The Use-To-Be IBM Tower in Atlanta

this post card used to be the IBM Tower in Atlanta. I wonder what it will used-to-be next?

Visiting the Marietta Museum of History Aviation Wing

A few years ago Marietta Museum of Hisotry took on the enormous task of collecting airplanes. All the planes shown on this post are planes consigned to the Marietta Museum of History. As I understand it, no planes were actually donated. They are all on loan from various military and private institutions. Why don't you pay them a visit? It is next to the Dobbins/Lockheed complex, behind the Federal Credit Union, next door to the Haunted House on the base.
























Wow! Have you ever seen such a cute killing machine? It is a missle that looks like a plastic toy. I would like to have something like that myself. I would be the envy of the neighborhood.








This thing has a huge wingspan. I couldn't even back up enogh to get it all in.




Hmmmm. I thought it was over there where I was a few minutes ago.













There it is again! I think it is a heat seeking missle! I think it wants to follow me home.

2nd Woodstock Bluegrass Jamboree

Mars Hill Porch Pickers

Jot'Em Down Boys

Saturday evening we went to the second Woodstock Bluegrass Jamboree. It is held the first Saturday of each month at Woodstock Community Church on Rope Mill Road. This time they had a slide show playing on a wide screen above the stage. The pictures were of down to earth people who worked hard for their for their living in rural areas, dirt poor musicians here and there and also some more known musicians. The pictures reminded me of the book "Family of Man". Just like last month the jamboree featured two groups: The Mars Hill Porch Pickers and The Jot’Em Down Boys.

We enjoy Bluegrass for the performer's love of performing. No matter how they perform, you know each and every one of them is up there to do something they truely love. I only know of one local bluegrass player who quit his day job to teach bandjo professionally and work further in the music industry. Guess that is now his "day job".

The below video is the Jot’Em Down Boys playing their last song for the night, “Mountain Dew”. My little camera does not give the sound justice but you can get an idea of their energy. If you enjoy Bluegrass, why not come out next month to support this venue? You won't be sorry!

Today in History, February the 6th:

1869: Harper's Weekly publishes 1st picture of Uncle Sam with chin whiskers

1994: Jack Kirby cartoonist (X-Men, Spiderman, Captain America, Hulk), died at 76

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! SAD SACK, part 2

From Wikipedia:

The Sad Sack is an American fictional comic strip and comic book character created by Sgt. George Baker during World War II. Set in the United States Army, Sad Sack depicted an otherwise unnamed, lowly private experiencing some of the absurdities and humiliations of military life. The title was a euphemistic shortening of the military slang "sad sack of shit", common during WWII. The phrase has come to mean "an inept person" or "inept soldier".

Originally drawn in pantomime by Baker, The Sad Sack debuted June 1942 as a comic strip in the first issue of Yank, the Army Weekly. It proved popular, and a hardcover collection of Baker's wartime Sad Sack strips was published by Simon & Schuster, Inc. in 1944, with a follow-up, The New Sad Sack (1946). The original book was concurrently published as an Armed Services edition mass market paperback, in that edition's standard squarebound, horizontal, 5 5/8" x 4" format, by Editions for the Armed Services, Inc., a non-profit organization of The Council on Books in Wartime; it was #719 in the series of Armed Service editions.

After the war ended, The Sad Sack ran in newspaper syndication in the United States until 1957. Baker then sold the rights to Harvey Comics, which produced a large number of commercial spin-offs.

HAPPY SUPERBOWL SUNDAY!!

Queen Elizabeth Has Been on the Throne 60 Years

Congratulations to Queen Elizabeth for being on the throne for 60 years! That is a long time. And that whole time she has held up her end looking regal. Next: A Royal Flush.

The Good, Bad, Ugly and Cute

We may be Good, we may be Bad, and for sure we are Ugly, but if you look at us in the right light, with one eye closed and your head tilted, you might think we are cute too.



Note. If you want it full screen where we will either look better (or uglier), click the little symbol in the bottom right corner of the video.

Bluegrass Jamboree Tomorrow Eve in Woodstock, Ga

Jot-'Em-down Boys

The second Woodstock, Georgia’s Bluegrass Jamboree will be tomorrow, night, Saturday, February the 4th, 7pm.
I think the cost was $7 each last month and they also have an intermission concession counter.

Last month it was at the Community Church on Rope Mill Road, turning left off Main Street. I assume it will be in the same place this month. If you come and it is not at the mentioned church, look around town or ask a policeman or something.

It will feature the Jot-'Em-Down Boys and the Mars Hill Porch Pickers. 7-9pm

Only 9 More Shopping Days Until the End

Based on at least two unrelated ancient predictions the End of the World will occur nine days from now, February the 12th.

