Earth’s Unsung-est Heroes: Black Inventors, pt 2
There’s a company out there, you might have seen videos of their products online, that makes furniture that converts from a bed to a desk. Like an old-fashioned Murphy bed, but better, because the items on your desk and shelves can stay where...
Earth’s Unsung-est Heroes: Black Inventors, pt 1
Edison, Franklin, Tesla, DaVinci, Bell, Wright, Marconi, Babbage, Goodyear. These inventors’ names are synonymous with the technologies that have defined their times. They have another thing in common; they’re all white men. But many Black inventors have...
Animal Mother
In the rainforest of South American and the Caribbean, lives a toad, scientific name pipa pipa, that is about the size of your hand. It is shaped a bit like a hand, as well, since it’s so flat, it looks like it’s been run over by a cartoon steam-roller. The broad...
Do Not Adjust Your Set
Deep into the night during an HBO broadcast of The Falcon and the Snowman in April 1986, subscribers were startled to see the start of the action interrupted by a four-and-a-half-minute transmission from a certain “Captain Midnight.” Over a test pattern, a message...
Patent Schmatent
In 1895, German physicist Wilhelm Roentgen was conducting experiments with a Crookes tube – basically a glass gas bulb that gives off fluorescent light when a high-voltage current is passed through it. Despite the tube being shielded by heavy black cardboard,...
My Name Is Mud
He’s been described as a thief, a swindler and a conman, though he prefers to think of himself as an entrepreneur. He sold illegal booze, ratted out his criminal comrades, drugged women in order to sell these as wives to lonely settlers, tried to...
New Year, New Everyone
On Monday this December 30th past, I clocked in at my retail jobs, put on my headset, and played the morning messages. There was one from my manager telling us what to expect in terms of sales volume that day and one from corporate welcoming us...
The Jews Who Wrote Christmas
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Let it Snow! Let it Snow! Let it Snow!” “White Christmas,” “Do You Hear What I Hear,” “Silver Bells,” “The Christmas Song,” “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” “Holly Jolly Christmas,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas...
hiStory 2
The reign of Queen Victoria is remembered for two things above all else -- imperialism and prudishness. Sexual repression was the watchword of the era. Fashion trends soon saw women in dresses that reach from their jaw to the ground. A glimpse of ankle was so...