There's a nice Google doodle today

[likethebeer]

It's the birthday of George Ferris, who invented the Ferris Wheel.

Here's a summary of the chapter in Devil in the White City regarding the invention of the Ferris wheel for the Columbian Exposition:
http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/literature/devil-in-the-white-city/summary-analysis/part-ii/chapter-19.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World%27s_Columbian_Exposition

Read Devil in the White City if you want to read a good history that's well-researched, full of lots and lots of information, and still a hell of a lot of fun.

Comments

[immemor.livejournal.com]

I’ve already read it. The writing was mediocre but the research was fabulous. It has come in useful in more than a few trivia games.

Was this post “before your time”?

http://immemor.livejournal.com/221421.html#comments

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

I think I missed it b/c I hadn't looked at LJ that day. Strange that you'd bring it up right before I was reminded of him by Google.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

I imagine Burnham and Ferris would be horrified to know that we think of them in the same thought as H. H. Holmes.

As for Google doodle: who doesn’t enjoy a good cross-species anthropomorphic love story? Mine was about a bunny and a dolphin.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

I didn't see all of the cross-speciesm - I'll take off now & do so.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

The bunny and the dolphin seems the most romantic (although there is the goose with the octopus out the window with a boombox). I like the fox & the t.v., and feel bad for the hare waiting all that time at the restaurant for the tortoise.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

I was thinking, “Will Octopus ever find true love? I don’t think bear is right for him (or is it her?).” But then I saw the boom box one. Once again, Peter Gabriel saves the day.

Good deal.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

How can it not go well with a Lloyd Dobler moment? "Be a man. Don't be a guy. Or in this case, be an octopus."

Re: Good deal.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

My mother told me that she went on a date in high school with an octopus. “Arms everywhere,” she said. Then she wagged her finger in my face and said, “Don’t be an octopus.” But then my first girlfriend dumped me for not being octopus enough. Thirteen was such a confusing time.

Re: Good deal.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Forward-looking mother (my mom was German descent - repression is the name of the game).

Does anybody stay dating that long when they're 13? My friend, JD, dated someone all through high school; and I think a college friend also had a longterm boyfriend in high school. But that's all I can think of for longterm dating of pre-college age people.

Re: Good deal.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

My mother’s Prussian and Cherokee. Oh repression, it became a bit of a pain later but it probably kept me out of trouble early on.

Yeah, that sounds right. Pre-college, my longest relationship was probably four months. Seems like a long time for that age. The principal at a school where I worked was married to the guys she started dating her sophomore year of high school. Not very common, though, like you said.

Re: Good deal.

[likethebeer.livejournal.com]

Prussian and Cherokee - I can't imagine the combination (I don't know Cherokee people that well).

Even now, thinking about two high schoolers staying together for 2 years sounds like a lot. Maybe I'm influenced by my teenage impressions on what a long time that sounded like.

Re: Good deal.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

We don’t know much about the Cherokees either. Alas.

That’s an interesting perspective. Maybe we are being influenced by our teenaged impressions.

Re: Good deal.

[immemor.livejournal.com]

Adventures in typo. She was married to “the guy” not “the guys”