Image by Greg O’Beirne via Wikimedia Commons Using a CC License

Poison centers, which usually amount to phone banks with physicians or trained specialists standing by 24-hours a day, are one of those little public services that can literally save lives with a few words. Last month, the Illinois Poison Control Center published a “Day in the Life of a Poison Center” on its blog, showing the nature of each of the calls it received one day/night cycle. Sometime the entries were a little funny:

35. A 68 year old man accidentally used capsaicin cream instead of hemorrhoid cream.

Yeah. Ouch.

But many more of them represent those little moments in every parent’s life that can be filled with pure terror:

10. A 2 year old was found sucking on the nozzle of Formula 409® kitchen cleaner.

The interesting thing is that even hospitals also call poison centers for consultations on emergency cases. Poison centers save lives, and it’s a little piece of mind to have your local center’s number handy around the house or on your mobile phone. And in an emergency, you can get quick results at the website for the American Association of Poison Control Centers, whose toll-free number is 1-800-222-1222.

Thanks to Tony Chen for sending is this story idea.

This picture is why I started GeekDad. It was taken about two years ago on our back patio and shows my then 9-year-old Daniel and me with our Lego UAV, which we had just built together. He was into Lego, and I was into robotics. I’d been given a RC plane and had got the idea that the three could go together: a Lego Mindstorms NXT autopilot robotically flying an RC plane. And thus was born the Lego UAV!

Daniel and I had worked on the code all weekend. It had turned out to be a perfect father-son project: fun for him and fun for me. Not fun for him and boring for me, like so many other projects aimed at kids. And not fun for me but boring for him, like so many adult projects fathers try to get their kids interested in. But instead a meeting of kid and grown-up interests, turned into a fantastic weekend activity.

The search for similar geeky projects that cut across generational appeal led me to start GeekDad. My jokey early motto was “Permission to play with cool toys isn’t the only reason to have kids, but it’s up there.” The point was to focus on the Venn intersection of geek interest and parenting: to find cool science/tech/culture things that are fun for us and equally fun for our kids.

I bought the domain for not much from a nice guy who wasn’t using it, and then started blogging intermittently. Then I invited friends to join me, and then put out an open call for other geek dads to participate.

The rest is history: I had the good fortune to have Ken Denmead respond to the call, and the wisdom to realize that he was the perfect leader to take GeekDad to the next level. Ken, in turn, recruited most of the amazing geekdads (and a few geekmoms) who you’ve been reading here every day and have been introducing themselves today, our anniversary. They are awesome; every day I read the posts and marvel at what this site has become, thanks to the energy, creativity and passion of these inspiring parents.

I’m now happily emeritus, contributing when I can but mostly cheering from the sidelines. As for my UAV projects, well, they eventually failed the GeekDad test: they got too geeky for the kids. Now I have to bribe the tribe with ice cream to come to flight testing sessions with me and man the cameras, and the technology has gone way over their head.

But I haven’t given up on looking for the Venn ideal of GeekDad projects. We’ve started painting models and Warhammer figures together, and we’re playing lots of Settlers of Catan. I’m gently introducing the geek canon of movies and books (from The Matrix to Ender’s Game). And then there’s always videogames, the ultimate father-child role reversal (they can’t believe how slow I am).

What’s next? Probably some cool project or activity I learn about here. Lego’s just released Mindstorms 2.0!

[This post originally ran last year for GeekDad's 2nd Anniversary]

Dork Tower #807 by John Kovalic

Read all the Dork Towers that have run on GeekDad.

Find the Dork Tower archives, DT printed collections, more cool comics, awesome games and a whole lot more at the Dork Tower Website.

I have been a huge fan of Internet radio for a long time. It has introduced me to many bands I’d never have heard of otherwise (whose music I went on to purchase). And network Pandora has taken the Internet radio phenom one step further, adding an excellent social media aspect to their service that helps you customize your own stations. But they also serve up some great genre-specific stations (give me Downtempo any day).

And last month, they started serving up stations for kids!

