Small Planet Big World

CN Tower View

2009-10-22T17:35:00.001-07:00

CN Tower View, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

I took this photo in February from the top of the CN Tower. I was there with Isabelle on vacation. I know it sounds like a crazy idea for a holiday, Canada in the winter... but we LOVED it!! We'd have been in Chicago anyway, the climate is the same. The weather was... COLD. The view from the tower was excellent. We showed up about an hour before sunset and watched it go down. Isabelle was afraid to go anywhere near the floor windows.

Return to Sydney

2009-10-16T19:37:00.001-07:00

After months on this rock (North America) I am finally taking flight abroad, going west... so far west I'll be east. So far south that the sun will be in the north. To the sunburnt country, the land down under... Australia! I am flying to Sydney from Chicago on November 3rd. I arrive on the 5th (that's a flight, huh?) and will be there until November 30th, if all goes according to plan.

Expect loads of photos, some blog posts, and a very happy Andy. I first traveled to Sydney in 2007 for work and stayed for 3 weeks. I fell in love with the city hard and fast. To me, Sydney is the perfect mix of Chicago and San Francisco. A mild weathered capital of a culture, what Chicago is to the midwest, Sydney is to a dusty dry continent obscure to Europeans until the late 1700s.

Well that's all for now, wish me luck on my voyage. Between now and then I have plenty of work to do and things to keep me occupied, but sunny Sydney will be this year's big news!

Jazz Age Chicago--Home Page

2009-10-03T18:14:00.001-07:00

I just discovered this blog!! It's great, Scott Newman, the author, writes about a lot of the stuff I am interested in.

Jazz Age Chicago--Home Page

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Cloud Gate at Night

2009-09-29T10:19:00.001-07:00

Chicago September 4th-5th 102, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

A night photo from Millennium Park, this time of Cloud Gate by artist Anish Kapoor. I like the way the Aon Center and surrounding skyscrapers reflect in the sculpture. For this photo I used my tripod and set the ISO to 64 and the aperture to the max (3.2 in this instance)

The people in the middle of the frame were playing music and having a good time until a well dressed but obnoxious college-age preacher came over and started talking to everybody about God. At first I thought he was a part of the group, but soon everyone was wandering away and the fun times were at an end. I wish someone had stood up and told God boy to save it for people who need saving.

Chicago Loop at Night

2009-09-26T08:49:00.001-07:00

Chicago Loop at Night, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

Took this shot using my mini-tripod at night after the Jazz Festival.

I set the ISO-setting on the digital camera to 64 and have the largest aperture possible (2.8) to get this crisp photo of the elevated train tracks in the Loop. I was waiting for a Brown Line train to take me up to Fullerton where I'd switch to a Red Line train to get me uptown.

Lots of people think that Chicago's "loop" neighborhood is named for this "loop" of elevated track that circles the central business district. In fact, it is named for all the streetcars, horse drawn cars, and cable (grip) cars that had to "loop back" to their origin once they reached the city's center.

The Chicago Loop has a population density of just over 10,000 people per square mile, making it one of the most densely populated zip codes in America. The high density in the loop gives Chicago part of its signature skyline.

Siesta Beach

2009-09-20T17:19:00.001-07:00

Siesta Beach, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

The day after Kevin's wedding in Sarasota, I went to visit Joel and Cesily for lunch and then stopped at the Historic Spanish Point on my way back to Sarasota. Also on my way back, I stopped at Siesta Key to see the world famous Siesta Beach.

This beach is known for its 99% pure quartz sand that is so fine and white that it is cool to the touch, even in the blazing heat of the summer. The beach has earned “the whitest and finest sand in the world” (The Great International Beach Challenge, 1987) and “The Best Sand Beach in America” (The Travel Channel, 2004) awards. I can personally attest to the incredible feeling of this sand beneath my feet... it's like walking on baby powder!

"boy I got to show you somethin' 'fore it's gone"

2009-09-18T12:12:00.001-07:00

Said "boy I got to show you somethin' 'fore it's gone", originally uploaded by zuctronic.

Steve Earle - Texas Eagle

My Grandaddy was a railroad man
When I was young he took me by the hand
Dragged me to the station at the break of dawn
Said "boy I got to show you somethin' 'fore it's gone"
She was blue and silver - she was right on time
We rode that Texas Eagle on the Mopac line
We had some sandwiches that Granma packed
We rode to Palestine and hitchhiked back
Home in time for supper with a tale to tell
That night I dreamed I heard that lonesome whistle wail

When I got old enough to take the train alone
I rode that Texas Eagle down to San Antone

Nowadays they don't make no trains
Just the piggyback freighters and them Amtrak things
They shut the Eagle down awhile ago
Sold it to the railroad down in Mexico
But every now and then that whistle's on my mind
I ride that Texas Eagle ‘cross the borderline

Melissa and Chris

2009-08-27T09:55:00.000-07:00

This blog post is LONG overdue, as it's now been two months since the wedding... I mean seriously, only ONE post for the month of August? Well the good news is I've been out gathering material so I can publish many many posts in the coming months.

