Michael Tierney's Blog, page 2
July 9, 2021
Flowers and Stars
James Lick was one of those persons who, through hard work, intelligence, perseverance, and sometimes just good luck, managed to accomplish more than seems possible in one lifetime. I find that many of these people seem to have lived during … Continue reading →
May 4, 2021
Pirate Epicureans
When considering pirates (or airpirates, if you’re in a steampunky mood), one’s thoughts immediately turn to treasure–large chests of coins, gold bars, and bejeweled bric-a-brac. And I’m sure no self-respecting pirate would pass these by. In reality, however, the definition … Continue reading →
April 20, 2021
The Victorian Television
Before the mid-1800s, the typical household owned very few, if any, illustrations. Newspapers had no pictures; Periodicals had none until the 1840s. Books contained only expensive engravings. Photography was still a science experiment. However, once photography became main-stream, a revolution … Continue reading →
March 30, 2021
Starry Starry Night
One stereotypical character of the Victorian Age is the “gentleman scientist”, men (and they were, with the exception of Lady Ada Lovelace, all men) with the financial wherewithal to putter around in their scientific pursuits without the need to actually … Continue reading →
March 10, 2021
Moving Victorians
(Note: This post is a slightly longer version of an article I wrote for my local Victorian home group. If you’re going to plagiarize someone, why not yourself?) A few weeks ago, a rare sight rolled down Franklin Street in … Continue reading →
March 7, 2021
EBook on Sale!
As part of Smashwords’s “Read an EBook Week”, I’m reducing the price of “The Secret Notebook of Michael Faraday to half-price ($1.74 in the US). This story is the first installment in the Steampunk-themed Airship Flamel Adventures Series and follows … Continue reading →
February 15, 2021
Gamble House Virtual Tour
The Gamble House in Pasadena, California demonstrates the epitome of the Arts and Crafts style. Designed by the noted architects Greene and Greene for David Gamble, the son of one of the founders of the Proctor and Gamble Company. The … Continue reading →
February 8, 2021
Verisimilitude
Like many authors, I have an inordinate fondness for interesting words. One of my favorites is “verisimilitude”, both because its etymology is straightforward—veri = truth plus “similis”=like—and because it is a crucially important concept to put into practice in one’s … Continue reading →
January 30, 2021
Scientific Steampunk
Of all the items I own, none embodies the Steampunk Aesthetic more than a Weston Voltmeter that I bought on ebay several years ago. Take a look at it. Compared with later analog meters, it’s massive The voltmeter measures 10 … Continue reading →
January 22, 2021
Time’s up for “curfew”
As I write, I’ve got 40 minutes to get inside before I could potentially be arrested. San Jose, California has a covid-related curfew that makes it unlawful to be out between the hours of 10pm and 5am. I’m not sure … Continue reading →
