I had a late start yesterday morning. Due in part to a long day the day before (finishing just after 10pm) and the perennial problem of getting going first thing in the morning (it's funny that the process of getting back on my feet and fighting my demons involves some kind of self forgiveness. Unfortunately just like chocolate once I tasted how to forgive myself for one thing it becomes all too easy to carry on forgiving yourself for anything and everything I want to. So I need to go on a forgiveness diet :-) otherwise all the hard work done in other areas will be for nothing).
I had written out a shortened "to do" list as per the new regime the previous evening. So off I went. I did feel that the day hadn't been that productive and as I packed away my tools thought I'd see what I could cross off my list. To my surprise I was able to cross them all off and add another which I'd managed to get done as well.
Today has started much like yesterday. So I really will need to knuckle down as things in other areas are moving forwards.
Following on from my two previous "Stars of the Day". I have another forgotten man. He came up with a simple but ingenious idea that allowed us to "see" in the dark.
Percy Shaw (1890–1976).
Manufacturer and inventor, Percy Shaw was born on 15 April 1890 in Halifax, England. After attending the Boothtown boarding school, Percy Shaw began working as a laborer at a blanket mill at the age of thirteen, however, he studied shorthand and bookkeeping at night school. He started a repair business with his father fixing rollers, which evolved into a path and driveway building business. He designed a miniature motorized roller to aid him in building driveways and paths.
Catseye Road Studs.
The area in which Percy Shaw lived was prone to fog and the local roads were often hazardous for motorists. Shaw decided to invent reflecting studs that would be set into the surface of unlit roads. He was inspired by the reflection of car headlights in road signs.
Percy Shaw patented his Maltese cross-shaped road studs (U.K patent #436,290 and #457,536) and trademarked the name Catseye. He formed the Reflecting Roadstuds Ltd to manufacture the new Catseye road studs, however, sales were sluggish until the Ministry of Transport mandated Catseyes for British roads.
Onwards and upwards (even in the dark) :-)
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