50 Careers for People Who Like to Work Alone

Do you have a personality that irritates others?  Or do others have personalities that irritate you?  Does the buzzword "teamwork" make you bristle ... or, worse yet, break into a cold sweat? 

Seriously - my eldest son is blessed with a high IQ, intellectual curiosity, and a great work ethic.  However, he is also an extreme introvert, has a speech impediment, and isn't exactly patient when it comes to tolerating fools.  The kind of guy, in other words, who needs to work somewhere far from the maddening crowd.  All of which has started me wondering what sorts of careers are available out there for folks who would prefer to earn an income without having to deal with a lot of human interaction.

1. Animal-based careers.  Assuming you're okay with animals, just not people, some possible careers include working as a breeder, vet, kennel worker, dog walker, pet sitter, zookeeper, etc.
2. Archivist/librarian.  A great career for people who enjoy books, cataloging, and/or find hissing "shhh!" at total strangers to be a power trip.
3. Artist.  Creating art is an inherently independent effort; painters, photographers, handicrafters, potters, sculptors, and their ilk possess the ability to observe the world without necessarily interacting with it.  The challenge, of course, is finding a way to sell one's artwork without having to deal with galleries, magazines, or craft fair organizers. Thank goodness for the web.
4. Athlete in solitary sport.  Lots of sports emphasize individual effort over teamwork, to include marathoning, swimming, diving, bicycle racing, kayaking, surfing, scuba diving, skiing, rock climbing, surfing, sailboat racing, etc.
5. Caretaker.  Steven King's novel The Shining may have given caretaking a bad name, but it's not all spooky mansions, snow-bound mountains, creepy twins and demonic hedge animals.  Locations as varied as estates, cemeteries, earth stations and weather stations require caretakers to attend to basic facilities needs.
6. Close Captioning Typist.  I don't actually have any information about this job, but have always imagined it involves sitting in a cubicle, wearing headphones, watching TV and furiously typing.  Or maybe these days there's software that does the work?
7. Clothing/shoe creation/repair. Once you've taken the measurements, each job requires blissful hours of solo cutting and sewing.
8. Computer programming/networking.  If I weren't doing this alphabetically, this entry would probably deserve to be first.  The work is lucrative, easy to find, and wonderfully isolating: a really juicy networking problem or coding assignment can potentially cut you off from all social contact for weeks at a time.
9. Courier/Deliveries. Lots of stuff besides pizza needs picking up and delivering: think mail, packages, trash, newspapers, dry cleaning, medical samples, confidential legal material, expensive jewelry, cars, etc.
10. Crime.  Hey, I'm not recommending it as a career choice - simply noting that it is, in fact, a career that lends itself to solitary effort.
11. Custodian/maid.  Custodians at hotels and office buildings seem rarely to interact with anyone.  Perhaps because they are simply too busy.
12. Data Analysis.  Tons of jobs out there for people who like to analyze data.  I know this because, in just the past 24hrs, various forms of media have informed me that (1) kids diagnosed with ADD are at higher risk for heart disease later in life, (2) the economy is actually recovering, if you take into account about 20 extenuating circumstances, and (3) it is a statistical improbability that Donovan McNabb will remain healthy enough to work off the huge new contract he just signed for the Washington Redskins. 
13. Data Entry/Retrieval.  Until every tidbit of information in the world has been transferred to computer (which can't be too far off now), there will continue to be a need for files clerks to categorize, catalog, sort, store, and retrieve paper-based information.   I recommend any organization or agency affiliated with local government.
14. Equipment Operator. Lots of jobs out there operating big machines with little cabs/offices: toll bridges, cranes, oil rigs, rollercoasters, snowplows, etc.
15. Explorer.  Make a career out of going places where no man has gone before: the arctic, above a rainforest, under the ocean, outer space ....
16. Factory Work.  The upside is that, as long as you're doing your job, no one's going to interrupt you.  The downside is the tedium of potentially doing the same tasks day after day after day.  Your call.
17. Farming/Ranching.  This category incorporates a huge range of jobs, from plowing fields to picking fruit, from raising chickens to milking cows.  Lots of opportunities for solitary work, as long as you don't mind mosquitoes.
18. Firespotting.  Isn't this the first job everyone things of when you talk about "lonely jobs"?  I don't know how many of these jobs are actually available, but I can think of worse careers than sitting in the middle of a lush forest, reading books and occasionally scanning the horizon for smoke plumes.
19. Garage/Tollbooth Attendant.  Not a bad gig if they let you listen to your iPod while you're working.  Plus you can work on assembling a first-class coin collection.
20. Gardening/Landscaping/Nursery Work/Forestry.  The plants aren't going to mind if you don't talk to them.
21. Graphic Design.  Decided not to lump this in with "artist" since it's more of a career than a vocation.  And a pretty lucrative career at that, if you've got talent and can sign up with an agency that will handle all the pesky client touchy-feely stuff on your behalf.
22. Internet/Online Careers.  Become a blogger, online journalist, wiki writer or web portal host and interact with the world without ever actually having to change out of your pajamas.
23. Inventor.  Isolation is practically a job requirement, lest anyone steal your great ideas.  Potentially lucrative fields include iPad/Kindle apps (Apple/Amazon being equally desperate to justify purchase of their respective products), alternative energies (Obama's still hoping green is the next internet), and/or life-saving technologies for 3rd world countries (Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation - pockets don't get any deeper!)
24. Lifeguard.  Another one of those careers where you're surrounded by people but essentially alone.  If anyone tries to bug you while you're sitting on your stand you can just tell them: "Can't talk. Have to stay vigilant."
25. Lighthouse Keeper.  Another career that automatically comes to mind when someone mentions solitary jobs.  To tell the truth, I'm not even sure this job is available anymore, due to improvements in automation, but it's certainly one of the more romantic options on this list.  Think tretcherous shorelines and storm-tossed seas, moaning foghorns, billowing fog, and the ghosts of dead sailors lingering among the waves.
26. Long-Haul Truck Driver. Make a downpayment on a rig and start living the life of a long-haul trucker.  No need to be bound by stereotypes:  feel free to eat healthy and spend the time improving your mind by mastering classical music and listening to great literature (or college courses) on audio.
27. Mathematics-Based Careers.  Try it - just tell someone you're mathematician and watch them hasten to leave you to your own resources!  Respectable wages await folks able to qualify for employment as actuaries, accountants, bankers, investors, codebreakers, handicappers, and statisticians. 
28. Mechanic.  If you're competent, doesn't matter how rude your are: your customers will never let you go!
29. Monk.  Again, not necessarily recommending this as a career: just saying that if you fancy limited wardrobe choices, stark accommodations, and atonal music, this is an option to consider.
30. Movie Projectionist.  Do theaters hire movie projectionists any more, or is this all done automatically?  Am kind of hoping humans are still in charge, as this was the go-to career for loners with a fancy for cinema back when I was a kid.
31. Musician.  Though you typically have to perform with others, there is no requirement to socially interact socially with them.  Plus, remaining aloof creates the impression that you're brilliant and eccentric.
32. Night Shift Employee.  When most of the world goes to sleep, a few solitary souls emerge to keep things running through the wee small hours of the morning.  Some institutions that require night work include stores (restocking), hospitals, hotels, convenience stores, tollbooths, airports, and astronomers.
33. Park ranger.  If you can duck out of having to lead tours, there are plenty of other solitary jobs that require doing, from grooming trails to monitoring/tagging wildlife, environmental testing, and/or maintenance.
34. Philosopher/Theologist.  People will beg you not to tell them what you're doing.
35. Pilot.  I'm picturing the sort that fly their own planes, delivering corporate bigwigs to important meetings or packages to isolated locations. 
36. Reader.  I'm thinking of those folks that record the text of books onto tape for the benefit of folks who have vision impairments or who enjoy listening to books rather than reading them.  Getting the gig to do War and Peace has to qualify as full time employment!
37. Researcher.  Am distinguishing this from data analysis because there's are plenty of research jobs that don't require numbers.  Consider genealogy, history, or one of the soft sciences.
38. Restoration.  Become an expert at restoring books, cars, boats, paintings or some other category of possession that people prize and will pay to keep in good repair.
39. Scanning books into digital libraries.  Speaking of moving hard files to computer archives ... before all the great libraries of the world become accessible online, someone's got to actually, manually scan the books into a hard drive somewhere.  Sounds mind-numbing, but maybe if they let you listen to your ipod as you work ....
40. Scientist.  Sure, you can work in a lab, like your stereotypical mad scientist.  But there are also careers in fields such as geology, botony, and biology that involve engaging in field work in remote locations.
41. Seafaring Jobs.  All that lovely water separating you from the rest of humanity!  Careers include boat maintenance, boat relocation, towboat captain, fishing, and mapping/navigation.
42. Security work.  All you need is a uniform, a badge, an ipod, a bag full of doughnuts and a big thermos of caffeine.
43. Surveyor.  You may need a partner to hold that pole with all the measurements on it, but at least they'll always be 20yards away from you!
44. Technician.  Get a job in a laboratory developing photos, sorting samples, or processing DNA.
45. Trade career.  Many of the more skilled trades - plumbing, electrician, carpenter, welding, car repair - allow you to work solo, and most of them pay well to boot.  
46. Transcriptionist.  Legal and medical transcriptionists are, I understand, in great demand.  All you need is a lot of patience and a wrist brace to prevent carpel tunnel syndrome. 
47. Translator. Another one of those great careers you can pursue in the comfort of your own home.  
48. Umpire/referee.  The only career I can think of where you're surounded by people who you can penalize for trying to talk to you.
49. Undertaker/coroner/mortician.  The perfect job for folks who possess compassion in combination with a strong stomach.
50. Usher.  Even though you'll be surrounded by patrons, no one ever talks to the ushers.  All you have to do is hand out programs and show people to their seats.
51. Writing/journalism.  There are so many niche magazines and newsletters out there, all in need of folks able to organize their thoughouts and output them in grammatical Engish.  It's harder to find those folks than you may think.

