Ancestors - It's All In The Family (Tree)

"If you go up your family tree high enough, you're bound to find a few monkeys." - Unknown

   I'm a bit of a family history nut. I love to ask people where they're surname comes from, and how long ago they came to America. As a resident of planet earth, we seem so close while at the same time seeming so distant. I think my interest in family history helps to bridge that and get others thinking about their heritage.

   It all started when I asked my father where we came from before America. He told me that our surname was recorded coming off a boat, but not getting on. "So...", he said. "Either someone got married on the boat, or we're descended from horse thieves trying to escape their name." I inquired with my grandmother and she refuted the story, stating that my great grandfather immigrated from Ireland, through Lancaster, England. Not as amazing a story, but I like that I know more. That planted the seed and now, when time permits, I enjoy digging deeper and discovering where I came from and who those people were.

   There are some great websites that can help you get started. Ancestry.com is a great one as well as Genealogy.com. You can get started there, and expand over time. The only reason I ever got my original website up, was a co-worker once telling me "You need to just get it up. Fix it along the way. Don't wait to have it perfect, or else you'll NEVER get it done. The same applied to family history. It's all about getting started. Take a few minutes, ask a few question from family that might know a few bits of information about past relatives. Get going and see what comes of it. I've found it to be rewarding and a way to connect with the family of my past.

All my best.

J. 

The Friday Flush #7

The Friday Flush #7

   Welcome to The Friday Flush #7. It's been another whirlwind of a week, with a LOT going on. It seems like with social media and our connected lives that there is no shortage of goings-on out there to check out, show interest, and move on from. Hence, The Friday Flush. Here in #7 of The Flush we look at an amazing DYI project, explore real and digital space, and view the past through old mugshots. 

DIY Camping Trailer
While I'm not all that handy with projects that require metric precision, I do enjoy trying new things. Again, my precision with measurements and cutting leave much to be desired, but I try new art projects and hope to one day be more skilled in DIY attempts. Case in point, the DIY camping tailer I saw on Imgur. This guy spend some 2-3 months putting together his own mini camping trailer and put many of us aspiring DIY hopefuls to shame. It's both humbling and motivating at the same time. Well worth the few minutes to view the steps, read the comments under each photo and be inspired to do more. I'm already planning my first project. The Wife asked about a DIY shed for the backyard. My prediction is that it'll look like something out of a Dr. Seuss book.

Box

Combining media elements is something that I'd like to do more of. I came across the video Box on YouTube that blew my mind and eyes. The project "explores the synthesis of real and digital space through projection-mapping on moving surfaces." Uh, yeah,...does it ever! The description states that it is "the culmination of multiple technologies, including large scale robotics, projection mapping, and software engineering." I didn't know what to expect at first, then was dazzled. Again, not knowing exactly what you're about to see, it's hard to determine what's real and what's digital. The combines so many aspects of what interests me. Animation, technology, creativity, and so on. I can't imagine how long it takes to put something like this together, but I can say, it's well worth it. Hats off to the crew who pulled this off.

Vintage Mug Shots
I enjoy history just as much as the next person. What fascinates me the most are the people. I enjoy ancestry, genealogy, and everything in between. I like to know where we came from and who those people were. An amusing portion of that are some of the early mugshots I came across. Posted on TwistedSifter.com with a quick description, the photos were originally posted by The Sydney Justice & Police Museum. They're funny, mesmerizing, and thought provoking all at the same time. After a quick search, I also found an article on the UK's Daily Mail that has some mug shots of my English forefathers busted for drinking around 1904. Have fun, as I keep going back to them for some reason. Maybe it's because I get lost in thought, wondering who they were, what they were like, and such. Look at how they dressed. What did they do to work, live, etc.? It's all fascinating to me. Or at least a fun way to pass a few some time.

   Thus ends The Friday Flush #7. Somehow we made it through and hopefully came out of it better people. We've been inspired to try new projects, had out minds scrambled through visuals, and viewed some mugshots who just might have been one of your ancestors (you never know). Now hold your breath until next weeks Flush. Last one gets a coupon for a free Frosty at Wendy's.

J.