Saturday, December 10, 2005
Things to do when it’s cold out?
There is a song to tell you too, “Baby, it’s . . .
I spend a lot of time reading the paper. We have an excellent newspaper here in Houston, the Houston Chronicle. You can find it on-line at http://www.chron.com/. It is even better than the Omaha World Hearld. Check out the constests. If you win a local-Houston-prize you don’t want we will take it.
Or come visit us and use your prize.
Three articles got my attention yesterday. I didn’t even get the funnies or my favorite columnists, Ken Hofman or Leon Hale, read.
First was the article entitled First was the article entitled “Rove puts his trust in a liberal” , He left his mark at college as a human yardstick and A $1.7 million garage (a story of David Packard and Bill Hewlett and the birthplace of Silicon Valley garage start).
None of these stories were original reporting from the Chronicle. I like the Chronicle for its features and coverage. You will find four pages of comics. They very seldom do carry Maureen Dowd though. And the New York Times won’t let us read her editorials unless we are a paid subscriber. So.
I liked best the article about the human yardstick and I’ll relate a little.
SMOOTS - A Boston Tradition
If you have walked along the Harvard Bridge that connects Boston and Cambridge, no doubt you have encountered the Smoot markings along the way. These markings have helped millions of area residents and tourists measure their progress along the bridge as they walk or bike to their destination.
Question:
How long is the bridge in Smoots?
Answer: 364.4 Smoots plus 1 ear
That makes the bridge over a half mile (roughly 2763.37 feet) that these poof college students had to cross to get to their campus. That was in 1958. Of course these that was only half the walk I had back in 1951 at Lincoln, having to walk a mile to classes from my rental room. Up hill, sometimes in the rain and snow. Dad did loan me his pickup when I broke my foot-another whole story.
So the students decided "in a unique way to tell how much bridge they had left to cross. So they decided to make the pledges use one of their own to measure the bridge." Smoot was the shortest, 5'7", so his measure would produce the highest number.Oliver Smoot is now 65 and ready for retirement. He had been on the board and vice president of the American National Standards Institute. Right up his alley from college days. The bridge has also become known as The Smoot Bridge.
Maybe it will warm up so I can go outside to play and GET A LIFE. Jim
Comments:
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Hi Dad! I like your blog! I feel as if I was with you all week rather than London for the past 7 days! Billy and I had a great time in London, but it is great to be home. Amber was so happy to see me and I gave her some Fancy Feast as soon as I walked through the door. Back to the real world tomorrow, not that this last week was easy! Check the website tomorrow as I should have the London pics. Yes, I might even put the 7 second clip of me climbing off of the lions at Trafalgar Square. I had no idea Billy was filming it, but thought he was taking a picture! Oh well!!
Karen, Jim Jr. #5
Karen, Jim Jr. #5
# posted by 
: Sun Dec 11, 08:54:00 PM 2005
: Sun Dec 11, 08:54:00 PM 2005
I'm glad the girls are back Jim. I've caught up on your blog. I'm actually thankful that your wife is back, it appears as though you were trying to do yourself in, in her absence. Liverwurst and swiss?? That can't be good for a person.
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