Patent drawing of a dog wearing a "cone of shame" but the cone is made of separate overlapping petals.
Patent drawing of the "cone of shame" on its own, resembling a lotus flower viewed from above.
Floral cone of shame, patented yesterday.
US 12604867
Fiberglass sidewalk sculpture of a hot dog sleeping on a couch.
Languid hot dog, Uptown today.
My story about how 924 sailors died of influenza over the course of a month at Great Lakes Naval Training Station.
chicagoreader.com/city-life/th...
tool that looks a bit like the Punisher Logo--a skull with long "teeth"
D1,066,994 - issued in 2025 for a design for an "onion holder for slicing." #DesignPatents
Patent drawing of someone twisting open a cigar so they can refill it.
A pre-rolled cigar that you can break open and refill with your "own special tobacco." Patented by "Blunt Wrap USA"
US 10517324
Patent drawing of the "rage pad," which resembles a small wrist rest.
"Rage Relieving Device," patented this week.
(A desktop pad that plays a recorded sound when you punch it.)
US 12599826
Patent drawing of AirPods attached to a looped cord.
A cord to keep you from losing your cordless earbuds, patented yesterday.
US 12599222
Peter Silberman on guitar, lit by purple stage lights.
Neon sign for "Golden Apple Open 24 Hours."
"Schlitz" logo in brick.
Incandescent sign and whimsical mural for Cafe Tola.
Antlers show, then a quiet walk home on a warm, breezy night. 10/10 Chicago experience
bsky.app/profile/rmar...
Patent drawing showing a time series of a space capsule deploying a parachute, dropping its heat shield, inflating airbags, and landing.
"Spacecraft Landing and Recovery Inflation System"
US Patent 10479533 (Boeing)
Still from the horror short "The Chair," showing an antique dining chair sitting on a curb and someone considering whether to take it home.
Patent drawing of four beavers gnawing at vegetation next to a stream.
Patented today: enlisting beavers to help extract water-soluble minerals from the ground.
US 12593744
Also, the patent statute includes a fun section called "Inventions in outer space." Hard to imagine people trying to infringe this patent, though. www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/text/...
I think goal is to piggyback a lunar probe along with commercial satellites. The initial launch puts all the payloads in a "geosynchronous transfer orbit" that is great for comm satellites but isn't ideal for getting to the Moon. The invention helps get the probe the rest of the way to the Moon.
Crater Carroll 😢
Orbital dynamics is cool. It's like if the amount gas burned by your car is determined not by how far you drive, but by how many times you turn, and also the roads are all curved.
Three patent drawings outlining a route to the moon. The route initially overshoots the moon by a large margin.
NASA's 2020 patent on a new method of getting to the Moon. (Designed for probes, not for crewed missions.)
US 10696423
stations of the cross, Lower Wacker Drive
Photo from patent of a man standing with arms extended upward. His arms are supported by a set of straps rigged to a backpack.
"Uplifted Hands Assist Device for Praying Like Moses"
Patented today.
US 12588778
Mural of Dolores Huerta on a brick wall.
Yes! (Pic taken last night)
Photo of a small prairie between Lake Michigan and a copse of trees. It is covered with small green sprouts rising from a layer of burned vegetation.
Two weeks after the controlled burn, the area is already blanketed with green.
"The applicant respectfully traverses the rejections. Minor amendments to the claims are made for purposes of clarity."
jug with a handle shaped like a raptor holding a fish in its beak
D10,077 - issued in 1877 for a design for a "milk-jug." #DesignPatents
Musée des Arts et Métiers is one of my favorite spots in the city. They have Lavoisier's laboratory equipment and a very cool gallery space with Foucault's pendulum.
Photo of a beer bottle being opened using the bottom of a sandal.
Substantially less icky than bottle opener sandals, the only alternative known to science.
Patent drawing of cargo shorts with a strap over one pocket to secure a beer bottle.
Shorts with a "beverage pocket" and bottle opener, patented by Wilson Sporting Goods.
US 12490790
Patent drawing of a dog wearing a diaper that is conspicuously not covering "anus 98"
Pet diaper with a "tail hole." Patented yesterday.
US 12575545
The Hormuz memes remind me of how in World War I, the US Navy, working with Thomas Edison, asked inventors to come up with ideas for stopping U-Boats. Immediately, people were like "giant nets!", "electrify the sea!" and the Navy had to tell them to stop.
Graph of real time occupancy data from Google, showing pub about four times busier than usual
The nearest Irish pub.
I'm good, thanks. ☘️
Patent drawing of a woman wearing a sling over her shoulders, with a small fluffy dog peeking out of the sling.
"Pet Sling Carrier"
US Patent 12564275