The World Wide Web ... what a resource!

I don't know if you can tell by my posts, but I tend to be a technology junkie. It could be because my dad was involved in computers back in the early 60s (when I was but a wee one) -- he even used to bring home the old style modems so he coud hook into the service bureau and process those cards -- which made GREAT bookmarks -- into reams and reams of wonderful continuous form drawing paper for us!

One of the greatest events within the last century has to be the blossoming of the WorldWideWeb from Department of Defense information system into THE information network of the World. Pretty cool, huh?

Why, you may ask, do I wax poetic about the 'net?

We have just embarked on three projects that are web-based and promise to open my children's eyes (as well as their mama's) to some interesting and provocative scenes.

First, we have signed up for the eIditarod -- a program where we will be able to learn all about the Iditarod (beyond the movie "Balto"), including choosing and cheering for a specific musher and his team, learning the geography of Alaska (over the 1000+ miles of the race), meeting the peoples of these remote areas of Alaska (where many still don't have running water or electricity in their homes) and building our own sleds and dog teams out of various materials. The actual running of the Iditarod will occur this year on March 4 and end approximately 10 days later. The race is from the heavily populated Anchorage, up and across the tundra and mountain ranges, and then along the coast of Alaska to Nome. [An interesting side note -- one of my best friends in college grew up in Nome and she could see Siberia on a clear day -- that's how far North we're talking!]

Second, we are poised for receiving our first "photoperiod data" in the Mystery Class . By taking our sunrise/sunset times in our town on Monday and comparing those to our mystery class's data which we will receive on Friday, determining "photoperiod" (or length of sunlight) and charting these -- by mid-April we should be able to pinpooint the approximate location of our Mystery Class (we've been assigned MC#6, as we're working with 9 other hs'ing families who will do the other classes). This will be an awesome lesson in longitudes, latitudes, determining locations based on the sun's location, and world geography.....very cool project, eh?

Third, we received a wonderful email from the woman who we'll be cheering for during the Winter Olympics in Turin. The Olympics are slated to start on February 10 and we'll be "watching" Rebecca Dussault's accomplishments via the ol' WWW! She has placed all her faith and trust in God's divine providence and the prayers of her supporters; her patron is Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati and since, as she explained recently, he needs another miracle to be canonized .... she just might get a Gold!

Go Rebecca!

The picture at right is one she sent right before she, her husband Sharbel and their 3-year-old son left for Turin.