Hi,
I just wanted to let everyone know my Dad came home from the hospital late Friday morning needing mostly a good night's sleep and a shave. This morning, he is doing well. My Mom and I have had to rein him in a little bit as he was eager to "get back to work".
I appreciate all the thoughts and prayers from everyone.
We had quite a scare Tuesday and thankfully the emergency responders were at the door of my Dad's place within minutes. They are your "everyday" quiet and unsung heroes and they are perhaps taken for granted sometimes - I want to thank them for their speedy and skillful response.
The rain continues to fall here - the local streams are muddy and flooded - the sky is dark and gloomy - and it's Monday to top it off - but I'm drinking my coffee thinking - its a good day as things are "back to normal".
Monday, January 25, 2010
Thursday, January 21, 2010
The 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (24 Heures du Mans) is the world's oldest sports car race in endurance racing, held annually since 1923 near the town of Le Mans, France.
Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it runs on a course containing closed public roads that test a car and driver's ability to be quick, but also to last over a 24 hour period.
This drove engineering innovation in not only mechanical reliability but also in fuel-efficiency, since the nature of endurance racing requires as little time to be spent in the pits as possible.
The race traditionally began with the Le Mans start, in which cars were lined up alongside the pit wall in the order in which they qualified. The starting drivers would stand on the opposite side of the race track. When the French flag dropped to signify the start of the race, the drivers would run to their cars, which they would have to enter and start without assistance, before driving away.
This became a safety issue in the late 1960s when drivers would ignore their safety harnesses (seatbelts), a then recent invention, and be hurt or killed in early laps while struggling to put them on while driving.
However, in 1971 this method would be done away with as a rolling start (sometimes known as an Indianapolis start) was introduced, which has been used ever since.
With the high speeds associated with Le Mans, the track has seen a number of accidents, some of which have been fatal to drivers and spectators. The worst moment in Le Mans history was during the 1955 race when a racing car involved in an accident flew into the crowd, killing the driver (Pierre Levegh) and 84 spectators.
Last Sunday, my Dad and I went to the Simeone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to look at nearly 100 preserved historical race cars. The museum's catch phrase is "The first race was conceived when the second car was built."
In one exhibit, there are more than a dozen, very rare, Le Man's race cars.
1927 Stutz Black Hawk
1929 Stutz Supercharged Le Mans
1929 Dupont Le Mans Speedster
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C2300 Lemans
1934 Mg K3 Magnette
1936 Aston Martin Le Mans
1936 Delahaye 135S
1938 Peugeot Darlmat Lemans
1954 Ferrari 375MM
1956 Maserati 300s
1958 Ferrari Testa Rossa
1966 Ford GT40 MK II
1967 Ford MK IV
1970 Porsche 917LH
Looking at these Le Mans contestants, it is striking how much technology has changed over four decades. The dramatic transformation between the 1933 Alfa (pictured above)and the 1970 Porsche is all due to competition. Also striking is the glossy shine!
As the competition for speed increased (the Porsche 917 was capable of 240mph), so did the use of aerodynamic design to help make the cars more stable, thus the 917LH’s long rear tail, fins and wing.
There are more pictures in Flickr if you are interested in looking.
---------------
On Tuesday afternoon, my Dad suffered a heart attack. He has been in the hospital since then, but this morning he was sitting up, reading the brochure I picked up at the car museum and talking about "all the neat cars we saw". He is eating well and the doctor says he can go home tomorrow. I can't begin to express how relieved and delighted I am to hear this news.
I want to go to many more museums and many more places we both have interests in - and there are so many we have in common - so call me selfish if you want - I'm thrilled he should be back on his feet and going places again soon.
Get all better soonest, Dad!
Commonly known as the Grand Prix of Endurance, it runs on a course containing closed public roads that test a car and driver's ability to be quick, but also to last over a 24 hour period.
This drove engineering innovation in not only mechanical reliability but also in fuel-efficiency, since the nature of endurance racing requires as little time to be spent in the pits as possible.
The race traditionally began with the Le Mans start, in which cars were lined up alongside the pit wall in the order in which they qualified. The starting drivers would stand on the opposite side of the race track. When the French flag dropped to signify the start of the race, the drivers would run to their cars, which they would have to enter and start without assistance, before driving away.
This became a safety issue in the late 1960s when drivers would ignore their safety harnesses (seatbelts), a then recent invention, and be hurt or killed in early laps while struggling to put them on while driving.
However, in 1971 this method would be done away with as a rolling start (sometimes known as an Indianapolis start) was introduced, which has been used ever since.
With the high speeds associated with Le Mans, the track has seen a number of accidents, some of which have been fatal to drivers and spectators. The worst moment in Le Mans history was during the 1955 race when a racing car involved in an accident flew into the crowd, killing the driver (Pierre Levegh) and 84 spectators.
Last Sunday, my Dad and I went to the Simeone Foundation Museum in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to look at nearly 100 preserved historical race cars. The museum's catch phrase is "The first race was conceived when the second car was built."