I doubt if the end of the world will really occur then because I hope it doesn’t. And never underestimate the power of hoping.

In fact, I shrug and quote the old saying, “Only worry about things you can control.”

But, really, I wasn’t worried at all until I realized that date is also the birth day of an old friend of mine. My friend has always claimed himself to be a total misfit.

Oops!

The History of Groundhog Day

Do you know the history of Groundhog Day, like how it got started and how it developed itself into today’s version?

I did some extensive research on the subject – which means that I read today's page of Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader page-a-day Calendar: In old Europe on February the 2nd they celebrated Candlemas, which is the halfway point between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The church clergymen lighted candles and la-de-da. Then the Germans altered the tradition to include a hedgehog. If the hedgehog sees its shadow there would be six more weeks of winter. Then many Europeans started migrating to the new world. A lot Germans settled in Pennsylvania. They wanted to continue Hedgehog Day but there were no hedgehogs. They substituted groundhogs. So, there you have it, the development of Groundhog Day.

Now, I don’t know if you are aware of it or not but some of the details have changed again. Now, on February the 2nd, the honorary groundhog must see, not his own shadow, but the above character.

This Day in Hilstory, Feb the 2nd:

1927 Ziegfeld Theater (Loew's Ziegfeld) opens at 6th Ave & 54th St New York NY
1932 Al Capone sent to prison (Atlanta GA)
1942 Los Angeles Times urges security measures against Japanese-Americans.
1948 President Truman urges congress to adopt a civil rights program
1954 President Eisenhower reports detonation of 1st H-bomb (done in 1952)
1956 Coasters sign with Atlantic Records
1959 Buddy Holly's last performance

HAPPY 1ST DAY OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!

Idle Hurst, Marietta, Ga, Old Post Card

This is an old postcard of some place in Marietta, Georgia, years ago. I don't know where Idle Hurst was or what it was.

Kennesaw Mountain is in the background. I think that is a clue.

Book Report: NIGHTWOODS by Charles Frazier

Look what I found in my piles of rubble and trash in the Word file! A book review I wrote that I never posted:

NIGHTWOODS by Charles Frazier is a book about the living in North Carolina, although I don’t think the book actually said it was taking place in North Carolina. Because Charles Frazier's other two books COLD MOUNTAIN and THIRTEEN MOONS did take place in North Carolina I assumed it was in the North West section of that state and I feel the geography described in the book proves I was right.

It also paints a southern town good but I think the interactions of the people and their relationships were to the extreme void or off.

Near the beginning of the book the protagonist was raped and she went to the sheriff’s office to report it. The deputy talked her out of pressing charges, saying no one would believe her. And she left. Over three quarters of the book later you learn that the deputy that talked her out of it was her estranged father.

The book has wonderful descriptions of the terrain, plant life, and the general typical local residents.

Many parts of the book have no introductory scene painting so you know what you are in. You have to read a while to adapt to whats going on where at. Quotation marks (“) are not used to separate the actual spoken words from the rest of the sentence - you are on your own to figure it out.




On several instances and items I predicted accurately what would happen later in the story. It wasn’t hard to figure out. I liked Frazier's COLD MOUNTAIN and THIRTEEN MOONS better, but it was still good.

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! TRUMP's TRANQUILIZERS

This was first published in the first issue of TRUMP, March, 1957, almost 55 years ago, and it is timely now as it was then. Some things just don’t change. The artwork is by Al Jaffee, who later became a regular artist of MAD Magazine and had his own syndicated cartoon strip TALL TALES for a while. TRUMP was the combined brainstorms of PLAYBOY’s Hugh Hefner and MAD’s ex-editor Harvey Kurtzman. It had a short life of two issues.

ONE FOR THE MONEY On the Big Screen

Yesterday we went to a movie theater to see ONE FOR THE MONEY starring Katherine Heigl, Sherri Shepherd, and others; directed by Julie Ann Robinson; and produced by Tom Rosenberg. Based on the first book of the series by Janet Evanovich, I'd categorize it as a comedy/action story. Taking place in Trenton, New Jersey, everyone lives up to the stereotypes of that state.

I read the book a year or so ago. It is the only book of the Stephanie Plum 18 book series that I've read. The movie was good entertainment giving Katherine Heigi a good role to showcase her talents, if you know what I mean. The book described her being left handcuffed naked to a shower rod. I was curious to see how that was to be handled in the movie. It lived up to the story discretely.

