Time capsule shaped like a ’57 Plymouth

March 18, 2007

1957’s heat and dust must have affected the movers and shakers of Tulsa, Oklahoma. How else to explain their burying a perfectly good 1957 Plymouth Belvedere?

They buried it, though, as a time capsule, to be dug up by those very advanced people of the 21st century, in 2007, for the centennial of Oklahoma’s statehood in 1907. (Quick quiz: How many states joined the union in the 20th century? What is the longest period the U.S. has ever gone without adding new states?)

Good heavens! This is 2007!

1957 Plymouth - buried car.com photo

1957 Plymouth - buried car.com photo

So, as promised, Tulsa will dig up a 1957 Plymouth Belvedere, in a ceremony on June 15, 2007. Get your tickets and can plan your trip to watch already.

Why a 1957 Plymouth?

The car was seen as a method of acquainting twenty-first century citizens with a suitable representation of 1957 civilization. According to event chairman Lewis Roberts Jr., the Plymouth was chosen because it was “an advanced product of American industrial ingenuity with the kind of lasting appeal that will still be in style 50 years from now.”

The contents of a women’s purse, including bobby pins, a bottle of tranquilizers, cigarettes and an unpaid parking ticket, were added to the glove compartment of the car shortly before burial.

Other items included in the time capsule were: Read the rest of this entry »

8 Comments | Archaeology, Cold War, Current History, Teaching, Technology, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Best Sushi in the Rocky Mountains

March 2, 2007

takashis-magazine-cover-cropped.jpg

Caption: Sushi Master Takashi Gibo catches top honors — dig into all the winners on page 84.

See that guy on the magazine cover above? He’s my nephew-in-law. (The one showing his teeth, that is — though, to the consternation of Seattle’s own Animal House, the Discovery Institute, I confess being related very distantly to the finny one, too.)

Takashi’s restaurant — cleverly named “Takashi” — won Best Restaurant honors in Salt Lake City last month. For that, he gets this cover on Salt Lake magazine, and a warm description inside.

Alas, the magazine keeps its best stuff in the print edition. You’ll have to get your copy on the newsstand — and if you’re in Dallas, or Morris, Minnesota, or Kennesaw, Georgia, or even Atlanta, that might be a real trick.

But not to worry: Just grab the next flight to Salt Lake City. Takashi is downtown, on Market Street. Tell Takashi or Tamara that Uncle Ed sent you. The sushi will delight you, I promise. Here’s an earlier review.

Can’t wait? Here’s a little recipe you can try at home, that Takashi passed on from an earlier place: Ankimo with Ponzu.

[I had hoped to do a much larger picture, but that little thumbnail is the best the magazine had at its site. Will they send a better one, in the hope that maybe two or three Utahns will read this blog and rush out to buy a copy?]

1 Comment | Family, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Nimitz party follow-up

February 25, 2007

So, how was the party in Fredricksburg?  Admiral Nimitz did not put in an appearance, from all accounts.

Can you imagine some of the possibilities for study in small groups at the National Museum of the Pacific War?

Among other things, the Nimitz Hotel has been renovated (founded by Adm. Nimitz’s grandfather).

What’s there?

The site has grown into a 34,000-square-foot site featuring indoor exhibit space. Located on six acres now, the center includes the George Bush Gallery, the Admiral Nimitz Museum, the Plaza of the Presidents, the Veterans’ Walk of Honor and Memorial Wall, the Japanese Garden of Peace, the Pacific Combat Zone and the Center for Pacific War Studies.

With the conclusion of this large renovation project that began in 2004, museum coordinators are turning their attentions to another big project. An additional 40,000-square-foot expansion is planned in the future, with ground-breaking set this spring.

I can’t find, but I hope that, the renovations include space for scholars to study, and especially for high school students to learn.  Austin-area high schools would be lining up to make overnight field trips — but for the restrictions put on teaching and learning by Texas’ testing system, the limiting list of Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), and the test, the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) .

Maybe teacher training.  Liberty Fund?  Bill of Rights Institute?  Are you guys watching this?

Leave a Comment » | Atomic Bomb, Famous Battles, History, Japanese American internment, Research, TAKS, TEKS, Texas, Travel, War, World War II | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Happy Birthday, Chester Nimitz!

February 18, 2007

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, USN Oil on canvas, 46.5

Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, USN Oil on canvas, 46.5″ x 30″, by Adrian Lamb, 1960. via Wikipedia

“Chester William Nimitz was born on 24 February 1885, near a quaint hotel in Fredericksburg, Texas built by his grandfather, Charles Nimitz, a retired sea captain.” (Courtesy of the Naval Historical Center).