20+ Careers for People Who Love Theater

I understand the unemployment rate for actors is something like 85%.  Depressing!  And a little surprising, given the range of careers available to people who have the ability to make others suspend their disbelief.  I think these people must not be thinking outside of the box: those communication skills come in handy not just on the stage, but in sales, PR/advertising, public speaking, teaching, and politics!  The following list is compiled in honor of the many people in my life who abandoned careers on the board in order to pursue more "stable" careers.  It's never too late, guys!

1. Actor - film, television, theater, local theater, advertising (venues = major theater, local/regional theater, production studios, dinner theater)
2. Personality - anchor, commentator, talk show host, podcast host, etc.
3. Entertainer - singer, dancer, magician, etc. (venues = local theater, cruise ships, amusement parks)
4. Directing/producing
5. Theater management
6. Costumes/makeup
7. Usher
8. Technician - camera, lighting, audio, set design, film editing
9. Stagehand
10. Ticket sales/brokering
11. Casting agent/Talent Scout
12. Radio DJ
13. Voice acting/voiceovers
14. Audio book reader 
15. Teacher/Coach - drama, public speaking, training, communications
16. Screenwriter/Playwright
17. Journalist/writer/critic - film, drama
18. Historical Reenactor. 
19. Children's Entertainer - storyteller, puppeteer, clown
20. Public Speaking - instructional, motivational
21. Sales
22. PR/advertising
23. Politics

21 Careers for People Who Love to Travel

Sometimes I toy with the idea of combining two of my life goals into one, by picking a career that would also allow me to see the world.

Realistically, almost every career offers some travel possibilities.  Sales personnel attend training sessions.  Professionals attend conferences.  You can be a computer specialist in Belgium as easily as you can be a computer specialist in the U.S.

My emphasis here is on jobs where travel isn't just a fluke, but an actual job requirement.   Land one of these jobs and you will see the world ... though possibly not at your convenience or on your terms! 

(Want to travel when/where it's convenient for you? Marry well or win the lottery!)

