This is a US Navy diving suit from the early 1900s. The diver was supplied with this canvas suit, brass “hard hat”, weighted belts and boots, and a knife. That’s it. Air came via a hand-operated bellows pump on the deck of the boat and a hose connected to the helmet. Divers with [...]
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All this talk of coffee has me salivating and wishing it weren’t after 1pm. You see, if I were to enjoy the full bodied goodness of a good coffee right now, I would not sleep tonight. Instead, I just spent the last half hour perusing various grinders and brewing methods and wishing I [...] Click for Überdüberlargerizerification A few months back, I posted an article about the Cologne Cathedral (or Kölner Dom in Joiman) that looked at a little bit of the history of the magnificent edifice and the repairs that it underwent after WWII. I recently came across this hi-res photo of the cathedral’s façade that [...]
Located approximately 26 miles off the coast of California lies Catalina Island. Since the early 1900s, Catalina Island has been a sort of resort destination for citizens of LA and the surrounding Southern California cities. In 1919, William Wrigley, Jr. of Wrigley Chewing Gum fame bought controlling interest in the island and set about trying to really make it a destination for the “in-crowd” of LA. One of his largest projects was a new Casino (gathering place, not gambling place) that would include the first theater built for talking movies. 
So as it turns out, I am out of town on a work trip again, which seems to be happening with increasing frequency here lately. On the plus side, yesterday a couple of the fellows I work with wanted to visit a local science museum, and as you might imagine, I did not take a whole lot of convincing. We opted for the package ticket, which included an Omnimax film ticket. The museum had several movies to choose from, and we went for one called Hubble, about the final mission to re-work the telescope before the Shuttle program ended. Watching the various scenes of Shuttle launches on the large domed screen was very impressive, but I actually felt an inappropriate sadness seeing something so awesome as launching crews and cargo into space, yet knowing that we have lost the ability to do that. One of the things the film was showcasing was what the Hubble has shown us, that the universe is filled with billions of galaxies, each one filled with billions off stars, just the vastness of the world, and the tiny speck that Earth is in relation to all that. One of my buddies had somewhat of an existential crises after seeing that, and all I was thinking was that we need to get back to space. The Shuttle wasn’t a perfect vehicle, but it’s loss is depressing. So in the spirit of thinking upon happier times, let’s take a look at NASA’s style guide from back in 1976. This graphic standards manual outlined text format for all of NASA’s activities, from uniforms to support vehicles.
Whether you are climbing Mount Everest or walking the dog in the middle of winter in Michigan, you probably are benefiting from a huge shift in the technology of clothing. From down-filled jackets with wind barriers to baselayers that wick moisture away from the skin, there is money to be made in the world of high-tech clothing.
Yesterday, our indignant leader took us on a journey into the world of corporate assimilation. The variety of careers demonstrated by our readership and the variety of what is considered appropriate work attire was very intriguing. It got me thinking, though. The necktie, once a bastion of the workplace, is kind of an odd garment. Where did it come from? I’ve been trying to catch up on Warehouse 13 after finally catching an episode and, well, liking it. Kind of a lot. If our dozens upon dozens of readers are trying to think of something to get me for Christmas, I would like to put this on my wish list. It’s only $1195 [...] 
Instead of indecipherable and useless help menus, computers once required inpenetrable companion tomes to operate properly. The sheer excitement that lies within these volumes has been very carefully masked by the slick graphic designs showcased on the covers. Take a look past the jump at a small gallery of obsolescence, and if you have some great books like these in your personal collection let’s add them to the list! |
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