Lydia Schoch

Photo by garyjwood.

Here is this week’s list of blog posts, videos, comics, photographs and other tidbits from my favourite corners of the web.

From Back in Dallas:

Detroit always had a bit of a depressed feel, and it’s cloudy and grey so damn often it’s easy to see why, plus the 5 months of winter cold. …I wonder what others have to say about this, about where they live in comparison to other places. Have you felt this effect?

Tragedy #292. This would make a great short story. It’s also how I imagine life would be if supernatural abilities actually existed: awesome at first but perpetually boring thereafter.

Coon-Suit Riot. One of the funniest satires I’ve read in a long time. (Or at least I hope it’s satire….)

Interview with My Bully. As my parents used to say, “hurt people hurt people.”

Don’t punish everyone for one person’s mistake from Derek Sivers on Vimeo.

Suits Me: The Double Life of Billy Tipton tells the true story of a musician who was born female and began living as a man at age 19. Sexism influenced his decision – it was nearly impossible for female Jazz musicians to be taken seriously in communities he lived in during the 1930s and 1940s. But he (probably) also felt more comfortable as a man than as a woman.

Or at least that’s a theory. Unfortunately Billy Tipton never talked to his wife or children about this. I wonder what he would have said to them?

What have you been reading?

Forgotten Heroes is a series of posts about extraordinary men and women who are (probably) not remembered by the average person.  Previous heroes include Fred and Cela Sloman,  Ghandl and Skaay and Laura Secord. 

If you know of a forgotten hero who should be included in this series let me know about him or her in the comment section or via my contact form. 

Time: July 12, 1872

Places: Colchester, Ontario; Ypsilanti, Michigan.

The son of escaped slaves who fled from Kentucky to Canada, Elijah McCoy knew all about setbacks.

As a teenager he temporarily moved to Scotland in order to become certified as a mechanical engineer but back in North America could only find work as a fireman and oiler once his apprenticeship ended.

Despite his education business owners could not see past the colour of his skin.

Because he couldn’t convince the outside world to give him opportunities he created his own. Working as an oiler gave Elijah time to think as he walked up and down the length of the train oiling the axles, bearings and other moving parts. It was a fairly inefficient and time-consuming way to keep a train lubricated. Not only did someone have to do it manually but the train needed to be stopped periodically in order for Elijah to do his job!

Over the course of the next two years he figured out a new method for lubricating steam engines in ships and locomotives that could be done automatically – he called it an oil cup and on July 12, 1872 he received a patent for this idea.

Others patents include ideas for improved lawn sprinklers and ironing boards (not to mention about 50 patents for lubricating devices). If you’ve ever used a car, locomotive train, ship or rocket there’s a good chance that a descendent of one of Elijah’s inventions is quietly working away inside of it.

Elijah’s personal life was as challenging as his professional one. His first wife, Elizabeth Stewart, died four years into their marriage. About a year after her death he married Mary Eleanor Delaney.

In 1922 Elijah and Mary were involved in a car accident. She died and he sustained permanent injuries. Elijah died in 1929.

Before learning about Elijah’s inventions I’d always assumed patents were generally filed for inventions of entirely new stuff. It was a bit of a surprise to learn that patents can be filed for a small part of a machine or even for an improved version of an old part.

What interests me the most about Elijah’s story is his persistance. Many people were (and are) thwarted by far less in life. And working at a job for which he was grossly overqualified year after year must have been incredibly frustrating.

If only he was still alive. I’d love to hear his stories.

Here is this week’s list of blog posts, graphs, videos and other tidbits from my favourite corners of the web.

 How a Population Grows to 7 Billion. A short video graphing the population boom.

 The Early Bird Really Gets the Worm. Like many other traits I highly suspect that we have little if any control over being early birds, night owls or something else entirely. I’m 100% a morning person and have been for as long as I can remember. Staying up late is extremely difficult (and sleeping in is impossible).

The Last Words of 25 Geniuses. Not sure how historically accurate this list is but it was quite interesting.

Babies Understand How People Think at Just 10 Months Old. The next time one of our siblings has a baby Aunt Lydia and Uncle Drew just might have to test this theory. 10 months seems awfully young to understand how others think!

This is just plain awesome:

This week’s book recommendation is Valerie Martin’s Property. As a young bride Manon Gaudet moved to a sugar plantation in New Orleans. Ten years later she’s trapped in a stale marriage to an occasionally violent man who has fathered two children with her slave, Sarah. When Manon inherits a small fortune her husband decides to exercise his right to dispose of the property and money as he sees fit.

At this time in history, after all, even wealthy, white women were at the mercy of the men around them.  Manon is oppressed because of her gender (and hates every moment of it) but doesn’t have the insight to see how she is also an oppressor.

What have you been reading?

A few times each year I post a list of blogs and other websites that have snagged my attention over the past few months. 

Celebrate What’s Right.

Ok, I’ll admit it. Some of the quotes and photographs on this blog are a little too sentimental. A few are even downright cheesy. I adore the concept of celebrating everything that is right in this world, though. We need more of this.

Long Form.

A blog full of links to long articles on a variety of topics. This is one of my favourite sites to visit when I’m running low on library books.

Make Everything Ok.

What if you had a magic button that made everything ok?

Now you do! 😉

The Illiterate Scribe.

From Matthew’s About page:

So with a certain feeling of humility I come to pick up my pen. I may fancy myself a scribe, but I’m reasonably sure I’m illiterate.

But I’ll tell you stories anyway. And I’ll try my hand at reviewing those that others have told me. Maybe you’ll see a bit of the world as I see it. Maybe not. At least I pray that you will be entertained.

We Are the 99 Percent.

I don’t care which political parties you follow or where you live – these stories could happen anywhere and to any of us.

Random Acts of Kindness.

A website dedicated to inspiring people to be kind to one another. It offers a long, ever-growing list of suggested acts of kindness.

What are your favourite new sites?

Here is this week’s list of poems, quotes, comics, photographs and other tidbits from my favourite corners of the web.

From Off the Trail:

We are free to find our own way
Over rocks – through the trees –
Where there are no trails. The ridge and the forest
Present themselves to our eyes and feet
Which decide for themselves
In their old learned wisdom of doing
Where the wild will take us.

Can You Spot the Owl? I found it! Great camouflage, though.

Sky Shadows. One of the most beautiful photographs I’ve seen in a long time. Did you know that mountains can cast shadows on clouds?

Cheese. What asexuals look for in a partner. Very funny stuff.

If I Ever Disappear. Cat-lovers, how true is this?

A final thought:

If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. – Oscar Wilde

Unfortunately I haven’t read anything Oscar Wilde would approve of this week. Have you? 😉