1. Airline Pilot/Steward.  The classic choice for people who want to see the world, for good reason: these days, there's almost no exotic destination not serviced by air.  Before you sign up, however, consider carefully whether you have the "right stuff" to endure endless hours of airport muzac, disarm shoebombs, and clear away sick bags with a smile on your face.
2.  Seaman.  It's an oldy but a goody - become a sailor and see the world!  Or at least those parts of the world that have ports.  You can join the Navy, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, or become a seaman for private merchant vessels.  (Just remember your vitamin C tabs so you don't catch scurvy.)
3. Military.   At the time of this writing, various U.S. military services maintain bases in such exotic locals as Japan, Germany and the Philippines.  The downside is that the parts of the world you're most likely to see are Iran, Afghanistan, and war zones being policed by U.N. forces.
4. Cruise Ships.  The cruise ship industry is always hiring: the bad news is that, in general, they prefer to hire internationally since foreign workers are so much less picky about matters such as work hours, salary and accomodations.  However, there are opportunities for U.S. citizens, particularly in the areas of cruise staff, day care staff, and entertainment.
5. Diplomatic corps/State Department.  This is an obvious choice, but be prepared to take what you're given - the State Department has a pretty ingrained policy of alternating so-called "desirable" postings (places with beaches, orchestras, history and/or really good local breweries) with undesirable postings (war zones, 3rd world countries, areas of tectonic activity).
6. Peace Corps/Volunteerism.  Then again, if you're an adventurer, a risk-taker, a romantic ... if you like the idea of spreading peace and doing good ... if you see "undesirable postings" as a challenge rather than a punishment (and if you aren't to particular about the quality of your health care) ... then the Peace Corps may be for you.  Failing Peace Corps, there are plenty of other international volunteer organizations willing to whisk you oversees in exchange for free labor.
7. Translator.  If you are fluent in one of the "hot" languages (Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, etc.), companies may be willing to pay you to travel to these countries to help their sales representatives conduct business with the locals. 
8. International Business.  Or, you can be the guy that the translator is translating.  International companies engaged in law, banking and sales need employees willing to travel to oversee/train/manage their foreign operations.
9. Nanny/Au Pair. This is an obvious choice for young women who don't mind working with children.  The problem is that families will expect you to stay for more than a few months, so you may not get to see many countries before the demands of nannying wear you out and leave you begging for home.
10. Student Laboror.  In countries with manual labor shortages (notably the U.S. but also some small European countries with tourist seasons), companies often spring up that specialize in importing students from other countries to fill temporary vacancies.  While a viable option, expect to work long hours and live in intimate quarters.
11. International Courier.  Some companies will pay good money to ensure that sensitive materials travel safely from country to country.  You'll need to be bonded, insured, cleared, fingerprinted, and you may have to turn over a child or two as hostage, but in return, people will pay you to cart their precious documents, diamonds, etc. from destination to glamorous destination.
12. Travel Agent.  Though the practice isn't as common as it used to be, resorts/hotels/cruise ships/etc. used to offer low-price or comped trips to travel agents in hopes the travel agents would then recommend their facilities/services to their clients.  I suspect, however, that if you can convince these hospitality providers that you influence the decisions of a big enough client base, perks are still available.
13. Travel Writer.  I have a feeling this probably isn't a lucrative career - if there was big money to be made from travelling and then talking about it, hard to imagine why anyone wouldn't do it.  Rather than set out on your own, perhaps the thing to do is to offer your services to one of the going travel writing concerns: Fodors, Rick Steves, etc.
14. Hospitality.  Hook up with a mega-hospitality provider for a chance to work at hotels, spas, restaurants or resorts overseas.  While outfits like Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton and Intercontinental are more likely to land you in exotic resort areas, less glamorous companies such as McDonalds, Starbucks, and Walmart are aggressively expanding across the globe and may offer more immediate opportunities.
15. Tour Guide.  Offer your services to a travel company that specializes in offering guided tours to foreign parts.   This works best if you have some special expertise to share - fluency in a language, expertise in a particular era of history, or specialized athletic skills (white water navigation, climbing, parasailing) - but some companies may be willing to give you a script to memorize and set you on your way, if you show yourself capable and game.
16. Professional Sports.  Certain sports - such as golfing, surfing, and scuba diving - require you to travel to where the best facilities/conditions are.  But even more mainstream sports like baseball, basketball, and soccer enjoy worldwide appeal, with franchises in almost every continent.  If you aren't born with natural athletic ability there may still be opportunities in sports medicine, training, and coaching.
17. Academics/Research.  Positioning yourself as an expert in pretty much any academic area will provide opportunities for travel - speaking at conferences, guest-lecturing at foreign universities, conducting research in international libraries, etc.
18. Academics/Teaching.  There are always opportunities for folks able to teach English to citizens of foreign nations eager to learn the "international language of business."  Potential employers include governments, embassies, foreign companies, and foreign universities/schools.
19. Science.  Some scientific disciplines - such as geology, biology, and mechanical engineering - practically require travel as a prerequisite.  After all, if you want to study rocks, plants, or dams, you have to go to where they are, right?
20. Arts/Entertainment.  Cultivate an artistic talent and, if you're good enough, you should be able to market yourself in any country that enjoys drama, orchestra, and/or dance. 
21. Journalism/Foreign Correspondent.  A gig that's as hard to get as it is glamorous.  Just know in advance that they're not going to send you somewhere unless there's actual news to report, so you're far likelier to end up in Iran than Belize.

Careers for Teachers Outside of the Classroom

1. Educational Consulting.  Educational consultants administer testing and provide other evaluation services for students, especially students with special needs.  Some tests you can administer without certification; others will require training and certification. However, for those who are trained in the tests that are most in demand, this can be a lucrative career.
2. Educational Advocacy.  Educational advocates help parents - especially the parents of students with special needs - ensure that their students are receiving the education and protections guaranteed by federal, state and local law.  Prerequisites include a good knowledge of educational law, strong negotiating skills, and a desire to advocate for the needs of students.
3. Proctoring/Grading.  State and national testing companies are always looking for folks to grade the essay portions of standardized tests.  If you just can't get enough of overwrought undergraduate prose, this might be the ticket for you.
4. Test Prep.  Speaking of standardized testing, the companies that prepare students for high stakes standardized testing (SAT, LSAT, etc.) are always looking for teachers willing to teach their test-prep courses.  This is a nice gig because they supply the curriculum - all you have to do is teach it.
5. Create curriculum. Create worksheets or other materials for online or paper publishing companies.
6. Literary Analysis/Review. Write essays for publishers of literary analysis (ex: Cliff Notes, Sparknotes, online providers).
7. Tutoring.  Offer tutoring services as an individual or through a for-profit tutoring center (ex: Huntington Learning Center, Sylvan Learning Center).  
8. Adult and Community Education.  Most school systems offer adult and community education.  Courses offered often go beyond tradition school subjects to include IT, creative writing, finance, resume writing, college essay prep, fine arts, music, and more.  These classes provide a great opportunity for teachers to work with students who have a genuine passion (or need) for the subject they are teaching.
9. Create a "homework helper" website. If face-to-face tutoring isn't for you, create a website that (for a small yearly fee) will provide homework assistance for students. To add value, create downloadable flash cards, worksheets, and other resources.
10. Homeschooling.  Groups of homeschoolers may be interested in classes offered by a certified teacher but offered outside of the constraints of the public school system.  Demand is particularly high for those able to teacher higher-level content courses such as chemistry, physics, algebra, geometry, and foreign languages.
11. Online Education.  More and more school districts are beefing up their online offerings to make up for constrained funding available for summer school, summer enrichment, and homebound education, increasing the demand for certified teachers willing to teach such offerings.
12. English as a Second Language instruction.  There aren't too many communities these days that don't have a pocket of immigrants needing to increase their English skills.  There's no need to speak a foreign language to be an ESL teacher.  However, if you haven't taught ESL students before, be sure to spend some time researching best practices, as this type of instruction requires skills that go beyond traditional teacher training programs. 
13. Proofreading/Technical Writing.  A great career for you English/journalism/creative writing teachers out there.  People who "speak science" often possess lousy English skills: thus the need for people with solid writing and grammar skills to polish their technical papers, proposals, and professional materials.

200+ Science Fair Project Ideas

Here are some of the ideas my son and I ran across when researching possible topics for his science fair project.  FYI, he eventually chose: "Which food produces the most gas?" I can't imagine a topic more inclined to appeal to adolescent males - with the possible exception of any experiment involving a catapult