In one exhibit, there are more than a dozen, very rare, Le Man's race cars.
1927 Stutz Black Hawk
1929 Stutz Supercharged Le Mans
1929 Dupont Le Mans Speedster
1933 Alfa Romeo 8C2300 Lemans
1934 Mg K3 Magnette
1936 Aston Martin Le Mans
1936 Delahaye 135S
1938 Peugeot Darlmat Lemans
1954 Ferrari 375MM
1956 Maserati 300s
1958 Ferrari Testa Rossa
1966 Ford GT40 MK II
1967 Ford MK IV
1970 Porsche 917LH
Looking at these Le Mans contestants, it is striking how much technology has changed over four decades. The dramatic transformation between the 1933 Alfa (pictured above)and the 1970 Porsche is all due to competition. Also striking is the glossy shine!
As the competition for speed increased (the Porsche 917 was capable of 240mph), so did the use of aerodynamic design to help make the cars more stable, thus the 917LH’s long rear tail, fins and wing.
There are more pictures in Flickr if you are interested in looking.
On Tuesday afternoon, my Dad suffered a heart attack. He has been in the hospital since then, but this morning he was sitting up, reading the brochure I picked up at the car museum and talking about "all the neat cars we saw". He is eating well and the doctor says he can go home tomorrow. I can't begin to express how relieved and delighted I am to hear this news.
I want to go to many more museums and many more places we both have interests in - and there are so many we have in common - so call me selfish if you want - I'm thrilled he should be back on his feet and going places again soon.
Get all better soonest, Dad!
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Why did the cones cross the road?
Captain Picard: "How are you feeling?"
Scotty: "I don't know. How am I feeling?"
Beverly: "Other than a few bumps and bruises I say you feel fine for a man of 147."
Scotty: "And I don't feel a day over a hundred and twenty."
I think I know the feeling...
To borrow a phase from Commander Data from Star Trek, the Next Generation, I've not been "functioning within established parameters" lately. I've gotten behind and sporadic with commenting on other's blogs. I'm not sure what's at fault or what to blame. I guess I could use some of those built-in Androidal self-diagnosis routines Mr. Data has some days. At any rate - I was sent some curious photographs lately, and thought I'd share.
I got this photo from This Mom's Many Hats and altered it only slightly (and in no important detail) and was left pondering, "Why would a cone cross the street? Are they on the way to the ski lift? Do they snowboard in a half pipe?"
Mysterious business isn't it? What could they be up to? Do cones go to the movies? I know they go to outdoor rock concerts and country fairs - but in the dead of winter? Did they understand they might have been trespassing?
I got this photo (and the next one) from Martha of The Daily Grind. Obviously the trespassing cones upset this landowner. The mystery thickens... I do hope the cones went home via some other route.
Ah, well, who could resist a hot fresh triangular slice of pizza with a side of diet Pepsi (or Coke or Dr Pepper or even Fresca).
Scotty: "I don't know. How am I feeling?"
Beverly: "Other than a few bumps and bruises I say you feel fine for a man of 147."
Scotty: "And I don't feel a day over a hundred and twenty."
I think I know the feeling...
To borrow a phase from Commander Data from Star Trek, the Next Generation, I've not been "functioning within established parameters" lately. I've gotten behind and sporadic with commenting on other's blogs. I'm not sure what's at fault or what to blame. I guess I could use some of those built-in Androidal self-diagnosis routines Mr. Data has some days. At any rate - I was sent some curious photographs lately, and thought I'd share.
I got this photo from This Mom's Many Hats and altered it only slightly (and in no important detail) and was left pondering, "Why would a cone cross the street? Are they on the way to the ski lift? Do they snowboard in a half pipe?"
Mysterious business isn't it? What could they be up to? Do cones go to the movies? I know they go to outdoor rock concerts and country fairs - but in the dead of winter? Did they understand they might have been trespassing?
I got this photo (and the next one) from Martha of The Daily Grind. Obviously the trespassing cones upset this landowner. The mystery thickens... I do hope the cones went home via some other route.
Ah, well, who could resist a hot fresh triangular slice of pizza with a side of diet Pepsi (or Coke or Dr Pepper or even Fresca).
Friday, January 15, 2010
Longwood Garden's Magnificent Organ
Some of you may remember Philadelphia legend Larry Farrari (1932–1997). He was an American organist who hosted "The Larry Ferrari Show" from 1954 to 1997 on WPVI-TV in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, a weekly Sunday morning half hour program of organ music.
A huge green fern grows outside the door to Longwood Garden's Ballroom.
I'm sure his spirit is smiling. Recently renovated, Longwood Garden's Aeolian Organ is once again in full magnificent operational splendor.
This is the world's largest "house" pipe organ.
In January, 1929, Pierre du Pont ordered an Aeolian organ for Longwood's new Ballroom. Designed by Longwood's own organist, Firmin Swinnen, a Belgian musician who moved to the US in the 1920s and became a prominent theater organist in New York City, the instrument was custom built in Garwood, NJ, and cost $122,700 ($1,520,879.57 in 2008 dollars).
