RIP - Eugene J. Polley

There wouldn't be an easy way to track it, but suffice it to say that I've built my fair share of tables.

All kinds of tables - dining tables, end tables, coffee tables, computer tables, book stands, lecterns, pedestals, displays, ritual alters, tiled tables - you name it, I've probably done it.

When my tables eventually end up in someone's living room, or bedroom, or office - I usually ask the new owner to send me a picture of how it looks in their home. (Most people never do, BTW.) Seeing the piece in place is a really nice conclusion to the building process.

Something in today's news hit me - an obituary that probably most people have missed. Eugene J. Polley died on Sunday, at the ripe old age of 96.

His name doesn't ring a bell with you? It should.

One of his many inventions revolutionized the world. Most of us use his device every day. His claim to fame? The world's first wireless TV remote. Do you know how many times people have sent me pictures of my tables in their homes with a remote on top of their table?

So tonight, when you're sitting on your couch, changing channels, lift your glass to Eugene and be glad you don't have to get up every time you want to change your channel.