Thousands of years from now society may revolve around the scriptures known as "Small Planet Big World" so it must be recorded here that this event took place and we saw that it was good.

Chris "The Gack" Gackenheimer has been a part of the Barton clan for many years now. I can't even remember when I was first introduced to him, but he's been along to a few family reunions and he's been through all the requisite hazing rituals. It was not any big surprise when the wedding was announced, and some might suggest that such an event is almost anti-climactic. I want to put any such rumors to rest right now, this was an event to remember.

On June 27th, 2009, my ONLY female Barton cousin got married in St. Louis. The wedding was at Mad Art Gallery, which used to serve as a police station and jail. The weather was sunny, clear, and HOT. We stood outside for a few minutes and took pre-wedding photos while waiting for the ceremony to begin.

The temperature was near 100 degrees F, but small hand-held fans were given out to each guest. The ceremony was very nice but quick. After the vows we took a couple pictures and then went inside to enjoy the reception and air conditioning.

The reception was really fantastic. The hors d'oeuvres were so good I couldn't stop eating the bacon-wrapped dates! We had some drinks and mingled with the family for a while before dinner was served. After dinner, there were a few speeches. Melissa's father gave a speech that was moving and funny. Chris' friend read an IM transcript from the days when Chris first met Melissa! Then we danced until they kicked us out. They might have kicked us out because they needed to close... or it might have been my dancing... we'll never know.

Saint Louis Science Center

2009-08-11T08:58:00.000-07:00

St. Louis has this awesome park that runs through the middle called Forest Park. Straddling the southeastern edge of the park is one of America's top five science museums, the St. Louis Science Center. The Science Center campus is made up of four buildings. The James S. McDonnell Planetarium in Forest Park, a newer building (the main building) across Interstate 64, the Exploradome next to the main building, and the Taylor Community Science Resource Center. The Exploradome is actually supported by air, so it's like being inside a giant balloon. I wasn't able to get a really good picture of the outside of the planetarium, so I'm borrowing this one from the Wikimedia Commons, a repository of public domain media.

That is the exterior of the James S. McDonnell Planetarium, a hyperboloid structure by American architect Gyo Obata. It's fantastic eye-catching form hints at what can be found inside. Robbie, Nicky, Isabelle, and I went inside the museum and were immediately wowed by a giant working contraption that whisked colored balls around on rails. This was fun to watch for a while before we bought our tickets and went into the museum.

The museum has lots of hands-on demonstrations of scientific principals along with traditional exhibits. We wandered through the main building before grabbing some food for lunch. After lunch we walked into the inflated "exploradome" and then across the skybridge to the planetarium. In the skybridge, we put together an arch... harder than it looks!! After taking our time looking at some space-race era artifacts, we went back to the hotel in Kirkwood.

Marshall Field and Customer Service

2009-08-05T04:51:00.000-07:00

I wrote this blog article for work and decided to post it here as well.

Summer is always an exciting time in Chicago! There are street festivals every weekend, fireworks at the lakefront, and events in the parks almost non-stop. I live in the city of Chicago giving me convenient access to a variety of museums, shopping, and the lakefront. After living in this city for over eight years, I'm still a tourist at heart, taking every opportunity to soak in its sights and sounds.

Most people don't know this, but on the seventh floor of the Macy's department store on State Street in downtown Chicago, there is a museum that is devoted to the legacy of Marshall Field and the history of Chicago. Macy's, from New York, bought Marshall Field and Company department stores in 2005, but they put a number of old Field’s catalogs and artifacts on display to pay tribute to their history.

While walking through the exhibit, it's hard not to make the connection between Marshall Field’s and the success of Chicago. Several factors conspired to make Field the greatest merchant in Chicago, but none more important than customer service. When Marshall Field spoke of customer service, he spoke about going the extra mile, going above and beyond what's required, treating the customer like family. He would give customers anything they wanted and promised money back if they were not satisfied.

"Right or wrong, the customer is always right!" - Marshall Field

During last month’s PFLC, we were able to enjoy lunch with some of our customers. I was fortunate enough to sit with a buyer from Rockwell Automation, but everyone we spoke with echoed the same thing: Newark stands for superior customer service. What we sell is not just electronic components. We sell service that is unparalleled in the industry. In the past, I've had concerns that our prices are not always competitive, but my concerns were laid to rest by heaps of praise for our superior service. Our Rockwell buyer said, "We are happy to pay extra for the customer service we receive."