It has 10,010 pipes divided into 146 ranks (or sets), 237 stops and couplers, five 32-foot pedal stops, and 61 combination pistons. Its 364 percussion tones include chimes, drums, cymbal, and 9-foot Weber concert grand piano playable from the organ console. A Duo-Art roll player could play the entire organ automatically.
The instrument weighs 55 tons and is installed in nine chambers that, together, are 63 feet wide, 23 feet deep, and 40 feet tall.
The chambers are located behind damask-covered openings along the north wall of the Ballroom. Wind is supplied by electric blowers totaling 72 horsepower.
Moller Console, 1959
This 4-manual (keyboard) console was built 1958-59 by the M. P. Moller company of Hagerstown, Maryland to replace the original 1929 organ console. It is made of bleached mahoggany and has 244 keys and 460 controls for the hands, and 32 pedal keys and 40 controls for the feet.
The top 21 lights indicate how far open the expression shutters are, and the remaining 10 lights show when special features are activated.
Organ Chambers - the expression shutters are open on the far wall
Behind 2'-thick glass windows are 5,360 of the Longwood Organ's 10,010 pipes.
Five rooms of pipes are visible. An additional 4 rooms with 4,650 pipes and numberous percussion instruments are upstairs and cannot be seen. Also hidden is the Blower Room in the basement.
Each pipe room ("division") is separated from it neighbor by concrete walls, except on the Ballroom side where expression shutters on 7 of the 9 rooms that can be opened and closed by the organist to control the volume.
The entire instrument is played from the console in the Ballroom, or by a computer.
The glass made it difficult for me to get a clear shot of the pipe rooms, but here you can see the hundreds of pipes ranging from tractor-trailer sized mufflers on the right to little pencil-sized ones on the floor on the left.
I'm sure this thing has some pretty wicked bass.
Next to the pipe rooms, there was a photographic display showing other organs of similar magnitude. I was pleasantly surprised to find I have actually heard a number of them played, including Wannamaker's (now Macy's) Department store in downtown Philadelphia with 28,482 pipes! (get a load of that console!), the Convention Center in Atlantic City with 33,114 pipes (largest and loudest in the world), as well as those in several huge cathedral churchs in Europe.
Added: A video showing the organ being played along with the outdoor fountains (here).
I'm sure his spirit is smiling. Recently renovated, Longwood Garden's Aeolian Organ is once again in full magnificent operational splendor.
This is the world's largest "house" pipe organ.
In January, 1929, Pierre du Pont ordered an Aeolian organ for Longwood's new Ballroom. Designed by Longwood's own organist, Firmin Swinnen, a Belgian musician who moved to the US in the 1920s and became a prominent theater organist in New York City, the instrument was custom built in Garwood, NJ, and cost $122,700 ($1,520,879.57 in 2008 dollars).
It has 10,010 pipes divided into 146 ranks (or sets), 237 stops and couplers, five 32-foot pedal stops, and 61 combination pistons. Its 364 percussion tones include chimes, drums, cymbal, and 9-foot Weber concert grand piano playable from the organ console. A Duo-Art roll player could play the entire organ automatically.
The instrument weighs 55 tons and is installed in nine chambers that, together, are 63 feet wide, 23 feet deep, and 40 feet tall.
The chambers are located behind damask-covered openings along the north wall of the Ballroom. Wind is supplied by electric blowers totaling 72 horsepower.
This 4-manual (keyboard) console was built 1958-59 by the M. P. Moller company of Hagerstown, Maryland to replace the original 1929 organ console. It is made of bleached mahoggany and has 244 keys and 460 controls for the hands, and 32 pedal keys and 40 controls for the feet.
The top 21 lights indicate how far open the expression shutters are, and the remaining 10 lights show when special features are activated.
Behind 2'-thick glass windows are 5,360 of the Longwood Organ's 10,010 pipes.
Five rooms of pipes are visible. An additional 4 rooms with 4,650 pipes and numberous percussion instruments are upstairs and cannot be seen. Also hidden is the Blower Room in the basement.
Each pipe room ("division") is separated from it neighbor by concrete walls, except on the Ballroom side where expression shutters on 7 of the 9 rooms that can be opened and closed by the organist to control the volume.
The entire instrument is played from the console in the Ballroom, or by a computer.
The glass made it difficult for me to get a clear shot of the pipe rooms, but here you can see the hundreds of pipes ranging from tractor-trailer sized mufflers on the right to little pencil-sized ones on the floor on the left.
I'm sure this thing has some pretty wicked bass.
Next to the pipe rooms, there was a photographic display showing other organs of similar magnitude. I was pleasantly surprised to find I have actually heard a number of them played, including Wannamaker's (now Macy's) Department store in downtown Philadelphia with 28,482 pipes! (get a load of that console!), the Convention Center in Atlantic City with 33,114 pipes (largest and loudest in the world), as well as those in several huge cathedral churchs in Europe.
Added: A video showing the organ being played along with the outdoor fountains (here).
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