Friday, September 30, 2011

Why cant Cars look Great and have Quality?

Why can't we see this beautiful design in today's cars?
I have always wondered why cars started losing their great looks. The 40s, 50s, 60s, 70s cars had such style n grace in their design. I feel the wildest grooviest designs in cars were the years 1967,1968 and 1969. Around 1980 they started getting this "box" look to them. I'm not sure if that was due to their unibody frame but they looked like blocks going down the road. The very first cars were nothing but horse carriges with motors on them, but hey, they just came out, you cant fault them in first few years of existance. After time they started looking pretty sleek. The Dusenbugs, Mercedes and Cadillacs set the trend as did the foreign cars Jaguar, Peugeou,Mazzeratti and Porsche. I understand today we need lighter vehicles to save on fuel and for electric motors which dont seem to have the power a combustion engine has, but still cant engineers design some half-way decent looks to them? Starting in the 40s these cars had such wonderful lines and every Company had their own unique design. Even models within the same company had their special style. When I worked on cars from 1992 to 2006, I noticed how flimsey they were made. If I just touch something inside the motor it would crack apart or fall off. I understand parts need to be replaced but they should be able to withstand a light tug or pull. Many things made today break down or need to be replaced in 3 years when they should have lasted 10 years. Im sure this is done to make sure a company keeps selling more of their products that way. It seems insulting to me that they feel the need to purposely make junk to keep them rich. I was upset when computers had to be upgraded so often but I realized that was due to the technology improving so fast, and I suppose that was a good thing to be able to do so many great things on computers now. do we really need all this high-tech in cars though? I do like the GPS to track your car if it is lost or stolen and the Map technology that even tells you a traffic jam is up ahead and what exit to take to avoid it, but having computer monitors on the dashboard? A car that parks itself? If you get a car that drives itself, you might as well ride a train! Oh well, change happens. I first noticed change in 1973. I thought the Hippies and long hair will be here forever but that was not the case. I thought the Metal and Psychedelic music would always dominate. I thought muscle cars would get more muscular and the bell bottoms would get wider. Something strange happened. People started cutting their hair and music on the radio started getting more boring and laid-back. Radio stations stopped playing whole albums and many went into these non-live formats with programed songs in a loop that repeated every 3 hours. What a nightmare! Now I realize "What comes around, goes around". I have seen little kids with peace signs around their necks and wearing tie-dye shirts. And now with 2 wars dragging on and on, we might even get a whole new batch of war protestors, so its odd how some things never change except you are older and they are younger =B-] This is Jimio saying "Peace-Love and Better Designing through High-Tech" 

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Civil War Muster-The Past Comes to Life

Battle of Bethel Church Virginia June 10 1861

Beautiful Civil War dress
 This was my 2nd visit to a Civil war Re-enactment, the first being over 22 years ago in this very same spot. It sure has grown. I saw more troops, more cannons and more vistors. I also met Historical Ken, a blogger of  http://passionforthepast.blogspot.com/ and we talked for a bit about re-enacting. It was a beautiful day, though rather hot but that helped the liquid refreshment Saloon get many thirsty customers. There were many stuffed animal heads of a Buffalo, a Moose and an Elk I believe and the Bar looked right out of the 1860s. I had to go to the Saloon twice it was so humid out. The women were dressed in very authentic looking period clothing for the 1860s. The prominent women of lawyers and doctors and such wore beautiful dresses with a hoop skirt that makes them puff out and give them that "Southern Belle" look. Many children were there wearing accurate period clothing and a few young teens fought in the battle just like some did back in the 1860s. The children also played with toys from the 1860s, it was like you were transported back to the civil war. Even the campfires were perfect replicas, maybe even real 1860s cookware and they had the fires burning on tree logs split with axes with actual food sizzling in the pans *smelled so good!* Everything there, was down to a T and the re-enactors stayed the night in their tents for this wonderful 2 day Muster Event. Plus I must mention the great playing of the Michigan 5th Infantry Band. Baritones, Trumpets, Drums and Piccalos played 1860s Era songs to the delight of all. When the Battle of Bethel Church started, the Muskets were pretty loud, but when the 8 Cannons went off, every toddler in the crowd seem to be crying. They did not expect such a huge *BOOM!* I'm certain the next 4 years of this 150th anniversary of the Civil War will be just as exciting as this year was.