August 21, 1841

Posted on August 21, 2019 by Joel Byers

On August 21, 1841, the first US patent for a venetian blind was issued to John Hampson of New Orleans, Louisiana, thereby making it much easier to spy on the antics of your neighbors from the comfort of your own living room. Before the venetian blind, if you wanted to watch your neighbors argue and fight, you had to sit on the front porch, letting them and the rest of the neighborhood know you were snooping.

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About Joel Byers

Born in North Georgia and educated at some very fine public institutions. Real education started after graduating from college and then getting married and raising two boys. Has the ability to see the funny and absurd in most things and will always remark on it, even if it means getting the stink-eye from his victims.
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One Response to August 21, 1841

  1. A Grumpy Old Man says:
    August 21, 2019 at 6:55 am

    Dingdang Venusians with their dingdang blinds. They got no business coming here and inventing stuff. You don’t see the Martians pulling that crap. Other than that nasty business in ’38, the Martians pretty much leave us alone. Heck, they don’t even get mad about us about sending rovers and crap up there all the time.

    But these belette piétinant Venusians (pardon my French)… They gotta come down here and invent blinds — which we didn’t need, by the way, what’s wrong with good old curtains? — but no, now we got these frippin’ blinds, and they get tangled up and turned the wrong way and such, and I bet them Venusians are laughing they’re slimy butts off.

    And another thing, not that I’m spying on my neighbors — ‘cos I’m not, but if I was, they could tell because they could see the blinds move apart where I’m peeking out, and then they call the residents’ association who hassle me about being nosey and tell me to mind my own business… Well, I say if they was minding THEIR own business, they wouldn’t have seen me watching them, now would they?

    Anyway, Venusians. Got no use for ’em. Them or their stupid blinds.

    Regards,
    A Grumpy Old Man

    P.S. Why you asking if I’m a robot? Do I look like a frappin’ robot? And don’t get me started on robots. Did you know it was a Venusian that invented robots? Of course. Now the darned things are everywhere… them and blinds. God I hate blinds… and robots… and Venusians, especially Venusians.

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