Mallville - the town of the future.

OK, it's COLD outside (17 degrees F with 30 mph winds). Don't get me wrong, I like living in New England. But it can get cold. So I got to thinking - Why not have a residential component to the traditional shopping mall? Simply replace some of the stores with condos and apartments. Take a closer look at the picture - I just  drew this up quickly to help visualize what it might look like. As you can see, you really only need to go outside once in a while or when you really want to. There are opportunities for shopping, social interaction, recreation, church, even a park to sit in the sun - all within a climate-controlled space. It's sort of like putting a roof over a couple of blocks of a city. I don't know why no-one has thought of it before! BTW, the idea of a church in a mall is not original. The North Shore Mall, in Peabody, MA has a Catholic church in the basement level. At the time it was built, it was an open mall (the center was not enclosed), and I guess the designers envisioned it as the new town square, complete with church. Maybe it's time to bring the church back to the mall - and maybe more aspects to life than just shopping.

Sharpen Your Ice Scraper

Here in New England we are well into winter weather. For those of us who don't have a garage, this means scraping the frost and ice off your windshield most days. My ice scraper hasn't been cutting the mustard (or shall I say ice) lately. So I decided to sharpen it. Sharpen it? Yes, you heard me. While you might be tempted to chuck it and go buy a new ice scraper, like any other cutting tool (although it's plastic), you can sharpen it and restore it to full functionality.

Here's what you do: Place a piece of 100 grit (medium) sand paper on a flat surface.

While maintaining the proper angle - so that the front edge of the scraper is flat against the paper (see diagram on right), sand it back and forth. When you have removed enough plastic to restore the sharp edge, smooth it off with some 150 grit (fine) sandpaper.

That's all there is to it. With a little maintenance, you may be able to pass your plastic ice scraper on to your grandchildren!