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The night before he left for Iraq, Capt. Bradley Thompson grabbed a napkin and started brainstorming about opening a coffee cafe near TCU."He wanted it to have a nice ambience with 'Frenchy' music," said his wife, Rachel Ruiz.

Thompson decided to name the cafe Moonstone because of its sacred meaning in many cultures where the gem is considered magical and brings good fortune.

For Jeff Roet, the best way to explain the world is by looking down.The geography lecturer said he was "born with a spatial hardwiring and 3-D awareness" that enables him to envision the world as a map.

"By the time I was 6, I could read a map better than anyone," Roet said. "I could glance at one that was upside down and still understand what it all meant."

Although Roet showed an early propensity for geography, it took a sudden change for his gift to evolve into a near-obsession.

On the first day, she whirls into the classroom wearing big jewelry and a bright smile, her magnetic personality summoning the students' full attention....