Articles written by Janet Grischy

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About me - Janet Grischy

I live in a valley of the Santa Cruz Mountains with my best friend. My interests include my family, hiking, reading, minding my portifolio, and, of course, writing.

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Autos > Fuel Economy How to save on gas without buying a hybrid vehicle: 2 of 90
Almost anyone can spend 20% less on gasoline, simply by changing a few habits. To save on gas, a driver must either spend less money per mile or drive fewer miles. Here are the best ways to spend less per mile, and the ways to drive less: Drive smart Cars burn less gas when they are driven more slowly. The problem is finding ... More..
Arts & Humanities > Awareness & Reality Attempting to define reality: 2 of 54
Reality is what poets seek, and what madmen manage to evade. Advertisers evade too, as anyone can see who compares the package with the product. Describing reality precisely is what physicists and explorers are about, though each discipline takes note of the way the observation changes the observed. Science uses measureme... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short Stories: Fables: 3 of 62
It's not commonly known, but tomatoes were once poisonous. Not only that, but they were once small, hard, and black, or, more precisely, a downy dark violet. Tomatoes were carefully bred to be the beautiful juicy red fruit they are today. And they haven't poisoned anyone for centuries.But why, you may wonder, were tomatoes br... More..
Sciences > Atmosphere & Weather How hurricanes are named: 1 of 19
It is helpful to have a name for each hurricane, because more than one storm may be active at once. Names are also clearer than descriptions when communicating in poor conditions, such as to ships at sea. It took time though, for a universally accepted naming system to evolve. Hurricanes were once named for Catholic saints. E... More..
Home & Garden > Architecture The rise of the American McMansion: 1 of 19
Monster houses are invading our cities and towns, shouldering aside more modest homes. They spoil the character of pleasant streets full of homes that harmonize with each other. They seem designed to overshadow the dwellings around them. Sometimes an enclave of monster houses will be built, giant houses overpowering their rel... More..
Personal Finance > Retirement When to start investing for retirement: 1 of 17
The best time to prepare for your retirement is when it seems much too far off to worry about. People in their twenties and early thirties know they have years before retirement, but they may not know how quickly those years will pass. Money put into a retirement vehicle in your youth is worth ten times or more what the same ... More..
Sciences > Sociology What is a criminal?: 1 of 15
A criminal is someone who has been found guilty of a crime. That much seems plain. Different states differ in their ideas of what crime is though. Actual prosecutions will vary along with the laws of different societies, at different times. Therefore, a country's laws may sometimes be broken in obedience to a higher law, and ... More..
Entertainment > Celebrity Commentary Will Britney Spears' new album revive her singing career?: 1 of 15
Will Britney's new album revive her singing career? Yes it will. If not, the next one will, or the the one after that. She's a determined person, with a legion of fans, a striking body of work, and a strong desire to rise above her personal troubles.Change the subject. Remember Judy Garland? Of course. At 16, Judy delighted u... More..
Creative Writing > Short Stories Short stories: Childhood: 7 of 100
Alone together, the children walked along the damp sand where the waves had been. Piles of kelp made a bad smell as she guided him around them. Sand flies buzzed. "I want to show you something, Timmy," she said. He glanced back anxiously at the place where his mother and father lay, his father reading the paper, his mother si... More..
Politics, News & Issues > Presidential Elections 2008 Is John McCain, now in his 70s, too old to serve as president?: 1 of 14
John McCain is 72. If elected, he will begin his term as the oldest President that Americans have ever elected. This puts some voters off. A Pew Research survey quoted in the New York Times shows 48% of voters say they are less likely to vote for a candidate in his 70's. But many world leaders have been older.Eloquent Sir Win... More..