I heard a really great story tonight. It's really hard to find a "good" story that has to do with September 11, 2001 — but I had dinner with a bunch of great folks tonight, and being that it's September 11, it seemed appropriate. It's pretty weird to be sitting in another country on possibly [...]
Read More 9-11, 911, September 11, terrorist attacks, world trade center
Too freaking cool. Thanks Lola and Nick. And if you've NOT seen this film, you must. Nosferatu is the freakiest film – it's German Expressionism horror at it's Germanest. Count Orlok will hopefully scare the sh*t out of you like he does me.
Read More Count Orlok, gif, nosferatu, vampireHave you ever seen the trademark amber glow of the Nixie Tube? Nixie tubes have made a bit of a comeback by Makers and tinkerers of today's tech — an old-school look with old-school innards using pretty simple technology to create some pretty spectacular results. Nixie tube clocks, signs, and even Nixie tube wrist watches, [...]
Read More anion, anode, Aston Dark Space, axiotron, cathode, cation, Faraday's Space, NIX1, Nixie tube, Nixie tube watch, Positive Column, Steve WozniakSay it with me everybody…Happy Birthday, Jim! That's for two guys I work with daily – James Watt and our very own Jim Hutchison! Okay, I don't physically work with Mr. Watt, but you get what I mean, right? Jim has written an article previously about James Watt. You should certainly (re)read it since all [...]
Read MoreWhat?! It's that time of year again, it's the time to scream HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BEN FRANKLIN! Nevermind the fact that he's dead, he was one cool mopho, and should be celebrated. When people all across Ben Franklin's close-minded little world said to him, BEN! PLEASE don't tie a key to a kite and fly it in a [...]
Read More Benjamin Franklin, happy birthday, HistoryThis is what happens when you live on a planet that is currently in flames with summer heat, you forget the birthdays of famous dead lighting guys. A local pro performer here in town, Alissa Millar, who just rocked the living sh*t out of Blanche in A Streetcar Named Desire at the Civic Center Music [...]
Read More A Streetcar named Desire, actors, Alissa Millar, dead famous lighting guys, happy birthday, JimOnLight.com, William Kennedy Laurie DicksonThere were a few birthdays over the weekend that I totally missed, and now I feel horrible! Oh wait, both of these people are dead. Hmm. Yeah. HEY, so HAPPY BELATED BIRTHDAY, Frank J. Sprague! Check out this proper lookin' military-turned-mucker dude! This is Frank J. Sprague and Rear Admiral S. S. Robinson (I told [...]
Read More edison, electricity, elevator, Frank J. Sprague, happy birthday, History, muckers, railway, Sprague Electric Railway and Motor CompanyWhoa! It's time for Mr. Culture's birthday – and here he comes, Mr. Culture himself, Francis Robbins Upton! HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DUDE! (We're all sorry you're dead man, we'll have a drink in your honor. Sorry you didn't make it to 2011. I bet you'd be flipping your lid.) The title of "Culture," as he was [...]
Read More Edison's Muckers, Francis Robbins Upton, History, industry, muckers, ThomasHave you seen this awesome image? Here's a 650px version of it – very informative and pretty great! Here's a link to the original size, which is MUCH more awesome than this wee one. A huge thanks to long time JimOnLight.com reader and Duluth Crew member Alex Rugowski for this one!
Read More alternating current, direct current, History, Nikola Tesla, the current war, Thomas Edison, War of The CurrentsSAY WHAT?! Is that James Clerk Maxwell?! It's time for a certain James Clerk Maxwell to get some JimOnLight.com HAPPY BIRTHDAY appreciation! HAPPY FREAKING BIRTHDAY, James Clerk Maxwell! You might know ol' Jimmy Max here by his equations, which we call Maxwell's Equations. Ever heard of them? Check out the James Clerk Maxwell Happy Birthday [...]
Read More famous dead guys, fathers of lighting, happy birthday, James Clerk Maxwell