A blown glass sculpture of an East Asian dragon. Unlike European dragons, Asian dragons do not require wings to fly.
Cartoons
And other illustrated fantasies
Graphic proof that I never could have made it as an artist.
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The government shutdown explained (October 2013)
I figured since everybody else was drawing charts, I should make one of my own. (Photos from various public sites.) Government Shutdown Explained (full size)
Of Cats and memory cards (September 2013)
In retrospect, I should have used LOLcats photos as the metric. Photo scanned in from things on my desk (now less cluttered). Cats and memories (full size).
Potentially harmful asteroids (September 2013)
Very informative chart, but also very pretty. Image is from NASA. Potentially harmful asteroids (full size).
The real meaning of Bing (August 2013)
Yes, I know Microsoft's explanation, but their explanation makes no sense at all. Real meaning of Bing (full size)
CD-ROM retirement (January 2013)
Fact: you can get 24 CDs worth of information on a single 16 GB SD card; it would take just 8 such cards to store all the information on these CDs. Yes, these were my CDs (since recycled). CD-ROM retirement (full size)
Time travel in Mac OS X (November 2012)
Apple touts Time Machine, their backup technology, as a marvel. But there are other forms of time travel. (The moiré pattern is a result of taking a photo of a laptop screen; the laptop was rather busy at the time.) Mac OS X time travel (full size).
Siri conspiracy (October 2012)
Seems suspicious. Don't believe me? Try it yourself. Siri conspiracy (full size).
Who can resist a cute kitten? (July 2012)
Apple is very fond of naming Mac OS X after the top predator in North America. So fond, in fact, that they did it more than once: Mac OS X 10.1 (Puma), Mac OS X 10.8 (Mountain Lion). Apple also registered a trademark for Cougar. Who can resist a cute kitten? (full size).
They say nothing ever goes away on the Internet (July 2012)
I cloud? No, I strive to clear, not cloud. Nothing ever goes away on the Internet (full size).
Apple owes me a pony (February 2012)
At one time I had my office papered with these things. I was hoping I could trade them in for a Mac Pro or something. Apple owes me a pony (full size).
Fiscal year planning (January 2012)
Try this in your organization: with no advance warning, call some people in and then tell them they have 30 minutes to come up with a detailed budget for the coming fiscal year, complete with quarterly breakdowns of how much of that money will be spent in any given 90 day chunk. Then give them a reduced amount six months into the fiscal year, and scold them for not following the plan. Congress calls this "fiscal planning." Fiscal year plans (full size).
Computer storage evolution (November 2011)
You can hold all extant writings from the Greek and Roman empires on the lowest-priced iPhone, and still have room for quite a few other premodern civilizations, too. On the other hand, a random song on your iPhone would take roughly 60,000 punch cards to store. Playback would be brutal. Punch card evolution (full size).
On the road to Mac OS X Lion: the untold story (October 2011)
The Apple versus Google rivalry revealed! I took this photo at San Diego Zoo. On the road to Mac OS X Lion (full size).
Distracted driving (May 2011)
I took this photo of the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds at Joint Base Andrews (formerly Andrews Air Force Base). Distracted driving (full size).
Multi-million dollar Mac mini (April 2011)
The ads were scanned from some magazines from the late 1970s. I know people who still use such antiques, and constantly complain how difficult it is to use them on the Internet, or for any other useful purpose. Multi-million dollar Mac mini (full size).
Computer tool identification 101 (March 2011)
You would be surprised how often you need a hammer when repairing high-end electronics. Also horrified. Computer tool identification 101 (full size).
How the Washington Apple Pi Journal is produced (October 2009)
Washington Apple Pi Journal is the official publication of the Washington Apple Pi user group, the oldest continuously active microcomputer group on the planet. Washington Apple Pi originally was focused on Apple II computers, but has branched out to the Apple III, the Lisa, the Mac, the Newton, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad, the... Washington Apple Pi Journal flowchart (full size).
An illustrated review of Comic Life Magiq (March 2009)
From an illustrated review of Comic Life Magiq, a software package used for making many of these comics. The photos are from a June 2008 Washington Apple Pi meeting featuring Walt Mossberg. Comic Life Magiq review page 1 (full size), page 2 (full size), page 3 (full size), page 4 (full size).
Stealth mountains (March 2009)
I have no excuse beyond a weakness for puns. Stealth mountains (full size).
What do these have in common? (October 2008)
Washington Apple Pi was faced with the choice of moving its office or paying higher rent. Eventually, the Pi negotiated with the landlord for a smaller space and lower rent. I took these photos along the Outer Banks of North Carolina, except the lower left photo which was taken at the Mariner's Museum in Newport News, Virginia. The strange structure is a tank used as part of the restoration process for parts recovered from the USS Monitor, of Civil War fame. What do these have in common? (full size).
Beyond PowerPoint (August 2008)
After enduring a special effects driven PowerPoint presentation with almost no real content, I was asked what I thought of the presentation. Beyond PowerPoint (full size).
Washington Apple Pi 30th birthday (June 2008)
The scans are from old magazines from the 1970s and early 1980s. Washington Apple Pi 30th birthday party (full size).
Alien abduction and conspiracy (May 2008)
The top photo was taken in New Mexico at the Karl G. Jansky Very Large Array, part of the National Radio Astronomy Observatory in Socorro. The middle photo is clearly an Unidentified Flying Object. The bottom photo was taken at a University of Maryland football game. Alien abduction (full size).
Revenge of the Bay Hydrographer (October 2007)
Cover of an educational comic devoted to a (now retired) NOAA research vessel used to both map Chesapeake Bay and explore new technologies for underwater mapping. Revenge of the Bay Hydrographer cover (full size), page 1 (full size), page 2 (full size), page 3 (full size), page 4 (full size), page 5 (full size), page 6 (full size), page 7 (full size), page 8 (full size).
An illustrated review of Comic Life (October 2007)
Part of an illustrated review of Comic Life from Washington Apple Pi Journal. The illustration was done in Comic Life. Review of Comic Life (full size).