All of us deal with customers, even if it isn't immediately apparent. In GIS the customer is on the other side of the screen when we deploy new functionality our competitors don’t offer or make the website faster for our customers to quickly find the components they need. These customers deserve the same exceptional service our Rockwell Buyer spoke so highly of, and we aim to provide it. We spend time tracking down performance bottlenecks, constantly striving to improve customer experience around the globe while delivering the latest features to keep ahead of the competition. As long as we are working for the customer, we can never go wrong!

"Good will is the one and only asset that competition cannot undersell or destroy." - Marshall Field

Riding the Lincoln Service to St. Louis

2009-07-28T12:30:00.000-07:00

I love train travel! I recommend Amtrak to everyone considering a regional trip in the states. Last month, my cousin Melissa got married in St. Louis and I thought this was a perfect opportunity for a train ride. There are a few Amtrak routes that travel between Chicago and St. Louis and I decided to ride the Lincoln Service on my way there.

The train has a snack car where drinks and snacks are served. They have breakfast sandwiches, chips, wine, beer, and a bunch of other things for sale. We upgraded our seats to business class and enjoyed the giant soft leather seats. I brought my laptop with me and took advantage of the wall outlet at our seats. I tethered my phone to the USB port and was able to surf the web and chat with friends.

The trip is only five and a half hours and we arrived right on schedule. We got a free drink with our business class upgrade and we both had coffee. When we got off the train, my parents were at the St. Louis Gateway station waiting for us. They drove us over to the famous "Gateway Arch" so we could do some sightseeing before heading back to the hotel to get ready for dinner.

Inside the base of the Arch is a museum that celebrates the US expansion to the west. The whole park is formally called the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial and was built to reflect St. Louis and Thomas Jefferson's role in the westward expansion of the United States. In 1903 Thomas Jefferson purchased the Louisiana Territory from France (and Spain) and sent the Corps of Discovery (aka the Louis and Clark Expedition) to find a route to the Pacific Ocean.

We shot some photos inside the museum but the wait was too long to get up inside the Arch. The temperature outside was over 100 degrees F so we took a taxi to the hotel in Kirkwood and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing in the air conditioned room.

Black-crowned Night-Heron

2009-07-17T11:35:00.001-07:00

Black-crowned Night-Heron, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

Lincoln Park along Chicago's Lake Michigan shoreline is Chicago's collective "back yard" and also host to a surprising diversity of wildlife. This black-crowned night heron was sitting on a log in North Pond right in front of the North Pond Restaurant. Next to it, on a neighboring log, was a red-eared slider turtle basking in the sun.

North Pond is currently home to over 195 species of bird and it's common to see people with impressive photography gear and binoculars just to view the birds. I'm always grateful to have this great park within walking distance from where I live.

The night heron eats small fish, water insects, mice, and other creatures small enough to fit in its mouth. Seeing a top predator like this is a sign of a healthy ecosystem. I'll return to North Pond soon to get more photos of the wildlife I find there.

Ashland and Belmont

2009-07-15T10:20:00.001-07:00

Ashland and Belmont, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

Saturday night in Chicago, walking back to Kevin's from Ashland and Belmont after seeing Clutch play at the Kuma's Corner block party.

In the words of actor Gary Busey -

"You only get to see a sunset like this for the first time once."

Sneaky Sound System in Chicago

2009-07-11T08:06:00.000-07:00

Sneaky Sound System in Chicago!!! I brought my camera and recorded some of the show. They don't get by here very often. I was a little disappointed that there were so few people there, but I guess the only reason I really know about them is because I've been to Oz a few times. Enjoy the show!

pictures

kansas city

miss connie dancing

sweet dreams

UFO

Bertha Palmer in Sarasota

2009-06-17T06:43:00.000-07:00

In a previous blog post, I described the life (and death) of Potter Palmer through a series of news clippings from the turn of the century. Many of Chicago's historical paths lead back to Potter Palmer and his legacy. I'd like to turn some attention to his wife, Bertha Honoré Palmer. After Potter's death, Bertha continued to increase the family fortune through real estate development on the Gulf Coast of Florida. When I learned of her connection to Sarasota, I wanted to see it all for myself and learn as much as I could about this fascinating person.