From their February blog announcement, here what the stations are all about:

• Radio for Kids — Meant for kids 7 and under, this station is fun, educational, and not too baby-ish. For kids who are moving on up from Toddler Radio. Many musical genres are included here, and due to the variety and quality of songs, it’s enjoyable for kids and adults!
• Rockin’ Kids Radio — Meant for kids 7 and under. This one is my personal favorite; an energetic station good for dancing, room-cleaning and high-energy play. This station is a winner for kids (and adults!) who love upbeat music. Rock out, kiddos.
• Toddler Radio — Meant for kids 4 and under, this station is educational and fun! A variety of toddler-friendly themes and music genres are explored. Look for Sesame Street, Disney, & The Wiggles among others.
• Sleepy Time — Meant for kids 5 and under, this station is designed to prepare your tyke for a nap or bedtime (or any time you want to bring the energy level down a notch). It’s full of mellow sounds and sweet lullabies.
• Kid’s Folk Music — Meant for kids 7 and under, this station features quality kid-friendly folk music. It’s a pretty mellow station… a nice quiet-time alternative to Rockin’ Kids.
• Tween Radio — Meant for ages 8 to adult. This station is appropriate for those too old for children’s music but a bit too young for rock ‘n’ roll’s more adult themes. It includes pop music like Miley Cyrus, the High School Musical cast, The Jonas Brothers, and the cast of Glee.

Because Pandora has almost as many ways to get the music to you as they do stations (on your browser, on your phone, through your TV), it’s a wonderful way to satisfy everyone’s musical tastes, and it’s REALLY easy to put on music that’s interesting and appropriate for your little geeks. It’s also FREE (well, FREEmium). Users get 40 hours of listening time per month at standard bit-rates, and with ad support on the web application. If you go Premium, for only $3 a month, you get 192kbps quality, unlimited listening, a stand-alone player (though you can access your account through any capable device – even a Chumby!) and no ads.

Dork Tower #806 by John Kovalic

Read all the Dork Towers that have run on GeekDad.

Find the Dork Tower archives, DT printed collections, more cool comics, awesome games and a whole lot more at the Dork Tower Website.

Dork Tower #805 by John Kovalic

Read all the Dork Towers that have run on GeekDad.

Find the Dork Tower archives, DT printed collections, more cool comics, awesome games and a whole lot more at the Dork Tower Website.

Dork Tower #804 by John Kovalic

Read all the Dork Towers that have run on GeekDad.

Find the Dork Tower archives, DT printed collections, more cool comics, awesome games and a whole lot more at the Dork Tower Website.

Dork Tower #802 by John Kovalic

Read all the Dork Towers that have run on GeekDad.

Find the Dork Tower archives, DT printed collections, more cool comics, awesome games and a whole lot more at the Dork Tower Website.

Photo from Pres. Obama’s former Senate website

Everyone always dreams of getting super powers and using them in the eternal fight for good (or, in some cases, fame and fortune). But what if it wasn’t about the BIG issues? What if you could just use a super power to help in day-to-day life?

Now, everyone will jump to powers such as being bullet-proof for police officers, or having water powers for fire fighters, but that’s still a bit on the heroic side. What we’re talking about is practicality! With a little Twitter crowd-sourcing, we’ve compiled a list of super powers and the day-to-day jobs they could be practically applied to. Feel free to add your own in the comments!