Biology

1. BASIC PLANT EXPERIMENTS. 
1. How is plant growth impacted by the amount of various nutrients added (or taken away)? gravity/magnets? sound/music? movement? mowing/pruning? type/quality of soil? type/quality/quantity of light? type/quality/quantity of water? pH? electrical current? cycles of rain/drought? presence of worms/biologicals? environmental factors (flood, fire, drought)?
2. Is there a mathematical relationship between root and stem growth?
3. Does soil composition and porosity affect root pattern & growth rate?
2. BASIC MICROORGANISM EXPERIMENTS. How do water-borne microorganisms respond to different amounts of nutrients added to (or taken away from) soil? different temperatures? pH? 
3. BASIC ORGANISM EXPERIMENTS (MICE, WORMS). How do organisms respond to differnet types of food (ex: energy drinks)? music? motion? the presence/absence of predators? Can they communicate, and if so, how and under what circumstances?
4. FUN WITH ELECTROMAGNETISM. Do electromagnetic fields affect plants? microorganisms? macroorganisms?
5. WATER QUALITY. 
1. What is the effect on water quality of seasons? amount of rainfall? chemicals? runoff? excessive algae growth? growth or reduction in population of certain species (i.e., decomposers)?
2. How can polluted water be remediated?
6. ADAPTATION.  If you systematically eliminate a trait in a population (ex: remove the smallest fish, remove all plants with green flowers, remove all short plants, etc.), how many generations does it take for the trait to disappear from the population entirely? How does nature repopulate an area devastated by fire/flood/drought?
7. BOOSTING YOUR ACADEMICS. Is there a relationship between academic success and eating breakfast? time spent on homework? studying method employed? time of day chosen for studying? studying with or without music/sound? caffeine?
8. FUN WITH FUNGUS. On which foods does fungus grow best? How do fungus seeds spread in the absence of wind?
9. EAT YOUR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES  How is ripening rate impacted by presence/absense of specific chemicals? light? temperatures? humidities? presence/absense of other foods?  Which fruits/veges cause the most gas?
10. SOIL SCIENCE. What kinds of soils retain water better? promote/inhibit plant growth? promote/inhibit growth of certain plants/microorganisms/organisms? withstand compacting best?
11. VIDEO GAME SCIENCE.  Do video games effect heart rate? blood pressure? appetite? tolerance towards violence? attention span? ability to delay gratification? reflexes?
12. KIDS VS. ADULT. Do children have better reaction times than adults? do kids/adults have different resting pulse rates?
13. MUSIC. Does listening to different types of music affect heart rate? blood pressure? academic performance? mood? stress?
14. PRODUCT TESTING.  Which lotions do best job of reducing dry skin? Which suntan lotions do best job of protecting from sun? Which orange juice contains the most vitamin C? Are the calorie counts on nutritional labels accurate?
15. SMELL.  Is everyone's sense of smell the same? Or does is vary by gender? age? culture?
16. HAND DOMINANCE.  Doe hand dominance correlate with gender? academic ability? athletic ability? eye dominance? ear dominance? culture?
17. SOMETHING ROTTEN THIS WAY COMES.  What factors increase/inhibit decomp rates? Just how biodegradable are "biodegradable" products?  
18. PHYSICAL EXERCISE.  Does the type/quality/quantity of warmup activity impact athletic performance? How long do you have to exercise before you start to build endurance/stamina?
19. GERMS. Which method best reduces spread of germs - covering mouth with hand, elbow, or handkerchief? What are "germiest" places in public?

Physical Sciences (Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics)

1. Do size, shape or mass have the greatest impact on a magnet’s strength?
2. What evidence can we find about the rotation of the earth from star trails?
3. Does the presence of designated hitters increase the average number of runs in baseball games?
4. How does sunspot activity affect radio reception?
5. How does particle size affect settling rates?
6. How does temperature (or air pressure; or evaporation rate; or substrate; or surface area) affect crystal growth?
7. What forces act on soap bubbles to determine their shape?
8. What differences can be observed in the way salt & sugar crystals grow?
9. What will happen to a rubber ball (or a ping pong ball; or a marble) exposed to dry ice? Why?
10. Can the hydrogen and oxygen in water molecules be split?
11. How do different thermal cups perform in keeping liquids hot for long periods of time?
12. What do magnetic field lines look like? Why?
13. What materials block radio raves most effectively?
14. Does the shape and mass of an object affect its velocity when sinking through water?
15. What is required to build the best paper airplane in the world?
16. Do different objects accelerate at different rates?
17. What is the most efficient angle for windmill blades?
18. What is the relative elasticity of various types of string (i.e., twine, kite string, fishing string, sewing thread)?
19. Which material is a better insulator – straw, sand, paper or cloth?
20. Do different colors absorb heat differently?
21. Do different gases expand differently when heated
22. Are “fireproof” fabrics really fireproof (NOTE: Adult supervision required!!)
23. Can astronomical observation & math be used to estimate the distance of the sun and the moon from earth?
24. What makes stars appear to twinkle? Demonstrate
25. How does the viscosity of liquids affect the shape of droplets?
26. Can light be bent?
27. What color can be seen most clearly through a fog?
28. Which type of sunglasses do the best job of absorbing light & protecting the eyes?
29. Can solar energy be used to cook food (we mean directly – not indirectly such as creating electricity to run a regular stove!)
30. Does regular carbonated soda cause bone to decompose?
31. Which brands of carbonated soda are the most corrosive?
32. Does temperature change the magnetic field patterns of a standard horseshoe magnet?
33. What is the difference between music & noise?
34. Which fuels are most efficient in producing energy?
35. How does gear size affect gear efficiency?
36. Compare different metals (ex: density, buoyancy) & explain similarities/differences
37. Compare different woods (ex: density, strength, burn rate) & explain similarities/differences
38. What is the best method, other than heat, to melt ice?
39. Does the viscosity of a fluid affect its boiling point?
40. Compare and explain the resonance of different objects (ex: metals, glass). Explain.
41. How does the shape & construction of (insert musical instrument here) affect the sound quality of the instrument?
42. What kind of sound carries best through water? Through fog?
43. Do metals expand at the same rate when heated?
44. Does aluminum foil make a difference in cooking times?
45. What is the best nose cone shape for a model rocket?
46. What is the best wing design for an aircraft?
47. What factors determine solubility of a substance?
48. Does temperature affect the pH of acids or alkalines?
49. Does the pH level of fruits & vegetables effect their taste?
50. Which freezes first, hot or cold water?
51. Are there differences in different brands of bottled water?
52. How “clean” is rain water in your area?
53. What biological or chemical agents do the best job of cleaning up oil spills?
54. Does the shape of ice affect melting time? Why?

Electrical & Structural Engineering/IT

1. Do potatoes conduct electricity? Why?
2. Does salt water light up a light bulb better than regular water? Why?
3. How can you use magnets & wire to create electrical current?
4. Does the size of a wheel affect the speed of a vehicle?
5. How does the shape of a pinewood car affect its speed?
6. How does the size of wire (or number of coils, or type of wire) affect the strength of an electromagnet?
7. What materials make the best magnetic shields?
8. What factors (for example, temperature, color of light, angle of light) affect the current, voltage and power generated by a solar cell?
9. How can structures be made more impervious to collapse during an earthquake?
10. How can structures be made more impervious to flooding?
11. Do quarters and feathers fall at the same speed?
12. How does the composition of various balls (i.e., rubber, marble, ping pong) determine how they bounce?
13. What is the impact of lever length on the strength of levers? (Or, How does the length of a catapult affect its range?)
14. How does shape affect buoyancy?
15. What materials make the best shock absorbers (hint: test by dropping eggs from various heights!)
16. Which materials work best as sound barriers?
17. Does the particle size of sand used to make bricks (or concrete) matter?
18. Can light from a Light Emitting Diode (LED) be modulated using sound?
19. What materials work best in a sandbag for preventing a flood?
20. Does a ceiling fan really reduce room temperature?
21. Can eggs withstand a greater force from one direction than from others?
22. How can a computer be used to break codes?
23. Can encoded information (floppy discs, metro cards, credits cards, etc.) be affected by magnetism (NOTE: Adult supervision required for this one!)
24. How is an electrical current affected by temperature (or magnetism, or type of conductor)?
25. Is electrical current affected by the diameter of a wire?
26. What affects the strength of an electromagnet?
27. How many blades should a fan have?
28. How does the shape of a kite affect its flight?
29. What controls the descent rate of parchutes?

