Kris Bordessa, Author at GeekDad

Colonists Resorted to Cannibalism During Starving Time

May 2, 2013Kris Bordessa

In 2012 archaeologists at the Jamestown site uncovered the remains of an English girl, roughly 14 years in age, showing the first physical evidence of cannibalism.

WeFarm Connects Growers Via Technology

May 1, 2013Kris Bordessa1

When the folks behind WeFarm started formulating its peer-to-peer knowledge sharing network with the idea to connect small farmers in developing countries, they found that 90% of those growers simply didn’t have access to the internet. Enter the mobile phone, something that most of these farmers do have access to.

Between the Bookends with GeekMom

April 30, 2013Kris Bordessa

It’s time for another look at the GeekMoms’ never-ending stack of books. Collectively, we sure manage to make our way through a fair number of pages, whether we’re reading them on dead trees or e-readers. This month we’ve read books about DIY hacks and learning, costuming and cosplay, and even some audio options.

Lego Iron Man Extremis Sea Port Battle

April 27, 2013Kris Bordessa

Just in time for the release of Iron Man 3, Lego offers up the Iron Man Extremis Sea Port Battle.

30-meter telescope planned atop Mauna Kea

Hawaii’s Thirty Meter Telescope Gets Go-Ahead

April 16, 2013Kris Bordessa

Scientists, astronomers, and amateur stargazers are all abuzz – the Hawaii Board of Land and Natural Resources granted a permit for the Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) project to be built atop Mauna Kea. The TMT promises to let us explore the galaxy’s origins, allow the analysis of black holes, and explore the formation of planets and stars.

Odette’s Secrets: World War II in the Eyes of a Child

April 9, 2013Kris Bordessa

In Odette’s Secrets, author Maryann MacDonald introduces readers to the fears and worries that plague Jews in Paris as Hitler’s regime takes power through the eyes of Odette.

A car that runs entirely on compressed air.

Car Runs on Compressed Air

April 6, 2013Kris Bordessa1

A car that runs on compressed air? Sign. Me. Up.

Mobile Phone Diagnoses Worm Infections

April 6, 2013Kris Bordessa

In Tanzania, scientists recently used a mobile phone equipped with a makeshift microscope to diagnose intestinal parasites.

Visiting the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites

April 1, 2013Kris Bordessa2

For any history buff, a trip to Oahu really must include a visit to the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. Here you’ll find four separate locations to visit, each with its own story to tell about World War II history. I’ve been there a number of times, but my most recent visit was with two teens […]

The Office of Mercy

April 1, 2013December 13, 2017Kris Bordessa

Imagine America hundreds of years from now. Science and technology has created a society of humans who can live for hundreds of years. Pain and suffering has been eliminated; peace reigns. There is no inequality. Doesn’t sound too bad, does it?

10 Picture Books to Inspire Imagination

March 31, 2013Kris Bordessa

You know how there are just some books that are so good that you accost other moms in the library, insisting that they share a particular story with their kids? No? Maybe that’s just me. But trust me. These books? They are the ones that your kids will ask for over and over again.

Between the Bookends at GeekMom

April 24, 2012Kris Bordessa5

It’s time for another look at the GeekMoms’ never-ending stack of books. Collectively, we sure manage to make our way through a fair number of pages, whether we’re reading them on dead trees or e-readers. Here’s what we’ve read this month. Sophie has just finished reading I Want to Believe (The Official Guide to the […]

How Does Your (First Time) Garden Grow?

April 15, 2012April 28, 2020Kris Bordessa8

A recent GeekMom conversation turned to gardening when GeekMom Ariane shared this: I just bought my first house and we have our very first yard. We’ve been taking a lot of plants out (that were dead or not looking too great or too dangerously thorny for a 2-year-old to play around) and replacing with fruits […]

Social Media Etiquette and Copyright

February 18, 2012Kris Bordessa5

Pinterest is taking off in a big way. The virtual pin board site lets you visually organize favorite projects, wish lists, tips, recipes, and books. Or pretty pictures like this shot of a gerber daisy that my son recently took. With Pinterest, you can use a special little bookmarklet to add the image to one […]

December 30 — Poof, and It’s Gone!