1. Super Strength: Fruit Pickers – instead of relying on those tree shakers, one person should smack the ground and all the fruit comes down
2. Super Speed: Postal Workers – Would make the daily rounds go a lot faster
3. Weather Control: Elementary School Teachers – the ability to turn off the rain when it’s time for recess
4. Elasticity: Plumbers – who needs a rooter device when you could just reach down a pipe and clear the clog?
5. Phase Shifting: Electricians – nice to be able to re-wire a house without knocking a lot of holes in the walls
6. Clairaudience/Super-hearing: Librarians – like they don’t have it already
7. Flight: Roofers – saves a lot of time going up and down the ladder
8. Multiplicity: Daycare Workers – when the kids start going a little crazy, there’s always someone around to help
9. Accelerated healing: Florist – makes working with roses all day a little less intimidating
10. Acid Generation: Blue Jeans Maker – ’cause acid wash is coming back, baby!
11. Animal Mimicry: Zoo Keeper – for those days when the Bonobo is sick, but the crowds still want to see poo flung
12. Echolocation: Caddie – always find your client’s golf ball no matter where it landed in the rough
13. Invisibility: Movie Theater Usher – catching those camcorder pirate will be a piece of cake now
14. Invulnerability: Crash Test Dummy – the job, not the band
15. Kinetic Absorption: Football Linebackers’ Coach – they can grade tackles very subjectively
16. Merging/Combining: Wedding Planners – the caterer and coordinator combine to become the minister
17. Self-detonation or Explosion: Stunt Man – makes the effect budget a lot cheaper if the stun man blows up without additional pyrotechnics
18. Sonic Scream: Quality Control in a Glass Factory – it’s not the wavelength, it’s the frequency
19. Superhuman Breath: Barista – steam the milk with a straw
20. X-ray Vision: TSA Employee – might make the lines move a little faster
21. Telescopic Vision: Tornado Chaser – because the school teacher got the weather control
22. Wallcrawling: House Painter – no more scaffolding
23. Waterbreathing: Pool Cleaner – for that hand-washed look
24. Astral Projection: Museum Docent – saves a lot on new shoes if you don’t actually have to walk around
25. Empathy: DMV Employee – it could revolutionize the service
26. Telepathy: Waiter/Waitress – Your glass of water would always be refilled… until you weren’t thirsty anymore
27. Animation: Housecleaner – efficiency the likes of only Mickey Mouse could imagine
28. Darkness or Shadow Manipulation: Black & White Photographer – anyone could be the next Ansel Adams
29. Density Control: Kevin Smith – then he’d never get kicked off another Southwest flight
30. Disintegration: Busboy – ensuring clean plates down to the molecular level
31. Elemental Transmutation: Pawn Broker – every gold chain is 24 carat
32. Gravity Manipulation: Personal Trainer – you’d only need a bar and one pair of dumbbells for a complete weight training facility
33. Light Manipulation: Real Estate Agent – then every house could have “great afternoon light”
34. Magnetism Manipulation: Supermarket Shopping Cart Wrangler – get along little doggies
35. Mass Manipulation: Carnival Game Runner – win the “guess your weight” game every time
36. Molecular Manipulation: Short Order Cook – make sure the plate of grits that’s been sitting waiting for 10 minutes is still hot when the waitress shows up
37. Probability Manipulation: Dungeon Master – because you never want your players doing TOO well
38. Radiation Manipulation: Animal Rights Activist – you could save the cat every time
39. Time Manipulation: Tax Accountant – take on more clients and spread the work out
40. Air and Wind Manipulation: Air Traffic Controller – constant headwinds make for quicker take-offs and landings
41. Cold and Ice Manipulation: Bartender – no need to put ice in the shaker
42. Earth Manipulation: Organic Farmer – watch out, Monsanto
43. Plant Manipulation: Topiary Artist at Disneyland – talk about a dream job
44. Electrical Manipulation: Prison Guard – keep the prisoners on their best behavior by dimming the lights, and then humming “another one bites the dust”
45. Fire and Heat Manipulation: Furnace Repairman – “Sorry, sir, but it seems to be working fine now”
46. Water and Moisture Manipulation: Spa Attendant – it’s a sauna, it’s a steam room, it’s a sauna, it’s a steam room
47. Illusion: Politician – sometimes the jokes just write themselves
48. Shapeshifting: Car Salesman – when the first guy goes to “get his manager,” can you really be sure it’s a different person?
49. Summoning: Valet – make sure the right car shows up immediately
50. Telekinesis: Bowling Alley Operator – just in case the pinsetter breaks down

Special thanks to the following for their suggestions: John Madden, Luke McKean, Jenny Williams, Chuck Gamble, Matt Blum, Matt Rower, Matt Middleton, D.A. Schweiss, Bactchan, Joshua Miller, Nathan Barry, floax, Lorri Miller, kpereyra (my 1st autograph!), and Jonathan Liu.

Much of this list of super powers was culled from Wikipedia.