Potter Palmer married Bertha Matilde Honoré when he was 44 and she was 21, so it should come as no great shock that he died while she was still relatively young. In 1902, the widowed Mrs. Bertha Palmer maintained homes in Chicago, Paris, and London. She spent a considerable amount of time throwing parties in London during the "Belle Époque" (Beautiful Era) of Europe. King Edward VII (the son of Queen Victoria) reigned during this fashionable time but when he died in 1910, most considered the party to be at an end. Powerful forces were afoot in Europe as the chess board was being set for WWI. Four years later, the young Archduke Franz Ferdinand and his pregnant wife were gunned down in Bosnia, detonating a powder keg of turmoil still smoldering almost 100 years later. I digress...

Seeing that the good times were over in Europe, Bertha moved back to Chicago. However, she'd had quite enough of our winters. She invested in 80,000 acres of land in and around Sarasota, Florida where she built a winter home, orchards, gardens, a cattle ranch, and a hunting preserve. She began developing the land and selling property to wealthy friends from the north. By this time, Mrs. Palmer was internationally known for her parties and her extravagant lifestyle. She could spend over $200,000 in a day of shopping. She spent so extravagantly that Potter allegedly left money for Bertha's "future husband" in his will. When people asked him why he would leave money for his replacement he said, "because he will need it!"

Mrs. Palmer called her Sarasota home "The Oaks" ... so that's what I was searching for on maps, on the internet, and all around Sarasota. Well, I never did find The Oaks because the home by that name was torn down. There is now some sort of gated community or country club there by the same name. Instead, the remnants of her private winter estate is named Historic Spanish Point. It was here that I expected to find some interesting history about the area with respect to the Spanish discovery and exploration of Florida. Surprised was I upon bumbling into Bertha Palmer's gardens, guest houses, and a guided tour of the property!!

I parked my car and went into the visitor's center. The park is officially named Historic Spanish Point and there is an admission fee. I paid the fee and got a map of the park and drove to the main trail head. After walking past some open lawn, I encountered a tour group being led by a woman who was very knowledgeable about the property. Our first stop was the Duchene Lawn which features a classic style portal. The lawn was meant to be Mrs. Palmer's front yard, but the mansion was unfortunately never built. The portal was meant to frame a view of the cove and Sarasota Bay, but the land leading from the lawn to the waterfront was never cleared.

After the Duchene Lawn, we walked through a thicket of swamp plants and came out to another large lawn that had once been an attempted lychee orchard. Bertha's grandson Gordon Palmer tried to grow lychee trees here so he could sell the fruit to Americans. Unfortunately the climate in Florida is just a little too cool in the winter for the trees and most of them died. There were a couple left on the far side of the field.

We went past a butterfly garden and a "jungle walk" to arrive at the Guptill House, the original home on the property. The tour took a short break here and then we went inside the house. I took some pictures inside the house before continuing on the tour.

We walked over a footbridge and then spent a few minutes inside an ancient midden. There was a small museum built inside the midden and we could see a cross section of the shell heap. We watched a short video about the property and then moved on to the area of Mrs. Palmer's sunken garden and pergola.

The whole experience was really exciting for me just because I'm fascinated with the gilded age, the Palmer family, and the whole Chicago link to Sarasota. I always try to see the things that are highlighted by the brown "parks and rec" signs that I see on the sides of the road and this time I was definitely not disappointed.

Chicago Mayfest!

2009-06-08T17:52:00.000-07:00

I went to the Chicago Maifest on Saturday and Sunday in Lincoln Square, once known as Germantown Chicago. It's a Germanfest with brats, leberkase, thueringers, saurkraut and potato salad. Oh yeah... and beer! HUGE steins of Hofbrau Munchen! There were also a few bands playing and lots of silly hats and dancing.

You can see the Western Avenue "el" station in the background. The music and "revelry" were so loud, you couldn't hear the train go bye.

Leberkase is my new best friend! It's sort of like spam, if you've never had it you should go look for some at a German butcher near you!

Oysters with Joel and Cesily

2009-05-26T06:36:00.001-07:00

Six Very Large Gulf Oysters, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

Whenever I start planning a trip anywhere, I use tripit to keep track of my itinerary. I can check on addresses, phone numbers, directions, and other information from my mobile phone and it keeps everything in one convenient place. It also tracks how many miles I've traveled and can easily parse the emails from travel websites for details. All I have to do is email my itineraries to them, and they automatically turn them into TripIt itineraries.

When I booked my trip to Sarasota, TripIt informed me that my friend Joel would be on the Gulf Coast in Florida that very same week! This was an amazing and fortuitous coincidence because it had been ages since I'd been able to grab lunch with Joel. He just happened to be there enjoying "spring break" with his family. I've known Joel and his wife Cesily since 1996 when I worked at Office Depot in Milwaukee!

