Our Weekly List of Top 10 Twitter Posts — Week 45

So much going on this week! Last-minute preparations for the FABTECH EXPO, planning for the new year and staying abreast of all the news and views bubbling up in the Twitterverse. There's always something to share — so here's our weekly list of attention-grabbing tidbits we found through Twitter. [ On that note, you should totally follow us @BWCnews ]

1. When an Engineer Writes ... on EngineeringExchange.com: This one had us in stitches! It's a play on the detail-obsessed engineer stereotype. Click through to find out what would happen if you told an engineer to re-write this sentence: "I went to the grocery store to buy some bread, a case of Mountain Dew and a copy of Swimsuit Nerds."

Credit: EPA via www.dailymail.co.uk

2. A New Island Emerges via the Daily Mail: We loved these photos of magma bubbling up by the Canary Islands. The Daily Mail reports that the molten lava has been spewing up to the sea's surface for days, attracting onlookers who don't mind braving the overpowering smell of sulphur. Check out the video at the end of the article to see it in action!

3. Sweeter Bud Light on Chem Info News: The Associated Press reports that American brewing company Anheuser-Busch plans to release a sweeter, more alcoholic version of its popular light beer. Um, not so sure about this chemistry experiment. What about you?

4. Hovercraft Ferry Service? in the Contra Costa Times: We had to read this story because it involves our local transit agency. We're based in California's Bay Area, where transportation officials are considering using air-cushioned hovercrafts to carry passengers back and forth between a few waterfront cities and San Francisco. The appeal of hovercrafts? They're potentially more fuel-efficient and can travel along shallower waters — even onto the beach!

Credit: Baseline

5. What's Your Worst Excuse for Missing Work? on Baseline Mag: Would you tell your boss that you can't come in to work because a deer bit you? Or that a fridge fell on top of you? Or that you drank antifreeze by mistake? Well, according to this little slideshow, those are some actual excuses people used to play hooky. But maybe some were true ...

6. The Original Beard Hat found on Vat19.com: OK, OK, we're in California so the temperatures don't drop too low — to us, anything below 40 degrees Fahrenheit borders on unbearable. As we close in on the winter months, this quirky lil' knit cap looks more and more attractive.

7. CNC Mentor an open source CNC community: A Twitter friend of ours — @CopperDropDsgn — tipped us off to this online forum for folks interested in CNC (those are computer-controlled machines, like ones used to etch out dog tags or sculpt ice). It's a pretty cool website! Plus, the founder says he uses our products a lot — good to hear! Thanks, Jason!

Credit: Yahoo News

8. Living Below the Earth's Surface on the Bishop-Wisecarver Daily: Would you live below ground? Or work in an office without any windows to the outside? These renderings of below-ground "earthscrapers" — the skyscraper's antithesis — circulated around the internet this week. It's an interesting idea and perhaps a solution for some of the more crowded corners of the planet. What do you think: Cool idea or an architect's pipe dream?

9. Are Shop Owners Born or Made? on the Bishop-Wisecarver Daily: What type of person leaves the corporate machining world to create their own shop? This columnist delves through his own anecdotal experience to talk about the various reasons and personalities that lead someone to become an independent machine shop owner. Some interesting thoughts here!

10. Our YouTube Channel's Taking Off! on the Bishop-Wisecarver Daily: Now for a little shameless self-promotion, for good reason. Our YouTube channel ticked up past the 120,000-view mark this week! This makes us super excited about all the videos we plan to share in the coming year ...