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Ask any sci-fi junkie and they will tell you that the answer to everything is 42. Ask an engineer and they will tell you it's 1.21 jigowatts. Ask me and I will say I don't know...but, the flux capacitor may be the basis for all important knowledge, and like the golden ratio, otherwise known as the Fibonacci sequence, such knowledge is woven into the very fabric of our universe.

For instance, everyone, who has driven from their downtown office to their suburban home, knows that there is a magical time--I like to it call the traffic-fluxis--that is the perfect time to begin the drive home and spend the least amount of time in traffic. The traffic-fluxis is a magical time because leaving at this time can actually get you home earlier than if you had left earlier.

Let me explain, if you leave at 6:00pm, it would take 1 hour and 15 minutes to get home--and you would be home at 7:15pm. If you left at 6:30pm, it would take you 1 hour to get home and you would be home at 7:30pm. But, if you leave at 6:45, it would only take you 25 minutes to get home--and you would be home at 7:10pm. (Notice, that this is a full 5 minutes earlier than if you had left at 6pm in the first place as well as 25 minutes earlier than if you had left at 6:30pm.) Truly, the science is dizzying.

Of course, the tricky part is finding the traffic-fluxis--which is where a flux capacitor would come in. You could just hook it up to a Mr. Fission, throw in the scrapings off your Healthy Choice plastic dining dish, and you would know in an instant the perfect time to leave.

But the flux capacitor isn't limited to traffic time calculations.

Next: The sweater-fluxis...and how to tell when it is the right time to wear a fall sweater to work even though the temperature hasn't dropped yet.

I have to admit, I enjoyed this movie: fashion, back-stabbing, bitchiness--all this with a bag of chocolate and a diet coke, spells entertainment on a Saturday afternoon. Taken as a madcap romp, the movie is good, flouncy fun...but, taken for it's message, the movie is more like the two-headed Roman god, Janus--two sides saying and doing two entirely different things at the same time.

Anne Hathaway plays the new 'Emily', the assistant to the Devil (Miranda Priestly) who does indeed wear Prada. Our new Emily is fresh-faced and innocent, filled with wholesome dreams of doing something meaningful with her life. Emily is accessorized with a set of fresh-faced, wholesome, never compromise friends who also pursue wholesome, lofty, artsy careers. Instead taking the "high-road" of suffering and rejection like her friends, Emily takes the low-road and endures suffering and rejection under Miranda's cruel pitchfork. In the process, Emily works hard, becomes consumed by her job, seeks the boss' approval, and learns some fashion sense. In doing so, she misses her chef/boyfriend's birthday and takes one too many calls from Miranda while her wholesome buddies indulge in a little drink. Her friends and family disparage her job and everyone gets to take shots at her.

As Emily points out, who would be critical if a man acted this way? In a silly bubblegum movie way, all of Emily's friends gain instant success in taking their respective high roads.

The whole movie seems to shout, "Hey, see this? Selling out is really a bad thing. Keep to your lofty, artsy goals!"

So, a writer working as an assistant to a fashion editor is selling out--but, a writer who writes a book about a writer working as an assistant to a fashion editor--now that something completely different, right?

Warren Buffet's recent donation of 37 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has shed much needed light on the problems facing America's failing schools. Having taught in poor performing inner-city schools, I applaud their combined efforts.

A boutique charter school system, as proposed by the Gates Foundation makes a lot of sense for low and under-performing schools and students. In these environments students quite often do not have access to the guidance they need to commit to their education and subsequent careers.

Smaller schools with lower teacher to student ratios or team teaching approaches, such as the Cornerstone Academy, achieve daily success in the battle to stop kids from dropping out of schools.

A prescriptive approach to boutique charter schools can give schools an even greater advantage.

Quite often, students entering charter schools are required to take hours of math and reading tests to gage their strengths and weaknesses. These tests are critical in identifying students' needs. Unfortunately, many schools do not actively use the evaluations as a tool to provide a prescriptive plan for each student.

Taking the time to review the test results with students and mapping out a unique prescriptive plan lets students take ownership in their studies. It respects that students have weaknesses and strengths. A blanket approach to educational plans forces students to work on skills already mastered when severe deficiencies exist in other areas.

Let's hope that upcoming endeavors to overhaul our school systems examine the benefits of prescriptive educational plans for under-performing students.

1-800-FREE411 completely rocks!

I know I've saved at least 30 dollars in one month calling 1-800-FREE411 (1-800-373-3411) for directory assistance instead of dialing the perpetually cheerful (but oh so expensive) T-Mobile 1411 operators.

If you haven't already, give them a call next time you need a number. Sadly, they've temporarily phased out their cool call completion function--but they promise to bring it back soon!

The little guy and I want to thank Lemur for being the absolute best dad ever!

Joseph Vento, wants customers to "Speak English" when ordering cheesesteaks from his restaurant. He even posted a sign with a giant eagle and flag. It may be his right to post signs outside of his restaurant; but, it seems really stupid to aggravate immigrant customers over his English-centric sensibilities.

Not surprisingly, it is people like Joseph Vento who go to other countries on vacation and insist that they still be able to "Speak English" wherever they go. They know the word for cerveza, but still order 'a beer.' They don't hesitate to begin speaking in English when they check into hotels or make purchases in gift shops. They feel that the world should cater to English speakers whether here or abroad.

Yes, this is the United States, and I do believe that visitors and immigrants should really try to learn to speak English. When I lived in Mexico for a year, everyone expected me to speak Spanish (and I did.) When we traveled to France and Spain, we spoke Spanish and French. I am also okay with making English the national language of the United States. English is the language our country uses for all laws, contracts, signs, etc. The French speak French, the Spanish speak Spanish, and the Germans speak German. That being said, however, I hope that our schools begin to require a second language (any language) for high school graduation requirements.

Vento's attitudes, by his own admission, are moored in his fears about immigration. He's okay that his own family immigrated from Sicily and struggled with English, but he is not okay with new immigrants struggling with English.

Attempting to patronize or antagonize people who cannot speak English properly is more than bad business; it's closeminded and intolerant. People who cannot speak English aren't stupid (remember, they do speak a whole other language...which means they probably speak more languages than most of us!)

I hope that Vento's non-English-speaking customers take their money to Pat King's Steaks down the street.