Southwest Travelogue

At the start of my drive, I stopped at a deserted town in California that I had visited years earlier, a town on what was Rt 66 that Interstate 40 had killed.

While walking around, I encountered a biker from British Columbia, and I made the remark that “the best trips are those of which you don’t know where you will end up at the end of the day“.

He smiled knowingly, and said that when he is on the road, he didn’t even take a map.

Roy’s Cafe and Hotel Served as a beacon for weary Rt 66 travelers. Now empty and unused for almost 50 years. Shot during my 2006 visit.

WW2 History Rarely Seen

I just finished an excellent series, shown on Netflix, Greatest Events of World War II In Colour.

It is narrated by British actor Derek Jacobi, and has various historians and best-selling authors talking about the battles. 

One usually is presented with what I would call a one dimensional view of history. 

“This is what they thought, and this is why they planned so-and-so, and this was the result.”

In many of these episodes, I have gotten viewpoints that I had never heard before.

You don’t have to believe to understand

By lex, on December 25th, 2006

 

People of all faiths and those of none can take heart from the lesson that one man – a man born into humble circumstances far from the center of the world – can change the world.

There’s something in here for all of us, I think – the reminder at least, that’s it’s not only about the presents:

An Elizabeth Taylor Story

So there I was sitting at the bar in Marfa, Texas at the Hotel Paisano.

This hotel exudes tradition.

Naturally I asked for a Guinness but there was none to be had.

However there was a nice Texas stout – the name of which escapes me.

Marfa, Texas is known as being the shooting location of more than one film.

Common Sense from Hollywood

Over at PJMedia, an interesting post about Anthony Hopkins.

He refuses to publicly get into political discussions.

“A Date That Will Live In Infamy”

There’s only a handful of dates in our country’s history that one can say there was a “before” and an “after”. A date that totally transformed the country.

A few years ago,  I read the voluminous biography of Charles Lindbergh. As the family gave access to this author Lindbergh papers, I think it was the definitive biography of him.

And one theme that became obvious was how polarized America was before December 7th, 1941.

The times today are certainly not unique.

The Definitive Carroll Shelby Documentary

I have to admit, I have a bit of a compulsive nature. Ever since I saw the movie Ford v Ferrari and posted about it, I have been interested in learning more about specifically Shelby American and their cars.

And I’m even more amazed at what this small company achieved in international racing.

This Netflix documentary really covers it all. With narration from Shelby, his sons and grandsons, Edsel Ford and his son, Henry Ford III, Peter Brock…the list goes on and on.

Automotive Electronics Part II

The other day while waiting for my car to be serviced and browsing in the showroom, I had an epiphany. George Carlin would have loved it.

I was looking at this car capable of 200 mph and then thinking of our clogged and pot-holed freeways. It seems that  the faster engineers can make cars go – and relatively safely unless the driver is a complete dolt or just out of luck, the slower the roads get.