Japanese cat naps on a cool watermelon during summer thunderstorm

I think these delightful cats could convince me to buy anything, even a state-of-the-art $500 NEC CD player back in 1987. READ THE REST

Traveling often as a youngster in Britain, the land of bad trains, I adored seeing the Shinkansen high-speed rail services on TV. It still seems a fine example of what can be accomplished when officials are competent, capable of long-term planning, and freed of perverse incentives: three things rarely found in England and never all… READ THE REST

If you are talented enough you can make a little plastic cylinder sound like a big drum. READ THE REST

Engineers create. But when you get down into the specifics of creating something like an electrical generator or an internal combustion engine, that requires a level of skill and understanding for mechanics, voltage, and other scientific properties that stretches even beyond the range of most learned pros. Mechanical engineering isn't for everybody, but for students… READ THE REST

Resolutionists make big claims every January 1st about their plans for the year ahead. But two months into the year is usually when those plans fall apart, and you'll find them looking back at how their goals didn't pan out. For those who would like a re-do and want to reposition yourselves for the remaining 10… READ THE REST

There's almost nothing more primal than fishing. Just you, a line, a body of water, a fish as your prey…and truckloads of patience. As a fisherman stands with their line cast and a lure bobbing several yards away just under the surface of the water, even the most experienced anglers want to know what's happening… READ THE REST