of a baby?" (20,900). Without the quotation marks the results are in the millions.
There are a number of people who could be on this genetic tree, but I just don't have the details I would need to show them. I have found out that the pattern extends into Norway, where the initial person in the chart came from. (She had siblings who were boy-girl twins). There is also at least one more set of boy-girl twins on this tree, but I don't have the details yet. It would be easy for an investigator to fill in the missing branches of the tree to see if the pattern persists. If it does, it would be a strong indicator that there is a genetic component involved. In that case a DNA analysis might be warranted. I'm sure that at least some of the people charted would be willing to cooperate in a DNA analysis. I wonder why such a basic question of our human existence hasn't been thoroughly researched. Maybe it has and I'm just not aware of it.You can email me with questions or comments.