In honor of his birthday, the Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg reopens after a three-year renovation, on Sunday, February 25, 2007. The museum is formally known as the National Museum of the Pacific War.

The ceremony begins at 1:30, Sunday February 25 at the museum. Keynote speaker is retired General Michael Hagee, 33rd commandant of the Marine Corps. Others responsible for seeing the renovations to fruition will also be in attendance. You’re invited, too.

Nimitz was Commander in Chief, Pacific Fleet and Pacific Ocean Areas, during World War II. When he accepted the surrender of Japan aboard the U.S.S. Missouri in Tokyo Bay in 1945, he was the first to hold the newly-created rank of Fleet Admiral. Read the rest of this entry »

3 Comments | Atomic Bomb, History, History museums, Lesson plans, Student projects, TEKS, Texas, Travel, World War II | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Belgium breaking up? Who gets the beer?

January 22, 2007

Town Hall in Leuven, Belgium

Town Hall in Leuven, Belgium; image from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven

Did I really miss this last month?  A television  network in Belgium, RTBF, started out the morning reporting on the breakup of Belgium.  Rather contrary to the rules of hoaxes set up by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre, no mention of a dramatization was made for at least a half-hour.

And of course, it was all a hoax.  The network said they wanted to generate discussion about how Belgium works, etc., etc.   Not everyone was happy with the kickoff to discussion.

I have no particular dog in that fight, though I’m fond of Belgium.  My wife spent a year studying in Louvin (Louvain, Leuven) (before I knew her), and we have wonderful photos.  My own business trip to Brussells was less than 24 hours, though we conducted our business in lightning fashion and were able to spend the evening in a wonderfully lit historic square sampling several brands of beer — okay, many brands.  We all made it to the Oh-Dark-thirty airplane home the next morning (some in better shape than others).

It’s always an eye-opener to learn how little most people know about the country, though it plays a huge role in the European Union, in NATO, and in the history of the 20th century, especially World Wars I and II.

Now it appears even Belgians don’t know whether their nation would break up or not.  Jacques Brel is no longer alive and well.

More:

3 Comments | Current History, Geography - Political, History, Hoaxes, Humor, Music education, Travel | Tagged: , , , , | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Texas better than Paris (France)?

October 29, 2006

I think such comparisons are usually a bit on the odious side — but this blogger, Faux Parisianne, balances it with a “Why Paris is better than Texas” post.

All beside the point. The best part of this post is the photo, with the one line caption.

Go see.

Read the rest of this entry »

1 Comment | Humor, Leadership, Politics, School vouchers, Texas, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

More maps!

August 23, 2006

This is too good to leave in comments.  A reader named Chris commented on my earlier post about NOAA maps with a list of sources.

Humans generally take in information much faster visually, and retain it longer.  Maps provide a key tool for teaching history.  The more the better, I think.

Chris wrote:

The NOAA data center is one of many really neat places to get data, images, and materials. Here are a few more (and let me know if you want more on any one topic, as I collect links like these – and happen to work in the field!):

Earth Observatory Science site. Free! One of the best sites out there.
http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/

Visible Earth:
http://visibleearth.nasa.gov/

Find Space Objects! Easy views from your location. Cool.
http://www.heavens-above.com/

Space weather/environment. Great insight into the sun and upper atmosphere.
http://spaceweather.com/
http://www.sec.noaa.gov/

Elevation, land use, maps, and lots of other GIS data:
http://seamless.usgs.gov/

Learning technologies. Some fantastic educational materials:
http://www.grc.nasa.gov/WWW/K-12/index.html

Direct Readout Data. Great images.
http://directreadout.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Distributed Active Archive Center.
http://daac.gsfc.nasa.gov/www/

More great free images.
http://rapidfire.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/

Cheers!
Chris

Leave a Comment » | Education, Geography - Physical, History, Maps, TEKS, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Buck Snort (Back from the Wilderness)

July 16, 2006

I’m back from Tennessee, and I see the world moved on nicely while I was out of electronic communication range.

Does anyone know how Buck Snort, Tennessee, got its name? (It’s at exit 152 of Interstate 40.)

2 Comments | Geography - Political, Place Names, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

Tennessee Wilderness

July 12, 2006

I am off in the wilds of Tennessee this week — as it turns out, much farther from the information superhighway than some think it is possible to get. Blogging will be greatly reduced until Sunday. (This one is being semaphored in — unless one of those links is down, and smoke signals back it up.)

My apologies, sort of. It’s nice to be able to get really away from things. And it’s a reminder that this is a big, big nation. More on that idea later.

3 Comments | Administrivia, Travel | Permalink
Posted by Ed Darrell

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