I've been pestering Joel for ages to give raw oysters a try. He respectfully waited until he had a chance to try them with me, so we chose a place in Venice, Florida named Markers IV, an oyster bar. The place was a pretty standard beer and oysters sort of place, not too fancy. It was perfect and the weather was again extremely pleasant for us.

We ordered a half dozen and when they came out I was shocked to see the size of these monsters. Two of them were the size of my fist! They were VERY tasty! I got a video of Joel sucking down his very first oyster. Immediately after he ate it he declared, "Actually, that's not bad!" and proceeded to have seconds and thirds.

During our lunch, Cesily mentioned that she had been watching Cash & Treasure on the Travel Channel earlier that day. They were talking about finding shark teeth in Sarasota Bay right off the coast from Venice. Then she recognized that we were coincidentally sitting right next to the boat that was used in the episode she was watching. When we left the restaurant, we noticed a shop next door selling shark teeth. The very same woman who was featured in the episode of Cash and Treasure was running the shop! Cesily mentioned to her that she was on TV that morning and she said, "Oh they're still showing that?"

Joel and Ces recommended that I check out Siesta Key on my way back, especially to see Siesta Beach. So I punched it into the GPS and started to head back.

Cà d'Zan

2009-05-21T07:42:00.001-07:00

Cà d'Zan, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

On the Gulf shore of Sarasota, Florida, a wealthy magnate of America's gilded age built a mansion in the Venetian style overlooking Sarasota Bay. The view from this site reminded the owner, John Nicholas Ringling, of the lagoon in Venice. This winter home of John and Mable Ringling embodies the expression, "They don't make them like they used to."

John Nicholas Ringling built his fortune from the most unlikely business. Born in Iowa to German immigrants, the five Ringling Brothers started their show in 1870, when John was just 4 years old. They began by charging a penny for admission to "The Ringling Brothers United Monster Shows, Great Double Circus, Royal European Menagerie, Museum, Caravan, and Congress of Trained Animals" This ultimately became the Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey Circus. By 1926, all of the Ringling brothers had died except John, leaving him the empire.

The Ringling Brothers' circus, the Cà d'Zan, and much of the architecture around Sarasota are from a time when the future was coming on fast. The Chicago Fire in 1871 and the equine influenza epidemic of 1872 (remember everything was horse-driven then) helped trigger a series of global economic crises, beginning with the Panic of 1873. What better way to distract the public from their money woes than a trip to The Greatest Show on Earth? John's circus travels took him around the Victorian world and he started to collect artworks from his travels. By 1929, John had purchased the American Circus Corporation, making him owner of Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and every other traveling circus in America.

In 1909 at 43, old John had lived in the colder climes long enough to know that winter is no pleasant affair, so he and his wife Mable began spending their winters in Sarasota, Florida. In 1924 he commissioned the 30-room mansion that he called the Cà d'Zan, which translates roughly to The House of John in Venetian. It was completed by 1926, just in time for the collapse of the Florida real estate market.

In 1927, John moved the winter headquarters of the circus to Sarasota so he no longer had any reason to bundle up for the season. The writing was on the wall for America's economy, though. Bank failures were beginning to lead the country toward the crash of 1929 and the Great Depression. The crash and subsequent depression cleaned poor John out. He was able to keep his home and his art collection, but he lost his fortune. His wife, Mable, died in June 1929 and in 1932 he was voted out of control of his own business. John died on December 2, 1936 in New York City. He left his home, his art museum, and his entire art collection to the state of Florida.

Who knew the Circus could be so lucrative? Well, I guess I could have known if I'd given it any thought before visiting this place. John and Mable had a good thing going here and I'm glad to be able to witness what's left of his dream. It isn't difficult to imagine the tink tink of silver on fine porcelain or the laughter of wealthy guests being entertained by the Ringlings. These ghosts are all that are left of an era marked by extravagance and luxury. Mr. and Mrs. Ringling, I wish I could have been there.

Owl City - Hot Air Balloon

2009-05-16T10:54:00.001-07:00

Hot Air Balloon - Owl City

Just Married!

2009-05-10T07:11:00.001-07:00

Just Married!, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

I'll keep posting about the classic cars, but I want to break up the monotony a little as well, so we'll move on to the wedding... my next activity for the day.

The weather couldn't have been better for Kevin and Kristin's Big Day. I drove over to the hotel where Kevin and his family and the groomsmen were all staying. Everyone was nervous and worrying about the bow ties. Nobody was quite sure how they were supposed to be tied! We managed to get through it after Kevin learned by watching a video online.

