Friday Musings 7-12-13

Inventor of Twister Games Dies - He was a Minnesotan

"Twister called itself "the game that ties you up in knots." Its detractors called it "sex in a box." Charles "Chuck" Foley, the father of nine who invented the game that became a naughty sensation in living rooms across America in the 1960s and 1970s because of the way it put men and women in compromising positions, has died. He was 82." Who knew the inventor of Twister was from Minnesota? He is the man on the left playing the game in the photo. Do you have memories growing up of playing this game? I sure do.

Recently the game has become a popular Halloween costume as it is sewn into a dress. What an example of taking one product and using it for a completely different purpose. How do you use this technique in your work?

Consider another Product - Only this one with Colored Squares - The Smart Diaper

"Next up for the square-shaped bar codes called QR codes: Your baby's diapers? Pixie Scientific has created a "Smart Diaper" that tests a baby's urine. Parents can then scan the QR code on the diaper and receive information about their child's health, Gizmodo reported.
The device claims to track changes in a baby's urine, potentially showing signs of a urinary tract infection, dehydration or risk for kidney problems. When a baby pees, test strips surrounding the QR code will pick up the waste and start the testing process. Parents are asked to scan the QR code located on the back of a baby's Smart Diaper once a day with their smartphones. The app's algorithms will instantly analyze the contents, according to the makers. Scanning the diaper daily can provide a picture of any changes that may signal health problems, Pixie Scientific claims. "By taking useful data from a wet Smart Diaper, we make use of something that would normally be thrown directly into the trash," reads the company's website. "Smart Diapers alert you to certain conditions that require immediate attention and also track your child's health for months or years, automatically looking for emerging trends."  As in many areas of our life... what appears to be nasty - can actually be very useful information - but sometimes you have to hold your nose and dig in and look for the information!!!

House Passes Their Version of the Farm Bill

The Star Tribune article, in today's paper, shares details about the farm bill passed in the House on Thursday "that would break a decades-old bond between the country’s farm and nutrition programs." Our own Minnesota delegation is quite divided on the issue. I encourage you to stay informed and read the Star Tribune  article and view the video showing just a sampling of how politically charged this public policy debate is in Congress.

Contest for Piloting UMConnect Education

Let's spice up those "dog days of August" with a little friendly competition. I am providing an opportunity to encourage you to utilize our wonderful university resources for learning using the UM Connect system. Contest rules: for this contest you will work alone, educational topic and audience is reflected in your plan of work, and your evaluation reflects contribution to family resiliency. Education can be live or recorded for 24/7 access. Please offer to an external audience. Can be 5 minutes to 30 minutes in length. After the education has occurred and before August 31, submit the following: What did you do? Who attended? Why did you do what you did? What did you learn?  A $50 gift certificate (PL's personal funds) will be awarded the winner. Winner will be announce and sharing of this experience will discussed on our September FR FRM call. Have fun!!!!!

Note from the author of this blog: Hello. I am Trish Olson, a program leader with the University of Minnesota Extension Center for Family Development. I write this blog primarily for the team I work with in Extension, and welcome others who find it a useful weekly reflection. My goals for writing this blog are to stimulate informal discussion, look at local and world events in the context of our work in the Center for Family Development, and perhaps put a smile on your face. I do heavily quote from other sources - but always put quote in " " and cite the reference.  I really encourage the use of the comment function to fully benefit from this blog. If you have received this because someone forwarded it to you and  you would like to be added to the notification list contact me at pdolson@umn.edu. Have a nice day.