I often hear idioms and wonder where they came from.  Today, I learned that the phrase "under the weather" was originally used in reference to people who went below deck on boats during rough weather to try to recover from sea-sickness.  By going below, they were literally going "under the weather" where the rocking of the boat wasn't so bad. 

No wonder people think English is hard!

A co-worker also recently told me that "rule of thumb" comes from the old days where you were allowed to beat your spouse with a stick so long as it was smaller in diameter than your thumb.  I'm working hard to erase this phrase from my vocabulary.

I don't know if these origins are correct, but they sure make you think!

I found this great site randomly last week and thought I'd share it.  QDNow.com offers a variety of podcasts containing short 5-8 minute shows with tips on personal finance, parenting, grammar, manners, and other topics useful in everyday life.  Most of them have 30-40 shows already delivered, so there's plenty to browse to get a feel for what they're delivering before you subscribe to the free feeds.

Whether you're a Duke Energy customer or not, you can use this online home energy audit to figure out the most effective ways to reduce your home's energy consumption.  Contrary to what you might think, starting with a full window replacement might not be the best bang for the buck. 

The site asks you a series of questions about your home, your appliances, your energy use patterns, and your previous energy bills.  It then makes customized recommendations designed to maximize your savings and minimize the stress on your wallet.

Link:  https://www.energyguide.com/ha/Welcome.aspx

Maven Networks announced it will be incorporating Silverlight technology into its InternetTV offerings, opening up doors for rich interactive applications on the tube as well as easing content providers' path for providing Windows Media-based video.

It just... keeps... getting... cooler!

Check out this slick demo by Dan Wahlin.  He has built an application using Silverlight that looks up artists on Amazon.com and renders a glossy carousel view of all albums by that artist.  Hovering over an album brings up a more detailed view including the Amazon member rating. 

Even nicer, Dan has made the source code available for learning purposes.

Silverlight just keeps rockin' on... get on the train!

All I wanted was a simple corded wall phone with Caller ID. Nothing fancy - the kind of phone everyone had 15 years ago. Turns out all you can get at BB these days are cordless phones with features galore. They only had 1 model that didn't require an AC plug, but it was $30 and didn't have Caller ID. Before I got desperate, I even checked an OfficeMax.

Why is it so hard to find something so simple? Can the public really be duped into believing they have to fork over a full day's pay (on credit, of course) for a "mega device" when you can get away with a much more basic solution? Could it be that the luddites are onto something?

Well thank goodness for WalMart, I guess. The phone cost a mere $8 and the 25ft cord was $6. People watching in Hell, priceless. But I have to admit when I think about all the packaging, materials, process, labor, energy, and pollution that went into making that phone, Going off the grid sounds better and better.

Windows Live Writer Beta has been updated, along with Live Messenger and Live Mail.  All three applications now sport a shiny new Vista-esque theme that actually looks very nice even on Windows XP.

Download all 3 at http://ideas.live.com.

Yet another example of the new web world using Silverlight.  Telerik has developed a set of Silverlight-based controls to help you take your web apps to the next level.

Check out a demo here.

IMHO, if you're a Flash junkie today, you need start ramping up on Silverlight as soon as possible or you're going to get left in the dust very soon.

Another bit of fun with Silverlight: a physics-based demo of a swinging rope using molecular dynamics simulation techniques.  What's amazing to me is how quickly the demo loads.  I'm really looking forward to see how Web 3.0 evolves using Silverlight.  You'll need the Silverlight 1.0 beta to view the demo.

As I mentioned previously, I have a sticker on my HCH-II with a simple message: 52mpg.  Yes, it's partially there for bragging rights, and partially there to help people understand just what kind of great mileage you can achieve with this car.

Well this weekend, someone actually pulled up beside me at a red light and started asking all sorts of questions about the car after seeing the sticker!  She was considering replacing her minivan with an HCH-II or a Prius.  She told me she preferred the non-spaceship look of the HCH-II over the Prius (I agree).  She was also fairly tall, 6ft, and asked how the headroom was.  Being 6'1" myself, I was happy to tell her I had plenty of headroom.  I can't say enough good things about this car, and it's great to get an opportunity to tell a perfect stranger how much I like it too!

Interestingly, on my current tank, I'm 563 miles into the tank at 55.2mpg!  Looks like I'm going to have to get a new sticker!  I'm hoping this is my first 600 mile tank, so keep your fingers crossed.

The band is Oscar Begat, described to me by drummer Aaron as "alternative chamber pop". Part Dave Matthews, part singer/songwriter, and part folk/blues. They're rocking a song about trying to play frisbee in a tornado in Ohio.

Old people in business casual keep trickling in, and the occassional lost student pokes a curious head in the door... then leaves. They don't get it.

The second set is much more consistent and mellow jam than the first. Nick Cave meets Phish. Very glad I stayed.

What is with all the suits?

Aaron is pulling out a Kalimba. Here comes the violin, add a little rhythm acoustic and bass. This is a lullaby worthy of Bjork.

I wish the the suits at the bar would shut it. They're muddling the jam.

Ronnie is holding his own when it comes to hip. That's hip, not hip replacement. He's working the Crybaby Wah like its just part of his foot.

I'm just curious... How do you start a band with your dad?

I'm outta here in 5, else I have to pay cover for the next band, and from the looks of the guiitarist, they're playing old Cure songs no doubt. Later.

I just found out about Microsoft Popfly.  It's a new platform/website for creating mashups.  It's not quite open to the public yet, but you can visit www.popfly.ms to request an invitation.  Be sure to check out the 15 minute demo video that shows examples of making mashups from geotagged images on flickr, displaying them on a Virtual Earth map, and all in 3D!  Best of all, you can write it all in managed code with Silverlight.

I've requested an invitation, but I sort of hope I don't get invited.  If I do, then I'm sure I'm going to be wasting a ton of time there.