I was recruited to be an usher, but I wasn't at the rehearsal.. so this was going to be slightly tricky. I drove to the Cà d'Zan and found a few people there. They had a cellist playing classical music and the chairs were set up on the lawn. When the limo arrived, I sorted out what they needed me to do. First I lit the candles, then I walked Kevin's mom to her seat, then Kristin's mom, then I sat down.

Everyone involved in the wedding looked absolutely their best. Amanda and Liz (Maid of honor and bridesmaid) looked stunning. The sun was up when the wedding started and it set while we ate dinner on the terrace. The venue was ideal, the view of Sarasota Bay and the sound of the water made it a perfect night. I spent a lot of time taking photos of the mansion and the grounds while the professional photographer shot up the wedding party.

For dinner there was a choice between beef and cornish hen. I had Kevin choose for me, because they both looked pretty good. He apparently chose the cornish hen, it was excellent. Deboned and stuffed with wild rice and served with a cranberry sauce, I ate the entire meal!

Afterward, we danced and then went to the Ritz Carlton where Kevin and Kristin would spend their first night together. The Ritz is an amazing hotel!! I took a few pictures from the terrace. We had a few drinks there and then I headed back to my hotel room after an exhausting day.

John Lennon

2009-05-06T18:13:00.001-07:00

John Lennon, originally uploaded by zuctronic.
The Sarasota Classic Car museum had a few of John Lennon's cars on display. First up is the 1956 Bentley SI that John Lennon had custom painted for the Beatles.

John Lennon Designed Psychedelic Bentley

This Bentley was acquired by John Lennon and the Beatles' "Apple Corp". It was painted at John Lennon's supervision by the same firm that painted the front of the Boutique Building in 1967, at the height of the "psychedelic era". This Bentley was often parked in front of "The Apple Tailoring Boutique", owned by Beatles Apple Corp., on Kings Road in London. Lennon was known to frequent the 'after hours' clubs in this Bentley and along with other Rock-n-Roll celebrities of the day, including Jimi Hendrix, and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones.

They also had a couple of John Lennon's personal Mercedes on display. First was his 1965 Mercedes 230SI:

John Lennon's Mercedes

This 1965 Mercedes Benz 230SL was the personal car of John Lennon, a member of the Beatles. The car was ordered through a British dealer, who delivered the car. It is equipped with right-hand steering and modifications to suit British laws. Lennon asked for an automatic transmission. Although not often fitted, his request was honored and the car was so equipped. In the rear seat, you may see an enlarged copy of the registration bearing Lennon's name and address. Although some 20,000 cars of this type were built, this one is unique.

And finally they had on display John Lennon's last car... his 1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD.

John Lennon's Last Vehicle
1979 Mercedes-Benz 300TD

Manufactured by: Daimler-Benz AG
Place: Stuttgart, Germany
Production: N/A
Body: steel unibody--Daimler-Benz
Chassis: wh.base: 110 in.; lgth: 190.9 in.; wt.: 3635 lbs.
Engine: water-cooled I-5, SOHC
Disp./Power: 183.4 cu. in. / 110 h.p.
Suspension: Front-independent, coil springs
Rear independent swing axles, coil springs
Transmission: automatic to rear axle

The introduction of a turbochrager on the three liter diesel improved the performance. The wagon was introduced in early 1979, and featured an automatic rear load leveler. The sliding roof was standard on the wagon. Although owned by a celebrity, the wagon is completely stock with few options or accessories, the alloy wheels being the only obvious one.

Cost new: $23,900

Poor John only got to drive this car for a year before some jerk shot him in New York. They had a news story posted from the day he was killed:

Dec 8, 1980 - JOHN LENNON GUNNED DOWN ON NEW YORK ST.

Former Beatle JOHN LENNON Was Today Shot & Killed Outside His Manhattan Apt. Sources Said a Lone Gunman Fired Several Bullets Into Lennon's Chest, Causing Immediate Death. No Further Information is Available at This Time

Perspective

2009-05-04T20:29:00.000-07:00

Chicago 1871

On a dry October Sunday in 1871 a fire broke out in southwestern Chicago. At first the fire was dismissed by most citizens... perhaps they thought it would be dealt with by the city's fire department. Unfortunately, the fire department was poorly manned and exhausted from fighting a fire the night before. The fire soon became a storm of flame that engulfed the city and reduced 4 square miles to rubble. By the time the fire was extinguished, two days later, the city lay in ruin. Potter Palmer's hotel was gone. His dry goods store reduced to ashes. Hundreds lost their lives. The city land surveys were destroyed. How would they go on?

