One Person Changing History

From time to time, I have mentioned my love of history. After all, we are where we are because of the past.

And I have also been amazed at how such momentous historical events can change on the actions of one person – or a few.

I was surprised a few weeks ago – watching a documentary, that the predecessor to Husband E. Kimmel at Pearl Harbor, James O. Richardson, was fired by Franklin Roosevelt for strenuously disagreeing with the CiC over the placement of Pacific Fleet at Hawaii. It had been based on the west coast, but Roosevelt wanted to keep it at Hawaii to deter the Japanese. Kimmel was installed February, 1941 and we all know what happened in December.

Happy Thanksgiving

 

By lex, on November 25th, 2009

Happy harvest to those who till the soil, and for the rest of us an opportunity to give thanks for our many blessings.

Here are a few of mine:

Automotive Electronics Part 1

Finding a Good Service Writer at a Dealer

 

I’ve had a few interesting experiences in the last couple of days that I thought worth sharing.

Last night I was asked to drive a friend’s new luxury car to the airport to pick up a relative of his.

This car on the  one hand is amazing — an engine that has twin turbochargers – less than 5 liters (4 or so) and about 450 horsepower. Zero to 60 in a bit over 4 seconds despite weighing 5,000-6,000 lbs. When you floor it your back really gets pushed into the seat.

56 years ago today

On that Friday, our world changed.

I was 13 years old, and just left a class from junior high school and someone told me about it on the way to the next class. Like most I thought it was just a terrible rumor. 

My mother went into the Bank of America and saw everybody crying.

America stayed glued to the television for that weekend and saw yet another horror.

Lee Harvey Oswald was shot in front of millions on TV. 

I’ve always felt that that day was the demarcation between the true 1950s and  the beginning of the turbulent 60s





Ford v Ferrari

A bit on Carroll Shelby

In my car club, we have someone whom I would call a character and a free spirit. There are a number of stories about him, but the one I will mention tonight involves a claim of his of some years ago.

Tony casually told me that he had a dinner with Dan Gurney, Phil Hill, and Carroll Shelby.

You can imagine what I thought about that.

A Short Cold War Story

During my time in the Army, I had 2 stations. The first, I was assigned to and the 2nd, I requested a transfer.

My first station was a radar station on a hill overlooking Ramstein AFB, near Landstuhl. You have probably heard of Landstuhl from time to time, as it contains the Army’s – if not main hospital in Europe, certainly one of the top hospitals.

11th Minute of the 11th Hour of the 11th Month

…1918 was the agreed time for hostilities to cease in that “war to end all wars”.

I have never been one who has recorded many of our family stories. Although on reflection I wish that I had.

But among the few that I have remembered occurred in Baltimore, MD on an evening of October 11, 1918.

An Anniversary Largely Unnoticed

It seems surprising, when I think about it. Even I had largely forgotten about it until reminded by my friends at Katherin’s Biergarten. And because I have knowledge now I am typing away at 2306 in a desire to get this posted before 0000.

2 Disparate But Essential Skills

In the 1880s, as the world was getting ready for electricity, there was a tremendous technological battle going on. Should direct current be used as a standard, or alternating current?

Just saw a good movie detailing this battle, called The Current War. With hindsight, it seems obvious who the winner should have been, and it was the eventual winner – alternating current (for reasons brought out in the movie).

But the movie highlights the battle between direct current’s proponent, Thomas Edison, and alternating current, championed by both George Westinghouse and Nikola Tesla.

From what I know of the rivalry it was factual so what I didn’t know I will assume to be factual.

A Buzzkill

My sister moved to the Midwest back in the 70s, and never came back to California. She settled in Minnesota years ago.

The one time I visited her and her children in the winter was an eye-opening experience.

She asked me to get a paper, and I walked out the door and….I thought my ears were going to fall off from the sub-zero cold.