Earth Science

1. Where is the current of a stream the fastest?
2. Does the amount of water affect the size of a wave?
3. What is the greater cause of water erosion in a stream – gradual erosion over time, or major events like storms and floods?
4. How does topography affect weather conditions
5. How do changes in air pressure affect weather
6. How does the growth of vegetation affect soil erosion?
7. What are the most effective ways to control soil erosion?
8. How do stalactites and stalagmites form?
9. How does the size of particles in rivers affect how fast they settle?
10. What factors contribute to makes soils more or less porous?
11. Can antacids help soil polluted by acid rain
12. How do soils in different parts of our area differ?
13. What affects evaporation the most … air temperature, water temperature or wind speed?
14. What is the relationship between the depth of water and its temperature (or salinity, or pressure)?
15. How does the construction of levies along rivers effect erosion & deposition patterns?
16. Why do hurricanes gain more power over warm water than cold water? Demonstrate.
17. Why is there no wind in the eye of hurricanes? Demonstrate.
18. Why are winds highest in the eyewall of hurricanes? Demonstrate.
19. How can earthquakes cause tsunamis? Demonstrate.
20. How are average temperatures (or average rainfall) changing in your local area (or state? Or country? Or the world?)
21. How can you measure wind speed?
22. How can you measure atmospheric pressure?
23. What is the difference between direct sun & shade? Is it constant or variable?
24. Particle fallout: Does the amount of particle pollution in soil vary with distance from a road (or height, or location)?
25. What happens to road salts applied to roads after the snow melts? What effect does this have on the environment?
26. What would happen to weather if the Earth was a cube?
27. How do obstacles affect water (or wave) motion?
28. What factors influence the size, shape & other characteristics of cracks in dried mud?
29. What does the shape of local streams & water features tell about the geology of the local area
30. How much silt is there in a river at different times? How do specific events (rain, droughts, floods) affect silt levels?
31. What factors influence dune shape, form and movement?
32. What factors influence beach erosion?
33. How can rock formations be dated by examining the fossils within them? (use a local formation as an example, if possible)
34. How does naturally-occurring asbestos form? Is it as dangerous as the asbestos that contractors once used as insulation for buildings?

Social Science

1. If you ask the same question in a negative and positive way, will you get different answers?
2. Does the color of a questionnaire affect how people answer the questions?
3. Do flashcards with pictures enhance memorization better than flashcards without pictures?
4. Are poems with a lot of rhythm, rhyme & different sound devices easier to learn than those written in free verse?
5. Do men and woman have the same “favorite colors”?
6. Is text written in colored ink easier to remember than text written in black and white ink?
7. Are horoscopes accurate? Can their accuracy be measured?
8. At what age to people develop the ability to accurately estimate the number of marbles in a jar?
9. How do various types of music affect concentration?
10. Can subliminal messages really be used to affect how people make decisions?
11. Is there such a thing as ESP?
12. Can people really tell if they are being stared at?
13. Can a computer program help people make decisions?
14. Can computer games be used to encourage students to do homework?
15. How good are we at hearing one voice in a crowd?
16. In communities with voluntary recycling programs paid for by the community or state, what is the average level of compliance?
17. Does a bath take less water than a shower?
18. What is the average ratio of recyclable waste to unrecyclable waste in your house?
19. Does the ability to memorize information vary during the course of a day? Does everyone demonstrate the same daily pattern?

20+ Fun Geology Facts

Once upon a time I earned a degree in geology ... then came the oil glut (am I ever aging myself!) and I moved on to other careers.  These days, I retain just enough geology trivia to amuse my middle school students.  Here are some of my standards:

1. Rubies and sapphires are actually the same mineral - corundum.  The basic chemical formula of corundum is Al2O3, but traces of iron stain the mineral red (ruby) while traces of chromium or titanium stain the mineral blue (sapphire).
2. Rubies, sapphires and emeralds are all more rare than diamonds.
3. Not all diamonds are clear.  They come in a variety of colors (called "fancies"), including yellow, green, blue, orange, brown ("champagne"), purple, grey, black (called carbanado, recently shown to be meteoric), milky white, pink, and red.  Red is the rarest.  
4. Antacids taste like chalk because they ARE chalk, a.k.a. calcium carbonate.
5. There are 18 volcanoes in the US with the potential to erupt again, all of them in Alaska, Hawaii and the West Coast states.
6. Will Yellowstone spawn a "super volcano" that will destroy the US?  ANSWER: Probably not.  The amount of rhyolitic magma just beneath the surface of Yosemite is relatively small at present, so even if it eventually "erupts" through the surface, should cause minor lava flows rather than a large super volcano-type eruption. (For those who are still hoping the Mayans were onto something, however, a super volcano-type eruption is technically possible.  USGS sets the odds of such an event occurring in the next few thousand years at 0.00014% .)
7. The Gulf of California is a spreading zone - many millions of years from now, it will be an ocean.
8. The earth is slipping along the San Andreas fault at a rate of about 2" per year.  This means that in about 15 millions years Los Angeles and San Francisco will be neighbors.
9. California is sinking at a rate of about 4" per year. But you can't blame the San Andreas fault for this one; rather, sinking is due to pumping of natural underground water reservoirs.
10. There's a "failed" rift line - known as the New Madrid Seismic Zone - that stretches from Indiana to Arkansas. Though this rift was not extensive enough to split the North American continent into two parts, the area remains geologically active and is likely to spawn one or more major earthquakes in the near future. (According to USGS, there's a 25-40% chance of a ~6.0 magnitude event in the next 50yrs.) 
11. The Great Lakes, combined, contain more than 20% of the world's available fresh water. (Doesn't count underground aquafers or polar ice)
12. There are only 4 Great Lakes, not 5. Lake Huron and Lake Michigan are actually one continuous lake that we have arbitrarily decided to treat as two separate entities. Together, they form the largest lake in the world - larger than Lake Superior, which is often credited with being the largest freshwater lake in the world. 
13. People experiencing earthquakes in the Great Lakes region have the glaciers to thank - the earth there is still "rebounding" from having been smushed by glaciers during the last ice age. ("Smushed" isn't actually a geological term, but it should be.) 
14. What country owns Antarctica? ANSWER: No one - there's a treaty that establishes Antarctica as a "neutral zone" ... though no telling how much longer this will go unchallenged, since melting due to global warming has begun exposing huge oil and mineral reserves beneath Antarctica's surface.
15. Despite what you've seen on Christmas cards and holiday specials, it rarely snows at the Earth's poles, because cold air is lousy at retaining moisture.  For this reason, both the Arctic and Antarctica are classified as cold deserts.  Overall, Antarctica receives more snow because it is surrounded by ocean (ice in the Arctic is ~2 miles thick); the Arctic, in contrast, sits in a virtual land-locked lake, and sports a mere 15 feet of ice.  This explains why it's possible for portions of the Arctic to disappear (melt) during summer months. 
16. People who wade into the Dead Sea automatically float.  Dissolved salts make the water so dense, humans are less dense in contrast and so float.
17. What is the most earthquake-prone state in the US? ANSWER: Gotcha!  It's not California, but Alaska (see Item #3).
18. What is the most dominant element in the air we breathe? ANSWER: Gotcha again!  Our atmosphere is 80% nitrogen.
19. Iceland looks huge on a regular map, but it is approximately the size of Kentucky.  This is because the Mercator projection map we use to make lines of latitude and longitude lie flat inadvertently makes countries nearer the poles appear HUGE. 
20. The Appalachian Mountains and the Scottish Highlands were once part of the same mountain range, before plate tectonics separated them.
21. Most mountain ranges on Earth are gradually diminishing due to erosion and weathering, but the Himalayan Mountains are still growing. 
22. Why doesn't the earth have as many craters as the moon?  ANSWER: We do!  Geologists have so far located ~170 impact craters on Earth. However, they are hard to spot because many of them have been gradually eroded away or been overgrown by vegetation. 
23. About 200 million years from now, Asia and America will collide to form a supercontinent centered around the north pole.  Scientists already have a name for it: Amasia. (Because apparently scientists are better at predicting stuff than they are at naming stuff.)
24. Every so often our magnetic poles "reverse" - the north pole and the south pole reverse their magnetism.  Scientists estimate this could happen again about 1000-2000 years from now ... So start relabelling your magnets now!

