2017 Summer July 25 Tuesday

78 degrees this morning Walk 34:22 minutes

Overall good walk this morning, little or no breeze, which may have made it seem hotter  Pace was exactly on the goal, to the exact second.  

I drink a lot of water in the morning (and throughout the day for that matter). 

Listening to the Great Course on the Industrial Revolution.  

One important factor he discusses is the importance of the “tool makers” for the Industrial Revolution, much as now the actual manufacturing of the advanced technologies still determines the actual success or failure of the product, or at least required for a successful project.

Of course, perhaps even more important, he discusses the tools that manufacturing the parts etc. used. 

For example, the early screws and nuts and bolts were made on hand lathes etc., so the product was not standardized at the best.  Each nut and bolt were individually made for the other etc. and the tolerances were a problem with high pressure engines.  

Early steam engines were actually used to run the lathes etc., allowing much closer tolerances snd more standardized parts.  

I actually can see the same creativity and spirit in the persons in the 17th, 18 century etc.  as now with the advancements in technology.  

When I think of all the small nuts, bolts et. in most any product, I am amazed that it all comes together!  

In the more darker aspect of the Industrial Revolution, he mentions the life of the “working class” person.  

I think when we romanize the past, we all think we would be the Tycoon, the leaders and rulers, upper class etc.

However it is much more likely we would have been the working class, lower class etc., just as a result of the Wheel of Fortune, since there were a lot more of them!

The standards for  the working class were poor to say the least.   They worked long hours in dangerous conditions, for little pay and were generally cheated as much as possible and simply didn’t have the  money to  time to fight it.  

He mentioned their pay was generally low, and frequently was in “company store scrip”, which could only reused at the “company store” where prices were high and quality was low.  

More on this later!

That’s it for now, Tuesday, July 25, 2017