Ethnoarchaeology and Your House

Do you have room in your garage for your car?  How many of your neighbors use their garages?

How many items do you have displayed on your refrigerator?  There is a correlation between that number and the "number of objects per square foot in the house as a whole."

How much food do you have stored? How often does the family eat together?  By the way, families using pre-packaged foods take 26 minutes to prepare a meal while from scratch takes 38 minutes.

How often does anyone use the yard?  For many families the time spent in the yard - even with swings, decks, outdoor furniture - is zero.

How many family photos hang on the walls and in which rooms?  How many Barbies, books, TVs, etc.?  Sports memorabilia?  Religious items?

How do your answers compare with other American families?

After reading this picture-rich book Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century - 32 Families Open Their Doors, you will never look at your home - or anyone elses' - in the same way.

This engrossing book is based on a study done by the Center on Everyday Lives of Families (CELF) at UCLA using ethnoarchaeology: "... the scientific study of societal groups, esp. for understanding the behavioral relationships which underlie the production of material culture...".  Thirty-two California families opened their homes for a thorough research project researching not only what they had in their homes, but how they lived - how they used their possessions.  Applying ethnoarchaeology to modern homes and families produces a type of modern archaeology.

According to this book, Americans currently have the "most possessions per family in global history."  Not only will you compare your family to those in the study, but you will take a second look at all the possessions you have and wonder why you have them.

The only drawback?  The study centered on middle-class families with two working parents and two-to-three children one of whom is 7-to-12-years-old, making it hard to compare your family if you don't fit into these demographics. 

The Hillsborough Public Library has a copy of this book and it isn't often that you read a book that actually makes a difference in the way you live your life.

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Life at Home in the Twenty-First Century - 32 Families Open  Their Doors, by Arnold, Graesch, Raggazzini, and Ochs. (2012).

Fire Company Fish Dinner Today

From the Woods Road Fire Company - HVFC#3:

Hillsborough Fire Company #3 will be holding its annual fish fry buffet on Friday February 22 from 4:30 pm to 8:00 pm. Buffet menu includes baked tilapia, fried cod, fried clams, fried shrimp, chicken fingers, pierogies, vegetable medley, french fries, rice, home made cole slaw, salad, desserts, coffee, tea, and cold drinks.

•Adults - $12
•Senior Citizens (60 and up) - $11
•Children (5 to 12) - $9
•Children 4 and under free
Tickets will be sold at the door.

Duke Farms Eagle Cam 2013

The Duke Farms' eagles are back and so is the Eagle Cam!


Fans of the American Bald Eagle pair in Hillsborough can get their fix once again as Duke Farms has replaced its Eagle Cam and is back on the air.

Rumor has it that there was at least one egg in the nest as of last week, but unfortunately the new camera angle does not allow a view down into the nest the way that the old one did. Maybe that can be corrected when this year's eaglets are banded.

Just to hold over the peeping Toms, here are the 2012 eaglets...

Additionally, Duke Farms hosts the Duke Brook Habitat cam, overlooking a shallow pool below a spillway on the property...


Live video for mobile from Ustream

Vote Today on Fire Budget and Two Commissioners

Today Hillsborough Township voters choose two fire commissioners and decide whether to approve or disapprove the 2013 Fire Budget.

Three firefighters are running for two seats on the Board of Fire Commissioners: incumbent Matthew DeCicco, Charles Nuara, and John Catrombon, Jr.  For more information about the three candidates, go to this Hillsborough Beacon article.

The fire district budget, covering salaries and benefits, insurance, and equipment, is $2.1 million with $1,706,673 from local property taxes.  For more information about the budget, go to this Hillsborough Beacon article.

Voting runs from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Hillsborough Municipal Building, 379 South Branch Road.

Happy Valentine's Day!

From Miss Rose...

...and Foxie (who swears that Miss Rose told her there would be a treat in the candy box)...

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Click on this Valentine's puzzle to go to the Jigzone
to mix it up and solve it...

Duke Farms in the Snow

The cross-country skiers have found the new Duke Farms...

...as have the photographers...

Visitors have also been spotted on snow shoes, but no sledders reported. That hill in front of "the mansion that was never built" would be an awesome sled run! Unfortunately you would have to carry in your sled.

Duke Farms has also introduced a Geotrail with 11 caches.

And you can post your Duke Farms photographs on flickr.
Remember they are closed to the public on Wednesdays.

Operation Shoebox NJ Saturday

From an Operation Shoebox NJ press release:MANVILLE - Volunteers are invited to join Operation Shoebox New Jersey pack care packages for US troops overseas and commemorate the organization’s 8th anniversary on Saturday, Feb. 9.

The packing will be at the Kavanaugh VFW Post #2290, 600 Washington Ave., Manville, with registration at 11 a.m., followed by opening ceremonies. Packing begins at 11:30 a.m. A light lunch will be provided.

Soldiers and Marines who received packages from OPSHBX NJ gift packages during their deployments are expected to attend and extend their thanks to the volunteers.

Volunteer packers are encouraged to donate personal care items for shipment, including snacks and toiletries. Check the shopping list on our website and bring along a bag of needed items.

The packages sent overseas will include a box of Girl Scout cookies donated by troops in the Heart of New Jersey Council; bagged candy collected from 15 Walgreen stores donated by shoppers; cans of tuna, cans of fruit, trail mix, beef jerky, gum, candy, granola bars, powdered drink mixes, coffee, tea, oatmeal, hot chocolate, toothpaste, tooth brushes, ear swabs, moist wipes, sun block, eye drops, soap, shampoo, socks, stationary, envelopes, pens, batteries and other items.

Volunteers will also have the opportunity to sit down and write a short letter to the troops; all cards and letters will be inserted into the boxes. We'll also add stuffed animals and other gift items for the troops to hand out to young Iraqi and Afghan children.

Since its founding in February, 2005, OPSHBX NJ volunteers have shipped over 61,000 personal care packages overseas. Financial support is also needed to help pay the costs of shipping the packages. All donations are tax deductible. Volunteers are asked to sign up in advance on the OPSHBX NJ website.