Vending

He was as uncommunicative as a vending machine.

~ Lewis H. Lapham

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Sometimes when I am looking at photos and thinking of ideas for blogs, I try to learn a little bit about whatever is in the photo.  In the process of writing this blog, I learned that the first recorded information about vending machines was based on the work of Hero of Alexandria who was an engineer and mathematician in the first century.  He designed and built a vending machine to sell holy water.

Then there was a lull in vending machine activity until the 1880s when they re-surfaced in London to sell postcards and shortly thereafter in the U.S. to sell gum for the Thomas Adams Gum company.  Coke had the first soda vending machines.  The vending machine is also an ancestor of gumball, pinball and slot machines.

In a lot of ways what I do in judicial affairs is kind of like being a vending machine of justice.  Except without having to put coins in first.  And without getting to choose which "flavor of justice" you want.  Though if you could choose a flavor you should choose Skittles justice - no matter what Sara says.  Because Skittle justice affords you a variety of justice in one package.  As opposed to Cool Ranch Dorito justice which is all just Cool Ranch Dorito-like.

(pause)

I have made my peace with the fact that some blogs are better than others.