(Chicago Tribune archive photo)

"If you were standing at the corner of Wabash and Washington Streets in Chicago in 1871, this is what you would see: piles of rubble, with the ruins of the Second Presbyterian Church in the background, just part of the unimaginable devastation from the "Great" Chicago Fire. The fire burned from Sunday October 8 to early Tuesday October 10, 1871, killing hundreds and destroying about four square miles in Chicago, Illinois."

We are delivered setbacks, disappointments, and frustrations - but if we don't rise again, we haven't learned a thing.

1981 DeLorean Gullwing

2009-05-04T05:01:00.001-07:00

1981 DeLorean Gullwing, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

Manufactured by: De Lorean Mfg. Co.
Place: Belfast, Northern Ireland
Production: 1981-82
Total Produced: 8,742
Body: stainless steel-designed by Giugiaro
Chassis: wh. base: 95 in.
Length: 168 in.
Engine: water-cooled V-6 SOHC fuel injection
Top speed: 125mph
Weight: 2,712 lbs
Suspension: Front & Rear Independent, coil springs
Transmission: automatic to rear axle
Cost new: $26-$30k

Built by John De Lorean in Belfast, Northern Ireland with British Government financing. Stainless steel panels over fiberglass, the bodies carried no paint. Of the total 8,742 produced, 4,000 were shipped to the United States. The cars were well-equipped, with standard air conditioning, leather upholstery, power windows and door locks. After bankruptcy in 1983 De Lorean was charged and acquitted by the British Government for embezzlement of company funds.

Story from OCTANE website:

DeLorean: From dream to nightmare

As we have already seen, John Z DeLorean didn’t play by the rules – and was prepared to think unconventionally in order to realise his dream of getting his gullwing sports car into production. However, choosing Northern Ireland to build his car was either the act of a genius – or commercial suicide.

When DMCL in the UK was set-up in October 1978, it was effectively a start-up operation, and the prototype had been underdeveloped.To accelerate the DMC-12’s move to production, the engineering programme at Hethel had been run simultaneously with endurance testing at the company HQ in Coventry; at a time when parallel development programmes had yet to become commonplace in the industry.

In setting up car production in Northern Ireland (as opposed to Puerto Rico), new supply deals with a myriad of component suppliers in the West Midlands needed to be set-up. This placed untold pressures on the UK managament team – and that wasn’t even accounting for the demands placed on it by setting up the green-field factory in strife-torn Northern Ireland.

Based in Dunmurry, near the Catholic Twinbrook Estate, the factory was perfectly placed to deal with the region’s rampant unemployment (it was as high as 50% in the Catholic areas). The factory was equidistant between large Catholic and Protestant estates. However, the work force wasn’t skilled, and would need training, and there simply wasn’t the industry infrastructure in place for a rapid build-up to production.

The workforce – a mixture of Protestant and Catholic – got on with the job and built the cars, proudly leaving religion at the factory gates. As for the cars – they were an object lessson in streamlined production methods. All of the components were brought in from outside suppliers apart from the fibreglass floorplan. This just-in-time construction also predicted subsequent industry practice.

Adding to the enormity of the task of getting production off the ground, John Z had set an impossible schedule. He’d promised the government that pilot build cars would be ready by May 1980, and a year after that, the factory would be assembling 30,000 cars per year. Despite this, John Z remained in New York, relying on his UK deputies – industry heavyweights such as Barrie Wills (purchasing director) and ex-GM man Chuck Bennington (product planning director) to get the operation running in the UK.

On January 21, 1981, eight months late and £34m over budget, the first DMC-12 rolled off the line at Dunmurry. Given the timetable, this was a remarkable achievement, even if the press gleefully reported the overspend of taxpayers’ money. It was still a rush job – the car was released to the public undercooked and lacking in build quality. Within months the factory had these issues licked...

The initial road tests were kind, though – after comparing it with the Porsche 911 and Ferrari 308 among others, Car & Driver concluded, ‘If De Lorean keeps it up, he could be the only North American besides Henry Ford to leave his mark and his name on the business.’ Given it cost ,600 compared with ,258 for the considerably faster (if much less refined) Chevrolet Corvette, it was an optimistic view, gullwing doors or not.

The chassis was impressive, even if the excessive ride height did its best to upset the overall levels of roadholding. Autocar reckoned it was biased towards understeer; Road and Track thought it rolled too much – and all thought it lacked the ultimate delicacy of its European rivals. But who really cared when it looked so striking?

Car & Driver summed in a wonderfully overblown way: ‘Let the sun blaze or the night lights sparkle and the sheen shines. And when the gullwings reach for the sky and their amber warning lights alert the neighbourhood’s low-flying Learjets to a new obstacle, all the world’s air traffic controllers couldn’t channel the glut of instant onlookers.’ Quite.

