A century ago, this was a good job! Every era has its “good jobs” and those you “just have to take.” Over the next ten years, AI, Artificial Intelligence, will be the reason for hundreds of thousands of jobs disappearing. … Continue reading →

This is the Culebra Cut during construction of the Panama Canal. The United States Army Corps of Engineers was having a terrible time during construction because the ground where the canal was being built was unstable.  It had been a … Continue reading →

Being an off the wall thinker means you come up with novel solution to everyday situations. It does not matter if the solution is high tech or low tech, only that it works. In the 1870s, famous German professor Rudolph … Continue reading →

History is not the story of the past; it is the study of the future. Unless you live on the East Coast, you will NOT have any idea what this is. In the days after whale oil and before diesel, … Continue reading →

Courtesy of the Alaska Gold Rush, we have two Alaskan terms in common usage – and in the dictionary. One is cheechako, generally translated as “tenderfoot.”  Except if you’re an Alaskan.  In Alaska, a cheechako is someone who has not … Continue reading →

One of my favorite anecdotes, hopefully true, involves a couple from Iowa who were visiting San Francisco. They had never had Chinese so they ate every meal in a Chinese restaurant. Over the course of ten days they had sampled … Continue reading →

When Elsa Einstein, Albert’s wife, was being shown around the Mount Wilson Observatory, she was told the telescope could reveal how powerful the universe was.  She laughed and said, “My husband does that on the back of an old envelope.” … Continue reading →

One of the most iconic images of the Arctic for tourists is the blanket toss.  Originally done with walrus hide, today the blanket is of firm but manufactured fabric. Depending the size of the blanket, as many as 30 people … Continue reading →

During the Alaska Gold Rush, this was a ‘fake news’ photo.  Technically there was no liquor in Alaska because it was all stopped in Seattle. The Revenue Cutter Service could only confiscate liquor on ships – which it only did … Continue reading →

Next time you complain about the postal service, look at what it WAS. This photograph is from 1905 and heralds the ‘modern’ mail delivery between Unalahlik – now Unalakleet – and Nome.  Interestingly, the man on the right is John … Continue reading →