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Columns

Outdoors North: Birds offer gentle reminder to live in the now

“Evening breeze don’t seem to cool my mind, wind don’t seem to do a thing.” – Dan Hicks For many people, the days of youth have spurred an interest in all kinds of activities associated with the outdoors. John James Audubon, famous painter of birds, discoverer of more than 20 ...

Column: Initial steam engine designs intended for mining

When Thomas Savery received a British patent for his steam engine in 1689, it was not entirely his invention. According to many historians, Savery based his design on an earlier idea of Edward Somerset, Second Marquee of Worcester. According to the Royal Collection Trust, Somerset’s idea, ...

Column: Thoughts on the evolution of motherhood

I will celebrate Mother’s Day as a mother of four who worked while my children were young. I know how complex and challenging motherhood can be for most women today. One of the things I have noticed in my chaplaincy is that mothers in their last days in hospice rarely complain about missed ...

Steam power, like milling, an evolution of mining-related technology

Mineral concentrating became the focus of mining companies throughout the Lake Superior mining district after the mid-19th century. Metallurgy, as practiced in the mining region, however, began at a much earlier period — much earlier. How much earlier depends on who is asked. Once source, ...

Unplugged? Remembering a technology-free world

“This old world so strange, you know she’s changing.” – Steve Gibbons It’s a strange world we live in, especially in the developed world, where things like reliable availability of electricity are expected. If the lights go out, we humans react in various ways. For some of us, we ...

Column: ‘Culture always signals the health of society’

I have attended many funerals, being a Hospice Chaplain. I have observed that funerals, full coffin, Church services, and viewing at the funeral home have become fewer and fewer. This is understandable when you look at the current cost of burial. Cremation has become more and more acceptable to ...