Ron Avitzur got laid off from his job as a software consultant at Apple in 1993. But he refused to give up on his project, so he just kept coming in and working on it. Eventually he got the software–Apple’s Graphing Calculator–QA’d, translated into 20 languages, and bundled into shipping Macs, all without actually being on the Apple payroll.… Story continues … “The Graphing Calculator Story.”

William Alwyn Bentley spent four decades around the turn of the century — the last century — photographing snowflakes. He worked in snowstorms, collecting flakes on a blackboard and then carefully transferring them to microscope slides with a splinter of wood, holding his breath while photographing so as not to melt the flake.… Story continues … “Snowflake museum.”

A spooky looking me, from the Mobile PC moblog.

U. Pittsburgh Linguist Scott Kiesling has researched how young Americans use the word “dude:”

… the four-letter word has many uses: in greetings (“What’s up, dude?”); as an exclamation (“Whoa, Dude!”); commiseration (“Dude, I’m so sorry.”); to one-up someone (“That’s so lame, dude.”);

Skeletal systems of cartoon characters by Michael Paulus. Eerie!

“Jesus stated the wise principle that one should ‘calculate the expense’ before undertaking an important project. (Luke 14:28) Can that principle be applied to mobile phones? Certainly.”

Young People Ask… Do I Need a Mobile Phone? – Jehovah’s Witnesses Official Web Site

The Jehovah’s Witnesses … international telecommunications experts.… Story continues … “Do I Need a Mobile Phone?”

Scot’s blog turned me on to the Baggertransport 2001, an enormous, countryside-devouring, strip-mining behemoth. The photo gallery is awesome–picture after picture of the metal monster roaming the German countryside, terrorizing highways and houses and attracting throngs of awed peasants Germans. [updated 10/2/2009 with new photo gallery link]

Yesterday I interviewed Tim Leatherman, the guy who invented Leatherman tools. Yes, there really is a Mr. Leatherman! He is still running his company, based in Portland, OR. He’s a very down to earth guy, and a really determined inventor–it took him 3 years to build the first prototype and another 5 years to get the first customer.… Story continues … “Mr. Leatherman.”