Monday, November 28, 2016

The Bear Shadow

By Obie Oakley



 Here is a 60 second commercial filmed in and around Highlands.  The "Bear Shadow" is a phenomenon that occurs each fall that's fun to go out to watch develop.
    The river and fall colors do a great job of showing off the beauty of our little town.


Sunday, November 27, 2016

Hedwig Kiesler

Like you, I have the greatest grand kids on earth!

The two youngest are in high school, so naturally. they're no longer as interested in their old grandaddy's tall tales as they once were. Even though my "tall tales" were (almost) always the Gospel truth!

Recognizing that today's youngsters are never very far away from their cell phones.  I decided that my topic for this Thanksgiving's story for the kids would be about the inventor of the cell phone.


Well, to be technically correct, there was no ONE inventer.....but many people contributed....however, if it weren't for one person....around 1942 or so.....our present cell phones would not exist!


Now those of us....long in tooth...and soon to graduate from this green earth...all  know who this inventor was. But to  the young people of today, the name  Hedwig Keisler... means nothing. 


But, of course, back then, the term "cell phone" meant nothing to us!


It didn't mean anything to Hedwig either, because the technology was meant for something else:


To allow our torpedoes NOT to be "misdirected" by the existing Nazi technology!  


This was all happening during the early 1940's of course.


It would have worked perfectly and I would love to write that this "frequency shifting" technology contributed mightily to our eventual victory in WW2.


But, it didn't.


Our government simply filed the technology somewhere in Washington and forgot about it.


Meanwhile our torpedoes keep missing Nazi ships.


Hedwig went on to other things and was very successful and famous for awhile. But as old age....and society's.....fickleness took its toll....Hedwig ended up broke.

Even going hungry....and resorting to stealing (shoplifting)....for food.

Hedwig's invention was finally resurrected and used by the US Navy in the 1960's....but no royalties were ever paid because Hedwig GAVE it to the government during WW2.


 Several years after Kiesler's death...the same formula which made the invaluable tool that is in you pocket or purse right now...the cell phone......was made possible.


Thanks to that hungry bum who died penniless on the streets of Florida.


We all knew that  famous inventor ... 


as the once "Most Beautiful Woman in the World".....by her stage name..


Hedy Lamarr



-Ed


Hedwig Kiesler  AKA Hedy Lamar




Wednesday, November 23, 2016



Wednesday, November 25, 2009


Thanksgiving 2009


This is an "oldie, but goodie".......but no need to change it. My thoughts and wishes are the same!




My very best wishes to you all for a very happy Thanksgiving.

                                                                                       Norman Rockwell

One of the many things I'm thankful for is being born in this country and in the city of  Charlotte, NC in 1936.  (Give or take a few years)

Perhaps there were better times and places to be put on this earth, but I can't imagine where and when they were.

There are many other items on my "thankful" list, but I always begin with that one.

Personally, I get out that mental list often....not just on Thanksgiving.

Try it.  It's one heck of a tranquilizer!

(Not a sermon, just a thought.       Naw...........it's a sermon.  -Ed)



Saturday, November 19, 2016

Thanksgiving Memories

  By Obie Oakley


Image result for kids at thanksgiving      Here it is, less than a week away from Thanksgiving.  It has always been my favorite holiday.  I think it goes back to when we were at Midwood and we would draw pictures of turkeys, dress up like pilgrims and collect food for those less fortunate. If you remember, we would put them in a bushel basket and at a special program in the auditorium, a couple of guys would take these crepe paper decorated baskets down to the stage where they were later taken to some needy family.

 We would also sing We Gather Together to Ask the Lord's 



Blessing.  It was a time of sharing and it always gave me a good feeling, not so much as "look at me, see what I did" but one doing something for someone else not so blessed.  Interestingly, I never thought of my family as being "blue collar or middle class". 

 BTW, the Presbyterian Church in all their infinite wisdom removed that hymn from its/our hymnal. 

-OO

Thursday, November 17, 2016

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

WHATEVER HAPPENED TO...

