Jon Bondy's Vanity Home Page (latest addition 14 Apr 02)

My special thanks to www.bivio.com for providing 50 MB of free web space to host this site!

Are you looking for the Jon Bondy who is a professional fishing guide? Check him out at www.lakestclairfishing.com or www.stclairchat.com

Here are links to and information about various things I like...

See my Reef Tank, see and listen to my Parrot, etc

See a talk I gave recently about my Reef Tank (Added 20 Jun 00)

See my latest parrot friend, PJ He's a Rainbow Lorikeet, a nector eater, very friendly and interactive. Sits on my shoulder as I walk around the house, and nibbles at my ears and fingers in mock battle. Very cute. I gave him away in the Spring of 2000 because he was way too aggressive and loud...

Unresolved Questions at the University of Vermont

Cool Science-related Links

My latest business venture is described at www.os-mosis.com.

My interest in Stirling engines (Modified 14 Apr 02) became so intense that I purchased the tools for a machine shop. (Modified 25 Jan 02)

 I now have a page devoted to the freeware software I’ve written (Modified 14 Apr 02)

Books I have enjoyed recently:

• Shadow Syndromes (Ratey & Johnson). Makes the case that traditional "mental illnesses" (manic depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, autism, etc) are in fact personality traits which each of us have to varying degrees. Also points out situations in which some of these mental "defects" can be of value, making them less of a cause for embarrassment.
• The Elegant Universe (Greene). A discussion of "string theory" for the layman. Not easy to follow, it does, however, offer the only chance that most of us have had to understand the basis for the theories which may, some day, link gravity in with the three other forces in the universe.
• The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antarctic Expedition (Alexander). The situations which Shackleton and his crew endured are beyond belief, and the accompanying photographs are wonderful. If you think you are a tough guy, you need to read this, so you can get a grip. (Added 8 Jan 00)
• Blind Man's Bluff (Sontag & Drew). The untold story of American submarine espionage. Some of the stuff we did is hard to believe. The "truth" behind "The Hunt For Red October". (Added 8 Jan 00)
• Secrets and Lies (Bruce Schneier). A MUST READ. Schneier explains computer security so that any computer user can understand it. Every person in today’s society has an obligation to read this book. No kidding. Read it. (Added 25 Jul 01)
• The Botany of Desire (Michael Pollan). Pollan describes four plants view of the world. The first two chapters (apples and tulips) show Pollan at his worst. He seems overly pleased with his own voice, repeating ideas until you are bored, and making unsubstantiated claims. He attempts to describe pictures rather than providing them. Very frustrating. The second two chapters (marijuana and potatoes) are excellent. The marijuana chapter discusses many issues underlying the psychopharmacology of THC and the War on Drugs, and the potato chapter discusses genetic engineering issues. You should borrow this book from a library and read the last two chapters: you won't be disappointed. This book needed an editor. (Added 25 Jul 01)

Movies I have enjoyed recently:

• Being John Malklovitch: very innovative, and very funny.
• Dogma: great send-up of religion.
• Toy Story 2: enjoyed it a lot; not subtle or classic, but the animation is wonderful, and the story line is well balanced and fun. (Added 11 Dec 99)
• The Man in the Moon: a good story about the life of Andy Kaufman, but it left me wanting to see more of Andy and less of the movie. (Added 29 Dec 99)
• Galaxy Quest: A great, funny send-up of Star Trek, Trekkies, and all other cliche Sci Movies. (Added 8 Jan 00)

I carry a Voice Recorder around with me everywhere I go, so that I can record quick reminders and notes. Now it is a must-have all of the time.

My latest interest is the Stirling Engine. These are external combustion engines ("heat engines") which can run off the heat of your hand, or off of the heat of the sun shining through a window. Kits available.

Kinetic wood sculptures from Wood That Works. Not inexpensive, but quite amazing to watch. The web site includes some nice animations, but the video tape is the way to really appreciate what they can look like.

I went to the Hood Museum at Dartmouth and saw an exhibit by Arthur Ganson. His machines must be seen to be believed. Astonishing fun. Written up in The Atlantic, Hands On Toys, Delightful Machines, and the Smithsonian. (Added 13 Feb 00)

After my back surgery, I thought I would never be able to really exercise again, but I purchased a BikeE Recumbent Bicycle and I sweated like a pig, and loved it, all summer long.

I built two Visible V-8 Engine kits as a kid, and just built my third, with my friend, Stacey. Still an educational project for anyone who wants to understand how a car engine works. Too bad the most recent kits are not as complete as the ones I built as a kid. The older kits had little lights which functioned as spark plugs, but today, when LEDs are a dime a dozen (almost literally), no working spark plugs. Go figure.

I heat my home with a Hearthstone "Phoenix" Wood Stove, which is both functional and attractive. The glass door makes a huge difference.

