Category: Ramblings

WSSD and Chromebooks

A reader asked me to think about the state of Chromebook use in the district. I’ve spoken to a couple of children and there’s some clear themes. Most of the information here is gathered from middle and high school students. I’m not an IT professional, but I’ve been […]

Catching Up On Other News

110 Park Approved In Swarthmore A few stories to catch up on. This week Swarthmore Borough Council approved building the massive new luxury condo project in its downtown. Cumby and his son Bill III are among the partners developing the 30-unit 110 Park complex across from the borough […]

More Sleep Needed

Today is Daylight Savings Time, the biannual event that everyone agrees is a bad idea yet somehow persists. With it will come a Monday of sleep-deprived children (and teachers) struggling to consciousness at too early a time. This lack of sleep will lead to all sorts of bad […]

Noise Pollution

Schools This year my Sunday School class is learning about other religions and this past month we studied Quakers, for whom silence is key component of their meetings (for unprogrammed Quakers at least). In the final session this past Sunday, we were speaking about silence and many of […]

Liquified Natural Gas

I’ve written previously about the efforts to close the Covanta plant and reduce pollution in Chester (see here and here). This past year though, a new polluting site is being considered that would cause new environmental harms to Chester. Last summer there were several articles about the proposal […]

Yes, It Is Politics

I’ve been told recently by several people, all of whom are active in politics, “I don’t do politics.” What they mean to say is, “I don’t do electoral politics,” because that branch of politics in America has become so toxic. But “politics” does not mean only elections. According […]

Stray Cats

A reader sent me an email asking about stray and feral cats in our community. Stray cats are ones who live with humans that let them wander freely outdoors. Feral cats are wild cats that live independently. In Pennsylvania dogs get the most attention usually. There is dog […]

Stressful Data

This past week there was international news that New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern decided to suddenly resign as leader of the small island nation citing the stress of the job. Locally, our neighboring borough Parkside’s council meetings continue to be frought with the board suddenly reorganizing due […]

Rose Valley, GCFC and Covid News

Rose Valley Turns 100 The Delco Times had a piece this week about Rose Valley Boro’s 100th anniversary. They have a year of events planned by organizations in the borough. The events begin in grand style Jan. 21 with The Party of the Century, an evening of dinner […]

There’s No Future For Natural Gas

Recently a US Consumer Product Safety commissioner spoke about the risks associated with gas stoves. The USCPSC noted that gas stoves are linked to asthma and respiratory conditions. Ars Technica had a piece a few months ago discussing these risks in more detail (and more specificity about which […]