Despite promising early sales, the queue of buyers had evaporated by end of year – the chill wind of recession had struck the US automotive sector, and stockpiles of unsold cars started to mount up, both in Dunmurry and dockside in the USA. The worst US winter in 50 years also didn’t help the demand for sports cars.

As DeLorean had built the company on fragile finances, there was no way DMC could weather the storm. John Z desperately tried to secure additional funding from any sources available to him, while successfully managing to top up his investment from the Conservative government.

In January 1982, production was slashed and plans were accelerated to give the DMC-12 Euro Type Approval – something that John Z originally thought wouldn’t be necessary. An emergency recovery programme headed by Barrie Wills was instigated – but it was already too late.

On February 19, the receivers were called in, and after forming DMC (1982) Ltd, continued funding limited car production while a viable rescue plan was devised. The deadline would be July 31 – John Z assumed the date would come and go, and the government would offer a bailout.

DeLorean’s head of marketing, Tom Ronayne, toured Europe sounding out potential sales outlets. The feedback from over the channel was positive – and a rescue bid was cooked up. The immediate issue was to increase demand and and start selling stockpiled cars, but beyond that, Barrie Wills’ management team did all they could to make DeLorean – as a marque – saleable.

Wills and Bennington drew up a business plan that looked solid enough for them to receive a commitment to funding from a consortium of financial backers keen to rescue DeLorean.
However, on October 19, after a four-month operation, the FBI pounced on John Z in a Los Angeles hotel room for ‘narcotics violations.’ The dream came apart the moment the briefcase full of cocaine was captured on camera.

Four days later, it was over for Wills and Bennington, too. Time and money ran out, and the receivers were forced to close the company. After a run of less than two years and around 9500 cars, Barrie Wills locked the factory gates at Dunmurry for the very last time.

Did the DMC-12 deserve such a fate? Clearly, it was launched at the wrong time, was overpriced, and the company wasn’t strong enough to survive the economic downturn. However, the DMC-12 is a fascinating monument to the unique character of its creator – had anyone else attempted to build the car, it would never have made it off the drawing board. British taxpayers who stumped up the cash may have seen it differently, but John Z’s dream car deserved so much more.

Musical Interlude - What a Wonderful World

2009-05-02T03:39:00.001-07:00

I think I have a soundtrack... this song, Louis Armstrong's rendition of "What a Wonderful World" seems to follow me around. I've always loved the song, and I seem to hear it a lot when I'm traveling. Most recently, it was playing in the Sarasota Classic Car Museum when I first walked through the doors. Last August, it was playing inside the elevator of Coit Tower in San Francisco. Whenever I hear it, I smile.

In the movie they'll make about me one day long after I'm gone, this will be the song that plays over the opening credits.

I see trees of green........ red roses too
I see them bloom..... for me and for you
And I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

I see skies of blue..... and clouds of white
The bright blessed day.... the dark sacred night
And I think to myself..... what a wonderful world.

The colors of a rainbow..... so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces..... of people going by
I see friends shaking hands..... sayin how do you do
They're really saying...... I love you.

I hear babies cry...... I watch them grow
They'll learn much more..... than I'll ever know
And I think to myself..... what a wonderful world.

Yes... I think to myself.... what a wonderful world.

1905 Schacht at the Sarasota Classic Car Museum

2009-05-02T03:15:00.001-07:00

1905 Schacht, originally uploaded by zuctronic.

1905 Schacht

Manufactured By: Schacht Mfg. Co

Place: Cincinnati, Ohio U.S.A.
Production: 1904-1913 / 9000
Body: steel/wood runabout
Chassis: wheelbase: 65 in.; weight approx. 800 lbs.
Engine: water-cooled hor. opp. 2 cyl. sidevalve
Disp./Power: est. 100 cu. in. / 10 h.p.
Suspension: Front-beam axle, center-clamped cantilever leaf spring
Rear: beam axle, center-clamped cantilever leaf spring
Transmission: friction discs, differential cross-shaft and chains to rear wheels
Cost new: unknown
Present: not established

Schacht built 713 of these "high wheelers" in 1905. The company also built more conventional, larger, 4 cylinder cars. These were not successful, and Schacht turned to the manufacture of trucks in 1913, continuing with them into the 1930s. Fire apparatus was added to the line until Schacht went out of business in 1938.

When this came to the museum, they were instructed to leave one half exactly as they found it, and restore the other half to look the way it did the day it came from the factory. The video I took of the tour guide describing the vehicle shows both sides, and you can see that they've done a miraculous job of restoring it.

As the guide says in the video, this car has a safety feature. The crank is on the rear of the vehicle so that the person starting the engine would not be run over once it started up.