A Thousand Words: Which God?

SOURCE: http://laughingsquid.com/wp-content/uploads/religion-flowchart-20091027-125629.jpg

Beach Music Playlist

I lied ... this isn't actually a playlist, but a list of artists/genres that belong on any decent, self-respecting beach playlist.  Use these as suggestions for compiling your own perfect selection of beach tunes!

1. Anything by the Beach Boys.  Even their songs that aren't about summer or the beach sound like they're about summer or the beach.
2. Anything by Jimmy Buffet.  Ditto.
3. Hollywood at the Beach music.  Invoke your inner Frankie Avalon or Annette Funicello by dancing to the music they danced to in their legendary beach movies: Wipeout (Herbie Hancock); anything by The Pyramids, Donna Loren, the Bobby Fuller 4 or Dick Dale and the Del Tones; and, of course, any song actually performed by Frankie and/or Annette (they could foil motorcycle gangs, tan AND sing!)
4. Laid-back R&B.  That laid back R&B groove from the '50s is a perfect match for hot summer afternoons - and hot summer nights!  I respectfully suggest anything by the Drifters, Temptations, Platters,  Marvin Gaye, the Righteous Brothers, the Mamas & Papas, or the Four Tops.
5. Shag/Carolina Beach Music. The shag is the official state song of South Carolina and the unofficial dance of summer.  Shag music is hard to define but is sort of cross between Hollywood beach music and R&B. Classics of the genre include: anything by Chairmen of the Board, the Embers, the Fantastic Shakers, the Catalinas, the Tams, the Coastline Band, Bill Deal & the Rhondels, Delbert McCLinton, Holiday Band, Heart and Soul, Band of Oz, Georgia Prophets, Billy Scott, or North Tower; Teasin' You (Willy Tee); Girl Watcher (O'Kaysions); Brenda (OC Smith); Lady Soul (Temptations); Mrs. Grace (Tymes); or Sixty Minute Man (Billy Ward and the Dominoes)
6. Songs about summer or the sea.  If a song has "summer" in the title, it's a sure bet for the beach!  Suggestions include: Summertime (Louis Armstrong); Hot Fun in the Summertime (Sly and the Family Stone); Summer in the City (Lovin' Spoonful);  Summertime (Fresh Prince); Cruel Summer (Bananarama); It's Too Darn Hot (South Pacific soundtrack); Hot Summer Nights (Grease soundtrack); Sea of Love (Honeydrippers); and Hot Summer Nights (Night).  Oh - and don't forget the theme to Hawaii 5-0! 
7. Songs that make you happy.  I personally feel that a beach playlist should contain songs that make you feel happy.  Here are some that do it for me: Don't Worry, Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin); What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong); Don't Stop Believing (Journey); Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades (Timbuk 3); C'est La Vie (Robbie Nevil); Pocketful of Sunshine (Natasha Bedingfield); Ain't Nothin' Wrong With That (Robert Randolph); Feeling Good (Michael Buble); I'm So Excited (Pointer Sisters); Beautiful Life (Ace of Base); and Sing, Sing, Sing (Benny Goodman)
8. Songs that make you want to dance.  If you're one of those energetic beach types - always playing frisbee or building something out of sand - do be sure to include tunes that make your pulse race.  I respectfully suggest the following: anything by Michael Jackson, Bananarama, Van Halen/David Lee Roth, or Huey Lewis and the News; or anything with the word "disco" or "bootie" in the title
9. Silly songs.  Is there a better time to indulge your frivolous side than reclining seaside with a book in one hand and a drink in the other?  Some silly novelty songs that I've found work well on the beach: Secret Agent Man (Johnny Rivers); I Like to Move It (Madagascar soundtrack); Puttin' on the Ritz (Irving Berlin); Love Potion #9 (The Searchers); Rock Lobster, Love Shack (B-52s); YMCA, Macho Man (Village People);  Copa Cabana (Barry Manilow); and Oh Yeah (Yello).
10. Anything Caribbean/Reggae.  Nothing says "vacation" quite like Jamaican!  Some perennial favorites include the Red, Red Wine (UB40); Banana Boat Song (Harry Belafonte); Caribbean Queen (Billy Ocean); Hot, Hot, Hot (Buster Poindexter); and, of course, anything performed by Bob Marley.
11. Anything Hawaiian.  You could start at Don Ho but I wouldn't stay there for long!  Instead, try more authentic artists like Ku`uipo Kumukahi, Keali`i Reichel, or the Brothers Cazimero; Israel Kamakawiwo'ole's gorgeous version of Somewhere Over the Rainbow; or any other tune sung to the accompaniment of a eukalale. 
12. Mellow classics.  If you prefer music as smooth as the sound of the waves sliding onto shore, I respectfully suggest the following performers: Sade, Chicago, Carly Simon, Michael Buble, Andrea Bocelli, or any performer doing their version of the Cole Porter songbook.
13. Cuban music.  Cuban music may be a little hot and smoky for your typical family beach, but it's just the ticket for a hot summer night with your loved one!  Don't worry about genre (mamba, salsa, danzon, son, bolero, etc.) - they're all good.  For a quick overview, I recommend anything by Damaso Perez Prado, Buena Vista Social Club, AfroCuba Matanzos, or Celia Cruz.
14. Instrumental.  If you don't want voices cluttering up your enjoyment of sand and surf, it doesn't get any better than the Gipsy Kings - 5-10 superb guitar players who perform a range of salsa, flamenco & pop music.  Smoking hot music for a smoking hot day!

Breaking Up Is Hard To Do Playlist

Compiling this list made me reflect on how similar mourning the death of a relationship is to mourning the death of a loved one.  If you're very, very lucky, you may finally achieve the poignant acceptance of moving on (I'm Moving On, You're My Favorite Mistake), but first you have to pass through anger (Hit the Road Jack, Love Stinks), denial (I Ain't Missing You), negotiation (Baby Come Back, At This Moment), and regret (Even Now, Hard Habit to Break).  

