Cool Stuff Being Made: How Investment Castings Are Made
Here is this week’s “Cool Stuff Being Made”! – “…from aerospace to zippers, a lot things we use and interact with these days are made with investment cast parts. Surgery tools, golf equipment and lots of things that the military use all rely on the investment cast process. The investment cast process begins with plastics (Yes, Mr. Robinson, there “is a great future in plastics!”) to create near net shape metal parts that require minimal surface treatment. Investment cast parts come in all shapes and sizes, from fractions of an ounce to several tones.” Link.
Not a bad deal for $49. “MIDISpeak Module – Version 2, The Talking Toy MIDI RetrofitAdds a standard MIDI IN port to your Speak & Spell, Speak & Read, or Speak & Math. Non-English versions also supported. Trigger thousands of sounds–words, word fragments, garbled speech, percussion and bizarre sound effects.” 
Richard writes “Here’s how to make a gas forge cheap from a large tube and an old hoover vac. See other examples of cast bronze I’ve created with this “flying turtle” forge, also how to create a nail gun from an old fire extinguisher. The techniques and tools illustrated and their application to the handmade object are as valuable to the modern foundryman as they were to his “Holistic” forefathers of the late 1800s.” Lots of plans, how-tos and projects. 
Peter writes: “Here’s a video podcast posted today by professional wedding photographer, Dane Sanders, about using ipods for wedding photo proof albums. He gives the bride and groom his and hers ipods loaded with their wedding photos instead of traditional print album.” This is a pretty good idea! When you get hitched and use a photographer, there are all sorts of huge books you have to lug around–this is a lot better. 