December 30, 2011Kris Bordessa1

What if you could just make a day disappear? And I’m talking without the use of TARDIS or the aid of Dr. Who. Well, for the people of Samoa, it’s a reality coming soon to a calendar near them. December 30, 2011 is the day that will never be. At the stroke of midnight on […]

Michigan Woman Could Get 93 Days in Jail for Planting a Garden

July 9, 2011Kris Bordessa77

Michelle Obama lives in arguably the most prestigious home in America. In 2009, she dug up a portion of the South Lawn and installed an organic vegetable garden to provide fresh produce for the White House kitchen. Short of the chemical companies who produce pesticides – definitely not allowed in an organic garden – who […]

Garden Math: How Many Tomatoes to Plant?

June 4, 2011Kris Bordessa2

One of the primary reasons I garden is to fill my pantry with canned fruits and vegetables that are free of bpa and pesticides. Of all the different things I preserve, tomatoes are far and away the most-used garden ingredient in my household; it seems I’m constantly pulling a jar of some sort of tomato […]

A Working Ukulele – Made of LEGO Bricks

May 29, 2011Kris Bordessa

We had a collision of geek passions in my household last week when the LEGO geek discovered a build that even his brother could appreciate. During his hourly daily check of Brothers Brick, LEGO Junkie thought he might have achieved geek nirvana (at least as described in our household) when he spotted an ‘ukulele crafted […]

World War II History – USS Missouri, Day 2

April 19, 2011Kris Bordessa2

Following our harrowing day of bus rides in Honolulu, we set out early to spend the entire day at the Pearl Harbor Historic Sites. A recent renovation makes it super easy to maneuver all four of the sites. Two of the featured sites–the USS Missouri and the Pacific Aviation Museum–are actually located on Ford Island, […]

Imiloa Astronomy Center

April 6, 2011Kris Bordessa2

The ‘Imiloa Astronomy Center on the Big Island of Hawai’i blends past and present with a focus on the night sky. Part of the University of Hawaii at Hilo, the center is a kid-friendly, hands-on sort of place where families can roam through various exhibit areas or enjoy a show in the planetarium. My husband […]

CABIN FEVER: Ten Sanity Saving Tricks with Tape

February 25, 2011Kris Bordessa13

I am not exaggerating one single bit when I tell you that masking tape saved my sanity as a parent. As we continue Cabin Fever Week here at GeekMom, take a tip from me: get tape. For some reason, my kids thought it was a great treat to have unlimited access to tape. Regular old […]

Ten Geeky Ways to Green Up

December 28, 2010Kris Bordessa5

If, like me, you’re concerned about the state of our world from an environmental standpoint, you might be pondering a New Year’s resolution that has more to do with making a change on a global scale rather that on your bathroom scale. Implement some – or all – of these ideas to make a positive […]

GeekMom Kitchen Alchemy: Make Your Own Marshmallows

December 21, 2010Kris Bordessa15

“What’s this?” my son asked, waving a jar clearly marked Marshmallow Creme. It wasn’t a literal question; he can read. He was really asking me why in the world I was bringing such crap into the house. “It’s got corn syrup in it. The first ingredient!” My holiday fudge is the best fudge ever*. The […]

Review: Eaarth – Making a Life on a Tough New Planet

December 16, 2010Kris Bordessa11

As a girl, I read the Little House on the Prairie series and dreamed of a time when people cooked over an open fire and gave handmade gifts. As an adult, I actually hoped that Y2K would bring a change. While we called it a “scare” back then, few would have guessed Y2K could actually […]

Geeky Dummy Text for Designers

December 8, 2010Kris Bordessa2

If you’ve done any graphic or web design (or hired someone to do design for you) you’re probably familiar with the Latin dummy text that is used as a place holder during the planning stage. According to lipsum.com, “Lorem Ipsum has been the industry’s standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer […]

On Raising Boys Who Read

November 25, 2010Kris Bordessa96

My boys are voracious readers. Sometimes I’ve even been tempted to make them put the books down and do something else. Anything else. A friend of mine tells me that this is a good problem to have. Her son, the same age as my youngest, won’t pick up a book to save his life. “How […]

PlanetBox: Lunchboxes for the 21st Century

November 15, 2010Kris Bordessa12

I have long been on a quest to eliminate zip-top plastic bags from my house. They are wasteful. While I admit to rinsing out lightly used bags for reuse, for the most part the bags are used once and land straight in the trash. We have plenty of reusable plastic containers, but frankly, I’m more […]

Review: Walt Disney World Resort: Extreme Vacation Guide for Kids

November 10, 2010Kris Bordessa20

Perhaps it’s because my kids are homeschooled. Or perhaps I’m just geeky that way. But when my family decides to head out on vacation I go into hyper-drive. I see it as an opportunity to get primed for our visit to [insert cool vacation destination here], learn about the area, and delve into all sorts of […]