The movie was enjoyable as are the books (Anna has read them all), but don't go looking for significant redeeming social qualities. The books and the movie are just good for a chuckle. See the trailer below:

Queen Kong by Frank Fraetta

Visiting St James Episcopal Cemetery in Marietta

The Saint James Episcopal Church Cemetery at Polk and Winn Streets is a very interesting cemetery*. Local history comes alive there – well, I don’t think “comes alive” are the words I’m looking for. But you see the city leaders of the past, street names, and local business names, all crammed in a small cemetery.

Click on each photo to see the details.


Agricola Street is off Allgood Road.


Rip Blair was one of the city fathers who turned this town from a rural to an Industrial town. I don’t know if this is Rip’s grave but if not, I bet it is a relative.


The name Otis Brumby has been associated with publishing the Marietta Daily Journal for many years. Unfortunately, this Otis Brumby lived only 7 months.



Above two markers - a touch of the Old Country


Clark Gable? Not THE Clark Gable I was told by the grounds keeper.


Coryell is a street off Roswell Street.


Denmead owned a large plantation in the area of Hospital. He also owned Denmead Warehouse, by the railroad tracks on Mill Street. Notice the Glover memorials in the background?


Dupre’s Store on Whitlock Avenue by the railroad tracks. Dupre’s adjusted to the times all through its long history. When Cobb County was an agricultural community they catered to the farmers. Later when Bell Bomber and afterwards Lockheed subdivisions sprung up and with less farms Dupre’s sold less farm supplies and more appliances. Now, Cobb County is the home of many upper middle class yuppies who love antiquing – now Dupre’s is an antique center.


Robert Flouroy was a colorful mayor and later a colorful judge.


Freyer Drive is off Cherokee Street. Freyer Drive was the addresses of at least two of Marietta Mayors.




In early times of Marietta the Glover family just about owned the town, really! Even down to the very center of it – Glover Park, which they donated to the city.


Abraham Green was born in 1802. Unless he was an Indian, I doubt if he is a native of Marietta. Marietta was not opened to white settlers until 1832.


Harold Willingham was the county attorney at one time and another time the city Attorney. He was also a powerful influential state representative. With his legal fees as an attorney for the local governments he died a very rich man.



Eldred Tait Hunter, Jr. is no relation to me as far as I know, even though we have the same initials, including the Jr.




PROVIDENCE, edited by Connie M. Cox & Darlene M. Walsh is an excellent book about the history of this region before, during, and after the Civil War. It follows the correspondence of mainly George Camp who was an officer in the Roswell Mill, working directly for Roswell King, the owner of the mill and the founder of Roswell, Georgia.. George Camp bought Tranquility and the parcel of land came with it the subdivision of Keeler Woods was developed. Look at these names on the above memorials – the same names of the streets in Keeler Woods.


A Massey was president of the First National Bank of Marietta.


The McNeel family owned McNeel Marble and developed Cherokee Heights, Marietta’s first subdivision.


Across the street from the cemetery is Marietta Junior High school. It was Marietta High School when I attended. The steps in front lead up to the administrative offices. I spent many hours in those offices explaining myself.




The Noble family owned the Pontiac Dealership in Marietta. Their son Ben was a friend in high school and had plenty of parties at their home near Little Kennesaw Mountain on Old Mountain Road. In Ben Senior senior years he took an active role in protecting small family cemeteries. After I was married we sold Mrs. Noble a baby schnauzer that our Schatzi had.


The Northcutt family has been business leaders in the downtown Marietta since before 1900




Jon Benet and her mother Patricia Ramsey’s graves. The poor little girl was bludgeoned to death in her home in Boulder, Colorado, making national news. The murder was never solved.
The tree that hangs over Jon Benet’s grave used to have many cards and plastic angels on it, now, there are only two.



Mr. Schilling, an immigrant from Germany owned a very successful hardware store on the Marietta Square. Now, Schilling’s Restaurant is in the same space.


The Skinners have interesting markers and interesting places and dates.



The Tumlin family owned Marietta Lumber Company and a descendant, Steve “Thunder” Tumlin is now Mayor.


The lady and her babies need a nice bubble bath with a pressure washer. It has been rumored for years that the marker is haunted. The rumor is that at midnight if you circle her three times and asked her what happened to her babies she will cry. I don’t believe in such nonsense but I am afraid to be in the cemetery at midnight to prove the rumor wrong.




Grady Veach owned Veach’s Wholesale Groceries. His warehouse was the old Denmead warehouse on Mill Street.


Whitlock as in Whitlock Avenue or Whitlock Inn.



Winters was one of the early pioneers of Marietta, and Winters Street was an early street in downtown Marietta also.

Studying local cemetery markers is sort of creepy isn’t it?