Returning from the fitness center this morning I tuned the radio to our local NPR station and heard an interesting discussion comparing the Henry Ford era of car building to the present day's, the point being made that ole Henry faced the same kinds of problems with developing his cars: high costs and limited range. That story is being told over and over by the folks trying to develop an electric system of propelling the new models. If I ever wondered where the Model T's nickname "Tin Lizzie" originated, I learned that, too. The name Lizzie was a name commonly used for a work horse, so it does not take a stretch of the imagination to see how it was applied to early cars.
On the afternoon of the Fourth we attended a party at a neighbor's house. One of the guests there was employed working on the new bridge in Minneapolis which replaces the one that collapsed some months back. I asked him how wide is the new structure, and he stated they are completing ten lanes now with the potential of adding another four. Also, provision is being made for a light rail line to be built on its deck. Public transportation, in my mind, must be developed to a much greater extent than it is now. Our trip to Minneapolis four weeks ago illustrated the need when I saw how many cars were trying to squeeze into that city on Monday morning. The future will probably say goodbye to suburban sprawl and hello to inner city renewal and development.
While in Minneapolis, son Clint installed a "counter" so I could tell how many looked at this blogsite. The numbers probably don't lie. There were 402 "hits" this morning, so either my wife has visited it that many times or there are a number of people checking it out. I presume the latter, so being there are a few of you out there who read it just means that I will have to try hard to write worthwhile subject matter.