Call me a hopeful romantic, but my favorites are the ones that, while acknowledging that both parties may have gone their Separate Ways, hold out the hope that maybe, Somewhere Down the Road, Against All Odds, things may yet work out.  Where there's love, there's hope ...!

1. Achy Breaky Heart, Billy Ray Cyrus
2. Against All Odds, Phil Collins
3. Ain't No Sunshine, Bill Withers
4. All By Myself, xxx
5. All Out of Love, Air Supply
6. Always on My Mind, Elvis Presley 
7. At This Moment, Billy Vera
8. Baby Come Back, Player
9. Bluer Than Blue, Michael Johnson
10. Burn, Usher
11. Careless Whisper, George Michael
12. Crazy, Patsy Cline
13. Cry Me A River, Justin Timberlake
14. Crying, Ray Orbison
15. Damage Is Done, Foreigner
16. Don't Speak, No Doubt
17. Even Now, Barry Manilow
18. Everybody Needs A Little Time Away, Chicago
19. Every Rose Has Its Thorn, Poison
20. Every Time We Say Goodbye, Rod Stewart
21. Ex-Factor, Lauryn Hill
22. First Cut is the Deepest, Rod Stewart
23. Good Riddance, Green Day
24. Goodbye Girl, Bread
25. Goodbye to You, Scandal
26. Hard Habit to Break, Chicago
27. Hard to Say I'm Sorry, Chicago
28. Heart of the Matter, Don Henley
29. Heartbreak Hotel, Elvis Presley
30. Hit the Road Jack, Ray Charles
31. How Am I Supposed to Live Without You, Michael Bolton
32. How Can You Mend a Broken Heart, Bee Gees
33. How Do I Live, Trisha Yearwood
34. Hurt, Nine Inch Nails
35. Hurt So Bad, Little Anthony
36. I Ain't Missing You, John Waite
37. I Don't Care Anymore, Phil Collins
38. I Guess That's Why They Call It The Blues, Elton John
39. I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Marvin Gaye
40. I Hope You Dance, Lee Ann Womack
41. I Was A Fool (to Let You Go), Barry Manilow
42. I Will Remember You, Sarah McLachlan
43. I Will Survive, Stephanie Bentley
44. I Will Survive, Gloria Gaynor
45. I Wonder Who's Kissing Her Now, Ray Charles
46. If You Leave, OMD
47. If You Leave Me Now, Chicago
48. I'm Moving On, Rascal Flatts
49. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, Hank Williams
50. It Must Have Been Love, Roxette
51. It's My Turn, Diana Ross
52. It's Too Late, Carole King
53. Last Goodbye, Jeff Buckley
54. Look Away, Chicago
55. Love Doesn't Live Here Anymore, Faith Hill
56. Love on the Rocks, Neil Diamond
57. Love Stinks, J. Geils Band
58. Lyin' Eyes, Eagles
59. Memory, Barbra Streisand
60. My Favorite Mistake, Sheryl Crow
61. My Heart Will Go On, Celine Dion
62. New Attitude, Patti Lbelle
63. One Last Cry, Brian McKnight
64. Over You, Daughtry
65. Please Don't Go, KWS
66. Right Here Waiting, Richard Marx
67. Send Her My Love, Journey
68. Separate Ways, Journey
69. She's Gone, Hall & Oates
70. Since I Don't Have You, Skyliners
71. Single Ladies, Beyonce
72. Smoke Gets In Your Eyes, Louis Armstrong
73. Somewhere Down the Road, Barry Manilow
74. Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word, Elton John
75. Stormy Weather, Lena Horne
76. Take Good Care of My Baby, Bobby Vee
77. These Boots Are Made For Walkin', Nancy Sinatra
78. These Eyes, Guess Who
79. Thnks Fr Th Mmrs, Fall Out Boy
80. Tonight I Wanna Cry, Keith Urban
81. Too Much Too Little Too Late, Johnny Mathis
82. Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler
83. Tragedy, Bee Gees
84. Unbreak My Heart, Tony Braxton
85. Unchained Melody, Righteous Brothers
86. Usta Be My Girl, O'Jays
87. The Way We Were, Barbra Streisand
88. We Just Disagree, Dave Mason
89. What Hurts the Most, Rascal Flatts
90. Whenever You Come Around, Vince Gill
91. Wherever You Will Go, The Calling
92. While You Loved Me, Rascal Flatts
93. Wicked Game, Chris Isaak
94. Yesterday, The Beatles
95. You Give Love a Bad Name, Bon Jovi
96. You Keep Me Hangin' On, Kim Wilde
97. You Won't Forget Me, Carly Simon
98. You'll Think of Me, Keith Urban
99. You're Only Someone That I Used to Love, Natalie Cole
100. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling, Righteous Brothers

Did I omit your favorite breakup song? Let me know!

High-Energy Playlist

Here's a playlist for those times when you need a boost of musical adrenelin.  I realize that I could probably just copy the index of any "Club Music CD", but have decided, completely arbitrarily, that that would constitute cheating: instead, I've laboriously culled my music library for my favorite go-to up-tempo classics, sure to leave you feeling both energized, empowered, and possibly craving a disco mirror ball in your bedroom.

