Full-Grain Leather vs. Top-Grain Leather

The strongest and most durable part of the hide of an animal is just below the hair. The grain pattern in this part of the hide is very tight, and the leather made from here is called "full-grain" leather. Full-grain leather is the strongest and most durable leather. Additionally, since the grain is so tight, it resists moisture very well. Over time, full-grain leather will look nicer and nicer and develop a patina from being handled.

The next best—and second strongest—leather is called "top-grain" leather. Top grain leather is similar to full-grain leather, except that the top couple millimeters have been sanded and buffed to take away imperfections. With the top layer removed, the leather will have a more uniform finish, but it won't be as durable—and it will break down much faster. This is more of a "cookie cutter" leather that most leather wallets and handbags are made of, which lends to their generic appearance. Top-grain leather can be good leather, but its strength and durability is not even close to the strength of full-grain leather.

See full article at http://www.waskerd.com/leather.html

Deaver on take or trash

He bent down and pocketed the man's phone and radio, after shutting them off, as well as his pistol, while I patted him down for other weapons.
Even though tactical ops aren't my specialty, I knew you never left weapons for the other side to pick up later.
Take or trash, the saying went.

From Edge, by Jeffery Deaver

Before you criticize someone ...

Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes.

That way when you criticize them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes.

Jack Handey (American Comic Writer) 
 

From http://thinkexist.com/quotation/before_you_criticize_someone-you_should_walk_a/327851.html

Weasel word

A weasel word (also, anonymous authority) is an informal term for equivocating words and phrases aimed at creating an impression that something specific and meaningful has been said, when in fact only a vague or ambiguous claim has been communicated.
For example, an advertisement may use a weasel phrase such as "up to 50% off on all products".
See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weasel_word

“Weaseling out of things is important to learn. It’s what separates us from the animals … except the weasel. “
Homer Simpson
From http://www.quotedb.com/quotes/174

Notoriety of note

notoriety
The state of being famous or well known for some bad quality or deed:
From http://www.oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/notoriety

of note
Important, of distinction, famous, as in I have nothing of note to report , or The speaker was a man of note .
From http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/of+note

Corte on trembling hand equilibrium

I doubted we'd find much about his immediate plans; he was too smart to leave obvious evidence but even a player as conscientious as he made mistakes sometimes.

Game theory takes this into account. In a "trembling hand equilibrium," a player can accidentally pick an unintended strategy--say, when you reach for a queen's bishop's pawn and accidentally move the knight's in error. If you release the piece, you've made the move, even if the consequences are the opposite of what you'd intended and are disastrous.

From Edge, by Jeffery Deaver

World's first webcam - the Trojan Room coffee pot

The Trojan Room coffee pot was the inspiration for the world's first webcam. The coffee pot was located in the corridor just outside the so-called Trojan Room within the old Computer Laboratory of the University of Cambridge.

The webcam was created to help people working in other parts of the building avoid pointless trips to the coffee room by providing, on the user's desktop computer, a live 128×128 greyscale picture of the state of the coffee pot.

From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trojan_Room_coffee_pot