..................
GALOSHES
OILCLOTH ON THE KITCHEN TABLE
FLYPAPER
Duck Tails
V-MAIL
PENNY LOAFERS
JACK ARMSTRONG
INDIAN GIVING
PENNY CANDY
ADENOIDS
INNER SANCTUM AND THE SHADOW
HICKEYS
NECKING
STUDEBAKERS
RUBBERBAND GUNS
MODEL AIRPLANES
CREPE PAPER
OVALS AND PUSHPULLS
ISH KABBIBLE
GOING STEADY
CELLOPHANE
PLAYING MARBLES
SLAVE BRACELETS
TRADING COMPLIMENTS
DOUBLE JOINTED
INKWELLS
SCOOTERS
KNICKERS
REDROVER

Thank you, Internet.

-Ed



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Saturday, November 05, 2016

Parks Reinhardt's Wife Passes

By Jerry Gaudet

Sympathies to Parks Reinhardt as we learn of the passing of his wife, Carolyn.

Carolyn Reinhardt, my loving wife of 51 years, passed from life on this earth on Thursday November 3, 2016. She died peacefully at Hospice with me by her side. We will all miss here deeply. I am at peace knowing that she is now in Heaven in the arms of her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I want to thank all of you who have been a friend to Carolyn over the years. I also want to thank all of you that have been so kind and loving to us during her illness. Thank you for your prayers, your cards, your calls, your emails, your concern, your gifts and all the food that you provided.
For all of you that are interested, you are invited to a “Celebration of Carolyn’s life” service at the First Baptist Church of Winter Park, 1021 N. New York Ave. Winter Park, Florida 32789 on Saturday November 12, 2016 at 10 a.m.
With love,
Parks



We have this contact information for Parks:
Parks Reinhardt
4350 Lower Park Rd., Unit 101
Orlando, FL 32814
T


Friday, November 04, 2016

Knights of the Highway

1950 Mack Truck
I don't think anyone has called them that in about 50 years, but when we were growing up in the 40's and 50's the reason those long  driving trips to Grandmas were considered reasonably "safe"...was because of them.
Our parents knew that if they had a breakdown on the highway....one of those heroic "knights" would soon be pulling up to rescue them.

There were no rules or regulations specifying such behavior.....that's just what they did.

We call them simply  "Truck Drivers" now......because......well.....that's about all  they do.

In all fairness, I guess the days of the "knights" are over....because, with cell phones, more dependable cars, better tires, etc....they're not needed in the way they once were. 
But more than that, a spokesman for the National Trucking Association says that,

"Back in the day, it was common courtesy to pull over and help a stranded motorist. Nowadays, there are a whole list of reasons why this is a bad idea. For one, if your truck is sitting on the shoulder of the highway and gets hit by a passing vehicle, you could very well be the one held accountable, your company could become the target of a lawsuit, and you could possibly lose your job. It's dangerous to passing traffic and it's risky to the truck driver to be parked on the shoulder of a highway.
On top of that, we've all heard of criminal schemes where someone will pose as a stranded motorist as a setup to rob or kill people as they stop to help. "

Thursday, November 03, 2016

The Kilgo Connection

I  got lots of comments on the Jimmy Kilgo article.(See below)  I wasn't surprised. There were two local radio personalities  who "spoke to us"...like no others during our years at good old CHS:   Jimmy Kilgo on WIST....and "Genial Gene" on WGIV!

Bob Ellis sent me a nice note about his "Kilgo Connection:"


"Just read your piece on Jimmy Kilgo and Bob Raiford.   When I was at Central and old Charlotte College I would go to Kilgo's Korner 3-4 nights a week.   He was located on the 2nd floor of the Johnston Building.  Wilma was Jimmy's program director. On Friday and Saturday nights we would answer the phones taking music request.  Great way to meet girls.    Johnny Culp would sometimes come up .   I had become friends with Jimmy and John's younger brother Paul.   I think Paul and I met and became friends at one of the Central football games.   At the time Central had a great quarterback, but can't remember his name.   Mrs Kilgo lived on Carswell ( I think) about 1 block from Stanley Drugs.   Johnny Culp was the soda jerk at Stanley's while at Central or Charlotte College.   Has been so long ago that my mind (whats left of it) plays tricks on me. "       

-Bob