ISEN-ASTC-L is a service of the Association of Science-Technology Centers Incorporated, a worldwide network of science museums and related institutions. ***************************************************************************** Dave - that's twice in one day! Last night I was called "darlin'" at our staff meeting. Oddly, everyone else thought I would take offense. For the record, I didn't think anything of either that informality or your suggestion of "women's" appliances (though now I'm considering getting a lawnmower to take apart - which my dad made me operate in jeans, safety glasses, and earphones in the August heat and humidity of Houston as a teen). Maybe my generation (tail end of Gen X) is becoming desensitized :) Besides, maybe taking apart these things is just what women need to redesign them and make them better. Thanks to everyone for all the helpful suggestions! Quoting Dave Smith: Since I am the primary user of the laundry in my house, it did not even occur to me until I reread this thread that the appliances I suggested for a girls take-apart were those generally associated with stereotyped female gender roles I certainly did not mean to suggest that the equipment to be disassembled should be gender stereotyped in any way, but those were the first three things I thought of that satisfied the criteria of being large, being readily disassembled with ordinary tools, having comprehensible mechanisms, and being readily available. At least I didn't add vacuum cleaners to the list, although I have a vacuum cleaner in the basement waiting for a rainy day do I can disassemble it with my daughter. ------ Kathryn Stofer TerraLink Exhibit Manager Maryland Science Center 601 Light Street Baltimore, Maryland 21230 p 410.545.5976 f 410.545.5974 http://www.marylandsciencecenter.org <http://www.marylandsciencecenter.org> Join us for BODYWORLDS 2, now through September 1! *********************************************************************** For information about the Association of Science-Technology Centers and the Informal Science Education Network please visit www.astc.org. Check out the latest case studies and reviews on ExhibitFiles at www.exhibitfiles.org. The ISEN-ASTC-L email list is powered by LISTSERVR software from L-Soft. To learn more, visit http://www.lsoft.com/LISTSERV-powered.html. To remove your e-mail address from the ISEN-ASTC-L list, send the message SIGNOFF ISEN-ASTC-L in the BODY of a message to [log in to unmask]