I have two EcoFans on top of my wood stove. They use the heat of the stove to generate enough electricity to make the fans go. A wonderful, if silly, use of "waste" energy. I may get a Stirling Engine, too.

I used my Sony Mavica 91 Digital Camera for most of the pictures on my Reef Tank pages This camera has a near-ideal combination of

• large (14X) optical zoom,
• flexible exposure control (specify shutter or aperature or use the spot meter),
• both eyepiece (for action and/or outdoor photos) and LDC screen,
• video/audio capability (not very good quality),
• stabilizer (for use with the extreme zoom),
• wonderful macro (closeup) capabilities (postage stamp fills screen),
• flexible image sizes (640x480, 1024x768),
• floppy disk image storage,
• auto-focus or [easy to use] manual-focus.

I just purchased (Aug 2000) the latest Sony Mavica CD1000 Digital Camera. This camera writes its images to an internal 150 MB CD ROM drive, and is quite a wonderful camera: highly recommended (although pricey). (Added 14 Sep 00)

The only down-side is that the image quality is not as good as the best modern digital cameras (the 91 was introduced towards the end of 1998).

If you're near Norwich, Vermont (near White River Junction) check out the Montshire Museum. This fascinating science museum includes things for both kids and adults to enjoy. Their ant farm is huge and includes a microscope, so you can watch the ants at work. Their salt water aquarium is pretty dissapointing, but some of their physics displays are spectacular.;

Want some fun? Go test drive an Audi TT or an Audi S4. If you can find them to test drive...

(The following two paragraphs added 8 Dec 99)

My favorite pointing device is my Wacom graphics tablet. Unlike mice, trackballs, touchpads, and the AccuPoint (the little eraser head in the middle of the keyboard), positioning on a graphics tablet is absolute: put the pen on the upper left corner of the pad, and the cursor is on the upper left corner of the screen. The best way to micro-manipulate screen items, especially when designing software.

My second favorite pointing device is the touchpad. Modern touchpad drivers offer a plethora of extra features, such as hot-spots, panning, and dragging, all from the touch pad. And now, you can get a keyboard with a touchpad built in, right under the space key. This allows you to "mouse around" without taking your keys far from the keyboard, and it also allows you to use the same pointing paradigm when using either your laptop or your desktop. PC Concepts' E-Z Keyboard (#62970) costs only $40!

(The following two paragraphs added 29 Dec 99)

I recently saw some video tapes of Shania Twain live in concert. She is a Country and Western singer (from Canada!) who crosses over into Rock. Very pretty, energetic, enthusiastic, with a great smile and a great attitude. Worth checking out at your local video rental store.

While listening to the Shania Twain concerts, I was struck by how muddy the sound was. I put headphones on, and the sound was perfect! I purchased an FM radio transmitter kit, and now can walk around the room listening to high quality stereo audio from any source: video, tv, radio, or CD. You can get information about this kit at

(The following added 06 Jan 00)

My insurance company (GEICO) suggested a new way to set up my car's side view mirrors a few years ago, and I've been using it ever since. The idea is to reduce the "blind spots" just behind and to the side of your car. Most people adjust the side view mirrors so that they can see what's next to and behind them, while keeping the side of their car visible in the mirror, for perspective. Try adjusting the mirrors so that you just barely can not see the sides of your car. This will reduce the blind spots until they are almost (but not quite) gone. The chance that you will change lanes without seeing a car is thus minimized. It takes a little while to get used to, but it is an improvement.

(The following added 25 Jul 01)

LED flashlights and headlamps are becoming very light, power efficient, bright, and inexpensive. Check out Petzl headsets at your local outdoor equipment store and check out the flashlight at http://www.lightechnology.com/products.htm You can also checkout the Petzl Tika at http://www.petzl.com/FRENG/frheadlamps/headlampframe.html

 If you like to paddle, scull, or sail, check out the super-light boats at http://www.geodesicairoliteboats.com/. You can build your own 12’ canoe which weighs 12 lb. Wonderful mix of old techniques combined with modern materials.

Stuff for Old Folks

• Electric Toothbrush: I use, and love, the SoniCare electric toothbrush. And it will work for a week or two on one charge, so you can take it when you travel.
• I had problems with receeding gums, but my dentist says that I am much improved since I started using the Water Pik oral irrigator.
• When I started to need reading glasses, I was annoyed. Now, with some near-magical hard contact lenses, I no longer need reading glasses. These contacts are not like traditional multi-focal spectacles. The spectacles have visual regions through which you can see near or far. With my contacts, I can see near or far everywhere I look. It's like my eyes never aged. And I'm told that I can expect this to continue indefinitely. If you're annoyed with reading glasses, ask about your other options. I had no idea this was available until my optomitrist suggested it.
• Best Nose Hair Clipper: Yikes! I can't go on!

EMail Me if you wish!