1. 1999 - Prince
2. 25 or 6 to 4 - Chicago
3. Accidentally in Love - Counting Crows
4. Ain't Nothing Wrong With That - Robert Randolph
5. All Star - Smashmouth
6. Beat It - Michael Jackson
7. Beautiful Life - Ace of Base
8. Blinded By the Light - Manfred Mann
9. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy - Andrew Sisters
10. Born in the USA - Bruce Springsteen
11. Boys Are Back in Town - Tin Lizzy
12. Couple Days Off - Huey Lewis
13. Crocodile Rock - Elton John
14. Dancing Queen - ABBA
15. Dancing With Myself - Billy Idol
16. Don't Stop Believin' - Journey
17. Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough - Michael Jackson
18. Eye of the Tiger - Survivor
19. Fame - Irene Cara
20. Far From Over, Frank Stallone
21. Final Countdown - Europe
22. Firework - Katy Perry
23. Girl Gets Around - Sammy Hagar
24. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun - Cyndy Lauper
25. Glamorous Life - Shiela E.
26. Gloria - Laura Brannian
27. Gonna Fly Now - Rocky soundtrack
28. Gonna Make You Sweat - C+C Music Factory
29. Goody 2 Shoes - Adam Ant
30. Hit Me Up - Gia Farrow
31. Hit the Road Jack - Ray Charles
32. Holding Out for a Hero - Bonnie Taylor
33. Hot, Hot, Hot - Buster Poindexter
34. Hot Stuff - Donna Summer
35. How Will I Know - Whitney Houston
36. I Get Around - Beach Boys
37. I Like to Move It - Sacha Baron Cohen
38. I Want Candy - Bow Wow Wow
39. I'll Be There for You - Rembrandts
40. I'm So Excited - Pointer Sisters
41. I'm Walking on Sunshine - Katerina & the Waves
42. It's Raining Men - Weather Girls
43. It's the End of the World as We Know It - REM
44. Jump - Pointer Sisters
45. Jump - Van Halen
46. Kiss - Tom Jones
47. Kiss Him Goodbye - Nylons
48. Legs - ZZ Top
49. Let's Get It Started - Black Eyed Peas
50. Let's Go Crazy - Prince
51. Livin' La Vida Loca - Ricky Martin
52. Livin' On A Prayer - Bon Jovi
53. Live to Win - Paul Stanley
54. Love Train - O'Jays
55. Lovin' Every Minute of It - Loverboy
56. Macho Man - Village People
57. Manhunt - Karen Kamon
58. Maniac - Michael Sembello
59. Mikki - Toni Braxton
60. Modern Love - David Bowie
61. My Sharona - The Knack
62. New Attitude - Patti LaBelle
63. Oh Yeah - Yello
64. One Way or Another - Blondie
65. Part-Time Lover - Stevie Wonder
66. Philadelphia Freedom - Elton John
67. Pocketful of Sunshine - Natasha Bedingfield
68. Poison Ivy - Coasters
69. Proud Mary - Tina Turner
70. Push It - Salt 'n' Pepa
71. Rhythm is Gonna Get You - Gloria Estefan
72. Rock and Roll All Night - Kiss
73. Rock You Like a Hurricane - Scorpions
74. Round and Round - Ratt
75. She's a Lady - Tom Jones
76. She Works Hard for the Money - Donna Summer
77. Sing Sing Sing - Benny Goodman
78. Single Ladies - Beyonce
79. Spirit in the Sky - Norman Greenbaum
80. Still the One - Orleans
81. Superfreak - Rick James
82. That Thing You Do! - Wonders
83. Theme from Hawaii 5-0
84. Tubthumping - Chumbawamba
85. Turn the Beat Around - Gloria Estefan
86. Two Princes - Spin Doctors
87. Turning Japanese - Vapors
88. U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer
89. Uptown Girl - Billy Joel
90. Venus - Bananarama
91. Walk This Way - Aerosmith
92. Waterloo - ABBA
93. We Will Rock You - Queen
94. We're an American Band - Grand Funk Railroad
95. What I Like About You - Romantics
96. Workin' for the Weedend - Loverboy
97. Yeah - Usher
98. YMCA - Village People
99. You Shook Me All Night Long, AC/DC

Night Driving Playlist

This playlist is for when you're in one of those "moods" - dark, brooding, perhaps a little melancholy.  For those nights when - literally or metaphorically - you're driving down long, dark, barren roads with only your ghosts to keep you company and the borderlands between you and your dark side have shrunk to the width of a lane of darkly glistening highway.  A mood that can only be soothed by songs with dark, brooding lyrics about loss and dispair; horns solos that tear at your heart; and minor chords that jar your soul.

1. 16 Tons, Tennessee Ernie Ford
2. Adagio for Strings, Barber (any cover)
3. Always Something There to Remind Me, Naked Eyes
4. American Pie, Don McLean
5. Big John, Tennessee Ernie Ford
6. Big Man on Mulberry Street, Billy Joel
7. Bohemian Rhapsody, Queen
8. Brothers in Arms, Dire Straits
9. Cell Block Tango, Soundtrack from Chicago
10. Cold as Ice, Foreigner
11. Come Sail Away, Styx
12. Crazy, Gnarls Barkley
13. Crying Game, Boy George
14. The Damage is Done, Foreigner
15. Desert Rose, Sting
16. Don't Fear the Reaper, Blue Oyster Cult
17. Downbound Train, Bruce Springsteen
18. Dream On, Aerosmith
19. Don't Tell me 'Cause It Hurts, No Doubt
20. Folsom Prison Blues, Johnny Cash
21. Gangsta's Paradise, Coolio
22. Garden of Allah, Don Henley
23. Ghost Riders in the Sky, Outlaws
24. Ghosts, Dan Fogelberg
25. Goodnight Saigon, Billy Joel
26. Fortuna Imperatrix Mundi: O Fortuna, Orff (any cover)
27. Hallelujah, Jeff Buckly
28. Hazy Shade of Winter, Bangles
29. Hot Summer Nights, Night
30. Hotel California, Eagles
31. House of the Rising Sun, Credence Clearwater Revival
32. I'm a Fool to Want You, Carly Simon
33. I'm on Fire, Bruce Springsteen
34. In the Air Tonight, Phil Collins
35. In the Midnight Hour, Wilson Picket
36. Into the Night, B.B. King
37. Into the Night, Santana
38. I've Loved These Days, Billy Joel
39. Kashmir, Led Zeppplin
40. A Kiss From a Rose, Seal
41. Lies, Elton John
42. Live and Let Die, Paul McCartney
43. The Living Daylights, A-Ha
44. Logical Song, Supertramp
45. Lonely in Your Nightmare, Duran Duran
46. Mad World, Michael Andrews
47. Maddest Kind of Love, Big Bad Voodoo Daddies
48. Magic, Ghostbuster's Soundtrack
49. Mission Impossible Theme, U2
50. New Religion, Duran Duran
51. New York Minute, Don Henley
52. Night on Bald Mountain, Mussorgsky (any cover)
53. Nights in White Satin, Moody Blues
54. On the Dark Side, John Cafferty
55. One, Three Dog Night
56. One Night in Bangkok, Murray Head
57. Peter Gunn Theme, Blues Brothers
58. Piano Man, Billy Joel
59. Pressure, Billy Joel
60. Promentary, Soundtrack from Last of the Mohicans
61. Purple Rain, Prince
62. Relax, Frankie Goes to Hollywood
63. Requiem: Lacrimosa, Mozart (any cover)
64. Riders on the Storm, The Doors
65. Save a Prayer, Duran Duran
66. Secret, Maroon 5
67. Six Silver Strings, B.B. King
68. Sound of Silence, Simon & Garfunkel
69. Stairway to Heaven, Led Zepplin
70. The Stranger, Billy Joel
71. Streets of Philadelphia, Bruce Springsteen
72. Struggle, Nuttin' But Stringz
73. Summer in the City, Lovin' Spoonful
74. Sunglasses at Night, Corey Heart
75. Sunset Grill, Don Henley
76. Take On Me, A-Ha
77. Tainted Love, Soft Cell
78. They Won't Go When I Go, George Michael
79. The Thrill is Gone, B.B. King
80. Thunderball, Tom Jones
81. Too Low for Zero, Elton John
82. Too Much Sex, Not Enough Affection, Timbuk 3
83. Total Eclipse of the Heart, Bonnie Tyler
84. Town Without Pity, Brian Setzer
85. Trouble, Bitter:Sweet
86. Twilight Zone, ManhattanTransfer
87. Unfaithful, Rihanna
88. Uninvited, Alanis Morisette
89. Until The Night, Billy Joel
90. A View to a Kill, Duran Duran
91. Voices Carry, 'Til Tuesday
92. When Doves Cry, Prince
93. While the Night Is Still Young, Billy Joel
94. Who Wants to Live Forever, Queen (Seal also does a great cover of this)
95. Wicked Game, Chris Isaac
96. Winner Takes It All, ABBA
97. The World is Not Enough, Garbage
98. The Wreck of the Edmund Fitgerald, Gordon Lightfood
99. You Belong to the City, Glenn Fry